The Journey Continues

I’m updating my Families Masterlist 👁️ be on the lookout for it… eventually!! :) Art is credited on the page! The preview and code is available on this page! Have a great day!!

I think… there’s an inevitability in this.. Drew DOES love Nini and their children, if given the choice he’d go back and stay with May. Drew has a bigger problem though, he doesn’t cheat on May because the situation is too hard, he cheats on her because he’s insecure in their relationship and in himself.

He doesn’t see himself as someone who is deserving of May in the first place, he loves her and he’s happy to be with her but his insecurity would ultimately lead to their relationship falling apart anyways. Before Kalos, before Drew met Nini, he was extremely threatened by Ash and May’s friendship / proximity while they were all living in Alola. He noticed that May was able to “fit” perfectly into Paul and Ash’s dynamic and interact with their children in a way that Drew wasn’t able to.

Delia was very happy! She already really liked May! Finding out that Paul and Ash were opening their relationship to include May was a bit of a shock but had no reason to really object!!

Norman and Caroline however… Norman hated Drew from the get-go, he was beginning to get comfortable with Drew and even at the very end, supported them getting married while she was pregnant with Lia.. so to find out that Drew just.. threw away his relationship with May over a tough spot in their relationship.. he was.. angry. (Max was also VERY angry, he actually beats Drew up! As any brother who loves his sister should!! 😤😤)

Norman respected Paul more but didn’t like the idea of their relationship being a polycule, he doesn’t believe that Paul could love Ash and May equally (or provide for the both of them equally.) But eventually he comes around to the idea, he can’t stop his daughter and Paul and Ash have had multiple talks with Norman about the situation. And Caroline also didn’t understand the dynamic either!! She had been cheated on by Norman in the past so she was still a supporter of May’s relationship with Drew. Like Norman, she eventually came around to the idea, both of them were shocked at the jump from having 1 grandchild to 5 LMAO.

I wanna say… it’s strained!! Drew and May don’t speak as often as they should, and so Lia doesn’t see him as often either!! After a point, Drew thought that it would just be better for him to take a backseat in her life since Paul had already inserted himself and had taken over that father role she needed. Lia for a long time grows up seeing Drew as her Uncle rather than her father (and essentially believes that Paul is her biological father until later May reminds her that Drew is in fact her father.)

Nini essentially forces Drew to choose between her, their children and May and Lia. She sees herself as more important than May and Lia, and therefore her children also see themselves as more important. They don’t treat Lia as an older sister, rather as a nuisance. (Similar to how the Roy sibilngs would Connor (from Succession.))

An old friend drew fanart of Drew and Nini and I ended up liking it so much I was like 👁️. But also I was working on Lianthe’s backstory and I love the interpersonal drama that comes with creating characters! Also I was really into the idea of Paul/May and Ash/May so I figured, why not just make them a polycule!

I think Drew has met Nini before while May was touring with Lisia and Serena, but there’s not much more to their relationship because he’s all into May but Nini for sure has a crush on Drew despite his relationship to May.

It’s only when Lianthe is born that they start having issues, as excited as they were for a baby, their relationship takes a nose dive during the whole DCFS thing. I used to have a running gag that whenever Ash was on vacation with a friend that the media would always speculate that he and Paul were on the outs and that Ash was having an affair so I kinda wanted to keep that but change it a bit! Ash and Paul’s vacation in Alola just happened to match up with May and Drew’s custody battle with DCFS over Lia.

Drew up until that point had no intention of cheating on May, he loved her (and still loves her deeply) but there’s a lot of history and pressure there so when they’re in Kalos to meet with a specialist for Lia, it somehow gets to Nini that the relationship is struggling and she takes advantage of their strained relationship and in Drew’s moment of weakness, he cheats on May. He wouldn’t have done it if he’d just stayed at the hotel with May but during that moment he was just so tired of fighting with her all the time (because when Lia was first taken to the hospital and there’s suspicion of child neglect / abuse, Drew immediately pins it on May and it makes her feel like he didn’t trust her. Which she’s unable to let go of, even months after.)

So really it’s more the perfect storm of May’s trust in Drew already being broken, Drew also not liking how close she and Ash got during the months that they didn’t have custody of Lianthe (again, Drew and May were fighting while in Alola because of him not believing her about Lianthe) and Nini KNOWING something was wrong and taking her chances to get with Drew.

And well! In the end it worked out for Nini, she got pregnant by Drew from that 1 time alone and he not only felt pressured to stay with her but also because he knew that he and May’s relationship was past the point of no return UNLESS they got SERIOUS couple’s counseling which May wasn’t willing to do. (I mean, he’d already accused her of abusing their daughter THEN he refused to work on their relationship while in Alola and THEN in Kalos he’s hovering over her like a helicopter because he still doesn’t trust her with the baby and then leaves in the middle of a fight and cheats on her. I can’t blame her for immediately running away with her daughter and to her best friend who helped her during a tough time!)

Hello!! So, honestly Ash’s ending in the anime came just at the right time because I was struggling to fit things into my timeline LOL but now that he’s gone, it’s easier to work on my timeline!!

But if you meant old headcanons… it’s very likely!!! A lot of my headcanons and storylines have evolved overtime! Everything most recent can be found on the character’s profiles and on the unfinished timeline! (Also on the families masterlist page!)

sonny sketch art by @love-is-a-pearl

“Trans people don’t come out of the closet, they fall out of the attic.” - Colin M.

Salvatore “Sonny” D’Amore, previously known as Zoey Toniko is the father of Elián D'Amore and the husband to Candice Alcala.

So after Zoey and Candice start dating, Zoey unexpectedly begins to get hit with small episodes of depression that she has absolutely no idea where they came from. As a trainer, coordinator, camping between towns is a must but when Zoey was smaller, she used to go on camping trips with her father Touya, memories she holds very dearly despite later growing apart from her father. So when the depressive episodes began, the wilderness was often her solace, leaving for days or weeks at a time to try and work through her issues- the only problem was, she had no idea what exactly was wrong with her.

Then Dawn and Ursula suggested that Zoey come with them to Kalos to compete in the upcoming Performer circuit, and at first she turns Dawn down but after talking it over with Candice, she decides to go, even though it means leaving Candice behind (for now.)

As they’re traveling through Kalos, it’s evident that Showcases are FAR different from Contests, which, in all fairness, she should have done her research but with her experience she didn’t think it would be too different. At first it makes Zoey feel a little weird that only girls and young women are allowed to enter- coming from Contests to something gender restrictive hit her.. wrong and it gets worse when they go shopping for costumes. Aria, the current Kalos Queen, sets all the current trends because she IS the IT girl. Like, she’s an ambassador for like, the pokemon version of like, Miu Miu and the like! She IS the true Kalos Queen. Most boutiques for competitors only carry dresses, frills, glitter- there’s nothing gender neutral there for Zoey due to, of course, boys and men being excluded from Showcases.

Zoey of course helps Dawn and Ursula pick out their costumes but she’s increasingly becoming more and more upset as the day goes on, from boutique to boutique they can’t find anything that Zoey feels comfortable wearing and they end up having to visit a menswear shop, specifically for suits. Zoey ends up just picking a random color she likes off the rack and buys it, with Ursula and Dawn stating that they will “make it work” and it’s a very long night of the three of them tailoring the suit to her and adding what Dawn calls “flairs”.

And then.. of course, the deviation from the “norm” is shocking enough to gain her a FEW fans but it’s not enough and for the first time since she began Contests she got the lowest score of the entire lineup. And it freaks her out. Two or three more Showcases and Ursula and Dawn have already earned their first Princess Keys- and she just chalks it up to being rusty since before Kalos, she’d been on hiatus for at least a year. When Ursula earns her second Princess Key, one of the other competitors makes a remark that Zoey’s coming out on bottom because of the suit, being “too manly”, not her performing style.

Suddenly that depression cloud begins to creep up on Zoey and is eventually convinced to pick a dress and wear it, even though she really hates it. And overnight, she’s won her 3 keys- she, Dawn and Ursula quickly find themselves invited to the Performer’s Ball hosted by Pierre, who seeks Zoey out and “mentions” how “unlike herself” she’s been. He mentions to her that he too felt.. “different” when he was younger- though he’s speaking of being gay and seeing the internal struggle in Zoey- and tells her how she needs to embrace whatever change is waiting for her. Later that night back in the hotel, all Zoey can do is just stare at herself in the mirror- in the stupid frilly dress she felt pressured into buying for Pierre’s ball, and just can’t figure out what exactly it is that feels so wrong.

Finally they’re in Glorie City and it’s Zoey’s turn to go on stage, Dawn and Ursula having already gone and yet Zoey cannot bring herself to step out of the changing room- too overwhelmed and replaying her conversation with Pierre from the week before, after her name is called twice, with a warning from the stagehands, Zoey has a panic attack and leaves the dressing room crying and ripping her dress off as she leaves the room- with Dawn and Ursula following closely behind her (Ursula is not THAT cold hearted and has realized that she likes having girl friends) all the while Zoey’s mumbling about how awful she feels accepting Princess Keys and what it would mean to be the Kalos Queen and Dawn very jokingly goes, “Well Zo none of us are actually princesses!” (Which isn’t completely true- Ursula is the future Baroness of Alamos Town and Dawn doesn’t know it yet but she IS apart of the Royal Family and will in fact, take Salvia’s place after Salvia chooses to abdicate her place in line for a “normal” life.) To which Zoey responds back with, “I’M NOT.. I’M NOT A GIRL!!”

Dawn and Ursula don’t really know how to process this immediately- and neither does Zoey so THEY all just stand around in a circle for a moment staring at each other. Pierre, ever graceful and helpful finds them and announces that he has allowed the other contenders to go on ahead of Zoey and that she will go last once she has collected herself- which Zoey turns down immediately, choosing to forfeit rather than go back onstage in a dress. Pierre does try to convince her to stay, but ultimately accepts her decision- Zoey does tell Dawn and Ursula to go on without her and that she will wait for them at the hotel but she actually just packs all of her things and is on a flight out of Kalos by the time Ursula is named Kalos Queen.

Of course, waiting for her in Snowpoint is Candice who has been absolutely losing her mind while Dawn and Ursula tried to fill her in (although they do leave out Zoey’s “declaration” in part of it not being their place to tell Candice.) And Zoey eats it. For months afterwards, even after both Dawn and Ursula return from Kalos.

Zoey ends up spending a lot of time at their local mall just standing in the men’s dressing room trying on the clothes to feel some sense of relief. Ash and Paul live in the area (Snowpoint, in the Champion’s Castle) and Paul most definitely notices Zoey and well, Zoey looks like shit. It’s absolutely eating him alive and he’s ALSO going to IVF / Fertility appointments with Candice because he’s assumed that a baby will fix his feelings and his depression.

A couple weeks later Paul spots him again and is like, “Dude. You look like shit. What’s going on?” Zoey wouldn’t immediately tell Paul what’s wrong because he’s still got a chip on his shoulder from years ago but it becomes obvious that Paul is actually concerned (Ash is concerned, Dawn & Ursula are concerned and Candice is acting like everything is FINE. So if his husband and his cousin (Ursula) are concerned, by extension Paul has to be concerned.) And Zoey does open up to Paul who actually tells him to “fucking man up then. You can’t keep pushing down your feelings, it’s eating you alive and you’ll kill yourself.” And Zoey’s like, “I knew I hated your ass for a reason.”

But it pushes Zoey to go home and out himself to Candice in a blur… she breaks up with him within a month of being “out”, even though they have no idea Sonny’s pregnant with Spinner. Candice of course, is offended that he’d keep something like this from her for so long and decides that she’s going to leave Snowpoint to stay in Veilstone City with her best friend Maylene in order to give Zoey the space he needs. The next time he sees Paul he’s like, “… Thanks.. for telling me to man up… Still kinda hate you.” And Paul just pats him on the shoulder and is like, “Candice will come around. You need to find a new name though.”

Thus, Salvatore “Sonny” is born. His parents don’t really take it well, they weren’t even exactly happy about the original “coming out” as a lesbian, but Sienna, his mother comes around much quicker then Touya does, which is what influences Sonny’s decision to take his mother’s last name while finalizing his name. As more changes start being made, Sonny finally finds out he’s FIVE months pregnant when his blood tests for HRT come back all wonky, and it absolutely causes him to have a meltdown.

He and Candice are still on rocky terms, his father won’t talk to him and it feels like all his friends are treating him like he’s fragile. (Except Paul, Paul’s an asshole which Sonny appreciates, he doesn’t like watching everyone else panic and go quiet when they call him Zoey etc.) So.. what does he do?? He runs away. He’s completely unprepared for a wilderness retreat but he does it, and he stays away for weeks, trying to figure out what to do. He eventually decides to “man up” and “deal with it” and returns home to begin getting ready for his baby.. with or without Candice. He asks everyone to keep quiet on that, as he knows Candice still has to work through her own feelings on the situation- they were engaged when Sonny came out to her, Candice had always made jokes in the past on how she’d never been attracted to a man. How she always knew she was a lesbian.

Oddly enough, Paul becomes his first new guy friend. He’s there with Sonny every week helping him fix up the cabin, baby proof the house and setting up the nursery- constantly telling him that he needs to tell Candice about the baby as Paul’s hearing certain rumors. (Candice and Maylene started dating.. or maybe not? Paul can’t be too sure, but better to be honest with Candice and get her back sooner rather than later!) He’s only got a month or so left until the baby comes.. Unfortunately though, as he starts showing more and more, Sonny spirals and goes into another depressive episode. It’s a struggle to get through the days and he ends up calling Candice days before “Spinner” (The name Sonny has been affectionately calling the baby due to how active he is.) is born. Candice (who may or may not be dating Maylene) immediately makes her way back to Snowpoint, deciding that she wants to be with Sonny and their baby. Because she loves him and nothing about him has changed except his name.

Pretty soon after Elián is born, Sonny and Candice get married and Candice is offered a position for the Sinnoh Elite Four by Paul. She does take a few months to actually start since she’s on maternity leave.

the disco before the breakdown // tonight we're gonna give it 35%

And how tired I was from the past couple of weeks From the past couple of years Well, it hit me all at once

I got another commission from @love-is-a-pearl, and I'm sooo so so happy with it!! I was definitely in a Spinner mood, he's one of my very favorite characters just because of WHO he is. There aren't many oc characters out there who actively hunt/steal pokemon while still challenging the idea that they can still be good people despite their jobs. (AND I NEED TO SEE MORE OF THEM... SHOW MEEEE. SHOW ME THE "EVIL" CHARACTERS!!!!)

These doodles also have been so nice to bring to life the small moments I always have rolling around in my brain ;w;

okay okay, we have : - sonny & paul cheering on their sons -> cesaire and spinner sometime before a hockey game ;w;, besties.. TwT - spinner and anna gazing at each other.. will they - won't they? - sonny and spinner fishing (on an implied dad/son camping bonding experience) - spinner and his mentor sigorn (quillon/?) probably trying to figure out what to buy for lunch - jet and spinner having a stand off over how jet is treating anna - cesaire and anna dancing at the new year's ball of 2035

I also have this sketch draftfrom l-i-a-p (who i lovingly refer to as perla)!! - Spinner and Anna dancing together (which I will choose to believe that Spinner later dreams of dancing with her at the ball and is constantly kicking himself due to his running theme of always being "too slow on the draw" when it comes to her.)

his whole hell love triangle with jet and anna is both hilarious and sooo sad.. if jet could be with both anna and spinner he'd be fine, he'd be perfect but he's a got a match and they're standing on wooden bridges