[PKMN OPEN] The Retaliators and The Downfall of Team Rocket [M] (OOC/SU)

[Fact Checking Gardevoir]

I say OK!

 

[saniachan]

@Kung Fu Ferret @OrangeTaka @mdebourg101 @Fact Checking Gardevoir @Charcadet121 @Alex_Among_Foxes @Typh

I should've said this earlier, but don't be surprised if Kaede slaps the suffix -san (or -sama in Eric's case) after your characters' names -- especially surnames if they have any. Do correct her IC if your characters would rather be called something else, though.

 

[Ranger_Lark]

If it's not too late, I'd like to apply!

Civilian Name: Tal Schafer
Retaliator Name: Bright Judgement
Age: 23
Gender: Trans man (he/him)
Type: Ranger
Partner Pokémon: Mareep (Nicknamed Proton)
Moves: Thunder wave, Thunder Shock, Charge, Takedown

Personality: Tal is quiet, but not shy. He's quite comfortable around people, he's just the type that speaks only when he has something to say, and only says as much as he needs to. This has led others to sometimes believe he is standoffish or even snooty. He is a rule-follower and quite strict about doing things in the proper way. He has a strong protective streak toward anyone (person or pokemon) who he sees as weaker or vulnerable. When fighting for his principles, he becomes very intense and direct, like a bolt of lightning.

History: Tal was born and raised in Oblivia. His parents were shepherds who raised Mareep. He grew up helping herd the flock, spending a lot of time alone in the fields with the mareep. Tal would say he first learned his protective traits from watching the Flaffy and Ampharos who naturally act as livestock guardians for the herd and protect the mareep. Once he was old enough (late teens), he joined the rangers. This taught him more about the environment and wold pokemon. It also expanded his protective nature to caring for the ecosystem and the people and pokemon of Oblivia. Fiore, Almia and Oblivia's strong ranger presence kept Team Rocket generally at bay. And Oblivia is especially isolated and hard to get to compared to the other two. So though he had heard of Team Rocket, Tal never met so much as a grunt in person. This changed when a refugee fleeing the spreading crime empire ended up crashed and stranded on Renbow Island and was found by the rangers. In hearing the man's story, Tal was immediately incensed, and determined to help stop Team Rocket. He saw it as a duty of his role as a ranger (and a moral human being) to go to the heart of the action and contribute directly to protecting the whole world. He was one of several rangers sent from Oblivia to other regions in need. He was sent to Unova, and spent a year helping the resistance there and developing a reputation as a committed fighter before being invited into the Retaliators.

Civilian Appearance (Pic? Description? Both?): Pale skin, ash-blond hair that is short on top with shaved sides. Blue/grey eyes. He is often dressed in the ranger uniform typical to Almia (white shirt, black shorts, red jacket).

Retaliator Apperance (likewise): Though his partner is a mareep, Tal has taken inspiration from the guardian behaviors of Ampharos. The Retaliator suit mimics Ampharos' appearance and color patterns: Yellow and black stripes, with a white belly. The face-visor covers the top half of Tal's face (leaving the mouth exposed, Batman-style), and has a red gem on the forehead. The suit includes a tail with a red light at the tip.

Special Abilities (Aura, talking to Pokémon, psychic capabilities, extreme brainpower, brute strength, etc): Due to his upbringing, Tal is familiar with herding techniques and long-distance whistle-language, as well as sailing, which is important in the Island region of Oblivia. He is moderately good at talking to Pokemon (more than an average trainer, not uniquely good).

Theme Song (a song that suits your character, preferably either an instrumental piece or something with lyrics in English and/or Japanese):Theme
Battle Theme (same as above, but more suited for a battle): Battle Theme
Other (anything else you might want to add): Tal is from a ranger-dominated region so he will be mroe familiar with stylers than pokeballs, and not really used to battling. Being in a relatively secluded/protected region for so long, he might come across as a bit naive with regards to Team Rocket and other regions, but he is not foolish/stupid.

 

[Kung Fu Ferret]

I'll let

If it's not too late, I'd like to apply!

Civilian Name: Tal Schafer
Retaliator Name: Bright Judgement
Age: 23
Gender: Trans man (he/him)
Partner Pokémon: Mareep (Nicknamed Proton)
Moves: Thunder wave, Thunder Shock, Charge, Takedown

Personality: Tal is quiet, but not shy. He's quite comfortable around people, he's just the type that speaks only when he has something to say, and only says as much as he needs to. This has led others to sometimes believe he is standoffish or even snooty. He is a rule-follower and quite strict about doing things in the proper way. He has a strong protective streak toward anyone (person or pokemon) who he sees as weaker or vulnerable. When fighting for his principles, he becomes very intense and direct, like a bolt of lightning.

History: Tal was born and raised in Oblivia. His parents were shepherds who raised Mareep. He grew up helping herd the flock, spending a lot of time alone in the fields with the mareep. Tal would say he first learned his protective traits from watching the Flaffy and Ampharos who naturally act as livestock guardians for the herd and protect the mareep. Once he was old enough (late teens), he joined the rangers. This taught him more about the environment and wold pokemon. It also expanded his protective nature to caring for the ecosystem and the people and pokemon of Oblivia. Fiore, Almia and Oblivia's strong ranger presence kept Team Rocket generally at bay. And Oblivia is especially isolated and hard to get to compared to the other two. So though he had heard of Team Rocket, Tal never met so much as a grunt in person. This changed when a refugee fleeing the spreading crime empire ended up crashed and stranded on Renbow Island and was found by the rangers. In hearing the man's story, Tal was immediately incensed, and determined to help stop Team Rocket. He saw it as a duty of his role as a ranger (and a moral human being) to go to the heart of the action and contribute directly to protecting the whole world. He was one of several rangers sent from Oblivia to other regions in need. He was sent to Unova, and spent a year helping the resistance there and developing a reputation as a committed fighter before being invited into the Retaliators.

Civilian Appearance (Pic? Description? Both?): Pale skin, ash-blond hair that is short on top with shaved sides. Blue/grey eyes. He is often dressed in the ranger uniform typical to Almia (white shirt, black shorts, red jacket).

Retaliator Apperance (likewise): Though his partner is a mareep, Tal has taken inspiration from the guardian behaviors of Ampharos. The Retaliator suit mimics Ampharos' appearance and color patterns: Yellow and black stripes, with a white belly. The face-visor covers the top half of Tal's face (leaving the mouth exposed, Batman-style), and has a red gem on the forehead. The suit includes a tail with a red light at the tip.

Special Abilities (Aura, talking to Pokémon, psychic capabilities, extreme brainpower, brute strength, etc): Due to his upbringing, Tal is familiar with herding techniques and long-distance whistle-language, as well as sailing, which is important in the Island region of Oblivia. He is moderately good at talking to Pokemon (more than an average trainer, not uniquely good).

Theme Song (a song that suits your character, preferably either an instrumental piece or something with lyrics in English and/or Japanese):Theme
Battle Theme (same as above, but more suited for a battle): Battle Theme
Other (anything else you might want to add): Tal is from a ranger-dominated region so he will be mroe familiar with stylers than pokeballs, and not really used to battling. Being in a relatively secluded/protected region for so long, he might come across as a bit naive with regards to Team Rocket and other regions, but he is not foolish/stupid.

Accepted.

 

[saniachan]

If it's not too late, I'd like to apply!

Civilian Name: Tal Schafer
Retaliator Name: Bright Judgement
Age: 23
Gender: Trans man (he/him)
Type: Ranger
Partner Pokémon: Mareep (Nicknamed Proton)
Moves: Thunder wave, Thunder Shock, Charge, Takedown

Personality: Tal is quiet, but not shy. He's quite comfortable around people, he's just the type that speaks only when he has something to say, and only says as much as he needs to. This has led others to sometimes believe he is standoffish or even snooty. He is a rule-follower and quite strict about doing things in the proper way. He has a strong protective streak toward anyone (person or pokemon) who he sees as weaker or vulnerable. When fighting for his principles, he becomes very intense and direct, like a bolt of lightning.

History: Tal was born and raised in Oblivia. His parents were shepherds who raised Mareep. He grew up helping herd the flock, spending a lot of time alone in the fields with the mareep. Tal would say he first learned his protective traits from watching the Flaffy and Ampharos who naturally act as livestock guardians for the herd and protect the mareep. Once he was old enough (late teens), he joined the rangers. This taught him more about the environment and wold pokemon. It also expanded his protective nature to caring for the ecosystem and the people and pokemon of Oblivia. Fiore, Almia and Oblivia's strong ranger presence kept Team Rocket generally at bay. And Oblivia is especially isolated and hard to get to compared to the other two. So though he had heard of Team Rocket, Tal never met so much as a grunt in person. This changed when a refugee fleeing the spreading crime empire ended up crashed and stranded on Renbow Island and was found by the rangers. In hearing the man's story, Tal was immediately incensed, and determined to help stop Team Rocket. He saw it as a duty of his role as a ranger (and a moral human being) to go to the heart of the action and contribute directly to protecting the whole world. He was one of several rangers sent from Oblivia to other regions in need. He was sent to Unova, and spent a year helping the resistance there and developing a reputation as a committed fighter before being invited into the Retaliators.

Civilian Appearance (Pic? Description? Both?): Pale skin, ash-blond hair that is short on top with shaved sides. Blue/grey eyes. He is often dressed in the ranger uniform typical to Almia (white shirt, black shorts, red jacket).

Retaliator Apperance (likewise): Though his partner is a mareep, Tal has taken inspiration from the guardian behaviors of Ampharos. The Retaliator suit mimics Ampharos' appearance and color patterns: Yellow and black stripes, with a white belly. The face-visor covers the top half of Tal's face (leaving the mouth exposed, Batman-style), and has a red gem on the forehead. The suit includes a tail with a red light at the tip.

Special Abilities (Aura, talking to Pokémon, psychic capabilities, extreme brainpower, brute strength, etc): Due to his upbringing, Tal is familiar with herding techniques and long-distance whistle-language, as well as sailing, which is important in the Island region of Oblivia. He is moderately good at talking to Pokemon (more than an average trainer, not uniquely good).

Theme Song (a song that suits your character, preferably either an instrumental piece or something with lyrics in English and/or Japanese):Theme
Battle Theme (same as above, but more suited for a battle): Battle Theme
Other (anything else you might want to add): Tal is from a ranger-dominated region so he will be mroe familiar with stylers than pokeballs, and not really used to battling. Being in a relatively secluded/protected region for so long, he might come across as a bit naive with regards to Team Rocket and other regions, but he is not foolish/stupid.

FINALLY, A MALE RANGER 😃

Idc if he's trans or what. As long as he meshes well with the gang (especially Kaede who's also a ranger), I'm good. ☺️

One question though: Have Tal and Kaede ever met before? Like, maybe in a past ranger mission or something?

 

[Ranger_Lark]

FINALLY, A MALE RANGER 😃

Idc if he's trans or what. As long as he meshes well with the gang (especially Kaede who's also a ranger), I'm good. ☺️

One question though: Have Tal and Kaede ever met before? Like, maybe in a past ranger mission or something?

Glad to make you happy! Just to be on the same page, is there a reason him being male matters, like hoping for a future romance plot, or is it just for variety? I am open for in-character romance plots if the chemistry develops naturally between characters.

As for whether they have met: in Guardian Signs, it's established that Oblivia is pretty isolated and hard to get to from most regions. So probably they wouldn't have met long ago. But I deliberately included ~a year of vague and undetermined ranger work in Unova pre-recruitment to facilitate plot and character hooks. So if you would like them to have met or even been on a mission together, I'd be ok with that! And happy to plot out/discuss any details of how they met/what happened.

 

[saniachan]

Glad to make you happy! Just to be on the same page, is there a reason him being male matters, like hoping for a future romance plot, or is it just for variety? I am open for in-character romance plots if the chemistry develops naturally between characters.

Nope, just for variety's sake. Afaik we have so many male trainers (and no female trainers -- all females here are either ranger, Pokemon, or gijinka) in the bunch as of now, so it is nice to have a male non-trainer joining the ranks.

As for whether they have met: in Guardian Signs, it's established that Oblivia is pretty isolated and hard to get to from most regions. So probably they wouldn't have met long ago. But I deliberately included ~a year of vague and undetermined ranger work in Unova pre-recruitment to facilitate plot and character hooks. So if you would like them to have met or even been on a mission together, I'd be ok with that! And happy to plot out/discuss any details of how they met/what happened.

In that case, I... have my doubt that Tal and Kaede had already met before. Kaede herself hadn't ever gone to Oblivia yet, y'see. 🙃

 

[Ranger_Lark]

In that case, I... have my doubt that Tal and Kaede had already met before. Kaede herself hadn't ever gone to Oblivia yet, y'see. 🙃

Ok! Then this can be their first meeting. I think it fits Tal, who has come from far away and is a bit of an outsider to the "main game" regions and their culture

 

[Typh]

This will be interesting, Christina will have to keep an eye on two rangers now. lol

 

[saniachan]

Ok! Then this can be their first meeting. I think it fits Tal, who has come from far away and is a bit of an outsider to the "main game" regions and their culture

Well, well, welly well, that's one more common ground between our rangers. Kaede hails from Ransei, the main setting of Pokemon Conquest (albeit modernized here), which is also far away from the main regions. Although... I think Ranseian culture is a bit like... Johto, maybe? 🤔

This will be interesting, Christina will have to keep an eye on two rangers now. lol

Oooh, good luck with that~ 😏

 

[Typh]

Well, well, welly well, that's one more common ground between our rangers. Kaede hails from Ransei, the main setting of Pokemon Conquest (albeit modernized here), which is also far away from the main regions. Although... I think Ranseian culture is a bit like... Johto, maybe? 🤔


Oooh, good luck with that~ 😏

the worse part is that soon they'd find our her secret and she has to both trust them, but also is warry of them, because they're rangers, and it's unknown how their styluses will affect her.

 

[saniachan]

the worse part is that soon they'd find our her secret and she has to both trust them, but also is warry of them, because they're rangers, and it's unknown how their styluses will affect her.

Thing is, if Kaede has to use her styler on Christina, that would be when the latter's Pokemon side goes out of control one way or another. Not sure about Tal, though.

 

[Ranger_Lark]

Thing is, if Kaede has to use her styler on Christina, that would be when the latter's Pokemon side goes out of control one way or another. Not sure about Tal, though.

Similar. The capture stylers are said in the games to convey the ranger's feelings and intentions to the pokemon. Mal would see no reason to use a styler on Christina if he can just talk to her like a regular person. The only way I can imagine it coming up is if there's a situation where Christina is acting completely bestial (i.e. doesn't seem to think or act like a person at all) and is somehow being a danger to others.

 

[Typh]

Similar. The capture stylers are said in the games to convey the ranger's feelings and intentions to the pokemon. Mal would see no reason to use a styler on Christina if he can just talk to her like a regular person. The only way I can imagine it coming up is if there's a situation where Christina is acting completely bestial (i.e. doesn't seem to think or act like a person at all) and is somehow being a danger to others.

Fair enough, Christina is a former trainer, so she might not know how the ranger's capture stylers work, but yea, makes sense it wouldn't be used unless something was wrong or a mistake was made.

 

[saniachan]

Similar. The capture stylers are said in the games to convey the ranger's feelings and intentions to the pokemon. Mal would see no reason to use a styler on Christina if he can just talk to her like a regular person. The only way I can imagine it coming up is if there's a situation where Christina is acting completely bestial (i.e. doesn't seem to think or act like a person at all) and is somehow being a danger to others.

Fair enough, Christina is a former trainer, so she might not know how the ranger's capture stylers work, but yea, makes sense it wouldn't be used unless something was wrong or a mistake was made.

That, and the ranger lingo might be a bit confusing to trainers. If a trainer overhears a ranger talking about capturing someone else's mon, I won't be surprised should the trainer try to lecture the ranger about it only for the ranger to launch a capture disk instead of a Pokeball.

 

[Ranger_Lark]

That, and the ranger lingo might be a bit confusing to trainers. If a trainer overhears a ranger talking about capturing someone else's mon, I won't be surprised should the trainer try to lecture the ranger about it only for the ranger to launch a capture disk instead of a Pokeball.

Yeah! I have a ranger OC rp blog on tumblr, and I find it fun to have little linguistic differences like using "Browser" instead of "Dex". Though the way I see it, rangers from main-game regions like Kanto, Unova, etc. would still be more familiar with things like Pokedexes and trainer things, because that's common in those regions. (I.e. in the mainline games, the rangers are a trainer class and use pokeballs, etc. Whereas in the ranger game settings, there are no trainers at all).

 

[Typh]

That, and the ranger lingo might be a bit confusing to trainers. If a trainer overhears a ranger talking about capturing someone else's mon, I won't be surprised should the trainer try to lecture the ranger about it only for the ranger to launch a capture disk instead of a Pokeball.

Yeah! I have a ranger OC rp blog on tumblr, and I find it fun to have little linguistic differences like using "Browser" instead of "Dex". Though the way I see it, rangers from main-game regions like Kanto, Unova, etc. would still be more familiar with things like Pokedexes and trainer things, because that's common in those regions. (I.e. in the mainline games, the rangers are a trainer class and use pokeballs, etc. Whereas in the ranger game settings, there are no trainers at all).

Those are interesting points, true trainers would hear that and think poorly on it, since that is very illeagle in the pokemon world. With the only group to actually catch already caught pokemon being team snag'em using snag balls which are modified pokeballs. And out there... it's kind of the wild west kind of thing.

 

[Ranger_Lark]

In that case, I think I'll need to figure out how a Fairy assist would work...


Actually, what would be Andy's Retaliator alias here? Or would you rather wait until he needs it IC?

I was just thinking, I wanted to talk about how field moves would work.

Obviously, when the ranger games came out, Unova (and several later regions) didn't exist.
For assists, I figure it makes the most sense to just use a pokemon's type (grass, dark, etc.)
For me personally, the fairy type seems associated with cuteness/sweetness, so maybe something like friendship "filing up" faster?

But field moves are more complicated than simple type matchups. Some have the same name as regular moves (e.g. cut, tackle) but some aren't (psy power, soak, electrify), and even the ones with move names don't quite work like moves. For example, Sunkern can learn the move tackle in the main games, but in the ranger games, it only has the one field move, cut.

I can see this working a few different ways:

1. Ignore field moves and just treat them like regular moves. Sunkern, for example, would be able to use Cut or Tackle.
2. Every pokemon gets one field move, and we just try to pick the closest comparable pokemon match. (For example Pidove -> Pidgey -> Cut)
3. Not bother making a rule about it and just go with what works for the scene in the moment.

 

[saniachan]

It's certainly a strange crowd: what looks like three trainers with their teams, and two independent pokemon.

Actually, who did you mean by "what looks like three trainers with their teams"?

Obviously, when the ranger games came out, Unova (and several later regions) didn't exist.
For assists, I figure it makes the most sense to just use a pokemon's type (grass, dark, etc.)
For me personally, the fairy type seems associated with cuteness/sweetness, so maybe something like friendship "filing up" faster?

Sounds good, though visual-wise it could be like... forming hearts along the capture line or something?

But field moves are more complicated than simple type matchups. Some have the same name as regular moves (e.g. cut, tackle) but some aren't (psy power, soak, electrify), and even the ones with move names don't quite work like moves. For example, Sunkern can learn the move tackle in the main games, but in the ranger games, it only has the one field move, cut.

I can see this working a few different ways:

1. Ignore field moves and just treat them like regular moves. Sunkern, for example, would be able to use Cut or Tackle.
2. Every pokemon gets one field move, and we just try to pick the closest comparable pokemon match. (For example Pidove -> Pidgey -> Cut)
3. Not bother making a rule about it and just go with what works for the scene in the moment.

I actually lean more to mixing options #1 and #3 (roll with whatever regular moves work for the current scene) because I've done so in another RP, but since this ain't my RP...

@Kung Fu Ferret Your verdict?

 

[Kung Fu Ferret]

I'd go with 3.