Fic Anime OPs

[Inkedust]

We all have That One Song that fits with your fic so perfectly that we can't help but imagine making an OP/AMV so why not share what you have in mind with the world? The premise of this thread is simple: Pick a song, any song, and construct an opening based on it by describing what you imagine happening at certain timestamps/certain parts of the song.

My song of choice is Nightfall by Blind Guardian and my OP would look something like...

0:00-0:13
(Instrumental)​

Begin with an Alolan ninetales walking past a bunch of carvings in a cave. The carvings depict the light trio (Solgaleo, Lunala, U-Necrozma/DW-Necrozma) with the final carving being the title.

0:14-0:29
No sign of life did flicker
In floods of tears she cried
"All hope's lost it can't be undone
They're wasted and gone"​

The camera pans over the ninetales' shoulder to a mural depicting Lunala. The image slowly transitions from carving to the main style. As this happens, Lunala is seen crumpled on the ground, her face covered by her claws while she shakes her head.

0:30-0:32
"Save me your speeches
I know...​

Cut to a shiny Solgaleo who looks very angry roaring out these lyrics.

0:32-0:34
...(They blinded us all)​

Pan down to stylised carvings of a typhlosion, decidueye, and samurott singing these lyrics and reaching towards the sky.

​

0:34-0:45
What you want
You will take it away from me
Take it and I know for sure
The light she once brought in
Is gone forevermore"​

The camera pans back up revealing a humanoid figure wielding a sword walking from left to right. On "The light she once brought in", the figure kneels before a Solgaleo statue and curls into itself as if sobbing. On "forevermore", the camera slowly pans up as the statue begins to crack with an ominous red light.

0:45-0:53
Like sorrowful seaguls they sang
Lost in the deep shades
The misty cloud brought
(Come take a look at the sky)​

Transition to a wingull flying through a dense fog. A silhouette of a much larger bird pokémon can be seen a fair distance away. On "(Come take a look at the sky)" the wingull flies up, giving a wideshot of the horizion. The sky is red and has a cracked appearance, like a shattered mirror.

0:53-0:59
Monstrous it covered the shore
Fearful into the unknown​

A figure wearing a black cape and a crown is seen looking over a shadowy creature in the distance.

1:00-1:14
Quietly it crept in new horror
Insanity reigned
And spilled the first blood
When the old king was slain​

Cut to a closeup shot of the shadowy creature walking towards the camera. The only distinguishing features being its eyes (blue and piercing) and mouth (full of sharp pearly-whites). It then slashes at the camera with a forelimb, the swipe transitioning on "When the old king was slain" to a lone sword (same one wielded by the figure at 0:34) standing alone in a snowy mountainscape. The sky is red with dark clouds.

1:15-1:52
Nightfall
Quietly it crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly it crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
(Instrumental)​

We see our fic protags, (Bellatrix, Hisuian zorua; Xylia, sneasel; Ayumi, cubone; Kaz, shiny koraidon; Tigerlily, vulpix; Mesi, riolu) finally, doing PMD protag things. Stuff like freaking out about their new forms, meeting their partners, all that jazz. On "Immortal land lies down in agony" the silhouette of a land shrouded in mist can be briefly seen. The PMD protag stuff continues from the instrumental.

1:52-2:06
"How long shall we
Mourn in the dark
The bliss and the beauty
Will not return
Say farewell to sadness and grief
Though long and hard
The road might be"​

From here, several shots of wild pokémon hiding in a wide variety of Mystery Dungeons can be seen. At the same time, the terrain of the dungeons shift to create the forms of regular ninetales in the carved style singing the rest of the verse.

2:07-2:25
But even in silence I heard the words
"An oath we shall swear
By the name of the one
Until the world's end
Just wondering how
I can still hear these voices inside
The doom of the Noldor drew near​

Cut to black. On "An oath we shall swear", gold light begins to dance across the screen revealing a radiant figure singing these words. The figure's form is hard to decipher beyond the fact that it is humanoid and has very long hair. It holds out a clawed hand towards the audience.

2:26-2:41
The words of a banished king
"I swear revenge"
Filled with anger
Aflamed our hearts
Full of hate, full of pride
Oh we screamed for revenge​

Hard cut to the shiny Solgaleo from 0:30 looking just as angry as ever. He belts out "I swear revenge" before the stylised typhlosion, decidueye, and samurott from 0:32 appear to sing the rest of the lyrics.

2:41-3:48
Nightfall
Quietly it crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly it crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
(Instrumental)​

More appearances from the fic's protagonists doing a variety of things (exploring, running from something, talking with side characters, etc.) before they all halt in their tracks to look at something. The scene then cuts to what they're looking at on "Immortal land lies down in agony", a group shot of the fic's main antagonists. Notably, the shiny Solgaleo is absent. The fic protag antics continue during the instrumental but they're looking notably more cautious.

3:49-4:02
"Vala he is that's what you said
(Freely you came and)
Then your oath's been sworn in vain
Never trust the northern winds
Never turn your back on friends"​

The Alolan ninetales from the beginning can be seen shaking her head, saying "Then your oath's been sworn in vain". On "Never trust the northern winds" a glimpse of the radiant figure is scene before seeing several shots of the protagonists' partners on "Never turn your back on friends".

4:03-4:06
"Oh I'm heir of the high lord!"
"You better don't trust him"​

Radiant figure is seen holding its chest with eyes closed singing "Oh I'm heir of the high lord!" in a vibrant realm. It then abruptly zooms out on "You better don't trust him" where the realm turns dark and the figure shadowy, the eyes being the only discernible feature.

4:07-4:10
The enemy of mine
Isn't he of your kind...​

Cut back to the Alolan ninetales' face still looking over the murals, specifically the one of Solgaleo, from the very beginning singing these lines.

4:11-4:28
...and
Finally you may follow me yeah
"Farewell"
He said
(Instrumental)​

More villain cameos with "Farewell" being said by a Hisuian zoroark who was part of the villain lineup, he vanishes on "He said", and the fic protagonists are left alone during the brief instrumental.

4:29-4:51
Nightfall
Quietly it crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Quietly it crept in and changed us all
Nightfall
Immortal land lies down in agony
​

Instead of getting more PMD protag stuff, we get the stylised ninetales from 1:52 jamming the FUCK out to the chorus. On this "Immortal land lies down in agony" we see two winged creatures fighting, one dark, one light. The one made of light falls to the earth, causing a massive shockwave.

4:52-5:34
Back to where it all began
Back to where it all began
​

The scene then transitions to an oceanside. The camera pans slowly to Bellatrix, as a human, sitting on a rock with her cane, taking in the sights. The start of the fic.

---

Now it's your turn! The most important thing here is to have fun, so don't feel too pressured to write entire essays with exorbitant amounts of detail/feel the need to give visual aid. I'm looking forwards to seeing what you come up with!

 

[Sinderella]

So I've changed my OP for the 86000th time in a row, but I've also expanded and come up with first, second, and third season OPs, as well as ENDINGS, because I'm a fucking PSYCHOPATH.

Spoilered for your reading convenience :>

SEASON 1: Chapters 1 - 15

Spoiler: OP Season 1 - Question by System of a Down

OP Season 1 - Question by System of a Down

0:00 - 0:15: Dark space. Dark red liquid (blood) covers the ground. Black and white feathers float ethereally over the red water before lone white feather lands daintily on the surface as the final strum sounds. It sits there in silence.
0:16 - 0:22: A clunky sneaker suddenly runs into the frame, stomping on the feather and sending the blood in all directions. The shot is done in slow motion as the title card reading "White Swan, Black Swan" flashes into view.
0:22 - 0:28: Shot speeds back up to normal, and the camera pans around Odette as she sprints through the standing blood, getting it all over her white tracksuit. She swats feathers aside as she runs.
0:29 - 0:31: She stops, panting. Looks exhausted. Her shoulders slouch and her eyes slip shut.
0:32 - 0:36: Her eyes open again, and she's in a backstage area holding a clipboard as actors and stagehands bustle around her. She looks dejected as she lifts the top page on her clipboard and leans against a wall.
0:37 - 0:39: Noel approaches her and motions with his head for her to follow him.
0:40 - 0:44: The doors to the Lumiose Center for Performing Arts open, and Odette and Noel go down the steps and meet up with their Pokemon teams. Dorien is standing there waiting for them. He grabs Odette by her wrist and pulls her into an almost kiss, which she looks reluctant to take part in. Close up on Noel grabbing Odette's free hand and yanking her away to walk down the sidewalk.
0:45 - 0:49: As Noel and Odette walk down the sidewalk, the camera pans to the back of Clovis's head, then around him as he walks toward them, a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He smirks at them.
0:50 - 0:53: As Odette, Noel, and Clovis pass each other, the shot slows down, fading into what looks to be a video on a screen. The camera continues to zoom out on a surveillance room.
0:54 - 0:58: Cut to Florent, sitting in a chair, evidently watching the video. He very clearly gets very mad, picks up a teacup sitting on a small table next to him, and throws it at the camera.
0:58 - 1:06: Cut to a black screen with black and white feathers floating by. Side profiles of Odette and Noel fade into view at either end of the screen as the credits roll down the middle of them. They both look up at each other and raise white feathers. Odette's is bloody.
1:07 - 1:12: Odette and Noel fade away and are replaced by side profiles of Dorien and Clovis. They look up at each other, and Dorien raises a black feather. Clovis doesn't raise anything.
1:13 - 1:20: Cut to assorted montage of stills of Odette, Noel, Clovis, and Dorien.

Spoiler: Ending Season 1 - The Blood Legion by In This Moment

Ending Season 1 - The Blood Legion by In This Moment

0:00 - 0:44: Same dark space with the infinite pool of blood on the ground. Odette sits in the endless expanse with her arms folded over her knees. She's dressed in a ballerina costume, recognizable as the white swan from Swan Lake. Assorted shots of her.
0:45 - 0:51: A black feather floats to the ground beside her. She stares at it for a while. As the beat drops, she swats it aside, sending it and some blood flying.
0:52 - 1:03: Splatters land at Clovis's feet. He stands by, smoking, but doesn't turn.
1:04 - 1:16: Cut to Noel also standing by. He's looking around at his surroundings in contemplation. He does a rand de jamb in the blood before pirouetting. He doesn't look happy about it.
1:17 - 1:29: Cut back to Odette, still sitting there. Vienna walks by behind her, but she doesn't turn. Bernard and Marieanne also walk by, and she still doesn't turn. At some point, though, she stiffens and turns.
1:30 - 1:34: Dorien is standing there, smiling maliciously at her. He waves.
1:35 - 1:43: She turns back and puts her head in her hands.

SEASON 2: Chapters 15 - 30(ish)

Spoiler: OP Season 2 - Lies of the Beautiful People by Sixx:A.M.

OP Season 2 - Lies of the Beautiful People by Sixx:A.M.

0:00: Spotlights flick on.
0:01 - 0:10: Illuminates the title card reading "White Swan, Black Swan: Part 2."
0:11 - 0:21: Montage of Odette, Noel, Clovis, and Dorien's silhouettes, surrounded by black and white feathers,
0:22 - 0:31: Montage of Odette, Noel, Clovis, and Dorien using their Pokemon to battle one another. Ends with Odette pulling out her gun and firing toward the camera.
0:32 - 0:35: As the gun fires, the scene cuts to Odette in an evening gown in the ballroom of a yacht, looking out over the ocean. She turns and sips from a champagne flute.
0:36 - 0:41: Noel approaches her, also dressed formally, and puts his arm around her. They give each other determined looks, then walk toward a crowd of people on the ballroom floor.
0:42 - 0:45: Cut to Clovis, leaning on a faraway wall. He makes eye contact with them and salutes as he walks toward the crowd.
0:46 - 0:51: Cut to Dorien, watching the interaction from the other end of the ballroom. He grits his teeth and pulls a vial of red dust out of his pocket. Armel walks up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder, causing Dorien to make a pretty horrifying face.
0:52 - 1:01: Anime-Esque montage of all the other characters like Acadia, Vienna, Bernard, and Marieanne.
1:02 - 1:12: Camera pans through elegantly decorated/royal-looking halls, passing Team Enigma guards lined up along the hallway leading up to double doors. The doors open, and the camera pans up steps to a high-rise dais, where three figures stand with their backs to the camera. Florent sits on a throne in the middle of them, frowning. As the camera trains on him, he smirks.
1:13 - 1:22: His likeness fades into Odette, standing by on a stage with her Pokemon team, Noel, his team, Clovis, and his team. The camera pans around them, stopping at their backsides as they behold an empty theater.

Spoiler: Ending Season 2 - Blood 1983 by In This Moment

Ending Season 2 - Blood 1983 by In This Moment

0:00 - 0:06: Shot of what looks to be ruins. It's raining blood around them.
0:07 - 0:13: Odette walks through them, wearing a white dress that's drenched in blood. She approaches a ruined stone dais with a steep set of steps. She looks up at them with a deadpan expression.
0:14 - 0:20: The camera pans up the steps to a figure in a black dress. It looks like Odette, but when it turns, it's clear it's not. It looks like her, but a far scarier version of her--it has razor-sharp teeth, black sclera, and red eyes. The doppelganger smiles mockingly at Odette, who doesn't look fazed.
0:21 - 0:24: Zoom in at Odette, glaring at the doppelganger.
0:25 - 0:27: Zoom in at the doppelganger smiling back at her.
0:28 - 0:34: Odette turns away from the dais and begins to walk away. Passes discarded dance shoes, a smoldering cigarette, broken trophies, and discarded Pokeballs.
0:35 - 0:40: Cut back to the doppelganger. She raises her arms to her sides.
0:41 - 1:09: Brambles and thorny vines explode from the ruins and ground, growing up around Odette as she continues to walk away. Cut to various shots of the bramble taking over the ruins and Odette nonchalantly walking through it.

SEASON 3: ALOLA ARC

Spoiler: OP Season 3 - Rule the World by Kamelot

OP Season 3 - Rule the World by Kamelot (Featuring Guzma, Plumeria, Hau, Gladion, and Lillie)

0:00 - 0:16: The camera pans around Odette, standing atop a rocky pillar. She's kneeling, and the world around her is up in flames. She reaches over to her jacket sleeve and pulls it down over her burn scars, looking momentarily frightened. She suddenly gains a look of determination before looking upward.
0:16 - 0:22: Odette stands as the title card for "White Swan, Black Swan: Part 3" flashes into view around her silhouette.
0:23 - 0:32: Cut back to Odette's face before panning down into the flames, which begin to part. It streaks past Hau, Lillie, Plumeria, and Gladion as they emerge from the fires before coming upon Guzma. He scowls at the camera before it zooms entirely into his pupil.
0:33 - 0:40: Cut to a shot of Alola's skyline, and a white feather floats by. It floats down to Odette, Hau, and Lillie, who are standing over a cliff and enjoying the breeze.
0:41 - 0:45: The feather floats toward Po Town, up the graffiti-covered walkway, to the front lawn of the shady house, where some Team Skull grunts are battling. The feather floats up to Guzma, who sits on an old armchair with Plumeria and Gladion sitting on the arms.
0:46 - 0:48: Close-up shot of Guzma's disgruntled-looking face. The feather hovers near his cheek, and he shoos it away.
0:48 - 0:56: Various shots of a white feather floating past The Elite Family dance studio, a field with a place for a bonfire, a Pokemon lab, before a shot of Aether Paradise pans in. The feather that floats by it is noticeably black.
0:57 - 1:04: Odette opens the door to her bedroom and steps out into the living room. Vienna, in the kitchen, turns around and smiles at her. She holds up a white feather.
1:05 - 1:09: Cut back to Odette looking shocked before cutting to somebody grabbing her hand. Clovis comes into the frame to lift her sleeve and kiss her scars. Odette watches him, startled, before looking to her right to see Noel leaning on her shoulder, smiling.
1:10 - 1:12: Another closeup of Odette's face as she faces the camera again. She looks distraught. Suddenly the scenery around her fades into water, and she's drowning. She grabs her throat before reaching up as if she wishes to swim for the surface.
1:12 - 1:15: Cut to a chunky white sneaker stepping into a darkened battle arena. Pan up to Odette, walking forward and tossing a Pokeball up and down. She looks ready to fight. Hau and Lillie are at her side. Hau also looks set to brawl while Lillie steeples her fingers nervously.
1:16 - 1:19: Camera pans away from them, across the arena, to where Guzma is standing with Plumeria and Gladion flanking him.
1:20 - 1:29: Close-up shots of both Odette and Guzma's angry faces. They then run at each other, fists raised, and jump forward as if they're going to brawl. Freezes just before they make contact.

Spoiler: Ending Season 2 - Necropolis by Kamelot

Ending Season 3 - Necropolis by Kamelot (Featuring Guzma, Plumeria, Hau, Gladion, and Lillie)

0:00 - 0:06: Close-up shot of a fortified-looking black Pokeball falling. On the drum beat, a hand catches it
0:07 - 0:09: Cut to Odette and her doppelganger Odile sitting in a garden of dead flowers and brambles. Odile is leaning over Odette's shoulder as Odette stares at the ball in her hand.
0:10 - 0:15: Cut to a shot of Odette and Odile's silhouettes in the garden. An overlaid image of Hau fades in on the right side of the screen. He stares at a Pokeball in his left hand before taking a drag from a joint he's holding in his right. His image fades.
0:16 - 0:22: Guzma's image fades in on the left side of the screen. He's turned to the side with his arms crossed. He becomes visibly upset about something before whipping around as if he were going to throw a punch. His image fades.
0:23 - 0:28: Plumeria's image fades into view on the right side of the screen. She's facing the camera as she raises her bandana and ties it around her head. Her image fades.
0:29 - 0:35: Gladion and Lillie fade into view on opposite sides of the screen. They're facing away from each other at first but look over their shoulders, and upon seeing one another, they turn to face each other. Lillie clasps her hands together in prayer, and Gladion crosses his arms. Their images fade from view.
0:36 - 0:44: Cut back to Odette and Odile still sitting in the garden. They look content as the wind whips their braids. Odile suddenly stands.
0:45: Odile holds her hand out to Odette.
0:46 - 0:51: Odette stares at it for a moment before taking it and pulling herself up. The two look at one another before staring out over the dead garden.
0:52 - 0:54: Camera zooms out rapidly.
0:55 - 0:57: A dark, endless space. Odette, Hau, Lillie, Guzma, Plumeria, and Gladion are there, tinted a stark pink. They're standing in a circle but walking away from each other. Close up on Odette.
0:58 - 0:59: Close-up on Hau.
1:00 - 1:01: Close-up on Lillie.
1:02 - 1:03: Close-up on Guzma.
1:04 - 1:05: Close-up on Plumeria.
1:06 - 1:07: Close-up on Gladion.
1:08 - 1:12: Odette stops and turns to look over her shoulder and toward Guzma.
1:13 - 1:16: Guzma stops and looks over his shoulder at Odette.
1:17 - 1:20: They're left staring at each other as the camera pans up. Fade to black.

 

[BossCar]

Given that the title of my WIP is There’s No Better Team, it’s gotta be Born to Be Winner (I like it more than the original theme):

View: https://youtu.be/3C7xX65vGzI


0:00-0:06

Valen puts on a Team Skull jacket, spins a Poké Ball and catches it, then smirks. His Pokémon are here too, as is a painting by Rosa that shows him winning a contest.

0:07-0:12

Rosa twirls a paintbrush and winks. Her Pokémon are here too. Milotic blows a kiss at Salamence who’s very smug. One of Rosa's self portraits is here.

0:13-0:18
Hilda makes a peace sign and takes a selfie. She nearly trips in her excitement but Valen and Rosa grab her just in time. Her Pokémon are also here, Umbreon and Luxray are blushing at a painting by Rosa and Hilda depicting them snuggling in the BW Agency.

0:19-0:24
Melanie appears with her team, showing off her jacket and running a hand through her hair. A portrait of her in battle by Rosa is here too.

0:25-0:35

Valen’s in a contest and Salamence backflips in the air and knocks down Asgard's Dusknoir with an Iron Tail.

0:36-0:43

Rosa's Hydreigon and Hilda's Garchomp duke it out with Silver's Kommo-o and Kris' Steelix.

0:43-0:52

Valen and Melanie stand back to back with ther respective dragons (Dragonite for Melanie). Rosa's painting them, Hilda's promoting them. Valen, Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie high five each other, with Kris making Silver join in with her.

0:53-1:20
lda and Rosa contemplate their futures and lovingly look back at Valen. Valen stands in front of Gianluigi Bernini's The Anguish of King AZ, debating his future. He closes his eyes with confidence, the doubt seems to have vanished. He gives Hilda and Rosa a thumbs up.

1:21-1:33
Everybody's waiting for them outside the Calvanian Museum of Art. Skyla zooms in on her Noivern and jumps on Valen's back. They all exchange a group fist bump and their Pokemon try to emulate with mixed results.

1:34-1:42
Wes looks out into the ocean with fierce determination. Setting's the boardwalk, the night sky's got a full moon. Rui suddenly grabs Wes's hand and looks into his eyes. Seeing her smile makes him smile, then they head towards a battlefield. Hilda and Lisia are there and gesture them to join the festival they planned. Rui wants to play some of the games, Wes blushes because he promised to have fun with her.

1:43-1:57 Valen's Gardevoir putting on a dazzling performance that resembles Starry Night and Lisia gets hyped. Rosa and Hilda make him blush via double cheek kiss and bop his forehead.

1:58-2:10: Gladion, Leaf, and Skyla tease Silver and Kris, who look away but discreetly hold hands. Jacques catches them and puts on a performance that would be OOC for Silver.

2:11-2:20: Group selfie/photo, courtesy of Hilda.

 

[Seren]

Reviving this thread because I think I've finally worked something out that I'm happy with! Not sure how anyone did these in a day or two, because I've been struggling with this for months. Finding a song was haaaaaard. I also didn't want to go with the song the fic is named for (Sweet Sacrifice by Evanescence). I do love the song itself, and the theme obviously fits, but the vibes were wrong. I wanted something that goes harder.

The song I settled on is Life Fear, Like Love by The Birthday Massacre. I don't think the original intent of the song really fits my fic at all for the most part, but I had the same problem with every other song I tried, too. With this one, though, I feel I've twisted it enough to where I'm satisfied with the result, and I love the vibes of the song, so I feel it still works. (There were quite a few songs by this band I wanted to use but the lyrics were even more difficult to warp.) There were still some points I just couldn't quite make the lyrics line up in a way that any relation to the scene, but I'm still happy with it.

I've kind of divided the song into thirds, since I have two MCs who share the spotlight. The first segment focuses more of Kimiko, the second on Alex, and the third on pretty much everyone else, with a bit more for the supporting cast. I also didn't divide it down to the second, because I don't have that level of finesse, but I'm sure some of these would need tweaking to fit in the allotted time slot. (I know it's hard to read it all before the song moves on, much mess envision it, so keep that in mind if you're following along.) Lyrics are in blue.

---

Spoiler: Spoiler cause it's large

First block, Kimiko's perspective:

0:00 - 0:10 (silence)

The screen fades in from black on a distant shot of a forest at night, under a partly cloudy, starry sky, very slowly zooming in on it. (In a true anime-style-opening adaptation, I’d probably edit these first ten seconds out and start from there, because it’s a little too long a time of silence before it really gets going.)

0:10 - 0:24 (No lyrics)

Same shot of the forest, but the camera zooms in and pans quickly through it, showcasing various local ghost pokémon, until coming up upon a decent sized run-down old cabin.

0:24 - 0:39 (No lyrics)

The screen goes black, then slowly fades back in on a shot of MC's Alex and Kimiko from above and at a distance. They're huddled up next to each other in a small room, slumped against a wooden wall. The floor they're on top of is some kind of clear, yet non-reflective surface. The ground underneath is not visible in the dark, but still their combined shadow is, distorted through the thick glass. The camera zooms in again, this time for a close up on their faces; both have closed eyes, with distraught expressions as though they're resigned to whatever fate awaits them. Kimiko leans closer and rests her head on Alex's shoulder; he in turn rests his head on hers.

0:39 – 0:53

“Under the glass where we're locked away
You will find a shadow bleeding
And if you listen, you will hear it say
"When did our hearts stop beating?"”​

As the lyrics begin, the camera angle blinks downwards under the glass and the mass of shadow becomes clearer, but leaving the humans still visible in the corner. It’s still relatively shapeless, swirling around like it has a mind of its own, and seems to be dripping blood. On the word ‘hearts’, the entire shadow pulses, and Kimiko flinches.

0:53 – 1:07

“Fear of dreams too cruel to say
I am death when you look away
Don't leave 'cause I can't do it
Without you, without you
Without you, without you”​

The next scenes begin to change at a faster pace. For this one, Kimiko appears to be alone in a cave, standing facing the camera looking sad with a book of some kind cradled in her arms. It pans out backwards slightly to show Alex partly in the frame to the left, his back to the camera; he turns and just vanishes, implying that he walked off-screen. When he does, Kimiko takes a step forward but then stops as a flame-like blackish-purple aura suddenly springs to life around her, though she’s still visible underneath it. She reaches out towards where Alex disappeared from, her arm momentarily free of the purple flames. The camera jumps to a close-up of her outstretched hand, just in time to see the purple flames reclaim it.

Then, on every ‘without you’, tiny photographs appear onscreen (of moments that may or may not actually show up in the story). These will probably change over time, but for now, the four I’ve gone with are:

• Kimiko sitting on a plush sofa, and Alex laying with his head in her lap, fast asleep.
• Kimiko on a stage, microphone in hand; in the background, Alex with his guitar, Lillia on her drums, and her sister Michelle standing on a stool to reach a keyboard. They seem to be in the middle of a performance.
• The couple sitting on a spread-out picnic blanket with Michelle, and Kimiko’s entire team is squeezed into the image; Kimiko’s arm extends out of the frame as though she took this one herself.
• The pair in nice, formal dress clothes, side by side and each with one arm around the other. Looks to be taken at some kind of party or event.

1:07 – 1:43

“I don't want to live this way forever
I don't want to pull this back together
I'm watching every step we take
I know it's going to end this way
It's not a state of mind
It's now or never”​

The next scene goes back to Kimiko holding the book, and the purple aura has died down, but still visible. Her head is tilted down and she looks utterly defeated. Behind her, a swarm of robed, hooded cultists emerges from the darkness. They’re led by one in particular, his own hood down, but his face is dark and can’t be seen. There's a brief reflection there though, implying the figure is wearing glasses.

Kimiko turns around to face them, away from the camera, and the lead cultist holds out a hand, offering her a similar-looking book. She takes a step back and her purple aura flares again, this time serving as a scene change as it covers the entire screen.

When it passes, she and her whole team are walking through a forest. Her pokémon look straight ahead as they move, but Kimiko herself keeps looking around, as if on guard. She stops short and the angle changes to show another old shack ahead of them (not the same one from earlier). Her team all lets out various rallying cries (visibly, they’re not audible due to opening music) and charge towards it, except for Olivia, her espeon. Kimiko shares a glance and a nod with her partner, then they follow the rest, now looking determined.

Second block, Alex’s perspective:

1:43 – 1:57

"No choice but what we choose
Giving in to shallow needin'
Bite your tongue, or speak too soon
What we wanted has no meanin'"​

As the second set begins, we change to a shot of Alex from behind, in his bedroom, hands in his pockets. He’s looking down in satisfaction at the items on his desk: six pokéballs, sitting in front of a framed case of eight gym badges and a golden trophy of the league’s crest. He turns around towards the camera and his satisfaction changes to shock, as whatever he sees startles him. When the scene changes to show it, he’s no longer in the bedroom, but a familiar-looking forest, surrounded by ghost pokémon; the sableye in the group is notably closer to him than the rest of the ghosts, grinning maniacally.

On the last line, the scene briefly clips back to a zoomed-in shot of a now empty badge case on a desk, still in the forest behind Alex. The soft fabric inside the case only lit by moonlight from above. The desk isn't properly in focus, as though seeing a memory.

1:57 – 2:11

"I'm trying to make the right mistake
I could die when you look away
Don't leave 'cause I can't do it
Without you, without you
Without you, without you"​

When the scene jumps back to Alex and the ghosts again, the desk is gone but Kimiko is there in front him now, looking at him with worry in her eyes, and Alex himself looks far more unsettled. She turns slightly to take a look at the ghosts behind her before turning once more and vanishing out of the frame. Alex stands and stares in despair for a moment, then starts to chase after her, only for the sableye and some other ghosts to leap at him and cut off his path.

Like before, each 'without you' is accompanied by a screenshot:

• Alex waist-deep in the ocean; Kimiko is in the background, further out in the water, splashing him, and he’s shielding his face.
• Alex, Kimiko, Lillia, and their friend/gym leader Cory, sitting around a table at a nightclub; Alex is showing off a gym badge to the camera.
• Alex and Thorn (his chikorita), practicing razor leaf with Michelle and her dolliv, while Kimiko watches in the background.
• Alex’s pokémon team posing for a group shot. Thorn is a meganium now, and Alex is on her back. Kimiko sits behind him, her arms wrapped around him and her chin resting on his shoulder.

2:11 – 2:39

I don't want to live this way forever
I don't want to pull this back together
I'm watching every step we take
I know it's going to end this way
It's not a state of mind
It's now or never​

The next scene shows Alex kneeling on the ground and also looking like he’s taken a beating, but rather than defeated, his expression is one of fury. He stands up dramatically in true anime fashion, and casts a sweeping motion with his hand over the forest. The ghosts distort and vanish, and he starts running. His team is running beside him in the following scene and they reach a clearing, faced with a massive army of ghosts. Still full of angry determination, he takes a deep breath before ordering his pokémon into battle. They again leap into action – notably, his sableye is leading the charge – and the ghosts race forwards to meet them as the scene changes.

Third block, finale;

2:39 – 3:15

Maybe
Nothing goes right here like colors changing
Nothing loves like there's no other
Maybe
Nothing goes right here like colors changing
Right here, like love
Like fear, like love​

Now the focus shifts to what looks like a secret meeting of the cult in a dark underground cave, illuminated purely by lampent scattered around the walls. There’s a mixture of both hooded cultists and ghost pokémon in the group, and they’re all looking up at two figures on a stage, both with even more detailed robes. The camera pans around them for a while, starting from the back and circling around to behind the two figures at the front, so now it’s looking out at the crowd over their shoulders. Now visible at the far back of the room is some sort of enormous red and black cocoon. Said cocoon has a faint blood red glow, which flares up brighter for a moment.

The scene then shifts to a shot of one cultist in particular, Costas, in a tunnel far above the meeting, looking down from the entrance. He’s leaning on the wall, arms crossed, looking bored and unimpressed, but watching closely. His rotom hovers by his side. There’s a quick close up of his face and he scoffs before he turns and heads down the tunnel. Again, the angle changes to show him walking towards the camera with the rotom trailing behind. He smirks before the darkness in the tunnel hides him entirely. In the background, the dim light of the main inner chamber starts to burn bright red.

3:15 – 3:44 (No lyrics)

This instrumental segment would be devoted to just rapidly showing clips of important or recurring characters in action. Each of Alex’s and Kimiko’s endgame team members would get one individual shot of them doing some kind of attack. Following that would be flashes of other supporting characters:

• Lillia and her magmar
• Kari and her chimecho with Ana and her tauros
• Champion Kirsten and her crobat
• The eight gym leaders gathered together, each with their respective ace pokémon
• The elite four and their ace pokémon
• Costas and his rotom
• The two cultist leaders along with a gengar and a cofagrigus
• Professor Spruce and his assistant, Luke
• Michelle and her dolliv
• Maybe some other various random characters like Wyatt, Adam, Biff, etc.

3:44 – 4:19

I don't want to live this way forever
I don't want to pull this back together
I'm watching every step we take
I know it's going to end this way
It's not a state of mind
It's now or never​

As the lyrics start up again, the screen fades into a large clearing in the forest at night, similar to the beginning, except it isn’t empty. On one side is the cultists and ghost army. The two leaders stand on a rock, while Costas is seen in the distance, sitting casually atop his claydol. On the other side is Champion Kirsten and her pokemon team, leading the elites, gym leaders, a swarm of beedrill, and various other trainers. As both sides charge and engage each other, the camera pans down into the crowd to find Alex and Kimiko in the mix, then shifts up to the sky – following everyone’s eyes, as all the characters look too – where a blood red beam of light erupts in the distance, taking the shape of a large blood-red Y-shape silhouette that looms ominously above them all.

4:19 – 4:24 (No lyrics)

The last few seconds at the end here would show the title card. It features Alex, Thorn, Kimiko, and Olivia against the backdrop of the forest, as though they’re standing inside it somewhere. Above the trees, the head and arms of a sableye are visible, and in the sky above that, two bright diamond star eyes in the sky. The scene I have imagined for this is eventually going to be the fic’s cover/banner, so I’ll share that when it’s ready.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

View: https://youtu.be/IrTOltqRFnQ
I feel like Anchorage by Marian Call fits the SV ending better than the actual ending song. And of course with my continued brainrot for the ending of that game, especially Violet, I had to map out a whole video to it. Skipping some lyrics but yeah.

Oh yeah and the ending of this couldn't take place in Scarlet sorry.


"Today my childish laughter falls away
The stakes are real and we won't be ok"

the last trace of the time machine fades away, leaving Arven with outstretched arm and tears in his eyes


"since the last day, the last damn day,
the last day that I cried"

everyone sits on the steps of the Zero Lab and thinks heavily about what just happened


"no no no no, take me back home
no no no no, take me away"

Arven mentions the lighthouse but then gets a X through it because he doesn't want to be alone

"I know where I'll land
I'll unclench my hands
I'm willing to stay"

His friends leading him down the road like in the ending


"See me down, see me down, to the edge of the wild
stroll me out to the end of the pier
Reel me into the places, we knew our own faces
over wine, over coffee and beer"

The friends looking out over vast Paldea, getting to know each other, and setting up a picnic

"And anchor me, anchor me, anchor me, anchor me here"

He starts to smile a bit


"Walk with me, the sunset's three hours long tonight"

They walk along as the sun sets


"And if the dusk admits our fear of death"

They set up camp at night and talk around campfire

"then we'll write a worthy hymn and cork it fast
we'll cork it fast, we'll float it west"

They write down messages in a bottle and fling it out into the ocean


"Got a ring full of keys, no no no no
Not a one of them mine"


Arven returning to the lighthouse and looking around at all the remnants of his father


"I got no home, no no no no
Only a way, so bring her round slow
The water's not clear
but I've washed ashore here
and I'm willing to stay"

He looks at Mabostiff, who tugs at his sleeve and pulls him back outside to look at the sky. He realizes two of his friends live just up the road.



(repeat chorus)
he seeks out Nemona and Juliana, they call Penny (who's back at the school), they're all smiling



"My body and my mind have scarcely met
I've spent my whole life being elsewhere and elsewhen"

AI Turo comes to in the distant future



"So ground me in the only house I own
Forgive my absence, love, and teach me to live,
teach me to live, to live alone"

He leaves the lab, stands at a grave as if saying goodbye



(repeat chorus)
he starts exploring the crater, eventually augmenting himself to be able to leave


(final repeat chorus)
He leaves the crater for the first time, looking across the vast region for the first time. Eventually he travels to the shoreline and finds a familiar bottle, intact after all this time and still bearing the messages from his dear friends. He looks out over the ocean and smiles.