Pokémon Yangverse Michronicles

[Umbramatic]

Yangverse Michronicles



(AKA The official Yangverse drabble/flash fiction/microfiction/ficlet/what have you thread)

(Banner by AmericanPi, cover by me)

So hey! I thought this little number of a thread would be a good way to keep working with, tweaking, building on, and teasering stuff about my fanon essentially-hybrid-canon setting the Yangverse. The microstories in here will contain anything from expanding on certain already-introduced characters in short scenarios, expanding on the world a bit, teasering new characters and/or moments from potential future fics, and anything else I feel wouldn't merit a longer oneshot (or chapterfic for that matter) but still want to get out of my head. This thread will be posted sporadically as I get ideas for such stories.

To start, however, a fun suggestion by Spiteful Murkrow that I've been meaning to make a thing somehow, so here you go:

Triggered

On a quiet day in a small house in Unova, a currently-human Reshiram woke up from a nap, yawned, and looked around. "...Where's everybody else? Hopefully they haven't gotten in troub-"

She was interrupted by a loud "Not again!" from Roger in another room. "...I should probably check that out."

She rushed into the house's living room and let out a sigh of relief to see Roger playing a video game on what he had told her was an "Super En-ee-ess." As she sat next to him to watch, she heard him grumble under his breath. "Cobaliondammned Lavos fight gets me every time..."

Reshiram blinked. "Lavos?"

Roger started at her suddenly speaking next to her, but then grew annoyed again gesturing to the screen. "This game's called Adamant Trigger. That thing on the screen is Lavos, evil space monster who wants to suck out all life on the planet after crashing in on a meteor - and puts up one hell of a boss fight."

Reshiram gazed at the pixelated monstrosity on the screen, her brow furrowing at it curiously. Roger furrowed his own brow at her. "...Something about the giant space pinecone Joltik get your attention?"

"Yes, actually," said Reshiram; "What you said about it coming in on a meteor, it sounded... familiar..."

Roger shrugged. "Tom said Lacunosa had a myth about Kyurem being like that, but he, you, and N all found out a lot of Lacunosan stuff about Kyurem was bullshit. Plus, Kyurem was part of the same dragon you and Zekrom were, right?"

"Yes..." said Reshiram, frowning. "Though, I don't remember much of what we were like before the split or how it happened... It's all a haze..."

Roger snickered. "Maybe you all are from space or something."

Reshiram didn't respond at first, instead thinking back to the dream she had had just before.

----

Falling, falling, you rip through the sky, flame surrounding you.

Before long you crash to the earth, ripping it to pieces and sending shockwaves throughout the land.

You lie still a very long time, until something deep in the earth feels the shockwaves, crawls, stalks, slithers, stomps toward you.

It digs its teeth, fingers, tendrils, claws into you and fills you with energy, strange and powerful, making you want to burst forth anew someway, somehow...

----

Reshiram shuddered, then covered it up with a forced chuckle. "Roger, don't be ridiculous. I'm the goddess of truth."

"...And as such I'm pretty sure the truth's more complicated than me being a glorified Lavos."

 

[Umbramatic]

This one is a micro-sequel to Crater Dreams so reading that first might be nice.

Heated Tensions

In Sootopolis' Cave of Origin, a green-haired, teal eyed young woman with Kyogre-esqe earrings, facial tattoos, and matching spear felt her way through the cave, a light-blue-haired, green-eyed young man lacking such adornments nervously following.

"S-So, Narissa?" said the young man to the woman. "What's this visit for again?"

"The other Sootopolis villagers have been reporting very odd things happening around the crater... Pools of water boiling over, strange rumblings in the ground, the peaks' huts are built on shifting without warning... As the Chieftain, I have to figure out if the volcano's active again."

The young man looked around, noting the increased amount of steam, heat and, oddly, glowing red crystals compared to blue ones. "...And why did you bother bringing me along?"

Narissa looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Apollo, we've known each other for years, we're in a relationship, and from both those I trust you and I know you can help me out here?"

Apollo stared at her for a few seconds, all the possible answers to her rushing through his mind.

I don't think I can help you. I'm useless.

You saved our tribe and founded this village. I barely did anything.

I don't deserve your trust or respect. I don't deserve anyone's.

He gulped slightly, then smiled half-heartedly at her.

"Alright... Thank you."

Narissa furrowed her brow briefly before giving a small smile herself and nodding. "Alright, let' go."

She headed off; Apollo stared after her a while.

And I can't even tell you the truth of it all still.

I'm worthless.

...I'm weak.

He sighed and followed.

The two advanced through the cave only to stagger back and yell at the sight and heat of a pool of lava having formed where the central pool of water normally was.

"Oh no..." said Apollo. "The volcano, it's getting active again..."

"Last it reignited was when the meteor that Mega Evolved Rayquaza hit it;" said Narissa; "I don't know if anything we can stop caused it thi-"

They both yelled again as an incredibly loud roar echoed through the cavern, followed by a booming telepathic voice that was nonetheless distinctly feminine. ~Who's causing this obnoxious racket?!~

A massive, red, reptilian Pokemon with thick armor plates embedded with markings that flashed blue intermittently steadily emerged from the lava as Apollo and Narissa backed away slowly. Her yellow eyes snapped open, and upon seeing the two her expression grew furious and she gave another roar and telepathic yell. ~Humans?! Who let humans into this cave?!~

"Don't panic," whispered Narissa to Apollo.

"Too late," whispered Apollo back.

Narissa hesitated before stepping forward to address the behemoth. "Lady Kyogre did. She gave us this crater as sanctuary. It's our home now, and I'm the chieftain."

The red beast before them only seemed to grow more enraged. ~That bitch Kyogre always screws things up! I made a deal with her on swapping out using this cave as a resting place, and what does she do with it while I'm gone? Invite a bunch of fucked-up perfectly good monkeys to crash at the place when it's supposed to be private!~

She leaned in close to Narissa and snarled.

~This is Groudon you're talking to now. I'm no softie, and I don't like trespassers. I suggest you and your other human friends get the fuck out.~

Narissa flinched at the massive heat Groudon radiated, but scowled back.

"We earned this crater. We fought off our worst enemies to get it. You can't just take it back."

~Of course I can! I'm Groudon! You ain't gonna sway me human, chieftain or not! Get out before I blow this place to kingdom come to get rid of you personally!~


Narissa stammered, but hesitated at Groudon's words and intense glare.

At her previous words and Groudon's response, however, something stirred within Apollo, and his mind started racing.

Groudon... She could easily...

No, I I can't let her... I...

He gulped a third time, then stepped forward and gave Groudon a truly icy glare.

"You'd really be that cruel, Groudon?"

Groudon's attention snapped to him, and she leaned in to Apollo, glaring and snarling again. He could feel the same heat radiating off her Narissa did, and suspected it was taking all her self-restraint for her to not use it to sear the flesh off his bones.

~Cruel? I'm dealing with trespassers here!~

"Your "trespassers" are villagers who lost their homes to vicious raiders and had to hole up here to stay safe, and then fought them off again, and now you're willing to murder them all just for being around?"

Groudon huffed a cloud of steam, then put a claw to her chin.

~When you put it that way... Yeah, blowing you all up is harsh even by my standards.~

She glared at him again.

~But how can I trust you apes to take care of this place? I decidedly still have the option of escorting you out of here less lethally.~

"We have been taking good care of this place. We've been keeping the water clean, making sure the village huts are built to align with the cliffs, growing more berry gardens everywhere we can..."

At his last words Groudon grinned. ~Berry gardens? Now we're taking! Always told Kyogre we needed more plant life around here to soak up the sun...~

She looks between Apollo and Narissa and nods.

~Hmmm... From everything you've been saying I suppose you humans get my permission to stick around too. Just don't screw the place up.~

She turned to Apollo and grinned.

~And I like you kid; you've got spunk when you wanna show it. Keep that up.~

Apollo simply stared at her shocked in response as she descended back into the lava.

He was similarly shocked when Narissa hugged him.

"Apollo, thank you,I wasn't sure what to say to her at all..."

Apollo hugged back. "Thank you, it... It just seemed like the right thing to do..."

Narissa broke the hug and grinned. "Tell you what, why don't we get some Groudon adornments like my Kyogre ones to celebrate?"

Apollo blinked, then grinned back. "Sounds like a plan to me."

They both pumped their fists in victory and rushed out of the cave.

~~~

 

[Umbramatic]

This... Was decidedly not intended to be the next Yangverse Michronicle, but events at the times close to home in more ways than one inspired me to write this. I'm not particularly trying to make a statement about said events with this, and this could easily be misinterpreted as a meme given the subject matter, but I am trying to get a bit of catharsis over my feelings on them through a character that could easily fill a relevant individual's shoes:

No Good Deed

Kyurem crept warily through the trees of the forest around the Giant Chasm, noting the melting snow everywhere as spring approached. Good time of year to get some fresh air outside their cavern, they figured, so long as they weren't spotted by the local huma-

"Help, someone help!"

Kyurem froze, and not in the manner of their Ice typing either; the voice was distinctly that of a female human, but she sounded scared, panicked, desperate.

Kyurem stalked toward the source of the noise, until peeking out from the trees they discovered the source - a human woman, surrounded by several others, looking down at a small human boy floundering in the meltwater of one of the small canyons surrounding the Giant Chasm.

"Ron, don't panic,someone's getting help!"

Kyurem hesitated. The humans of Lacunosa, they'd hurt them so many times - but they couldn't leave this boy to drown. Leaving all fear behind they charged straight down into the canyon after the boy, ignoring the screams from the humans above.

"It's Kyurem!"

"It's going to eat him!"

The boy saw Kyurem coming and backpedaled only to stumble and choke on more water. Kyurem hesitated, and, realizing their claws were too small to carry the boy safely, haphazardly tried to grab the collar of the boy's shirt with their teeth and drag them quickly out of the water. The boy and the onlookers only screamed more. Kyurem froze again, realizing backpedaling out of the canyon would be difficult but that the other humans would likely attack if they proceeded forward. They decided to take a third option by trying to lift the boy and carry them to their side of the canyon.

Suddenly, they noticed a yellowish-green blur out of the corner of their eye. A Haxorus, they quickly realized, before they were cut into deep by the other Dragon type's axe-like tusks, glowing with blue-green flames in a Dual Chop. Maintaining their grip on the boy but swinging them around wildly, Kyurem retaliated with a Glaciate, sending a flurry of icicle spikes through the earth and cold air toward the Haxorus, knocking him over and pinning him in a refrozen chunk of meltwater.

Suddenly, Kyurem heard the whirr of engines. They looked up to see what appeared to be a rescue helicopter, only for bullets to impact with several loud cracks into the icy crest on their head. Giving a screech-like buzz of agony, they finally dropped the boy just as the Haxorus cut himself free of the ice and scooped said boy up, clambering back to the other humans as Kyurem fled in the opposite direction, more bullets impacting nearby and into other parts of their body as they fled out of the canyon and back into the forest in panic, running until the noises of bullets and helicopter blades and screaming humans could be heard no more.

------

Kyurem huddled into a corner of their cave in the Giant Chasm that night, barely moving as the parts of their body hit by the Haxorus' strike and the bullets regenerated. They always healed quickly, but the pain always lingered, and the scars lingered even longer.

Eventually Kyurem mustered themself to lope over to a rocky outcrop where a Crimson Lady action figure lay, clutching it gingerly in their claws and inspecting its features as the words of another being that had hurt them long ago echoed through their mind.

You were always too attached to those humans! You trusted them, tried to lead them, guide them, even walk as one of them! But look where that got you - they revered and respected you, but now they fear and hate you - and they always will.

Kyurem gazed at the figure, trembling, before clutching it to their chest tightly and letting out faint buzzes that if any other being were around to hear them sounded almost like sobs.

~~~

Dedicated to Harambe the gorilla

1999-2016
​

 

[Umbramatic]

This was a Halloween special and largely Sike Saner's fault.


No Survivors


The boy in the blue jacket ran.


He had only himself. His Pokemon team were all dead, murdered by those of the maniac.


The maniac that was stalking him now. He ran, hid between the pillars, barely let himself gasp for breath lest he hear.


He turned a corner and saw the maniac in front of him, the teeth of his crazed smile glinting in the darkness.


He barely had time to scream as a chainsaw rent his limbs from his body, then his head, his dismembered parts and his blood spilling to the floor.


The murderer let his chainsaw fall silent, the blood dripping across his white shirt and green hair. He smirked.


"Some Hero Of Ideals you are."


And stalked off.


---------


The assembled Gym leaders further outward into the castle heard the screams.


"What in the name of Jiminy was-" Clay started to say.


He was cut off by Skyla being dragged into the shadows screaming, the screams being muffled then growing louder as blood soaked the floor from within the shadows, followed by a flying leg.


The other Gym leaders all backed away as they reeled in shock and vomited, but then heard a growl from behind them.


They turned to see a snarling Reshiram, who immediately incinerated Drayden alive as he screamed. The rest turned to flee the white dragon, only to see N approaching, bloody chainsaw buzzing, as he grinned.


"It's her or me, you all."


The Gym leaders huddled together as the two approached them from each side, N chuckling all the while.


------


In a dim room, Giovanni, Maxie, Archie, Cyrus, and Ghetsis were tied to a series of chairs, N circling around them with his chainsaw, smugly smirking.


"Well well well! If it isn't all those dreaded crime lords of various regions who find themselves superior to me. How amusing."


He stepped up to a quaking Giovanni.


"You... You're just an annoyance. Let's deal with you quickly."


Before Giovanni could scream N's whirring chainsaw came down upon him, splitting him clean in two as the others squirmed and yelped. N approached Maxie and Archie next.


"Oh! I've heard tell you two are lovers!"


He quickly chainsaw-sliced both their chests open. Their agonized yells were shortly cut off by N ripping both their still-beating hearts out with his bare hands and shoving them in the other's chest, grinning.


"How adorable!"


He approached Cyrus next, who cowered and whimpered. N scoffed.


"And you tried to remake the universe? Cute."


He shoved the chainsaw into Cyrus' gut and twisted, Cyrus screaming as N ripped out his organs to splat in a dismembered mess nearby before he fell limp. N grinned again.


"I made a galaxy out of your entrails! Pretty neat, huh?"


At last, he rounded on a gibbering, terrified Ghetsis, grinning even more maniacaly than before.


"Ah, daddy dearest! I have a special fate in mind for you..."


"No... No please..."


N lifted the whirring chainsaw above his head and cackled. Ghetsis screamed as-


-------


"Tom, that is officially enough!"


Tom turned to his companion Roger with a confused expression as the campfire before them flickered amidst the looming trees and dim moonlight.


"But... But I was getting to the good part!"


Roger scoffed. "Yeah, of a chainsaw murderer story about a guy sitting right next to us!"


Indeed, N sat to the other side of Roger, pointedly avoiding Tom's gaze and shifting around uncomfortably. Roger turned back to Tom with a glare. "Why are your weird stories always about N anyway?"


Tom paused, blinked, then turned to N.


"...You're inspiring."


N grimaced. "Perhaps you should find me inspiring in some other manner?"


A burst of orange flames headed in Tom's direction as he yelped, only for them to stoke the campfire as he looked up at the white-feathered draconic source.


~Okay,~ said Reshiram, ~This is clearly a sign it's MY turn for a scary story.~


Tom gulped, then gave Reshiram an over-the-top sneer. "Bring it."


N gulped himself. "Tom, you probably shouldn't-"


Reshiram smirked. ~It's called The Belly Button Eater.~


Roger scoffed. "Like that old folk tale about Thundurus?"


~Thanks for the reminder to check up on him. But worse.~


"How?" said Tom, still forcing a sneer.


Reshiram made a broad gesture with her wings. ~One night, a lonely man named Dave was working late at his office, when a Glalie suddenly appeared and said, "I am Solonn. Follow me..."~


-----


It was broad daylight. The trees were dappled in the rays of the sun as bird Pokemon continuously chirped.


Reshiram awoke, yawned, then preened herself. She then blinked, looked to the house she and the others were living at, then to a nearby shed and sighed.


She opened the shed door to find N, Tom, and Roger, clutching each other close trembling and cowering.


~Okay, guys, look, I may have gone over the top with the story but it's been two days and-~


"Belly button eater!" they yelled in unison.


Reshiram sighed again and closed the door.


***

 

[Umbramatic]

A Thanksgiving special! Note this ties heavily into Progenitors, so that's a recommended if not necessary extra read:

Life's Bounty

Pandora was in a hurry like no other.


She was used enough to her human form to set out much of the plates and silverware herself, cheating a little by letting her psychic power right the position of a bit of tableware occasionally, but the other people and Pokemon helping them out were essential in cooking and laying out the food.


Nevertheless, when they were done and Pandora sensed multiple presences near the door, she turned to them with a grim expression.


"I'm sorry, you all, but you must leave now."


A villager assisting her blinked. "Right after?"


A Machamp assisting crossed her bottom set of arms. <We were going to get paid here!>


At this Pandora extended a hand pulsating with psychic energy as the double helix symbol on her head between her pink bangs glowed. "As Kanto's Lady of Life I command you to leave! You shall all receive full compensation when I get the chance!"


Startled at the display, the workers all fled out of a side entrance, leaving Pandora to sigh and turn to the door of her temple.


"You can come in now, everyone."


The door burst open to reveal a young
platinum-blond man with rainbow highlights in a black and blue robe, accompanied by an entourage of people with hair as pink as Pandora's in a variety of physical ages, shapes, and sizes.


Pandora rushed forward and hugged the platinum-blond man then her fellow pink-haired individuals in quick succession. "Father, siblings, welcome!"


She moved back and closed the door with psychic power. "Now Farther, remember you can't assume your natural form here... You keep breaking through the ceiling!"


The young man rubbed the back of his head. "Well, got it."


Pandora smiled. "Other than that, enjoy the feast all you want. And the rest of you, feel free to be who you are!"


At that, with a cacophony of pops, the various assembled pink-haired people shifted to Mew, and started flying around, snatching bits of food from the table and gobbling them down. Pandora had assumed Mew form herself and smiled, before being embraced by two Mew with crystalline flowers hanging around their necks.


"Mithos, Collette, you're here!"


"Hi sis!" said Collete.


"Dad found out how to get us far away enough from our Trees to visit!" said Mithos.


"Oh, that's wonderful!" said Pandora, hugging them back.


She then noticed another Mew in glasses sulking in the corner, which she floated over to.


"Bartelby, are you all right?"


Bartelby hesitated before responding. "Not really."


Pandora frowned. "You're still upset about... Her, aren't you?"


"...Yes."


He diverted his attention to the feast, with the Mew plucking various items of food from their plates to eat and toss at each other.


"Why do we even do this every few hundred years? We're spirits of life incarnate, we don't even need food."


"Well, it certainly tastes good at least," said Pandora.


She looked over to the platinum blond young man gorging himself. "But everyone enjoys it - especially Father, he loves seeing all his children together in one place."


She smiled. "And... I do too. With how hectic life has gotten it's just nice for us to be a family."


Bartelby thought a bit and cracked a small smile.


"I guess I empathize with you there..."


Pandora floated in and gave him a hug.


Meanwhile, the platinum blond young man was about to bite into a large, ripe berry when Mithos gleefully snached it from him and soared up into the air.


"Hey! Mithos, you get back here this instant!"


His body stretched and glowed and changed into Xerneas, whose antlers gouged huge gashes in the ceiling as he tried to snatch the Berry back.


Everyone froze. Pandora stared aghast. Bartelby put his paws to his forehead in exasperation.


Xerneas simply chuckled nervously. "Um... I can fix that."

***

 

[Umbramatic]

Hi! I wanted to finally update Yangverse Michronicles again. And the prompt I chose to do so with was "A group of people in a bar discuss the weird situations they were in that day and slowly realize that all their experiences have something in common." So here's that.

-----------

Unrivaled

In a bar in Castelia City, Unova, Gary "Blue" Oak was sitting in front, woefully slurping a drink of something dubiously alcoholic. He sighed and put his drink down on the counter.

"Why does this always happen to me?"

"What's ailing you?"

Blue turned his head toward the source of the voice and saw a red-haired man over at the other side of the bar.Blue looked at him oddly before replying.

"There's this guy. We call him Red. No matter how hard I try he always beats me in a Pokemon battle."

"Tch. I've been there," said the redhead. "This one girl. She always wiped the floor with me. Utterly humiliating."

"I had the same problem!" said a voice from across the bar. The others turned to find a pale, sickly-looking young man drinking a soda.

"Even when I was young and ill... This other kid would always best me."

"Same!" said a blonde man. "And they still owe me one million Pokmedollars!"

"Mee too!" said a black-haired man next to a blonde-haired woman. "We both threw everything we had at them!"

"But they'd always fire back more..." said the blonde woman.

"Hey!" said a large man in a gaggle of four. "It happened to us too! And they insulted my dance moves!"

"Ours got to be Champion before any of us, before anyone else!" said a dark-skinned young man sitting next to a blonde man and woman. The bonde woman nodded her head shamefully while the blonde man clenched his fist.

:Oi!" said a purple haired dark skinned young man. "I can relate to having someone... never letting me win..."

"Don't act like you're the only one," said a fluffy-haired, pale young man.

"Whatever," said a girl in goth attire.

"Mine wasn't so bad," said one boy with a strong build and two-toned hair. "He helped me cure my Mabosstiff."

The Mabosstiff woofed from his side.

"He helped me reconcile with my friends,:" said a girl in a baggy hoodie with red and blue hair.

"He's great!" said a dark-skinned girl with green streaks in her hair. "He's probably one of the best battle partners I've ever had! He goes all out and uses so many strong Pokemon and - "

She noticed the others were all staring at her/

"What?"

"So you're telling me everyone here's had the same experience?" said Blue. "What are you all doing here?"

The redhead pointed above Blue's head. He looked up. Above him was a sign that said "Disgruntled Rivals Convention".

"Oh. That explains that part. But why a bar? Aren't some of you minors?"

"We serve mocktails," said the bartender.

Blue squinted at the bartender. "Wait a minute. You're... Ritchie?! You were Champion before me! What are you doing here?!"

Ritchie shrugged. "It's a living."

***

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Starting us off with "dubiously alcoholic" sets an interesting scene in my head. Is it nothing but alcohol? Is it only vaguely passing for slightly fermented? Who knows?

I've noticed something in recent stories, where people will write a character's actions and then their dialogue on separate lines. Is that how younger people are taught to do it now? Because it's quite prevalent now.

Fun way to establish the passage of time, by giving us these characters we know to be the rivals but describe them as adults (though since they're in a bar I would guess that would stand to reason but with Shudo who knows)

I notice you only describe someone's skin if it's dark though, and that's a bit uncomfortable.

Ah, time seems to march on as it has for us since the more recent characters are younger, which is a nice touch.

Ritchie was champion? Awesome.

Well, it had some fun with the theme, though I feel like you could expand this into something bigger. This seems like you could do a lot with the concept, with more interactions even just through Blue's perspective. I know that wasn't your intention but it would be fun, especially since Blue just accidently stumbled on it while in a completely different region. Unless this is a "Restaurant At the End of the Universe" scenario where everyone ends up there who needs to be there.