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Pokemon: Big Trouble in Little Chino (SU + OOC)

Mr Cat Dog

Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best
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    [PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Big Trouble in Little Chino (SU + OOC)

    "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!
    [PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Big Trouble in Little Chino (SU + OOC)
     
    Last edited:
    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.
     
    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?
     

    .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|
    [PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Big Trouble in Little Chino (SU + OOC)


    .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:
     
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    -DeepImpact- said:

    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
    Click to expand...
    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.
     
    Last edited:
    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.
     
    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: *pokemonelite2000 image removed*"image removed"*pokemonelite2000 image removed*"image removed""image removed""image removed"

    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:
     
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    Just to reiterate:

    THERE ARE NO RESERVATIONS! Sign-ups will remain open until at least this time next week, upon which I'll pick the best 8 to move forward with the RP.

    Thank you.
     
    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:



    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:
     
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    Name: Astrid
    Age: 25
    Sex: Female
    Appearance:

    [PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Big Trouble in Little Chino (SU + OOC)


    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
    *image removed**image removed**image removed*
    *image removed**image removed**image removed*
    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:
     
    ::Name:: Taz
    Age: 21
    Sex: Male
    Appearance:
    [PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Big Trouble in Little Chino (SU + OOC)

    *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:
     
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    There's still 3 places left, and I'm still accepting sign-ups. If you've posted your interest but haven't signed up, feel free to do so! Tell your friends, even. I don't bite. Honest! :D
     
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