standing in the hall of fame

   ─ his smile remains and his gaze softens as he watches the trainer share their berries with his expectant zorua ─ the pokémon happily accepting the gift and barking a ‘ thank you! ’ before chowing down ─ and makes a mental note to repay the favor. he casts his gaze ‘round to the various pokémon lazing about. he’s warmed with a feeling of happiness and is, once again, grateful that he’s finally opened himself up to other people. if he hadn’t, he’d be missing out on experiences like this ; the tranquility of the scene and the happiness he detects has him questioning how he had ever been so blind to the world.

   ( ah, that’s right ─ because of the ‘family’ that plagued him with misguidance and lies. )

   ❝ red? it’s an honor to meet you. ❞ he pulls himself from his thoughts, ❝ and all of you, as well. ❞ he adds on, directed towards their pokémon. zorua barks his own greeting, though muffled by the sitrus berry in his mouth. it’s rare n sees other travelers so out in the open ─ he’s used to seeing people at least within the comfort of a tent and sleeping bag, far from enough space to let multiple pokémon out to stretch their legs. the sight before him brings a warmth, one that further blossoms as his request is approved. so far, red seems much different than many other people he’s met. he also gives pikachu a smile, hearing the exclamation of excitement. zorua trots over, tail wagging, excited to make more friends and spend time with the electric mouse. in the distance, but close enough to hear it’s trainer call if summoned, reshiram hovers.

   ❝ it appears we have that in common, then. ❞ n muses sympathetically, moving to join red by their campfire, ❝ i’ve never found it too bothersome, though finally having some company is a nice change. ❞ it’s strange, he thinks, to actually mean those words. before, he wouldn’t have fathomed sharing a casual exchange with another trainer like this. oh, how things have changed. 

   ❝ i find people to be much more of a challenge to understand than pokémon, even as i grew used to being around them. especially with our gift, opposed to many others. ❞ he hums, leaning back to focus his attention on the night sky, smiling once more, ❝ your pokémon and their voices… they’re wondrous, so unlike any i’ve met thus far. you must be an extraordinaire trainer with many stories. ❞ n returns his gaze to red, silence befalling him before he retraces back on the conversation, realizing he’s taken up most of it. 

   ❝ ah, i apologize, if i’ve said too much. ❞ it’s a bit of a sheepish and awkward apology, not wanting to scare his new companion off like so many others. 

❄ “It’s fine... I understand.” Red listens closely to every word that escapes N’s lips, finding every single one resonating with their own experiences as a “Pokémon whisperer”. Everyone told them that it was something that had been decided for them at birth, with an ability like that, they were meant to become the champion... and stay the champion, of course. The crown, the chains, they were meant to be Red’s from the start, and what Red wanted simply didn’t matter. But to be the champion meant more than just understanding Pokémon. Red had to understand people, to represent the whole region. And that was something they simply could not do- not then, nor now.

❄ A question arises in Red’s mind, wondering if they had even more in common beyond a special ability. “Did everyone have... high expectations of you?” Red asks, speaking slowly to let the words come out clearly. “To be powerful... to be someone that you’re not...?”

fogbadge

❄ “Guess you’re still following me, huh...”

❄ Ever since Red had quietly returned home from Mt. Silver, a Pokémon-shaped apparition had been following them around. Actually, she was a Misdreavus, a Pokémon Red had befriended while somehow living in the mountain cave’s icy-cold conditions. She’d been naturally drawn to the former champion, someone who could understand the inner voices of Pokémon. But ultimately, she was still wild, and Red didn’t expect her to follow them all this way. When they’d tried to ask her why, all she could give was mysterious, vague answers; it was clear that a Ghost-type specialist was needed.

❄ “Piii... pikapikachu...” Pikachu whispered, resting on Red’s shoulder and keeping a watchful eye. He’d always been a little creeped out by Misdreavus while living on Mt. Silver, a wariness which extended to most Ghost-types. Red placed a gentle hand on Pikachu’s head, petting his fluffy fur to relax him. “Don’t worry. We’re going to figure this out... probably,” Red tried to assure him. After hearing that Agatha had retired from the Pokémon League, there was only one person Red knew who could possibly solve this mystery- Gym Leader Morty of Ecruteak City, known for his clairvoyance.

littlemimibee

Perhaps Red looked strange, sitting in a tree with Pikachu on their shoulder, scribbling in their notebook while watching a group of Foongus scatter spores. But Red didn’t care what others thought of their research habits. Naturally, Red kept their distance from the Foongus, not wanting to breathe in the spores. But there was something strange about this occurrence that made Red raise an eyebrow.

The group of Foongus seemed to be intimidating the wild Pokémon nearby. It was very rare that Foongus acted territorial, normally they would just hop around whenever they got startled. But the group seemed to be overly defensive for some reason, and Red wasn’t sure exactly why

Suddenly, Red heard a roar from in the distance, causing both them and Pikachu to fall out of the tree and right into a bush. The roar scared the Foongus, too- they continued to release even more spores. Red and Pikachu scrambled out of the bush, attracting a bit of attention from another trainer nearby as another roar sounded, this time louder than before. “Pika-pikaaa!” the electric-type called out as if to warn others, clinging to Red’s shoulder as the spore cloud got thicker and the roars got louder. The ground started to shake, as well- what kind of Pokémon was approaching?

rip most of my thread partners are gone now : < welp guess i need to start some new ones then!

❄ Red had just finished hanging up posters all over Hau’oli City. 

Missing Pokémon

Species: Goomy

About a foot and a half tall. Answers to Prince. Leaves a trail of slime wherever he goes. Significant reward offered. Contact: Battle Tree Boss Red

❄ They’d tried every trick in the book to find their missing Pokémon- having Charizard fly over the city, leaving a trail of malasadas for Prince to follow, even wandering into the tall grass and getting bitten by an angry Zorua (after which Red apologized profusely). But all of it had been to no avail- Prince was nowhere to be found.

❄ All the what-ifs circled through Red’s head- what if Prince wasn’t in the city at all? What if he’d wandered off somewhere else? Prince was just a tiny little Goomy, he could barely fend for himself being the weakest Dragon-type Pokémon. But Red had been training the little guy for a while to become a strong battler, and they’d been making significant progress. Red had grown incredibly attached to Prince, they’d formed a real bond together- getting lost in the most tourist-heavy city in Alola was the last thing that Red wanted for him. Pikachu was the only thing keeping Red from flying into a panic in that moment- but they were visibly distressed as they tried to think of other options.

“Heh ... Same t’you.”

👩 - What is your muse’s relationship like with their mother? Is it good, bad, or complicated?

Because Yuuto, Red’s father, abandoned his family just a few weeks after Red was born, Red’s relationship with their mother, Aiko, was complicated growing up. Red inherited their special ability to understand the language of Pokémon from their father, and ever since it came to light, Aiko became wary, fearful that Red would grow up to become like their father. She was always pushing Red to interact with others, but was frequently at a loss for what to do considering Red rarely spoke. Eventually, she decided to give Red a notebook to help them communicate with people, hoping they would make many friends. It took her some time to accept that Red preferred the company of a few close friends rather than an entire circle. By the time Red was old enough to become a trainer, their mother had thankfully come to accept them for the quiet kid that they were.

When Red disappeared to Mt. Silver, their mother’s fears seemed to be coming true. But Aiko was at least a bit hopeful, having seen Red prove themselves as a trainer. The voice in the back of her mind never failed to remind her of her missing husband, but she continued to push that voice away.

After Red returned home, they took the opportunity to tell their mother everything they’d felt that had pushed them to leave, apologizing for the lack of communication and disappearing without telling anyone. It was a very emotional moment for both of them, but in the end, it managed to improve their relationship. Red now regularly sends pictures of their travels home to their mother, keeping her updated so she doesn’t have to worry anymore.

🌎 - Does your muse want to change the world? How would they go about it?

thegoldchamp

❄ Though the Hau’oli City Mall was packed with people today, Red had actually grown to appreciate crowds- when they could blend in, anyway. When Red had arrived in Alola, everyone was recognizing them, and it was difficult to go anywhere without some stranger calling out their name. But after a year running the Battle Tree, people got used to their presence and didn’t bother them in public as much anymore. So the crowds were actually quite nice- the more people around, the harder it would be to spot Red.

❄ That desire to not be noticed, however, clashed with their admittedly rather recent love for fashionable clothes. They found themselves in the Gracidea boutique, looking at expensive outfits. Ones they could obviously afford, since Red was paid generously for their position as a Battle Tree boss. Though they did admit that trying on a red floppy felt hat valued at 153,000 Pokédollars along with a fluffy red skirt that cost 50,000 made them look a bit too much like a snotty rich person.

❄ Regardless, Red bought the clothes anyway, swiping their credit card without hesitation. The hat went right back on their head as they gently flipped their long black hair, feeling fashionable and confident. Red continued to browse around further, shopping bag around their wrist. This was their day to indulge- hopefully no one would judge them for the way they spent their money.