GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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played by

Dove

Admin Bee
He / Him
30
April 12
Lumiose City, Kalos
Pansexual
Broadcast Journalist
Admin
if you're lonely
come be lonely with me
6'0" / 183 cm height
6'0" / 183 cm height
i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.
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BARNABY FINCH
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 3:15:23 GMT
BARNABY FINCH Avatar
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ANOTHER DECADE PASSES...
[break]






... and 's discontent continues to grow.[break][break]

He finds no ballast to center him. No purpose in their purgatory here. Without the structure and stability that ROCKET had provided for the entirety of his life, Barnaby felt lost in the face of an ever-progressing world.[break][break]

So many of his friends and acquaintances had moved on, found purpose, built lives that made them happy and fulfilled. and . and . and . and . Even took on a charge that changed her and her outlook on this poisoned place.[break][break]

Meanwhile, he was left at the periphery, weaved into their lives as a transient courier — present, affable, engaged... until he wasn't. In one city just long enough to maintain his friendships until the roads called out to him again.[break][break]

At some point, joined him. It took time, but Barnaby eventually warmed to the man, and even looked forward to his company. They'd found a kindred melancholy and bonded over it. Talk of came often and Barnaby did his best to console his friend. Unvoiced, however, was that he understood Bryan's perspective as well. Commitment wasn't something he prescribed to either.[break][break]

And yet, he'd continued his attachment with for nearly twenty years now. Their situation was too long-lived to be a casual fling. There was substance there, unvoiced but requited by both men. To mention it would be to topple whatever they'd built over the last two decades. So they didn't. And they continued in their teasing dance, floating around talk of any serious relationship. Still... there was an affection there that very few had ever earned from .[break][break]

was also one of those few. He held her in the softest place within his guarded heart. Whether this was out of pity for her situation or a faded loyalty to a golden-haired memory... he wasn't sure. It didn't matter, really. He shared her bed all the same, kept her company within her withered garden, brought letters from beyond the wall. For years and years he thought this was the limit of their life together.[break][break]

Until a mongrel invaded. Lisette. A stray that insisted on humoring, for reasons beyond Barnaby's comprehension. He barely acknowledged her presence; he'd only ever tolerated children, after all, and wasn't about to start now. Besides, there was just something off about the way she looked at him with those cobalt eyes of hers... too sharp for her own good.[break][break]

There was one positive to harboring the mongrel child, however, and that was her affect on . He could see glimpses and shades of the old Elisa returning to him. Emerald eyes, streaks of golden hair. Most of all, her countenance shifted, little by little. Less dour now, more of the woman he knew before. He hoped she would return to him completely... but knew that was impossible until the burden of WO-CHIEN was lifted.[break][break]

It wouldn't happen while they were still trapped here. They'd need an Avatar's power to combat the ill-omens prophesized to come on the Winter Solstice. NECROZMA's return, had warned him. A final battle, if ZAMAZENTA's nearly-chiseled statue was any indication.[break][break]

He'd prepare with the rest of the realm. When that final day came, would fight alongside all those he'd met on his many journeys throughout Galar.[break][break]

He was ready to return home. [break][break]



dSvozjb7






[attr="class","barnaby-notes"]

motostoke gang[break]
• unmasked now[break]
• resentful of all the happy families[break]
• continues his courier thing - with ![break]
• MWAH to & [break]
• ew @ 's adopted kid[break]
• ready to go home!! bring it necrozma!![break]
weapon: recurve bow of MYSTICAL FIRE








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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,122 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 3:23:29 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
- The Fifteenth Year -

Hoenn had become a fleeting memory in Josh's mind. Even the names "Hoenn", "Mauville", and "Racing Grounds" had been lost to time. Only the many days spent training with 's Raikou-familiar kept alive the one memory he had left of the old world: his first run on the back of the legendary Pokémon he desired to befriend for himself. Hoenn did not exist anymore. Only Galar existed now.

Furthermore, Josh was no longer the Gym Leader of Mauville City. He was the Stadium Leader of Hammerlocke, the one who had organized the Galar Speed League. Those who could travel among the four cities regularly and were invested in Hammerlocke's racing circuit would expand it to cover all four cities, raising morale by providing Galarians of all ages much-needed joy and entertainment.

With how often Josh traveled between the cities, and the demand for Galarians to travel between cities, Josh would ferry people to and from them using his six Pokémon, faster than anyone else in the realm except possibly and . Perhaps even faster than Kyle with help from the monarch's Raikou-familiar. Not even Raikiri would be reserved for him; he had no qualms with letting passengers sit astride the Zeraora... provided they were brave enough to withstand the thundercat's incredible speed. If cities ever needed emergency backup, Josh would be one of the first ones on scene, the speed of his Zeraora allowing him to respond faster than almost anyone else.

In his travels, he would enable friends who had been long separated from one another to reunite, such as and . He would meet up with some of his friends from the old world, including , , and most importantly, , whom he had been writing back and forth to for years. Josh would fulfill any desires Absalom had to travel between cities. Perhaps he would even get to go for a casual flight on 's Rayquaza once more before Armageddon started.

When not ferrying people between cities, Josh would train hard with 's Raikou-familiar. The one time he got to EXTREME SPEED with Raikou in the old world, it was paralyzing. The only way to get better was to practice, which he did as much as his body would let him. The Beast's gait was rough - even rougher than Aslan's, and the natural thundercloud saddle only did so much to mitigate the forces behind the legendary tiger's flexing back.

Then he had an idea.

"Raikou, rather than sitting on your thundercloud, what if I sunk into your thundercloud?" It was a wild and dangerous idea, only made possible by his SYGNA SUIT and the Manectric he shared that unbreakable, almost Avatar-like bond with. Sitting directly on the feline's flexing back would remove much of the protection the saddle offered, but being enveloped in the purple cloud would also keep him from falling off. With a purr that rattled Josh more strongly than with any of his Pokémon mounts, the Beast seemed to agree, letting him sink directly onto its yellow and black fur. At first, Josh could barely hold his sword mid-charge. With every half-sonic speed run, though, he got better and better, making slow improvements until he fired his first ELECTRO BALL mid-EXTREME SPEED.

A brilliant, yellow explosion of electricity, followed by a deafening sonic boom, would have grabbed the attention of anyone in the vicinity. Perhaps even would have taken notice of Josh's breakthrough. Even then, he would have told the king of his breakthrough. The two continued to hone their skills, Josh at last feeling like a true hero. He was going to get to do what he wanted to do for the League -- whatever that was -- from the beginning.

He was going to smite evil from Raikou's metaphorical saddle. Even if it was only for one day, he felt like the Avatar of Raikou he always wanted to be.

- The Twentieth Year -

As Hammerlocke's Stadium Leader advanced in age, Josh found his body able to do less and less. EXTREME SPEED runs on the Raikou-familiar's back became more and more tiring with every passing year. He found himself dizzy after every Pokémon race when, just five years ago, he found himself reacy to celebrate or even seek more high speed action from his other Pokémon. He had to pick between his racing career and defending Galar.

While he knew the right decision was easy to make, it would not be easy to execute. It was his racing circuit that had provided one of the few forms of entertainment to Galarians for over a decade now. To leave it behind was painful. He would end it with a bang, though: he would demonstrate to Hammerlocke, and any Galarians that wanted to make the journey there, the strength and teamwork he had honed with King Lopez' mighty electric cat. He put on a demonstration of the mightiest EXTREME SPEED Raikou could muster. Galarians cheered as the Beast galloped faster and faster, even Josh a blur from bouncing up and down too rapidly to see. It was only the thundercloud harness that kept the aging man in the saddle.

Once the electric legendary Pokémon reached peak speed, Josh raised his sword above his mount's grey crown and slashed toward the center of the stadium. In a sonic explosion, the ELECTRO BALL detonated with frightening power enabled by being astride the fastest of all land Pokémon. If there was any hope Josh had for fighting off the SKELETON AND THE BLACK KNIGHT, it was this technique.

Of course, as the familiar belonged to , if something untoward were to happen to the monarch, he could not rely on his borrowed legendary steed. He needed a powerful weapon of his own. After hearing of the spread of DYNAMAX BANDs throughout Galar, Josh went to the only person he knew he could rely upon to forge one for him: . It may make the difference in the battle of life and death for Galar's well-being...




EczCim6f

Weapon: Lightning Sword of ELECTRO BALL

- HAMMERLOCKE

> YEAR FIFTEEN:
- By the fifteenth year, most of Josh's memories of Hoenn have faded. Though he has assumed a very similar role in Hammerlocke Stadium, all memories of him as Mauville Gym Leader are gone.
- With the advent of travel being possible for normal people, Josh offers his six Pokémon to help people travel among the four cities. While doing so, he rediscovers, and catches up with, several of his friends, including , , , , and .
- Having worked to raise the morale of Hammerlocke's people, Josh attempts to raise the footprint of Pokémon racing to all four major Galarian cities.
- Josh further hones his skills with 's Raikou-familiar, at last making a breakthrough in riding during EXTREME SPEED.

> YEAR TWENTY:
- Josh's body is growing older, and competing on the racing circuit is taking a physical toll on him. He ends his racing career with a showcase race featuring the Raikou-familiar, announcing his retirement.
- After winning the race, Josh showcases his mastery of his sword, loosing the most powerful ELECTRO BALL Galar has ever seen toward the center of Hammerlocke Stadium.
- Having lots of experience with fighting Dynamax Pokémon, Josh also asks to craft him a DYNAMAX BAND for use in the battle to come.


{WC: 1,009}
{PC: 7}

NAME            SPECIES           STATUS 
                                  ♥♥♥♥♥
Josh            Human             ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Raikiri         Zeraora           Good
Saber           Manectric         Good
Aslan           Pyroar**          Good
Resheph         Dragonair         Good
Mastema         Togekiss          Good
Sidewinder      Dragapult         Good


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played by

kohaku

She/Her
Twenty-Five
Jubilife City, Sinnoh
*shrugs*
Freelancer/Ex-Ace Child Detective
Civilian
Violet Fairbanks
Dating
--- height
--- height
Let's Keep things a bit clandestine, shall we?
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Elaine Highland
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 3:30:44 GMT
Elaine Highland Avatar


Filename: Prophecy.m4a (Last Modified: 08/12/N10)

I wonder if I could call this the first sight a light at the end of the tunnel finally. It's strange. Really. The whole situation is strange.

The last ten years, I wondered if the end of the prophecy would ever come to pass. As much as I wanted to go home, I could almost call this new life...normal. Well, it was hardly normal, but I'd say it was something I could almost say I was used to.

...

So I guess this is how it feels to have hope rekindled, huh?

But that was not it either. No, it wasn't what you told me was missing, either. I don't even have to hear your rebukes to know that.

Still...maybe this, too, is fine. I have outlived you, after all. I am the real me.

So I will hope in the future now. There is an ending in sight after all.


Filename: Remnants.m4a (Last Modified: 12/17/N10)

I have been thinking. In ten years, if our estimates are right, then we will come to the end of all of this. If the prophecy is right, this memory will be 'torn asunder,' as graciously worded by whoever wrote it.

So, what happens to everyone here who was from here.

What will happen to this police force I built or to Aidan? Will they be torn asunder or remain?

I dearly desire that all of this doesn't fade away. They are real too...

Filename: Recession.m4a (Last Modified: 8/16/N16)

It has been...I can't even count how long it has been since the poison has begun to recede. It feels like the world had finally opened up but even now, there's not much to do. Save for the people I directly encountered or my boss, John Sullivan, I didn't know much of anyone there.

I guess I paid my price for being a bit of a loner. But I have plenty to protect here.

Kyrenai has been good to me.

His highness has been fun to be around.

Even my no longer little apprentice has been a pleasure to watch grow.

Besides, I need to continue gaining strength. If the ending is coming, I need to be stronger.

...

I wonder why this feels so familiar. And why you've been so quiet recently, Elaine.


In a small corner of the world, there was a single pristine field of flowers. As if standing in defiance of the fate that the world had decreed, they stood unabated--a pure white in a sea of venom.

This spot had become a favorite escape for a certain woman, who now stood upon its center. When she had felt that life had become a bit much to bear, she could always find some solace in this space that had finally seemed to fight back against the cruelty of this world.

Yes, the red-haired police commissioner would regularly sit there after flying atop Tiamat's back to reach this isolated garden—finally having explored a little outside the city she spent a decade and a half of her life in.

"Why?"

But there was no solace in this moment. The young woman stood in the center of the field, speaking to nobody in particular.

"Why won't you speak anymore?"

Her arms flew around.

"You were with me for over a decade."

She clutched her chest.

"You were chiding me for so long."

She made impassioned pleas as she fell to her knees.

"You can't just go silent like this after all this time..."

Her hands made a feeble attempt to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I still haven't found what I was missing. I still haven't found my answer to you."



But the world never spoke back.

Nobody ever spoke back to her.



Filename: Cat.m4a (Last Modified: 11/06/N16)

I never thought I would see here but I guess that now that people have been able to move around between cities, I guess it makes sense. The man is duty bound to the last. Even now he is searching for the cat that everyone was fighting before we got here...or maybe only some people were fighting it? Time has rolled on so I cannot say that I remember a lot of the finer details.

A right shame for a detective, huh?

Nevertheless, I saw no sightings so I couldn't be of more help to him.

Still, probably a good idea to keep an eye out regardless. At the very least, if I get any intel, I can act on it now.


Filename: Violet.m4a (Last Modified: 12/25/N16)

I was talking about not seeing many familiar faces, but I never thought I would run into Violet here of all places.

It was nice.

I never realized that she was here but now that I think about it, the mystery assailant...

Well, I haven't brought up the incident before we entered our memories with her yet. And realistically, I doubt I ever will.

Heh. She so brazenly showed up here.

That is so like her.

Really, it is nice to have another link to the past like her. So I don't forget it all.


Filename: To_Ballonlea.m4a (Last Modified: 2/22/N17)

It really is fine to do this, right? I know Aidan said that everyone will be fine in the city if I take a break like this every so often, but even so, it's still off-putting.

Well, it's not like she's going to answer.

It has been a month since returned to Ballonlea. She had invited me to come join her there, but I can't. I still have a city to protect. But that doesn't mean I can't go visit her every so often.

...

Hehe.

I wonder how she'll react seeing me. I'm sure she'll be surprised.

But it will feel warm again to see her. So warm and nice.


Filename: Silent_to_Small_Fire.m4a (Last Modified: 05/30/N20)
It is fast approaching. The second decade will be coming to an end very soon.

It has been a long twenty years here in an unfamiliar city I had made my home and made a difference in. There is a chance that this will all be erased, but this is a real twenty years that I have experienced. It is far longer than the amount of time I have spent in Hoenn.

There was a time where I had felt that none of this was real. And at the end of the day, none of it might be.

But even so...the friends I have made. The child I adopted. The people I have protected. The strength I gained.

All of it right here and now are real.

But there is a chance that I may never come back. So, I plan to leave Aidan in charge of the police force I raised as a contingency.

This is probably all paradoxical. This is a supposedly a memory that may disappear. However, that doesn't mean I will let everything fall into the night.

I may not have found an answer to what I was missing nor may I have ever heard the voice of my old self again. However, I will still protect it all.

No matter what, even if it is destined to fall apart, I will preserve this memory until the bitter end.


These are the last remaining records from Elaine Highland—the final remnants of the two decades she had experienced in Motostoke and the final moments left fixed in stone. From here on out, all that remains is the chase to the end of a very uncertain future.


TL;DR:
  • Elaine's outfit, Pre-timeskip
  • Post-timeskip FC: Devola-Nier Replicant
  • Elaine's weapon staff with a hidden blade, imbued with Inferno (Visual-Staff of Agni from Kubera)
  • Elaine ponders the inevitable end of the memory
  • Elaine enjoys her newfound friendship with Kyrenai
  • Elaine breaks down as she still cannot figure out the answer to the question she was posed by herself at the start of all of this and has stopped hearing the voice and seeing the image of her past self
  • Elaine cooperates with John Douglas Sullivan's attempts to find the bad kitty
  • Elaine meets Violet during the whole last few years and rekindles a friendship (or maybe more) with her as she realizes Violet was her assailant during the start, but never calls it out
  • Elaine takes pride in her apprentice/adopted child and feels she can leave the force to him in the event anything happens to her
  • With twenty years of encounters, friends, and emotions behind her, Elaine heads out into the uncertain future of the final battle

WnSzIoP5





NOTE: FINALLY COMPLETE/b]
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played by

liekos

leo, leon
he/him
twenty-eight
september 30th
rustboro city, hoenn
demirom. bisex.
ceo, inventor
ace
save a little
love for me
6 ft 5 in (~196 cm) height
6 ft 5 in (~196 cm) height
i wish i were better, i wish i had strength. i wish i had anything to prove i was brave.
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Leonidas Stone
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 3:43:09 GMT
Leonidas Stone Avatar
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(There’s always more to be done.)
[break][break]

For everyone there.[break][break]

(This needs to happen.)
[break][break]

For those that were left behind.[break][break]

Endless nights of toiling and clamoring amidst the deskspace he’d not only made his own, but also, essentially, made his home within his home. Though the setting had been leagues upon leagues different from what he’d been previously accustomed to, his knowledge still remained, and the resources still existed. There was a will. There was a way.[break][break]

There was a way— be it when they first arrived, or there, within those trying times, as lead after lead had been so graciously delivered upon them within those seemingly cursed lands. Stagnancy had run rampant within his mind; the ideal of returning home swiftly becoming overridden by the impending doom that became more and more for a reality of him.[break][break]

Broken only by the happenings that struck through the years.[break]
The stone that had begun to conveniently carve itself.[break]
The wishing star that paved the way for more development.[break][break]

All of them, reminders of a destined future yet to be made manifest. All of them, a breath of life and hope into a life on the brink of falling into the very same stagnation that became a close companion over the passing years. A motivation. A desire.[break][break]

The thread that kept him hanging on, regardless of the spark that departed, piece by piece, from his gaze.[break][break]

(Just a little more.)
[break][break]




The world seemed clearer within recent days, though the skies remained ever the same. The rescinding of the toxious tides engulfing their lands had been a source of a seemingly much needed joy as those betwixt the cities began to embark upon their own travels, indulging within reunions both unexpected and overdue, alike. They were all free to do as they wished, of course; just like ever, they were always entitled to do as they wished, as was their born right.[break][break]

Just as it was his own right to continue perfecting himself.[break]
Just as it was his own right to continue perfecting what he could offer.[break][break]

A craftsman in his own skill and element. A self-made researcher of his own making. With the occasional visit and help from , he continuously studied the nature of the Dynite Ore, the Wishing Star, and anything and everything in between. Eventually, he’d manage to manifest what he couldn’t in past years, and after enough added studying and testing, had forged his own Dynamax Band.[break][break]

So with a band upon his wrist, a ring upon his finger, and a sword forged and trained with throughout the last several years, he looked on with a faintly anxious silence. There came a day in which the sounds of sky-borne war had begun above them— an event that he undoubtedly noted with a subtle, oddly mixed sense of nervousness and readiness, alike. He watched it for a while, taking the clash in.[break][break]

(Failure isn’t an option. It can’t be.)
[break][break]

IxHQamn9



[attr="class","ooc"] notes @rustedshield[break]
timeskip fc: pierro from genshin impact[break]
more prep. basically still just researching and working until The Day(tm) happens[break]
more weaponry. just forges a normal-ass sword to serve as his proper weapon[break]
dynamax band. made one for himself and whoever else might need one, yada yada[break]
crafted: ring of protection (king's shield)



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played by

Solo

Seraphim
He, Him
27
June 25th
Eterna City, Sinnoh
Heterosexual
Billionaire, Playboy
Head Scientist
"I can't take the pressure....I'm gone beyond repair...."
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1,904 posts
Amor Rose DOLLARS
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Amor Rose
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 3:50:20 GMT
Amor Rose Avatar
The Aftermath


It was messy that was his first thought, they had managed to drive back the beast that he had only seen once before in Sootopolis, when it had taken his Magmortar. Despite this one not seeming as strong, they had only managed to fend it off, just barely with all of their combined efforts, and the weapons that they wielded. At best it was a stalemate, and the damage to the city was immeasurable, but even worse than that was the damage to the lives of those who lived in it. It wasn't just those of them who had special weapons who had fought. The citizens who had lived here all their lives, lay their lives down to protect their home, and many of them had been lost. Husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters alike. Death was indiscriminate, and now they were gone.

It was as he wandered the wreckage he heard a crying child, and using his Dragonite, he attempted to clear as much of the wreckage to find them. A boy with crimson red hair was found, and Amor picked him up calling out for his parents, but no one answered the call. He wasn't the only one....On that day Amor found many children left behind by their parents who laid down their lives to protect these precious lights in a world of darkness. It broke his heart, and so at least until he could find some accommodations for them he took them home. Amor had found ten orphans, ten lives who couldn't fend for themselves, and in the coming days he found more, but he couldn't take them all home.

So he approached , and with a proposal to build an orphanage, of course Amor would build it on his own even if they didn't give him permission. Everyone seemed to be having children on their own, but he wouldn't see those left behind neglected, and soon the effort began. Those adults who were left behind sheltered some of the orphans, others found their own way. The city shone with kindness, but the first ten he found lived with him in Leif's home. A home he had inherited from his former teacher. It was to large for just himself anyway so it was nice to fill it up.

The children were still grieving, but Amor did all he could to care for them. Making sure they had plenty to eat, a place to sleep, and he rarely left them alone. The oldest was nine, and the youngest was two. Amor had his hands full. Some of the women of the city would stop by, and help the obviously struggling blacksmith care for them. His life was getting turned upside down once again, but he wouldn't leave them alone. Just as Walter had cared for him when his parents had been killed, he would do the same for these kids.

The Eleventh Year


Amor did not envy parents kids were tough to manage, especially ten of them, all the while building an orphanage for the rest. It had taken almost an entire year for the oldest ones to open up to him, and live life normally. The younger ones didn't entirely understand all that had transpired, but that was okay. Amor didn't want to dim the lights in their hearts. Though it was a handful he enjoyed the feeling of having them around. They were as follows:

Marcus - Age 10
Bonnie - Age 9
Aurelius - Age 9
Chloe - Age 8
Samantha - Age 7
Alexander - Age 7
Lillian - Age 5
Drake - Age 5
Julius - Age 4
Marcella - Age 3

Amor had somehow managed to get five boys, and five girls, though their ages ran the gamut, and all of their needs were different. The older kids helped him out with the younger ones. Potty training was the worst, but he endured it. Of course had a soft spot for Marcella as she was the youngest, and he had given her, her name. No one knew her name, and since she couldn't speak properly he had named her after his mother. He would apologize when she was older if she disliked her name. Though that was only one challenge. Amor had to potty train the younger ones, he tutored them all on top of still fulfilling orders from the shop.

Some of the women offered to babysit for him when he needed to work, but it soon became apparent that when his presence was missing the children became tyrants. It was rumored within the city that Ten Tyrants lived with the Blacksmith, though he wouldn't find this out until much later. Sometimes Marcus, Bonnie, Aurelius, and Chloe would come to the shop with him. Watch him forge, or just read, while the others were left with babysitters.

Amor didn't skimp on their education, and while he didn't know the customs of Galar, he wanted to give Marcus something for his birthday that year. While it was late by his families standards, he figured it was okay.

While Amor had remained celibate Draco, his Dragonite, had not, and had managed to have some children of his own. So on Marcus's 10th birthday, Amor gave him a Dratini of his own. The boys eyes glowed with happiness as he got his first pokemon. Amor felt something akin to pride swelling in his chest.


The Twelth Year


For the past year Amor had been busy, with the Orphanage reconstructed all of the orphans left behind by the war at least had a place that would take care of them. Of course he checked in on it from time to time. He would later find out that due to him, and his Dragonite always showing up, and with how intimidating he appeared to be to the adults, they secretly named the Orphanage The Dragons Treasure.

Amor had been training Marcus for the past year as well in hand to hand combat, and in pokemon battles. Just as he had been by Walter. Amor had thought he would want to give them all up, but two years had passed, and he wouldn't dare give up his children. Often he wondered how would feel if she knew he had adopted this many. The boy was quick to pick up on everything Amor taught him, and seemed to have a knack for battle, but he often acted without thinking things through. That plus the overwhelming difference in power between them meant he lost alot, but he never gave up.

It was Bonnie, and Aurelius's tenth birthdays this year, and so as he had done with Marcus, he gifted them both a Dratini of their own, and so their training began alongside with Marcus's. It was during this year that he found out that they were all becoming their own people right before his eyes. Marcus was smitten with battle, and trained all the time even when Amor wasn't around. Bonnie however preferred to read, and research things, which was everything. She absorbed books like a sponge did water.

Aurelius liked music, and Amor had gotten him a violin since he said he wanted to learn. Though his playing was pretty rough at first, after a few months of practice he had gotten the hang of it. Almost like a prodigy. Chloe liked to build things, and was often in the forge with Amor watching him turn shapeless husks of metal into marvels before her eyes. Though he didn't understand, she asked him to teach her how to forge. So made her a tiny hammer fit for her size, and an anvil to match letting her practice on softer metals to start.

Samantha, and Alexander were troublesome. Together they were almost like twin mischief makers, and enjoyed playing pranks on the people of the city, but they were almost always caught, and brought back to Amor who just apologized profusely, and would reprimand the children. Though he would sometimes give them hints on how to not get caught.

Lilian, Drake, and Julius were still incredibly young, and still learning but they enjoyed babying their littlest sister Marcella. Before he knew it, it seemed like he had a family appear out of thin air....They all called him Mr. Amor though, it didn't bother him he realized he wasn't their father, and he had no intention of making them call him something so intimate.


The Thirteenth Year


Amor had received a few letters over the years from , , but he always sent brisk non-replies. Telling them that he was fine, that he had become a blacksmith, but it was this year that he had changed that pattern. He sent both of them a letter that was essentially the same. They were after all some of the few friends he felt he still had in this world.

So I know it's been a while since I've sent you anything, apologies for that. Running the smithy, and building an orphanage sort of eats up time, and I lose track of time here with no technology. It's so easy to get lost in life here....Makes me wonder why I couldn't do that in Hoenn...Occasionally I still try to find a way home, but it always fails. Regardless of that, I have sort of become a dad, or well at least a guardian.

After the last battle I kind of adopted ten children, and after the orphanage was finished....I didn't want to send them away. If you're ever in Hammerlocke you should come visit. The kids would enjoy meeting Royalty I'm sure. I should probably teach them manners....I hope you're doing well regardless. I'm going to stop here before I start rambling on.

Sincerely,
Amor Rose


When those were sent out he went to work at the forge with Chloe when he got a surprise visit from the rest of the children, and their babysitter. In their hands was a cake, it was definitely made by the children. It was five shapes all at once, and they have let Marcella do the writing on it.

"So um....We never celebrate your birthday, and we didn't know when it was, so we thought today...." Marcus was the one who had masterminded this apparently since he was acting all bashful.

"I guess that is right...." he said, he wasn't one for many words lately, but he cleared off the shop counter, and sat the cake down. Letting the kids cut him his slice, he had to blow out the candles, and make a wish.

"I wish.....I wish they can come back with me...." Amor didn't know if they could come back to Hoenn with him, but he prayed for the first time in a long time to his God....Maybe Dialga could make it happen....He doubted it.

So he took a bite of the cake, and it was definitely made by the kids. Too much sugar, the bread was a little hard, but they all stared at him with eyes glowing of love. It was the best cake he had ever eaten. So he devoured the entire thing, and just smiled at them. Grabbing them all up in a group hug.

"Thanks you guys....It means a lot."

"Don't....Make it weird! We just uh....Well...." Marcus wasn't one for expressing himself emotionally properly, but it was alright. "We should go. Anyways thanks dad!" Rang out of Marcus's mouth, and then the others all followed suit.

Marcella in her quiet little voice even called him "Dad"....

When he was alone, he cried for the first time. A long hard cry, tears of happiness streamed down his face. He wondered if this is how his own father, or Walter felt. This parenting thing....It wasn't so bad....


The Fourteenth Year


The children all freely called him Dad, or father since that day, they were all growing up so fast. Soon he was training six of them at once with their Dratini. Samantha, and Alexanders birthday's had already happened so like their siblings they were each gifted a Dratini from him. Marcus's Dratini had just recently evolved into a Dragonair, and they were all relentlessly trying to defeat him, and Draco in battle.

"Ugh you, and Draco are just so unfair Dad! You guys are way to strong!" Chloe complained after a particularly harrowing defeat, and he just laughed, and mussed up her hair a little.

"You will get there one day I promise. Time, and patience, just like in the forge." He explained to her, as the four youngest were all climbing over his Dragonite like he was a jungle gym.

"Yeah well one day, I'm gonna be even tougher!" Marcus declared pumping his fist into the air, but there was a loud giggle from behind, it was Marcella. She was sticking her tongue out at Marcus.

"You won't ever, ever, ever beat dad! Pfffftssttssttt" He said blowing a raspberry at her older brother.

It just made Amor laugh. Of course he himself remembered the harshness of his own training by his father, and then Walter, so he was careful to not go that hard on them.

"Alright let's go get cleaned up for dinner." He told them all, and like a well oiled family unit they were racing off to the house. Draco keeping his eyes on the four little ones that were currently riding on his back, while they others all rushed off ahead.

A house of little dragons....Amor felt at peace here....But just in case, he would have to have a talk with them soon....He wasn't looking forward to it.


The Fifteenth Year


Each year drew closer, and it was this year that Amor decided to have a talk with the oldest kids. Marcus, Bonnie, Aurelius, and Chloe. They were all statues, hanging on to his every word he told them it was important, and they seemed to take that seriously.

"You're all strong kids, so I wanted to tell you this now. So you can all look after your siblings just in case." Amor didn't know if this world would persist, but he had already written the will to leave everything to the kids in case he did vanish. they would not want for anything. "I'm not originally from this world....I come from another place far away, and sort of got stranded here. The ones that you all call heroes, or Royalty are the same. I don't know if we are stuck here forever, or if we will be forced to go home....I'm going to do everything I can to try, and bring you guys with me. But if I can't....If I can't...." Amor's weakness was showing.

He would break, but it was Marcus who stood up, and put his hand on Amor's shoulder. He had gotten so tall, he was fifteen now, and he just looked Amor in the eye. Man to man, but he smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll protect them. It's what the big brother does right? Just like you protected us, we even have Draco's children as our own, and he is super strong! So they have to be just as strong right? Don't worry....We'll be okay." He was trying to reassure Amor, but even he could see the boy fighting off the tears on the edges of his eyes.

The other three were much the same. Puffing out their chests, but it was just a front, and so he just grabbed all four, and hugged them.

"I love you all...." He told them, and so they all cried a little together.


The Sixteenth Year


After that day everything had been picking up pace. The Ten Tyrants were well known around Hammerlocke, but as they got older they got into less, and less trouble. Marcus often battled other kids, Chloe was usually in the shop with Amor helping him. Aurelius preferred to play his instruments in the town square to show off a little. Bonnie was constantly in the library studying the day away trying to figure out more about this land that her father came from.

Lilian, and Drake had received their own Dratini last year, and were in a competition to see who would get theirs to evolve first. Marcus usually watched over them. Julius got his Dratini this year, and he never went anywhere without it. He named his Draco thinking that if he gave it the same name as his dad's it would make it just as strong. It was honestly a sweet notion, and Amor didn't have the heart to correct him.

Marcella was now the only one without a Dratini of her own, but she was patient. She tended to spend her days watching her other siblings, and drawing. Amor had bought her a bunch of art supplies after she saw the paintings of , and Leif in his room one day. She said she wanted to make pictures like that. So he bought her a sketchpad, and as many pencils as he thought she needed.

So she drew the days away in the shop with him, and Chloe. This was the most peaceful of all the years, and next year all of his kids would have gone through the right of passage just like he had. HIs families legacy wouldn't have gone to waste. He had passed it on to ten worthy successors to his name, and that brought him peace. Even if the future was uncertain.


[The Seventeenth Year


This year it was Marcella's birthday, and her celebration was the biggest, not because of Amor's doing, but because her siblings had decided to throw their youngest sister the biggest bash she could dream of. In fact Amor had almost no hand in it, they spoiled her, and protected her, without him. After all they had all helped raise her from when she was just a little baby.

So it was a big celebration, some of the other townsfolks dropped in to say hi, and hang out with the large family. After all the food was gone, and everyone was almost in a food coma, they had given her gifts. Chloe gave her a bracelet that she had forged herself. Aurelius played her a song that he had composed himself. Bonnie gave her a book on all the Pokemon of Galar. Julius gave her a pair of socks with little Dratini on them.

Lilian, and Drake got her a gift together, and it was a necklace they had saved up to get her. Samantha gave her a dress, and Alexander gave her a little Princess Crown.

However this year instead of Amor presenting her, her Pokemon, Marcus had asked if he could. So Amor sat back, and watched as the oldest approached his youngest. His Dragonair following behind him, and a Pokeball in his hand he held it out for her to take, and take it she did. With eyes full of large sparkles, and delight she was finally just like the rest of them.

Releasing her Dratini she gave it a big hug, and Amor just sat back, and watched with a bright smile. Draco behind him with his arms crossed, but Amor could tell he was happy.

"I'm going to name you.....Violet!" Marcella exclaimed, and now she had a partner for life. The rest of the day was the kids battling each other, and being kids. Marcella was surprising good at battling, but she had also been watching her siblings through her entire life. So he figured it made sense.


The Nineteenth Year


The past two years had passed by quicker than he could imagine. All the kids were off doing their own thing, helping the town, or him. They were his pride, and joy, the story of the Ten Tyrants had faded. They would go to the Orphanage that he had helped build, and help out there with the younger kids.

Amor was proud of them, they were all good kids, which made sense, they were his kids after all. Though he could feel it, something was drawing near, and he didn't like it. Like a looming shadow that fell over his life, and so he gathered them all up one day, and he had a talk with all of them. The same talk he had with the older kids just a few years ago. Of course the ones he had already told this too were better equipped it was the younger ones who took it the hardest.

Amor still promised to himself to find a way to bring them with him. If nothing else he would do his best to find a way. Though he knew the four eldest would look after the younger ones. They were all almost adults now....


The Final Year


They wanted to fight with him, he remembered how much they begged him, but he for the first sternly told them no, that it was to dangerous. When they pressed the issue he gave them these words.

"Look around you? This city....This place, these people you need to protect them in my stead. You're all strong, so much stronger than I could ever hope. So protect the people for me? Because if you do that, then that means I can give it my all in this fight. Can you do that for me?" He looked at all of them, they were just as stubborn as he was, and he realized that not all traits were genetic.

"Yeah we can do that Dad...Marcus is too stubborn to admit when he loses, but we'll help you this way." It was Chloe who spoke up, she had more muscle than some of her siblings because of all the time she spent in the forge with him. Not even Marcus tried to argue with her, and just made an annoyed "tch" noise. It made him smile, and Amor walked up to his oldest son.

"Protect them for me...." He whispered while Chloe arranged the others.

"Of course old man....Just come back to us before....Well you know...." Amor just smiled at him.

Marcella approached him before he left, and she held out her hand. Taking it, there was a bracelet in her hand. It had letters on it, each of the letters was the first one of their names.

"Incase we don't get to see you after this...." She was close to crying, but she was putting up a brave face for him, and so he hugged her tightly hiding his own tears.

"I'll find you all again....I promise." With that he put his gift on, and then hopped on to the back of his most trusted partner, Draco. It was time.

"Hey Dialga....I know I don't pray to you often....Just look after my kids for me....I know you've heard me once before....Just protect them in case I can't."

He could at least live in the solace knowing that his kids would be alright, they had each other.

CgQnGiMx

TLDR
Amor adopts 10 kids.
Amor builds an orphanage.
Just slice of life raising kids
Amor cries when they bake him a cake, and call him dad for the first time.
On each of their tenth birthdays he gifts them a Dratini to call their partner.
On the final battle they give him a bracelt with the first letters of their names so he doesn't forget them.
Amor asks Dialga to protect his kids as he goes off to the final battle.

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played by

Nemu

She/Her; They/Them
18
Ecruteak City
Fond of girls
Failure
Grunt
26 height
26 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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Saki Shitachi
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 4:35:03 GMT
Saki Shitachi Avatar
The years that followed were tiresome for Saki. Was it right to say that life moved on in a world that felt so devoid of it? It had been pleasant, haunting Hoenn as she once did, but this Galar was more like purgatory. Nothing here inspired passion, and passing pleasantries could only sustain one for so long. No matter how much time passed, this wasn't the setting for any of her stories.

As the poison receded, freeing her from the cage of Circhester, Saki began to roam the land. The wilderness had become her home over the many years here, although on some level it was home to all trainers. Perhaps many here no longer considered themselves such. Of course, survival all by oneself in this land was far from easy, but it wasn't impossible with healthy caution, avoiding conflict, and regular breaks. She traveled from city to city, taking in each of their cultures and unique features, observing how the people had been twisted by their time spent here. Not that she really knew any of them beforehand. Maybe all of them had come in this twisted. Perhaps that, in fact, was why this world was so corrupt.

As the Solstice drew near, Saki grew serious, for the first real time in years and years. Her Pokemon were steel and spirit, as resolute and ready for battle as they'd been on their first day in this world. With her logical side resurfacing, it was obvious in retrospect.

But a prophet would never dare interfere when matters unfolded according to their prophecy. Seeking out the Skeleton in advance of the promised day could range from unwise to disastrous. So, all Saki did was prepare for that moment, ensuring no physical or mental rust could be found on the members of her team.

She'd spent more than enough time in this subpar reality. It was high time to get home and stop by Liberty Burger.


Saki starts wandering as soon as the poison goes down, travels from city to city and spends time in the wilderness, prepares for battle.

0FhVaih4
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played by

crow

the ascendant
she/her
twenty-eight
November 03
sootopolis
demisexual
councilwoman
champion
i got new love, new skin to wrap myself in
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3,260 posts
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freya morningstar
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 5:14:11 GMT
freya morningstar Avatar



CIRCHESTER

they don't have children to call their own. they are safe within the city walls, but only just so. and what sort of life is that? the poison has drawn back from the land, allowing for travel and reconnection, but there is no telling what this land of memories holds for them and their children.

in a sense, though, she does have children of her own. kirimu and lathliss lay a clutch of their own. as do meru and ori. so she and king have their hands full, taking care of nearly half a dozen mewling dragons. 

once, in his arms, tracing patterns on his skin, she asks him if he would want kids. thirteen years after leaving delta and the question hangs wrongly in the air, in his sigh. she's quick to murmur it away, reminding him that even if they wanted, they could not conceive. 

and that was that. 

while others reconnect and travel, freya explores. each foray has a purpose. one clue leading into a rabbit hole, inevitably twisting into a dead end. takes her notes, her findings, all of her manic, haphazard scrawls about the riddle. 

sometimes she spends time laying on the slowly growing canid statue, staring up at the stars and wondering if there will be an end.

and the rest of her time is spent sharpening her edge. practicing with her blade. ensuring her dragons are fit for battle. after her dynamax band is forged, courtesy of (funny, the way the world works), she finds renewed vigor. 

when the final day comes upon them, she is the first in her gear. her dragons are fitted with black scaled armor, hissing and writhing with anticipation. the crown on her head gleams and her warriors fall neatly into line.

they are ready for the end. 

i'm ready to bring you home.

let's get this show on the road
spends the rest of her years fighting til' the end
thinks all yall having babies are insane
big BIG dragons ftw

al_YwzPI
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played by

BD

The Peacemaker
She / Her
32
January 25
Pallet Town, Kanto
Heterosexual...?
Veterinarian
Head Prof / Major
I HOPE
you dream of me
5'3'' height
5'3'' height
My legacy is in the lives I save
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3,857 posts
Eva Morales DOLLARS
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Eva Morales
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 6:08:20 GMT
Eva Morales Avatar
[attr="class","eva"]
[attr="class","top"]


TIME IS AN ILLUSION.

What is time? It’s not something you touch and feel. There’s a whimsical component to it that makes it seem surreal. This intangible thing that dictates every aspect of a life holds such great power that every mortal bows to it, begs for more of it, prays for it to inevitably continue as if it threatens to stop at any moment. Time can not be created nor destroyed - it simply exists.

Time is a construct fabricated by man to quantify something that is utterly out of their control. In a way, it is man trying to find a semblance of control. It dictates when to eat and when to sleep, when it is ‘appropriate’ to work and how long to do so.

Time is only one thing: finite.

Rayquaza taught her that. So as the days bleed into weeks and the weeks bleed into months, she stops counting. Her time will come to an end. When? It doesn’t matter. None of it is in her control.

TIME DOES NOT CHANGE US, IT UNFOLDS US.

When you shed the heavy burden of time, there is a sense of freedom. She can breathe without the pressure of a self-inflicted deadline. She watches the world grow and change around her at its own pace. When you stop counting, it’s a beautiful sight, like watching the flowers bloom in a time lapse.

Time doesn’t heal wounds, it simply allows scar tissue to wall off the lesions and dull the pain. Heartbreak fades from a sharp agony to a phantom, hollow feeling. Watching and embrace their years together only brings a smile. It’s a love she helped cultivate. She’s proud of her accomplishments, of all their accomplishments. When she looks out from her lonely chambers onto the bustling city of Circhester, a sense of hope still flutters in her chest. Or is that love?

Perhaps she was never meant to love a single person. No, her heart is too big for that.

YESTERDAY IS GONE. TOMORROW HAS YET TO COME. WE ONLY HAVE TODAY. LET US BEGIN.

There comes a time when the only thing left in the world is your own heart. So, she learns its language and she follows it. She pours everything she has into Circhester’s well-being. She travels to foster connections with the other towns of Galar. She helps continue to learn to heal.

Eva discards the letters from in favor of rekindling a kinship. Time is the greatest distance between two points. She closes that gap with a familiar warm smile and willingness to help. Together, they build something truly extraordinary with the power of collaboration and gods.

Inevitably, the drums of war sound again. The hum of darkness reverberates through the ground in a deep baritone. Scourges clash in the skies and the god of the heavens does not tolerate it. They fight back to maintain the peace. Each clash comes quicker than the last until it becomes clear the climax is fast approaching.

Yesterday is lost. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth fighting for.






+ Just a lot of fodder and reflection
+ Eva and Rayquaza prepare for battle once again

LjtOOuFj




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played by

fish

sleeping beauty
she/her
25
July 15
lumiose city, kalos
bisexual
public relations
rising star
she looks like, if you bit her, honey and milk would flow from her
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luka chêne DOLLARS
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luka chêne
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 6:33:34 GMT
luka chêne Avatar
[nospaces]

[attr="class","siege"]
[attr="class","top"]


[attr="class","main"]

The next ten years go slowly.[break][break]

Luka is older and she is wiser but she is just as kind. Just as loving. Her naivete has long been snuffed out but that doesn't mean she won't hold on to hope, and it's that spark that keeps her city afloat even when times are the darkest.[break][break]

She knows that the changing times bring with them something ominous, but clings instead to the good they bring along as well. When the poison receeds and travel becomes easier, she establishes in Ballonlea a force almost akin to the rangers of her day. Good people with fine spirits and passion, able to traverse the lands to assist pokemon and civillians alike.[break][break]

The observatory unfurls it's secrets in time as well, and she spends hours pouring over the newfound constellations with and . 's forest grows and she steals hours to go and visit, bringing flowers from her own garden to decorate his sculptures, almost like paying reverence to a grave.[break][break]

These friendships are old and comfortable now. But new acquaintances continue to surprise and delight her. When she meets 's Lisette, albeit briefly, she hopes that the brightness in her eyes and warmth in her shy smile means that the old witch might have found her heart again.[break][break]

But most important of all of these is . Her knight in shining armor. Her husband. The one person that had turned the world inside out for her, and made a heaven out of hell.[break][break]

Their children grow and she can't imagine loving anything more than she loves them. My sun and moon, she calls them, a boy with his father's ebony hair and a girl with strawberry blonde curls that look gold under the light.[break][break]

brings them up well, his tutelage instrumental as they continue to grow. And teaches them to fight alongside his heirs. When they come home with scraped knees and wide smiles from playing with their friends after hours, Luka doesn't have the heart to scold them.[break][break]

But the more precious something becomes, the more it hurts to lose.[break][break]


[break]

The meeting with her fellow royals is a much needed one. in particular is a sight for sore eyes; their pen-pal friendship has meant the world to her for this past decade. Seeing and again is also just as sweet, and though she doesn't know the other faces round the table as intimately, she greets them all as old friends.[break][break]

Their talks are good and useful and yet Luka feels restless throughout. There's something twisting uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach, the gnawing feeling that something is wrong. It's only late that night that she realizes the root of her fears is the pre-written ending to their tale. She hadn't thought of Calyrex's words as often over the years, but now they all come flooding back.[break][break]

Felix is already half asleep. He looks so peaceful and she doesn't want to startle him, but she leans in to kiss his cheek and hears a sleepy grunt in response. With a giggle— kittenish, like they had been when they first courted— she tucks her face into his chest.[break][break]

"I love you," she murmurs against him, a waterfall of curls splayed around them like rose petals.[break][break]

"I mean it. Truly" Suddenly serious, the Queen pushes herself up on her elbows and stares down at her husband, green eyes dark in the dim light. "I used to think that we, that this...it was all just so we wouldn't be lonely anymore. But it's not, is it? We made it real."[break][break]

She takes stock of the moment: Felix's hair falling into his tired eyes, his steady, gentle breathing, the soft reassurance that comes from knowing the children are safely asleep in their rooms across the hall. It's moments like these that she wishes she could bottle, trap them like fireflies in a jar and place them on her bedside table.[break][break]

"I don't want this to end," she confesses quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if this is really all just a dream, and that when I wake up, it'll slip right through my fingers like sand."[break][break]

Her breathing is shakier now and she curls back against him, taking comfort in his familiar scent and the warmth of his body against her. "I won't let that happen though," she murmurs as her eyes flutter closed. "I promise."[break][break]

[break]

jnNv7Tgr

[break]
- in ballonlea[break]
- establishes a ranger corps once the area becomes more hospitable[break]
- continues studying the stars and confers with the rest of the Galar royalty about their next moves[break]
- super duper grossly in love w [break]
- the kids grow, are taught by and [break]



[attr="class","bottom"]



[attr="class","name"]luka chêne

[attr="class","subtxt"]I don't know anything with certainty,[break]
But the sight of the stars makes me dream


[attr="class","pkmn"]









[attr="class","credit"]
milky





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GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 6:54:09 GMT
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[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1122072528819589190/1122072555960930354/NieR_Automata_Soundtrack_-_Kaine_Salvation_Emils_Memories_Lunar_Tear.mp3[/player]

🎧 Kaine / Salvation - Nier:Automata


[break][break]

time passes by in the blink of an eye. like a fast flowing river, they are all swept up in it’s vicious, unforgiving current. [break][break]

over the next several years, jayden works tirelessly at rebuilding ballonea back to it’s former glory. he takes it as seriously as he does everything – which shouldn’t be a surprise, considering the type of person he is. [break][break]

soon, hoenn’s people and past fade away, only to be forged by new memories in the city’s glowing palisades. time weaves it's tapestry as buildings are rebuilt, walls enforced. people marry, children are born. [break][break]

the city blooms and flourishes under the kingdom’s new rule. [break][break]

but for jayden, it's like returning home. [break][break]

-
[break]

“it didn’t used to feel right,” he murmurs to fern one day at dawn as he buttons up his shirt. “being king.” [break][break]

his husband is sprawled across their shared bed, smiling up at them with an adoration that - even after ten years - still stirs his heart alight. [break][break]

“well, i think it suits you.” [break][break]

in the early morning light, jayden’s smile is soft as he leans down to kiss them. [break][break]

“thank you. i couldn’t have done it without you, my heart.” [break]

THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS



[break]

when rhydia takes on a new lady in waiting. there is not much information about her, which is strange it of itself, but jayden has spent the last decade working alongside the mad queen to know the innerworkings of her mind. [break][break]

“queen rhydia.” [break][break]

he does not have to say much – years together alongside her have crafted an understanding. he will stay out of her way as long as she stays outside of his. [break][break]

the only problem in the last decade have been , and even now, that problem has disappeared in the seeming blink of an eye. [break][break]

“may we talk?” [break][break]

-
[break]

“if she misbehaves, i’ll hand her head to you as a centerpiece of my new gallery.” [break][break]

it’s not the compromise jayden wants, but it’s the compromise he’ll allow. but he holds the line at allowing her in any special meeting. lady-in-waiting or not, if she’s a ballonea native, she’s just as much of a problem as any of the other memories. fragmented or real. [break][break]

“i’ll hold you to your word.” [break][break]

because in order for a monarchy to function, there must be an agreement of sorts. as much as he may resent it. [break][break]

“and jayden?” [break][break]

the mad queen’s smile is wide, sending a prickle down his spine. [break][break]

“she is just a decoration, you know.” a prize. a decoration. a thing for rhydia to use and look at, no different than her other art pieces. [break][break]

jayden looks at her, his gaze of unwavering steel. [break][break]

“of course she is.” [break][break]

but even decorations need to be burned alive if they have overstayed their welcome. [break][break]

-
[break]

“you know, for a moment there, i thought i loved you.”[break][break]

confesses it to him one day, when the moon streaks through ballonea’s sky, and they are exiting the observatory, star scrolls crumpled in her hands. [break][break]

he stands there, blinking with surprise. loved him? [break][break]

he thinks of how he used to feel when he looked at . after . before . the way his heart used to feel when she smiled at him. [break][break]

“me too,” he says, after a moment. “maybe - i don’t know. i didn’t know what love was, not back then.” [break][break]

his eyes soften, head tilted towards her. [break][break]

“but i think you and felix are good together.” [break][break]

“you'll make him happy.” [break][break]

-
[break]

maybe it is simply hope that drives him. maybe it's what jayden wants to happen.

[break][break] watching his best friend suffer for half a decade is enough time spent.

[break][break] illeana will forgive him.

-
[break]

fatherhood is not the life jayden imagined for himself. [break][break]

jayden had never once considered himself a father, not because he didn’t want to be one, but because he didn’t think it suited him. but in the same way that he didn’t think king had once suited him, and now it did; fatherhood hadn’t suited him, until it did. [break][break]

as a father, he was devoted yet king. relentless yet protective. the minute that he’d accepted the three adopted children into his life, they had become his. and they had become a thing that ought to be protected. [break][break]

-
[break]

“this is a knife.” [break][break]

the moment she is old enough, jayden hands one to her. [break][break]

aoife has never been a fighter; in fact, she has always thrived in the opposite. she spends time with her da and in the apothecary, memorizes herbs and cures with the ease of someone beyond her years. it surprises and at first, before it becomes a part of their new normal, waving at the young herbalist as she introduces new customers into their shop. [break][break]

it becomes a common thing to see the king’s prince and aoife together as one. [break][break]

but as much as aoife is destined to be a healer, her father is determined to teach her how to protect herself. he sits her aside one day and teaches her the proper fighting stance, then to neutralize another’s and use their weight against them. [break][break]

“today, we will learn how to wield it.” [break][break]

-
[break]

maybe it’s his own upbringing — the shadows that he will never able to be fully run away from, no matter how many years that pass between dmitri’s death. [break][break]

protect yourself, mischa, no matter the cost. [break][break]

even though galar is no longer at war, at least not in the way that kanto or hoenn was, he can’t get over the feeling that they need to learn how to fight. to protect one another. especially with the acts of terrorism - even though they lessen over time - he needs to make sure that his family is protected no matter the cost. [break][break]

he approaches first, then . with their help, jayden builds ballonea’s defense academy, titling it BLACK CROW ROYAL ACADEMY OF DEFENSE & SAFETY. it’s meant to train all the children of ballonea, young and old, in the art of fighting and defense. [break][break]

each of the children are given official uniforms with tiny crows on their breasts. the instructors are ones that jayden chooses personally, the weapons are provided by experts like . [break][break]

later, when the towns open up, instructors from all over will come to visit. people such as , and become instrumental in training ballonea’s youth as well as it’s own royalty. [break][break]

ballonea is a city of art and renaissance, and with the help of and , a capital of medicine and healing. however, it will also - eventually - become a city of promise and protection – at least, if ballonea’s militaristic king has anything to do with it. [break][break]

-
[break]

“it’s unnecessary,” fern argues hotly. [break][break]

maybe fern’s right. maybe it’s not needed. but jayden still has nightmares sometimes of the fires of kanto, thinks about all the things that his father taught him, and he cannot let it die. [break][break]

“they need to learn to protect themselves.” [break][break]

“from what, duck? that’s what the guard is for. that’s what we are for. they’re kids — they need to be kids.” [break][break]

“it’s already done, fern. don’t argue with me.” [break][break]

“or what? jayden, we’re married. we have kids. we make decisions together. you can’t just -” [break][break]

when the voices rise, aoife and the twins huddle against the door. it’s their godfather who saves them. [break][break]

“c’mon ducklings,” mint hushes, pulling aoife and them away from the door, away from their parents bickering. “let’s go find a place to play.” [break][break]

-
[break]

they bicker, they disagree, but he and fern never fight. [break][break]

not truly, because jayden loves fern far too much to hold anger against him. but when it comes to their kids, he knows this to be important, but he also knows that fern’s desires — their wants, their needs, their words — are just as. [break][break]

eventually, they come to an agreement. their children will enroll into the school, but they will be sure to make enough time for fun. for childhood delights and glory. to attend a normal school like ’s too, and even spend time playing sports with in the field.

-
[break]

“here.” [break][break]

jayden walks through the arch, two glasses of water in his hand, as his two toddlers coming right after him. maritza careens directly for , climbing into her godfather’s lap, without any disregard for personal space. she babbles excitedly, beginning to tug on his long locks of hair. [break][break]

“what was it that you wanted to talk about?” [break][break]

mint looks contemplative. constipated. it’s not really common for mint to be a person who is lost for words, but whatever it is that’s been bothering him has obviously been weighing on him for a long time. [break][break]

jayden looks sideways at the royal attendants who stand watch, gesturing for them to take aisling and maritza away. the latter whines as she’s pulled from her godfather’s lap. [break][break]

then back at his closest advisor. [break][break]

“tell me, mint.” [break][break]

-
[break]

“love is like that sometimes,” jayden says, after a heartbeat of silence.

[break][break] he doesn’t try to imagine what the relationship between and was like. he wasn’t privy to their private affairs, and even worse, love was not an area he considered his expertise. [break][break]

but being with , being with their kids, being king of ballonea – perhaps that made people see him differently. [break][break]

in the ten years had passed, perhaps jayden had changed, but he hadn’t forgotten. not completely. when mint asks him about love, he thinks about the people in his life that he’d loved - or almost loved. he thinks about . thinks about . not everyone was like him and fern. [break][break]

“love can hurt.” [break][break]

-
[break]

he doesn’t realize how much his words will have an impact on mint. not until fern explains it to him later, in the recluse of their shared bedroom. [break][break]

but by then, it is too late. the damage already done. [break][break]

-
[break]

suddenly and seemingly out of dream, WISHING STARS land. they crash into the observatory walls, injuring those within. [break][break]

“is everyone okay?” the ballonea king is the first to arrive on the scene, eyes fierce with alarm as he looks to everyone within it’s walls. behind him, his royal guard push in afterward. [break][break]

when all is said is done, they have their best scientists and astronomers observe the WISHING STARS. after some time, they find out that all of these abnormalities have something in connection. the residual energy that ties them all together. [break][break]

eventually, they find it all comes from the same source. [break][break]

the poison that pulses through the region, blooming like a tumor from the land’s corruption. it reminds jayden of something all too similar, of the abnormalities that magledena once spoke about. [break][break]

was history about to repeat itself? [break][break]

-
[break]

“hey.” [break][break]

his fist knocks gently against axel’s door, looking down at the blacksmith who had slowly become his friend over the last several years. things had not always been easy between the two of them, since both enjoyed silence more than anything else, but there were so similar in personality that there were often many things they could commiserate over. [break][break]

jayden walked through the room towards the other’s bed, where his friend was laying. [break][break]

“i brought some books for you.” [break][break]

he knew that axel loved the stars, the observatory. but without anyone to help him up those sprawling steps, he’d stopped attending. [break][break]

jayden was no healer. he wasn’t like or . but at the very least, he thought he could help in some sort of small way. [break][break]

if couldn’t see the stars, then jayden would bring the stars to him. [break][break]

-
[break]

jayden learns about them from the other astronomers. although he was by no means an expert, the sprawling night sky had always been a thing of curiosity for him – even before galar, before the battle between the wild cat and galarian dog, before their lives had changed forever. [break][break]

the stars in ballonea remind him of sootopolis’ night sky, that he would look at late at night when was asleep, when the rest of the world was. [break][break]

alongside people like and he spends hours studying the wishing stars or retrieving samples from things like the max mushrooms to compare them to the wishing stars. he writes letter after letter to , asking her of her thoughts on the prophecy. [break][break]

-
[break]

“this one - ” he says, pointing to a drawing of ★CMa. “is zamazenta and zacian.” [break][break]

“zaza - wha?” [break][break]

aisling holds his hand, pushing a handful of graham crackers into his mouth. his eyes are wide and silver, moonlit, as he looks at his father. maritza is far away, tugging her favorite godfather around the observatory. [break][break]

“zamazenta. galarian dogs of old,” he says. perhaps one day he’d take aisling to the statue in the town’s square, though it wasn’t quite complete. [break][break]

★Cntn reminds him of , and the memory burns a hot fire in his chest. though it’s been years, though he’d buried most resentments away, all it takes is a small fire to lick the flame of HATRED once more. [break][break]

they walk along the observatory walls, pulling out picturesque notes from their astronomers that depict even more constellations. [break][break]

★VStr and ★JnVr remind him of his journey to the borders with , of the VICTINI spirit that they had once fought. ★Alph and ★Symb remind him of unnown, and unnown remind him of . a hurt unfurls in his chest, and he kneels down to the floor where aisling has pulled out a scroll. [break][break]

“what’s this one, papa?” [break][break]

jayden looks. [break][break]

a feline and fish-like pokemon tearing apart a kingdom and the earth below. yet another memory unfurls. how dangerous could those beasts of ruin be? [break][break]

is that why wanted rocket to subdue them? [break][break]

jayden pulls the scroll from his son’s grip, staring upon the feline that crashed against the fish, like rocks upon a shore. [break][break]

“it’s chien-pao.” [break][break]

he remembered the ending of ’s route. how the beast has led them all to ruin. [break][break]

when the solstice came, would it lead them to ruin again? [break][break]

-
[break]

parenthood isn’t easy, nor is it perfect. jayden didn’t ask ’s opinion when he opened the BLACK CROWS, and so fern didn’t ask him of his when aisling asks to dye his hair. [break][break]

having spent years dying their own, and even helping with his, it should come as no surprise that this is something that fern does easily. [break][break]

they don’t think - not exactly - of the effect that it’ll have on their husband. [break][break]

who would? [break][break]

but that evening, when jayden is returning home from a day-long meeting, and he spots his son across the room, his face goes ash-white. pale, as if he’s seen a ghost. [break][break]

“pa?” [break][break]

aisling’s hair is silver.

[break][break] in the living room, his boyish cut gleams like molten silver, the tousled locks falling across his forehead and framing his sweet face with charm. it is his son, inexplicably so, and yet it isn’t. [break][break]

“i - ” jayden’s voice is stiff, as he steps backwards onto the carpeted floor. “i can't -” [break][break]

“duck?” [break][break]

fern appears from the kitchen, concerned, as he holds a baking pan in theirs hands. but before fern can make their hands free, jayden is disappearing around the corner, shutting his bedroom door behind him. [break][break]

-
[break]

his throat closes around itself, tears streaking his face. [break][break]

it’s not ash. it’s not ash. it’s not ash. [break][break]

it can’t be. , who’s stuck back in hoenn, who’s stuck back in a memory. feelings of guilt and self-hate rise like a flowing tide, unbidden, as jayden is thrust back into a nightmare of his past. [break][break]

his sweet son’s face imposed on his ex-best friend’s. [break][break]

it’s like staring at a reflection. [break][break]

-
[break]

after calms him down, he writes to in a panic. [break][break]

he’s the only one who can understand. [break][break]

-
[break]

“felix, do you ever think about the past?” [break][break]

by now, it seems like most everyone has already forgotten everything they’ve left behind in hoenn. on most days, jayden does too. but while he’s gotten used to the sight of his son running around with and ’s children, of his son’s silver-locked hair, he can’t forget the nightmares. [break][break]

“what do you mean,” the knight answers. [break][break]

together, they stand atop the castle’s balcony, looking out at the townscape. the glowing mushrooms illuminate the the city just as brightly as it did back then, when they’d first landed here. [break][break]

he looks skyward, and he sees the sprawling sky. he glances northward, and notices a flash of pink, where his best friend’s wife appears from the astronomy tower. [break][break]

under swaths of silver starlight, from this distance away, she almost looks like . [break][break]

“do you love her?” [break][break]

do you still think about her? [break][break]

in the quiet space between them both, ’s words ring clear and true. [break][break]

“with my entire life, i love her.” [break][break]

-
[break]

he is lucky, he thinks. [break][break]

he doesn’t know if he would be able to survive, the way did, if hadn’t come here with him. [break][break]

-
[break]

when tells them that the poison recedes, it should be no surprise that jayden declares that he’s going to visit the other cities. [break][break]

there are few who protest. half-because they have similar plans, but also because jayden has become a king who’s word is difficult to question. [break][break]

especially when he speaks in such a way that breaks little room for argument. [break][break]

“felix,” he says, turning to his captain of the guard and his children’s godfather. years of trust and loyalty exist between them, but even more than that, a decade of friendship that words cannot even begin to explain. [break][break]

“protect them when i’m gone.” [break][break]

he means ballonea, but he also means his family. [break][break]

they’ve become one and the same, after all. [break][break]

-
[break]


VISITING OTHER TOWNS

[break]

in motostoke, he meets and . [break][break]

jayden only has words for the latter, having spent the majority of the previous decade writing letters to him. with no one’s surprise, isaac gets along easily with jayden’s children and they him. [break][break]

“uncle isaac!” they call him, jubilant, and jayden is filled with relief that - at least in this world - isaac never struck true on his doubts. part of him wonders also, what isaac must think of aisling – if isaac sees in his son a piece of their shared friend, . [break][break]

when he sees , he only looks upon him with a curious gaze. ’s brother. one that he had known, once upon a time, in kanto. [break][break]

jayden has no words for him, but when they catch eyes one day – he thinks he may understand. [break][break]

after all, in another lifetime, his own brother could have lived. he could have suffered, just like caleb once had. [break][break]

-
[break]

people change over time, but some people don’t. [break][break]

maybe it’s because of ’s frequent visits that he doesn’t think staring upon has changed her visage at all. perhaps a little older than before, but it is just as he remembers it being. [break][break]

the strangest thing about her is her “daughter”. even stranger is the way that aoife and lisette seem to get along like old friends, chatting amicably at the happening of motostoke, but it is aisling that stands behind corners and peeks out from behind jayden’s leg. [break][break]

“do you want to say hi?” he asks his son, hand soft upon the boy’s head. his eyes are round as the moon, a fierce blush on his young face. [break][break]

“no, ” his son mumbles, before adding. “i don’t know herbs. not the way aoife does.” [break][break]

i have nothing to give. i have nothing to share. [break][break]

a sentiment that jayden has once felt many times before, but he will not let his son fall into the same loops. he grabs his son’s hand, smiling warmly. [break][break]

“come on. i will introduce you.” [break][break]

-
[break]

on their way home, jayden cocks his head to the side, thinking about the conversation that he just shared with . [break][break]

is she your daughter? [break][break]

motostoke’s witch had responded with a viciousness that was enough to lash. had jayden not been raised under such cruelty, he would have reacted differently. but since he had been, all he had done was merely blink at her and assent to her words. [break][break]

lisette, her apprentice. lisette, her ward. [break][break]

but as far as jayden was concerned, lisette - the girl with the doves, the girl with eyes blue as sapphires like , or hair as golden as the former florist herself - was just as much her daughter as his was to him. [break][break]

he looks upon aoife, sleeping in his lap, as she lays between her and both. his hands affectionately thread through her flaxen hair. gold hair and green eyes, she looked nothing like him or . yet, there was no denying it. the excited way she talked about herbal remedies spoke of . the way she handled herself with care and thought spoke of . [break][break]

and the cleverness, the quickness, of her words were all aoife. [break][break]

-
[break]

in hammerlocke, there is king and . [break][break]

he and have never been talkative, but with endless time at their disposal, it only proves right that he would bring his children to visit the assassin. there is something about the way that remains unchanged that brings a comfort in jayden. [break][break]

something that reminds him of home. [break][break]

watching his children clamber into the city proper, jayden watches as the former beast’s eyebrows raise at the sight of his children. ballonea’s king pauses, wondering what it was that the other had to say. [break][break]

“children? i never would have guessed,” the king of hammerlocke said, disdain slicing through the usual coldness of his tone. a corner of his mouth curled in contempt. [break][break]

it reminds him of , and in the same way, jayden’s cruel upbringing had prepared him for such a moment. he did not even balk. [break][break]

“i never would have guessed either,” he admits honestly. “but now i cannot imagine a life without them.” [break][break]

he glances fondly upon aisling, pushing the boy lightly in the back so that he would join his sisters in the town square. [break][break]

“you should see maritza’s knife hold. you would be impressed.” [break][break]

-
[break]

as of , jayden doesn’t know much to think of the former league champion, and it’s clear that the king doesn’t know much to think of him either. perhaps once upon a time, they could have burned with the same passion, with the same HATRED for one another. [break][break]

but time had blurred old ties, and when jayden gazes upon the hammerlocke king, he only finds himself wondering how strong a man must have been to stand alongside someone like and live. [break][break]

-
[break]

not all old ties die. not all resentments fade. [break][break]

some are strong enough to withstand even the passage of time, as long as it may be. when jayden exits the castle walls, he stares upon a scene that he never thought he’d see before. [break][break]

his ten-year old daughter chatting happily with one . [break][break]

“ooh! tell me again, uncle matias! how did you slay the dragon?” [break][break]

it is as if being brought back in time. a surge of HATRED and resentment flow through ballonea’s king at the sight of maritza getting along with the man that had once been his nemesis. it is not strong enough for him to want to attack, but he does stalk across the hammerlocke cobblestone. [break][break]

he pulls maritza to him, protective, as he looks upon with a thin smile. [break][break]

“thank you for keeping her company,” he says, evenly. these last ten years have at least taught him to withhold his tongue. perhaps would be proud of him. “but we’ll be leaving now.” [break][break]

as ballonea’s king stalks away with his youngest daughter, perhaps their words can be caught on the breadth of air: [break][break]

“that man is not your uncle, maritza.” [break][break]

-
[break]

is not the only nightmare that follows them into the shield. it’s . [break][break]

years have worn away at them both, but the moment that jayden sees the dragon queen at circhester’s gates, he knows it to be the same woman that he faced at the edge of the ultra deep sea. vodnik remembers it too, roaring with defiance as his wings take beat. [break][break]

he’s anchoring for a fight. jayden tenses, ready to support him. [break][break]

but it’s then that tiny roaring moons echo out of the queen’s behest, and it is with wide eyes that jayden’s fiercest war machine is subdued. [break][break]

all because of tiny niece and nephews that come clambering atop of him. [break][break]

jayden had departed for circhester to find old family, but vodnik is the one who finds it. [break][break]

-
[break]

a peace offering, jayden hands a poison arrow crafted by one of their city’s artisans. [break][break]

“if you need any dynite ore,” he says. “send word. we’ll help as much as we are able.” [break][break]

because time has worn them away, and she stands by his brother’s side now, as monarch of the snowy city. [break][break]

she becomes family to him, whether she wants it or not. [break][break]

-
[break]

“are you happy here, jay?” [break][break]

it’s been a longtime since that nickname resurfaced, and an even longer time since it evoked the same feelings that it once had. but when it comes to , it’s never been negative. [break][break]

jayden is relieved to see his brother again in the flesh, and even more endeared to his daughter, when he meets her. [break][break]

when gives him his answer, jayden cannot help but be honest. his thumb rubs against the wound that once gave him, now blurred with time. [break][break]

“i don’t know.” [break][break]

because he doesn’t. he is happy here, but is it real? is it deserved? as he watches diot show off her weapons to maritza and aisling both. [break][break]

he loves them, his children, and his new family here. his new life here. he likes it even more, knowing that he can visit and whenever he wants. but there’s a part of him, a very small part — [break][break]

“but i do miss it sometimes.” [break][break]

he misses , misses , misses . [break][break]

“but i miss you too,” he says, lips twisted into a smile. “visit more. i want to show you the town where i grew up, cil.”[break][break]



TWENTY YEARS IN



[attr="class","tenyearsimg"]


ten years fold into twenty, and jayden still remains king of the city where he was once born. he wonders what his father would have thought, if his father would have been impressed by his accomplishments or disdained by his failures. [break][break]

he wonders if he’s done well by his children, done well by . [break][break]

as the winter solstice approaches, he reaches out to to craft weapons for his children in the upcoming battle. he thanks for the dynamax bands and spends the remaining time training fiercely with and the others against dynamaxed and terrastalized pokemon alike. [break][break]

earthquakes shake the earth, threatening decades of peace. the skies darken, and jayden’s heart clenches in his chest as he stares out at ballonea’s starlit sky. [break][break]

his husband’s hand slides into his, and jayden turns to them. his fingers tighten around theirs, his other hand sliding lovingly against their cheek. [break][break]

“i will do whatever it takes,” he murmurs. “to keep you and our family safe.” [break][break]

i’ll die for you. [break][break]

fern laughs, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. [break][break]

“don’t be so dramatic, duck.” [break][break]

“of course we’ll survive. it’s you and me.” [break][break]

0sDaxj0f [break]

[attr="class","break"]




[attr="class","oocbox"]
[attr="class","ooctext"]

tldr.


— location BALLONEA [break]
FUTURE FC (20) | WEAPON - BITTER BLADE
[break][break]

• jayden continues being a MILITARISTIC KING of ballonea [break]
• alongside the orphanage, he creates a defense school titled BLACK CROW ROYAL ACADEMY OF DEFENSE & SAFETY with . this is to train all of ballonea's youth in the ways of battle. [break]
• over the years, people like and are hired as special instructors. [break]
• is a proud papa with , and their three kids as they grow up. aoife, aisling, maritza. and are their godfathers. aoife becomes good friends with the other s2 children, including lisette and diot. aisling harbors a crush on lisette in secret. [break]
• visits ppl in other cities POG and offers dynmite ore to those who need it [break]
• studies stars and abnormalities with , and . talks prophecy with . [break]



[attr="class","pkmn"]








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GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD





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played by

Ven

jack
he / him / his
twenty-seven
october 13
Malie, Alola
blissfully unaware
shepherd & lorekeeper
civilian
remember me
for centuries
40 height
40 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
421 posts
Jack Napier DOLLARS
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Jack Napier
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 7:10:37 GMT
Jack Napier Avatar
[attr="class","iggy"]
This was the inevitable problem when one was a lorekeeper:

Your best weapon will also be your worst enemy.

In his case it was his memories. Though proud of himself he was at remembering things much more than most, fact of the matter was that time was still an insidious thing. By this point he already had ten, already starting on the eleventh notebook full of written down things he can recall about Hoenn, and Alola, just so he doesn’t forget (and fall victim to his own weakness).

He gazed at the redhead, and sighed.

“Do you think there’s an end to this?” he began quietly, patting down the last of the earth from the makeshift graves they had to dig to bury Hammerlocke’s dead. He’d insisted on having all the kids he watched grow up buried close to each other—since they were all orphans, like how he was back… home.

“I want to believe we’re going home. I really, truly, honestly want to.”

He knew how terrified the remaining children were, however it was up to him to keep their collective spirits up. It was also at this point, he realized—he’d run out of yarns to spin and entertain everyone else with.

For that, he needed new material.

In the time between, he would spend time looking deeper into the portents, the warnings—the stars in the sky. Were they changing? What was going on?

He couldn’t help but visit the statue seemingly sculpting itself out of the rock that had appeared. It looked like—it was starting to look like the strange creature they’d met… where, again?

Argh, what was going on?



Five more years. later.

The moment he’d heard word of the poison receding, an idea formed in his mind. The problem here was that he had no Flying-type Pokémon, so he would have to risk using his Absol to get from place to place—at least he had an alternate option.

(This also served another purpose—to gather more stories and tales from the other cities so he could being back more content to the new generation of Hammerlocke kids waiting for him.)

First, to Ballonlea, then to Circhester—and then down to Motostoke.

The smart thing about his travels was that, upon arrival to each and every location he would send out his Gardevoir and have her ‘memorize’ the locations so that he could easily travel back to the respective locations without having to make an extended day trip.

(Now if that wasn’t a big brain move on Jack’s part he didn’t know what else would be.)

Once he’d finally returned to Hammerlocke, he set to work—filling up another three notebooks each—one for each of the other cities he’d visited—and setting those all to memory as well.



Last time jump of five more years.

With a late-game training arc involving Dynamax and what crazy energies that could be harnessed, he wondered—would this all be enough? Was there even a chance of them making it back home?

“You know… I thought about something else, again,” he confided with Sergei.

“Do you think… if on the off-chance we get back home… do I like, have an actual chance with you? Outside of this little ‘world’ we’re currently trapped in?”

The ‘dawn of the final day’ was looming on the horizon as it was.


ekA33ucb


+ Hammerlocke squad lesgo
+ mostly
+ sometimes being a lorekeeper is also a bane: not even he is immune to the passage of time
+ once everyone is free to visit the other cities, Jack goes on a world tour to collect the stories of Ballonlea, Circhester and Motostoke before returning to Hammerlocke and writing them all down for posterity
+ he also has a late-game Dynamax training montage along with everyone else
+ on the final night before battle breaks, he asked the redhead a few things
+ his weapon is a tome that shoots off Tri-Attack
+ +20 timeskip FC is Van Hohenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (yes, the HOT one)



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played by

noodles

matias
he/him
thirty-two
november 14th
saffron
straight...unless?
elite four
champion
with you
i am born anew.
1321 height
1321 height
i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.
awards
8,503 posts
MATIAS SILPH DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @matias
MATIAS SILPH
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 23, 2023 10:38:11 GMT
MATIAS SILPH Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","matiasbase"]
[attr="class","matias1"]
[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]


[attr="class","matias2"]

i'll be good to you, that much i promise you.[break][break]

his promise is kept and built upon.[break][break]

what comes from it is a life he never thought he deserved. a life that seemed so out of reach that even now, there are days when he doubts it all.[break][break]

once told him he would make a great father.[break][break]

both and their son, silas ground him. the beauty he spoke of with is felt through every moment spent with them. a king, a knight, and their prince. what more could he have asked for?[break][break]

"remember what i told you?"[break][break]

he kneels, knees digging into the bare soil beneath them. his hand hovers for a moment before waving, manipulating the earth as he has done time and time again, and from it sprouts a MAGICAL LEAF.[break][break]

"there will always be beauty for those who know where to look."[break][break]

with a smile, he extends it over to the child. they accept it and tuck it behind their ear, drawing an even bigger smile from matias.[break][break]

"come on. our king's waiting for us back home."[break][break]


[break]

they stand at the outskirts of HAMMERLOCKE where the poison had subsided to give them the freedom of expansion should they so wish to.[break][break]

he bumps his shoulder against '.[break][break]

"the science of this checks out, right? i won't mess anything up?"[break][break]

with her approval, matias nods, then starts moving his arms in elegant gestures that virizion would be proud of.[break][break]

joined by GROUDON and VIRIZION, they start manipulating the earth, essentially TERRAFORMING the land around them to be more hospitable.[break][break]

slowly but surely, HAMMERLOCKE expands.[break][break]

Qxyb3Eht
[break][break]

tl;dr[break]
- matias strengthens his bond with GROUDON & VIRIZION[break]
- matias & raise their son SILAS[break]
- matias & help expand HAMMERLOCKE with GROUDON & VIRIZION & MATIAS' help[break]
- matias wields sketch!greatsword[break]








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played by

Number9

He/Him/His
27
October 4th
Celadon City
Gay
Rocket Scientist
Elite
76 height
76 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
187 posts
part of
TAG WITH @kaname
Kaname Fujihara
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 24, 2023 0:14:51 GMT
Kaname Fujihara Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","fakebq"]
[attr=class","body"]
[attr="class","text"]
When asked Kaname about that day and the Helping Hand, he simply nodded. Nothing more, nothing less. He did what was best for everyone; the most good for the most amount of people. That’s his credo now. [break][break]

The next ten years bring new joys and sorrows. Letters sent to and fro to . The Hammerlocke Hospital practically runs itself, staffed by Kaname’s students and volunteers. For the first time in his life, Kaname Fujihara feels satisfaction with his life. He has accomplished something, etched a beacon into the world; a legacy to be remembered by. [break][break]

So he takes advantage of the self-sufficient hospital system and turns to more personal matters. He rushes to be by ’s side, even for just a few fleeting moments. Over the decade, when Kaname isn’t researching the phenomena of Dynamaxing or overseeing the Hammerlocke Hospital, he takes time when the stars align for brief dalliances with his beloved, . Their new lives are busy, and they can’t always make time for each other… but when they do? Well, every moment reunited is a joyous one and every time they must part is the saddest day of Kaname’s life. However, letters help him remain strong until he can see the man he calls ‘love’ once more. [break][break]

As the solstice approaches, things change and Hell prepares to break loose. The world, once again, is threatening to turn itself over to madness. So he starts preparing, turning their supplies into medicine and tinctures. The worst of it is to come, so all they can do is prepare. [break][break]

He manages to find the time to send what could be his final letter to , detailing his love and admiration for the man he called his, and if they were to die… then Kaname dies the happiest man, made better just by knowing . [break][break]




[attr="class","kaname"]
@shieldgang
[break]

NOTES



+ TL;DR: Kaname oversees the Hammerlocke Hospital, researches Dynamax, and spends a lot of time with Alba. As the solstice approaches, he starts stockpiling medication for what’s to come.
+No longer masked. He’s just a doctor now




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played by

snubis

Wayland
He/Him
Twenty-Eight
March Twenty-First
Vermillion City
Heterosexual
League Turncoat
Eh
Should I bite my tongue, until blood soaks my shirt?
awards
1,489 posts
KING WAYLAND DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @king
KING WAYLAND
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 24, 2023 0:36:57 GMT
KING WAYLAND Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","char-wrap"]
[attr="class","char-main"]
[attr="class","char-words"]Twenty years flies in a blink, and each one of those days he thinks of his daughter. She'd be nearly the same age as him when he'd left. That pain never goes away.
[break][break]
He channels that into the final day, never quite believing the prohpecys written on the wall. Home was this place now, as painful as that thought had become. He found it in ; he'd found it in . The latter was a possibility that never existed before.
[break][break]
Like the others, he mounts up for combat. Side-by-side of his companion of over 40-years, fist and weapons ready.
[break][break]
If there was a way to get back home, he'd put all he can into it. Perhaps in that life, he would do better.
[break][break]
He promised it so.
[break]

[attr="class","char-notes"]


notes


FLUFF, nothing of real substance here. Just ready to fight. [break]dRmtkgF1[break][break]





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played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
24
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
I've got a, I've got a
Pocket fulla sunshine
Short King height
Short King height
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
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4,402 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD
POSTED ON Jun 24, 2023 1:38:07 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗
[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?



[attr="class","skullbody"]It had taken ten years stranded in another world, but Isaac had finally learned a valuable life lesson. Life was so much easier when you have a plan.[break][break]

The terror that Necrozma had wrought in its wake was heartwrenching. Ten years of work had been reduced to rubble. Countless lives had been lost. In the immediate aftermath, Isaac's faith in himself as a king had been shaken to the core.[break][break]

But in their stead, ten years of structure and supports held strong. Countless lives, touched and inspired by the heroes of another world, responded not by hiding but by rising above. Motostoke was no longer huddled masses of terrified peasants squatting in the ruins of a city that was. Now it was so much more, and they refused to let the rebirth of their home slip through their battered and broken fingers.[break][break]

In a few years' time, Motostoke was returning to its former glory. In another few, their efforts had been rewarded. The poison surrounding the region had receded, and with it the invasions slowed to a trickle. It had been fifteen long years, but the people of Motostoke had been freed.[break][break]

Where some saw danger, Isaac saw opportunity. For over a decade, Motostoke had been forced to subsist on less. The harvests, while seeing slight improvements year by year, were limited to what gardens the city limits could provide. The train networks, in spite of 's amazing work, couldn't penetrate through the toxic haze. The city's walls, precariously close to their living space, meant the city's people were always one step away from being under attack.[break][break]

No longer.[break][break]

Simple, easily moved barricades were the first order of the day. Bit by bit, these simple defenses would push outwards into the borderlands, allowing Motostoke's reach to slowly stretch outward year by year. They would never hold up to the might of a full invasion, but with the gloom receded those had become an impossibility. Their numbers had dwindled, and any stubborn enough to try would be spotted far before they could approach.[break][break]

Behind these barricades came progress. Farmlands, seemingly stripped of their toxicity overnight, brought bountiful harvests to a city that had once been hurting for food. Safe passage was reestablished to mines long abandoned and rivers once tainted. The ruins of waystations that once were could be scavenged, rebuilt, and repurposed. Isaac eagerly shared the bounty of natural resources that Motostoke once held now that he was no longer constrained to a sampling platter.[break][break]

By the twilight years of Isaac's reign, these barricades gave way to a proper set of secondary walls. Mystics and researchers alike agreed on one thing; eventually, the receding tides would bring the flood. If that would be the case, then Isaac was prepared to have these extended barriers be his dam. Farmlands, trading posts, even rail stations to distant outposts set up by brave frontiersmen . . . Things of great importance lied beneath these walls, but they would be acceptable losses compared to the lives held in the city's heart.[break][break]

Isaac knew better than to rely solely on walls, of course. The Wishing Stars had given them a powerful tool, one that could have proven a game changer when Necrozma first made landfall. Those who put their blood, sweat, and tears into studying the stars devised Dynamax Bands, harnessing the energy beneath the Motostoke Colosseum in much the same way the invading Garbodor once had.[break][break]

As both a king and a man who strove to lead by example, Isaac was quick to accept a band. Of all his Pokemon, he hadn't expected Ogrelord to take to it best. The Grimmsnarl, normally far too lazy to fight, shifted into a leaner, more dangerous form as the Dynamax Energy caused him to grow. It took the rest of Isaac's team to knock him out before he could "demonstrate" his newfound power as eagerly as he'd hoped to. The two trained long and hard, spending the decade becoming more accustomed to both their power and each other.[break][break]

It wasn't the only way Isaac trained. With 's gift in one hand, and the Aegis in the other, Isaac refused to sit idle any longer. His plans for the last ten years had become self-sustaining, his delegations had bore fruit, and the trust he'd built meant he needed to spend far less time on debates and discussions. would no longer have to be Motostoke's only warrior king. Once more, they could stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of the apocalypse.[break][break]

Perhaps he'd even have that promised swordfight with . Only the sands of time would know who had emerged the victor.[break][break]

Indeed, sentiment and memories never lost their importance to Isaac. The second the mists receded, Isaac wrote to all of his far-flung friends and invited them to pay him a visit in Motostoke. , , , . . . to see them again, to meet their families and introduce them to his, to have proof that they were alive and they were okay and they were finding happiness in the other world . . .[break][break]

It was everything he had hoped for.[break][break]

Most important of all, though, was . They had always been the missing piece of Isaac's found family; the eighteen years during which their golden child status left Isaac unable to appreciate their bond how he should, the five years during which he kept hidden from guilt and shame, and now these fifteen years where the world literally conspired to keep them apart.[break][break]

No longer. Literal days after the mist receded, Isaac took El back into his life with open arms. There was so much for them to catch up on. There was so much for them to show each other. There were so many years for them to reclaim. It didn't matter that by now they were pushing towards their forties. For a brief, beautiful moment, it was just like they were kids again.[break][break]

They had far too many responsibilities to move in full time, but Isaac made it clear that Motostoke would be their home away from home whenever they needed it. This would simply be the first of many, many visits shared between the two.[break][break]

Whether the courts or the colosseum, whether acting alone or guiding hundreds, whether wandering the streets of the city he loved or probing the wilderness with Caleb, Isaac's days always ended where he was most needed; his home, with the wife he loved more than the world and the daughters he couldn't be prouder of. The time of a king was a rare and precious treasure, but in Isaac's eyes his family was even moreso.[break][break]

They'd all come so far. They'd all grown so much. They'd been thrown into the unknown, and over two decades they thrived.[break][break]

And now it all hung in the balance.[break][break]

Necrozma's return would be their final crucible. Would they stand tall and defend their homes? Or would it all be for naught as the darkest day claimed their lives? To this end, Isaac brought the many great kings of Galar together for a final, fateful meeting. Perhaps, through putting their heads together, they would be able to cancel this apocalypse before it could begin. Perhaps they could do the impossible and bring this ravaged region a new lease on life.[break][break]

When this one last hurdle was out of the way, Isaac could finally enjoy the peace he had fought so long to create.[break][break]

ysgWaEX5

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[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!




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