So far, I have mixed feelings about this RP. Not to say that it's bad or anything, it's just interesting and unlike most others that I've been in. The chapters (which are really more like scene changes, not that that's a bad thing) have been moving along quickly, though I imagine that they will get longer at some point. However one of the more interesting points is how from chapters one to two, the scenery and Pokemon available change quite drastically, yet there was no interlude. There was no road in between so that the scene may change slowly and more subtly, the players just kinda go there, as if they might as well have been teleported. That's all well and good for the purpose of moving forward quickly, especially if the distance between the two areas wasn't that large anyways, however I am unsure what I feel about this if that is to be how it is for the rest of this thing. To me, this just seems like it could turn out to be nothing more than doing one battle and catching one Pokemon, then instantly moving to the next area to repeat the process. (But I guess that sort of is what Pokemon is all about) However, it's far too early for me to be making those sorts of predictions.
Another thing is how the story seems to move forward not by set-in-stone events laid down by the GM, rather through an outline of what could happen. I suppose it's one way of moving the game forward, and it works, I have been in one game before where this has been done. (Though in that game the players were all several hundred miles away from each other and never actually communicated, needless to say, it didn't last long.) This does make the GM presence fairly weak, though, which isn't inherently a good or bad thing.
This post outline structure does seem to create a game where the players are the ones building the story, rather than playing through one designed by the GM, making it rather sandbox-y, which is by no means bad. However, the odd thing I find is how player-to-player interaction doesn't seem to be a major part of this thus far. (Heck, Lt. Col. Fantastic pretty much wrote himself in a second character to adventure with. Certainly an interesting way to RP that I can't say I see frequently. But I don't mean that as an attack on him.) I would consider that a weakness considering how, I think, when you have a sandbox-style game with multiple people, it would be best to encourage cooperative play so that either all of them (or groups composed of two or more, perhaps with the occasional solo player for those who wish to play that way) in approximately the same place and doing approximately the same thing, (granted if there is more than one group/solo players then there is going to be some differentiation.) as well as interacting with each other more often. That creates an environment in which the players are playing off each others stories, while still going after the main goal set by the GM. All I'm saying is that, thus far, the characters have been pretty isolated from each other, though I will not say that's the fault of the RP or GM. And so long as common goals are set, that really isn't too much of a problem. But if a point comes up when characters may take separate paths, then things become problematic. (Trust me, in the one RP I ever GMed for, I gave everyone their own separate stories and quests to go on, it was a nightmare to go through, and it died pretty quickly. Though, that was my fault for being a bad GM.)
Anyways, my character hasn't technically left town yet. If anyone wants to meet up with him, go ahead. I am especially interested in interacting with Swan's character. Two Ranchers with almost entirely opposite outlooks on that type of life, and with the typical gender roles swapped, seem like it would be an interesting duo, who could possibly have history with each other, due to growing up in around the same area. That's not my call to make, though.