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Pokémon Morsels of Heartwarming [2023 Drabble Bingo]

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
Welp, here I am! Trying out another bingo card. Last time I did drawings, this time I’ll go with words.

My goal is to complete all nine entries. Yes, all of them.

All stories are going to be K/K+ and set in different universes.

Ready to taste a morsel that warms the heart?

Bingo Card

1. Fluffy Pokémon Cuddles
4. Amie/Refresh7. <Pokémon> seems curious about <Trainer>'s Bag...
2. The Bonds Between Humans and Pokémon5. <Pokémon> landed a critical hit, wishing to be praised!8. Cheesy (Pokémon themed) Compliments
3. <Pokémon> seems curious about your fashion.6. Soothe Bell9. Your Favourite Flavour

Summaries

1. When Creatures Became Pokémon [Skiddo, OC | K+ | Friendship | Kalos]


Humans and Pokémon aren't meant to interact, so a Skiddo finds herself in a tough spot when she finds a stranded human child.

2. A God's Duty [Arceus, Black Rayquaza | K | Friendship | Ransei]

After the battle of Ransei, Arceus and the Black Rayquaza discuss what it means to be gods and their relationships with mortals.

3. The Memories in the Rips [Silvally, Gladion | K+ | Friendship | Alola]

Gladion doesn't want to change his attire and Silvally wants to know why.
 
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Fluffy Pokémon Cuddles

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
Prompt: Fluffy Pokémon Cuddles
Content Warning: Vague description of hypothermia.
Characters: Skiddo, OC

Setting: Kalos in Hisui times, based on Sinnoh’s Region Mythology and Skiddo's dex entries.

~•~

When Creatures Became Pokémon

1683309710805.jpeg

Skiddo hopped onto various rocky spikes, her jumps agile and effortless. She had to hurry; a storm was coming, and trying to track down her herd would have been too risky.

Moving toward the coast was also a terrible idea. Humans were known for settling closer to the sea, as they compensated for their lack of fur by living in warmer areas.

And creatures couldn’t mingle with humans. Neither side could understand the other, since their respective body and spoken languages were completely illogical and incomprehensible. Humans only learned from and understood fellow humans, and creatures only learned from and understood fellow creatures. How could they trust each other if they didn't know what the other side was thinking about?

It was difficult to believe that they were born in and inhabited the same planet. They were way too different, it had been decided moons ago, and that was how the law of the wilderness came into existence: Creatures and humans must stay separated, for their interactions only brought strife and more misunderstanding.

But thinking about all of that didn't help with her current plight, did it?

Fortunately for her, she found a small cave that would keep her warm until the storm passed by.

Unfortunately for her, the cave wasn’t empty. A small, shivering, furless creature lay limply by the end of the cave. A human child.

Skiddo had no clue how it got there. Probably it got separated from the rest of its pack and hid in that cave to protect itself. Her first instinct was to leave and never return, but seeing that human child so vulnerable and fragile… she began feeling sympathy toward it.

In part wary and in part curious, Skiddo approached the motionless human. When she got close enough, she tapped her hoof, anxious. Her horns detected the discomforting wave of fear and waning of life force. The child wouldn’t have been able to survive for much longer.

A soft bleat escaped her throat, her mind raging with contrasting thoughts. To get the scent of a human on oneself would be considered the ultimate form of treachery. The evidence that a creature had broken the law and endangered their species. No Skiddo herd would accept her ever again. Nobody wanted an outlaw in their herds.

… But she would never be able to feel at peace with herself if that small human didn’t survive.

The wave of distress intensified, and trails of water leaked out of the child’s eyes. In an instant, the doubts inside Skiddo’s mind vanished. With new resolve, she laid down by the human’s side, tucking her paws underneath herself and covering its body with her fur. Soon enough, the human stopped shivering and the pale color on its skin turned into a healthier pinkish hue.

Skiddo perked up when she heard the child muttering some cry, then she bleated in shock when it wrapped its arms around her neck and dug its face into her fur. Did that child just attack her?! Was it going to bite?

Alarmed by its reaction, she readied her horns and aimed them at the child. She only needed to pray it off of her and run away, just as she originally planned. But before she could do that, the child snuggled against her body and made itself more comfortable, moaning softly. Just... like a newborn Skiddo seeking protection would do.

That was enough to make her relent and stop to study its emotions. No signs of anger or aggression. All she detected with her horns were waves of gratitude and joy.

Everything about that situation was so strange. Under other circumstances, and for any creature worth its fur, the child's sudden approach could be considered a threat. And yet, it didn't seem like the same rule applied to humans. Wrapping their limbs around others... was that a sign of affection? It seemed so if the child's wave of happiness was any proof.

She flicked her tail in relaxation, her motherly instincts fully kicking in, and rested her head against the human’s head, bringing it closer to herself and protecting it from the gusts.

The rest of the night felt much less cold.

~•~​

Returning the child to its — no, his — tribe led to some initial suspicion from the humans, but the child and his parents vouching for her definitely helped. Despite the first impression, humans proved to be much more welcoming than Skiddo ever expected, and she became a valuable part of the human herd.

She offered protection and helped the humans venture into the higher grounds of the mountain area, and they offered companionship and ensured she was always healthy, well-fed, and in good company.

Skiddo had found a new herd, and she couldn’t have been happier for trusting her heart.

Many young Skiddo were born in the tribe and wandered into the wild. They spread the word that creatures and humans can be allies and friends. Urged other creatures to try interacting with humans in the tall grass. And many more creatures joined human packs.

Gogoat stared at the horizon, accompanied by the man she rescued years ago, and she felt comforted by his gentle caresses and the waves of trust and affection coming from the mixed tribe of creatures and humans, all living in perfect harmony.

Who would have thought that breaking the law of the wilderness would have turned her into the precursor of a new and better era?
 
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The Bonds Between Humans and Pokémon

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
Prompt: The Bonds Between Humans and Pokémon
Content Warning: None.
Characters: Arceus, Unukahlai (Black Rayquaza)

Setting: Ransei

~•~

A God’s Duty

250

The battle was over. Nobunaga and Unukahlai, the supposedly invincible black Rayquaza, had been defeated by Hiro and his partner — the Original One and creator of Ransei themself, Arceus.

With that victory, the region was united under the same flag, with Hiro proclaimed the strongest Warlord and ruler of all kingdoms.

Since the conflicts and hostilities had been abated, Arceus had no reason to stay in the mortal plane any longer and they prepared themself to return to their dimension. But before they could open a portal, Unukahlai approached them and asked them to stay for a little longer.

«You have been away for so many centuries. Aren’t you wondering how the world has changed during your celestial slumber?» asked the sky goddess.

«I do not desire to interfere with mortals’ affairs any longer than I ought to,» was Arceus’ response.

«Ah. Well, it’s not like you haven’t interfered plenty already, what with you being a celebrity around here, and defeating me in a battle, and all of that!» Unukahlai chuckled. «You might as well try to make the most out of your time here, huh? It would be a kind of pity to leave just like that, without experiencing the joys of this world.»

Her behavior surprised Arceus. The last time they interacted with the sky dragoness in outer space, she was more aloof and serious. The alpha god assumed that it was because of her natural temperament, since that was a common trait among Rayquaza, but their analysis was probably off.

This seemed to be her true nature: cheerful, open-minded, perhaps even human, they dared to say.

Things truly had changed plenty, and Arceus couldn’t help but be curious about such progress.

«Very well. Show me, Unukahlai, how the world has developed in my absence.»

And this is how Unukahlai and Arceus ended up striding through the pebbly paths of Dragnor, the Dragon Kingdom. The alpha god found the entire experience particularly bizarre, as they felt the many mortal gazes trained on them, following every step with eyes full of awe and reverence. Even the most rebellious Hydreigon and Haxorus couldn’t help but stay quiet and lower their heads in respect, fully aware of the immense power radiating from the wheel-wielding god.

Soft hisses resonated from their side and Arceus turned to see Unukahlai, who gave them an amused grin. «So, even the creator of everything isn’t immune to stage fright, huh?»

Arceus blinked slowly. If that statement bothered them, they didn’t show it. «Such bold claim of thee,» grumbled the alpha god, before their gaze fell on a shiver of stunned Gible. «I am merely not used to all this attention. That is all.»

«Mortals are easy to impress, and that’s something I find adorable about them. They can find value and worth in near everything, be it the vastness of the sky or the scent of spring flowers.» Unukahlai tilted her head and flashed a wistful gaze. «I suppose having a limited lifespan is an excellent motivator to consider every experience a priceless treasure. We kind of… take everything for granted, do we not?»

Arceus stared intently at Unukahlai, unsure if they were still following her rationale. «And is there something wrong with that?»

Unukahlai shook her head. «Not really, no. It’s just another perspective. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t try to see things through mortal eyes, at least for once in our lives.» She glanced at a group of human children accompanied by a few Dratini and Bagon, all of them giving her expectant stares, and she grinned again at the alpha god. «You know what? How about trying out that lesson right now? Follow my lead!»

Having said so, Unukahlai slithered through the air and toward the group of young mortals. The kids stared in marvel at the towering dragon, her dark scales shimmering under the sunlight.

«Hey! Anyone wishes to take part in a quick flight lesson?» she exclaimed, stretching out her arms toward the sky. Small tornadoes swirled around her serpentine body, and squeals of excitement rang from the children and Pokémon alike, fully aware of what was to come. Satisfied with their response, Unukahlai flashed another warm grin. «Alright, then! Let’s ride the winds, everyone!»

The markings on Unukahlai’s body glowed with a green hue. An updraft began blowing from underneath the group, lifting the children and cubs off of the floor and into the air.

Out of the crowd, the young Bagon showed the most enthusiasm, as they flapped their arms like their future wings. The Dratini followed the other dragons’ lead and began doing loops and swimming through the aether. As for the human children, Unukahlai leaned herself closer and allowed them to cling to her body, fully aware that humans didn’t share the same predisposition toward the sky and the sensation of being airborne. And then, the sky serpent and the air-lifted mortals flew, enjoying the fresh breeze blowing through their scales, skins, and any other body surface.

Arceus studied Unukahlai and the air-riding mortals, somewhat bemused by their carefreeness. To see a deity and a large crowd of proteges have such close interactions was something the alpha god hadn’t anticipated. It was difficult enough for deities to find pure hearts who could bond with them, but Unukahlai had taken a step further while living among mortals. She had made friends with nearly everyone, placing her trust and faith in mortals.

Faith from a deity… What a bizarre thought was that.

Something touched their hoof, making Arceus return to the mortal plane. They focused their attention on whoever touched them, and their gaze locked on a small human child, who looked back at them with eyes full of curiosity. However that child wasn’t alone — a group of other humans and Dragon-type Pokémon had inched closer, still staring at the alpha god with reverence.

Did that mean that Arceus had to do something? Was that a moment to bond and connect with mortals? Did they have to give some essay about their role, guide them as their creator, or…?

Follow my lead!

Arceus glanced back at Unukahlai, who was still carrying the young mortals through the air. Perhaps they only had to follow the flow?

They pondered what to do for a moment, and then their wheel started glowing with golden power. The world around the group surrounding Arceus melted and warped into a planetarium, depicting faraway worlds and different eras. That startled the mortals, who didn’t expect to be mentally transported to the dark sky and the stars while being stuck to the ground, but with some growls of coaxing from Unukahlai, they relaxed and marveled at the tiny cosmos around them.

Sensing that the mortals were at ease, Arceus lowered themself to the floor and laid down, their forepaws crossed in front of them. But doing so seemed to have sent some kind of signal, as many children and cubs gathered around them and sat by their sides, their bodies brushing against the fine fur of the alpha god.

Arceus didn’t know what to think. That was the first time that mortals cuddled with them, and that… By the stars, that made them feel… good. Why was that?

«…You realized it now.»

Arceus turned to Unukahlai, who floated into the planetarium while children and cubs rode on her body. She glanced at her proteges, who marveled at the glorious sight of distant stars and planets, and her expression shifted, halfway between happy and sad.

«These connections with mortals… They are wonderful, aren’t they? Mortals and deities are both part of this world, so why must there be some standards to follow? Why should we restrict and select only a limited amount of mortals to interact with?»

Arceus internally sighed. The deities’ need for distance seemed to be a concept that many younger deities didn’t grasp fully, and it was tiresome to repeat the same answer, but it seemed like the sky goddess needed the bitter reminder.

«Because, as adorable as they might appear in thy eyes, most mortals are fickle. Especially humans,» they pointed out. «And thou should know that already. After all, thou must have borne witness to their vices and impulses during these years of conflict. To what lengths they can go to attain more power.»

The markings on Unukahlai’s body flickered and she thumped her tail, clearly uncomfortable with the answer. Arceus had brought up a good argument: she had sensed the thirst for power in many Warlords, both young and old.

But while it was true that mortals could breed ill intentions, the sky goddess knew that they were also capable of performing acts of great benevolence. Hiro proved that many times, both before and after Arceus became his partner in battle. And yet, despite that unmistakable evidence, the alpha god was still keeping their guard up. Why was that?

Then, Unukahlai had a flash of realization when she pieced the various events together: Arceus keeping a formal and impersonal partnership with Hiro, their tension while walking among mortals, and their surprise when they experienced physical contact from harmless children.

Just how much did they truly know about mortals, the ways they tick, and their development throughout the centuries?

Perhaps there was a lesson that the Original One themself could learn.

«Yes. I understand we shouldn’t bond with humans tainted by the void in their hearts, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to reach out and help them out, especially if we have the means to do that,» she replied, her marking glowing fiercely and defensively. «Many mortals see us as paragons and defenders, and seek our help for comfort and inspiration. By showing hostility toward them and keeping our power only to ourselves, they will learn that it is acceptable to be hostile toward others and greedy. And, well, you saw where that led — to distrust and continuous conflicts.»

Arceus hummed to themself, surprised by the sky goddess's outburst, and contemplated her words. «Mayhaps there is some truth in thy words. Is this the reason thou decided to live so close to mortals?»

«We could say that, yes. I couldn’t simply do nothing! Not when mortals needed our help the most.» Unukahlai glanced at the children and wagged her tail in front of them, chuckling in amusement when some of the younger ones tried to grab it. «Someone had to set a good example. Inspire others to be more compassionate and empathetic, and show that anyone can use their power to help others, not only themselves. And who knows, maybe someday we all could be… friends?»

Arceus nodded in approval, their eyes gleaming ever so lightly. «That is quite the noble intent, and I thoroughly commend thy initiative.»

Unukahlai looked back at Arceus and hissed joyously, appreciating the alpha god's words. But then, her markings flickered faintly and her gaze fell, earning a concerned gaze from Arceus.

«What is the source of thy concern, my dear?»

Unukahlai hissed loudly and tapped her claws together. «It’s just… I wish my brother would let me explain and he didn’t exile me just because I wished to connect with all mortals. I mean, there is so much we deities could learn from them, too!» She tightened her coils and brought the children close to her face, earning a few rubs that lifted her mood once more. «If the mortals could iron out their differences and learn how to coexist and help each other, then why can’t we?»

Why couldn’t they, indeed.

Arceus turned their attention back to the mortals pressed against their body, secretly relishing the soothing touch of small hands and paws, then focused again on the surrounding cosmos. A scenario got their attention: a dark swirl surrounding Mount Coronet, and humans and creatures trading gazes of distrust and hostility. Red-eyed titans tromped through the lands, attacking anything in sight — no matter if humans or creatures. And then, a slithering figure emerged from the shadows, staring directly at the alpha god from across time.

Giratina? What art thee…?

The creature roared silently at their creator, unfurling their wings and letting dark red sparkles scatter in the air. Time and space churned and twisted into many wormholes from which poured corrupted energy. Arceus squinted their gaze, having noticed another figure in the background. Some void aura, but it seemed to be… human-shaped?

And the vision faded, leaving more questions than answers.

Arceus stared at the blank spot, shocked by the sight. From the corner of their eyes, they noticed Unukahlai had witnessed that scene as well, and she shot them a worried glance. The markings on her body dimmed until they became almost as dark as her scales, fully showing her distressed state of mind.

«Worry not, my dear,» started Arceus, their eyes narrowed with determination. «I shall do something about this, and that dream thou envisioned — with mortals and deities being friends — will be a reality. Thou hast my word on that.»

Upon hearing that promise, Unukahlai showed the brightest stare of admiration that Arceus had ever seen. So bright that it could dwarf even the most brilliant of stars. «Show them what you can do, Arceus. I’ll be rooting for you!» she exclaimed, thumping her tail in excitement and her markings pulsing with renewed fervor.

Arceus nodded in agreement, and their mind began concocting some vague plan. No longer they would stay away from the mortal plane for such a long period and expect the worlds to fix all their problems by themselves. Hisui direly needed guidance, and it was time for Arceus to abide by their role and redefine what it meant to be a god.
 
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Railgun

Johto trash.
Location
Johto Region
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. raichu
Ahhhh I loved this one! I haven't played Conquest but I really want to given its similarities to FE! I really loved how you connected Ransei and Hisui together. And Rayquaza being the one showing Arceus the lives of mortals? That's hella interesting, it seems Arceus has much to learn indeed about the world between deities and mortals.

And damn that vision... oh boy... we all know what that foreshadows... yeah, Arceus is totally gonna make sure things don't go super south. Hah.

I really love the way you write the deities. Especially Arceus because you really display how much of an important figure they are here. Even I would probably bow down to them before I catch them that is... huehue.

Fantastic job, it was such a lovely read. I need more Arceus centric fics now...
 
<Pokémon> seems curious about your fashion.

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
Prompt: <Pokémon> seems curious about your fashion.
Content Warning: Mentions of injuries and bleeding.
Characters: Silvally, Gladion

Setting: Alola

~•~

The Memories in the Rips

SM_Ending_Screen_13.png

It’s been two months. Two entire months since we resolved the crisis with the Ultra Beasts and returned to the Aether Foundation. With the Ultra Space and Necrozma messes out of the way, we thought it’d be a good idea to stop our wandering around Alola to focus on connecting again with Gladion’s family while we wait for the inauguration of the first Alolan Pokémon League.

But despite reclaiming all his belongings and what little semblance there is of the daily life before we ran away, Gladion still wears the same dark clothes. The same attire he got for himself after ditching his elegant, white Aether outfit. Even after his sister and the president commented about his fashion — not in a demeaning way, they were just as curious as I am — he still prefers his torn sweatshirt and his tattered pants. Not even the fact that he must sew them regularly to make sure they don’t fall apart seems to bother him.

Speaking of sewing, that’s precisely what he’s doing right now with his sweatshirt, since the fabric started giving away after an intense training session. He’s wearing his usual red shirt at the moment, which has a few stray threads at most.

He must have realized that I’m staring at him, as his green eyes focused on my silver gaze just now. We look at each other for a few seconds, my head tilting slightly and a thin smile appearing on his face. “What’s the matter, Silvally?” he asks, quickly returning his focus to the tear he is stitching up.

With a rapid tilt of my head, I load the information stored in my Psychic Memory into my genes. The psionic abilities inside of me fully awaken, and I can feel my mind expanding way beyond the limits of my brain. I quickly link my mind with Gladion, so that I can send my thoughts through some basic telepathy.

‘Ah, nothing in particular. I was just wondering…’ I approach Gladion and poke the sweatshirt with my muzzle, while my tail sways from one side to another. ‘Why do you still wear these clothes? You’ve got a wardrobe full of clothes of all kinds, and yet you only stick with these. Why is that?’

Gladion pauses his sewing and narrows his eyes slightly. I recognize that expression instantly: he’s mulling things over. Looking for the right words to respond to my question. Then, he holds the sweatshirt closer to himself and runs his free hand on the slash in the chest area.

“Silvally. Do you remember how my clothes got ripped?”

I feel my muscles tensing up slightly. Of course I remember! I exhale a deep breath through my nostrils and my head feathers drop. Those memories, well… they’re nothing to be proud of.

‘How could I ever forget that?’ I ask telepathically, keeping my mental voice steady to not let him hear my inner tension. ‘I… was the one who tore your clothes. Many times.’

It’s not like I did that on purpose! The main issue was that nobody ever taught me how to hold back with my slashes and swipes, so most of my moves ended up striking parts that they should have never struck. How much I struggled and hated having so little control over my wind powers!

But it's not like the geneticists who created me and the others bothered imparting self-restraint lessons, either. The only purpose of a Type: Full was to destroy beasts from other worlds, and invaders didn’t deserve nor need any mercy or sympathy. If anything, going overboard with our killing instincts was an encouraged behavior, not reprehensible.

I was so unstable back then. A mistake, a failed project, a dangerous monster. And yet, Gladion never let those claims sway him, and he never scolded me for shredding his clothes with my overtuned moves. He always shrugged off all those accidents with the usual Trainer 101 drill.

Inexperienced Pokémon might accidentally hurt their human partners while sparring, but that’s nothing that can’t be patched up with adequate treatment and more focused training.

And that encouragement truly helped me, plenty of times. He always looked at me like a regular Pokémon, and he made me believe that I could be more than a simple killing machine. I rewound those words in my mind over and over, grasping onto them with all my might, with the hope and belief that someday everyone would see me as more than a deranged experiment.

However, despite my goodwill and best efforts, I found out quickly that things don’t always go smoothly… or painlessly.

‘And that large slash on the chest area…’

I breathe out deeply once again. It’s never fun dredging up bad memories.

The accident happened during an important battle, one that we couldn’t afford to lose. As I kept fighting and putting more and more effort, I felt my own emotions going wild. My target fell, and I could feel my excited instincts savoring the result. And the mask began acting up; interpreting my sheer determination and pumping adrenaline as a threat.

It began sapping my energy. Its weight became too much for me. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.

I clawed at it. I wanted it off. Away from my face. I roared, unable to ignore the stabbing pain. I heard Gladion’s voice so clearly, but his words were too blurry. My world turned to noises and darkness and rage and agony.

And then, during one of my attacks toward an indestructible enemy, my claws ran across a familiar surface. The sensation of ripping clothes on my talons and that sharp yell snapped me out of my frenzy. The mask ceased its incessant assault, and my senses returned to me. The newly found mental peace was instantly destroyed by the sight in front of me.

Dripping. Near imperceptible dripping, yet skull-piercing and unforgettable. Small red puddles gathered on the floor under Gladion.

I felt wetness on my talons. I smelled iron in my talons. My red talons.

My eyes widened in horror, and my already difficult breathing hastened, almost suffocating me. No! No… It couldn’t have happened! No!

I didn’t dare lifting my gaze, too aghast and barely able to compute my thoughts and emotions. But… But I had to, and so I did! I needed to know… what I had done.

Gladion… was clutching his chest, shivering, scrunching his face in a pained grimace. The dark clothing did little to mask the expanding stain.

He was injured… because of me! I had done that. I had injured my friend. My first and best friend.

Despite what just happened, Gladion soldiered on the slash and held out a brave face. Then, he began talking to me — without fear, but only with understanding and concern toward me. I was just so ashamed of what I had done and squealed my distress, taking a step back for every step forward he took toward me. Then, before I could react, Gladion burst forward… and he hugged me. He held me tight on my neck, reassuring me it was alright. That it wasn’t my fault… it wasn’t. I wonder where he found the strength and willpower to do that.

Luckily, the cut was superficial, and he only needed a gauze around his chest for a few days to heal properly, but if my claws went deeper… No, I dodn’t even want to imagine the possibility. Not even for a second.

But that event proved that my power was dangerous, and that I needed to learn how to master it to not hurt my friends. I had to do it… for Gladion, who always believed in me.

‘…That was an unfortunate accident, and I’m sorry for hurting you like that,’ I respond at last, and this time I let my sadness pour into my telepathic voice. ‘It wasn’t my intention, you know?’

Gladion nods, his gaze still pointed low. “Yeah. I know.”

I don't want to endure any potentially uncomfortable silence, so I deem it best to keep the conversation going.

‘But what does that have to do with you only wanting to wear those clothes? If anything, since they’re just broken clothes, maybe you could get rid of them?’

“No, I’ll never do that.” This time Gladion looks again at me, and I see a determined flame burn in his eyes. “I want to keep them because they’re like this.”

I tilt my head, unable to hold back my confusion from both my body and my mind. ‘…I don’t follow.’

Gladion looks again at his clothes and moves his hand across the various holes. His movements are slow and deliberate, almost as if he wishes to fully register the sensation. And when he resumes talking, pure fondness fills his voice.

“These slashes aren’t simply torn fabric. They are the proof of our progress and growth as teammates, battlers and friends. Whenever I see these slashes, I see how you used to be back then,” he glances back at me, beaming a warm smile, “and then I look at you, and I see how much you have improved. How you left that hideous mask behind to become the incredible Pokémon you are today.” He shakes his head and narrows his eyes. “I’ll never get rid of them. They’re much more than just broken clothes.”

There are no words to express how I’m feeling after hearing his confession — if we could call that a confession, of course. I would have never expected that those torn clothes would be so important for Gladion. And the way he expressed his pride for our progress… That truly puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

Our journey wasn’t smooth by any means, and we found many obstacles. And yet, I consider the experience worth it, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

Well… Maybe I would hold back a few slashes, but still! Oh, my tail is wagging so hard right now!

Unable to hold back my joy, I give a few licks to his face. He is at first surprised by my gesture of affection and holds his arms defensively. However, it doesn’t take long for him to let go of his hint of tension and he lowers his arms, laughing softly as I keep showering him with my love and appreciation.

I trade overjoyed stares with him for a few seconds before craning my head down his back and pulling him close to my chest. ‘I’m so glad you’re my friend!’

“Yeah…” I feel his arms wrap around my neck lightly and a soft sigh brush on my fur. Knowing that he’s happy through his body language just makes me feel even happier. “I’m glad you’re my friend, too.”
 
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bluesidra

Mood
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. hoppip-bluesidra-reup
  2. hoppip-bluesidra-pink
  3. hoppip-bluesidra3
When Creatures became Pokemon
>Yeets this at son
>"READ!"
The rest of night felt much less cold.
the rest of the night

A God's Duty
>Takes that out of the reach of son
>"DON'T READ"
Aaaaaa this is awesome! I'm so tempted to play conquest now, but I know I'll go down a rabbit hole of conflicting lore if I do.
On a sadder(?) note: I, blue, find it "bewildering" that Arceus enjoys the interactions with the humans right away. To me, that situation sounds utterly horrible (little kids that I don't know how to interact with touching me). If I was Arceus, I'd go hide in my dimension after that encounter and double bolt the doors.
That's nothing against your story, it's super sweet and I love it. I just found it interesting that this interaction seemed so very strange to me.

Memories in the rips
Awwww... what a cute and -- dare I say... whumpy -- dynamic. I'm taking many notes over here. Gladion really is a lot like Silver behaviour-wise, but he's got a really good grasp on how to handle his partners. Oh, and wouldn't it be awesome if his rheumatic edgelord pose is actually the consequence of an injury he got while training with silvy and that still hurts whenever he flexes his arm?
One little remark: I'd assume the two would have communicated telepathically before, since it's convenient and Gladion isn't too surprised. So it's a bit odd that Silvy needs to think first to remember her psychic abilities.

All in all, very cool stuff. I'll of course suck up any hisui- and alpaca-related lore like a sponge, but besides the lore, these are just really cute stories. I also think your writing style has improved again. The shorter sentences really read well. Keep on being awesome :D
 

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
SORRY IM LATE ))): here it is, just a littlleee bit late... i hope the drawing can convey how your drabbles were my emotional support fic this week.
View attachment 7602

Holy cow!! This… Wow, I’ve got no words other than it being so utterly gorgeous!

Really, this is stunning! If only you could see how much my smile stretched.

Thank you!! This has really made my whole day! :love::veelove::giggle:
 

Starlight Aurate

Ad Jesum per Mariam | pfp by kintsugi
Location
Route 123
Partners
  1. mightyena
  2. psyduck
Hiya, I'm here for your Catnip review! I'm already excited at the prospect of a heartwarming set of drabbles :veelove: Let's take a look!

When Creatures Became Pokemon
And creatures couldn’t mingle with humans. They were way too different, it’s been decided moons ago, and that was the law of the wilderness.

Fortunately for her, she found a small cave that would have kept her warmer until the storm passed by.
I like these lines; they very much give a "childhood fairy tale" feel to this story, with the simplicity of the sentences and the simplicity of the reasoning. It brings me back!

She flicked her tail, her motherly instincts fully kicking in, and she rested her head against the human’s head, bringing it closer to herself and protecting it from the gusts.

The rest of night felt much less cold.
Awww <3

This was really cute! I take it the skiddo is an adult, yes? Describing her "motherly instincts" gave me the impression that she was older. And I like how the human is simply called "the child"--she can't distinguish if it's a boy or girl, just like we often can't usually distinguish male or female creatures unless we scrutinize closely. It's a nice touch! Especially how she later has to correct herself and call the child "his" instead of "its."

Many young Skiddo were born in the tribe and wandered into the wild.
Hm! So she had babies while she lived with the humans? Now I'm wondering if at least one other creature joined the human pack so that Skiddo/Gogoat could have mated and bred more Skiddo within the human tribe.

It was nice to see how her compassion for the human led to the start of a new era and union between humans and Pokemon. Thanks for this cute little tale!

A God's Duty
Her behavior surprised Arceus. The last time they interacted with the sky dragoness in outer space, she was more aloof and serious. The alpha god assumed that it was because of her natural temperament, since that was a common trait among Rayquaza, but probably their analysis was off.
Interesting tidbit of Arceus' perception! Makes sense he'd assume her to be aloof since she was like that the last time, but his ready willingness to believe that his first impression was incorrect shows that he's not terribly proud and is willing to second-guess himself.

Out of the crowd, the young Bagon showed the most enthusiasm, as they flapped their arms like their future wings.
Love this reference to Bagon's Pokedex entry!

«Worry not, my dear,» started Arceus, their eyes narrowed with determination. «I shall do something about this, and that dream thou envisioned — with mortals and deities being friends — will be a reality. Thou hast my word on that.»
Awww.

Hisui direly needed guidance, and it was time for Arceus to abide by their role and redefine what it meant to be a god.
This is a really powerful line!

This is a nice drabble--I'm not familiar with Legends: Arceus, but I think you did a good job showing how Arceus came to have affection for humans. Enjoying the feel of humans touching them, as well as the attention and affection they gave Arceus was sweet and made it feel believable. And Giratina at the end was definitely an ominous touch! It really set up something foreboding for the people of Hisui, and it made the story's final line pack a punch. Well done!

The Memories in the Rips

Aww, the photo of Silvally and Gladion at the start is already a cute beginning to this!

‘…That was an unfortunate accident, and I’m sorry for hurting you like that,’ I respond at last, and this time I let my sadness pour into my telepathic voice. ‘It wasn’t my intention, you know?’
Even when something happened so long ago in the past, it's still hard to heal from the guilt of it. I can see why poor Silvally is still upset with himself over hurting Gladion!

Well… Maybe I would hold back a few slashes, but still! Oh, my tail is wagging so hard right now!
Aw, Silvally sounds like a dog when he mentions his tail!

I really like how this is showing a quite scene between two good friends after they've dealt with their trauma. Silvally remembering how Gladion was there for him when his mask was causing him so much pain was really sweet; it lets you revisit a painful memory without the fear, anxiety, and worry of whether everything will be okay. I like that about flashbacks in stories, and I especially think it worked well here, since this drabble has a quite atmosphere. I'm not surprised that Gladion keeps his ripped-up clothing as a sign of Silvally's progress (and his), but it was still really sweet, even if expected.

I don't really have any critiques for these stories! I think they did a good job of doing what they were meant to. Drabbles are so short, and so you did a really good job in setting up the atmosphere in each one. My favorite was definitely the last one, since I'm a sucker for friendship tales and I like calm scenes like the one between Silvally and Gladion. Thanks for sharing these! I really do hope you finish the rest of the prompts on your bingo card; they'll be a real treat if you do!
 

Blackjack Gabbiani

Merely a collector
Pronouns
Them
Partners
  1. shaymin
  2. dusknoir
These are so nice!

A Skiddo is an unlikely heroine but this is so pleasant. I like that you worked in the empathic capabilities. She doesn't seem to know what crying is at all, but very quickly understands that this creature emitting water from its eyes is Not Good. Now, would she really have been shunned or is that just her initial fear of the unknown? It seems like others of her kind joined her with humans after seeing her example, so were they in similar situations or did they just see her thriving and realize humans weren't so bad? I love that we get a glimpse of them years later at the end.


RANSEI FIC RANSEI FIC YES CONQUEST

I love how you write gods being fascinated with mortals. That we value our short lives and what we can do within them more than an immortal being might. I wonder, since we know some of the gods of the pokemon world are mortal, what in-between perspective they might have. And Ransei's relative isolation works to your advantage to slip it into the timeline with PLA's humans still fearing these creatures. I like how the kids aren't intimidated by Arceus and go up to cuddle them basically by instinct because they looks cute when loafing like that.


Aww Gladion's rationale makes perfect sense, in a teenage edgelord sort of way (Gladion honey you can KEEP the clothes but you have options on what to WEAR now). I like how Silvally uses the Psychic Memory to communicate with him, and how it's more shaken up by what happened than Gladion was. Being out of control like that would be awful even if you didn't hurt anyone, and Gladion can forgive all he likes but Silvally had to live it internally.

Very good fics! Thanks for sharing!
 

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. lugia
  5. quilava-fobbie
  6. sneasel-kate
  7. heliolisk-fobbie
Heya, while I didn’t get this piece for Catnip this week, it was on my radar as I worked my way down my authorial hitlist for this Review Blitz, so that sounded like as good a reason to drop by for a review anyways:

When Creatures Became Pokémon

Skiddo hopped onto various rocky spikes, her jumps agile and effortless. She had to hurry; a storm was coming, and trying to track down her pack herd would have been too risky.

Minor nitpick that I won’t bring up but just tweak if I see it pop up again, but a group of goats would be a “herd”. “pack” in English is typically associated with canids and other carnivores that are like them.

Moving toward the coast was also a terrible idea. Humans were known for settling closer to the sea, as they compensated for their lack of fur by living in warmer areas.

And creatures couldn’t mingle with humans. They were way too different, it’s had been decided moons ago, and that was the law of the wilderness.

Oh, so that’s the story of the title. We’re basically going to see the story of the first trained Pokémon bonding with a human, huh?

Fortunately for her, she found a small cave that would have kept would her warmer until the storm passed by.

Unfortunately for her, the cave wasn’t empty. A small, shivering, furless creature laid limply by the end of the cave. A human child.

Skiddo: “*Yeah… I’m just… going to turn and leave right now.*”
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Skiddo had no clue how it got there. Probably it got separated from the rest of its pack and hid in that cave to protect itself. Her first instinct was to leave and never return, but seeing it the human child so vulnerable and fragile… she began feeling sympathy toward it.

Ah yes, the impulse to find babby cute even across species. I suppose if you roll with the idea that Pokémon are also sapient, that it’d be plausible enough that they wouldn’t be immune to such feelings much like how humans often aren’t.

In part wary and in part curious, Skiddo approached the motionless human. When she got close enough, she tapped her hoof, anxious. What her horns detected was the discomforting wave of fear and waning of life force. The child wouldn’t have been able to survive for much longer.

Wait, Skiddo can do that? (Though I’m just realizing that this is based off of its Pokédex entry in Pokémon X. Neat tie-in there.)

A soft bleat escaped her throat, her mind raging with contrasting thoughts. To get the scent of a human on oneself would be considered the ultimate form of treachery. No Skiddo pack herd would accept her ever again. Nobody wanted an outlaw in their packs herds.

I… kinda think that we’re missing some context here regarding the law of the wilderness being a literal moral/ethical code among Pokémon. Like it might make sense to spend a sentence or two elaborating on why the law of the wilderness matters so much and why breaking it isn’t a trivial matter.

Like say Skiddo here got the scent of a human on her, why would that matter so much to the point that she’d be an outcast? Like is it believed that breaking the law of the wilderness invites danger and misfortune? Or else what’s the story there?

…But she would never be able to feel at peace with herself if that small human didn’t survive.

Boy is this kid fortunate that he drew the empathetic wild encounter instead of one that went full:

giphy.gif


and moved along. Since nature can be pretty callous at times.

The wave of distress intensified and trails of water leaked out of the child’s eyes. In an instant, the storm inside Skiddo’s mind vanished. With new resolve, she laid down by the human’s side, tucking her paws underneath herself and covering its body with her fur. Soon enough, the human stopped shivering and the pale color on its skin turned into a healthier pinkish hue.

Skiddo perked up when she heard the child muttering some kind of cry, then she bleated in shock when it wrapped its arms around her neck and dug its face into her fur, making itself more comfortable.

So how “AAAAAHNOLEMMEGOLEMMEGO” is Skiddo about to get right now? Since this feels like a really ill-advised thing to do on a wild animal IRL.

That was so strange. Under other circumstances, that could be considered a threat, but all she detected with her horns were waves of gratitude and joy. She flicked her tail, her motherly instincts fully kicking in, and she rested her head against the human’s head, bringing it closer to herself and protecting it from the gusts.

The rest of the night felt much less cold.

I actually wonder if this sequence would have a bit more kick if Skiddo at first gets unnerved only to realize that “wait, the human feels grateful for this and then back down. Since getting abruptly grabbed by a strange creature and not reacting to it sounds like a recipe to potentially have serious life expectancy problems in nature.

Returning the child to its — no, his — tribe led to some initial suspicion from the humans, but the child and his parents vouching for her definitely helped. Despite the first impression, humans proved to be much more welcoming than Skiddo ever expected, and she became a valuable part of the human pack herd.

She offered protection and helped the humans venture into the higher grounds of the mountain area, and they offered companionship and made sure she was always healthy, well-fed and in good company.

Yeah, I can see how that would be handy with how mobile goats can be in mountainous terrain. Though I wonder if the way that the humans are so open implies that Skiddo isn’t the first Pokémon they’ve befriended like this.

Though for Skiddo calling the group of humans a “pack”, I’m actually of two minds depending on what you want to emphasize. If the idea is to play up how they’re different from her original herd, it makes sense to keep it. If the idea is to draw explicit comparison to her old herd, “herd” is probably the better choice.

Skiddo had found a new pack herd, and she couldn’t have been happier for trusting her heart.

Many young Skiddo were born in the tribe and wandered into the wild. Many of them spread the word that creatures and humans can be allies and friends. Many urged other creatures to try to interact with humans in the tall grass. And many more creatures joined human packs.

Oh huh. That’s definitely a neat take on the idea of how Pokémon training branched out across just about all known species. Though I have to wonder if Skiddo as the “messenger” Pokémon also influenced other quirks of human training such as how the Violet-dex claims that ancient humans had a hate-on for Hydreigon and wound up making them ferocious in temperament through constantly attacking them. Since if a Skiddo is ultimately your main conduit for introducing Pokémon to human contact… ^^;

Gogoat stared at the horizon, accompanied by the man she rescued years ago, and she felt comforted by his gentle caresses and the waves of trust and affection coming from the mixed tribe of creatures and humans, all living in perfect harmony.

Who would have thought that breaking the law of the wilderness would have turned her into the precursor of a new and better era?

D’aww… Let’s not get into the part where less harmoniously-minded people start getting into proto-Team Evil antics later in history.

A God’s Duty

>Unukahlai

Wait, what is the story behind that name anyways? Is that official? Or created for this story?

The battle was over. Nobunaga and Unukahlai, the supposedly invincible black Rayquaza, had been defeated by Hiro and his partner — the Original One and creator of Ransei themself, Arceus.

With that victory, the region was united under the same flag, with Hiro proclaimed the strongest Warlord and ruler of all kingdoms.

Huh, a Ransei story. You definitely don’t see too many of those in the fandom at large.

Since all the conflicts and hostilities had been abated, Arceus had no reason to stay in the mortal plane any longer and they prepared themself to return to their dimension. But before they could open a portal, Unukahlai approached them and asked them to stay for a little longer.

«You have been away for so many centuries. Aren’t you wondering how the world has changed during your celestial slumber?» asked the sky goddess.

Oh, Unukahlai is female. I did not expect that initially, but duly noted. Also, a quick Google appears to indicate that you named her after Alpha Serpentis.

«I do not desire to interfere with mortals’ affairs any longer than I ought to,» was Arceus’ response.

«Ah. Well, it’s not like you haven’t interfered plenty already, what with you being a celebrity around here, and defeating me in a battle, and all of that!» Unukahlai chuckled. «You might as well try to make the most out of your time here, huh? It would be a kind of pity to leave just like that, without experiencing the joys of this world.»

Do I detect an ever so slight hint of salt over that loss there? >:V

Her behavior surprised Arceus. The last time they interacted with the sky dragoness in outer space, she was more aloof and serious. The alpha god assumed that it was because of her natural temperament, since that was a common trait among Rayquaza, but probably their analysis was probably off.

This seemed to be her true nature: cheerful, open-minded, perhaps even human, they dared to say.

I wonder how much of that is Unukahlai’s persona from the start and how much of that came about from influence from Nobunaga or whoever she tagged along with.

Things truly had changed plenty, and Arceus couldn’t help but be curious about such progress.

«Very well. Show me, Unukahlai, how the world has developed in my absence.»

And this is how Unukahlai and Arceus ended up striding through the pebbly paths of Dragnor, the Dragon Kingdom. The alpha god found the entire experience particularly bizarre, as they felt the many mortal gazes trained on them, following every step with eyes full of awe and reverence. Even the most rebellious Hydreigon and Haxorus couldn’t help but stay quiet and lower their heads in respect, fully aware of the immense power radiating from the wheel-wielding god.

I mean, if Arceus had happened to be donning the Fairy Plate that day… yeah, I’d sit down and shut up really fast, too. ^^:

Soft hisses resonated from their side and Arceus turned to see Unukahlai, who gave them an amused grin. «So, even the creator of everything isn’t immune to stage fright, huh?»

Arceus blinked slowly. If that statement bothered them, they didn’t show it. «Such bold claim of thee,» grumbled the alpha god, before their gaze fell on a herd pack of awed Gible. «I am merely not used to all this attention. That is all.»

See the notes regarding usages of “herd” versus “pack”. If you want to get a bit “fantasy media” about it, a “flight of Gible” (from DnD and various derivatives) or a “weyr of Gible” (from Dragonriders of Pern) would be alternatives to consider as decently common “collective nouns” for dragons.

«Mortals are easy to impress, and that’s something I find adorable about them. They can find value and worth in nearly everything, be it the vastness of the sky or the scent of spring flowers.» Unukahlai tilted her head and flashed a wistful gaze. «I suppose having a limited lifespan is an excellent motivator to consider every experience a priceless treasure. We kind of… take everything for granted, do we not?»

[ ]

«And is there something wrong with that?»

Wait, what is Arceus’ mood right now anyways? Like is he genuinely curious at the moment? Is he going full
807798727154728961.webp
-face? Might be worth dropping in a little blurb to indicate one way or another.

Unukahlai shook her head. «Not really, no. It’s just another perspective. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t try to see things through mortal eyes, at least for once in our lives.» She glanced at a group of human children accompanied by a few Dratini and Bagon, all of them giving her expectant stares, and she grinned again at the alpha god. «You know what? How about trying out that lesson right now? Follow my lead!»

Can’t tell whether or not this is going to be cute or if she’s going to give those human and dragon kiddos the fright of their lives.

Having said so, Unukahlai slithered through the air and toward the group of young mortals. The kids stared in awe at the towering dragon, her dark scales shimmering under the sunlight.

«Hey! Anyone wishes to take part in a quick flight lesson?» she exclaimed, stretching out her arms toward the sky. Small tornadoes swirled around her serpentine body, and squeals of excitement rang from the children and Pokémon alike, fully aware of what was to come. Satisfied with their response, Unukahlai flashed another warm grin. «Alright, then! Let’s ride the winds, everyone!»

I can already tell that the Bagon of the group were the most loud and emphatic takers of the offer there. :P

The markings on Unukahlai’s body glowed with a green hue. An updraft began blowing from underneath the group, lifting the children and cubs off of the floor and into the air.

Out of the crowd, the young Bagon showed the most enthusiasm, as they flapped their arms like their future wings. The Dratini followed the other dragons’ lead and began doing loops and swimming through the aether. As for the human children, Unukahlai leaned herself closer and allowed them to cling to her body, fully aware that humans didn’t share the same predisposition toward the sky and the sensation of being airborne. And then, the sky serpent and the air-lifted mortals flew, enjoying the fresh breeze blowing through their scales, skins, and any other body surface.

Yeah, I just knew it. o<o

Arceus studied Unukahlai and the air-riding mortals, somewhat bemused by their carefreeness. To see a deity and a large crowd of proteges have such close interactions was something the alpha god hadn’t anticipated. It was difficult enough for deities to find pure hearts who could bond with them, but Unukahlai took a step further. She had made friends with nearly everyone, placing her trust and faith in mortals.

I’m honestly surprised at the turnaround given that Ransei was in endemic warfare for heaven-knows-how-long before this (even if a lot of the IRL icky stuff was pushed aside for Pokémon battles, IIRC). I guess peace must make a ‘mon hungry for new friends.

Faith from a deity… What a bizarre thought was that.

Something touched their hoof, making Arceus return to the mortal plane. They focused their attention on whoever touched them, and their gaze locked on a small human child, who looked back at them with eyes full of curiosity. Though that child wasn’t alone — a group of other humans and Dragon-type Pokémon had inched closer, still staring at the alpha god with reverence.

Crowd: “Whoa…”
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Arceus: “*Um… yes? Can I help you right now?*” .-.

Did that mean that Arceus had to do something? Was that a moment to bond and connect with mortals? Did they have to give some essay about their role, guide them as their creator, or…?

This is going to be a redux of the Arceus vignette from Legendaries of the Present World, isn’t it? o3o

Follow my lead!

Arceus glanced back at Unukahlai, who was still carrying the young mortals through the air. Perhaps they only had to follow the flow?

They pondered what to do for a moment, then their wheel started glowing with golden power. The world around the group surrounding Arceus melted and warped into a planetarium, depicting faraway worlds and different eras. That startled the mortals, who didn’t expect to be mentally transported to the dark sky and the stars while being stuck to the ground, but with some growls of coaxing from Unukahlai, they relaxed and marveled at the tiny cosmos around them.

Arceus: “Huh. It really is fun to see their eyes light up with wonder like that. Maybe I should do this more often.”

Sensing that the mortals were at ease, Arceus lowered themself to the floor and laid down, their forepaws crossed in front of them. But doing so seemed to have sent some kind of signal, as many children and cubs gathered around them and sat by their sides, their bodies brushing against the fine fur of the alpha god.

Yeah, I knew it. I find it kinda funny that you and @Bluwiikoon managed to come to similar scenarios on your own. It was adorable then, and it’s also adorable here.

Arceus didn’t know what to think. That was the first time that mortals cuddled with them, and that… By the stars, that made them feel… good. Why was that?

Because physical affection gets the dopamine receptors firing, of course. o<o

«…You realized it now.»

Arceus turned to Unukahlai, who floated into the planetarium while children and cubs rode on her body. She glanced at her proteges, who marveled at the glorious sight of distant stars and planets, and her expression shifted, halfway between happy and sad.

«These connections with mortals… They are wonderful, aren’t they? Mortals and deities are both part of this world, so why must there be some standards to follow?»

[ ]

«Why should we restrict and select only a limited amount of mortals to interact with? I understand we must beware of bonding with humans tainted by the void in their hearts, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to reach out and help them as well. Wouldn’t it be perfect if we all could just be… friends?»

She looked down, her marks flickering faintly. [ ]

«I wish my brother would let me explain, and he didn’t exile me just because I wished to connect with all mortals. I mean,» she tightened her coils and brought the children close to her face, earning a few rubs that lifted her mood once more, «if the mortals could iron out their differences and help each other, then why can’t we?»

Unukahlai’s dialogue here is really long. I would strongly suggest dividing it up in a few parts and taking a moment to describe some combination of her and Arceus’ body language or internal thoughts to make the different parts of her musing a bit more digestible to read.

Why couldn’t they, indeed.

Arceus turned their attention back to the mortals pressed against their body, secretly relishing the soothing touch of small hands and paws, then focused again on the surrounding cosmos. A scenario got their attention: a dark swirl surrounding Mount Coronet, and humans and creatures trading gazes of distrust and hostility. Red-eyed titans tromped through the lands, attacking anything in sight — no matter if humans or creatures. And then, a slithering figure emerged from the shadows, staring directly at the alpha god themself from across times.

Oh, this is a vision of PLA’s events, isn’t it?

Giratina? What art thee…?

The creature roared silently at their creator, unfurling their wings and letting dark red sparkles scatter in the air. Time and space churned and twisted into many wormholes from which poured corrupted energy. Arceus squinted their gaze, having noticed another figure in the background. Some void aura, but it seemed to be… human-shaped?

And the vision faded, leaving more questions than answers.

inb4 this pit stop with Unukahlai gives Arceus the brilliant idea to isekai a modern human back to Hisui to play “gotta catch ‘em all” and fix his Distortion problems.

Arceus stared at the blank spot, shocked by the sight. From the corner of their eyes, they noticed Unukahlai had witnessed that scene as well, and she shot them a worried glance. The markings on her body dimmed until they became almost as dark as her scales, fully showing her distressed state of mind.

«Worry not, my dear,» started Arceus, their eyes narrowed with determination. «I shall do something about this, and that dream thou envisioned — with mortals and deities being friends — will be a reality. Thou hast my word on that.»

Yeah, feeling really good about that prediction there.

At Upon hearing that promise, Unukahlai showed the brightest stare of admiration that Arceus had ever seen. So bright that it could dwarf even the shiniest most brilliant of stars.

«Show them what you can do, Arceus. I’ll be rooting for you!» she exclaimed, thumping her tail in excitement and her markings pulsing with renewed fervor.

That actually makes me wonder how far Ransei is from Hisui in your continuity. Since I’ve now got the morbidly hilarious mental image in mind of Unukahlai happily playing with her dragon nation children while Hisui visibly has a normal one off in the far distance.

Arceus nodded in agreement, and their mind began concocting some vague plan. No longer they would stay away from the mortal plane for such a long period and expect the worlds to fix all their problems by themselves. Hisui direly needed guidance, and it was time for Arceus to abide by their role and redefine what it meant to be a god.

Yeah, we all know where this wound up going afterwards:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upONz6LlVy0

The Memories in the Rips

For reference, if you’re looking for a cleaner version of that one photo with Gladion and his Silvally, this or this are options without the credit text on them.

It’s been two months. Two entire months since we resolved the crisis with the Ultra Beasts and returned to the Aether Foundation. With the Ultra Space and Necrozma messes out of the way, we thought it’d be would have been a good idea to stop our wandering around Alola to focus on connecting again with Gladion’s family while we wait for the inauguration of the first Alolan Pokémon League.

But despite reclaiming all his belongings and what little semblance there is to the daily life before we ran away, Gladion still wears the same dark clothes. The same attire he got for himself after ditching his elegant, white Aether outfit. Even after his sister and the president commented about his fashion — not in a demeaning way, they were just as curious as I am — he still prefers his torn sweatshirt and his tattered pants. Not even the fact that he must sew them regularly to make sure they don’t fall apart seems to bother him.

Oh, this is a Silvally PoV story, huh? I suppose I should’ve seen that coming with the way that the prior two morsels were also Pokémon PoV, but it still surprised me a bit. Though I noticed that you were mixing verb tenses in Silvally’s narration here a bit. It probably makes sense to keep Silvally’s narration all in “present tense” aside from very clear “flashback” moments, which seems to be the direction you’re going for for a “live narration” direction.

Speaking of sewing, that’s precisely what he’s doing right now with his sweatshirt, since the fabric has threatened to give away started giving way after an intense training session. What He’s wearing is his usual red shirt at the moment, which has a few stray threads at most.

He must have realized that I’m staring at him, as his green eyes focused on my silver gaze just now. We look at each other for a few seconds, my head tilting slightly and a thin smile appearing on his face.

What’s the matter, Silvally?” he asks, quickly returning his focus to the tear he is stitching up.

I never would’ve pegged Gladion as a “sewing” guy, but I suppose he was forced to be fairly self-independent from bailing on Lusamine with Silvally at a young age.

Well, how can I explain to him what I’m thinking? My talons curl and uncurl unconsciously and a guttural hiss resonates in my throat. This is so tricky: How can I send the message across?

Oh! But of course! My Psychic Memory!

I… kinda feel like the first part should have more of an acknowledgement of at least directionally what Silvally wants to talk about. Whether it’s a general sweep of the topic or something as simple as “Nothing’s the matter, I just wanted to talk with him, but it’s always tricky to get my thoughts across.” or something like that.

With a rapid tilt of my head, I load the information stored on the purple disk into my genes. The psionic abilities inside of me fully awaken, and I can feel my mind expanding way beyond the limits of my brain. I quickly link my mind with Gladion, so that I can send him my thoughts through some basic telepathy.

Wait, has that actually been depicted for Psychic Memory in some official continuity? Or is that in interpretation you rolled for this vignette? Though I suppose it shouldn’t be all that shocking given that telepathy among psychicmons isn’t exactly rare in the franchise.

‘Ah, nothing in particular. I was only wondering…’ I approach Gladion and poke the sweatshirt with my muzzle, while my tail sways from one side to another. ‘Why do you still wear these clothes? You’ve got a wardrobe full of clothes of all kinds, and yet you only stick with these only ones. Why is that?’

Because character designs in general in Pokémon have suffered from “one outfit”-itis per generation up until the last couple gens of games? It’s like asking why Riley from the Sinnohgames perpetually has his Lucario-themed suit. ^^;

Gladion pauses his sewing and narrows his eyes slightly. I recognize that expression instantly: he’s mulling things over. Looking for the right words to respond to my question. Then, he holds the sweatshirt closer to himself and runs his free hand on the slash in the chest area.

“Silvally. Do you remember how my clothes got ripped?”

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Oh, this is going to get nice and uncomfortable quickly, I can already tell.

I feel my muscles tensing up slightly. Of course I remember! I exhale a deep breath through my nostrils and my head feathers drop. Those memories, well… they’re nothing to be proud of.

‘How could I ever forget that?’ I ask telepathically, keeping my mental voice steady to not let him hear my inner tension. ‘I… was the one who tore your clothes. Many times.’

Silvally: “*... Isn’t that all the more reason to get a different set of clothes? Why on earth do you want to remember that?*” ·v·

It’s not like I did that on purpose! Learning how to control wind powers and not going overboard with my attacks wasn’t easy. Because of my initial inability to hold back, a few stray attacks ended up striking parts that they should have never struck. Nothing too unusual; inexperienced Pokémon might accidentally hurt their human partners while sparring. That’s never a pleasant experience for young Trainers, sure, but that’s it was nothing that couldn’t be patched up with adequate treatment and more focused training.

Something about Silvally’s thought process reads a lot more “neutral” than I’d have expected about this. Like I honestly expected him to wrestle a bit more with feelings of guilt or embarrassment or else cope a bit more obviously about “S-So I screwed up a couple attacks when I was less experienced! Every Pokémon does that!”. Which, I suppose he does to an extent, but something about it is lacking that degree of flusteredness I’d have expected.

‘And that large slash on the chest area…’

I breathe out deeply once again. It’s never fun dredging up bad memories.

The accident happened during an important battle, one that we couldn’t afford to lose. As I kept fighting and putting more and more effort, I felt my own emotions going wild. My target fell, and I could feel my excited instincts savoring the result. And the mask began acting up; interpreting my sheer determination and pumping adrenaline as a threat.

>an important battle, one that we couldn’t afford to lose

Oh, they got into an Ultra Beast encounter, didn’t they? Since that would definitely kick a Silvally off into overdrive based on what we know of what the original ones were made to do.

It began sapping my energy. Its weight became too much for me. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.

I clawed at it. I wanted it off. Away from my face. I roared, unable to ignore the pain. I heard Gladion’s voice so clearly, but his words were too blurry. My world turned to noises and darkness and rage and pain.

And then, during one of my attacks toward an indestructible enemy, my claws ran across a familiar surface. The sensation of ripping clothes on my talons and that sharp yell snapped me out of my frenzy. The mask ceased its incessant assault, and my senses returned to me.

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That one had to have left a mark. Which I suppose it did if Gladion literally immortalized it in his wardrobe.

Gladion… was injured.

My eyes widened in horror. No! No… It couldn’t have happened!

I had hurt my friend. My first and best friend.

While I get that “blood and guts” isn’t quite your style. I feel as if there’s a bit more that can be said about Gladion’s injury that would make it more impactful and sell that sense of
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going through Type: Null/Silvally’s head without getting too deep into visceral territory. e.x.

Gladion was clutching at his chest. The fabric was visibly darkening and red fluid was dripping down his hands.

He… was injured. I’d injured him.

Some food for thought, anyways.

Despite what just happened, Gladion soldiered on the cut and held out a brave face. Then, he began talking to me — without fear, but only with understanding and concern toward me.

I was just so ashamed of what I had done and squealed my distress, and Gladion… he hugged me. He held me tight on my neck, reassuring me it was alright. That it wasn’t my fault… it wasn’t. I wonder where he found the strength and willpower to do that.

Type: Null: “*Um, Gladion? I think you’re bleeding on me.*” .^.
Gladion: “Right, we should really go see a doctor right now, huh?”
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Luckily, the cut was superficial, and he only needed a gauze around his chest for a few days to heal properly, but if my claws went deeper… No, I don’t even want to imagine the possibility. Not even for a second.

Shouldn’t that be “don’t even want to imagine the possibility” since these are Silvally’s thoughts in the present day?

But that taught me something: my power was dangerous, and I needed to learn how to master it to not hurt my friends. I had to do it… for Gladion, who always believed in me.

‘…That was an unfortunate accident, and I’m sorry for hurting you like that,’ I respond at last, and this time I let my sadness pour into my telepathic voice. ‘It wasn’t my intention, you know?’

Hm. Is Silvally supposed to read more formal in prose? Like on the one hand, I can kinda buy it since he’s part-machine/computer, but I’m not sure if that’s intentional or not.

Gladion nods, his gaze still pointed low. “Yeah. I know.”

I’m unwilling don’t want to endure any potentially uncomfortable silence, so I deem it best to keep the conversation going.

But what does that have to do with you only wanting to wear only those clothes? If anything, since they’re just broken clothes, maybe you could get rid of them?’

Silvally’s telepathy-dialogue IMO works better hacked off from the narration leading into it.

“To the contrary.” This time Gladion looks again at me, and I see a determined flame burn in his eyes. “It’s because they’re like this that I want to keep them.”

I… feel like Gladion’s first part of his line doesn’t quite follow Silvally’s question and might work better with a general rephrasing. e.x. something like:

No, I couldn’t do that, Silvally,” This time Gladion looks again at me, and I see a determined flame burn in his eyes. “I want to keep them because they’re like this.”

There’s potentially a few other ways of phrasing it, but the above felt like it was getting to your same destination but sounded a bit smoother to read out.
I tilt my head, unable to hold back my confusion from both my body and my mind. ‘…I don’t follow.’

Gladion looks again at his clothes and moves his hand across the various holes. His movements are slow and deliberate, almost as if he wishes to fully register the sensation. And when he resumes talking, pure fondness fills his voice.

These slashes aren’t simply torn fabric. They are the proof of our progress and growth as teammates, battlers and friends. Whenever I see these slashes, I see how you used to be back then,” he glances back at me, beaming a warm smile, “and then I look at you, and I see how much you have improved. How you left that hideous mask behind to become the incredible Pokémon you are today.” He shakes his head and narrows his eyes. “I’ll never get rid of them. They’re much more than just broken clothes.”

Does Gladion hand-wash those clothes or something? Since I’m not sure how on earth that gash in the fabric doesn’t just make his coat eventually disintegrate in a laundry machine. ^^;

There are no words to express how I’m feeling after hearing his confession — if we could consider call that a confession, of course. I would have never expected that those torn clothes had would be so much important for Gladion. And the way he expressed his pride for our progress… That truly puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

Our journey wasn’t smooth by any means, and we found many obstacles. And yet, I consider the experience worth it, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

Silvally: “*Also, we got a great scrapbook photo out of it!*”
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Gladion: “Yeah, no. That one’s going deep, deep into the photo album so we don’t need to see it again.” >_>;

Well… Maybe I would hold back a few slashes, but still! Oh, my tail is wagging so hard right now!

Unable to hold back my joy, I give a few licks to his face. He is at first surprised by my gesture of affection and holds his arms defensively. However, it doesn’t take long for him to let go of his hint of tension and he lowers his arms, laughing softly as I keep showering him with my love and appreciation.

Oh. This is going to lead to the attached photo from the SM credits, isn’t it?

I trade overjoyed stares with him for a few seconds before craning my head down his back and pulling him close to my chest. ‘I’m so glad you’re my friend!’

“Yeah…” I feel his arms wrap around my neck lightly and a soft sigh brush on my fur. Knowing that he’s happy through his body language just makes me feel even happier. “I’m glad you’re my friend, too.”

Close enough, really, and it’s still an adorable ending.

Alright, time for the customary recap that I give out for these things. These three short stories (wasn’t sure if you classified them as drabbles or not) all lived up pretty well to the overarching title / theme. There was quite a bit of premise / scenario variety as well, since we covered three separate time periods with three very different dynamics of how people and Pokémon got along with each other, and the characterization was fun to see play out in all of them.

I had a few quibbles here and there regarding phrasing and paragraph structure across the three stories. I also thought that there were a couple parts that could’ve benefitted from some combination of added context or further description (e.x. “the law of the wilderness” from the first one and why breaking it is such a big deal, a better read on Arceus or Unukahlai’s reactions at a couple moments, Gladion’s injury, etc.), but those are all ultimately things that can be fixed with a few additional sentences here and there if so inclined.

Good work, @Cresselia92 . I’m not sure whether or not you’ll be sticking to your original goal of filling in your full bingo card with prompts in this series, but if you do, I’ll certainly be back for it. It’s a cute series to just unwind with when you need… well… Morsels of Heartwarming, and even what’s there delivers on it quite well already. ^^
 

kintsugi

golden scars | pfp by sun
Location
the warmth of summer in the songs you write
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. silvally-grass
  2. lapras
  3. golurk
  4. booper-kintsugi
  5. meloetta-kint-muse
  6. meloetta-kint-dancer
  7. murkrow
  8. yveltal
  9. celebi
hiya Cress, long time no see! Here for Catnip.

I thought these were super cozy. Nice to curl up with a little tea and read through. I appreciate how all of these conflicts could be solved with cuddles; I think you have a good eye for figuring out what makes a heartwarming and cute relationship. It was pretty neat how all of these scenarios are different in premise--two strangers meet in pre-history, two old friends who've drifted apart cross paths during the feudal period, two found siblings reminisce in the modern day--but share the same core themes. Lends things a bit of an anthology feel, which makes them fun to read in one sitting.

also, apologies, I grabbed some line quotes earlier in the week, but it seems possible you've done some edits since then, as rereading the text tonight things seemed a little different than when I'd first stopped by!

When Creatures Became Pokemon
I was reminded a lot of How to Train Your Dragon, in a good way! Love when people are able to overcome their preconceived fears and see the good in each other. Skiddo's a very good friend and I like how she wrestles with her fear vs duty here. Even knowing that this will probably result in some sort of unlikely friendship, humans and pokemon do end up being close to each other down the line, it's still fun seeing the story beats play out. I also liked how she begins to see herself more and more in the human--first it's just a weird "it" and she just feels a general sensation of guilt; eventually she starts to look at its behavior as if it's closer to her, and compares it to a newborn Skiddo. Oftentimes I think people see themselves in someone before they're able to respect them, so it was nice to see the reverse coming true here. I also think the title fits your vibes nicely; the moment that creatures become pokemon is pretty close to the moment they become friends, isn't it?

One thing I was confused about was the motivation for creatures' distrust in humans--earlier sentences seem to imply that it's because they're too different and can't understand each other due to a lack of shared language/cultural norms, but later sentences such as "for their interactions only brought strife" suggests that there was overt conflict, some sort of documented/known physical struggle between them. Skiddo is initially weary of the human child because "for any creature worth its fur, the child's sudden approach could be considered a threat"--so it seems like she's deriving the norms of cultural violence from creatures, specifically not humans, which then clashes with both those ideas, since creatures intermingle with creatures despite being able to interpret other creatures' actions as violent/threatening. fwiw I think the "they're scary and so we don't talk to them" idea is a bit simpler and perhaps requires less explanation, whereas "we had some strife in the past so we don't trust them any more" would probably lend more weight to the new generation forging a bond--either of them would work with what you're working with, but I had trouble seeing which one was happening in the moment.

Some quick grammar notes:
They were way too different, it had been decided moons ago, and that was how the law of the wilderness came into existence: Creatures and humans must stay separated
"Creatures" isn't capitalized elsewhere in the story, and words after semicolons aren't either, so you'd want "the law of the wilderness came into existence: creatures and humans"
The child wouldn’t have been able to survive for much longer.
"wouldn't have been able" suggests some amount of future knowledge (i.e. "wouldn't have been able to unless Skiddo correctly intervened"). "The child wouldn't be able to survive much longer" would keep things in the speculative tense here!

A God's Duty
Conquest fic! Heck yeah. I know loosely of the existence of your Conquest fic but I'm not read up on it, so apologies if this was meant to be a companion piece that I'm missing the context for.

I think the feudal period/whatever we actually want to call Conquest (I seem to recall a map of an actual power plant with windmills? lol) is a really nice time period to set this in. Things are definitely changing, and with the fall of Nobunaga/the rise of Hiro, it really does feel like a new era of the world is coming about, which works well for the content of this story. What better a time to interrogate the systems that brought us here than when we're standing in the aftermath of a war, sort of mood.

I also like the core dynamic between Unukahlai and Arceus--someone who's changed distinctly with the times, and someone who created the world and presumably hasn't changed very much since. It's a fun look at the role of creators and deities, what kind of duties a god might expect of themselves. Can you still help someone if you're never around them? Can you be impartial if you're too close? I also like how Arceus learns from Unukahlai but doesn't directly copy her--they choose to emulate a planetarium rather than just doing flight; it's a similar thing, and they're going with the flow, but they're still adding their own experiences to the mix. They're both still playing to their strengths in their own way, while also sharing with the people around them, and I thought that was pretty neat.

I ended the story a little curious about the roots of their conflict. Iirc Pokemon Conquest!Nobunaga is pretty hardcore about conquering Ransei--what were Unukahlai's opinions on his motivations? Is she sad that they lost or does she maintain confidence that the new world is one that she'll be happy to be in? She seems so at peace/joy with the people of Ransei that it's kind of hard to pin down what her role was in the conflict--if she's happy with how things are, why was she fighting to conquer everything? Arceus mentions trying to maintain a professional relationship with Hiro + disdain for meddling in mortal affairs, but if they felt the need to intervene in this war, do they think Unukhalai was wrong at the time but has good ideas now? I think the "old friends" to "briefly enemies, or at least at odds" back to "friends who can learn from one another" is a really fun character dynamic to explore, but I think some background on what they were originally fighting about would help ground what they're learning from each other in the moment.

Some quick grammar notes:
Arceus lowered themself to the floor and laid down, their forepaws crossed in front of them.
I wasn't sure if this was purposeful AU rendition, but typically Arceus is depicted with hooves, which are imo anatomically distinct from paws. So maybe "forelegs" if you want to keep the image of crossed front limbs?
Just how much did they truly know about mortals, the ways they tick, and their development throughout the centuries?
"ticked" over "tick" here
she replied, her marking glowing fiercely and defensively
Later she's described as having "markings" plural, which I think is what you wanted here?
What art thee…?
Should be "What are thou...?"

The Memories in the Rips
Love me some Gladion and Silvally. I also liked your choice to explore their relationship after the dust has settled, so to speak, when things are Fine--this is the perfect moment to look back and angst, I mean reminisce, on how much you've grown and how happy you can be now that all the bad things are over. In this case there's some very tangible evidence that things are okay and everything worked out, it's just two friends reminiscing about sewing and laundry, but they're able to explore some very vulnerable moments that they've shared, and I think that's neat. Also, ha, I liked that Silvally refers to Lillie as "sister" but there's just that "president" walking around--thought that was a fun detail.

I liked how you portrayed the mask/experimental nature of Type: Full's development, how it's geared to interpret heightened emotions and determination as a sign of a threat. It adds a nice layer to the depersonalization that seems rife in science experiment stories, and it's so dehumanizing--you aren't even allowed to feel except what I expect you to feel, sort of thing. Gladion strikes me as a little less edgy, more collected/mellow than I remember him in the games, and I think that change really works here; I like how patient he was with the burgeoning Type: Full and how he's careful never to translate that violence into blame. It makes it more clear that their relationship isn't one that everyone could share, but it something that the two of them can really cherish.

These were really sweet! Thanks for sharing.
 
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