What felt like a leisurely stroll along the markets of Slateport suddenly turned into a God awful nightmare. Steven was lucky that Dia had decided to tag along with him, because now- he looked over to where Alexandria had been standing by them.
She was gone. He wasn’t the type of parent to be overly protective of his child, but Alexandria always made sure to stay within view so he could spot her. This time, he could not see no head nor hair of her.
Heart hammering, the man’s face paled as he felt Dia take his arm to check around. She had to be somewhere here. She HAD to be!
If something were to happen to her... she couldn’t just run away. Not without her inhaler.
“Dia, I can’t... we need to find her! She can’t... she...” he felt out of breath already from the amount of blood rushing to his head. The man scrambling for his Pokeball, he summoned out Skarmory in hopes of spotting her from above.
“I- I think I remember seeing her on the west side. I will check there, you check on the east side! Hurry!” Oh please dear Rayquaza let her be ok.
—-
Meanwhile, calmly pattering her way through a crowd of people, Alexandria held her breath when she tried to trace her steps back to Steven and Dia. Being too short, she felt her steps quickening. Don’t run too fast, she reminded herself as her vision began to blur. Pure tears began to drip down her face, clearly upset that she had broken away from her father.
“Oof— oh, I’m rea-really s-sorry...” she had bumped into a lady, and with a sniffle, Alexandria gazed up at her with her big blue eyes shimmering with more threats of tears.
“P-please, help me find my daddy...”
She knew that things like this could be considered common, considering just where they were and how busy it was at the moment, but she felt her heart aching in worry and slight distress over the small child. After all, she was still young, and with the current ongoings of the area, of Hoenn entirely, as she knew it, it was indeed a scary thought.
She could tell Steven was panicking, simply from the look on his face, and the way he was speaking. She wasn’t surprised, Alexandria was his world. And honestly, over time, she started to become her own. But she also knew there were good people in the world, and she was clinging onto the hope that one of them found her, instead of someone who may be dangerous.
Taking out two of her Pokeballs, she made sure there was enough room before letting both of the Pokemon inside out. The others were at home, they wanted to rest after previous events that she swore to never mention to Steven. “Beauti, Ele, keep your mental connections open, we need to find Alexandria.”
She saw both of them look towards one another, a serious look on their faces before they looked back towards her and nodded. “Beauti, you’re faster, go to the far end. Ele, you’re a bit slower because of your size, take around here. I’ll go about halfway.” With that, Beauti had instantly started on her way to the far end of the markets, and Ele instantly started looking around.
Despite knowing fully well she was in no condition to really be running around, she started with it. She had to be around the markets somewhere. Hopefully, she stayed where she was, which would lead to her being found easily.
—-
The older woman couldn’t help but be surprised when she had felt herself bumping into something that obviously shouldn’t be there. And even for a moment, Goro had been about to step in, but she had stopped him when she had seen just what it was she had come across. A child, one that was clearly lost, given how she was acting. It made her wonder for a moment, and it had taken everything in her to not simply snap in irritation.
Instead, she gave off a small smile to the child, leaning down a little. “Don’t worry about it, dear, it’s alright.” She let herself gently place her hand on her head, tilting her head a little. “It’s easy to get separated at this time of day, isn’t it? Why don’t we go off to the side so that you don’t get swept away with the crowd.” She wanted to be ill with just how... Nice, she was being. But children needed an extra touch to manipulate, sadly. Maybe she will prove to be of use, somehow...
This was... not something Nova expected. An invitation from Tapu Koko to talk about Alolan rumors at the ruins on Melemele. He wasn’t sure what the purpose for this was, but company was always nice, so he’d play along.
Nova spotted Tapu Koko by a... shrine? Throne? None of the above? Eh, it wasn’t all that important.
“Hey. I got your note.” He traced a claw across the ground. “I don’t have much in the way of rumors, myself. But I did hear something pretty kooky when I was visiting Poni.” Nova tilted his head to the side. “So, get this, apparently Solgaleo and Lunala mate by ramming each other at top speeds and the resulting collision somehow makes a cosmog. Dunno how it works, but it just happens. Well, if the pokémon living on Poni are to be believed.”
i have the biggest interview of my life coming up tomorrow and i was JUST notified of that, so i’m gonna need to take a break from writober for today and tomorrow. will make it up on wednesday and thursday!
It took Will a good minute to collect himself, and it took even longer to look up into his bathroom mirror. A part of him wondered why he even bothered; simply staring at himself wasn’t going to give him the confidence he needed, nor would it lead to him suddenly loving himself after years of self hatred. Yet another part, the part that brought him here, said otherwise. This part told him that, if he wanted to get to a better place, then he needed to start small and start somewhere. This was his starting point.
The white cloth obscuring his eyes stared back to him out of the mirror. Behind them as a sight he had always avoided looking at, for whenever he did, horrible memories would resurface. Even when he would shower or bathe, he always avoided the mirror until he could put the mask back on. The mask was a safety net; a barrier to keep the bad out while giving him the means to go out in public without anxiety and panic taking over. The mask was the result of years of crafting a persona, one that led to him forgetting who he was, and forgetting a time where he never wore it. The mask was the most crucial aspect of his wardrobe, and while the style of it changed through the years to match his various outfits, the purpose had been the same.
It was also this mask that, while providing him with safety and comfort, also stood in his way. The barrier it provided helped him to shut out people for years, even his own family. In fact, up until this point, there had only been one to see him without it, and that was enough to leave him shaken. In recent days, and years, he had started to shed his mask multiple times, but each time filled him with a dread he couldn’t shake. He believed the responses he would get would mimic those he had gotten in the past; each one laced with a hatred and anger over something he never asked for, nor had any control over. He expected people to lash out when they saw him as he truly was without the mask, which was why he was adamant about wearing it. Yet, the responses he ended up getting were the exact opposite.
As he continued to stare at himself in the mirror, the positive reactions to his eyes came to the forefront of his mind. The first was Karen, who had told him time and time again that there was nothing wrong, and that he was being silly for wearing the thing in the first place. Her opinion had softened over the years, once she had learned the true depth of his insecurities and self hatred, but the initial point remained: There’s nothing wrong with them.
Then there was Lance who, since the first time he caught Will without his mask, was taken by his eyes. He would tell Will that they were beautiful, and will could tell that Lance was drawn to them. He mentioned something about their hue was captivating, though Will himself could never see it.
Following Lance came Grimsely who, also by accident (and on Will’s part), caught a good long look at his eyes. He said much the same as Lance, though with more of an emphasis on how gorgeous they were and how he shouldn’t hide such a thing from the world. He then went further to say that he was cute, something that Will struggled to accept. To Will, his eyes were a reminder of something ugly and far more sinister; they were as far from gorgeous as you could get, and they certainly didn’t make him cute.
But was that even true? Were Karen, Lance, and Grimsley right? Was there something about them that Will couldn’t see? Was he wrong?
There was only one way to find out.
Taking a deep breath, Will reached up and removed the first barrier, one of many that would come crumbling down, though he didn’t know it yet. Placing it on the counter of the bathroom sink, Will looked back up at his reflection and was, like the others, immediately drawn to his eyes. While most would think that they would be lilac in hue, they were actually a deep violet colour. Not as dark as his hair, but dark enough to truly stand out. He had never paid much attention to the colour before, though the longer he stood and stared at them, the more he began to see why others were drawn to them.
However, he noticed that one eye was duller than the other, and looked fairly cloudy. This was the result of trauma inflicted upon it due to his childhood, and it was because of that incident that he started donning a mask in the first place.
‘You just don’t learn, do you, freak?’
‘He probably thinks his brother is going to come to his rescue and bail him out. Shame that even he abandoned him.’
‘You knew better than to go where you didn’t belong, and now we gotta teach you a lesson.’
‘Your kind isn’t welcome here.’
‘Don’t worry; we’ll put you in your place.’
‘No one can help you, because no one likes you. You can understand that much, right?’
‘He’s only going to use his powers to scare and harm us! We gotta stop him here and now!’
The last comment was followed by pain as he felt many stones being hurled at him. One of the last caused a pain far worse than the ones before it, and with it came a sharp, high pitched cry laced with pain as the warm sensation of blood traveled down his face. One of the stones had embedded themselves into his eye, and when the boys saw the damage, they turned and fled, leaving Will alone to suffer in the now abandoned alleyway. It wouldn’t be until his mother found him and rushed him to the hospital that he learned his damage in that eye was permanent, and it wasn’t until later still that the cloudy hue to it made itself known, along with partial blindness.
Despite the memories flooding his mind, Will kept his eyes open and his gaze forward. If he shut his eyes now and looked away, he would be giving those boys the same power over him as they have had all these years. If he looked away now and retreated behind his mask, then this whole exercise was pointless. If he wanted to move forward and saw what others did, then he had to face it rather than hide.
As the minutes passed, so did the memories, and once the last one faded Will became aware of his hands grasping the edge of the counter tightly. He was also aware that he was trembling, and that his face was pale. Yet, his gaze remained focused on his eyes which remained the same despite reliving the memories that brought him to this point.
When he realized that nothing changed, he felt a small sense of relief. His eyes, despite what happened, were just as much a part of him as his powers, and he couldn’t change them. Sure he could get some sort of cosmetic surgery, but that wouldn’t change what happened in the past. His eyes were still a part of him, and like his powers he needed to learn to accept them, too.
It would be a while before he could bring himself to see them as the others did, and while he had no plans to remove his mask when out in public (it was as much a part of his aesthetic as his persona), perhaps he could let it down a bit while alone, and with his coworkers at the league. After all, Karen and Lance had already seen it, and they were not repulsed. Surely Koga and Bruno would be much the same? Not to mention that he already used his powers freely around the league, despite still struggling to see them as a good thing. The more he used his powers, the more comfortable he became with them, so surely that same truth could be applied to his eyes, as well? He didn’t need to see them as beautiful to accept them, and if it took him a while to get to that point, then so be it. It was a process that couldn’t be rushed, and he had no intentions of doing so.
As he gave one last look at himself in the mirror, he was aware of the memories in the back of his mind. He was also aware that it would take time before they no longer haunted him, though he could take comfort in the fact that he faced them without having a complete breakdown this time, and that, perhaps, there would come a day where he could put it behind him. For now, though, he had to focus on one task at a time; he had to focus on growing comfortable with his eyes. If he could do it with his powers, then he could do so with his eyes, too.
With that thought in mind, Will took the mask off the counter and left the bathroom. He placed it on his bedside table, taking one last look at it before heading towards the door. While he could feel the beginnings of his anxiety stir within him, a part of him tried to focus on the positive: Their shocked reactions to his actual face would be priceless.
((Note: Will has many fears, and while there are far worse fears, all of them stem from the same place: His childhood. I decided to go this route because I want to develop his character , and this is the first step in this process.
For the fear mentioned in this entry, it would be the fear of facing his past. I hinted towards a few other things that’ll be explored at a later date, such as who Will was before the mask, and the many barriers he put in place that keep him separated from others. I also took inspiration from my Snapshot Memories fanfic, as well.))
“This is what my love for you is... my coping, the escape from my reality. You’ll allow me to continue with this, won’t you?”
To Lance, violence has always had this sensation of relief accompanying it.
This is why since early on his childhood, he and Clair have always been fighting each other.
This is why he always seeked out the most fierce battles in his life.
This is why he would tear apart his appartment- turn into shreds, way more than once.
This why he was so driven into hunting down those team rocket members.
This has always been his escape valve, there simply were no words that could possibly describe what he felt right afterwards them. It was silence- a sensation similar to peacefully falling asleep at the softest bed ever immaginable.
However, what happens when his access to it is lost?
Ever since he stepped down from the champion’s role - effectively killing all of his ties to the Interpol months ago, as well as his marriage finally catching up to him. He found himself forced to create an alternative to it.
And his reunion with who he assumes to be a lover from a distant past, fit his needs like a glove.
Poor Morty - he couldn’t have possibly foresee this outcome, right?
It didn’t take long for him to get a taste of these violent bursts firsthand, the main target of these attacks? His small and cramped appartment, everything inside of it had been completely trashed- smashed to pieces. And the man - the love of his life, simply stood in the way of his wrath.
Without any shred of fear, for what would happen to him.
Love had blinded him, immune to everything that man could possibly do to him. Despite all the bleeding which stained the bedsheets, and tears of sheer pain that had been shed. Nothing seemed to truly faze him.
Even if Lance adored to push his limits, to find how far he can go- without taking his lover’s life.
He has no intention in killing him.
Rather, he want to feel that soothing sensation- that same sensation of peacefully falling asleep.
As his hands roughly pull on the scarf, that is tightly wrapped around Morty’s neck. Holding it there, as he chokes the other- watching over those bright purple eyes go dull until he allows the other the ability to breath. Just a little more, and he swears - he could snap that neck right there.
“Don’t be fooled... Nobody has any real saying in regards to what happens within the contest scene. We do what we must in order to keep our titles and honor intact.”
'Welcome ladies and gentlemen! From Lilycove’s contest hall we present your night with the hyper rank’s competition! Tonight 4 incredibly talented contestants compete for the beauty ribbon! Awarding them the opportunity to move on to the next stage! Stay tuned in for the whole thing!’
Juan had arrived early at his changing room within the backstage in order to get all the preparations done for the showcase. Despite winning the previous contest, that had taken place during daytime, he had next to no time to celebrate his most recent addition to the ribbons collection.
In fact, he had completely forgotten to remove it from Grosvenor - the beautiful red ribbon with the golden adornment on it.
After all, for his next act, he needed to make sure- it would blow the mind of the crowd.
Now, since from the begining, his relationship with Leon- the Horsea had never been the smoothest one. And although all the trainning he has done, including evolving him into a Seadra very recently, things still needed to be worked on. Despite that it seemed to not have affected his winning streak so far, and he will make sure it wouldn’t brake this chain of events.
As such he was more than thrilled when he found a parcel at his chair in the changing room, something that he waited to be left alone- in order to open it.
Lo and behold, inside of it there was the final piece for his composition. There was the so desperately needed dragon scale for his Leon. A huge grin had formed in his face, as he approached the water tank his pokemon currently found itself swimming in.
The thing had immediately caught his attention, but not for all the good reasons. He knows exactly what it is, and what it is meant for. Leon had just barely get used to this new body- by the looks of it... That still wasn’t the end for him.
Leon should be feeling thrilled about this, to finally reach his final form. This was it! However, something about it felt odd.
The way his Juan was looking at him... Surely he wouldn’t do something that could actually harm him... Right?
Juan alongside with other 3 contestants had got up on stage to perform before the judges.
The first round went smoothly without any hitches! To no one’s surprise, Juan had stolen the spotlight to himself with Leon’s showcase. Both trainer and pokemon looked impeccable, flawless- the crowd went crazy for the the duo of rising stars.
With the first round out of the way, the battles could finally begin.
The first one was an easy and swift win for them, the timer was still running when the opponent’s pokemon had been knocked out.
Now he found himself face to face with the last obstacle to his next acquisition- Juan was so focused on the prospect, that the signs of something wrong happening with his partner flew right past him.
Was the evolution approaching? Was he aware how the process' time could be shortened- if he fed a special kind of candy to the Seadra while holding the Dragon scale? Did he even know about the possibilities of any side effects to it?
Yes and no at the same time.
As such, when the time for the second battle came- Leon was already starting to feel the effects of the forced evolution onto him. The stress his body was being put into, all while having to follow his trainer’s orders, on top of making sure he was pleasing the judges and not get himself knocked out by the opponent’s pokemon was quite the combination.
The dragon scale he was holding onto this entire time had merged into his flesh, showing that the evolution had already started. It was painful, extremely unpleasant- it was like his flesh was going to burst out of his scales.
They had been given 5 minutes for this battle, and at the very end of it, the evolution had reached its peak.
But no one could have expected THIS outcome.
The strategy here was to stall- waste time away from the timer, that was under one minute counting the seconds for it all to end.
The bright light enveloped Leon’s body, the body’s size and shape were the first noticeable transformations. Everyone was expecting to be greeted to the sight of a beautiful and graceful Kingdra to emerge from the bright coccoon, but what everyone witnessed- left them all with a ghastly image.
The crowd immediately went quiet, as the timer had finally stopped. It was shocking in a horrifying way, no one could process exactly what stood on the stage.
As expected, Leon couldn’t fully achieve the final form’s look, his body wasn’t ready for it. There still were Seadra’s spikes and bits hanging on the fresh and exposed flesh, they didn’t break off from it completely. A few pieces started to fall off from it, but they only made everyone feel sick- witnessing it. It was like the Seadra had died, so the Kingdra could emerge from the carcass.
However this wasn’t as shocking for the judges, in fact this happened oftenly within the contest scene. Forcing an evolution, by the rules this isn’t illegal. It was immoral, but stood in a grey area for the contest scene.
As such, despite the horror show that Juan had brought on stage.
He was awarded the beauty ribbon.
However, it was something that Juan came to regret from using it on his Leon. For the following weeks, he would try to ammend what he had done to him by giving him his time to develop whatever needed more time for required.
But the damage had been done, and Leon went from a restless and feisty Seadra- into an extremely loyal and quiet Kingdra.
// Let’s start this day’s prompt by focusing on these two, which are the easiest ones. I’ve mentioned and talked to some extent, how Rowan and Drake are mirrored/opposite images from each other. From their looks, even their personalities.
Rowan’s calm and collective nature, would be replaced by Drake’s short fused and impulsive one.
Making him unsuitablefor the position of a professor and schollar, for starters- he wouldn’t even have the patience to go through his researches or even dealing with his assitents. Overall the scientific field, isn’t the ideal place for someone like him.
His once dread for pokemon battles, would turn into a passion- seeing how this is the best place to put this nature into good use.
Togekiss- which can be considered his go to pokemon, would have his spot taken by Infernape.
His sweet tooth, would also be dropped in favor of an addiction to alcohol and tobacco- only making his temper issues even worse.
Drake on the other hand, would embrace the calm- collective and most importantly patient traits. Where very few things would be capable of getting under his skin, or even make him raise his voice. No longer showing any signs of being a violent man. Somewhat resembling mr.Briney’s usual demeanor.
However, considering the fame he has garnered himself throughout the decades and the fact his pokemon are actually driven by hatred towards him. This no longer is a safe environment, for someone who won’t fight back- or try to avoid confrontation. As such, Drake no longer would be capable of maintaining his Sailor job- nor his elite four member position.
It’s uncertain what he would be capable of doing for a living, this late into his life. His illiteracy, only further contributes to this issue. Probably join mr.Briney as a fisherman, although rest assured- since he is quite rich he most definetely won’t be going through any financial issues.
As expected, Salamence is out of the question. Meaning Altaria would be the one to take his role as the signature pokemon.
Drake would develop a sudden sweet tooth- forcing him to drop both alcohol and smoking addictions, but it isn’t something easy. After all he has always been a heavy drinker. But at least, this means he may gain some much needed weight for once in his life.
// This one may be surprising, but the best next personality swap- might be between Lance and Palmer.
Lance would become a humble man, a genuine, caring and pleasant company. People may actually come to enjoy his presence. He would be someone that could brighten up the mood of those around him. In fact, I think the biggest change on him, would be the lack of any violent drive or need for it.
For his family, the changes aren’t quite noticeable or not as clear. It is at the League and the other nobles, that would spot the changes right on. And that would actually be a trouble for him, his surrounding suddenly becomes a threat to him. As from left and right, people will try to turn against him. Meaning for his own safety, he would have to let go of his champion role, involvement with the Interpol and take charge of his clan’s duties a lot sooner.
Interestingly his signature pokemon, wouldn’t change. It would remain Dragonite, due to their extreme tight and powerful bond between each other. Something that would never change, no matter what.
His relationship with his arranged fianceé, on a surface level wouldn’t change. But he would try as best as he could, break the illusion that he loves her- so the girl at least can become aware of what awaits in their marriage.
As for Morty? He would be extremely confused by the change, he might even think Lance is mad at him. But the truth is that- Lance would be trying to ammend, to the horrors he has done to him. It would be the end of their relationship, but trying to show him how there is still a long life ahead of him.
Palmer’s changes wouldn’t be pretty. He becomes a cold, bossy, manipulator and liar man. A superiority complex develops within him, as he makes his place at the frontier into his throne.
From there he starts having affairs with other women, embracing his infidelity to his wife. And he has the guts to keep liying to her- all while distancing himself from her and his son.
If that wasn’t enough, Palmer has started to have destructive outbreaks as a means to relief himself. Effectively trashing his home at the fight area, and even his office at the frontier.
Interestingly the environment is perfect for this new personality, and behavior. He thrives within this place like this, and the other frontier brains can’t do anything about it- but follow Palmer’s words. One thing is certain though, their respect and loyalty to him have been lost.
Palmer’s Dragonite would no longer be his signature pokemon, his soft and sensitive nature is unsuitable for him. He would be replace by his Milotic, who tends to have a more neutral stance.
As his marriage goes downhill, so does his relationship with his son. Who is still blindly idolizing his father, completely oblivious to everything he does. It won’t be until he becomes a frontier member himself, that he receives his wake up call. His image of him would be shattered, and he just wouldn’t be able to stand being near Palmer- forcing him to ultimately move to Johto. This will hurt him, more than he wishes to admit.
// And lastly we have the swap between Morty and Riley!
Riley would go through a drastic transformation. He becomes quite the moody individual, but at the same time- he is honest, reliable, loyal and a trustworthy person.
As such, he would try to end his relationship with Byron as quit and amiable as possible. Mainly because he no longer can stand liying and deceiving him like this, but also because he can’t find the man anymore attractive either. Finally putting an end to the torment he was putting both Roark and his father under.
From there- he shows himself to be quite the hard working man, as he would be trying to get his life together after his break up with Byron. Since he was living off the guy. Riley would no longer be seeking out a luxurious lifestyle, instead his aim would be at a simpler one. In fact, he might even try to reconnect with his adoptive family and return to them. He might end up becoming a pokemon breeder, at an actual daycare.
However, not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Riley would find himself in a similar state as Morty, as in- a part of his life energy is missing. This will no doubt, affect his aura usage. In fact, he might no longer be even considered an aura user.
Unfortunately this puts him at risk, around certain of his pokemon- as he wouldn’t be able to effectively control them. Especially Ajax, his signature Lucario. Which, for his own safety will either have to be thrown at the Storage system, nevermore to be called out. Put down due to his savage behavior, or abandoned. From there, Riley’s next best choice, might be the Metagross he received from Byron.
Another drastic change to him would be his loss of interest on Sir. Aaron altogether, as well as his immense disgust and hatred- on himself for being an aura user. Or well, a deffective one- considering what his current state is.
The first big thing to change on him, would be the fact that he has recovered his lost energy. Meaning he is capable of using his clairvoyance.
Morty becomes someone extremely untrustworthy, flirtacious/seducer, a liar, a manipulator. But it is all covered up by a fine layer of friendliness- honestly from an outside standpoint, most may realise- how far friendlier he has become. Although, it won’t do anything while at his job- considering his awful relationship to his colleagues, who will see that as nothing more than an attempt to trick them.
His disgust- hatred about himself over his powers, are long gone. Now replaced with an admiration, a curiosity... An obsession over what he may be capable of doing with his abilities. That is when he finally, starts having visions about the future- he eventually is up to the same level as his ancestor, Matsuba.
Speaking of him, somewhere down the line he learns about his existence and their bloodties. Driving him to develop an obsession over the formidable ancient clairvoyant.
It doesn’t take long for him to lose interest in working as a gym leader, he ditches his work in favor of seeking out powerful- influential and rich men for him to sleep with and date. As he now aims for a luxurious lifestyle, something that he deems worthy for himself.
Needless to say- Gengar is no longer his signature pokemon, due to his childish, playful and spoiled behavior that Morty deems unacceptable for him. And so- his next best option, is Cofagrigus.
There is no superstition to get rid of me, unfortunately.
Come one come all. Have you heard? Tapu Koko is giving away free blessings. But be warned, he also might curse you depending on who you are. Also, be warned that blessing can also really be a curse in disguise as well.
Really it’s all up to Koko and his capricious.
So what are you waiting for? Step up to the Alter and receive your blessing... If you dare!
