This is the trio right

YO CAN I GET A RECAP ON THE SUBMAS WANTED AU? IM VERY CONFUSED AND INTERESTED HERE WHATS GOING ON LOL

Ok, I ended up having to rewrite this like three times because I didn’t want to make it too long. I tried to keep it as compact as I could, if you have any questions I’d be happy to expand on it.

(please note that I’m still plotting this story out and haven’t had much time to work on it so there’s still allot of gaps I’m trying to fill.)

ALRIGHT HERE WE GO

Akari discovers a second Arc-phone while shiny hunting in the Icelands. On this phone she only finds half finished notes on Snorunt and what looks to be a video log. Specifically, this Zorua/Zoroark video. She recognize the person’s voice and realizes the phone must have been Ingo’s. He must have arrive here just like she did if he had this phone, but then must have lost whatever memories he had of that arrival in the Zoroark attack.

She takes the phone back to him, and as she explains it/shows him the video Ingo has that weird experience of watching a memory he can’t recall. Then! Both phones suddenly react to being held by the correct person and a new feature is unlocked. A PC storage feature! They can now store pokemon into each phone. They also get notified of a new mission, ‘capture x number of each Hisui pokemon’, and next to the little reward notification it reads ‘return home’.

So they do that, then say a heartfelt goodbye to every one. Arezu, notably, gives Akari one last hair styling for free. On a whim Akari chooses the tied back style in white so to match with her lil Zorua.

Meanwhile, the events of my earlier post play out when Ingo goes to say goodbye to lady Sneaseler. Ending with the noble choosing to go with him to the future along with her basket full of her latest clutch of eggs.

They then arrive in modern Sinnoh! Where they, through shenanigans I’m still figuring out, are accused of stealing their Hisui pokemon from the new fancy totally not evil pokemon research lab. And the fact that Akari introduced herself to a cop as a member of the Galaxy Team, hoping that could make her seem credible in this time,  is not helping their image either.

So Ingo and Akari are labeled as wanted suspects in the theft of multiple highly endangered pokemon. What images they could get of them from security footage and shaky phone pictures are spread across the news. Due to the new hair and poor pictures, Akari is not recognized as Dawn, however Ingo is immediately recognized due to his old uniform and the internet blows up with theories.

Poor Emmet learns of his brothers sudden return and criminal acts all at once when cornered by reporters outside the subway station. Elesa saved him and they are contacted by the police to ask what he knows. He knows nothing and asks them what they know and they tell him they can’t divulge that information during an ongoing investigation. Emmet and Elesa both go ‘fuck that’ and book tickets to Sinnoh.

Due to the lack of info on Akari, her light hair, and her closeness to Ingo, people start theorizing for a hot minute that she’s Ingo’s secret criminal daughter who pulled him into a life of crime! That excitement eventually dies down until it’s reported that she referred to Ingo as ‘Uncle Ingo’ and the internet is set ablaze again. This time with theories that she’s Emmets secret crime daughter who he abandoned so his brother left to join her in her life of crime!

Everything after is still wibbly wobbly, though I now have the idea of when Ingo and Emmet first reunite. I also definitely want to include team galactic as well because Drama. I plan to sit down and write a proper timeline out soon, but haven’t had the chance. You folks have been so kind, giving me ideas and helping me expand my own, I’m really glad so many are interested!

Surprise Adoption - Pt 2

Ingo held the crying Dawn in his arms, considering his options. He decided right then and there. She would stay with him and Emmet for the time being.

Word Count: ~1200

The three of them entered the home, swiftly shutting the door behind them and the two Bosses shedding their outer layer, hanging the coats and hats up on their hangers in the closet. They toed off their boots, as well, indicating to Dawn that she could remove her tennis shoes. Then Ingo led her to the spare bedroom in their apartment, as he and Emmet had been sharing a room since his return. Neither of them were truly ready to sleep apart yet. He opened the door to what used to be his room, his clothing still hanging in the closet and his things still strewn on the desk.

“You are welcome to stay in this room. I’ve been occupying Emmet’s room at night anyway, so this one does not get much use currently.” Dawn squeezed his hand.

“Thank you, Uncle Ingo. Really.”

Ingo laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. “Of course, young Dawn. The safety of our passengers is of utmost importance” He looked at her, his voice shimmering with warmth. “Are you hungry? Me and Emmet have not eaten and there are some leftovers in the fridge.”

“N-no, I’m okay, thank you though. I think I might just turn in a little early.”

“That is alright. We sleep in the room next door, just come wake me if you need anything. The bathroom is just down the hall. Do you have any changes of clothes?” Dawn revealed a knapsack that Ingo had not noticed slung across her back. “Lovely. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to ask. We will likely be a few minutes before we rest our cabs ourselves, but we will make sure to be quiet.” Dawn nodded, hugging him tightly again. He hugged her back. Then she detached, bidding him good night as he left the room.

Ingo entered the light of the kitchen, finding Emmet had already heated up two portions of pasta and was shoveling one into his mouth at an alarming speed. “Can you taste it?” Ingo asked as he came over and sat down, earning a dirty look from Emmet.

“I never make fun of how you eat.”

“Because I chew.” They sat in a comfortable silence as the two of them ate their food, the meal quickly gone. Ingo collected their plates, taking them to the sink to wash them. Emmet followed him. He stood close by, not asking any questions. He did not have to.

“Her mother passed away,” Ingo whispered. “Back in Hisui we bonded. She refers to me as her uncle. She showed up on the platform today, crying. She says she has no other family. I told her she was welcome to stay,” Ingo glanced at Emmet, making for 100% sure that was okay. He had not asked ahead of time.

Emmet looked… sympathetic. He nodded solemnly. “She is welcome here. You did not tell me I had a niece,” he grinned softly.

“I did not think it was relevant.” Ingo finished placing the dishes in the dishwasher, closing the appliance. The Rotom inside immediately began the cycle. “I do not know how long she will stay for. I did not want to pressure her. She is such a kind child…” he trailed off. “Dawn blames herself for her mother’s death. She passed due to poisoning from a Pokemon while out looking for her daughter while she was in Hisui. I did my best to reassure her, but I worry I made it worse.”

Emmet grabbed his hand softly. “I am Emmet. I doubt that.” Ingo turned his gaze back on Emmet. “It is still a fresh wound. It will take time.” Emmet’s normally flat tone did not reveal anything, but his face told a different story. There was a reason Ingo slept within reaching distance of Emmet, after all.

“She tucked in early. What will the schedule entail for tomorrow? I am unsure that we should leave her alone tomorrow.”

Emmet rubbed his chin. “We can take a day off. Clean up the room for her. Invite Elesa over. She will likely know what to do.” Ingo nodded. Elesa was much better at the offering-comfort thing than either of the twins. “We should rest our cabs.” Emmet lightly pulled Ingo to their now-shared bedroom, both of them changing clothes and climbing into bed. No sooner had they stilled than Ingo heard a noise. It was coming from Dawn’s room. He and Emmet locked eyes. Emmet could hear it too.

Ingo stood, creeping quietly out of their room, Emmet close by on his heels. He pried the other door open, peeking in. The noise was louder. It was a droning cry, a long, pained sob. Ingo’s heart broke. Emmet laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder, squeezing.

Ingo entered the room, seating himself at the edge of the bed. Emmet stood nearby, just behind Ingo. The bed was shaking with Dawn’s shivering body as she curled in on herself, holding herself in a tight ball as she rocked back and forth, not noticing them. Ingo gently touched her shoulder to see if she registered his touch. No reaction. “Dawn,” he murmured, trying not to scare her. Nothing. Emmet sat next to him as he slowly reached around the girl, pulling her upwards. She did not give any indication that she recognized her body being moved. He pulled her into his lap, holding her head against his chest. He gently rocked back and forth, rubbing his hand along her back. Emmet, at a loss of a way to help, stroked her hair.

She continued crying for a long time, the sobs wracking her small frame. Ingo noted that she weighed much less than the last time he had seen her. That was concerning. He began humming, deep in his chest. It was the tune from Hisui. The four of them sat there like that as the minutes ticked by, allowing Dawn to calm down slowly. Her hiccups quieted down, her shaking slowly subsiding. Ingo continued humming, Emmet slowly combing his hands through her hair, working out the knots. “Are your systems operational now, Dawn?” Ingo asked softly. He got a small whimper in reply.

“Would you like to sleep with us tonight? We can all sleep on the couch together,” Emmet offered. A nod. Ingo stood, Emmet standing with him as he carried Dawn to the main room. Emmet grabbed some blankets from the hall closet, laying them across the floor and along the couch. Ingo laid Dawn in the middle of the couch, taking up a position on her left. Emmet sat to her right. Usually Emmet did not warm up to people this quickly, but Ingo thinks he could understand where he was coming from. Ingo felt a similar urge to ensure the girl was cared for and safe.

The twins ended up laying their heads on one another, Dawn sandwiched between them. The blankets over them kept them cozy until the morning came, tears drying and sleep settling in gently like a second skin over the three of them.

[Start] - [Next]

Advice to Heart

Fandom(s): Pokemon Black and White, Pokemon Legends Arceus

Rating: K/Gen

Summary:

Clay can’t make Ingo’s choice for him, but he can give the Warden some advice on what to do now that they both have the option to go back to their original time

Extra Notes: Part of the “Tip Your Hat” AU

AO3

Like A King's Authority, this is definitely part of a bigger story/AU but I wanted to write something out for this anyways. This is part of the "Tip Your Hat And Go With The Flow" AU I have on tumblr where Clay gets thrown back in time about a year and a half after Ingo, done so in a similar manner but keeps his memories.

Funny how he technically found Ingo while he was looking for him, just you know. thrown back in time

Clay felt Ingo’s presence behind him before the Warden made his presence known out loud— and for a good few moments to boot. And in fairness, it wasn't as if Clay blamed Ingo for taking so long to do so— he had likely noticed Clay’s own lapful of sleeping mini-wardens, better known as Lian and Sabi.

Lian had originally spent the earlier hours of the Festival socializing with the other Clan Members and residents of Jubilife before plopping down next to him. Clay, himself, hadn't been in the mood to socialize as much and had welcomed the young warden as he nursed his second drink of the night. The two of them ended up talking about possible mining efforts in the Highlands before the lad had eventually dozed off. It was still strange to refer to his great-grand pops as a lad, he had decided before then too many near-mishaps with some of the drunken members of Jubilife Village had prompted Clay— who was decently buzzed by then— to relocate Lian to his lap.

Sabi then took that as an open invitation and plopped herself down on top of Lian before falling asleep as well.

It was a sight, for sure, and Akari had just 'awwed' at him before suggesting that the festival relocate a bit further away. In the end, it made sense that Ingo had been a bit hesitant to call Clay’s attention to himself.

The boy certainly knew that he had a knack for talking too loud, even with the memory loss and the years in Hisui, he hadn't changed that much in terms of volume. But in the end, Ingo had decided to break the quiet before Clay did.

“Evenin’,” Clay greeted after the other Unovan cleared his throat. The once-Gym Leader tilted his head a bit towards the empty spot on the bench as an invitation for him to sit. “How can I help ya, lad?”

“Thank you,” Ingo said as he sat, clearing his throat again and shifting. “And, ah... well...” he trailed off, brows furrowing a bit as he thought about how to continue.

Clay let the lad take his time to get all his thoughts in order as he brushed a hand through Lian’s hair. Clay's fingers came away dusty, which was expected for most of them here, but the lad especially. If there was one thing passed down from the family aside from the hat and unruly hair, it was the love for being knee-deep in dirt and rocks.

He glanced back at Ingo, who was bouncing his knee in that habit of his he had when he was thinking. The Warden stopped when he felt his gaze on him, looking up. Clay just gave him a slight smile.

“Take your time, lad. Ain’t going anywhere any time soon,” he assured the once Subway Boss. Ingo gave him a nod of thanks, looking back at the ground after doing so— if only to avoid eye contact.

It was understandable. For as long as he had known the lad, both he and his brother had been averse to direct eye contact unless they themselves had initiated it— save for a few people, namely challengers, each other, and Elesa. And oh, what Clay wouldn’t give to at least tell the both of them that they were both A-OK where they were right now. That they were alive.

Emmet, he knew, had torn Unova apart looking for Ingo— enlisted the rest of the league to help too. After it was clear that Ingo wasn’t there, he had sunk into a depression— kept the Station running, of course, but it wasn’t the same, and neither had Emmet been. The boy wouldn’t speak a word outside of his scripted phrases now. Elesa, on the other hand, had been a mess internally, but had tried her damndest to keep strong for Emmet. She had broken down a few times in the presence of just the Gym Leaders, but pulled herself back together before she went back and met up with Emmet. From what he knew, she had basically moved in to the Twins' apartment, if only to help stave off the lonely feeling of the now quiet home.

But this had all been before Clay had also vanished from them, too.

It was no real secret that Clay had looked out for the Nimbasa City trio just as much as Drayden had— partially because Nimbasa was right next to Driftveil, and partially because there had been a gap in Gym Leaders for a while. When Elesa had risen to the top and selected to be Nimbasa's Gym leader, there had been no former leader to mentor her. As a result, he had taken it upon himself  mentor her, and later he had also kept an eye out for the twins when they took over the Battle Subway by storm.

In a way, he was a bit envious of Ingo, who couldn’t remember anything. There had been a number of nights where Clay had been torn up with worry— the loss of one person was enough to shake up all of Unova, the loss of two, he worried, would have torn it apart. He worried for Emmet and Elesa, and the rest of the League, and for his Gym Trainers and Mine Staff...

But it was stupid to be envious of the lad. It wasn’t fair to him, and in the end, Clay had the luxury of a goal to work towards, and the familiarity of knowing things from the past— things he could tell Ingo.

Ingo clearing his throat again broke Clay away from his thoughts.

“Akari has… quelled and caught both Almighty Sinnohs, Dialga and Palkia, lords over time and space,” the Warden started slowly. “And has also caught Giratina, the one who dragged me here. She has also managed to catch Arceus. And she has offered… to send us back.”

Clay nodded. The girl, who he was pretty sure was also Champion Dawn from Sinnoh, had proposed the offer to them both at the Training Grounds when she had gotten back from catching Arceus of all things after the whole incident with Volo and Giratina. Couple that with the fact that she had caught Giratina on top of Palkia and Dialga, she now had the means to return them all back to their own times.

He had made his decision already, Clay had told the girl before the festival had started up that much at least. He hadn’t told her what it was, however, promising to do so once Ingo had made his choice.

“I reckon you’re talkin’ to me ‘cause of bein’ all torn about what to do?” he asked and Ingo nodded, adjusting his hat. Clay sighed, leaning back just a bit and shifting the two Wardens on his lap.

“If things were normal, I’d tell you to weigh your options out,” he admitted to him, “But that’s a mighty bit difficult considerin’ how you’re missin’ nearly twenty-nine years of your life, eh? So here’s what I’ll tell ya.”

He turned, gazing at Ingo with a serious expression. “I ain’t gonna make the choice for ya. For nearly four and a half years, you’ve carved out a semblance of a home here in Hisui, I ain’t gonna tell ya to leave it behind— ya gotta decide that yourself.”

He saw Ingo’s shoulders tense up a bit, before sinking as he nodded, looking back to his feet. 

“I know,” he said, tone a bit strained, and he was trying to keep to a quiet volume. “I am just… conflicted, as you say. I had been thoroughly derailed before, and I do not know quite what to do now. When I first arrived here, I had resigned myself to never knowing and simply laying tracks down to create a new life here. But when you arrived, with stories of myself and my old station… I was happy.”

Clay nodded, keeping silent for the time being so as to let the lad get his thoughts in order.

“I was able to learn about myself, connect my tracks again with a path I never knew, even if I could not remember things, it felt as if I could,” Ingo continued, “But I did not exactly think it was possible to go back.”

“I remember, you told me so before.”

“Ah, yes…” Ingo nodded, frowning a bit more than before. “I had… forgotten that part. Still! Now I— we— have a very real way back…”

“And now you’re not sure what to do?” He mused and the Warden nodded again.

“Yes.”

Clay hummed at that. They were almost talking in a circle now, and he was not going to make a choice for Ingo. Not only was Ingo a grown man, but the lad had spent more time carving a life out for himself than Clay had in Hisui. Yes, Clay had connected with and grown close to many people here, from Lian and the rest of the Pearl Clan to Galaxy Corp Members and Akari... but the life he had carved out had been on the premise of a temporary arrangement. Clay was not going to stay in Hisui forever if he could help it, he had expressed that much to them. 

But Ingo on the other hand had no real choice on the matter before Clay had arrived— the boy hadn’t even known where he was from.

Clay had to choose his words carefully.

“It is an… understandable feeling," He started slowly You’ve done your damnedest to carve and build a life here for yourself. There are people who you love and care about here, yeah?”

Ingo nodded, glancing down at Lian. “I am forever grateful to the Pearl Clan for giving me refuge, and forever grateful to Lady Sneasler as well. But, is it wrong to be so conflicted? I have the option to reconnect my tracks from where I had last been derailed! Yet at the same time, there are so many things I must do still..."

The sound of someone yelling echoed from the direction of Prelude Beach, followed by a cry from a pokemon. Clay tilted his head a bit, adjusting Sabi as she shifted— nearly rolling off of Lian and off his lap.

“I will tell ya this, lad,” he sighed. “And I’m sure ya figured this out by now, but I’m plannin’ on going back.”

“Then—“

“Aht! Don’ go makin’ choices just yet, Ingo,” Clay interrupted, tone scolding. “I ain't done and I don’ want my words to force ya to make any sort of choice.”

Ingo snapped his jaw shut, nodding and Clay nodded back.

“Look, lad. there ain’t no doubt that when I do, it would be nice if ya were to come back too. I know for a fact that your brother, Elesa, and your Uncle Drayden and lil Iris’ll be more than ecstatic to have ya back, too.” He sighed again, adjusting the two Wardens in his lap so he could free one hand at least.

Ingo was looking down at the ground again, hands folded in his lap and Clay adjusted his hat when he freed his hand. 

“You’ve also carved out a life here, in the end, it comes down to what you want to do, as I’ve told ya before,” he finished before frowning. “But, don’ go making hasty decisions. Take a bit to think, Akari ain’t gonna say no if you take a bit longer to think, and I ain’t gonna take off until you give your answer. You asked if it's wrong to be so conflicted? Hell no it ain't, it's normal in this situation. You have every damned right to be confused. It's a tough decision, and certainly, I'd be just as conflicted in your boots. But I ain't, 'cause you are."

He reached over, patting him on the shoulder. “And if you do decide to stay, I’ll explain everythin’ to everyone back home. Right after I go back an’ chew out my dear old great-grand pops for not tellin’ anyone about ya. If you decide to leave, I'm certain everyone here'll understand. No matter what, I'll support you, son."

Ingo cracked a small smile at that, leaning into Clay’s touch just a bit. 

Whatever it was that Ingo decided to do, Clay would support him. That’s just how it was.

If Ingo decided to stay, he would grieve for the loss, but he understood. He would not fight Ingo on it, but just make sure that is what he wanted in the end. And If Ingo decided to return to the Future, back to their original time, he would support him the entire way back, and the entire road back to normalcy— even if his memories never returned.

A loud boom echoed from the beach as the sky lit up with color. It seemed as if the festival-goers had decided to set off fireworks.

As more sounded off and filled the sky, Ingo shifted, moving closer. Clay remained still for a moment before he wrapped his free arm around Ingo's shoulders and pulled him against his side. The Warden's muscle memory from when he was a young lad must have remained, because he instantly leaned and rested his head against Clay. He just chuckled softly at that.

"Hey now," he chided lightly. "If you're gonna use me as a pillow, at least take one of the kiddos."

Ingo huffed, but his lips twitched into a small smile as he took Sabi from Clay, settling her against him as he readjusted Lian. Lian grumbled a bit, nestling closer against Clay before settling and himself and Ingo fell silent. Only the echos of yelling and laughter from the beach and the booming of fireworks remained— and remained that way for quite some time.

"Clay?" Ingo's voice was quiet, and a bit slurred with sleep. Clay hummed in response and Ingo shifted a bit. "Thank you, truly."

And Clay just smiled a bit. "Don't sweat it, son. It's my job to look out for ya here. Now get some sleep, 'cause I ain't carrying you both back to camp."

Another huff of laughter escaped Ingo. "Of course, only Lian gets a free passenger ticket."

"Damn straight."

Sabi said "it's free real estate" at Clay before flopping down

I think Clay deserves to be a dad or at least an Uncle to Elesa and by default the whole Nimbasa Trio. It's my personal headcanon that he looked out for them as one of the older Gym Leaders alongside of Lenora, Brycen, and Draden, but since he was literally one town over, he was their go-to call if they needed anything. He's also the one who gave Ingo his drillbur and a ton of earthquake TMs because the tactic of "Earthquake everything till it dies" was something that got a chuckle out of him

Anyways, Lian and Clay and Ingo as a family is something that brings me so much joy.

If you like my writing, consider supporting me via my ko-fi

What's your ask blog? Tell me about Ingo. What's some facts! I'm too curious! 😁

Thank you, human I know!! I'll gladly tell you all about Ingo >:)

Ingo is a character initially introduced in gen 5, or pokemon Black and White. While in Nimbasa City, you can board the Battle Subway and fight through it. In the Battle Subway, the player must win 21 consecutive battles the fight him, and then 48 consecutive battles to do it again.

He is the identical twin brother of the other Subway Boss, Emmet (as you may have gathered.).

From what I've gathered, the Subway Bosses are verrrry popular in Japan, but it doesn't seem they were as popular over here until Legends Arceus. Before Legends, many references were made to the Battle Subway (I believe there was even one in Sword and Shield, which, now that I think about it, could have been a hint at Ingo appearing in Legends) but the Subway itself was only featured in one game. One would think that the twins would never appear again, however... that would all change with

Pokemon Masters. Yes.

Recently, before the release of Legends, an event was run which added Ingo and Emmet to Masters EX. This was very clearly for marketing purposes as Ingo was slated to show up in Legends all of a month later (if I'm remembering right and they were run in November)- and show up in Legends he did.

Legends released, and every character seemed to clearly be new, even if many were ancestors to other characters. Except, I believe right after the whole Noble Arcanine thing (not sure), Ingo greets you in the morning. For anybody who didn't know who he was, maybe they were just slightly confused, but by anybody who did.... I'd imagine that was quite a shock. Now, I don't remember exactly how I found out Ingo was in the game. Can't remember, but it was well before I was supposed to. Anyway, in Legends, Ingo is a Warden (someone who watches over a Noble Pokemon, which are descendants of Pokemon blessed by the god of Pokemon Arceus. In Ingo's case, he's Sneasler's Warden) of the Pearl Clan. He lacks memories of his past life, save for a smiling man who looked like him (so Emmet) and a parter who wielded flames with mastery (his main partner Chandelure). He gets a whole interactive cutscene where you follow him through a cave as he begins to remember things about his life before Hisui, and it's strangely emotional. This was one of the 2 segments of the game where I teared up. All Ingo has in Hisui is his now tattered conductor's cap and jacket, and also muscle memory and lots of train metaphors. He still uses his signature pointing pose (shown above), however he does not remember where it came from.

In my opinion, one of the most notable things to come out of Ingo's unexpected detour to Hisui is the fan content. There are now hundreds of good fanfictions, art pieces, and Tumblr blogs for the train twins and Nimbasa gym leader Elesa, who is often associated with them. She is awesome and I love her. At the bottom of this post is links to some of my favorite fanfictions and blogs. Tons of AUs (the PokeRus AU was cool but I was scarred by Gaeric's arms falling off, and I also can no longer look at Magby the same way) have been made. It's, frankly, quite amazing. I have provided tons of links below, all organized, to help you learn more because frankly this is a mess.

Fanfictions (note, many of these contain curse words. I don't care, but you might! Any additional warnings are hanging out in the tags!)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37819621/chapters/94433296

Unova re-education may look intimidating with its many chapters, but it's a really fun, usually lighthearted, sometimes kind of weird slice of life fanfiction following Ingo reacclimating to life in Unova after his time in Hisui.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38083465/chapters/95130940

All the Time in the World is an apocalyptic fanfiction, and one I recently found. It's extremely good and strangely emotional, and I've had an insanely good time reading it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37983265/chapters/94866925

I don't usually read Chatfics, but this is hilarious. Features basically every important character. Super fun, tons of laughs :D

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38367268

The title of this fic says it ALL.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37952788/chapters/94785307

Written by one of my favorite Ao3 authors, this fic is FANTASTIC. I love it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37275400/chapters/93005053

BROWNIEFOX IS AMAZING. they have a Tumblr. PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT. Also Detours is rad.

Blogs:

http://little-lulu-au.tumblr.com

[Adorable. Simply adorable.]

http://waywardstation.tumblr.com

[Literally so good. Look at Wayward's AUs and fanfictions PLEASE.]

http://1863-project.tumblr.com

[I have heard 1863-project has a very good submas primer and tons of posts about trains.]

And finally, the sideblog! @subway-bosses-official is an interactive, in-universe blog that's run by Ingo and Emmet in story. It's first arc just wrapped up, and it was super fun! I hope you try interacting :D.

Hope this was insightful in some way!!! You'll have to copy and paste the links it seems. Hopefully those work. If not, let me know.

I can’t sleep so I’m just thinkin’ about my range of Pokémon romantic F/Os. This series has meant so much to me for so long, and I know F/Os from that source make up a decent portion of my list. I’d feel more embarrassed about it if I didn’t make it abundantly clear that Pokémon is one of the most pervasive influences in my life from an exceedingly young age.

I just. I dunno. I find my collection of Pokémon series F/Os so interesting.

I’m just gonna ramble a bit.

I’m going to talk in Generational order, because my 1am brain couldn’t decipher a more cohesive timeline if it tried.

Giovanni is a funny one. As a kid, his character in the show intimidated me a little. But I really loved Team Rocket on some level. They were my first Pokémon villain organization, and with the Gen III games having Aqua and Magma, I decided pretty early that Team Rocket was my team. I had a stint in Magma since when I was young, I thought I’d specialize in Fire types, but eh it didn’t stick. No team really stuck nearly as much until Team Skull! So I had a lot of time for my intimidation from Giovanni to evolve into a fearful respect, to a mild devotion… by the time I played Let’s Go! and Ultra Moon, I was more than a little excited to see him in game. As in, I would quietly cheer when he appeared on my screen, in some weird giddy manner. It was only a matter of time before I realized I was crushing hard.

Steven Stone (he has a full name so more often than not I use it when referring to him) probably didn’t make the biggest impact on me in the original Gen III games? Hoenn was my favorite region for a while (in part due to pre- “Hoenn confirmed” hype), but he didn’t have a huge role in Ruby/Sapphire. Maybe I noticed him first in Emerald? I wish I could remember my real first inkling of crush on him, because I just remember when I played Omega Ruby… I was already obsessed with him. He showed up for the first time in game and I squealed. I spent the whole game seeking him out and already making romantic passes at him in my around-19-year-old head.

I am counting Grovyle for this, but it bears repeating that my S/I for the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games is a Pokémon too. Those Mystery Dungeon games enamored me as a teen! I got to BE! A POKEMON!! So I probably got Explorers of Time/Darkness for DS not long after it released in 2008. I was so excited to have Gen IV Pokémon to be and battle and recruit, ugh, this game meant so much to me. I will always remember being part of Wigglytuff’s Guild super fondly. And like, as I am super susceptible to mental role play, putting myself in my characters shoes (or lil toe beans I guess) has always been second nature for me. So a dashing Grovyle just jumped into my silly life and was the most honorable and misunderstood character and I am not even joking when I say I fell for him in my first playthrough. And I’ve played through it a lot. I was always jealous of Celebi. I hate every Dusknoir I see to this day. *chefs kiss* Good game.

Gen V is “oops all F/Os” Gen, where to even start..

Just kidding, N is the obvious choice to start for me. He was love at first sight. He just, ugh, he cares about Pokémon SO MUCH. I literally don’t know how to even expand on this. He literally rode the Ferris Wheel with the player character in the game, and I WASNT supposed to interpret that as a date? Wack. It was a date. I love him so damn much. Next question

Elesa comes next because I’ve always thought she was stunning. I mean, duh I guess, she’s canonically a model. Also, Electric types are in my top 3, behind Fairy and somewhat tied with Fire, so she was a woman after my own heart. Her Emolga kinda wrecked my team and I respect that. Also, she loves puns. So again. Woman after my own heart. The only reason she’s still listed as Crush and not as Dating is because she intimidates me. She’s out of my league and I worry she’d only see me as a friend. Well, not “only”, her and Skyla are bffs and that also looks fun. I just. Can’t imagine her romantically being interested in me sometimes. Heh.

Grimsley was a crush that came on yeeeaaaars after his Gen, and it hit me like a freight train. I swear, he made very little impression on me in B/W, because I was young and I was just excited to possibly see N again as champion. I was a little shit, okay. I also never played B2/W2 all the way through, which is a huge stain on my Pokémon record. Anyways. When he showed up in Sun/Moon, I gasped. I was like, that’s a familiar face. Why is he hot now? (The answer is we was always hot, and I just had a few years to grow between games). But like, I kind of tamped it back down? I think I legit tried to tell myself around Sun/Moon era that I can’t keep finding Pokémon characters hot, because I was drooling over another one in Moon. Anywho. Grimsley kept popping up as fanart on my Tumblr dash for a while and by the time I pulled him in Pokémon Masters, I slipped into love. Whoops.

Professor Sycamore, probably not my proudest moment of fandom. He was another one I liked from the very introduction. I made fun of him in equal measure, but I affectionately referred to him as “Professor Hotdad” for an embarrassingly long amount of time. He’s not even the oldest of my Pokémon F/Os. One of my other Pokémon F/Os is canonically a father. But nope. Sycamore was Hotdad. That all said, he did make me smile like a crush-stricken schoolgirl when he talked in game so it wasn’t all just memey objectification. I do love him dearly.

Gen VII! Alola! Guzma! Oh man, like I’d stated earlier, Team Skull really nestled it’s way close to my heart the way no team had since Team Rocket. It wasn’t all because of Guzma, I really did like the group of ragtag misfits banding together and creating a family. Guzma was icing on the cake. Oh boy, he made my heart do funny little flips even when he was threatening me in game. I loved his design, I loved his character, the way he talked, I just. Ugh, I was down bad for ya boy in Moon and Ultra Moon. He’s actually the inspiration behind my main blog url: its-ya-boi-remington. The “Y’all are stupid!” line and face lives in my head rent free at all times. Guzma protection squad.

(Nanu isn’t a romantic so I won’t talk about him here, just know I’m not forgetting him!)

Leon was, believe it or not, my actual first Gen VIII crush. I saw that fashion disaster and felt a warm comfort from him. It didn’t help that I mentally read every character in Galar with some UK/British Isles accent, that sweetened the deal. I was actually gushing to a couple then-friends about Leon while we all played Sword/Shield together and they kind of mocked me about it. They chided me that Leon “doesn’t bat for my team” and said either of them would have a better chance with him if he were real. So I was a little downtrodden about Leon after that for quite a while. It wasn’t until a couple months ago when suddenly it hit me that A- He’s literally fictional and my version of him can like me regardless of what “team he bats for” and B- I’m nonbinary? So rules get thrown out the window, anyone who likes me is both a miracle and some kind of gay whatever way you spin it. So I let myself warm back up to him, though I’m still a little skittish from before.

Piers, I guess, as awful as it sounds, was initially a crush rebound. Like, don’t get me wrong, I’d have been attracted either way. He’s a musician, a SINGER no less, and has that emo/punk vibe. But he’s also gentle and kind. Swoon. But it helped that I had my crush-feelers out full-force for a cutie in game to obsess over since I was still butthurt about my “friends” killing my crush on Leon. Obsess I did, and continue to do. I could probably snap this man over my knee like firewood he’s so lanky, idk why I put that in here but it’s staying. Piers is the one I most imagine jamming out with on a regular basis, and it makes performing for no one a bit more fun 🥰

I’m finally getting tired, I feel like I’ve been typing this for an hour. I probably have been. Ah geez now I gotta tag all these F/Os lmao. Thanks for letting me ramble.

JAPAN TRIP 2k19 with Mod Elesa (1/?)

hey n’yall it’s mod elesa, lemme tell u bout my japan trip! u can find some of the photos of these events on my instagram @atel2er! i didn’t want to flood this post with pictures hehe ,,

GENERAL STUFF

went for school, study abroad trip to study visualization and simulation of “serious games” that businesses buy and use (but i dont feel like talking abt it since this is the FUN POST

may 10-26

the flight was 11 hours, p easy, i didn’t know anybody going into the trip because i didn’t go to any of the meetings HAHhaHEHA

whatever. everyone on the trip initially came off as if they had yellow fever and i was like ... i’m really not trying to interact with FETISHIZERS

turns out they were all really cool! only this one kid was a real weeaboo who was greasy and tall and a neckbeard who kept talking about being “culturally insensitive” and speaking japanese constantly to the teacher and the TA like ... ok patrick we get it you flex

i stayed in a hotel in shinjuku! everything is so small and i used the bidets for the first time and WOO chile that shit feels FUNKY on your asshole

i visited shinjuku major (kabukicho aka red light district, couple other places!), ikebukuro (THE MEGA POKEMON CENTER), mt fuji, fuji q highland, akihabara, hamamatsucho (area where tokyo tower is), HARAJUKU, and the emperor’s palace! i’m probably forgetting some places since we went to a lot of temples and shrines that were cool ...

the public transportation in japan is scarily on time.. like, by the second. they apologize if they’re one minute early and will wait until the scheduled time before they move omg

the subway stations have their own jingles! they kind of act as an alarm system because a lot of people sleep on the subway (which is why people generally don’t talk on it) and will recognize the jingle for their stop!

the crowded hours on the subway are noon and 6-8pm... like, its insane. it’s actually packed like sardines in there. 

EVERYONE THERE IS SO SHORT.... i was taller than a lot of the grown men there (i’m 5′4″ or 162 cm for reference) and most people were around 5 feet tall... the only people taller than me were some kids around my age and this gaggle of japanese schoolgirls who were like 5′7+ and i was like. sis you’re 13, why are you that tall

pokemon is EXTREMELY prevalent in japan wherever you go. there’s pikachu stickers on taxis, pikachu is on ads on the subway and at the AIRPORT, pokemon go is widely played by a lot of people and so many of the people in my group played it so i got conned into playing again. i leveled up 5 times within 3 days and honestly? i’m god

anime is very normal there... i know that sounds all “weeby” but a lot of normal shops had animated mascots and there were ads for anime all over the place. 

literally gacha machines everywhere i spent a lot of coins on gacha machines plz kill me

the homies in japan loooove crepes. they sold so many crepes. everywhere. just crepes. also spaghetti carbonara! and corndogs HAHAHA

the food there is so cheap but SOOO GOOD. sushi isn’t all that expensive at all?? like a set of 16 pieces is 1080Y... meanwhile that cost in america is like. $6000 HAHAHAHAH. 

very humid? at all times? also the RAIN is debilitating if u make one wrong step you will slip and die (like i did! i stepped on a tile and fucking fell into a puddle! i have bruises still!)

SHINJUKU (detective pikachu day, may 10)

i went to go see detective pikachu on its release day in shinjuku! before that, i went to a couple sega buildings--

the sega buildings are 4 story buildings FILLED with claw machines holding stuffed animals, figurines, candy, all kinds of stuff. when i went, there was a lot of detective pikachu-related stuff. i saw this detective pikachu hat in one of the machines and spent 1000Y (about $10) or 10 attempts at the claw machine ... i still can’t believe i got it ... nobody was there to see it besides me and i YELLED when it dropped 

i wore the hat that entire day around shinjuku because i honestly felt like god. people would point at me and go like “ah! meitantei pikachu!” and smile at me. i was a celebrity. i wore the hat into the movie theatre, i wore it through the entire movie, and when i was walking out, someone tapped on my shoulder and asked for my picture. she was all nervous about her english and was like “i love your hat. may i take a picture?” and i was like omG YES U CAN... sweet bab... so that’s the first photo of me that ended up on some random person’s phone

we waited around for the mass of people to exit the theatre and then left, and we ran into her again! she asked me more questions about the hat: “did you make it?” “no, i got it in a claw machine in the sega building.” she looked dumbfounded. “in shinjuku?” “yes.” “in the sega building? over there?” “yeees.” “in a claw machine?!” “yes!” “ah! i thought you made it! it’s so cute! i’m going to get one for myself.” “lol ok have fun”

i learned that its customary to stay until the very end of the credits before leaving a movie out of respect for the people who made it! meanwhile in america we walk out when the credits roll FHDSKFJS OOPIES

SHINJUKU (visit #2)

we went in the night time to go see the red light district aka kabuki-cho because thats where a lot of the bars are

i don’t drink so i didn’t join the people who went to the bars to get CRUNK, so i dragged two other guys with me and we walked around the red light district

I SAW SO MANY HOST CLUBS. so many maid cafes. so many bars. i saw a love hotel too... i was like... i wanna go inside... Blease... and my friends were like “you’re so weird KHEDJFSk” and im like “I WAS GOOGLING THESE IN CLASS TODAY, I DIDN’T THINK THEY WERE REAL”

my friend sean (he’s from taipei, cool guy, could read a lot of the kanji so we used him to navigate the subway HAHA) was walking with me that night and we saw this hole in the wall that had stairs going down to a peep show ... homegirl had her whole ass out on the sign... tiddies covered with caution tape ... i said MAAM?

one of the signs in kabuki-cho had a woman doing straight up ahegao with (what i’m pretty sure was) nut on her face. it was a small sign and i was the only one who saw it. i lost my shit. it was the funniest thing ever

kabuki-cho is really really dirty... like people straight up litter all the time bc there’s no trashcans around? so people throw their shit on the ground? and everyone steps on it... very seedy area, very gross, but i was absolutely enthralled with the nightlife and the blatant sexual vibes half the places had!

some dude stopped me and started speaking english saying “do you like karaoke? you should come drink with me for two hours, it’s a great price if you drink a lot” and i was like “no... i have to go home” and he’s like “come onnnn it’s a good price” and i was like. i’m not very assertive with men so i started panicking and my friend sean (A GOD AMONG MEN) started speaking chinese to him and he backed off ... i love you sean you’re so fucking COOL

IKEBUKURO (pokemon mega center)

so there’s this huge mall. i forgot the name, but it’s got like a lot of floors and they’re MASSIVE

on the 2rd floor is the MEGA POKEMON CENTER!!! i was so HYPED to go in there!!! it was teeming with people but there was just... so much stuff. all kinds of merch. they had plushies of the original 151, a shitton of really cool tshirts, a whole block for detective pikachu-themed merch (pins, socks, canvas bags, shirts, patches, hats, etc), and sooo much more. there’s a giant charizard statue when you walk in, as well as a statue of a pokestop HAHA. i was so excited and i wanted to buy so many things when i was in there bc they had stuff for all the legendaries (LATIOS AND LATIAS STUFF WERE THERE I WAS SO HAPPY)!!! literally anything you can think of, they had in some kind of pokemon print. including underwear. yeah i said it. here’s a really good article that showcases some of the stuff they sold there!

for reference, 100 yen is about 1 usd. a lot of things there were 480 yen ($4.80) or 3000Y ($30) and it was just... beautiful. 

when i was there, yen didn’t feel like it had monetary value since it’s not the currency i’m used to, so i sPENT WAY TOO MUCH AHFJKDFD

they had themed cash registers with each of the starters... i cried :’)

i actually went there a second time but it was packed for a different reason. some idol group was performing on the ground floor and a shitton of girls were screaming fanchants while their jpop boys danced LOLLL. now i know how people see kpop stans ...

AKIHABARA (i went like 8 times)

this is what i like to call my birthplace

we went to the maid cafe. of course we fucking did. i got a dreamland passport and some cat ears. THE MAIDS ALL LOVED HATSUNE MIKU

SPEAKING OF HATSUNE MIKU AKA MY GODDESS, she was pretty popular in akihabara! she was also on some posters in the subway stations (across tokyo, not just in akihabara) and was apparently having some magical mirai concert???

there’s this giant tower called radio kaikan thats right outside the akihabara station that’s filled with all sorts of anime shit. i spent so much money in there. Good God. there was a furret plush for 5400Y and i was so STINGY that day i shouldve BOUGHT IT....  it was a longboi and i was like... sis!!!!

remember how i said my brain didn’t register that yen had monetary value? yeah i spent hundreds of dollars here no cap ...

i went to a kaguya-sama cafe as well on another day bc my friend joe (one of the figureine-collecting weebs) wanted to go and get a chika coaster

i went into a three floor sex shop and gave no fucks, the bottom floor was filled with bdsm shit and LEATHER SCHOOLGIRL OUTFITS and it was WILD. and these two old men were just casually browsing this shit like we weren’t both looking at whips and buttplugs in Public you know

i wasn’t fazed by a lot of the stuff there bc i read Funky fanfiction but the people i went in there with were major uncomfy ... i was like PRUDES HAJKFDAHDS i almost bought something don’t tell anybody

OKAY SO. there’s this place called super potato that has a floor dedicated to old games and consoles. they had so many gameboy advances and gamecubes and old consoles (famicom, dreamcast etc) for CHEAP. they had a gameboy color for 4900Y and a gamecube for 5600Y. a bitch almost cried. they had every old pokemon game under the sun (the original red, blue, yellow, gold and silver) and i ,,, they were 480Y. they were 480Y. that’s five fucking dollars. do you know how much collectors pay for that shit on ebay? HUNDREDS. i could’ve mass bought those and sold them and made so much cash but I DIDN’T.

that store had an original unopened copy of super smash bros melee and pokemon colosseum and i was like... wait if i cop a gamecube i could play pokemon collosseum like a true g... ((i didn’t cop))

but anyways there were a lot of games that didn’t make it to america (including mother 3! which my friend connor bought! as well as the console to play it!) and just... so many old things i grew up with ... 

whenever i walked out of the super potato we’d end up in an alley where all the girls who work at cafes were advertising their stuff

i always took the flyers from the girls bc they spoke their cute english to me and i was like... i’d die for you, yknow that?

ALL KINDS OF CAFES. regular maid cafe, pirate cafe, ninja cafe (you could do that thing where you karate chop a wooden block in half), sailor cafe (as in actual ship captains), shrine maiden cafe, vampire cafe, prince cafe (for the ladies ;3), catgirl cafe, bunny girl cafe... i took all of the goddamn flYERS THEY WERE ALL SO CUTE :( i wanted to go so bad...

FUJI Q HIGHLAND (also known as the time i flipped my shit and went on rollercoasters)

when i found out about fuji-q, i told my group that we HAD to go. i didn’t want to go to an onsen. i wanted to go to fuji-q. i had to. i love rollercoasters, it’s my passion, my driving fORCE IN LIFE

so fuji-q is home to 4 record-breaking rollercoasters! u got fast boi aka jojo reference do-dodonpa; EXTREME TALL BOI fujiyama; superior to x2 at six flags eejanaika; and the steepest rollercoaster in the world TAKABISHA ... i got to ride fujiyama, eejanaika, and takabisha! the scariest one was probably fujiyama despite it being very cut and dry up for... ever ... 79 meters ... oh god ... i lost my shit on the way down ladies let me TELL YOU

FUJIYAMA ALSO HAS A VIEW OF MT FUJI AND I WAS LIK E”YO GUYS ITS MT FUJI” and then we went down and i screamed

please watch the pov videos for these rides they’re very good but they don’t convey the absurd amount of excitement i had going on these rides

anyways the fuji-q park was having a sword art online collaboration when i visited, so they played SAO music and had cardboard cutouts for them across the park... kirito’s ride was fujiyama (aka the king of them all). i forgot the other ones but those alicization kiddos were there but ion care about ALICE OR EUGEO

the first ride i went on was eejanaika which is a 4d rollercoaster, pretty epic, total Baby Ride though

i went on as a single rider so i ended up getting put in this group with these college kids! the guy i was sitting next to spoke to me in english and asked basic questions: “where are you from?”, “is this [ride] easy for you?”, “how old are you?”, basic stuff. he asked why i was in japan and i told him i was studying at waseda university, and he immediately perked up and went “I GO TO WASEDA!!! WASEDA YEAH!!!” and fist bumped me ... his friends were giggling and kept asking him to ask me questions and it was just. so wholesome.

when we were abt to get on the ride he looks at me and says “my name is soichiro. call me so-chan ok??” and i was like... “so-chan” and his friENDS ALL STARTED GIGGLIGN AND I WAS LIKE U///W///U

while we were going up on the ride, he kept yelling “JESUS FUCK YOU JESUS CHRIST” and my favorite: “JESUS CHRIST WHAT THE FUCK YOU” because apparently fuck cannot be standalone! “what the fuck you” is my new fave insult (i miss you so-chan)

afterwards he kept coughing and was like. dead. his soul left his body. so i asked in him japanese like,,, “daijobu ka?” and he was like “nai.” and i just laughed at him bc BA B Y SO-CHAN CANT HANDLE SOME SPINS 

i bought a corndog at fuji-q at this place called arirang hotdog which is a korean style hotdog place??? BRUH that shit is so good but i shat myself for a good minute afterwards ... damn i want those corndogs

sadly i did not get to go on do-dodonpa because nobody wanted to ride with me and i didn’t want to go by myself >:/// still mad abt that bc that was the FAST BOI ...

also. takabisha. the guiness world record with the 121 degree drop. not even scary. BUT they do hang you there for like 3 seconds before making you go down and i was like “YALL FUCKIN WITH ME” really loud when they hung us there ... PLS watch a pov video you’ll see what i mean ...

HARAJUKU (i totally forgot abt this place OH lord)

i bought ... clothes here ...

they have all those clothes with the random english words on them so OF COURSE i had to buy one AS WELL AS a hat to match!

i also bought one of those ear hats where u press the paws and the ears move ... bts inspired that one

so many people in harajuku absolutely DECKED OUT in fashion. what a bunch of legends.

apparently wearing shirts that say “babygirl” are popular here i have no clue why ,,,, also im pretty sure i remember seeing a shirt that said “call me daddy” and i’m like. Ok Japan

half the shit in english made ZERO SENSE or was SPELLED WRONG and that was common all across japan, not just on harajuku fashion pieces LMAOOOO

deadass i went to a couple businesses (fuji xerox, nissan factory, etc) and they had spelling errors all over the place... nissan really had a placard that said “Prease do not touch” AND I CACKLED hfDSKLJF ilove u nissan

Chapter 10: Ebb and Flow

The fact that he could see his own breath, coming out in erratic bursts, said that he was anxious. The fact that White seemed to be sitting right in the middle of this bitter cold said that she was anxious and terrorfied. Staring at him with wide eyes that glistened like ice hands clutching onto the material of her hoodie like it was the single thing anchoring her to this reality. Or the only thing keeping her from running away.  There was a faint ringing in his head, something trying to pound the belief that it was just a hoodie and that White was just a frightened young woman into his brain. His common sense battling against what he knew to be the truth of the matter. 

“You came back.” Ingo said, breaking the silence. He drew his coat closer to him, fightint against the chill that was settling into his bones. 

“I had to,” White replied in a wavering voice.  One of her hands reached up to twist into her hair, ice crystals sprouting from her fingertips. She didn’t seem to even notice the ice creeping up to her scalp. 

“Where’s Emmet?” Ingo’s eyes canned the room for his brother. The younger twim popped up from beneath the counter like he had been summoned, two mugs and the tea kettle in his hands. Completely unpreturbed by the drop in temperature. 

“Oh, hi.” He greeted like this was a completely normal thing that happened every Tuesday. “I found her outside our apartment. Said she didn’t want to talk until you got home. Honey-lemon?”

This wasn’t Emmet’s usual nonchalance. Emmet only broke out the tea when he needed something to distract himself. Something he could focus on to avoid the Donphan in the room.  Ingo breathed in through his nose, but coughed when the frigid air assaulted his lungs.  Regathering his composure, he strode across the room to the couch White had taken over. She huddled into one corner nervously, so Ingo respectfully took the opposide one.  

“What did-”

“Do you two hate me?” 

Ingo and White spoke at the same time, the former being completely taken aback while the latter continued to fidget with that lock of her hair. It was almost entirely coated in frost. 

“I beg your pardon?” He questioned, “Why would Emmet and I hate you?”

“Because I’m not human.” White replied, she glaned at him out of the corner of her eye. “Because I kept this-” she waved a hand down her front, and the material of her hoodie looked more like fur than cotton. “-From you both.”

Thinking back to the stories and legends Ingo had been pouring over for the past three days, he took a while to choose his words carefully. Selkies in the stories were always desired and romanticized. There were only one or two that portrayed them as monsters to be fear as hated; but those were the stories where they were horrendous demons. As mockeries of Arceus’ Holy Design. 

White cut him off before he could defend himself. “You and Emmet... you looked at me like I wasn’t even me. Like I was... a thing.” She said, her voice barely audible. 

From  the kitchen, the kettle dropped onto the strove too heavily to be on purpose. 

“That isn’t-” He Ingo began uncertainly. He took off his cap to run a hand over his hair. “I apologize if it came across that way,” he said carefully. “It was just... suprising. Creatures like you-” He paused when he saw the hurt in White’s eyes. He cleared his throat, “People like you, we’ve only heard about them in folklore and children’s stories. How were we supposed to react?”

“...I dunno...” White replied weakly. She drew her knees up to her chest, finally letting go of her hair in favor of lacing her fingers together. “I had my mind set on you two being like me. I never really con-consi-...thought of what I would do if it turned out another way.” 

Ingo dared to shift just a little closer. He took the fact that he wasn’t instantly pushed back by some sort of cold wind as a positive sign. “We don’t hate you,” he assured gently. She turned her head to face him fully and smiled. Ingo wasn’t sure if it was just him, or if it was the room itself that had warmed up. 

“I’m really glad,” she said. “You two are my favorite.”

She smiled bright enough to illuminate the world. Ingo wanted to protect such a precious treasure with every fiber of his being.

As casual as he ever was, Emmet plopped down on the empty cushion between Ingo and White (although he still kept a respectable distance away from her), three mugs of tea expertly balanced on a tray. “Now that we’ve cleared the air a little bit,” he began, hanging Ingo a mug of honey-lemon and nudging a separate cup of what looked like hot coco in White’s direction, “how about some TV? White, I heard the newest episode of My Love; My Devotion airs tonight.”

“For real?! Turn it on, turn it on!” White bounced in her spot, the cold almost melting off her body as she stared at the blank television screen impatiently. Emmet chuckled and flipped the TV on to the drama station. Ingo signed and relaxed into the overstuffed cushions, resigning himself to a night of poorly written romance. 

---------------------------

“How could he do this?!” Surprisingly, it was Emmet who voiced his disbelief at the show.  As far as Ingo could tell (he was only half paying attention to the dribble), the male lead had chosen to go overseas to Hoenn for the sake of his business rather than stay in Kanto with his girlfriend. His heavily pregnant girlfriend because of course she was.

“Right? Doesn’t he know abandoning his pups is the single worst thing a parent can do? And he was so likable before.” White agreed vehemently, hugging her Seel plush (she had rushed to grab it during a commercial break). “Tatsuya deserves Nanase more than Kazuto does, anyway.” She said, referring to the three parts of the show’s main love triangle.  Honestly, polyamory would solve everyone’s problems, since all three parties clearly loved each other. Oh, but that wouldn’t be dramatic enough would it? How else would the writers incorporate a “whose baby is it, anyway?” story line? Despite how badly he wanted to rip this show’s writing to pieces, White was enjoying it. She was acting more like her old self; open and affectionate and happy. 

The episode finally ended with a grand, sweeping crescendo as Tatsuya boldly declared that he would take care of Nanase and her unborn child before it finally cut to the credits. Ingo breathed an internal sigh of relief, while Emmet and White boo’d. White was so displeased that she threw a few popcorn kernels at the screen. Which she quickly scooped up and ate before dropping herself back onto the couch. 

Ingo’s watch chirped happily, alerting him that it had just turned ten’o’clock. Had he really lost so much time with that show? There was no way it was only an hour long...

“Well...” White began as she stood back up, sucking the salt and butter from her fingers. “I guess I should get going now.” She offered a weak smile  to Ingo and Emmet. “Thanks for having me over, and for... being so nice to me. Not many humans would be, after learning what I am.” She began twisting a lock of hair around her hands again and looked away.

Ingo and Emmet exchanged glances. “It’s getting late. Are there even going to be bunks available at the shelter?” Emmet questioned. 

“If there isn’t, I can sleep in one of the canals,” White replied with a faint shrug. Her smile faltered at the corners, “I’ve done it before.”

“Or you could stay the night.” Ingo spoke up, causing the other two to look at him curiously. White shifted her weight, her eyes narrowing and lips pouting in consideration. It was unnatural, seeing her with so much restraint. “It’s too dark for you to be wandering the city by yourself.” He continued. 

White opened her mouth to argue, but the rumble of thunder quickly shut her off. She squeaked and held herself. “Where did that come from?” She asked in a quavering voice, glaring at the ceiling through her bangs. 

“A storm started brewing during the show’s run time,” Ingo informed. His sentence was punctuated by another, louder rumble. 

“OkayyouwinI’mstayingthankyou.” White somehow managed to say that entire sentence in a single breath. She practically dove back onto the couch, grabbed her plush, and snuggled into Emmet’s side for protection.  He wrapped his arm around her like he had done it a thousand times before, and Ingo felt disgusted that he was jealous over his brother.  Emmet was completely and utterly devoted to Elesa, what threat could he-

Ingo’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. Threat? Had he seriously classified his own brother as a potential threat? Arcues, this was maddening. But Ingo did the only thing that he could do whenever his thoughts and emotions began going places he didn’t want them to-

“Please excuse me,  I’d like to get to sleep early.”

-He got up and ran away like the gods damned coward that he was. Because that was all he knew how to do.

This question is probably random, but after seeing how many reviews you had for your fanfics (especially TAC), I had to ask. I was wondering if you ever had very incredibly weird reviews that even to this day you think about.

Oh my god, have I. I’ve had several fucking weird reviews, but let me share some of my personal favorites.

To start, a review from The Ash Connection:

Let me tell you something misty is ugly and a Sherman taking steroids and other drugs like drinking strawberry meth so you need to learn to love sexy girls and drug shemans go for flannery Candice Cynthia Soledad skyla elesa ok 

This one needs no comment. It is presented, as is, in its full glory.

To follow up, another review from The Ash Connection. It is, in fact, the sequel to the previous review:

Again I just like to say fuuck this I haven't read it yet but I read the review (I don't know what shipping this is ) but misty a sheman and you need to put in this story so been doing drugs and taking steroids and sex pills (men's one for bigger peniis) and becomes a ugly drugged man in this story ok now I'm going to read it NOOOOOOOOO OO POKESHIPPING IT'S GAY ASH ISN"t GAY HE NEEDS SEXY GIRLS LIKE DAWN ELESA CYNTHIA (damn sexy Cynthia ) SKYLA CANDICE FLANNERY understand POKESHIPPERS GO TO HEELL YOU SICK DOGS (biitches) BECAUSE YOU NEED TO LEARN READ GAY STORY'S LIKE ASH X SHEMAN IS JUST OMG

The final review I’d like to share is from The Ash Connection II. It is unabridged. This is a real review I received, for no apparent reason, and it is to date probably my favorite:

Pokemon Rant on the evil PaulWhy I hate PaulThe Paul I am referring to is a character in the pokemon anime, who is currently Ash's primary rival while the group is in the Sinnoh region. Paul is really a varied character: on the forums, the Paul character discussion thread has, at the time of writing, nearly spans twenty pages, though most of it is saying how "awesome" he is. However, I do not think he is awesome. I hate him more than I hate Harley from the same show. I want to strangle Paul and break one of his limbs. Most probably won't know why I feel this way, so I will explain.First, Pokemon are sentient beings in this setting. As Linkara pointed out in his review of "Captain Planet and the Planeteers #3," if animals were truly intelligent enough to make their own decisions and follow orders, animals would easily be given rights. Considering that many pokemon in this setting are shown to be smart enough to qualify, pokemon should have a bill of rights. In the real world, Paul's treatment of his pokemon would be classified as cruelty to animals and he would be arrested and sent to Juvenile court, regardless of whether or not his pokemon appreciated his method of training. Though seeing how the world lacks competent police officers and encourages ten year old children to wander around with no parental supervision with only tamed animals for protection, the government must be very inadequate. While I'm on the subject, why haven't his pokemon objected to his training methods? Sure, they might want to get stronger, but considering that his training methods in the Tag Battle arc would've gotten Chimchar killed had it not been for Ash's intervention, wouldn't at least one or two of them start having second thoughts about their trainer? Heck, seeing how strong they are and how humans are pretty much powerless without technology, I'm surprised his pokemon haven't killed him by now. Pokeballs must have great taming powers to keep pokemon from generally rebelling against their trainers.Second, why hasn't anyone reprimanded him? I know I'm stressing this, but why hasn't Paul been punished for his behaviour? He clearly abuses his own pokemon, physically as evident in the aforementioned Tag Battle arc and emotionally, as seen when blames his pokemon for defeats, even after he's stated that when a battle is lost, the trainer is at fault, which not only proves he's a hypocrite but also doesn't make much sense considering the pokemon have all the power in this setting. Shouldn't he have gotten some form of punishment by this point? Not even his older brother, Reggie (who I should note is more like Ash in personality and training methods), has done anything about this. Why in the name of Slaking's lazy ass hasn't Reggie done anything to discipline him? Is Reggie really hoping that Paul will eventually change his way, as unlikely as it is? If Paul crossed the line, outright killing pokemon and showing no remorse for this, would Reggie still be hoping for Paul to change? I highly doubt it.Third, why would anyone want to be anywhere near him? Paul's character in the show is that of a condescending jackass who looks down on almost everyone, including those closest to him (when he admits that his brother was weak after failing to get the Brave Symbol and moving on with his life), and he's too arrogant to admit that he's flawed. In real life, absolutely no one would want to be around him, let alone be associated with him. To be honest, I think the only reason Reggie even gives him a chance is because they're brothers. Also, consider the fact that Paul is supposed to be ten years old (and I say "supposed to" because given that he's said to be the same age as Ash, and how the creators have stated that Ash is still ten after more than five hundred episodes, I don't think many actually take that statement seriously). Most ten year olds are not like Paul at all, which would prompt most to wonder, "What is wrong with him?" It's likely that Reggie would've gotten many complaints about Paul's cold and heartless antics, and as patient as he might be, he will eventually run out of tolerance.As for how he interacts with others, with Ash and friends in particular, he's the same as with anyone else: rude, arrogant, and generally unfriendly, despite that Ash and co have tried to be friendly every time they've crossed paths. I'm surprised that, seeing how unlikely Paul is to change his attitude, they still try to be friendly with him. If they were a normal group of teens, one of them (most likely Ash) would've given him a hard smack upside the head.He's said to be respectful to superiors such as Nurse Joy, Professor Rowan, and Cynthia. However, seeing as how he ignored Nurse Joy's warning for Chimchar's safety in the Tag Battle arc (I'll detail this below), ignored Cynthia's encouragement to change into a more caring trainer, I get the feeling that it's mostly a façade. If he truly did respect them, he would've followed their advice.With all of these in mind, why anyone interacts with him is a big question left in everyone's minds. Fourth, he's become the creator's pet. In the many times I keep my eye on the show, I find myself desperately hoping the writers would give him some form of karma. Much to my annoyance, they do not. Even if they do give him some karma, it never lasts: I can think of at least three cases where he could've used a good smacking: the first is a particularly frustrating case when Paul's victory against Ash after having a humiliating loss against Brandon's regi trio. After all, what better way to break him and get him to start rethinking his priorities by beating him after a particularly horrible loss? Instead, they have Paul win against Ash in a very one-sided battle, with Paul pretty much learning that no matter who he loses to, Ash will be his punching bag.Another case I hoped for a good smacking was for a gym leader to confiscate and refuse to hand Paul a gym badge due to his rude and condescending gloating after getting the Veilstone Gym badge from Maylene. Maylene was pretty much a new gym leader at this point, and gym leaders command respect, no matter how new they are. By all means, Maylene should've forbid him the badge because he didn't treat her with the respect that gym leaders deserve. The aforementioned tag battle arc is another point that could've given him the chance to be taught the error of his ways. After Chimchar was rescued by Ash and put into recovery, Nurse Joy warned him not to put the injured pokemon into battle because the injuries are numerous; naturally, being the insensitive jerk he is, he ignores the warning, knowing that a rival pokemon that Chimchar feared would be there, stupidly thinking that Chimchar would fight with more fury: as expected, Chimchar froze in fear, which is what happens most of the time in real life. Again, why in the name of Slaking's lazy ass didn't Nurse Joy report this? In the real world, people such as her are required to report such abuses to authorities, though considering Japan is drastically behind on the whole reporting abuse issue, it just leaves negative implications. Had I been in her position, I would've reported him to the authorities, complete with the threat of removing him from the tournament if he ignored the warning, as well as following on that threat.Seriously, the lack of punishment and defeats lead me to believe that Paul is like a cheating spoiled brat who has to win, and the writers are following his demands. I swear the only reason he isn't on the TvTropes Wesley page is because of his Draco in Leather Pants status, which is described below.Fifth, the fanbase adores him for all the wrong reasons. I have to admit, this is one of my biggest gripes with the character. It wouldn't be so bad if the audience treated him appropriately, but they don't. Instead, he's glorified and held in a positive light in spite of his generally repulsive attitude, which gets downplayed. While the entire fanbase doesn't adore him and shares some of my sentiments, those who don't raise him to god status are the vast minority.Many say they like Paul because how he's isn't a "goody two shoes" rival like many rivals in the show. In real life, a rival like Paul is the last kind of rival you'd want; since he's an arrogant bully who'd more likely drain the fun out of everything (it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of trainers who lost to Paul gave up training all together). A good rival is someone who provides a challenge, but is a good sport and gives friendly encouragement. Another point that drives me crazy with the fanbase is that they do romance stories with him and Dawn. Forgetting the fact that they barely have any interaction in canon, their personalities are the exact opposite: Dawn is a cheerful girl (when she isn't faking smiles through all of the defeats she's gone through) who is supportive of her friends and participates in contests; in contrast, Paul only goes into battling and is, as I've said before, a cold, condescending jackass who'd more likely make you want to slit your wrists when you're in a depressed mood. And then there are the people who pair him up with Ash, of all people; first, this is a kids' show, so romance is likely light at best, if close to nonexistent. Second, knowing how dull Ash is with romance and how Paul only thinks about battling, a romance with the two characters is near impossible. Third, it's very unlikely that they'd strike in a homosexual relationship, even if Japan is more lenient on the whole subject.No matter what Paul does, the fans who worship the ground he walks on will downplay the horrific stuff, such as Chimchar's abuse in the Tag Battle arc. Even if he destroys a clutch of pokemon eggs after beating up the guarding parents, even if he murders people, or even if he nearly destroyed a town, they'd still fawn over him, where normally most people would consider him a monster after any of tho