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Reading Rookidee

Joshthewriter

Charizard Fan
Location
Toronto
Pronouns
He/him
Partners
  1. charizard
I’m in! Gonna continue with White Swan, Black Swan!

Name of fic: White Swan, Black Swan
Link: # of chapters to read: The next 5!
 

Sinderella

Angy Tumbleweed
Staff
Location
In Guzma's Closet
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon-shiny
  2. gothitelle
  3. froslass
  4. chandelure
  5. mimikyu
Gonna kick myself in the butt and finally start Hey, Space Cadet!

Link:
UWU

Number of Chapters: At least 1, aiming for 2.
 

Equitial

Ace Trainer
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. espurr
  2. inkay
  3. woobat
  4. ralts

Chibi Pika

Stay positive
Staff
Location
somewhere in spacetime
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. pikachu-chibi
  2. lugia
  3. palkia
  4. lucario-shiny
  5. incineroar-starr

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. quilava-fobbie
  5. sneasel-kate
Signing up for this, since it seems like a fun way to help knock out some priorities of mine for reading and reviewing in the middle of an offsite review event. I'm a bit of a glutton for punishment, so will take on a more aggressive goal this time around:

First Readthroughs:

Name of fic: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Power Trip
Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10483318/1/Pokémon-Mystery-Dungeon-Power-Trip
Number of Chapters: At least 2 ( since I'm down to the last 2 story chapters :V )

Name of fic: Those Who Will Inherit the Earth
Link: https://forums.thousandroads.net/index.php?threads/those-who-will-inherit-the-earth.426/
Number of Chapters: At least 3 ( next block of 3 from where I am are all fairly short )

Second Readthroughs:

Name of fic: Places We Call Home
Link: https://forums.thousandroads.net/index.php?threads/places-we-call-home.104
Number of Chapters: At least 1

Name of fic: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rebirth
Link: https://forums.thousandroads.net/index.php?threads/pokémon-mystery-dungeon-rebirth.402
Number of Chapters: At least 1

See you all in about a week! Since I know I'll have a lot to talk about for the occasion. ^^
 

canisaries

you should've known the price of evil
Location
Stovokor
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. inkay-shirlee
  2. houndoom-elliot
  3. yamask-joanna
  4. shuppet
  5. deerling-andre
starting out small

Name of fic: I, Isobel
Link to fic: here
# of chapters to read: catch up! meaning chapters 8-10
 

NebulaDreams

Ace Trainer
Partners
  1. luxray
  2. hypno

ShiniGojira

Multiversal Extraordinaire
Location
Stranded In The Gaps between Multiverses
Pronouns
He/him/they/her
Partners
  1. froslass
  2. zorua-gojira
  3. salandit-shiny

canisaries

you should've known the price of evil
Location
Stovokor
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. inkay-shirlee
  2. houndoom-elliot
  3. yamask-joanna
  4. shuppet
  5. deerling-andre
So I've finished I, Isobel and I'm here to give those thoughts on it, which I've written in a form that's essentially a recommendation. I think we had a recommendation thread somewhere on the forums that I'm gonna crosspost this to but I'm writing it here first.

I, Isobel is a story about a Machamp in Galar trying to make it on her own in the city. It has two arcs, the latter of which the three chapters I read for this Rookidee belong to, but I think that they do a grand job of wrapping up the entire story rather than just the latter arc.

This story belongs to a genre that I very much like and think is criminally underwritten, that being (sapient) Pokémon POV in a trainerworld. In fact, I think I, Isobel (and other works of @NebulaDreams, such as the Dreamdiver series with Jung the hypnotherapist Hypno) really delves right into the heart of the things that make the genre special. It explores the identity and aspirations of a Pokémon essentially trying to live a human life and how it fits with their biology and cultural background. In addition, it shows the many different kinds of roles that trainers can take - caretakers, friends, business partners, and sometimes, unfortunately, exploiters. The chapters I read also deal with themes of growing up and coming into adulthood but still feeling like a child or having no idea what one should be doing, which I imagine is pretty relatable for a lot of people here, myself definitely included.

One element I really liked in the story was the Machamp settlement that Isobel, the protagonist, came from as a Machop. It really feels like a dwelling that humanoid Fighting-type Pokémon would make for themselves nearby humans. There's also a great sense of culture in how the Fighting-types behave, such as using fights to express themselves and communicate - their brains really seem wired to work in tandem with physical stress.

The last thing I want to shout out is the ending. I don't want to spoil much, so I'll just say that it involves a concert. I very much liked how it showcased the way Pokémon can take up human practices but put their own spin on it and end up making something new and part of a culture of its own, the kind of compromise Isobel seemed to be looking for throughout the story. The atmosphere was also simply wonderful - I started to visualize it as if it was a movie without even thinking.

So definitely give I, Isobel a read, even if you're really not into Pokémon POV, because this is very solid and might just spark your interest for the genre. It's only ten chapters, and if you feel like you can't do that much, the first arc is only three.
 
Round 2: CLOSE

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
Well, that concludes the end of Round 2 of Reading Rookidee!

I hope everyone had fun and got some reading done! If anyone missed theirs or wants to still turn it in late, I am 100% no author will mind. feedback is feedback.

I look forward to the next one! Once again, if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to hit me up on Discord
 

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. quilava-fobbie
  5. sneasel-kate
I technically already left reviews for everything on my reading list before the deadline, but figured I might as well turn one of these in:

First Readthroughs:

Name of Fic:
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Power Trip
What I Read: Chapters 45-47
How I Felt:
663472555923079246.png


That ending. I mean, it made sense for the story and gave it a lot of closure, but still. It's an oldie by now, but highly, highly recommended as a whole for a story. Since it's a very imaginative PMD story that does Xenofiction elements better than any other PMD story that I've read (which granted isn't much, but still) and takes a setting backdrop that is fairly rare for PMD stories.

I do have to wonder why the author rated it 'T' on FFN though, since it's honestly wholesome and inoffensive enough that I'd have rated it K+ at the very least were I the one in charge of managing its settings.

Name of Fic: Those Who Will Inherit the Earth
What I Read: Chapters 3-6
How I Felt:
663472557499875330.png


It was quite something to see the main protags fall out so dramatically with each other, the environmentalism themes started intersecting with the plot more directly, and there's a very strong undertone of dread and foreboding starting in around Chapter 5 after Poppy teams up with a totally not malevolent force that I'm pretty sure totally isn't Yveltal. The description that's there in the story is very vivid and well done, I just wish that a few sections had more of it.

If only I had a bit more time and energy before RR concluded to keep reading ahead, since it felt like the shoe was about to drop in-story in very dramatic fashion. I'll definitely be reading more of this story, potentially in the imminent future to boot. Since I've fallen in love with the world and characters and want to see where things end up, even if I'm sure that it's nowhere good at this rate. ^^;

Second Readthroughs:

Name of Fic:
Places We Call Home
What I Read: Chapter 6
How I Felt:
663472557881557114.png


I'm of two minds of the chapter that I read, really. On the one hand, narratively it was basically a transition chapter that effectively undid a chapter's worth of narrative progress for Team Haru. On the other hand, as part of a second readthrough, I know that it sets up a lot of stuff that happens in and around Theran Village afterwards, and it was fun to go back and see little details and foreshadowing that I overlooked the first time around.

I'm not sure if I'd have enjoyed the chapter as much if I read it through for the first time, but altogether I would say that I liked it. It had some really neat worldbuilding squeezed in, and being able to see buildup for things that I knew would be coming down the pipe was always fun.

Name of Fic: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rebirth
What I Read: Chapter 18
How I Felt:
663472557734887434.png


Okay, so that emote was mostly at the premise of pitting a military leader named 'Varus' against barbarians, how cursed that scenario is for a Roman-themed setting like the story's, and taking the piss out of a few moments that happened in my review, but yeah. I had quite a bit of fun re-reading the chapter.

More seriously, it's a very solid chapter that does an excellent job at selling a bleak, oppressive sense of the main character feeling helpless and overwhelmed as the world falling apart around him in brutal, violent fashion. And there were a number of details that I picked up this time around that I missed the first time that helped lean in more into that vibe. A number of parts of the chapter read very differently in light of knowing a few twists in the plot that come not long after the events of this particular chapter, so it was fun to see events play out with "oh, that's what was going on" in mind.

Again, highly recommended if you have a stomach for darker PMD stories and wanted a version of the story to catch up on at a leisurely pace since it pushes syndicated releases about once every two weeks. Especially recommended if you liked Knightfall's writings back in the ancient eras when he was active as a writer.
 
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Round 3 - Open

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
Reading Rookidee - Round 3

1649964981899.png

Easter weekend is here, and perhaps some have a long weekend? Either way, its time to hit some reading goals! So what will it be? Something fluffy? Something spooky? Or perhaps something whumpy! Whatever fic you're reading, or whatever you're in the mood for, let's make progress or face public humiliation >:}

For details on what Reading Rookidee is, please see the first post. Otherwise, signups close in about 30 hours

As always, don't forget to leave a few sentences telling the author why you liked their story after you're done reading.

Time Remaining to Signup

Time until end: X

My signup:
Name of fic- Sweet Sacrifice
Link to fic- https://forums.thousandroads.net/index.php?threads/sweet-sacrifice.627/
# of Chapters you intend to read- Hopefully 2!
 
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Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. quilava-fobbie
  5. sneasel-kate
Signing up with something a bit more conservative this time, mostly as an excuse to keep me on-task for reviews and much-delayed priorities that have been lingering done and dusted:

First Readthroughs:

Name of fic: Wandersword
Link: https://forums.thousandroads.net/index.php?threads/wandersword-redux.606/
Number of Chapters: 1 (Since I'm 1 behind from the current one)

Second Readthroughs:

Name of fic: Places We Call Home
Link: https://forums.thousandroads.net/index.php?threads/places-we-call-home.104
Number of Chapters: At least 1 (moreso getting the review up, since I might actually read it ahead of the formal start of RR depending on how energy levels are doing)

Name of fic: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rebirth
Link: https://forums.thousandroads.net/index.php?threads/pokémon-mystery-dungeon-rebirth.402
Number of Chapters: At least 1

Happy reading, everybody!
 

IFBench

Rescue Team Member
Location
Pokemon Paradise
Partners
  1. chikorita-saltriv
  2. bench-gen
  3. charmander
  4. snivy
  5. treecko
  6. tropius
  7. arctozolt
  8. wartortle

canisaries

you should've known the price of evil
Location
Stovokor
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. inkay-shirlee
  2. houndoom-elliot
  3. yamask-joanna
  4. shuppet
  5. deerling-andre
Keeping it light this round as well.

Name of fic: Of Sand and Shadows
Link to fic: here
Number of chapters to read: 1 or more
 

Sinderella

Angy Tumbleweed
Staff
Location
In Guzma's Closet
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon-shiny
  2. gothitelle
  3. froslass
  4. chandelure
  5. mimikyu
another chapter of Hey, Space Cadet! For me, and I will also be starting Journey.

Link:
UWU and OWO

Number of Chapters: At least 1 of each
 

NebulaDreams

Ace Trainer
Partners
  1. luxray
  2. hypno
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