MATIAS VS DESIREE

desiree's curry entry

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thread summary: Following the descent of Kyurem in the Silent Icelands, Desiree and MATIAS SILPH finally have their much overdue chance to catch up with one another, granted this opportunity by tournament matchmaking rather than through efforts to do so. Their reacquaintance is met with one-sided hesitation, despite their years-long history of being pen pals; are the claims that Michael Navidson made back in the Ultra Deep Sea true, or are they some lie born from the flickering hallucinogen? All things considered, they have to be unintentional falsehoods, it would be too painful for her to believe otherwise.

She dismisses the paranoid thoughts at the warmth that blossomed from her cheeks at his kindness as the battle unfolds, yet to her, the fight between their brilliant creatures is ultimately outweighed by the topics their conversation spirals into. The breaking of bones. The sweeping of the mechanical horde. The regret of not being there for everyone she loved, and his apologies for not being there for her. The looming threats of the cosmos. The taking up of the sword. The aspect of protecting. The wish to slay the dragoness for all which it had done. The ability to train for it, to prepare for it, ultimately to the next level.

Matias emerges victorious, but it doesn't matter. He claimed to have so much more to offer in training for what is yet to come; and despite her pushing off of the initial offer in the moment, Desiree believed she would be a fool to refute all opportunities he could provide.

why is it important?: I had such a fun time writing this with noodles! It is one of the heavier threads out of the bunch I participated in during the Vital City Tournament, and I ate up every second of it fr fr. Seeing a softer side of Matias in comparison to some other threads I've peeped and lurked :salmon_smirk: was so great AND having them have their well-needed catch-up sesh.. it opens doors to new dynamics outside of what they had existed as for years on end, being innocent pen pals sparked while she was in rehab.

It delves into possibilities that darkness can lurk closer to home than Desiree would like to admit, though she knows it can ultimately be true; she does not know what to trust, almost as if she is caught inside tension that exists within the tension of the world. Did Matias truly kill Navy's team of companions, or was it yet another spell of the Ultra Deep Sea? She falls into disbelief and dismisses it as a wretched falsehood born from a wretched being- the world wouldn't be out to get her again, it couldn't be. Not after all the shit that's hit the fan in her life, she trusts both of them would never fall into such bleak realities.

It also delves into motives and grudges against the things that go against her wish to preserve love- the things, the grotesque cosmic beasts, that so many of those whom she loves are made to endure through their occupations and commitments. She wishes to take the burdens instead, and her wish is met with him advising her not to fall into these situations and to leave it to him instead. But she is stubborn after facing so much violence and heartache, and believes it would be selfish and all the more painful to watch those she love die while she sits behind stained glass.

And then he offers to train her, which she considers up to the end of the thread and accepts through text off-screen, of course. This is super important as it is a precursor to what will shape a newer relationship in the future and the opportunities that will come with it, such as knowledge relating to legendary pokemon/avatars and sparring against some in AQUA VS missions! I'm super excited to see how their dynamics work in the future, thank you so much for writing this with me noodles! ♡

Noel vs Elise

Elise Calcifet 's curry entry

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thread summary: Takes place a little after losing to Josh Devlin in the Vital City Tournament, Elise prepares to have a match with Noel Parker . She's very happy to have a fun match with someone she considers a friend and a fellow co-worker in the rangers. Her Mismagius battles with Noel's Shaymin and after a round of attacks being thrown at each other, Noel and his Shaymin are the winners when Elise and her Mismagius were so close to winning.[break]

why is it important?: I loved exploring the way that she has gotten a lot of scrutiny from Remiel Calcifet 's twin brother and that she wants to get stronger as a battler without all of the pressures of her position as royal Galarian ambassador. She does open up to Noel about her past since it made it a lot harder for her to befriend people in her original hometown due to her half heritage and her own meekness. He encourages her to keep going and that she's doing a good job in doing everything she can which she takes his encouragement here to move forward to the future instead of staying with the past.

While she still feels like she hasn't gotten stronger with the losses she's gotten, she's trying to turn those losses into something that she can learn from. Being able to develop her character through her VCT matches with everyone is a thing I enjoy the most out of the little battle aspect that goes with these. Aside from dealing with her job as Galarian ambassador, I had her deal with the pressures of the people back home in Galar and how they all count on her to do a good job for their sake. She's trying her best to make sure that she's wanting to be an excellent princess for her people in the middle of being a royal Galarian expat in Hoenn and when Hoenn is riddled with disasters every time.

Ryan's such a fun writer when we wrote this VCT thread together. This battle's got some turns and stuff, but in the end, Elise gets to have a very fun match with a friend she cares for. I got to explore a lot of the fun in this battle over Elise bonding with her Mismagius too!

the moss

Neffatari Nzingha's curry entry

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thread summary: After Zev Harcourt gives Nenet's information to Lulu Flint, Nenet learns of an anomalous Minior kept in Lulu's care and immediately becomes intrigued. The two women bond over their overt curiosity and make plans to research the anomalous Minior together. [break]

why is it important?: This is Nenet's first real integration into Rocket and it was really a joy to write! Lulu initially reached out to Nenet and they made contact after the events of TSDT - since Nenet has historically kept to herself with her research having someone else show her an interesting Minior was like fuel thrown on a flame. I'm excited to see how Nenet navigates her way through Rocket and THANK YOU mads for writing this wonderful thread with me!

DRAGON BOY MEETS DRAGON GIRL

Draco's curry entry

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thread summary: A simple training exercise in Meteor Falls, Draco's new home-- is interrupted by a crashing girl Andrea Vaneau dressed as a Dragon. While Draco finds the girl uber strange-- he can't help but admire her love and desire to be a pokemon herself. No doubt she is odd and awkward to Draco, but as a person who threw away human ties and lived among Pokemon for years since he was 8, he feld her view and love for her dragon pokemon admirable. The two get closer and Draco makes a first real human friend and even their dragons like one another.[break]

why is it important?: Because Draco, a person who was abused as a child and ran away to live among Pokemon, finally meets an actually nice human and helps him open up as a person. While both love Pokemon far more than humans-- it allows Draco to finally show more of his humane traits to someone who grows to be comfortable around.

UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS

gunner's curry entry

thread summary:
Gunner and his brother GIDEON GRAVES have a serious conversation about love and relationships while drunk. Gideon tries convincing Gunner to leave mila alexopoulos, the woman with whom he has a toxic, on-again/off-again relationship. Gunner reflects on his feelings for Mila and how the ideal relationship Gideon wants for him is not possible.

why is it important?:
Gunner has had a tumultuous relationship with mila alexopoulos for years. Neither of them will admit that they're in love, though they've come close to doing so in recent times. To his brother, in the privacy of his own home, Gunner basically spells out a love confession but can't quite make the leap to actually admitting his feelings. But based on the trajectory that Milky and I have been writing and observing, that future may come to pass sooner rather than later. We shall see!

Big shoutout to Dove for being such an amazing writer. Not only is it super fun to write the brothers together, but Gideon provides such an excellent contrast to Gunner.

FALLING

Mei Liu's curry entry

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thread summary:
A few weeks following their first encounter, Julien Demassieux, the esteemed Kalosian ambassador, hires Mei to accompany him to a high end Kalosian restaurant in Slateport's upper district. The two have an unexpectedly engaging conversation, during which Mei gives Julien practical political advice - surprising him by how insightful and clever she is for an escort. In turn, his praise causes Mei to feel genuinely appreciated.

After the dinner, the two take a walk around a rose garden, sharing goals and aspirations. The vulnerability of their exchange leads them to sharing a passionate kiss. Compromised, Mei tells Julien that she enjoys spending time with him - a sincere admission, when normally she might fake such a sentiment for the sake of her client's happiness. Julien admits to feeling the same way, but tells her the date must come to an end. He hails her a taxi, then slips her an envelope containing her payment. Mei stares down at the money as the taxi takes off, feeling suddenly foolish for falling into the trap of believing the date had been real, rather than just another job...

why is it important?:
This thread is a turning point for Mei, in terms of realizing that she is developing real feelings of attraction and affection for Julien: something she has little to no experience with, having spent the majority of her life catering to the desires of others. For the first time in her life, she is starting to realize her own intimate preferences and needs (Julien seems to actually be "her type" vs just another client she must force herself to entertain). Mei leaves the date feeling disappointed by work she normally has no issue performing, the money earned feeling oddly tainted. It's an important moment of contemplation, self-awareness, and vulnerability for Mei...could this be the path to falling in love for real?

HONEYBODY

Eva's curry entry

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Thread Summary: freya morningstar helps Eva remember bits and pieces of Galar, revealing something deep that both thrills her and breaks her heart.[break]

Why is it Important?: At times, it didn't bother Eva that she didn't remember Galar. She figured if there was anything worth remembering, she would have. She lived content with her ignorance. However, sometimes there was a whisper. There were buried feelings deep down she couldn't quite ignore. She didn't know why, though, until Freya kissed her. She helped her remember the most important part of Galar: she was truly happy. And she's definitely in love with Freya, but that's a love she can't have becuase Freya loves someone else. Eva is a creature of emotions, love being the strongest of those. It's a pillar of her foundation that is both her greatest strength and the key to her demise. She finds answers in that kiss but she also finds conflict. Unknown to her yet, it will add fuel to the fire of her fears sowed by her excursion to the past at the hands of Father Winter. In Kanto, she died alone for something she believed in, which is a sentiment she used to be very happy to embrace. But does it make her happy to know that? She may be learning her selflessness has its limits. Is she doing life a disservice by staying unhappy if only for the greater good? Will she continue to sacrifice her own well-being for everyone else's? Can she have the best of both worlds? We'll see!

the threads that bind

Eris Halla's curry entry ft. Michael Navidson

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thread summary: An RKS dive is always going to present some weird things, but sometimes delving too deeply can unravel far more than you might expect.[break]

why is it important?: For starters, it's another Navy and Eris thread. A thread between a man that has grown up far too soon and a child that seems to be following steadily in his footsteps. The past will always follow them, whether with loving warmth or haunting gaze. But when two anomalies who were meant to die a long time ago attempt to look to a future, they might find that all that's left is a dead end.

Bless Teddie for letting me go a little wild on it! I came to him with the idea and he said we'll DO IT so we did!!

FEAR AND HUNGER

Cillian Quinn's curry entry

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thread summary: After the events of Father Winter 2, Cillian and his husband touch briefly on the implications, and further cement their hatred for the DRK Triad. Cillian expresses his distress at learning of Temp's suicide in the timeline he lived through, and Temp promises never to leave him like that.[break]

why is it important?: PLOT RELEVANT. Also I love any hurt/comfort thread with couples, because I'm weak. (I wanted to feature something different to others for variety, but 'A Shadow Emerges' and 'No Turning Back' were also fantastic threads to write! They showcase Cillian being a real Bastard, whereas this thread is much softer in tone.)

vct: ollie & cass

Cass's curry entry

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thread summary: VCT battle in which Cass makes a bet with ollie morales for Tofu's hat - and also actually wins it![break]

why is it important?: This is just a short and silly thread, and I really enjoyed it by virtue of being able to fully lean into "Cass is a bratty teenager" and have Ollie actually indulge her a bit in that regard, too lol It was really cool to have Ollie actually agree on the stupid bet! And writing Cass being a bit "oh gods pokémon fashion ..." bc I fully forgot that for her before, and then jumping onto a greedy thing with the bet was just a character beat that I really was happy to write out!

It was also fun to see Cass being both worried about being disliked by Tofu and also adamant on getting that hat. Tofu's interaction with Ollie were also just super fun to read haha XD

It's also a victory moment for Jon which is rare in general canon, and it's funny to have it manifested in the name of fashion lol

june sleigh 's Curry Addition: Business Opportunities

thread summary: June had met annalise henderson earlier in December, before she... had a workaholic breakdown seen in another thread. Now, armed with new knowledge of the one person she might've called a friend, a desire to not try and have a repeat scenario, and the events of Dream Drop and Father Winter 2, she needs to get something done. Change things up. Here, she meets with Annalise to discuss a partnership with the Mauville Rangers. A business opportunity. However, it goes off the rails a little when the wilds are mentioned, which June seeks a specific Pokémon from. Instead of passive interest and the feeling that it might not work out, she immediately changes tune and decides to accept the position. After Annalise 'gives' her the badge for the Rangers, she immediately leaves to prepare for whatever lies ahead. 

why is it important?: This is the start of this character's arc that I have planned. The first few months were build up, background, and preparation for what I want to explore with the character. It also shows a little bit of Annalise's character. How she's wililng to help those that she sees as in similar or were in similar positions as to her. While it might not be the MOST impressive thread known to man, I see it as the beginning of everything important to my characters. My reason for being on Hoenn: to tell a story. And every story must start somewhere.

Grigori Sokolov 's Curry Addition: Into the Lion's Den

thread summary: Grigori received a notice of being reentered into the Anger Management program by Elisabeth Fiorelli , so he goes into her office to argue his case against the motion. However, things quickly go off the rails as a deeper dive into the events that drove both of them are brought up, new questions asked, and an ultimate understanding of the full truth: that he has a long way to go before he is able to say he's over his anger issues. Even as Elisabeth grants his request, tears the form in two as he thanks her for showing him the truth. Even as she warns him that the past can't be ran from, he instead inadvertently states his intention to face it head on.

why is it important?: This is a great thread between the two characters. Even if it shows more of Grigori than Elisabeth, I still believe there's something to be gleaned from this. How she handles potential 'backtalk' and admission of disobedience. On the grunt side is the exploration of the nature of order, the thought process that goes into his relationships of management, and how far he is willing to go to prove the loyalty he isn't even sure exists as it once did. Ultimately, I think this is a perfect thread that highlights details about both characters. How they differ, and how they are ultimately alike in ways one might not expect.

FALLING

julien's curry entry

thread summary:
Julien hires Mei Liu to accompany him to a fancy Kalosian dinner. They enjoy good conversation, good food, and good company. He finds himself impressed by her astute, insightful mind and the complexity of her character; this escort is far more than she appears on the surface.

why is it important?:
I write Julien as notoriously picky when it comes to the company he keeps. Despite his polite and gentlemanly demeanor, he's a classist jerk who looks down on anyone who doesn't meet his standards of intelligence or social grace. Mei's background suggests he would not give her the time of day if not for her beauty, but the more they interact, the more Julien sees her as a companion worthy of his time. Perhaps, one day, they could even be friends.

(But Nelle and I have other plans.)

Frostfire

Toki Akiyama's curry entry

thread summary: Toki and El arrived at the scene of a forest fire on Route 104. The two worked together to fight back the fire and discover the source; A wounded Quilava who got caught in a poacher's trap and lashed out in retaliation. After calming the Pokemon, treating its injuries, and putting out the fire, Toki and El went back to Petalburg for a well-deserved break.

why is it important?: It marks important growth for Toki and El, where both realize how far they've come as Rangers and the good they are able to do in that position for Hoenn. It's been a long, tough road blocked by self-doubt, but Toki has begun to grow past that in favor of seeing what he's capable of and what he will be capable of.