#pallet town theme

[spinningwebsandtales]

Imagine Cooking Laios A Meal After He Comes Back From The Dungeon

Laios Touden X FemReader

Rating: T

Warnings: Suggestive themes but it's mostly fluff, reader gets a small cut

Word Count: 2.3k

(A/N:) I have just started watching Delicious in Dungeon and I really fell in love with this series. And it's funny that I got this idea while I was cooking lunch today! It wouldn't leave me alone until I got it wrote and true to fashion when I'm really inspired it turns into a monster of an imagine! So I hope my fellow fangirls can enjoy the craziness that goes on in my mind! Until next time happy reading! ~Countess

Word always travelled around fast whenever Laios and his party finally returned from the dungeon. You had kept close tabs on the tall blond man and how he and his brave team faired against the creatures they battled and all sorts of tasks they faced. It wasn't unheard of people perishing within the dungeon, so every time he and his group left you became overwhelmed with dread at the thought of never seeing him again. It was only until they burst through the tavern doors were you ever to fully rid yourself of the stress. Seeing him sit around, talking, and laughing with everyone made you happy. While you were only a waitress in the establishment you worked at, it was no secret around town that you knew your way around a kitchen yourself. So it didn't surprise you when strangers would come up asking about your food or pleading for you to open up your own place after trying one bite.

It was another evening and several parties were beginning to gear up to return to the dungeon as many others were about to return themselves. You were giddier than normal, cause deep in your heart you knew that one of the returning parties had to be Laios and his crew. Customers could see you practically dancing around the establishment, setting down plates and glasses with an extra flourish. It was no secret in town that you had a slight crush on the tall man. But whenever they brought it up, you'd blush bright red before denying it quickly. But deep down inside you knew that you were lying to yourself and everyone else. So when the door slammed open and Laios walked in heading straight towards you, his gait filled with purpose you swallowed noisily. Grabbing onto your hands and pulling them to his chest he leaned downward, golden eyes barreling straight into yours. You were ready to scream until a giddy little smile parted his lips.

"I want to taste your cooking," he shouted letting everyone around hear his request. "I have heard all throughout the dungeon about how tasty and wonderful your culinary creations are, that I must try them for myself."

It wasn't unknown that Laios loved to eat and had a strange pallet but this was shocking, that he was being so forward. His stomach grumbled loudly, causing the whole tavern to chuckle. He blushed deeply, quickly stepping away knowing how the position you two were in looked to everyone else.

"Umm," you were sweating nervously, "I wouldn't mind cooking for you. Though I do have twenty minutes left of my shift."

"I can wait," he announced though his stomach grumbled in protest.

You giggled, snatching a roll from a basket on the bar counter. You held it out hoping that he would take it to tide himself over until you were able to take him to your home for his requested meal. Though you didn't just take anyone back to your home, you didn't mind cooking for others and you actually found some fulfilling enjoyment when they melted at the first bite. You loved making people happy with your food. So Laios waited (though a bit impatiently) for you to finish working so he could finally have his long awaited special meal. The other waitresses giggled towards you, elbowing you in the ribs until it was finally time for you to leave. Patrons gave you a thumbs up, others wished you luck, and the other waitresses made inappropriate gestures about the size of Laios. You rolled your eyes, slamming the tavern door closed behind you. Laughter erupted from within and you drug Laios away quickly.

Your little home wasn't anything special, but it had a nice kitchen and it was a easy place to keep clean. You also didn't have to worry about your neighbors and it was a good part of town. You didn't have to worry about bandits or ne'er-do-wells. With Laios standing in the little sitting area, the reality of the situation finally hit you. You almost fainted right there, until you smacked your cheeks and took a deep breath. Laios seemed a little concerned until you gave him your most confident smiled, that honestly wavered a tad, before you lead him to your kitchen. Luckily you did have a dining set that could accommodate him well.

"It's not much," you announced while he took a seat. "But it's home."

"I like it," he replied with a gentle smile. "It's very cozy."

"Thank you. You feeling anything in particular to eat, or have any allergies I need to know about?"

"No to both questions," Laios replied. "Whatever you feel like cooking, I feel like eating."

Something told you that the tall blond man didn't discriminate when it came to food. You giggled, knowing exactly what you wanted to cook. Rummaging around for your ingredients, you looked back to see him looking around absentmindedly, taking in his surroundings.

"Feel free to get up and look around. I don't mind and have nothing to hide."

"Oh sorry," he sheepishly rubbed his neck. "I didn't mean to seem nosey."

You laughed, "You aren't. But it is a new place. I can't say that if I visited someone else's home I wouldn't want to look around."

"Thank you but I'm okay sitting her for the time being. I'd actually like to keep talking with you if that's okay."

"Absolutely!" You started patting a good portion of ground meat with a disposable napkin. Sopping all the blood you could out of the meat. Laios watched in fascination. While he knew how to cook a little, he was no chef and his creations were barely edible.

"Why are you doing that? And what is it?"

"It's something my mother always did. It takes the stink out of the meat while it cooks. And part of me thinks it takes a little impurity out of the meat. Like soaking wild game and fish in salt water after it's cleaned." You began to season the meat heavily in the bowl. "A local hunter gave it to me. It's deer from his last hunt, he's very nice to me."

Laios stiffened in the chair, a sudden twinge of jealousy running through him. While he barely knew you personally, he couldn't lie that every time he visited the tavern, you caught his eye. Though he knew you had many admirers as you were very kind to customers and handled situations with patience and grace. Though it was known that if situations got out of control or men couldn't keep their hands to themselves you were able to fend for yourself.

"I'm no professional when it comes to cooking, but I make a pretty decent home chef," you smiled portioning the meat to make patties. You patted out two bigger ones for Laios and a couple smaller ones for yourself. Next you wanted to focus on cutting up some veggies for a flavorful but simple stir-fry. You also planned to make a flavorful gravy from the drippings from the meat. Though deer meat was very lean and dry, so you would add some butter to help it along. You just wanted the flavoring from the seasonings from the meat patties to soak into the gravy. Laios could see your brain turning, so he took it as a sign that he could take a moment to go look around. He already had permission and it wasn't like he was going to through anything private. So he left you to it, though he didn't want to stay away long as he was learning a few things from you.

It didn't take long to cut up the cabbage, carrots, and squash. You left the onions for last, since they were getting old you knew they were going to be a little more stout than they were a couple weeks ago. First cut went fine until you removed the outer peeling before the stinging started. You were so used to cutting onions that normally it didn't bother you, but this particular onion was not being nice to you. Tears leaked down your cheeks, while your eyes stung and began to blur. You thought you could still see well until you missed an onion slice and found your finger instead.

"Yowch," you yelped.

Thundering footsteps from Laios sounded from the sitting room coming towards your direction, before Laios basically skidded around the corner into the kitchen and came to your side in mere seconds. As soon as he heard your yelp his heart skipped a beat.

"What?! What is it," he panted.

Tears were still streaming down your cheeks, because of the onions and you held your bleeding hand to your chest. Without another word Laios took your hand cupping it in his larger calloused hands. The long healed nicks and scars from his sword gently scraped at your softer skin. You shivered at the different texture, but you loved his gentle touch. It soothed you while blood dripped from the cut.

You gave a pained giggle, "It doesn't hurt bad. The stupid onions made me cry and I couldn't see what I was doing. I wound up cutting my finger instead of the onion. But it'll be okay." You wiped at your wet cheeks with the heel of your hand that wasn't being held tenderly by the larger man.

"We still need to clean it," Laios lead you towards the sink where he turned on the faucet and placed your cut finger in the cool water. He started looking through the pockets of his pack, searching for a healing salve and a cloth strip to bandage your finger. It didn't take him long to find some before he was back at your side. He carefully patted your finger dry before smearing some of the soothing salve down the shallow and clean cut before winding the small strip of cloth to bind everything together. You thought he was about to step away when Laios leaned down, leaving a lingering tender kiss to your newly bandaged digit. You stammered but Laios, though clearly a little embarrassed, didn't step away.

"Can I help you," he offered.

All you could do was nod in reply before he took the knife from the counter where you had laid it. Before he started cutting the rest of the onion for you, he quickly sterilized it with some water and soap. You both worked quietly, a comfortable comradery coming between you both. With two working on the food, it went by much quicker and though your finger throbbed a little from the slice and heat from the stove. Everything was set upon the table in pride and you placed your hands on your hips. Laios once again took his seat and waited for you to take yours. He watched you in confusion when you didn't immediately sit down but stepped by his side. His golden eyes watched you take a plate and set it before him. You started placing food on his plate and he started to protest, but a quick stubborn look had him quieting down immediately.

"My mother told me when I was younger that if I wanted to win the heart of my future husband, it would be through his stomach," you scooped veggies beside the meat patties, before placing the gravy over the meat. You realized that Laios was blushing deep red, it made your cheeks and ears red as well. "Silly huh?"

"Yeah....silly," he rubbed at his neck. In all honesty he didn't think it was silly, but it hurt him a little bit to think of someone else enjoying a calm and beautiful home life with you.

After you had finished serving Laios did you finally take your seat across from the table and made your own plate. He waited patiently for you to finish before tucking in, though you made it known that he didn't have to. But he wanted to, meals were enjoyed better together, though it was a little hard to wait when everything smelled so good. Finally you finished making your plate and held up a glass.

"To shared meals and the people who make them more special," you said. Laios held up his own cup and you air clinked them together. Laios scooped up a huge bite and placed it into his mouth. The flavors burst upon his tongue and it had him moaning loudly. He melted into his seat and you giggled at his reaction, though it did make you really happy.

"Marry me," he blurted and you dropped your fork.

"What," you chuckled nervously picking your utensil back up.

He shoveled in more food, scarfing it down quickly to keep himself from saying something else stupid. You couldn't help yourself at his ridiculousness. You began to laugh uncontrollably. Laios could only watch speechless before he too joined in. You both laughing heartily over the meal before you were finally able to control yourself. Your sides aching and chest heaving. Finishing off the last bite you picked up your plate and swooped in to give Laios a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for the compliment," you whispered in his ear. This time causing him to shiver. He could only sit there in shock while you cleared the table, before setting a piece of fruit tart before him.

"I hope you'll come over more for dinner," you said suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

Laios quickly returned a kiss to your cheek before he cut a big piece of tart ,"Nothing would make me happier."

That's how you found yourself cooking many more meals for the golden haired man that had quickly stolen your heart and you hoped that one day that maybe a real marriage proposal would come from Laios lips one day. But tonight he made you the happiest girl in all the town and you hoped to enjoy many more meals with him no matter what came in the future.

[gracev0609]

Welcome Home Honey

The return of Iced Chai Jake and his little story

WC: 2k+

Warnings: The Iced Chai Universe is 18+ Only!, Fluffy Dad Jake, Single Dad Jake, Surrogate.

Jake gathered the package from his front porch, carrying the large plastic bubble mailer envelope down the hall into his spare bedroom. This was the secret that was the hardest to keep, he thought as he looked around the room. Freshly painted in yellow, all of the new furniture and baby items stacked in the center of the room as he continued to work on painting the bumblebee themed mural. Opening the newest package he smiled as he took the little baby blanket out of the wrapping, super soft and creme colored littered with happy yellow bees. For weeks Jake had kept this entire process to himself, he thought about it endlessly, made a pro and con list, had many in depth conversations with his doctors and specialists. Every question he had was answered and all that was left was for him to make decisions. He had made those decisions confidently, he could feel it in his bones, he wanted this, he wanted to be a father. By the time he received the call that the blood test confirmed that his surrogate was pregnant he was sure that his baby was one of the things he had ever wanted most. These last few weeks had been so difficult, Jake wanted nothing more than to tell his entire family about his life changing news, but he was determined to wait until he had the ultrasound picture in his hands. His hands shook lightly as he dabbed out more paint onto the pallet he was working with, still chugging away at the mural. He needed it to be perfect for his baby, this will be their room, Jake needed it to be special. He was informed, according to the schedule that she had shared with him, that she was going to the ultrasound appointment today at noon. He had it all planned out, his family was coming over tomorrow evening. Jake even had his parents fly out to hear his news in person. Each little bee he painted brought him closer and closer to seeing his baby, the bundle of nerves in his stomach growing tighter, gnawing at him. He was so excited and nervous. Halfway through painting a flower his phone chimed, eager to see the notification he tapped on the screen. His face fell slightly when he saw that it was a text from his mom letting him know that her and Dad are boarding their plane now and they'd be in town this evening. As he was typing back with paint smudged hands, another notification popped up on his screen. A text from his surrogate reading, Hey Jake! I just finished up at the appointment, all went really well. I sent the ultrasound pictures into the portal but it may take a few minutes for you to receive those. I took a few pictures of them for you myself ☺️

Image attachment ½.

Excitedly he clicked onto the text thread, a huge smiley grin appeared on his face, he was looking at his little itty bitty baby. Granted there wasn't much to see, implantation was a mere 5 weeks ago, but they were getting stronger and bigger and in a few more weeks he was going to be able to hear his babies heartbeat. As he studied the rounded lines of the tiny blob one thing became glaringly clear to him. I love you.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Jake was lost in thought as his family gathered around his kitchen table, laughing and smiling, catching up as it had been too long since everyone was in the same room together. There was a small gap in between himself and the chair that Sam was sitting in and he couldn't help but imagine a highchair between them, his heart feeling warm and fuzzy at the thought. Josh wandered back in from the kitchen, a glass of white wine in his hand, his other squeezing Jake's shoulder,” So, are you going to tell us why you've made all of us come sit at your table? You wouldn't tell me anything besides ‘you had news’ which honestly, rude. I'm your twin there are no secrets Jakey.” Josh giggles sitting back down in his seat.

Jake exhales as he pulls his phone from his pocket, logging into the portal and pulling up the ultrasound pictures. Standing he makes his way over to his mother, handing her his phone as she looks down at it in confusion.

Her eyes scan the page seeing her son's name littered across the phone screen,”Jacob?”

He smiles at her,” So, my big life changing news… I want to be- no correction. I am a father. I decided to do it by myself and use a surrogate. You're looking at the 5 week ultrasound, at 8 weeks I'll be able to hear the heartbeat. You're- you're looking at my daughter.”

Her eyes well with happy tears,” Oh honey I'm so proud of you!” She stands enveloping him in a hug,” A surrogate? So, she's yours?”

His cheeks pinken, she is his, it feels so good to hear it aloud,” Yes! She's mine, my DNA. I love her so much already.”

A chorus of congratulations emitted from his family, hugs and smiles and happy tears from everyone. Josh Sam and Danny hug him tight, rocking him back and forth before his dad comes over to congratulate him,” I am so proud of you, son. You're going to be an amazing dad. That little girl is so wanted.”

Speaking softly, his face next to his ear in their embrace,” She is. She is so wanted.”

Pulling away he tells his family to follow him. As he leads them away from the table and down the hall the excited whispers and speculations from his family grow louder. Jake stops in front of the door to her nursery, turning around he rests his back against the wooden door,” Okay, now it's not finished yet but I still want you all to see.”

His hand gently twists the door knob, opening the door as he moves inside. The warm golden hour light is bathing the yellow walls in serenity.

His mom's voice cracking with emotion,” Oh, you're painting her a mural!”

He feels his face flame with emotion, nodding his head he watches as as Y/N picks up a tiny pink onesie, a soft smile gracing her lips. His eyes drift to Josh, his fingers lightly tracing the painted bumblebees on the wall. Sam chuckles, his fingers drifting over the soft fabric of the bee blanket that arrived this morning,” I'm sensing a theme here.”

Jake shoves his hands in his pockets, feeling excited but strangely exposed as well, watching them pick apart the things he's been hiding away,” Do you want to know her name?”

Karen smiles wide,” You picked her name already?!”

“I did. I saw it while I was scrolling on social media, and I knew it was it…. Her name is Honey.”

A chorus of awes came from his family. Danny is the first one to speak, his own little baby in his arms,” She's your little Honeybee!”

Jake chuffs a laugh through his smile,” Yeah, she is…. My little Honeybee.”

“God that's so fucking cute!” Sam wipes his under eye,” Your babies have the cutest damn nicknames, shit makes me weak!”

They giggle at him and Jake can't help but imagine them meeting her. His brothers sitting in the rocking chair in the corner holding her close. He knows he's not the only one who's going to be utterly in love with her.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Jake felt like all of his free time was spent working on her nursery. He spent hours perfecting her mural, wrapping it from one wall to the next, adding flowers and foliage, bees and butterflies and a honey pot or two. Each night he came home and painted until his hands cramped, sometimes until dawn, painstakingly making each detail. One day somewhere in her third trimester, in the wee hours of the night when he finally finished the last bee he sat back in the rocking chair and admired his work. He pictured her growing up in this room, marking which bee or butterfly she was as tall as in each passing year. He imagined playtime, and snuggles. Diaper changes and bottle feedings.He imagined what she would look like, what her laugh would sound like. A sense of calm washed over him, he wasn't scared, he knew he could provide the very best for her, and with his family there will be no shortage of love and support. He couldn't wait for her arrival.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Jake was in the middle of a new riff, he was in the zone, piecing together a new song. It was flowing easily, the music coming to him in melodic waves when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He let it go to voicemail, whoever it was they could leave him a message. Immediately his phone started buzzing again, this time he pulled it from his pocket looking at the caller ID. A flood of instinctual panic came over him as his surrogate's name glared at him on the screen.

Jake's thumb swiped up before pressing his phone to his ear, “Hello?!”

“Hey Jake. I'm on my way to the hospital, it's time, she's coming.”

“Shit, yeah. I'm leaving now,” He let out a breath of air, slightly shaky,” I'm so excited.”

“Me too. I'm so excited for you.”

“Thank you… for everything. I'll meet you at Nashville General.”

Hours later, the sun had long since set, he assumed at least. Jake stood in front of the large glass pane, along with a few other new fathers. His eyes scanned all of the pink name tags until he found his name, Kiszka. Without a second glance his eyes filled with tears, and a lump formed in his throat. His own little pink baby was actually here, right in front of him.

He whispered, his voice wet,” Hi sweetheart.”

Placing his palm against the glass in front of her,” I love you, Daddy loves you.”

He couldn't wait to hold her, he couldn't wait to kiss her little head with four hairs on the top of her head, feel her little body heat resting on his chest, the same way her cousin does. What he absolutely could not wait for was bringing her home.

Soon enough the time arrived and Jake had her bundled up snugly in her infant sized car seat. He politely hugged his surrogate, sincerely thanking her and promising to send her Christmas cards. He walked out of the hospital, excitement thrumming in his chest, his fist clenching around the handle securely holding her tight. Deftly he threaded the seatbelt through the car seat the way he practiced, clicking it closed, keeping her buckled. Climbing into the driver's seat Jake let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. He let his truck warm up for a few minutes as he called his mom. In his haste he didn't even think about letting everyone know.

He chatted with her for a few moments, and she assured him that she would pass the news of his daughter's arrival down the grapevine. She freely gave him advice, recounting the first night she brought him and his twin home, he smiled as he carefully navigated his way back home.

“Well hon, I'll let you two go. I have plenty of phone calls to make! I love you both so very much, you can call me if you need me. I love you.” She rattled on over the car speakers.

Jake said his goodbyes as he pulled into his driveway. Turning his vehicle off he smiled,” This is where we live babygirl. I painted your bedroom, I know you'll love it. Let's go inside.”

Scooping her up he cradled her tiny body against his as he walked her inside with their belongings slung over his shoulder. Walking through his threshold he looked down, grinning at his little baby,” Welcome home Honey.”

[carpfishfacebook]

under the counsel of my royal advisor (bunny) i’ve come up with a reguri bakery au meet cute whatever and it is taking all of my willpower to finish my open wips before starting this but oh gosh i’m tempted. to stave off my cravings for pastry-themed fluff, im gonna ramble about it here. please feel free to encourage or dissuade me concerning this venture, whatever you’d prefer really.

- red’s lived in pallet town for all 19 years he’s been alive and has not once seen a new business open it’s doors

- out of nowhere, some fancy pastry chef from kalos sets up shop about five minutes from his home

- unlike the rest of the residents of pallet, red isn’t interested in the slightest. he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, and he buys his bread from the grocery store like a normal person

- unfortunately for red, his best friend and roommate leaf saw a post about them on instagram and has been pestering him to take her there for weeks. red finally gives in

- red may not be that big a fan of baked goods, but something does end up catching his eyes- namely, the baker behind the counter

- red starts going to the pâtisserie almost every day to buy something trivial that he doesn’t want just so he can spend a few minutes chatting up the kalosian twink who he learns is named green

- after about a week, green starts giving him baked goods that he didn’t asked for and not charging him because they’re ‘a gift’. red is king autism and doesn’t see that green is flirting with him

- eventually, green offers to teach red how to bake

- since green’s kantonian still isn’t all that good, he keeps saying incredibly suggestive shit to red about baking, like ‘do not have fear of being rough when he is not listening to you’ or ‘you must pound him harder’ about gluten development and red is just. trying his best to not get absolutely bricked up in the kitchen

- because in french our word for ‘it’ is the same as our word for ‘he’ (il)

- anyways plot blah blah blah they fall in love or whatever

[pokemontvtime]

Ash Ketchum at the Start

Ash Ketchum is a 10 year old from Pallet Town, the fourth trainer of four to leave Pallet at the time he would receive his first Pokemon.

He's portrayed from the start as very passionate about Pokemon, and there's little to deny about that. He oversleeps on his very first day, because he stayed up late, so excited to receive his first partner Pokemon.

I'd argue that in the very first episode, Ash learns a lot of extremely valuable lessons that shape the way that he interacts with Pokemon all the way through the show.

He has a lot of preconceived ideas that are quickly dashed, the first of these being that the first partner Pokemon are Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. However, when those are taken, Ash gets Pikachu!

This is actually the inciting element that leads to Ash being the way he is. Typically, Pokemon given to starting trainers by Pokemon professors have been born, bred, and trained to be ready to be a trainer's beginning Pokemon. That's why they are considered perfect fits! They are already trained.

But Pikachu appears to still be wild, not yet trained to listen to commands or respect the will of it's trainer. I'm sure this is something a lot of trainers learn in their journey, but a big theme of the show is that Pokemon don't just naturally listen, even if you capture them! There has to be an element of respect involved.

Ash doesn't inherently know how to earn Pikachu's respect. He sets off on his journey literally dragging Pikachu along, because Pikachu won't get in the Poke Ball, and continues to shock him if he tries to force Pikachu to do anything it doesn't want to.

But I think the show, even here, takes the time to set the stage for Ash's inherent respect for Pokemon; he realizes all too quickly that this isn't a good long-term solution, and decides to simply ask Pikachu what's the matter, and if it will get in the Poke Ball; he even tries to quote his Pokedex, to prove that "Pokemon travel in Poke Balls."

But Pikachu is quick to point him to the expanded information, that indicates that not all Pokemon like traveling in the Poke Ball! And when Ash learns this, he doesn't try to force Pikachu anymore.

In trying to handle being a Pokemon trainer on his own, though, when Pikachu declines to help, Ash stirs up a heap of trouble in the form of a flock of Spearow

He and Pikachu make a run for it, but eventually find themselves pinned, with no more chance of running away.

So Ash, on his very first day out as a Pokemon trainer, with a Pokemon that has so far not been shown to like or respect him in the least, throws himself between the Spearow and Pikachu (the main target of the Spearow's attacks).

To protect Pikachu, he places Pikachu's poke ball beside Pikachu, and urges Pikachu to get inside for its own protection, since it is already too beat up to continue fighting, and he promises that he will fight off the Spearow for them.

Even in this moment of peril, where it is implied that Pikachu's life could be in danger (though it's a kids' show, so they never state as much directly), Ash still does not force Pikachu into this decision! He knows and even verbally recognizes that getting in the Poke Ball is difficult for Pikachu, but urges that it is the safest thing to do. From a story perspective, this makes sense, because of the following action, but within the story this is something that I adore! Ash is listening to and respecting his Pokemon, while also trying to protect them!

It is this selflessness (for a Pokemon that he barely knows at this point!) that causes Pikachu to leap to the rescue, summoning a huge lightning bolt to defeat all of the Spearow, though it uses all of its remaining strength to do so.

This is the selflessness that we are going to continue see Ash using throughout the rest of the series! I think something stuck with him from this early experience, realizing that he is the caretaker of the Pokemon in his charge, and extending that even to Pokemon he does not own! He can and will put himself in harm's way if it's to protect those he loves and cares about, without a moment's hesitation.

And it is this self-sacrifice that the Pokemon around him see, and reciprocate (most of the time), and why Ash's own Pokemon give it their all; because they know for an absolute fact that Ash will do the same for them!

We've gotten just to the end of Season 1, Episode 1, and we already have a portrait of a kid that believes in doing the right thing, and isn't afraid to throw himself into doing it.

Ash Ketchum absolutely shaped my view of the world as a child, and while there's plenty of character flaws associated with this worldview too, the strengths that it gives you are awesome as well.

[viktorinka-chan]

Beta version of the theme "is this a Pallet Town?"

I'm still working on it.

[earth-to-stardust]

So I recently read this fantastic meta post about the implications of Dally's physical appearance and it really got me thinking about the missed opportunity the movie had when it comes further showcasing one of the book's themes: feeling like an outsider even amongst the people that you love.

All the love to Matt Dillon (I don't think I would be able to appreciate Dally's character as much as I do if not for his portrayal) but Dally's book design really reveals a lot about who he is and what kind of role he's going to play in the story:

If I had to pick the real character of the gang, it would be Dallas Winston—Dally. I used to like to draw his picture when he was in a dangerous mood, for then I could get his personality down in a few lines. He had an elfish face, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, small, sharp animal teeth, and ears like a lynx. His hair was almost white it was so blond, and he didn't like haircuts, or hair oil either, so it fell over his forehead in wisps and kicked out in the back in tufts and curled behind his ears and along the nape of his neck. His eyes were blue, blazing ice, cold with a hatred of the whole world. Dally had spent three years on the wild side of New York and had been arrested at the age of ten. He was tougher than the rest of us—tougher, colder, meaner. The shade of difference that separates a greaser from a hood wasn't present in Dally. He was as wild as the boys in the downtown outfits, like Tim Shepard's gang

Compared to the other members of the gang receive exposition-like descriptions from Ponyboy in Chapter 1, Dally's physical appearance is emphasized over everything else in his description. Ponyboy goes into a lot of detail about the way that his hair is styled and how blue his eyes are—his face is 'elfish' and his ears are 'like a lynx'. He gets only four sentences about his backstory and current space that he takes up in the greaser-sphere vs in-depth accounts of Steve and Two-Bit's place in the gang and their relationships with everyone else in Ponyboy's life. While you could make the argument that Dally receives this kind of treatment from Ponyboy because he's not from Tulsa like the rest of the gang and could be considered a fairy recent member as opposed to everyone else, I find it interesting that his relationship with Johnny wasn't mentioned at all, which Ponyboy has a lot to say about when the three of them go to the drive-in.

This leads all me to my point: Dally was positioned as an outsider from the very beginning, from both Ponyboy and the narrative. He was an out-of-towner, a greaser meaner and more violent than most of the greasers in Tulsa, with white-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that no one on his side of town really had. He's from New York and has seen some shit™. He's the one that Ponyboy and Johnny go to after Johnny kills Bob and he loses the will to live after the one person who didn't make him feel like an outsider dies. Whereas everyone in the gang as a somewhat muted color pallet (in terms of hair color and eye color)—Dally kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. Combined with the St. Christopher necklace and skull ring that he wears (heavy on the St. Christopher necklace because it links him and Ponyboy in terms of religion/religious beliefs and their outsider status; I have a lot to say about this later on pls bear with me), I think it would've brought home this critical theme.

So yeah, I think that Dally should've been a true blonde haired-blue eyed menace like he was in the book but also God Bless Matt Dillon

[slocumjoe]

could i get your take on what the companions (or just my favorite boy X6's) top 10 fave candies/foods would be in a modern AU?

anon you are in luck, because I am constantly thinking about the diets and eating habits of my blorbos

The numbered list isn't in any particular order, it's just so I don't have to manually count each point

so

What the companions would eat if not in a post apocalypse

Cait; Wouldn't have a taste for fancier cuisine. Eats more...hick-ish. I can say that because I was a hick with this kind of diet, growing up. Has a taste for filling, cheap, low-effort food...think lots of fast food, but "healthier" fast food. Like Chipotle, Panera, etc. Can cook, doesn't often, but will if she has a craving. Savory or tart tastes. She tends to eat lighter than you'd expect.

Blueberry brownie anything, favors dark chocolate in general

Submarine sandwiches, anything with pickles

Key lime pie

Salt and vinegar chips and thinks critics of such chips are cowards

Peach Redbull, any energy drinks though

Storebought hummus and Doritos, has been seen eating hummus with just a spoon though

Blueberry bread pudding. Simple to make, fun to eat, very comforting. Buys her bread already stale from a local bakery, has a guy to hook her up with the old shit

Seafood chowder

Sausages in any capacity. Jerky sticks, breakfast sausage, etc. Loves chorizo.

Honey buns from the gas station

Curie; Health nut, she eats like every influencer claims they eat like. Only, Curie actually eats like that. Lots of fresh foods and whole grains, little red meat. However, Curie makes a point to have foods that other health nuts would condemn, thinks its really important to not label any food as "bad." So, she balances between health nut and normal person. Her taste leans toward bright and/or sweet. Dislikes red meat.

Salmon breakfast wraps

Tropical fruit smoothies, eats so much pineapple

Iced tea, favors raspberry. Never seen without an iced tea of some kind

Halibut tacos, likes red cabbage and a fuck ton of lemon on it. Soft shells all the way

Bananas foster

Whipped brie dip, eats it with anything but loves it on apples, basically dessert

Lemon pepper grilled chicken and rice

So many salads, loves that you can just throw shit in a bowl and call it a recipe. Likes strawberries and almonds

Lemon poppyseed muffins

Shrimp and bitter melon stir fry

Danse; mixed bag. One on hand, small town diner tastes. Simple, cheap, good ol' American food. On the other, he's doomed to be a soldier in every universe he's in, so...maybe he picks up some tastes and dishes from places he's toured. Gets a weird pallate that shoots in all directions and makes you wonder what it's like in that thick skull. One day he's a good American boy with pancakes and steak, the next he's eating cake mix dry and drinking tahini from a flask.

Anything BBQ, but a pulled pork devotee

Hot coffee so heavily creamed and sugars it looks like milk. He likes the twix combo of chocolate, shortbread, and caramel flavors

Prepackaged baked goods a la Hostess, fucks up little Debbie oatmeal cookies

Apple and pecan pie

Menemen—Turkish dish, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, bell peppers, spices to taste, and (controversially) onions. Adds sausage and cheese, eats it with a fork or spoon (its meant to be eaten with bread)

Khachapuri—Georgian cheesy bread with egg. Eats with a knife and fork. (its meant to be eaten with the bread crust)

Smores pop tarts

Beef and potato stew

Rice bowl with fried egg and avocado, bonus points if it has bacon

Straight cookie dough/brownie/cake batter, usually when he's black out drunk and cannot shame himself out of eating raw egg products.

Deacon; Very childhood comfort food. Y'know, things you had as a kid, but probably grew out of a bit? Eats out of gas stations/takeout frequently. Very open flavor pallete, has tried everything he's had the chance to. Likes one-handed food, stuff you can have the other hand free for. Doesn’t really have a 'theme', has broad horizons for his diet. Likes lighter, mild flavors, though. He eats lightly and on the go a lot.

Hot/corn dogs, taste in hot dog toppings varies

Egg salad sandwiches

French fries and vanilla ice cream, classic combo

Mango sticky rice

Cornbread with any accompaniments. Likes honey or chili, thinks if you have a drink with cornbread, you ain't a real cornhead

Penne alla vodka

Cucumber salad. This could mean a salad with cucumbers, that trending Asian recipe where you cut the cumber so its springy, or eating a cucumber like a hotdog.

Fried mushrooms

Usually just drinks water but will have gator/powerade when he's working. Likes purple flavor

Captain crunch cereal, loves all cereal though. Prefers the kibble stuff to the berries. Starts philosophical debates about the morality of Trix commercials vs Lucky Charms commercials

Gage; His favorite foods reflect his upbringing. Coastal swamp cuisine, cheap and made in bulk. Take Danse's pallate and hyperlocalize it, and then lower the budget by a good amount. Things he grew up eating. Would gradually replace his favorites with pricier, 'less embarrassing' dishes, distances himself from his origins. However, takes care to not looked too loaded. Smokey and savory flavors are his thing, likes more spice than people expect.

Doberge cake, which is layered with pudding, often half-chocolate and half-lemon

Red beans and rice, with stewed pork if they could afford it

Blackened fish of any kind, liked it with cilantro-lime rice

Steak with potatoes and/or eggs

Chronic iced tea drinker like Curie, though he prefers the bitter kinds

Scallops

Brussels sprouts defender and will fight for their honor

Peaches

Was introduced to curry during a business meeting/outing. Could drink that shit from a glass, has it with potatoes and porkchops.

Lobster anything. This is one of those 'less embarresing' things, but he genuinely enjoys a good lobster roll. Even if he prefers a freshly-caught lobster bisque. Again, something he had growing up, something he pushes away.

Hancock; Similar to Deacon, but favors fatty, greasy food. No, it's not the drugs, that's just his metabolism. He's a skinny twink, always starving, can never put on weight. Eats as much as Danse, who is a big guy and needs more calories than most. He's really into street food and foreign dishes, won't eat at a restaurant if they speak fluent English or have good customer service. IYKYK. Very comfort food heavy, lots of "this would slap with Netflix at 2 am"

A classic oxtail, mac and cheese, and collard green take out combo

Any and all American-chinese take out, usually gets eggplant tofu with chow mein and cream cheese rangoons

"Walking tacos", those things where you open a small bag of chips and dump White People taco makings in. Probably just tips the whole thing into his mouth

Yakitori, Japanese chicken skewers, popular bar food

Bloody Mary cocktails

Pizza, will fight for the honor of pineapple. Would really be into how Brazil does pizza

Frozen yogurt and ice cream, piles with toppings

Breakfast sandwiches or wraps. Egg, meat, cheese, doesn't matter the time nor specifics.

Jam donuts, loves cherry fillings

Puppy chow/muddy buddies, chex cereal covered in chocolate and powdered sugar. Eats his weight in them if not careful

MacCready; forces himself to learn how to cook for Duncan's sake, but for himself...good God. It's horrible. Eats like garbage. Would never drink water if not to set an example. Take out, frozen food, so much candy and soda. After Duncan, broadens his horizons. Finds he really likes soups. Just throw shit in a pot and it works. Eats on a budget, so that's a life-saver. Doesn't have a preferred flavor pallete, aside from his love of candy.

Meat lover's pizza. Thinks pineapple has no place on pizza

Used to drink Mountain Dew and diet coke, replaced it with iced teas and more organic fruit juices for the sake of his teeth

Chicken soup, either from a can, or homemade. Either way, slaps. If homemade, blends veggies for a hidden veggie stock. For him, Duncan is a lot better at eating veggies, MacCready needs to trick himself.

Sour rainbow ropes

Cookie crisp cereal, thinks whoever came up with it deserved the sloppiest head. Incredible design, no notes

Cheese and sour cream chips

Famous Amos cookies

Eggo waffles

Gnocchi is God to him. Its superior to all noodles and makes your Shit In The Fridge soup 1000 times better.

Rice pudding is cheap, easy, and a surprisingly efficient sweet-tooth satisfier. Makes it with pumpkin spice mix or chocolate.

Nick; Home-cooked meals all the way. Could kill himself with cheese and die happy. Lots of easy meals and snacking so he can keep working, but will treat himself to a nice, hard-earned dinner when he has the time and energy. Likes himself the smokey, the fresh, or the sour. Probably knows all the best sub shops in the city, probably in a turf war with regulars of rival shops. Jewish delicatessens are like church to him.

Lasanga. Most of his freezer space is lasagna. Eats so much of it. He's lactose intolerant. It hurts but it hurts so good

Latkes. Fried potato things, kind of like hashbrowns, except the potato is mashed/ground instead of grated. And yes. Also pastrami. But those little potato bitches...mmmph.

Red velvet muffins with cream cheese frosting.

Fried cheese in any capacity

A prosciutto, arugula, brie, and fig sandwich

Pickled pearl onions

Cobb salad

Black coffee. Temp doesn't matter, because he's going to forget it until its room temp.

Has been known to enter fugue states and consume an absurd amount of Chicago style hot dogs

Scones or just plain bread with butter and jams

Piper; Broke college student trying to make it as a reporter. Her tastebuds are fucked, they salivate not for flavor, or texture, but for those good, good low prices. Piper's diet is almost entirely snackfood or takeout. If she ever cooks, it's for Nat. But when taking care of just herself, Piper eats from a box or bag. When she does cook, it's very simple meals. Loves her carbs and her fruit flavors

Chicken Ramen with canned chicken and frozen broccoli chucked in. Also makes this for Nat

Hot cheetos, eats with chopsticks

Spaghetti and meatballs

Fruit smoothies/smoothie bowls, blends in veggies as well for the nutrition

Coka cola and anything from Fanta, loves fruit sodas

Anything carbs and I mean that. Eats a lot of bread, pasta, cakes, potatoes...they're the sweetheart of anyone on a budget.

Buffalo cauliflower, likes it more than Buffalo chicken

Chewing gum. Fruit flavors only, hates mint gum. Likes mint elsewhere, just not in gum.

Nickle-nips and other "jelly/juice in a wax package" candies. Likes the charm of it, also, free chewing wax

Suckers/lollipops, big on hard candy in general but the stick satisfies her smoking habit.

Preston; A mix of easy depression/bulk meals and dishes from his childhood. Lots of spices, cooks with a lot of straight peppers. Tends to eat his food 'raw', not made into a dish. Again, easy and quick to eat. Also tends to buy pre-prepared stuff for the same reason, buys more fruits and veggies and just eats them straight. Doesn't care about eating healthy, he just lacks energy to cook most days.

I have no choice to explain this as it has no name. Casserole dish, layer of mashed potatoes, layer of shredded or chunked chicken, layer of white breakfast gravy or brown poultry gravy, top with drop biscuits. It's buttery, its savory, it is white as snow. Easy, cheap, one ladlefull is dinner. You'll get a few meals out of it, and it's so filling you have like, five minutes before you're stuffed. I call it gut-glue.

Dirty rice

Eggs scrambled with spinach

Jollof/jambalaya

Veggies and hummus or ranch

Various fruits and berries such as grapes, cherries, blackberries, and oranges

Shakshouka, eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce and eaten with bread

Chicken biscuits, crackers dusted with, like, chicken bouillon? They taste like a chicken Ramen packet sneezed on a ritz

Slurpees/Icees/those syruped gas station ice drinks

Straight peppers, eats bell peppers like apples. Eats pickled jalapeños and scotch bonnets to feel something. Drinks the liquid in pickle jars instead of alcohol, or mixes it with gelatin and makes pickle jello.

X6-88; Pretensious rich asshole who eats like it. He rarely cooks for himself, probably has a personal chef or something. Maybe his work has their own restaurants, like Google. Eats mostly vegetables, but his favorite foods skew from "Dubai Influencer" to "12 year old who earned too much lawn mowing money and was let loose in a convenience store." So much sugar. Willy Wonka's factory is his idea of heaven and until it exists, he's an atheist.

Raw meats. Steak and tuna tartar, sashimi, and sushi

Braised duck with cherries

Nduja, a spicy pork sausage spread, has it with flatbreads

Oysters. Eats them all fancy in public, eats them from a tin with doritos at home

Anything from Hostess, Little Debbie, those brands. Fucking anything. However, would kill a man for any kind of Swiss roll

Chocolate milk

Gummies, very picky with brands, hates the harder kinds like Haribo. Wants his gummies soft as a marshmellow

Cadbury eggs

Milano dark chocolate cookies

Gushers

[biomic]

the pallet town theme playing in the background......

[marcmarcmomarc]

Super Smash Bros. Fighter Presentation

MASTER HAND: The fifth and final game in the series is “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” for Nintendo Switch! For the game’s newcomers, we have a race of anthropomorphic squid that can shapeshift between humanoid and cephalopod forms, utilizing their ink for various purposes within the sport of Turf Wars, striving to be the "freshest" amongst their peers. They are “Part Kid, Part Squid”, number 64, the Inklings!

Theme: Victory! Inkling - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(The Inklings leap out of trails of ink and land at center stage. Inkling Girl fires the Splattershot into the air with one hand while smirking.)

INKLING GIRL: Woomy!

(Inkling Boy raises the Splattershot several times into the air in a celebratory cheer.)

INKLING BOY: Ngyes!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Splatoon” for the Nintendo Wii U.

MASTER HAND: Next is an alternate skin for Red, a child from Pallet Town who was given the task to catch them all for the Pokédex. Meet Pokémon Trainer Leaf!

(Leaf steps to center stage and jumps slightly off the ground while doing a double fist pump.)

Theme: Victory! Pokémon Trainer by GB6

LEAF: Yay!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen” for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance.

MASTER HAND: Next is the feisty Princess of the four kingdoms of Sarasaland, who was saved by Mario from the evil alien Tatanga and since then has been a firm friend of the Mushroom Kingdom crew, joining them in everything from kart racing to tennis. She is Princess Peach’s Echo Fighter, “Sarasaland’s Chipper Princess”, number 13e, Princess Daisy!

Theme: Victory! Daisy by GB6

(Daisy skips to center stage, spins around and gives a peace sign.)

DAISY: Yeah!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Super Mario Land” for the Nintendo Game Boy.

MASTER HAND: Next is the arch-enemy of Samus, a high-ranking leader of the Space Pirates, a major antagonist of the “Metroid” series, and no longer too big for Smash. “The Cunning God of Death”, number 65, Ridley!

Theme: Victory! Ridley by GB6

(Ridley descends to center stage and roars with all his frightening might.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Metroid” for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: Next is the legendary vampire hunter of the Castlevania series, and a member of the illustrious Belmont clan, a family that uses the holy whip, the Vampire Killer, to hunt the evil armies of Dracula wherever they may lurk. He is “The Evil Whip-Wielding Bane”, number 66, Simon Belmont!

Theme: Victory! Simon - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Simon steps to center stage and holds the coiled Vampire Killer in the air.)

SIMON: I vanquish the darkness!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Castlevania” for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: The younger vampire hunter, Simon’s hot-headed descendant, and considered one of the strongest in the Belmont Clan’s lineage, is next. Simon’s Echo Fighter, “The Azure Vampire Assassin”, number 66e, Richter Belmont!

Theme: Victory! Richter by GB6

(Richter steps to center stage and swings the Vampire Killer wildly.)

RICHTER: Begone! You don’t belong in this world, monster!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Castlevania: Rondo of Blood” for the TurboGrafx-16, or, the PC Engine, as it’s known in Japan.

MASTER HAND: Next is the leader of the Shepherds, Exalt of Ylisse following the sacrifice of his sister Emmeryn, and father to Lucina. Meet Roy’s Echo Fighter, “The Prince of Ylisse”, number 25e, Chrom!

Theme: Victory! Chrom by GB6

(Chrom steps to center stage, twirls the Exalted Falchion twice, then holds the blade of the sword in his left hand as he finishes.)

CHROM: Anything can change!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Fire Emblem: Awakening” for the Nintendo 3DS.

MASTER HAND: The reincarnation of Metroid Prime is Samus’ Echo Fighter, “The Phazon Incarnate”, number 04e, Dark Samus!

Theme: Victory! Dark Samus by GB6

(Dark Samus steps to center stage, then crouches while holding her Arm Cannon upright.)

CRAZY HAND: While her first appearance is a cameo in “Metroid Prime” for the Nintendo GameCube, her first full appearance is “Metroid Prime 2: Echoes” for the Nintendo GameCube.

MASTER HAND: Now, we are face-to-face with the Kong family’s original arch-enemy, the demented leader of the band of crocodilians known as the Kremling Krew, usually content with stealing their bananas, medals, or Crystal Coconut. Meet “The Kremling Commander”, number 67, King K. Rool!

Theme: Victory! King K. Rool - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(K. Rool stomps to center stage and roars on the last note.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Donkey Kong Country” for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: Next, the near-sighted yet very perky mayor’s secretary, essentially doing most of the government-related work while the mayor lives out the usual villager life, occasionally asking them for certain decisions. She is “The Mayor’s Assistant” number 68, Isabelle!

Theme: Victory! Isabelle by GB6

(Isabelle steps to center stage and waves a paw.)

ISABELLE: (subtitled) Do your best!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” for the Nintendo 3DS.

MASTER HAND: The next fighter is the former sparring partner, rival, and Echo Fighter of Ryu, “The Fire-Breathing Fist”, number 60e, Ken Masters!

Theme: Victory! Ken by GB6

(Ken steps to center stage, bumps his fists together, then holds one out.)

KEN: Attack me if you dare!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Street Fighter” for Arcade!

MASTER HAND: Next, the Heel Pokémon and final evolution of the Alola fire starter, Litten, a fiery bipedal tiger stylized to resemble a pro-wrestler, but not a Fighting-Type like Lucario, instead a Dark-Type, like Greninja. It is “The Ring’s Raging Flame”, number 69, Incineroar!

Theme: Victory! Incineroar by GB6

(Incineroar steps to center stage, then pounds its chest then raises its fist triumphantly while facing forward.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Pokémon Sun and Moon” for the Nintendo 3DS.

[shima-draws]

all the ship name discourse has made me curious: why are pokemon shipnames like that? pretty much every other fandom just smashes their names together, so why change it for pokemon? and how do you choose it?

I’m pretty sure it started with Jessie/James being referred to as Rocketshipping because well. Team Rocket and also an actual rocket ship + romantic ship joke. So from there it just caught on to the rest of the fandom, hence why we have specific names for Pokemon ships instead of the usual “combine the names to get the ship” kinda thing :’D

Usually names are chosen by whatever links the pair together—something they have in common, or a theme they share. Like, example: Palletshipping is the name for Ash/Gary. They both grew up in Pallet Town together. Contestshipping is the name for May/Drew bc they were rivals performing in Pokemon Contests. Preciousmetalshipping is the name for Gold/Silver bc their names are actual precious metals. Boutiqueshipping is the name for Serena/Shauna bc they participate in showcases featuring a lot of cute clothing, tying into XY’s feature of being able to customize your outfit at boutiques. Some of them are a bit of a stretch but at this point there’s SO many Pokemon ship names that people just try to go for whatever happens to be available and still kind of works for the pair in mind. But generally ship names tie into the characters themselves, and aren’t made up of the usual combination of names.

Also I think the Yugioh fandom does this too with their ships?? I actually don’t know why tho. Unless they have some kind of shipping joke too 🤔

[gen4grl]

finished my replay of frlg today!!! blues battle is my favourite battle in the entire franchise and the ending credits are probably also my favourite from any game - i absolutely adore how it ties in the team rocket AND pallet town theme as leaf/red chase after blue while passing all the places they’ve travelled!!! frlg is such an essential play to any pokemon fan because it truely makes you understand how this series became what it is today!!! now some post game, legendary catching and the start of some shiny hunting!!!

[the-larxist-manifesto]

GameGirl31 ~ Pokémon Yellow, pt. 1

Thus we arrive at our first large trek of this journey. A full-on RPG. Admittedly, it's my own fault I even have to play this one. Pokémon Yellow is not actually on NSO. But I happen to own a copy of it on 3DS Virtual console, so I figured I owed it to the legendary series to try out the very first generation!

My goal: become the Pokémon League champion. But leading up to that is a long, winding, blocky road. Can't wait to share how many hours this one takes me xP

~My history with Pokémon~

I have a... complicated relationship with Pokémon. My first game was White version on the DS, which was love at first sight. There's something very different and special about playing Pokémon games as a kid. Being allowed to name and raise your own captured critters and then excitedly show it off to your friends. I battled, I traded, I conquered the Pokémon League, I explored every nook and cranny of Unova. I spent HUNDREDS OF HOURS in this game. When you're a kid, that's basically your whole life. I'll never forget my first Pokémon adventure. I miss you every day, Pigpy... ;n;

But then... something... changed. I tried going back to FireRed, Ruby, and jumping on the hype for Pokémon X... but it felt different. I even got White 2 as a Christmas gift, but by that time, the magic was gone. I haven't played a new Pokémon generation since. For a little while, I dabbled in Pokémon Showdown (a battle simulator where you build your dream team and face off against other trainers online) and even attempted a few nuzlocke challenges (a self-imposed "hard mode" where your Pokémon must be released when they faint). At this point, I was trying to rekindle the magic. Find new ways to enjoy these games. Learn battle strategy, meticulously plan team compositions, raise the stakes to the point that I would have NO CHOICE but to care.

While those were indeed enjoyable ways to play, I've never felt the same about Pokémon as I did that very first time. In fact, my criticisms of the series began to outweigh the fun. Why is it so slow? So much throwaway, cheesy dialogue... slow transitions from overworld to battle... battle to overworld... more dialogue that you read only in hopes of an item or moving the plot along... leveling up is a drip feed... random encounters at every turn... punished with each loss by having to walk back to the Pokémon Center... then back to where you were... constant micromanagement of HM moves for traversal to each and every story-significant location... the cycle drives me MAD. Not to mention constant missteps by Game Freak in rushing out unfinished, glitchy products or otherwise ignoring the desires of their fans in new entries.

sigh

Okay... okay... general Pokémon rant over. For now. I'd love to talk about this game in particular. So far, I've been playing with an open mind. Let's see where that's gotten me.

~DUCKIE's journey~

Yes, I am following the bizarre convention in old Pokémon of writing names in all caps

DUCKIE is a young girl (we'll just say she's tomboyish (this game forces u to be a boy /.\) ) who, prompted by her sarcastic childhood friend BOSER, sets off from her small town of Pallet to see the world and collect creatures called Pokémon who wander all about the region. As she visits new places and meets new people, she learns of the esteemed Pokémon League—an organization of professional trainers that dedicate their lives to strategizing, raising, and battling Pokémon. DUCKIE earns her first badge in Pewter City, proving that she bested one of the eight gym leaders. From here on out, her goal is to become champion of the entire Kanto region.

Since DUCKIE is a bit of a fashionista, she themed her Pokémon team around the color yellow! Of course, this started with her very first Pikachu, gifted to her by the famous Professor Oak. From then on, she studied (googled the first 150 pokemon) and planned a route (looked up where they all spawn) to lead a team of all yellow colored Pokémon.

Right now, 14 hours and 2 gym badges into her journey, this is how the team stands:

SONG the Pikachu! (reference to the Pikachu song, OGs know what I mean)

WOMP RAT the Sandslash! (LEGO womp rat my beloved)

MARYPLANT the Weepinbell! (I KNOW WHAT UR THINKING, YES WEEPINBELL IS YELLOW JUST NOT IN-GAME FOR SOME REASON)

RUY LOPEZ the Hypno! (the author of works on chess, reference to They Might Be Giants song "Rest Awhile")

~Taking in the sights~

As we all know by now, Pokémon stands as one of the pillars of the GameBoy's success as the biggest portable gaming console of the 90s. For a game THAT popular, I'm a little... surprised... at the visual design. Okay, the thing is, the Pokémon designs are awesome. I have always always ALWAYS loved how every single artistic detail hints at their combat type, natural habitats, biology, even things like diet and mating behaviors. Tons of personality in their faces and stances, as well; it's even visible on the in-game sprites, which often lean into exaggerated expressions and dynamic poses (to make up for being a completely unmoving sprite).

However, it's the... overworld and menu designs that leave something to be desired. At least the text is pretty legible, being sized up on the small dot matrix screen. But the menus are very flat and strangely organized. There is a lot of information just... missing. Don't expect to pick up an item or learn a new move and actually understand what it does. In this respect, the game relies heavily on trial and error (and a great deal of patience). And wow, the towns and routes are just plain ugly. It's a tile-based overworld layout, so it makes sense that there isn't too much space for detail. Still, we've already seen several tile-based GB games that look shockingly good. Pokémon Yellow is hands-down the ugliest game I've played so far.

That being said, I do think the journey has had moments of beauty. For one thing, I adore the use of color. Unlike Red and Blue, Pokémon Yellow was developed specifically for the GB Color, and it takes advantage of this by giving the color-based towns their own auras. Here, I have a short scrapbook of the Pokécenters I've visited:

A very pretty palette of colors, like watching the hue of the sky change throughout the day ^_^

One more thing I have to point out about the visuals: seriously, these folks are GREAT at character design. Not only do the Pokémon all have their own personalities, but you gotta look out for their eccentric trainers too.

FREAKS, ALL OF THEM!!!! but I love them so much. ..

~To be continued...~

That's all I got for now! I'd love to talk about the Kanto region, how DUCKIE's story unfolds as she pursues Pokémon League championship, gameplay oddities, and more—but that will have to wait until I actually beat the game. I don't know how many entries it will take. 2 out of 8 badges doesn't seem like very much for how long I've played, but I think the pacing is just kinda weird? We'll see, I guess! Talk to you then!!

TTYL larxists <3

[rivalkieran]

hello! heard you were looking for asks. after seeing your kalos rewrite post, i'd love to know more about your take on the alola region! (saw you're also a moonlily fan let's gooo 👀)

making me do another general summary post... Tch... (lighthearted I dont mind LOL)

ok so like. I just frankensteined together the parts of sm/usum that I enjoy. so basically. its sm's story except edited to include the cool new ultraspace stuff and necrozma. lusamine is fucked up again because she deserves to be.

she retains her usual ub obsession and with her forays into ultraspace research she gets the attention of the ultra recon squad who ask her to help with the whole necrozma thing. up until that point they had managed to keep necrozma docile but the ultra megalopolis citizens are getting more and more uneasy that their Solution (elio. its elio. long story very short: robot. put robot in tower distract necrozma from going off and eating more suns.) will not last forever.

good idea on the surface to get assistance from someone who seems like she knows what shes doing but lusamine does just end up making things worse for everyone in her pursuit of Control by later on fusing with necrozma <3

wow I did not know I had that much to say about that side of the plot. ok protag time. moune is mixed (half kantonian/alolan) they used to live in pallet town but after. Something. happens to their family situation (Probably with their dad) (I havent fully decided yet) they and their mom decide to reconnect with their alolan heritage and move there :) something something themes of finding somewhere to belong found family etc etc at some point theres lesbians (awesome) at other points theres trauma but you dont need me to tell you that. theyre a pokeprotag what are you expecting

[battlelegendsredandblue]

hc + 🏠 for a home-themed headcanon

//OOC: Pallet Town is always seen as home, of course, even as all boys leave home someday. It’s still a place to go back to at least once or twice. Home is where the heart is, and you can make multiple homes, no matter where you roam, but you never quite forget your first home.

[epicspheal]

Now that she has full artwork, we need to talk about Daisy Oak! Even if she’s not Champion-level, there’s no way she isn’t a very powerful Trainer in her own right! It’s said that even the most ferocious Pokemon calm down around her, so that alone tells me she has access to some serious badasses of her own! She routinely travels from Pallet to Celadon for tea, so she would have to have earned at least a Thunder Badge and a Cascade Badge to make that possible, and why not, let’s give her a Rainbow Badge since she’s a routine visitor to the area anyway! In fact, my theory is that Daisy was the substitute Gym Leader for Viridian Gym, but you never actually get to battle her because Giovanni chose that time to come back to his Gym, and that’s how Blue came around to taking over the Gym himself!

Hi there @ether-gearhead!

That's certainly an interesting theory! I definitely think Daisy Oak is quite the badass in her own right (it seems to be a theme for the Oak family). However I don't think she has any gym badges or was ever a substitute gym leader. Mainly because in FRLG it's shown in her fame checker data that she is a grand champion...contest coordinator! Coordinator's don't often get their flowers from the fandom at being able to train strong Pokemon, but they can. Of course we have Wallace being both a master coordinator and a champion as well as Juan (in the anime) and Fantina who are both gym leaders and coordinators. But also we have Wallace's cousin Lisia who is a high tier coordinator who is capable of mega evolving! As far as we know Lisia doesn't have any badges (although I do believe in Masters she does mention she wants to learn more about battling as a typical trainer would). Also Johanna, the player's mom in DP is also a famous coordinator and again there's no evidence of her having (or needing) badges to get from Twinleaf Town all the way to the contest hall in Hearthome City. We don't know if there's a ribbon equivalent system in-universe (by that I mean you need X ribbons to get certain HMs or have Pokemon obey you) but I feel like if the badges do have actual in-universe effects (besides just being progress markers for us) then so would contest ribbons. Because many coordinators never set foot in a gym yet they travel the region just like trainers do with little problem. So while I'm not saying Daisy never took part in a gym battle, I think it's more likely she got her skills to travel safely while training her team for Pokemon contests.

[rainbowxocs]

Name: My name is Aiki Oak. Blue is also fine.

Special Titles: Faller, Gym Leader (Though not right now..)

Username: @fallenaiki

₵ⱧⱤØ₦ØⱠØ₲ł₵₳Ⱡ ₳₲Ɇ: [ⱤɆĐ₳₵₮ɆĐ]

Age: 15.

Pronouns: They/She.

Sexuality: I am Bisexual.

Gender: Gender, is weird. Transfeminine I guess.

Species: Human.

Disorders: Anxiety, Autism, Lavender Town Syndrome, CPTSD.

Religion: I am a follower of Arceus.

Job: I don’t know..

From: Pallet Town, Kanto.

Lives in: I don’t really live anywhere.

Languages: I only really know my mother tongue.

Height: I’m like 5’4”.

Ethnicity: Kantonese.

Accent: Kanto Dialect.

Vehicle: I have my flute that helps me ride different Pokemon. I appreciate them all to be honest.

Weapons: I can bonk you with a pokeball.

Alignment: Neutral.

Text Color: Blue, Sometimes Red.

Main Hobbies: POKEMON! I um- Pokemon.. I like.. them.. Jeez I’m weird..

Favorite Food: Potato Mochi, weirdly. Lemonade, Chocolate Icecream.

Favorite Flower: I love Gracideas they are so pretty.

Scent: I usually smell like Pine because of the soap I use.

Handedness: Left Handed.

Blood Color: Red.

Awareness: Somewhat Aware. (Effect: Negative.)

Birthday: November 22nd.

Theme:

Game Theme:

Battle Theme:

Playlist:

Fun Fact: I have angered the entirety of the Bidoof population near the village.

Special Interest: POKEMON…. I did it again..

Stims: I have made my own fidget toys.. I also do allot of physical stimming.

Stimboard: LINK

Moodboard: LINK

Fashion Board: LINK

Comfort Objects: I know it's a bit weird, but I really do love my clothes.. They make me feel really safe.

Family: I don’t really have parents. But I have my grandfather Professor Oak and my big sister Nanami.

Friends: Thistle.

Romance: Me and Cara are kinda dating.

Rival: Cara.

Patron: Arceus.

Pokemon:

Hisui Team:

✨(♂)Nightshade (Decidueye.) (Hisui Form)(Starter.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Naughty.

Pokeball: Normal.

Ability: Scrappy.

Held Item: Expert Belt.

Ribbons: Hisui Ribbon, Effort Ribbon, Best Friends Ribbon.

Moves: Triple Arrows, Hyper Beam, Brave Bird, Leaf Blade.

(♀) Tazer (Raichu)

Level: 100.

Nature: Naive.

Pokeball: Ultra Ball.

Ability: Static.

Held Item: Quick Claw.

Ribbons: Hisui Ribbon, Effort Ribbon, Best Friends Ribbon.

Moves: Volt Tackle, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Iron Tail.

(♂)🅰️ Yae (Zoroark)(Hisui Forme)(Human Forme)

Level: 100.

Nature: Quiet.

Pokeball: Normal.

Ability: Illusion.

Held Item: Razor Claw.

Ribbons: Hisui Ribbon, Effort Ribbon, Best Friends Ribbon.

Moves: Sludge Bomb, Nasty Plot, Bitter Malice, Extrasensory.

(?)Arceus (??? Type.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Timid.

Pokeball: Origin Ball.

Ability: Multitype.

Held Item: Kings Rock.

Ribbons: Hisui Ribbon, Effort Ribbon, Best Friends Ribbon.

Moves: Outrage, Psychic, Judgment, Dark Pulse.

(?)Shaymin (Land Forme.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Quiet.

Pokeball: Origin Ball.

Ability: Natural Cure.

Held Item: Metronome.

Ribbons: Hisui Ribbon, Effort Ribbon, Best Friends Ribbon.

Moves: Air Slash, Seed Flare, Earth Power, Psychic.

(?) Giratina (Altered Forme.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Hardy.

Pokeball: Origin Ball.

Ability: Pressure.

Held Item: Rocky Helmet.

Ribbons: Hisui Ribbon, Effort Ribbon, Best Friends Ribbon.

Moves: Psychic, Dragon Pulse, Earth Power, Shadow Force.

Kanto Team:

✨(♂)Firecracker (Charizard) (Starter.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Serious.

Pokeball: Normal.

Ability: Blaze.

Held Item: Leftovers.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Extra: Mega Evolution.

Moves: Flamethrower, Body Slam, Fly, Earthquake.

✨(♂)Smore (Eevee) (Starter.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Lax.

Pokeball: Ultra Ball.

Ability: Adaptability.

Held Item: Silk Scarf.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Take Down, Bite, Body Slam, Skull Bash.

✨(♀) Snowcone (Ninetails)

Level: 100.

Nature: Modest.

Pokeball: Great Ball.

Ability: Flash Fire.

Held Item: Charcoal.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Fire Blast, Body Slam, Fire Spin, Dig.

(♂) Cheese (Raticate.) (Ghost Forme.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Rash.

Pokeball: Ultra Ball.

Ability: Guts.

Held Item: Silk Scarf.

Ribbons: Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Night Shade, Bite, Hyper Fang, Skull Bash.

(♂) Buddy (Arcanine.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Quiet.

Pokeball: Normal.

Ability: Intimidate.

Held Item: Charcoal.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Flamethrower, Body Slam, Extreme Speed, Fire Blast.

✨(?)PorygonZ

Level: 100.

Nature: Jolly.

Pokeball: Great Ball.

Ability: Download.

Held Item: Expert Belt.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Tri Attack, Dark Pulse, Zap Cannon, Psybeam.

Johto Team:

(♀) Lettuce (Meganium) (Starter.)

Level: 100.

Nature: Docile.

Held Item: Miracle Seed.

Pokeball: Friend Ball.

Ability: Overgrow.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Legend Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Petal Dance, Razor Leaf, Giga Drain, Furry Cutter.

(♀) Popcorn (Furret)

Level: 100.

Nature: Impish.

Held Item: Pink Bow.

Pokeball: Love Ball.

Ability: Keen Eye.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Legend Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Slam, Headbutt, Shadow Ball, Dizzy Punch.

✨(♂) Big Red (Gyarados)

Level: 100.

Nature: Rash.

Held Item: Scope Lens.

Pokeball: Fast Ball.

Ability: Intimidate.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Legend Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Extras: Mega Evolution.

Moves: Hydro Pump, Thunder, Blizzard, Fire Blast.

(♂) Smiley (Quagsire)

Level: 100.

Nature: Gentle.

Held Item: Leftovers.

Pokeball: Great Ball.

Ability: Water Absorb.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Legend Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Earthquake, Surf, Sludge Bomb, Iron Tail.

(?) Suicune.

Level: 100.

Nature: Quiet.

Held Item: Quick Claw.

Pokeball: Moon Ball.

Ability: Pressure.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Legend Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Hydro Pump, Bite, Headbutt, Blizzard.

💠(?) XD001 (Lugia)

Level: 100.

Nature: Hasty.

Held Item: Kings Rock.

Pokeball: Heavy Ball.

Ability: Pressure.

Ribbons: Champion Ribbon, Legend Ribbon, National Ribbon, Earth Ribbon, Effort Ribbon.

Moves: Psycho Boost, Feather Dance, Earthquake, Hydro Pump.

In Game:

Aiki, 11 Years Old:

Aiki, “11 Years Old”:

Aiki, 14 Years Old:

Aiki, “15 Years Old”:

Brief Personality: Aiki is lost. When Aiki was growing up she was a little bit of a piece of shit. Constantly teasing and prodding at people for the attention she severely lacked. But after the mountain, something changed in them. When they fell they had no memories of their past life, and when she got them back, she now didn’t know what to do with that part of her that showed up when she was scattered. She is still stubborn as ever, and after being abandoned in a village she called her home, she is more lost than ever before.

Brief Backstory:

Aiki was orphaned with her older sister shortly after she was born. She was raised by her grandfather, and was always surrounded by Pokemon from a very long age. Aiki however, didn’t know how to bond with them. Aiki did not have a good relationship with her family, and when she was younger she ended up being a bit of an ass. She wanted to be the best that no one ever was, and ended up becoming the champion of the region for a time.

Except, her rival, and childhood enemy, Cara. Ended up defeating her, and becoming the champion. Aiki was devastated at her defeat, going back home ashamed. Her grandfather paid more attention to the new champion than to comfort his granddaughter.

However, Cara disappeared.. at first people thought she was just traveling the world due to her new found fame. However after two years, Aiki got incredibly worried. I mean she didn’t CARE or anything.. Yknow it was just kinda weird… nothing deeper… it’s fine..

Aiki ended up going to the neighboring country Johto in order to find Cara, eventually finding her on the top of a mountain, alone. Aiki ended up battling Cara, and losing, having some major injuries from the fight, she remembers passing out with Cara standing above her. Aiki does not remember what happened after that, as it was all a giant blur of pixels and static.

Aiki was transported all over the world. All time periods. And now that she is free from her curse she now has time to reflect on her life and how much she has changed.