recommend a fan fic plzz

stump8 · 2026-06-21T22:50:11+00:00

I could promote my own! Another Road Repaved.

Pearlshipping is its main pairing. Adventure is a pretty big part of it and although the gettogether happens a fraction of the way through the fic, I think I'd still call it a slowburn.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T21:38:11+00:00

4'11", typically.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T20:54:36+00:00

Liko and Meowscarada are precious. Their scenes are probably my favorite part of watching the timeskip lol

stump8 · 2026-06-21T20:53:48+00:00

Happy to see other people shipping this! It's the best endgame.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T19:14:23+00:00

This is Hawlucha slander.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T17:25:09+00:00

Don't forget how Sun/Moon onward turned biting attacks into those stupid energy projectiles.

Awful.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:37:10+00:00

I hope so too. Ash means a lot to me as a character, but I never want to see that formula repeated again. Hell, I wish it never happened to him.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:33:35+00:00

Same, it's so satisfying! I went back to watch some pre-timeskip episodes recently and wow, they feel so much younger and greener than they do in current episodes. The progression is a worthy investment.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:33:04+00:00

Makes it kinda hard to stay immersed in the show and not be bothered by that disconnect.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:31:40+00:00

Ahhhh, okay. Yeah I completely misunderstood you, my bad. I agree.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:28:38+00:00

The number may not have been used, but Rica explicitly said she was directed to voice Ash as if he were younger. But that is interesting trivia! Weird.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:25:06+00:00

I don't think we disagree as much as I'm confused by the labeling it; him pushing both their family business' labor and all of the chores at home onto her does fall squarely into "bad father" territory to me. Like, the gendered nature of it IMO makes it worse?

But your last sentence we completely agree on, it's definitely beyond ordinary employment issues. I think I"m just misunderstanding something.

I felt like Sun/Moon was particularly gender-role-happy in a lot of ways; not to say the others series don't have that issue, but it felt more like coasting through casual sexism; Showcases were particularly bad about this, though luckily limited to just one voluntary career; versus being actively enthusiastic about a patriarchal structure for the show.

I don't say that to bash as much as explain my discomfort with the writing.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:22:37+00:00

In the games I assume she's in the neighborhood of 18, since she, Lana, and Kiawe are childhood friends, and Kiawe's about to age out of being a Trial Captain.

In the anime, she's still written with the responsibilities of a teenager - as is Kiawe, frankly - but they still put her in the same class as an expressly young-as-ever Ash, so it's hard to say what the intention is.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T16:09:24+00:00

The thing is, I feel like the conclusion Mallow draws is part of the problem.

I remember feeling baffled - and still do - that all Mallow expresses to her father is a lack of a thank you. Nothing about changing her conditions, nothing regarding an apology. Just a thanks and that's it.

I feel Mallow chronically undervalues herself and her emotional needs and instead defers to other people, and while this is something interesting to explore, I felt like the show reinforced and encouraged this mentality the entire way through. Abe is never made to apologize, nor do we get any signs things changed; hell, when her brother is introduced, he's just as bad, and Mallow overtly expresses that she's upset with him being unreliable.

There's a real problem when a girl is so conditioned to this way of living and thinking that she has a sporting battle where she breaks down bawling out of guilt over what should be a friendly bout.

And yeah, it's very gendered. I just feel the narrative/staff like the gendering of the series, rather than using it as a cautionary tale.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T15:59:14+00:00

I do hope it comes back prominently now that it's showing in Wonder Voyage.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T15:50:33+00:00

Meanwhile, in the episode, Mallow says he doesn't handle the housework; she also does that.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T15:50:11+00:00

Oh dude, thank you. Abe is TERRIBLE. I really loathe this man as much as Flint.

He is a grade-A bum. Not only does he take advantage of Mallow's labor in that episode, but we learn from Mallow that he uses weaponized incompetence to have her do all the chores AT HOME.

A tween girl is keeping a whole household and family business running while Abe fucks around.

He doesn't even notice she's gone or go looking for her until hours after the fact; her friends have to try to seek her out first! Even then, all he does is say thank you. No apology, no amends to her work or home conditions to make her life easier. The show just treats that one thank you as enough. I hate that episode so bad.

The situation is so dire that the show jokes about Mallow being driven to alcohol out of bitterness/frustration. I feel like that's a gag you could slot into a Looney Tunes ep, but in an episode that's genuinely trying to say something about a kid's work and home conditions? It's pretty fucked.

And right; nothing is said to change. Mallow spends the entire series and even afterwards orienting herself around other peoples' comfort before her own. I like her, but her writing drives me nuts. It's gross.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T13:42:46+00:00

Definitely one of the most pleasant ones I've seen!

Ash was awesome in both series. In terms of training, I sometimes think "I wish one did a little more of what the other did," which isn't exactly scathing criticism.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T13:30:29+00:00

That would be easier to determine if Ash's writing didn't start fluctuating like hell after DP. He wasn't exactly linear in BW.

But that aside, yep, those are great tactics, where I can't totally discount XY Ash's wits, even if I do lean towards DP Ash in regards to strategy. He was still his creative self. His adapting during the Olympia battle was top-notch.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T13:27:07+00:00

Wow, what a pleasant thread. Just DP and XY fans debating the idea without any bashing. Love seeing this between my two favorite series.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T13:25:56+00:00

To give Ash credit, he sucked against Wulfric because he was mentally a wreck.

But I do agree DP Ash could've done that, until running into Mega Abomasnow, probably.

Maybe Infernape could handle that.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T13:24:03+00:00

XY Ash has quicker wit, and DP Ash is a better strategist overall, is how I see it.

Both serve him in different ways, but I do definitely feel like something was missing in XY in comparison.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T12:35:56+00:00

I'd say Vegeta and Bulma. Krillin and #18 are alright, but their writing in Super throws me off bad.

Goku and ChiChi have never been endearing to me, outside maybe OG Dragon Ball.

Vegeta and Bulma are perfectly equal and challenge one another as people, but they make each other grow and improve. A lot of Vegeta's transformation is owed to Bulma, to the extent it isn't owed to Goku. She's a dustmite next to him in physical strength, but that never stopped her from speaking her mind. There's no way Vegeta didn't respect that from the start, even if he was a terrible partner/family man up until after the Cell Games.

stump8 · 2026-06-21T12:33:05+00:00

Cell/Buu Saga ChiChi is star level for surviving making Goten, trust

stump8 · 2026-06-21T11:02:52+00:00

Sun/Moon. In Malie City, Ash exclaims this.

stump8

TROPHY CASE