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[PKMN FULL] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]

gimmepie

gimmepie

  • Pokémon General General Pokémon General Cadet Level Ball Master Ball
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    Chains: A Johto Story

    Johto is a region rich in history and legends, boundlessly full of culture and traditions. One tradition it shares with almost every other region though, is that of a trainer's journey. Every year, young trainers bid their homes farewell as they set out to explore the wonders of their region in pursuit of their hopes and dreams. Stories of these journeys have been passed down across generations, but those are stories. The truth is often watered down for the ears of children and the wider world is full dark realities that you may be forced to confront.

    Explore Johto in a new way. Dig deep beyond the surface of the region as you undertake your very own journey. Enjoy the euphoria of success, suffer the sting of defeat and be a part of a grand story.​

    How the RP Works
    This is a small, plot-driven RP for 3-4 people. The story follows a group of beginner trainers who together are setting off on their journeys and is broken up into story arcs that for the most part are dictated by routes and cities.

    Each member of the group will have their own goals, and you will be able to explore those goals to their fullest extent. However, this RP is also quite plot intensive and chapters may also have required objectives that need to be completed before we can move on to the next part. The pursuit of each character's ambitions might drive the story at first, but ultimately is the secondary plot.

    In Chains, like Mirrors before it, you are playing as a group who already know each other and are more or less travelling together. That means that this will likely be a very JP heavy roleplay. This does not mean that your characters will be with each other at every moment though, you are free to and encouraged to explore locations on your own as well. In fact, it will often make the plot easier to enact if your characters are not always together.

    Each area will have a set of predefined Pokemon available that will consist of Pokemon typical of that route in the game as well as extras from other regions. These may be tailored to the participants to an extent. You are able to catch as many of these Pokemon as you like and at will. However, you may only evolve or teach a move to one Pokemon per chapter under most circumstances. Chains will more follow the anime style and thus levels do not exist. Instead you should use the level up chart as a loose guide for teaching new moves, but can teach any move your Pokemon can legally learn using your available slot. This includes TM and tutor moves. Trade evolution does not exist.

    In Chains, Mega Evolution and Z Moves are both canon (no dancing required). I am open to discussing customised Mega Forms or Z Moves.​

    Sign-Up Sheet
    Please do your best here as on account of the very small number of people I'll be accepting into the RP I'm going to be fairly picky. Also, I'm not requiring a history section as it would cause conflict or push things onto other characters, but as a group we need to consider how our characters know each other and should probably keep that in mind as we write.

    Name:
    Age: 14-18 (I'm using 16 as the middle ground here and would rather not have too much variation in either direction).
    Goal:

    Appearance: Either a written description or a short written description with an image
    Personality:

    Starter: Name/Gender/Ability/Up to 6 moves​

    Rules
    1. GM word is law
    2. All RPT/PC rules apply
    3. Real shocker here, the RP is rated M.
    4. Keep in contact and try not to hold each other up. It's okay if the RP doesn't move super fast, but try to be reliable.
    5. As always, have fun or die. ;)​

    Players
    Someone as Someone Else
    ???
    ???
    ???​
     
    I'll get some brainstorming done!

    gimmepie said:
    Ah, here are my questions
    Click to expand...
    What part of Johto are our characters "based" around? Whether they have a common background there, or are just starting their journeys from the same place. And is there any other criteria for the starters?

    Totally doing a daughter-father pair, though.
     
    Last edited:
    HerpdehdurdlyI'MJOININGTHISTHING
     
    Junier said:
    I'll get some brainstorming done!


    What part of Johto are our characters "based" around? Whether they have a common background there, or are just starting their journeys from the same place. And is there any other criteria for the starters?

    Totally doing a daughter-father pair, though.
    Click to expand...

    Your characters are from Cherrygrove City, although I'd be willing to stretch back to Newbark Town as a potential place of origin. The main thing is that your characters will all have some sort of prior knowledge of each other somehow as you'll be travelling together. For example, the Mirrors characters were all online friends prior to their journey. You guys can discuss exactly how you know each other after acceptance though.

    Anything is up for grabs for starters really, I'll let you know if any issues come up. The only things I'm going to ask you not to touch for the sake of convenience are Togepi and the Johto starters.
     

    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]
    Sarya 16 years Female
    Spoiler:
    Name:
    Sarya Haluboro. Even though most outside of Cherrygrove won't know or recognize it, she's still worried that her last name makes some give her skeptical looks - because of past events surrounding her family - so she usually only presents herself as 'Sarya'.​


    Age:
    Sixteen years of age, birthday is October 11.​


    Goal:
    Her once positive and free-spirited outlook on life was wiped away a few months ago when her brother and sister completely shattered her trust; they framed their own father and got him into jail. Since authorities believe them to be truthful and Mr Haluboro was convicted, the siblings now run free - although they left Cherrygrove since their mother and sister couldn't accept what they had done. But Sarya will take justice into her own hands.

    She now mostly seeks to journey and train herself and her pokémon as her father taught her, to become as strong as possible. While some of her friends might have started the journey for fun, Sarya is tagging along because it's her best route towards getting strong and finding her siblings. She doesn't care overly much about the gyms or pokémon league, as long as she can train and learn from battling. She will likely want to capture as many pokémon as possible, because each one of them could turn out to be a strong, loyal partner.

    A somewhat subconscious goal on her journey is to regain her trust in people and learn to relax and show genuine happiness again. By traveling together with familiar people, and gathering and training pokémon she will come to love and care for, this will hopefully happen eventually.​


    Appearance:
    Sarya is relatively short, standing at 163 cm. She is thin and light, and very quick and agile. Her father always taught her to value health and physical fitness, so she never eats much unhealthy food or burns herself under the sun too much. As a result has a fairly splendid yet pale complexion. Her eyes are a deep maroon, gleaming like rubies in certain lights, and her hair is so platinum blonde that it might as well be silver, often kept in a long pony tail. Johto doesn't get overly strong sunlight, but when it does, she protects her face with a red baseball cap and puts sun lotion on her arms and legs.

    She usually wears white or black. While she used to be more liberal, she now isn't much for color as that somehow makes people assume she'll be more friendly than she is. Mini-shorts and sleeveless tops are her preference, along with white synthetic rubber boots. She carries her things in a black backpack. On one of her arms sits a brand new Pokétch her mother bought her when she learned what Sarya was about to do and realized that she couldn't stop her. She doesn't have a pokédex (yet), but she was always a fan of pokémon battling and knows a lot about types, moves and evolutions by heart and from notebooks she brings with her.​


    Personality:
    Determined, relentless, and with no time for bullshit. Sarya is all about business and being effective when it comes to training herself and her pokémon, and if you manage to get a sweet giggle or calm smile out of her, she will likely be embarrassed or pretend it didn't happen. Evil laughter when victory seems attainable is totally fine though. She values speed and offense above defense and bulk, and as such plays a high risk-high reward game whenever she battles. Since it has only been a few months since her father was unfairly put into prison, Sarya can still get angry if it is mentioned - and her father's situation is somewhat known of all around Cherrygrove, and was gossiped about a lot in the beginning when it was discovered that Mr Haluboro's own children had something to do with it.

    That being said, Sarya was a perfectly normal cheerful girl up until that happened, and that's not completely erased. She's still afraid of Ice type pokémon and has a weakness for (gets distracted easily by or has trouble going all out against) Fairy types or otherwise really cute or beautiful pokémon. She can never sleep in - she loves early mornings and goes for a run or pokémon training session before breakfast every day. She will likely keep this up or try to force the others to join her on their journey. Even though she is certainly much more serious and lost in thoughts these days, she isn't incapable of joy. She just really doesn't want to look vulnerable or broken. Like her father taught her (as he's also a trainer), even in the face of defeat, a strong trainer has to accept reality and learn what they can from it rather than crumble. It's not always easy though, as defeat really sucks.​
    Staryu Genderless Natural Cure Shiny
    Rapid Spin - Waterfall - Water Gun - Recover - Psywave - Swift​
    ​

    Everything here is, of course, possible to adjust and somewhat edit in order to fit together with the other characters!
     
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    Here it is!



    Yueru Ota // 17 // Male


    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]

    Goal

    "To be honest with you... I don't exactly know what I'm looking for."

    The Pokemon League challenge came as a recommendation from Yueru's sister. You could think of it as her own attempt for him to finally push himself. He isn't sure why he's doing it and could barely say he has many goals of his own, but the thought of traveling with what few friends he did have was just enough to pull him out of the slump he was in. After all, spending time with Hex was one of his favorite things to relieve his mind of his troubles. A journey with him couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

    Appearance

    Coming out of one of his final growth spurts, Yueru stands at 178cm to be exact. Despite spending most days lazing around the city, he maintains a decent build. Adults will often tease him with the typical "Your metabolism will catch up to you someday, kid". Although he isn't quite all skin and bone, Yueru definitely hits all the marks that "the skinny kid" might have.

    Each morning he begins by plopping on his standard thick rimmed glasses and sliding into his choice of the many black skinny jeans strung though out his dresser. Next comes a one-size-too-big t-shirt, varying in different colors. Followed by lacing up his favorite pair of shoes colored in a deep maroon. Last but not least, after rustling through his messy, pitch black hair he slides back a large knitted beanie which matches his shoes to a T. Even when the sun is it's hottest he will be seen wearing that hat,

    Personality

    It can be pretty hard to pin down Yueru. At first glance he can appear to be a rather carefree person. Always containing a stoic look on his face, underneath the surface he's an apathetic individual and maybe a tad bit cynical at his worst. Often dismissing things he's not impressed with or interested in. Carrying skin of iron, he never lets words or unfortunate circumstances phase him in the slightest. To a stranger he may seem to come off as cold hearted, however, he is simply hesitant to open up to new people and will usually assume the worst of them.

    Typically lacking in motivation, most of Yueru's days are spent lounging around his favorite nature spots in the city with Hex. Otherwise unable to truly push himself the way he wants to, one of the few things able to put him in a pleasant mood is absorbing the melancholic vibes he gets from the scenery around him. Finding ocean viewing spots or a simple meadow grove to relax in is just enough to put a rare smile on his face.

    Despite lacking a competitive drive, Yueru has a fair amount of training under his belt. Being the rowdy pokemon that it is, his Houndour will often express it's desire to jump into the fray of things and pull Yueru out of his comfort zone. In battle the tandem can be a bit messy to say the least but they still manage to battle together as one.


    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]


    Hex / Flash Fire / Male

    Fire Fang / Feint Attack / Thunder Fang / Ember / Howl    ​




    ​
     
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    Sign-Up

    ​

    Name: Jack "Jackie" Siegal
    Age: 17

    Goal: To be one of the roughest, toughest, scariest trainers ever to roam the free world.

    Appearance: Wavy red hair, intense brown eyes, and a cold glare make up this . Jack initially gives off a very unfriendly presence. He wears a white button-up sleeve shirt, with a red undershirt. He also wears dark jeans and a pair of black boots.

    Spoiler:

    Personality: Jack was always a shy, meager kid. When living out in Olivine City, Jack was mostly living with his mom, as his father was always out with a fishing crew. He never learned to really stick up for himself, but built up a lot of anger and frustration. However, his mom would try to spend a lot of time with him, and Jack always saw his mom as a safeguard from the life of being bullied.

    However, Jack's father had returned from an extensive trip, and saw how Jack needed him in his life. So, one night, Jack's father took him to the movies. They went to go see a mafia film, one that would change Jack forever. Jack was inspired by the bold, the cruel, and yet, completely charismatic charm. He dreamed of great power, and respect.

    Become a hard boiled, street smart, tough as nails Pokemon trainer. Not only did the movies of mafia and mobsters fuel his drive in life, but his dad personally taught him about his battling days.

    Eventually, his dad decided to take on a new job, and move to a more quaint area. Thus, they moved to Cherrygrove City. After enough training and practicing with his dad's own Pokemon, Jack was gifted a Corphish, a Pokemon his dad felt would be perfect for the job.

    Though a bit empy-headed, Jack found a new confidence, as he would soon become a real Pokemon trainer, ready to start a path of his own.

    Starter Pokemon​

    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]

    ​
    Name: Vice
    Gender: ♂
    Ability: Adaptability
    Moves: Vicegrip, Aqua Jet, Harden, Leer, Bubble, Double Hit    ​



     
    "Ya just need to Bayleef in yourself, pal!"

    Tamber Baxter/ Female / 17 Years Old / Violet City

    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]





















    Appearance

    ​
    Tamber stands at a height of 5'8" with a somewhat slender body build. She keeps her dark, chocolate-brown hair short, letting it just reach down to the base of her neck with rather messy bangs for the most part. Her eyes offset her hair nicely by being deep violet in hue. Her skin complexion tends to be somewhat fair, neither being too dark or too pale. In terms of clothing, Tamber tends to dress in a rather comfortable manner. She usually likes to wear somewhat baggy t-shirts, offset by a worn, but still comfortable red hoodie. She is a fan of wearing sneakers or boots, whichever she feels is more comfortable (while still remaining practical) for a given situation. Tamber usually wears either a skirt or a pair of shorts, with a belt used as a holster of sorts for her team's poké balls. She also tends to wear a pair of silver, hooped earrings in her ears. No matter what outfit she wears however, the girl is never seen without her beloved goggles, a gift from her father, which are left dangling around her neck should she not be wearing them over her eyes.​

    Personality

    ​
    Tamber is a relaxed, easy-going girl who rarely ever seems to take anything seriously. She likes to do things at her own pace, more often than not opting for the easy path should one be available. The girl tends to think positive more often than not. Tamber is someone who can always find that silver lining in any situation, with a habit of thinking things are being built up to be more tense than they truly are. Because of this, people often think of her as somewhat lazy... They're not exactly wrong either.

    Tamber is somewhat of a corny girl. She absolutely adores throwing puns and jokes around whenever possible. It would be one thing if the girl was actually good at this, however more often than not her jokes often miss the target. This usually results in Tamber herself being the only one to find any real humor in her quips, which in turn often leads the teenager to simply think that her jokes are merely too highbrow for those around her. The real problem with Tamber's sense of humor comes from the fact that she seems to have an issue of knowing when to stop. It is quite easy for the girl to keep the terrible puns rolling, which results in those around becoming quite frustrated quite easily.

    Generally a friendly girl, Tamber is always willing to lend and ear or shoulder should one ever be needed. Unfortunately, Tamber will often attempt to use humor to try and aid in the situations, going on to pick on them a bit in an attempt to make them feel better. At times it can be easy for people to take these little comments the wrong way, but Tamber usually does mean well in what she says. She has a habit of referring to those she views as friends with nicknames.​

    Goals

    ​
    Despite her rather laid-back and relaxed attitude, Tamber dreams of becoming a competent Pokémon trainer in hopes of following her father's footsteps in becoming a Pokémon detective. The girl enjoys attempting to solve problems and and notice look for minor details that others might often miss. In order to grasp this dream Tamber is setting off in order to understand the world around her better, as well as come to be able to decipher just what makes both people and Pokémon tick. She is fully aware that battling may be involved within her dream job, so taking on the Pokémon League is just a plus.​

    Starter Pokémon

    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]

    Diggs the Bunnelby (Male / Careful / Alert To Sounds / Huge Power)

    Moveset

    Quick Attack | Leer | Agility | Double Kick | Mud-Slap | Dig


    ​
    ​
     
    The lovely Rose of the Dead
    Name: Hugō Colthearts (Hue - go Colt - hearts) ♑
    Gender: Male
    Age: 16

    Hometown: Ecruteak City

    Appearance: Hugō is a little bit on the slim and mean side, who does weigh around 160 pounds, and also has a height of 5'9. He has bristly, short black hair that has bangs that almost extends to his top shoulders, and alongside his slightly slim 5 fingers on each hand as well as his slightly slim 5 fingers on each tone, his overall skin tone resembles that of a Asian young boy, has it's a pasty yellow color. Speaking of which, while Hugō has the physique and posture of a young woman, he is indeed male, which made a lot of confusion during his wake, but, he became accustomed to it.

    Hugō wears the traditional Japanese dress of a miko, which even today has remained essentially unchanged except for the lack of the slit-shoulder seam. It consists of a white jacket with sode-kukuri (cords) through the sleeves and open shoulders. He also wears strings called muna-himo which are attached to each lapel and tied in front to keep the garment closed. Hugō's kosode would be very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeve fitting somewhat closely like a modern loose shirt and extending slightly past the wrist. The slits on the side of his hakama, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of her hitoe (jacket) showed the white kosode she sported. Hugō also wears a bright red nagabakama (a very long hakama), which includes the small board on the lower back. Finally, Hugō wears common tabi (socks) and rice straw sandals. It's all sported by a red Obi, or belt, over all his other garments.


    Strengths / Interests: Hugō is a kind, and pretty gentle boy, and does act very feminine at times. His mannerisms are pretty straight-forward, as he speaks in a refined, and dignified tone, addressing people as he would like to be addressed - with the utmost respect. He does like getting into arguments, since he's pretty open minded to a variety of topics and cultures. He does enjoy nature, as he tends to enjoy spending most of his life outdoors, taking a look at wild pokemon, and other plant / wild life that's around. His main interest is mainly into pokemon though, as he always loved to see what kinds of pokemon lived in each habitat, as well as why the area around them is hospitable. Battling was something that is relatively new to Hugō, so, he isn't exactly knowledgeable in the field, but, he is always generally willing to learn and try new things.

    Weaknesses: Hugō can be pretty naive, meaning he can instantly believe a ridiculous story or idea and call it a fact. His naivety does lead him in sticky situation sometimes, but, he always believed that it was better to believe in someone rather than not having a certain degree of trust altogether. He's also a bit paranoid and can frighten, and be shy around people, new and old. Call this a habit, what you will, but, his paranoid nature does call him to shout and scream a variety of times, even though he doesn't intend to. But all in all, he''s a gentle boy with a nice heart - he just has to work on his paranoia.


    Family: Hugō was born in Ecruteak City, where he was born with a mother and grandmother, with his little sister being born just a few years after him. More importantly, Hugō was born as a member of the Colthearts family clan. The Colthearts are a family who are known for communicating with spirits, and with the land of the dead. The leader, and master of the Colthearts clan was the one who's connection to the spirit world, and the land of the dead was the strongest of them all. The master of the Colthearts was always part of the main branch family, while the other members of the family was simply called a branch family, in which a member of the branch family would never be a master, because their spiritual power was too weak compared with the members of the main family. Finally, the "spiritual power" of the Colthearts clan, was always inherited by the females of the group.

    However, Hugō was born not a female, and thus, he didn't possess any spiritual energy. He was also born as a member of the branch family, where his mother was the young master's aunt. In any case, being born a male, Hugō was sometimes looked down upon in the family, for not being a female, even though his physique and posture resembled that of a female.

    Goal: Hugo wants to find his own purpose in this world; being born as the black sheep of the family, how can he prove his worth? One day, when he finally turned 16, he decided - it was time to go on a pokemon adventure on his own. His mother was reluctant for him to go at first, since she was worried that Hugō didn't learn much about the outside world. However, with all due respect, Hugō knew that even though he did not possess any powers of his own, he still wanted to help the family get the respect that they deserved in some way. Plus, he knew that power wasn't everything. A person can become just as kind, and just as gentle as the next, no matter who they were. While Hugō did sense his mother's anxiety and resentment towards him, he also vowed to find a way to reunite the broken ties between the Main and Branch family.



    Chosen Starter: Gastly ゴース (Huǒ)
    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]


    Gender: Female ♀
    Ability: Levitate (Gives full immunity to all Ground-type moves.)
    Moveset: Lick, Hypnosis, Confuse Ray, Shadow Ball, Sucker Punch, Night Shade



     
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    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]

    Kilian Warren

    ​

    Age: 17

    Goal: To become pokemon champion as well as to establish better pokemon preservation parks, shelters and communities.

    Appearance: Kilian stands at a moderate 5'9, with slightly messy black hair he usually allows to just hang down around his head and coal-colored irises. He often wears a blank or contemplative expression, rarely showing any significant emotion other than curiosity or frustration unless excited about pokemon or an opportunity to learn something rare. He's a pale young man, having spent most of his spare time outdoors, but either in fairly think woods or in caves, rarely wanting for light but neither soaking up a lot of sun.

    He doesn't put much effort into how he dresses, nice hiking boots for all his study trips, worn-out blue jeans and dark shirts, often black or a dark blue, sometimes purple too. The only thing that really stands out all that much about the young man's outward appearance is his Dratini, which is nearly always out of its pokeball and wrapped around Kilian's neck and shoulders like a thick pokemon-themed scarf.

    Personality: Kilian is a bit of an odd bird. After nearly drowning in Lake Rage when he was a young boy and being saved by a Dragonair he's devoted himself to the preservation of pokemon. Some would say he's a little too devoted. He's had this mindset long enough now that he seems to have a hard time socializing with people, usually only really opening up to or about pokemon. Kilian has trouble reading the expressions and voices of other people now, sometimes bluntly saying insensitive things without comprehending how he could hurt anyone or being very confused by statements that should be obvious to most people his age.

    A strong sense of justice and a desire to protect the things he deems important can lead to some of Kilian's misunderstandings becoming arguments or even fights. When he can't understand why something he did would have made someone angry it often makes him feel like he's the one being picked on and he can get defensive of his choices even when they were wrong or hurtful. All this combined with his usually subdued demeanor can make Kilian appear quite cold, but despite his issues with other people, he's extremely empathetic and warm with pokemon. The young man is frequently torn between his desire to understand people better and his fear of causing more trouble for everyone around him.

    One human interest Kilian does understand and embrace is the sharing of knowledge. He loves hearing stories, facts and just learning about the world around him and is also eager to teach others when he has something to offer, causing him to come off as a know-it-all to some.

    Starter: Dratini
    Moves: Aqua Jet, Wrap, Leer, Twister, Thunder Wave, Slam
    Dratini is nowhere near as serious or dour as its trainer, outgoing and always eager to make friends with people and other pokemon alike. It is, however, fiercely attached to Kilian and quickly turns on anyone who would intentionally hurt him. It is his guardian and his friend, his keeper and his companion, yet strangely he hasn't seen fit to give it a nickname.
    ​
     
    I WANNA PEER OVER THE EDGE AND SEE IN DEATH IF WE ARE ALWAYS THE SAME
    Realiti - Grimes | FC: Lenore ('Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl')
    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]
    Excerpt from interview conducted by N. Lyn, for Trainer Monthly: "Why We Train: Meeting the Faces of the Johto League Challenge."
    ------Fifteen, with sixteen so close she can taste it, though I'm not convinced. Even balanced on the rung of the wooden fence, she has a certain petiteness to her, the persistent air of childhood she could never shake. If I could generalize Mihra's character, and all its unconvincing melancholy — from the funerary black dress to the facetious hair clips — and to risk her own disapproval: she's a fairy girl. There's an adamant sense of imagination and unprovoked mischief dancing in her eyes; we have not made eye contact since I visited her here on the farmlands.
    ------I say she is petite, but much of Mihra reflects Laurel1 — if you've been there, you'll know all about the rolling, little community: a great stretch of greenery, the occasional farm. I can see why she would want to get out of Cherrygrove, even if there is color there. There is no color in Mihrabelle. She has a mat complexion, hair blonde like straw. And I can see why there are dissenters, standing beside her, but I am also unable to emphasize further than that. There is an air to her that a fairy girl really doesn't have, after all.
    I tell her as much: "You are fascinatingly brave, you know that?"
    ------She just sighs, I think. Shrugs with a shaky smile of pursed lips and half-attention.
    ------I change the subject. "You have family here. So you've done some farming before?"
    ------"I used to milk the Tankers2 before I got sick. I don't like 'em though. They're clingy." She crosses her arms on the top beam of the fence, rests her head there. Her body rocks in the breeze.
    ------I've never been inclined towards pre-generated questions, but the silence makes it tempting. "What kind of Pokemon do you like, Oetsu-sama?"
    ------At first, it's hard to tell if she's considering or watching the clouds roll by. But eventually, she lifts her head a bit and utters, "Um, the little guys…"
    ------"...The little—"
    ------"The underdogs. That no one would really pick. Like, the ones I see in the movies — Charizard, Gyarados, Tyranitar — those are really hard Pokemon to find and train. But you can find, like, Spinarak or Hoothoot anywhere."
    ------"Oh! Do you think you're an underdog, Oetsu-sama?"
    ------"Pfft. No. Don't a lot of people like me?"
    ------It's a hard question to answer. Three years prior, the little farm girl I drove to Laurel to meet, Oetsu Mihrabelle, became one of the first Johtonese to be diagnosed with Pokerus. More accurately, a mutation doctors claimed was carried by some classically-bred Pokemon at her family's farm. Three months from today, the disease went terminal; the news went regional. Because Mihra had a dream, regardless of how she was going to end up, that she would become a Trainer. Her condition was, and is, too rare to dissuade the incitement of fear and suspicion that her decision has. Some blame the parentage; "She doesn't look well, how could anyone let their daughter go out in that state?" Others are adamant that it really is contagious because, well, someone in the family's a trainer or works at the local breeding center and they should know Pokerus better than anybody, right?
    ------I ask Mihra, then, "Do you feel capable? Like, you can do this? Are there any nagging fears that you have about Pokemon Training?"
    ------"No." She is blunt. "Pokemon aren't scary. Training isn't scary."
    ------She stops there, but I press. "Do you think there's anything that would keep you from being a good, if not a better, Trainer, than anyone else tackling the League?"
    ------"Uhh, other than gradually dying?" For the first time, she looks me in the face, expectant. "Nope."

    ------
    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]
    Sap Sipper | (F) | Zen Headbutt; Stomp; Grass Knot; Confusion; Agility
    We linger over the pasture for some time. Flaaffy meander in one anxiety-strung knot at the far corner of the fenced-in area. Another Pokemon has attempted to intermingle, assumably, sticking out like a sour, yellow-black thumb. The Girafarig, Lala-Noon, failed to give me the air of a "helper Pokemon," and even now she wears an afflicted expression, peering over the flock like the Umbreon intended to corral them. She is a very expressive, very strongly-built Pokemon, particularly in the legs. But I was pleasantly surprised by her affection for Mihra before we reached her parents' farm, guiding the girl, a ghostly grip on her horns.
    ------I had offered to pet the Girafarig, and she seemed obliging, except for her tail which shot suddenly awake and dared to snag my wrist with its teeth — I consider it one of the less precarious circumstances journalism has gotten me into.
    ------On the subject of Pokemon, I then ask, "Why the two names? 'Lala-Noon.'"
    ------"Well," starts Mihra, "I couldn't decide on just one name. I thought Lala was cute, but Noon was more meaningful. I think they both fit her, sort of. So I just—" she fits a fist in her palm "—mashed them together."
    ------"Makes sense."
    ------"Yeah."
    ------"Do you think Girafarig's an 'underdog'?"
    ------"Not really. They3 were just kinda like, 'Well, this Girafarig doesn't really have anywhere to go, so I guess she can help you out.' But Lala-Noon is the first Girafarig I've ever seen."
    ------"Same here. What other Pokemon were at the center?"
    ------"Like, a bunch of Psychic types. They say they're 'soothing' or are, like, more 'person-like.' But the waves or whatever that they get off can trigger some people. I think Lala-Noon gave one boy a nosebleed once. So that wasn't fun."
    ------"Oh, no! You don't have anything like that, do you?"
    "Definitely not with Psychic-types. I think I got a rash from some Clefairy once, though."
    ------"Ah. You might just not be accustomed to them," I explain. "They're a new type." And she nods, giving the impression all the same that she probably knew that.

    ------It's hard to launch off of that, natural conversation into the burning question. Even after eight years of doing this, I can only approach transitions with hesitance and the grace of a Feebas.
    ------"...how does it feel?"
    ------She takes a second or two to answer. "Surreal… but also, like, I can feel it. It's a feeling," she says, "but it's not… a heavy feeling. It's kind of like the end of the world, but only you know about it."
    ------"And there's no point preparing for it, if it's just going to happen, it'll happen."
    ------"Right, exactly. You just do what you can with what you have."
    ------With unexpected enthusiasm, she comes off the fence on a lingering note — "So that's why…" — and digs through a little knapsack leaned beside her on the ground. She finds a black binder, flips it open, passes a page or two. Mihra holds it open to me as if it's story
    time, binding balanced on one palm. On that laminated page, a numbered list written in script. She announces: "I've made an 'end-of-the-world' list!"
    ------And it's fascinating to me. "A bucket list?" Really, you don't understand a person best until they show you what they want to do. I know I've made a point to ask every trainer for a driving goal, but this was the first thus far who had filed it note-by-note. I didn't know if it was pedantic or perfect, but there was definitely some perfectionism behind it.
    ------"It's not that long," Mihra says, "because I parsed it down."
    Difficult to be believe, considering how miniscule some of the entries were. "Eat a whole bag of jellybeans." "Buy a Premium Ball."
    ------"See, I can't do half of these without leaving Cherrygrove," Mihra explains. "That's why I have to become a Trainer."
    ------"To eat jellybeans?"
    ------I probably sound incredulous, but she doesn't take it to heart. With the same lambent countenance, she goes, "Well, most of them are bigger than that. I probably need to do another edit. I think I wrote the 'jellybean' one three months ago."
    ------"Do you have a Training-related goal?" I question next.
    ------"Hm. I really want to meet Morty." She looks up at me, a full feet below. The fairy girl image rushes back to me.

    ------There is a commotion within the fence. The Umbreon has arisen from its prowl along the sidelines, snarling and scrabbling. The Flaaffy have all scattered for their safety. And Lala-Noon stands in the middle of it, posed with her hoof to strike again if need be.
    ------Naturally, I'm ready to interfere, hand at my belt, while Mihra only sits sniggering to herself. "Hehe. He probably tried to sneak up on her. What a dummy."
    ------It resolves itself, at least, with the two Pokemon standing ground before Umbreon relents. It slinks towards the stables with sunken shoulders.

    ------"You haven't been here since…?"
    ------"I was twelve. Wow." Her eyes trail over the expanse, the green and the intermittent blue. "It's… nice."
    ------"Sick of cherry blossoms, I bet?"
    ------"Snrk. Oh, definitely."

    ------"Can I ask one more question, Miss Oetsu?"
    ------"Shoot."
    ------"Are you scared?"
    ------Score — at my expense, I've finally won a grin from the little girl. "I wouldn't be dressed like this if I was."
    1 Laurel Farmlands, offshooting Route 38 between Ecruteak and Olivine. Home to the esteemed Moomoo Farms.
    2 A Northern Johto colloquialism for the Milk Cow Pokemon.
    3 Referring to staff at the Cherrygrove's Children Psychiatric Center, the place Mihra has called home entering "Chains."
    WHEN I GET UP, THIS IS WHAT I SEE / WELCOME TO REALITY

    Spoiler: tl;dr
    Name: Oetsu "Mihra" Mihrabelle.
    Age: 15 and 11 months.
    Goal: After going terminal, to complete her bucket list by travelling around Johto.
    Appearance: Blonde with dark eyes. Petite, leggy build; below-average height. Slight freckling. Ghost-pale complexion with slight yellowish undertone. Favors chic girlish fashion: dresses and skirts with stockings. Favorite accessories are skull hair clips.
    Personality: Precarious and curious. Fearless, and though often cynical, ambitious and impassioned when it comes to reaching a goal. Her gregarious nature battles against an inner self-deprecation. Her head is perpetually in the clouds; an easily-distracted dreamer. Often finds herself being treated as much younger than she is. Enjoys small-talk and hard questions. Tends to make jokes at her own expense. Can be neurotic and pedantic, a "busybody." Hates disorganization.
    Starter:
    [PokeCommunity.com] Chains: A Johto Story [M][OOC]
    Lala-Noon / (F) / Sap Sipper / Zen Headbutt, Stomp, Grass Knot, Confusion, Agility
    Empathetic with a strong sense of self and justice.​
    ​
     
    Spoiler:

    To those in the spoiler, welcome to Chains. I'll have your Discord channel set up in just a moment and we can talk there about a couple of things before you do your first IC posts (the IC will also be up soon).

    For those of you who didn't get in this time, I'm thinking about setting up a third one of these since between Chains and Mirrors I ended up with way more interest for each than originally expected.
     
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