do you ever find fanart that makes you go like

dayum this is le deal i mean like it's not even that like amaaazing but it's just somehow perfectly cute

20.5% done woot? crying

401. fluctuate: to move back and forth or up and down, especially unpredictably

Gold waved as Pidgeotto ascended slowly, working with the fluctuating ocean wind. Green waved back, still unsure if shouting would scare Pidgeotto.

Route 1 was peaceful route with inexperienced pokemon and inexperienced trainers. Few were deterred by the strange, winding road (if simply built straight, it would cut to Viridian in half the distance), and eagerly ran into tall grass, startling pokemon and making first memories. Of course, the over confident were then squashed upon reaching Green, but most continued and pursued to Pewter. Green could recall his memories of the place, where he'd eagerly stepped out into the wild, caught his first wild pokemon, a rattata.

402. empirical: based on experience rather than a theory

Empirical evidence gathering was a whole different game, compared with statistical analysis he'd been trained to do since learning how to read. At ten, his world had been confined to lots of textbooks, pokemon research, and bad dramas on TV. He hadn't been able to tell the difference between loyalty and bondage.

403. disconcert: to make confused or uneasy

When Raticate passed away, at first he'd only been disconcerted. But as he thought about what could have led to such a death, he realized how something about his whole mindset was wrong, since pokemon centers rarely encountered problems they could not fix. He'd thought of his pokemon as nothing more than conveniently indestructible tools, and something huge changed when he walked through the flower stall outside the Pokemon Tower, fingering white begonias and carnations. Deep thoughts. Remembering.

404. levity: lack of seriousness, especially when improper

And then he'd run into Red in the Tower. He thought a battle would be a fair enough disguise for his emotions, and after losing he'd felt little pain in the loss. The display of normalcy and almost levity had pulled him out of his thoughts and back into the battling world. Losing his first wild caught pokemon had taught him something, and he'd have to move on. Lives depended on his decisions, and he couldn't be wasting five teammates' time mourning.

405. belittle: to put down; to speak of contemptuously

Though Green beat down and wiped the floor with novice trainers, he'd tried not to verbally belittle them, face to face. At the start of one's journey, one could get lucky with simply employing strategies. But Green took it upon himself to lecture the occasional egocentric fool, to remind him and many others that pokemon battles are fought with trust and understanding, not commands and stat boosters.

406. efface: to rub out, as from a surface; to erase

Though Green had tried to efface the darker memories from his daily life, it was hard not to remember them, soaring over the nostalgic path of Route 1. He could already see Viridian's buildings in the distance, green roofs poking out from green trees. It almost felt pre-planned: Green would run Viridian, the viridian, or blue-green city in the middle of an evergreen forest. People even started referring to him by his middle name, Gary, to avoid the puns.

407. gambol: to leap about playfully; to frolic

Pidgeotto touched down at the northern side of the city, at the entrance to Viridian Forest. The bird again patted Green's head fondly, and then turned to face the forest and cawed loudly. A familiar looking female fluttered down, and the two gamboled a little awkwardly but very affectionately. The couple bowed and disappeared into the trees.

408. suave: effortlessly smooth and courteous in social situations

It was about time for a late lunch, and Green casually stepped in a cafe, trying his best not to be too conspicuous. Of course, he played it suave and tried to charm the waitress into shutting up, but she found it necessary to talk for ten minutes before leaving to bring Green food. At least she didn't decide to squeal like a fire alarm and wake up the whole city. But even so, it was two in the afternoon, and the cafe didn't have many people besides old ladies that'd forgotten to eat.

409. hallowed: made or set apart as holy

Lunch was a quiet affair after the waitress stopped ogling him, and after leaving, he walked to Route 22, the road to Indigo Plateau. The placed was hallowed as a kind of sacred road for the pokemon masters, and at that moment, several young trainers were stepping tentatively forward, trying to spy the Pokemon League Reception Gate; the symbol of the goal, so far away and yet so near. Few people ever passed through that gate; most people came to Kanto by Magnet Train or by the S.S. Aqua. Only the champions took Route 22.

410. pejorative: downgrading, demeaning

An old man - the drunkard turned coffee addict - stumbled by, and admonished the kids for trying to enter the holy route.

"Y'all better come back here this instant! There are very strong pokemon on this route, and they're not afraid to snap up some kids for a dinner! None of you are even close to being ready to challenge that route!" He shook his fist, and the kids scattered. Though Green thought the old man had used some pretty pejorative terms, it was essentially true; tough pokemon would easily knock out unprepared trainers. They probably wouldn't eat them, but they'd leave them out unconscious, exposed to nature and thus disease, cold, and whatnot.

Besides grumpy old men and flirtatious girls, Viridian was a nice place to call home. It was not so much a bustling city as a suburban area with houses and apartments and a little downtown area nestled between the taller apartments. Speaking of living quarter, well, he wasn't too eager to check up on the state of his own, as Leaf wasn't exactly a very organized or neat person. Hopefully there wouldn't be detritus collecting in his sink just yet. Now, how would the gym be doing in his absence?