This fic was originally posted elsewhere under the same name. It's gone through many revisions, and I still tweak things. Revisions include adding to what's already there, or adding something that compliments what's there. Scenes for other characters, adding detail, adding more dialogue exchanges, etc.
While this is set in the game universe, it takes many cues from the anime and deviates a lot. It does borrow from the Adventures manga as well, even though I'm not a frequent reader of it.
It's got multiple real world aspects, but this HC is far from an exact 1:1
The number of moves a Pokémon will cap out at eight. Also, exact numerical values for aspect like Level, HP, and stats won't be brought up either, but related terms like health will come up. Beyond this, I write battles in a freeform style to avoid them being too repetitive and predictable.
Due to the number of major characters, there won't be any nicknames. It also felt awkward having two Pokémon in the same sentence with only one having a nickname.
There are touchy subjects, such as mental health, in this fic. Past violence's brought up in the first chapter.
The main setting is an OC region.
References are present, and these can range from historical to musical to another franchise. Actual song lyrics won't be copied and pasted.
The rays of the shimmering afternoon sun beam down upon Angel City, a gargantuan metropolis that's city of dreams, a city that attracts many who wish for stardom and are determined to achieve it. Unfortuatently, such optimism and positivity feels too good to be true for the young man sauntering through a packed sidewalk with his Gardevoir. His hands resting within the pockets of his black Guzmani leather pants. His black hair's disheveled, his expression's one of indifference. The glare emitting from his dark blue eyes could make someone feel like they just got hit with Sheer Cold. However, the exterior can differ from the interior.
Headphones for this logy walk would be really nice right about now. Anything to shield his ears from the sound of sneakers and heels on the sidewalks. Not to mention all of these people talking, vehicles beeping at the busy intersections, among other noises one would expect to hear within a bustling city block. With that said, he does like the fact that a number of people are rocking Guzmani jackets with Team Skull's logo on the shoulders and the back. He can make a exception to crowds if the crowds are cool enough to see how awesome Team Skull attire is. Several of them are also wearing shirts with Team Skull's logo on the front.
At least people and Pokémon are working together and having a good time. There's a lot of Pokémon present, such as a Herdier, a Litten, a Growlithe, a Bulbasaur, and a Meowth. The Growlithe wants to be petted by its trainer, as does the Litten. A smirk's exchanged between him and his Gardevoir. Litten acts like Luxray did back when he was a Shinx. The Haunter that just materialized is a jump scare fan, just like Gengar.
Great examples of architecture surround him, architecture history being among his passions. Besides that and his Pokémon, there's little else. His name might still be Valen, but he no longer feels like Valen.
He hates that he had to cease battling, but he'd rather never battle again than let my issues affect his team. Warmth, love and warmth. His cold gaze becomes tender upon the sensation of Gardevoir caressing his right cheek. Her mellisonant humming rings through his mind, slowly relaxing it. She's been tending to his on behalf of all six of them. While her teammates want to help him too, they seem to have agreed that it's best she takes care of the matter.
Upon seeing Gardevoir nod her head, he moves to the right of the flowing foot traffic, marveling at the juggernauts that pierce the sky as symbol of economic success. One of the International Style skyscrapers is finished in bronze metalwork and dark amber-tinted glass. In between them is a Neo-Futurist skyscraper with an aluminum construction and a glass facade. Arguably the most notable feature is that it curves downwards on the front and rear sides. There's also a trio of towers that stand out due to their unusual roofs, which heavily slope down to the front of the structures. This is a clear example of Postmodernism, a style known for designs that greatly stick out.
A billboard atop a skyscraper finished in True Blue causes a slight jolt: Melanie's on the billboard. She's got her signature jean jacket on, a confident grin greeting those who happen to lay eyes on the billboard. She's near and dear to his heart, so seeing that she won another tournament gives him a fleeting feeling of happiness. Her Swampert and Scizor are also on the billboard, looking like their gazing proudly into the distance.
A large green to his right informs drivers and pedestrians that the city's oldest district, Ville da La Ferrebouque, is only a few miles away. An offshoot of the Kalosian Renaissance, a piece within the jigsaw puzzle called the Northern Renaissance. As expected, hundreds are heading in that direction, probably curious about the history of this megacity. At least a handful of them on the road to happiness, but his road is closed for renovation. Can he sculpt a future for himself like his favorite sculptor, Gianluigi Bernini, sculpted masterpieces?
Gardevoir realizes that had her trainer continued looking up at the skyscrapers, he'd have likely noticed a second billboard atop another skyscraper finished in that same color. This one features a duo that are also near and dear to her trainer's heart. Rosa and Hilda stand back to back, both of them sporting broad smiles as they confidently wink. Gardevoir notes that Rosa's Serperior and Hilda's Umbreon are present as well. Gardevoir frowns again, hoping that her trainer's reunited with them one day. His struggles will make that difficult, especially in the case of Hilda.
Her trainer's eyeing another building on the other side of the road in front of them, as are many other humans and Pokémon. She can see why—this tall building's shaped like a Dragonite, the toes being the ground floor entrances. Both trainer and Pokémon scan the Dragonite-shaped skyscraper from top to bottom, the former's mother once stating this example of Postmodernist architecture was constructed in the 1970s. Those four Dragonair located within the front concrete plaza in front are lovely examples of bronze sculpture, but is it a mere coincidence that their eyes were drawn to this after seeing that billboard? Or is it a sign of things to come?
Will the sun set on his future, giving way to the blackest of shadows? Or did fate start writing a new book, one with a much happier conclusion?
Within a suite on the same street, Melanie's sitting on a brown leather sofa, her legs crossed as she grabs a mirror. She focuses on her elbow length black hair that's slightly wavy, a few pointed ends above her forehead. Look at her sculpted face in that mirror! The curvy bangs that extend well below her chin have always been a rocking look on her!
She likes that this suite's designed for trainers to rent out—trekking within downtown can be tough if you're trying to make it to a tournament on time. Speaking of which, she just won another one. She smirks, running her right hand through her hair. She glances at her phone, which rests next to her upper right leg. Her fans are gushing about her skills and her looks, which is appropriate. Eat you heart out, Rosa and Hilda.
Melanie glances towards the wooden table that's in front of the sofa. That old photo album has tugged her heart for years. So many happy memories, but are those days over? She's gone to his house, but not even one of his Pokémon came to the door. She tried to call him at work, but he didn't answer. What happened to this guy? Not even Rosa's heard from him, so what's his deal? He must've contacted Silver, right? What's going on with Hilda?
"...Valen...is he okay?" Her posture slumps, her eyes closed. "He's not the type to suddenly break off all contact beyond social media...and even then, he's been less active there." She fights back tears. She needs to be positive, she needs to believe that he'll show up eventually.
She returns her focus to the album. It's opened to page that contains photos of their starters through the years. For Valen, it's photos of Cyndaquil, Quilava and Typhlosion. For her, it's photos of Mudkip, Marshtomp and Swampert. She flips to the next page, now glancing at photos of Valen, Rosa, Hilda, Silver, and herself.
Then, she stands up and straightens out her blue jean jacket. "Let's see if his boss can get him to meet up with me." She glances towards a pair of large rectangular windows to her right, staring into the clear skies above. The windows offer a magnificent view of downtown Angel City's ocean of skyscrapers. She faintly smiles, knowing that Valen would love this view. Rosa and Hilda would love this view too. Silver would probably complain about something, but he's a nicer person than he seems.
After about a minute has passed, Melanie's smile morphs into a sterner expression. She turns away from the window, walking towards a wooden door that leads to a flight of stairs. Before she leaves the room, her eyes catch a glimpse of that photograph near the door. The ceiling frescoes of the Sistine Theatre, now called the Sistine Contest Hall. This can't be a mere coincidence, can it?
As Valen and his Gardevoir enter the security monitor room, both are greeted by Valen's boss, Dimitri Liniya via a subtle wave. Dimitri's Haxorus is out of its ball, also giving them a subtle wave. His flinty stare meets the glances of his Haxorus and Valen's Gardevoir. No words need to be spoken—something's got to be done about this unhealthy behavior.
As the sounds of a bustling lobby seeps past the closed door, Valen keenly eyes all of the computer monitors. They're buzzing with activity from the ground lobby, the numerous hallways, and other areas of the building. Security's been his duty ever since he got indentifenly sidelined from his previous job. All he's got to do is sit there and watch all these monitors, looking for troublemakers.
Dimitri adjusts his white Grimsley Lauren suit. "You're very early, as per usual." His stare fixates on Valen's waxen face.
Valen snaps himself back into focus, his Gardevoir walking behind him. "Consider it my way of saying thanks." He stares blankly at the black ceiling, feeling Gardevoir caressing both of his shoulders.
"It is the least I could do—I once went through a rough patch myself." Dimitri admits, his left hand residing in the pocket of his white dress pants. "However, we will have to cut this talk short."
Valen brings his gaze downwards. "Something happen?"
"I do not mean what you think I mean." Dimitri clears his throat. "You refuse to take a single day off, and you've been coming way too early." He narrows his eyes at Valen. "I have got to take action."
"What're you saying?" Valen directs his attention to the room's pitch black walls. Dimitri never talks about his own personal life, so why's he doing all of this?
"Melanie wants to meet up with you," Dimitri informs, snapping Valen back into focus. "Maybe it is time for-"
"Huh, she's been asking about me?" Valen fidgets with his hair's thin pointy ends, which lie above his forehead. "I'm different now." He bows his head, feeling it thumping. "Will I be accepted?"
"Well, there is only one way to find out."
Valen rolls his eyes, but Dimitri's right. He's still fearing the worst-case scenario. Will she say that the friendship's over? Will he be too scared to follow through with this? Or will something that's actually good happen?
He shuts his eyes, shaking his head. He's gotta try, no matter how impossible it seems. No matter how hopeless his future feels, he's still got family. His team's part of that family.
Upon feeling a peck from Gardevoir on the back of his head, he snaps himself out of train of dwelling.
"You will understand why I am doing this in due time." Dimitri watches Valen open the door, the sounds of the bustling lobby flooding the monitor room. Despite his past as a trainer and coordinator, he's yet to hear a single word about battling and contests.
"...I'll wait for you, Gardevoir." Valen saunters out of the room. "Take your time."
He hopes he really does understand what Dimitri's doing, because too many bad scenarios are trying to corrupt his mind further.
The door closes, but Gardevoir can't bring herself to move. Her mouth hanging open, her eyes becoming moist. Why him? Why the trainer who helped her overcome her shyness? Why the trainer who helped a Bagon achieve his dream? She notices Haxorus approaching her, the dragon faintly roaring that while they don't really know each other, he can tell that she deeply loves her trainer. Gardevoir nods, a tender smile appearing on her face. She waves goodbye at Dimitri and Haxorus, vanishing from the room via Teleport.
Melanie waits for Valen on a park bench in a quaint and quieter neighborhood that is a considerable distance away from downtown. As plants rustle and dance in the wind, Melanie quietly waits for Valen, surrounded by people walking, laughing and talking. These sounds make her remember the good time she's had with her best friend of seventeen years, from hanging out on this very bench to watching Lance Wataru and Steven Stone duke it on in an exhibition match. Speaking of battling, she spots a pair of teenagers battling it out with a Druddigon and an Altaria, reminiscing about how Valen and her used to duke it out with their own Dragon-type Pokémon within this park.
She flashes back to the Valen that she remembers. She was a five-year old-girl who moved to a far and unfamiliar region from the frigid Nordica region. Valen and his family were the first ones to make her feel at home in the neighborhood and in Calvana. He always made sure she was okay, always making sure she smiled, always supported her in her dream of becoming a writer, and so on. Here comes a tidal wave of memories from their teens, memories that she hopes he hasn't forgotten. One such memory involves Valen jumping for joy when his Shelgon evolved into Salamence. Shelgon evolved because it didn't want Valen to be sad over losing to that Druddigon. Laughter comes out of her mouth when she envisions Valen's flustered face. Haha, like she'd ever forget the numerous times her closest cutie friend acted like dorky fanboy of Rosa and Hilda! Not even those acting lessons could shield the doofus from that!
A booming roar catches her attention. She glances upwards, seeing a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto startled into flight. A second roar echoes, and a Salamence flies into her line of sight. She waves at Salamence, being greeted by the tri-colored dragon via a soft roar. The dragon lands on Melanie's right, a group of kids marveling at the powerful Pokémon. Melanie overhears the kids saying that it's the dragon from The Dragon King, which happens to be Valen's favorite animated movie.
Speaking of Valen, he's slouching between the dragon's wings. That black leather jacket's has been his trademark casual outfit since he was thirteen. At least the "bad" boy side seems to be intact. Maybe the charming gentleman side is too.
Her brown eyes light up as she watches him jump off his Salamence. his Gardevoir following suit. She waves at Gardevoir, flashing back to the last time she saw Gardevoir's trainer in person. She vividly remembers how distracted he was, which ended up costing Salamence and him a battle against her Dragonite. There's more to life than this—that win brought Dragonite and her zero joy.
As if right on cue, her Dragonite lets himself out of his Poké Ball. The two dragons are delighted to see each other, giving each other a claw bump. Dragonite waves at Gardevoir, who folds her arms and nods again. Salamence lets out a soft roar, asking if Dragonite's been on a losing steak. In response, Dragonite sports a lopsided grin, laughing that Salamence shouldn't project himself onto others. Much like he shouldn't hide the fact he likes Milotic.
Salamence's eyes widen, his face nearly reddening. He does not have a crush on Milotic, you orange buffoon! Both dragons share a laugh, bumping claws a second time. The other three bros in the squad will join them eventually, nobody can separate the coolest squad of dragons ever.
"It looks like they still have their dragon bromance," Valen murmurs as he saunters towards to the bench. Gardevoir follows behind him, faintly humming to put him at ease.
As he sits next to her, Valen watches his Salamence and Melanie's Dragonite playfully arguing over who's the cooler dragon. Those dragons are a silly bunch, having their own bromance and squad and all. This park has always been relaxing to him and his team, plus it's surrounded by well preserved examples of eighteenth century architecture. Gotta love that, right?
"I'm sure that you have questions for me." Valen feels his head thumping. Will this go as wrong as he fears? Why can't he shake these thoughts?
I do have questions," Melanie replies, folding her arms. "First of all, why were you so difficult to find?"
"I've got trust issues now...it's not you." Valen glances towards the right side of Melanie's blue jean jacket. "It's me."
Silence blankets the air surrounding Valen and Melanie. Melanie's gut because exerting pain, her wide-eyed stare fixated on his pale face and messy hair. The Valen that she remembers had a more dashing face, and his hair was much neater than this.
The dragons notice this, and they notice the pained expressions on their respective trainers' face. Gardevoir folds her arms, her expression stern but concerned. Then, both Gardevoir Dragonite notice that Salamence's got a pained look on his face, like he's going to cry. Salamence somberly roars, telling Dragonite that it feels like the trainer who raised him is gone, but he doesn't want that. He wants his trainer back. Dragonite pats Salamence on his head, letting out a soft cry to console his longtime friend that Valen's still Valen. Salamence lets out a soft roar to thank Dragonite, both turning their attention to their trainers again. Salamence softly roars to let Gardevoir know that he's fine and that she should focus on their trainer.
"...Sorry, that wasn't appropriate to blurt out." Valen breaks the ice. "I'm scared of the risks." He feels Gardevoir caressing the top of his head, faintly smiling at both Salamence and her.
Melanie gives her Dragonite a faint smile of her own, one that quickly evaporates. "...Can you tell me what happened?" She places her hand on Valen's upper arm. "What caused your trust issues?" She notices that Valen's not making any attempt at eye contact.
"Well...something broke my already bad state...rather not talk about it." Valen still feels Gardevoir's gentle touch. "I'm still here, but trying to push forward seems like a lost cause."
She's never dealt with anything like this before. He was in Orre for an art history conference, yet he got caught up in a mess that affected him more than he let of. Maybe it's actually himself that he distrust?
"I also don't want to burden you, but you should know...a certain detail. "He exchanges a somber gaze with both Gardevoir and Salamence, both knowing what he's about to say. "...I was hurt in Orre, and I didn't tell you." He shuts his eyes, clenching his teeth. "I didn't want anyone to worry about me."
Melanie gasps, feeling like bricks were just placed on top of her. He was hurt, her bestie was hurt? Why didn't he tell her? What was he thinking? What else he's hiding from her? He also seems to be dismissing any semblance of his past successes, and she doesn't understand why. For starters, this guy tamed a Salamence. A Salamence. Even with a strong bond, that's an achievement in itself.
"I'm sorry...I should've been more careful in speaking."
"...At least tell me what happened." Melanie places her left hand over her paining gut. "Please tell me how you got wounded."
Valen takes a hard deep breath, resting his right hand on Melanie's shoulder. "The Cipher members were trying to flee from a rampaging Shadow Pokémon...I was the only one fighting Cipher that got injured." He points to his Salamence. "This guy flew me to safety, while Gardevoir took care of the other Cipher goons."
Melanie can't blame him, her heart can't handle seeing him endure more pain. He's already blaming himself for what wasn't and isn't in his control. Nobody deserves this, much less someone who was a sweetheart.
"...Is sorry even good enough?" He begins to rock back and forth.
Melanie rests her hands on Valen's left arm, rubbing it to calm him down. "I'm not mad at you to begin with." Her eyes gleaming with adoration. "My love for you will always be unconditional, bestie."
"Re-Really?" Valen asks, trying to hide how moved he is. "Y-You mean it?" His legs become restless again.
"I won't throw away seventeen years of friendship over something that's not your fault," Melanie asserts. "I know you're not a bad person."
It may sound crazy to some, but Valen can feel Melanie's unconditional love for him through her gentle gaze. He pats Gardevoir's head, gesturing for her to join the two dragons.
Gardevoir's elegant gown twirls as she turns her body around. Her gentle smile turns into a devious grin, which causes Salamence's eyes to slightly widen. He knows what might be coming, and it's definitely not true. Salamence is met by a mischievous grin from Dragonite. Gardevoir vanishes, then re-appears behind her teammate a couple of seconds later. She cackles while Salamence clenches his teeth, the tri-colored dragon moving his head from side to side to find a place to hide.
Gardevoir and Dragonite inch closer, egging him on to admit that he's a softie. Salamence lets out a loud yelp, catching the attention of Valen, Melanie, and several others within the park. Salamence quickly ducks behind his mischievously grinning dragon buddy, letting out a sigh. Why do they do this to him? Why can't they do this to Luxray for once? Luxray has a crush-he just exposed himself to himself! That's not good!
Valen exchanges a fist bump with Melanie over the trio of Pokémon having a good time. Melanie's always rocking a Valerie Versace jacket, this one matching her blue jeans and azure shirt underneath. "Forgot to tell you that you still look great in your choice of clothing."
"Are you trying to see if you're still a ladies man?" Melanie playfully winks, pointing at him. "You already won my heart, platonically speaking."
Hmph, she better not test her luck with him. She will be wholesomely spoiled and she will like it! The charmer who's fluent in Kalosian will always win in the end! His obvious coolness aside, he's glad that she still loves that jacket he got her as a birthday present years ago. Hopefully, Rosa still likes those art portfolios. Hopefully, Hilda still loves Unovan Noire and those action figures. Those are among the presents he's gotten those two over the years.
"You're still sweet." Melanie inches closer to him. "Don't forget that I love you." She kisses Valen on his forehead, wrapping her arms around his upper chest. "I want to stay by your side," She softly whispers into Valen's left ear. "Besties forever."
Relaxing, just like when Gardevoir caresses him, when Rosa hugs him, when Hilda hugs him. Warmth, comfort, it feels great. He wraps his left arm around Melanie's waist, pulling her closer. He runs his right hand through her black hair, resting his chin on the top of her head. He's actually starting to remember the good times he once had. Melanie came with him to Unova and Alola on more than one occasion. She was right there in the front row when he first entered the Calvanian Conference, and vice versa. She was always supportive of his romantic ventures. He recalls how excited she was for the both of them when their Quilava and Marshtomp evolved at the same time. She was jumping for joy, and then she tackle hugged him.
"You better still be into the arts, history, and design, or we'll need to have a talk." His hugs and cuddles are still as relaxing as ever, plus he's still a cuddly Growlithe puppy.
Valen would like to know who else does she know with the ability to recite painting names like a grocery lists? Who else does she know that can correctly guess art movements and architectural styles with ease? Which mother and son duo taught her everything she knows about interior design? Heh, probably no one, cuz y'all are stupid. He's playing around, obviously, and it's nice to feel like this again.
"Age six, Empress Bossy Butt," he quips. "Don't forget that my first books were Pietro Vasari's The Lives of Artists, and Wolfgang Wölfflin's Art History's Fundamentals."
Her bestie's face has become less pale! Yes, it worked! His passions are still there! That means he's still in there! She can bring him out through this!
He points towards himself. "Heh, can't touch this."
"I bet you can't write a novel." Melanie flicks him twice on the forehead. "Can't touch this, doofus." She notes that the Pokémon are watching this exchange like it's some sort of theatre performance.
"I forgot, so overruled," Valen counters, earning himself another flick. "I still have a nonfiction book on hiatus." He playfully taps his chin. "I seem to recall that was your suggestion."
"How many books do you have now?"
"I have a fifth bookshelf now," he answers. "You?"
"I'm on my sixth." Melanie's voice brims with pride. "Get on my level, you smooth scrub." The time Rosa fell asleep while hugging him replays in her mind. His face was so red that Hilda and her were cracking up.
"Oh, congrats on the tournament win."
"Lemme guess, the billboard?" A nod confirms it. "I'm just that awesome." He already knows that it's the first time she's been featured on a billboard.
Valen and her fist bump. "I'm glad that at least one of us is still kicking butt." Valen's smile becomes fainter as he stands up. "I think I'll head out now." He begins sauntering towards his Salamence and Gardevoir. "It was nice to see you again," he comments. "I hope we can hang out again."
Melanie wishes he'd stay, but she doesn't want to put pressure on him. Nevertheless, there is something important that he needs to know. "Rosa senses something is wrong." Melanie places her hands on her lap. "She's happy that you're still messaging her, but she really wants to hear your voice again."
Valen feels his muscles tensing up, his head starting to hurt him. He'd love to, but what if he hurts her? What if he screws up and she goes back to Unova? Relationships need better communication than just messages, but he can't push himself forward.
"She'll never throw away all those years just like that." He got lucky—any partner must accept that the other will always be a big part of their life. Her exes couldn't accept that.
"...Is she moving back here?" Valen places his right hand over her heart. "Will I...will see visit me?" He grits his teeth, a few tears dripping from his eyes.
"Yes, of course." Her voice is firm but tender. "Hilda's going to move-"
Her eyes widen over Valen's sudden change in demeanor, a chill trekking up her spine. He's trembling, his breathing is rapidly increasing. Is he having a headache?
"...I'm scared...more scared...of running into Hilda " He takes several deep breaths to calm himself down. "I dunno what happened...I've become terrified of running into Hilda." His head continues to thump. "I still miss her." Why does this only happen with the thought of running into her?
"...Why...what did you do to deserve this?" Melanie whimpers, her chin and gaze inwards. "It's not right, you've always been a kind-hearted person."
"...I'll see you around." Valen glances back towards Melanie and Dragonite. "Don't end up like me—I'm not recognizable when I look at myself in the mirror."
Just before Salamence can take on, Melanie looks into the somber eyes of her longtime friend. "Hilda still loves you too," she affirms. "You'll realize that in due time." She waves good bye with her Dragonite, a bittersweet feeling shared between the two. At least he had the faintest of smiles after hearing those words.
She reaches towards Dragonite with her right hand, rubbing his left arm. Dragonite lets out an affectionate cry in response. Then, she hears her phone ding. She takes her phone out to check her text messages, seeing that it's Rosa. She's apologizing for not texting recently, but Melanie understands. Both Rosa and Hilda are popular trainers with fanbases. She's got a lot of faith in him, and she should too.
Melanie notices that Hilda's sent a message in a group chat, followed by Silver. Hilda's been busy, while she has no idea what Silver's ranting about. Why does he refer to those three as The Three Stooges of Johto? Why is he so adamant about this Kris person being just a friend?
She chuckles upon seeing Rosa's declaration that she'll paint a portrait of shogun Silver. Of course, Silver's response is to text an angry face emoji, which is met by Rosa a grin emoji. The cycle repeats over and over again, with Melanie remembering that Valen loves silliness like this. He's still in there somewhere, but can he take back control of his life? Yes, yes he can. He's wrong, he's absolutely wrong.
What did you think of the first chapter?
Angel City's the Pokémon Los Angeles. The original region in this fic's based on California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Idaho. However, there's European and Ancient Near East influences as well.
Orre's apparently based off of Phoenix, so Arizona isn't included in the OC region.
Architecture's among the arts. Dunno how widely know that is, so I brought it up.
In terms of architecture, International Style first showed up prior to WWII, Postmodernism was after WWII, and Neo-Futurist's the most recent.