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When the competition began, one might have thunk that the girl from the fishing town would have forced herself awake, to stand up and ready, so that she might have more of a chance at actually winning the competition. They might have thought she would have had her Net Ball ready, rather than simply hanging from a strap around her wrist, and that she would have narrowed her eyes, waiting for the smallest of ripples. They might have even thought that she’d have diligently had her Pokemon at the ready, ready to use Astonish, to try and catch a Fish off guard as it tried to steal her bait… And they would have all been wrong, every single one of them. Yes, as everyone set to fishing, Anima seemed only to grow drowsier, even as her grip on her fishing rod tightened ever-so-slightly, wedging itself between her clasped fingers. It was almost as if the atmosphere of the fishing tournament was something akin to a home, of sorts, for her, prompting her to get even more comfortable, as she continued to almost doze. Were she left undisturbed, even Confi’s chirrups would fail to stir her, and instead, she’d have simply sat at the dock’s edge, feet lazily kicking back and forth, as her Rod’s bob continued to bob up and down across the waters… Even as others caught various types of Water Pokémon, Anima’s fishing post seemed to almost be serene in it’s… Almost eerie silence, as her eyelids seemed to grow heavier, and heavier… And as they began to close, those around her would have sworn they saw a small parting of waves, and blue near her fishing rod’s bob, as a light-blue crown seemed to slowly, but surely, raise from the water. Yes, and as it rose, it was followed by a small, blue head, with beady red eyes which stared at Anima as a… Rather strange creature, resembling a jellyfish, continued to rise from the waters. The Pokémon's limbs swayed back and forth on the wind, as if the Pokémon was hanging by the head, as it followed the line towards Anima… And finally began to reach its blue arms towards her, coming to gently grasp at her hands and arms, tentacle-like hands wrapping around as it came to begin to lightly tug, to pull on her hand-- And as her eyes flickered open, with the smallest of pricks upon her left hand, and she was pulled forwards. Her stomach turned as she grit her teeth, as she was pulled into the water, and in an instant, pulled under by the force of the ghostly-Pokémon, as something stabbed into both her left hand and her left leg. She struggled to pull her hand away, arm surging as she fought beneath the water to get up, and yet… She already felt her hand slowing to respond, and her arm would be soon to follow. For a second, Anima’s heart seemed to freeze as she stared beneath the water, into the red eyes of the creature which had pulled her from the dock… Only to have hope re-enter the back of her mind, as a wailing chirrup echoed out, muffled by the waves as she threw her head up, to see Confi paddling down towards her. In a quick fashion, she threw her right arm upwards with all her might, wrapping around Confi-- and began to weakly kick her legs, struggling against the growing numbness in her left arm as it continued to travel through her system-- And her mind continued to race, she squinted as she glanced back down at the water-type which gave pursuit, racking her brain for… Something, anything, until something in the back of her mind clicked. Pieces of one of the papers she had read, coming to mind. Frillish. A Curious, Mischievous Ghost Type Pokémon that Dwells Deep Within the Ocean. Those who are stung by this Pokémon's hidden barbs are said to be paralyzed, and once drug beneath the waves, are never seen again. As they broke through the surface of the waves, Anima did her best to force her head above water for as long as she could, arm still draped over Confi, as the Pokémon paddled over towards the dock. “Th..anks…!” Anima managed to get out through gasping breaths as she hooked her arm, now mostly limp, around one of the wooden support-pillars which held the dock steady… As she then turned her gaze to sweep across the water’s surface. This, of course, has naturally led to the spreading of similar rumors, and other such sayings; many of which purport their hunting methods to be cruel, and evil by nature. I however, would disagree, as it must be acknowledged as a Scholar, that to impose a moralistic view of things - that they are evil simply for how they hunt, or that they truly understand the cruelty they invoke - is to anthropomorphize the Pokemon’s psyche. While their capacity for intelligence must be acknowledged, of course, it must also be understood that their behaviors differ from those of a human’s, and to apply our laws and nature to them is, of course, unnatural in every sense of the word. A good example of this can be found in the works of… A shallow breath escaped Anima’s throat, as she spotted those red eyes, lurking beneath the waves. Staring at her, but also at Confi, as the Pokemon tread water in front of her, defensively pacing in front of the trainer. If the Frillish were hunting, they would be looking for any second to dart around Confi - using their higher speed - so as to drag her down with it into the depths below, where she would be helpless to escape this time. Instead, however, the Pokemon was just… Watching her. If Confi had scared them off, of course, they would have left as well, which meant… They had an objective, of some sort. Of course, of all Ghost-Type Pokémon, it can be said that Frillish are among the more interesting when it comes to studying their behavior, for as Pokémon, Frillish are among the more intelligent of sea-faring creatures. Many scholars have put forth various theories, of course; Professor Ginkgo once put forwards that, given they were first discovered within the ruins of an undersea castle, that the residents of that land may have become the first Frillish. This was backed up by their seemingly faux-regal demeanors, and rather… Opinionated natures, however, many scholars have disagreed with this notion, as such idiosyncrasies are found within most Ghost Type Pokémon. Anima’s breathing slowed then, for a moment, as she felt the paralyzing toxin cease to spread-- Even if she had no more control of her left arm and leg than she did moments before. She was lucky to still be conscious, and had she been connected to that creature any longer, she knew very well that she wouldn’t be. Still, as she stared at the creature, swaying back and forth, she couldn’t help but… Feel a little bad for him. Frillish, however, are somewhat unique as far as even Ghost Type Pokémon go, as they often-times live within their dens as a sort of ‘court’. It has been recorded by many autonomous vehicles that Frillish tend to engage in social obligations with those within the court, all serving to rule over those Pokémon that live within their domain, as minor rulers. They are then, thought to be beholden to that of the Jellicent. So it is that in higher waters, for one to encounter a Frillish, it is likely that they have been - for one reason or another - cast out from their den, and are seeking to create one of their own. For that matter, they require subjects, for to rule over nothing is the loneliest a ruler could be. This would correlate with the reports of Frillish finding people and Pokémon alike, who appear to be dead or dying, with some scholars even supposing that they are dragging them to their dens, so as to bring them to their ‘kingdom’, where they may yet thrive in unlife. …And so, she slowed her breathing again, and lowered her voice. “...Confi… Come to my side…” she murmured, barely audible as she let her head hang low. He was… Lonely, that much was clear to her, and she… Wanted to help him, even if it meant dragging him upon a tumultuous journey, seeking other misfits. …And like any Pokémon, when discussing their motives, it is still important to remember that they cannot be held to the same standards as a human being. They are under no obligation to treat you nicely, and in the case of a Frillish, they see your state as a living being as an illness to which they know the cure, and in some regions, it is said that to be caught by their paralyzing venom is to be caught by the hands of death itself. It was only as Confi stirred lightly underneath her limp arm, that she could tell the Frillish had taken the bait. Anima’s heart thundered in her chest as she let the gentle rock of the waves, and the general hustle and bustle of the docks wash over her as she stayed tangled against the wooden support beam, eyes half closed… And it was only as a gentle, flash of blue came to float just in front of her, red eyes staring into hers, that anything changed. “...Astonish!” her voice came out louder than she intended, as she threw her eyes open, and pulled away from the dock; Confi surged from her side, letting out a piercing, singular wail as a dark aura overtook the Pokemon, and in an instant, as Anima began to fall beneath the waters, she watched the Frillish freeze in fright-- Should one find themselves in the water with a Frillish, worry not. Royalty as they act to be, they’re not used to having others resist them, or staunchly refuse and surprise them. As such, it is well known that they are easiest to catch when flinching from fright! This has also caused them to garnered a reputation among trainers as an opinionated, and mischievous Pokémon most likely to attack when someone is asleep, or has their back turned, as they’ll generally use their coloration to blend in with the water, before striking to drag their prey down to join their court. And in a singular, concerted motion, she hurled the Net ball from her right hand, directly into the Frillish. A bright red beam cascaded beneath the docks, then, as she continued to sink, heartbeat louder than anything else in her ears as she watched that Ball shake once… Then twice… And then a third, and final time, before growing still; as it came to rest gently atop the waves; the netting which covered the top of the ball automatically began to reel back into the loop around her wrist… As Confi, who had slipped from her sight, began to gently nudge her upwards, towards the surface again. It was only then, as she broke water, gasping for air again, and as she hooked leg around the wooden support beam, that she finally pulled the netball fully into her hand-- And wondered whether it still counted as ‘catching’ a fish, if she had been caught by the ‘fish’ first.

Haven't posted in a while so here's some random assortment of drawings from the last few years with varying degrees of completion, all belonging to a project of mine I've had for a while.