Pokemon Faller blog for Dark Sun Gwyndolin, from Dark Souls. She's in Kalos and has no idea what she's doing but she's determined to do it very well. Please read the pinned post in its entirety!
Pelipper mail is on. Magic anons are off.
Greetings, denizens of this intangible ſpace. I am Gwyndolin, Goddess of the Darkmoon, lastborn child of the Great Lord Gwyn, patron goddess of justice and bearer of the Soul of Cold. Events have conſpired to bring me to this other place against my will. I worry greatly for Lordran in mine abſence, for the First Flame ever fadeth and, though diſtasteful is the act, ſacrifices must be offered as kindling with regularity, with the world's ſurvival prolonged in proportion to the magnitude of souls a ſavior Linketh unto the flame. The time approacheth again mere decades hence and preparations must be made to train the next heroic Undead and guide them along the path; to that end I seek return to the lands of my birth, that I might lay out the ſtrengthening challenges once more.
While here, however, I do resolve to learn of this odd realm, and to partake of its hoſpitality and its challenges. I am, outside of duty, a scholar: of three forms of magic, and of archery, and it would be remiſs to recuse myself from learning as well the skill of battling with pokemon. Therefore I do swear to train a team and ascend to Champion, should time allow while my search progreſseth toward a way to travel home.
I have one pokemon already, though I know its ſpecies not. Twas a brown and large-eared ſort, with fluffy tail, which did approach me like a cat upon my Fall. Foolishly I did reach out in trust, against my cautious habit, and as my fingers brushed across its fur a change did come at once. The beaſt now sporteth fur of white, with ribbons upon her neck all tipped in pink and blue. I have named her Ornstein, after a friend most dear to me, who did transform her body just like this creature, and myself in past, have done.
A settlement lieth ahead along the road; I shall make my way to its gates and seek insight as to the journey ahead.
[OOC info under the cut.]
Hi it's me again from @the-fluffiest-trainer, yes I know Dark Souls is quite a different vibe from MLP, but it's also my favorite game ever and I can't let the growing crowd of Bloodborne Fallers have all the fun, now can I? Gwyndolin and Fluttershy are in the same world and the same Kalos and can conceivably run into each other. This is mostly because I am still not very familiar with pokemon and didn't want to have to double my research and play through another game in parallel, but also because it's just really funny to see them in the same place together.
This world is closer to the anime than to the games, with expanded regions and less emphasis on hard game mechanical details in pokemon battles. I write what makes sense from the perspective of living in the world, even if the numbers and code might not agree.
Important info and ground rules:
With this blog in particular, much more so than with Fluttershy's blog, I am going to have a very twitchy finger on the block button. This has nothing to do with you; this is just due to my own personal requirements in this specific context.
Pronouns are she/her exclusively. IC misgendering will be responded to with hostility. OOC misgendering may get you blocked, because it means you haven't read this pinned post and I really need people to have read this before interacting.
Gwyndolin arrived to Kalos via random ultra wormhole, same as many Fallers, from roughly the ds1 player's time period.
Pelipper mail is on, however...
I am extremely autistic about this game and I guarantee I know what ds1 canon does and does not say. If you make reference to something that's in ds3 but not in ds1, I will know.
If you put ds3 shit in my inbox, I will almost certainly not respond to it.
If the above happens too frequently, I will close all mail. And that's no fun for any of us.
If you send me particularly graphic or offensive ds3 shit, I will block you. Do not fucking test me on this.
Gwyndolin's pokemon team:
Ornstein (she/her), sylveon, who found Gwyndolin upon her Fall as an eevee but evolved instantly upon being pet, just due to the sheer transgender energy Gwyndolin imparted.
Andre (he/him), snom, found on Route 19 and initially thought to be a crystal lizard.
Sif (she/her), yamper, found alongside Radagon in the wilderness near Anistar City.
Radagon (he/him), yamper (shiny), found alongside Sif in the wilderness near Anistar City.
N/A
N/A
[unknown]'s pokemon team:
Nort (he/him), zoroark
Velkotaq (he/him), corviknight
Lozcar (she/her), malamar
Marshadow (they/them), marshadow
N/A
N/A
Text colors and formats used:
Gwyndolin: Standard black text
Visual description in videos: [Bracketed italicized black text]
[unknown]: Purple text. This person first appeared in the "#impish stranger arc". All that is known about them is that they are short, redheaded, also hail from Lordran, and really do not want Gwyndolin investigating them.
Gym Leader Olympia: Blue text. First introduced in the "#anistar rumors arc", her psychic abilities may prove useful in tracking down the stranger noted above.
Fluttershy (@the-fluffiest-trainer): Pink text.
Twindolin: Teal text. AU Gwyndolin from a worse Lordran, introduced in the MMM "Moon Moon" and managed to stay in the pokemon world.
Content warnings for this blog, current and future:
Canonical events of Pokemon X
Trainers can be affected by pokemon moves if improperly targeted
Possible mentions of past transphobia and parental abuse
Not post-apocalyptic themes per se, more like... actively working to push off a foreseeable apocalypse. If Gwyndolin gets home again and does her job, there never will be an apocalypse.
Occasional high-stakes plots which may involve injury and/or death, for both pokemon and trainers.
Current deviations from normal:
Gwyndolin got cat ears pelipper mailed to her. It took her weeks to notice she had them because of the mask she wears all the time.
Story arcs so far:
Intro arc (no tag): Gwyndolin Falls into eastern Kalos and finds a starter pokemon. She takes on a dragon-type gym in a noncanon small town.
#cold wind arc: On the way to the nearest large city, Snowbelle, Gwyndolin investigates what appears to be a creature native to Lordran.
#impish stranger arc: Gwyndolin happens upon a person who cannot be focused on or remembered later, but who shows up on video. Investigation leads to this person revealing they are also from Lordran, then leaving town and threatening Gwyndolin with bodily harm if she tries to find them again.
#week of weeks mini-arc: The road is out to the north of Snowbelle, so Gwyndolin takes the back roads through a tiny town, arriving just in time for a local holiday. She learns about other traditions and meets a very gay woman named Ruth.
#anistar rumors arc: Everyone in Anistar City is strangely hostile for no apparent reason. The psychic gym leader Olympia informs Gwyndolin that a stranger passed through recently and spread unpleasant rumors about her, then made themself forgotten when they left. Also there was an incident with some zucchini.
#mmm: moon moon: An alternate Gwyndolin falls into Kalos, from a timeline in which the Dark overtook Lordran. She does not wish to return home, and with Gwyndolin's help manages to remain.
dunno if you have queerness as we would define it back home. but girls who kiss girls, guys who kiss guys, people who don't conform to the idea of wanting a het marriage, and people who disagree with the body they were given, are all celebrated. we get an entire month. you're both transgender women, right? so, happy pride!
Ah. Yes. Not every word this place useth doth exist back home, but the people do. We are what thou wouldst call transgender. A celebration, however, that is... yet another wonder of these strange lands, I suppose.
I thank thee for the well wishes, though I can scarcely imagine having pride in this state of being. One could say, perhaps, that I have pride in survival, in sustaining myself and achieving what pale shadow of womanhood that I have, for it was a great effort... but that is the extent of what I can feel, at this time.
I mean, yeah. Trans people are cool and we’re lucky to have them.
Perhaps time might do its strangeness another way, and allow this message to be carried on to my father, some millennia past. To know when I was young not only that I was not alone, but that our kind are celebrated...
Indeed. I thank thee, stranger, for thy kind words. It is a strange thing, to be valued in whole, and not have this condition counted as a mark against, outweighed by my status and ability but a failure nonetheless... I do like this world, greatly, and its people. Never would I leave of mine own accord, not solely though I have no home to return to, sondern that this place already is so beloved to me. Though I am weakened from my losing war against the Dark, I do pledge what power yet remaineth to this world's defense. For here live many who are trans, and I would see their safety assured.
Pelipper mail: two pizzas, as well as a pair of transgender pride flags.
This world too did invent the Izalite flatbread?
The what? Those are pizzas.
This name "pizza" I do not know. In my world – well, the term flatbread is a misnomer, applied by way of the imitations made in Anor Londo which were formed by necessity upon a crust of bread – the proper way is a thin sheet of shelf fungus, and thereon sauce and cheeses.
Ew, shelf fungus? Little mushrooms on top of pizza, sure, but not as the whole crust!
...These look safe, though. Probably terribly unhealthy and I really shouldn't, but oh, they smell so good. I suppose it can't hurt to have a slice. Or a few.
What? Is today another holiday of this world? One that doth... celebrate... people who have transitioned their gender into another? Could it really be that such a day existeth?
Well. Our thanks to thee, then, from the three of us. Transgender, all, and certainly visible in this world, as none of us are the human that is expected.
...Was there not another holiday just recently? I could have sworn, something to do with trees, and then a night of storytelling with masks and noisemakers? Hath time passèd in unusual ways, again? I do hear that it acteth in such a manner from others on this site...
One of them is on pumpernickel bread, and is filled with honey, sliced dates, and figs. Small bits of cashew add texture to it.
The second is a seasonal sort of sandwich, with apple smoked ham, thick slices of gouda cheese, and toasted italian bread.
The third is made from some sort of seed-heavy bread, and has mainly apple slices, oran berries, and a light fruity sauce.
@gotta-pet-em-all
Thou hast great generosity indeed. This is the first I have tasted of this world's food, and it is beyond description. I am reminded of the galas in the time before Gwynevere did leave Anor Londo. Masterfully done – and shouldst thou be humble and insist it is merely typical, that serveth only to elevate all else by comparison.
[A picture is attached, showing half of the ham and gouda sandwich held in a white-gloved hand. In the background Twindolin is caught at an unflattering moment mid-bite on the pumpernickel sandwich, and Rarity is enjoying the apple and berry one.]
okay so like. feel free to correct me if i'm wrong, obligatory disclaimer that i am cisgender, but honestly? every time i hear trans people talking about dysphoria i think "oh that sounds like a very particular sort of depression"
idk man. i'm making sandwiches today so if you're trans, reblog and i'll send you a sandwich
All three of us in this group are trans women, it doth seem. To have this in common with mine alternate self is expected, but with a horse who did fall from the sky is another matter. I know not what exactly the equines of her world eat, but I believe a sandwich may help with the shock of Falling. As for myself, I do not require food to survive, so thou needst not trouble thyself on my behalf.
[Gwyndolin is looking upward, where an equine figure is silhouetted against the bright sky, flailing in panic. She has her right hand extended with her catalyst toward the figure, and there is a misty blue glow around the bulb at the tip.]
[She glances to the side at Twindolin, who also has her attention focused upward, though she lacks a catalyst. Instead, she has both hands cupped together, connected by the base of the thumbs to form an inverted bowl shape, with her pinkies flared outward. White sparkles wink in and out around her hands as she stares unblinkingly at her target.]
[The horse's motion gradually slows – at least to a speed not immediately fatal, if still fairly rapid – but just as she impacts the ground, a large puff of magical blue mist appears under her and cushions the remainder of her fall.]
Well, that worked handily. What was that spell? Clearly not the fall control sorcery I was using.
Slow falling miracle. Mine own invention, in the days after our timelines diverged. Where the Abyss doth spread, it openeth great fissures in the land, and my knights did require aid even after my equipment was lost.
You will have to teach me sometime.
[The horse – white, with a single horn extending from her forehead and a pattern of three blue gemstones on each flank – manages to stand and looks around. She eyes the two Gwyndolins warily at first, but upon listening to their conversation seems to decide they are harmless.]
Well! I must say, my second time falling from the sky was not any more enjoyable than the first, so you have my thanks for catching me. Now, my apologies if this seems a little uncouth, but I simply must ask – what in Equestria are you two?
Greetings. My name is Gwyndolin, and I am–
[Gwyndolin looks down at her snakes.]
Well, I am atypical even by mine own people's standards. And this is... also Gwyndolin. I'm sorry. It is complicated.
That is a talking horse. A unicorn. Who fell from the sky. What the fuck.
Yes, and do you remember how confused you were upon falling into this world? Let us not make it worse.
I am certain thou hast many questions. We too arrived here in similar fashion to thyself, as did another of thy kind even before us. Let us be thy guides for now – and dost thou know a wingèd one by name of Fluttershy?
You know Fluttershy? She's here? Did all of us get sent here... by that awful... Oh, where are my manners? My name is Rarity. I don't know what sort of beast you may be, but it hardly matters, does it? I gladly accept your gracious offer of guidance, because...
[Rarity glances all around, but there is no one here besides herself and the two Gwyndolins.]
Because, if you'll pardon my language... I don't have a single gods-damned clue where the fuck I am.
Route 14 is quite pleasant. It doth remind me of Darkroot, though perhaps... better maintained?
Indeed. A relaxing walk between the cities, with forest to all sides yet still open to the sky overhead, so it remaineth bright and clear and safe. I commend this region's designers on a work of great beauty.
And this route hath more experienced trainers along its length as well. Perhaps the children prefer the open fields?
I believe it is that house we did pass. While you battled one trainer I did speak with her companion, who told me rumors of strange happenings there.
Hmm, that may be it. Anyway, I see my next mark ahead – wait. Look, in the sky. Is that something falling?
Where? Ah, yes... I believe so. Larger than a bird, but not shining like a falling star. If I did not know better, I would say it doth look like...
I TRIED TO PET A MASSIVE DOGGY AND IT WASNT ACTUALLY THERE :/
I guess I’m staying inside for safety for a while but…. Doggy… can someone please pet their doggy on my behalf.
also the Entity is sitting outside my window with the saddest wettest eyes you can imagine. Fuck off bitch I’m praying to the antipsychotics in my pantheon
To Lumiose we go! We are not the fastest of individuals, having snakes in place of feet, but speed is hardly a concern. Along the way I surely will encounter many fellow pokemon trainers regardless, with whom I will stop a while to do battle.
Perhaps once we arrive, we may meet the "Pokemon Professor" who resideth in the capital. I always relish an opportunity to learn, and as another matter, he might suggest options for my twin to involve herself in this world without relying on battle. For now, though, we shall simply take our time upon the road, and admire the beauty and the life to be found in this realm.
[A video is attached of what appears to be video game footage of Dark Souls 1. The player character, a woman with dark blonde hair tied back in a ponytail wearing the Thief set of armor, performs the Wave gesture at the camera before passing through the fog wall to enter the boss arena for the final boss of the game.
A health bar comes up: Gwyn, Lord of Cinder.
The boss himself stands in the center of the arena, a hollowed husk of who he might have been before—but a hollowed husk who, nevertheless, can fight and fight well. Gwyn charges in. Pepper's character dodge rolls out of the way of his first strike, then parries the second with a shield recognizable to players as the Grass Crest Shield, and charges in with a riposte attack from a sword recognizable as Quelaag's Furysword.
Gwyn, unsurprisingly, does not seem particularly fond of being stabbed. It doesn't take much off of his health bar, but it takes a pretty visible chunk off of it. Pepper keeps her character's shield up, circling Gwyn in a clearly practiced manner, never attacking herself—though it seems pretty clear that she could, if she wanted to.
She does not want to. She wants to parry that man to death. Which is precisely what she does. Every time Gwyn lunges in, whether it's with a barrage of slashes, a great thrust of his blade, or (on one memorable occasion) attempting to kick her shield away, Pepper either parries it and goes in for a riposte, or dodges to the side.
This works out on some occasions better than others. Her attempt at chugging some estus to heal when Gwyn is at about an eighth of his health nearly gets her killed. But she clearly knows what she's doing, and in the end, Gwyn goes down and Pepper's character doesn't.
At which point Pepper's character performs the Praise the Sun gesture, spreading both arms wide over her head, and the video ends.]
hi. this took me more tries than I thought it would but I got him in the end :) arc ng+ is hard. worth it though.
(ng+ is short for new game plus which is... basically after you beat the game - so, beating up gwyn here - you start back over from the beginning in the undead asylum, but you still have most of your stuff and sometimes characters say slightly different things. this is like... my third time fighting him on this particular save, I think)
(@has-the-gogoat-burned-yet)
So that is what he looked like when the first Undead set foot in the Kiln... or his echo, anyway, formed of ash and embers, as Gwyn himself was long since dead. No lightning, that is an interesting choice for this world's simulation of such a battle, but then the Chosen Undead never truly fight their predecessors, only a guardian the First Flame createth as embodiment.
Masterfully done, Pepper – he is, as thou didst say, quite parryable. An embarrassing defeat for one of his stature. If only centuries of transphobic abuse could be deflected with such ease...
Thy sword appeareth familiar, as well. I do believe one of my sisters doth wield one similar. I know not how faithful the game representation of Lordran may be to reality, but, were I to attempt translation of the world I know into a story... perhaps one might find a cure to Quelathi's ailment – I wish I knew such a cure – and then Quelaag might give away her sword as thanks before the two of them leave together for better lands?
In any case, my thanks for the video. It was quite enjoyable.
quelaag is your sister? I thought. I thought gwynevere was your sister???
um. anyway. thank you and also I really, really, really hope the game representation of lordran isn't that similar to how it is for you.
also I really did not think you would be that chuffed about me beating up not-technically-your-dad but also yeah transphobia would sure do it! to be entirely clear- she/her pronouns for you? the girl ones?
Gwynevere is also my sister. I have quite a few. Also an elder brother, as much as Gwyn wished to write him out of history for his mistakes.
...And yes. The girl ones. The same for Twindolin as well. Despite the Great Lord's best efforts, we both are women, and wish to be recognized as such.
Thy warning doth worry me. How bad is this timeline thou seest in the game? It cannot be worse than the Lordran from which I Fell, can it? Where the Abyss ran wild and every living soul within its grip was transformed into a horrid, cackling beast that sought only the deaths of any other they saw? If thy Undead proxy hath yet the option to rekindle the First Flame, then it is not yet to that degree of catastrophe. Thou art not yet faced with a losing battle against the Dark and its leader, that... the one who... It bringeth me shame that for all my scholarship, my memory doth fail to recall any detail of mine enemy's person. But an Undead would have no chance of survival there.
