Pokémon Hoenn Short Stories Collection: The Elite

[Umbramatic]

Hi! Here for our little review exchange.I read the first four of these because you read my fic for a Gen 4 premake. ANYWAY

Part 1: Oh man this is too relatable to growing up as a kid and dealing with power outages. It all starts out normal for the Hoenn Elite gang until the power goes out! they have no TV or Intrnet! A travesty. I love how Steven is already prepared with a caving lamp because of course he is and this pointing out... huh, none of them have a single Electric-type Pokemon, do they. Eventually they stoke up a fire and learn a valuable lesson about human intamacy. HOORAY!

Part 2: This one was my favorite. Wallace tells Steven the dangers of OBSESSIVE FANS (like me) and steven is horrified while Wallace is having the absolute most fun with it, just absolute maximum teasing, it's great. I like that it cuts off before Wallace mentions having to sign someone's unspeakables. And then at the end Wallace throws Steven to the wolves. The excited, squeeing, notably horny wolves.

Part 3: Sydney is late. Late for a dragon-feeding date. Everyone in the Elite four knows this, and Sydney definitely knows this, for if he is too late he shall be eaten by dragons. This seems to be thew case when Glacia gets fucking pissed for the dragons melting her walls (squidward voice: "oh wait, they always do that") but it turns out Steven has it under control and everyone is just trolling sydney lmao.

Part 4: Wallace has a cold. He is a drama queen about it because of course he is. He is a drama queen to Steven who tells him "bae could you chill i'm on a trip to france and don't want to hear you screaming all the way across the globe". Wallace eventually gets over it via adorable milotic cuddles and Glacia's CHIMKIN NEWDLE SEWP

Overall these are very cozy. Like the chicken noodle soup; in that last one (ignore that i actually am a heathen who hates chicken noodle soup). It's a good vibe. I hope to find the time to read more of these!

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, been a while and this is a bit late for my Reading Rookidee assignment, but "late" always beats "never" for these sorts of things, so let's just get right into that review:

Prompt #40

Spoiler

Juan's eyebrow quirked as his mentee stepped through the doors of the Sootopolis Gym. Although, it wasn't fair to simply call him that. He had worked hard in his own right, becoming a Master Coordinator as well as a Gym Leader, and now he sat atop the Pokemon League as its Champion.

Oh, so Wallace does become a champion in his own right in your stories’ continuity. I guess that it has some version of Emerald’s events take place?

But today, Wallace wasn't exactly looking the part, although Juan wouldn't dare say so, not with Wallace looking determined as he strode through the doors. There had to be a good reason for Wallace to come see him all the way from Ever Grande, so instead of speaking the question that sat on the tip of his tongue, the recently un-retired Sootopolis Gym Leader simply waited as his star pupil gracefully crossed the Gym and headed his way.

… Wallace not looking dapper as usual? That’s certainly unusual, though I wonder what exactly is up with him here.

Except it appeared to be more easily said than done. As Wallace stepped past the pools where the Gym's trainers were instructing their pokemon, he began to cause quite a stir. Gorebyss, Luvdisc, and Corsola quickly began to flock toward the water-type specialist, and to Juan's surprise, Wallace frowned at the attention he was attracting and quickened his pace.

… Is he dressed up in a Milotic suit or something like that? Since it sure feels a bit strange that he’s suddenly being magnetic to a bunch of Water-type Pokémon.

Wallace spoke up once he was within earshot, "Master Juan, may I have a word with you in private?"

Juan eyed the growing menagerie that was trailing behind his former student and hastily nodded, beckoning Wallace to follow him into his office.

So wait, are all those Pokémon also going in along with Wallace, too? Since that’s going to be quite a meeting if so.

Shutting the door, Juan noted Wallace's nervous expression and as Juan settled into the chair behind his desk, Wallace began to nervously pace about the space in front of it.



This time Juan chose to speak up first. "Where did you pick up that unsightly habit?"

… Wait, a habit? As in the pacing around? Or is this related somehow to how Wallace is leading in a small train of Water-type Pokémon?

Wallace paced another two steps before realizing what he was doing, and he froze in place sheepishly. "Ah, I'm sorry Master. I think I've been hanging around Steven for too long. His bad habits are starting to rub off on me when I get flustered."

Juan simply shook his head with a small smile. "Now what exactly has such an unflappable Coordinator such as yourself flustered?"

Juan: “And does it have anything to do with why you’re presently irresistible to half of the Gym’s Pokémon?”

Wallace's expression fell, and he found himself staring at the ground in concentration as he recounted his troubles. "Well, it only started this morning, but I've been noticing the most odd pokemon behavior, and I've been wracking my brain all day to try to figure out why it's been happening."

"What exactly have you noticed?" Juan prodded gently, although he had a faint inkling of where this was headed…

Cue the wet flopping noises in the background.

"You see, I've always been a magnetic personality for water types. My team practically adores me, as do many of the water types I happen to meet in my travels. And yet for some reason today, I seem to be a little too magnetic..."

… Do Wallace’s clothes currently have pheremones sprayed on them or something?

"Care to elaborate?"

"I mean, you saw it for yourself. The pokemon were following me. Not just following though, gathering around as if my pockets were full of treats!"

… His present attire looks like a giant munchie to all those Pokémon right now, doesn’t it? :V

"Wallace..."

"Why on my way here I had to duck out of the way of a school of Luvdisc that were practically leaping into my lap!"

"Wallace."

"As I surfed my way here, there was practically a trail of pokemon behind me, Master! For the life of me, I can't figure out why this could be happening!"

It’s absolutely related to something Wallace is wearing right now, isn’t it?

"Wallace, I may have a solution to your conundrum."

"You... you do?"

Juan nodded as he rummaged around in his desk drawer.

"By any chance, have you happened to glance in a mirror today?"

Yuuuup, I figured. Let’s see what exactly is making Wallace so attractive to the local fish today.

His Master's seemingly unrelated question caught the Champion by surprise.

"In the morning when I woke up, but not since then. What's that got to do with -"

But his protests were cut off as a mirror was thrust into his hands, and Wallace stared hard at his own reflection. "Master, this isn't making any sense, I don't look any different than I normally -"

Juan: “... So you do see it too, huh?”

His voice trailed off as Juan tilted the mirror down in his hands, revealing the clothing that peeked out from beneath the white Champion's cloak.

"Oh my..."

Wallace used his free hand to brush back the edges of the cloak, revealing an outfit of pink from head to toe. Somehow his normally pristine white attire had turned a ghastly shade of rosé.

Wallace left a red article of clothing in the wash while doing his whites, didn’t he?

"How did this...? Is this why...? Oh no..."

Juan gave a sympathetic smile as he took the mirror back and tucked it away in his desk. "You didn't happen to have anything red in your laundry basket, did you?"

Yeah, I knew where this was going the moment that I saw his clothes were pink. Though I suppose I should’ve noticed something was up when it was pink Water-types in particular that were attracted to him.

"No, I mean the only thing I own that's red is the new contest outfit I'd been rehearsing in, but I don't remember washing... it... Oh dear..."

Like it’s a golden oldie of a comedy routine, but it’s still hilarious to see.

The memory came rushing back, how he'd been feeling lazy a few nights ago and simply reached into the dirty clothes pile without looking or even bothering to turn on the lights.

Juan: “Really, Wallace? I thought I mentored you better than this.”

Wallace: “In my defense, I was really crunched for time that day.”

The sound of rustling fabric snapped Wallace from his daze, and he stared at the set of clothes Juan held out to him.

"Rule number five of a Contest Master: Always have a spare. Just don't wash these ones the same way, please."

inb4 he does it again in like a month.

Wallace nodded fervently and hurried off to change, wary of the flock of pokemon that still waited for him outside the office doors.

Gym Pokémon: [disappointment intensifies] :<
Wallace: “I don’t know if I should feel relieved or insulted.” >_>;

Prompt #41

Spoiler

In the immediate aftermath of the Championship match, the interviews were coming hot and heavy. Drake could barely set foot outside without being accosted by some kind of reporter or news camera.

"Drake, what's it like to be a former Champion?"

… Didn’t see that one coming, though I suppose it’d make sense since Drake’s a bit of a codger and Salamence hit like a truck. Can’t tell if this means this prompt is set in the past or if he bested one of Steven or Wallace.

"How does it feel to be bested by someone under half your age?"

Oh, so this is set in the past.

Drake’s Salamence:

Drake: “... Perfectly fine, really.”

"With Lance still the reigning Champion in Johto, you're the first Dragon Master to fall from the Championship position, what does it mean for the future generation of Dragon type trainers of Hoenn?"

… Wait, so does that also make Cynthia a Dragon Master? Or is she her own thing out there? Though I’m not sure if I understand why losing as a Dragon Master is such a big deal for Drake. It might have benefitted to show off more of his thought process for worldbuilding / context here.

"Now that you no longer hold the title, have you thought about retirement at all?"

>t. reporter who got his Gym Challenged wrecked by a dragon as a kid

Somebody sure is eager to know if Drake is headed for the door. :V

"Your supporters are calling this loss a fluke. Are there any thoughts of a potential rematch in the future?"

I’m honestly surprised that we haven’t seen more of Drake’s thoughts of all of this up to this point, though I suppose it might give away the game of who he lost to (I’m assuming it’s Steven, but dunno)

You name it, Drake had heard it. And it was odd. For all of the constant prodding, not once did anyone stop to ask him if maybe losing was actually a good thing. Not one person thought to see if maybe part of being a Champion was knowing how to step down with grace. Not that Drake had ever considered himself to be a graceful person, but he was at least tactful enough to have enjoyed a comfortable reign atop the Hoenn League.

No, he wasn't bitter, or disappointed, or past his prime. Well, maybe that third one, but he'd be the last person to actually admit it aloud. No, he decided, losing to the upstart Stone was probably the best thing that could have happened.

Would recommend chopping this paragraph into two since it’s a bit on the longer side.
Steven: “Well, maybe the dragons are a little bitter, since it’s probably a good thing Salamence isn’t giving this interview right now.” ^^;

Pokemon training belonged to the young. He'd slowly watched the average age of the Elite begin to drop, and yet the talent never fell with it. New faces, new strategies, new fans; they all kept the region's dreams alive and burning, spurring the newest generations of trainers to pick their starters and strike forth into the world. It was his task to weed out all but the best of the best, and then pass the torch onto them with as much knowledge as he could impart.

Huh. Fascinating implication there that Drake is part of an “old guard” of trainers and seen a significant change of how training culture in Hoenn works under his tenure as Champion. Makes me wonder how long he held onto the position.

It was kind of ironic, watching someone hoist such responsibility onto their young shoulders without knowing exactly how much the burden could weigh. Yet, at the same time, he'd barely felt a thing when he wrested the title free in his own two hands all those many years ago. And with one handshake and an approving look at the eager young trainer, the weight had been lifted from him for one final time. Frankly, it was a relief.

… That actually makes me wonder what the official duties of a League champion are in this setting anyways. Like I would presume “something something crisis response” based off the depiction of what the Sinnoh and Unova E4 get up to in their games, but it does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity for exploration here.

But, he wouldn't just drop the burden and leave. Oh no, as cold-hearted as his battle persona was, Drake was no bastard. He may have been the saltiest of sailors back in his young and stupid days, but time had taught him well, and many times the hard way: the failings of a subordinate ultimately stemmed from the failings of their superior. He would not let the League fall into disarray at the hands of someone inexperienced, and he had no doubt that those hands were not really as inexperienced as they may have looked.

… Did he get a dossier for Steven or something here? Since that feels like quite the judgement to make from an initial counter plus a couple days at most. ^^;

It was funny, he hadn't even made the connection until after the match concluded. The same determined gaze he'd known from his friend's brief time at sea. But for all the fierceness it held during battle, it melted away in an instant, almost too eager to please and more inquisitive than anyone had a right to be. If anyone could do the region proud, it would be Joseph's kid. Besides, he had a heck of an impressive team to boot. It wasn't often that a pokemon could stand up to his dragons in terms of sheer power... The kid would be fine.

I cheated and looked at Bulbapedia here, but I had no idea that Mr. Stone actually had a given name in the Japanese version of the games. TIL.

Drake huffed as he silently pushed his way through the throng of journalists that stood between him and his ship. The papers might see it as shirking his post-Championship duties. The disgraced former Champ was all too eager to run and hide from the public eye. Except, he wasn't running. Oh no, Dragon Masters ran from nothing. It was just so damned noisy... Damned Vullaby, those reporters. And yet this was a small throng. For the number of newscasters that wanted to talk to the ex-Champion, he could only imagine how many more demanded an audience of from the current one.

Wait, losing as a champion is seen as a ‘disgrace’ in this setting? That’s definitely a bit more SRS BSNS than I expected. If a changing of the guard isn’t meant to be a reputational hit, you might want to consider dropping that adjective there.

Thanking his lucky stars that social media wasn't really a thing back in his heyday, he clambered aboard his vessel and fired up the engine as camera shutters clicked left and right. He had to stifle a chuckle at how much worse that wide eyed kid from Rustboro must be having it right now. Gods, if the paper caught a picture of him smiling, that would truly be the end of things. Nah, Steven would be just fine.

I mean, considering how we’ve seen how Steven handles his mountains of fanmail, I’m not convinced that Steven handles that a-OK all the time. Especially given that Wallace winds up taking over his position sometime after this according to Prompt #40.

Prompt #42

Spoiler

As soon as the steaming plate landed in front of him, Sidney started to sweat. The bowl of what undoubtedly had to be inedible [ ] made him want to squirm in his seat. Except that he was determined to be polite in his present company, and he returned Phoebe's beaming grin with a shaky smile of his own.

I kinda wonder if it’d have made sense to hint roughly at the visuals/consistency of whatever in the bowl. e.x. calling it “slop” or something like that.

"...Looks... good..." he grated out as he watched the way the spoon slowly sank into the purple goo, and he felt his eyebrow twitch.

I’m wincing just reading this. But this is poi, isn’t it? Since Phoebe and her family do have a Hawaiian/Polynesian-themed thing going on, and that’d certainly fit it well.

Mercifully, Phoebe hadn't noticed his thinly veiled disgust as she already had begun to tuck into her own dish; 'poke', if he remembered correctly. The description hadn't sounded great at the time, but as he eyed the colorful cubes of raw fish and herbs in Phoebe's bowl, he suddenly became very jealous.

I mean, that does sound a lot more appetizing than a bowl of taro pudding, just saying.

Sidney gave a listless poke at the slabs of what he assumed to be meat resting on a plate off to the side of his own bowl. It wasn't springy or tender in the slightest, and the nagging thought that perhaps this was all an elaborate prank wormed its way up in the back of his mind. But this was Phoebe's idea, and she said she had loved the food, and she was nearly done with her own plate, so there's no way it was all a prank... right?

Phoebe: “Nope, this is just normal food that runs in my family!” ^^
Sidney: “This is normal for you?!”

He had just mustered the courage to scoop up a spoonful of the purple-gray gunk, silently thankful that it was so goopy it wouldn't slosh from the spoon in his rattling grip, when Phoebe suddenly leaned over to his side of the table with her chopsticks and plucked a slice of meat from his dish.

"I gotta have a piece of this before it gets cold. I love pipikaula!"

Huh, you learn something new every day. Didn’t know that pipikaula was a thing, but it certainly sounds tasty.

With a deft flick of her wrist, she dunked the pipi-whatever-it's-called in the purple gunk and popped it in her mouth. Still chewing, she talked around her mouthful.

Phoebe: “It’s great, isn’t it, Sidney?” ^^
Sidney: “Oh, it’s something alright.”

"C'mon, you have to at least try the poi. It's a staple dish here!"

I KNEW IT.

At Phoebe's urging, the spoon resumed its trek towards his mouth, slowly, so slowly... He couldn't chicken out now, not when he'd told her he was a casual fan of Alolan cuisine. It was a bald-faced lie, but he had really wanted to impress her... But it was just so slimy…

Sidney: “I-I thought that Alolan cuisine was supposed to have more barbecued meat and pizzas with pineapple and ham as part of it!”

Phoebe: “From what, a fast food dive? No, this is actual Alolan cuisine here.”

In a sudden burst of bravado, Sidney took the plunge, and shoved the spoon straight in.

Can’t tell if he’s going to like it or wind up gagging in front of Phoebe in about five seconds.

This time, he did shiver, caught completely off guard by the poi's texture, even though he knew it was going to feel exactly how it looked. He sloshed the mixture around with his tongue, there was no way he could consider it "chewing", and felt his nose scrunch as the tangy, starchy sourness of the taro coated his tastebuds. With a concerted effort, he finally swallowed the stuff, and it took every ounce of willpower not to instantly dive for his glass of water.

Phoebe: “Oh hey, you ate that right up! Down for more-?”
Sidney: “I’m good, thanks.”

Phoebe, who had been watching him with interest, suddenly burst into laughter. Chopsticks discarded, she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Sorry, Sid, your face was priceless!"

So it was a prank, huh?

Too shocked to do much else, Sidney huffed and crossed his arms, but not before sliding the bowl of poi over to Phoebe's side of the table with a scowl.

Still giggling, Phoebe scooped up the bowl and began to eat it herself.

Sidney:

Phoebe: “Oh don’t be so dramatic, you’ll get used to it.”

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. I just had to see your reaction," she dipped another piece of the pipikaula in, "It's definitely an acquired taste. Although I can promise the luau roast will be more to your liking."

Got a decent case of the midnight munchies when I was originally reading this.

Slowly, Sidney nodded, recalling the delicious smells wafting from the resort's fire pit earlier that day. He still might not know how to pronounce it, but anything sounded better than the stuff he just ordered in an effort to impress Phoebe.

He’s… not going to be able to eat that roast, is he?

"Just, next time you invite me out for traditional Alolan food, warn me before I pick the weirdest things on the menu."

Phoebe simply giggled and finished off the last bit from Sidney's plate.

Phoebe: “You literally picked cuisine staples, just saying.”

Sidney: “I… really should’ve looked up photos on my PokéNav before ordering, huh?”
Phoebe: “No, no, this was more entertaining this way. And I got to see just how much you know about traditional food from my family’s old neck of this woods.” :V
Sidney: “... Great.” >///<

And with that, let’s get right into the recap, shall we?

This batch was a run of more comedic prompts, even if the middle one was more grounded / an exploration of the E4’s past. On balance, I found prompts 40 and 42 to be pretty funny, while it was pretty interesting to see the assumptions made for the E4’s backstory in 41. Like almost none of it is hard canon (as far as I know), but it all feels so in-character for the cast, which I think is a running strength of this series.

As for criticisms, beyond a few typos here and there… I think that the criticisms that I do have is that there were a few parts where I wanted to get into the characters’ heads more or else find out more about the world they live in and their history, especially for prompt 41. But I understand that these were deliberately written in a short, spur-of-the-moment format, so I won’t judge too harshly.

It’s great finally reading and reviewing more of this series @Panoramic_Vacuum , I’ll be looking forward to you getting the last 8 prompts out here. ^^

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Hi Pano! I've been wanting to review something of yours for a long time now, having seen such care in your craft and such lovely characterisation in your Mafia and AQ roleplay posts. Those qualities certainly come through in this collection of shorts. I've only read a few so far, but I found them absolutely charming. I also approve very much of the... premise, I suppose? The notion that the League NPCs deserve more characterisation and presence than their existence in a series of unadorned rooms, only able to offer a few scant lines of dialogue. That, and I enjoy your takes on them very much. What matters to me in character-driven fiction is often a diversity of spirit among the cast, and you've got that down strongly, with each of the Hoenn Elite having very much their own individual energy. Good show.

The first, about the Elite waiting out a storm, was a lovely opener to the collection. I don't know if you paid much mind to its role as an introduction, but it's set a wonderful tone for me as a new reader and endears the League members to me greatly. I think it's worth noting that the dialogue was sufficiently distinct and the sense of physical presence in the characters' bodily actions were enough that I did, in fact, notice Drake was missing before he was mentioned as such. His appearance and the transition to a reflective moment at the end was very lovely. Good vibes!~ I think that for all that the storytelling is framed by the power cut and the arrival of Drake, it passes a little quickly in but a single significant paragraph, and could have been drawn out a little further, but staying short and sweet seems a solid strategy, so I'd say the succinct style suits this storm of storytelling serviceably. Ahem. I don't know why that alliteration just burst out of me but I'm too pleased with it to delete it. I also want to note in particular that there were specific, observable dynamics between different members of the Elite even in just this tiny passage, which is something that often goes amiss in ensemble casts of this size, let alone greater.

The second, however, had me smirking like a motherfucker. I adore this dynamic between Wallace and Steven. I enjoy a bit of deadpan banter meant to rib a more reserved (or should that be, less shameless?) character from their more outgoing friend, but it has to be done well, and you've done it really well. I like that Wallace clearly isn't being mean, but having a bit of fun while coaxing Steven out of his comfort zone in Steven's own best interests, I like that he's genuinely funny, just coasting along the border of plausibly-deniable raunchiness, and I like that I can see real friendship and mutual respect and affection between these two. I get the sense that the lines about Steven facing fearsome trainers and it being different to handling admirers are a conversational pattern that comes up again and again between them, each of them believing in the other's qualities and strengths despite each of them having very different mindsets about the challenges they face. I can see Wallace serving as an excellent translator for his poor, terminally-polite, introvert of a friend.

I was hoping the third would return to the other Elite! An ensemble collection ought to dance between the characters rather than centering any one or two overly-much. It's a cute and funny one, and follows nicely from the last, showing that just as Wallace can mess with Steven, Steven can mess with, say, Sidney. I enjoy the sustained contrast between everyone's personalities, the focus on mundane, everyday realities and responsibilities of the Elite Four (or indeed, any pokémon trainer with a large party!), and the very neat introduction and resolution of paired conflicts in such a way as to nudge some character development even in just under a thousand words. As a short, it feels complete, and I could see myself bingeing these shorts if they're all like this. I sometimes make fun of feedback claiming a work is 'readable' or 'a page-turner' or 'flows well', but this is exactly the sort of thing that merits that sort of comment – prose that's efficient, proficient, and fun.

I didn't plan on opening my efforts this Review Blitz by reading this collection, but I'm glad I did. I'm 'rusty' after a dreadfully stressful year that's compromised my capacity to read and enjoy fanfiction, let alone review it. I wasn't sure what I'd be capable of or if I'd find it an ordeal forcing myself back into it. I'm deeply glad I ended up selecting this thread to start with, because it was a genuine pleasure to read and to comment on, to the effect that I find myself honestly looking forward to the rest of the Blitz. There's something charming about these moments in the lives of these characters, and I find myself charmed. Cheers, Pano.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, it’s been a while since I came back to this series, and I’m not sure if you’ll ever upload the rest to TR, but I figured that there were 8 prompts that I hadn’t read or reviewed yet, and that Review Blitz was as good a time as any to chip away at some of them.

Prompt #43

Spoiler

Standing on the deck of Drake's boat, Steven suddenly felt very, very naked. Not that he actually was naked, but the pair of swim trunks he was currently wearing covered a lot less of him than he was accustomed to. Unconsciously, he started to look around for a way out of the predicament, but Wallace was quick to spot his friend's desire for an escape route, and swiftly intervened.

"Steven, You can't back out now. Look, you're already ninety percent of the way there!"

Did Steven’s swim trunks shrink in the wash or something? Since you’d think he’d have noticed something like this before packing these. ^^;

Following the sweep of his friend's arm, Steven suppressed a shiver as he contemplated the way the water lapped at the boat's hull mere inches below his bare feet. Never in all his time on this earth could he recall a pleasant encounter with seawater, let alone one where he voluntarily offered to jump in.

Not even with Cradily and Armaldo? That’s a bit surprising to hear. Though I guess that’s one way to tell that he never taught his Aggron Surf.

The crystal clear waters certainly were a far cry from the dull, choppy waves he was used to avoiding. And even Wallace's earlier attempts at getting Steven to join him in the water off the shore of sandy beaches or tide pools deeper than mid-calf came up empty.

I can already tell that Cradily and Armaldo regularly give him

faces for him being a killjoy for their seaside fun.

For all of Wallace's cheerleading about the merits and beauty of the ocean, his words fell flat, drowned out by the sensation of rushing, churning waves roaring over him and sweeping him under. Choking, suffocating, gasping…

Boy does that take on some different undertones after reading through the first few chapters of Final Gambit, especially since that’s set in an AU branching off of this continuity.

"No, no. I can't do it." Steven brushed Wallace away a bit too forcefully and retreated from the railing of the boat, wrapping one arm around the other to ward off the memories threatening to resurface.

Oh, so Steven had a BAD TIME™ with water at some point in the past, huh? I suppose that would explain an awful lot about his reaction here. I wonder if we’ll find out about what exactly went down in this prompt, or if it’ll remain a noodle incident.

"Steven…" Wallace started, but stopped at the strangely haunted expression that flitted across his friend's face.

Shaking his head, Steven remained firm, a defensive edge creeping up in his tone. "No, it's quite alright."

"It'll be fine. I'll be right here the whole time. And Victoria, too."

Oh, so Steven actually wants to make the jump? I’m a little surprised he didn’t just take the first out possible to bail.

The Milotic in question crooned softly from where she sat coiled on the deck. She and her trainer had already gone for a swim, but even their display of prowess in the water was not enough to convince Steven to join them himself.

He simply would not budge; the ocean was not for him.

Wallace: “... Steven, are Victoria and I going to have to push you in?”

Steven: “Wallace, don’t you dare!”

But Wallace could be just as stubborn, and the water-type Leader was not ready to give up on his friend.

"Just try. Just this once. You won't regret it, I promise!"

"And how can you promise that?"

"Because nothing is going to go catastrophically wrong and you may end up enjoying yourself. Imagine that!"

That sounds like a jinx, just saying, Wallace.

"I enjoy myself plenty when I'm clothed, dry, and have both feet on solid ground."

"Well what about flying? You can't tell me you hate every second when you're on Skarmory or Metagross's back? You're not on solid ground then, and it's just as if not more dangerous than swimming!"

"That's different."

"How so?"

"I trust my pokemon."

Sounds like we really do need to break out that Surf HM for Aggron at this rate. :P

"And you don't trust mine?!"

Victoria trilled a note of offense.

"I don't trust myself, Wallace!"

And also your Pokémon, but yeah, I suppose Steven wouldn’t want to fess up to that.

Their shouting match ended as Wallace blinked in surprise.

"You don't know how to swim."

It wasn't a question, and therefore Steven didn't feel obligated to provide an answer. Instead he settled for giving Wallace a guarded look that did all the talking for him.

Wallace: “I’ll… just take that as a ‘yes’ there.” -_-;

"All this time I just assumed you didn't like it."

"I don't like it."

"Yes, but I thought surely you knew how."

"Well, if I go under, I can probably at least get back up. That counts, I'm sure."

… How has Steven managed to go this far into his life without learning how to swim in Hoenn of all regions?

Wallace hummed a non-committal tone, and Steven gave up.

"Okay, fine. I don't know how to swim. Now will you stop trying to get me to jump in the ocean?"

But the thoughtful expression on Wallace's face told Steven that he wouldn't.

Steven: “Wallace, what the hell?! Seriously, I literally can’t go in the water without drowning!”

Wallace: “Steven, stop being so dramatic for just a sec.”

"What if I teach you?"

"Huh?"

"What if I teach you how to swim? Once you learn the basics, will you come swimming with me then?"

"Why?"

Wallace: “Because we literally live in the ‘7.8 - Too Much Water’ region and it could potentially save your life if you slipped and fell off Skarmory or something over the sea?”

"Why what?"

"Why are you so insistent on this?"

Because Wallace loves swimming and wants to share the joy he feels with it to others? I mean, just look at his team, Steven.

"Because you're my friend."

Also, that too.

"You're my friend too, and after you told me once you don't like to go caving, I haven't asked you since."

"That's different."

"I already tried that argument."

-snerk-

I should be a lot less surprised, really.

Steven thought he might have lightened the mood with the sarcastic quip, but Wallace remained dead silent, staring hard at him with more intensity than he'd seen from the Master Coordinator in quite some time.

"Because, Steven, if something happened to you that could have been prevented with the simple knowledge of how to save yourself when in deep water, I'd never forgive myself."

Oh, so the ‘it could save your life’ argument actually did come up, if with a lot more of a personal angle than I anticipated.

The deck fell silent save for the lapping of the waves and the Wingull wheeling overhead.

"...Wallace. I…"

But a harrumph cut off Steven's shaky apology.

"Count yourself lucky, lad." Drake sidled up to the pair, tipping his captain’s hat back by the brim. "He told me he was gonna just push you in this time."

I should be a lot less surprised, really.

Steven: “Wait, Drake? Where on earth did you come from?” .-.
Drake: “Steven, whose ship do you think you’re on right now?” >_>;

Whatever sympathy Steven had held died right then and there, and he glared daggers at the Gym Leader in question.

With a nervous grin, Wallace backpedaled a bit, his hands up in surrender. "Yes, well — but I didn't."

Steven:

Wallace: “I mean, I changed my mind, so that’s the important part?” ^^;

"And here I was nearly ready to accept your offer."

"Would you perhaps reconsider if I promised to go on another caving trip with you?"

Steven crossed his arms. "...Maybe."

I mean, assuming that Wallace actually commits to that caving trip, anyways.

"It'd mean a lot to me."

Victoria slid up to her trainer's side and gave a quiet warble. Steven had been fully prepared to play stubborn again, but the look of concern that shimmered in her gaze melted through whatever anger was left.

"Fine."

Steven’s going to get yeeted from the boat before the prompt’s over, isn’t he? :V

Wallace immediately perked up, beaming with pride.

"But—!" Steven held up a finger to temper his friend's enthusiasm. "Can we have the lessons at the Gym's pool? I don't think I'm ready to take on the ocean just yet."

"Absolutely."

Drake: “Sure would’ve been nice for you two to figure this out before I took the boat out, just saying.” >_>;

"Great. Now I'm going to go get changed."

Still grinning from ear to ear, Wallace watched as Steven turned to follow Drake back towards the boat's cabin.

Just as the duo passed a little nook in the bulwark opposite a conveniently placed opening in the boat's railing, Drake piped up.

"I wouldn't if I were you…"

Oh, so Wallace isn’t going to even have to push Steven, huh? o<o

Steven's eyes went wide as Sidney popped out of hiding with a dejected look on his face.

Perhaps he should schedule that swim lesson with Wallace sooner rather than later.

Steven: “Seriously, Sidney?” >_>;
Sidney: “Bah, why do you have to be such a killjoy, Drake?” >.<
And huh, a bonus drabble this time. That’s certainly new. Let’s go ahead and see what that’s like:

"Wallace…?"

The sound of his name gave the Gym Leader pause, and he halted his gentle tugging of Steven's hand toward the far end of the pool. They were still standing, now chest deep, but he had promised he wouldn't force the issue.

Wallace: “Water’s great, isn’t it, Steven?” ^^

Letting go, he pushed off the bottom and gracefully drifted away to the center of the pool. From where he treaded water, he could see the turmoil on his friend's face. They'd practiced in the shallows for a while, but he knew that trying the real thing wasn't the same.

"Whenever you're ready Steven, I'll be here."

Yeah, I can already tell that it took a few sessions for Steven to work up the courage to go to the deep end.

Prompt #44

Spoiler

"Aggron? Aggron, where are you?"

Scratching his head as he continued to puzzle over exactly how one could lose a giant, metal-plated dinosaur, Steven poked his head into the last room of the house he hadn't checked.

I mean, Pokéballs help, but yeah, that’s a bit surprising to me, too.

When his search still came up empty, he sighed with a defeated shrug. He had been planning on training with Sidney that afternoon, and he knew Aggron wouldn't want to miss a chance to battle. But he certainly couldn't ask a pokemon that was nowhere to be found.

Very nearly ready to give up and ask Skarmory to be his sparring partner instead, Steven noticed Claydol had bobbed up to his side with a quiet whistle.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Aggron went, would you?"

Huh, I actually wonder if Claydol will be able to have an edge at giving a coherent answer given that it’s partly a Psychic-type.

He had been expecting an answer in the negative, so when Claydol's eyes slid toward the door leading to the backyard, Steven found himself nearly laughing as the realization dawned.

"Right, the garden! How could I forget?"

Ah, this is going to be a Sapphiredex Entry episode, isn’t it?

After thanking Claydol for its wisdom, Steven quickly made his way outside. The porch door swung wide, and the sight that greeted him was equal parts amusing and endearing.

Hunched over on all fours was Aggron, pressed so close to the ground that its snout was mere inches above the dirt. It was quietly rumbling to itself as it inspected the garden, sweeping its massive head side to side over the different patches of soil. The handwritten signs at the corner of each plot were purely for Steven's sake; Aggron would never forget which berry it had planted where with the utmost love and care.

Yeah, I figured once the word ‘garden’ popped up in the text. It’s a bit funny to think of the giant, metal-eating triceratops on two legs as having a green thumb, but it is a part of official fluff.

Since they had moved to Mossdeep, Aggron had lamented the lack of rich soil in which to plant berries and trees. The island was simply too rocky to support more than the basic mosses from which it earned its name. Sure, there were the mangrove stands in the salty shallows at the south of the island, but Aggron was never that fond of the ocean, and berry trees didn't like the saltwater anyway. So to appease the gentle giant, Steven had carted nearly a ton of fresh, loamy topsoil to his house and arranged a private garden just for him.

I suppose there are benefits to being the son of the CEO of a major industrial conglomerate, since boy that couldn’t have been cheap. ^^;

It had been just over three weeks since Aggron planted the first berries, and it had checked on the garden nearly every day, like clockwork. Thus far, there hadn't been anything more to do than simple weeding and watering and waiting.

How long has Aggron been at this if he’s better at gardening berry bushes than some human PCs?

But as Steven watched Aggron's latest sweep, it gave a startled snort and froze in place, lowering its nose even tighter to the soil. At the comical motion, Steven raised a hand to his mouth to stifle the laugh that threatened to spill, lest it break Aggron's intense concentration on the object poking out from the dirt just in front of its snout.

I wonder if Aggron will outright poke the dirt with his snout, since he is a Rock-type used to dishing out dirt.

A single slender shoot had found its way up from the ground, and it gently danced in the breath from Aggron's nostrils. The gigantic steel type was staring so intently at the seedling that Steven feared that it might instantly burst into flame even though Aggron didn't know any fire type moves.

Can’t tell if that’s progress, or just a weed there.

Thankfully, he didn't need to have any water on hand, as Aggron quickly rose on its hind legs and plucked the watering can from its side. Gently dousing the soil and seedling alike, Aggron was back on all fours watching as the water soaked into the ground.

Steven watched for a moment longer to see if Aggron would grow tired, but it stayed transfixed on the small sprout, the tip of its tail twitching every now and again. With a smile, Steven shook his head and went back inside the house. He'd have to ask Skarmory after all; there was no way he would get the overprotective steel type to give up the watch over the precious new life sprouting up from its garden.

Whelp, progress it is. Even if I suppose that means Aggron won’t be doing a whole lot of sparring for the next few weeks. ^^;

Prompt #45

Spoiler

It had been over a week since Phoebe had a good night’s sleep; the spirits were too restless to allow it. It had also been just over a week since the new Champion had been crowned and took their place as a regular in the halls of the League.

Can’t tell if this Champion is the Hoenn PC or if it’s Wallace there.

Despite her fatigue, Phoebe had to smile. The spirits were too curious for their own good. So every night she sat awake, listening to them chatter and flit about, their excitement and nervousness so palpable that there was no way she could even dream of getting some shut eye. But she was watchful, just in case they ever got too adventurous. She already gave the new Champion a rude introduction to her ever-present companions, and she didn't want to risk another incident, especially since he'd been so forgiving of the first one, and that had nearly killed him…

Boy that sounds like a saga and a half there.

But as vigilant as Phoebe tried to be, in the end it was unsustainable, and on the eighth night she finally fell asleep. She only realized she had nodded off when she awoke with a chill, a shiver running down her spine, and she sat up with a jolt.

Except that when she looked around, she was no longer in her own room. The flowing fabrics and scent of incense were gone, replaced by hardwoods and the musk of old tobacco and leather.

Phoebe: “... I am dreaming, right?” .-.

'How odd,' she mused, squinting through the nighttime darkness. Had she taken to somnambulism in her overtired state? But looking down, she saw she was tucked into a bed, sleeping in someone else's sheets.

Still puzzled that she'd have wandered somewhere else just to lay down, she reached out to slip out from beneath the covers and head back to her own quarters when a glint of metal caught her eye.

A thin, silver band sat around her right ring finger, and she marveled at how she might have acquired a new piece of jewelry before she froze with another realization.

Out-of-body experience? Or…?

Her fingers were decidedly longer, more calloused, and lacking the distinct tan of her natural color. This was most certainly not her hand, but it was definitely one she recognized.

It was the Champion's.

Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting a bodyswap plot there. Though with the mention of the ring, I wonder if this is Steven after all, just early in his career.

Panic rose in time with the color in her cheeks. The confusion of being in another place was replaced by the terror of being in someone else's body, and that body was Steven's.

Well, that answers that question there.

With a squeak that came out much deeper than she expected, she curled up under the sheets, tucking her knees to her chest… his chest… No, she was definitely still herself, this was her mind, just inside another vessel. Suddenly the embarrassment of waking up as the opposite gender turned into a feeling of anger. Surely this had to be the doing of the spirits, but why were they picking on Steven again? And to involve her in their mischief too?

Literal spirits? Or are her Ghost-types able to do this somehow?

But before she could formulate a plan of just what to do next to not only get herself out of this predicament, but also prevent Steven from ever finding out, something in the shadows of the room shifted with a low rumble.

Blanket protectively tucked up to her chest, she turned her gaze to the source of the noise. Two red eyes blinked open, instantly finding her own, and the shadow spoke. Not aloud, the room still was as silent as when she awoke, but she heard it loud and clear nonetheless.

'Steven?'

That… doesn’t look like Steven at all, just saying, Phoebe.

The voice was rough and tumble, rattling of bolts and gravel, yet somehow soothing, gentle, steady. It echoed through her mind, and Phoebe froze.
"Y-yes?"

There was a pause, and she could feel the presence shift, even if the shadows stayed still. She hadn't meant to stutter, it felt so foreign in his voice, and she was sure the shadow knew because when it spoke again, the softness of its earlier question vanished with a surge of hostility. The voice knew; it knew she had replaced his consciousness, and she had only said a single word. The pressure in the room grew, and out from the corner of the room stepped Metagross, eyes alight with a threatening psychic glow.

'What have you done to him?'

Phoebe: “Look, this wasn’t my idea, okay?!”

Phoebe quickly backpedaled, shaking her head furiously.

"No, no, it's not what you think! It's me! Uh— " The words tumbled out and she realized how unhelpful that must have been coming from Steven's mouth. She recovered before Metagross's distrust could grow. "It's Phoebe!"

The psychic type faltered at her admission, a spike of confusion flitting through the air. It halted its advance, but its eyes remained wary.

'Explain.'

Metagross: “*Since I didn’t think that this was even possible in our setting.*” ·x·

"I… I don't know." She studied the hands in her lap again, her voice a whisper. "I'm sorry."

This time Metagross rumbled audibly, grating out what Phoebe could feel as a noise of frustration. For all of its knowledge, this was puzzling it as much as it was puzzling her. But then another realization struck, and Phoebe couldn't stop herself from blurting out.

"Wait, you can talk?!"

That’s called telepathy, hon. I mean, it’s a little touch and go between branches of canon as to how often and how consistently it’s around among various Pokémon, but it is a thing in official media. :V

As soon as she said it, she felt silly to pose such a question to Metagross through its own trainer. But instead she sensed a pulse of surprise come from Steven's partner. It paused to regard her with its unblinking eyes before answering.

'Most psychic types can, to a degree.'

Huh, wonder why we didn’t see Claydol do that in the last prompt, or if Claydol is just inexperienced with telepathy with humans.

"So you and Steven…?"

'No. Not like this.'

"Then…?"

'We do not need words to understand one another.'

Oh, I guess that explains why we didn’t see Claydol also do this in the prior prompt. Though what is the story of how they’re managing this? Aura? Instinctive samebrain?

When a look of confusion washed over Phoebe's expression, Metagross continued with a tilt of its head.

'He and I share an emotional bond. You are the first to clearly hear my words. Most likely because of your affinity for communing with others who have no voice.'

Yeah, ‘instinctive samebrain’ it is.

"The spirits…" Phoebe muttered, and she noticed how Metagross shifted uneasily, no doubt remembering the run in with her pokemon during the League challenge.

'This must be their doing.'

Metagross: “*Though I still don’t understand how this is possible, really.” ·x·

She nodded. "They had been rather restless since you two came here."

Another surge of hostility rose in her mind, and she found herself again scrambling to explain things to the powerful pokemon before her.

"Oh no, they're not upset! More like, curious. They don't like losing, but they do like you, I promise."

Oh, so the spirits are her Ghost-types. Noted.

Metagross: “They certainly have a funny way of showing it.” >x>

Metagross remained silent for a spell before it relaxed again, settling lower on its legs with a small hum.

'They have an unusual way of showing it.'

Wow, and I did that cutaway gag as a joke. Can I call ‘em, or what?

Phoebe laughed in agreement at the steel type's assessment. It came tumbling out not as her own airy timbre, but with Steven's rich tenor, and she quickly stopped, embarrassed.

"Sorry."

'It is okay. Although I do wish for this conversation to be over. If you could please leave and allow Steven to return, that would be preferred.'

Phoebe: “U-Um… well…”

Swallowing thickly, Phoebe felt her hands tighten around the bedsheets. "I would prefer it too, but I don't know if I know how."

If Metagross's brow could furrow, Phoebe swore it would have as the steel type's gaze darted downward in thought.

'Can you not ask them to undo what they have done?'

Her own gaze fell at its question. "I could but, uh, they don't always listen…"

This sounds like a recipe for Metagross to stomp over to Phoebe’s room and give the mother of all death glares at her team.

'Then perhaps I could persuade them.'

Yeah, I figured.

It had turned its attention back to her, and Phoebe felt her heart skip a beat at the intensity of Metagross's stare. The psychic glow in its eyes had returned, and the air around her began to shimmer with energy. She tensed as invisible fingers reached out, cupping themselves around her mind.

'I will be careful. This will not harm him. Or you.'

Phoebe: “Metagross, that’s not reassuring me right now!”

The sensation of Metagross's presence was all encompassing, and Phoebe could only muster a nod as it pressed forward. She was startled at just how warm it felt; quite unlike how she imagined a steel type's presence to be. It was firm, unyielding like its hide, but surprisingly gentle. She could sense it had located her presence within Steven's mind, but continued to reach out and search for the traces left by the spirits who had brought her here. It was meticulous, yet light with its touch, and Phoebe could practically feel the love and care it had for its trainer in its quest. They were definitely a perfect match.

Finally, Metagross's probing ceased, and its presence centered again in her mind.

'Speaking with you has been refreshing, but it is time. Goodbye for now, Phoe-be.'

Phoebe: “Wait, what on earth did you just-?” ._.;

As it spoke her name, haltingly, carefully, sounding it out in its mind, a rush of emotion poured forth, and in that single second she saw what Metagross had seen within Steven's mind. How worried he'd been during their battle. How scared he was for her when she collapsed. The madness he'd been swallowed by as her ghosts' curse took hold, and the light of his pokemon's bond that brought him back from his descent. And at the end, there was no anger, no hatred or ill will in her direction. The understanding and forgiveness that poured forth were overwhelming, and as Metagross echoed its trainers sentiment in her mind, she felt tears begin to well in her eyes. All was forgiven; now all she had to do was forgive herself.

That… feels like one hell of a near-death experience back in the day, just saying. .-.

The warm splash of tears fell against her hand, and she blinked. She was back in her own room, in her own bed, and as she inspected the pattern of teardrops against the bronze of her skin, she stifled a sob with her other hand. It was all going to be okay.

D’aww…

Steven awoke to the concerned stare of his partner from the foot of his bed.
"Metagross, I just had the weirdest dream..."

Metagross: “*That… wasn’t a dream, Steven.*” -x-;

AN: For anyone who may curious about the greater context, this short story references the events of chapter 16 of my other multi-chapter fic, The Long Road.

Huh, well sounds like I’ve got something of yours that I should check out in the future. Since I take it that this prompt will hit a bit differently after reading the relevant chapter of TLR.

It’s been far too long since the last time I read this series, and the fare is just as varied as I remembered it, with a mix of lulzy and touching pieces, which has kinda been the general tone of the entire story thus far. The highlight of them for me was Prompt #45, which took me a bit at how paranormal it was, but I thought that the overall direction it went in paid off well for helping Phoebe come to terms with a past bungle of hers.

As for criticisms, there were a couple parts where I do think that more description would’ve helped, but you’ve made it clear long ago as to the meta behind how these prompts are deliberately designed to be lightweight to write and read so I won’t press the matter. I don’t really have any other complaints otherwise. They’re just little glimpses into the life of Steven Stone and Hoenn’s E4, and they do their job quite well without getting samey to each other or stale.

Hope the review was fun, @Panoramic_Vacuum , and I’ll be looking forward to leaving a few more reviews of your stories this Review Blitz, including hopefully this one. ^^

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, was a bit more on the wiped side of things tonight, so I figured that it was as good a reason to come back and review another tranche of prompts from this story:

Prompt #46

Spoiler

Kalos, eh? That’s definitely something unexpected, though let’s see where this goes.

"Oh, Steven," Wallace was wide eyed as the pair strolled through the lively streets of Lumiose City, "Kalos is everything I've dreamed of and more!"

You have a spacing error for this line on your FFN version where the part in bold has a newline.

Steven chuckled at his friend's boundless enthusiasm. "I'm glad. I've been a few times now, but this is probably the first time I've gotten to see it as a tourist."

So… is this a ‘Steven gets a Mega Stone’ episode? Since I do remember there was that one shop in Lumiose that sold them…

Wallace's starry-eyed look vanished as he pulled a face. "Don't make it sound so drab. We're not some measly tourists."

"You're right, we're different. We're cultured."

Steven's emphasis on the word Wallace had repeated nearly ad-nauseam on their flight over garnered him a narrow glare.

"If you'd rather have your picture taken in front of Lumiose Tower and call it a day, be my guest."

Why, what’s Wallace’s idea of a good time in Lumiose in that case?

"I didn't mean it like that, Wallace. I rather enjoyed the afternoon at Lumiose Museum. And lunch at the cafe just around the corner was excellent."

"See what I mean, then? Living life just like actual Kalosians."

I mean, that’s debatable given how empty Lumiose Museum feels in the games, and you just know that it’s also a tourist trap in its own right.

"I suppose," Steven's hand found its way to his chin, "Although I was really hoping to stop by that Stone Emporium we saw on the way…"

Lol, I knew it.

Wallace rolled his eyes. "Can't you take a trip and not come back with some new rock or stone?"

Steven ignored the question with practiced ease. "Well, that would be the only way to pick up a souvenir since you didn't let me book a day trip to Glittering Cave. Which, honestly, I'm shocked you wouldn't agree to it with a name like that."

"You forget that after the word 'Glittering' still comes the word 'Cave'."

I see that Wallace still hasn’t come around to going caving from Prompt #43. o<o

Steven sighed. "Not even after you dragged me to that Couture place yesterday?"

"It's Boutique Couture thank you, and no, not even after that."

I can already see Steven’s

face in live-time.

It was Steven's turn to shoot his friend a disgruntled look, and after holding his ground for only a moment more, Wallace finally caved.

Lol, I knew it.

"Fine, we can head back toward the Stone Emporium. Besides, I heard there's another great little cafe nearby that we can try."

Steven's victory smile softened as the pair turned down the next avenue that would take them back toward the south end of the city. "Thanks, Wallace. And no, I can't take a trip without bringing something back to remember it by. Which is why I think this time I'm going to see if the water stones in Kalos have a different composition than those from Kanto…"

inb4 Wallace cleans out the entire shop’s stock because he needs all the foreign stones for his collection.

Prompt #47

Spoiler

Steven sighed contentedly as he inhaled the scent of the freshly bound document in his hands. He had finally gotten a copy of the latest geological study of Unova's Chargestone Cave, and just in time before he was on his way there himself to participate in the Pokemon World Tournament.

Huh, an acknowledgement of PWT actually being a thing. Maybe I just haven’t read enough trainerverse fics, but this feels like something that I haven’t seen a whole lot of.

There was only a week left before he boarded a plane for the tournament, and he had every intention of reading this paper before he set foot on Unovan soil. He had already read the abstract on the cover about fifteen times as it sat unopened on his desk. With so little time to prepare the League for his departure, he had told himself he'd only read it in its entirety once all his work was complete. It was good motivation to stay focused on the task at hand, and Steven allowed himself to read the abstract one more time before diving into his pile of paperwork.

It was well into the evening when Steven finally leaned back in his chair and admired the stack of papers he had gotten through that day. His eyes drifted to the cover once more, but the clock on the far wall caught his attention instead, and he dutifully pushed back from the desk and grabbed his jacket. He would be good tonight, there was a time change in Unova to accommodate to, after all. There was no big rush other than his own giddy excitement, and he still had plenty of time to spare before his trip...

Ah yes, priorities in life. Though I suppose it is very Steven to just instantly beeline to wherever the interesting ronks are in any given region he visits for the first time.

"Hey Boss, ready for our training session today?"

Sidney's head poked through the door the next morning, and Steven jerked his hand back from the report in surprise.

"Ah, Sidney, you startled me. Is it that time already?"

Huh, now that I think about it, it is a little weird that it’s specifically the Champions and Gym Leaders of each region that show up for PWT. I can only imagine some of the salt that Sidney and the rest of the gang had after finding out they weren’t going.

"Yup, nice and early so we'll have time to rest up before the challenger arrives this afternoon, although I'll bet you won't have much to do," Sidney grinned, "Phoebe's on a vicious winning streak right now."

Wait, is there even an actual consequence to losing as a challenger in this setting? Since now I’m curious if this is just a universe where Brendan/May just got walled at some point on his/her E4 challenge.

Steven smiled, although he couldn't stop his gaze from wandering back to the untouched document on his desk, and he gave Sidney a half-hearted nod.

"That sounds great, let's get started then."

Their training session passed without a hitch, and true to Sidney's word, Steven didn't have much to do with the afternoon's challenger, although they did put up a better fight than most expected. Their penchant for defensive poison types meant that the battles were all long drawn out affairs, and the remainder of the day had shrunk down to almost nothing. Steven sighed as he flicked off the light to his office, leaving the report sitting where he had left it the previous day...

Ah yes, stall battles. That’s definitely a very Hoenn tactic there, especially back in Gen 3.

Another round of paperwork had landed on Steven's desk the next morning, but he powered through it and was now faced with a wide open schedule for the rest of the afternoon. A grin crept over his face as he carefully lifted the report from its resting place, feeling the weight of it in his hands. His thumb flipped open the cover page, but instead of being greeted by the first of many paragraphs on the unique geological make up of Unova's most interesting cave, two beady red eyes stared back at him instead.

Steven blinked in surprise for only a moment before Banette's whole head popped out of the manuscript right into his face. With a yell he flailed at the rude introduction and Banette cackled as Steven had to pick himself and his chair up off the floor before fishing the report out from under the nearby table.

Steven: “Phoebe! Come get your ghosts!” >.<

"Sorry!" Phoebe's cheeks flushed in embarrassment at her pokemon's antics as she peeked through the door of Steven's office. "She can't help herself sometimes."

Banette floated back to her trainer's side, still snickering as Steven gave it a nasty glare.

"What can I do for you, Phoebe?" he said, straightening his cravat.

Steven: “Since I know you didn’t get an invite to the PWT and I couldn’t remember the last time you were ever interested in rock stuff from me.”

"Well, my grandmother called me this morning and said she wasn't feeling well, and I know you're busy, but I was wondering if you'd be able to cover my Gym inspection this afternoon so I could go see her..."

Ah yes, thus why the prompt said that ‘a moment of peace’ was hard to find. I guess finding out about Chargestone Cave’s going to be a bit of a saga for Steven this prompt.

Steven's gaze softened at the way Phoebe's voice trailed off, and he gave her a smile. "Sure, Phoebe. Go visit your grandmother, and tell her I said 'hi'. Now, which Gym were you scheduled to visit?"
Phoebe beamed with happiness. "You're the best! I was supposed to go to Rustboro to see Roxanne. I bet she'll be thrilled to see you!"

Ah yes, just dumping a trip clear across Hoenn into Steven’s lap. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled there.

Steven barely hid his grimace. Rustboro was not a short trip, and if there was one person in all of Hoenn that might have already read that report, it would have been Roxanne... "It's no problem at all."

"Thanks, Steven!" she chimed before bounding off down the hall.

Steven: “... Bah, I should’ve gotten Sidney to do this for me.” >.<

After spending the rest of the afternoon flying to Rustboro and convincing Roxanne to not spoil the Chargestone Cave paper for him, Steven sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he left the Rustboro City Gym. As he palmed Skarmory's pokeball for the return trip, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

Wew, not even all the way back from his last errand and already getting another one, huh? :V

"Hello, Steven! A little Pidgey told me you were in Rustboro, so I thought I'd call and see if we can't catch up this evening. Dinner's on me."

It took every ounce of self control to not groan audibly at the sound of his father's voice. "Not tonight Dad, I was on my way back to Ever Grande..."

"Nonsense, you can fly back in the morning. Let me see my son just for one night."

And that was how Steven found himself staying in Rustboro for the evening, an entire region away from the report that lay untouched on his desk.

Steven: “In retrospect, I really should’ve paid a little extra to also get the eBook version of that report.”

It was nearly noon the next day when Steven finally made it back to the League. As he made his way toward his chamber, Glacia stepped around a corner and perked up when she caught sight of him.

"Oh, Steven, perfect! I was hoping I'd run into you today."

"You were?"

Steven: “This is just going to be smalltalk and not another errand, right?”

Glacia: “Actually… funny you should mention that…”

Glacia nodded. "Walrein and I came across an interesting rock formation in Shoal Cave recently and we were wondering if you could accompany us back there to study it. It seemed to have some sort of strange energy associated with it, but it just looked like an ordinary rock covered in ice."

Glacia: “Since we figured that that would be right up your alley, since… rocks and all.”

Steven paused nervously, "Can it possibly wait until I get back from Unova? I've got quite a lot to do before I leave." It wasn't a complete lie...

But Glacia shook her head, "Unfortunately the seasonal tide is shifting and that means the room where it is will be inaccessible for several months. I'd hate to have missed our chance to study this formation, lest it only be something temporary."

Steven:

Glacia: “Steven? Is something wrong? Normally you’re just chomping at the bit to go and see strange rocks up close.”

Steven's shoulders fell as he glanced down the hallway in the direction of his office. The prospect was exciting, but he really wanted to read that report... "Sure, I'll go with you."

"Marvelous, thank you Steven."

Man, Steven just can’t say ‘no’ to anyone, can he? I wonder if there’s a story behind this in TLR or one of your other works featuring him.

And although the pair of them discovered that this mysterious ice covered rock shared a link with the evolutionary stones commonly found throughout the region, the thrill of such a discovery still didn't make up for Steven's longing to dig into the mysteries of Chargestone Cave.

Steven: “I could’ve paid just a little more to also get a digital copy of that report, but noooooo...” >_>;

The training session he had set up with Drake the following day went smoothly, after all he had to be prepared for Lance's dragons at the tournament, but it left Steven drained to the point that by the time he got through the new stack of paperwork on his desk, all he could do was collapse on his bed in exhaustion and fall asleep. He dreamed of blue caves that crackled with electricity.

I should be a lot less surprised that Steven outright dreams about rocks, really.

An incessant beeping roused him the following morning, and Steven realized it wasn't his alarm, it was his phone. His voice was muddled with sleep as he answered.

"Mmhello?"

"Steven, wonderful, you'll never believe what's happening!"

"What? Wallace? What's happening?"

Steven: “Wallace, if this is another errand that you’re going to spring on me, so help me...” >_>;

"There's been a sighting of a new Mirage Island off the shore of the Sky Pillar. Preliminary reports say it might be home to a legendary pokemon!"

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. Get your lazy butt up and meet me in Sootopolis. We have to go verify these sightings before the island vanishes again."

Steven:

Before long, Steven found himself standing side by side with the Gym Leader on the Pathless Plain, as it had been called, squinting into the sunlight that beat down on the apparently barren rock. Larger than its fellow Mirage Spots, the Pathless Plain proved to be sizable, and their thorough expedition took nearly the entire day.

At this rate, you should really be camscanning that report to try and read it on your PokéNav while going around, Steven. Since I notice that you’ve certainly been traveling a lot, but there’s not much mention of you doing much during those times.

Though I suppose riding on Skarmory is probably a wee bit harder to manage casual reading material than on a human-made vehicle in an enclosed cabin.

As the sun began to slip down into the western sea, Steven sighed as he slumped to the ground underneath one of the rare trees that dotted the island. His flight was at 8 am the next morning, and he hadn't even packed yet. His head rolled back until it bumped into the rough bark of the tree and he let out a defeated groan. He had wanted to read that report so badly before he left, and he watched his chance of that happening slip beneath the waves along with the sun. Chest rising and falling with a deep breath, his mind drifted to the upcoming flight and his brow quirked as a thought struck him. Perhaps there was one last opportunity...

I mean, you could just read it on the actual flight. But at this rate, I’d be kinda surprised if you didn’t wind up forgetting about that report on accident while packing to leave. ^^;

Steven boarded the plane with precious cargo tucked into his messenger bag. He never did find the time to read the report with all of the unexpected things that came up before his departure, but there was still time before he touched down in Unova, and he found the perfect location for him to read uninterrupted; on the plane itself.

Yeah, I figured. Though all’s well that ends well, I suppose.

He settled into his seat and tucked the report gently in the seat back pocket. As the pre-flight checks passed and the engines roared to life, Steven smiled. Once they reached cruising altitude he'd lean back in his seat and finally dive into that report. He closed his eyes for just a brief moment, finally feeling his body relax.

And he promptly fell asleep for the duration of the flight. It seemed as if the report would have to wait one more time.

Man, Steven just can’t catch a break with this report, huh? What next? Is he going to also run out of time for the full week before the PWT after arriving? ^^;

Prompt #48

Spoiler

Today was the worst day ever.

Well, maybe the day Winona broke up with him was the worst day ever, but today was a very close second. Sure, they had been on-again, off-again for months now, but the day she called him and said she'd had enough, it hurt. It had been about two weeks since then, and everyone had been nothing but supportive. Steven even had stopped by to coax him out of his doldrums. The cakes and subsequent battle had done wonders for his mood, but today it felt like he was right back to square one. All because of a silly date on the calendar.

Wallace was simply not used to the idea of being alone on Luvdisc's Day, and it showed.

I find it darkly hilarious that Winona and Wallace are exes in your continuity, especially when I’d read a number of stories from Torchic W. Pip’s canon where the two still have an active relationship. Talk about a ‘familiar but different’ experience there.

Without any plans for the day, he was unsure how to fill the time. There were no challengers scheduled at the Gym, so he didn't have an excuse to leave home; not that he had anywhere to go even if he did. So rather than mope, he thought that it might be nice to tidy up. He got as far as the living room before he spotted an old picture of Winona and him on the side table, and he suddenly didn't feel like cleaning, or doing much of anything any more.

Wait, why does he even still have that lying around after a breakup? .-.

With the floodgates threatening to open once again, he grabbed his Milotic's pokeball and headed for the Sootopolis crater lake shore. A swim would do some good for both mind and body. The water was mild and the sky was clear, and Wallace had to admit, he did feel better afterward. Victoria's performance during their Contest practice had been one of her best yet, and the rush of adrenaline from their impromptu workout cleared his head and left him feeling light and airy as they headed back home.

Aaaaaand then he sees another photo of Winona, huh?

Except as the door clicked shut behind them, the weight of his lonely heart came crashing down upon his shoulders once again. His gaze floated over the emptiness of each room, lingering on places where he'd shared something special with her. The back deck where they had sat for hours enjoying the mild Sootopolis weather, watching their pokemon play together outside. The living room where they had watched movies late into the night, falling asleep in each other's arms because it was too comfy to get up and move somewhere else. The kitchen where they'd made breakfast the next morning, chatting over the coffee and pancakes with warm smiles.

Close enough, really. Though I take it that his breakup with Winona was relatively recent in the past for it to still be affecting him this badly.

His stomach rumbled, interrupting his thoughts. The afternoon swim must have worked up an appetite he didn't feel like he had. Perhaps if he made a nice dinner for himself, it might make up for the disappointment of having no one to share it with. But instead of vanishing, the disappointment turned to distraction and by the time he realized, there was no salvaging the utter mess he'd made.

Too frustrated to even deal with the burned remains left in the pan, Wallace finally resigned to ordering take-out and eating it alone on the couch when a knock sounded from the front door. Padding over, he swung it open only for his expression to go from downtrodden to downright confused.

This paragraph feels like it’s long enough that it’d work better as two smaller ones.

"Steven?"

The man in question stood outside on the doorstep, dressed to his usual nines, and flashed Wallace an easy smile. "Grab your hat and let's go."

"Go? Go where?"

"Out."

Wallace: “Steven, if this is another one of your caving expeditions…” >_>;
Steven: “It’s not. Just come along, you’ll see.”

"Out?" Wallace repeated. "What do you mean 'out'? Steven, you've never wanted to just go 'out' before. What's the catch?"

"No catch. Just grab your things and let's go. Maybe a clean shirt first, though."

Ah yes, I take it that Wallace isn’t the neatest of eaters there.

Wallace blinked dumbly before realizing what Steven meant. In the confusion of his friend's surprise visit, he'd totally forgotten about the aftermath of his kitchen disaster.

"Right, clean shirt." He fumbled for the words before gesturing he'd be right back. "One second."

Or I suppose that would also make a mess there.

Wallace ducked back inside for only a moment, and when he opened the door now wearing stain-free attire, he saw Steven had released Skarmory and was waiting patiently to board his steel-clad flyer. With a wave, he gestured for Wallace to join him, causing the water-type trainer to give Steven an odd look.

He was unfazed, though, only replying with another cryptic smile. "Skarmory will be fine with the both of us, it's only a short flight."

Wallace: “Wait, the both of us? Steven, where are you going with this?”

The steel bird gave a prideful squawk in response, scoffing that Wallace would even doubt its capabilities in the first place.

"If you say so… Which, by the way, you haven't," said Wallace as he slid onto Skarmory's back behind Steven. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," came the reply, and Wallace was thankful Steven hadn't bothered to turn around to answer, or else he would have caught his friend's incredulous eye-roll.

Wallace: “Steven, if this is going to Winona’s, we’re no longer in a relationship right now.” >_>;
Steven: “No, no. I had something else entirely in mind.”

Whatever Steven had planned couldn't be that bad, really… Hopefully... Wallace at least held on to the hope that it wasn't a trip to some cave; Steven was wearing one of his nicer suits, after all. Although given his track record, that didn't mean much. Wallace's sigh was lost to the wind as he wondered how far he'd fallen that the prospect of ending up in a cave on Luvdisc's Day actually sounded better than what his night had promised to be. At this point, though, almost anything beat wallowing in misery at home over a box of take-out.

Lol, I like how Wallace’s immediate suspicion of what Steven wants to get up to is literally “Oh, he wants to go caving. Again.”

But whatever worry Wallace had over their final destination faded quickly as they flew over the open water toward Steven's mystery destination. The last remnants of the sunset still brushed the sky with a tinge of orange, and Wallace found that the view silenced his next question in a long line of questions. Skarmory warbled a quiet tone as its two passengers took in the view, soaring smoothly northward until the lights of Lilycove City sparkled on the horizon.

Wallace: “Steven? Isn’t it a bit risky to be flying around on a Pokémon at night? What are you-?”
Steven: “Wait for it…”

A million more questions bubbled up in Wallace's mind, but he held his tongue as Skarmory banked in a slow turn that circled the city's famous lighthouse before landing on the edge of the tall cliffs that framed Lilycove's quiet northern district. Both men dismounted, and after thanking his partner for its hard work, Steven finished straightening his windtrousled lapels when Wallace let out a gasp.

Too entranced by the ocean view from atop the bluffs, Wallace hadn't given a second glance at the building that sat behind them. Now that he had though, the historic sea-side manor that they'd landed in front of was easy to recognize. It was home to one of the most premier restaurants in all of Hoenn. Wallace could barely contain his shock.

"Steven, you can't be serious."

Well, that’s definitely an upgrade over eating takeout on the couch.

Steven gave an unconvincing cough, trying and failing to look innocent. "I know it's a little unorthodox to ask at this point, but would you care to join me for dinner tonight? The reservation is for two, after all."

Oh, I see that Steven himself was feeling a bit lonely on Luvdisc’s Day and wanted company.

"How… how did you even get a table?"

Steven's cryptic smile returned. "I have my ways. So, is that a yes?"

"You can't be asking me to go on a date with you."

"It's not a date. I'm simply asking my friend if they'd like to have dinner with me."

Wallace:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vd5cE3n0M

“Come… again?”

"It's Luvdisc's Day."

"And?"

"You do realize how that looks, right?"

Ah yes, I can imagine the regional tabloids were quite busy after this one.

"If you'd prefer, we could go back to my place and I could cook something for us instead..." When Wallace pulled a face, Steven laughed. "I didn't think so. All I know is that my best friend needed a reminder tonight that he isn't as alone as he thinks. If that isn't worth putting up with a baseless tabloid headline for the next couple weeks, I don't know what is. So what do you say?"

D’aww… your take on Steven’s a real trooper. Though I suppose that’s been a common theme for him in the prompts in this series up to this point.

Wallace paused for a breath before a genuine grin spread across his face. How Steven always seemed to know just what to say, he'd never know, but he certainly wasn't going to question it either. With dramatic flare, he looped his arm through the crook of Steven's elbow and turned toward the restaurant's doors.
"Well, if we're going to throw those Vullaby a bone, let's make sure it's a picture worthy of the front page."

-snerk-

I like how Wallace is literally playing to the tabloid crowd with this restaurant visit.

A more humorous spread this time, I see. Even so, there was quite a variety in terms of premises, and the last one was downright touching by the end. It’s a shame that the series is almost over from the point that I read to, since the idea of seeing the Steven and the rest of the E4 bounce off various locales outside of Hoenn feels like it’d be quite a target-rich environment for potential hijinks.

I don’t have too much to complain about these prompts given what I know regarding the meta considerations behind them. There were a couple small wording / typo quibbles and a couple spots where I didn’t agree on formatting if you’re still doing touchups occasionally. But I fully understand if you just opt to leave things as they are.

Good work, @Panoramic_Vacuum . I’m not really sure what the last two prompts will entail, but I suppose that’s a sign for me to come and check back up on it sometime soon. ^^

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, decided to pop in to wrap this series up, since there were two last prompts to get through that I hadn’t read yet. Figured that tonight would be as good a time as any to sink my teeth into them:

Prompt #49

Spoiler

Steven had been pacing back and forth in front of the same door for the past ten minutes. Every so often he'd pause, raising his hand to knock, and then decide against it. It really shouldn't have been this hard; it wasn't even his problem! It certainly was affecting him though. He'd been trying to play mediator between the two of them this time, and it wasn't going well.

Winona all but ran from him every time he tried to talk to her. The last time he found her, she was all the way on top of one of Mauville's new towers, staring off into the sunset, and he certainly wasn't going to climb up there to have a chat.

Oh. This is another post-Mikunagi ship sinking episode, isn’t it?

And Wallace… Wallace had taken this break up even harder than the first two. He locked himself in his study muttering something about a Contest tournament in Sinnoh so he didn't even have to be in the same region as her. No amount of cajoling or bribery was working; even Juan had tried and failed.

Wait, than the first two? Who on earth were Wallace’s first two girlfriends before Winona? .-.

Steven was at his wit's end. Talking to the two of them independently wasn't working. And he had no idea how to get them to talk to one another. So he was down two Gym Leaders until one would stop hiding in the tallest spots in Hoenn, and the other would leave the confines of his home. At least Wallace hadn't up and left for Sinnoh yet...

And this is why it’s generally discouraged to have workplace romances, kiddos.

Drawing a deep breath, Steven halted his pacing. He might as well get this over with… Tentatively, he knocked on the door to Phoebe's chamber, only opening it when he heard the sing-song "come in!" from the other side.

Phoebe's cheerful grin greeted him from where she sat on the couch. "Hi, Steven. What's on your mind?"

Steven: “Gym Leader and romantic problems that really, really shouldn’t be my own, but somehow are.” >_>;

Taken aback momentarily by how she could know what he was thinking, Steven faltered. "Um, well…"

I mean, Phoebe technically didn’t know what Steven was thinking. Just that he was thinking something.

Phoebe giggled. "It's just you had this look on your face like you were concentrating."

"Oh." Steven scratched his cheek absentmindedly. "And here I was worried you were reading my mind."

"Nah," Phoebe said with a grin. "Ghost type trainer, not a psychic. So, what's up?"

Steven: “Um… where do I even start with this one…?” .-.

"Well," he began, hand on his chin, "If someone tells you their relationship status is 'complicated'... What does that mean, exactly?"

Phoebe's grin widened at the implied air quotes. "Wallace?"

Steven sighed. "Wallace."

Steven: “I’m sorry, but how on earth do you know about this?” ._.;

Phoebe: “I mean, Wallace and Winona have been off the job for a while… it’s starting to make the tabloid circuit at this rate.” ^^;

Patting the cushion next to her, Phoebe reached for the remote with her other hand. "I think a visual aid will be best."
As Steven rounded the corner of the couch, she toggled the tv on to reveal the title card for Lovers in Lilycove. He paused, eyeing the screen with a quirked brow.

"Isn't this a…?"

"Yes, it's a soap opera," Phoebe finished for him before waving him over again. "Trust me. This will explain everything."

Ohhh boy. I can already tell that Steven’s going to regret this really fast. Though I actually wonder if this chronologically precedes Prompt #48 or not, since it certainly feels like it’s something that would’ve come before Wallace’s Luvdisc’s Day moment.

Prompt #50

Spoiler

1:30 am.

The sound of rustling papers danced across the Champion's office, the quiet sound unsettlingly loud in the silent halls of the Pokemon League.

Nervously, Steven's gaze slid to where Aggron had curled itself around his favorite armchair. Its deep, powerful breaths held steady, and Steven softly exhaled in kind; he hadn't woken him. Why Aggron had decided to keep watch over him as he did paperwork was still a mystery, but the thrilling guard duty had taken its toll on the hulking steel type about an hour ago.

Ah yes, an insomnia episode. Time to see how much of a bear of a time our boy Steven here has with counting Mareep.

Drawing a hand slowly over the documents in front of him, Steven found his gaze becoming unfocused, hazy. His mind wandered to the irony of the situation. How he had poured himself into training and battling in order to escape the tedium of what Devon promised, and yet here he sat on the highest perch a trainer could attain and all he could see for miles was a sea of numbers in black and white. He was sure his dad would have a hearty laugh if he ever told him as much.

Wait, what on earth are these documents even about? Tax filings? .-.

1:50 am.

Steven blinked as he realized his pen had suddenly taken a mind of its own, trailing a blue streak haphazardly across the page. When had he dozed off? He leaned back in his chair, bringing a hand to his chin and silently berated himself. Trying to be efficient while working late into the night could hardly be called efficient if he barely got anything done. Focus renewed, he reached for the white out to try to salvage the budget review-turned art piece.

Ahh. Yeah, that would explain all the numbers, but this really feels like one of those things that you shouldn’t be doing during witching hour. ^^;

2:55 am.

Finally the stack of papers in his outbox outweighed the one in his inbox, and Steven slumped forward onto his desk with a sigh. One arm outstretched, fingertips barely reaching the front edge of the wood, he laid his head on his arm and let his brain focus on the stark landscape of chestnut grain; a Wurmple's eye view.

Prooobably should’ve invested in a Chesto Tea or something like that if you were going to marathon those budget reviews into this hour. ^^;

As his eyes lazily combed the desk, one object stood out from the rest. A rough hewn lump of rock; but not just any rock. One that seemed to pulse with an inner light, as if it were breathing, alive. A raw Mega Stone, one he hadn't seen before, and one he was happy to horde all for himself. Even in the dim light of his desk lamp, the colors of the Aggronite swirled in a cool mercurial flow, its flecks of silver sparkled as he rocked the sample back and forth with his finger. A galaxy that fit within the palm of his hand.

His gaze slid from the powerful stone to his dozing companion, and he wondered if Aggron dreamed of the same starry sky that filled his own visions at night. The sky they journeyed beneath in their younger days. The sky his eyes would wander to whenever the clouds would part just right.

I wonder if this is a specific scene from The Long Road that’s being alluded to here, since this feels vaguely like it could come from it based off the scenes that Steven’s remembering.

3:25 am.

Steven leaned back against Aggron's side, feeling the rise and fall of his partner's breathing. He had finally given up on his paperwork and gone home, and yet he couldn't sleep. As the pair lay side by side in Steven's back yard, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the heavens above. All those stars were rocks he would never know, but he thought if he stared long enough, he might be able to visit them in his dreams.

Huh, I didn’t realize it until I read your author’s notes on FFN, but huh. That is a cute parallel to how the first prompt in this series went.

Well, it was a bit longer of a journey than I expected, but I made it to the end of this series. I wasn’t fully expecting the last two prompts to be so compact, but I thought that they were a decent sendoff, especially the last one that deliberately parallels Prompt #1.

I don’t have a whole lot to complain about these two prompts, really, other than that I wish that they and the six preceding them were here on TR to make the reading process a bit easier and make your version of the story here complete. But that’s a meta thing and not really related to the quality of what you do have.

Good work @Panoramic_Vacuum . You have a really charming series here, and even if you’ve moved on from writing Pokémon fiction for now, you have something worth being proud of, and it’s a good motivator for checking out some of your other stories, to boot. ^^

 

[HelloYellow17]

[insert Obi-Wan GIF; pretend I’m not too lazy to link it and I actually inserted it here, haha] Well hello there!

For how many times I’ve bounced around your short stories collection to pick a random entry here or there to enjoy, it’s honestly a shame that I haven’t actually…well, formally reviewed any of them! I’m here to mend that mistake, and to read all the other entries I never got around to enjoying while I’m at it! I just know I’m in for a treat, but that’s nothing new; Pano fic is always a treat. :3

I’ll be reviewing these in chunks of twelve chapters, just to make it easier to keep track. So there will be a second review coming after this one that will cover the second half of the stories! (Also?? Wow I had no idea this was fifty whole chapters, I definitely thought it was closer to 20. Probably because the chapters are short and go by quickly! I have my work cut out for me and I am PUMPED, honestly. So much good material to sink my teeth into!)

Aight, without further ado, here we go!

Spoiler: Stories 1-12

Either way, I hope you enjoy this dive into my Hoenn headcanons for the NPCs and their pokemon that (in my opinion) deserve so much more than a life of standing around in a single chamber waiting for a twelve year old to beat them in a pokemon battle.

Oh YES this is very well said. The Elite Four deserves more spotlight, and this collection of stories does exactly that! You do them perfect justice, too; not only do we get to see all kinds of different sides of them, but we get to see how they interact together, which is doubly fun considering how completely different they all are from each other. And yeah, sometimes they argue and squabble and fight, but that’s kind of the point—they are a family, and that sure is what families do sometimes! This isn’t all going to be them holding hand and singing kumbaya around a campfire, and frankly, that is what I love about it. They are way too different from each other not to disagree sometimes. It’s all about how, despite those many differences, they still band together and stand by one another and fiercely defend, care for, and support each other. No matter what.

Anyway long story not made short, they are the best little found family and I adore them with all my heart. 💛

"Is everyone okay in here? This is some storm." Steven peered around, causing the beam of light to dance across the room.

"Are you wearing a caving headlamp?"

Lol. Leave it to Steven to wear one of those at any given opportunity. He reminds me of my dad in that way, because my dad has one of those things and uses it all the time whenever we go camping. Yes, we have made fun of him for it. 😂 Can’t deny that it’s real heckin useful, though! Also: ooooh storm story! I don’t know why, but I’m obsessed with ferocious storms, both irl and in fic. Probably because they bring about such a cozy atmosphere, and few things bring me greater joy than snuggling up under a blanket with friends or family while a storm rages outside.

"It's a shame none of us have any electric pokemon," mused Glacia.

I…huh, wow, they don’t have any electric Pokémon between them, do they? Wild. Where’s Iona when you need her? (Most likely happily retired, which, hey, good for her.)

But Phoebe had already bounded over toward the fire and plopped down next to where Steven sat in one of the cozy armchairs. "Ohh! What a great idea, Steven! We should sit around and tell ghost stories!"

Lololol Phoebe has the right idea. She’s a gal after my own heart. Though I tend to lean more towards, like…movies or funny stories or something, but child Yellow was absolutely obsessed with telling ghost stories at every sleepover. Lol

Also…oh boy yeah I don’t think I’d enjoy seeing ghost stories acted out by the actual ghosts either, nope. That’s too far, even for me.

"Amazing," breathed Phoebe. "This view is even better than the one from Mt. Pyre."

"Aye, it certainly rivals the ones on the open ocean, too."

"It's okay, I guess -ow!" Glacia elbowed Sidney.

Lol and this is one of those instances where I love seeing their unique personalities, experiences, and tastes come together as they interact. Of course Glacia is the one to elbow Sidney. I’m willing to guess she does that a lot. 😂 Or maybe she and Drake take turns. Sidney is not the type of person to have much of a filter, so they probably have to be his filter for him.

"Power's back on," murmured Sidney.

And no one could have cared less.

What a sweet way to wrap that up! :D Stargazing really is something else when you have an amazing view. And, of course, when you have your favorite people to share it with. 💛

This was too much fun.

"Oh all the time, Steven. In fact I've signed so many body parts I can't even begin to tell you which one was my favorite."

"Body... parts...?" By now, the young heir had turned a sickly shade of pale.

Oh my gosh Wallace. 😂 Don’t be so cruel to the poor innocent bean! Though he’s right, this is TOO good of an opportunity to pass it up. And Steven’s reactions are priceless. He makes it too easy, let’s be real.

"Sure! Hands, arms, cheeks," Wallace began to tick down on his fingers, "This one time there was a magnificent pair of... oh, and even the occasional baby!"

Okay, lol at the baby, but—a pair of WHAT, Wallace? A PAIR OF WHAT?

The worst part about this is there’s a good chance he’s not even exaggerating some of it. Though he’s probably embellishing at least a little. 😂 This is Wallace, after all, and embellishing is one of his specialties.

"Think Absol would let you ride him?"

"No way in he--" Sidney heaved another labored breath, "--who designed this place anyway?"

Lol, did Sidney break off his sentence because he was out of breath, or does he intentionally try to watch his language around cinnamon roll Phoebe? If the latter, I find that adorable. And funny, because she’s the one who deals with terrifying ghosts and whatnot—I’m sure she can handle some tame cursing, but it’s sweet to think Sidney tries to be mindful of her regardless.

"That can't be good."

"Drake is gonna kill me."

"Not if his dragons get to you first."

Sidney suddenly looked a woozy. Phoebe noticed.

"How late are you in feeding them? Sidney?"

"...The whole day."

"Ohhhh, I'm definitely not missing this."

Bwahaha this is one of my favorites for the sheer banter alone. Sidney how can you forget for a WHOLE DAY? This one’s on you, dude. 😂 He probably should have figured he wasn’t in any real danger given how totally casual about it both Phoebe and Glacia are, but panic doesn’t really leave much room for thinking clearly about that.

Also: Phoebe being like “teehee I’m just here to watch uwu” has such sibling vibes, lol! Very “you’re in trouble with mom and I’m just here to enjoy the show.”

Phoebe leaned in close and whispered, "We should probably tell her." To which Sidney shook his head vehemently in the negative.

"Tell me what, exactly?"

"Ohh, she has good hearing," Phoebe unnecessarily whispered again, and Sidney brought a palm to his face.

LOL PHOEBE. I can’t with her, I love her so much. She makes a terrible stealth partner (ironic since she’s the one with all the ghosts) but I love her for it. I’m willing to bet she’s the worst liar of the group too, though maybe the winner for that still goes to Steven. You’d have to be a pretty abysmal liar to be worse than Steven.

"You... you... but... the dragons... and... the flamethrower...how..."

Phoebe gave him a playful nudge. "Maybe now you won't show up halfway through the next League meeting?"

"No," Sidney breathed. "Definitely not."

HA, I love that they were all in on this. Glacia in particular seemed to have had way too much fun. She clearly gets a kick out of wiping the grin off of Sidney’s face, lmao. The sheer levels of snark between her and Sidney give me so much serotonin. And apparently Sidney has a consistent punctuality problem if they all collaborated on this. 😂

This wasn't supposed to happen. Sootopolitans never got sick! So with a dramatic huff he collapsed back on the sofa and reached for another tissue.

Oh, well if that ain’t a whole mood and a half. Being sick is the WORST. I’m sure you currently sympathize, too. (Get well soon, by the way!) Using up the whole tissue box…man, I’ve been there. I swear I got sympathy illness pains from reading this.

"Mmhmm. Growing up in Snowpoint, I learned a thing or two about cold remedies." She brandished a bag filled to the brim with supplies. "I brought a few of the essentials with me, I hope you don't mind."

Aw Mom Friend Glacia to the rescue! She is absolutely the mother hen to all of them at various points and you can’t convince me otherwise. Bless her. Though, who takes care of her when she’s sick? I swear you wrote a short story about this (perhaps later in this collection? Or maybe I’m hallucinating and completely invented that, somehow.) I’m willing to bet Steven and the others band together to make her feel better, much like they did for Steven in The Gift of Giving.

It only had been a few days when the eggs began to glow. He stood in wonder as four baby Beldum materialized before his eyes.

Aha, I knew from the description of the eggs that they would be Beldum! (They sound so prettyyy.) But also, this is Steven, so. Really not surprising anyway, lol. But I have to wonder, whose eggs are these? Do they belong to Metagross? And is there a particular reason why Steven is breeding (or just hatching?) these eggs? Where did he get them from? I know this is way too many questions for just a short story, but I’m gonna be real, I’d read a whole fic of Steven and the Baby Beldum shenanigans. This is just me asking for more, okay? 😂 it’s too good.

As soon as Steven was able to pry one from the refrigerator door,

Oh my GOSH this is a freaking hysterical image, it freaking magnetized to the door. 😂 honestly Steven, you should have left it there and wrangled the others. At least it would have been immobile. I actually half expected him to pull a magnet out from somewhere to try and round them up. Can you imagine?? Smh my head, Steven, shoulda been more prepared.

Along the way, one of the babies decided that the human now cradling it in their arms must have been doing all of the work in keeping it above the floor, so it stopped its levitating.

I laughed out loud at this. The pure chaos and the sheer BABYness of these little magnet gremlins is so perfectly written here. Of course one of them just decides to go limp. I swear pets do this when they’re having a tantrum (and toddlers, too?? What gives??) No big deal, just a MASSIVE HUNK OF METAL. I don’t remember how heavy Beldum are but i know they’re, uh, not light, not by a long shot. Poor Steven lol—or, well, sort of, since he did sign up for this. 😂

But just as he leaned back to look at the stars, the egg began to glow. Steven and Metagross both watched in silent amazement as the yard was cast in a soft white light. When the light finally faded, Steven thought his eyes might be playing tricks on him; the new hatchling seemed to still be glowing in the nighttime air.

A shiny baby!! I was starting to suspect as much. Also I find this description of hatching interesting: so eggs simply glow and form into the hatchling? No eggshells or anything of the like?

"All right, hop in," he commanded as he slipped into the pool himself. "60 laps should be a nice warm up swim. Then we move on to calisthenics!"

Bruh??? Sixty freakin laps as a WARMUP?? My guy, you gotta start smaller than that for these two beginners, surely. 😂 I can barely do ten, but then again I’m absurdly out of shape so maybe I shouldn’t be throwing my metrics in here. Lol

As Wallace launched into an explanation on the optimal circuit for toning muscle, Mismagius and Duskull quietly slipped into the shadows. Every pull up, push up, and bench press was suddenly much lighter for the the pair, and on more than one occassion Phoebe had to remind her pokemon to keep their snickering to themselves, lest the water-type Leader become suspicious.

Ahaha using the ghost Pokémon for help with weights is actually genius, I have to hand it to her. Also: Flannery Phoebe friendship is FANTASTIC. That makes me very happy to see!

"So how mad do you think Steven is going to be when we drag him out of bed tomorrow morning?"

"Not nearly as mad as when he finds out he doesn't have any pokemon he can sneak into the workout without Wallace knowing!"

Ahaha oh come on, now that’s just cruel. Though I guess it would be payback for Steven sending them to Wallace in the first place. Gotta wonder if he knows how hardcore Wallace actually is. My money is on “probably has no idea.”

"They told me you would grow up to be a dragon! Well you haven't, and I don't see how you even could! You're just some little bug thing. You don't even have wings! I can't believe that breeder lied to me... You're supposed to be a dragon, my dragon!"

Imagine. Imagine being a trainer, paying for a specific species of Pokémon, yet knowing nothing about what that species actually evolves into. Could you get any more idiotic? Though I guess it’s not too different from all the people who buy fancy breeds of dogs or cats irl and then are utterly unprepared to take care of them. Ugh. What makes this worse is the implication that this trainer has been raising the Trapinch since the day it was born. Poor thing deserves way better. The fact that this trainer seems to be all it knows just makes me sad.

"Ten pokedollars says that kid goes back and asks the breeder if he can exchange Trapinch for a Skitty."

Drake just grinned. "He wasn't cut out to be a dragon trainer anyway."

I love that it’s Drake’s Flygon who tell off this trainer rather than any human. It’s definitely the most appropriate response. Frankly I hope this guy gives up Trapinch to someone who will treat it better. Good riddance.

Steven wasn't one to just visit out of the blue. In fact, he rarely visited Rustboro at all. Joseph would always remind himself that it was the League duties that kept him away; the position of Champion wasn't only glitz and glamour, and he knew Steven took the responsibilities seriously. But somehow he also had a feeling there was another reason his son would avoid coming home... It's not like he had been a great role model in the first place, all those late nights at the office when Steven was young.

Aw, this made my heart twinge in a sad way. Hhhhh they’re both so stupid and bad at communicating but care about each other deeply despite it all. It’s really sweet to see them try to bridge that gap now that Steven is an adult. And even better to see that it’s working—very slowly, but steadily, their relationship is being repaired.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he said in between more chuckling fits, "This was a wonderful surprise."

"It was?"

"Absolutely!" Joseph enveloped his son in a hug, messy apron and all. "I've finally found the one talent you didn't get from your old man!"

Hahahaha bless Joseph Stone, I love him. You can’t say Steven didn’t try, at least! I love how their both such good sports about it—of course Joseph wasn’t going to be anything but touched at the gesture, but I love that Steven isn’t crestfallen over it, mostly just…sheepish, because he knows how bad it looks. Lol.

Joseph clapped a hand on Steven's back, "Son, just having you home is present enough for me. But the maid is going to kill you when she sees this, so let's get out of here and get some dinner. There's this little Johtonian place I've been wanting to try..."

Lolol yeah that’s the right call. Their poor maid, though. I sure hope she gets paid extra for having to deal with that mess in the kitchen! Imagine coming home to that and it just looks like the scene of some heinous crime.

Both women had left their respective trainer's boxes and marched across to meet at the center of the field. Mere inches from one another, they yelled and gestured about something that left Sidney as baffled as they’re two pokemon.

Oh BOY, I would not want to be in the same room. This sounds downright terrifying. I can’t help but wonder what it is they’re arguing about? Maybe someone made a call that was “illegal” or something, though I have no idea what that would be. Or maybe Cynthia is salty because her Garchomp went down to Glacia’s ice types and she made some sort of barbed comment—I have no idea, but I think that would track, maybe. Either way, It’s somehow fitting that these two would go at each others’ throats, honestly. They’re both very strong-willed, hard-headed, independent women with probably vastly different approaches to many things.

(also something something Cynthia is overrated anyway, heh)

Steven paused for a moment and glanced over his shoulder with a sly smile, "Did you know that Confide works when used outside of battle too?" Carbink gave a happy squeal as it circled around Steven's feet. "This little one is quite a good listener."

Hah! All will be well until they figure out what you did, and then they’ll be back to being pissed again, but at you, Steven. You’re playing with fire. 😂 I’m actually surprised they didn’t notice anything weird in the moment, but maybe that speaks to how much credit they give Steven and his capacity to play peacemaker. Haha!

Their omnipresent shivering had lessened; a sure sign that their bodies were harboring plenty of stored energy

Teehee, I love Snorunt’s perma-shivers so much. It makes them at least five times more adorable to me. Lil shaky-shaky teepee babies.

As quietly as it could, Snorunt nudge the door ajar and peered into the darkness inside. Dusknoir floated peacefully, eye shut in slumber, and Snorunt let out a chattering sigh of longing. It hadn't kept its volume low, however, and a single red eye drifted open at the sound. As it took notice of the open door, the hallway stood empty with only the remnants of a nervous squeak echoing down the corridor.

Oh my gosh it’s so! Cute!! The shyness, the dreamy sigh (I couldn’t help but think of WALL-E here??) and the squeak as it runs away. It’s too precious! Somebody hug this shy little bean for me.

It sniffed the air and trained its eyes onto the Champion. In one swift motion it burst from the closet and launched itself at the unsuspecting trainer. With one paw it batted at the man's jacket pocket, and as he stumbled backward in surprise, a small shiny item tumbled to the ground.

Lolol of COURSE it’s Steven who is carrying the Dawn Stone for no reason other than it’s a pretty rock. (Admittedly I can’t blame him, I love pretty rocks too and Dawn Stones look gorgeous.)

Glacia offered a polite curtsy to her new teammate, and Froslass trilled a happy cry in return.

The curtsy!! That’s too cute! And so very Glacia.

Shyly, Froslass reached out with one hand and Dusknoir gently cupped it between its two larger ones. Leaning in, the pokemon met with a soft nuzzle, and the air sang as their spirits danced as one.

Awww it wasn’t just that Dusknoir was a ghost type, she had a little crush!! PRECIOUS.

"Well, needless to say I won't be giving that particular exhibit a glowing review."

"Thankfully I don't think the papers will be asking any of us for our thoughts on the matter."

"Oh, I'd love to give them a piece of my thoughts..."

Lol Wallace strikes me as the type of person that you try to unlock unhinged rants from because it’s too entertaining to listen to his very strong (and probably super niche) opinions.

"Why? Why did they have to paint my darling Milotic as the clown?!"

The hand over his mouth did little to stifle the laugh that Steven could no longer contain.

"I'm sorry, Wallace," he tried to backpedal at the Master Coordinator's furious expression, but his eyes still twinkled with mirth. "But you have to admit, they did portray her as a magnificent juggler."

A flock of Wingull took to the sky at Wallace's cry of rage, and Steven found it too hard to hold in his laughter as he ran for what was quite possibly his life.

Hahahaha the image of Steven laughing and running away in fear is giving me LIFE. Honestly a clown Milotic sounds horrifying, but then again, clown anything sounds horrifying. And honestly, why?? Mr. Mime is RIGHT there, sir Artist. I might have to be with Wallace on this one. Or, wait, was this a painting gallery of his team specifically? That would make his reaction make a lot more sense. And also make everything way funnier.

"Now listen here," he practically hissed through bared teeth, "No matter what you've heard, Steven's gotten to where his all on his own. I've seen it myself. I'd have nothing if it weren't for him, and I won't stand for anyone spreading lies that say otherwise."

Aw YAY YES SIDNEY, defend your friend!! This was so nice to see, and I liked seeing Norman soften up right afterwards. Speaking of which, have you ever written the full story of how Sidney became part of the Elite Four? I know he meets Steven in TLR (in…Victory Road? I think? It’s been a while now since I’ve read that one, so details are fuzzy), but we don’t see the continuation from there, if I remember correctly. How does Steven meet him again and help him get from there to being part of the Elite Four?

Also: I deeply sympathize with Sidney when he’s trying and failing to make small talk with Norman. I felt that pain. Sometimes as an extrovert trying to break the ice with an introvert, it really do be like that, haha.

Spoiler: Stories 13-24

"I'm getting rather tired of your winning streak, you know."

"Hey, I can't help it I'm so good," Sidney offered with a casual shrug.

"You're robbing me of potential matches."

Hah, I’ve wondered about this. Whoever is at the bottom of the League gets to see the most matches by quite a wide margin! There are bound to be slow days, especially since they probably don’t even get challengers every day. This probably means that the lowest League member gets the most practice out of everyone, too—I wonder if they ever change up the rankings? Do some tests or battles every so often to see who is stronger and who belongs where? Or maybe that doesn’t strictly matter and it’s just four elite trainers that are all pretty much on the same level.

Phoebe giggled nervously at the heated exchange, but she wouldn't be deterred. This was a perfect four player game after all. "It's a game my Gran got for me, she said it was great to play with friends!"

"Mmhm, friends," said Glacia with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm.

Lol Glacia is TERRIFYING and Sidney is right to be nervous. That’s your survival instinct flaring up, my guy. Fight or flight. She’s gonna pulverize you. Run while you still can.

As both trainers flushed different shades of indignation and embarrassment, they quickly clammed up as they watched Glacia's expression melt into simmering anger. "First I get cheated out of a challenger battle, and now I get cheated out of a relaxing board game?!"

Poor Glacia just wants to have a fun time, dangit! Quit cheating, you children! I’m totally with Glacia on this one, I get irrationally upset whenever someone cheats at a game. I am…perhaps a little too competitive for my own good, haha.

The Dragon Master kept his cool though, at least until Glacia sent him backward three spaces. Sidney snickered at the sudden change of target of Glacia's ire, but it was short lived as he abruptly landed on a spot that forced him to discard a card from his hand.

Idk if this is meant to invoke a specific game or if it’s meant to just represent a Generic Board Game, but it got me thinking about Sind’s short story about the WSBS cast playing Sorry! Something something friends writing their characters playing a board game that gets too heated, something something two nickels. 😂 At least in Sind’s story, Pokemon didn’t get involved and the game was still in one piece. Clearly not the same can be said for this one.

[narrator voice] and this, kids, is why we don’t cheat at board games.

It was right at that moment that the door to the lounge swung open, and the Champion strolled into the room. If the chaotic state of the room didn't immediately alarm him, the roar of the mighty dragon-type certainly did. Barely two steps through the door, Steven's eyes went wide and he quickly turned to beat a hasty retreat, slamming the door shut behind him.

Ahahaha Steven REALLY SAID “Nooope, absolutely not, not today.” smart move. This is that Community GIF with the pizzas and everything on fire in a nutshell. And/or that Simpsons GIF of the guy walking in and walking right back out. 😂

'Cant w8 2 chat ol sea buddy :-)'

With a groan, Drake was now staring at the device through the fingers of his other hand. He rubbed his brow and sighed. Somehow even old Briney had beaten him to the punch. He suddenly felt very weary, and he pocketed the PokeNav before shuffling back toward his chamber. Maybe Altaria could help him decipher exactly how to use this blasted thing.

It’s freaking killing me that old man Briney uses the most classic text speech of all time, like a 12 year old with their first phone. 😂 Poor Drake is so in over his head. And now he’s probably gonna be slammed with so many texts from everybody he knows, to boot. Somebody save him!

Drake's gaze slid sideways to meet Steven's enthusiastic one, and the Elite's face remained stoic as he measured the Champion's words carefully.

Omg it’s been nagging at me for a while as I’ve been reading, but I FINALLY realized who Drake reminds me of with his mannerisms: Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec. The similarities are UNCANNY. 😂 Stoic manly man who has no tolerance for frilly things or unnecessary procedures, hates modern technology, insists on doing things his own way, comes off as very gruff but actually has a heart of gold, and so on.

So when his text message was responded to with a single word reply, Steven really became worried. It wasn't long until he found himself standing outside Wallace's house with a box of his friend's favorite snack under one arm, quietly knocking on the door.

"Wallace? Are you home?"

Aw, Steven is such an incredible friend. Everybody needs a friend like Steven. He just picked up on the signals and came over with a favorite treat, no questions asked, no hesitation. Few people are even this observant to begin with, even with their closest friends!

If he didn't know any better, he'd say that it sounded like someone doing a very poor job at stifling some tearful hiccups.

Oh this broke my heart. :( Something about a character, especially one that’s usually so put-together, having sobbing hiccups just really gets to me. It’s such a raw level of sadness.

"She was seeing someone else on the side."

Oh, ouch. Yikes. I am…so so lucky that I have never experienced this, I can’t imagine what this must be like. Also—bruh how stupid do you have to be to cheat on someone like Wallace?? Not only do I bet he’s an amazing and romantic partner, he’s probably one of the most exciting and multifaceted people in the whole region. Guess he dodged a big bullet here, but of course that doesn’t make it hurt any less.

"You were right, you know. I don't understand, not to the level that would let me give you a helpful answer. I don't know what you should do from here. But what I do know is how to clear your head so you can think rationally about all this. So by the time we both finish another cake, I expect you to be able to tell me if you'll battle with Victoria or Phillip against Skarmory."

Bless Steven. He doesn’t try to pretend to understand, he’s straight up and honest about it. But he’s not here to have the perfect answers, he’s here to stand by his friend and help comfort him. And really, that’s all a true friend really needs to offer. 💛 In fact, it’s better when friends don’t try to fix it, at least in my experience. There’s not really any way to fix a situation like this to begin with; what matters is having someone there to support and comfort you. And thankfully, Steven is excellent at doing just that.

So far in their trip to Alola he'd been responsible, always wearing sunscreen, especially on his head, and finding some shade to rest in throughout the day.

Omg like an IDIOT I asked the other day if you wrote about their adventures/vacation to Alola, and here it is!! At least part of it, anyway. Hahaha this makes me so happy! I hope we see more snippets from this vacation, but even if we don’t, I’m thrilled we have at least one.

Sidney didn't move. It hurt too much to move.

Guhhhhh sunburns. Are. The absolute. WORST. I think I kept sympathetically wincing for Sidney this chapter, because yeah, it really DO be like that, and it’s the worst type of pain ever. Ow.

Sidney's brow arched in confusion. That wasn't what he was expecting. Also, ow.

Lol SEE. The worst! Even moving your face is painful! I can tell just from this detail that you’ve had your share of awful sunburns, too, haha.

Sidney's eyes grew ever larger than Wallace's as she spun the phone around for him to see the photo. He had completely forgotten he fell asleep with his sunglasses on, and the railing of the balcony was at just the right angle so that his sunburn was painted in nearly the same pattern as the dark type in question.

Ahahaha oh NO. I’m not a sunglasses person or a skier so I can’t say I’ve ever had the misfortune to get this type of sunburn…and thank goodness for that. 😂 Phoebe’s Krookodile comment is gold, too. I mean, jokes aside, it would make a good fit on his team!

Love Wallace and Steven’s reactions, too; Steven is just so sympathetic—he probably burns easily too, I mean he’s pasty af and spends all his time indoors or in caves—and Wallace is just. Utterly flabbergasted. 😂 Subtlety never was his specialty.

Another flash of polished steel zipped by accompanied by an ear piercing shriek and Steven winced, not just because it made his head pound even more, but because his accidentally-caffinated Skarmory would wake the whole League at this rate.

Oh lawd. Of all the mon to get hyped up on caffeine, it had to be the loudest one. That can fly. 😂 I love the way you describe him as just a little blip of metal zipping back and forth. Ever seen a hummingbird mating dance?! That’s what I’m picturing here, and it makes it ten times funnier.

"I... I don't know where his ball is... I think I misplaced it during the party last night, and I can't recall where I put it." Steven brought a hand to his aching head and did his best to look apologetic.

Jeez what a celebration that must have been! 😂 The fact that even Glacia is hungover seems really telling. I really want to see what this drunken party looked like, lol. Like that one episode from Parks and Rec where everybody got absolutely wasted and then hungover the next day. I can already picture everyone doing various shenanigans while Steven is dead asleep at the table or something.

Striking a match and puffing his pipe to life, Drake simply shook his head with a twinkle in his eye, "I wouldn't be worth my salt if I couldn't drink you youngsters under the table."

Ahahahha wow SPEAKING OF PARKS AND REC. I’m telling you, Drake is just pirate/Pokemon Ron Swanson. Idk if you’ve seen parks and rec but in that very episode I just mentioned, Ron is the only one who is perfectly fine and chipper the next morning and providing hangover cures to everyone in the office. 😂

Drake called out to the two pokemon circling overhead, "Extra treats tonight if you manage to wake Sidney up in the process."

Hahahaa poor Sidney. Though something tells me that he was probably responsible for everyone trying to out-drink each other in the first place. So maybe this is just payback for that, or maybe it’s just Drake enjoying the idea of tormenting him. I can see both being equally true. (I noticed Phoebe wasn’t mentioned here though, and now I’m curious about how well she handles her liquor.)

Sidney would probably never let her hear the end of it, although it's not like she didn't have her own stockpile of ammunition to fire right back at him. Phoebe's Krookodile picture from their Alola trip came to mind...

Hah! The callback! I love it! Even just the little tidbits of continuity make this whole series that much better. (Also, I’d be totally down for more Alola stories, haha.)

Though, I gotta say this comment doesn’t feel completely fair to Sidney…after all, it’s not like she’s getting all teary-eyed at something innocuous like a sad movie. This seems to indicate she’s had a loss in her family (her grandmother?) and it would be a pretty low blow for him to make fun of her for getting emotional over something as heavy as this. I think he’d be very understanding and supportive, actually; there are plenty of other days for him to find things to give her crap over, haha. I think I’d actually really like to see a moment between these two where they do just wholly support each other, no pretenses or fronts or anything.

Just this once, the ice queen would melt.

This one really got to me. Seeing the stoic characters break down just…really hits different. And it broke my heart that she wasn’t entirely certain if she could break down in front of the others—she seemed to be leaning that way and accepting of the idea, at least. I hope she lets them all give her a hug. She doesn’t strike me as a person who seeks out hugs very often, but sometimes that’s just what one needs, especially in a time of grief and loss.

With one shaking finger, Brawly pointed past Phoebe's ear over toward the far corner of his Gym. "It's over there. That's where I saw it."

Lollll seeing Brawly like this, especially trying to use lil Phoebe for a shield, is hysterical. Especially since he is the very picture of a masculine dude who you wouldn’t think is afraid of very many things. I wonder if his fear of ghosts is tied with how terrible of a type matchup they are for fighting types?

In a flash, several ghost pokemon burst forth from where she had hidden their pokeballs, and Brawly screamed. The Gym lights flickered and dimmed as the pokemon circled overhead, and Phoebe nearly burst out laughing when her Banette flew right over to the panicked Leader and licked him in the face. After stifling her giggling fit, Phoebe finally noticed that all the excitement had done him in; Brawly had passed out on the floor from sheer terror. At least now she could test her suspicion in peace...

Oh my goodness. 😂 Now that’s just cruel, Phoebe! She’s such a troll lol. No wonder she gets along so well with ghost types, AKA the Troll Type. Also lol she is not concerned in the slightest for poor Brawly! Just “well finally I can do this in peace and quiet.” Girl is a savage.

Brawly cracked open one eye and found himself staring at a jolly green blob of a pokemon happily nestled between Phoebe's hands. She giggled.

"This little guy was hiding in your vents watching you train. I think he wants to join you so he can be a strong Breloom when he grows up."

A SHROOM BABY! :D that’s so cute! Also the idea of a very happy looking Shroomish brings me joy, since they always look so grumpy in canon. [insert my evilshroom emote here]

I also?? Love the fact that it came to Brawly specifically? I love the idea that Pokémon of certain types that want to grow stronger will flock to trainers who specialize in that type—either by sensing it (something something aura), or by simply observing the Pokémon that trainer trains with. In this case, Shroomish isn’t even currently a fighting type, but it still knew who to come to!

Mightyena gave a howl of excitement as Sidney slipped six generously sized ice cream sandwiches out of the cooler's depths.

Aww this is so cute and made me think of how my dog reacts when he’s excited. It’s the only time he ever howls, (usually when demanding treats or cuddles) and he throws back his whole head to do it, all while dancing around with his little paws. It’s precious; we call it his little tap dance because of the way his claws tap on the floor. Bless dogs, man, we don’t deserve them.

But whatever grin that graced Sidney's face quickly vanished as he caught sight of Absol's horrified expression. And then all hell broke loose.

Hahaha Absol being the only one to know what’s coming is just so funny to me. You done messed up, Sidney. Makes me wonder: how far in advance can Absol detect, uh, mishaps like this? Does it depend on the severity? Is it random? It’s funny to me that he can sense even minor things like this, and that his powers aren’t reserved just for natural disasters or something huge on a similar scale.

Sidney hastily tried to brush the dust and fur from his clothes as he scrambled to see who was paying him a visit, but he only succeeded in smearing more ice cream around, causing Mightyena to dash over and try to help clean him up too. Absol huffed a quiet chuckle as the rest of Cacturne's ice cream slid off its needle and plopped to the floor.

Well, that was an absolute massacre. 😂 I don’t envy anybody who has to clean up that mess afterwards. Eeew, sticky. I like to think Phoebe got quite a kick out of this sight, though. (Was he expecting her, or did she come running because she heard the chaos, I wonder? Lol.)

"I don't even know what it's like to be 30 years old, and that's really old, but nowhere near as old as 300!"

Steven winced as he did the mental calculation on how soon he'd be nearing the twin's definition of 'old'.

Steven is the biggest mood of all time here, lol. 30 better not be old, got it, kids? Please take that back. 💀

By the way, how old do you headcanon Tate and Liza to be? 8? Younger? (Also for the longest dang time I thought they were both girls. The LONGEST TIME. Don’t ask me why I thought Tate was a girl’s name? I just didn’t question it lol.)

At this Steven did laugh, his own mind going back to the way his own father would bring out the dusty family photo albums whenever Wallace would stop by. But his laughter quickly died down as he thought back to the other pages of the album; the ones at the very front that his father would skip when there was company over. The ones that held a smiling stranger's face tight within their pages. The woman whose face felt so warm and familiar, and yet so foreign at the same time. Steven felt the silence of the room hang heavy as the twins picked up on his stirring memories.

Oh ouch that got so real and sad so fast, I was not prepared. The fact that his father skips those pictures of his wife just hurts my heart. All this time, he probably just didn’t know how to talk to Steven about her because it was too painful and he didn’t even know where to begin. Especially as years go by without talking about it, and especially since Steven was so young when she passed in the first place…it sounds so very lonely for both of them. HNGH. I’m just really glad they’re doing better now; it doesn’t erase the pain and doesn’t give them those years back, but they can be closer for the years that are to come, at least. I have so many feelings about these two!!

The twins shared an uneasy look between themselves, but didn't press the Champion's thin lie any further.

I wonder, can the twins read minds? Or sense emotions, at least? I know they’re psychics but I forget what their abilities are specifically. But I suppose you don’t need to be a psychic to pick up on the fact that Steven stopped laughing and is thinking about something…less than pleasant.


Edit: I’m an idiot, it says right at the end of the quotes paragraph above that they pick up on his memories. Still though, I wonder if it’s explicitly reading his mind, or more like detecting general vibes?

Sunlight poured through the holes in the roof, carved by ancient meteors, and it danced through the shallow cascades of crystal clear water that fed the upper basin of Meteor Falls.

Aaaa what a beautiful description of Meteor Falls! I always loved this location even in RSE, but WOWOWOW ORAS cranked it up to a whole other level, in my opinion. The clear, glowing water and enhanced colors made it absolutely gorgeous, and I could see it so clearly in my mind’s eye from the way you wrote about it here. Something about describing the sunlight in particular really tied it all together for me!

Which was why the situation struck him as odd. Shouldn't he be working right now? Steven's brow furrowed and he glanced at his watch. Strange, it was actually the middle of the night. Why was he still awake at this hour? Setting down his tools, he glanced around the cave and noticed his usual stash of supplies was absent

You really nailed that odd, uncanny sense that can only happen in dreams. Things just not adding up, not questioning where you are or why or how you got there or what you were doing before, time jumping around, objects randomly appearing and disappearing. Dreams are so dang weird.

It was only then that the darkness decided to show its true face. Cruel teeth formed in a featureless visage that sneered down at its pathetic captive. A guttural growl mixed with an otherworldly screech emanated from the creature as it howled in his face, victorious.

Oh gosh yeah I see why you labeled this as horror. This eldritch darkness creature is properly terrifying, and it’s even more horrifying when it forced its way down his throat. Jsdnjdnfjdjdkd gives me the heebie jeebies, which means you did a good job lol.

It rumbled a quiet note and it could feel its trainer nod in return.

"I'd like that, if you don't mind."

As his suit jacket was lowered gently across his chest, Steven's eyes closed, and Metagross was more than happy let its trainer fall asleep in its arms, just as he did for it all those years ago.

I love that even after all that, this still ended on a comforting note. Nightmares suck, but they’re a lot more bearable when you have someone to comfort you and sit with you afterwards. 💛

"What this challenger is going for," Phoebe said with a grin, as she wheeled the tablet around for Glacia to see.

Her eyes went wide at the spectacle. "Oooh... I... Haven't the faintest idea."

Haha you know it’s bad and/or ludicrous when even Glacia has a reaction like that.

"There shouldn't be any fun, we've got challengers coming today," he grated out, but not without a twinkle in his eye.

I love Drake so much. That’s such dad humor right there. If Glacia is the mom of the group, then Drake is the dad—or maybe the grandpa.

No one spoke, so Steven offered a shrug, "When you're friends with Wallace for long enough, nothing really surprises you any more. Fashion-wise, I mean."

Lol fair point, Wallace sure does have some…choice outfits. [Thinks of the Blacephalon outfit in Masters] yyyyyep. Only he would have the personality to pull off such, uh…daring fashion choices.

Still muttering, Drake grumbled an affirmative before tossing the tablet down on the nearest table and stalking out of the room. "Only if you promise to let me call Lance about this. He's wearing tights for chrissakes."

Lol I have to wonder just how bad it is if it’s too gaudy even for Lance’s standards! 😂 Not that Lance’s outfit is bad, by any means, it’s just that dragon tamers are already known for dressing over the top. So this must have been really something to not be instantly recognizable and to offend Drake so much, lol.

"He stepped in a divot in a cave in Sinnoh a few months ago and didn't want to cut the trip short," said Wallace airily, "Can we move past how much you disapprove of the idea so I can put it on and get going to Lilycove?"

Lol Wallace just casually throwing Steven under the bus. Gotta wonder how often that happens, and how often Steven returns the favor. It’s almost like their love language. 😂

"It's so hideous! We need to dress it up if you're going to wear it to the performance!"

Wallace couldn't hide the grin that crept across his face. "You're absolutely right, my dear!"

Ahahaha they are two peas in a pod! I enjoyed seeing this little glimpse of their dynamic, since I haven’t really seen or read any Lisia and Wallace fics out there. I wonder how her parents feel about her taking after Wallace so much? 😂

Actually, it’s interesting that we don’t really learn anything about Lisia’s parents, at least as far as I’m aware. I don’t even know if it’s her mom or dad that is Wallace’s sibling. Is the whole family like this? It really wouldn’t surprise me.


Also also, I wish I had a visual of that bedazzled boot, because I have no idea how one makes those things look good. 😂 The fact that they somehow pulled it off is the most impressive part to me!

Aight, I have more comments to make, but I’m going to edit them in after a little breather. Okay, I’m back to give some more parting thoughts! I got a bit carried away and rambly here, I’m so sorry. I just really really love your writing and your characterizations, can you tell? 😅

First of all, you’re a master at the craft of short stories. (And long stories too, of course—it’s impressive that you do so well at both?? Both require a very different skill set for each.) It may be easy for you to dismiss it and say writing short little slice of life prompts isn’t that hard, but there really is an art to it—especially to having so many little ficlets and managing to keep them all engaging, one after the other, in such rapid succession.

And what makes this work so well? Well, for starters, every story, even the shortest ones, have some kind of arc or obstacle. Wallace is sick and needs someone to comfort him, Glacia is grieving and needs a hug and a moment to be vulnerable because she is never vulnerable, Sidney thinks he’s gonna get eaten alive because he forgot to feed Drake’s dragons. There’s a need presented, no matter how small, like the board game being a solution to boredom, and then the rest of the story takes place. This provides some kind of hook for the reader and allows them to remain invested as the story unfolds.

It also helps that you’ve established up front that the stakes for these are going to be very small—it’s literally a collection of slice of life stories, after all. But even then, there is no limit to the different types of moods present here in the collection. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies and fluff—though there’s nothing wrong with those, to be sure, and there is still plenty of that to too around, too. Some stories tackle minor inconveniences like hangovers and sunburns, others tackle grief like Glacia’s story, and still others aren’t afraid to get more sinister like the nightmare one. And even in the lighthearted stories, you catch glimpses of what these characters have been through—Sidney saying he wouldn’t have anything if it weren’t for Steven, Steven sadly reflecting on the photo album and the pages his dad skips over, Joseph reflecting on the fact that his relationship with his son has always been a bit strained. The fact that you include a full scope of emotions in these stories serves to make them—and by extension, the characters—feel that much more real. Complex and fleshed out, like real people, and not just caricatures of their one or two canonical traits, which I see sooo much of in fanfiction. (Especially Pokémon fanfic. People really love to take the Singular Characteristic each character has and then run it into the ground. Repeatedly. Come on, guys, it’s bad enough when canon does it, do we really need more of that? Give us some meat! Some SUBSTANCE to these characters! Pls I beg you!)

Anyway, that basically boils my whole point down to why I love this collection so much: it’s not just fluff, it gives us that substance that the canon so often lacks. Yes, the canon writing for the games has gotten better over the last couple generations, and yes, Masters has been such a boon to those wanting more, well…more anything for the characters, particularly the early generation ones, but sometimes you just gotta turn to fanfic to really scratch that itch, especially if you want to see several canon characters interact together in a specific setting.

Anyway, I’m rambling, lol. Basically, this collection of short stories scratches that itch that I have, and I wish more people would write these kinds of things for more characters, and not be afraid to throw out all kinds of scenarios just to see the characters mingle with each other. It’s such a treat to read, and I can’t help but feel like I’m being personally spoiled by the things you write! 😂 they just hit so many of my buttons. I just love that your writing is about people and the things they experience and how individuals respond differently to things, and it’s not just about Events Happening. I think that’s the problem with a lot of fic, actually, especially fic for this fandom—it tends to be more about making things happen just because you want them to, but writers forget to look at the actual characters and dive deeper into their reactions and why they respond the way they do, what makes them tick, what makes them happy or sad or angry. And, of course, you manage to include the Pokémon too, as their own characters that regularly flit in and out of the stories and scenes so that it actually feels like a lived-in Pokémon world and not just adults standing around doing things with vague implications that “uh oh yeah Pokémon exist, they’re just all Outside Somewhere and not relevant to the scene.” Nah, your Pokémon characters are just as good as your human ones, and man I love it so much.

So with all of that said, thank you for writing this, sharing it, and porting it over to TR so more people can read and see it! It’s some good stuff—excellent stuff—and it makes for a fantastic study on how to write short stories effectively. I can’t wait to read the rest and see what else I get to experience!

P.S. not that it matters much, but I figured I’d tell you my favorite entries from this batch: the baby beldums mayhem, Sidney and the dragons fiasco, Sidney’s Krookodile sunburn, and Steven running for his life after laughing at the clown Milotic painting. Great stuff, I adore all of it. 💛 if you ever wrote more short stories to add to this collection some day, let’s just say I wouldn’t be upset about that at all, eheh.

 

[HelloYellow17]

[cackling with unhinged, maniacal laughter] TIS I, I HAVE RETURNED!

Aight, okay, so…you know how I said I was gonna cover the rest of the stories in my second review? Well, covering the first half in one fell swoop made it one GIANT post, which I had to post and make several edits to because I was terrified of the forums eating my progress. And that’s not really the way I prefer to do things. 😂

SO, instead of another mega chonker review, I’m covering twelve chapters here and then the rest in my next one! Basically that just means you get three posts from me instead of two. Hooray!

And oh man, starting off this batch is one of my FAVORITES from the whole collection, eheh. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Spoiler: Stories 25-36

A nasty storm was en route to Pacifidlog Town, and the two Elites had volunteered to aid in the evacuation of the floating settlement. It would surely weather the storm, but its occupants would be without power and food until the storm passed, and some of the more elderly residents might not be hardy enough to wait for the post-storm relief.

Honestly I have always wondered this about Pacifidlog. It’s just floating! On top of the water! In the middle of the ocean! I’m sure the structural integrity of the town can be handwaved by something something Pokémon world technology, but man, I could never live there. For many reasons, one of which is that I think I’d be perpetually seasick all the time, lol.

Absol was sensing something, and it wasn't good. He turned to regard his fellow Elite with a nervous glance.

Oh gosh that is NOT what you want to see in the middle of a raging oceanic storm, in a tiny unprotected abandoned town.

"No good! Sharpedo can't carry us both in seas this rough. We'd never make it!"

Why…why didn’t they just get on the last boat? Perhaps it was too full or something? I mean, I’m not gonna complain too much, because then we wouldn’t have the rest of this story, hehe.

Phoebe was glad the wind was howling, so Sidney couldn't hear the small squeak she let out when his hand found her own.

Ehehehe not even being in the middle of a life-threatening storm can override her surprise. 😂 I love it, they’re too cute, I want MORE DANGIT

Arm wrapped protectively around Phoebe's thin frame, Sidney struggled to keep his head above the waves as Sharpedo hauled the two of them to the platform's edge. He told himself he'd never let go, no matter what.

😭 Bless Sidney ugh. Romantic hints aside, he really would have done this for anybody and not just Phoebe, I think. But man the way he didn’t hesitate WHATSOEVER. 💛 Sidney is a good.

Blinking saltwater from his eyes, he was met with a soggy hug from Absol.

Awww that’s cute. Doubly so because I’m pretty sure Absol is not normally one to initiate or engage in affection like this? Poor thing was so worried for his trainer! And I don’t blame him honestly, that would be terrifying to see them both disappear under the water like that—and Sidney twice!

But Sidney was quickly on his feet and swiftly wrapped his arms around her to ward off the bone chilling cold. "It's what anyone would have done."

Haha of course he says this. But no, not necessarily true. Some people would have frozen or at least hesitated or even been so focused on their own survival they might not have noticed Phoebe get swept away in the first place.

"You're not just anyone." She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, conjured up by the panicked flash of their own mortality. 'To me.'

Sidney stared hard at her before pulling her into a tight hug, dipping his head so his chin rested against her shoulder. His voice was tight, probably for the same reason she couldn't choke out her own words. "Neither are you."

AAAAAAA MY HEART 💛 I’m SCREAMIN, they’re too cute, I want more! The hug is so tender too!!

Honestly I would so love a continuation of this, because they’re still in a sticky situation! Sopping wet, probably cold, in a Center with no power for who knows how long while the storm rages outside. Lots of potential for some survivalist stuff and/or cozy shelter-in-place content, eheh. :3 Jeez now my brain is buzzing with ideas, maybe I’ll write something…gosh idk if I could do your version of Sidney and Phoebe justice, though. However comma I am certainly tempted to try.

Finally losing its balance, Snorunt chattered in half-annoyance, half-amusement as it spun around on its backside before slowing to a stop at Sealeo's feet.

Ahahhaa this is so cute, I’m getting the image of like…what a spinning top looks like when it falls and rolls around? 😂 Incredible.

A loud bark of excitement cut through the chamber as Glacia's second Sealeo fired its icy wind on top of Glalie's ice path, reinforcing the structure before it dove head first, sliding past with surprising speed.

Ahaha SO CUTE. This little guy has the right idea, too!! When bored, construct slip n slide. It’s a foolproof plan, really.

Snorunt chattered again and hopped back to its feet before launching itself behind Sealeo, snickering the whole way.

Ahahaha I love the image of a snickering Snorunt. Somehow combining that with their perpetual shivering gives me such little gremlin vibes. It’s fun to see them like this, too, because I think more often than not, we just see Snorunt being depicted as these shy, timid little creatures.

In the end, all of Glacia's pokemon got in on the construction action, and by the time they stepped back to admire their handiwork, the icy slide wound all around the chamber in a snaking, slippery path, complete with a loop-de-loop in the middle.

Well dang, color me impressed! Can’t imagine the loop-de-loop works for everyone, though. 😂 For a totally random, spur of the moment project, they did a pretty dang good job!

Snorunt clapped its hands in glee and took off for the starting line with Sealeo hot on its heels.

Oh my goodness I regularly forget Snorunt have hands because they’re often hidden under their little teepee cloak in their in-game designs. Picturing one clapping its hands is giving me so much serotonin right now.

With a dismayed rub of its head, Beartic immediately apologized and recruited Vanilluxe to help it repair the track.

Aw poor Beartic, lol. I feel kinda bad for them, they just wanna have fun, too! But they’re too big. :( Make a bigger track that can support the larger mons! They deserve their fun, too!

Just as the track was back in working order, the door to the chamber creaked open, and every pokemon froze, afraid that perhaps their afternoon entertainment might have crossed the line. But Snorunt wasn't able to contain its momentum and Glacia soon found her arms full of a happy, squirming ice-type, and she couldn't help but smile herself.

Haha cute!! I love the way Snorunt flies right into her arms and she is totally prepared to catch it. I like to think that even though Glacia never really lets loose or “lets her hair down” around other people, that maybe she at least feels comfortable enough to do so in front of her Pokémon, if no one else.

"Heh, numbers and puzzles," laughed Sidney as he straightened up, "Never been my strong suit. So good luck with that."

Lol Sidney is a whole mood and a half here. Or, well, maybe just a half, because I do like puzzles. The normals ones. And I enjoy word puzzles like word searches and crosswords, too. But sudoku? Anything with numbers? Lol yeah no count me out of that, no thanks.

"It's not about tea, it's about..." Sidney pulled a face, "Soduku?"

This cracks me up because I swear this is the EXACT way people mispronounce sudoku every dang time, without fail. This is how my mom sometimes pronounces it and she has no excuse because she’s used those little sudoku booklets for years now. 😂

"You know, I'm impressed you're completing it in pen. I usually have too many solutions in my head to trust the first one I write down."

Dang, yeah?? What kind of madlad does that?? Steven, apparently! I guess I have no room to talk because I will often fill out my crosswords in pen—but that’s largely because I’m too lazy to go find a pencil, so maybe that doesn’t count. 😂

"Oh, my grandma does those all the time. Only the easy ones though. She said if she wants that much frustration she'd just talk to my grandpa."

Lol?? That’s SUCH a grandparent thing to say, I feel. 😂

"It used to be quiet in here..." Steven mumbled, bringing the pen back to his lips.

"You're gonna have to speak up, the kettle's whistling up a storm," said Drake, a hand to his ear.

Lol poor Steven. I love the way Drake only accentuates his point by shouting and asking him to talk louder. 😂 To be fair, Steven, you shoulda done this in your office if you wanted guaranteed peace and quiet! I feel like it’s never quite a guarantee if Sidney is around, lol.

"Hey, did someone make me a cup too?"

Steven had to use every ounce of willpower not to throw his pen at Sidney's head.

Hahaha does this mean someone has to make tea all over again? This sure is a mood though, it really do be like that sometimes when you just want some peace and quiet. Especially with siblings. Also, I kind of wish Steven had chucked the pen at his head, if only to see what Sidney’s reaction would be. Steven would almost definitely feel horrible about it immediately afterwards, I bet. 😂

The buzzing of Drake's PokeNav seemed to startle the Dragon Master less and less each time he got a call, although he scowled at the number a bit longer than usual this time.

Heh, I enjoy the little callback to a precious story! Drake is still getting accustomed to his new fancy device, I see. 😂

"You listed me as your emergency contact?" Drake quirked a brow.

"Purely formality, I assure you," muttered Briney as he caressed the nervous bird's crown. She nuzzled happily into his touch.

Lol. [Points at both of them] TSUNDERE. They really are two peas in a pod, aren’t they. Which is probably why they get along so well.

But Briney just grinned. "You know as well as I do that those islands exist. Whenever you're done playing around as the League's lapdog, just let me know and I'll let you join in the hunt."

Islands? 👀 I’m trying to remember what it is he’s after. Is it the mirage islands? My first thought was the Regi island (the one with Regice I think), but there’s only one of those and I don’t think Briney ever had an interest in the Regis specifically.

Flannery ground her heel into the floor in frustration. "C'mon Magcargo! You can do it!"

YAY YAY YAY more Flannery and Phoebe friendship content! :D THE BEST. I’m happy to see these gals hanging out some more. Or, well, hashing it out, in this case.

As the flames died down, all that was left were the smoldering remains of the fierce attack.

Lol so uh…how wrecked is this place? I’m not sure if this is in Flannery’s gym or Phoebe’s chamber, but surely either one has been reinforced with some fancy tech to ensure they don’t get totally wrecked with every battle…right?

The shadows began to expand, seemingly filling up from the inside. And like a fabric stretched to its breaking point, the shadows began to tear at the seams, flames licking out from the openings. In a brilliant flash, Banette's attack gave way to a broiling fireball that exploded in all directions that sent both trainers ducking for cover. Patches of fire sprung up all over, and Phoebe squinted through the brightness to see what had become of Banette.

Ooooooh I really really love this! The way ghosts operate in shadows specifically, so Flannery counteracts that with more fire and more light, thus forcing the enemy out from the shadows. It’s very clever! Reminds me of a battle in Pedestal where a Pokémon uses flash to achieve the same effect with the main character’s Duskull.

"No... I mean, the Gym has the hot springs built right in. And typically my aim is a bit better," Flannery admitted with a sheepish tug of her hair.

Man, I have always wondered this since seeing Flannery’s gym redesign in Alpha Sapphire, but…that has GOT to be the muggiest building ever. I can’t imagine spending all day battling in there. It sounds so beyond uncomfortable lol

"Oi, are you two the ones throwing the barbecue? Smells awesome!"

Lol, I love that I immediately knew this was Sidney speaking without any additional context. It’s probably thanks to that “oi”. Also…this made me want barbecue.

"This is nothing. You should have seen Drake's chamber after Salamence had that toothache."

"Oh ho, I had almost forgotten about that!" chimed Sidney. "I take it back then, I bet Steven won't even notice."

LOL I gotta say, I really do enjoy the way you wrote about dragon Pokémon and just how truly hard they are to handle. They’re big and crazy strong and, apparently, massive drama queens, which means you’ve got to have the mettle to deal with them constantly. It’s definitely not something for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. Dragon mon are not just like any regular mon in your fics, and I appreciate those details.

"Okay, maybe he'll notice... But he won't be that mad. Probably. Hopefully. How about that barbecue?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Phoebe hastily agreed, and all three trainers left the scene of the crime.

LOL poor Steven. Okay but the Elite Four chambers SHOULD be made of tougher stuff, so maybe this will trigger some necessary upgrades? 😂 Also, I can’t imagine Steven actually getting angry about this. What does angry Steven even look like? If anything, I think he’d just be supremely exasperated and/or disappointed. Though maybe that’s worse, actually. 😂

Prompt #30: Steven doesn't often lose his temper. When he does, it makes an impression.

LMAO I know this one is a very serious entry but the fact that this prompt came immediately after my previous questions has me laughing a bit.

The normally shy and reserved Tate was silently fuming while a normally bubbly and upbeat Liza was shaking with quiet sobs.

Oh gosh, when you’ve got shaken and crying children on your doorstep out of the blue, you know something is up. Especially when it’s these two, because these two are pretty mature and level-headed already for their age. They don’t strike me as the type to throw tantrums or to overreact to things.

Tate paused, eyes falling to where his hands were clenching and unclenching in his lap.

"He... he grabbed Liza by the arm and... and he said... things..."

Oh my gosh what. What. He said this to a literal child??? It’s bad enough to say such grotesque things to anybody, but a child??? This is absolutely revolting. Disgusting.

"Sootopolis."

Oh good! Steven and Wallace can thoroughly thrash this scum of the earth.

"Who's your favorite?" Steven asked, knowing fully well what the answer would be.

When the simultaneous chime of "Metagross!" came, Steven allowed himself another smile before unclicking the ball of said pokemon and leaving it on the table in front of them.

Awww this is precious. If I remember correctly, don’t they form a bond with Metagross when they’re pretty young? When they first meet and Metagross is a Metang? I want to say yes but it’s been a while. (It really is time for me to reread The Long Road, isn’t it?)

"I promise I won't tell Aggron you didn't pick him. It'll be our secret."

Haha poor Aggron. I love the way Steven interacts with these kids though. They have such a precious relationship, which I feel like can be hard to navigate sometimes because Pokémon likes to do weird things like have literal children in professional adult occupations. Everyone else Steven oversees is an adult, and he grew up a (neglected) only child, so it would make sense or at least be understandable if he wasn’t good with kids. But he’s so great with Tate and Liza, and I love to see it.

The Champion had stormed into his Gym, met Wallace's gaze from across the chamber, and without breaking stride, jabbed a finger toward the office.

I love how powerful this is—no dialogue, not even actively describing the mood or emotions, but they’re still very clearly indicated through the body language alone.

"I need you to crush him. Utterly humiliate him. I want him to slink out of your Gym with his tail between his legs. And when does leave, I want you to message me immediately."

Ahahaha YES. What a great request. I also love that Steven can just casually ask this of Wallace. There’s no question of if he can beat this challenger, not at all. The question is how he does it, and the answer is incredibly satisfying.

"When this is over, we'll never speak of it again. Understood?"

Wallace nodded once more, and Steven stormed out of the room.

I love how completely understanding Wallace is about all of this. He’s probably so beyond confused, but he doesn’t even ask what’s happening or why. He completely trusts Steven’s judgement and follows his lead, no questions asked. Also, there’s something about “we will never discuss this again” that is so freakin SCARY. I love it??? I want to see angry Steven more often, please???

"Whoa wait, I didn't hit nobody! Wait, what do you mean your Gym Leader?"

Lol is this guy really that dense? I mean, he is a loser, we’ve established that already, but surely he would recognize Steven’s face? Unless angry Steven is such a rare sight that he becomes unrecognizable, which…heh. Fair.

Did you have the guts to say what you said to Flannery too? How about Winona? Roxanne? Or are you such a tough guy that you only prey on children?"

No but like, this is a completely valid question and should be investigated. If he’s got the nerve to say this to a child in front of her brother, then who is to say he hasn’t harassed the other women as well? Or other innocent women on his travels? Like, this guy is a MASSIVE walking red flag and needs to be held seriously accountable. This is not something to take lightly whatsoever. (Not that Steven is taking it lightly, of course—I just want this prick to see some on-paper consequences.)

"That bitch told on me?" the trainer practically spat back.

Dude. DUDE? Dude. LITERALLY A CHILD THAT YOU SEXUALLY HARASSED. It makes me physically ill to think about the fact that people like this genuinely exist in the real world.

"No," Steven sneered at the way the trainer was looking at him. The same way everyone looked at him when they thought he was just some rich snob who didn't know how to handle his pokemon. "I'm the Champion of the whole damn League, and if I ever hear your name come up again, I will personally see to it that your license is revoked and your pokemon are given to proper trainers who know how to treat others with respect."

Now, see, I want to like this, I really do—but I sincerely don’t think this guy should have gotten off with just a warning. This is the kind of thing that is unacceptable no matter what—some sort of three-strike system or whatever shouldn’t apply here. By letting him off with just a warning, it’s basically saying he won’t see consequences until the next time he harasses someone, but once is already too many times. He should have, at the very least, gotten his previous badge revoked and then be required to battle a stand-in for Tate and Liza, and then issue a formal apology to them both (but especially Liza) to regain it.

Heh, sorry, I don’t mean to ramble. I just really do wish this guy got an actual consequence for his actions and more than just a warning. A warning is not enough, it is far too generous for someone exhibiting predatory behavior on children. In public.

But Steven's expression clouded at what Wallace had hoped would be reassuring. "I just hope it's enough to make sure no one actually gets hurt."

I don’t know if it is! Again, this guy needs way more consequences than what he got.

Grinning, Wallace brought out his PokeNav and showed the picture to Steven. The twins had taken a selfie with Metagross, and the latter was covered with marker scribbles all over its steel hide.

Ahaha this is adorable. I wonder if that will ever come off. Speaking of, how does one clean a Metagross’s hide? Windex?

The first day of their trip was uneventful, full of introductions and logistics. The tour around Fallarbor was just as dull, with everything from the houses, to the trees, to the soil being made up of the same ruddy red tones.

Yeah I gotta admit, I could never live in a place like Fallarbor. It just seems so…dead and brown and sad. I can barely stand the few months of winter when it looks like this outside, let alone all the time.

Glacia jumped, startled and more than a little embarrassed, and she gave Steven a sharp look of disapproval as she tried to hide her outstretched hand behind her back.

Haha, I love that Steven tried and failed to hide his laughter. He was probably looking forward to see her reaction. I’d be entertained, too; Glacia is so stoic all the time, seeing her startled or surprised at something would be like seeing an unflappable cat poof its tail. 😂

Glacia could only hold her grumpy expression for a moment longer as Steven ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the ash that had gathered there. She smiled as she slipped her hand into the one he offered to guide her down he steps of the porch. Even though it really wasn't snow, she still coudn't help but look around in wonder as the red of Fallarbor disappeared beneath the growing blanket of ash.

Aw, I do like this imagery. I also enjoy that you wrote a Christmas special without any actual snow! After all, I don’t think anywhere in Hoenn would get snow. But the ash is a pretty convincing substitute at least at first glance, and it was very sweet of Steven to extend this gesture to Glacia and give her a tiny taste of home. It’s so thoughtful of him, and you know she didn’t ask for this—he just thought it up and did it himself. Bless him.

It was the yearly clean up day for the League, the time to get rid of all the things that collected dust for the past 365 days and make room for the new dust magnets

Lololol a realer description of spring cleaning has never been spoken. 😂 why are we as humans like this? We just love to collect things, I guess. We’re like little tiny dragons in that way. [side-eyes my plushies and figures collection]

That also included outdated League records and files, which Glacia gleefully accepted, mumbling something about a Lampent as she took a bin of papers with her to the back.

Lol?? Does she get a kick out of feeding them to a Lampent or something? I mean, I don’t blame her, I think I would, too. I already take way too much delight in putting things through a paper shredder or watching things burn in a fire pit. What can I say? I am a simple creature. 😂 Also, the image of a Lampent just gleefully burning paperwork brings me joy. (Interesting that it’s Glacia who takes charge of this and not Phoebe though, given Lampent’s ghost typing!)

"That's odd..." mused Phoebe, bringing her hand up to her ear to scratch it with her feather duster's handle.

Lol I love little details like this that really sell what’s currently happening and what the characters are up to in that exact moment. We all know they’ve been cleaning, but this extra tidbit about the feather duster just goes the extra mile, and I love it. It’s a delightful quirk that you have in your writing across all your stories, and I’m here for it. Tiny details add so much!

Sitting cross legged in the middle of the room was Steven, surrounded on all sides by haphazard files overflowing with paper. He was meticulously thumbing through every sheet, brow furrowed in concentration.

Lollll of course. Of course Steven is the one who is way too meticulous about going through every single paper before tossing it. It’s funny, because in all other aspects, Steven is the opposite of a hoarder—he’s not a materialistic person at all, save for his rock collection, and all of his rooms and offices even in canon are pretty simple and sparsely decorated. Realistically, he’s probably the one who has the least actual cleaning and decluttering to do out of all of them, but naturally he takes the longest because of the papers, of all things. 😂 It’s so very Steven. Also, this reminds me of Stolas from Helluva Boss in that one episode where he is delighted to go through all the paperwork with the lawyer who is trying to stall for time. 😂

"We're not having a repeat of last year!"

LMAO of COURSE this is a regular thing that they have to field every single year. Dang it, Steven. Although I have to admit this is kind of a mood; this is me whenever I’m cleaning a room and get distracted by my various discoveries.

But Phoebe was not one for secrets. "Last year he did the same thing, except no one caught it in time, and before we knew it he'd stayed up for 36 hours straight going through every last document." She shot a disapproving look Steven's way, and he winced under her accusation.

You know what, this is ALSO a mood. 😂 I mean, maybe not the thirty-six hours without sleep part, jeez no, but the getting hyperfixated on something innocuous and losing track of time and doing nothing else? I mean, jeez, that’s been like my whole day just today and I couldn’t begin to tell you how often I fall down the adhd rabbit hole, lol.

I’m a fan of the way Phoebe just blurts it out while Glacia tries to be delicate. Phoebe doesn’t strike me as the type to beat around the bush very much. Bless her for that. 😂

When we opened the door to his chamber to tell him, he had fallen asleep on the platform."

Are you kidding me 😂 that’s got to be the most uncomfortable place to sleep of all time, but I guess everywhere looks comfortable enough for sleeping if you’ve gone 36 hours without sleep. Steven, I love you, but you’re a moron lol. Does he get this bad when he finds a good book, I wonder? 😂

Note: So this chapter is based on my own headcanon that Steven invited Sidney to become one of the Elite Four. If anyone is curious for more of this backstory, the circumstances under which they meet are covered in Chapter 7 of my other fic, The Long Road.

Oh hey, would you look at that! Clearly, I need to reread The Long Road, because I don’t really remember the details of this encounter. I remember how they meet, but I didn’t recall Steven extending the offer to Sidney during that scene? Actually, no, he couldn’t have, because he wasn’t Champion then anyway…huh, maybe the actual offer hasn’t been written yet, or I haven’t read it wherever it would be posted?

Some showed promise while Glacia huffed at others, saying there was absolutely no way they'd even get a sniff of her chamber.

Lol this is so Glacia. Knowing what I do from previous short stories, this comment probably isn’t even so much judgemental as it is disappointment that not many people are going to make it into her chamber to make her day more interesting. Though it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that there’s a little bit of both those things going on here. 😂

A cold sweat prickling against his collar, Sidney was already down the hallway on his way to the Ever Grande Pokemon Center. He hoped his hasty retreat was well covered, since it was strictly forbidden to interact with the challengers once they'd reached the Center. He was no stranger to rule breaking in his earlier life, but after he'd fallen into this position at the League, he was determined to clean up his act. And yet here he was, back at it without a second thought, except this time there was a damned good reason.

First off, DANG Sidney reacted real heckin fast to that. Second, ooh I just love this paragraph. The mood and the tension is instantly communicated through Sidney’s body language without it needing to be explicitly spelled out. We don’t know yet exactly what’s going on here (well, I do, only because I recognize Gray’s name from other writings of yours I’ve seen), but we already know that something is up, and it’s not a good something.

"Aww, c'mon now. You can't be serious. You didn't miss me even a little bit?" Gray gave a fake pout, but his eyes were laced with something else.

Gray is exactly what I expected him to be, but that doesn’t make him any less disgusting and infuriating. He’s so sure of himself, so confident that he still has that abusive chokehold over Sidney, that he doesn’t even question it. That level of confidence is rather chilling, actually—he’s so certain that he has conditioned Sidney deeply enough to make him return under his thumb, even now after so long without any contact.

"You ain't done with shit, Sid. You're mine. Always have been. Always will be."

Oh goodie, creepy and nasty possessiveness! Gray should meet Athos and Gonzap, they’d all have a great time. (Or they’d try to kill each other lol, no in between, I think.)

Actually, now that I say it, I am SO fascinated in the idea of a Wes/Drake (uh, Tetra’s Drake)/Sidney interaction. They have so many things in common yet they’re all very different people. I just wanna…stick em in a room and see what happens. For science. [Grabs popcorn]

Anyway, you’ve really nailed this specific type of personality. Grey doesn’t even try to be subtle or manipulative with fake gestures of concern or caring or whatever—he doesn’t think he needs to. But boy he is gonna be in for a rude surprise. Perhaps if he had swooped in sooner, before Sidney had much of a foothold in the Elite Four (although, it’s not really clear how long he’s been in the Elite Four when this happens—days? Weeks? Months?) then he might have been able to sway him. Maybe. But now Sidney knows what a healthy family looks like, a real family, and he’s not about to be fooled by the likes of Gray.

"No, you're the one who has it wrong. Your gang was never my family. You didn't raise me, you didn't teach me, hell, you barely even fed me. I was just some dumb kid who thought anything had to have been better than my real family. And-" Sidney's breath hitched just for a second, and the pokeballs at his hip rocked in response. "-And now that I'm here, I know what it means to have a real family. So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and never come back."

Oh, lol, literally took the words out of my mouth. Atta boy, Sidney! I love that he’s still scared here—Gray’s conditioning has clearly left a mark and still has an effect on him. He’s terrified, but he stands his ground anyway. And the little moment where he falters and his Pokémon encourage him?? 😭 I love that detail SO MUCH? I need a fully fleshed out Sidney backstory fic now.

"If you don't," Sidney unclicked Mightyena's pokeball from his hip, "I'll make you leave."

Ooohoho they gonna scrap right here? I mean, sounds like a terrible idea, but I’m kinda here for it. I’m very here for people standing up to their abusers and channeling their newfound confidence and sense of self into threats. It’s JUICY STUFF.

Ultimately though, they don’t fight here, and that’s a good call. It’s sooo much better that Sidney backs off and lets Gray come challenge him directly, on his turf, where he can utterly thrash him once and for all and for the whole world to see. There’s an element of finality to that rather than an undignified scrap in a Pokémon center suite. As an official league match, Sidney can show him who he really is, who he has become—all without Grey’s help, and underscoring the fact that he doesn’t need Gray anymore. That, perhaps, he never did.

It didn't matter what led Sidney to that cave. All that mattered is what he brought with him when he stepped out of it.

Yessss I love these lines so much!! Ugh I’m just. I’m so HERE for redemptions and people turning over a new leaf and facing down their past demons in the form of their abusers. And I love stories where these people get to turn over a new leaf because someone offers them that opportunity. Someone believes in them, or forgives them, or otherwise gives a show of love and faith and trust that said person has never been given before, and that’s the thing that makes the difference. Oh my gosh I could rant about this for hours, haha. I love it. I love it so much and I will devour every iteration of this trope until the day I die.

Now I’m in the mood to go watch the ATLA Zuko and Iroh reconciliation scene. 💛

"Glacia?"

Haha I don’t know how, but I just had a suspicion that Glacia would be the one to be seasick in this story.

Drake nodded as he growled a 'welcome', and Glacia smiled. She hadn't known the Dragon Master long, but she knew the last thing he wanted was to be seen as polite.

Haha! I have such a soft spot for gruff old men with a heart of gold, and that’s Drake to a tee. I don’t know that it’s fair to say he avoids being polite, though—he’s actually quite the gentleman! He’s just…rather discreet about it. 😂

"Hmm, oh yes, I'm fine. Just taking a break." She defiantly snatched the book back up and opened it again.

Drake turned back around before she could see the smile hiding beneath his mustache.

I love the way you describe Drake’s hints of emotion through his mustache. 😂 It’s such a vivid visual, and only furthers the Ron Swanson allegations. Also lol at Glacia trying to play it cool. (No pun intended.) You’re not fooling anybody, least of all the veteran sailor, hon.

"This never leaves this boat, understand?"

"Sailor's honor."

Hahaha I like to think they understand each other in a way other Elite Four members don’t, because they both have a very particular reputation to uphold. Neither of them like to show weakness or vulnerability of any kind, they’re both very stubborn and independent to a fault, and I think they understand this about each other.

"The Champ puked three times the first time we went through the Pacifidlog currents."

LOLOLOL of course he did. Poor Steven. 😂 I sympathize so much. Small boats are noooot for me. I get seasick way too easily.

"Already plotted a course 'round the nastiest ones," his eyes twinkled beneath his cap. "Can't have anyone settin' a new record just yet."

"It's very much appreciated," said Glacia with a smile. Perhaps the surly sea captain wasn't so surly after all.

Aw, I love this :D See, Glacia, he’s actually a giant softie! Never say that out loud to him though because he would rather die than admit that or have it be pointed out to him. Lol

Prompt #35: Steven needs a new suit. Wallace is only too happy to help.

Oh lawd this is going to be a fun one.

Wallace ignored him and kept going, "What if you were to try something different? More flashy."

"No."

That INSTANT rejection is killing me. 😂 Not an ounce of consideration, just a flat out no. I don’t blame Steven—Wallace certainly has his own dramatic flair that very few others could pull off, and his preferences couldn’t be further from his best friend’s.

"Yes, bored!" Wallace was unfazed as the tailor motioned for Steven to turn back around.

I’m just laughing at what the tailor must be thinking, here. What kinds of conversations must he overhear on the regular, being the guy who outfits Leage officials? Especially with Wallace, who you just know has got to be a shameless gossip. I bet this guy gets some GOOD tea on the regular.

"Heavens no! Capes are fringe fashion at best. Yours truly's not withstanding."

Lol of course he allows himself to be the exception to his own rules. Also, don’t tell that to Lance, I suppose. 😂 wait—or Drake?? Doesn’t Drake have a cape, or am I mixing that up with his long coat? Oh man I need to see more Drake and Wallace interactions, I bet they’re pure gold.

And as soon as the tailor's tools were laid back on the table, he grabbed the man's hand and whisked away with him to the back room, leaving Steven standing alone in the fitting area.

Lololol this poor tailor guy. I mean, on one hand, Wallace probably yanks him around and makes some of the most absurd requests, but on the other, he probably makes a hefty sum of money from all of Wallace’s orders. I can’t imagine Wallace ever scrimps on something as important as fashion, after all. The fact that he’s dragged Steven into being a client is probably nice, too. Lots of pressure and probably the world’s most demanding client (Wallace, not Steven), but hey. The things we do for business. 😂

Steven gave a lopsided grin, "Please, Mr. Stone is -"

"Yes yes, 'Mr. Stone is my father', let's go see it shall we?" Wallace was quick to cut his friend off and drag him toward the back of the shop where the tailor waved them.

LMAO okay how often does Steven say this line 😂 the “lopsided grin” descriptor seems to indicate that he loves making that joke, too. Oh my gosh I love him, he’s so dumb. 💛

I’m also laughing at the way Wallace plows through it, so you KNOW that Steven has said this at least often enough for Wallace to be over it. 😂

Neatly hanging from the lone stand at the center of the room was a pristine suit of charcoal black. The fabric had a soft sheen to it that seemed to soothe the crisp lines of the slim cut jacket. The sleeves bore a subtle purple hue that climbed nearly to the shoulder seam. Complementing deep violet lines hugged the side of the jacket before plunging behind the pockets on either side. As the tailor deftly swept the jacket from its perch, the matching light violet pinstripe vest peeked out from underneath, compete with delicate silver clasps that matched the shining embellishments at the end of the jacket cuffs.

Ooh! Is this…a description of his ORAS redesign, perhaps? I’m so sorry, I’m the absolute worst at envisioning clothing and outfits when all I have to go off of is a written description. I don’t know what it is, it’s like I have word blindness for this very niche thing specifically.

"I would never joke about fashion. You know that." Wallace looked hurt.

Steven gave a wary look toward the tailor who just shrugged. "Well, I appreciate you showing restraint for my new suit. I quite like the look of it."

Ahaha I have to wonder if the outfit in question Steven is commenting on is Wallace’s ORAS redesign. 😂 Because let’s be honest, that sure is a choice of daily outfit! The way he backpedals is sweet, though. He and Wallace have polar opposite opinions and may make lighthearted jabs at each other, but they both know to never actively mock the other’s preferences in a mean-spirited way. Sometimes exasperation, sure, but they never ever get condescending with each other, and I just. Really enjoy that. 💛

The tailor gave him an uncertain glance and began to inspect the final fitting. "Perhaps it's all the better that Wallace suggested our most durable fabric."

"Ahh, the Delcatty's out of the bag then, I guess?" Steven gave a nervous laugh.

Lol Steven, I will never understand you. 😂 how is caving in a suit comfortable? How?? I bet the tailor has all kinds of opinions on this but he knows better than to say them, lol. Also another sweet detail that Wallace takes Steven’s odd mix of attire and activity preferences into account when ordering this for him, rather than try to force him to wear something more practical. He just accepts that that’s the way Steven is.

Glacia felt a bit of heat rise in her cheeks at the woman's sincere smile. She hadn't really thought about feeling homesick. Her mother would chide her if she outright admitted to it. Sinnohan women were strong and able to stand on their own two feet. But admittedly, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the warmth of the kitchen and the sound of the matronly voices, and the smells of the food...

Oh, I like the little bit of Glacia lore we are getting here. It’s not just simply her personality to be the way she is, but it seems a not insignificant portion of that is thanks to her upbringing and culture, as well. (This also seems to explain further why she and Cynthia got so heated with each other previously, lol.) I have to admit it sounds so lonely to be so incredibly guarded all the time. Sounds exhausting, too. I hope she can learn with time to be more relaxed around those she trusts, to let her true emotions show a little more often. It’s okay to not be perfectly poised and impassive at all times, girl!

She poked her head cautiously into the kitchen just as Phoebe's grandmother was lifting the last batch of fried dough from the pot. Golden brown and puffy, the dough bites glistened with hot oil before they were patted dry and dusted with powdered sugar.

Oh wow wow WOW this sounds so freaking delicious and now I’m hungry. 😂 Not that it takes much for me to start craving a thing when people talk about it, as evidenced many times on Discord, but this description really does it for me. Golden brown and glistening and then powdered sugar?! I’m so sold. 😂

"These were always my favorite growing up. Grandma's zeppoli are the best."

OOOOHGH ZEPPOLI ARE THE BEST. Hecking GOOD stuff, especially homemade and fresh and warm. Dang it Pano, my mouth is watering now. 😂 Also…huh, is this meant to imply Phoebe’s grandparents are Poke-Italian, perhaps? Though an earlier word from her gran—Leilani—definitely implies Alolan to me, not to mention Phoebe herself seems very Alolan. I’m curious what your headcanons are here, if you have any!

"It... it tastes just like home."

Aw, that’s so sweet. (Literally!) I really love the patterns here with Glacia where people pick up on how she’s feeling and they show their care and concern in ways that don’t directly call it out, to save her the embarrassment. Glacia isn’t the type to admit to feeling a particular way if it indicates vulnerability, and she’s probably likely to turn down a gesture if she catches on or it’s made too obvious that it’s an attempt to make her feel better. While I do hope she can be a little more forthcoming with herself and others in the future, I enjoy seeing people go out of their way to meet her where she’s at and show their care in ways that she will feel comfortable receiving. 💛

 

[HelloYellow17]

Aaaand here we are for the third and final review of this collection! Somehow I missed the fact that not all 50 chapters are crossposted to Thousand Roads—I blame the way the index pulls up on my phone lol, because it says the fic is projected to be 50 chapters and that’s the only thing my brain saw until now, oops. But heyo, that’s not a problem! I can read the last eight chapters on ye olde Archive of Our Own and review them here! I might import snippets from them as quotes here just to keep the style consistent, but we’ll see if that turns out to be a major hassle or not. I may just give general thoughts on them if it turns out to be more work than it’s worth.

Anyway—I’ll be covering the last fourteen chapters of this collection! They seem to have flown by a lot faster than the other batches, though I’m not sure why—maybe a lot of them are a lot shorter than most of the ones before? Not that it matters, because I still enjoyed all of them just as much as the others, heheh. :D

All right, off we go!

Spoiler: Stories 36-50

"Wallace," Steven regarded his friend from over the top of a pile of pink envelopes, "You know exactly why I don't like Luvdisc's Day."

Oh my gosh I always forget that you call it Luvdisc’s Day in this universe and it always brings me a sprinkle of joy every time I am reminded. It’s too perfect haha.

Also, I love this nod to Steven’s asexuality here. I can’t remember if it’s in this collection or if it’s in a standalone one-shot, but I do remember a short story where he and Wallace talking about (I think?) Luvdisc day and he comes out as ace to Wallace, and it’s very sweet. This one is a much more lighthearted moment, one where Wallace is already clearly aware of everything but still decides to be a pain in the caboose anyway, as he does. 😂

"Live vicariously? Wallace, you get hundreds of letters like this all the time!"

"I know," the Master Coordinator whined, "That prevents today from feeling as special as it ought to."

Lol what? Wallace, that doesn’t even make sense. 😂 and don’t act like you don’t enjoy all the attention from your admirers, you KNOW you love it, you little diva. I love how full on drama queen he is going here, and he’s not even trying to pretend otherwise. Only Wallace can pull off such an act and still be entertaining instead of simply obnoxious. 😂

"Don't you have fan mail of your own to be reading?"

"I do, but you always seem to get the better chocolates," grumbled Wallace as he reached for the box again.

Lol?? Well okay Steven, I don’t think you have to read all the letters, but you better not be throwing away the chocolates. At least let Wallace and the rest of the Elite Four have them! (Though I doubt there’s any shortage of chocolate for any of them on this day, considering they’re all celebrities in their own right, haha.)

Wallace's eyes widened with a gasp, "Steven Stone, you are not going to let Skarmory shred your Luvdisc's Day mail!"

"Who's going to stop me?"

And that's how Steven found himself stuck at his desk on St. Luvdisc's Day, sifting through a pile of pink envelopes under the watchful eye of a very angry Milotic.

Ahahaha poor Steven. And poor Skarmory, too, he totally got ripped off here and deprived of a day full of shredding things for fun! For shame. Though I guess I can kind of see where Wallace is coming from—he feels Steven ought to at least give the time of day to his hopeful fans, though I’m not sure why it matters since it’s not like they’re gonna know if he reads the letters or not. And it’s extra pointless considering the fact that there’s no chance Steven is ever going to reciprocate, hah. Honestly, I just think Wallace wants to read them all for his own entertainment. 😂 Can’t say I blame him.

"What's got you all wound up today, lass?

I don’t know if you’re really looking for grammar or typo feedback, but just in case you are: there’s a missing quotation mark at the end of this sentence! It seemed an easy enough fix that I was fine with pointing it out. Also, I really love that Drake calls everyone “lass” or “lad.” It’s very charming and so fitting for him.

After a quick glance at her PokeNav, Phoebe seemed to deflate against the railing. She didn't really have any work to be doing once they got back. It was just that tonight was the last episode ever of 'Lovers in Lilycove' and she wasn't going to miss it for the world. Drake didn't need to know that though...

Hahaha oh, we’ve all been there. It’s kind of crazy to think that the idea of missing an episode because it only airs at a specific time is sort of becoming a thing of the past, if it hasn’t already. Teenagers today will never know that struggle. Or the scramble to get snacks on commercial break. Or the panic when you run to a bathroom break and you can hear the program starting again. 😂

They had already nearly run over Glacia who sputtered and fussed over the stack of papers that scattered as they rushed by.

Lololol poor Glacia was in the wrong place at the wrong time. 😂 I dunno why but this description just made me think of a startled, spitting cat. Which feels pretty accurate, not gonna lie.

"...What could possibly be starting now? It's 7 at night on a Tuesday -" He froze as the realization set in. "Oh, this is too perfect."

Lolol HE KNOWS. He INSTANTLY KNOWS. How though?? Is Sidney secretly a fan, too? Or he just knows Phoebe that well? 😂

The final scene faded to black, and Phoebe drew the last tissue from its box.

Phoebe is ABSOLUTELY the type of girl to bawl her eyes out at movies and shows. (I can’t point any fingers, I’m that girl, too. I’m a giant crybaby. Freaking—I cry while reading fics!! WAY more often than I care to admit. 😂) I’m glad that Sidney and Glacia didn’t interrupt her show, at least—THAT would be mean. Let her have her girl time and enjoy her dumb sappy show! Lol

"Oh yeah, it's right there in the background," said Sidney with a grin, before turning his attention to the stunned ghost-type trainer with tear streaked cheeks. "Just remember this moment the next time you want to bring up that sunburn picture."

HAH I freaking love it. Knowing that this is specifically revenge for her sunburn picture makes this ten times better. I can’t say she didn’t have it coming sooner or later, in that case. 😂

And both Elites beat a hasty retreat down the hallway, blackmail safely in hand.

I’m sorry but. BUT. Glacia?? BOOKING IT down the hallway right along with Sidney??? That image is TOO good and I like to think she maybe even let out a giggle here. It gives me so much serotonin to see her indulge a little and be a tad immature to get back at Phoebe. 😂 Stop it, I love it so much.

Steven squinted at the meeting agenda he held in his hand and wondered why it suddenly was so hard to make out the words. Concentrating on the blurry mess in front of him, he was vaguely aware that at some point his hand had balled tightly around the paper, and he quickly released his grip and smoothed the crinkled document flat against the tabletop.

Oooh I already KNOW this is going to be good. I’ve found that I really enjoy reading headache and migraine whump, especially because the latter just involves a lot of tasty tropes like being unable to walk straight, staggering around and leaning on surfaces for support, etc, and that stuff is my bread and butter.

His gaze shot up, embarrassed at his lapse, but he immediately regretted the action, the room beginning to lilt unsettlingly to the side. A hand flew up to brush at his temple with a wince.

Mm yes GOOD. >:) I mean…poor Steven, I truly do feel bad for him, but the whump. The whump is good. >:) Also…I have to say, I’ve never actually had a real migraine, I don’t think? I’ve had some really bad headaches, but never bad enough to affect my vision or anything like that. I’m curious if you’ve had them and if this is reflective of your experience? I’ve always been curious about how accurate these descriptions are to the real thing. I don’t know too many people that get migraines very often, save for my mom. Maybe I’ll have to ask her about them, for…science. (Lol I swear I’m normal. Mostly.)

the scraping of a chair against the hardwood felt like someone had taken a rock pick to the backside of his eyeballs.

Oh ooof this is a very good description. Also fitting—of course he would compare this to a rock pick, of all things. But man, this paragraph definitely got a sympathy wince out of me.

It had been over an hour since Glacia last saw Steven at the meeting, and when he hadn't turned up in his League office, or the study, or the infirmary, or even the rooftop, she began to grow worried.

Somehow it just feels so fitting and meaningful that it is Glacia who picks up on the signs and does something about it. Not that the others don’t care, of course, but if Steven was decent enough at hiding the level of his discomfort, they probably didn’t think they had any reason to worry. But Glacia saw right through it, and I like to think it’s because she has experience masking her own emotions and discomfort so often, she knows how to see the signs in someone else, even when they’re doing their best to hide it.

Steven lay on his side with his knees drawn tight to his chest. His shoulders shook with tension at every breath and even in the dim room she could see how white his knuckles were as he grasped at the fabric of his disheveled shirt. Every so often he would shift and squirm, one hand releasing its death grip on his arm and reaching up to tug on a lock of hair.

Awh this made me sad. :( There’s something about being in so much pain that all you can do is grab at your hair that just tugs at my heart. It’s a sign of real helplessness, I feel. Really shows just how utterly and hopelessly miserable he is, and man, my heart goes out to him. I know my mom has said as much about migraines; that there’s only so much you can do, and the rest you just kind of have to muddle through. I am…so so glad I do not suffer from these. Yikes.

Glacia shivered as she took in the Champion's sorry state. She was no stranger to the feeling of having such a beast inside your head, trying to force its way out.

Ahh, this explains even further why she was able to tell when the others could not. She knows this pain and knows the signs, which is probably why she was so much more concerned and proactive, too. Bless her, honestly. Mom friend to the rescue. 💛

"When he stirs, have him take these," she directed the watchful pokemon, "I know you're doing your best, but the pills will help."

Metagross hummed in understanding before delivering another soothing pulse of psychic energy to its trainer.

Aw bless Metagross for doing everything it can. You can just feel its worry and helplessness when Glacia walks in, and how desperate it is for her to help give Steven some relief. It’s nice that it can at least help a little with its psychic powers; seems like even a psychic Pokémon as powerful as Metagross can only do so much for a human migraine, but still.

Satisfied she had done all she could, Glacia slipped a book out from her travel cloak and settled into the lounge chair in Steven's living room. She would wait it out, if only for the fact that when Steven was finally released from the demon's hold, he wouldn't be waking up alone. It was what her mother had done for her all those years ago, and Glacia knew it would make all the difference.

Oh gosh this is just next level tenderness? 🥲 She had no obligation to stay, and had no way of knowing if Steven would even want her to—he has his Pokémon, after all, and it’s likely he has weathered these migraines alone before. But she keeps him company anyway, just to show she cares, to show he’s not alone, and that he has some solidarity in this type of suffering. I love Glacia so dang much; these stories have really endeared her to me more than anything else has. I feel like I finally know who she is as a character and as a person for the first time.

Juan's eyebrow quirked as his mentee stepped through the doors of the Sootopolis Gym.

Oh!! Juan! Hello! :D Juan is an often overlooked character, since he only appears in Emerald, but I’ve always liked him. He’s got a classy flair that I like a lot, so it’s a very pleasant surprise to see him here!

He had worked hard in his own right, becoming a Master Coordinator as well as a Gym Leader, and now he sat atop the Pokemon League as its Champion.

Ooh nice, Champion Wallace! I haven’t seen much of Champion Wallace in your writing yet—this might actually be the first time I’ve officially read anything with him in this station? Not that his Champion rank has much to do with this little short story, but still.

Gorebyss, Luvdisc, and Corsola quickly began to flock toward the water-type specialist, and to Juan's surprise, Wallace frowned at the attention he was attracting and quickened his pace.

Ahahaha the way I INSTANTLY knew what was wrong with his outfit because of the specific Pokémon mentioned here. (And thanks to the prompt too.) His whole outfit is pink, isn’t it. 😂

as Juan settled into the chair behind his desk, Wallace began to nervously pace the space in front of it.

This time Juan chose to speak up first. "Where did you pick up that unsightly habit?"

Three guesses as to where he got that habit from, Juan: Steven, Steven, and uhh, hmm…Steven.

"What exactly have you noticed?" Juan prodded gently, although he had a faint inkling of where this was headed...

Lol a “faint inkling,” as if it wasn’t immediately obvious as soon as Wallace walked through the door. I love that he kinds of sits back and lets Wallace put the pieces together first, lets him bring up whatever is bothering him without immediately going “hey yo your outfit is pink.”

Wallace used his free hand to brush back the edges of the cloak, revealing an outfit of pink from head to toe. Somehow his normally pristine white attire had turned a ghastly shade of rosé.

Ahaha and there it is. Also, the phrase “a ghastly shade of rosé” sounds so much like it could have come directly out of Juan or Wallace’s mouth and it made the narration just that much better for it. 😂

The memory came rushing back, how he'd been feeling lazy a few nights ago and simply reached into the dirty clothes pile without looking or even bothering to turn on the lights.

And there it is. 😂 Hah, I mean…this really is a giant mood. Sometimes, it really do be like that. I can’t say I’ve never done this before and also come away with my share of pink clothes. The struggle. Happens to the best of us, Wallace.

Wallace nodded fervently and hurried off to change, wary of the flock of pokemon that still waited for him outside the office doors.

Hahaha the way you described the Pokémon—flocking, entourage, etc—just makes it so much funnier, like they’re little magnets or mindless drones honing in on him. 😂 who knew pink was such a powerful color!

Prompt #41: A lot of people expected to Drake to resent Steven for becoming Champion.

Oooh, I love this prompt! A very fun idea to take a look at the former Champion who has, for all intents and purposes, been “demoted” after who knows how many years at the top. (Actually, do you have an answer to that? How long has Drake been Champion until Steven beat him? The narration here makes it sound like it was for a good long while, which would make Steven’s victory even bigger news than usual.)

"Drake, what's it like to be a former Champion?"

"How does it feel to be bested by someone under half your age?"

"With Lance still the reigning Champion in Johto, you're the first Dragon Master to fall from the Championship position, what does it mean for the future generation of Dragon type trainers of Hoenn?"

Bruh, these questions are brutal. Some of them are just downright disrespectful! I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess—reporters are pretty infamous for having no shame. But wow, implying that the future of dragon trainers could be at stake because Drake lost after so many years? Asking what it’s like to be a “former Champion” just seems like it’s rubbing it in, too. Good thing Drake could not possibly care less about all of that, lol. Even if he once did, he’s probably so used to it by now that it stopped ruffling any feathers a long time ago.

No, he wasn't bitter, or disappointed, or past his prime. Well, maybe that third one, but he'd be the last person to actually admit it aloud.

Haha, that’s the spirit. How very like him to admit to himself he’s never gonna say that out loud. He’s the definition of young at heart.

The same determined gaze he'd known from his friend's brief time at sea. But for all the fierceness it held during battle, it melted away in an instant, almost too eager to please and more inquisitive than anyone had a right to be. If anyone could do the region proud, it would be Joseph's kid.

Ohoho? Is this implying that he and Joseph Stone are old friends? And that perhaps Joseph was a sailor, briefly?? Is that what I’m getting out of this here??

Love seeing Steven described through Drake’s eyes, too. I’m not sure how young you headcanon Steven to be when he takes the title, but he sounds extra young through Drakes eyes, and I like that. He’s a young man to the world, but to Drake, he’s an inexperienced yet bright-eyed and determined kid. Also lol at the “almost too eager to please” line. Idk, it just shows the age and experience difference between them, but not in a condescending way—simply a comparative one. Seeing the way Drake approves of “the lad” despite his youth and inexperience warms my heart, especially the way he goes “nah, I’m not done yet, that kid will need some guidance and I’ll be happy to help him out.” No bitterness, no embarrassment at being beaten by someone much younger—if anything, he’s pleased, proud, and impressed. Drake is so down to earth and willing to go out of his way for others. I love him. Grandpa of the Elite Four. 💛

Thanking his lucky stars that social media wasn't really a thing back in his heyday, he clambered aboard his vessel and fired up the engine as camera shutters clicked left and right.

Hah, yeah that’s a good point. Being in the public eye was probably SO much easier and simpler before social media ever existed, and that remains true for the real world, too. Not that it was ever an easy gig, lol, but social media sure does add a whole new layer—or ten layers, really—of pressure and scrutiny that just didn’t exist before.

"...Looks... good..." he grated out as he watched the way the spoon slowly sank into the purple goo, and he felt his eyebrow twitch.

I’m dying. 😂 This whole story is SO funny to me, I think I’ve considered writing something almost identical for Wes and Rui—so naturally, I’m eating this up. (Pun very much intended, though I will never eat whatever Sidney’s having. Hard pass.) The eyebrow twitch is too good. 😂

With a deft flick of her wrist, she dunked the pipi-whatever-it's-called in the purple gunk and popped it in her mouth. Still chewing, she talked around her mouthful.

"C'mon, you have to at least try the poi. It's a staple dish here!"

Gosh I don’t know how you do it, but you manage to describe the most delicious sounding food and the most horrific foods. We went from golden brown zeppoli to…this. 😂 And it sounds like a downright violation of the Geneva Convention. Love the way Sidney immediately forgets what the dish is called (so did I, to be fair) and just can’t bring himself to deal with it. 😂 Phoebe is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT trolling him here and I’m living for it.

He couldn't chicken out now, not when he'd told her he was a casual fan of Alolan cuisine. It was a bald-faced lie, but he had really wanted to impress her... But it was just so slimy...

Yeah, Sidney! Your manliness is on the line! Or something, idk man. I can’t believe he lied to her about enjoying Alolan food…to Phoebe. An Alolan. 😂 (Or at least, someone who is of Alolan descent.) Very smart move there, my guy, truly brilliant.

Also, this seems to imply they are…at a resort somewhere? Is this on that same Alolan vacation, perhaps??

Phoebe, who had been watching him with interest, suddenly burst into laughter. Chopsticks discarded, she wiped a tear from her eye.

Yeah there it is. 😂 This is such a Rui thing of her to do. I still need those two to meet in an RP or something, they’re two peas in a pod ahahaha.

He still might not know how to pronounce it, but anything sounded better than the stuff he just ordered in an effort to impress Phoebe.

Haha I do find it very cute that he’s trying so hard to impress her. Even if it’s by…pretending to like food that he knows nothing about. 😂 What a moron. I ship these two so hard dangit. Their dynamic is so perfectly up my alley (shocking, yes, I know.)

Standing on the deck of Drake's boat, Steven suddenly felt very, very naked. Not that he actually was naked, but the pair of swim trunks he was currently wearing covered a lot less of him than he was accustomed to.

Oh PLEASE tell me he’s wearing those stupid Metagross patterned trunks we see him wear in the anime. 😂

…aight, I’m not gonna be porting over quotes from Archive of our Own after all. Not because it’s particularly difficult, because it’s not…I am just too lazy. 😂 I’m sorry! But I will still be just as thorough with these chapters, I promise!

So, continuing where I left off…ahh this one was very sweet. At first, I had my doubts—“Doesn’t Wallace know that Steven can’t swim? Also, if someone doesn’t like water, isn’t the ocean the worst place to get them used to it, because of all the waves and motion and whatnot??” The fact that Steven wouldn’t even go into tide pools that were deeper than knee height is pretty telling: this guy hates being in the water. But I actually didn’t realize he literally couldn’t swim until he said it out loud. Then it all made so much more sense, especially upon the realization that Wallace had no idea.

Also, lol, leave it to Steven to not own up to this very crucial fact until he’s literally standing on a boat in swimwear. 😂 Steven, my guy, why didn’t you say this way sooner.

Wallace’s response is just too perfect, though. He’s firm, but not forceful, and he is not going to let the issue drop, because knowing how to swim, even if only poorly, can literally be the difference between life and death. It’s an important skill!! Especially when one is a Pokémon trainer and they’re more likely to be in the water or traveling across it than the average person. Steven needs to learn this for his own good, and when Wallace says he would never forgive himself if Steven drowned—in the very type Wallace specializes in—it hits so hard. That really would be the cruelest way for Steven to go, at least for Wallace, who would definitely hold himself entirely accountable for it.

But even with how strongly he feels about it, Wallace is just so, so good. He goes at Steven’s pace, no matter how slow it might be, because all that matters to him is that he’s trying and that he’s learning at all. The constant reassurances that he’s right there and not going anywhere, the affirmations of safety, all of it—they’re so tender and caring and make my heart full.

This actually hits close to home for me, because my best friend since childhood doesn’t know how to swim, and I’ve tried this exact process with her. I’m no swim coach, though, so we never got very far. 😂 Honestly though, this has motivated me to text her and ask/encourage her to finally and properly learn. It’s just too important of a skill to not know—you never know when you’ll need it!

Chapter 44: Seedlings

Oh. My goodness. While this might be one of the shorter entries, it’s instantly earned its spot in my top five favorites, I think. Just the image alone of Aggron being hunched on all fours, face RIGHT up against the dirt to inspect every little detail, and quietly rumbling to himself fills me with SO much serotonin, it’s actually absurd. I have such a deep and powerful NEED to see this animated now?!

And then? The cute little shocked snort because—GASP!—there’s a sprout!! I just can’t. 😂 The way he waters it and then immediately hunches back down again to watch the water soak in really did me in. It’s so PRECIOUS and I love him so much. 10/10 I would hire Aggron to garden for me any day of the week.

It’s adorable that Steven tries so hard not to laugh and break Aggron’s concentration, and then he resigns himself to defaulting to Skarmory for his training session anyway, because he respects Aggron’s hobby too much to interrupt it. And?? The fact that he went out of his way to make a garden just for him? 😭 that’s so SWEET, UGH.

Now I want to know if Aggron has preferences for what types of plants and berries to grow, and what those preferences are. I wish he were real purely so I could grow little plants for him. 💛 Aggron deserves the world. (Also I got a funny image in my head of a wild Aggron getting into a BIG OL SCRAP with a wild Tyranitar because the latter trampled his garden. Lol.)

Chapter 45: An Unexpected Encounter

Okay I have to admit, I’m not usually a big fan of the body-swapping trope. It often delves into weird and uncomfortable territory for me. But this? This was freaking excellent. It was absolutely delightful and I really enjoyed it.

First off, the use of the five senses in this particular entry really made it shine. The smells and textures when Phoebe awakes in a room that isn’t hers, then the cold metal of a ring on her hand, then the descriptions of Metagross’s presence—ooh it makes the whole thing so vivid. And then! We get actual direct speech from Metagross, which never happens!!

The way Metagross instantly knows it’s not Steven in his own body was so telling—he knows Steven so well, and it’s not just because he’s a psychic type. He is so familiar with Steven’s mental and emotional responses, all it takes is one response from Phoebe for him to know something is wrong. And that shift from gentle to ferocious protector is chilling. Oooh it’s so good. You do NOT mess with Metagross’s trainer, and that message comes through here loud and clear through Metagross’s responses.

The best part of all was the paragraph while Metagross helps to switch Phoebe back. There is SO much to unpack there, from the pure loving gentleness with which he does it so as not to injure Steven or Phoebe, the way you can feel just how much he cares for and treasures his trainer through this act, and how, just before Phoebe is sent back, she gets to see her first unfortunate encounter with Steven through Steven’s own perspective.

The closure that it offers her is so touching, and by the way she breaks down into tears of relief afterwards, you just know this was killing her inside. She was probably still struggling with so much guilt and had no idea how to approach Steven about it, or if he’d even want to talk about it given how awful the experience was. She was so haunted by this (hah), and it’s really lovely to see her get that confirmation that neither Steven nor his team hold anything against her and her Pokémon. I wonder if perhaps this is part of the reason why the spirits made the switch—hoping that she would get some relief and closure on the matter by literally seeing things through Steven’s eyes.

This whole entry is just so soft and tender on multiple levels, and I love it for that. It’s a breath of fresh air to read a series like this where everybody just so sincerely cares about each other. 💛

Chapter 46: When in Kalos

Ahaha another short but sweet one where the dialogue is just too perfect. Steven making jabs at Wallace will never not be funny to me. I love seeing sarcastic, mildly snarky Steven. I want to see more of this side of him. I wonder if this is a subtle callback to the one-shot where Wallace was sick and Steven couldn’t tend to him because he was in Kalos?

Had to chuckle at the “Steven ignored the question with practiced ease” line. You’d think Wallace would know better than to ask by now, but maybe it’s a matter of tradition at this point. 😂 Still, I admit even I was a little dismayed at the fact that Wallace wouldn’t let them venture to Glittering Cave. I have never played a Kalos game so I don’t even know what that location looks like in-game, but come on! The name! It sounds freaking incredible!!

I’m glad Wallace caved (hah, don’t think I didn’t catch that little pun) and agreed to go to the Stone Emporium or whatever it’s called, haha. It’s only fair after Steven went along to the boutique! Give and take, Mr. Wallace. Of course Steven wants to compare freaking water stones from different regions, of all the things. He’s such a hopeless little nerd and I love him for it. And I love that these two put up with the others’ quirks and interests, even if they have absolutely no overlap in said interests. 😂 That’s real friendship right there.

Chapter 47: Champion, interrupted

Aw man, this one was both relatable and not relatable in a lot of ways. 😂 The idea of just wanting some time to yourself to treat yourself to a specific thing, only to get pulled away by one thing after another? Yeah, I think we’ve all been there at least once! It’s the worst. However, Steven has FAR more self-control than I do, and I’d have stayed up late reading that report on the first night, probably. 😂 Though it probably helps that I’m a natural night owl anyway, so staying up late isn’t unusual for me in the first place.

I love the way he’s been keeping away from it as a reward and a motivator to get all his work done—also relatable, and very responsible of him! You know he really wants to read that report when even the idea of checking out a new stone in Shoal Cave with Glacia doesn’t sound appealing. Speaking of, what exactly was the stone they found? I keep trying to remember anything about a special stone or something in the cave but nothing is coming to my mind.

I couldn’t help but find it endearing and funny that he had to explicitly keep Roxanne from spoiling the report for him, like it was some kind of TV special or a movie or something. 😂 I love that at least he’s not the only rocks and minerals nerd in the region. I’d love to see these two geek out over their shared interest more often.

And then after all of that, the poor guy instantly falls asleep on the plane! Lol. He’s definitely not gonna have the time or energy to read the report once he’s in Unova, not with the whole tournament thing going on. He must have really needed the sleep, too, if he fell asleep so fast on a plane, of all places. Though maybe he’s just super used to flying by now, given the nature of his job.

And through it all, he still keeps up a good attitude. Bless him. He needs a vacation, lol.

Chapter 48: Valentine’s Day Special II

Okay I know I said I wasn’t going to import quotes from Ao3, but I HAD to import this one because WHAT:

Well, maybe the day Winona broke up him was the worst day ever, but today was a very close second. Sure, they had been on-again, off-again for months now, but the day she called him and said she'd had enough, it hurt. It had been about two weeks since then, and everyone had been nothing but supportive. Steven even had stopped by to coax him out of his doldrums. The cakes and subsequent battle had done wonders for his mood, but today it felt like he was right back to square one. All because of a silly date on the calendar.

What! WHAT! Is this implying that WINONA is the one who cheated on Wallace?! Bruh??? I’m shook. Are we gonna gloss over that? I had assumed it was someone else because her name was never mentioned, but then it mentioned the cakes and the battle Steven offered for him, and that definitely has to be a fallback to that specific break-up. Unless, perhaps, this is just what Steven does every time Wallace is down, and a break-up or other distressing event always results in cakes and a battle? Anyway, I am very curious now and I want details. [pounds table with fists]

The line about no challengers being at the gym gave me some questions too. Do they not do walk-ins? Or does every trainer have to schedule ahead? Honestly, a schedule does kinda make more sense than just being open all day every day waiting for someone to waltz in, but I guess it depends on how many trainers there are and how many one would reasonably expect in a day. I can’t imagine the eighth gym is constantly flooded with trainers all the time, anyways.

The moment when he saw a picture of him and Winona and the way it took all the wind out of his sails made my heart hurt with empathy. Break-ups suck, man. And they really can just totally derail you with the smallest details or reminders like that.

The fact that he only seems to be remembering the good times with Winona only makes it worse. It also makes me more confused on whether she did cheat on him or not or if that was someone else, (or maybe I misinterpreted that one line from the other entry entirely?) because you’d think he’d at least be feeling some notes of bitterness and betrayal if that were the case. But the way this is written, it sounds like a very one-sided break-up. I feel so sad for him. :(

Bless Steven for coming to save the day! I had to giggle at the paragraph where Wallace is like “please don’t be a cave…it’s probably not a cave, right? He’s dressed nicer than normal. Oh but that doesn’t mean anything. Wow my life is so sad that I find caving preferable to what I was doing before.” 😂 There is so much loaded context there, so much testifying to the strength of their friendship despite their many differences, and it got a laugh out of me.

Well, while we’re at it, of course I have to quote the best part of the whole story:

"I didn't think so. All I know is that my best friend needed a reminder tonight that he isn't as alone as he thinks. If that isn't worth putting up with a baseless tabloid headline for the next couple weeks, I don't know what is. So what do you say?"

I??? Love it??? So much??? 😭 It’s just so freaking sweet and thoughtful and Steven, even though he’s uncomfortable with any sort of romantic allegations for understandable reasons, just straight up does not care what may come of this, because what matters most is that his best friend needs some company and a pick-me-up on this day. He arranged all of this without even needing to ask, because he knows Wallace well enough to know it was going to be a hard day for him. And also kudos to Wallace, for not expecting or feeling entitled to anybody’s time and sympathy, just assuming they would have their own plans and choosing not to be actively resentful over it. He tried his best to salvage the day himself, and he deserves credit for that, honestly.

It just makes my heart so happy. We love a good and healthy and caring friendship—especially one between grown men, because boy you really don’t see that often in media. This warmed my heart so much and now all I want to do is go on an outing with my friends to show them how much I care and how important they are to me. 💛

Chapter 49: A Not-so-television Drama

Lololol I have to admit the timing of this one, coming right after the Valentine’s one, is rather funny. I see why you felt the need to add that little author’s note, haha.

Honestly, being the mediator between two friends in their romantic relationship sounds exhausting. Especially in this case, because it sounds like this happens often—or at least, Steven’s services have been required more than a couple times—and…whew lad. I don’t think I could do it. It would be so stressful and get so tiring way too fast for me. And this is even more stressful because they have to be able to work together to some degree, on account of both being gym leaders! Aaah!

Honestly, an on-again, off-again relationship often sounds like it’s…kind of doomed to fail in the first place. I know that is not always the case, but it is a lot of the time. It sounds like Winona and Wallace just…aren’t actually that good for each other, if their relationship is so frequently tumultuous. It’s probably for the best, for both of them, that she ends up breaking things off with him for good.

Still though, I love that Steven comes to Phoebe of all people for help, and her immediate response is to sit him down for a soap opera. 😂 it’s also pretty telling that Steven didn’t have to name any names for her to know who this was about. Another sign that their relationship is notoriously rocky and mmmmmmaybe not the healthiest.

I hope Steven at least enjoys his, uh, “research.” 😂 He’s probably in for quite a ride. Phoebe should probably still be ready to explain a lot of things to him, though—Steven does not strike me at all like the soap opera type, and I imagine a lot of the drama will fly over his head. Haha!

Chapter 50: Late Nights

Aw, I love that this collection started with a stargazing session and ended with one. It’s such a nice way to bookend the whole series. 💛

Boy do I relate to the staying up all hours of the night to get seemingly endless work done. I had to laugh at Steven berating himself for not being more productive and being like “there’s no point in staying up if I can’t stay focused!” Lol, Steven, there’s also no point in depriving yourself of much-needed sleep if you’re stalling out and not getting much done! You might be more productive if you get a good night’s sleep and tackle the mountain of paperwork during a more sane hour! (Something something I should apply this advice to myself too, whoops.)

It seems fitting that this collection should end with Steven gazing at the night sky and dreaming of future possibilities and endeavors. It leaves off on a note of wonder, of promises of more to come and experience. It’s a beautiful, wonderful world you have painted for these lovely characters, and you’ve made it clear that they all have so much to look forward to in their lives—either individually as they seek to achieve their personal goals, or together, as a team, as an Elite Four…as a found family. 💛

Oh this has been a delightful journey. Thank you so much for writing it and sharing it, it’s so full of warmth and hope and happiness. It all feels meaningful too, not just empty fluff. This has given me a much-needed boost over the last few days, and I hope my reviews can do the same for you, too. 💛

 

[Flyg0n]

Wanted to squeeze in one last binge because I've been meaning to catch up to this series for ages and * checks watch * 90 or so minutes before cutoff is the perfect time.

Spoiler: Pt 7

A trainer not much younger than Sidney was standing along the shoreline with his back turned to their ship. They couldn't see his face, but the Trapinch cowering on the sand in front of him told them all they needed to know. He was swearing and stomping and his voice carried over the quiet waters of the harbor.

Best pokemon, bonus points for this.

"They told me you would grow up to be a dragon! Well you haven't, and I don't see how you even could! You're just some little bug thing.

Thats bug mimic to you, brat! Was this written specifically for me?

He could see the reflection of his terror-stricken features in its protective eye covering, and he chose to focus on that instead of the rage burning in its gaze.

YES GOOD

Now I pride myself on not being bias, and given that I am extremely unbias I can definitively say this one is one of the best in this collection. Not just because it includes one of the best pokemon, but because it touches on my favorite thing, the way humans and pokemon can have positive and negative relationships pokemon and people can have. I liked seeing all the different reactions, particularly how they take a moment to consider if this trainer will listen, and Drake's seething anger (also, man its so jarring to see Drake's name hah).

Sending out Drake's own dual Flygon's is the best solution honestly hah. Scare the absolute pants off this brat. honestly the nerve of him to catch attitude with one of the best pokemon. Is he stupid or just stupid? Cause I mean, surely he'd know that Drake the E4 member has Flygon. Not that its unrealistic mind you lol.

Spoiler: Pt 8

In fact, he rarely visited Rustboro at all. Joseph would always remind himself that it was the League duties that kept him away; the position of Champion wasn't only glitz and glamour, and he knew Steven took the responsibilities seriously.

Of course. Right. Thats the only reason Steven doesn't visit.

His hair was a mess, even more so than usual, and was it singed in a few spots?

Steven how do you manage this. How did you not die before like, age 15 lol (beldum, its Beldum)

"Uhh, happy birthday, Dad. Sorry about the mess."

OHHHH Oh im not crying, you're crying, shut up

was a three course meal for two. It didn't look great, most of the dish was burned around the edges, and the appetizer had definitely seen better days, but Joseph recognized it as one of his favorites. Perched just beyond the plates was one of the saddest looking layer cakes he had ever seen, complete with lopsided hand-piped letters.

This is so precious, he made an entire meal too aaaww

"I've finally found the one talent you didn't get from your old man!"

LOL classic dad clapback

Joseph clapped a hand on Steven's back, "Son, just having you home is present enough for me. But the maid is going to kill you when she sees this, so let's get out of here and get some dinner. There's this little Johtonian place I've been wanting to try..."

AWWWW 😭 Those kinds of lines always kill me, the 'you're the present'. Idc if its like, cliche or something its so sweet here.

Man its so nice to see something so light and heartwarming, and some pleasant interactions between Steven and his father. You really know how to start right at the heart of things and only tell exactly what's necessary for these little tales. It was a nice surprise to see the buildup from 'oh Steven is cooking a meal' to 'oh its for his dad' and then 'oh its for his birthday'. Its so sweet and kind.

I'm glad that they are able to find some time to spend with each other and their relationship seems to be healing. maybe not perfect but clearly come a long way since how it used to be.

Spoiler: Pt 9

Sidney decided this was the first and last time he ever wanted to see a Garchomp with a confused expression on its face.

This is also the first and last time I want to see a garchomp in this fic

Both women had left their respective trainer's boxes and marched across to meet at the center of the field.

Oh boy hah, thats a... chilly situation

"Did you know that Confide works when used outside of battle too?"

Oohohoho clever, heh. I forgot for a sec what confide's flavor was exactly (aside from the name itself) but this is pretty funny

"Remind me to borrow that TM from Steven for the next time Glacia wants to kill me."

I have a feeling that with Sidney, that time will be soon lol

I have to say, Cynthia cameo is an unexpected delight! Its always fun to think about how known characters from different regions would interact. Cynthia is my favorite champion (contested only by Steven thanks to you), so it was fun to picture Cynthia coming over to Hoenn to hang out with the Hoenn crew. I imagine Steven and Cynthia might get along nicely, with a sort of shared passion insofar as like, mtyhs and history and stuff. They're not linked per se but they are adjacent enough.

The idea of Confide being used outside battle is really fun... I wonder exactly how Carbink used it. Also, hooray for Carbink for Steven!! It took long enough, kek. it suits him quite well.

Spoiler: Pt 10

Phoebe smiled as she draped the Reaper Cloth around Dusclops' shoulders. The ghost type gave a happy shudder as the spirit energy flowed through its frame and with a gleeful cry, its body began to glow. As the bright light faded away from Dusknoir, a pair of blue eyes that peeked through the doorway squeezed shut and fled with a muffled, heartbroken squeak.

Ooooo I love how you set this scene with all the details in like, one paragraph.
We get Dusknoirs evolution to start, a hint that Snorunt is watching, and a glimpse at how the evolution happened. We also know that the Snorunt is shy and scared to make itself known

Sidney's Vullaby finally kicked its disobedient streak and made progress in leaps and bounds. It evolved later that month. Drake's Fraxure was getting taller by the day and its tusks had begun to take on the wicked curve of their signature axe-like form. Dragon types were stubborn, but both trainer and pokemon knew it was only a matter of days before Fraxure would shed its juvenile armor. Even the Champion was spurred into action, and his progress was apparent in the green tinge that quickly began to show in Archen's growing plumage. One afternoon it burst into its first real flight, evolving into a full fledged Archeops.

I really love how each of these stories mentions a lot of other pokemon from other regions. A vullaby is such a good mon for Sidney, and Steven got an Archeops??? I love it. It really helps the world feel connected that they are training mon native to other regions.

But the little Snorunt still seemed agitated, and it dashed out of the training chamber without another word. Glacia frowned as it fled, but she wouldn't chase it. If Snorunt needed time alone, then she was happy to let it be in peace.

Awww Glacia is so gentle and understanding, I like it. Sometimes a mon needs space. (or sometimes there's something else, heh)

Dusknoir floated peacefully, eye shut in slumber, and Snorunt let out a chattering sigh of longing. It hadn't kept its volume low, however, and a single red eye drifted open at the sound. As it took notice of the open door, the hallway stood empty with only the remnants of a nervous squeak echoing down the corridor.

ohoohoh I see what this is. You're so concise and effective at painting a picture with words.

the little Snorut had gathered the gleaming stone in its paws. Turning its blue eyes up to meet its trainer's, a bright light surrounded the ice type and it closed its eyes peacefully as it felt its body change

Aww yeah heck yeah. So proud of Snorunt!! I love the mention of how Snorunt is finally at peace

When darkness once again settled over the League, Froslass floated down the hallway and silently drifted through the door. She paused nervously next to Dusknoir, the larger ghost already awake and waiting for her. Shyly, Froslass reached out with one hand and Dusknoir gently cupped it between its two larger ones. Leaning in, the pokemon met with a soft nuzzle, and the air sang as their spirits danced as one.

This ending got me really emotional. There's always something so tender and rich about how you write relationships, and this is no different. The sort of bond between Froslass wanting to be a ghost like Dusknoir feels so tender and beautiful.

It was so lovely to get another pokemon centric story, this one about evolution. Its always so much fun to play around with split evolution pokemon because there's so many great ways to tie character development into evolution that you can't get from anywhere else. The split between Glalie and Froslass is really distinct. Seeing the way Dusknoir's evolution was the catalyst for Froslass choosing its own route for evolution was double fitting. And the circular structure of beginning and ending on Dusknoir was so sweet and symbolic.

Spoiler: Pt 11

"The nerve!" Wallace huffed as they strolled down one of the city's winding paths, practically stomping his feet as they went. "I can't believe they'd do such a thing!"

Oh no what did they do

"I mean, art is all a matter of taste, no?" Steven tried to defuse the situation with a lighthearted shrug. It didn't work.

Sure Steven

"Why? Why did they have to paint my darling Milotic as the clown?!"

Lolll Oh no oh no

A flock of Wingull took to the sky at Wallace's cry of rage, and Steven found it too hard to hold in his laughter as he ran for what was quite possibly his life.

get him wallace

Heheh this was cute. I love how much character is packed into the dialogue and interactions here, even for a really light hearted and comedic pace. I think comedic moments can be particularly hard to capture in written form because so much of comedy is tied to delivery. However this drabble works particularly well. The beginning starts with a sort of 'mystery' by not revealing what Wallace is so upset about, and builds really well into the 'punchline' of the reveal, and then caps it off nicely with a friendship moment thats also easy to picture and funny.

Also oh nooo poor Milotic is a clown. I gotta say I feel you Wallace, I'd probably be upset too, hah

Spoiler: Pt 12

He scribbled a note down on the clipboard, not because it was important, but because he felt like he had to.

Ohhh this line packs a lot of punch in telling how much he both doesn't want to be here and doesn't know what he's doing but is trying his best

"So let me do it."

The younger man's tone had taken a firm edge, and he caught Norman's surprised expression. It was his turn to sigh.

heh love me some grouchy Sidney with a little attitude

"I know, it's gotta suck that the League has all these rules and regulations. If I'm totally honest, I don't really care how many trainers you give a badge to or not. But if I gotta do this kinda stuff to help out the Boss, then I'm gonna do it."

Sidney is loyal here. I like that he always calls Steven 'Boss'

"What do you think of him?"

"Huh?"

"The Champion, Steven Stone. What do you think of him?"

oh I see what this is about

"Just wondering. I'm new to Hoenn, but you have to admit, having the heir to the wealthiest corporation in the region as head of the Pokemon League sounds awfully convenient..." Norman's tone wasn't accusatory, in fact it held as neutral as if he was having a conversation about the weather, but it didn't stop Sidney from bristling with defensive energy.

Defensive characters and standing up for friends is the best

I'd have nothing if it weren't for him, and I won't stand for anyone spreading lies that say otherwise."

Even without the context of TLR this is such a nice and juicy line

"Relax," Norman's posture eased into a slouch against the nearest door frame, "I was just checking."

"Checking what?" Sidney was still on edge.

"Checking to see what kind of people the Champion had in his Elite. And what they thought about him in return. From the sound of it, Hoenn is in good hands. Now," Norman held out a hand, "Let me see that checklist."

awwww I'm glad Norman is just a nice guy here, trying to make sure and see what kind of people are around.

"Give it here, I filled out a million of these back in Johto. I'll walk you through everything as I go down the list."

Ooooo Norman is from Johto? i truly cannot remember if this is canon or not but I like the idea a lot

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm the one supposed to be doing the inspection!"

Norman just laughed and disappeared into the first chamber of the Gym with Sidney hot on his heels.

ahahha I like the idea of this casual relationship of an almost mentorly vibe from Norman, or teacher-y.

I like how this chapter pulls double duty with character and worldbuilding. It shows some of the leagues more bureacratic duties in doing inspections and checking for win losses (which in itself is fun to think about), and also showing some character from Sidney and developing Norman. Once again, you really utilize short impactful sentences so effectively.

Spoiler: Pt 13

Now that all the challengers are taken care of, why don't we all play a game?"

Oh I'm sure this will go over excellently

"Why not? I need someone to pulverize today since you hogged all of the usual targets."

Oh boy somebody is ready for a throwdown

Phoebe giggled nervously at the heated exchange, but she wouldn't be deterred. This was a perfect four player game after all. "It's a game my Gran got for me, she said it was great to play with friends!"

"Mmhm, friends," said Glacia with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm.

this is what everyone always believes but lets be real, boardgames are a substitue for war

But as Phoebe passed out the pieces and set up the board and its respective cards, it wasn't long before tensions were running high between all four trainers.

shook I tell you, I am shook

As he sullenly laid his card down in the pile, a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. It certainly looked like the golden glint of a zipper...

"Hey, Fee. What was that just now?"

ditry rotten rascal

"Don't think I haven't seen you tap Absol's ball for some disaster prevention."

Oh this is fun, so pokemon powers work even from inside the ball, and apparently disaster prevention works on disaster in a boardgame too, hah

Somehow Glacia remained the most calm during the exchange. "Might I point out that neither of you have denied said actions..."

Oh you got caught

In a flash, Glalie materialized and nearly overturned the table in an effort to chase after the now-fleeing Banette.

get em get em

It was right at that moment that the door to the lounge swung open, and the Champion strolled into the room. If the chaotic state of the room didn't immediately alarm him, the roar of the mighty dragon-type certainly did. Barely two steps through the door, Steven's eyes went wide and he quickly turned to beat a hasty retreat, slamming the door shut behind him.

Steven lol

During Phoebe's next visit to her Gran's house, the older woman was shocked to see her granddaughter handing the board game back. The cards were all warped and waterlogged, and it looked as if a portion of the board had been singed... She stared up at Phoebe with a silent question, and the ghost-type specialist could only offer a sheepish laugh in response.

"Sorry Gran, you really should have said to play with friends who aren't so competitive!"

hah, yeah.

Silly Phoebe thinking they'd just have a casual board game night. I feel like there's only two extremes to people who play boardgames, those who play and don't care and those who unleash their primal urges via the outlet of board games but seek annihilation of their opponents

I loved seeing the whole squad together though. Unsurprisingly they have quite the competitive streak, but hey you don't get to be a member of the E4 without being like that I bet. I like how this all kind of started because they were probably itching for a good battle. Kinda makes me feel like y'all should consider swapping battle order sometimes, hehhe

Spoiler: 14- 42

'tetra why did you suddenly group every story together?' Well its because they're all too dang good and I kind of got caught up binging instead of pausing to give individual review thoughts.

'Cant w8 2 chat ol sea buddy :-)'

With a groan, Drake was now staring at the device through the fingers of his other hand. He rubbed his brow and sighed. Somehow even old Briney had beaten him to the punch. He suddenly felt very weary, and he pocketed the PokeNav before shuffling back toward his chamber. Maybe Altaria could help him decipher exactly how to use this blasted thing.

"I'm getting too old for this shit."

Gosh what a mood though lol. I feel you Drake

Steven was only mildly worried when he hadn't heard from Wallace in several days. After all, the Gym Leader had his own life to live, and he was a busy man. But the silence of his phone was unnerving given the water-type master's penchant for contacting him out of the blue.

So when his text message was responded to with a single word reply, Steven really became worried. It wasn't long until he found himself standing outside Wallace's house with a box of his friend's favorite snack under one arm, quietly knocking on the door.

Bless Steven, he's such a good and pure friend

He felt a bit silly was he waited for what felt like too long for a reply, and in a snap decision he simply slipped out the hidden key and let himself in.

The fact that Steven knows where the spare key is hidden speaks volumes about their friendship

"I-I'm fine. You can go."

Says everyone in the history of ever. If I had a nickel for every character who is 'fine'... I'd be rich as Steven hah

With a gentle motion, Steven placed an arm around Wallace's shoulders and steered him to the couch.

awwww yes. I love caring characters who are just a little bit firm and pushy. Sometimes you gotta

"You were right, you know. I don't understand, not to the level that would let me give you a helpful answer. I don't know what you should do from here. But what I do know is how to clear your head so you can think rationally about all this. So by the time we both finish another cake, I expect you to be able to tell me if you'll battle with Victoria or Phillip against Skarmory."

I love that Steven is such a compassionate friend here. he doesn't try to pretend anything but he is here for him and thats what counts, not syaing the right words or doing something grand and huge. Just the quiet reassurance of a friend and a nice distraction

But instead, the entirety of Sidney's body was now almost the same color as his hair. Well... at least his front side.

OH NO. Man i feel so bad for Sidney lol, I got a bad sunburn once, a looong time ago and it was awful.

Phoebe nodded giddily.

"It really came to me just now, although I'm not sure how..." she trailed off as her eyes traveled over his bright red face. "You should get a Krookodile for your team."

Phoebe you fiend you. (but krookodile is such a good idea)

"Skarmory," his voice was weak as he tried to flag down his hyperactive flyer, "You can fly around, but please stop screeching."

He winced again as the rebellious pokemon did exactly what it was told not to do, and it buzzed by its trainer again.

lol Skarmory is such a gremlin. Its a rule everyone needs at least one gremlin on their team.

"I'm sorry, Glacia. It's Skarmory. He got into my morning coffee..."

"He what?"

"I set the mug down for only a moment to look for the asprin, and when I turned back around, he had drunk the entire thing... I mean I knew he liked bitter berries, but this..." Steven hung his head in defeat. "I don't know how long it takes for caffeine to wear off in pokemon..."

OH oh no he got some coffee. Oh dear. The idea of caffeinated skarmory is truly a nightmare

Striking a match and puffing his pipe to life, Drake simply shook his head with a twinkle in his eye, "I wouldn't be worth my salt if I couldn't drink you youngsters under the table."

eheheh this rings true, Drake is a sailor. Y'all really should have thought about it more before before trying to beat him heh

"You've finally got yourself a playmate, Flygon. Go have some fun."

10/10 moment again, because the best pokemon is once again present.

Drake called out to the two pokemon circling overhead, "Extra treats tonight if you manage to wake Sidney up in the process."

I love how much the E4 like to mess with each other.

The letter fluttered from Glacia's hand like a snowflake. Snaking its way to the floor from her shaky grasp, the letter wasn't quite like a snowflake when it landed; it didn't melt into oblivion.

Oh this is delightfully juicy prose.

What would they say if she was caught crying?

Awwww I love me some characters afraid to cry or show weakness.

Phoebe's Krookodile picture from their Alola trip came to mind... And Steven. T

heh, I like when these stories occasionally reference each other.

But the more she thought about it, the more she felt at ease. The four people she trusted the most, the four people who placed an equal amount of trust in her. Surely they would understand if the cracks in her icy facade were visible for one vulnerable moment...

Yessss i love stoic characters realizing they afford to be vulnerable with their trusted friends

But the Cubchoo shook its head and simply snuggled deeper into her arms as it wrapped its paws around her neck in a tiny hug. Its nose was startlingly damp against her skin, but its quiet chuffing sent warm breath down her neck, and try as she might to stop it, her pokemon's sympathy opened the flood gates once more. Tilting her head forward, she buried her face in Cubchoo's fur and sobbed. Just this once, the ice queen would melt.

!!!! omg Cubchoo, how delightful. Also I love that in the end, one of her pokemon cam to comfrot her. We stan some pokemon comforting their trainer scenes

"You called in one of the only people in Hoenn who can commune with ghosts, and you don't believe me when I say I can't find anything here?"

Im so glad Phoebe said this because I was thinking it, lol. You really called in the expert but refuse to believe her? smh my man

But that didn't mean she couldn't have fun with the skittish Leader in the meantime.

yessss lol. I love just how much of a scoundrel phoebe is, no wonder she's a ghost type.

Slowly, Phoebe began to chant and wave her arms in airy, rhythmic motions. She began to chant faster and faster, until she felt that she'd put on enough of a show...

ahahah this reminds me of when me and my friends learned a latin table blessing. Even though its basically just saying 'thank you for the food' anything sounds creepy enough if you chant it in a language

Shroom shroomish!"

BEST MON ALERT (lets be real, Hoenn has all the best mon)

"This little guy was hiding in your vents watching you train. I think he wants to join you so he can be a strong Breloom when he grows up."

Dumbfounded, Brawly reached out with one shaky hand to pat the friendly Shroomish on its petals.

Awww thats such a cute way to acquire a new pokemon. I love the idea that wild mon just show up sometimes at a gym and be like 'train me pls'

A second Mightyena tried to slink away unnoticed with an extra portion as well, and Sidney did a double take as he spotted the imposter from his place at the bottom of the pile.

"Hey, Zoroark, I know that's you! You gotta share!"

a Zoroark is a perfect sidney pokemon I'm so glad you gave him one

The real Mightyena's coat was slathered in vanilla cream

Oh gosh thats gonna require a bath probably

"I don't even know what it's like to be 30 years old, and that's really old, but nowhere near as old as 300!"

Steven winced as he did the mental calculation on how soon he'd be nearing the twin's definition of 'old'.

man this is so accurate when I was like, 13 I remember thinking 'wow this 30 year odl is so smart and wise and old and adult' but now that i am slowly nearing 30 im like???? we're all babies yo

The ones that held a smiling stranger's face tight within their pages. The woman whose face felt so warm and familiar, and yet so foreign at the same time. Steven felt the silence of the room hang heavy as the twins picked up on his stirring memories.

Awwww nooo Steven. I like highlighting the grief of how itself to have only barely known or remembered someone who is so important to you

Tate and Liza had never seen their partners expressions light up like they did when they released them into the cavern. They had followed Steven's directions carefully, and armed with a picnic basket filled to the brim with treats, they had trekked deep into the cave before letting Lunatone and Solrock out of their balls.

Sunlight poured through the holes in the roof, carved by ancient meteors, and it danced through the shallow cascades of crystal clear water that fed the upper basin of Meteor Falls. The psychic pokemon's joyful calls echoed off the pale rocks as they spiraled slowly upward, taking in the sight of their birthplace. 300 years was a long time, and somehow the secluded area of the Falls had remained relatively untouched in all that time. Floating back down to their trainers, the ancient pokemon nestled happily into Tate and Liza's waiting arms, sharing 300 years worth of gratitude with their young partners.

Gosh I literally almost got a little choked up? This is so sweet and thoughtful. I think scenes about gifts and gestures are one of my favorite expressions of friendhsip tbh.

Someone has a nightmare.

YESSSSSS NIGHTMARE TIME

Somehow the omnipresent darkness of the cave had taken a more tangible form, crawling and scurrying along the walls and ceiling. The absence of light was curling and forming into pointed claws that raked at the stone leaving blackened gouges in their wake. Living, breathing darkness that threatened to swallow him whole.

Oh this is a suitably and deliciously horrifying dream

Wait, wasn't it past midnight? What was going on...?

I like those dream surreal moments, when you almost think something is weird but dream you goes 'eh its normal i guess'

Suddenly, the pair of hands around his neck loosened their hold. The long slender fingers reached up to gently caress his cheek as the faceless shadows leered down at him; the normally soothing gesture only served to panic him further and he tried to scream once more. Without warning, the shadowy hands forced their way into his mouth, prying it wide. He began to hyperventilate, but it didn't last long. Without warning the creature poured itself down his throat, the acrid darkness choking him. He was drowning in it now, his lungs filling with the nothingness. His body jerked involuntarily against the onslaught, and the edges of his vision began to swim in the inky blackness. This was the end, this is how he would die...

Sheeessshhh talk about nightmare fuel. Perhaps this is just a random dream but I always think its fun because often dreams are influenced lightly by subconcious stuff anyway, so to me this dream speaks to Steven's fear of being trapped, blended probably with those feelings of being suffocated by a legacy or position, and a bit of fear from his past bad experiences with cave-ins.

As his suit jacket was lowered gently across his chest, Steven's eyes closed, and Metagross was more than happy let its trainer fall asleep in its arms, just as he did for it all those years ago.

I just love the idea of vulnerability and sleep, and how it represents such a degree of trust and safety. That the mere presence of someone can help alleviate any worries of the mind. Metagross is such a lovely partner.

Phoebe was dutifully scrolling through the docket of challengers in preparation for any that might make it through Sidney's team. An Ace Trainer, those guys always came prepared. A Pokefan, they were one hit wonders, and most fizzed earlier rather than later. A Triathlete, interesting, since their pokemon were always well trained, but rarely had enough power to make it deep into the Elite. Flicking through the rest of the list, her eyes glazed over until one image popped up on the screen.

Oooo i like the reference to trainer classes here. I always did dig how you incorporate game elements into your worldbuilding.

Steven would be the one to recognize the outlandish outfit of too much spandex and gold piping, complete with a flowing cape.

That outfit sounds awful oh my gosh??? ORAS reference maybe, that outfit is kinda ugly lol

No one spoke, so Steven offered a shrug, "When you're friends with Wallace for long enough, nothing really surprises you any more. Fashion-wise, I mean."

omg yeah Steven would know the most wouldn't he?

I didn't realized you were here too."

* tiny typo 'realize'

Even in black and white it was hard to miss the brilliant sparkle of the glitter encrusted walking boot. No, he definitely didn't need it back now.

ahahaha nice, Wallace. I think he's the only person that could get away with that too

Both Sidney and Absol wore the same scowl as the rain began to steadily increase. If Phoebe wasn't equally as soaking wet and miserable, she might have giggled at the way they both sulked as they helped load the last of the supplies onto the waiting ship.

A nasty storm was en route to Pacifidlog Town, and the two Elites had volunteered to aid in the evacuation of the floating settlement. It would surely weather the storm, but its occupants would be without power and food until the storm passed, and some of the more elderly residents might not be hardy enough to wait for the post-storm relief.

Ooohhh i like the idea that one of the leagues responsibilities is helping with these kinds of things

Dusclops had just released the last mooring of the ship when it froze in place, its red eye sliding over toward where Absol was standing, fur bristling with a low growl.

Uh oh

Sidney's head broke the surface with a loud gasp, followed by a hand wielding a pokeball.

needed even more drowning but this is acceptable :P

"Neither are you."

aaOOOHHHHH AAAAHHHHH thats so precious. Declarations like this make my heart warm

Abomasnow looked up from where it sat and shook its furry head

Abomasnow is such a good mon for Glacia to have

and every pokemon froze

eheheheh I see what you did. Froze.

"Have room for one more?"

The mental image of Glacia sliding around the room is extremely funny

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout, Boss?"

"Sudoku," mumbled Steven, not tearing his eyes from the booklet in his hand.

I love how right away you can tell Steven is like (go away)

Steven's eyes flicked up above the top of his booklet only briefly before going back to scanning the puzzle before him. "Mmm."

Man i want to absorb your powers of implied feeling and emotion, his irritation is so palpable lol

She said if she wants that much frustration she'd just talk to my grandpa."

"It used to be quiet in here..." Steven mumbled, bringing the pen back to his lips.

Poor Steven, i feel you.

"Hey, did someone make me a cup too?"

Steven had to use every ounce of willpower not to throw his pen at Sidney's head.

Tch, I would have gone for it

"Again?"

"...Again..."

I swear not a single trainer has self preservation instincts

The door closed behind him with a soft click, and Drake sighed. As exhausting as it was to be friends with Briney, he wouldn't have traded it for the world.

Awww this is sweet, love me some loyal friends through thick and thin, even if you do want to rattle them by the shoulders

As the air filled with the smell of smoke, Phoebe's hand flashed out, "Banette, Payback!"

Ohohoho nice counter

"We should probably find someone who does then... I don't think Steven will be very happy with me if we let my chamber burn down."

No biggie, just a small inconvenience

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Phoebe hastily agreed, and all three trainers left the scene of the crime.

When in doubt, flee.

"He said..." a tremble crept into Tate's voice, "He said he'd do things to Liza... Terrible things..."

>:{ this made me so angry oh my gosh

A cold flood of rage swept through Steven, and it took every ounce of strength to not let the twins see his reaction, they were scared enough as it was. But he also didn't care if they could sense the fury practically pouring from his thoughts.

I love angry steven so much

"I'll take care of this. For the time being, you two can stay here. Would you like it if I left one of my pokemon with you?"

Steven is so kind though too, bless him. He's so thoughtful even in the midst of his anger, doing verything he can to make them feel safe

There was business to be taken care of.

GET HIM

"I need you to crush him. Utterly humiliate him. I want him to slink out of your Gym with his tail between his legs. And when does leave, I want you to message me immediately."

Man i would have paid money to see this battle. But then, its fun to leave it to the imagination too

He surged forward and snatched the trainer by his collar. Startled, the trainer let out a shout of surprise as his back was roughly slammed into the stucco wall.

NICE NICE GET VIOLENT

"I'm the Champion of the whole damn League, and if I ever hear your name come up again, I will personally see to it that your license is revoked and your pokemon are given to proper trainers who know how to treat others with respect."

Tear him to pieces Steven. man i gotta say it was quite satifying to see someone taken down a peg

I know Skarmory won't be able to carry the both of us, and I heard there are two twins waiting there that could use the best sleepover party of their young lives tonight."

Love to see some characters protecting younger ones and looking out for them

The twins had taken a selfie with Metagross, and the latter was covered with marker scribbles all over its steel hide.

Oh noooo poor metgaross lol

"Just next time you get mad, a little warning would be nice. I almost forgot how scary you are when that happens."

soft characters being scary is peak

Having grown up in Sinnoh, Glacia was no stranger to snow,

Ohhhh another bit idk if it is canon but I love it in concept, she really has that Snowpoint feel

"It's not the same thing, but I thought the ash might be an acceptable substitute."

Glacia could only hold her grumpy expression for a moment longer as Steven ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the ash that had gathered there. She smiled as she slipped her hand into the one he offered to guide her down he steps of the porch. Even though it really wasn't snow, she still coudn't help but look around in wonder as the red of Fallarbor disappeared beneath the growing blanket of ash.

"Merry Christmas, Glacia."

🥹 I am such a sucker for sweet christmas things and this was so lovely. Also maybe im bias but Fallarbor is such a cool town

It was the yearly clean up day for the League, the time to get rid of all the things that collected dust for the past 365 days and make room for the new dust magnets.

aahhh the eternal cycle

"Well, I'd be hesitant to throw everything out en mass. I though it might be best to go through these files and see what we should keep..."

Steven NO. but also relatable.

"Gray Schofeld, Mauville City hmm?"

oh no >:{

He was no stranger to rule breaking in his earlier life, but after he'd fallen into this position at the League, he was determined to clean up his act. And yet here he was, back at it without a second thought, except this time there was a damned good reason.

Uh oh Sidney what are you planning?

"I'm done with your gang, Gray. I've made my own life here now."

"You ain't done with shit, Sid. You're mine. Always have been. Always will be." Gray's fingers dug into the armrests, as if he could squeeze the life out of them.

You already know I'm such a sucker for this kind of dynamic. Also gross, what a scumbag

Sidney wasn't sure when he'd averted his gaze, but all of a sudden the pattern of the flooring was a lot more interesting.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of the trope of a character looking away and studying something else as a means of showing that they are distracted/upset

but he still couldn't stare Gray down.

hoohoh spicy and sad. Its gotta be hard for Sidney to be back in the same room as this guy

"No, you're the one who has it wrong. Your gang was never my family. You didn't raise me, you didn't teach me, hell, you barely even fed me. I was just some dumb kid who thought anything had to have been better than my real family. And-" Sidney's breath hitched just for a second, and the pokeballs at his hip rocked in response. "-And now that I'm here, I know what it means to have a real family. So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and never come back."

YESSS TELL HIM SIDNEY. I love characters standing up for themselves against people who abused or mistreated them

Steven shook his head with a mysterious grin, "Nope. He asked me not to share it with anyone, and if nothing else, I try to be a man of my word."

Man I love Steven so much for this, protecting his E4 and never sharing anything. Massive respect

"I wouldn't dare," said Steven with an apologetic wave. He let his gaze drift back down to the battlefield where Sidney stood triumphant with Mightyena at his side. He'd taken a gamble, inviting a rogue trainer into their midst. But he'd had a feeling back then in Victory Road... It didn't matter what led Sidney to that cave. All that mattered is what he brought with him when he stepped out of it.

what a GOOD quote. I love a character who is relentlessly compassionate and willing to have faith in people others wouldn't give a chance. And be willing to try and see potential in others and act on that.

"Hmm, oh yes, I'm fine. Just taking a break." She defiantly snatched the book back up and opened it again.

Fine, we're all fine here. I do so love me two flavors of stubborn characters interacting.

"The Champ puked three times the first time we went through the Pacifidlog currents."

"What?" Glacia rolled her head to look at Drake, surprised.

"So yer doin' fine."

"Why would you tell me that? What about sailor's honor?"

But Drake just shrugged. "Steven never asked 'bout that."

ahahhaha got em. Also poor Steven, this seems about accurate. I imagine the cave nerd is much more used to solid ground hah

"I do wear the same thing..."

"Wallace I don't want to make the animators draw a new costume so I have to wear the same one every time"

"Heavens no! Capes are fringe fashion at best. Yours truly's not withstanding."

*Horrified Lance screeching in the distance*

Steven gave a wary look toward the tailor who just shrugged. "Well, I appreciate you showing restraint for my new suit. I quite like the look of it."

awwww I love me some characters who are eccentric but respectful of their less eccentric friends

The tailor gave him an uncertain glance and began to inspect the final fitting. "Perhaps it's all the better that Wallace suggested our most durable fabric."

oh yeah I bet it is. Although I doubt it'll even last a week

Golden brown and puffy, the dough bites glistened with hot oil before they were patted dry and dusted with powdered sugar.

Phoebe giggled at how Glacia was unable to tear her eyes away from the sugary treat. "These were always my favorite growing up. Grandma's zeppoli are the best."

Pano stop makin me hungry what the heck

"It... it tastes just like home."

UGH STOP MAKING ME CRY.
I love tender little moments of making food for someone, thats such a nice expression of love

"You know exactly why I don't like Luvdisc's Day."

Oohhh I liek the idea of calling it Luvdiscs day thats fun

"Outside. Skarmory needs plenty of space to spread out his wings."

Wallace's eyes widened with a gasp, "Steven Stone, you are not going to let Skarmory shred your Luvdisc's Day mail!"

"Who's going to stop me?"

ahahhaa I bet skarmory would probably love this too

And that's how Steven found himself stuck at his desk on St. Luvdisc's Day, sifting through a pile of pink envelopes under the watchful eye of a very angry Milotic.

Alas. apparently the answer to 'who's gonna stop me' is 'milotic will'

In a flash, her pokemon was out and she was clambering onto one of its upturned palms.

"We gotta hurry!"

Phoebe has the right priorities tbh

"...What could possibly be starting now? It's 7 at night on a Tuesday -" He froze as the realization set in. "Oh, this is too perfect."

okay but sidney how do you know this unless maybe you also watch the show

"Oh yeah, it's right there in the background," said Sidney with a grin, before turning his attention to the stunned ghost-type trainer with tear streaked cheeks. "Just remember this moment the next time you want to bring up that sunburn picture."

ahahaha revenge is sweet

"When he stirs, have him take these," she directed the watchful pokemon, "I know you're doing your best, but the pills will help."

Metagross hummed in understanding before delivering another soothing pulse of psychic energy to its trainer.

Glacia smiled. She could only imagine how much better her migraines would have been if she had a psychic type pokemon by her side as well.

awwww I love how both Metagross and Glacia are helping to take care of him. Having a psychic type must be a nice boon

Wallace paced another two steps before realizing what he was doing, and he froze in place sheepishly. "Ah, I'm sorry Master. I think I've been hanging around Steven for too long. His bad habits are starting to rub off on me when I get flustered."

ehehehe I love when friends start acting like each other and picking up on habits

Wallace used his free hand to brush back the edges of the cloak, revealing an outfit of pink from head to toe. Somehow his normally pristine white attire had turned a ghastly shade of rosé.

oh nooooo. Also I guess all the pink pokemon are attracted to the color pink as well, heheh

No, he decided, losing to the upstart Stone was probably the best thing that could have happened.

I really loved this particular one, it was very sweet. Its such a refreshingly meaningful take to see Drake feeling proud of the enxt generation and happy to step down.

This time, he did shiver, caught completely off guard by the poi's texture, even though he knew it was going to feel exactly how it looked. He sloshed the mixture around with his tongue, there was no way he could consider it "chewing", and felt his nose scrunch as the tangy, starchy sourness of the taro coated his tastebuds. With a concerted effort, he finally swallowed the stuff, and it took every ounce of willpower not to instantly dive for his glass of water.

Oouuggghhh oh gosh this sounds awful. I mean I'm sure its tasty for someone but no thank you hahaha

WHEW LAD finally caught up!

Anyways I had one heck of a great time trying to catchup on all of these. Kind of forgot for awhile but its been such a treat. Each story mantains such a delightful singular focus, and unveils something new about every character. Every line of dialogue feels very carefully plotted out, and each scenario is unique and different, and yet feels like they form an entire cohesive piece. Kind of like a thousand threads forming a beautiful tapestry. Every character feels so distinct in voice and viewpoint, and is presented in a way where there's lot of details that can be inferred by the reader just as much as is stated outright.

You also effortlessly mix comedy, heartfelt moments, and drama so well. I am the kind of person who is a sucker for good found family and this story seriously hits that vibe so well. It's rarely ever stated in a way but all the interactions show that Steven and the E4 are their own little family, as well as their pokemon. Speaking of which, I love that each of the E4's pokemon frequently get some moments to shine.

I loved how technology showed that Drake is the old grandpa of the group, doesn't have time for these silly youths and their newfangled technology lol. Even though she's not shown, Drake is thinking of asking his Altaria for help. It also shows how he's a very proud character too though (dragon trainer trait I guess, hah), and will definitely not admit outright to not getting how all this stuff works.

Every story develops and builds up each of its characetrs so well. Like showcasing Phoebe's playful and mischievous nature as the youngest member, how Sidney might be tough on the outside but is fiercely protective and loyal, and Glacia might be the 'ice queen' but like any good monarch is deeply caring and protective of her people.

Also I mention this before but man you nail humor through prose so effectively. Not a single comedic moment fell flat for me, and many times I felt like I could picture the scenarios in my head. It really strikes a balance of funny things without ever feeling like the author is trying too hard, and it most importantly feels natural. The hardest part of comedy is often like romance. It should develop naturally from characters different personalities, as opposed to just being stuffed in to hit quota.

By far though my favorite part is just how dang wholesome the entire fic is. I think writing wholesome stuff can be harder than people realize because it can be easy to fall into things that feel almost mmm.... cheesy? I hesistate to use that exact word but basically sometimes wholesome stuff can feel just as forced as something 'dark'. But again here, each character is allowed to be themselves and shine in their unique ways, as opposed to fitting into a predetermined mold of something.

I know maybe you're probably done with this kind of thing but a I seriously hope you consider, eheheh, dabbling again in this style of writing. You're quite masterful at it. I think I could read this kind of stuff all day. Really glad I am finally up to speed, absolutely fantastic work.

 

[Flyg0n]

Apparently you are depriving me of content by not posting the rest of whats on FFN here? lets get into some meat

Spoiler: 43-47

Once again this series does not disappoint. These last eight storiees have felt particularly good to me. There's a couple in here that really push my buttons, as well as a heightened focus on Steven and Wallace interactions it feels like, and more Steven centric pieces. It feels like a worthy place to cap on, as sadly I see you are apparently finished with this for the time being. it was such a treat to get to dig back into some good old Steven content.

One of the parts I particularly enjoyed this time around was just that in fact, Steven and Wallace. I feel like the way you write them is tailored exactly to me. There's such a rich sense of care and friendship between them, despite being polar opposites. They complement each other so well in personalities, and my favorite kinds of friendships are those ones where you look at two people who have almost no surface similarities. yet they share such a tight bond under the surface. I especially love the way they always are pushing each other to be better and broaden their horizons.

Steven learning to swim, Wallace enduring some caves, Steven looking after Wallace in the wake of a breakup, and both of them just generally appreciating aspects of the others passions. throughout this entire series actually you do such a great job at writing what friendships should be. No toxic silliness or absurd behaviour, just people really looking out for each other and caring for the others well being.

Something I actually forgot to mention the first time around I think is how nicely you slip in worldbuilding and references to other elements in later generations. Aside from the previously mentioned non-native pokemon, there's just tons of little things in here that help the world feel very much alive and interconnected. Plus its always fun to think about what places and things in other region might captivate a characters attention. In particular it was nice to see a shoutout to the pokemon world tournament, and chargestone cave, as well as a visit to Kalos.

Some specific thoughts...
First off, I cannot believe you failed to inform me you had some delightful followup to Steven fears Water Electric Boogaloo. Now, as you know, I am not in the slightest bias but this one might be one of my most favorites in this set. For starters, what mood with Steven feeling so naked in only his swimsuit. I kind of feel like it speaks to such a subconscious need for that sense of security and familiarity.

I really appreciate Wallace here, backing off once he starts to realize just how badly Steven is afraid. Also i am always delighted to get a whiff of some good old fashioned fear whump. It speaks so nicely to their relationship too to see understanding from Walace and how quickly he catches on after their little back and forth. Speaking of which it was fun to see them 'argue' and Steven snap out a "i don't trust myself!"
I am a sucker for outbursts like that and people admitting something they don't quite mean too.

It was so lovely to see them talk it out and then see that the real reason Wallace was so worried was because he was actually worried for Steven. I imagine after that caving accident he's gotta also feel pretty bad and wants to make sure Steven isn't in that position again.

The tag on at the end with them learning to swim at the pool along with "Whenever you're ready Steven, I'm here" is so heartwarming. We love friends supporting friends and trusting the other

I gotta shoutout to gardening Aggron here, because there is possibly no better mental image that giant metal dinosaur gently looking after tiny fragile plants. The gardening aggron is one of my favorite tidbits in the pokedex about them so I'm really glad it made an appearance here.

Also bless Steven, I love how far he's willing to always go for his pokemon. Not only does he bring an entire shipment of good soil out to give Aggron his own personal garden, but he's always so aware of their desires, and would rather let Aggron continue his gardening instead of dragging him away for a training match,

The bodyswap drabble is tied with the water one for my favorite honestly. If there's something I love more than trauma, or equally as much as, its forgiveness. Phoebe is such a fascinating character and I think the approach to writing spirits here is great. Even though she has the ability to communicate with ghosts, that doesn't always mean understanding everything they do or how they operate. Ghosts mantain a sort of mysteriousness here that makes it really cool.

I love how protective yet gentle Metagross was, Particularly I loved that Metagross is able to speak with Phoebe but adamantly states that him and Steven need no words to communicate. You know I love me pokemon and human bonds that transcend a language barrier.

Above all though its so lovely to think that in their own strange way, this was the spirits way of both apologizing, and helping to work things out between Steven and Phoebe. Phoebe felt so bad about what happened and tormented herself over it, and i think without a doubt they wanted to do something to repair things.

This story pulls like, double or triple duty in hitting the best buttons of friendship and wierdness of the pokemon world and recovery and healing. Also RIP Steven thats gotta be a heck of a dream hah.

I really dug the sort of 'mini duology' of Steven helping Wallace from his breakup. These two are sooooo lovely and such good friends like. Steven is laughably clueless about all this but so concerned, and its both funny and cute. Phoebe is right, hah, Wallace's love life really is like a soap opera it sounds like.

I like how well Steven knew Wallace, and how little he cared about appearance or what papers might say, or anything else. He just wanted to help his friend and by darn he was gonna do that. Sometimes you just gotta be firm and snatch up a friend and take him out to a fancy dinner. Also lol at Steven threatening Wallace with a homecooked meal, heh. I love when friends can just do stuff like that and hang out.

Wallace, smh, you cannot drag Steven to all your weird botiques and and places and not let Steven go on a day trip to his cave. Also I love that, Steven must have a huge rock collection. Man's only got one thing on the brain, and its rocks. I'm glad Wallace went with him in the end though, and caved.

Shoutout to the chapter about Steven just wanting a little bit of time to read a simple paper. I swear when you have one particular time sensitive thing you want to try and get done the universe aligns to stop you. I really sympathized with poor Steven's frustrations though. Yet the bit that I really like best about this is it shows just how dang selfless Steven is. No matter what, he'll never say no to once of his precious family asking a favor, and it really is sweet. What a mega nerd though. Reading and entire paper solely about one cave?? Nerd.

Also hooray for Pokemon World Tournement mention! man it would be fun to see what kind of interactions champions and other trainers would have there.

The last one was so tender and gentle. Steven and Aggron, and an angrronite. (Where's my Steven and Mega evolution drabble collection, smh). I'm really glad the final entry in this set (for now) is about them. It hightlights the best part of the pokemon world, the bond between a trainer and pokemon. Aggron, faithfully keeping watch as Steven reminisces late into the night (Steven you silly goose, go to bed!!!).
And then finalyl that capstone image of Steven falling asleep on Aggron is just. *chefs kiss*

Big dinosaur and small Steven. Ugh I just love friends sleeping and chilling together. How dare you do this to me, fill me with warm happy fuzzy feelings. Hurry up and port this to TR!!

Anyways, so glad I am fully caught up, thank you for writing these, they are truly delightful.