Pokemon For The Pokeguys

Pokemon for the Pokeguys

This is pokemon that I think the guys should have/kept. Also, this is set a couple years in the future, hence the different outfits

Ninjago Villian Aesthetics

What Went Wrong

Gwen and Duncan get together, and leave Courtney to deal with the aftermath. She wonders were it went wrong, what was wrong with her ex-friend and boyfriend.  … she wonders if she was in the wrong.

“No matter how much you love something, an inability to accept their differences and faults can lead to bitterness and cruelty, and prideful attempts to change them can lead to their own destruction.” 

It was easy to blame someone else for your own shortcomings. Your own refusal to grow past whatever was holding you back. Your loss.

□ ● □ ● □ ● □ ● □ ● □ ● □ ● □

Season 2

"Ew. Duncan, stop it."  

"Why so uptight, hot stuff? What happened to that crazy chick who helped me raid the camp kitchen?" 

"Ugh, I'm over this stupid show. I lost the competition, my pathetic lawyer lost my lawsuit, and now I just want to go home, study for my LSAT's, and work my class president campaign." 

"Wow, hello downer. Come on, relax, it's almost over. I thought you'd be happy " 

"I AM HAPPY!" 

*static*

"You know you mean the world to me, but I-I can't let you hold me back. Sorry!" 

"Wait! You're leaving me here?! But I-I just wrestled an alligator for us!" 

"I know! But opportunities like this don't just fall out of trees!" 

   *static*

"Courtney wrote me a thirty-two page letter outlining all my faults and how to correct them if we're ever going to have a serious relationship. All of which she expects me to memorize. I think I would have preferred a night of alien probing." 

   *static*

"Don't worry, I forgive you… just like I forgave the other three hundred and sixteen minor transgressions I outlined in my letter. But, I expect you to memorize that letter so it doesn't happen again." 

   *static*

"After all, what’s more important — winning some stupid challenge … or making me happy?" 

   *static*

"Hey, I like Courtney, I really do, but I also like a million big ones. Best case scenario, I win the money and the girl. But if it comes down to it, I need the money more than I need some high-matinence chick with a superiority complex. Ha!  

… don't tell her I said that, okay?" 

   *static*

"What?! Duncan voted for me?!" 

   *static*

"Court's popularity is in the toilet. I can't have her dragging me down. But the real reason… a thirty-two page letter?! And people call me psycho!" 

   *static*

Season 3

"Well, if you just listened to me — !"  

"Oh, I'll start listening the minute you say something worthwhile." 

"You're insane, you know that?" 

"And you … are a monster!" 

   *static*

"You know what? NO! No, no, no, no, no, no! Three hours of these two squawking on this stupid pyramid in this stupid heat — and you want me to sing?! FORGET IT!" 

"Dude, you have a contract —" 

"Eat it, McLean! If you need me, I'll be in the plane waiting for a ride home — cause I'm out! Done! I QUIT!"  

   *static*

" — And how could you think it was okay to just … leave like that! Because it was not! Ugh! Abandon me again, and it will not be pretty. Now, get over here you big lug! I'm not really mad, I just missed you."  

"Every time I ran from the cops, I thought of you." 

   *static*

"WHAT?! How could you?! I thought we were friend-ish!? I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!!!” 

   *static*

"Well, at least I broke up with Duncan on my terms. It was totally empowering. At least I still have my … pride …"  

   *static*

"Okay, let's hear it." 

"Hear?" 

"Your apology." 

"For?" 

"For what?! For Gwen!" 

"For who?" 

"FOR! GWEN! 

Ugh!" 

   *static*

"I need immunity — especially around Alejandro — but sticking it to Courtney feels so right! And that can't be wrong."  

   *static*

"I declare my husband to be an insensitive jerk, who thinks his piercings make him cool when really, they divert attention away from his lack of personality."  

"And I declare wifey here to be a stuck-up windbag. I also declare, she could use some mouthwash!"  

   *static*

"I want a divorce!" 

"Oh really? Cause I want to stay married to your sunshine-y self forever!" 

   *static*

“Smiling? Whistling? This is the happiest I’ve ever seen you!” 

“What can I say? It’s like all of my problems were shoved out of a plane.” 

   *static*

I dug my nails into the palm of my hand as I thumbed through the channels of the TV. 

Every stupid news host was talking about Total Drama, commenting on the seasons, talking about the new ship: Gwuncan. 

As if they had nothing better to talk about but the utter disgrace of myself on international television.  

Every channel was about me, about Gwen, about Duncan . Every interaction, every confessional, aired and analyzed by fans and reporters to look back and wonder where it all started for the new couple. Where it had ended for the old couple.  

What had happened? What had happened?  

What made Duncan cheat on me? What was wrong with him to not see that I only wanted the best for him? 

Was it the list? 

I only made the list for Duncan for him to fix out his flaws! No person would ever hire a guy with a green mohawk for a respectable career. And with his callus and brutish attitude no one would ever want him. 

Couldn’t he see that I … 

What did Gwen have that I didn’t?

“Why don’t we just … let things happen. No pressure, no planning, no pookums. ’Kay?”  

“See? That there is why I like you.”  

I slapped myself, reeling back at the memories. Duncan never looked at me like that, even in our best moments. Gwen’s hands laid on his chest like I once did, telling him things that I would never do and he agreed — 

I slapped my other cheek harder, until it stung. I wouldn’t break down, I wouldn’t. Hate and anger was better than hurt and grief, and I had already shown enough of those things on Total Drama. 

I had to be perfect, I had to be better, I had to be the best , because if I couldn’t, what would I amount to?

Just a spoiled uptight princess whose boyfriend cheated on her? A washed-up reality tv star who didn’t even win any contest? 

I didn’t even win anything and yet I lost everything. The competition, the money, my pride, my dignity, my image, my friend, my boyfriend … 

I flipped the channel again, and the tv played Duncan and Gwen sharing a kiss after my ex had thrown a shoe at me. 

Gwen.  

How can Gwen sit there and kiss my boyfriend without ever feeling an ounce of guilt? Didn’t she have any shame? Any dignity? Any self-respect to see what she was doing was wrong? 

I thought she was my friend. I thought I was her friend, but at the most opportune moment she went behind my back and kissed him in the confessional. 

I thought … 

I thought I meant more to her than that. 

I thought I meant more to both of them than that, I thought darkly as I flipped another channel to see the forsaken kiss playing on the screen. I glowered at the tv as Duncan grabbed her burnt hand and pulled her into a kiss. 

Duncan was a bad boy and I was the good girl — the princess, as he was so fond of calling me. I knew it wouldn’t last, but in some small, illogical corner of my brain I thought it would. I thought our feelings for each other would be strong enough, I thought that I could make us last. 

“Love does funny things to us,” I sighed happily and walked away, oblivious to the turmoil Gwen was feeling.  

“Yeah … love is hysterical,” I heard her mutter before slapping herself.  

I loved him. I really did. Everything I did on Total Drama Action was for his best interest.  

I wrote that letter so that he could correct his flaws and become better, for me and himself. I wrote all those corrections to make him better. 

How could I not see that everything I did would lead up to this? 

Every glare, every argument, every dirty look, every confessional, led up to this. 

He wasn’t even sorry, in the end. 

I thought … 

Back then, when I demanded his apology through the freezing cold, I thought we could get over this. I thought through enough begging and apologies to take him back, Duncan and I could get over this. Brush it off like any other argument and get back to the way things were. 

But he didn’t even care. He didn’t even want me back. He was happy that I was tossed off the plane like a piece of garbage! 

I really thought he loved me back. 

I shook my head, rubbing my eyes from the bright screen and standing up. I walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, not even recognizing the young woman staring back. 

My hair was a mess, not perfectly combed like usual. I was in my pajamas, and my face was flushed and blotchy instead of smooth tan. The worst was my eyes, puffy and smeared with mascara and red with unshed tears. 

The young woman in the mirror looked like a messy collage of restrained hurt and anger and sadness. She didn’t look like Courtney, prim and perfect and driven to be nothing but the best. 

What had happened? Was the question I asked before. Looking straight into the mirror, Duncan and Gwen were the farthest from my mind as the answer stared right back. 

It was me.

I jerked back, and began slapping myself, again and again to rid myself of that twisted thought.  It was me.     Slap! It wasn’t me! How could it be me?! I was a C.I.T.! I did nothing wrong, nothing was wrong until Duncan cheated on me! Nothing was wrong until Gwen kissed my boyfriend!

      Nothing.

   Slap.

   Was.

   Slap.

   Wrong.  

   Slap.

I stopped, palms tingling and face hot as wet tears smeared across my stinging cheeks. My blood was boiling, burning, just as it had when Gwen stayed on the plane the night in Greece. 

Something twisted, dark and bitter and ugly, as I gripped the porcelain sink and stared at my reflection. Every fiber of my being trembled with the urge to ruin, and the seeds of sour hate had already grown and constricted around my heart the moment I found out Duncan and Gwen kissed.   

I would show them. I would redeem myself. I would be there to win, and nothing, no one would stop me. 

No feelings, no trust, no friendships. …

Courtney wonders where she went wrong. 

Probably when she signed her life over to that stupid show in the first place.

Skylor Chen Headcannons 

LONG POST

🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥

🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥 🧡🍜🔥

— Skylor has kept in touch with all of the Elemental Masters since Chen’s Island — and she actually gets along with them pretty well. They frequently come over to the restaurant to hang out, hold competitions, and scare customers. Skylor thinks that those days are the best days at the restaurant. She has all their numbers on speed dial.

— Ronin and Dareth come over to the restaurant all the time. Sometimes they help her with business, sometimes for the food. For Dareth, it’s the latter, but Ronin comes because she’s his second-favorite person after Nya. (He would never admit it)

— In a half-angsty half- comedic moment, Skylor and Lloyd created a BAD FAM group chat and added Vania and Benthomarr in the mix. They sincerely hope nobody else joins the chat

— Skylor is 100% able to mop the floor with Kai should she choose. Kai and Zane were on like a recon mission and Sky was training with the rest of the Ninja, kicking butt and taking names.

— It becomes this great secret they’re hiding from Kai (Zane knows through Pixal) and finally the day comes when Kai and Skylor are facing off.

— They’re trash talking flirting and Kai’s all cocky because he knows Sky’s a good fighter, but she’s mostly relied on her powers and it’s been a while since she’s actually fought.

— Kai is on his back in five seconds flat, half turned-on and stunned. The rest of the Ninja are laughing and Cole recorded the whole thing. (Wu’s lips twitch in a smile)

— When Skylor first stepped off the island, the first thing Kai did was take her on a road trip all over Ninjago. Nya got them a rented old car and they spent the whole time traveling the continent and busting crime rings.

— Skylor goes to get her tattoo covered/removed and ends up taking the whole team with her to get tattoos.

— She tells Kai she’s going to get a new tattoo to cover up the Anacondrai Mark (I’m tired of getting pulled over by the cops whenever I wear a tank top, Kai) and of course he goes for support and to get one of his own.

— Lloyd begs to go and get one of his own, and Nya overhears and wants to go to, then Jay and Cole want to join in too.

— So they all go to this tattoo parlor — Zane and Pixal go for support even though they can’t get a tattoo (they’re made of metal) — and get small ones that they can hide from Wu.

— Lloyd gets a green dragon, Cole gets a mountain, Jay and Nya get matching tattoos of lightning hitting waves, and Kai gets a flame.

— Skylor has different types of orange flowers trailing down her back in place of the Anacondrai Mark. Kai and Skylor have their tattoo’s match a little bit, because they’re saps.

— Besides Kai, Cole is the Ninja that most frequently visits Chen’s Noodlehouse. Skylor always gives him free meals, because she’s nice like that.

— Whenever she heads over to the Ninja’s for dinner, she and Zane work together and make the most mouth-watering food. Cole literally hovers in the kitchen watching the food until Zane kicks him out

— Skylor has never seen snow before, and Kai likes watching her when it’s snowing just to see the awe playing in her eyes.

— He frequently bargains with Zane to make it happen, because while the cold isn't his favorite weather, the shine in Skylor's eyes is. 

— They have snow fights and wrestle each other to the ground, and Kai adores winter Skylor because she acts all playful and childish. 

— They have their first kiss in the first snowfall of the season. Kai was so into the moment, surprised and flustered and weak-in-the-knees he slipped into an ice patch and fell over.

— When Nya and Skylor first meet it’s interesting.

— While the guys were on the island, they were spamming her with texts of FSM Kai likes a girl!!

— and, Nvm turns out they r related lol

— and, wait they’re not!!!

— and, FSM SHE’S CHEN’S DAUGHTER AND SHE KNOWS WHERE ZANE IS AND NOW WE’RE CAPTURED HELP NYA

— And the final text: Kai’s girlfriend is a snake.

— So Nya didn’t know exactly what to think of Skylor when she first met her, but she knew exactly what she was going to do.

— When she and Jay first got together Kai made the biggest death threats on what would happen if he broke her heart. Jay was so terrified that he refused to be in the same room as Nya for a week after they started dating.

— Nya waited the second Kai was out of the room before she gave Skylor the deadliest death glare she could manage and the most horrifying “you-break-his-heart-and-I’ll- break-your-neck” speech.

— Nya was surprised when Skylor looked extremely guilty after the speech, which made Nya feel extremely guilty once she got the background on what had happened besides Jay’s extremely vague texts.

— The two girls sat down and talked it out and actually became good friends after their therapy session

— Nya of course told Kai that she had given Skylor “The Talk” — to his extreme horror — but she left out all the sensitive details.

— Now, Nya works with the team to “subtly” drop hints about having Skylor as a sister-in-law

— Skylor and Jay teamed up once and got the group to go rollerblading — just to see Kai wobble on skates.

— The two are the best at skates (Pixal and Zane don’t count, they’re good at everything) and were racing each other on the track and pulling the fanciest tricks.

— Skylor and Jay regularly plan to have rollerblading days with the team. Jay has met his match on the rink, and Skylor is always happy to show him how it’s done.

— (She also likes having Kai cling to her when they skate, and she wants to see if he topples over when they kiss)

— You know when Kai gives Lloyd advice about romance? “You have to act cool, like you don’t even care.” Kai cannot take his own advice.

— Whenever he’s with Skylor he absolutely melts. His face gets all red, and his voice gets all soft and warm, and he has to touch her in some way, shape or form — whether its an arm slung around her shoulder, a hand holding hers, a kiss on the lips. He’s a total goner.

— And the advice for Jay asking Nya to be his Yang? “You have to have confidence.” When Kai finally asks Skylor to be his Yang, he is a nervous wreck.

— She still says yes, though

Onto the angst part of Skylor:

— Chen would often pit Clouse and Skylor against each other, taking glee in watching his second command and his daughter go at each other. It was like Garmadon and Clouse all over again, and Clouse makes sure to take out all his bitterness on her

— Skylor doesn’t really know who she is yet. Children are a combination of their parents, right? Well, Skylor’s dad was a psychopath who turn himself and his employees into mythical snakes at the cost of his daughter’s life.

— Skylor has no idea who her mother was. She has no memory of her. Did she bail early on when she found out who her father was? Or did she actually like her father? Was it some kind of forced marriage? Skylor doesn’t know, but the thought that both of her parents were evil keeps her up at night. 

— Skylor has a phobia of snakes after the fiasco with Chen. It doesn’t matter how big or small, Skylor becomes legitimately afraid of them after she turned into one herself. It frustrates her, because she grew up around the darn things, and also, they are what mainly attack Ninjago.

— (Sometimes, Skylor finds herself panicking for no reason because she feels like she’s slithering. Sometimes, she scratches her skin until it’s raw to get rid of the feeling of scales. Sometimes she dreams of her father and herself as purple snakes, laughing at the fools who tried to save Ninjago.)

— Skylor doesn’t ever want to be in the place where she lets her fear lead her into doing what she doesn’t want. Skylor never liked doing what her dad wanted, but her fear crippled her and she did whatever he wanted despite her own morals.

— Her father didn’t start out insane. He was always obsessed with power, but the insanity grew over time. Skylor watched the Staff of Elements twist every good thing about him, she is terrified that someday that will happen to her.

— The closest that will ever happen to her was when she took Garmadon’s power in season 9.

— She felt the poisoned power in her veins, felt her eyes glow purple, and while wrestling Garmadon for control she felt herself craving the destruction. There was a dark pleasure in the sheer power she possessed with the Colossi at her control.

— Skylor was only poisoned with Garmadon’s power because she wan’t an Oni — but she knew if she was, she would have been corrupted.

— When she had the power, something in her head said make the city hurt like you hurt. you lost so much and what has this city ever done for you?

— She was barely able to curb the destruction and aim it at Garmadon and his goons, but it was enough to make her skin crawl looking back.

— And that scares Skylor, because she doesn’t want to think that she’s capable of that amount of evil. Deep down, though, she knows she is.

— And with all of this, her first thought, her greatest fear, is hurting Kai and the Ninja.

— Before, when the Ninja were just getting to know Skylor, she was just … hard to read.

— She's spent her entire life putting up a front, playing a role, hiding her feelings. If she doesn't want to share something, she’ll put up this shield with such practiced ease it’s like breathing for her. It’s scary. The only person who’s really seen through it is … Kai.

— It goes the same for Kai as well. Whenever he get frustrated, reaches his boiling point, feels like he could light something on fire with just a careless lack of control … he heads for Skylor.

— She immediately senses something is wrong. Drops what she’s doing, and just … gives his this look. It isn’t prying like his family would do, it’s you can tell me what’s wrong, I’m here, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

— It’s like magic because it makes his jaw unhinge and suddenly he’s talking to her. And after they dish out the big feelings, then Kai helps out around the restaurant to take his mind off things.

— Skylor never likes to talk about her life on the island before the Ninja came, because she doesn’t want them to look at her differently, to realize how many bad things she’s done.

— She was there when Zane and Pixal were dragged to the island. She watched them tear into Pixal like she wasn’t even alive, she stole Zane’s power when he was chained in a cramped little dungeon. She watched the sand stain red with blood and she watched Chen and Clouse punish followers with a snake beneath the island. She watched men get eaten whole for their disobedience, all without leaving her father’s side.

— Skylor has been hurt by people, and has hurt them in return. Over and over again. Somewhere along the way she gained a conscious. She’s betrayed even herself, when she allowed her dad to steal the Ninja’s powers. And she’s reminded of that every day because the guilt still lingers beneath her skin

Energybound

binding energy definition: in physics and chemistry, binding energy is the smallest amount of energy required to remove a particle from a system of particles or to disassemble a system of particles into individual parts.

In which Lloyd becomes Energy to save the world. As the Green Savior, he was always prophesied to die for it. The scrolls never mentioned anything about his friends.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

The sun is just peaking over the horizon of the ocean when Lloyd makes his choice.

A restless night had passed, with the city drowning and Kalmaar sweeping through flooding to find the Ninja. With Jay’s condition worsening and Nya not leaving his side. With Benthomaar wracked with guilt over what his adopted brother had done and Kai, Cole, Zane, and P.I.X.A.L anxious to do something. 

Lloyd had eavesdropped on Nya and Bentho talking about the Nyad, how she had merged with the sea and defeated Wojira. He knows what she is about to do. 

He’s just doing it first. 

Lloyd cracks open his eye from where he is pretending to be asleep, and slowly stands up. All of his friends are passed out from the emotional toll of the day— even Nya, who was fitfully sleeping besides Jay. 

He moves quietly to not alert any of his friends and wake them up. Silently, he makes his way to the door, before looking back at his friends one last time. Jay was laying on the couch, gasping and wheezing in raspy intervals. Nya is next to him, shifting uncomfortably. 

Bentho leans up against a filing cabinet next to the couch, arms crossed and head hanging. He was separated from the rest of his friends, and Lloyd wishes to see the day where Bentho is comfortable enough to lay next to them instead of dealing with everything himself. 

Kai, Cole, Zane, P.I.X.A.L, and Master Wu are all passed out on the other side of the room, unconscious to the world and the thoughts swirling around Lloyd’s head. 

Lloyd wishes they had more time. A few spare months of recuperating and relaxation isn’t enough between the life-threatening missions his team frequently goes on. He wants to stay with his friends.

He bites his tongue, the pain distracting him from his thoughts as he opens the door and then closes it, making his way to the roof.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Lloyd dangled his feet off the edge of the dock, eyes trained on the gleaming horizon. An unsettled feeling was shifting in his gut, and a single question rolled around in his mind. 

Footsteps sounded towards him, and Lloyd turned to see his mother and uncle walking towards him.

“Lloyd, are you okay?” Misako asked. 

Lloyd stood up, not taking his gaze away from the sinking sun. “I was just thinking… I know Ronin’s monster was a fake, but I guess I was wondering if Wojira is really still out there… somewhere.” 

“If she is, may she sleep for another thousand years.” Wu prayed.

And at the bottom of the sea, the storm slept.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Lloyd walks towards the edge of the building, peering down at the dark water. It is black and bottomless, and Lloyd feels a surge of doubt before he shoves it away.

Lloyd may not be the Master of Water, but he is the Master of Energy. And as far as he knew, energy was everywhere. Nyad may have become one with the Sea, but she lost herself to the ocean and disappeared for thousands of years. 

Lloyd couldn’t let that happen to Nya. 

Lloyd was the Green Ninja, the savior of Ninjago. He was always destined to sacrifice himself for it, but nobody mentioned anything about his friends. Everything he had gone through— the Overlord and his father, Morro’s possession and Harumi— it all led up to this moment. 

This is for his friends. Everything he had done was for his friends— every harsh blow from battle and hair ruffle in the morning. They had taken him in when he was a kid and gave him a home and a family. They had raised him, trained him, loved him even when he was being nothing but a bratty child who gave them problems.  

Lloyd turns and stares back at the door where his family was sleeping, unaware. 

Kai’s fiery courage, Nya’s fierce determination, Cole’s easy kindness, Jay’s bright intelligence, Zane’s gentle empathy, P.I.X.A.L’s snarking camaraderie, Benthomaar’s hesitant friendship, Wu’s aging wisdom, Misako’s sense of adventure. 

His family. 

Lloyd turns away, blinking back the sudden tears as green power lights his hands and he starts spinning.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

“Bentho, how did Nyad defeat Wojira? In the story you told me?”

“… she became one with the sea.”

“But how exactly?”

“She opened herself up to the full power of the ocean. She merged with it.”

“…”

“Do not think of such things! Nyad may have defeated Wojira but she lost herself. What she did cannot be undone. She vanished.”

“…”

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Lloyd opens his eyes, feeling light shining from the inside out as his green power spreads. Energy floods his body, feeling light and fleeting as Lloyd reaches down to the core of his power— and lets it loose. 

Lloyd thinks of Cole and his Spinjitzu Burst, deep in the depths of Shintaro’s mountains. Unparalleled power had exploded from the earth and wrapped his brother in his element. 

Lloyd can feel it happening too— but it's different. Green power is rushing around him, light blinding his vision, the particles on his skin transforming into pure energy. 

Then— 

BOOM!

A sonic sound wave explodes throughout the sky. The light tapers off.  Lloyd opens his new eyes and looks down at his body. Green energy swirls around in the shape of his old body.

He feels light, powerful, new— Lloyd is filled with boundless energy, free to travel wherever he likes and too fleeting to ever catch. 

Lloyd realizes he’s flying and spins around, laughing. The door to the rooftop suddenly slams open, and his family pours out— Kai and Wu in the lead as they stop and stare at their brother and nephew. 

“Lloyd!” Kai calls. Jay and Nya join them, the former leaning on his girlfriend heavily as he stares at his little brother disbelievingly. 

Lloyd frowns at how weak Jay looks. That can’t do— Jay will need to be at full strength when they beat Wojira. He flys down, ignoring the flinch of surprise from the others and presses a hand to Jay’s chest. 

Green energy lights up, and suddenly Jay is able to breathe easier— like his lungs weren’t even damaged at all. Nya stares at Lloyd, looking pained for some reason.

Lloyd pulls away as Wojira roars her challenge, his power picking up in anticipation. 

“Lloyd, wait!” Wu calls— but it's too late. With another BOOM! Lloyd takes off, flying at the speed of sound to confront Wojira once and for all. 

It is time to finish what his grandfather couldn’t.

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨

Nobody notices the crystal spider on the wall, violet eyes recording everything. 

Clink… clink… clink… 

The spider scurries back to its master. 

💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨🐉 💚✨ “Spider’s in the house,

Sleep, sleep

Spider bit the mouse, 

Sleep deep

Don’t wake up or else 

You’ll find a spider in your m—”

The song breaks off, and the dark figure turns from the computer to see a crystal spider making its way towards her. 

She kneels down, dark cape fluttering and kabuki mask flipped up as the mechanical spider crawls into her hand. She strokes it gently. “Did you find everything I need?” She asks. 

The spider’s eye flashes, and then a holographic video is playing in the crystalized room. The bright screen contrasts the dark room, the purple and pink hues drowned out by the light images playing. 

The Herald purses her lips, fingers tightening on the spider she is gripping unconsciously as the video finishes. 

“I see,” Harumi says. She turns and stares at the giant crystal protruding in the middle of the Oni Temple. “This changes things.” 

“Time to make some alterations to the previous plan.”

Headcannons: Pokéguys with affection

I was in a Valentine's Day mood, alright? 💗

Ships: Poke, Contest, Ikari, Wish, Geekchic, Oldrival, Handyman, Fourthwheel hints

… and Brock

WARNING: LONG POST

Ash

— Ash is legitimately good at flirting — but the thing is, he doesn’t even know he’s flirting.

— He and Misty are walking through the Kanto snow all bundled up, and Ash notices Misty rubbing her hands together and shivering.

— “You cold, Mist?” Ash asks, and before she can respond he just. Takes her hand, locks their fingers together, and puts her hand in his pocket.

— Misty damn near has a heart attack, sputtering and turning bright red. Before she could say anything though, Ash continues on, holding her hand as they walk.

—He’ll also be complimenting her, saying “Wow, Misty, you look beautiful with your hair down!” or “Misty, you were incredible battling that Pokemon today!” 

— Misty feels like a little girl talking with her childhood crush (okay, maybe that comparison was a little too accurate …) so the only thing she can respond with are stuttering half-insults before fleeing in shame.

— Ash is a very physical person. Always has been, always will be. He’ll be slinging an arm around her shoulder, walking close so that their bodies bump, pull her into a side hug, even arm wrestling her. The touch is so casual, but it’s so often that Misty can’t help but psychoanalyze every interaction.

— Poor Pikachu has spent many nights with Misty’s face cuddled in his fur to hide her blush. He’s had his ear talked off with Misty’s ramblings of “—does he even know he’s flirting with me?! Is he even flirting?! He’s gotta know! Or am I just making it up all in my head again? Is this psychological warfare or something?!”

— Misty doesn’t know if Ash is flirting with her, if he even knows if he is, if he’s even aware of what he’s doing. Misty gets so flustered she becomes angry that she’s so flustered. She wants to beat him with her mallet for making her so embarrassed; another part doesn’t because she likes the Butterfree he puts in her stomach.

— Ash Ketchum is so impeccably smooth at flirting and pulling moves he isn’t even aware; he just thinks he’s being nice and friendly. He has a trail of hearts behind him after all his travels and he doesn’t even realize.

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure shock.

Drew

— Roses. It’s always roses with those two.

— When Drew would give roses to May ( *ahem* sorry, Beautifly) it was a mocking. The flowers were filled with taunts about how her Pokémon were carrying May to victory.

— Then as Drew starts noticing May, his roses become fleeting — everyone knows what red roses meant. How could Drew give out roses when he didn’t even know who he was really giving them to?

— Drew fell in love with May, and May fell in love with Drew, and there was a trail of roses between them like a timeline.

— When they date, they are the most lovey-dovey couple in the room. At first, all of their friends were happy that they got together, but soon they grow sick of the constant PDA

— Honestly, whenever Max walks into the room and see May and Drew in there, he just straight up walks right out. May gets so offended, but she quickly forgets her brother’s disgusted face when Drew pulls her in for a kiss

— May and Drew have started dating, and May finally drops the bomb about meeting her family. Drew instantly gets flashbacks of Max’s judgey looks, know-it-all expression, and suspicious eyes from Hoenn and almost regrets dating May.

— Apparently, May has been holding off the meeting for quite a while, but has finally conceded. Caroline is sweet and welcoming, swooning about May getting a boyfriend and gushing how handsome he is. Max is still as skeptical as ever, but has softened to the idea of Drew thanks to his traveling partner, Bonnie.

— And Norman … May left Drew and her dad in the same room for less than a minute, and when she came back Drew spent the rest of the time subtly hiding behind May

— When Drew asked May to marry him, he made it this big extravagant proposal. He led May on a scavenger hunt, each rose with a romantic letter on where to find him. When she finally found him, she had a dozen red roses and a ring on her finger on the beach of Slateport City.

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure jealousy

Paul

— Reggie is the first one to notice the way his brother is always touching Dawn. It’s so subtle, Dawn doesn’t realize it; Reggie doubts that even Paul realizes he’s doing it. But for someone who has been raising his younger brother all his life, it’s so obvious.

— Paul is usually adverse to physical touch, so seeing Dawn and Paul interact is like a slap to the face. His hand is barely touching her hip as he guides her to where they’re going. When they sit together their shoulders brush. He leans down to Dawn’s level to lowly talk in her ear. Not to mention the way Paul looks at her —

— Reggie honestly can’t believe his eyes when he sees them together for the first time. He can’t help but tell Maylene, and of course he confronts Paul with some teasing.

— Whenever someone asks about Dawn and Paul’s relationship, Reggie cheekily replies, “They’re an affectionate couple.” Paul always scowls darkly.

— Dawn had no idea until Maylene lets it slip. At first, she just stares and laughs, because the words Paul and affectionate don’t even belong in the same sentence.

— But then Dawn suddenly realizes: she is always the first one to initiate contact — through a held hand, a hug, or a kiss on the lips ...

— But Paul was always the one to let it linger. He never pulled his hand away, he would let her hug him (sometimes he would even lean into it), and he would even kiss her in private.

— Dawn was always the one who pulled away first: becoming embarrassed if someone would walk in on them or pulling away to look at a cute store.

— She immediately sets out to do an experiment of her own: to see how long Paul could deal with physical affection.

— One day Paul is laying on his couch doing whatever, and Dawn sees the perfect opportunity. She strolls over, stands over him, and just … clambers on top of him, resting her head on his chest and fitting her body snugly between his legs.

— He was effectively pinned down. Paul went stiff with surprise, and Dawn honestly expects him to push her away and mutter complaints under his breath as he stalks away.

— After a moment, Paul sighs and drapes his arm around her waist, going back to whatever he was doing. Dawn’s heart leaps, and her belly does a dozen backflips. She honestly can’t believe she’s getting away with this.

— But this was only half of the challenge. Now, Dawn had to wait and see how long he would tolerate her. So she settles down, closes her eyes, and falls asleep to the feeling of Paul’s warmth and even breathing.

— When she wakes up, hours have passed. Paul’s hand is still on her waist, she has drooled a little bit in his shirt, and he was undoubtedly uncomfortable from sitting for so long.

— Still, it is a testament on how much he truly likes her when he says nothing about his discomfort when she wakes.

— For some reason, he distinctly feels like he’s passed a test when Dawn sees that he’s still there and kisses him

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure disbelief

Cilan

— Chilli and Cress absolutely adore Iris. She’s sassy and blunt and determined, and a perfect fit for Cilan. Chilli loves going back and forth with Iris trading sarcastic quips and Cress appreciates her blunt honesty

— She’s practically a part of the family, inviting herself over to the gym and spending weekends there. Half the stuff at their place is practically her’s, and she shows absolutely no shame in that fact.

— When all of their friends know they’re dating, they are simultaneously surprised and not in the process. It’s just that Cilan and Iris are so different, one a sophisticated civilian and another a animalistic wild child. But they just fit together, so well that none of their friends can ever imagine seeing them with another person.

— When Ash hears that they’re dating, he is beaming. Because while he’s happy that all his friends found their significant other, none of them have gotten together with their traveling partner (except for Serena and Clemont, but that comes later)

— Ash feels like a proud matchmaker because he says Iris and Cilan would not have gotten together if it weren’t for him. Iris calls him a little kid.

— Cilan shows his love through words of appreciation, which never fails to embarrass Iris.

— Whenever his Dragon Master wins a battle, he showers her with praise for her and her Pokémon. It’s like his evaluation times, filled with so much fervor and passion.

— Iris always gets so embarrassed, especially if her friends and rivals are there teasing her, but she secretly likes the attention and the praise she gets from Cilan (he is her boyfriend, and a World-Class Pokémon Connoisseur)

— Sometimes when she gets particularly embarrassed, she just marches over to Cilan in the middle of the battle, yanks him down to her height, and kisses him hard to shut him up.

— It always works (Cilan turns bright red and dazed, and to Iris’s satisfaction, he always, always shuts his mouth afterwards) but they don’t know that Iris’s kisses inadvertently fuel Cilan to go on his rants.

— So in actuality, does it really work?

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure awe

Clemont

— Clemont has always admired Serena ever since their traveling days, but he would always push aside his feelings when he saw the way Serena looked at Ash.

— Back then, he had low confidence and even lower social skills. There was no way he can compare to Ash. So he pushed aside his feelings and focused on being her friend instead, supporting her and working to improve himself.

— It took a long time for Clemont to work up the courage to ask Serena out. She was trying to get over her crush on Ash, and they were both too busy focusing on their dreams

— One day, Serena went with Bonnie to cheer Clemont on in a super important Pokémon match. Clemont won, of course, and right before his final move Serena is struck.

— Clemont’s face was bright with electricity and his eyes were clear with confidence. Serena is struck, because she just realized Clemont wasn’t that geeky kid with low self-esteem and inventions that blew up anymore. Clemont was grown, and Serena feels like she is seeing him for the first time.

— It wasn’t just how he looked (Serena was mature enough to admit that Clemont looked … well, amazing during the battle), it was his confidence.

— It wasn’t the Ash type of confidence — bold, brash, and brave. It was the Clemont type of confidence — intellectual and sharp, confident in knowing he would win because Clemont was a lot of things, and no one could ever say he wasn’t smart.

— When Clemont wins, he immediately turns to Serena and Bonnie with a bright smile. Bonnie is beaming and bouncing on her feet, and Serena finds herself blushing with her heart pounding faster than the time she kissed Ash.

— Ever since then, Serena can’t get the stupid feelings out of her head. Her crush on Ash feels childish and far away compared to Clemont.

— Clemont is shy and awkward, but he is sweet and charming. Serena has always known this, but now it’s in a whole new light. She can’t help but notice all these little details about him, like the way his hands move when he talks, or the way he pushes up his glasses and the way his eyes light up.

— Whenever Clemont is working on an invention, Serena finds herself genuinely trying to listen and help. Whenever she stays over, she offers to help Clemont with the cooking.

— They go out to see the lights on top of Prism Tower, Serena teaches Clemont to properly dance, and they spend late nights in the gym just enjoying their companionship.

— At first, Clemont is frustratingly oblivious, blinking innocently and awkwardly laughing whenever they seem to have a romantic atmosphere lingering around them. Serena wouldn’t label it as Ash-Level-Oblivious, (because, frankly, nobody can ever be denser than Ash) because back when she had a crush on him, she was actively trying to hide it.

— Clemont, however, for all his bright intelligence and love knowledge (mostly stemming from Bonnie) can’t figure out for the life of him that Serena was flirting with him. She didn’t know how much more obvious she could get!

— (Just last week, Clemont’s father, Meyer, wouldn’t stop smirking knowingly and last month, Misty had thrown her a half sympathetic-pitying-understanding look when she and Ash came over to visit.)

— Clemont hasn’t noticed Serena’s flirting, but he has noticed that she’s been acting strange. With him, specifically. It’s almost as if she’s flirting with him, but obviously she isn’t because they are just friends.

— Clemont’s heart already skips beats whenever Serena dresses up, and he sometimes gets tongue-tied when she smiles at him, and his face feels very warm whenever she hold his hand but — they are just. friends.

— Clemont doesn’t want to give himself false hope and he already feels like he’s betraying Serena’s friendship with his stupid infatuation he’s had since they were kids.  

— (But still … still …)

— Clemont can’t help but compare what Serena is like now to when she had a crush on Ash. He can’t help but notice the longer hours she spends at the Lumiose Gym, even when Bonnie’s not here. He can’t help but notice the way she smiles at him, holding him close as she teaches him how to dance. He can’t help but notice how her eyes sparkle when she looks at him, shining brighter than they ever did when she looked at Ash.

— Bonnie is totally oblivious to the growing tension whenever Serena is over at the Lumiose Gym, or to the stolen moments the two seem to have that she unassumingly walks in on. Serena’s always been close to the family, and she and Clemont are friends.

— It’s Max, Señor Skeptical, Mr. “I hate romance, why focus on love when you can focus on Pokemon” Maple, that has to tell her what’s going on (seriously, he thought she was the love expert) and she flips out.

— She then immediately plots to get them together (mentally planning their wedding in the process) and drags Max along in the mix despite his protests

— She does everything she can to create romantic atmospheres for Clemont and Serena (Max told her that proposing to Serena for Clemont would only scare her off).

— Clemont and Bonnie argue over her schemes and Max is standing behind her, mentally trying to communicate with Clemont his utter sympathies.

— Finally, after a long uphill battle, Bonnie triumphs by embarrassing Clemont enough to make him ask her out.

— Clemont is red and stuttering through his whole proposal, and Serena, having figured out what he was planning on asking her a while ago, just decided to put him out of his misery and kiss him, blushing pink.

— Clemont is breathless and dazed afterwards. It was so cute, Serena finds her gut clenching hotly and her biting her lip to hide the enormous smile growing on her face. It was definitely worth it, waiting this long.

***

— Max and Bonnie are little ways behind them, and Bonnie throws her arms around Max in celebration

Gary

— Gary Oak has known Leaf Green since childhood. She had grown up with him and Ash. They were the trio of Pallet town. Gary spent days at his Grandpa’s lab with her and Ash and nights at Delia’s house for dinner.

— Ash and Gary were rivals, but him and Leaf were something else. Ever since they were kids they were always arguing, going back and forth with each other. 

— They go separate ways as their journeys take them on separate paths. Gary becomes a successful Pokemon researcher and Leaf has traveled all over the regions. 

— Years have passed when he runs into Leaf again by complete chance.

— At first he can’t believe his eyes. How on earth was this gorgeous woman the bratty girl he grew up with? It’s the same for Leaf. Gary has always been a know-it-all as a kid, but when did he grow into this handsome researcher? She had always brushed him off as that guy who cared more about his hair and girls.

— They catch up and it’s like no time has passed. They still bicker and argue about every little thing under the sun, but now Gary is finally able to label the tension between them.

— They get kicked out of the place they’re in, and when he gets home, he has the biggest, goofiest smile on his face that — quote Misty — “makes him look like an idiot” and Leaf’s number in his pocket.

— Professor Oak knows right away that his grandson has met Leaf, and tells him to invite her over to Pallet Town. Oak has always had a soft spot for Leaf; ever since they were kids he could see that she’s the only one for Gary.

— Before Leaf is suppose to come over, everyone can tell that Gary is nervous. He does his best to not show it, obviously, but he was surrounded by the people who knew him best. Gary keeps running his hands through his hair and the Pokémon are particularly skittish (Pokemon reflect their trainers, after all). Ash, Tracey, and Misty tease him relentlessly while Delia and Oak look on in amusement

— When Misty meets Leaf she instantly likes her: Leaf is strong and stubborn and determined. She is striking and vivacious, and the perfect match for Gary. She’s honestly the only one who could put up with him.

— Misty and Leaf get along great, and when they meet up they constantly make fun of their boyfriends. They are both fierce battlers, and often challenge each other to battles whenever they see each other just like Gary and Ash in their younger days.

— Gary and Leaf spend time together, exchanging snarky flirty comments with each other. They both like to drive each other wild with their teasing and their friends are crazy with the thought “oh god, will those two ever get together?” They’re both hot, and they know it. 

— Sometimes Gary gets pulled away with work, so Leaf joins him whenever he’s on a research dig. She brings warm coffee and offers insight to what he’s missing and fights back a smile whenever Gary geeks out about his findings (she finds it cute how his eyes light up when he rambles — even though she has no idea what he’s saying).

— Leaf absolutely wears the pants in the relationship, because there’s no way she’s letting Gary dominate their relationship. Gary is not willing to admit he’s whipped for Leaf but he is. And everyone can see it. Gary would ruthlessly make fun of everyone for their girlfriends wearing the pants in the relationship, but it’s the exact same with Leaf. He’ll be stubborn, pout, whine, and complain, but will ultimately do her bidding. Everyone is amused.

— Leaf likes the fact that Gary is smart, and is able to hold an intelligent conversation. Back when they were kids, he would go on these spiels of Pokemon facts and would rub the knowledge in her face. It made him very punchable. Now, Leaf can’t help but be immensely attracted to Gary whenever he goes on rants of his research findings. 

— With Gary, he likes how Leaf can keep up with him. Gary can never really get bored with her like he does with other girls because Leaf keeps him on his toes. Their banter keep him up for days on end, and her flirting makes him wild. Her strength and perseverance makes his heart jump in admiration. She makes him want to be better.

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure annoyance

Tracey

— Tracey met Daisy through Misty when she invited him to the Cerulean Gym, and the first time he saw the eldest Waterflower sister his heart skipped a beat

— He had only heard of Misty’s sisters through her long rants over the phone, so he had a (less than appealing) idea of who they were — even though he had tried his best to remain neutral

— But the first time he saw her, his fingers itched with the urge to sketch as he shook her hand. They didn’t say anything beyond greetings before Misty came in and dragged him away, he found he couldn’t stop thinking about her the whole visit

— He had to go back to Pallet Town eventually, and he finds himself drawing distracted sketches of Daisy when he’s supposed to take notes.

— He can’t help it. Usually when he’s struck with inspiration, he sketches it down instantly. With Daisy he didn’t get the time to do that, so it made sense why he couldn’t get her out of his head

— That’s what he told Gary anyway, when he caught him drawing a sketch of Daisy’s face. Gary merely shakes his head, calls him and idiot, and sends him packing for Cerulean City before he can even blink

— Tracey’s heart is beating unusually fast when he asks Daisy if he can sketch her, and a flattered, surprised, beautiful grin crosses her face (he immediately starts drawing it down)

— They spend a lot of time together, and Tracey finds out he can’t get enough of Daisy. They end up talking about everything under the sun, sharing secrets and sketches with each other.

— Tracey is fascinating and unlike anyone Daisy has ever dated. Daisy is much more that she appears, and Tracey wants to peel back every layer to see her true beauty

— (picture Jack and Rose from the Titanic. They definitely do the draw-me-like-one-of-your-French-girls when they start dating. )

— Tracey feels denser than Ash when he realizes that the feelings he associated with sketching Daisy were actually for Daisy herself.

— Tracey stays around Cerulean City for a while, using the excuse of checking out the water Pokemon and helping with the plumbing so Misty doesn’t get suspicious

— Misty is definitely suspicious of the way Tracey turns red whenever Daisy makes a flirtatious comment, or the way her sister seemed to brighten whenever she heard he was around or coming over

— It took her a while to corner Tracey and demanded answers, but he finally admitted to it. Misty instantly accepts him, but she makes a show of threatening him if he hurts his sister

— (all of her sisters boyfriend’s have to pass the “Misty Test”. Misty refuses to be around douchebags (minus Gary) and to have to deal with her sisters crying after a failed date or broken heart. The Misty Test has scared off multiple suitors, but her older sisters are ultimately grateful despite their complaining of not as much boys around the house because of Misty’s Gyrados)

— Daisy ends up asking him out because Tracey was too much of a coward. She laces their hands together, kisses his cheek, and tells him to pick her up at 5.

— Tracey ends up staying the night

***

— Gary is infinitely smug, and Professor Oak merely shakes his head with amusement

Brock

— Brock has been a sad, sad boy watching all his friends grow up and fall in love — and yet Brock can’t seem to find his special lady! He is a successful Pokemon doctor, a great breeder, a good cook, and shoots the best one-liners, if he does say so himself.

— Brock becomes so desperate he actually goes to the guys for help … and it goes exactly as expected. Ash is clueless, Paul says nothing, Drew is unhelpful, Clemont was shy, Tracy was nervous, Gary was Gary, and Cilan was just overall confusing.

— Then he goes to the girls for advice, and while their insight was helpful to an extent … that was it. He went to Misty, May, and Dawn, listening to their offhanded remarks on who liked Brock back (it was a pathetically short list) while wearing face masks and nail polish.

— Brock was about to resign himself to a lonely, loveless life of a bachelor before he came across an offer.

— Bonnie, satisfied that her brother has found a suitable wife in Serena, offers her help in the matchmaking business — and drags Max along with her.

— Arceus, it pains Brock to take orders from Max’s smug little mouth, but he finds equal petty retaliation by pointing out how easily Bonnie bends Max to her bidding

— It takes a while for them to get in sync with each other — Brock was chasing after every other girl and Bonnie was eager to help by doing the exact same thing. Max was the one with the only brain cell when it came to girls

— The trio bond through terrible rom-com movies for “research” — Brock chose the movies, Bonnie got the snacks, and Max would rather die than admit that he actually liked the dramas

— Between Bonnie’s sweet blue eyes, Brock’s cheesy (but romantic) lines, and Max’s intellect, the trio soon have this matchmaking thing down in the bag

— They find him a perfect match and send Brock in (“— just be yourself, cheesy one-liners come later —”) and it’s a huge success. Brock has swept her off her feet and he can hear Bonnie cheering from outside the Pokemon Center’s window

— Brock is right where he’s meant to be, glowing with happiness.

***

— He isn’t done yet, though. He still has to get Max back for all the ear-pulling he did back in Hoenn.