Leeno Region's Luxray Sanctuary

A semi-RP askblog. [pfp by @toothflowers.]

[doctor-cerezo]

Hey. Name's JB Cerezo, a Leeno Region poké-veterinarian and medical researcher.

I specialize in the shinx / luxio / luxray evo-line, both of the domesticated bloodlines and wildborn varieties. They're just flawless creatures and I adore them.

Currently working at the extensive Luxray Sanctuary in rural Leeno.

[doctor-cerezo]

this blog is getting heavily reworked!!!

[doctor-cerezo]

Hello professor I need help choosing a pokemom for my gf but not for battling as a service Pokemon I don't know what to Choose

What kinda disability does your girlfriend have, exactly? I can't recommend something until I know that.

[bearimba]

Johto Culture/Worldbuilding Headcanons

Since the New Bark Town kids are out of the way, I figured I'd do some basic worldbuilding stuff before we start covering more characters. There's more I'll cover later on, but to start off with, let's go over the general culture of Johto!

As a whole, the people of Johto lean towards more "traditional" values such as putting family first, a sense of obligation towards their communities (national pride/patriotism is very strong in older populations), an emphasis on respect towards elders, etc.

That being said, Johtonians are also very private---typically, what happens behind closed doors stays behind there for better or for worse. That doesn't mean people aren't extremely nosy, just that they wouldn't actively disrupt the public peace with their gossip.

Joint families are the most common form of family unit, though nuclear families have become more prevalent in cities such as Goldenrod due to limited living space. Houses tend to consist of one main living space (usually living room/kitchen/dining room combined) with bedrooms and bathrooms accessed through either a side hallway or a second floor. Sometimes (usually in downtown areas), a family business may be on the first floor while living/private spaces will be located on the second floor.

Similarly to Sinnoh, Johto's history is considered very important and conservation efforts are taken very seriously across the region. However, those efforts are mostly aimed towards preserving current knowledge instead of actively discovering the past, meaning there is still information that gets forgotten and lost to time.

Due to this (and also partially because of the burning of Brass Tower), Ho-Oh receives much more reverence than Lugia. Before, they were considered the twin guardians of the region and protected the balance between people and pokemon, but now, Ho-Oh has been deified while Lugia is sidelined and nearly forgotten.

Johtonians have a very distinct accent, mostly since they're a bit more secluded compared to other regions. Goldenrod and Saffron City have a stronger mix of Johtonian and Kantonian accents mostly due to tourists and commuting workers on the Magnet Train.

Johto exports a large amount of artisanal and handmade goods, especially woodcrafts such as cabinets or other large furniture (it's much more heavily wooded compared to other regions), but the region also has a very successful maritime industry that could almost rival Hoenn's.

Johtonians receive their ID card on their 13th birthday. At that point, they may opt in to take the gym challenge. If they do, they will receive a trainer card that contains information pertinent to the gym challenge on the back, which is then updated with every gym the trainer beats. They will keep the same ID their entire life regardless of whether they complete the challenge.

On a similar note, the age of majority is 20, which is a bit older than most other regions (Sinnoh/Kanto are 18, Hoenn is 17, etc etc.)

Children typically get their first pokemon (also referred to as their starter pokemon) at a very early age. This is to help teach them responsibility and respect for pokemon, and it provides them protection when they're unsupervised.

Public schooling is free up to 13 years age, at which point they can choose to pay to go to a private school, take a break to go on a pokémon journey and take on the gym challenge, or quit altogether.

Far more often than not, children will take about a year to go on their journey and then go back to school. Upon their return, they generally have the option to skip certain classes (both the ones they missed and future classes) if they're able to put together a decent report detailing their experiences and what they learned on their journey.

Nontraditional scenarios include students returning from their journey earlier or later than a year, students going on their journey and not returning to school, or going on their journey/dropping out of school at older than 13 years (there is technically no upper age limit at which the gym challenge can be started).

Crime rates are pretty low (especially major crimes such as assault, burglary, kidnapping etc.), which is part of the reason why children are allowed to roam the region unsupervised. This is mostly due to heavy restrictions on which/how many pokemon are legal to own, with and without certain permits. Additionally, the maximum number of occupied pokeballs a person is allowed to carry at once is six, although the average person will own at most three pokemon. Such laws are common in other regions, but Johto is more strict about their regulations.

Additionally, since taking care of children is often a community undertaking ("it takes a village to raise a child"), many adults will keep a close eye on nearby kids and keep them out of trouble regardless of whether they're related.

Since traveling trainers can’t hold down a steady job, a common way to earn money is just to pop into local businesses and ask if they need help. It’s not guaranteed to work, but most businesses will either find something small for them to do or recommend a different business to ask.

Pokemon centers will often allow trainers to sleep overnight in the lobby, though it's frowned upon to stick around for more than a day or two---camping outside or getting a room at an inn is better for longer stays.

Also, because pokemon centers are so widespread and well-recognized, they're often used as a meeting spot for social gatherings (though again, loitering inside isn't welcome. it's like meeting up with friends in a hospital lobby). As a result, many businesses---mainly third spaces such as restaurants and recreational spots---will compete to establish themselves as close to pokemon centers as they can.

Live performance tends to be the most popular form of entertainment across the region, including traditional/ceremonial productions, theater, and music. Historical enactments are also very popular during festivals. This is in part because oral storytelling used to be the region's main form of chronicling its history. (There are a few exceptions, such as the Dragon's Den containing extensive records of the Dragon Tamers and the local area, but unfortunately, access to those records is generally very limited.)

[theonlyren]

Public Sylveon Announcement

So. It's Pride Month, and the Sylveon are out in droves, being the icons we all want them to be (they adore the attention). During this time, you may be tempted to catch one of these goobers, or perhaps be chosen by one, to raise and train as your own. That's great! As a trainer of a Sylveon for a whole decade, I'm intimately familiar with the ins and outs of this particular Eeveelution and will be glad to share some advice!

Without further ado, here's how you care for a newly caught Sylveon!

0: Don't.

Get yourself an Eevee, and earn your Sylveon.

Understand I'm not saying this with spite, this is genuinely a word of caution, a warning, if you will. Aside from the fact that catching a Sylveon during Pride is almost certainly an "impulse catch" that you may well not be ready to commit to, stop to consider for a moment just how Sylveon evolve. They require affection. Love. A step above "mere" friendship. They require a genuine connection to another that sparks perhaps one of the most unique and precious evolutions known to all 'mon. Straight up catching/adopting one not only skips that entire, critical step, but also more-than-likely deeply implies that the Sylveon you're catching/adopting had that connection and, one way or another has lost it.

We call this baggage and a lot of people aren't ready to deal with it. You could be inadvertently taking in a 'mon with separation anxiety, depression, nightmares and high stress, imposter syndrome, and more.

Start with an Eevee (A child of a Sylveon if at all possible ;D), and evolve it with a healthy baseline into a Sylveon, you'll both be much happier.

"But what if the Sylveon chose me and isn't leaving?"/"I'm aware of the risks, but want to commit to this anyway."

Well, dear reader, keep reading!

1: Be ready for touch.

Sylveon are titled "The Intertwining Pokemon" for a reason. They adore touch. They're hardwired to seek it. Quite literally my own Sylveon is sitting under my desk as I type this, with his feeler wrapped around my leg. It's his favorite place to be that isn't also in my bed. Their feelers can be off putting to a lot of people, especially after one realizes they're flesh and fur, but do not recoil from it, you'll break the poor bab's heart. Touch is how they explore and how they get a read on you and other pokemon (it's also how they lull prey into a false sense of security before they go for the throat, more on that later). Do not touch starve your Sylveon. For a blessing, their feelers are velvety soft and feel wonderful, at least, to most people. If you have other Pokemon, encourage them to get used to the feelers as well. I have a Zoroark on my team, and, though it took a while, he doesn't recoil at Vivi's feelers and lets him explore.

This all goes double for cuddles. Sylveon are perhaps the absolute worst of the Eeveelutions that still believe they're a lap Eevee once they evolve. A lot of trainers will try and tell you to discourage such behavior, since it will encourage them to pounce on other people, but, in my experience, Sylveon are rather adept at knowing who to not pounce on. As long as you're the primary pounce person, your Sylveon will seldom jump on other people that it doesn't consider a friend and knows not to pounce on.

2: Be ready for high-maintenance.

Sylveon (most of them, at least) are spoiled brats in one way or another. It's a common "trap" most trainers fall into when raising one, a lot of the ways you can show one affection as an eevee is to go above and beyond for it in one way or another, and they will get used to that. My Sylveon, as an example, loves baths, and practically requires one daily. Other Sylveon may require a battle on the weekly, or high quality food, or long, scenic walks, or, Arc-save-you, all of the above. They're a very high-energy, high-maintenance Eeveelution, beaten out only by Jolteon.

3: Be ready for noise.

Oh they YELL. Sylveon are talkative little buggers, and the moment something goes amiss they will cry about it. If they're having fun they will cry about it. If they're bored they will cry about it. If they know Hyper Voice, Lord-in-heaven they will cry about it. You can train one to be quiet on demand, but use such commands sparingly, as frequently telling them to "quiet down" will make one start to question if you're mad at it or appreciate it. Which leads us to-

4: Temper your emotions.

Another aspect about Sylveon is they use their feelers to channel a calming Fairy-type energy that quite literally reads your emotions and dulls hostility. This makes them great therapy Pokemon, as it makes it damn near impossible to be mad if one's around, and great hunters, as it makes it damn near impossible to fear for your life when it goes in for the kill! It also, perhaps frustratingly, makes it damn near impossible to be mad at them if they misbehave. And they're a fairy-type, they will misbehave at some point. All a Sylveon wants to feel is love and joy, understandably, but other emotions exist for a reason, and both you and your Sylveon will have to learn to channel and process those emotions in a healthy, controlled manner, as this will reliably get the both of you back to feeling the love and joy you're likely seeking. This process is different for everyone, and Arc-knows I'm far from a licensed therapist, but it's still important to learn how to figure out anger and sorrow with a Sylveon around, and the both of you will need to train yourselves to work through your feelings.

5: Be ready to play.

I'm lucky, I have other mons that'll be playmates for Vivi at the drop of a hat. But one thing I've observed with Sylveon as a whole is that they all need playtime and playmates, and if you don't have other Pokemon that can be your Sylveon's playmate, guess what, bud - that means you're the playmate! Even if you do have other mons you are still a valid playmate!

Buy toys.

Squeaky toys, tug-ropes, ribbons, balls, feathers, and dolls are all fantastic toys for your Sylveon, and if one brings a toy to you, you'd best engage, unless you want an express example of lesson 3. Thankfully, most Sylveon are happy with short and quick play sessions. My own is happy with maybe three rounds of fetch or a brief tug-o-war session before it'll go back to happily cuddling up next to me, but all Sylveon are different in varous ways. Trust your instincts and you'll be able to easily tell when your Sylveon is content.

6: They are smart.

Sylveon are beat out only by Espeon in the overall intelligence category. Being mostly modern/urban life adapted Pokemon that usually spend all their lives around humans, they pick up pretty quickly on language, social cues, tools, and so on. Intelligence is always a wavering factor among all Pokemon, but, on the whole, expect your Sylveon to be far more clever than your average Growlithe or Yamper, and respect that intelligence. It may not ever speak Galarian to you, but it could very well learn to read, open doors, work a TV remote or even keyboard, steal your phone, visit and buy from stores, and so on.

---

And there we have it! Past all this, all the standard methods for training and caring for Pokemon apply! Sylveon, on the whole, are quite amicable, and most are perfectly content to chill out and cuddle when they aren't being high-chaos gremlins. They're fantastic battlers as well, with great durability, utility, and surprising potential for damage, amplified only by the love and friendship you provide one.

Give a Sylveon love, and - capital L - Love is what you get in return.

[is-the-pokemon-video-cute]

Very important information regarding the Sylveon line!! They're one of my favorite fairy types, but you have to be aware of all their needs.

And yes, they're absolute screamers jhgfhjknjjb! That's the only reason I don't have one of my own, some of my other mon are very sensitive to loud noises.

[electric-pokemon-appreciator]

Yknow what? Type specialist ask game! ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ

🔥 [fire] - Tell us how you decided on your team! Did you plan your team around your type’s weaknesses? Did you choose Pokémon that seemed most like you? Or did you choose some other way?

✨ [sparkles] - Do you have any Pokémon other than your speciality? Did you get them before or after deciding you were a specialist?

😎 [sunglasses] - What do you like most about your type specialty?

⚡️ [lightning] - Give us a random fact you know about a pokemon of your type specialty!

💥 [explosion] - What kinds of teams do your Pokémon usually struggle to fight against?

💫 [shooting star] - If you had to swap your type specialty to a different one, which one would you choose?

💨 [wind] - What stereotypes that people generally have about your type/type specialists are true (in your case)? Which ones are false?

Remember to send an ask to whoever you reblog from! ( • ̀ω•́ )✧

[doctor-cerezo]

[Flori & Tim get adopted by Almira.]

The turtwig chirps softly as it is picked up by two careful human hands. This turtwig is a male, and very young, just hatched a few weeks ago. He and one of his clutchmates, another boy, have been adopted just now, and the people around him are joyous about it. Almira Bonner is the name of their new owner, having flown all the way from Sinnoh to Kalos’ Couriway Town just for this. She's given them both names: Florimund, and his brother is Timoleon. Her face is aglow as she holds him in one of her arms, Timoleon in the other. You guys are so lucky, coos one of the nursery employees, I can tell you're gonna be so great together!

Their individual red-and-white pokéballs are prettily decorated with stickers and even a single custom sticker that has their name on it, like most people do these days just to tell different pokéballs apart, if they don't go the extra mile and order an expensive pokéball from an indie (and hopefully high quality, if the buyer knows how to tell) maker that is entirely customized to begin with. Almira chose to go the easier route.

She presses the button on the center of the ‘balls and with a red light the two babies are pulled into them, safe and sound.

[doctor-cerezo]

update on Flori & Tim

the 2 kalosian turtwig i posted earlier today

they belong to my OC Almira Bonner, a clinic secretary in Komorebi

that is all, end update

[doctor-cerezo]

3. What is your OC's financial status? Are they just scraping by, making enough to live comfortably, or wealthy? Has there ever been a drastic change in their status? If so, what happened?

JB grew up in poverty back in Bigheart, Leeno region, and positively clawed his way up to where he is now with sheer hopefulness and hard work in school. He loves his career and put his all into it from day one. Things are a lot easier now, especially when research grants are given, but JB is still not rich and honestly does not expect himself to ever be. It doesn't bother him. As long as he can do his beloved job, everything is fine.

Prof. Jules Sacheverell is a bit different, from a family researchers/scientists/professors, moderately more wealthy than JB's biofamily (being smart at your career doesn't automatically make you affluent), but he doesn't look down on anyone who doesn't have that kind of pre-knowledge in their family background. He's a really mellow and quiet guy, though people often assume otherwise with the scarring on his face, but they quickly learn that he's simply quite focused on what he does for a living. He and JB get along very professionally since Jules is normally quite introverted; JB sometimes wonders if Jules doesn't like him.

(The truth is that Jules thinks JB is a bit too frivolous, but it's not enough to think he's bad at his work, so he doesn't bring it up.)

[doctor-cerezo]

I was wondering if there were any Update On the injured Voltorb I sent you last year?

Oh, yes, they are doing just fine! Sorry for extremely late response.

[doctor-cerezo]

hey i'm back

i know there was a long bout of inactivity but I've returned now

shoot me some asks!

[doctor-cerezo]

eheheheheh sorry i haven't answered them yet...my bad...

[doctor-cerezo]

you can thank Fin (AKA Kobolding/catclown) from the Couriway Town nursery for these guys; Kalosian turtwig, a recently developed variant! superb for therapy pokemon'ing and have very calm temperaments -- although these 2 are pretty chaotic for the variant, but it's nowhere near as much as other species i could name lol -- they are both boys, choco is Florimund and the matcha lil guy is Timoleon. (i don't yet have a backstory for how they end up at Komorebi, nor do i know which human they belong to, but they're there anyway.)

time will tell if they evolve!

[doctor-cerezo]

the 2nd and 3rd evos of the Leeno region's grass starter, nitacub!!

art done by @prof-peach

middle one is stemkuma and final evo is arktofolio

[alannah-corvaine]

GET TO KNOW THE OC ASKS

1. What kind of person is your OC in a crisis? Are they calm and collected? Do they panic? Or are they chronically the cause?

2. Is your OC a loner or a social butterfly? Are they satisfied with how they come across to other people?

3. What is your OC's financial status? Are they just scraping by, making enough to live comfortably, or wealthy? Has there ever been a drastic change in their status? If so, what happened?

4. Does your OC have a failed friendship or relationship they still think about? What happened? Is it an unresolved regret or is there a chance for reconciliation?

5. Does your OC have a signature weapon and/or attack? How long did they train to master it?

6. Does your OC know magic? Were they born with magical ability or did they train to acquire it? What is their favorite type of magic? Least favorite?

7. Does your OC like their natural hair color or do they dye it? What styles do they prefer?

8. What was your OC's most embarrassing moment? Does it still bother them or are they able to shrug it off?

9. Is your OC laid back or do they thrive on drama? What role do they play in their group of friends/associates?

10. Is your OC sentimental or pragmatic? Do they keep mementos or only what they need to survive? Have they always been this way or did something happen to make them change?

11. What does your OC believe in? God(s)? Monsters? Love? The power of unbreakable bonds of friendship to overcome any obstacle? The ability of money to open any door? Or are they indifferent?

12. Is your OC cynical or optimistic? Who or what shaped their outlook on life?

13. How important are romantic relationships to your OC? Do they prefer casual sex, short flings, or long term relationships? Do they want to get married or are they content with what they have? Or do they have no interest in romance whatsoever?

14. How important is friendship to your OC? Do they prefer to have one or two close friends or a large group of casual friends? Or do they prefer their own company over that of others?

15. What places hold significant meaning or memories for your OC? Do they have a positive or negative association with those places?

16. How does your OC make money? Do they have a respectible profession or work a series of odd jobs? Are they a criminal? Or do they get creative in the pursuit of coin?

17. Does your OC have an enemy? What happened between them? Is it mutual or one-sided? Is it petty or serious? Is one party seeking revenge? Does one person want the other dead or are they content to hate them from afar? 

18. Has your OC ever had a prophecy made about them? Was it a big deal or did they ignore it? Was it straightforward or cryptic? Did it ever come to pass or did they circumvent it?

19. Has your OC ever had an experience with the paranormal or the divine? What happened? Was it a one time encounter or is it a normal part of their life? Did they find it terrifying or thrilling?

20. Has your OC ever done something terrible and lied about it? Did they run away or blame someone else for it? How long did they maintain the lie and did the truth ever come out?

[doctor-cerezo]

say hi to one of our clinic's secretaries!

Her name's Almira Bonner, she's very good at her job and a sweetheart. (Made with the Makowwka picrew).

[doctor-cerezo]

hey i'm back

i know there was a long bout of inactivity but I've returned now

shoot me some asks!

[doctor-cerezo]

Nitacub, the Leeno region's grass starter!

Art by @prof-peach!!