#poppy's pokemon of the day

[poppyseedmuffiin]

the pokemon of the day is....

this shiny costumed hoothoot from the 2022 new years celebrations caught while I was on vacation in Hawaii named hooters

[misersdream]

omochiri comic 2

[azurityarts]

stray cats

Self-indulgent post; OOPS the character ideas are Manifesting again

So meet Ion and Poppy! Designs are subject to change, but I think I like the names! They're not on a team together (yet); I've got some plans for them (and a plus one), and while I can't show them quite yet, I hope I'll be able to sooner than later!

But yeah! Here are the newest goobers to the whole gang; I have no clue how I'm going to feed all of them now—

[kthecritter]

Could I request two laptop wallpapers?

A Dogday one with themes of blanket forts with string lights, different vanilla things, and rain on windows?

And an absol one with themes of hot springs, winter, and japanese lanterns?

Thank you ahead of time. I hope you're doing well.

here you go, I hope you enjoy! not my proudest tbh, but I tried my best <:)

[lizavet]

@heropartnerweek - Day 6: Farewell | Return

Poppy refused to lose them again.

She didn’t care what anyone said. She didn’t care if Dedenne said she was projecting and being unfair to Mew. She didn’t care that Mawille said her attachment was unhealthy. And she sure as hell didn’t care that some dirtbag said Mew had to die for the sake of the world.

She was NOT losing Tuft again.

It didn’t matter that Mew wasn’t Tuft. They were the closest thing she had. They were the last, dying ember of a beautiful bonfire, the one thing that kept Poppy warm at night. The final link she had to Tuft, aside from her harmony scarf. Maybe it wasn’t fair to them, but Poppy couldn’t help it! Mew reminded her so much of Tuft that it hurt. She chose to suffer that pain every day if it meant she could feel just a bit of Tuft’s warmth.

And now, someone wanted to take that away from her.

Poppy smashed her fist into a Salamance’s maw, sending it flinching back, ignoring the memories of that horrid mission they took on so long ago, and ran past it. She wasn’t in the mood to brawl with every random feral she came across. She didn’t have time. Every single one that got in her way took a fist or tail to the face, then Poppy sprinted past them, running as fast as she could through the winding floors of the Purifying Cave.

She barely took in her surroundings, the sound of static and pumping blood mixing to fill her ears with a horrid screech and squelch that drowned out everything else. The walls blurred around her as she ran, ignoring everything and everymon she passed by, her eyes only scanning for the stairs leading further down. The stones and gravel beneath her feet felt like nothing, her feet and hands numb as she ran on all fours, desperately hoping for just a bit of extra speed.

She had to go faster. She had to. Tuft Mew was in danger! They could be dying right then for all she knew! Or having her soul ‘purified’ or whatever the hell that meant. It didn’t matter! They were in danger and she had to save them. She couldn’t lose them again. She couldn’t grieve them a second time!

It went on and on.

Run.

Fight.

Search.

Descend.

Run.

Fight.

Search.

Fight.

Descend.

Run.

Search.

Fight.

Fight.

Fight.

Descend.

Run.

Run.

Run.

RUN!

RUN!!!!

RUN FASTER DAMMIT!

The stairs lead down and down and down and down until-

Bright light flooded her vision. She reached the cave’s pit, a large open room, the aqua blue walls and floor and water contrasting harshly with the unconscious form floating in the centre of the room.

“TUFT!” Poppy screamed.

Mew floated lazily in the air, a sphere of pink psychic energy holding them aloft and sealing them tight. Their head lolled to the side, eyes closed, chest slowly moving up and down from their shaky breathing. They were hurt, they were hurt they were hurt they-

They were alive. She wasn’t too late.

Poppy ran toward them, but a zap down her spine warned her of danger, her battle instincts kicking in. She skid to a stop and rolled right, leaping out of the way of a Shadow Ball that exploded against the ground where she was.

‘That was too easy to dodge,’ she noted. ‘A warning shot.’

“Hol’ it!” a voice yelled. A familiar voice. “Don’t touch that there Mew!”

‘YOU!’

Poppy’s head snapped to the side to see Nuzleaf coming out from his hiding space behind a boulder, flanked on both sides by those god damned Beheeyem. The group moved in front of Tuft Mew, standing between them and Poppy.

Her breathing grew heavy as rage coursed through every fibre of her being, Poppy glared at Nuzleaf as hard as she could, feeling her entire body tense. Nuzleaf shrank under her gaze. Good. He deserved to fear her. If he was the one who attacked her, who sent that letter, who was trying t- to…

…he deserved what he had coming to him.

“Get out of my way,” she seethed. Nuzleaf and the Beheeyem stared back, making her lungs burn even more. “MOVE!”

“…‘fraid I can’t well do that,” Nuzleaf said, shaking his head. “I’m mighty sorry, kid. I know I caused you no end of trouble, but-”

“TROUBLE?” Poppy yelled. “TROUBLE? AFTER EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE, YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST COME HERE AND SAY ‘Sorry for the trouble’ WHILE TRYING TO TAKE THEM AWAY FROM ME!” Violet light filled her eyes, draconic fire flooding her throat, begging to be released. “SAVE IT! JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!”

“I don’t want this either!” Nuzleaf yelled back. “But we gotta wipe out that Dark Matter once and fer all!”

“We can’t take it!” one of the Beheeyem cried, holding its head in its hands, tears in its eyes. “We can’t be taken by that thing again! We can’t!”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t risk it. We can’t go through that kinda pain again!”

The fire in her throat burned hotter, screaming pain filling her lungs. Pain? They didn’t know anything about pain. After all the hurt they caused, they didn’t get to complain about pain. Not when it was their fault. Not when they were trying to hurt her again!

‘It wasn’t their fault. They were victims too. They didn’t want this’

“I… said… MOVE!” Poppy demanded. “Get out of my way before I make you!”

“Child, please!” Nuzleaf begged. “You gotta understand! We can’t let Dark Matter return! This is for the greater good! The world needs us!”

“WELL WHAT ABOUT ME?” Poppy screamed, tears flying from her eyes as she whipped around. “WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE WORLD TOOK TUFT AWAY FROM ME? WHEN I WAS ALONE? THE WORLD? TO HELL WITH THE WORLD! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED MY DAD!”

Every word she said opened up an old wound, picking at the scabbed over cuts and gashes, making each and every one raw and bloody. Her scales looked red and broken behind her tear-blurred gaze.

Nuzleaf’s eyes were wide as he stared at Poppy, the leaf on his head wilting. “I-” he croaked. “I didn’t- I thought you- why would-”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! JUST MOVE! GET OUT OF MY WAY BEFORE-”

A speck of light floated from Mew’s chest.

Poppy’s burning blood suddenly went cold as she watched Tuft Mew’s form begin to shine, bright light glowing underneath their skin, motes of light shedding off of them and dancing into the air.

They were dying.

“NO!” Poppy screamed, running forward recklessly. She had to go! She had to get to them. Nuzleaf dashed in front of her, grabbing her by the chest and shoulder, holding her back. She thrashed in his hold, her mind filled with screaming static as she desperately tried to get him off her. “LET ME GO! PLEASE, LET ME GO LET ME GO! I HAVE TO-”

“I’m sorry, but it gotta be this way!” Nuzleaf yelled pleadingly into her ear. “It’s gotta end! You just gon have to accept this!”

Accept this? Like hell she would! She wouldn’t, couldn’t! Not now, not ever! She let Tuft go once, she wasn’t going to do it again! She fought harder against his grip, the screaming in her mind growing louder and louder as Mew’s form started to glow brighter-

-Tuft’s form started to glow brighter, lifting them off the ground and into the air, a sad smile on their face-

-the teal light taking over more and more of them form, blotting them out-

-Tuft floated up and up, out of Poppy’s reach. She screamed for them to come back, but they just went higher and higher up, the smile never leaving their face-

“Please Poppy! You just gotta let this go! I promise it’s gon be okay! It-”

“-It’s okay. I’ll be fine. I always am!”

“-you don’t want this, an’ I know I don’t deserve it, but you gotta do me this one favour and-”

“-don’t you cry! Not one tear! Not for me! I promise, it’ll-”

“-be okay! But you just gotta let-”

“NO!”

Poppy grabbed Nuzleaf by the throat and JAMMED her knee into his gut, forcing a painful wheeze from his lips. He crumpled underneath her, Poppy running towards Tuft Mew the second she was free. The Beheeyem moved to intercept, psychic energy gripping at Poppy’s limbs, but the second she felt it she released a Draconic Breath from her maw, flooding the cavern and forcing the Beheeyem back, breaking their concentration.

She stopped in front of Mew, grabbing the sphere that held them in place and bashing her fists against it, slamming down as hard as she could. Mew’s form glowed brighter and brighter, and with every mote of light that left their body, Poppy fought harder to break through.

“I WON’T!” she screamed. “I WON’T LET YOU TAKE THEM FROM ME AGAIN! I DON’T CARE IF THE WORLD BURNS! I DON’T CARE IF DARK MATTER COMES BACK! IF IT DOES, I’LL JUST BEAT IT AGAIN!”

A warmth fluttered in Poppy’s chest.

“I WON’T LET YOU TAKE TUFT AWAY FROM ME AGAIN!”

Rainbow light danced across her harmony scarf.

“I WON’T EVER LET THEM GO!”

The sphere shattered in her grip as her harmony scarf ignited, the fabric burning away in a rainbow of fire, the explosion sending Poppy hurtling back into Nuzleaf’s waiting arms, the force nearly sending the both of them to the floor. She ripped her eyes open, gaze immediately snapping back to Mew to see the motes of light dancing around them stop… hold for a moment…

..before shooting back into them, rebuilding their body, putting it back together.

And as life returned to them, the rainbow shine of the burning harmony scarf was mirrored in Mew’s chest, a new light filling the air. A single, golden mote escaped from their heart, slowly drifting through the air towards Poppy’s burning scarf. And as they touched, the rainbow flames turned gold in an instant, exploding in light. Poppy’s eyes were forced shut, their vision swimming as they tried to open them again, desperately looking around the blurred and spinning room, trying to find Mew, to see they were okay, to see them alive. But when the room finally came into focus, she didn’t just see Mew. She saw…

…Tuft. The real Tuft. Not Mew, the pokemon that was forced to fill the void in her heart, but honest to god Tuft, the stupid, stupid, selfish, annoying, infuriating, beautiful Fenniken. They were just as Poppy remembered them, their fur unkempt and fluffy and filled with a random assortment of twigs and leaves, their stupidly big ears flopping around and covering half their face, a smile on their face despite their closed eyes.

They were back.

“Wha-” Poppy muttered, the words dying on her tongue. Her mouth felt dry, ragged breaths clawing at her throat, trying to escape. She didn’t dare blink, couldn’t close her eyes for a second, because if she did she’d realize this was a dream, that it was fake, that Tuft was still gone. She needed this moment to last just a little longer, needed Tuft to still be there, needed-

“So that’s Tuft.”

A pink paw lightly traced Tuft’s face, running through their fur. Mew was awake, floating gently next to Tuft, eyes taking in their form (as everyone should always do). They had a strangely peaceful look on their face, one that… didn’t remind Poppy of Tuft. Everything about the way Mew was holding themself was wrong. It wasn’t Tuft. It was so different to before.

“I was wondering who it was,” Mew continued. “I felt them, you know? I could feel that bit of their soul in mine. It was so strong, so overpowering.” Mew laughed lightly, shaking their head, a silly grin on their face. “They can be very… persistent, you know?”

Poppy couldn’t help but laugh along in disbelief. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.” Her laughs turned to choked coughs and cries. “H-how…”

“Well, it seems that your plan worked, Xatu.”

Despite a part of her screaming not to look away, Poppy managed to tear her eyes away just enough that she could see the approaching figures out of the corner of her eye, unable to understand what she was seeing.

“Ampharos?” she muttered. “A-and… Mawile, and Xatu? What are…”

Ampharos sighed, looking down at Poppy guiltily. “I’m very sorry for the pain,” he said gently. “I’m afraid that all of this was a bit of a setup to bring you here.”

“What?”

Xatu stepped forward, holding a wing out with practised grace, his eyes glowing with psychic power. “I saw it,” he boomed, his commanding voice filling the room. “I saw Tuft, sealed within Mew, waiting to be freed. I saw Mew’s collapse, and I knew it had nothing to do with Dark Matter. I saw it all.”

Poppy looked between them in confusion. “Then why…”

“Because to break the barrier,” Mawile explained, “we needed you. We needed your true feelings to shine. Your connection to Tuft was the only thing powerful enough to break through to them.” She gestured to the room around them, looking in circles. “We knew that here, on this sacred ground, the seal holding Tuft back could be released.”

“But your feelings needed to be true,” Ampharos continued. “We needed them to be real. We needed you to show everything.” He paused, looking away and anxiously rubbing the back of his neck. “And, well… you, uh… you’re-”

“You would never dare show your feelings without us forcing your hand,” Mawile said simply and without any guilt, shrugging her shoulders. Ampharos shrank down a bit more, chuckling humourlessly.

“Yes, that.”

Poppy could barely understand what she was hearing. All of this… was just a trick to get her to say how she felt? Because if she screamed it loud enough, Tuft would come back? Was that really all it took? Could she have done this from the start? Could she have brought them home months ago if she had just been true?

“Of course, we couldn’t do this on our own,” Ampharos said, snapping Poppy out of her spiralling thoughts. “Which is why it’s so lucky that Nuzleaf and his companions came along.”

Poppy’s head snapped up to Nuzleaf who was still holding her, surprised to see a gentle, loving smile on his face. For the first time in what felt like centuries, he looked like the man she knew. The one she thought she knew.

…maybe it was the real him. Maybe she did know him after all.

“Was a mighty fine coincidence,” Nuzleaf said. “We been lookin’ fer a way to make up for all the trouble we done caused. And whad’ya know, it just so happened that yer friends here needed someone to play the part of a villain.” He chuckled to himself. “Fortunately, I had some mighty fine practice.”

…he helped them? He… helped save Tuft… for her…

“Though… I could’a done without the walloping I got for it…”

Mew giggled into their palm, spinning in the air. “Yeah, sorry about that!” they chirped, not sounding sorry at all. “But hey, you shouldn’t have tricked me into coming here if you didn’t wanna get booped!” Mew looked back down at Tuft and smiled. “But you know, I’m glad I came here. I think it was worth it.”

Everything started blurring around Poppy. She couldn’t believe this. This couldn’t be real. It wasn’t happening. They couldn’t take the heartbreak they’d feel when the dream ended. Everyone helping them, Nuzle- Dad coming back to her, Tuft…

It was too good to be true. She needed someone to pinch her. She needed someone to tell her this was real. She needed-

“Poppy?”

Poppy’s eyes immediately snapped over to Tuft, finding them staring back at her. She scrambled to get to them, Nuzleaf letting her go in an instant, dropping her to the ground as she crawled over to them, grabbing their head and placing it in her lap. She put a hand on their cheek, relishing in the light, familiar warmth coming from it, helping Tuft to look her in the eye.

“Tuft,” she breathed. “Y- you- your-”

“Hey, you.” Tuft smiled weakly for a moment, before their expression dropped, guilt in their eyes. “Poppy, I-” they started before letting out a yelp as Poppy dragged them into a hug, squeezing them as tight as she could.

“Shut up,” she demanded, her voice wavering from the tears in her eyes. “You… you are never allowed to leave me again. You’re mine, got it? You don’t get to leave me.”

Tuft tensed for one, eternal, agonizing moment, before quickly letting go, falling into Poppy’s embrace in a way that felt so right, like they were finally where they belonged. “Okay,” they whispered, their breath hot on Poppy’s neck, sending lightning down her spine. She held them as close as she could, relishing in the feeling of their fur against her scales.

For the first time in months, everything was right in the world.

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

Tuft (rightfully) assumed that all of this was Poppy’s way of confessing her feelings and figured they were dating. Poppy (being the emotionally constipated idiot that she is) didn’t realize it came out like that. The two figured it out eventually.

[blue-eli]

Ink October day nine: Convalescent

To recover health and strength gradually after illness or injury, often by staying off your feet.

[pokemonleagueofficial]

A reminder to all Paldea residents!

The Paldea Pokemon League will be closed December 15th for our (early, admittedly) Delibird Day employee party! Employees of the Pokémon League and Naranja-Uva Academy will all be celebrating with their co-workers that day, and might be absent or late to respond to challenges or e-mails!

Thank you for your consideration!

[euclydya]

so is it like Legal for the e4 to have a 5 yr old apart of it. is that allowed?? who are her parents??? are they ok with this,

[wave2tyun]

apple cider | ☆

pairing: huening kai x reader

genre: fluff, childhood friends to lovers

summary: you were foolishly blind to the feelings you held for your best friend, huening kai, until one they, they started to bottle up like soda pop

warnings: slight injury?? nothing serious<3

word count: 3.5k

a/n: apple cider by beabadoobee has been ON REPEAT!!!! these past few days!!!!1!1! which is why i believed it might be the perfect time to bring this fic back!!😋 i love love love writing things based on songs, and this is (obviously asbdsjha) where the inspo for this fic came from, as well as the studio ghibli movie 'from up on poppy hill'!! :D also, is it just me or do 24 hours in a day simply not feel like enough anymore......?😖

☆ = repost from my old blog!!

huening kai was the definition of a sweetheart. grandmas loved him, animals adored him, he was the type of boy anybody's parents would be delighted to meet if you brought him home. and most importantly, he was your best friend.

you and kai met in kindergarten. your very first interaction happened when your parents were late to pick you up, so you, a sensitive child started crying a river. kai was even faster than the teacher to approach you, napkin in his hand and a sweet smile on his face. he patted your back until your parents arrived, sometimes cracking some pokemon impressions in an attempt to make you smile again like he saw you earlier that morning. during your arts and crafts session the next day, you made kai a sloppy drawing of his favorite pokemon character, which, to this day, he insists is the greatest gift he has ever received, the treasured piece of paper sitting in a frame on his nightstand to remain in pristine condition.

from that day on, you only ended up spending more and more time together. you switched seats so that you could sit next to each other during classes, played together during breaks and became lunch buddies, an unspoken promise which had been kept during primary school, middle school, and even now, as you were both high school students in your last year. kai grew up to be a piano prodigy, thus becoming the president of the school's music club. you, on the other hand, wasn't any interested in any extracurricular activities, preferring to stay in bed and sleep your day away on the days where your parents weren't attacking you with house chores. still, you and kai were stuck together like glue. you talked on the phone every day at midnight, rambling on about your day or about anything that crossed your mind; you tried your best to meet up outside of school whenever your schedules allowed, popping a cold bottle of your favorite sweet apple cider.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

your eyes scanned the tables for kai once again. he told you to meet up at the outside dining area, but 15 minutes had passed and he was nowhere to be seen. you huffed, placing your tray down at a table where some of your classmates sat. ‘can’t believe he’d ditch me today’ you angrily pierced the straw through your milk carton.

the sound of a loud horn startled you, making you almost choke on your drink. the highest windows of the school were opened with a bang, paper scrolls coming out of them, followed by the heads of some students as they were peeking out.

“are those the club leaders?” someone at your table asked.

“yeah...seems like so” yunjin answered “what are they up to now?”

you shielded your eyes with your hand, squinting as you tried to read the words written on the papers.

‘lack of freedom kills the people’

“they’re protesting” you broke the silence, making everyone’s head turn towards you “the principal has been wanting to shut down the clubs”

some students gathered around the dining area, they moved in sync and with fast movements, taking out the grate that was placed over the water basin outside. you shrugged, going back to your meal. you weren’t exactly sure what they were going to achieve with this. not even a minute later, yunjin gave you a tap on the shoulder, pointing towards the roof.

“isn’t that-“ she stopped midway, unable to finish her sentence. your face was instantly drained of color at the sight.

it was huening kai.

“what the hell is he doing up there” you mumbled, frowning. you didn’t have a good feeling about this- whatever this was.

huening kai had a bright smile plastered on his face, the whole school’s attention being on him. he coughed then cleared his throat before loudly speaking.

“if our words weren’t enough to reach principal Jung, then that means that it is time for us to turn to actions” he inched closer towards the edge of the roof. his voice remained confident, but his hands betrayed him, shaking as he held the mic close to his chest.

you gulped. you felt nauseous, an empty feeling was taking over your stomach despite the distance between the roof and the ground not being that high.

“if you don’t want to respect us- we will make ourselves heard” huening kai turned his head, looking back at the boys behind him, who gave him a short nod. then, he put the mic down, taking a deep breath before diving into the air, aiming for the water basin.

the plan was easier said than done, and kai stumbled into a bush before landing down on his knees in the shallow water. the members of the photography club were quick to capture the moment, just like you were quick to jump out of your seat and approach the boy. “are you okay-“ you reached your hand out to help him stand up. kai’s smile never faltered away, and once he was back on his feet, he gave you a wink as he clasped your hands together. the bright flashes of the cameras surrounded you in an instant, the photographers pushing through to get “the best shot”.

your cheeks turned a bright shade of red, and you let go of his hands, mumbling as you went back to your seat “stupid- so stupid” you continued to stuff your face with the sandwich you had packed in your lunch bag. why was your face burning that much anyway- you shook your head, trying to ignore the thoughts invading your mind, as well as the hushed whispers coming from all around you. you couldn’t let such foolish actions disturb your day.

kai, as usual, still called you that night. you, however, loved being stubborn. when you saw his name coming up on the screen of your phone, you contemplated for a few minutes, before swiping to deny the call. ‘that should teach him’ you thought. barely a minute later, you were already regretting your decision. you were still mad at him, yet, for some reason, you still wanted to hear his voice, just like every other night. it never mattered to you whether it was a proper conversation. you didn’t care what kai would be talking about- you just wanted to feel like you had him, in some way, close to you, though your pride didn’t allow you to be the one to initiate another call. why was it that you wished to hear him so badly? after all, you didn’t even like him...right? or at least- you didn’t even like him that much- right?

you tossed and turned in your bed, unable to let your eyelids close.

fuck.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

dark circles adored your eyes as a result of the poor sleep you had last night. you wished you could skip the first period and remain in bed for just a few minutes more, but your mom wasn’t having any of that. she took the blanket off your bed and opened your window, forcing you to get up and get ready for the day.

you stood in the hallway, head buried in the school’s newspaper, which teased ‘a revolution’ as well as ‘an endearing romance’ with a big image of you and kai holding hands on the front page.

“is there any way i could make it up to you?” you heard a voice near you.

you closed your locker’s door, kai’s face coming into sight, grinning as always. you wanted to ignore him for the day, pretending to be mad at him for the embarrassment that he had put you through the day before. but kai knew you too well- he had already anticipated your reaction to his stunt, and he wasn’t going to let you get rid of him so easily.

“depends. do you have anything in mind?” you crossed your arms, leaning on your side against the locker.

“apple cider, 10 pm at the playground. sounds good?”

you bit your lip to fight back the smile that was threatening to take over your face. looking down at the floor, you chuckled.

“i guess that would suffice. we’ll see”

the bell rang, signaling the end of your break. kai took the chance to quickly ruffle your hair before sprinting to his class. ‘dork’ you snorted, putting it back into place before going your own way.

you were quick to prepare dinner that day. both of your parents were taken aback by the stark change in your attitude compared to how you behaved in the morning, the sudden surge in energy being questionable. they chose not to bring it up though, afraid that they might ruin your mood. you arrived at the playground at 10 pm sharp and sat on one of the swings there, protecting the other vacant one from the kids that still lingered around until kai came. and soon enough, there he was, apple cider bottles in his hands (just like he promised) as he approached you. you smiled at the sight.

“are you that happy to see me?”

“you wish- i’m just happy to receive the apple cider” you joked, lying through your teeth.

“ah- i’m hurt” hueningkai frowned, dramatically putting a hand over his heart. you laughed at his cute antics. he took his place on the swing, handing you one bottle.

“that jumper looks pretty on you, i like it”

“t-thanks” you stuttered, looking down, failing to see the tips of his ears turning pink. you took a sip from the bottle, the taste so refreshing and all too familiar.

“so- did you manage to convince the principal not to shut down the clubs?”

kai chuckled, reminiscing the events “yeah-“ he stood up, putting his hands on his hips and clearing his throat before speaking again with an exaggerated lower voice “never in my 40 years in this field have i ever seen such- such outrageous actions” pinching the bridge of his nose, he continued “whatever, just do whatever you want. at this point it’s less of a pain to let you continue than to cancel everything”

you burst into laughter at his silly act. kai always had his imitations spot on, and to you, it was much more entertaining than any kind of comedy movie.

“i’m glad it wasn’t all in vain” your smile died down upon noticing the bandages wrapped around his hand “is your hand okay though?”

“oh- yeah, don’t worry about it, it’s just a scratch” he replied quickly, stuffing it in the pocket of his jacket before sitting back down. you sat in silence for a while after that, kicking around the pebbles underneath your feet.

“i’m sorry” kai whispered softly.

“hm? sorry for what?” you frowned.

“sorry for getting you involved in this, it wasn’t supposed to be like that- i told the other members of the club to remove the picture from the article but they didn’t listen”

“hey- it’s okay” you reassured him “it was out of your control, it wasn’t like you knew this whole fiasco was going to unfold”

“but-“ he tried to argue,

“no buts” you interrupted him, laughing “whatever happened, happened. plus- i got to drink some apple cider. even better since it was with you- so, it’s all good”

kai returned your smile, he seemed to be a bit more at ease after hearing those words. you wished that you could have found the strength to get up and give him a hug too, but you were too afraid that your heart would burst if you did that now.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

“i’m home” you shouted as you stepped inside the house. leaving your bag on the floor in the hallway, you dragged your feet to the kitchen and put on the apron to get started on your dinner. your parents never got off work before your classes ended, meaning that the responsibility of preparing food for everybody always fell on you. you opened the cabinet underneath the sink to get some potatoes, but your hand reached out into nothingness. confused, you crouched down to have a better look. your face dropped as you realised that there was nothing left inside. that one vegetable was the whole star of the dish, meaning that there was simply no way to substitute it.

‘shit shit shit-‘ you stormed out the door, wanting to slap yourself in the face as you recalled the moment your mother asked you to stop by the farmer’s market in the morning. maybe, just this once, the traffic would be jammed and your parents wouldn’t be so quick to return home from work. you struggled to put on your jumper as you also held a basket in your hand, wanting to be as quick as possible. just as you were about to make your way down, you someone called out from behind you:

“need a ride?” kai was riding his bike to his grandparents, but stopped in his tracks upon seeing you in such a hurried and panicked state.

“god- yes, please” you fumbled over your words. the timing couldn’t have been any more perfect; you were so grateful to see him there, you could almost see a ray of light shining on him and a halo on top of his head.

“have a seat then” he laughed.

you quickly sat down in the back of kai’s bicycle. looking down at the steep path in front of you, you gulped “are you sure it’s okay for us to ride together?”

“just hold on tight” kai took hold of your hands and wrapped them around his torso before pressing on one pedal with his foot. you couldn’t even brace yourself properly for the impact as you went down the hill of doom; your head instantly hit kai’s muscular back, and you found yourself holding his body tighter. you closed your eyes, trying to shift your focus from the citizens passing by you in a blur, to the sweet scent of his fruit-punch shampoo invading your senses. kai swiftly took a turn to the left, effortlessly avoiding all the possible obstacles in his path. thankfully, you both made it to the farmer’s market in one piece.

sighing in relief, you lifted yourself up and walked to the nearest vegetable stall around. kai remained right next to you, making a purchase of his own. he munched on a freshly fried hashbrown as you did the necessary shopping, holding a second piece in his other hand.

“all done” your shoulders slumped down, the whole thing had drained you both physically and mentally. you quirked an eyebrow as you looked at kai eating.

“what?” he asked, throwing the last piece of food in his mouth “i need energy to go back”

“right” you sighed “thank you so much. i might live to see another day because of you” you tried to joke. in reality, the thought of your parents scolding you alone was enough to make your heart start beating faster.

“don’t worry about it” he chuckled “here- take this” he handed you the hashbrown he had been holding. you took it reluctantly, not having expected to receive something like this.

“eat it- it’s good. plus, you need energy too” kai grabbed his bicycle again, positioning himself on the leather seat “i have to go now, you should probably hurry too.” he smiled “take care, y/n” kai sent you a little wave before setting off. you stood on the side of the road for one more moment, smiling at the hashbrown in your hand. you took the first bite as you started to go up the hill again, the worries that were clouding your head quickly disappearing.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

somehow, soon enough, you found yourself in front of kai’s house. you wanted to thank him for his sweet gesture from a few days ago. if it weren’t for him, your parents would have probably kept you locked in the house. you didn’t know what you were going to say to him. staring at the box of cookies you brought with you, you tried to muster up the courage to knock on the door.

knock knock knock

you waited patiently, biting your lips.

‘maybe there’s still enough time to run-‘

“y/n- hi, come in” kai opened the door, greeting you.

“hi” you blurted out. stepping inside, you took off your shoes, then silently followed behind kai as he guided you towards his room. piano sheets were spread out everywhere- on the floor, on his desk, on his bed. you’ve never seen it look like such a mess.

“oh- sorry, were you practicing?”

“tried to- the music festival is just around the corner, but the song choices are killing me”

“can you show me?” you asked, it was always a pleasure to hear kai practicing, but this time, you were also using this as an excuse to organise your thoughts properly.

“yeah, come here” kai patted the empty space beside him on the piano bench. you hugged the cookie box close to your chest, the short distance between the two of you making you feel nervous.

kai’s fingers glided along the black and white tiles, wrist playfully flicking up as he changed up the speed with ease to create a flawless, harmonious symphony. it sounded perfect- it always did.

“that was great” you spoke softly as he finished up the piece.

“wanna try?” kai offered.

“s-sure” you stuttered, putting down the box. somehow, despite all those years that you’ve known each other, you had never given learning piano a try.

kai took hold of your right hand, placing it on the keys “you have to use the pad of your fingers” he put his hand over yours, gently pressing down to demonstrate. you prayed that he couldn’t hear the loud sound of your palpitating heart “then- move your wrist up before moving on to the next set of notes, then down, like a feather falling” you started to feel light-headed, the feeling of kai’s warm hands on yours making you unable to concentrate on the task at hand. you looked up at him, his face now much closer to you than when you first started practicing. kai’s hand stopped guiding yours, yet didn’t let go of it. he glanced at you, his gaze stopping on your plush, rosy lips.

“holding you closer right now- would that cross the line?” he spoke softly, in a daze.

“maybe i want you to cross the line” you whispered back.

kai stood still for a moment, letting your words sink in. then- with gentle movements, his hand came to rest on your jawline, thumb rubbing against your cheek. he seemed nervous- so nervous to not ruin all of your built-up relationship up until that point. but fuck it- you looked so pretty with that jumper he adored, sitting gingerly on his piano chair, inviting him to finally feel his lips on yours. how was he supposed to resist? and when kai closed the gap, his mouth meeting yours in a gentle peck, it felt so incredibly right, so good and sweet.

one more peck.

his body shifted even closer to you.

another one.

his hand came to rest on your lower back, yours grabbed hold of his soft black sweater.

and once more- but this time, you both let the touch last longer, melting into the feeling.

“can i kiss you more?” kai asked, voice barely above a whisper, his thumb was caressing your lips as he spoke. you nodded, eager to indulge yourself into the taste of his sweet kiss. you hummed as he pressed his lips on yours again, the butterflies in your heart unable to settle down. he grinned into the kiss at the sound, his heart felt warm knowing that you wanted this, and enjoyed this just as much as he did. you pulled away, giving the mole at the corner of his lips a kiss, then you left another on the one near his temple, ending with the one you adored most, the one on his nose. you cupped his face, the temperature of his cheeks rising against your fingertips. kai chuckled as you hid your face in the crook of his neck, the adoration you felt towards him becoming almost too much to handle.

“do you want to stay the night?” kai asked bashfully, his fingers playing with one of your sleeves “i have some apple cider left” he looked up at you, eyes gleaming with hope.

“of course i want to” you giggled, dipping down to leave another peck on his soft lips.

3 bottles of apple cider down, you and kai laid down on the bed, legs tangled with each other as he played with your hair and you braided his. you joked around, playing with the plushies on his bed, sometimes stealing kisses on the cheek from each other and falling into another fit of shy giggles yet again. and when you finally drifted off to sleep, hand in hand, you swore you had never felt your heart feel more at ease.

@huekalover3000 @maybabe00 @sunoooism @boba-beom

[factual-fantasy]

25 asks! Thank you! :}} 👹

I have it in the back of my mind, but I haven't actually made any steps in making more master posts.. 😔

ReBLOGGING is good! Its a feature of Tumblr and helps more people find my artwork! Very nice :))

RePOSTING is stealing my art and posting it on your own account. Giving you and only you all the credit. That's theft and no good!

I think I remember wanting my sona to be an object head of some kind. I think I doodled probably a dozen different ideas before I got frustrated and just scribbled my most recent attempt out.

But then it hit me. I doodled two little white eyes on the scribble and I knew I had found my sona XDD

@xxthedragonrebornxx

XD Thank you for remembering my boundaries and respecting them! :)) And THANK YOU FOR THE CUPCAKE!! :DDD

I haven't read it, but I've seen it blowing up all over tumblr. It must be pretty cool! :00

@milk-powrit

<XD I won't lie, Bill is a fantastic villain. I just "hate" him because Stanley is my favorite character and Bill put his family through hell 💀

Most of the team: "Aww 🥰����💞"

Gloria: "WHO ARE YOU AND HOW ARE YOU HOLDING ALL OF US UP AT ONCE"

@pink088

<XD These past 2-3 days have just hammered me health wise, but I can at least say that I've been sleeping enough!

And thanks for the check in! I wish you the best :))

(Pokemon violet comic(?))

:DD Thank you!! I'm glad you liked it!! :)))

If I ever really go into those series I would :00 But I cant remember the Godziilla movies- plus that would be really hard to draw <XDD

There's so many sonic medias that i wouldn't know which one to go by- and I've seen playthroughs of Poppy playtime but it never really grabbed my interest.. <XD

I'll do my best to keep up with all that <XDD Thank you!

(Frank butterfly post)

Oh there's no need to worry about Frank! It might be hard to tell- but that was actually a moth! Frank had bags under his eyes because he was out late studying moths :))

<XD Well considering Homes intentions are intended to be unknown- you're free to imagine that! :D

@skywillow28022

ohmygosh the third movie is so good I actually cant watch it anymore lest I burst into tears 😭😭😭💞💞💞 10/10 WOULD recommend cars 3--

Anyways- I ADORE the cars franchise and absolutely would have drawn them more.. if cars weren't so hard to draw <XD Plus my favorite thing to draw is angsty cuddles and hugs and big droopy eyes and tears- that's kiiiind'a hard to pull off if your characters are cars-

Of course I could always draw them as humans like many other artists have.. but idk, it just doesn't feel the same you know? <XD

Also thank you! I hope you day goes well too! :))

@neo-metalscottic (Welcome home post(?)) (Octonauts eye study) (Oxem and Pepemijo comic)

AAAAA Thank you sop much! :DD I'm glad you've been liking my recent posts!

As for Oxem and Pepemijo, I cant show images because of the stupid 30 images limit-- But Pepemigo is based on/inspired by the Year of the dragon mask, and Oxem is based on the current season of Duets seasonal guide mask! :00

I imagine there are other dragons out there, like that other sky dragon that I made one time-- <XDD I don't really have any ideas for their powers or their story, but I had intended that Pepemijo at least knocked the krill out in self defense. Thankfully they wont be hunted by krill following that event- Oxem got them to a safe place and he knows that he should steer clear of krill territory in the future <XD

And of course! I'd love to see any critters that you've made! :DDD

@sussyhahag

uhg, always disappointing to see.. thank you for letting me know though 😔

*VERY LOUD CARTOON BROKEN HEART SOUND* (I LOVE THISSS)

<XD yup.

Also even though that disclaimer is there for FNAF and Octonauts, I still get people harassing me anyways!.... :')

@vesselofmanythings

AAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! :DDD And I wish you luck on your slime rancher creative adventure!! :}}}

AAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDDD That means a lot!!! :))

@starsbee

This shouldn't have made me laugh as much as it did XDD

@wolfie-777

Oh no.... THAT MUST BE ME WELCOME HOME AU COMING BACK--

@anikakitty11

Somethin ain't right with that dog <XDD

@edelgeist (Referencing this post)

oooh :00 I wasn't aware of that- thank you for the info! Perhaps I should invest in a cooling pad <XD

I have not <:( But after googling it- I love the artstyle! :DD

[rikaspotting]

Rika Headcanons Master List:

Rika goes by pretty much any pronoun doesn't mind if you call them a he/she/or they.

Rika has a green thumb and loves gardening.

Their favorite genre of music is ska or alternative but they don't mind listening to a little bit of everything.

Their first Pokemon was a Paldean Wooper which is now a Clodsire and her ace.

Very prone to displaying public displays of affectionate, either romantic or platonic.

Went to a tough school in a bad area growing up .

They put on a facade of being tough and smug to survive.

Rika dislikes makeup and prefers to show off their natural looks.

Their full name is Paprika, but much prefers to go by just Rika.

Rika is a massive foodie despite their lanky frame.

Enjoys making people laugh or relax.

Even the most shy people eventually feel comfortable talking with Rika.

Has a very earthy and motherly vibe to them. Despite her farcical nature, Rika is a lot more wise than she lets on.

Loves kids. She will happily babysit for anyone.

Rika loves ground types because they remind her to stay grounded and firm with their beliefs.

Her childhood was chaotic so the symbolism of ground types reminds her to take one day at a time.

Rika loves to tease and to push buttons, but never out of malice.

Rika is somewhat short, being about 5'6.

She knows it's horrible for her health, but she smokes.

Their voice is somewhat crass and loud with a slight southern twang.

A lot stronger than she looks. She can easily drag around Clodsire by his tail.

Rika is very clumsy and often trips over herself or bumps into things.

Her hands are usually always in her pockets.

Rika taps their feet when they are stressed or impatient.

She is really fond of her league-issued black gloves and is rarely seen without them, even when not working.

She's a sucker for puns and loves telling dad jokes.

They are highly protective of people they love or care for.

Rika is really bad at cooking. She tends to burn her food.

She can drive a motorcycle and thinks she's very badass when she does.

Rika would be the first person to stand up for someone who is getting harassed.

Despite their goofy nature, they have a strong sense of justice and will not hesitate to get physical to defend people they love.

Has a strong weakness for anything small and cute (Exhibit A: Poppy).

Rika loves simulation or farm raising video games.

Highly competitive when battling. Rika will become very pouty if she loses.

It's nearly impossible to lie to them due to their strong BS detector.

They are bisexual, but have a slight preference for women.

Kinda a hypocrite due to the fact they love to tease, but if someone teases them back, they become flustered.

She keeps emergency Clodsire plushies for kids who need some positive reinforcement during interviews.

Often uses Clodsire as somewhat of an emotional support pokemon for people who have anxiety due to his relaxed and dopey nature.

Rika can be a little bit too cocky sometimes, especially when battling

Butchers common sayings on purpose.

Used to explore caves when they were younger.

She is into body modification due to her piercings.

Prefers to dress masculine because it's more comfy to her.

If anyone she cares about is sick, she would rush over to check on time multiple times bringing soup and blankets. No questions asked.

Has a bad habit of swearing often.

They smell like the earth and the ground after it rains.

When in a relationship, they can be possessive and "claim" their lover by leaving marks from bites.

Rika prefers to be the dominant one in the bedroom, but doesn't mind switching occasionally.

Is an adult-child and has a horde of Wooper and Clodsire plushies at home.

Got into many fights as a teenager.

If anyone is crying, she would run up to them and offer them a hug without hesitation.

They find it hilarious that people think they're a guy at first glance.

They are proud of their androgynous appearance and aren't ashamed to break some already established norms.

Rika has a hard time thinking abstractly. She is definitely more of a practical thinker.

Loves to attend parties and entertain others.

Often walks barefoot to feel the ground beneath them.

[poppyseedmuffiin]

the pokemon of the day is.....

this 4* furfrou named WHAT

[misersdream]



pokemon masters EX concepts. Poppy wants to make chocolates for the league members and asks Rika for help.

if you're unfamiliar with PMEX, they often give unexpected pokemon combinations for seasonal costumes (Burgh and Togepi, Bea and Vanilluxe, etc) so yeah I'm gonna give Rika a Tandemaus. they're everywhere in front of her work building after all

[ecargmura]

Pokemon Horizons Episode 67 Review - The Match We've All Been Waiting For

This is the perfect way to end an arc. I’ve been here since the beginning of Horizons and seeing Liko and Roy grow from only spamming Leafage and Ember to now being competent trainers got me getting emotional. They’ve come so far!

After the events of last week’s episode where the trio saved the school from the Explorers, they’ve been lauded as the saviors of the school. Dot gets a win from the Roy look-alike, Rai, who mentioned this to her and she gets embarrassed once she learned Penny was behind it. It’s nice to see that their efforts have been rewarded. First, Liko had her Implementation Test results changed once Grusha got a change of heart. Now, their being the school saviors got the audience super hyped up for the final match of the battle tournament, which is the long awaited Liko vs Roy match.

I have to say, Liko vs Roy was INTENSE! I always say that Pokemon Horizons always have a way to upstage the previous cool battles they aired and this was no exception. This episode clearly holds the title of the best battle by far! I love that this match isn’t just a bond between Trainer and Pokemon, but more about the bond made between two long-time friends. Liko and Roy have been together since the early days of Horizons. They battled and trained together during their fledgling days. I still remember how they first battled each other in the Brave Olivine where they just spammed Leafage and Ember, back in Episode 7. Now, the novice gloves are finally off and how they’re already at intermediate mode when it comes to their battling! They’ve come so far! The best part was that they were NOT holding back. Liko, especially, is no longer holding back when it comes to battles!

It was amazing to see Liko and Roy use a variety of moves and strategies to bounce off of each other and get the upper hand. Best of all, they even used both of their Pokemon! Kilowattrel finally gets the justice is deserved by scoring a win from beating Hattrem. However, Hattrem’s loss wasn’t in vain as her ability is revealed to be Healer, allowing Floragato to be cure of her paralysis. It does suck that Hattrem hasn’t had an official win, but there’s always a next time. Floragato mainly did the work on Liko’s side as she beat Kilowattrel. She was facing off against Fuecoco, Kilowattrel and now Crocalor. It sort of makes sense why she lost as she got a lot of hits from Fuecoco and Kilowattrel combined in addition to the type advantage Terastalized Crocalor had. But hey, at least she learned Sucker Punch, so there’s some reward for her!

Speaking of Crocalor, I like that he evolved in the finale! From what I’ve noticed, the finale of an arc always has some sort of surprise. The end of the first arc had Friede finally beating Amethio after multiple instances of no results. The end of the second arc had Sprigatito evolve into Floragato. The end of this arc got Fuecoco evolving into Crocalor now! I do like that the anime staff finally have some incentive to make the most popular first-stage starter of the generation finally evolve. Usually, they always hold back such in the case with Piplup, Oshawott, and Rowlett. Fuecoco is the most popular first-stage Starter for this generation so it was a matter of ‘will it or will it not’ for the dopey fire croc. The anime staff finally did it. This means that this is the second time we see all starters evolve into their second stages in the Pokemon anime. The only other instance this had happened was back in the Advanced Generation saga and that over two decades ago.

I actually like that they bring back everyone the kids have interacted with since the beginning of the arc. Katy, Grusha and Rika are here because they faced off against Liko. Brassius, Hassel and Ryme are here because they faced off against Roy. Larry and Poppy are here because they battled Dot with Iono making an appearance towards the end. Clavell and Geeta are there because of their being the school principal and headmaster. Nemona and Penny are there because of their bond with Roy and Dot. Dendra is there as referee. However, where the heck is Jacq? He met the kids in the beginning, but he doesn’t show up? I get that Kofu and Tulip don’t show up because Sidian and Coral have ditched the Terastal Training course, but come on, you don’t make Jacq show up?? Did they forget about him or something? I mean, they brought Arven into the episode despite him not showing up since the beginning, yet they didn’t add Jacq in???

The Explorers made their appearances towards the very end. Sidian and Coral enjoy their snacks, consisting of a rice ball (onigiri) and a sandwich, matching their pseudonyms. I liked the little detail of Coral sharing half of her sandwich with her Glalie. She may make it use Self-Destruct way too often, but she does care about it. Same with how Umbreon cares for Spinel despite him using it to show off the Rakurium. Spinel might be like Volo where they have friendship evolution Pokemon as their aces, but aren’t necessarily good people. I still do wonder what Spinel and Chalce’s goals are. They’re even hiding their plans from Hamber. Something suspicious is clearly going on…

I feel like I wrote too much for this episode, but it’s the finale, so it deserves a long review! Overall, I really think this was a good arc despite its flaws. The writing was handled a lot better compared to the previous arcs and the kids’ growth are believable. I honestly can’t wait to see what the next arc beholds! I’m excited to get back into the story and see what Kitakami has to offer! What are your thoughts on this episode and the arc as a whole?

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi there! Can i request platonic hcs of Poppy x best friend reader. So lets say Poppy finally joined Naranja/Uva academy and was sadly proven true where many kids were intimadated by her status as an Elite Four, causing her to be isolated by the other kids. But after a few days since she joined the school, a new kid from another region came. The new kid had become the most talked subject around school which cause Poppy to get curious herself. So then she met the reader and quickly become fast friends with them as they didnt know of her Elite Four status

Idk if you notice but i kinda frame this up to be similar to Nemona’s and the Protag’s friendship, so can i also have the rest of the elite four + Nemona and Geeta reacting to Poppy now having a best friend?

(Btw the reader is from Alola and you can choose whatever pokemon you want them to have as their partner as long their from Alola)

Hope you have a good day/night!

- 🪷 Anon

Thank you! Hope you have a good day/night too!

For a split second I thought this was about Poppy Playtime until I read the academy names lmao

........

For a while, Poppy wanted to pursue her studies at Naranja/Uva Academy, seeing as she was at the age where she could attend school.

But her worries about being seen as "different" held her back, although her fellow Elite Four members convinced her and she finally made the choice to enroll.

As she feared, however, students and staff instantly recognized her and were shocked.

They kept wondering if she was here for some inspection, never fully believing she was just trying to be a normal student and forget about her E4 responsibilities.

Unfortunately everywhere she went, kids were intimidated by her status, not wanting to be paired-up with her in battle studies (to the point where Ms. Dendra made them, lest she lowered their grades).

Honestly it made Poppy feel sad, knowing she's getting special treatment from teachers AND frightened looks from kids her age.

She just wanted to make friends, but these past few days have made her feel lonelier than ever...

Or at least, until she overhears chatter about you, the newest exchange student from Alola.

She only picked up a few things, among them being your unique Pokémon nobody has ever seen before...and this gets her curious little mind wondering who you are.

Turns out, you're in most of her classes and always willing to become her partner for assignments!

You didn't know she was an E4 member (heck, you didn't even know Hassel was either), so you struck up a friendship with her rather quickly.

The "unique Pokémon" in question is a very tame Kartana, who looked like an origami project you made in art class--but was really a grass/steel type, which absolutely thrilled Poppy.

If a steel type is your partner, you're automatically upgraded to best friend.

Every now and then, you and her would have battles in and outside the academy (although ofc she holds back a LOT as she's afraid you'll be scared off if you knew her status).

You do wonder why your classmates keep ostracizing her. She was a sweet kid.

When one teen mentions her status, you find that hard to believe and tell them to stop joking around......until you see the look on Poppy's face, meaning they aren't.

You stop her after class, asking if the rumors were true, and she starts crying despite her best efforts to hold back the tears.

"Woah hey! What's wrong?"

"What's wrong??? I-I...I kept such a..a-a big secret from you!! That's what's wrong!!" She sniffles, afraid she's going to lose your friendship over this.

Why did that meanie have to go and do that?

Long story short, your Kartana finds and drags that kid back to you and Poppy, and you make them apologize to her. They definitely learned their lesson after the UB threateningly sharpens its blades while you're scolding them.

That day, Poppy discovers you are a true best friend who doesn't treat her any differently and gives you tons of exp candies as a token of her gratitude.

She becomes more confident in herself, excitedly telling the other Pokémon League members and Nemona (who recently battled her during class) about her new bff.

Hassel, who has seen your friendship grow from the start, is like a proud grandad (and totally didn't sob over it).

Larry appears indifferent, but he does smile a little, glad to hear she's adjusting to the Academy life well.

Rika and Geeta, who were the ones that pushed her to pursue school, couldn't be prouder to see Poppy doing better and finding a great friend such as yourself who didn't judge her.

They had their initial concerns, but realized she was going to be okay after all.

Nemona can 100% relate when she learns how other kids were scared of Poppy bc of her battling skills, and she's thrilled she found a friend who wasn't like that and enjoyed battling her even after learning the truth.

[nyaagolor]

Paldean Elite Four (+ Geeta) Headcanons

They've been on my mind recently bc of all the asks I got

Rika:

Rika is the office gossip QUEEN. She knows everything about everyone, so if you need or want to know something you ask her. She knows a guy. She also desperately wants to figure out what Larry and Geeta's Deal (tm) is. They bicker constantly, are insanely passive aggressive, but despite their opposing attitudes agree on most fundamental issues. They look like they hate each other, but Larry constantly takes on new responsibilities for the League and Geeta constantly showers him with raises and promotions. Rika has taken to snooping thru their emails and prodding Hassel for info, but he doesn't know anything either. It’s driving her nuts

Paldea had a Region’s Sexiest Man contest. Rika won. Women Want her. Despite this however she can only pick up women accidentally. If she actively tries to flirt she will fuck it up spectacularly. Just the in-universe version of this

Rika is actually on the payroll as the league receptionist and does that Elite Four thing as a side hustle for extra cash. She gets kind of embarrassed when you call her a receptionist during her Elite Four duties though because other regions often use her as an example of why the Paldean league is garbage (i.e. they're so understaffed even a receptionist can be on the E4. They must have grabbed the nearest person, etc etc). She puts on the vibe of someone chill but this in particular is a bit of a sore point for her

She hates dresses / skirts with a burning passion and refuses to wear them. If you give her a REALLY good reason it's a solid maybe, but good luck with that. She needs to stretch

Her Clodsire's name is Pancake :) I like to think all her pokemon are named after breakfast foods (which, btw, is her favorite meal of the day. She is easily bribed with good waffles)

She and Larry are drinking buddies. She does most of the drinking

Poppy:

Everyone in the league is very careful to alter their habits around Poppy. She’s small and cute and sweet and a little baby so the usual informal cursing (like Rika shouting that HR needs to “cut the bullshit”) or the smoke breaks on the roof (yes I think they all smoke) can’t happen when Poppy is around

The league spoils her rotten. Candy? Toys? Help with her kindergarten homework?? Anything for Poppy. Even Larry, who seems too strict or apathetic to care, has her drawings in his desk drawer and lets her decorate his ties. The toys in the lobby are also hers

Her parents are accountants who brought her to take your kid to work day and let her play with their Pokémon outside. Rika challenged her to a match as a joke because they had a cancellation and Geeta watched— but both were shocked that Poppy’s skill with her parents’ steel types and her own Tinkaton were unparalleled by anyone in the building. When another E4 member retired, the league decided to let Poppy battle under her parents’ names just to blow off some steam. Poppy gets to let out energy, her parents make extra money, and the elite 4 has a strong battler. Win win!

Poppy loves to braid and play with hair, so the other elite four members will often let her play with their hair and add clips while they work. Larry is Poppy’s favorite because he sits Very Very Still

If Poppy really likes the battle she had with you, she’ll give you a sticker. Geeta once walked into a meeting with a gold star directly on her forehead because Poppy stuck it there and she didn’t want to take it off where Poppy could see it, forgetting about it by the time she walked in. She later moved it to her jacket

She has nicknames for everyone except Rika, which drives Rika insane. Grandpa Hassel, Mister Larry, Miss Geeta (or Auntie sometimes) but Rika? It’s just Rika. It’s always Rika. When Hassel was babysitting her at his and Brassius’ home in Artazón, Poppy’s eyes went really wide and she asked if she had two grandpas now or if Brassius was just SUPER old. He found that insanely funny

Larry:

I saw a fic that had Larry naming his pokemon after Excel commands and I cannot stop thinking about it. It's canon in my heart. Btw if anyone knows this fic / the name pls lmk I can’t find it again but I remember his Flamigo was named COUNTIF

Larry is actually pretty wealthy, partially because he's raking in cash from his three jobs and partially because he doesn't spend money on anything but food and pokemon products. Considering that the Treasure Eatery feeds him for free and the pokemon products are provided or subsidized by the League, that leaves him with a LOT of extra income, which he uses to help out his friends or gym challengers with financial issues or simply buying them dinner

Someone added this on another post of mine but every single one of Larry’s passwords is some variation on “password”. He’s many things but creative is none of them. Also these tags are canon to me

In contrast to his outward grumpiness and seeming apathy, Larry is incredibly gentle with and good with kids. He is confident the future will be better because of them, and does what he can to encourage them. It's a big part of the reason Geeta picked him for the positions-- they have a pretty similar philosophy regarding children and the future

Geeta has been doing everything in her power to get him to quit his third job (which is not League-affiliated) because he does the best work of anyone around and his other boss is a complete and utter asshole. She's tried promoting him, telling him how valuable he is to the team, using raises, praise, and passive aggression, but nothing is working. At one point she even tried overloading him with hours so he'd be forced to quit something but that didn't work either. She's stumped. The man won't quit

That third job? I'm not actually sure what it is but I do have an AU where he's a hitman. Call that a business casuality ;)

Hassel:

He always keeps candy in his desk (and his coat pockets) because he's a teacher and wants to be prepared. It's the strawberry kind, yall know the ones. This came in handy when Poppy joined the league, so all the other members started doing it too

His family gets traditional tattoos all over, which Hassel likewise has. He'd never remove them, but still keeps them covered most of the time for modesty reasons. Brassius has filled in the gaps in the traditional dragon shapes with various flowers to show how Hassel has grown from but not forgotten his past. They look very cool and Rika is insanely jealous of that

This old man is way more fit than he appears. He's a sensitive sweetheart and prefers the arts to sports or battling, but he's still a dragon tamer and keeps up his workout regime quite meticulously. Peepaw’s fucking shredded

His favorite art medium is paint, and he loves it when the little kids have class so he can finger paint alongside them. His office in the League building is covered in art. Geeta thinks it's sweet how he remembers every piece and how emotional he gets talking about it

Hassel has a hard time turning off teacher mode, which makes his training sessions at the league insanely funny to watch. “Haxorus, we do not Guillotine our friends!”

He can, and frequently does, play classical Paldea guitar. Once his rock career fell flat, he started experimenting with the style of his new home region and fell in love. You can often find him giving impromptu concerts from his balcony in Artazon

Geeta:

As much as she micromanages others, she's more than willing to take any responsibilities herself if she can't find someone else to do them. Plumber cancelled and they need the sink fixed asap? Get her a hammer. Rika is out sick? She'll cover those emails. Part of the reason the league struggles to complain about her is that they know for all the work they're doing, she's doing double. This doesn’t necessarily mean she’s GOOD at it but she’s doing it

I’m not sure how I want to explain it backstory wise but a lot of her skin is crystalline just like the AI professors. She’s got a LOT of connections to Area Zero and her top priority is making sure nothing goes in and nothing gets out. The professor hates her. The feeling is mutual

No one has ever seen her blink

She’s incredible at traditional Paldean dances. When Hassel plays classical guitar, she’ll dance along, and it’s magical to watch

That whole thing about not being able to hold back during battles? It’s a PR thing to make kids feel better. She’s not very good at battling. Geeta is just like (gestures at her Avalugg) I just think they're neat

A huge point of contention between her and her employees is that she takes everything literally and is terrible at reading tone. Her gym leaders are scared of her and try to drop hints about things because they think they’ll be punished if they’re too forward, but all those hints go right over Geeta’s head. The gym leaders then think Geeta is ignoring them on purpose but she’s none the wiser. Everyone is losing.