EVERYONE: Torchic's Sabotageshipping Drabble and Ficlet Collection

[Welkamo]

Be the Sabotageshipping you want to see in the world.

Ratings will vary. Individual drabbles and ficlets will be given content warnings beforehand.

 

[Welkamo]

Spoiler: Content warnings

Intense playing with toy cars a la Calvin and Hobbes.

"Somebody set us... somebody set us up... the bomb!" Robin shouted.

"Oh no!" Caspian shouted.

Explosion noises. Screeching tires. Intense car crashes.

All with nothing but rocks, Steven's vocal sound effects, and the imaginations of two young children.

From the doorway, Wallace and Winona watched as Steven played some rather... interesting games with their children.

"The power of imagination and rocks," Winona commented.

"Should we be worried?" Wallace asked.

"Pretend play is good for kids."

"Yes, but this seems rather... unconventional."

"Darling, everything about this relationship and parenting path is unconventional."

Wallace smiled. "I suppose you're right."

 

[Welkamo]

Winona loves snuggling, especially when she's on the receiving end.

It might not be obvious upon first meeting her, but then again, that's part of her facade of "serious and professional head of the Gym Leaders". Most of her friends know her as a bright and cheerful woman, but few know that she's also a lover of snuggles.

Wallace and Steven give different kinds of snuggles, but Winona loves them both equally.

Wallace always likes to face Winona when he's snuggling her. He wraps her up in a blanket or comforter or—Winona's favorite—his cape. With his arms around her waist, Wallace will pepper her neck and collarbone with kisses.

Steven always likes to snuggle Winona from behind. He gives firm hugs. He's traveling around the world, so his touch is scarce. Because of this, he makes every second count with sweet whispers and tracing his calloused fingers on her shoulder.

On some rare, wonderful occasions when Steven is home in Hoenn, Winona has both Steven and Wallace at once. Those are her favorite snuggles: when they're laying in bed, when Steven nestles his head in the nape of her neck as he holds her arms, when Wallace rests against her collarbone with his arms around her waist.

She's warm. She's safe. She's loved. She's blissful.

 

[columboisreal]

Ok, I just gotta say... the first one? That reminded me a lot of Calvin and Hobbes, I love that the kids have such vivid imaginations, and that Steven is willing to help them with their silly games Nice to see that he takes time to play with his kids. Especially when they're playing with rocks... I bet it's his fault they love rocks so much...
And as for the second one, I wonder if that's why Winona likes Altaria so much? Because he's so cuddly? If I had an Altaria, I bet it would get plenty of cuddles. Cuddly pokemon are my favorites Well done!

 

[InfiniteBakuphoon]

You’re making a small industry out of this kind of stuff here, aren’t you?
Anyways, onward!

#First Drabble/Ficlet
A drabble so fluffy, even the content warnings are in on it. Fun! And any mention of Calvin and Hobbes — one of the highlights of the many things that I read when I was younger — is an instant win in my book. Meanwhile, I can definitely relate to the kind of fun that Steven and the children are having here even now, as I still have fond memories of doing exactly the kinds of things that they’re doing, with that seemingly limitless imagination of mine. Ah, such innocence… don’t you wish that life can be that simple again sometimes? I’m sure that a lot of us do. Especially after coming back from looking at your bank account, and then at your bills, haha…

#Second Drabble/Ficlet
We do always have two sides to us, don’t we? The side that we show, and the side that we feel. While there’s certainly room here to talk about how the world doesn’t always let us show the side that we feel if you squint, I get the feeling that the wider picture that you’re trying to paint here is saying “not this time”. In other words, this is just more fluff! (Mostly.) A celebration of the more intimate “side that we feel”. The kind that only those who really know us — and who we really trust — get to see. I have yet to grow tired of these explorations of the gentler, simpler side of life from you, haha. I don’t know, slice-of-life stuff kinds of just speaks to me like that, even relatively loose and plotless “small”-slice-of-life like this. Heck, perhaps the very fact that it’s loose and plotless is precisely what makes it so effective. No pressure… except from those snuggles, haha.

 

[Welkamo]

CW//Vomiting, mentions of eating disorders

“I don’t like being sick.”

“I know, darling. I know. But it’s going to be okay.”

Wallace gently rubbed Winona’s arm with a shaky hand as she hung her head over the toilet bowl. Saliva dripped from her gaping mouth, her eyes glazed over from exhaustion.

“This medication was supposed to help,” Winona mumbled.

Wallace forced a bit of a smile. “I know, darling. It’s okay,” he repeated for the fifth (seventh? Twenty-fifth?) time. “The doctor said the medication will work in a few days. And hey, at least you can hold down liquids.”

“But I don’t like being sick. I really, really don’t like being sick.”

Wallace hugged Winona, sighing with resignation. “I know.” Wallace also didn’t like Winona being sick. Not only did it mean Winona wasn’t okay, but… Wallace didn’t have the best experience with vomit. Three years of having an eating disorder didn’t lend well to happy memories of that stuff.

But he had to stick by Winona’s side. She was pregnant, for crying out loud. So what if he was shaking? So what if he was light-headed from anxiety? So what—

“Not feeling too good, huh.”

Steven was leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. His arms were crossed, but there was concern in his steel-cold eyes.

Winona barely nodded at Steven’s comments.

“Why don't you lay down, amethyst? You look exhausted.”

“But what if I throw up again?”

“We’ll prepare for that then,” Steven replied as he walked over to the two. He picked up the trash can, then said, “Wallace, why don’t you help Winona stand up?”

Wallace nodded, slung Winona’s arm over his shoulders, and stood up alongside her. Steven wrapped his free arm around her, as well.

“You’re still very pretty when you’re sick,” Wallace said.

Winona forced a small chuckle. “Great.”

-

Steven tucked Winona into bed, placing the trash can next to her side of the bed. He looked up at Wallace, who was pacing around the room and biting his fingernails.

“Go downstairs and get some water,” Steven said. “You look like you’re going to pass out.”

“How could I possibly go downstairs when our beloved is unwell?” Wallace punctuated his point with his hands. Sure, Steven had a point; Wallace's heavy eyes ached, and he felt his whole body twitching, but there were more important matters!

“You’ve only slept, what, five hours this week? Go downstairs and draw with Ferdinand.”

“But—”

“No buts. I can’t afford to care for two sick spouses."

"But—"

"You won't be able to take care of Winona if you're sick too."

Wallace sighed, rolling his eyes. “Fine.”

Steven sat on the bed, gently brushing Winona's hair out of her face. "I'll meet you down there once Winona is asleep, okay?"

"Okay," Wallace mumbled.

-

Wallace woke up on the sofa. Ferdinand was sitting in front of it, watching cartoons as he drew with the various crayons scattered around.

Someone put a fleece blanket on Wallace’s shoulders.

“Go to sleep, sleepyhead,” Steven cooed.

“Bu’ I already did…”

“Go back to sleep.”

“But Win—”

“When you two wake up, I’ll have some tea made for you both.”

Ferdinand looked up at that, and the little Quaxly stuck out his tongue.

(“Tea is yucky.”)

Steven chuckled. “How about coffee?”

Wallace shook his head. “No coffee.”

“Hot chocolate?”

Ferdinand clapped his wings. (“Hot chocolate!”)

"Bu' whaddabou—"

Steven gently guided Wallace back to laying down on the sofa.

"I'll take care of the duck son and amethyst, turquoise."

Wallace smiled at the pet name. "Turquoise."

"Yeah, turquoise. Now go back to sleep."

"Is Winona okay?"

"Of course she is, Wallace. Much better than she was a week ago, in fact."

"Is the baby okay?"

"Yes, the baby's okay, too. Is Wallace okay?"

"I... Miku is okay."

Steven smiled. "Good."

 

[Welkamo]

CW//Implied pregnancy complications

Ferdinand loved to draw with crayons. He especially loved to do it with Babá. Babá could draw anything: oceans, birds, fish. One day, Ferdinand would be an artist just like him, so Ferdinand drew with him any chance he could get.

But Babá was busy talking to Mamá and Papá in the eating-nest, and Ferdinand wanted to surprise them with something big! He wanted to draw something really, really great for Babá and Mamá and Papá and his new sibling.

“Do you need anything, darling?” Babá asked.

“Maybe just some ginger tea,” Mamá replied.

“Do you have any coffee?” Papá asked.

Wallace chuckled. “Of course not, Steven. What about me or Winona suggests that we would be interested in coffee?”

Ferdinand didn’t understand why grownups liked tea and coffee so much. Tea and coffee were too hot and too yucky. Maybe he would understand once he was a grownup. Grownups seemed to understand a lot of big things like “high per emmysus gravee darum” and “complications” that little ducks like Ferdinand couldn’t. Why did grownups make such big words that were hard to say and understand?

But for now, that didn’t matter, because he had to do important work.

He sorted his crayons—all 200 of them—into groups based on the color groups Babá had taught him about: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, gray, brown, and pink. Sometimes the blue looked like purples and the pinks looked like reds, and it was very hard to sort them. So Ferdinand sorted them how Babá sorted them, because Babá knew a lot about colors and crayons.

“How are you doing?” Babá asked Mamá a lot of questions. They were different kinds of questions from the ones Ferdinand asked Babá: Ferdinand asked questions like “Why is the sky blue?” and “How does the oven work?”, while Babá asked questions like “How are the medication and vitamins?” and “Are you feeling well?” Questions were weird.

Babá and Mamá and Papá were easy to draw: Babá was a head with tall legs and arms and turquoise head-feathers. Mamá was a head with slightly shorter legs and arms, a big tummy to hold his younger sister, and longer, lavender head-feathers. Papá was a head with medium-length legs and light blue head-feathers. Ferdinand was even easier: two circles, a beak, a tuft of feathers on his head, and a blue hat.

“Ferdinand looks excited about being a big brother,” Papá chuckled softly. “Look.”

“Aw, look at the little guy,” Mamá cooed.

Ferdinand couldn’t help but smile. He was a little guy, and he liked being a little guy. He especially liked being his parents’ little guy.

But now he had a problem: what did his younger sibling look like? Uncle Sidney said that babies looked like walnuts. The wrinkly nuts, right? Walnuts (and babies, by extension) were easy to draw: just a bunch of squiggly lines making an oval shape. Did babies have eyes and a mouth? Probably. Babies were probably walnuts with eyes and a mouth.

Ferdinand decorated the rest of the picture with hearts and birds and rocks and fish and stars, his parents’ favorite things. He had to sign it, too; master artists always signed their work. Babá told him that.

Ferdinand picked up the drawing in his wings and ran into the eating-nest. (“Mamá! Babá! Papá! I made you a present!”)

Ferdinand held up his drawing. The three looked at it, and smiles came to their faces.

“Oh, Ferdinand,” Babá said, “it looks wonderful. But...” He pointed to the baby. “...What’s this?”

(“My little sibling! Uncle Sidney told me that babies look like ugly old men or walnuts!”)

The three burst into laughter. But Ferdinand hadn’t told a joke! People only laughed at jokes!

“Oh, Ferdinand,” Mamá sighed, “you’re the cutest little ducky I’ve ever met.”

“But please stop listening to Uncle Sidney,” Babá added.

(“But Uncle Sidney says he’s the smartest man in the whole world!”)

Babá picked up Ferdinand and kissed the top of his head. “Well, Uncle Sidney is a liar.”

“I mean,” Papá said, “he’s not completely wrong. Have you ever seen a newborn?”

(“Then what do babies look like?”)

“They look like beautiful bundles of joy,” Babá explained. “The innocence of the freshly fallen snow.”

Ferdinand cocked his head. (“What’s snow?”)

“I’ll explain it as I put your drawing up on the fridge.”

As Babá secured the drawing with magnets, he explained that snow was a very cold thing in very cold places, white as a Quaxly’s feathers. Babáknew everything, Mamá and Papá too. They even knew about things Ferdinand had never seen. Someday, he wanted to be as smart as them.

But for now, he was content to look up at his drawing and hear his parents talk about how good it was. For now, he was content to just be Ferdinand, future big brother.

 

[InfiniteBakuphoon]

#Three fools, two caretakers, two sickies

"Is the baby okay?"

"Yes, the baby's okay, too. Is Wallace okay?"

"I... Miku is okay."

Steven smiled. "Good."

This is probably my favorite line out of the whole thing, I think. Exactly the right words for our favorite neurotic Champion, haha, whose concern for Winona is adorable yet also, of course, reflective of something not quite so pleasant or innocent. Anxiety is not a fun thing, and as someone who experiences that along with a tendency to place taking care of other things (and often, other people) above taking care of themselves, this kind of resonated with me more than I expected it to. But then fun little adventures with bigger meanings are always sometimes that you’ve been good at creating with these little stories and drabbles here, so perhaps I shouldn’t be too surprised at that, either!

#Crayon
Ah, nothing like the perspective of an innocent child. I feel that we tend to forget how to relate to this when be become adults, perhaps. And along with the added dimension of seeing a Quaxly’s perspective of human concepts (“eating-nest”? ), and we have a very charming little look into one part of said Pokémon’s life here! And about how he’s processing the impending arrival of his (human) sibling, which is always fun to see from a child’s eyes (especially when it’s a seemingly more optimistic anticipation here, rather than angst or worry). On another note, it’s also especially cute to see how he looks up his Babá, haha, when it comes to his art and, in all likelihood, about many other things. What this will bond transform into when he grows older, I wonder…?

 

[Welkamo]

Written for Pokémon Ship Week. The prompt was flowers : )
Written in English sonnet form. Kind of. I don’t know if it follows the stress pattern to a T. It's fine I promise.

---

Olive tree branches, to bring prosper’ty

To bring peace and success in all our goals

The Star’s flower primrose, bring health to thee

Heal our bodies, heal our hearts, heal our souls

Forget-Me-Not when I am far away

Our love will persist with time, with distance

Every coloured rose, Each in their own way

Beautiful and worthy of existence

Nageia nagi for strength despite all

Despite all we’ve been through, we will not break

Peonies protect and bring our wish small:

A home full of children we wish to make

Iris brings hope, with three purple petals

May our union be safe where we settle

 

[InfiniteBakuphoon]

As simple and succinct as the poem itself, I’ll just say: it really is amazing how just a few words said in a certain way can mean so much in so many ways, isn’t it? Especially words coming from you, haha.

As always, keep up the good work!

 

[Welkamo]

Spoiler: Content warnings

Discussions of sex and sexuality, minor internalized acephobia

Asexual but fell in love

Asexual but feeling sexual attraction

What does sexual attraction feel like

It was two in the morning, but Steven’s brain wouldn’t rest until he found an answer to his predicament.

His search results, which usually focused on geology, were now filled with question after question about this predicament, a desperate search for something… something!

But what was Steven’s predicament, exactly? It was a bit complicated.

Steven had never been interested in romance. It was like filet mignon; it was hyped up by a lot of people, but he preferred thin-cut turkey. And when he found out about sex… it was the same sort of deal. Just not his thing. At some point in high school, he heard about the term “asexual” and from then on, he had accepted it as who he was.

But then he met Wallace and Winona.

In all fairness, he didn’t fall for them immediately. They started out as semi-coworkers; Steven was the Champion, and they were both Gym Leaders. It started out as strictly professional business meetings, but something about the two made Steven want to get closer to them, not as coworkers, but as friends.

So he spent more time with them. The three (or two, sometimes it was just Steven and Wallace or Winona) would study at the Rustboro University library. Even if Steven was a year ahead of them, they had some similar enough classes to bond over. They would go to the natural history museums, or the art museums, or some random little toy exhibit on Rootclaw Avenue. Sometimes, they had been kicked out because they spent so long after hours. They would talk about rocks, or birds, or fish, or books, or whatever was on their minds.

Wallace and Winona were very well spoken in their own sort of ways: Wallace had flowery language and beautifully woven metaphors. Winona's mind was a fantastical world from which she could pull incredible ideas.

The way Wallace spoke poetry, even when he wasn’t reading from his books; the way he spoke like a lithophone; the way his face was carved like marble. The way Winona stayed so in tune with nature, especially the wind; the way her voice was like a wind chime itself; the way her hands felt like river-polished stones.

And then he noticed how Wallace’s eyes glowed like the rings of malachite, how Winona’s shimmered like amethyst. He noticed how pretty their sense of fashion was. He noticed how he wanted to greet them with a hug instead of a handshake, how he wanted that hug to last forever.

Steven didn’t remember when his admiration turned into… a crush? But now he was confused: why was he crushing(???) on two people at once? Why was he crushing(???) at all? Was he a bad asexual?

A semi-comprehensive dictionary of ace-spectrum terms

…Spectrum?

Well, there was the autism spectrum. And gay-bi-straight was a sort of spectrum. But wasn’t asexuality just… no attraction? How could it be a spectrum?

Asexuality is an umbrella term for a multitude of identities, which are all defined by little or no sexual attraction. Some asexual people are sex positive, some are sex neutral, and some are sex repulsed. Some experience sexual attraction only in specific circumstances, and some never experience it ever. Some experience sexual attraction but not romantic attraction, and some are the opposite. Asexuality is not a lack of libido. Asexuality is not a choice, nor is it a result of trauma or a medicinal condition like hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

Huh. Interesting.

So there were different ways of being attracted or not being attracted. Like… like how Steven had a special interest in rocks, which was different from a semi-normal interest in history, which was different from a passing interest in thriller movies, which was different from an indifference to Water types or a dislike of math or an on-and-off interest in chemistry or a past hyperfixation on Hoenn Rangers or…

It made a lot more sense, once he thought about it like that.

Apothisexual - a person who is asexual and sex-repulsed

Well, Steven wasn’t repulsed by the idea of sex, especially with those two… Shoot, was that weird?

Cupiosexual - someone who does not experience sexual attraction but wishes to have a sexual relationship

Well, Steven was experiencing… something like attraction and a desire to have a relationship.

Demisexual - someone who only experiences sexual attraction once a strong emotional bond is formed

Well… well that made a lot of sense.

Steven had a pretty strong emotional bond with Wallace and Winona, and these strange feelings had only started recently, after he started being more close with them…

Things clicked, like a key finding the right lock. It was a quiet click, like an understated “…oh.”

Demisexual. Steven was demisexual. It felt so good to have a name for the things he was feeling. And a nice name too! Like demantoid.

Steven forgot he was supposed to be tired. He was just so happy about this and he wanted to tell Wallace and Winona and—

Oh. Wait.

In love with more than one person

He had more questions to answer first.

Are you polyamorous? What it means when you love more than one person

Polyamorous. Maybe that was a spectrum too…

By five in the morning, Steven had decided that everything was a spectrum, and that everything being a spectrum was very cool.

-

Dear Wallace…
There’s something important I must tell you. Could we see each other in study room A in the library?
Trusting we will meet then,
Steven

Dear Winona…
There’s something important I must tell you. Could we see each other in study room A in the library?
Trusting we will meet then,
Steven

Regrettably, Steven did not tell Wallace and Winona that the other would be there as well. The two stared at each other for a good while. Were they… mad at each other? Confused? People were weird like that. One expression could mean a million different things. And sadly, Steven was only trained to understand interactions in the context of business, not confessing one’s feelings and orientation.

“S-Steven…?” Wallace said, a bit soft and shaky. He was so cute when he was flustered.

Steven beamed a smile. “Well, last night, I made some discoveries about myself, and… well, I think I like you two.”

Well, that could mean ‘like as a friend’. Steven continued with an elaboration: “Like, you know how in the movies the two leads fall in love? That kind of like. But I like two people. Like if there were three leads. And if one of them could only fall in love after forming a close emotional bond, which is what I’ve done with you. You’re smart and kind and wonderful to talk to and… Wallace? Winona?”

The two were blushing. Wallace was staring down at his feet, while Winona’s gaze was locked on Steven.

“You can’t be serious,” she gasped out. “This can’t be real, this can’t… Wallace? Do you like me, too?”

“HOW DID YOU KNOW?!?!” Wallace shouted.

Muffled shushes came from outside the study room.

Steven was covering his ears. Goodness, Wallace shouted louder than one would expect.

“Are you mad?” he asked hesitantly.

“No!… No, I’m not mad at all. I’m the opposite, I…”

Winona collapsed into a chair, shaking her head slowly. “I can’t believe it… Is this a dream? It feels like a dream. The two people I’ve been crushing on both say they have feelings for me…”

Wallace leaned against the wall. His expression was still… stern.

“Wallace?” Steven asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Well… I’d love to be with you and Winona. It sounds like a dream come true. You two are… you…” He covered his blushing with a hand. “I’ve had blossoming feelings for the two of you… ever since I first met you. And they continued to grow the more I spoke to you. But…”

He shook his head, smiling a smile that even Steven could tell was fake. “Well, let’s just say that my city’s mayor wouldn’t like it.”

Steven scoffed. “That’s ridiculous! Who cares what some old mayor thinks?”

“The future of Sootopolis, that’s who.”

Steven shook his head, though he had to smirk. “Wallace, I promise you that a budding relationship of some sort will not lead to the fall of Sootopolis. At the absolute worst, we’ll be in a secret little relationship.”

Wallace’s gaze shot up, and Steven had to keep himself from laughing.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding… I don’t think we have to tell anyone yet. I barely even know what this little arrangement will be or where to start. I… read a lot of articles on polyamory, and none of them mentioned where to start.”

Winona stood up and kissed Steven on the cheek. “Like that?”

A flush washed over Steven’s face, a glowing… warmth, an innocent affection, a budding beauty.

He nodded, before kissing Winona’s forehead. She was almost a full head shorter than him.

“Come on over here, Wallace,” Steven said. “It can’t be a throuple with just two?”

Wallace chuckled. “A throuple?”

“Yeah, it’s a three-person couple. It’s… It’s what we can be.”

 

[Catz]

I. Love. This.

I barely see anyone work a love trio quite like you have before, it's really appealing to see them express their true feelings blossom, especially Steven and his sexual orientation revelations (I think that's the right term, correct me if I'm wrong lmao) Not gonna lie, demisexuals sound interesting; I haven't done much research on them but judging by the explanations given here, I can get a sort of an idea on how it works.

More stuff like this would be awesome to read, keep it up!