It's mostly Pokemon and fanfic.

Before we get started, a big thank you to those of you who have read, kudosed, or commented! I will likely not be writing to this extent in 2026 as I have returned to my former teaching career and don't have the time. I hope to do all 7 days of Palletshipping Week and a few fills for Sicktember and Flufftober, plus there's a few longfics I've had in my files that I'd like to work on. I don't know how much will actually get done, but I know I'm not done writing yet!

~~January~~

I wrote over 22k words in January (mostly working on Palletshipping Week fills) but didn't actually post anything, so nothing to share for that month!

~~February~~

Back To Our Roots (Valentine's Day)

I almost didn't write anything for Valentine's Day because I was so focused on Palletshipping Week and ended up writing this in 3 days. It was a nice change of pace to write Ash's romantic side coming out a bit, even if his plans got derailed by Gary being in a weird mood. I've had a headcannon in the Pipichu AU where Gary eventually goes back to competitive training (in his later twenties, encouraged by Delia) and this is the second fic touching on that (the first was Wrapping Hell).

Ash went still as realization struck him.  The thing that was stressing Gary was their trip for this year's competition. Gary was building teams. Did that mean… “I want to compete.” Gary’s voice was quiet but sure, with an edge of determined stubbornness that dared anyone to try talking him out of it. Fortunately Ash wouldn’t even dream of doing that. How could he when it meant he was going to the competition with his best – his favorite – rival being back in the picture? It took all of his self control to keep from cheering or squealing in pure excitement. He settled instead for squeezing his husband in as tight a hug as he could possibly manage, covering his face in kisses as he did so – it drew the first genuine laugh he’d heard from Gary in days and Ash’s heart soared even higher. This was the best news possible.

~~March~~

I wrote more words this month than any other month all year (a little over 26K). I had my longest stretch of writing 500+ words (14 days straight, with half of those days writing 1000+ words). The day I wrote the most words was also this month (3007 words in one day)!

Like Foreplay (Palletshipping Week Day 1)

This one was so much fun to write! I love writing Ash and Gary's banter and this was no exception! Gary pushing Ash's buttons and Ash challenging him to a battle over who has to do the dishes was just a blast to write! I especially loved bringing Misty into the mix with their bickering this time around.

“Are you sure you can take him?” Misty added, a mischievous grin curving her lips at the opportunity to pick on Ash. She shot Gary a quick wink and he returned her grin.  That never failed to get under Ash’s skin. His eyes narrowed briefly at their friend before his wide grin reappeared. “I’m a world champion, I can take anybody,” he boasted.  Gary had to fight not to laugh and hastily hid his smile behind a sip of wine before Ash could notice. The others rolled their eyes and shared a look. Tracey met Gary’s eyes pleadingly, begging silently to please, just this once, spare them from whatever this bizarre form of foreplay was – Misty’s words, not Gary’s. The accuracy of that wasn’t important right now. Either way, Gary wasn’t about to do that. Not when Ash had that stupidly cute grin on his face. He returned that grin with a smirk. “And yet you can’t reliably beat your rival from when you were ten.”

Special Enough (Palletshipping Week Day 2)

Another fun one to write! This was a companion fic to Nothing Special, told from Gary's pov. It's the longest fic I wrote for Palletshipping Week this year and it was nice writing a battle scene for once (even though it wasn't a full scene). I really liked Nothing Special because, as far as marriage proposals go, I felt like it was very much them, and writing the story from Gary's pov and bringing in the other characters was a lot of fun. This snippet is my favorite bit with Gary and Umbreon that I've written all year.

The girls stared at them until the laughter settled and they fell quiet. “No, something else happened,” Dawn said, her eyes narrowing as her gaze settled on Gary. “You're way too happy.” “Yeah, Dawn’s right,” Misty agreed. “That's not your usual smile – what happened?”  “I – nothing!” Gary tried to ignore the sudden warmth in his face and reign in his reaction, quickly putting on his usual casual smirk. “I mean, do you really want me to answer that?” he drawled, but both girls stared at him, deadpan and expectant.  Damn it.   He really spent too much time around those two. They knew him too well.  A distraction would have been really useful right now. Gary discreetly brushed his thumb against Umbreon’s ball, hoping she would get the message. Her ball wiggled slightly but she stayed put, clearly getting the message and choosing to let Gary deal with his own poor decisions. He supposed he couldn’t blame her. 

A First Time For Everything (Palletshipping Week Day 3)

This was a sweet one to write. It was fun writing Ash being worried over absolutely nothing, but this was definitely one of the harder Palletshipping Week fills to write. I started it over at least 3 times because I just couldn't figure out what to write for a lazy day for these two. I might be mistaken, but I believe this is the first time musician!Gary makes an appearance in the Pipichu AU, but it definitely isn't the last time!

Gary made it look easy, but then again, Gary made everything look easy.  “How do you do that?” Ash blurted after a moment. Gary jumped slightly but didn’t miss a note. “What do you mean?” he asked with a soft laugh. “How do you make something so hard look so easy?” The researcher was quiet for a moment as his fingers continued tracing out melodies on the keys. “I’ve been playing almost fourteen years,” he pointed out, “If I don’t make it look easy, I’m probably not playing very well.” Ash doubted that was entirely accurate but that was definitely a sign that Gary was still himself – yet another sign that Ash didn’t need to worry about him today.

~~April~~

Celebrating Chaos (Palletshipping Week Day 4)

The first follow-up to Back To Our Roots! I'll eventually write the follow-up that includes the actual competition, but this one was so fun to write! I love writing Ash and Pikachu being chaotic. This was another prompt that I restarted several times but once I decided to to a follow-up to Back To Our Roots, it flowed so nicely. I started it over for the fourth time the day before I posted it and wrote it all in a day and a half.

“You’re really gonna ignore what's happening in the kitchen?” Misty asked after there was another loud clatter, followed by Pikachu chattering at Ash. “I'm trying to protect my sanity.”  There was another crash and a loud yelp. “You’re doing a great job.” “Considering who I'm married to, I'd say so.” “You’re impossible, Gary,” Misty sighed. Gary looked up long enough to flash her a grin. “I know.” He was quiet for a moment, debating on whether or not it was a wise idea to slip into the kitchen just long enough to grab a bottle of wine and some glasses for him and Misty. He winced when the mixer turned back on, this time making an even louder and stranger noise than before. “I’d offer you a glass of wine but…” “That would ruin your false sense of sanity?” Misty finished for him.  “Exactly.”

An Extra Pair Of Hands (Palletshipping Week Day 5)

Probably my least favorite of the Palletshipping Week fics this year. That said, it had some fun banter and brought in Gary's Jeep, which the boys use for camping and traveling when they're in Kanto and Johto. It's something I'd like to write more about (maybe for Palletshipping Week 2026).

Ash glanced at Pikachu with a mischievous grin as he held a finger to his lips and set the basket on the ground. Pikachu’s ear twitched as he copied the motion and patted Ash’s hat to signify his understanding. They crept close to the Jeep and ducked down when they reached it, crawling around to the open passenger door. He waited another moment before springing up and leaning through the open door with a loud, “Boo!” Ash laughed at Gary’s startled jump and shook his head as he climbed into the passenger seat. “You woulda heard me if your music wasn’t so loud,” he teased, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek.  Gary narrowed his eyes and he flicked the brim of Ash’s hat in retaliation, sending it tumbling off his head and out of the car onto the ground. “Hey!” Ash started to back out of the car to retrieve his hat but Gary’s hand caught his wrist and he pulled him in for another kiss. “Took you long enough,” he murmured against Ash’s lips. 

An Unnecessary Step (Palletshipping Week Day 6)

The shortest Palletshipping Week fill this year! This was the first one I started writing this year and was one of the first I finished. This was the prequel to Nothing Special and Special Enough and was really sweet to write. I write so much of Gary with Delia and the professor that it was a nice change of pace writing Ash with them this time.

Ash took a breath and forced out the words that threatened to lodge in his throat. “Do you think he’ll say yes?” “I think the only thing you need to worry about is him asking you first.” Panic flooded Ash’s chest. The professor didn’t know something Ash didn’t, did he? Gary hadn’t already had this very conversation with him, had he? Fortunately the professor seemed to notice Ash’s sudden struggle and shook his head with an amused smile as he passed the box back to Ash. “No, I don’t know about any plans or rings other than this one,” he assured him. “And Gary’s been rather content to let you take the lead with your relationship. No need to worry, I think,” he added with a quick flash of a grin that put Ash right at ease. “Do you know how you’ll ask him?” Ash shook his head. “Not yet,” he admitted. “He’s not easy to plan for.” The professor chuckled at that. “No, that he’s not,” he agreed. “Fortunately, I believe your spontaneity is his favorite trait. Perhaps leaning into that would be a good plan?”

Just A Little Scared (Palletshipping Week Day 7)

I think this one was my favorite to write for Palletshipping Week this year. It was definitely an interesting one to write because it was so much more serious than the other Palletshipping fics I've written this year. I liked writing something more serious and touching on things that make a young relationship difficult, like being nervous about intimacy and being unsure of how to communicate with each other (especially when one of them is dealing with chronic migraines. There were a few little bits with Ash that were fun to write, like this snippet.

“I think it’s rather clear he trusts you, dear. He lets you borrow his gear, he brings you along on his research trips, he's been surprising you every chance he can since before you were dating.” She gave him a reassuring smile as her hand settled on his. “Ash, Gary adores you.”  “Then why does trying to talk about sex with him give him such bad migraines that he pukes?” Ash blurted. He regretted it immediately and his face burned. Just having this conversation was mortifying enough but now all he wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die. Delia’s lips twitched at the outburst and Ash saw the laughter in her eyes even if she didn't make a sound.  Well… There were worse reactions, Ash supposed.  That didn’t make him feel any better.

~~May~~

Secrets Kept Chapter 38

The first Oakshipping thing I posted all year! This fic went through a lot of plot changes before I posted anything for it this year, so it definitely gave me a challenge! This was the third chapter in the Orange Islands arc of this fic and was interesting to write. There's a lot of fluff and there was a scene with Gary, Tracey's younger sister, and Gary's gyarados that was very sweet to write.

“She’s actually very nice,” he said. “If you ask Gary, I’m sure you could touch her.”  Gary nodded. “She pretends to be meaner than she actually is,” he explained. He shot a light-hearted glare Tracey’s way when he caught sight of his smile. He knew exactly what Tracey was thinking.  Like trainer, like pokemon.  Gary had heard it a million times. Even Wyatt had started to say it, much to his chagrin.  Tracey only gave him a mischievous grin over Marie’s head in return, but Marie pulled out of his arms and took a few cautious steps closer to the shore. Gary followed her and waded out into the water towards his pokemon, gesturing for Marie to follow him. She followed, but paused in ankle-deep water while Gary waded further out to his pokemon’s side, stroking her head in greeting. She grumbled in response and he laughed softly. Always so dramatic. She was almost as bad as he was when he was ten. Except far less annoying or embarrassing. “It’s okay,” he assured Marie, holding out a hand to her. “She won’t hurt you, I promise.”

~~June~~

Secrets Kept Chapter 39

This chapter had been mostly written for over a year and it was exciting to finally get to finish and post it. It has one of my favorite instances of Gary coming out to someone (Professor Birch in this case), it has the final angsty scene of the fic, and it has some good bits with Gary and Tracey. It really sets up the final few chapters of the fic, which was something I had struggled with figuring out for a long time, so it was nice to finally get this chapter worked out.

He took a breath and forced himself to speak past the lump in his throat. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” he choked out. “Keeping it a secret.” Damn, he couldn’t even keep it together to say that.  His eyes were burning and he pointedly avoided looking at Tracey in an attempt to blink away the unbidden tears. Had he been looking up, he would have seen Tracey’s concerned gaze soften into understanding as he took a step closer and reached out a hand to thumb away a tear that had escaped.  “That doesn’t surprise me,” he admitted. “You’ve never exactly liked keeping it a secret.” Gary shook his head in a silent agreement. “I know,” he replied, more shakily than he would have preferred. He wound his arms about Tracey’s waist and buried his face against his shoulder. As much as he just wanted to fold himself into Tracey’s arms and let himself be held until the feelings were gone, there was a burning need to explain. “After all this, I feel like I have to tell them. It hurts more every time I try and fail, Trace.” Once he opened his mouth to speak, the words kept coming, tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them until he was almost breathless. “And now that I know how it feels to not have to hide… I feel like I can’t anymore.” Tracey thumbed away a few more tears and pressed a soft kiss to Gary’s forehead, holding him tight. “Don’t feel like you have to rush to tell your family just because you’ve stayed with mine and told me that you love me,” he murmured, one of his hands smoothing up and down Gary’s back.

~~July~~

July and August were spent mostly working on wrapping up fics that I had been working on for at least a year. I wanted to do a few more fills for Fluffy July but ended up spending a lot of time working on Sicktember 2024 fills so that I could focus on Sicktember and Flufftober this year.

Difficult To Rattle

I'm quite proud of this fic, though I rushed through a few of the scenes because I wanted to post it before posting Scars. This was my third transfem!Gary (Gabrielle) fic and is the sequel to The Girl With The Watercolors. I worked on this fic for almost 2 years so I was really happy to be able to finish and post it. It's the fic where Gabrielle gets her name and it's very much centered around her relationship with her grandfather.

Sam glanced back at Gary as the pieces started to fall into place.  "Grand… daughter?" he ventured cautiously. Gary still refused to look at him, but nodded slightly nonetheless. "I see," Sam breathed.  This, too, rattled him, but at least the problem was out in the open now. He had absolutely no idea how to address it - for all his experience, this was uncharted territory. He understood the basic premise but… he couldn't possibly begin to understand what had been going through his grandson's - no, grand daughter 's mind while coming to terms with this.  But there was still something he could do, and it was the very same thing he had always done. This would be no different. "Well, my dear–" Gary's head shot up at this, his - her - eyes wide "– you will always have my love and support. We'll get you through this."

Scars (Fluffy July 2025, Day 3)

This was the second shortest fic I wrote all year at 1031 words. It came to me pretty quickly and the writing process went pretty smoothly. Finishing this was what inspired me to finish Difficult To Rattle because I wanted to have that one posted before this one. I love Tracey and Gabrielle's relationship in this AU and I'm looking forward to writing more (whenever the inspiration comes).

“What’s wrong with the sleeves?” It seemed an odd thing to be so anxious over. Silence again. Her gaze dropped away and Tracey gave her a moment of space. He was about to press a little more when she finally replied, “They're not long enough.” That struck Tracey as odd for a few seconds longer than it should have. It was the middle of summer… but he'd also seen her in the hospital when she'd stopped seeing a feasible future as Gary. His gaze dropped down to her arms, which he could hardly see with her holding her hands behind her back. He didn’t need to see the scars to remember what they looked like. Long. Vivid. Painful to look at, even more so to consider what they meant. The thought of how close he'd come to losing someone akin to a younger sibling stabbed at his heart every time and this was no different. They were painful to her too, he knew.  “Gabrielle…” he breathed, unsure what to say. Instead of saying anything, he pulled her into a tight hug. “None of us judge you for what you did.” They'd had enough late night discussions for Tracey to know her thoughts – and fears – on this. 

Beware The Fairy Types (Sicktember 2024, Day 18)

This is one of my favorite fics I've written all year. I started it last year for Sicktember but didn't finish it in time. I wanted to get it done before this year's Sicktember because I had an idea for a sequel, so that really pushed me to finish it this summer. I absolutely love the banter in this one! It was so much fun to write Tracey being so over it with Gary's bs. They are one of my favorite relationships to write, whether or not they're dating. I feel like Gary just needs a big brother sort of character to keep him in line and I just love their dynamic (and wish we had seen more of it in the series!).

Gary groaned and moved to rake a hand through his hair, only to flinch when he was once again overcome with searing pain. “It’s not that bad,” he grit out once it passed. This time Tracey was the one rolling his eyes as he shook his head. “You are so full of shit, Gary.” Briefly stunned by the retort, Gary was quiet for a moment. “Jeez, Trace. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?” “No. I’m just tired of you making things more difficult than they need to be.” “I'm not doing it intentionally.” This time it came out entirely as a whine but Gary couldn't quite bring himself to care. Pain and exhaustion were melding together too much for that, each making the other worse. He didn't have the energy left to care about pride anymore.

~~August~~

Burnout (Sicktember 2024, Days 1 & 27)

Another one I'm quite proud of! This is the longest fic I posted this year and is another Sicktember fill left over from last year. It's arguably the most important fic in the Pipichu AU because it shapes pretty much everything in Gary and Ash's early twenties and leads up to Gary's Calusa journey from I Just Want You. Gifted kid burnout!Gary and college dropout!Gary are both close to my heart and I'm really pleased with the way this fic ended up coming out. It was nice to write from so many difference povs as well! There were scenes from Tracey, Professor Oak, Ash, Delia, and Gary's pov which really made it interesting to write!

“I can't do this.” That choked voice was as painful to hear as the words were. Combined, they just about broke his heart. He could count on one hand how many times he had heard that sentiment from his grandson – in fact, he could lose a few fingers and the fact would remain the same. But Sam knew how resilient his boy was. Even if Gary genuinely believed that right now, that wouldn't be the case for long. It never was. “Do you trust me?” Sam asked – wholly unnecessarily, he knew. Gary nodded, face still buried against his shoulder. “Then trust me when I say everything’s going to be alright.”  Gary took a shuddering breath and nodded again. “A degree is just a piece of paper,” Sam reminded him, “and you're smarter than most of the people I know with three of those pieces of paper.”

~~September~~

I posted more this month than any other month! 6 fics and a chapter of Secrets Kept. I posted 7 fics in March last year, so it's not the most fics I've posted in a single month, but I'm pretty sure it's the most words I've posted in a month, ever (except maybe when I was a teenager writing Beyond The Walls way back in the day).

Secrets Kept Chapter 40

The shortest Secrets Kept chapter in quite a while! Only a little over 13K words instead of well over 15K! This was an interesting chapter to write and there's a few parts I should probably go back and edit just a little bit, but it is what it is. It's the last chapter of the Orange Islands arc and kinda sets up the ending of the fic. Pretty much this whole chapter is Gary/Tracey fluff (with a very steamy scene added in).

Gary paused as they reached an exhibit about the dewgong population in the area. There were all sorts of displays about them, with information about the nearby cove where they were most frequently found and there was even a dewgong skeleton with information about their biology.  Tracey waited patiently for Gary to examine the skeleton. He didn't mind the distraction at all – how could he when he got to see that curiosity and fascination in Gary’s eyes? Gary had expressed before that he wasn't exactly comfortable with people thinking he was morbid but Tracey didn't see the fascination as morbid. Gary liked understanding how things worked, especially when it came to pokemon. Where other people might just see a representation of a dead pokemon, Gary’s sharp eyes saw where muscle attached to bone and created a complex creature. He saw where subtleties in the skeleton influenced behaviors and attacks, and was well aware of what had to occur for the skeleton to be preserved here in this little museum. There was a deep level of respect within that natural curiosity and once he had seen it, Tracey couldn’t unsee it – nor would he want to. But then Gary seemed to remember that he had been about to say something. His cheeks turned pink as he mumbled a quick, “sorry.” Tracey shook his head with a soft smile. “Don’t be,” he returned, giving his hand a squeeze. “What about Sayda?”

Harder Than You'll Ever Know (Sicktember 2025, Days 5 & 13)

This was an older wip that I decided to finally wrap up for Sicktember. I actually started it for a Palletshipping Week fill in 2023 but I ended up writing Planning Ahead instead. It's the second time I've written transmasc!Gary and both times involved periods. The first time was Puppy Cuddles (Make Everything Better). I'm pleased with how this one came out and it was very cathartic to write about endometriosis (which I personally deal with). It was also nice to write a guy (Ash, in this case) not being a dick or an idiot when dealing with someone who is having a very bad time with a period. I'm fortunate that most of my guy friends have been mature about it in the past but that is sadly not the norm.

Gary stared at the objects in Ash’s hand warily. "Why do you have tampons?" "Because I travel with girls a lot." Gary’s eyes narrowed. "I'm not calling you a girl," Ash quickly revised. “I know you’re not. You just deal with some of the same things as them.” Good save. Gary rolled his eyes and immediately regretted it. Here was Ash, being a good, kind friend, helping him out when he had been too stubborn to prepare for something that he’d known was fast approaching, and here Gary was, already getting irritable with him for no reason. Why did this time of the month always have to make him so bitchy? The pain and blood loss was bad enough.  “Thank you,” he mumbled, taking them from Ash’s hand and looking anywhere but at his friend.  “What are friends for?” Ash said it so cheerfully and earnestly that it grated on Gary’s nerves like nails on a chalkboard but he closed his eyes rather than rolling them and took a deep breath. 

A Back Rub To Make It Better (Sicktember 2025, Day 8 & Alt Prompt 1)

This was the shortest fic I've posted in a long time. It's the first fic under 1000 words that I've posted since 2018, but I had fun writing it. I love writing Ash being a baby about injuries (even though he's not even injured in this one, just sore) and, of course, I love writing Palletshipping banter!

“I shoulda listened to you,” Ash complained. Every part of his body ached: his back, his shoulders, his legs… Who knew the wrong backpack could turn a fun camping trip into something so painful? “You should know by now that I’m always right.” Ash rolled his eyes with a snort. Smart as his boyfriend was, that wasn't even close to true — even if he was right about the pack in question. “You weren’t right about that left turn on the trail.” “Shut it, Ashy-boy.” But there was a smile to his voice and Ash grinned in return. “Admit that you got us lost this time,” Ash pressed, snickering.

Back To Bed (Sicktember 2025, Days 9 & 23)

I think this was the only Oakshipping thing I posted outside of Secrets Kept chapters this year. It's an old wip that I decided to wrap up kinda last minute. I had a lot of fun writing this one, partly because of the banter, partly because it was fun making Professor Oak curse, and partly because I enjoy writing Oakshipping quite a bit.

"I can stay," he protested. "I promise I won't do anything." "All three of us know that's not gonna happen," Tracey told him. Sam nodded his agreement. "I'll be good!" Another thing all three of them knew wouldn't be the case. Tired or not, Gary couldn't help himself in the lab — he would find a project to work on and would work at it until it was done, regardless of his waning strength. Whether he wanted to or not, Gary needed the rest. Twenty-years-old or not, he was going to listen. Fortunately Sam knew just how to get Gary moving. It would only take one word that he didn't usually use. "Gary," he began levelly, "get your ass back in bed." Gary's eyes widened only slightly in surprise, but he quickly tried to use that to his advantage. Sam, however, had seen the puppy dog eyes far too many times over the years to fall for them now.

Misery Loves Company (Sicktember 2025, Day 16)

Another period fic for Sicktember! This time I decided to torture Misty instead of Gary... and then tortured Gary by giving him a migraine instead! I really liked writing this one because it was the first fic in the Pipichu AU where I really focused on Gary and Misty's relationship, as well as the background Orangeshipping (even though this fic was pre-relationship for Misty and Tracey). It was fun writing the banter between Gary and Misty!

"You know he likes you too, right?" "Gary," she ground out, a stern warning to her voice. He ignored it. "Anyone can tell with the way he looks at you," he pressed casually. "You're awfully talkative for someone with a migraine." "It hasn't been coming on that long." "How much longer do I have before you hole yourself up in your bedroom?" Gary laughed, though it was short and quieter than usual. He sounded exhausted when he replied. "Half hour if I'm lucky." "What if I'm lucky?"

Time Heals... Eventually (Sicktember 2025, Day 26)

Another instance of me tormenting Gary! This was a follow up to Beware The Fairy Types and involved Gary coming to terms with how bad his injury actually is. It was cathartic to write in a way because of the struggles I've had over recent years coming to terms with how disabling my endometriosis was and how much my autism impacts my life. I guess this one was interesting to write because I got to take all the denial I felt for years and project it on to a strong and determined character.

Ash left the room and crossed the hall to their bedroom. It had looked empty at first glance but now that Ash knew what was going on, he noticed that the pile of blankets and pillows on the bed were lumpier than usual. "Gary…" The pile of blankets shifted and Pikachu crawled out from beneath it. His starter stared up at him with a worried pout, his ears lowered. "Pipichu, Pikapi." Ash gave him a gentle pat on the head as he sat on the edge of the bed. He rested his hand atop the blankets with a soft sigh. A feeling of deja vu struck him rather suddenly — it seemed like a lifetime ago that they were little kids and Ash was trying to convince his best friend to come out of his hiding spot. He would always crawl out with tear stains on his cheeks and his favorite plush growlithe clutched in his hands, back when he didn't try to hide his feelings. The only other time in their adult life Ash had seen him do this was when he was struggling with the decision to drop out of university. "You were right…" Gary’s muffled voice came from beneath the pile of blankets.

Rainy Morning (AO3 fic #69)

I've had this WIP collecting dust in my files since probably 2017. The file on Google Drive goes back to 2019, but I know I wrote part of it back when I was in an old, now-dead, Palletshipping Discord group a couple years before that. I came back to this one a few times over the years and decided to actually work seriously on it after someone in a different Discord group said something about bottom!Gary. I figured I would make it a special fic to celebrate my 69th fic on AO3.

A glass of water later and it was back to bed. But Gary had sprawled out on his stomach in the middle of the bed. Ash bit back a laugh at the sight. Everyone thought he was bad, but Gary was almost as bad before his stubbornness was taken into account. There was no getting him out of bed when he wanted to sleep in. Ash could at least be bribed with food or pokemon. Gary wouldn't be.  But Ash had an idea. He climbed onto the bed and crawled over his partner’s body, tugging back the blanket as he went. His hands slid over Gary’s back, fingers digging in gently, hands sliding along his spine before rubbing along his shoulders. Ash wasn’t anywhere near as good at massages as his partner, but that didn’t matter much right now. What mattered was waking Gary up with minimal complaining. With everything they had done in the field recently, a massage sounded like the perfect wake up call, especially if it was followed by… Ash tried not to think too hard on what would follow, lest his body give away the plan.

~~October~~

Late Night Talks (Flufftober 2025, Day 6)

As soon as I saw this prompt, I knew the fic I was going to write for it. I' love writing the 've said it before, but I absolutely love writing Gary's relationship with his grandfather. I also like writing these stories that cover a large expanse of time and sort of flesh out the parts in between the stories in the Pipichu AU. One thing I liked about this fic was writing some of the scenes surrounding the evens in Burnout and I Just Want You from a different perspective.

"Remember I said this study was here for you, even if you just needed a break from everything," Sam reminded him. "Everything includes your mind. You're allowed to just sit and be quiet here, you know that." Gary nodded, taking a sip from his mug. He was quiet for a long moment before… "Nothing's changed, huh?" "It would take much more than a few failed classes to change this, Gary. I'm just glad you came home when you did." "Yeah… What d'you know? I listened for once." Sam chuckled and took another sip from his mug. "That you did," he agreed easily.

Hot Chocolate And A Fireplace (Flufftober 2025, Day 12)

I hadn't planned on writing this one and I honestly kinda forgot I wrote it. It was a quick and sweet write and there was some fun banter in it. Basically, it was a typical EssenceOfSilence teenage!Palletshipping fic!

Ash sighed and slumped in his spot on the couch, pouting at his boyfriend. "How can I convince you to go outside with me?" "Wait until the blizzard's over," was the dry reply as Gary helped himself to another cookie from the plate Delia had brought them while they were warming up. "But, Gary," he whined. "No, Ash." "Why?" "Because there's a fucking blizzard out there!"

Together (Flufftober 2025, Day 14)

This one was different for me and I honestly almost didn't finish it. This was my first time writing something blatantly Orangeshipping. It's the sequel to Misery Loves Company, so it's still in the Pipichu AU. I don't know how I feel about this one to be honest. I think I feel a little weird about it just because I'm so used to writing Palletshipping and Oakshipping that anything else just feels plain weird to write. I did like sneaking in some Palletshipping details though!

"Huh. Gary was right." She wasn't sure why she was surprised. "Never underestimate Gary," Tracey said, panting as he ducked into the opening behind her. "He's only quiet when he doesn't know what he's talking about." Misty was quite suddenly reminded of a recent conversation between her and Gary. "You know he likes you too, right?" He'd been right when he clocked Misty's feelings for Tracey during the same conversation. The pain in the ass really had a talent for reading people. If only he had a talent for shutting up.

Baking Fun (Flufftober 2025, Day 15)

This was another one where I knew exactly what I was going to write when I saw the prompt and I had so much fun with this one! In the Pipichu AU I headcannon that Gary is capable in the kitchen but really doesn't care for cooking - until he and Ash get their own place and Delia teaches him how to cook. This is the first instance of Delia teaching him and it was really fun writing Gary being out of his comfort zone.

“Piiii-ka, pipichu,” Pikachu sighed dramatically from Gary’s shoulder after a moment of measuring over and over again. “Now, now, Pikachu,” Delia soothed, patting his head with an amused smile, “Gary can't help that he's a scientist at heart. It doesn’t have to be exact, dear… Actually a splash over is perfect.” “How much is a splash?” “Just a tiny bit.” “A tiny bit like a milliliter? Or a fracti– Oh, shi—” He cut off abruptly as he stopped pouring with a frown. She had distracted him enough to not stop quite in time and he had poured a little too much into the measuring cup and the bottom of the meniscus was definitely above one-hundred-twenty milliliters.  “That would be a splash, dear.”

Secrets Kept Chapter 41

This was the second to last chapter and had some of my favorite scenes to write in the fic. This was the chapter where May finds out about Gary and Tracey dating and that scene was the biggest thing I wanted to change from the original fic when I started writing it again. In Secrets Told (which this was originally a prequel to), she caught them kissing and told the Professor, and I absolutely did not want that ending in this story (which is why it was abandoned for years). I ended up with this scene instead, which ended up being one of my favorites!

"Still the same boyfriend, huh?" he asked, unable to resist teasing her. "Must be a record for you." Close to a year, if he remembered correctly. He was mildly curious as to what made this particular guy so special. She swatted his shoulder in retaliation but Gary only laughed. "Says the guy who's never been in a relationship," she retorted. Well. Now was as good a time as any. He could find out more about this boyfriend another time. Gary hesitated only slightly before returning with another laugh. "Yeah, you say that…" "Oh?" she asked, though her voice had taken on a surprisingly teasing tone that threw Gary off. "Is there a secret relationship you haven't been telling us about?" Gary was quiet only for a brief moment. "If I say yes?" 

Always A Surprise (Flufftober 2025, Day 30)

This was a fun Flufftober fill. I have a thing for musician!Gary. It's usually more background and not central to any plot, but I decided to bring it out of the background this time. I had fun writing it!

"Why is everything always a surprise with you?" he couldn’t help but blurt out. "It's not like I'm hiding things from you." He sounded amused but Ash caught the faint defensive edge. "I know you're not." Not intentionally, at least. Gary just kept things close to his chest in general, and sometimes things that weren't especially important just didn't get communicated. "I just mean, when we're home, you're always playing piano and listening to music but I never knew what it was until today. You always manage to surprise me, is all," he finished with a shrug. Gary's usual little smirk returned at that. "Then I guess it's a good thing I like surprising you, huh?" "Guess so," Ash agreed with a grin.

~~November~~

Warm You Up (Wanksgiving 2025)

I was not expecting to write an Oakshipping smut this year (aside from the steamy scenes in Secrets Kept), but I especially wasn't expecting to write one this steamy! This was the fastest I have ever written a smut scene or fic. They usually take me any where from months to years to write but I managed this one in just a week! There aren't very many non-explicit snippets to share, but here's a sweet moment between them.

Gary shrugged his shoulders and dropped the bottle atop the couch cushions. "Sharing body heat is supposed to be the best way to warm up." Ever the scientist. Tracey shook his head fondly and dipped his head for a brief kiss. He shifted Gary off of his lap and onto the couch, hovering over him and drinking in the sight of his handsome husband beneath him. His fingers traced reverently over his bare chest and stomach, re-committing every already-memorized detail to memory. Gary shuddered beneath him, eyes slipping closed beneath Tracey's studious gaze. Tracey felt the increased heart rate beneath his fingertips and lowered his head to drop a kiss atop his sternum, trailing a line of them upwards until Gary captured his lips with his own. Warm hands smoothed over the expanse of his back, pulling him ever closer. He drew back after a moment and Gary's eyes fluttered open, those verdant orbs that he adored so much staring up at him with a twinge of disappointment.

~~December~~

Secrets Kept Chapter 42

The final chapter! There's a really weird feeling when you finally finish something you've spent so long working on. So much of the last three years were spent working on this, and I had spent years before working on it too. It's relieving to be done, but bittersweet at the same time.

“Grandpa—” “And you could help with the rescues as well—” As much as Gary agreed, his chance was slipping away from him more and more with every word that was uttered. Just like every other attempt before. But this wasn’t going to be like all the times before. He was going to get the damn words out this time. “Grandpa,” he tried again. “I think doing those things would make it quite a bit more bearable for—” “Grandpa! Will you stop talking for a minute?” It came out a bit sharper than he’d intended but Gary refused to be deterred this time.

Secrets Kept Epilogue

And then it was done! I had planned for there to be a Sayda Island chapter towards the end of this fic but it just didn't fit, so I incorporated it into the epilogue instead. It was supposed to be another instance of Gary coming out and being another stepping stone to telling his grandfather, but Gary was impatient lol. I ended up shifting the plot around so that he told the professor before heading to Sayda.

Tracey glanced at Gary but grinned at Jared. "Couldn't be better," he returned. His hand settled discreetly on Gary's lower back and Gary shot him a quick smile. "Awesome!" Jared replied. "What's new, Gary?" Seeing an opportunity, Gary grinned. "Well, it's not new to us, but we're dating," he admitted. A look of surprise crossed Jared's face. "You two are?" Gary and Tracey both nodded and Jared's look of surprise morphed back into his usual grin. "Nice!" he replied, his voice full of genuine happiness and easy acceptance. Gary'd had a feeling that would be his reaction. Jared was just too chill of a person to be a homophobic dick, unlike some other people in Pallet. There had been a comment or two here and there, but Gary refused to let it bother him.

Beneath The Mistletoe

I had to do something silly for the holiday! I was inspired by a funny post on here and the fic kinda evolved on its own. I loved the idea of Ash challenging people to battles under the mistletoe and just had fun with it!

Ash hurried to catch up, following Gary out of the hall and to the large lobby where the cafe sat opposite the ticket counter. He could see in an instant why Gary might like this place — the walls looked like stones with fossils set into them. Inside was dark and cozy, decorated rather more like a library than a cafe. He could easily picture Gary stopping in here for an afternoon treat.

Ash ordered himself a latte and a cinnamon roll and fought down a laugh when Gary ordered a mocha and a chocolate croissant without even glancing at the menu. "Always gotta get the chocolate, don't ya?" he teased.

"At least you'll never be able to forget my order," Gary retorted lightly.

Ash grinned. "Is that your way of asking me to buy you more coffee?"