Hey, all. Longtime sometime lurker, no-time (until I click the thing) poster.
I'm student teaching at an alternative school in Alaska, where one of my classes is a middle school language arts block period. During the first unit, we spent the first half an hour of each class working on a long-term "flash fiction" assignment. Each student had a goal of producing 26 short stories, optionally tied to the alphabet. 7 had to be approximately 50, 100, and 150 words, while the last 4 could be any of those three lengths. The same best teaching practices that dictate splitting the block up into segments also dictate teacher modeling of (read: participation in) in-class activities, so I produced 26 extremely short stories of my own. Being as I am extremely anal and a lifelong Pokémon fan, my stories are exactly 50, 100, or 150 words long, and all of them are based on Pokédex entries (one is based on two!).
Anyway, I think a solid majority of them came out well, which is rare for me re: my writing, so I've decided to break almost 5 years of silence and share them with Smogon. God, I hope I'm posting this thread in the right forum. Also, I'm afraid I don't know how to do those fancy click-to-expand, click-to-hide boxes, so if someone can point me to a tutorial I'll make this thread much less obnoxious to scroll through.
Titles and Pokédex entries come after stories because I like the effect it has on the reading experience and this is an art forum, dang it. Titles and lengths are listed below for those uninterested in skimming.
TL;DR I wrote 26 stories about Pokémon that are all about 100 words. Read 'em. Table of contents below.
A-F
I'm student teaching at an alternative school in Alaska, where one of my classes is a middle school language arts block period. During the first unit, we spent the first half an hour of each class working on a long-term "flash fiction" assignment. Each student had a goal of producing 26 short stories, optionally tied to the alphabet. 7 had to be approximately 50, 100, and 150 words, while the last 4 could be any of those three lengths. The same best teaching practices that dictate splitting the block up into segments also dictate teacher modeling of (read: participation in) in-class activities, so I produced 26 extremely short stories of my own. Being as I am extremely anal and a lifelong Pokémon fan, my stories are exactly 50, 100, or 150 words long, and all of them are based on Pokédex entries (one is based on two!).
Anyway, I think a solid majority of them came out well, which is rare for me re: my writing, so I've decided to break almost 5 years of silence and share them with Smogon. God, I hope I'm posting this thread in the right forum. Also, I'm afraid I don't know how to do those fancy click-to-expand, click-to-hide boxes, so if someone can point me to a tutorial I'll make this thread much less obnoxious to scroll through.
Titles and Pokédex entries come after stories because I like the effect it has on the reading experience and this is an art forum, dang it. Titles and lengths are listed below for those uninterested in skimming.
TL;DR I wrote 26 stories about Pokémon that are all about 100 words. Read 'em. Table of contents below.
A-F
G-L“There was a Hiker waiting around every corner of this miserable mountain before. Where have they all gone?”
“Possibly they aren’t lost like us,” I intoned coldly. My companion’s retort was lost in a shriek of wind that sounded almost like a Pokémon… Or was it the other way around?
Articuno, the Freeze Pokémon
A legendary bird Pokémon that is said to appear to doomed people who are lost in icy mountains…
The frantic Pokémon’s legs pounded against the rock of the precipice, stumbling over errant turf and other obstacles to its desperate flight. An eddying downdraft from magnificent red wings sent the poor creature tumbling, but it scrambled to its feet and lowered its heavy head in a determined sprint. Each step narrowly saved it from pitching forward again, building gradually to a tremendous, unstoppable speed. Determined eyes, peering under the little Dragon’s armored brow, closed in serene concentration on a fervent wish. When they opened again, it was in time to glimpse the flock of Salamence, upside-down and shrinking skyward…
Bagon, the Rock Head Pokémon
Dreaming of one day flying, it practices by leaping off cliffs every day.
She was the kind of girl you remember with flowers in her hair. The very air around her quivered and danced with the thrum of silver wings that hovered and swooped in a saccharine cacophony. It was her aura, they said; the Cutiefly, it seemed, could see the flowers, too.
Cutiefly, the Bee Fly Pokémon
Myriads of Cutiefly flutter above the heads of people who have auras resembling those of flowers.
The people called it a “yellow year,” after the color of the fields. Even the verdant pelts of the grazing Gogoat diminished, until they migrated beyond the borders of the budding civilization. In days past, the people followed the Pokémon, but none remained who remembered how. One far-scouting hunter visited a great lake that had slaked the nomadic people of a century before. Cold fireplaces watched the man from collapsing houses as he crept through a ghost town on the shore. He ran toward a plaintive cry, crashing through a disintegrating doorframe to discover a serpentine Pokémon in a crumbling cage. Its lithe blue body tautened at the flash of the hunter’s knife, coiling subtly before launching past its stunned rescuer the moment the cage swung open. Auburn eyes scanned the man disinterestedly before disappearing into the lake. He stood staring after it until the rain soaked his skin.
Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon
From time immemorial, it has been venerated by agricultural peoples as an entity able to control the weather.
Working desperately against time and the creeping numbness of his own fingers, the man knotted and re-knotted the twine at the corner of the tarp. The storm was close enough now that blinding flash and deafening roar seemed almost simultaneous, and the effect on the senses was traumatic. Rubbing his eyes and jawing against the tinnitus, the man ran headlong into his wife as she rounded the hay bales from the opposite side. Helping each other to stand, the couple trudged back to their warm house, aglow from the fireplace and abuzz with the laughter of both child and Pokémon.
Elekid, the Electric Pokémon
Even in the most vicious storm, this Pokémon plays happily if thunder rumbles in the sky.
Sunlight streamed through the deciduous canopy, warming the hanging Metapod as they shook dew from their mostly-immobile bodies. The gentle stirring of the tall grass disrupted the silence without disturbing the tranquil morning scene that played out as Santalune Forest came to life.
Suddenly, the amiable chirping of birds gave way to aggressive squawks and loud pops, as of firecrackers going off among the branches. Almost faster than the eye could see, a pair of bristling red bodies flashed out of the canopy, made several looping passes in mutual pursuit, and disappeared amid the trees. Sparks showered at each turn as the birds burned and accelerated, each trying to knock the other out of the sky with an expertly-spat ember. Their clumsy shots often went wide, and smoldered or steamed where they landed amid the foliage.
They vanished quickly as they had come, chasing each other off into the woods.
Fletchinder, the Ember Pokémon
It will not tolerate other Fletchinder entering its territory, which has a radius of several miles.
M-SThe scavenger glared enviously at the round pink belly of the slumbering Pokémon. Moreover it glared at the heap of berries the snoring creature leaned against. Stealthily extending a claw, the scavenger fumbled noisily. Startled, the beast drew to full height, turned, and ran away howling as if in pain.
Granbull, the Fairy Pokémon
It is actually timid and easily spooked. If attacked, it flails about to fend off its attacker.
“How much do you know about Team Plasma?” It would have been a complicated answer even if I weren’t regaining consciousness while chained to a post. I strained subtly against my bonds. But zip-ties and steel go together like Plusle and Minun. I looked up into the matching smirks of the gangster and his Pokémon.
“We’ll cut you loose now, if you want,” he said. His Dragon tilted its head imperceptibly, so that light glinted on its bladed tusks. “Or we could talk more.”
The transparent intimidation ploy was effective. “I don’t know anything,” I blurted.
“Swords Dance,” the man said sharply. Haxorus complied with frenetic aplomb.
“Team Plasma says they’re activists, but there have been disappearances—“
“So you do know something,” he cut me off. “That’s all I needed to hear.” Striding away down the alley, he turned his head and said, as if in farewell, “Dual Chop.”
Haxorus, the Axe Jaw Pokémon
Its tusks are incredibly destructive. They can easily slice through a thick, sturdy steel column every time.
Leaving the sleepy suburbs of Verdanturf Town for a year of la vie kalosienne in Lumiose City was a dream, and for months I scarcely thought of home. But by the end of fall term I found myself missing Hoenn. My parents were opportunistically wintering in Alola, precluding a visit. When my friend insisted on a weekend in Camphrier Town before spring term, I did my best to summon enthusiasm, but remained feeling despondent. The night before we returned, we sat on a park bench for hours, even after the sun set. Suddenly, swarming Volbeat filled the sky with beautiful geometric patterns of light, just like they do on warm nights on Route 117 back home. Hoping that the nostalgic sight would cheer me, my friend was surprised to see my eyes brimming with tears.
“I just realized the saddest thing,” I explained. “They’re more beautiful here than at home.”
Illumise, the Firefly Pokémon
Illumise leads a flight of illuminated Volbeat to draw signs in the night sky. This Pokémon is said to earn greater respect from its peers by composing more complex designs in the sky.
The captain and his blubbering mate strode through the corridor of the ship.
“Well if we aren’t leaking then why in Kyogre’s name are we sinking?”
“This area of the sea, Cap’n—there are rumors…” the mate trailed off as the pair froze, their eyes tracking the progress of a bulbous blue apparition that emerged from the closed door of the hold. Another followed at the same time as a pink one phased through the wall and another rose from the floor. The great floating sacs began first to drip, then to gush, filling the hallway with seawater in seconds.
Jellicent, the Floating Pokémon
Its body is mostly seawater. It’s said there’s a castle of ships Jellicent have sunk on the seafloor.
Folded neatly into streamline, the predator swam swiftly over the reef without disturbing the waves above. On spotting prey, it froze, using the current and its own momentum to bring it stealthily into position. Long, brittle arms with scythe-like blades it produced seemingly from nowhere, without altering its deadly speed.
Kabutops, the Shellfish Pokémon
Its sleek shape is perfect for swimming. It slashes prey with its claws and drains their fluids.
Mortars cracked in the nearby hills, competing with the din of ringing in my ears. My steadfast partner sat breathing lightly after our sprint to safety. Through its blue eyelids I could see a burning yellow glow that subsided after a moment.
“How many are there?” I asked. Lucario flicked its eyes toward me, then closed them again.
“Surrounded, huh,” I surmised. It shrugged and tilted its head. I let the matter sit briefly.
“Are they afraid?” At this, Lucario’s eyes opened, and it bared its fangs in a smirking snarl to match mine. I chuckled. “Well, they will be.”
Lucario, the Aura Pokémon
A well-trained one can sense auras to identify and take in the feelings of creatures over half a mile away.
T-ZDeep in the forest, the tranquility of night was giving way to symphony as birds roused and vocally re-staked their territorial claims. The crepuscular cacophony caused a look of annoyance to cross the sleeping face of a languishing Pokémon. A shake of its lengthy green neck caused the massive flower at its collar to flex and stretch as if blossoming in time-lapse. The sweet scent that had hovered low now became pungent, helped along by wafting from prehensile petals. The effect on the woods was precipitous and complete; harsh tweets melted first into affable chirps, then into sweet, soporific silence.
Meganium, the Herb Pokémon
The aroma that rises from its petals contains a substance that calms aggressive feelings.
Cresting the swell, the clipper seemed to hang in the air, its crew floating above the deck. The modest figurehead dislodged too, toppling over heavily as the hull splashed home. It took three deckhands to put the flailing rock back on its feet, and none to rotate it into position.
Nosepass, the Compass Pokémon
The magnet in Nosepass's nose provides an unerring compass, making it an excellent partner for Trainers going on a journey.
The day was clear and perfectly calm, and yet the grassy field twitched and tittered of its own accord. Every inch was covered in a broad-leafed weed that swayed and wiggled equally in the absence or the despite of wind. Yet peering between the stalks would yield no view of any quivering creature. One might surmise with a shrug that the fidgeting fairies could only be seen by moonlight, and yet by moonlight the field would not be visible neither; it would appear a barren acre of tilled soil, soft enough to sink up to the knee, more mysterious and empty than before.
But few have borne witness to the moment of transition, and fewer still could explain the way the weeds themselves uprooted one by one, a synchronous wave predicted by the creeping of the moon around the stark silhouettes of trees, then marched alone into the moonlit night.
Oddish, the Weed Pokémon
If exposed to moonlight, it starts to move. It roams far and wide at night to scatter its seeds.
Sniveling echoed falteringly amid the trees as the last rays of sun fled, seeming to take the life of the forest with them. A boy, perhaps three years old, gazed around fearfully, searching for any sign of the little burning wisps that had led him so far from the path.
Phantump, the Stump Pokémon
According to old tales, these Pokémon are stumps possessed by the spirits of children who died while lost in the forest.
A round-bodied regiment bustled and mustered amid the roots at the edge of a copse, overflowing into a modest meadow. The stout soldiers jostled and rebounded, their ovaline shells preventing them from packing the phalanx as closely as each of them would have liked. Finally, as if by divine command, the convex company converged on the clearing like an ululating tide, careening violently off of each other where they met. Some impacts did little more than to bend a pointed nose; others sent whole cadres spinning like billiards, limbs flailing in surprise before regaining composure and returning to the fray.
Quilladin, the Spiny Armor Pokémon
They strengthen their lower bodies by running into one another. They are very kind and won't start fights.
Its long labor complete, the behemoth laid down its ropes and rubbed its great hands together first ponderously, then nervously. Up until then, its existence had been task. But now that they were in place the continents seemed vast and empty, and the titan who toiled in solitude began to entertain primordial inklings of loneliness. Suddenly its versatile fingers were moving, scraping off dust and mud accrued over centuries and sculpting the material. The completed effigy stood perhaps half the height of its creator, who lumbered off with a twinkle in its many eyes. Recalling smooth, beautiful material, it waded through frigid seas. The second self-portrait was symmetrical, but its fingers were stiff and clumsy. Quitting the frozen ground, the colossus sought the malleable material that bubbled up between continents. Satisfied with its three children, the god retreated to an ancient place to await the first age of the world.
Regigigas, the Colossal Pokémon
It is said to have made Pokémon that look like itself from a special ice mountain, rocks, and magma.
Warmth sank slowly into the golden sand, loosening the cool grip of night on the creatures that dwelled below. A sand-expelling sneeze and the sudden unveiling of deep black eyes revealed the presence of life in a little mound in the desert just a second before it slipped lithely away.
Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokémon
It moves along below the sand's surface, except for its nose and eyes. A dark membrane shields its eyes from the sun.
That's all of them! Here's the final list:Two things happen when someone in my family turns sixteen. First, since that’s the age Trainers in Kalos can get a driver’s license, we’re given the wheels to use it. Second, since Dad works at the lab in Ambrette Town, we get a fossil revived just for us. Two years ago my sister got a refurbished convertible with an Archen in the passenger seat. She takes it on walks by driving with the top down and avoiding overpasses. When the moment came for my own sweet sixteen I could scarcely contain the fervent fantasies about what might be waiting on the other side of my front door. Swinging wide the door, I caught a glimpse of the bumper of my new four-door sedan as it disappeared down the gullet of my new partner.
“Well,” said my father after a moment, “in a few levels you’ll be able to ride it.”
Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokémon
Its immense jaws have enough destructive force that it can chew up an automobile. It lived 100 million years ago.
Those planning trips to Sinnoh frequently place Mt. Coronet central to their itinerary, similar to the mountain itself, central to the region. The mountain’s attraction goes beyond the pull of its magnetic field; some seek battle or worship in Snowpoint City, others carve the powdery slopes. Still others disappear beyond a rocky ridge that conceals the glassy but never frozen Lake Acuity. Those that swim to the island at its center do so not for recreation but for inspiration, for a rumor persists that all who reach it are granted clear-minded wisdom. But the cold water will do that, too.
Uxie, the Knowledge Pokémon
It is said that its emergence gave humans the intelligence to improve their quality of life.
When the world was new, and mankind crawled in caves, great and terrible Pokémon roamed and ruled in legions that dwarf modern populations. With none to oppose them, Pokémon thrived in all corners of the planet, achieving the incredible diversity of species now present. Their age did not wane; the planet would be forced to throttle them if another was to dawn. And throttle it did. If any predatory Pokémon looked up at the great columns of ash rising almost simultaneously from mountains around the world, they might have witnessed the columns turning into clouds and the clouds turning into sky, the steps toward their own unwitting extinction. Only cave-dwellers avoided decimation in those days. Sensing a change in the world above, a colony of insect larvae deep underground began precipitously to metamorphose. Just as the last warmth drained from the land, they burst from the earth in fiery dance.
Volcarona, the Sun Pokémon
When volcanic ash darkened the atmosphere, it is said that Volcarona's fire provided a replacement for the sun.
Panicking fish leaped and flailed, whipping the placid bay into foam. But the ravenous birds, their bodies nearly half beak, were not to be avoided. They swooped in pendulous arcs with swift death at their nadir, scooping hapless fish who leaped witlessly to their doom. The roiling surface of the sea frothed with intensity that seemed to build rather than diminish. Suddenly it ceased, leaving the gulls alone in a befuddled hover for nearly an entire second before the school leaped again, myriad bodies packed to form fins and teeth, breaching together in one fell swoop to end them all.
Wingull, the Seagull Pokémon
Fishermen keep an eye out for Wingull in the sky, because wherever they’re circling, the ocean is sure to be teeming with fish Pokémon.
Wishiwashi, the Small Fry Pokémon
It’s awfully weak and notably tasty, so everyone is always out to get it. As it happens, anyone trying to bully it receives a painful lesson.
“He’s not even a politician,” the man said, shaking his head.
“He’s an entertainer!” scoffed his roommate. “He’ll never be elected, and in the meantime it makes for good T.V.” Staring at the set, neither noticed when the bird Pokémon who often stood sentry by the door apparently passed out.
Xatu, the Mystic Pokémon
Xatu stands rooted and still in one spot all day long. People believe that this Pokémon does so out of fear of the terrible things it has foreseen in the future.
The great river, largest in the known world, throbbed and surged against its banks, bearing laden rafts at speeds not yet attainable by humans on land. An oarsman on the deck paused his labors while the vessel enjoyed a smooth, swift strait. He closed his eyes, bracing himself with his oar against the deck, and in his mind spread wings and flew over the vast fertile valley that stretched the entire length of the universe, as far as anyone he had ever known was concerned. A few drops thrown from the river landed occasionally on his brow, but he maintained himself wrapped in wind and fantasy until a sudden jolt shook him from his reverie. Through bleary eyes, the boy beheld his smooth, gormless face, glistening with the dew that now fell upon it in torrents. Wisps that were once fingers traced wistfully along little riverbeds forming in the clay.
Yamask, the Spirit Pokémon
Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry.
Overgrown with enough moss to evolve an Eevee, the boulder had clearly been stagnant for decades. Yet now it bucked and wobbled, as if a Rock-type Pokémon who dozed off when AZ was king had just noticed that it overslept. It finally tipped over at the exact moment that a strange black dog burst through the brush. As the Pokémon whipped by at nigh-untraceable speed, a glob of translucent green apparently leaped from the shadow of the boulder and melted into the pelt of the passing pup, which hurried on toward a column of cremated carbon rising in the west.
Zygarde, the Order Pokémon
It’s thought to be monitoring the ecosystem. There are rumors that even greater power lies hidden within it.
Thanks for reading! Let me know below if you have a favorite.Articuno, 50 words
Bagon, 100 words
Cutiefly, 50 words
Dragonair, 150 words
Elekid, 100 words
Fletchinder, 150 words
Granbull, 50 words
Haxorus, 150 words
Illumise, 150 words
Jellicent, 100 words
Kabutops, 50 words
Lucario, 100 words
Meganium, 100 words
Nosepass, 50 words
Oddish, 150 words
Phantump, 50 words
Quilladin, 100 words
Regigigas, 150 words
Sandile, 50 words
Tyrunt, 150 words
Uxie, 100 words
Volcarona, 150 words
Wingull & Wishiwashi, 100 words
Xatu, 50 words
Yamask, 150 words
Zygarde, 100 words