Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best

Age 32
Male
London, UK
Seen September 29th, 2017
Posted July 12th, 2017
11,344 posts
19.1 Years

“Only connect…” – E. M. Forster, Howards End (1910)
Rating: T

History

When academics come to write history books about the region of Chinoshima (affectionately referred to as ‘Chino’ by citizens), their works will undoubtedly start with its formation. Three thousand years older than the Kanto/Johto duopoly, and four hundred miles due south of it, the island of Chinoshima was formed by a completely natural and non-Pokémon related phenomenon: an earthquake. More specifically, the Great Tectonic Shift. The end result of the Shift was the monumental Mt. Hydrolium, and the subsequent magma, gas and volcanic ash released provided the foundation for Chino’s development. The island also derives its name from the Shift: the magma released from Mt. Hydrolium was so powerful that the people of Sinnoh, who watched from a distance, thought that the sky was raining blood upon the world, hence its name: ‘Island of Blood’.

Earthquakes, unlike legendary Pokémon, seemed to be de rigueur in Chino’s development. The Secondary Quakes were instrumental in forming the Great Zircon Hills to the west of Chino; the Tertiary Quakes off the east coast helped result in the creation of the Great Lake Mercuria; the Quaternary Quakes did not result in anything great – or ‘Great’, for that matter! – but became the start of the series of mini-quakes that would plague Chino up until five hundred years ago.

When the mini-quakes eventually ceased, immigration commenced with a vengeance. Residents of all regions from Hoenn to Orre to Unova flocked to the natural, untapped beauty of Chino. Centuries of non-development meant that this New World was a luscious paradise, rich in natural resources. This potent mixture of labour and capital meant the island became quickly prosperous. The expatriate population meant that international trade was key part of this development, and has continued until the recent unfortunate events.

Setting

Spoiler:

Chino’s geography is as varied as it is interesting. As well as the aforementioned landmarks, the centrepiece of the island is the Peridium Forest: home to numerous Pokémon native only to Chino, as well as an extraordinary range of flora. The majority of the country is made up of grassland valleys and rocky hills. Because of this, transport between major metropolitan areas was always notoriously tricky. This issue was solved about one hundred years ago with the introduction of the Pokémon world’s first high-speed rail network. Connecting the main Chinoshiman cities to one another, it helped boost intra-regional trading and encouraged an even more accelerated development. While, today, the biggest Chinoshiman cities are some of the most modern and hi-tech cities in the Pokémon world, this rapid improvement has not affected the smaller villages and hamlets to the same degree. Cut off from the train network, they are mostly isolated from one another, with little contact with any area outside walking distance.

The political system of Chino is also extremely interesting to observers. Like its more famous regional brethren, Chino has a Pokémon League and a Gym Leader challenge. However, far from being a frivolous activity for budding battling enthusiasts, the Pokémon League Challenge is, in reality, an arduous challenge to rise up the political ladder. Gym Leaders of the major Chinoshiman cities act as de facto Mayors, the Elite Four is the de facto Government, and the Champion is the de facto Leader of Chinoshima. While, in theory, anyone can attempt the Pokémon League challenge like in Kanto or Sinnoh et al, in reality only those who wish to have a governmental role take it up. Even then, only those who have sufficient funds to travel around the island without needing to work have a chance at success. This model of ‘democracy’ has come under scrutiny in recent years, with many fringe groups emerging to protest about the ‘failings’ of the current system. There have even been rumours that so-called ‘Evil Teams’ such as those in Kanto, Hoenn et al have infiltrated some of these groups, but there is no concrete evidence to back these assertions up.

As well as this, in recent years there have even been reported sightings of ‘legendary’ Pokémon. Of course, most of the sightings have as much legitimacy as so-called photographs of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot; nevertheless, in the five years before the recent unfortunate events, there were marketable improvements in Chinoshiman climate, and the agricultural industry recorded extremely high yields that have so far defied a scientific explanation. Cryptozoologists have used this as supporting evidence of the existence of legendary Pokémon on Chino’s shores, but their theses have not gone beyond the confines of the darkest reaches of the Internet.

Plot

The recent unfortunate events occurred six months ago. After a five hundred-year absence, the earthquakes that had previously plagued Chino returned to wreak havoc upon the region. Seismologists wrote off a series of mini-quakes as a freak event; those same seismologists proceeded to eat their words as a quake measuring 130 kilo-Rhydons (approximately 9.3 on the Richter scale) occurred at Mt. Hydrolium five days after the first mini-quake.

As a result, all but the largest of cities fell in to instantaneous disrepair. The main cities, with their anti-seismic building foundations were left relatively – but not completely – unscathed; most villages and hamlets, however, were wiped off the face of the earth. Confirmed fatalities numbered into the thousands, and injuries were easily in the tens-of-thousands. The rest of the Pokémon world flooded Chino with humanitarian relief, ambitious news reporters and rumours about the quake’s origins. The international news reports were quick to point out that aid was mostly being diverted to the larger cities. Hoenn-natives hypothesized that Groudon had swam across the seas to bring chaos to Chino; Sinnoh-natives theorized that Team Galactic had been using Chino as a new base, with disastrous results; Kantonians and Johtonians, for the most part, simply believed that the result was completely natural, but inhabitants of that particular duopoly were not known for their imaginations.

Despite the devastation, it was the rumours that caused the most damage. When a secret governmental report, that showed that Chino’s top scientists couldn’t come to an agreement as to the cause of the quake, was leaked to the Internet, the perceived ineffectualness of the Pokémon League caused the population living in the destroyed towns and villages to revolt. Riots engulfed the major cities and were only quashed with assistance from the Orrean military. Nevertheless, the lingering anti-League sentiments have not gone away. Crucially, international trade also shut down completely, once the after-effects of the quake became apparent to the wider world…

…which brings the timeline of events to that of today. The Elite Four and Pokémon Champion have summoned a meeting of the eight Chinoshiman Gym Leaders to the Pokémon League in Francisco Plaza to try and truly understand the cause of the earthquake. Whether the work of an ‘Evil Team’, a legendary Pokémon, or something else entirely, the combined knowledge and clout of the entire government working in sync to solve the biggest crisis should be enough to quell the growing discontent, right?

Whatever happens, there’s certainly a big trouble in little Chino!

The Major Cities

Lithidon City: Formed on a glacier sheet that has long since melted away, this large city is mostly famous for its tourism. The rich and powerful flock to Lithidon for its combination of rustic villas and hi-tech modernism. The air is said, by many, to be healing, although scientific studies have not been able to confirm this. Some of the older buildings suffered damage because of the quake, but the city is mostly intact. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Ice Pokémon.

Berrylham City: Located at one of the feet of the Zircon Hills, Beryllites – as the residents are known – have a reputation for being slightly cold and distant. However, the local cuisine is apparently to die for. This city is home to the most restaurants per square mile of anywhere in Chino, most – but not all – of which managed to survive the quake. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Psychic Pokémon.

Borhampton City: Situated at the other foot of the Zircon Hills, Borhampton is the home of Chino’s mining industry. All sorts of mining transpire here, from coal to diamond and everything in between. Out of the major cities, Borhampton was the most damaged because of the aforementioned mining. The number of cave-ins increased dramatically, and there were actual fatalities here: a rarity for a major city. Indeed, most of the aid money has gone to renovating Borhampton. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Rock Pokémon.

Carbocastle City: Named after a long-since-defunct castle built by the first settlers to Chino, Carbocastle now hosts the bustling microtechnology industry. The so-called ‘Silicon Valley’ of Chino, with no remnants of its historical past, Carbocastle exudes modernity in everything from its architecture to its liberal stance on gambling and prostitution. Carbocastle suffered mild damage but nothing too obscene. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Steel Pokémon.

Nitropool City: Renowned for its smog, Nitropool is no one’s idea for a relaxing getaway. The origins of the smog have always baffled scientists, and many attempts to disperse it have always been unsuccessful. The main reasons for Nitropool’s growth are its proximity to Lake Mercuria – the freshest source of clean water in Chino – and the Power Plant, which requires much manpower to remain operational. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Poison Pokémon.

Oxyton City: Chino’s highest city, Oxytonians have a fun, carefree outlook on life. Whether this is due to the high altitude or the not-so-secret drug industry remains to be seen. Nevertheless, Oxyton remains an idyllic tourist retreat and was sheltered completely from the effects of the quake. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Flying Pokémon.

Fluoburgh City: Primarily a retiree city due to the exceptionally warm year-round climate, Fluoburgh is one of the few Chinoshiman cities to revel in its history. Fluoburgh was the first city to be established in Chino, and the residents are immensely proud of this. Most of Chino’s museums are housed here, as well as the fossil revitalization centre. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Ghost Pokémon.

Neoville City: By far the largest city in Chino, Neoville acts as the commercial centre of the island. If you wish to shop, there’s no better place in the Pokémon world than Neoville. Seen by most people as the true capital city, Neoville’s hustling and bustling nature belies a sinister underbelly, with mafia-esque organisations secretly pulling many strings inside this urban metropolis. The Gym in this city is dedicated to the study of Dark Pokémon.

Francisco Plaza: Headquarters of the Pokémon League, the de facto capital city of Chino, and housing the personal homes of the Elite Four and the Champion, this grand mini-city sits at the foot of Mt. Hydrolium. Not much is known about the inner workings of this complex, as one requires all eight Gym badges in order to gain entry. Reports have said that the architecture has a mostly Georgian feel, although critics have commented upon the extreme opulence within.

Miscellany
  • I have the major plot points planned out towards the end, but it’s going to be fun for you guys to fill in backstories and little side-missions. The nature of this RP will hopefully be very mercurial, with many different facets to it, to add to the excitement.
  • ‘Evil Teams’ and legendary Pokémon will appear in this RP, but in decidedly unexpected ways to the norm. (I know, yawn, that’s a cliché, but trust me on this one!)
  • You will be able to create your own Pokémon to inhabit the Peridium Forest at some point in the RP.
  • There’ll be times where all of you need to work together; there’ll be times where some of you need to work in groups; there’ll be other times where you guys’ll be on your own. Post orders and post lengths will change and develop accordingly.
  • As you guys will be playing as Gym Leaders, there’s not going to be a focus on capturing Pokémon. That’s not to say that you can’t, but given that your team will already be fully formed, wild Pokémon probably won’t appeal to your characters that much.
  • Don't worry about levels or anything like that; it's assumed that your team will be one of the strongest in all of Chino.
Rules
  1. I am the GM. Unless there aren’t enough sign-ups, I’ll only be playing the NPCs, as well as driving the plot along. Feel free to ask me questions in this thread or via VM/PM, and to do as I tell you in general.
  2. Standard rules re: bunnying, godmodding etc. apply here. Obviously.
  3. I’ll be accepting 8 RolePlayers for this RP to correspond with the 8 Gym Leaders of Chino. THERE WILL BE NO RESERVATIONS! Please use the sign-up form below and I’ll let you know if you’ve been accepted. (There may be other roles later in the game, but I can’t guarantee this, so sign up now to avoid disappointment!)
  4. Please, please, please be active. There’s a dense plot to get through and I would like to complete it. If you don’t think you can be active, then don’t sign up. It’s as simple as that.
  5. Rated T as a safety measure. There’ll definitely be battles, but they’ll be on the anime-level of severity and brutality. Use your common sense when dealing with sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Especially rock ‘n’ roll!
Sign-up

Sign-ups will occur in two stages. The first stage will be a standard sign-up form, which you can fill out below. The second stage will occur after all the RPers have been selected; I will then assign which Gym they are a part of, and they’ll be given the opportunity to design their ‘Gym teams’.

Name: Remember that Gym Leaders don’t have surnames, silly!
Age: Anything 18 or above is fine. Diversity is the spice of life, after all.
Sex: Self-explanatory. It’d be nice to have a balance of male/female.
Appearance: A picture can show a thousand words… provided it’s a good one. If not, then please provide a detailed description.
History: Brief biography of the character’s life up to this point. Try to deal with the effects of the earthquake. If you wish to come from a small village/hamlet: great! Just be descriptive when describing it.
Personality: The more detail, the better!
Personal Pokémon team: Up to 6 Pokémon. As this is a ‘personal’ team, it can be constructed however you like, regardless of type. Fully evolved Pokémon only; you guys will be playing Gym Leaders, after all! If you’re accepted, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a separate ‘Gym team’ out of the types mentioned above. Images are fine.

Questionnaire:

How do you run your Gym on a day-to-day basis?

How would you characterize your interactions with Gym minions?

Give a brief description of the ‘puzzle’ in your Gym.

Please rank all of the major cities in order of preference with respect to their Gym types. This is where you'll tell me which Gym you want to run. I’ll try and get people’s top preferences, but please rank all of the cities from 1 to 8, just to be on the safe side.

RolePlay sample:

Either from a previous RP, or just make something up that showcases your writing ability. Spoilers, please!

Accepted players

TBD
I apologise profusely if the CSS is horrible. This is my first time doing it... please be gentle on me, Skymin!
Age 25
Male
Seen March 31st, 2023
Posted August 6th, 2017
1,855 posts
11.9 Years
Oh my god, this is amazing. Kudos to you for developing such an amazing region! Reminds me of how vivid RHCP's Arcanum is haha.

So anyways, I was just wondering (Forgive me if I missed anything), but basically there are Pokemon in the Peridium Forest that can be considered 'Fakemon', which are created by the players. So are we supposed to construct the personal team using these 'fakemon' or using pre-existing Pokemon? Once again, sorry if I missed it in the OP.

also, the orange background in plot section kinda hurt my eyes, haha

Once again, love Chino as a region, and currently plan to try to join this RP.

machomuu

Stuck in Hot Girl Summer

She/Her
Take a left, turn right at the next stop, bear left for a few mil
Seen March 4th, 2023
Posted April 26th, 2022
10,505 posts
15.1 Years
I have to agree with DI, this looks absolutely amazing! I need to see if I can have the time to post in this... For now, could you reserve me?
According to the OP, there are no reservations.

Meganium

memento mori

she/her
Houston, TX
Seen February 1st, 2023
Posted February 1st, 2023
oh my god catdiggitydog.....so tempted to join OMG!

I know you don't do reservations, but imma try to get an su when I can. xD

GREAT JOB, BTW. IT'S SO BEAUTIFULLY DONE. <3

machomuu

Stuck in Hot Girl Summer

She/Her
Take a left, turn right at the next stop, bear left for a few mil
Seen March 4th, 2023
Posted April 26th, 2022
10,505 posts
15.1 Years
I will say that it does look great. I'll spectate, since I don't know if I can handle an RP too limited, it makes me feel like I need to harbor a lot more responsibility, and I don't want to detriment the RP, but it certainly is a work of art.
Male
Alolan cottage
Seen July 3rd, 2022
Posted April 20th, 2020
906 posts
15.9 Years

.enter Riku



Name| Riku
Age| Eighteen
Sex| Male

Appearance| Standing at six feet flat and weighing in at some one hundred and seventy pounds with the physique of an experienced athlete, not to mention the cold expression forever plastered on his face, appearance alone can tell that Riku is not a boy to be messed with. His peachy skin is stretched across lean muscles, a tattoo of the japanese symbols for victory on his upper right arm in brush stroke style. His green eyes glitter with clarity and keenness, assessing and examining the world leisurely, not usually focusing on a single aspect of his surroundings. His hair is peculiar - caramel brown on the sides as it fades into a dirty blonde when it reaches the top of his head, kept short and jagged sweeping forward and up.

Not one to dress out of fashion, Riku opts for clothing that emphasizes his youth around the older gym leaders. Usually, his entire person is normally swathed in warm clothing that both looks good and is comfortable to walk long distances in. He wears a dark grey crewneck sweater with a large light brown wolf that stares at whoever dares to look at it with its haunting golden amber eyes. This wolf is half hidden by a black and white striped scarf that wraps around his neck - usually shrouding the lower half of his face in mystery - and extends down to his waist. Held up by a light grey canvas webbed belt that hangs off his left side after being wrapped around his waist, are his light blue stonewash jeans. He wears a pair of black and white low top converse sneakers - kept in perfect condition - loosely tied with the tongues of the either sneaker propped up over the cuffed ends of his jeans.

A white watch circles Riku's left wrist, wrapped over the cuff of his sweater so he'll never have to adjust the sleeve to look at the time. Two wooden bead bracelets wrap around his right wrist, only one being half covered by his sweater - one is cream colored with a small Moomoo milk charm, while the other is made up of small orange basketball beads. A grey camouflage money pouch is secured to his belt with a short silver chain, often clanking against his right thigh. Mid-sized plastic earrings, white circles bordered in black held in place with an identical circle backing, are on each ear. When traveling, held by two black straps around his shoulders, he bears his heaviest burden - which still isn't very heavy: a light brown traveling bag that carries his necessities in and hangs down to his waist.

History| Riku was born into a world that many children experienced, but few dared to acknowledge. He grew up in a very old, poor neighborhood in Hinmin Village, somewhere south of Berrylham. He lived with both his mother, Irene, and with his father, Joshua, for only a short while. A car accident took his mother from him when he was only six, and stricken with grief his father attempted suicide. After that failed, he left him to the care of his grandmother who lived on the other side of the city. His memories of his mother are vague, if not almost extinct, those of his father he rather forget. He lived with his grandmother in a small home that she had worked hard and alone for after the disappearance of her husband. His grandmother taught her grandson to only place his trust in himself and no one else, and to never expect things in life unless you worked and earned them. This meant Riku was force to grow up early in order to try and maintain a stable life while he lived with his grandmother. The word was cold and cruel to them, but so long as they had one another's love and support, perhaps things would work out in their favor.

Riku was one of the only child from a poor background at the school he attended. It was otherwise full of wealthy, snotty and spoiled children who would constantly tease him. Unfortunately, life's cruelty didn't stop there. It was no walk in the park; not a single person stood up to defend him or become his friend, no other child came to his side. The young Riku was bullied all throughout elementary and middle school, mostly by the richer kids he was forced to grow up with in school and by the thugs that roamed around the slums he called home. They'd tease him about his hair, his weird, green eyes or the way he always dressed in rags. It only grew worse up until the point he was sent home early when the rich kids tossed old, rotten cafeteria food on him, and was confronted by the local thugs and mugged. They left him with deep gashes everywhere on his body, all for five dollars. He was alone. Slowly but surely, he began not only to put up a tough guy act for protection, but also a deep hatred for the human race.

When he was eleven, years of saving up money payed off and allowed them to move to a new home far away from all of this. A small, rural village just outside of a large city known as Neoville. The village itself was nice, a few wooden cabins dotted across the verdant green pastures. A large river separated the village into two halves with a small bridge serving to connect both halves, allowing citizens to cross without having to go for a swim. A few weeks passed and everything was going great, they had a steady source of income and Riku was top of his class. Though he still refused to socialize, burying himself in his studies instead of hanging out with so called "friends". He began school in this village, and even then in this new environment he could not find comfort with other people. He kept a distance from them, finding solitude and studying far more appealing. He buried himself in his studies, books became his friends and pokemon his teachers. Thought he was not leaving on his journey just yet, he was granted a starter pokemon at the age of ten by the academy for his outstanding abilities. It was a Larvitar, he decided to name her Yoshi.

Through the next year they grew very close, and Riku learned that no matter what, she loved him, and he loved her. It was an unconditional love that made him realize even further the flaws of human kind and the like. This epiphany, though enlightening in a way, also caused him to further seclude himself from people. He spent his days training her and catching even more to add to his collection. He studied the way they behaved and battled with notes and photographs he took. They were magnificent creatures, their very essence was magnificent; they and his grandmother were all he would ever need. Of course, life always found a way to completely ruin whatever happiness he had. Riku and Yoshi were home alone as usual after school, but it was darker that typical that evening. Only certain things about the world could be remembered, Riku would rather forget this day all together. It was bright outside, and Riku helped his grandmother walk down the road to their house. A few quick tremors managed to send them both down the floors, however that wasn't the worst of it. It wasn't long before the very earth beneath them tore apart right where the river once was, a dark abyss swallowing homes and people alike. Riku and Yoshi carried grandma to safety, however a flying mailbox managed to strike him on the back of the head, he struggled to maintain consciousness. He did not, and failed to see the moment his grandmother died. But his eyes managed to stay open long enough to see his grandmother's face one last time.

Their village had been forsake, left to die by the government who did nothing to help even the following weeks. He and Yoshi were the only known survivors, but even then, they left the area and so it was deemed that there were no survivors. The death of his grandmother did not fuel him to go on, but rather killed him on the inside. He wanted to die, too. He spiraled into a dark depression. He did not speak or interact with anyone other than Yoshi, who cared for him as her own child. The pokemon brought a letter to his attention, written in sloppy handwriting and splattered with blood. It was from his grandmother, saying that she had entrusted Yoshi with the duties of mother for Riku and to make sure he became a successful pokemon trainer like they had always dreamed of him being. He stood up one day after reading this, and continued on with life. Whether it was the mere drive of instinct to survive, or the ambition to make his grandmother who watched from above proud. It's safe to say he did just that, setting a record for defeating the gyms of the region in just three months and passing an examination that granted him title of gym leader.

Personality| Though Riku suffered a bad childhood and had to endure many obstacles in life he certainly did not turn down the path of 'loving himself, accepting life and growing for the better'. In other words, he strayed far from the role of the fairy tale Gary Stu. He has come to discover that trusting someone is far too dangerous. While most think it's more morally correct to assume someone is good at first impression, Riku does the exact opposite. Everyone he first meets―or even those he's only heard about―are automatically put under 'deceiver'. Anyone could be a liar, a cheater, a heartbreaker.. And he isn't willing to take the time or risk to figure out which they are.

He is known to make witty comments, and is quick to have his walls up and ready for combat. Love has not been a big thing for him since he was always on the move, and for good reason, too. He isn't exactly lucky in that department. Riku has no friends besides pokemon, and he is quite content that way. He believes he doesn't need friendships with humans, and this has worked well for him so far. However, when it comes to other people, he can be a little hostile, rude, or completely ice cold with them. Nevertheless, deep down, beyond all of these quirks and conflicting ideas, lies a young man who only ever wanted a casual life. He's come to accept that that cannot happen now, and it is an endless, poignant feeling in his heart. All he has in this world are his pokemon. And that, he believes, is all he will ever need. Life has been a struggle for him, and the only way he's ever known how to live is through survival. Luxury is taken too lightly by people. Not enough people know the value of hard work and the struggle to stay alive for the next sunrise. But Riku knows this, and no matter how difficult things get, he will always put on a tough, "I don't give a f*ck" attitude.

Pokemon Team|

.Questionnaire



How do you run your Gym on a day-to-day basis? "I run maintenance on the trainer system, making sure each virtual trainer is in top condition for challengers. I give each of my pokemon breakfast and do a quick check-up to make sure they're healthy and happy, and if the challengers aren't too boring and actually manage to defeat the trainers and reach me I'll stick around. I usually get hungry so I might stop by a fast food joint."
How would you characterize your interactions with Gym minions? I don't like people. So I've created a system that generates virtual trainers whom I remember meeting along my journeys. This makes things run a lot smoother as well, these programs battle almost as well as me."
Give a brief description of the ‘puzzle’ in your Gym. "Well, there's an automatic path that will take the challenger through the entire place before reaching me at high speed. Challengers will ride on the automatic path. Along the way, virtual trainers will appear and battle them as they continue running down the path. While the path is automatic and will eventually bring the challenger to me, the path will only bring them to me if they meet a certain time requirement. If they take too long, the path will only lead them back to the beginning. If they meet the time, they will be left off at the bottom of the staircase leading to me. But challengers don't usually get that far anyways."
Please rank all of the major cities in order of preference with respect to their Gym types. "Neoville. Borhampton. Fluoburgh. Oxyton. Nitropool. Carbocastle. Berrylham.Lithidon."

Roleplay Sample|
Spoiler:
Morning had faded and the sun had burned away the last of the lingering mist. Riku had successfully jumped out of the moving vehicle, which wasn't hard given that it was moving at about five miles per hour. He had a general idea of the direction in which he was headed, having traveled through the place before, but that was two years ago. Things change, as evident by a field of corn in which he found himself a tad lost. The younger stalks poked at his legs and the taller ones that slipped from his hand whipped back at into place, striking random areas on his face in the process. His eye received a minor blow from time to time, making it sting and water, but no real damage was done. Carefully, he picked his way through, knowing the expansive field belonged to some one and did not want to trample any stalks to death. Then again, who would notice a few crushed stalks in the midst of hundreds or thousands? Could be just as well a wild Pokémon had gotten to it. However, he wasn’t going to press his luck. He trudged on. In spite of the uncomfortable prodding by the vegetation, the crops at least provided decent shade though the tightly knitted cluster did make him slightly claustrophobic.

'The same feeling you felt the night your mother died.'

Riku began staring absentmindedly at the soil beneath his feet. The voice in his head was right, it was the same overwhelming pressure on his chest. He had trouble breathing, his need for breathing room caused him to sprint in a random direction. It's not like he'd know the difference a midst all these corn stalks. He made it to the dirt road after jumping over a small wooden fence to keep wild pokemon from intruding into the farmer's fields. He shook his head at the nonsense, he shouldn't be feeling like this. He's grown, matured, these feelings were for children. He stopped and lifted his gaze; coming back to his senses, Riku grew slightly surprised at the sight before him. The skies were no longer the crystal blue he'd seen all the way here, but instead a slate gray. It seemed to cast an eerie blanket over the entire route, making every aspect of the area darker. He took a few steps and noticed the crunching sound from his feet walking over the grains of dirt had vanished. There was no sound at all, like he was walking on a cloud. He looked down and saw the dirt covered in patches of white dust, in fact it seemed to be falling from the sky. Like ash from a recently erupted volcano. It was like another world, separated, discarded, prematurely torn away…

Riku backed himself up to a tree, trying to survey the entire area. The once flourishing Route One had cleared out completely, save for a...Riku squinted. There was a single figure standing in the middle of the road, its concealed face turned toward him. He felt himself freeze, all the sounds and movements around him being pushed out of his mind one after another. It became eerily quiet, and he could have sworn even the swaying corn stalks halted for a moment. Its face was shrouded in the darkness of the hood it wore, but as it raised its gaze Riku was, for a fleeting moment, met with the most chilling hazel eyes he had ever seen. Riku blinked, going against his instinct and standing his ground. Just then, he noticed a couple more figures around him. But these figures were different, they were kids-around his age. The looks on their faces gave Riku the impression they were just as confused as he was. The figure proceeded to take a few steps towards the group of puzzled teenagers, Riku opted to stay right where he was and glare back at the figure. The figure came within speaking range, a few feet away from the group and surveyed them. Its head coming to a halt and Riku could manage to make out a kind of disappointing sight from the figure.

"Looks like you are all here." Riku raised an eyebrow, he could immediately tell it was a woman. But not like any woman he's ever heard; the voice was cold, demanding, and impatient. He kind of liked it. Her pale hand was raised before the group, palm upwards waiting for something. If she wanted the envelope, she surely wasn't getting it. Bastion is a man's name, and if she truly is this Bastion character he would need some proof. The figure shifted a bit and sighed, "The envelope please." It was that same cold, demanding feminine voice. Riku stood there, giving the same cold and demanding eyes she was giving them. It only took a few moments for the other to hand her the letters, so finally Riku dug in his pocket and slapped it onto her palm. His expression didn't change, neither did his stance-in fact he hardly moved at all. She ripped an envelope open and scanned it over, Riku noticing the large briefcase in her hand. Most likely the supplies she is to give them to start their journeys. The figure raised her free hand and lifted its hood, revealing the innocent face of a rather short woman. It didn't fool Riku, her eyes were still as cold as ever. Riku crossed his arms out of boredom as the woman gave the teenagers a thorough inspection.

"Listen, I have no idea what He was thinking. If it was up to me I would have never chosen you lot. Who needs a bunch of foolish kids getting in our way?" Riku leaned back onto the tree he was standing by and closed his eyes, his eyebrow twitched. 'foolish.kids?' He thought, who was she to talk down to him like that? "Whatever. He's the boss so I guess I am stuck with you." Riku couldn't help but chuckle just a bit, Bastion was this woman's boss. She was probably just some lowly grunt, and she think she could talk to him like that? She lifted her arm out, letting the case dangle from her fingers until she let it drop to the ground and pop open. The glimmering red and white capsules wobbled a bit from the impact, but didn't go rolling around everywhere. They were being held in place by the wax seals of the envelopes they laid on. Those were, pokeballs. He would soon have one, inside he could see the tiny creatures shifting. The semi-transparent red tops giving him the sight of their silhouettes. One of those would soon be his, and he would finally get his chance to make something out of himself. Make his city proud, like his sister. "Now pay attention," the woman said abruptly, causing some of the kids to snap their heads up in attention. Riku slowly moved his gaze over towards her, "My name is Seven. That's a code name - no questions, you will receive no answers. You will always address me as such. I will be the one who will watch over you on your journey. You will never see me. You will soon doubt that I am even there. My mission is simple: protect you and help you on your journey. You may think this is some fun trip to candyland and you can just take it easy and quit if it gets too hard. You're wrong."

Her cold hazel eyes narrowed as she looked over the expression of the teenagers. When her eyes met his, he scoffed. She ignored it, for the best, he wouldn't want big ol' mean Seven to get angry. 'After all, six must be afraid of seven for a reason right?' Oh, how Riku cracked himself up. "The moment you got here your whole life changed. No more carefree teenage days, you hear me? This is serious. The future of the Balance depends on your success. If you move on from here there is no turning back. You cannot quit. You cannot go home. Never forget that, or you will face the consequences. I am sure He explained that in the letter." Riku shifted a bit, he was actually interested in what this woman had to say. It sounded...interesting. She handed a pokeball to one of the other boys int he group and looked at the capsule as it lay there in the boy's palm. "This is the most valuable thing in your life starting now. Never lose, forget, or mistreat your Pokémon. I don't except much from any of you. You could never understand." After a few moments, Riku held the red and white sphere in his palm that he had been yearning for since he was younger.

"Get to know your partner. Battle a simple Wild Pokémon. If you lose badly, this is where your Journey ends. If you somehow manage to win or at least do well enough I will give you too-curious-for-your-own-good children a few answers as to why you are here. Good Luck - you'll need it." Riku tightened his grip on the pokeball and looked over the grass besides them. He smirked, he could do this. He looked down at the ball, past the semi-transparent red glass top there was a pokemon looking back at him. Yellow, red cheeks, long ears, lighting bolt tail. He nodded his head in approval, not a bad starting option. Pikachu, female, not too strong at this point, from the looks of her around level five. At this point, it most likely knows one damaging attack and one status attack. He looked down again, she was a mouse alright. Remembering the old Mickey and Minnie Mouse character he heard about. "Minney mouse, you will become the strongest and most reliable on my team. You and I will face this together, are you ready?" Riku didn't bother to wait fora response, his face was intense and concentrated now. He took a few steps towards the grass and looked into the depths of grass blades. His cold eyes looked down at Minney, she wasn't only a pokemon, she was the chance to make a name for himself, to make sure everyone in the land knew who he was. Maybe then...his father would return.

Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best

Age 32
Male
London, UK
Seen September 29th, 2017
Posted July 12th, 2017
11,344 posts
19.1 Years

So anyways, I was just wondering (Forgive me if I missed anything), but basically there are Pokemon in the Peridium Forest that can be considered 'Fakemon', which are created by the players. So are we supposed to construct the personal team using these 'fakemon' or using pre-existing Pokemon? Once again, sorry if I missed it in the OP.

also, the orange background in plot section kinda hurt my eyes, haha
Not to spoil too much, but the Peridium Forest will appear quite late in the RP, so don't worry about that too much. When making your Personal teams, just use already existing Pokemon. And I'll change the colours; CSS is definitely NOT my forte.

Everyone else: Sign-ups will be open for a while - at least a week - so don't worry about being late or anything. Just make sure your sign-up is good.

OH! And I've edited a bit of the History section of the SU, in case you want to come from one of the destroyed villages.

FinalMaster

dededededededededededede

Age 26
Male
Guess.
Seen July 31st, 2019
Posted July 20th, 2014
294 posts
14.7 Years
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod this looks AMAZING.

It's a shame I'm already balancing GM'ing one RP (andby that I mean hoping it gets more than one signup) and playing 2 characters in another with mountains of homework.

I'll be sulking in my Ghetsis-ruled wasteland, watching this thread eagerly.
Currently doing nothing.
Do not disturb. In lab. Testing.
Seen September 30th, 2012
Posted July 11th, 2012
3,529 posts
14.6 Years
Name: Lexa
Age: 24
Sex: Female
Appearance:
Spoiler:
.

Though not shown in the picture, she is fairly short - barely 5'2'' in height. She does not look her age, leading to her being hit on by teens more often than she'd like to be - especially as a certain part of her anatomy is fairly big compared to the rest of her small frame.

History: Lexa was born 'Alexandria', but her then-three year old sister calling her that because she could not pronounce her full name earned her the nickname. For a short while, she, her elder sister and brother and their parents, lived in Ecruteak City, Johto, and it was the Shrine Sisters of Ecruteak whose battling skills, beauty, and grace Lexa admired. Because of them, Eevee became her favourite Pokémon and when she was ten and permitted a Pokémon of her own, she was fortunate enough to be given one. By this point her family had moved to Sinnoh - Canalave City to be precise - but due to her father's job she was unable to start her campaign as a trainer until she was fifteen.

Eevee finally evolved into Flareon when she was sixteen; at the same time she met a trainer who offered to trade her another Eevee for her Luxio. Lexa refused, however. By the time she was nineteen, she had completed the Sinnoh and Johto League Challenges (though did not challenge the Pokémon League itself). Unfortunately, her Flareon passed away that winter, leaving Lexa very depressed. She and one of the friends she made during her journey decided to take a nice little vacation with their Pokémon, and Oxyton City was their destination. Unfortunately, Lexa became acquainted with a group of people who were into recreational drugs, and spent more time of their holiday off her head than anywhere else. She gradually worked drugs into her lifestyle, and did not return home until she was caught propositioning someone for a fix, her body being the payment as she had spent all her money and gotten into debt. Her parents were ashamed of her, but their guilt led them to help her rather than cast her out.

Clean, she took to raising Pokémon again, and looking back on the positive memories of Flareon inspired her to become a trainer specialising in Eevee evolutions. A family friend had connections that enabled them her to obtain an Eevee egg, which hatched into her now-closest Pokémon (whom she evolved into a Vaporeon). As time went on she caught more Eevee, and travelled over the Sinnoh region honing her skills.

An opportunity arose for her, but it meant returning to the country where she had, so to speak, lost her way. However, Lexa saw it as a test rather than anything else, and flew out to the Chino Region hoping to try her luck as a trainer there. Tragedy, however, struck when facing off in her first gym battle. The elderly gym leader had a heart attack, leaving her with no one to fight, yet Lexa's compassion led to the gym leader naming her as their successor. Despite this accolade, she had to earn the respect of the other trainers as well as the cityfolk: no way would they allow a foreigner, as such, to take over - and even when she became gym leader there were still several issues that were not solved until the earthquake. Her handling of the disaster earned her the respect of many of her peers, and the gym is recovering despite the incident.


Personality: Lexa is very outgoing, and unafraid to speak her mind especially when her opinions are being contested. Though she may seem like a natural leader, this is something which has only recently developed throughout her short tenure as a gym leader - occasionally she has her doubts and like most other human beings, she can have phases where she feels vulnerable and insecure, not that she shows it. To many she is a closed book and hard to read, despite her seemingly open personality.

She loves to have fun with her friends, sharing close bonds with some of the younger trainers in the gym. While she is bright, bubbly and able to adapt to various social situations, she has never had an intimate relationship - not that kissing your neighbour's son when you were six counts as a relationship either. Flirting is not her strong point, and she somehow manages to scare people off whenever they are interested - not that many people her own age try to hit on her.

One of Lexa's most striking characteristics is her sarcasm. Combined with her dry sense of humour, her friends often remark that she is more like a grumpy old lady than a twenty-something young woman. She does know when to be serious, with challengers to her gym being the most likely to see this side to her, along with the higher ups when she has to attend formal meetings. Yet somehow, she is highly amused by fart jokes.
Personal Pokémon team:

Questionnaire:

How do you run your Gym on a day-to-day basis?
"I make sure everything's in tip-top shape morning and night. Everyone comes in just before opening and some of us and our Pokémon have breakfast together. After I go to my room, though not the one where I battle trainers - it'd be kinda boring to wait in an arena all day - and sit around on the computer all day. I get fights streamed live to me, and I can always access the main system to make sure everything's running a-okay. Most of the time I'm chatting with my friends or looking up funny Skitty videos on the internet."

How would you characterize your interactions with Gym minions?
"'Minions'? Haha, I'll have to start using that. Let's see... I'm a reasonable leader - three losses in a row and they're out - and I make sure to know when everyone's birthday is (if I like them we'll go out and I'll buy them drinks on the basis that I can take incriminating photographs after, heh). We've got like a chat group in the gym that means we talk a lot of the time - there are some private feeds that only myself and a few others know about that's used for uh... Less professional conversations, if you know what I mean."

Give a brief description of the ‘puzzle’ in your Gym.
"There are six rooms inbetween myself and the challenger, along with six buttons. The rooms can move, and each is connected to a button that the challenger is allowed to press when they first enter the gym and after each successful battle. If they lose they have to go back to the start! It can get really frustrating because the rooms reset when they try again (I got the idea from Vermilion City in Kanto), not to mention each room contains a trainer who uses a different type of Pokémon to the others; people who use the same type are boring and easily defeated."

Please rank all of the major cities in order of preference with respect to their Gym types. "Oxyton, Lithidon, Carbocastle, Neoville, Fluoburgh,Berrylham, Nitropool, aaaand Borhampton."

RolePlay sample:

Spoiler:

From "Pokémon VR: Game of Chance"

"Good evening to you, too," he replied cordially, scowling no sooner had Janine left. Now there was no point in going to the Pokémon Centre, even though Smoochum probably needed healing - not to mention Chloe's ugly fish Pokémon might shock him again and God forbid his hair be affected by static. He sniffed haughtily even though he was alone and walked in the opposite direction: north. Viridian Forest was the next place to visit, no doubt it was filled with little boys trying to find bug-type Pokémon. Weak Pokémon, with the only exception being a rare (often version-exclusive) Safari Zone catch, that he had no time for. Hopefully there would be no further accidents with Pokéballs.

As he strolled through the town, the sun's descent transformed the sky into a painter's masterpiece of red, yellow and orange. Street lamps came on and buildings soon began to glow from within, windows of all sizes casting the light out into the drawing night. There were a few people about, though like him they kept to their own business. Viridian was not as big as he had initially thought, and soon he found that the buildings were thinning out and there was a road up ahead.

"Hold it Sonny!"

Oh what now? seethed Prince, as an elderly man whose hair seemed to be withering into his scalp huffed towards him.

"Don't you dare take another step further!"

"Is there a problem?" the sour-faced youth frowned, grasp tightening around the handle of his briefcase. The parasol spun faster.

"Yes! You're not allowed to take one step further until I've had my coffee! What are you doing wandering the streets at night dressed like that, eh?"

"It's barely nine o'clock," Prince sighed, "way beyond the curfew for the old peoples' home."

"
Gaah! Impudent youngsters - think you're all important and stuff! What are you supposed to be, a bank accountant?"

Prince attempted a side-step only to be blocked by the old man; he blanched as a walking cane almost struck him over the head. What was it with him and NPCs? He probably wouldn't be able to pass until he collected a package from Oak's laboratory and delivered it to him, which would mean a return trip to Route 1 and then a lecture from another old man.

"I'm a Pokémon trainer," he explained, wondering if he could appeal to his harasser's programming and ditch him while he tried showing Prince how to catch a Weedle.

"Yeah? I still haven't got my coffee so until then you're not getting past!"

Drat! The old man's reflexes were like those of a ninja - was he an associate of Janine? - for no matter how Prince tried he could not break free from his marker. Then, he noticed the glimmer in the NPC's eyes and shook his head.

"No! I am no one's servant. I would rather wait all night than get you a coffee." Or beat you with my suitcase but then you might scuff the leather, he added silently.

"Pah!" wheezed the old man. "Then do it Sonny! I can wait just as long - I've lived almost four score years and I'm not about to kick the bucket yet!"

Prince no longer cared, he was extremely irritated by his run of bad luck and therefore turned around and began heading back towards the centre of the city. He still harboured no desire to return to the Pokémon Centre, and took a right as soon as he came upon the junction in the road.
I am the very model of a scientist salarian,
I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian.

Male
Seen June 14th, 2012
Posted May 29th, 2012
2 posts
11 Years
Took me a while, and I got a little carried away, but here it is, all except the sample. i should have that soon, not tonight though


Name: Rhory
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Appearance:
Rhory’s physique is similar to that of a bouncer. He is often taller that everyone in the room and is equally as “big”. At around two hundred and twenty pounds, Rhory has a body comprised of both muscle and fat. He is sometimes underestimated because his arms look a little flabbier than they are muscular, and most of those who challenge him on it end up on the floor. However his legs are the odd thing about this whole image because they are the one thing it looks like he works out, muscular and well toned as they are. His wide-set shoulders, big arms and tree-trunk legs make him look more intimidating, a plus for any gym leader, but also a deterrent for any decent companions.
Rhory attire is appropriate for his political status. During his business and battling hours he can be found wearing a suit, much like many of the important men of the city. His suit coat is a charcoal gray with a matching vest. His underlying shirt is simply white with a glossy red necktie tucked neatly into his vest. His pants are a matte black paired with a set of wide-toed, oxblood red dress shoes. This suit is similar only to those “acquaintances” he knows he has to please to get his way. Rhory often is dressed similar to his more pleasant acquaintances, otherwise known as his “friends”. He prefers a nice pair of khakis or decent jeans, and on especially lazy days, cargo shorts. He often wears t-shirts but can occasionally be seen with a polo shirt. And something he still hasn’t given up since childhood, wears the same sneakers until they’re holier than Sinnohen cheese, something that he is sometimes criticized about by the news stations and his less lively acquaintances.

History:
(I got a little carried away, so I just bolded what is important.)
Spoiler:
Some little kids have a fanciful dream where they run off and join the circus to get away from their parents and have adventures. Rhory, however, wanted nothing but to get away from it… He was raised on the road by his parents who had met and married after they joined the Great Vanzetti Brothers Circus Extraordinaire. What brought joy to so many was also his prison. From the time he was three, Rhory helped his parents with their carnie chores. His father trained lapras to do tricks and his mother rode ponyta standing up. Being two of the main attractions didn’t excuse them from clean up duty, and being three didn’t excuse Rhory.

When he was younger he loved the circus and didn’t mind helping out. But as he grew older, he tired of helping put on a show for others, tired of making friends with only those who joined the show, tired of everything the circus life had to offer. It wouldn’t be till three years after he started having these feelings that he could seize his chance to bring about his own journey. In the mean time though, he became apart of his mother’s and father’s acts, something he did not fully enjoy, but did not complain about.

At the age of twelve, when he could barely stand the show anymore, his parents took his future into consideration. It was a resounding “Yes!” on Rhory’s part. He’d start a few years later than most trainers but he didn’t plan on letting that hold him back. He was given his Skarmory by Amerigo Vanzetti, one of the brothers, and his lapras by his father. Both were little more than infants at the time, barely able to hold their own against the weakest of pokemon. He started off only a few days after being given his pokemon. Starting from just outside of Neoville, his first destination was Peridium Forest where he planned to train Screer for a while. The plains just before the forest offered no challenge to him once he and Screer had bonded and grown. The first patch of the forest offered him a rough start though.

Rhory had just so happened to stumble upon the section of the forest called the “Voldt”, a strip of forest occupied by electric pokemon. Only having pokemon that were weak to electric attacks, Rhory was forced to use up his stock of medicines and was forced to return to civilization for a period. This was something he never intended on and was quickly back out into the wild again, steering clear of the Voldt in fear of a repeat.

For only being twelve, he was quite self-sufficient when it came to food and shelter. He and his pokemon always had food in their stomachs and a warm, dry place to sleep on their long endeavors into Peridium forest. This allowed him to stay much longer than most other trainers, allowing him to train his skarmory, and occasionally his lapras in the random forest pond. It also allowed him to observe all the different types the forest had to offer. This is where he caught his next two pokemon: Pinsir and Tropius.

Soon after, Rhory moved out of the forest and back to civilization where he was taking on trainers of all different ability and skill level. Surprisingly, being away from other people didn’t affect him in the least bit, he was as social as ever. Along his journeys, he soon grew concerned that he wasn’t giving Osear enough attention, despite the love and affection she showed him. This is when he decided to take a little “tour” of Lake Mercuria. His lapras grew so much in a short period of time. This tour of the small islands that dot the lake opened him up to many more pokemon that were exclusive to this part of the island. It was as if he were living in the forest again, not relying on civilization to survive.

It didn’t last long though, definitely not long enough in his opinion, and before he knew he was back on the road again, battling trainer after trainer. He was becoming known among some of the poke-fan clubs and rarely a pokemon professor or two. His high win ratio got him unofficial fame among some these clubs and his notations from his time in the wild intrigued some of the “greener” professors. His time in the forests and on Mercuria inspired new and adventurous trainers.

With a dwindling amount of natural frontiers for him to conquer, Rhory headed for Beryllham to explore the Zircon Hills. Coincidently he found upon his arrival that the Vanzetti circus that he was once apart of had moved into town the night before. It had been eight years since he’d seen anyone from his past, and this was as good of a reading as any to go see the show. He had decided it’d be best to see the show and then reintroduce his self to his parents and old friends.

The acts had changed up quite a bit: There was a wider array of pokemon than just the lapras in the water show which his father still worked, and the ponyta had become a rapidash which galloped around the ring with a newer, fresher face standing on it’s back. There was also an additional psychic show that was added, more of a magicians act in his opinion, and sculpturing act where pokemon worked together to fire blast sand storms into any statue the crowd called out… He had a good time, and was glad to see his father was still in the business but the fact that his mother was missing nagged at the back of his mind the entire time.

After the show Rhory waited for things to calm down before setting out in search of his parents, no small task in a circus so big. Along the way he stopped in with old, forgotten friends who were excited to see him. Many of them bore regretful news of other friends who had left the circus or had been hurt beyond performance ability, but they all ended on a happy note. After a few hours of reminiscing, Rhory finally found his parent’s trailer.
Upon entering he was relieved to see his mother was still around. His parents, however, were startled at seeing an unfamiliar face looking right in their eyes and choking up a bit. But all in an instant they understood. Even after so many years the two couldn’t mistake the face of their now twenty year old son. They embraced him and were relieved to see him after so many years.

They had collected a few articles about him and his journeys but had never seen a picture. They wanted to know all about his time in the forest and his adventures throughout Chino. It was well past two in the morning before he could even change the subject to their lives after he left. It turns out that a rowdy trainer had sent his pokemon into the ring to stir up some trouble during his mother’s act. This led to an accident where she fell off the ponyta, breaking her ankle and shattering her tibia. She could no longer ride them but she was welcome to take care of her long time partner.

He stayed with parents for a few nights before he decided to move on to the city. His parents were sad to see him go but understood that he needed to continue on. He said his farewells to all of his old friends and especially to Amerigo who had given him his skarmory so many years ago. It wasn’t his first goodbye, nor was it his final. He needed to move on but he made it a point to visit his family and true friends more often.

In a short time he reached Beryllham where he toured the many fine restaurants and attended a special dinner he was invited to by the local poke-fan club where a mini tournament was held. He didn’t win, nor did he expect to, but he came in a close second. It was at this same event where he was approached by a pair of scientist looking sort who invited him on an expedition through the Zircon Hills. They explained that recent sonar scans had revealed a cave system that had been unknown to humans before was the destination of a team of scientists, interns and mountain men alike. They had read his journals and would appreciate someone with such an eye for observation to join them.

Of course Rhory accepted this offer; a chance to explore the unknown had never been so well timed. They set off within the next month for the far regions of the Zircs, as he called them, to search these caves for potential secrets. And it did not disappoint the team. New pokemon never seen before were found deep within the cave systems. However, for as many new pokemon they found, they encountered a thousand zubats along the way. It was no surprise that they’d find them, it was the perfect environment, but it was a surprise that they were different from those that were constantly encountered by humans. These had a discoloration and different physical attributes than those, something they soon found common among many of the pokemon found elsewhere in Chino.

It was three months of searching and documenting the cavernous expanse before they found the most extraordinary finding of all. The cave system gave way to a small amount of ruins that predated what was thought the earliest settlements of Chinoh. It was covered with a strange alphabet that was similar to the modern day one but seemed slightly more primitive with circular patterns embedded in them. All of the formerly inhabited tunnels led to what seemed like a chamber with pictures of unknown pokemon painted on the wall, something that seemed unsurprising due to the recent discovery of so many. What was really interesting was fossils that had been laid upon an altar in the middle of the chamber. These were identified by the scientists as those of ancient pokemon, some of which had been discovered in other areas of the world, but some that had never been seen before.

With permission from the team leaders, Rhory collected a souvenir, an old piece of amber with a sample of aerodactyl DNA within. He was told that a laboratory in Fluoburgh might be able to reconstruct the pokemon from what was there. Once pictures and samples had been collected, it was time to leave. These inhabited quarters had apparently been the end of the system and they could go no further. On a last bout around the dwellings, a fissure in the rock opened, sucking in air into what ever chamber lay just beyond. And before he could call for anyone the walls opened up and a flurry of black and white poured from the forgotten chamber.

Without thinking Rhory let loose his pokemon and set them into an attacking state, striking at what seemed to be the writings on the walls come to life. Many of them were too quick and fled to the far reaches of the system before anyone on the team knew what had happened. It was a combination of Phalanx’s razor leaf and Screer’s whirl wind that brought down one and only one of them. He sent out his pokeball and caught what seemed to have been the letter A.


Rhory was still confused but the scientists had come to the sudden realization that these were unown writings on the wall. They had been found before in the Johto region but never anywhere else. The chamber that held the pokemon was, oddly enough, empty. The scientists decided to stay but sent Rhory on his way, explaining this would now become a significant, yet dull, site of study. He headed out with his new pokemon, fossil, and loads of research on new pokemon. These writings further pleased the scientific community and furthered his relations world wide.

His next stop after this exciting expedition was the revitalization center in Fluoburgh. This obtained him an ancient, powerful and rare pokemon in not much time at all. After this he decided to conquer the final frontier open to him: City life. He battled in many of the competitions held and furthered his fame among the poke-fan community. During his rough patches he had fallen short of the community expected of him and gotten himself mixed up with the wrong sorts of people.

Within a few years he was involved in an intercity organization that partook in the exploits of Carbocastle’s, Oxyton’s and Neoville’s citizen through their obvious moral flaws. He did not consider himself a bad man, just an adapting one. Just as he adapted to each of the natural environments, he adapted to this one too. He quickly rose in the ranks and was chosen by this organization to take on the pokemon league. He started when he was twenty four and finish a year and a half later. Funding from his organization and his twelve years as an experienced trainer helped him win his title as mayor of one of Chino’s great cities.

He had realized early in his organized career that these people would try to control him. He didn’t let that happen. He still affiliates with them, hears their ideas and opinions, and does nothing with most of them. Rhory knows he is capable of running his city and lets no one tell him otherwise.

Not much damage has occurred within his city and is ear-marking a small amount of the relief money for his “associates” but is primarily sending the relief elsewhere, mainly to those in the villages that have been decimated by the quakes. He knows how hard it is to live outside the city and feels it shouldn’t be made any harder, something his “associates” don’t agree with.



Personality: During office hours Rhory is the typical stern, serious official so often portrayed. His suit attitude lasts for as long as he’s in it. Whether he’s battling aspiring young trainers, something that doesn’t happen very often, or doing paper work he wears either a scowl or his poker face. He’s cold and calculating in the office and in the gym but this isn’ all that there is to him. He’s adapted this from hanging around the thugs of his not-so-long ago past. To him it seems like a requirement, scowling and not having fun, something he’s obviously never enjoyed. However when the suit comes off he’s just another adventurous trainer, young at heart and bright eyed. He loves the outdoorsy stuff and traveling with his friends to the places of his past where he once trained to become what he is today. He’s polite and friendly to those new to him, but rowdy and playfully rude to his friends. He’s humble around “fans” of his and is all around a pleasant guy to be around when he’s in his old pair of running shoes.

Personal Pokémon team:
1. Ptero the Aerodactyl
2. Osear the Lapras
3. Phalanx the Tropius
4. Alpha the Unown
5. Screer the Skarmory
6. Klamps the Pinsir

Questionnaire:

How do you run your Gym on a day-to-day basis?
“I start my day off by making sure each of my minio- I mean interns, are in decent fighting condition. I take my own gym challenge and make sure they can each defeat at least one of my pokemon. It’s a system that everyone is happy with, or so I’ve heard. Otherwise I retire to my office to review paperwork and memos and such, something I’m not too fond of. But hey, it’s got to be done. I also check up on the onsite pokemon center; the nearest is quite a ways away so it was my idea to install one right into the gym. After a light lunch I read any correspondence I receive. After that it’s some more paperwork and then office hours are over; the time where I can go out and have a little fun.”

How would you characterize your interactions with Gym minions?
“I get along fairly well with my interns. I occasionally invite them out to lunch or dinner. Sometimes we go on one of those mandated “trust building” outings that are required by law. I usually just take them to some of my favorite areas in Chino to let them battle some tough pokemon. Nothing special really, they are just interns after all, they’ll be gone within a couple of months to go pursue their business endeavors with my endorsement.”

Give a brief description of the ‘puzzle’ in your Gym.
“Given that I have a lot of space to use, I’ve recreated scenes from all over Chino. Each room is filled to the brim with obstacles that replicate real life situations. The first room is filled with rolling mini-hills that represent the plains around Peridium. The next replicates Peridium itself, filled with trees, brush and other foliage. The third is the “Pool Room” as I call: It is a giant pool of water with smaller island dotted about. The fourth is the caverns of the Zircs: a multi story room with a built in cave system. The last is an urbanscape where trainers must battle in a simulated city block. And for my room, it’s a little bit of each. The point is to make them have to adapt to whatever challenge they may face.
Please rank all of the major cities in order of preference with respect to their Gym types. “Oxyton, Carbocastle, Neoville, Borhampton, Lithidon, Nitropool, Berrylham, Fluoburgh”

RolePlay sample:

Spoiler:
"Your pokemon are all better now sir." The Nurse Joy sister of Cherrygrove City handed Richard the pokeballs that contained his Hoothoot, Donobo and his Rattata, Clark. "We hope to see you again." The nurse ended the transaction with the signature sound off of all the nurse Joys. Richard grunted in acknowledgement to the nurse and walked off with his recovered pokemon. Who in their right mind would hope for a pokemon to be hurt or become ill in the first place? If she wasn't brain washed like all the rest she might just be more than a waste of oxygen. He thought as he stepped into the bright light of the afternoon sun. His hand came up to form a visor that protected his eyes from the sun. Maybe if his pathetic pokemon ever won him a battle he would have a little bit of spending cash to invest in a pair of sunglasses, or at the very least a hat.

Richard looked about at the passer-bys in the small town of Cherrygrove. Most, if not all of them, with a smile on their face. Some conversed among themselves while others just enjoyed the warm summer day. He found an inexplicable disgust for these villagers. He couldn't place his finger on it but the men, women and children of Cherrygrove always had him on his last nerve. He observed each individual as he passed them on his way out of town. As the exit came within sight a kid, probably in his early teens ran past him, knocking him in the shoulder. Richard spun around, catching the little snot before he was out of reach,"You listen and you listen good you little mistake! You do that again and I'm going to find a nice little window and knock it out. Why you might ask? Well after that I'm going to take a shard of glass and I'm guna help you on your way to becoming a monk. That's right buddy boy; castration!" The kid's face turned white, attaining an expression of sheer terror. "Now I expect you've just learned how to use those things so I don't think you wanna be losing them. Now git!" Richard let go of the terror stricken boy, turning back to head to the next route.

That little outburst had earned Rich quite a few stares from local on-lookers. What should it matter to me, it's not like these jokes are ever going to see me again. Hmph. He was still getting all sorts of nasty, judgemental looks when he reached the northern route. Richard advanced along the rode until found a field of tall grass. "Time to catch me one of those Sentret I've been seeing around." He walked in an uncaring manner through the field, no sense of eagerness present. And after a ten minute stroll through the grass he had found one, still unaware of his presence.

Richard retrieved the pokeball containing his Donobo and brought it close to his mouth. "You better not mess this up you terrible waste of space," he whisper before sending out the Hoothoot. Donobo's cry as it was sent out startled the little Sentret which had turned to battle him. "Donobo, use tackle!" Richard commanded. All he got in return was a piercing glance from the little ball of feathers. It turned back to the Sentret and started... talking to it? Soon the Hoothoot hobbled over to the Sentret, placing itself behind it slightly."And what do you think the hell you're doing! Fine, get back in your cell, I guess you can't handle battles." He threw the pokeball to retrieve Donobo but the Sentret deflected it. The ball broke when it hit the ground, preventing him from using it to return his Hoothoot.

"Fine, plenty of more there that came from you little snot!" Richard yelled as he rummaged through his backpack. The side pocket he kept them in was empty, the one's that were attached to his belt, gone. That little brat, stole all of my pokeballs. He looked back up at Donobo and the Sentret. They had a sort of smug look on their faces. "Fine, you want to 'roam free'? Go ahead, I'm sure that I'll never be needing you. Go on then you mistake, run off and we'll just pretend I never even laid eyes on you!" The two pokemon ran off into the tall grass. Meanwhile Rich shouldered his bag and turned around to begin his trudge back to town to buy more pokeballs.

Esper

California
Seen June 30th, 2018
Posted June 30th, 2018

Name: Astrid
Age: 25
Sex: Female
Appearance:



History
Astrid grew up in an upper middle class family which always had high class aspirations for themselves and their children. She went to good schools, never got in trouble, and did fairly well academically. Her parents even afforded her some private lessons with experienced Pokémon trainers, hoping she would use these skills to reach high into politics one day.

Soon after graduation she disappointed her family by quickly failing her first attempt at winning a gym badge, never even facing the gym leader herself. Devastated, Astrid ran out of the gym, but the gym leader, Fiona, who had been watching the matches, stopped her at the door and pulled her aside. She gave her a lot of advice, most importantly that she should not do what others expect of her and to follow her own path.

Astrid took this advice to heart and interned at the gym, at first only watching and helping with the day to day running. She saw many great trainers pass through the doors. Some left victorious, some in defeat, and when she saw a particularly disheartened trainer one day she pulled him aside, offered him a cup of tea and they spoke for a while. Soon this became a regular occurrence and even some of the other gym staff would stop to talk with her about problems they were having. She enjoyed being able to offer what help she could.

When the great earthquake struck Astrid was at the gym as she usually was, and while she was helping everyone to the exits Fiona simply ran out of the building. Several people were hurt in the evacuation and Astrid was furious that her own mentor, the person responsible for them, did nothing to help. She confronted her leader and challenged her to a match, though she knew she was outclassed. The battle went better than she expected, but she was still being pushed into a corner. That was when Fiona called off the battle. She forfeited. Soon after she quit her position as gym leader and left town, never explaining her actions. Astrid believes this was her way of atoning.

With the gym leaderless the city appointed her as interim gym leader and she has been adjusting to the changes, though it has been a rocky, tiring process.

Personality
Away from the pressures of work she is kind and caring. Her friends know her as a very generous person who gives without thinking and wears her heart on her sleeve. She desperately wants to be liked, admired, and befriended by people, almost to a fault. Even her family, with whom she not on the best of terms, mean something important to her and she still tries to please them.

She is still young and unsure of herself. She often looks to more experienced people for advice. In this way she is somewhat unqualified to lead, but she sees it as her biggest strength and takes pride in knowing she puts the greater good above her own ego. In general she is one to talk first and act second, to look before she leaps.

Balancing her softer qualities is her staunch, unbending belief in doing the right thing. She will speak forcefully out of turn and regardless of the social situation if she sees some injustice being committed. More than anything she would be outraged if someone were to take advantage of her generosity. She does not expect others to follow her way of life, and she knows many don't, but she is still a bit of an old-fashioned girl and believes kindness should be returned with kindness.

Personal Pokémon team



Hariyama ♂ | Masquerain ♀ | Bronzong ⚪
Arcanine ♀ | Claydol ⚪ | Mantine ♂

How do you run your Gym on a day-to-day basis?
“By keeping a close eye on everything and everyone! I’m joking, but I do like to see for myself how things are going and take a moment to talk with the challengers. Maybe that’s a little overbearing, but I want this place to run like a well-oiled machine, but not to have the heart of one. I want people to enjoy their time here.”

How would you characterize your interactions with Gym minions?
“I wouldn’t call them minions. They’re my friends. I’ve known some of them for years. They’re like family to me. I want to do right by them so I give them all the time I can spare, but it’s a hectic job running a gym! I might act a little harsh on them sometimes, but I just want them to do their best. They know they can always talk to me. The last thing I want is to turn into a taskmaster and have no one call me out.”

Give a brief description of the ‘puzzle’ in your Gym.
“Every trainer working in this gym has a few pieces to a puzzle key which locks the door to the final battle arena. I leave it to each of their discretion how they give out the pieces to challengers, the only hard rule being that if they lose a match they have to hand them out and they have to have a match if that’s what the challenger wants. Sometimes a challenger only needs to ask for the pieces. However, not all the pieces are necessary for the door and there are at least a few different combinations that will open it.”

Please rank all of the major cities in order of preference with respect to their Gym types.
  1. Berrylham City
  2. Borhampton City
  3. Oxyton City
  4. Carbocastle City
  5. Lithidon City
  6. Fluoburgh City
  7. Nitropool City
  8. Neoville City
RolePlay sample:
Spoiler:
(This is a section cut out from an aborted fanfic I posted a few years back. Yeah, a bit old, but I think it's good enough.)

Hazel got to her feet with Miss Cornflower’s help. For looking so frail she felt immensely solid. A strong pillar worn away at the edges, but still standing. She led Hazel away from the graveyard to a stone path leading up a hill that was, thankfully, shaded. Someone had thought to plant a row of oak trees along each side the path and their branches formed a natural archway like dozens of clasped hands keeping its visitors from contemplating something so great and mysterious as the sky. It looked private, peaceful. Enclosed places keep thoughts from getting away and emotions from running high.

Beyond the neat rows of trees lay gravestones marking the individuals and families who had lived and died on the islands. They stood like silent guardians watching over the landside and its people. It was strange, now that she thought about it, that her family had no graves here. At the foot of the hill the rows ended in upturned earth. Some trees had been removed to make room for more graves. If it continued up the hillside, Hazel found herself wondering, the magic of this place might disappear forever.

Near its peak the hill grew steep and the path turned to roughly hewn earth steps and boards of wood to keep them from sliding. No graves stood on this part of the hill, but the trees remained and were much taller. Hazel felt winded after a few dozen steps. Miss Cornflower seemed not to notice and moved ahead as if sliding down the hill rather than up it. Hazel looked over her shoulder. They had gone quite far. She could no longer make out the faces of the people down below. She searched for the tree where the shadow had been, but could not distinguish it from the others.

Finally, red-faced with the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears, Hazel reached the top. It was flat and though ringed with the same trees she had passed under the center was clear. A few flowers bloomed red and violet at her feet. Bright sunlight streamed through the leaves as though they were the stained glass windows in a cathedral. It was cheerful here, a floating island in a sea of somber ceremony.

Ray Maverick

Age 27
Male
Seen 7 Hours Ago
Posted 2 Days Ago
3,411 posts
14.3 Years
::Name:: Taz
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Appearance:

*Not sure a sprite is enough

::History::
Taz was born in the majestic Agate village, Orre region, into a family of retired professional trainers. As a kid, he always aspired to become like his father, Romulus, who had won four Underground Tournaments in a row, and to befriend the most powerful and elegant allies like his mother did. When his 10th birthday arrived, his parents decided it was time to set Taz onto his own adventure - and so, they gifted him an Eevee, whose name was Papercut. But he was too young to travel around, so he spent the next three years playing and training the Eevee around Relic Forest. He battled with his father multiple times at the start, Romulus using an equally strong as Taz' Eevee - but seeing Papercut getting stronger, he challenged others from the village and eventually beat all of them, displaying an amazing amount of skill and talent.
Romulus saw his potential as a trainer and decided to take him to Phenac City's Trainer School. The two of them moved to Phenac, where Taz started his course in that school; he was challenging others to battle often.

Another three years passed, Taz had now finished his school course and was ready to take on the Phenac City's colosseum challenge. Having a Jolteon now and two more Pokemon in his arsenal, a Charmeleon and a Metang, he thought it would be easy to get through the trainers - but the challenge proved to be far more difficult than he could ever imagine. Stubborn as he was, he took it personally and trained his Pokemon harder, battling anyone he would see on the streets of Phenac. His father then gifted him his Gabite who proved to be a loyal ally and a strong addition to his team.
So, after some months, he took on the Colosseum challenge he so wanted to win; only to fail again. Disappointed and heartbroken, he announced to his father that he is quitting as a Pokemon trainer, but Romulus prevented him from doing so, claiming that we learn from our mistakes. He convinced him that not all was lost, and that Taz was old enough to start travelling around the world. Taz considered this, and he decided to travel to Unova.

Unova proved to be as challenging and fun as Taz had expected; he travelled all around it, meanwhile training his Pokemon and looking for new ones. Having caught two more Pokemon, a Duosion and a Zoroark, his team excelled at battling; Taz started collecting badges from the Gym leaders, but he had no intention of challenging the league. However, as he was trying to claim the fifth badge of Unova, he deemed the region too vast for his liking, being used to the small cities of Orre. The lack of mystery and adventure resulted in him being depressed.
Romulus, knowing his son well, had sent him a newspaper in the mail. The newspaper was advertising an island which managed to caught Taz' attention; he searched the internet for more information involving it and found out about the gym challenges, immediately taking the decision of moving there.

Taz took the first ship to Chino and started exploring it, being fascinated by the rail system. The stories about the island's past he gathered from the villages all around interested him the most, though - the island quickly grew to his liking. His reputation was also spreading around, as he was challenging more and more people - he ended up taking on the gyms of the region, and eventually passing an examination to be one of the gym leaders of the region.


::Personality::

Taz is generally seen as a very jolly and outward person, always being good company. He is happy-go-lucky but in no way immature or foolish - he might think of everyone as a friend, but he always keeps his guard up. He isn't quick to judge people, he always give them a second chance as he is kindhearted and always has good intentions. He is not the person to hold a grudge over something; he doesn't mind talking about anything with anyone. Taz is over-competitive, though, and overconfident, although he doesn't show it - he thinks cockyness is conquering the battle's psychology field, even though he doesn't really underestimate any opponent. He also gets excited very easily and is extremely impatient, always thriving for adventure.

What makes Taz' personality attracting is his talent for expressing himself - he often imbues his speech with his emotions, influencing it heavily, sometimes resulting in misunderstandings that hurt him deeply. He is very sensitive and takes insults or hurtful comments personally; some times he is depressed, but still seeks company.
Despite the negative effect on his behaviour his feelings can cause, he is an open person and would gladly talk about anything with anyone. He's not afraid of laughing out loud, seeming like an every-day person that likes to have fun. Taz' cheerfulness and team spirit are rather contagious; he often inspires the ones surrounding him to join his cause. Although his constant friendly behaviour indicates he sees everyone as an ally or a friend, his guard is always up and he keeps his personal opinion about others to himself.


Someone judging him by his some times "shallow" behaviour would be terribly wrong, though. It may not seem like it, but Isaac is pursuing a greater ideal of his own, to see everyone live and prosper in peace, without grief - he has realized that in order to achieve this state, sacrifices must be made. He appears to be quite mature and wise, something which overlaps with his cheerful and excited side.

Once people get to know Taz, they really start to admire his delicate soul, which is as fragile as an artist's, and as mighty as a warrior's at the same time. He can see through things and their original means; he also possesses the ability of observation in-depth, in and out, and an amazing prowess at solving mysteries.
Isaac's ethics have a positive effect on his personality - he is able to maintain his calm, although always eager and impatient when it comes to adventure.





::Personal Pokémon team::
  • Reuniclus -- 'Romulus' or 'Rom'
  • Jolteon -- 'Papercut'
  • Garchomp -- 'Skindred'
  • Charizard -- 'Ardentios'
  • Zoroark -- 'Dominique' or 'Dom'
  • Metagross -- 'Zion'
Questionnaire:



How do you run your Gym on a day-to-day basis?
My mates usually help me put up traps on the gym, so the challengers don't get where they want to be - and as for training, I train them

How would you characterize your interactions with Gym minions?
I like to hang out with my trainers - they're alot of fun. I get to see what kind of bond they have with their Pokemon, when we get to fight. We're a team! Even though I forgive them losing (mainly because I get to fight sometimes!), my training program is still harsh, but it's exactly what they need, you know? It gives me the kicks to see 'em laying some fire on the battlefield!

Give a brief description of the ‘puzzle’ in your Gym.
My Gym's a maze - you can't see where you're going, but there are also teleport panels in the dark which confuse you even more! You don't only need good memory to get through, you also need luck... and eventually skill, to beat the trainers I've set up in key locations.

Please rank all of the major cities in order of preference with respect to their Gym types.
Berrylham, Fluoburgh, Neoville, Carbocastle, Lithidon, Nitropool, Borhampton

RolePlay sample:
- Taken from Uncharted Waters -
Spoiler:

- Pirate Council -
Pirate captain Heil of the Axe, head of the Pirate Council, frowned upon the view of the pirate crews that had gathered in the room; the Haxorus disliked all this messy procedure, and disapproved the lack of discipline by the rest of the pirate leaders that were all sitting in the middle of the room in a circular table, each captain having their crews behind them. The five pirate heads, Heil of the Axe, a Haxorus with a pirate band that seemed like a hat, Morrison Haglio, a Manectric with a monocle and golden shoulderpads, Captain Ingo, a frowning, scarred Gengar with a pirate band onto his head, Captain Popo, the bloodied Furret and Captain "Azure Flute", the Roserade beauty were quietly sitting on their chairs, giving each other glances. It all seemed like an opera - the captains were the actors, the others watching them from above. The council was about to start, the pirates making so much fuss, the Haxorus stood up and spoke with his deep voice:




"Pirates, hear me out! It's about time we get this over with!"



Everyone was silent in an instant; the Haxorus raised his draconic head and looked all around the room with a faint smile on his face. Heil's voice was echoed in the silence.
"You probably have heard this story before. But allow me recount things from the beggining; things have changed in this world, the world of Wayard. Two of the ancient objects with prehistoric power we call Soul Essences..."



He smirked, glancing at the powerful pirate leaders next to him, Ingo and Haglio, and said after a brief moment:



"... were stolen."


Everybody had heard this of course. Even the Pokemon living in the wild had noticed, the room remained silent, holding their breathes under his heart-gripping voice.


"You have been summoned here by me, the head of the Pirate Council, Heil of the Axe, by letter. We are requesting your services."


While every other pirate captain was sitting down, Heil put away his chair and started walking circles around the council's table, with his arms behind his back, his eyes travelling from table to table as he continued his speech.


"I must inform you, that this is not an order given from us, the pirate leaders of each of Wayard's corners; Supreme Admiral Yale of the Navy has requested our assistance in finding the one responsible for this.. outrageous income with the artifacts I mentioned before; that pirate, calling himself the Forsaken, has announced that he will control the Navy with such power, and therefore control the world. Now I am quite aware that most of you dislike the Navy and would rather go continue your work, and I agree with you."


After a dramatic pause, the mightiest of all pirates spoke again in an even more serious tone.


"But, I ask you this question: what freedom lies with us, if we let the Forsaken do as he pleases? What treasure will there be for us to acquire if this lone pirate claims the world for his own? We will choose to be his minions, or his defiant, always free pirates?"


Heil's deep voice was getting stronger with each question, and its force was so inspiring some of the pirates shouted hooray and yeah! to which Heil responded by simply closing his eyes and raising his strong arm to stop the disturbances.


"Now, now."


The Haxorus fixed his pirate hat, crossed his arms and turned to Captain Morisson Haglio, the gentleman pirate and a former Navy officer, a Manectric with a monocle and golden shoulderpads.


"Captain Haglio, fill us in on the Forsaken."


Haglio seemed disturbed by Heil's ordering tone, but he stood up, his front feet on the table as Heil sat down quietly, settling down on his chair which almost cracked under his massive weight, glanced at Armand, the Captain of the Shattered Skull pirates. The new voice that cracked in the room was strangely high, but it had almost the same might as the Haxorus'.


".. All the information we have about the Forsaken is from his mails to the Naval HQ, which could not be tracked back to the sender - the Pelippers delivering the letters claim they do not keep track of who is sending what for privacy matters... but that just makes our work harder. Anyway - in those letters, at first, we, and by we, I mean the Naval and Pirate HQ altogether, regarded the Forsaken as a foolish, ambituous and lone pirate that seeked recognition; but with his second later, we started considering him as a true threat - not only to the Naval HQ, but to the entire world and the Pirate HQ, respectively. He is claiming he has stolen the two weather essences, the Groudon's Ray and the Kyogre's Raindrop; we noticed massive weather changes in various regions of Wayard, in result the theft, as well as the folklore about the legendary Soul Essences, to be considered a hundred per cent true."


The news were shocking, Heil grunted and Ingo, the Gengar coughed, as Haglio continued to speak.


"That being said, the Forsaken is now pretty much able to control the weather, which will be a great asset for him. Not only he will be able to crush our ships with terrible, non-stop rains and thunderstorms, but he will also drought the land we set foot on in search of the Soul Essences. As you all know, we are not quite sure about his motives or his intentions towards us, the pirates, and we do not have a single clue about his whereabouts - but, we do have an advantage: we can search for the elements freely, in the four corners of this world, while he has to be hiding. And of course, we also have the full support of the Naval HQ!"


Ingo coughed again and said;


"More like they have the full support of us..."


Heil stood up and faced Ingo, seemingly angered by the Gengar's mouthful remark; but Ingo looked Heil in the eye and continued speak with a nerve of a true pirate; he was the oldest pirate, once the wisest amongst the Pirate Heads.


"It's true, Heil! They're using us, and you do nothing about it!"


The Haxorus slammed his strong fist on the wooden table, shaking it entirely.


"That's disrespect towards the Head of the Pirate Council, Ingo! Are you doubting me? What, are you gonna start a rebellion in the middle of a council?"


He seemed like he was going to attack Ingo for a moment, but he contained his anger; Ingo settled down as well with a small grunt, the worried Haglio sitting back as well, now the Roserade, Azure Flute getting up from her chair. She winked at Tylor and his crew, before she glanced at Heil who nodded, giving her permission to speak, her charming but strong voice running across the room into the ears of everyone.


"Ahem, now that got over this little incident.." she paused, choosing her words, "Like dear Haglio here said before, we won't only need to search for the Forsaken, because we literally have no idea where he is - he could be even be one of us! Could you imagine?"


She chuckled, obviously picturing what she just said; Heil tapped his feet on the floor, making a terrible sound of steel-like claws scratching a rock as he gave the Roserade a death stare.


"On the subject, Flute"


She seemed quite annoyed, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and continued.


"We thought of instead searching for the Forsaken, search for the Soul Essences themselves - yes, you heard right! Seek and take the Essences, only to secure them by that rotten scourge calling himself Forsaken, and use them, in order to find the rest. Anyway, the Naval HQ has dug up all the folklore it could find about those wonderful jewels, and it seems like we will able to track the locations of most of them, with your help of course."


The Furret with the bloodied fur that was sitting silently on his seat, looking at the ground the whole time, now gently coughed; everyone looked at him, Heil motioned his eyebrow with his arms crossed.


"Excuse me for interrupting you, missey. But who the heck guarantees us that the use of the Soul Essences won't bring the destruction of Wayard? It'd be wiser, in my opinion, to just trap each essence and wait for that Forsaken pirate-wannabe to show up and then we capture or simply kill him, pronto! No need for fussing for the elements!"


His voice sounded high like Haglio's, but childish as well; Heil remained on his seat with his arms crossed, his serious expression fading away.


"Popo, what you're suggesting is impossible. I believe the Forsaken is truly powerful and news for a trap will surely travel across the world, reaching his ears and therefore ruining it - he'll never show up, or he'll just search for the rest of the many Essences; and we can't trap all of them. So, we're sticking to the original plan: find and conquer all the Essences before the Forsaken, and we will meet him on our way there, I'm sure of that. And when that happens, we will crush him like the puny imbecile he is"


Heil continued his speech, after taking a deep breathe everyone heard; he stood up again, walking around the table with the head pirates.


"Now we do have some information regarding the location of a Soul Essence; an ancient source we found in Terra suggests that the "Being of Inspiration" is living somewhere on the Northwest; the translation of the tablet claims that the name of that being is "Mesprit", and it is gifted with the Soul Essence which has the power to inspire the heart - we call it Mesprit's Heart. Its shape is unknown, however that is little of importance to us. What we do need to know, though, is how enter its "resting chamber". Folklore also speaks about a trap in there, a trap for any intruder to come."


Heil raised his right arm with on claw in the air, looking around the pirates; his deep voice was heard once again.


"So, without further ado, and with Azure Flute's permission, we, the mightiest pirates of Wayard, will sail the Northwest Sea Zone's waters in search of that elusive Iris Island Range, where Mesprit rests!"



As Heil roared proudly and the rest of the pirates followed him, a bulky, shady figure wearing a black robe with a hood exited the room subtly; the figure ran down the hill of the Pirate HQ with high speed, jumped onto a tree without having much problem with its robe, then jumped onto another tree and then onto another until it disappeared in the forest.