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Hard Enough - Chapter 233 - Round one rock rumble!

Knight glared at bruteroot. Corey smirked but I just hardened my stance. I wasn’t withdrawing Knight but instead committing to the fight.

Knight wasn’t a terrible choice out of all my pokemon to face Bruteroot. 

It seemed I’d gambled wrong for the first pokemon out from Corey. He was more amped up than I’d believed from Kaede’s match. 

I reached out for the bond I shared with Knight, knowing I was going to need all the advantages I could.

“Lash!�...

Hard Enough - Chapter 232 - Round one shake up!

I drummed my fingers on the table, waiting patiently as my foe considered their options. 

“Do you have any… three’s?” said Tommy, watching my face like a Pidgeot watched the forest floor for a caterpie. 

I gave nothing away. 

Silly little brother, bird types were weak to rock. “Go…” I started to say, watching his face, “Take your card,” I said watching as Tommy began to slump only to pump his fist in delight at getting one over on me.  2024-06-18 11:50:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Artwork - Time for some Pie part 2

Building on Ryot_ryot's work from last weekend here is Gible and Sanchez acting out in hopes of getting some pie. Only Munchlax is on guard!

throw me any thoughts you have along with any artwork's you'd like to see going forwards!  

Hard enough - Chapter 231 - Prematch planning

The conference room was a big space. My entourage of trainers, as merely humans, could really only fill up a quarter of it with our computers, tables and chairs. So, to make sure that we made the most of the space I released several of my other pokemon.

Knight came out once more with a confused expression, while Bertha, Sanchez, Hypnotoad and Link all came out with slightly more bombastic greetings for everyone in the room. 

Titan, Jorm, Selene, Shrek, and Gawain took a momen...

Hard Enough - Chapter 230 - Stage set up

Chrysanthemum City had gone all out for the Golden Week tournament. 

Throngs of people and pokemon mobbed the streets. The streets themselves were awash with colours and petals that fell to the ground creating a carpet. The iconic flowers that the city was named after were also proudly on display in gardens, imprinted into walls, footpaths, and even a few select stained glass windows. 

People peered out from windows, balconies and rooftops while others lined the main str...

Artwork - Time for some pie!

Here's a two-parter from Ryot_ryot with more to come next weekend! Look forward to it! For now enjoy Brock and Suzie cooking pie! Nothing more to see here, honest!

Hard Enough - Chapter 229 - Golden Week begins

With no challengers for the Elite course for the Gym, and only one normal challenger who tried and failed to run the gauntlet, things in the Gym were able to wind down easily. 

This let me spend more time with A.J., Greta, and Missy for most of the day until lunch. From there I ran a quick course on identifying pokemon moves and accessing databases for what moves pokemon could learn. Then I ran through variants of known methods I had for how to coach certain moves to my sponsored t...

Hard Enough - Chapter 228 - The good, the bad, and the ugly

Cindy entered her room with a serious mein. She made sure to march right into the middle of it and give everything in it a serious look over. Her brow scrunched up like the few times she’d seen Brock getting annoyed at some paperwork. 

“Hnnnnnnn,” said a small voice behind her. 

Cindy ignored the voice. Just like she ignored how she could see Suzie and Yolanda in the mirror behind her with Munchlax trailing along.

All of them were copying her. 

She...

Author note

So I have been noticing a ton of comments on the latest Red Riot chapter about upping content on it at the expense of Hard Enough, or just upping Red Riot release schedule to more a month.

So, I thought I'd give people a bit of a heads-up about what's going on in my mind about this.

Don't expect this to be structured or be clear in direction.

Things are quite murky for me right now.

Firstly, Red Riot and Hard Enough are meant to be different story types, with Nar...

Artwork - Farigiraf and Ralts!

Something fun by Ryot_ryot for the artwork of one of Sabrina's newest powerhouse pokemon!

As always, toss out some suggestions for what you'd like to see done up as artwork as I will be going to Ryot_ryot with what to do up soon!

Popularity poll - Fossil pokemon!

This is nothing but a fun vote. Honest!

What are people's most favourite Ancient/fossil type pokemon?

And no, I'm not counting the Ancient/Fossil pokemon that got blended together.

.... the top three might get some artwork done for them for funsies.

Hard Enough - Chapter 227 - Interlude - The Dragonmaster II

Lance watched as the Kabutops swept over the battlefield, scythes flashing. He paused it as it carved into its foe. The blade bit into the Magnemite’s body and despite the threat that the other pokemon had to Kabutops, it was the Kabutops that emerged triumphant. 

Lance had watched this fight play out when it was live and he’d not noticed this point. 

He made a note of it on his growing list that was titled “Brock’s Kabutops - Shin”. He had all the observations...

Hard Enough - Chapter 226 - Family down time debriefs

I finished crossing my t’s and dotting my i’s on the last summary report for the day. Which was rather easy thanks to my earlier wisdom of setting the Gym up with multiple camera angles which allowed for me to have highlights recorded and played back for later logging for trainer profiles. 

With the benefit of hindsight, I was able to point out a few more things in the reports for the various trainers. 

Still, the standouts for today were Joe and Giselle. Joe for the...

Red Riot - Chapter 21 - Red ambush

Character list:

Matsu - The MC, a Kiri Chunin with Uzumaki traits.

Himeko - Kaguya clanswoman with her Kekkei Genkai, a Genin and violence enthusiast.

Sharkbait - Real name Kenta Nogawa, a Genin that trained with Matsu, skilled combatant, expert bait for sharks.

Hideo Munashi - One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Wielder of Shibuki—the exploding blade.

Jonin Akiko - Matsu’s Sensei and exasperated mentor of other children, Matsu returned h...

Hard Enough - Chapter 225 - Ace low

I ignored the crowd that roared their approval at my pokemon taking to the field, just as Giselle seemed to be ignoring the cheer squad. They’d formed up around Joe, as while he’d been thrown off by Giselle laughing at him, he’d decided to commit himself to the act.

It was probably the best move he could make after having her burst out laughing like she had. Other people might have run but he’d once more proved that there was more to him.

That… or he was just way, way to...

Hard Enough - Chapter 224 - Pewter Tech Ace exhibition

Giselle stood in the tunnel and tried not to fidget. 

She couldn’t. No! That wasn’t right, it was more like she wouldn’t fidget. 

She was in control and at peace. 

So what did it matter that so far only fifteen of the thirty-six students that had challenged the Gym had passed? That would change. The rest of the students, all ten of them, were going to pass after today, herself included. Then there would be twenty-five out of the forty-six s...

Artwork - Sabrina and Wyrdeer

He might have missed his chance to show off against Will, but that doesn't mean he was forgotten! This art from Ryot_ryot brings that to life with Sabrina doing some care for her pokemon!

Hard Enough - Chapter 223 - Pewter Academy hard knock lessons

I listened in as my little brother told me all about how he’d spent the early morning going around observing the various pokemon within my reserve. I chuckled, knowing that it would only get more interesting as time went on. 

Man, I couldn’t wait until I had some more ancient pokemon. Huh, I still needed to follow up with Flint about that idea I’d had regarding an ancient Gym format. Then again there was no reason I couldn’t just run it. It would be no different than having...

Hard Enough - Chapter 222 - Salvadore's science safari

Salvadore peered at his art book. Brock had gotten it for him during his recent trip to Celadon and it was a great gift!

It had everything Salvadore needed to take his scientific journals to the next level by improving the quality of his sketches. He wouldn’t have thought of using circles, squares, and triangles to get the shapes connecting like this, but thanks to his nifty little book, he’d started drawing the various pokemon in standard poses. 

The easiest to draw were...

Artwork - Playtime Dragonslayers!

Thanks go to Ryot_ryot with creating a really fun artwork with brock, Suzie and Munchlax all playing around with some toy swords. Munchlax of course, dons the Dragonborn helmet!

As always, throw out some suggestions that I can work in for artwork prompts that you'd like to see!

Hard Enough - Chapter 221 - Kirlia curbs crime!

Sabrina and I appeared back at her home’s lounge room. Sandra and Saul were both there along with Ralts whom Sabrina approached.

I gave the little pokemon a quick once over. 

I wasn’t clued in on all the cues that a psychic pokemon had for evolution and honestly, that would be something I probably would never possess with how I contained the anthesis. 

Still, there were some universally known markers such as growth physically. Ralts had grown at least double si...

Hard Enough - Chapter 220 - Mewtwo Meet ups!

We need to talk. 

Words that have heralded great changes or drastic issues, usually with relationships. 

Flags went up in my mind faster than the time I’d discovered what amounted to red shirts in the battlegroup I’d assisted against Team Rocket. 

My mind raced. Had I done something wrong? Had I not done something? What was today? Shit! Was today or yesterday an anniversary of some sort? 

My mind brought up the relevant days. We’d met in the l...

Artwork - Hero Black strikes a pose!

Ozlyk smashes it out of the park with this request! I wanted this one as I am considering toying around with some fun scenes of Brock/Hero Black doing some crime fighting in the future! I thought it might be fun to show what that looks like!

Ozlyk also has a link to their website so feel free to jump on over and commission something if you're looking for some great artwork! - https://ozly...

Hard Enough - Chapter 219 - Walking tall

There were few things in life that could dry out my happiness faster than the mention of Lola.

The only other triggers to douse the fires of happiness in my chest that I knew of were when people hurt my family. Something Lance had learned, and then William had also learned. 

My… well, her, was another person that sadly could be included on the list of hurting the family. 

It always made it worse that she was the woman that was supposed to be their mother...

Hard Enough - Chapter 218 - Pewter Academy talks

Lance sauntered into the Gym’s trainer lounge only for Dennis to stand in his way. 

“I’m sorry sir, but you can’t be in here, this area is not open to the public,” Dennis said. 

Lance stared at the man while I chuckled. It seemed that adding glasses, a cap and a change of clothes from his usual attire was enough to throw Dennis off. The rest of the room glanced up only to stiffen when they caught sight of Lance. 

Rachel held her hands in front of ...

Red Riot - Chapter 20 - Red bargain

Character list:

Matsu:- The MC, a Kiri Chunin, with Uzumaki traits.

Himeko:- Kaguya clanswoman with their Kekkei Genkai, Genin, and violence enthusiast

Sharkbait:- real name Jun. Genin that trained with Matsu, skilled combatant, expert bait for sharks

Hideo Munashi:- One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Wilder of Shibuki - the exploding blade

Jonin Akiko - Matsu’s Sensei and exasperated mentor of other children

Yumi:- Geisha of the Lan...

Hard Enough - Chapter 217 - Elite battles

There was a noticeable pulse in the air of the Gym that grew as we approached the middle of the day. People from around Pewter and even further afield had begun to trickle in gradually despite there only being one or two matches for badges early in the morning. 

I was expecting this but I was still taken a bit off guard by the almost electric feel in the air. 

I spent most of my time going through the regular motions but I could see it affecting others as they completed ...

Hard Enough - Chapter 216 - Elite's ready!

The Elite Challenge was where a trainer would get to challenge me for what amounted to a Badge for Prestige. This badge would be slightly different from those I typically offered, but there were a few catches. 

First of all, there was a significant cost associated with simply making the challenge. This money would not be refunded to them upon their victory. At first, I had thought to make it refundable but then after a round or two of Bertha wrecking the battlefield in her fights, ...

Artwork - Hard Enough Salvadore's garden Investigations

Went back to a different artist for the homey feel for Salvadore inspecting plant growth with Hephasteus.

As always send through any prompts or ideas you might have!

I might do an interlude about this maybe... who knows.

HE - Egg poll

Not really sure what I want to do with the Togepi egg beyond some small plot points.

I could take it in a lot of different ways and I can't find one route that outweighs another.

So! Something we haven't done in a while! Let's vote on it!

What should Brock do with the Togepi egg?