1 - 20 of 28 Works by railou
Navigation
Listing Works
-
Welcome to the Big Boys' League by railou for obstacle2
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
25 Apr 2026
Tags
Summary
“Carl”, she says again. She sits and looks up at me. “Please say something.”
“Donut”, I mumble. My voice sounds odd. “What…”
She pushes her head against mine again, forcefully. “Oh, it wasn’t your fault, Carl. It was so terrible. Do you remember any of it?”
Carl wakes up, and everything has been profoundly, irreversibly changed.
Series
- Part 11 of DCC Oneshots
-
Tags
Summary
The radio turns on with a click and for a few seconds, I can only hear static. Then,
Hii, Sweet Feet!
I say nothing, so it continues,
No? How about Schmootsie Footsie? Honey Toe-Woe?
Donut sniggers next to me. The AI has gotten into pet names lately, and every day it comes up with more and more ridiculous ones. I let myself sigh loudly.
“Hello”, I finally say, when it has calmed down with its daily list of nicknames. “How are you?”
The Crawl has ended, but life goes on.
Series
- Part 10 of DCC Oneshots
-
To Journey With the Pokemon Master by railou
Fandoms: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime 1997-2023), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
16 Oct 2025
Tags
Summary
“How does it feel?” Misty asks. “Being a World Champion?”
“Eh”, says Ash. He hums, thoughtfully. “Not that different, I guess.”
Misty frowns into the darkness. “But aren’t you kinda done now? You reached the top, didn’t you?”
She can hear Ash turning sharply in his sleeping bag. “Huh? No, I’m not done. What made you think that?”
World Champion Ash, from the perspective of his friends, acquaintances and complete strangers.
Series
- Part 9 of New Series Ficlets (Pokemon Journeys)
-
I Would Rather Have Watched a Zack Snyder Film by railou
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
03 Oct 2025
Tags
Summary
‘It’s not like you’re at a disadvantage when the descriptions are long. You know your perception of time slows during these moments? I could make one of these as long as a Zack Snyder film, and it wouldn’t matter.’
Fuck me.
The AI has had enough of Carl's complaining.
Series
- Part 9 of DCC Oneshots
-
The Broken Glass of My Life by railou
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
06 Aug 2025
Tags
Summary
There was a note next to the running sink. I picked it up, simultaneously turning off the faucet. The sudden silence pressed on me. I didn’t look at the thing hanging from the ceiling. It turned slowly in a circle behind me, making the pipes creak ominously.
Carl, the letter said on the back. I turned it around.
This is my birthday present to you.
Carl's 15th birthday.
Series
- Part 8 of DCC Oneshots
-
Tags
Summary
She looked over the ragtag group of injured, bloody, shell-shocked crawlers, really taking the scene in. All of them were still so, so young. Their hardened shells cracked down to their cores.
One of them was staring at her, she noticed. The rest were busy recovering, talking loudly amongst themselves, but that one crawler was standing shock still, his hand against the wall, stiff legs unsteady under him.
He looked human, Milk noted. But his race was primal. Carl was his name. Warlord Carl.
“Milk?” he whispered.
The first meeting, through Milk's eyes.
Series
- Part 7 of DCC Oneshots
-
Seven Ways to Style a Warlord’s Hair by railou
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
17 Mar 2025
Tags
Summary
“Yo!” Elle called the moment she stepped into the guildhall. “This time it’s me who gets to do his hair.”
“Well, obviously”, Donut said before I had the chance to reply. “We all agreed we’d save him for you this time.”
“What?” I said. We had not agreed on anything like that.
At least not out loud. I got the sudden uneasy feeling that they might’ve been talking about it in a chat group I wasn’t involved in.
“Perfect”, Elle said, clapping her hands together. “You just sit tight, boss. I’ll be ready for you in just a moment.”
I raised my eyebrows at Donut, who flicked her tail impudently. “What?” she asked. “Don’t look at me like that, Carl.”
Carl has long, beautiful, and very braidable hair. Everyone else seems to like it a lot more than he does.
Series
- Part 6 of DCC Oneshots
-
The Eye of Crawler #4,122. “Carl.” by railou
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
02 Mar 2025
Tags
Summary
No. No.
I healed myself again. Darkness continued to press against me, relentless. Raul yelled something. He was getting closer; I could tell by his voice. My health kept stuttering, despite the heals.
My eyes, I thought. It was the only thing I could focus on. There was just too much going on, and none of it mattered. I was dead. Without sight, I was dead. Donut was dead.
Carl loses both of his eyes during a battle. The situation seems hopeless, but the dungeon is not done with him yet.
Series
- Part 5 of DCC Oneshots
-
In Which Carl Takes a Nap. Kinda. by railou
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
21 Feb 2025
Tags
Summary
Imani placed her small hand against my arm again, this time slowly, and gently. “I didn’t mean to startle you. You weren’t answering my calls.”
“Or mine”, Donut said haughtily, jumping on my shoulder.
Had they been in the saferoom this whole time? I couldn’t remember seeing them at all when I came in.
“Uh... what’s up?” I asked, but I could already tell.
This was an intervention.
Carl finally gets a tiny moment to rest between all the trauma.
Series
- Part 4 of DCC Oneshots
-
Love Is in the AI by railou for firebuffalo
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
14 Feb 2025
Tags
Summary
When the love songs started on the fourth floor, I began to lose patience.
Every last one of my goddamn alarm traps played a different popular, cheesy love song as the track. After blasting “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley and “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal back-to-back, I was starting to think the trap modules didn’t choose just any random songs from the US Billboard hot 100, but that the songs were instead chosen by the AI just to mess with me.
“Fucking hell”, I swore out loud when one of the traps I was certain I had chosen a different song for, started blasting “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher. “There’s just no way.”
“I like this song”, Donut commented. “Not as good as ‘Wonderwall’, though.”
The AI tries to court Carl. Carl, on the other hand, is not very impressed.
Series
- Part 3 of DCC Oneshots
-
New Achievement! Free Therapy! by railou
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
07 Feb 2025
Tags
Summary
“I know you had a tumultuous relationship with your late girlfriend”, Hekla said calmly, completely ignoring my rising anger. “People who have been abused like that tend to latch onto the next person they can find who they deem safe. They get attached. And if something then happens to that person? It is going to hurt them twice as hard.”
I just stared at her. “I... what? What the ever-loving fuck are you saying, Hekla?”
Carl gets a professional assessment from a therapist. Carl does not want a professional assessment from a therapist.
Series
- Part 2 of DCC Oneshots
-
He’s Been With the Family For a While Now by railou
Fandoms: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman
02 Feb 2025
Tags
Summary
The man waved a hand at her from the doorway. “Hi, Donut.”
Princess Donut narrowed her eyes at him.
“Come on, Carl”, Miss Beatrice said, taking his hand and pulling him towards the bedroom. The man nearly stumbled on Princess Donut’s precious Mouse toy that lay on the floor. They both giggled drunkenly. Princess Donut sighed. Another of these kinds of manservants. Princess Donut watched them go, judging harshly.
Carl. She rolled that name around in her mind. Carl.
It was a good enough name, she supposed.
Life through Princess Donut's eyes before the Collapse.
Series
- Part 1 of DCC Oneshots
-
The Mew Complex by railou
Fandoms: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions, Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
04 Feb 2024
Tags
Summary
Desperate times call for desperate measures and... somehow Ash ends up switching minds with his younger self.
Current Ash has just won the Alola League, while past Ash is fighting for survival within the Tree of Beginning. Swap those two and what do you get? A mess, that is what.
Mew takes no responsibility of the outcome.
Time travel AU
-
Retrouvailles by railou
Fandoms: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
06 Aug 2023
Tags
Summary
(French, n.) The joy of reuniting with someone after a long separation; reunion
“Greninja”, Goh repeats, not comprehending. He looks around, attempting to spot something slim and blue in the lush forest, but to no avail. He makes a face at Ash. “Where? What do you mean?”
Ash finally cracks a full smile, posture relaxing as he laughs. “Not where”, he chuckles. “But here.” He presses his palm against his chest, right above his heart, fingertips just brushing the hollow of his throat. “Man, it’s been a while since we did that. It caught me off guard!”
Goh throws his hands in the air. “Did what?!”
Pokemon Journeys episode 108 but it's set in the universe of "Together We Are Stronger".
Series
- Part 4 of From Alola to Kalos and back
- Part 8 of New Series Ficlets (Pokemon Journeys)
-
Tags
Summary
All previously unpublished writing I did for One Piece during 2020-2021.
Both AU and canon compliant. Summaries in chapter notes.
-
Whatever it takes by railou
Fandoms: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
21 Feb 2022
Tags
Summary
Chairman Rose has big plans for Galar. His ruthless methods for gaining this ultimate power bring bad memories to surface for Ash.
Goh tries his best to be there for his friend.
Episode tag to Pokemon Journeys episode 45.
Series
- Part 7 of New Series Ficlets (Pokemon Journeys)
-
Anything and everything by railou
Fandoms: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
18 Feb 2022
Tags
Summary
After a decision made in the heat of the moment, Goh had his pikachu evolve into a raichu, and now he can't stop wondering if he made the right choice.
Ash, as usual, in his own special way, has some insight into the topic.
Set post Pokemon Journeys episode 35.
Series
- Part 6 of New Series Ficlets (Pokemon Journeys)
-
Tags
Summary
“Pirates”, Makino says, and grins. She points past Sunny’s shoulder, laughter building in her chest. “Look!”
Sunny cheers and twirls around, jumping up to stand next to her. “Luffy!”
“I don’t know if it's Luffy, baby”, Makino says. “It might be-“
Suddenly, something shoots out from the ship. Makino watches with fascination as a human hand zooms past her and grabs one of the support beams of the pier. An arm a mile long, smooth and stretched like rubber.
“Fine”, she says. “It’s Luffy.”
The Pirate King returns home.
Series
- Part 1 of Going Sunny
-
What is important by railou
Fandoms: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
31 May 2020
Tags
Summary
Ash has a strange way of catching pokemon, in Goh’s opinion.
And what’s up with that Riolu, anyway?
Set post New series episode 21.
Series
- Part 5 of New Series Ficlets (Pokemon Journeys)
-
Always by railou
Fandoms: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
10 May 2020
Tags
Summary
It's Mother's Day, Kukui is away and Burnet, eight months pregnant, is stuck home with her thoughts and feeling very lonely.
Luckily, she isn't alone, and her little family is there to make sure she never will be.