#so they're always left behind in every plot but at least we got reconciliation

[chaoticsoulsword]

I didn’t know how to capture this moment except in a gif (or maybe in a video but the quality and size would still be wonky) so my apologies in advance.

But I’m DESPERATE to talk about it.

This is the moment when both the leaders gather EVERYONE in the square to apologize and share BIG NEWS. Maxie begins with the first part, taking full responsability (even though it wasn’t even their faults this time around) and also encouraging both teams’ admins to do the same (to which Archies also complies - and that’s very daddy-ish of both leaders). Next, Maxie explains that they were humbled by the experience of losing control over Groundon and Kyogre and that there’s no point in fighting over land x water.

But then!! THIS IS THE MOMENT!! This is the moment Maxie stares at Archies and allows him to finish his reasoning. This is the moment of their understanding, their ACTUAL RECONCILIATION!! Archie follows the queue and then reveals that Team Magma and Team Aqua called a truce.

The way Maxie and Archie SHARE the news is just so important. Maxie just stares at Archie as if he were saying “go on, tell them we’re no longer fighting”. And Archie KNOWS and he’s HAPPY about it. Archie’s expression is not of someone displeased (he does have those kinds of animations in the game). But here, he’s happy. He’s happy to deliver the news that the teams finally achieved some kind of peace. AND ON TOP OF THAT, Maxie adds that they’ll help rebuild Pasio (which is basically a very common prompt in Hardenshipping fics post legendaries, mine included lol).

So yup, they pretty much left their differences behind, as they just merely teased they would in ORAS. BUT FINALLY, FINALLY they acknowledge it. Because, in the beginning of this chapter, they both confess to their admins, respectively, that they’re not interested in fighting their rivals. But they don’t know they have similar feelings. They don’t know YET.

However, Looker probably mediated them. Besides, they’ve never attacked each other, it was an accident. And it’s true they blamed one another at first, but as soon as they realized they were wrong, they were mature enough to move past it, which proves that, in fact, they’re also mature to acknowledge the feelings they have for each other.

Not wanting to battle, joining forces, fighting to save the world, those are things that brought them together, and to some degree, they seem very comfortable and happy about it.

Because truth be told, they never wanted to be rivals. They were part of the same organization, they’ve shared the same ideals at some point before developing opposing goals, blinded by their violent and extreme methods.

The amount of growth in this single gesture of Maxie staring at Archie so he could conclude the reasoning and share the news is BONKERS. They’re genuinely getting along again, and Maxie revealing that they only fight because that’s how he acknowledges Archie’s feelings is just... This is HUGE.

IT’S POETIC CINEMA.

I’m speechless at the depth of this storytelling. They didn’t have go to this hard for a ship but they did it anyways.

Maxie and Archie at this point of the game are not even villains anymore. They made their divorce about everyone else and now they’re making their reconciliation about the world they want to build together.

I’m at my limit and I’m an unhealthy amount of not normal about them.

#hardenshipping #magma leader maxie #aqua leader archie #pokemas #pokemon masters ex #pokemon masters ex spoilers #hoenn villain arc pt 2 #hoenn villain arc #hoenn villain arc spoilers #pokemas spoilers #oras #i'm a bit bitter that zinnia and steven stole the spotlight but also i'm pleased #they're never allowed to be heroes because they need the protagonists to shine #so they're always left behind in every plot but at least we got reconciliation #so all is forgiven