doodles by holly.

“All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. But now I know what it really is… It’s energy, and life.  It’s like the sun, but inside of you.”

Fire is the element of power, consisting of overpowering force tempered by the unflinching will to accomplish tasks and desires.

Louis, a Fire Nation soldier

“I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me.”

Water is the element of change, consisting of a defensive offense implementing fluidity and grace acting in concert with the environment.

Harry, a Water Tribe healer

“There’s no different angle, no clever solution, no trickity trick that’s going to move that rock. You’ve got to face it head on.”

Earth is the element of substance. Diverse, strong, and enduring, it involves waiting and listening for the right moment to strike and, when that moment comes, acting decisively.

Liam, an Earth Kingdom Commoner (and Earth Rumble VII Champion)

“All life is sacred. I’ve always tried to solve my problems by being quick or clever. And I’ve only had to use violence for necessary defense.”

Air is the element of freedom, concerned with flexibility and finding and following the path of least resistance.    

Niall, an Air Nomad

“The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed.” 

Air is the element of freedom, focused on seeking spiritual enlightenment and finding peace through detachment from worldly problems and concerns.

Zayn, an Air Nomad (Airbending Master)

Everywhere he goes shocked voices and hushed whispers follow. It’s not often you see a boy travelling long distances with his pokémon walking beside him. He must just be a poor trainer, they say. How irresponsible. The only pokémon who live outside of their balls are either wild or disobedient.

“We’re friends,” Niall says simply, when yet another stranger asks. “They’re only ever in them when they want to be.” The blonde boy is sitting in a park under a tree, his Togepi waddling in circles beside him, waving its short arms and shrieking. “Why keep them in their balls when they’re so much happier outside?” He smiles fondly, picking up Togepi and setting the small creature on top of his head.

He stands then, placing his fingers in his mouth and whistling. A Squirtle jumps out of a nearby pond, and a Jolteon comes running. Looking upwards, an Aerodactyl is beating its wings.

“We’d better be going,” Niall says with a shrug. “There’s a badge at the Cerulean City Gym with my name on it.”

With a wave goodbye, the boy and his pokémon leave, headed for their next adventure.

Only a few minutes later there’s another whistling noise. A rustling noise is heard from the far side of the tree where Niall was sitting, and then a Slowpoke meanders into sight from behind the tree trunk. It has a hat on its head.

The stranger realizes then that perhaps they were wrong in their thinking. They realize that perhaps, Niall is right.

Niall, Team Instinct

“There, there. Easy now, I promise it won’t hurt.” Harry’s deep, slow voice has always worked wonders with calming down whatever wounded pokémon a trainer rushes into the PokéCenter. But the Sandslash thrashing on the examination table seems determined to prove to the boy that there are exceptions to every rule. Already the creature’s talons have left scratches up and down Harry’s arms, as well as a particularly nasty gash on his cheek.

He quickly wipes away the blood on the back of his hand and reassesses his predicament. The Sandslash is in desperate need of a healing salve where, according to its panicked owner, some of its spines were ripped out during a battle with a Persian at a nearby Gym. “Let me help you,” Harry pleads.

The Sandslash responds by taking another swipe at Harry’s face.

The boy dodges just in time, and hastily reaches for the pokéball attached to his belt. “Espeon, I choose you!”

A familiar flash of bright red light dissipates, and Espeon moves to stand by its owner’s side. The pair have been together for years now, going back even before it had evolved; the Eevee had been the first pokémon Harry ever caught. Harry runs his hand gently along one of Espeon’s ears and says steadily, “Espeon, use Psychic Beam.”

The lilac pokémon nods and, with a swift flick of its tail, a beam of light erupts from the red jewel on its forehead and connects with the Sandslash’s chest. It freezes instantly, and Harry has no trouble applying the healing salve to its wounds.

“See,” he says with a small smile, “that wasn’t so bad, right?” The Sandslash simply cocks it head so that Harry can scratch under its chin before he picks it up and exits the examination room. They are headed for the Nursery. There the Sandslash will be lulled to sleep with the help of a Jigglypuff’s song, and recuperate before returning to its owner in the morning.

Espeon walks with them the whole way, right at Harry’s side.

Harry, Team Mystic

This is bad. This is very, very bad. Louis’ faced many Gym leaders since beginning his journey as a pokémon trainer, but he’s starting to realize he overestimated his abilities and underestimated the leader of the Fuchsia City Gym.

With a sigh, Louis steels his expression. He can’t let his fear show. Not now. “Sawsbuck, return.” He keeps his voice as steady as possible, watches his deer pokémon disappear back into its pokéball in a flash of red light. He’ll need to take it to a Pokécenter after this battle is finished, just to be safe. The Sawsbuck easily defeated the leader’s Nidorina, but was no match for the Arbok.

“This battle’s not over yet.”

Louis looks across the battle arena, locking gazes with the Gym leader. He’s right though. Louis has one more chance. He can still win this battle, still earn his Soul Badge.

He reaches down to the string of pokéballs attached to his belt. “Flareon, I choose you!”

“Arbok, Poison Sting!”

“Flareon, dodge it!” Louis yells, and his fiery pokémon does so just in time, narrowly escaping its rival’s jaws. The two pokémon continue to fight, blurs of purple and orange moving around the arena. It’s a deadly dance, and Louis knows Flareon will tire quickly if it keeps it up. “Flareon, use Flamethrower!”

The pokémon flips in midair and exhales a stream of fire from its mouth. The attack finds its target, and Arbok retreats. The giant snake is moving slower than before, though.

This is it.

Before the Gym leader can counter, Louis calls out, “Flareon, let’s finish this! Heat Wave!” With a quick nod, Flareon spins rapidly in a circle, warming up the air around it. Then, with a violent flick of its fiery tale, Flareon shoots the concentrated and molten hot gust towards its opponent. Too worn out to dodge, the Arbok is hit. It’s thrown backwards and lands at its trainer’s feet, unconscious.

“Arbok, return.” The Gym leader’s voice is quieter than before, perhaps even defeated.

Flareon runs up to Louis’ side, and he ruffles the fur on its head. “Good job, lad. We did it.”

Louis looks up as the Gym leader approaches. “Congratulations, Louis,” he says. “You’ve beaten me, and you’ve certainly earned this.”

In his extended hand sits a bright pink heart. A Soul Badge. Louis takes it, pinning it to the inside of his jacket with the rest of his collection. His dream of becoming the best pokémon trainer in the world is now one step closer to coming true.

Louis, Team Valor

Or perhaps in Slytherin You’ll make your real friends, Those cunning folks use any means To achieve their ends.

i finally drew slytherin louis.

It’s been a long day, and Zayn is exhausted.

He undoes his belt with one hand, and sets it and the six pokéballs attached to it down on his bed. A seventh he holds in his other hand. “Umbreon, I choose you.” He says it softly. The black pokémon appears in a flash of red light. It sits, looking at Zayn with a quizzical expression.

Zayn smiles. “C’mon.” Umbreon follows along beside him, and they both make their way out of his room and through the small living quarters attached to the impressive Fuchsia City Gym. It’s not much, but it’s been home for the past eight years ever since Zayn became the Gym’s Leader.

It’s easier to breathe outside.

The moon is full tonight, and the yellow rings on Umbreon’s body begin to glow. The pokémon rushes ahead, running up the hill to the large oak tree. Their oak tree. It’s Zayn’s favourite spot, where he likes to go when things become too much. It’s peaceful, and peace is what he needs right now.

He leans back against the tree’s gnarly trunk, and slides to the ground. Umbreon curls up beside Zayn’s thigh, and gives the boy another questioning look.

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

It’s only a little white lie. His thoughts are only a little still preoccupied with the last trainer who had come to the Gym today, seeking a Soul Badge for his collection. It’s not often that Zayn loses—

No. He’s not going to focus on that.

A heavy sigh escapes him, and Umbreon rests its head on his leg. He runs his hand along the pokémon’s back, ruffling it’s silky black fur. The yellow rings are warm to the touch now. “I’m fine,” he repeats. Maybe this time he believes it.

He and Umbreon stay like that for a while more, content with silence and the moon as their only company. Eventually though, Zayn stands, and they go back inside. Tomorrow is a new day, and new trainers who will arrive to challenge him.

Zayn needs to be ready for them.

Zayn, Team Mystic

Liam wasn’t really looking for a battle.

Well, okay…that’s not entirely true. He was absolutely, positively, entirely looking for a battle. How else is he supposed to become a pokémon master?

He’s headed for Cerulean City when he runs into the boy: short, a bit scruffy, with really dirty shoes. But what really catches Liam’s eye is the collection of little badges on the inside of the boy’s jacket that he’s showing off to the Charmander walking beside him. There’s seven of them, which is impressive—one more and this boy can qualify for the Indigo League.  Liam thinks ruefully of the measly three badges currently clinking in his pocket, but shakes his head. Don’t, he tells himself. It’s not a competition.

Well, okay…that’s not entirely true, either. It is a competition, but it’s not a race. This is a lucky encounter, really. Who better to practice with than someone who’s obviously good?

“Hey!” Liam calls out, waving a hand in the air. “Hey there!”

The other boy stops and looks up. “Hello,” he replies, cracking a grin.

“Where are you headed?” Liam asks, even though he knows the answer. There’s only one place this boy can go to acquire the Soul Badge he’s missing.

“Fuchsia City. Got to get me last badge,” he says proudly.

Liam smiles. “Um, this is probably a bit out of the blue but… Do you… Would you like to have a battle? I reckon I could learn a thing or two from someone with that many badges under their belt.”

The boy is already reaching for a pokéball attached to his belt. “Sure! Don’t be discouraged if you lose, though.”

Liam loses. But the battle wasn’t nearly as unmatched as he’d anticipated. His newly evolved Vaporeon put up a very good fight, beating the other boy’s Lickitung, though it eventually fell to his Sawsbuck.

“Good show,” the boy says afterwards and holds out his hand, which Liam shakes. “My name’s Louis. Louis Tomlinson.”

“Liam Payne.”

Louis grins. “Y’know Liam, it can get a bit lonely being by yourself. What would you say if I tagged along with you?”

At first Liam can’t believe what he’s hearing. Louis, who’s one badge away from entering the League, wants to travel with him? “Well,” he says. “So long as you don’t mind stopping at every Gym between here and Fuchsia City, that sounds great.”

“i wanna be the very best like no one ever was. to catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause.”

“you’re the perfect height. for an arm rest.”