#pokemon league cup

[rexmatical]

came 1st at a league cup today! went 3-0-2 in swiss and won out through top 8. thorton came up infrequently but it won me games i wouldn't've otherwise. possibly not the best list overall but i had a lot of fun with it

102 CP total now, i think

Matchups Below

Round 1: Win in Game 2 vs Charizard ex

Round 2: Win in Game 3 vs Charizard ex

Round 3: Tie in Game 2 vs Chien-Pao ex

Round 4: Win in Game 2 vs Gardevoir ex

Round 5: ID

Top 8: Win in Game 3 vs Gardevoir ex

Top 4: Win in Game 3 vs Charizard ex

Finals: Win in Game 2 vs Lost Zone Giratina

overall quite a lucky run, but hey a win's a win :P

[darkshreaders]

Today i learned about the Duraludon little cup incident and this instantly went to my head

[photo-roulette-wheel]

I made too many profile pictures 1/2

Here are some free PFPs if you need one right now

[caoimhe-from-hoenn]

Mr caoimhe... Papa and I are on to jotho because I'm starting my gym challenge there... But my team is pass the usual level of the first couple of gyms... Is it going to be more harder because of it? I'm not really much of a battler... I'm getting nervous

-@safrina-shards

Level isn't everything, but you should be fine if you're not much of a battler and you're fighting the first few gyms

I say timing and anticipation are your friends, but for now it's more important to get a feel for battling and see how you and your pokemon think and act

If you want to gun for the later gyms, that's when you need to train more often

Good luck, hope you get those badges

[butterfly-with-a-sword]

if I see another FUCKING BRONZOR I’m gonna snap

[nkn0va]

Ok, so do think that you can do relationship hcs for Cynthia, Lusamine, Diantha from Pokemon?

The fact that a Pokemon request of all things took so damn long is baffling but whatever. Minimalistic post since I don't have banners for Pokemon and I don't feel like going through Tumblr gifs to find a decent one for everyone.

God this took way too long. Writer's block struck at the worst possible time.

Cynthia

-Cynthia's occupation as champion keeps her quite busy. Neither of you particularly enjoy this but that's just how the cookie crumbles as they say.

-Despite that, she's surprisingly good at separating work from her personal life. When the League's finding itself in a slow season and new trainers aren't running amok around Sinnoh she'll always manage to find time for you.

-She's extremely supportive of whatever you do and will be there all the way. Wanna be a trainer too? Congratulations, you have a world class mentor. Wanna be an archeologist, she will nerd out about ancient mythology with you all you want and join you on your excavations. Anything you wanna do, Pokemon-related or not, has her full support.

-Between her mythological studies on the side with her work and training as champion, there are moments she overworks herself. You'll need to play the role of caretaker and bring her back down to Earth.

-Of course despite this, it doesn't stop her from doing the same for you when necessary. Gently pushing you to go to sleep, preparing a fresh cup of your favorite warm drink, or knocking you out with a bat hugging you from behind to relax you.

-Her Pokemon quickly form an attachment to you, they see her family as theirs, too. Seeing her terrifying, nightmare inducing Garchomp acting like a big puppy will never get old.

-If you have a team of their own, they get quite protective, especially the unevolved, inexperienced ones. At least until you end up catching up to them, which they eventually will under their tutelage.

Lusamine

-Realistically, you really only get close enough to be in a relationship if you start as an employee at the Aether Foundation. Your hard-working attitude and sincere kindness towards the Pokemon they take care of quickly grabs her attention. Something about you just stood out even among the similar employees working under her.

-The relationship instantly is declared to be a secret, she still needs to keep a professional appearance at work. In private though is a different story.

-Once you do manage to win Lusamine's heart, she's extremely attached and clingy. Considering how her last relationship ended, she will not let you go. And you can bet that you're not touching anything involving Ultra Wormholes with a 40 foot pole.

-Very physically clingy all around despite what your first impressions of her might have been. It's a pleasant surprise when she finally drops the professional facade around you and craves gentle intimacy.

-It's only natural that Lillie and Gladion quickly become a big part of your life considering how big of a part they are in Lusamine's. Being there for them is a requirement in your relationship.

-It takes a while for them to warm up to you, but they do eventually. Lillie's much more open about it, happy to have a second parent in her life again. Gladion does try to keep up the edgy persona, but he does become fond of you, albeit shown very subtly.

-It's a very surprisingly domestic relationship after the whole Ultra Space incident. A very happy family picture with Lillie and Gladion around.

Diantha.

-Much like the last two ladies, very busy. Being a champion and a movie star means she's not exactly swimming in free time. Whenever you two do get to go out together, disguises are needed thanks to her fame.

-Dating Diantha means your fashion sense sees a noticeable improvement. Mostly to have effective disguises so you can go out in public without being hounded by paparazzi. It's actually quite pleasant when it works.

-You learn to spot her out in public regardless of what she's wearing as she beckons you over to a nice cafe or restaurant she wants to try with you. Kalos is known for it's exquisite fine dining, whatever gets her approval is bound to be the good stuff.

-The public is inevitably soon going to find out you're dating THE Diantha. You're gonna become a bit of a celebrity yourself whether you like it or not. If you're pursuing anything to do for a living, you're at the very least gonna get eyes on it, fortunately. You two immediately become Kalos' power couple.

-If you have a Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution, Diantha will be your number one fan and mentor in helping you achieve that power. She's about the best you could ask for in this regard, her ace is a Psychic type that she Mega Evolves, after all.

-Despite all the glamor and lights, she does crave something of a domestic life. She very much appreciates a more traditional partner there for the long run who wants the same thing. To her, buying a house and settling down is her ultimate goal, and showing you want the same makes you two pretty much set for life.

[ya-bug-boy]

*coughs* Hello I am here for uh

Raihan x Reader x Piers scraps

Raihan x Reader x Piers Vacation Trip

You were surprised when Leon, the new League Chairman, announced a two week period paid vacation for all League members. It was a nice surprise for sure but you weren't really sure what to do with yourself.

That is until Piers and Raihan invite you to come to Alola with them. You immediately take their offer, talking excitedly with your two favorite boys in a private group chat about the trip.

The plane ride was obviously first class. Comfortable chairs and delicious beverages were provided to the three of you. Given how long it took to get there, the three of you go back and forth between watching movies, playing games together, talking, eating, before generally passing out every now and then.

It was a long flight taking over 10 hours, you had to board another airplane to get there. The three of you are desperate to take a shower.

When you finally arrive to Alola, the obvious thing to do first is to drop off your luggage at the hotel. Just like the airplane ride, it was a luxurious hotel, with enough room for every one's pokemon too.

The bathroom is equipped with the kind of shower that sprays water on all sides, with multiple shower heads so the three of you take a shower together. It's not intended to be sexual but rather a necessary action, given how long the trip took. You take turns scrubbing each other's backs and hair before stepping out. Raihan does smack your naked butt though.

Though the airplane ride had all sorts of treats, you're all hungry again, especially your pokemon. You all order room service for the Pokemon, ensuring that they all get fed and drinks before treating yourself to the hotel restaurant.

The restaurant turned out to be a buffet, with all kinds of food from all around the globe. The boys try out Johtonese curry and compare it to Galar's first before trying out the other dishes. The three of you all fight for the last pudding cup though. (You win.)

With your bellies full but fatigued from the day, it's better to relax for a few hours. You sleep in between the boys in the bed, Raihan to your back and Piers' head resting against your chest, held in an embrace.

[nyaagolor]

SV Rivals Headcanons

I did it for team star so this feels only fair. Under the cut bc it's long

Arven:

He baby-talks to his pokemon but especially Mabosstiff. If anyone sees him doing it he will probably melt from embarrassment but it's Fine. He loves cooing at Mabosstiff and squishing its face and kissing its nose while making silly faces. "Who's a good boy" energy

He has dyslexia and is just so so so bad at traditional schoolwork. With all the work he missed he's failing all his classes, but is not really willing to ask for help because everyone knows how smart his parents are. That makes it hard for him because he thinks asking for help means disappointing them. This is especially bad with Clavell, since he's the one who talks about Sada and Turo the most (if Clavell realized this he would freak out tho, he cares about Arven a lot)

(points) inferiority complex. He's so used to being around overachievers that he's overly aware of his "shortcomings" and sees anything less than exceptional as a failure. Being compared to his parents all the time certainly doesn't help. He never gives himself credit for the things he's good at, and beats himself up too much over his mistakes. Boys who have low self-esteem to me

Related to the above points but oh man he NEVER admits when he's struggling. The cocktail of abandonment issues and low self-esteem means he feels the need to "prove himself" by never having visible issues and always working through things alone. He would rather die than cry in front of his friends. Luckily for him, everyone in Team Star is an expert at seeing through emotional facades and catches onto that pretty early so he has a support system that teases out all that buried nonsense and helps him work through it

You know those people who make food and share it with their dog? That's Arven. Mabosstiff is allowed to eat off Arven's plate whenever it wants, Arven spoils that dog rotten. They're rolling out of the Starbucks with a caramel frappe and a pup cup living their best life. Arven also bakes Mabosstiff a birthday cake every year, which is ironic because he doesn't make himself a birthday cake. Anything for Mabosstiff

I know canonically the 'raidon attacked wild pokemon but in my heart it attacked Arven, giving him a scar on his eye that he covers with his bangs. The reason the professor booked it to Area Zero without Arven is less because of the "oh they saw the 'raidon" part and more because 1. It hurt their son and they want to protect him and 2. If the League found out the professor was illegally keeping a mysterious pokemon who permanently scarred a child, they would definitely try and take it away which the professor is terrified of. They didn't explain this to Arven, however, who simply thought the professor abandoned him because they cared about the 'raidon more

Arven is very bulky and very strong. He can bench press more than anyone thinks, and is usually the guy to call if you need help lifting / carrying something. Despite his ability to snap your spine like a toothpick, however, she would much rather use his hands to help and not hurt. Boy who is so so sensitive and sweet

He loves to make cute little shapes with his food and has become absolutely enamored with the idea of bento boxes. Bunny shaped apple slices? Heart sandwiches? Sign him UP. His friends are more than happy to eat all the leftovers and scraps from his culinary experiments, so it's a win win for everyone

None of his pokemon are actually in pokeballs except for Mabosstiff, they're just free roaming. He'll call them when he needs them and they might stay in their balls for a short time, but overall they're more like work partners than pets like Penny's veevees. He managed to win all of them over with food, they just showed up at his picnics and followed him around. It's a good partnership, since Arven doesn't consider himself a traditional pokemon trainer anyway

He doesn't own any social media and is convinced all of Penny's terminally online speak is her trying to hex him. He's very content with this lifestyle and has no desire to learn anything about the web anytime soon. The benefit of this is that he hasn't seen most memes and subsequently finds them to be absolute goddamn riots. The "quieres" meme with a Maschiff was all he would talk about for days because he found it that funny

Nemona:

She is on the edge of her seat waiting for someone to send the "would you still love me if I were an Orthworm" meme to her. She figured out what her friends' natures would be based on their personalities and has a dozen page document detailing their new wormy battle strategy that she cannot wait to share

According to her, the reason she can't hit anything she's aiming for with a pokeball is because her family is descended from the King of Paldea. Because of that, they're subject to a multi-generational wizard curse where their arrows (and subsequently pokeballs) are destined to never hit their targets. No one can figure out if she's joking or not

I'm far from the first person to think this but this girl is autistic. Battling special interest, can't read the room, no volume control, relates everything to her special interest to understand it better, extremely bad at interpreting body language, fixates on tasks really easily, very often goes past her and others' limits without realizing, trouble relating to others, etc etc. Because of her obliviousness in social situations she often ends up being over-friendly to strangers and coming off far too strong, which scares people off

Genuinely, unironically does not realize her parents dropping her off with house staff and never seeing her is supposed to be a bad thing. Her friends are mortified to find out that her parents didn't show up to the League Ceremony when she became the youngest ever champion ranked trainer, but she's unbothered by it. Overall she's less sensitive to being ignored or forgotten or left by herself than any of her friends; she can vibe with solitude

She has a chronic illness. I have not thought too hard about which one but one of them, prolly related to nerve damage of some kind hence the arm brace. It leads to easy fatigue and some dull pain in her arm and shoulder, but the school doesn't know about it because she keeps conveniently forgetting to bring in the paperwork to Miriam. Dendra has her suspicions though

Ngl she gives school mascot energy. She's super energetic, genuinely loves the academy, and is hella tall which is basically a requirement for being the mascot. If she doesn't have the stamina for competitive sports she sure as hell is gonna cheer them on. Cue her rolling up to the bleachers in the most terrifying Pawmi fursuit you've ever seen in your life

Nemona is very very bad at having frank and straightforward emotional conversations but is absolutely SUPREME at cheering people up. Distraction queen. She isn't going to be able to address and solve your problems, but she can turn any bad day into a good one with some ice cream, a smile, and a positive attitude

Nemona doesn't know this but Arven doesn't like her (dw they get better). They used to be neighbors and would hang out as kids. At the time, Nemona wanted to be a pokemon professor-- she was chronically ill / fatigued so her parents encouraged her to talk to the Professor who lived in the lighthouse and maybe become a professor herself. Loving pokemon and being naturally curious, Nemona would talk their ear off for hours, but Arven just saw that as encroaching on the professor's super limited off-work time. He was pretty bitter that this other girl was getting more attention from his own parent than he was, not that Nemona ever realized that. But when the professor got the 'raidon, they became more reclusive, and Arven simply starting ignoring Nemona when she would knock on the door. It took a while, but she eventually got the hint, assuming they had moved or something and simply forgot to say goodbye. Arven is still mad about it all and finds Nemona obnoxious and overbearing, but she still thinks of him as a fond childhood friend, being none the wiser to his distaste for her. Eventually they get better

Her Pawmi / Pawmot was originally a therapy pokemon, intended to loosen any muscle spasms and help with the nerve-related pain in her arm. He's the pokemon she had the longest, but she didn't bother to train him for battle until recently

She's really bad at remembering people's faces, so she acts really friendly to everyone she sees to save herself the awkwardness of treating an acquaintance like a stranger. She also genuinely loves meeting new people and pokemon, so it's not really an act

Penny:

Penny doesn't really have a strong Galarian accent until she's yelling. She sounds like a native Paldean and then gets pissed and hits you with an "OI MATE" with enough psychic damage to kill a man

Her favorite ice cream flavor is "eeveelution sorbet" which is this giant rainbow mashup of flavor. It's lemon for jolteon, lime for leafeon, peach for sylveon, blue raspberry for vaporeon, orange for flareon, vanilla for glaceon, blackberry for umbreon and grape for espeon. Arven feels personally offended by its existence because "it's an insult to good cooking" and tastes like preservatives

In Paldea, "jelly" refers to the fruit spead, but in Galar, "jam" is the fruit spread and "jelly" is gelatin. Penny has been hearing Arven talk about "peanut butter and jelly" for ages now and is dead convinced that Paldeans just have shit taste. No one is aware of this miscommunication and just thinks that Penny hates fruit

Penny hacked the future paradox pokemon. She jailbroke Miraidon and can play compressed midi files on it and change the color of its lights. Future pokemon use super compressed files because things are better in the future and they don't need as much space, so Penny is currently working on getting past that limitation so she can play Doom on the thing

Good luck getting her to show up for class. She'll come and take tests, but god forbid it's a class that cold calls? She will literally never show up. Girl whose participation grades are Zero. Clavell does talk to her and authorize her to have Sylveon out of its ball in class because it's certified as a therapy pokemon, so its usually napping under her desk to help her cope with the anxiety of Being In A Classroom

Penny managed to convince Arven that blue raspberry is a real, albeit rare, Galarian fruit. He actually fell for it before Saguaro explained that she was lying to him. He still hasn't forgiven her for this

This woman vapes u cannot convince me otherwise. She has an eevee-shaped pen and always smells like watermelon. Luckily for her, miss student council president actually paid attention to those D.A.R.E lectures and read her the riot act when she realized what was going on, so she's being forced to quit and is a little bit grumpy about it. Giacomo is likewise disappointed in Penny's choices and has suggested she just switch to weed instead. Penny thinks this is a much more suitable compromise

Her eevee backpack is endless. Penny has pulled out snacks, flashdrives, a first-aid kit, a CD player, a toothbrush, Veevee treats, a cat-ear headband, and a taser from that thing within an hour. Anything you might need is probably inside whether or not it should reasonably fit. Hammerspace type beat

Geeta somewhat regrets hiring her. She does good work and the rest of the staff loves her, but she's also far less willing to put up with office bureaucracy things than any of the other staff and it's gonna give Geeta a migraine. One time Geeta asked Penny to work on a Saturday and she threatened to unionize. Larry thought it was so funny he bought Penny dinner. They're homies now

She can pick locks. Clavell is genuinely and rightfully terrified of her because they both know she can pick the lock to his office and completely wreck the school's security and financial system if you gave her a motive and a half hour

[r0-boat]

I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS BECAUSE I JUST REMEMBERED!!!! N was in my dream last night and we were curled up in blankets in our own separate blanket burritos and our faces got real close and his smile was so cute….AND THEN I WOKE UP 😭😭😭

Do what the information as you will….have a lovely day 💚💚💚

I know what to do with this information and you know that I was going to do it didn't you🤭😏/j

But the Fire is so Delightful

N x gn! Reader sfw Drabble

It was a cold winter night riding on the back of your Pokemon just coming from Unova's Pokemon League even though you are bundled and your Pokemon, your best friend, and today, your Noble steed, were bundled up for the cold. It didn't help that only your home was miles away even after your trusty bird flew most of the trip. However, you were already still feeling the chill of waiting on that mountain and challenging other trainers who threatened your position as Unova's Champion.

When your husband N came to welcome you home, he was shocked at how cold your hands were. Your whole body was practically shaking.

As soon as has your husband had brought you into your warm cozy home taking off your only defense from the cold Unovan winter to hang it on a coat rack he grasped your smaller ice cold hands and his warm ones. Since end Tower it over you his hands much bigger than yours engulfed them holding them tightly and lovingly.

N leans downward, his face devoid of a smile, but his eyes when he looked up at you said everything, blowing warm air into his grasp and warming your hands. Noticing that just him isn't enough, he looks back at you, flashing that familiar, small, awkward smile. " I'm guessing it was cold today, well... I already knew that but didn't know you'd be so cold. I'll get a warm drink and some blankets ready. The fireplace is already lit." With a kiss on the forehead, he leaves you to take off your shoes. Not before long after you settle in front of the crackling fire, you are draped by your husband in a warm throw blanket. "Thank you, baby." You say has your husband hummed in response.

Your smile returns to you as you already feel yourself getting warmed up.

You are not sure if it was the sound of the crackling fire or perhaps the blanket you are snuggling in or maybe Zoroark occasionally brushing against you like a cat asking for affection as you lay on the floor, your whole body wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, exhaustion from a day's work hits you as you begin to nod off.

And he had noticed you sleeping peacefully on the ground when he had come by with two cups of warm hot cocoa. He had your cup hot and ready to drink with all your favorite toppings. Still, he couldn't wake you up, not when you were so cute wrapped up like that... he placed the two hot cups on the table, forgotten as he snuggled into another blanket he had brought for you, wrapping himself in the same burrito, copying what you had done to yourself. N, who is cozy and warm, just like you, also fell victim to sleep when you would both wake up and meet each other face to face. N being caught in the act of being so close to our face, his words were caught in his throat. A smile filled his lips as he finally found out what to say. "Did you sleep well?"

[microwave-core]

I've been plagued by thoughts about the cooking skills of the champions for some reason and have no choice but to write them down so here you go. Blue strikes me as the type of person who has the potential to be a great cook but rarely ever puts the effort in. He just doesn't care too much for cooking. He has other things to do and he can get food somewhere else. That being said, if he is cooking for another person, than he is going to go all out because he is a try hard. Complimenting his cooking gives him the biggest ego boost.

Red is a microwave cooker, as in at least 90% of his meals are going in the microwave. Average meal consists of a cup of noodles and a mug brownie. It's passable, it works enough for him and that's all he cares about. Dude lived on a mountain for a long ass time, he doesn't need luxury, he just needs to get by. He has a male living space, I'm sorry.

Lance is pretty average. Your not getting anything incredible out of him, but you know it's never going to be terrible. He also seems like the kind of person to eat the equivalent of chicken and rice for every meal almost every day of the week. He's not against making something else or eating out, but he would prefer to just make something quick and move on with his day.

Steven is banned from the kitchen. This man will burn water. Anything he touches will be scorched in an instance. Don't ask him how it happens, he doesn't know, his hands just turn ingredients to dust upon making contact, and no amount of supervision or guidance can save him. The only reason he should be manning a stove is to be making Bismuth crystals.

Wallace is a great cook and also loves cooking. He will make a banger meal, every meal, every day of the week, and he takes pride in that. He loves to cook for other people, both to show off and take care of them. He is also the only reason why Steven hasn't died of malnutrition. If they ever get divorced, Steven is in danger.

Cynthia would be on the better end of average. Still not anything incredible, but, again, you know it's never going to be bad. But she definitely seems like the type who would much prefer to eat out at any and every opportunity, especially with company. She doesn't dislike the act of cooking, she just doesn't like how long it takes.

Alder is a grill dad. At every event-family gatherings, league mandated meetings, Ghetsis' court hearing-he is outside and he is grilling. He's got the kiss the cook apron and sandals and everything. Whatever he makes, it is going to be delicious, and you will almost defiantly be sent home with tons of leftovers. Man is just dad shaped.

Iris feels like she ranges between incredible and terrible. As in, she will either make one of the most delicious things you've ever had in your entire life or the worst thing you've ever put in your mouth, and there is no in between. It's entirely dependent on what she makes, like she has some recipes that are baller and anything outside of that is risky at best. Also seems like the type who would make really good ramen.

Diantha is also a great cook, but she rarely has the time to do any actual cooking. Girl is way too busy juggling the work of being both a champion and movie star to set aside time to cook. She's almost always going to eat out, mainly around Lumious City. She's practically a regular at every major café, as she constantly cycles between them for each meal of the day.

Kukui is pretty good, but is also a group cooker. He needs to be cooking with another person, whether that be his wife, or his pokemon, or one of his many adopted children, or his actual child. It doesn't matter, he just needs to be with someone to talk and mess around with. it's lonely when no else is there.

Hau only eats Malasadas. It is the only thing he has consistently eaten for years. The fact that he is still alive is a mystery. People close to him are constantly offering to eat out because that is the only way he will eat literally anything else. It's not that he doesn't like other foods, or that he's a picky eater, he just really likes Malasadas.

Leon is on the lower end of average. He can usually make a passable meal, but he's gonna miss sometimes. He's also never at home, so he rarely even has time to cook with to begin with. However, as a baker? He's nothing short of immaculate. Easily the best baker on this list. He would win The Great Galarian Bake Off every year without any competition.

Geeta is an enigma. Is she good? Is she bad? Incredible? Terrible? Only she knows. She's also the type who barely ever has time to cook to begin with, being the workaholic that she is. She probably hasn't touched a stove in years, and has very little desire to change that fact. Do not ask her to cook, she will not do it.

[a-stone-slab]

“The Galar Region, and the Tragic Story of Sonia Magnolia”; an Essay to theorize the Reason Why Sonia Magnolia dropped out of the Galar Gym Challenge

Sonia is the newest Professor in the Galar Region of the Generation 8 games (which released back in 2019 already, holy shit). She’s the granddaughter of Professor Magnolia, and childhood friends/ex-rival to the Undefeatable Champion Leon. Her only pokemon is Yamper, and she dropped out if the gym challenge because she didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life.

A simple story for a character, yes? Well, not exactly.

Using other details and pieces of information from all sorts of different Pokémon Media such as the anime, manga, side games, etc., and even using more information hidden in different parts of the Generation 8 games, we can start to piece together a much larger story. A much more tragic story, detailing several reasons as to why exactly Sonia suddenly dropped out of the Gym Challenge as a young girl.

Part 1: A Girl From Wedgehurst (or: Sonia’s Childhood)

Sonia Magnolia grew up in Galar, and is presented to have grown up in Wedgehurst. With no parents in sight, and her childhood room being in her grandma’s house, we can safely assume she grew up with her grandparents for one reason or another.

We know she was childhood friends with Leon, a boy from Postwick, the next town over. Her starting pokemon was a Yamper, while Leon’s was a charmander.

The two were extremely close friends, and after a while, Sonia caught a Rookidee. Leon and Sonia battled each other often, with Sonia apparently being the only person that could always defeat Leon, no matter how many times they battled, as confirmed by the Pokémon Journeys arc of the pokemon anime.

Part 2: The Gym Challenge Issue (or: When Did She Quit?)

At some point, the two of them entered the galarian gym challenge, with Rose endorsing Leon and Sonia being endorsed by an unknown person, presumably her own grandmother.

Leon and Sonia battled through the gym challenge as rivals, battling along the way. However, Leon had such an abysmal sense of direction that Sonia and her Yamper had to make sure Leon didn’t get lost on his own and then they would show him the right way to go, with them traveling together a lot in the process.

Now, Sonia is stated to have dropped out of the Gym Challenge at some point. We can assume it was sometime after Opal’s gym, as we learn Opal has a note specifically about Sonia. The note reads:

"You have talent, that's for sure, but you give up a little bit too quickly. Then again, I imagine it's not easy being the granddaughter of Magnolia." - Gym Leader Opal

The note mentions Sonia having lots of talent and skill as a trainer, but panics easily due to the high-expectations placed on her as the granddaughter of Professor Magnolia. This can imply she beat Opal easily due to her skill, but if Professor Magnolia or the expectations on her are mentioned, she panics and can’t calm down easily.

Now, with that in mind, we know she quit after Gym 5 in her challenge. Next, we need to figure out when exactly that is.

First, according to Pokémon Masters and the general public in the Generation 8 games, Sonia could never officially defeat Leon. Meaning that any official matches they ever had usually ended in her defeat. However, she had quit being a trainer after her gym challenge, and there aren’t any “battle another challenger” style gym quests in the Galar League, leading any logical train of thought to arrive at Leon and Sonia had a battle during the Champion’s Cup, the only official way they could both battle each other and the entire population of Galar would know the results.

This means that Sonia got all eight galar gym badges, made it all the way to the Champion’s Cup, and dropped out inbetween matches.

Now, however, let’s figure out why she dropped out.

Part 3: Fear Is A Powerful Thing (or: Why Did She Quit?)

Looking back at the information shown so far, we can start to piece together why exactly Sonia quit being a trainer despite being so close to her childhood dream.

Looking back at Opal’s notes about Sonia:

"You have talent, that's for sure, but you give up a little bit too quickly. Then again, I imagine it's not easy being the granddaughter of Magnolia." - Gym Leader Opal

According to Opal, Sonia gives up quickly due to stress.

Looking back at Pokemon Masters, we also know that Sonia not only quit being a gym challenger, but also quit battling as a whole.

In the Pokemon Masters event Winter Wishes, she tells Nessa:

"Ever since I got here, I feel like I'm getting back in the groove for battling again!" -Sonia Magnolia

“I feel like I’m getting back in the groove for battling again!”. That doesn’t sound like she quit, instead it sounds she was “shaken up” and lost her “groove” in battles. With this, we can infer that she was, somehow, scared into never battling ever again.

And to discuss why she would have been scared so badly that she quit after losing a major official match against Leon, we’ll have to go into the history of the Galar League.

Part 4: Corruption in the Galar League (or: Rose’s Corruption in Office)

The Galar League is run by the Macro Cosmos organization, or more specifically, its chairman, Chairman Rose.

Chairman Rose has led the Galar League for years, bringing it into economic and political prosperity, turning it into a spectacular form of entertainment for the citizens of Galar, using his construction company to build massive stadiums and the Dynamac Band created by him and Professor Magnolia (which was later revealed to be an invention by a woman named Oleana, not Rose and Magnolia). Using the popularity of the Galar League, Rose was able to solidify himself as an important name in Galar’s history and culture.

A former Gym Leader, a man named Mustard, was the longest-running champion in galar’s history, gaining the title before chairman rose took over as chairman.

After a few decades of being champion, Mustard’s first partner pokemon passed away due to unknown circumstances. Stricken with grief, Mustard began faltering in battles, until one day he suddenly began winning more matches again. However, he later quit after finding out that the matches he was fighting were rigged in his favor, challengers being forced to lose to further lengthen Mustard’s reign as Champion.

The next champion was a man named Peony, who was also a former gym leader, a father of two, and Chairman Rose’s brother. Peony held the title for a short while, before allegedly quitting due to two reasons:

He disagreed with business practices from his brother.

He didn’t want to be stuck listening to his brother forever.

With that in mind, one can easily understand that Chairman Rose rigged matches for Champion Mustard, causing him to retire early due to shame and resentment from fighting rigged matches. Champion Peony quit shortly after learning of corrupt tactics in the league, which can easily be assumed to be the idea of rigging matches in the league.

Years later, Rose began using his power in galar to perform shady business deals, getting wishing stars needed to further personal endeavors (later revealed to be awakening Eternatus), and used gym challengers he endorsed (such as Bede) to do the dirty work for him.

This led to theft and destruction of public property in order to collect more wishing stars, in which case he would “throw away” any challengers he didn’t need once they were useless to him.

With this in mind, we can learn that Rose is a man willing to do whatever it takes to gain more power and resources for himself, to further his own goals.

Now, with that out of the way, it’s time to explain why that was necessary.

Part 5: Threats and Hard Bargains (or: The Reason Sonia Quit)

So! We now reach the final part of this essay, and the reason why Sonia gave up on her dreams.

Before I continue, I’d like to create a timeline of what we know so far

Rose becomes chairman

Mustard quits due to apparently fighting rigged matches

Peony becomes champion, quits shortly after due to ideas he didn’t agree with

Leon and Sonia become trainers, and rivals, with Leon being unable to defeat Sonia in any of their battles

Leon is endorsed by Chairman Rose, and Sonia is endorsed by an unknown individual and both enter the Galar League

Leon and Sonia pass Opal’s gym

Sonia and Leon arrive at Wyndon, and enter the Champion’s Cup

Sonia loses an official match against Leon

Sonia quits her entire career as a trainer, scared into no longer battling

With that out of the way, this timeline shows one strong reason as to why she quit: Sonia had been threatened into throwing a match, and it scared her into no longer being a trainer.

Chairman Rose endorsed Challenger Leon, and had a lot riding on Leon becoming Champion. Because of that, he needed to make sure Leon won. So he did what he’s done before, and attempted to rig the match in Leon’s favor. And since the opponent would be his superior rival, Sonia, Rose had to ensure Sonia couldn’t win.

So, Chairman Rose presumably pressured Sonia into a loss. And since he knew Professor Magnolia and knew the pressure being put on Sonia, one can assume he used that to his advantage in some way, since many people in Galar knew the results of her match against Opal, it would’ve been common knowledge that she would quit easily if stressed out.

This means that Sonia was somehow caused a lot of stress, and so she panicked during her battle against Leon, losing their battle in the Champion’s Cup, causing her to drop out of the competition and quit being a trainer afterwards.

[charcadett]

hi!! ok so i was the person who requested the larry x reader hcs where they were too anxious to confess n had a cofagrigus and aegislash. so basically.. i’m back to send in another request 🤭 i absolutely LOVE ur work and ngl i reread some of it often.. but anyways!!

i was thinking about doin another hcs request for larry, but i changed my mind. going with hassel!! anyways, reader has a cofagrigus (of course <3) and when hassel comes home (from teacher stuff n elite four things) the reader isn’t home, just their cofagrigus. mayhaps he gets worried for them n all that only to find out that they were taking a nap inside cofagrigus.. hehe idk where i got this idea i just thought it would be silly

and again, i love ur work!!! i always look forward to any new stuff you make ^_^

WAAAH WELCOME BACK IM GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!! This is such a funny scenario and I think Hassel is the perfect guy to do this for. And not because I’m totally rabid for him ahaha.. Honestly, I’ve never had really strong feelings for Cofagrigus but doing this request has made me a total fan.

Hassel Catching His SO Asleep Inside Their Cofagrigus

- Hassel returns home later than usual. He was at the academy late helping a few of his students with their art projects, then ended up having to drop by the league because he forgot his favorite coffee mug in the break room. By the time he steps through the door, the sun has set and he’s trying to scrub the sleep out of his eyes with his knuckle. Despite this, and as always, he is excited to see you. One of Hassel’s favorite parts of the day is once night has fallen, the two of you sharing a cup of tea, while you share stories of your day with each other.

- Except he can’t find you. He checks the kitchen, then your bedroom, and finally, with a cursory knock, he checks the bathroom. Before he allows himself to worry, Hassel looks through his phone to see if he’s missed a text from you, and when he doesn’t see it, his heart drops into his stomach. He knows he shouldn’t be so anxious. You’re an adult and you’re welcome to come and go as you please, but it’s late and you usually let him know if you’ll be gone before he’s home.

- Trying to calm his frantic heart, Hassel decides to call you. It takes two rings to realize he can hear your phone ringing in tandem somewhere in the house. At first, he feels a little nauseous. It doesn’t bode well if you’re out in the middle of the night, with no way for anyone to contact you. What if you get lost? Or hurt? Hassel takes a deep breath and follows the ringing to its source. Only two more calls, and he finds himself standing in front of your grinning Cofagrigus with his hands on his hips.

- “Would you happen to know where your trainer is?” He asks before your half-asleep form is sent tumbling out of Cofagrigus, accompanied by a loud belch from said Pokemon.

- It’s said that Cofagrigus turns unsuspecting grave robbers into mummies, trapping them within it forever. You, however, are not a grave robber. You came to find a few years after you began training your Cofagrigus that the inside of your beloved Pokemon is a great place for a nap. It’s warm, safe, dark, and silent. Admittedly, you can’t deny how funny it is to see people's reactions when they see you step out of your big bad Cofragrigus with a grin, somehow not mummified. Hassel is not an exception to this. His mouth is agape, eyes wide, as he takes a step to catch you. He can barely get a question out between baffled vocalizations and your laughter.

- You invite Hasel to join you next time. It’s comfortable in there. He politely rejects your offer when he sees your Cofagrigus' grin widen, almost daring him to. The man can’t catch a break. Both you and your Pokemon are messing with him at once. At least now he knows where you’ll be if he can’t find you again.

[hutaoscoffinn]

UNDER THE WEATHER

Everyone is getting sick once again thanks to covid and the flu having another go around and I had two requests for a sick reader so headcanon time

Warnings: sickness, this is super fluffy, domestic Rika, fussy Rika, Rika taking care of you when you’re sick, gn! Reader, this is honestly really cute and domestic, so fun to write

Character: Rika of the Elite Four

Requests: OPEN

Sickness has been knocking everyone down these past years but its always before Christmas where it comes to a head

But don’t worry good ol’ Rika will take care of you

Rika will realize almost immediately that you are sick

She is incredibly perceptive when it comes to you so she notices when you wake up with a stuffy nose and a hoarse voice with a groggy look in your eye

She will immediately call you out of work, email your professors if you are a student, do whatever she needs to do to make sure your day is freed up

Don’t even try to get out of bed

Rika will not let you

She will be making sure you have medication at hand and if you don’t she will be going to the pharmacy to get some medication that you can take

After you’ve taken medication Rika will absolutely be making you some hot tea with honey to help soothe your sore throat and to give your body a little boost for fighting off whatever ails you

If the tea gets cold dont worry, Rika will warm it up again for you and she will make sure you drink it all

Hot tea is really helpful for whenever you’re sick and can help clear up your sinuses so save Rika some extra fussing and drink the tea

She just wants to make sure you feel better as soon as possible

She can’t have her baby feeling down now can she?

Speaking of fussing Rika will be fussing over you all day, making sure you are tucked into bed and not too hot nor too cold

If you’re feeling cold she will make sure you have some extra fluffy blankets at hand along with plenty of her sweatshirts to keep you warm

If you feel too hot she’s grabbing a loose tshirt and getting you cold water and some ice packs to help you cool down and will even turn down the temperature in your home if need be

Rika will also be making you some soup for while you are sick, whichever one is your favorite of course

Warm soup when you’re feeling ill soothes the soul and I stand by that

It’s comforting to have some hot soup when you’re sick especially when someone you love has made it for you

Rika will even feed you if you’re having trouble eating by yourself

She loves taking care of you so let her help okay?

Rika is incredibly insistent that getting proper nutrients is even more important when you are sick so she wants to make sure you eat as much as you can without making yourself feel worse

And of course, drinking water

Hydration is a key part of overcoming your illness quicker so you can expect Rika to be constantly filling up a cup of water for you

Every hour or two she will check in to make sure you have been drinking some water

If you have been drinking water, expect lots of praises from your very loving girlfriend

If not,,,

Well, be prepared for a bit of scolding

But don’t worry, being sick doesnt mean Rika will be fussing over you 100% of the time

She will probably take the day off to care for you, maybe even multiple if your sickness doesn’t let up

So while you are both at home, Rika will be by your side and holding you

She knows she could get sick but honestly she doesn’t really care

She’s more focused on making sure you start feeling better and obviously a good remedy is some cuddling in bed

Watching movies or some of your favorite shows with Rika, curled up by her side in bed is an upside to being sick

Usually your lives are rather fast paced without much of a chance to slow down for a bit, especially for Rika

Working for the pokemon league and being a member of the elite four isn’t an easy job and is definitely one that isn’t exactly an office job

So spending full days with Rika like this are rare

And even if one or both of you is sick, having the time to slow down and enjoy each other is needed and Rika is grateful for the extra time with you

Even if it means that when you feel better, she has a case of the sniffles

Guess you’ll just have to take care of her now, wont you?

Reblogs are always appreciated <3

[husbandomail-archive]

December 4: company Christmas party

For such an accomplished musician, Piers really hates crowds.

Well, context is important; there’s a vast difference between being on-stage away from it all, watching the mosh pit and people teaching their pokemon to wave glowsticks in a pattern, and being at a League-sponsored Christmas party. Needless to say, he would rather be on stage.

Piers adjusts the collar of his suit for what feels like the millionth time tonight. Every year he manages to avoid the League’s kick-off ceremony, rarely ever having to venture beyond the safety of Spikemuth’s neon walls— but when his newly-appointed Gym Leader sister begs him to attend the League's end-of-year party, even he can’t say no. And that’s how he’s ended up with the rest of the Galarian League trainers at the top of Rose Tower. The building has been renovated since that incident with the Chairman last season— the very top of the tower has been set up for an evening as luxurious as you’d expect from the well-respected Gym Leaders of the region. Long tables full of food from various regions; live music at one end of the room, when Piers’ band had been politely turned down when they offered to perform; banners and lights that reflected picture-perfect in the polished window glass. Trainers from the major and minor Leagues. Their plus-ones. Marnie and Morpeko doing their best to hold conversations with new people, something that makes her older brother proud.

All night, Piers has managed to avoid proper interaction; it’s especially difficult avoiding Leon, because the former Champion is heading the event, and his energy remains boundless. The single cup of apple cider in Piers’ hands has acted as his shield every time Leon— or anyone else, actually— looks like they have something to say. Unfortunately, that well runs dry eventually; Piers tips his cup for another sip, only to realize that nothing’s there. He sighs to himself and ducks around one of the dessert tables to find the drinks again.

The bowl of cider is nearly empty, but the bright-red punch in the next bowl is less appealing. Before Piers can pour himself another defensive glass, someone else’s hand snatches the ladle just out of his grasp.

“You don’t look like you’re having too much fun, Piers.” You never greet him properly, and he never minds. You scoop some cider into his mug before filling your own again.

He shrugs and raises his glass in acknowledgement. “Miss Champ,” he nods at you, “This really ain’t my speed, but Marnie asked.”

You shift to stand next to him, shoulders brushing against each other, his presence comforting in this room full of people you only somewhat know. Piers is more relaxed now that you’re here to keep quiet company, but he can’t help feeling smothered in his formal suit and such a structured event.

It seems like you share his nervous energy, because you nudge his arm, careful not to spill his drink on his jacket. You grin up at him. “Let’s ditch, this is boring.”

“This is a League event, and you’re the Champion,” he chides, ever the voice of reason. That only lasts a moment, though— of course Piers, of all people, appreciates a rebellious streak. He grins back down at you. “I was wonderin’ if you’d ever ask.”

[savebatsfromscratch]

Hockey Watching - Palletshipping Week 1 (Roommates)

Summary:

Gary and Ash watch a hockey game together. (Au notes in final note in ao3 version, I put them at the top in this one.)

Notes:

Prompt: Roommates Note: The first thing I went to was watching a Hockey game together. …for some reason. I kinda made up my own Pokemon world teams, but feel free to imagine your favorite team I guess. (Though if it’s not the Sabers I don’t want you here. /light hearted) Also, for the record, they’re kind of American coded in this one. Whoops. I apologize for this look into my mind. Cws: Surprise kiss, sort of nonsensical writing Words: 1,791

End Notes:

…dude this is such a mess. (<- did not even try to edit it.)   Here’s a fun secret, I headcannon Blake (from Pokemon Adventures) as a Hockey player, and I made his number his dexholder number! :D I also headcannon Jun (from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure) as a Hockey player, and I made his number “3” because he has three total pokemon lol. I also put Hareta (from the same series) on his team and made him number “1” because that’s the number of my favorite Sabers goalie. :3 I also Headcannon Barry and Jun as triplets (the third being Pearl from Pokemon Adventures.) I also had to make up a last name for both Jun and Blake. For Jun I gave him “Aemilius,” because I went the roman route and it “was originally derived from the Latin word aemulus, which referred to equal or rival.” (iGENEA) And I gave Blake Rasmussen because it starts with an “r” sound and so does his Japanese name AND Rasmussen would look SICK on a Hockey jersey.

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54803911

Prompts from here: @/shigerussato

Fic under the cut!

Gary plopped down on the couch in front of the already flickering TV, one hand clutched around a large can of some gross thing that Delia had bought them, and the other clinging desperately to an overfilled bowl of chicken wings. Already on the couch, Ash laughed and turned up the volume on the TV with the remote that he had apparently located. (Last time Gary had checked in, the two of them had been pretty sure that that thing was gone for good.)

“Is the game on yet?” He asked, setting the huge cup down on the coffee table (and releasing a short prayer that it wouldn’t spill) as he looked up at the current rush of ads across the television screen, “Who’s winning?”

Ash giggled and got halfway through a, “Not yet Oak,” before stopping and realizing that something was still missing from their Hockey watching spree. “Um, you did get us napkins, right?”

Gary looked around himself, and though he saw Ash’s fingerless glove clad hand already covered in Buffalo sauce, hovering unsurely about the rest of the chicken wings, he saw no napkins. “Oh dang it,” He let out an exasperated cry and smacked a hand to his forehead, “I forgot them in the other room, here, I’ll get them-,”

He went to stand, but all of a sudden the announcer sprang to life before them.

“Welcome to today’s game of Hockey,” he was saying, voice strong and accented like an old radio star, and speaking just as fast, “We’ve got a very interesting match up today,”

The second announcer interrupted, sounding just as excited as the first, “Thankfully for the Snowpoint Legends, it seems that number 3, Jun Aemilius, is back on the ice, after his injury on Wednesday we were getting worried that he might not be able to make it to the next game, but it seems the medics came through!”

“And based on today’s lineup for the Icirrus Truths, the Legends may have really needed the return. I mean, ever since number 16, Blake Rasmussen, was traded into the team from the Castelia Ideals, the Truths have been rising in power across the league,”

“However, the new goalie for the Legends, number 1, Hareta Rowan, might be able to match Rasmussen’s intensity,”

“Do you know who they’re talking about?” Gary whispered to Ash, who seemed to have given up on napkins and was instead licking his fingers clean. (Seeing this, he quickly flushed red and looked back to the screen, pretending to be looking for clues there, though he hoped Ash would not guess the true reason for his newfound focus. …though it wouldn’t have been a problem if he had known.)

“Number three for the Legends is triplets with one of my rivals from when I was in Sinnoh,” Ash commented, watching as the camera tracked after a very attractive blond offensive player as if it was a totally normal comment to make to his current rival.

Gary suddenly reached for a can on the table, suddenly realizing that his throat felt dry. 

“None of that,” Ash waved his hands back and forth, flinging a speck or two of leftover sauce into Gary’s face, “I still love you the most,” he looked down at the cans, “Plus, those are non-alcoholic,”

Gary put his head in his hands, laughing. Had Ash assumed he had been trying to get drunk? “I’m just thirsty Ash,” he said, “and you reminded me of what your mom bought us,”

Ash made a face, studying the cans critically, “I wouldn’t suggest trying those, they’re probably flavored, like, pumpkin pie or crayons or something,”

Gary studied the can in the brightness of the ice from the screen. “The first one,” he told Ash, making a face, “Pumpkin pie seltzer, are you kidding me? Where does she even get them?”

“The Viridian Pokemart I think,” Ash said, snuggling a bit closer to Gary under the guise of checking out the ingredients of the strange drink.

“Why would she go all the way to Viridian to get-,” Gary cut himself off as the game suddenly kicked into action on the screen in front of them. Ash too sat up, suddenly on the edge of his seat as the puck rushed from player to player, currently held by the Truths. Gary glanced over at Ash’s face, noticing that he didn’t look super happy about that fact. 

“Soo…” Gary tried, now his turn to scoot closer, “Are we rooting for the Legends?”

“Would you want to root for a team from Unova?”

“Fair point,”

The two sat together, watching as the action moved from player to player, occasional crashes and shrieks coming up from the players as they crashed together and into various metal walls. Gary found himself leaning forward and hissing in anticipation as the puck shot towards the goal on their side, but joined Ash in whooping when the (apparently not-so-rookie) goalie expertly blocked the shot, catching it under his glove and sending up cheers among the crowd on his side of the stadium.

Ash grabbed Gary’s arm and shook him, as if Gary had watched more than a couple of games before to understand quite what that meant for his team. “Did you see that?!” He asked, sounding almost as excited as he always had before their battles, “That was so cool!”

The fact that Gary didn’t quite understand the game did not stop him from sharing Ash’s excitement. (Though he suspected that was more due to the fact that his rival was all but climbing into his lap in nervous joy about the game.)

“Yeah,” Gary said, watching somewhat in awe as the players sped from side to side in the advertisement lined rink.

They continued to watch like that, whooping as number three on their team managed a goal and hissing as 16, Blake, on the other side finally managed one of his own. At one point, their hands met in the chicken wing bowl, and of course Ash couldn’t help but joke that it was the most affectionate they’d been since getting back to Pallet together. (Gary shoved him off his shoulder and laughed it off, but the entire next period passed before he was done blushing about it.)

Advertisements passed as Gary left to refill the snacks, and he found himself grinning with the draw to watch the game as he saw it starting up again.

“You have to admit that this is just as interesting as watching a Pokemon battle,” Ash said, between bites of chicken wing, looking expectantly up at Gary.

“And nowhere near as irritating,” Gary added, breaking off in the middle of his sentence to take a large sip of pumpkin pie seltzer. (Which was honestly even more interesting than Delia had advertised it as being.) “I’m not there picking through every mistake they make,”

They both cringed as, number three, the forward on the team they had decided to root for just barely missed an easy shot.

“For the most part anyway,” Gary corrected

“For the most part anyway,” Ash laughed, agreeing with him.

They looked forward, and the game went back into that comfortable blur as the announcers led the cheers (or boos) as players entered and left the ice. (Though Gary found himself realizing that the two rivals were getting oddly close again as the final period began to wrap up. Even if the “close together” in question was more like, “just about falling off the couch with how focused they were on the flashing screen,”)

They cheered as their goalie blocked yet another would-have-been goal, and then cheered even louder as their team managed to actually complete a goal of their own. They were back in the lead by one, and with only a couple of seconds remaining on the clock, and a major player of the Truths out for misconduct earlier in the match, it was looking good.

“Comeon comeon,” Ash muttered, his fingers digging into Gary’s shoulders as he leaned even further forward, “Just hold the goal for one more-,”

“No!” They both shrieked, watching as their goalie, the one named like his region’s professor, was knocked to the ground by an opposing player, allowing the puck to sail cleanly into the net behind him.

Making the game tied, and sending it into overtime as Ash jolted to his feet, taking two large steps forward and echoing the announcer as he yelped. “How was that not an illegal move!”

Gary stood and walked to meet him, but found his eyes similarly glued to the screen as the teams reset for the tie breaking move. In his still lacking understanding of the game, he couldn’t quite tell what was happening, but the energy in the crowd (and in Ash), was enough to tell him that, whatever it was, it was seriously interesting.

He squinted at the glowing ice, and then found himself jumping up and down as he spotted number three dragging the puck forward and towards the opposing goal. He was moving like lightning, skirting around nearly every other player as he raced for the win.

Ash and Gary watched in slow motion as 16, Blake, from the other team fought to catch up with Jun, and cheered as he crashed into a defenseman from his own team, clearly still at least a little shaken up from his apparent injury on Wednesday as the two skidded across the ice together, their balance lost.

It happened so fast that Gary almost missed it, but the puck banged against the net and the stadium exploded. Even with the TV on low volume, Gary truly felt like he was among the screaming fans as Ash jumped up and down beside him. Clapping his hands together and shivering in excitement. To Gary, the sight was almost funny, but as he opened his mouth to say something about it, he found himself the one taken aback as Ash jumped up and kissed him.

They hung that way for a moment, Gary feeling like he was floating in sudden joy as Ash’s arms wrapped briefly around his shoulders, only to be dragged back away again as his friend suddenly pulled back, face bright red.

“Oh I-,” he tried to explain himself, “I didn’t mean to-,”

Gary’s face was definitely bright red, but he didn’t care. “Well,” he said, grabbing Ash’s hands and leaning forward, “Do it again and I might think about coming back for the next game,” 

He smirked as Ash stuttered out a sudden, “I love you,” right before Gary pulled them back into a kiss as the cheers of the crowd echoed through the dark room. 

(Even if their mouths tasted like buffalo chicken wings and pumpkin pie seltzer.)

[edwinspaynes]

For @emmalovesfitzloved Clace Christmas present shopping in NYC- what does that look like? Who are they getting for what? What are they getting Malec’s kids? What r they thinking of getting each other? Era can be post engagement or already married

"Well, well, well," Jace said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. It was warm, lined with wool and fleece, functional in the way that he liked and sexy in the way that Clary appreciated. "Looks like we're in for quite the day."

Christmas in Times Square was always a ridiculous affair. One time, Jace and Clary had run into a homeless guy dressed as Santa, and when they bought him a paper cup of cider he'd turned out to be an Eidolon demon that thanked them with a surprise attack. Another time they had almost squared down with a group of teenagers who were trying to climb onto a bus selling Christmas-themed trinkets. Clary had giggled at them, clearly remembering all of the shamefully stupid antics that she and Jace had gotten up to at their age, and the kids had glared daggers at them in a way that made Jace wish he could attack. "We're not going to fight some kids, Jace," Clary said, yanking him away by the hand. "We're way too old for that."

"But what is I want to fight?" His voice was a lazy drawl. "What if I want to feel alive?"

"Then you can start by finding the perfect gift for your new fiancee," she said. A small smile played on her lips, and Jace thought about how he wanted to kiss each of her freckles individually before dragging her into one of New York's many nooks and crannies before...

Well. He shouldn't let his mind get that carried away.

"I do have a great gift for you," Jace said, and it was the truth. Why wouldn't she love a little Swarovski crystal shaped like a wolf? "Who I don't have a present for, though, are Magnus and Alec."

"Or Max and Rafe," Clary said, and Jace hummed his agreement.

"I, for one, think we should get Max a coloring book," Jace said. "All kids love coloring books. Demon Drawing, you know."

"Or we could get him some kid's comics," Clary said. "I think both he and Rafe are at about the right age for some Pokemon. Maybe even Yu Yu Hakusho, or Tokyo Mew Mew if they're down to break gender stereotypes."

"I think you're a genius," Jace said to Clary. "That's way better than black-and-white pictures of demons."

"I mean, a Pokemon manga is basically that with a twist," Clary bumped Jace on the shoulder. "Have you ever seen Grimer? Muk? Ditto?"

"I barely know what Pokemon are," Jace said with an air of superiority.

"I would say I pity you," Clary told him, "but I don't. I'm pretty excited for you, actually because as soon as we're done here, we're definitely going to go back home and binge-watch the Indigo League."

"I have no idea what that means," Jace said, and Clary grabbed his hand and dragged him off in the direction of Newbury Comics. "Here," she said, "I'll give you a sneak peek."