#seven sages pokemon

[oncillaphoenix]

shout out to sage ryoku of team plasma. the least developed member of the least memorable group of evil team admins.

[spotted-owl-sketches]

Ch9: [first][prev][next]

[18-2024]

The Boys Part I:

Homelander:

Homelander is invincible like steel, but stronger than steel. He's stronger than anyone in the world. Flying is his ability to be god and be above all.

Queen Maeve:

Queen Maeve is a warrior, skilled martial arts. So fighting type make sense for her. The Dark represents her became corrupted over the years.

Black Noir:

Dark and Mysterious assassin who's stealthy move through the shadows. The Ghost is the shadow of his former self. The one that wanted to be a hero, but now he's nothing. Now is nothing.

A-Train:

A-Train is the faster man alive, he has strong ground advantage.

The Deep:

The Deep is a fish boy/man obviously a water type.

Translucent:

He's invisible like a ghost and now he's dead like a ghost.

Starlight:

Electricity goes in and light comes out. She's the supe protagonist like Pikachu kinda.

Stormfront:

Stormfront does electricity, so obviously electric types. The Dark Type is represents in the fact she's a nazi, one of the most evilest of them.

Lamplighter:

Fire Wizard

Super Sonic:

Shockwave, earthquake, got killed by flying and steel type.

Firecracker:

Has fire in her name and uses guns.

Sister Sage:

She potentially see the future and/or steps ahead, that's psychic. There's also a dark twist her.

inspiration from @heronamedhawks

[every-natural-harmonia-gropius]

[084392]

more like the seven stooges.

[spiralstereo]

Hello chat *drops this*

Based on this video [TW!!]

[jiminiecrickets]

How about (the seven days a week couple) a drabble where oc hangs out with jk and hyungs and they talk about how jk talks about oc so much? And how much jk love's him?

sfw

there have been more than a few drinks. jungkook has been nursing a glass of apple juice for the last hour, lazing about on the back porch steps – he refuses to embarrass himself in front of you and his friends.

"oh, oh – speaking of, do you remember when kookie came home from his first proper date with yn-hyung? he floated around the house with a lovestruck smile on his face for hours!"

"hey, why're we sharing embarrassing stories of me?" jungkook protests as a round of 'ooh's and sage nods pass around the circle. "i thought we collectively agreed to bully taehyung!"

"we've already beaten him up and stolen his wallet and phone," yoongi says with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "it's your turn to sit in the torture chair."

taehyung sticks his tongue out at jungkook, who returns it. "deserved. hey, remember when yn-hyung took us to the beach and kook pushed him into the water? oh, gosh, seeing that body under that white shirt, those arms..." taehyung sighs, fanning himself and batting his eyelashes, morphing his expression into one of wide-eyed poutiness that would look right at home on jungkook. "you were eating sand when his took off his shirt."

jungkook turns to you and smiles. he says politely, "hyung, can you please hold this for me? thank you."

you accept the glass of apple juice with a grin. "go get him, baby."

jungkook stands. "three."

taehyung scrambles to his feet and they roar with laughter as jungkook chases him down, tackling him to the soft grass and messing up his perfect summer curls, which he knows took him hours at the bathroom mirror. "take it back! you take that back! why're you swooning at my boyfriend, huh? just because you're blond doesn't mean you're better than me!"

jimin leans closer to you, seated on the step below yours. he watches with an expression between amusement and incredulity. "he's pretty protective over you, isn't he?"

"i think it's cute," you reply, watching fondly as he throttles his best friend. "i like how he tries to take care of me. see, when he's done, he's going to return like a puppy with a fetch stick and latch onto me. i'm going to be holding his drink for the rest of the night."

"aw," he coos. "you know, he talks about you so much it's almost nauseating – he's always thinking of you, even when he's with us. he could be mid-conversation with namjoon-hyung – and you know how much he adores him – and immediately pivot on the spot to point out your favourite pastry in the bakery window. true story, by the way."

"oh, so i'm still the favourite? good to know – i won't have to fight my boyfriend's boyfriend any time soon."

jimin laughs into his palm, curling it up and resting his cheek on it as jungkook trots back towards you with a pleased smile. taehyung groans amongst the grass and the daisies.

"well, does anyone else have any stories where they'll inadvertently reveal that they've been looking at my partner with nefarious intentions?" jungkook huffs, plopping back next to you. he curls his arms around your elbow, leaning against your shoulder. "he's mine. i found him first."

jimin snorts. "he's not a pokemon, jungkook. you don't get to play finders-keepers with him."

"sure i can. look." he lifts his head, staring you right in the eye. "if anyone – anyone, including and especially the people present right now – ever tries to take you away from me, you tell me, okay? i'll deal with them."

limping back to the circle, taehyung flops down with a groan. hoseok pats his back symathetically. "all i did was compliment his boyfriend and he was about to drop my body in a lake. you better be loyal, yn-hyung, or i guarantee you'll face a fate worse than grass stains."

"if i ever fail, you better drop my body in a lake," you tell jungkook with a soft smile, "because that was an impostor."

he hums, leaning in and tilting his head to kiss you sweetly. you ignore the many gags and groans around you. "deal."

[n-hospital]

hey i think something has been glanced over re: eam plasma grunts treating N as "lord N" and "will liberate all pokemon" and "defend his quest" and all that shit. he has never interacted with anyone but ghetsis, the seven sages, and anthea & concordia his entire life. they don't know this guy. he just showed up one day. did ghetsis teach them he's like Jesus Christ or some fucking shit. that is an autistic guy from new york

[everywishway]

Pokemon B&W Remake Ideas

More specifically, what I want in these games. Like, my dream ideas. This was my first generation when I was a kid (well, of the pokemon anime. My first games were Gen 6 but I got gen 5 soon after) so they hold a special place in my heart. Also, sorry if any spelling issues, it's almost 2am but ADHD wont let me sleep, lol <3

First off... IF ILCA MAKES THESE I WILL RIOT! Seriously, these need to be more like ORAS and not BDSP. BDSP were terrible games, I got halfway through before just giving up and restarting Platinum because... well, y'all know why...

Second, I hope we get the expanded B2&W2 dex. That was a main issue most people had with the OG B&W since people couldn't play with their favorites until the postgame without trading them in. This lets people have more choices and doesn't alienate older players.

I hope both Pinwheel Forest and Route 4/Relic Castle are more explorable and Castellia City is a little more like Lumiose in X&Y. Doesn't have to be fully open world (honestly, i dont want it to be), just more like the routes in Gen 7 where you had more places to explore and discover. Just nothing like the giant but empty cities and routes in S&V please.

Character customization comes back. Please, even if it's in small ways I can't have a uniform like S&V again. :<

Kyerem/B2W2 postgame and (preferably) not a DLC. If it is DLC, at least let the postgame let us experience the time pass over two years. Bring back the hunt for the Seven Sages, little clues of N around Unova to where he might be, Pokemon World Tournament, Battle Subway, Pokemon Musicals/Film making. Plus, have Rosa and Nate be side characters you meet in the postgame then find out they are important in the DLC! Would be so much fun <3

If it is DLC, I could see B2&W2 towns and routes being locked and maybe new cities to explore. Roxie and Marlin could be new unlockable areas and bosses to fight along with rarer pokemon, mythicals to get, etc. I hope mythicals like Meloetta, The Four Genies or the Swords of Justice have their own areas we can explore with puzzles and stuff. That would make this DLC actually worth it to me.

Snippets of NPCs from other regions coming to Unova! Cynthia, Prof. Kukui, and Prof. Burnet all have reason to be here! Let the Mask Royale compete in the tournament! It would be so cool :)

Ways to get regional variants of Gen 5 Pokemon like Hisuiian Zorua or Lilligant! It would be so cool to trade for them and have them in your game.

A few new fairy-type options for the game and maybe have one of N's sisters be a specialist for fairy types (and have them be a double battle, that would be cool <3)

Overall, I want this game to be fun and enjoyable. If you have any ideas please reblog or comment what you want or I missed (or got wrong but pls be civil)

[pokemoncenter]

On Team Plasma

... Truthfully, I did not want to share this in this way. But I feel that given recent events, it is best to be open and upfront. In this post, I will share all I know and all I can remember of Team Plasma, their actions, their methods, their reasons, and most importantly, why there cannot be a new resurgence of Team Plasma- Anyone claiming the name cannot be related to them.

Twelve years ago, I was a member of the original Team Plasma. I was afraid to share this until now, for many reasons, not least of which that I was afraid it would cause people to think less of me. I wished to take this secret to my grave. However, given the recent events of someone claiming to be Team Plasma, and potentially seeking to use its name to cause harm, I felt it best to take this chance to write down and post everything I know.

I do not know if this information will help, but it is my hope that it will either lay fears to rest, or help stop whoever is using Team Plasma's name.

First, I wish to clarify that for all of Team Plasma’s crimes, I was never involved in any ‘liberations’. My role was that, when Pokemon were brought to me, I simply examined them and deemed whether they were safe to return to the wild, or if they needed treatment first. I know that this does not excuse it, but even so…

To start from the beginning… Many have forgotten this now, but Team Plasma was originally nothing like what people think of it now. It originally began as a group devoted to Pokemon welfare. It is known now that it was far more sinister, but in the beginning, it was nothing more than a group which preached that humans should not force Pokemon to conform to their ideals.

Though no one knew much about it at the time, Team Plasma actually began in 1996. Ghetsis founded it as a group promoting Pokemon welfare, while raising a boy, N.

(Though I have no proof, due to their physical similarity and circumstance, I suspect that Ghetsis is N’s father.)

At the time, Team Plasma started small. It had no resources to speak of- In fact, when it began, Team Plasma (then Plasma Circle) had only eight members. Those who would go on to become the Seven Sages, and the Team’s ‘prince’, Lord N.

The growth of the organization was… surprisingly swift. By the time of its fall in 2010, it had surpassed 90,000 members. But before that, when it was just starting out, it owed its growth entirely to Ghetsis. The man was a surprisingly powerful public speaker, and has a strong charisma. Though he was at best someone who could be described as a monster, he had a keen eye for seeing through people, and could work a crowd better than anyone else. Combined with his acting as a simple older man, and even using the young N to boost his public image as someone campaigning for a kinder world, he was quick to gain popularity.

I did not join until 2008, when I had just turned ten years old. Rather than going on a journey as a Trainer, I wanted to instead help Pokemon. I joined Team Plasma, and there, I began to learn medicine and treatment to Pokemon.

What I would like everyone to understand is that ‘liberation’ was not originally considered the universal answer to all Pokemon. It changed. Swiftly, and yet unstoppably. 

I am getting ahead of myself.

Before I joined Team Plasma, there were many stories on the news of humans abusing their Pokemon. Many, like myself, had thought this to mean that humans were cruel. That we should try to make the world better for them. 

Upon joining, I studied under some of the older members, to learn how to treat Pokemon. Pokemon were brought to us frequently- Some of them liberated, some of them wild who were injured in other ways. We knew, of course, that some of them were liberated, but the important thing was that we believed liberation was only done to people who abused their Pokemon. And when a Pokemon was brought in with bruises from boot prints… We felt justified. 

As time went on, however, the number of Pokemon brought to us increased. And it had always been that every liberation had been justified. We had too many Pokemon to care for, and not enough time to look into each Pokemon we received, to ensure the liberation had been justified… but it always had been before, so we simply did not think much of it. We simply assumed that it was similar… That every Pokemon was either justly liberated, or wild and injured by human action.

At the same time, throughout 2009 and 2010, things seemed to… escalate.

We started out thinking that we would only liberate Pokemon that had been abused. And then, somewhere down the line, the language shifted without anyone noticing- That if we liberated a Pokemon, then it must have been being abused. And eventually, this turned into the thought that humans keeping Pokemon at all was abusing them, so all Pokemon should be liberated.

It was impossible to speak out against this. After all, we were all united in our love of Pokemon. Everyone agreed. If you disagreed… it just showed that you were another one of the foolish and cruel humans who were abusing Pokemon. The entire group felt unified, as long as you agreed. And if you stepped out of line, then everyone would turn against you. 

We felt unable to trust ourselves, because surely, the organization wouldn’t do anything wrong. But we also could not trust anyone outside of the Team, because so many people were abusing their Pokemon. We eventually could not trust anything except that which our superiors told us. It was horrifying- Without realizing it, you would be swept up by the flow of the crowd, terrified that any disagreement from the norm would be discovered, and you would be cast out.

Most of us did not know anything about the castle, either. 

The underground base was a well-known thing, of course. Most of us had been there a few times- I was there to see Lord N’s coronation, as well as to see a few of the larger or more dangerous Pokemon that needed treatment. We had been told it was simply to avoid crowding out room on Pokemon habitats above the ground. None of us knew it could move. 

It was when the castle rose up that I fled. The castle appeared, the Legendary Dragons were revived, the Gym Leaders and Elite Four were fighting us. That was when I finally realized just how deep in over my head I truly was. And so I ran. I ran for my life. I did not stop running until I had made it all the way back to Castelia City, and then, I shut myself away for the better part of a year.

… The rest of that story isn’t relevant to Team Plasma, however.

Team Plasma as an organization was managed by the Seven Sages, each with their own role. However, Lord N, as the King of Team Plasma, was truly in charge… or so we thought. We believed that the Seven Sages served Lord N, but in truth, Ghetsis was the true leader, and Lord N nothing more than a figurehead.

Among us in the lower ranks, however, we believed that Lord N was the true power. We saw his ideals, and his beliefs. He was pure-hearted, and truly believed in his mission with his whole heart. Between Lord N’s purity and Ghetsis’ foul charisma, most of us were true believers in the mission. However, not everyone was- At an estimate, I would guess that roughly 80% of Team Plasma’s grunts were loyal to Lord N, and the mission of welfare and happiness for all Pokemon. The remaining 20% were… more loyal to Ghetsis. Rather than wanting to benefit Pokemon, they simply wanted power. I was blind to it at the time, but now it is easy to see in retrospect. And most of the (roughly) one thousand members who committed the “liberations” were part of that second faction.

Rood of the Seven Sages was the one whom I worked under. His group operated mostly for Pokemon welfare- We treated Pokemon, as mentioned, and we sought to make things better for them.

Sometimes, though, Pokemon were brought to us that had their hearts closed by the abuses they received. Even when we treated them, they would not return to the wild. Instead, they chose by their own will to remain with Lord N. I believe they understood him, and his dream. His ideal, after all, was a peaceful, gentle world…

When Team Plasma fell, at that time, when Lord N and Ghetsis were both defeated, Team Plasma disbanded. Those of us who were loyal to Lord N and the ideals of making the world better for Pokemon fled, scattered all over Unova, or were arrested. Most of us would have gone into hiding, or tried to continue to find our own work,elsewhere to continue the dream of helping Pokemon. 

Those who remained loyal to Ghetsis and his maniacal plans instead went to ground with him. Without being arrested, they made a resurgence two years later as the second Team Plasma, who had abandoned all pretense of the original’s noble goals. They were nothing more than a military force that wished to conquer the region, if not the world, for Ghetsis’ horrible ambitions.

When Ghetsis was defeated a second time… I don’t know for certain. I’ve heard conflicting reports. That he died at the end of that fight. That he was arrested. Or that by using Kyurem… His heart was destroyed- His body survived, but the man called “Ghetsis” was dead. Regardless, all accounts agree- Ghetsis is no longer a threat. With the remaining Seven Sages arrested, Team Plasma is no longer a threat to anyone. Anyone who seeks to cause trouble using their name has no relation- The power of Team Plasma is all accounted for, and can no longer cause trouble.

Lord N… I do not expect anyone to believe me, or understand. But I can swear that he was not evil. He was manipulated by Ghetsis from his childhood. I have theories, and suspicions, but no proof, so they are not worth posting here. But I can say this:

Once, I had the fortune of seeing his dream. While I was at the underground base, I saw him resting, with a Munna there. In the Munna’s smoke, I saw his dream- A kind, and gentle dream, wishing purely for the happiness of Pokemon.

I hope this was informative. I will do my best to answer any other further questions you have.

[ryin-silverfish]

So, in summary, the Jie sect was more accepting of the Yaoguai, while the Chan sect did not have a single Yaoguai in their group (except for Shen but that's more like a HC) and they also did not like the idea of Yaoguai as students but also these Yaoguai of the Jie sect may have committed bad deeds before the events.

Could we say that the Yaoguai in fsyy cannot have redemption and are seen more as monsters, while in Jttw they, in some cases, can be redeemed and not necessarily be evil?

Apart from the questionable case of "Does White Crane Boy turning into a white crane on the Old Man of the South Pole's order means that's his true form?", the Chan Sect did have one Yaoguai, the Dragon-bearded Tiger(龙须虎), who was duped into go after Jiang Ziya by Shen Gongbao, but surrendered and became his disciple.

An ancient hybrid of a dragon and a leopard, born in the time of the mystical emperor Shao Hao, he looks incredibly bizarre, with the head of a camel, neck of a goose, whiskers like a shrimp's, body of a fish, taloned hands and a single tiger-like foot. His power is boulder magic——yeah, just throwing large rocks at people.

Unfortunately, he died to Wu Wenhua in Chapter 91 and got deified as the Nine Ugly Star(九丑星). But his existence does suggest that the Chan Sect doesn't refuse yaoguai as disciples on principle, they are just a lot more rare and don't occupy senior positions like the Jie Sect ones.

Also, I wouldn't exactly say that yaoguais don't have redemption in FSYY; even though deification through death is considered the inferior route to godhood, most of them did become gods of the Celestial Realm——at least in the most commonly read Chinese version.

Like the 28 Lunar Mansions(kinda similar to WCB, they were never called yaoguais outright, except they did have some sort of 妖氛, "demonic aura") who all died in the Ten Thousand Immortal Formation, the Seven Monsters of Plum Mountain, and even Lady Rock Demoness, who died to Taiyi before the War of the Investiture began, becomes the Wandering Moon Star(月游星).

The catch is that, well, the names on the Investiture do not stay consistent between editions, and the Ming dynasty version of the Investiture didn't have a lot of the yaoguais that were deified in the "common version". It also has a bunch of inconsistencies that suggest this list might be inherited from an older, now lost version, where yaoguais and non-humans were not considered legitimate candidates for deification.

However, a lot of yaoguais are destined to be taken in by the "Western Sect"——predecessor of Buddhism led by Sage Cundi/Zhunti(准提道人) and Sage Jieyin(接引道人).

The former, apart from defeating Kong Xuan the seriously OP peacock general and making him into Mahamayuri, would also use a bamboo as fishing pole to catch the Black Cloud Immortal(乌云仙), revert him to his turtle form, and take him to the West.

Oh, also, he basically just opened his magical Qiankun Sack during the Ten Thousand Immortal Formation arc and...well, grabbed every nameless opponent who's "destined to end up in the Western Sect" like ancient China's most opportunistic Pokemon trainer.

Apart from the three future Bodhisattvas, Sage Randeng(Daoist-ized Dipamkara) of the Chan Sect would also subdue and take in the Winged Immortal(a golden-winged peng eagle), as well as the flame spirit of Vulture Peak's crystal lamp, Ma Shan.

So even in the version where yaoguais were not supposed to be deified, I'd say the novel still designated a way for them to be "redeemed" through the Western Sect.

But because FSYY has a serious character inflation problem due to the need to fill in The List, characterization for pretty much everyone was on the lacking side.

As a result, its yaoguais are far less memorable than the humorous, lively and more "human" yaoguais of JTTW, but honestly, so do most of its human characters whose sole purpose of existence was to die and be deified.

[oncillaphoenix]

random useless Pokemon BW speculation of the day: i'm like 90% sure they mixed up the Seven Sages' sprites at some point in development. they're all named after colors, and they all wear different colors of robes, but the colors of the robes don't line up with the colors they're named after.

[shatteredvioletnuzlocke]

Chapter 14: From Humble Winnings

The rest of the Olive Festival was spent tasting desserts, making crafts and catching up on Swords of Justice with their old friend. The day after was a moist but sunny morning in the countryside, the townsfolk's excitement simmered back a bit and their where less people crowding the streets. 

The two took one last trip to the Pokémon center before Patch’s departure from Cortondo.

“What can I get for you?” The pharmacist offered.

Patch checked their wallet, they still had 5,000 p left from their win. I should stock up on some Pokeballs while I’m at it…. 

A bright blue Pokeball with red accents caught their eye. It was a great ball, twice as efficient for capturing Pokemon than a common one but twice as expensive.

 I can pay for something that’s 600 p, they thought, just gotta go easy on the food and finish up what I already have.

“I’ll take four potions and one Great Ball please!” they requested. 

“So where are you planning to go after this” Sage asked.

Patch answered with no thought, “Catch some more Pokemon then head back to the academy.”

“Oh I ment which gym your planning on taking on next?” Sage clarified.

Next gym?! “Sage, I’m not going to fight another gym. I only fought Katy to get out of debt. The gym badge was just a bonus.” 

Patch was relieved they wouldn’t have to spend another day struggling to pay off the village. If they hadn’t known beforehand it meant fighting a gym leader they would’ve spent the next few months in Cortondo.

Taking on seven more gym leaders was a risky decision no matter how easy it was made out to be. 

Patch remembered many of their childhood acquaintances returning from a journey empty-handed. Battling with Katy taught them to only bite off what they could chew.

“So what will you do as a trainer?” Sage wondered. 

“Just raise and catch more Pokémon for now,” Patch admitted without much thought, “I’ll still take them out to battle in the wild. Maybe after I graduate I’ll go into breeding… or Pokemon husbandry? Freelance art on the side?” 

Patch realized how much of their plan sounded improvised. They did have a plan…once but they couldn’t give themselves high expectations that they couldn’t reach. Twenty years old was still young, they had plenty of time to figure something out even if it seemed unfilling.

The pharmacist traded the items they asked for 1,500p. They were ready to put their issues aside and explore what lied ahead.

“Well if you need me, I’ll be here for the time being preparing for my battle with Katy!” Sage said with spunk, “Your match gave me some ideas for some new techniques.”

“Don’t forget me when you’re on the way to taking on the league!” Patch teased. 

“Like I’d ever forget you!” Sage smiled back.

The two embraced in a tight hug that rivaled the warmth of the sun. Once they said their goodbyes, Patch saddled up Kapheria with their supplies and was off into the wild. 

The outskirts of the Village were filled with meadows. Patch knew that there wouldn’t another town for miles even with Kapheria’s speed. The sepia mountains in the horizon where now closer than they were before.

Soon they made it to a slope that led to higher grounds. Do I really want to go up there? There might be rare Pokemon to find but it could be dangerous…

As they complimented a heavily loaded mountaineer walked by carrying a backload of equipment. 

“Excuse me,” Patch alerted her, “Are the mountains ahead safe?” 

“You’re going to have to be more specific!”  the mountaineer laughed. 

“Well, what are the native Pokémon like?” They added. 

The traveler scratched her chin “I’d say… mildly harmless at best, territorial at worst. By the looks of it you seem like you can handle yourself. Just keep away from The Peak, most vicious ones live there.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Patch nodded, “Thank you.” 

“No problem, you have a beautiful-looking dragon by the way.”

As the two travelers parted, Kapheria made her way up the slope. Although the ride up chunky with gravel, it began to churn Patch’s stomach. They could feel their breakfast rising.

“Stop Kapheria!” Patch urged her, feeling a little queasy.

They took a sip from their water bottle and poured it over their head to cleanse them of any sweat. A large stain from their shirt began to grow and their hair was soaked into clumped strands.

Taking a break, the admired the view from the slope, and saw the village from above. In the farther distance they could almost make out the walls of Mezagoza.

Looking toward the peaks, they noticed a tall point rising from the rocks. Keep away from the Peak, Patch told themselves. 

As soon as Patch felt their stomach simmer, they took a good stretch “Let’s keep going Kapheria, we can hike the rest of the way.” 

“Arggras!” She purred lively. 

Placing a hand on Kapheria’s horn, the human and Pokemon made their way on foot, though it was already quite a tiring experience. Patch was not an athlete, and sweat kept rolling down their forehead like a waterfall.

They leaned against Kapheria’s metal shell without realizing how hot she was.

…

At the top of the slope Patch found the perfect place to sit down and recollect their energy. At that point they had gone through two bottles of water. Okay maybe the mountain wasn’t the best place to find a new Pokemon.

The ground beneath them was hard and stiff. Kapheria found it comfortable to curl up on. Patch needed to be wary of where they stepped, as some stones in the ground were loose and wobbly. Thankfully the rest of the way up had a wide enough path, if they wanted to proceed.

Is this karma? Patch wondered, if I chose to climb on a whim mountain how can I handle planning my own life choices? How do I know what is right? All I’m sure is that I want to be a trainer, and then what? 

As Patch pondered, a noise caught them off guard.

“AWOOOO!” 

They flinched out of their trance. Oh no, the sound of howling gave them frightening memories. Was it possible that Houndours resided on this mountain? 

Leaping from rock to rock, a small brown dog stalked the human and dragon from above. Patch immediately knew the species, Rockruff. Although they were known to travel in packs, this one was alone. But he wasn’t going to play nice and he was only nearing closer.

“Ruck, roo!” it barked trying to gain intimidation,

Patch reached their bag and instinctively threw the first Pokeball they felt. Out of all of their team, the stubborn Kombucha was brought out to defend them.

“Of course…” Patch sighed, feeling used to their bad luck.

Familiar with the terrain, the unwavering Rockruff initiated the first attack, “Rock, roooo!” his howling commanded small stones to pelt the intruders. 

“Woink!” A single stone out of the fray had struck Kombucha on the nose.

“Ooohh!” Patch cringed in sympathy for their Lechonk. “Kombucha!” they called out to him, “Try using Mud slap!”

To their surprise, the Lechonk began kicking away at the dirt. Throwing globs of mud back at the little dog. With some precision, some mud splattered on the Rockruff’s eye.

This is good maybe I can catch him! Patch rejoiced at the thought of adding a dog Pokemon to their team. Should I catch him now? No… he’s still too riled. Just one more attack! 

Despite having an eyeful of mud, the Rockruff called for another flurry of stones, “AWRROOO!” his temper caused larger ones to be tossed out.

With a little more preparation Kombucha bounced back one of the stones with his body fat.

Alright, what’s our next move? Tackle? If Kombucha could easily deflect that rock now, what would happen if he threw himself into a Rockruff? Would he only fall off the mountain? Patch tried hard to parish their harmful thoughts, and focus on the task at hand. 

Unfortunately, while they were thinking Kombucha went ahead without command, charging into the little Rockruff with full force.

“KOMBUCHA NO!” 

Patch launched the great ball in a hurry to save the poor Rockruff. The pokeball opened and the little dog carried away into its red light. As it fell to the ground it shook furiously, as if the Rockruff was fighting the capture. 

The anxious trainer wondered if a great ball’s capture rate was as true as they were promised. Horrible memories of the Inlet Grotto incident kept spiraling out of proportion. 

At last, the great ball clicked and it stood still on top of the crumbled rocks.

It worked… 

Though their was a new team member right before them, Patch couldn’t keep their frustration at bay. 

“KOMBUCHA!”  they scolded, crouching down to meet their level, “You’re not supposed to attack until I say so!” 

Immediately Kombucha kicked some mud in their face.

“Bleh! Time out for you!” Patch recalled the Lechonk back into their ball. 

Patch wiped the mud off their cheek, the wet muk staining their hand. They tried to shake as little grime as possible before picking up they’re newly captured teammate. 

They held the great ball in awe of who was inside, At least I know I’m good at capturing Pokemon. That’s a good sign. I never thought I’d be able to catch a Rockruff though, I hope it likes me…

“Kapheria!” Patch wailed with unease.

“Arg?” Kapheria jolted awake.

Kapheria will protect me, they tried to promise themselves, she’s big and strong!

Reaching their fingertips to touch Kapheria’s neck for reassurance, Patch finally opened the great ball. It’s red light materialized the dog back into the open world.

Upon closer inspection, the little puppy had a warm, beige coat with a cream-colored ruff of fur around his neck. He had unique eyebrow-like markings that made him appear as if he was always furious.  

He opened his icy blue eyes and looked upon his new trainer.

“H-hello?” Patch held out their left hand, as they didn’t want to let go of Kapheria, “I’m your… trainer now.”

The curious Rockruff leaned out and sniffed the human’s hand. Calmly he sat down, his tail completely still. 

Is he just as scared as I am? They leaned in closer and let their hand touch his fur. It was surprisingly silky for a dog who lived in the dusty mountains. He must be pretty young, still a puppy.

Patch curled their fingers back and forth, pressing gently into his pelt. His cream, bushy tail shook the more the human scratched his head, then his ears and then under his chin. 

“Rerrr,” the Rockruff whined softly. He pushed his paws onto his trainer, “Ruff!” his tail wagging infectiously. 

He licked Patch with approval, “Gross, I still have mud on my face!”, they laughed 

Their Rockruff was the perfect addition to their team, and Patch knew just what to call them. Venture.

…

As the sun bent to the west, Patch found a spot far away from the edge to have a picnic with their team. As per usual Tamarind was lying around, Flumpy played with Kapheria, and Arturo nudged his yarn ball around.

Venture on the other hand was still getting to know his new team. He still saw Kombucha as his enemy and chased him around any opportunity he got. 

“Venture!” Patch called to him, “Come here and leave Kombucha alone!” 

“Ruff!” He romped over to his trainer.

Patch sliced a piece of smoked fillet and let Venture lick it out of their hand. Slobber dripped from his soft tongue. 

Rockruffs evolve into Lycanrocs. I could have a Lycanroc like Nemona. I wonder how long that would take… 

Suddenly Patch’s Roto phone flew out of their pocket, and rang abruptly.  

In Coming call: Mom

Mom?! What could she want at this time… shouldn’t it be late for her. Knowing how demandingly fretful their mom could be, they answered her call. 

“PATCH CALLUNE WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU?!” Their mother blaired through their phone speaker, “THAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE SCHOOL! YOUR FATHER AND I-”

“MA RELAX! I’M ALLOWED TO BE HERE!” Patch wined, “The school is letting us do an independent study! I’m fine!” 

She furrowed her brow, “Oh really? What kind?!” 

Their body felt as if they were shrinking, “We get to explore the region to become better trainers.”

Vivelli fixed her dark, rose-magenta hair. She was always so neat and formal about everything.

“We never had that at my trainer school,” she lectured her child, “We stayed right on campus!” 

“Mom…” Patch rolled their eyes, “If this wasn’t allowed I wouldn’t be doing it.” We’re both too old to be talking like this…

“So why are you in the mountains of all places?!” Vivelli berated them. 

For Arceus' sake, she still has that fucking child tracker on me.

“I’m just making a pitstop!” They explained, “Oh you’re never going to believe this! But Sage is here! You know my friend from Icirrus? He goes to a different school near here! We decided to catch up in the Cortondo Village nearby.”

It sounded like a lie but it was the truth. Even Patch couldn’t believe that their closest friend traveled to the same region. Lucky for them, Vivelli could always sense if someone ever truly lied.

“So what did you both do, there?” she asked. 

Patch started to panic in the deep confines of their mind, Do I really tell her about the whole thing with my debt… 

…

“SO YOU PAYED OFF THE WHOLE THING WITHOUT TELLING US! WHAT WE’RE YOU THINKING?!” 

“You’re the one telling me to act like an adult all the time!” Patch excused, “Paying off debt independently is life skill right?!” 

“We would’ve helped you!” Vivelli responded trying to have a mature upper hand. 

You would’ve let me live it down either, I’m being responsible why can’t you see that? 

“Mom, what matters is that it’s been paid off, it’s over, I’m out of the woods!” They retorted for no further screaming. Now do I tell her about the gym badge? 

Kapheria padded over to give Patch a quick face nuzzle, “Arrrrgggg!” 

“ARCEUS WHAT IS THAT?!” Vivelli hollared her voice so loud Kapheria scampered away.

Crap, I thought I sent her a picture of Kapheria?! “Mom, MOM, ITS OKAY! That’s the Pokémon I’m watching… for a friend…” Does a classmate's father count as a friend? 

The worried Mother exhaled her tension upon seeing the strange metal dragon, “The Pokemon… that destroyed the orchard…”

“Kapheria didn’t mean to destroy it…” Patch admitted.

“Where is it’s actual trainer?!” Vivelli interrogated, “Why would you agree to look after something when, you haven’t had a week to get to look after your own Pokémon?! They could’ve scammed you, Patch!” 

“Look, I don't know where he is!” Patch was desperate to avoid any more questions, “He gave me his number, I’m doing my best to contact him.”

“Well if you ask me, you shouldn’t be looking after a stranger's Pokémon, especially when it got you into debt!”

Oh great we’re on the debt again. 

Patch looked back at Kapheria, Could Mom be right though… I mean Kapheria seems great and all, but I barely know what to do with her half the time when something is wrong. Saying everything will be okay could lose its meaning after a while…

“Look it’s getting late, and I have to be at the Museum Library at seven in the morning,” Vivelli yawned, “We’ll talk again when I get a day off. If you’re old enough to pay off a debt then I can expect you to sort this whole Kelia thing yourself!”

“You mean, Kapheria?” They corrected her. 

“Patch, I’m tired!” She huffed, “I love you, Goodnight!” 

As Vivelli hung up Patch saw that they’re call with her lasted for almost a half hour. They weren’t the least surprised.

“Kapheria!” They called the dragon over with warmth in their voice, “It’s okay the scary lady is gone now!”

The metallic dragon was all curled up by Flumpfy, using him as a hiding spot.

Patch tried checking their phone for any missed messages from Turo.

Yep he totally ghosted me. I don’t think calling him again will help. That Arven guy would probably know how to reach him… if he isn’t still mad at me. 

The trainer rummaged through their supplies to properly set up their picnic. As they buried their hand the bag a shiny piece of metal fell onto the gravel. 

Oh the Nectar Badge… should I really keep this thing? 

Patch held it against the daylight. The sun’s glow highlighted the golden accents of the badge. 

I’m glad I kept this from Mom.

“Oh Patch,” they mimicked Vivelli’s passive aggressiveness, “Aren’t you a little old to be chasing childhood fantasies?”

“Pft!” Patch sneared. 

They slide the finger into the grooves of the badge’s design. A gym badge was a trainer’s Medal of Honor; did Patch want more? Did they deserve more? The rest of Paldea’s gym leaders would be twice as skilled as Katy.

If they were able to get seven more badges, what would be next? Challenging the Region’s elite four, did they have to battle a champion after that?! Would they be forced to battle Nemona?! 

After a spiraling forecast, they knew the best thing they had control of was themself.

But then Patch remembered how accomplished they felt when they battled Katy. For once they felt a different yet familiar sense of purpose.

If I wanted to battle in the league since I was a kid, and it feels right to me now. Maybe I did have a plan for myself that I just looked over… 

 Patch tucked the Nectar Badge away safely into their pencil case. Even though it seems impossible, maybe collecting the next seven gym badges is a good place to start.

As Patch felt fulfilled with a new goal, they were late to notice two white bird pokemon feeding off their supplies.

“HEY!” They shouted to shoo them off.

“Bur Bur!” They cawed scooping rations into a pouch.

Venture sprang into his quick tempered disposition, howling for stones to strike them down. 

Both of them flew off with the breeze of the wind, and Patch was left with half of their rations.

“Ruff! Ruck! Ruff,” Venture barked into the sky.

Crap I paid good money for those!

“Okay!” Patch clapped their hands in frustration, “I’ve had just about enough of this place!” If I’m really going to take on the league I better find my next gym. 

They whipped out they’re rotophone, and shrunk down their phone map to find their next stop. Alfornada is closest. But they have a psychic type gym and they’re too strong for me… Casafarrafa… I’ll have to cut through dessert and that be a pricy flying taxi ride. Plus water types don’t seem like a good idea

Come on, Patch focus! Trust your decision! They scrubbed to the right side of the map, Artazon… they have a grass type gym! Yes that should work! Oh but that’s still going to be excessive if I go by flying taxi… Patch reviewed the outer reaches of the town… I’ll just cut through that canyon…

…

Patch had been on plenty of airplane rides, to get used to to flying above air. But when you were being flown by hundreds of Squawbilly it felt a bit wobblier.

“Preparing for landing!” The pilot declared raising the goggles from there crinkled face.

They could feel the taxi carrier clumsily decend, beneath the lumpy leather seat. They had to give it to the Squawkabilly for flying so in sync with each other. If one was late on a wingbeat the whole carrier could fall.

“Alright,” the pilot opened the door, “That’ll be 2,000p!” 

Gotta be extra careful this time, Patch thought handing him the money.

Patch stepped out into the dusty ground. Walls of red sandstone stood proudly along the area. Small bushes and sprigs grew out of the rock, like cacti in a desert. 

There were some wild Pawmis that nearly blended into the dust if not for their yellow cheeks. Patch wasn’t sure if they wanted to catch one since they already had an electric type of their own.

Not too far away they noticed a wooden picnic bench garnished with a purple Uva Academy blanket. A man dressed in academy attire sat down enjoying a sandwich.

“Aola,” he greeted clearing his throat. He patted his face clean with a napkin, “You off to Artazon?”

“I am,” Patch answered, “were you just there?” 

“I tried… but the Pokémon around here are… feisty,” he shrugged sounding remorseful.

Beneath the table, Patch noticed that the student's leg was poorly wrapped up in cloth with a sloppy knot. It was stained with dried red. 

You just spent most of your money on a taxi ride over here you can’t just go back. You have a mother to prove wrong, they wrestled their fears. 

“You couldn’t afford a flying taxi to Artazon either?” Patch assumed.

“You kidding?” he chuckled, “I make less working at the school store! Whoever heard of 10,000p for one ride?!” 

“Ah…” they sighed, “But this Province can’t be that dangerous if you're still here?” Patch clarified to shrink their instincts. 

The old student nodded back, “As long as you watch for Pokémon in big groups. They’ll gang up on you like crazy!” He placed his napkin down, “If you ask me this place makes up for it in valuable materials.” 

“Good to know…” Patch pondered, Maybe if I find some cool looking rocks that I could sell for taxi fair. 

“Here,” the student handed them a Deli Cioso bag, “You can’t go through the canyon on an empty stomach.”

“For me?” Patch pointed to themselves, “Oh no I couldn’t!”

“Nah it’s really okay…” he whisked his hand, “I found out I hate herbed Sausage, I’d hate it more to go to waste.” Well I needed some extra food anyway, they thanked their classmate and made their way through the treacherous canyon.

[eyelessfog]

@bunnyfella

I am indeed fascinated and intrigued

im so happy

okay so to start it off, it’s about pokemon. about pokemon black & white specifically. my best friend & i are huge fans of this game in particular, and talk about it together often. sometimes we’re having deep thoughts about what this or that means. sometimes we’re just looking at lines and going waugh. sometimes, we notice something, and then look at each other with the kind of horror that having too much knowledge can cause.

in pokemon b&w, the main bad guy’s name is ghetsis. he’s, for the sake of speed, an asshole. there’s so much more here, but that’s enough for this bit.

he has these other six guys who follow his lead - the seven sages, and he’s one of them. one of these sages is named zinzolin.

zinzolin is. well he has many problems, but if you were to offer him exactly one word, i think it would be “cold.” this man is an ice type trainer, who goes from place that’s snowing to place covered in ice to place that’s freezing, and then complains about the cold.

to explain how badly this man in particular has invaded my friend’s mind, if she realizes she’s cold, she will suddenly think of him. he plagues her. she hates him with a passion.

now, the reason for this hatred is that we have, as it happens, decided that zinzolin is down so fucking bad for ghetsis.

this revelation came to us when we were making a very sad and symbolic au, see. and we decided that this - whatever they have - needs to be messy and hilarious.

therefore, they are friends with benefits, and ghetsis thinks it’s no homo. and also that this is 100% part of the manipulation to keep zinzolin on his side.

zinzolin is aware that it is very homo, and has no clue ghetsis is attempting to manipulate him, but he’s in love with his boss and whatever he’s doing is working, so 👍👍👍

alright, now to the explanation of the blocks:

zinzolin is obvious. i introduced him as cold. i’d put him in a freezer if i could. he puts himself in a freezer twice, so i don’t have to.

ghetsis, on the other hand is more complex than that… he’s not so easy to put in a box…. he’s many things, he’s a very evil guy, he has so many parts to him-

and yet he’s so extremely simple, to the point where a couple hours ago i compared him to a concrete wall, and realized that the metaphor works extremely well. the metaphor is a different story entirely, but it explains the use of the concrete block very quickly.

so, the idea of the ghetzolin ship is horrific to my friend, and so i did my very best to simplify if as much as possible, while still making it obvious to the two of us, in the know.

as you’ll recall, her response:

now, onto a couple minutes later:

i’ve been done explaining my concrete wall metaphor for a long while now, but i’ve just realized something.

and my wording leads me to realize something else

which are just a couple very simple and common words that cause the best reaction of all time, that left me cry laughing into my hands:

the sound was not unlike badly playing the trumpet into a pillow

[boss-the-goofball]

I think my favorite bits for that Pokemon Fic will be the transcripts of the Xtransceiver Calls between Agent 104 and other members of Team Plasma because there's the standard work talk but also all the gossip

Especially gossip about other grunts, the Seven Sages, and N

Agent 402 (Kricketune): Why do I have to be stuck with Agent 545?? That brute is always going straight to violence to get whatever he wants!

Agent 333 (Swablu): Will you at least bring me pictures of cute Pokemon? I know when the new world order happens and Humans are separated from Pokemon I may never see them ever again, but I need the pictures of Munna because they're just the cutest!

Agent 402: Hopefully I can, depends on if 545 can hold his temper back long enough to not attack a Munna because it won't give him Dream Mist fast enough

Agent 104 (Cubone): Well I'm sure you'll have better luck than me, I couldn't convince the Striaton Brothers to release their Pokemon after I beat Cilan!

[antihibikase2]

"Audrea,"

"Giima," The name comes out of her lips with a laugh. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"It has."

There's a twinge of shame as his voice quiets down.

For a moment, she hears the sound of a Bisharp's blades clashing against stone; it seemed whatever Grimsley wanted to talk about, it came to mind in the midst of his training.

"Has my, uh, present to Cheri arrived?"

"Just in time!" The professor holds the Pokeball between her fingers, inspecting the sleeping Purrloin from within. "I let her out for a stretch and some treats, and she's resting now. I'll give her to Cheri as soon as the kids get their starters and Pokedexes."

"Right, right. Thanks."

She ponders for a reply- perhaps she wanted to sneak in a scolding, to scold her younger friend for missing out on the chance of seeing how much his sibling, his brother, had grown and changed from when he had last seen him.

But she would not snag that chance away from Cheren, who insisted on showing himself to Grimsley- in the form of a challenger.

She settles for a simple "No problem," and a pleased hum.

Just as she thought that the conversation was over, the sound of Pokemon cries and their trainers' orders persisted in the background; Grimsley had not hung up yet.

And whatever he had on his mind, he was dawdling.

"Grimsley,"

Now her tone shifts to something familiar- the tone of a teasing, yet understanding, older sister; the reliable friend that Grimsley turned to back at Nuvema, when he did not want to trouble his mother or argue with his father.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"Um,"

So there was.

She rests her chin on her palm, eyes closed as she taps her nail against her cheek, the Xtransceiver on her other arm buzzing and vibrating from the background noise.

"Well, uh, about Doctor Colress-"

Doctor Colress?

"What about him?"

"You, uh, worked with him awhile back, right?"

"Yes? Not as much as Fennel, however."

But he was a nice enough individual; impressive as well. It was no wonder that he made a name for himself as a doctor- it was only a matter of time before the league caught wind of his skill.

He's been the league doctor at the very young age of twenty; almost seven years ago.

"Have you been acquainted with Doctor Colress recently, Grimsley? I know the heat gets to you-"

"Yeah, um, I suppose you can say that."

From the other side, she could almost imagine Grimsley fiddling with his scarf, face flushed and fingers twiddling-

And it didn't take long for the professor to come to a conclusion.

"So, well, about my call," There was an awkward cough. "Is there, uh, any chance you know what the good doctor.. likes?"

...

Just as Nikolai was about to leave his apartment, he receives a visitor.

He expects it to one of Ghetsis' shadows, or even any of the other bothersome sages- but it was just a humble employee of a certain fast food chain whose food he had grown quite accustomed to eating.

"I didn't order anything." Was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

If this was a prank, he will find who was responsible, and-

"Oh, it's already paid for, doc," The deliveryman says, tipping his hat. "Special request from Mr. Grimsley of the league."

Grimsley?

"You're a lucky guy, doc!" They chuckle. "Mr. Grimsley's got quite the fanbase- maybe some of us guys have a chance with Ms. Shauntal, now that we know he fancies you-"

The deliveryman shrieks as Nikolai's Porygon-Z silences him with a missed Signal Beam, burning a hole right behind him- and from the looks of it, it was on purpose.

Nikolai's eye twitches in annoyance.

If The Gambler reborn wishes to involve himself with him again, and breach their professional relationship for the sake of senseless human connections and sentimentalities through the use of his favorite food-

"Tell him thank you, I appreciate it."

-then Nikolai had no qualms; as long as the other would keep his hands to himself.

Nikolai does not need to try- he fakes a serene smile, one he has had hundreds of years to practice and master, and takes the paper bags of burgers back into his apartment.