[The Oroh League] A Pokemon Sandbox Adventure

[Aethyrium]

"Hi there! Welcome to the world of Pokemon! My name is Professor Spruce. Everyone calls me the Pokemon Professor!

That's right! This world is widely inhabited by mysterious creatures called Pokemon! Pokemon have inexplicable powers. They come in many shapes and live in many different places. We humans live happily with Pokemon! Living and working together, we complement each other. We help each other to accomplish difficult tasks. Having Pokemon battle one another is particularly popular, and it deepens the bonds between people and Pokemon. And that is why I research Pokemon. Well that's enough from me... Could you tell me about yourself?"

Code (Character Sheet) Select Expand


[float=right][img padding=5]https://via.placeholder.com/150x200[/img][/float][b]Character Name:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]Trainer Class:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]Gender & Sexuality:[/b] [i][/i]
[b]Age:[/b] [i][/i]
[center][table]
[tr][td][center][color=black][b][u]Battle Offense[/td][td][center][color=black][b][u]Battle Defense[/td][td][center][color=black][b][u]Capture Rate[/td][td][center][color=black][b][u]Growth[/td][td][center][color=black][b][u]Discovery[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][center][color=blac][i]0[/td][td][center][color=blac][i]0[/td][td][center][color=blac][i]0[/td][td][center][color=blac][i]0[/td][td][center][color=blac][i]0[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[b]Personality:[/b] [i][/i]

[b]Motivation & Goals:[/b] [i][/i]

[b]Biography:[/b] [i][/i]

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[center][size=14pt]Badge Case[/size][/center]
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[center][size=14pt]Pokemon[/size][/center]
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[b]Name | Level | Species:[/b]
[b]Ability | Moves:[/b]
[b]Stats:[/b] Attack | Special Attack | Defense | Special Defense | Speed | Evasion


"The moment you choose the Pokémon that will accompany you on your journey, your story will truly begin. During your journey, you will meet many Pokémon and people with different personalities and points of view! I really hope you find what is important to you in all of these travels… That's right! Befriend new people and Pokémon and grow as a person! That is the most important goal for your journey! Let's go visit the world of Pokémon!"

[Aethyrium]

The Oroh League is a sandbox Pokemon adventure game set in the fictional Oroh region designed by yours truly, and slated to be played out in the Light small group board. Intended to be an entry point for new trainers, The Oroh League is about undergoing your very own Pokemon journey! Meet friends, explore the world, advance your own goals, and of course, catch 'em all. By far, Oroh is the largest region in the Pokemon universe as it is described within the confines of this game. Respected world wide, Oroh has the most challenging Pokemon League anywhere - and trainers capable of enduring the extreme challenges are sure to go down in history as some of the greatest of all time. The possibilities and adventure opportunities in The Oroh League are, truly, endless.

But don't expect an anime-esque light hearted setting. Oroh is a living, breathing place that has its own troubles. The villains of Oroh are serious, and they'll stop at nothing to succeed in their dastardly plans. This is a place with risks, and the potential of failure. Characters aren't shielded by plot armor, and they certainly aren't promised to win anything.

Are you looking to tell your story? Grab a character sheet provided above, and make a few selections as listed below.

Game Details
The Oroh League is a free form Pokemon game. Characters are expected to make a few numerical choices at the start of the game, and as their Pokemon progress to indicate focus - don't worry, these numbers don't indicate if you can do something, just how much better you are at something than average! There are no wrong choices, and it's all about framing the specialty of your character. There are 5 trainer stats:

• Battle Offense: Battle Offense represents a bonus to trainer issued attacks of your Pokemon in battle - their ability to land successful attacks and deal meaningful damage.
• Battle Defense: Battle Defense represents a bonus to unissued defensive tactics of your Pokemon in battle - their ability to naturally evade and endure incoming attacks.
• Capture Rate: Capture Rate represents how skillful you are at actually capturing Pokemon and adding them to your collection - this makes capture attempts more successful, and stronger Pokemon easier to catch.
• Growth: Growth represents how skilled you are at developing your Pokemon partners - this increases leveling speed, move learning, evolution, and general improvement.
• Discovery: Discovery represents how good you are at dealing with the world and finding hidden things - this increases your chance for rare encounters, helps with world events, and can open doors, paths, and other options that might not otherwise be available.

As you create your character you may spend 5 points divided however you want among these five stats. Additionally, you're going to be choosing a Trainer Class, which will give you bonuses to some of these stats. There are 7 trainer classes:

• Trainer: A Pokemon Trainer is a battle generalist. They often believe in making quick decisions in the heat of the moment, reacting to situations as they unfold. (+2 Battle Offense, +2 Battle Defense, +1 Growth)
• Champion: A Pokemon Champion is an offensive battle specialist. They often value raw power, and utilize extremely aggressive battle styles to overwhelm their opponents. (+3 Battle Offense, +2 Growth)
• Tactician: A Pokemon Tactician is a defensive battle specialist. They typically value patience and defensive strategies, winning by exploiting weaknesses in their opponents strategies. (+3 Battle Defense, +2 Capture Rate)
• Breeder: A Pokemon Breeder is a growth focused individual. They usually look to unlock the inner power of their Pokemon, and work tirelessly with them to maximize their potential. (+3 Growth, +1 Discovery, +1 Capture Rate)
• Collector: A Pokemon Collector wants to catch them all! These individuals tend to look at having an option for every occasion, they want to get as many partners as possible, and create strong bonds. (+3 Capture Rate, +2 Discovery)
• Ranger: A Pokemon Ranger is an explorer, first and foremost. Often driven to see the world, they want to uncover the mysteries of the world of Pokemon, and usually have fiery determinations that won't let them back down. (+3 Discovery, +2 Battle Offense)
• Enthusiast: A Pokemon Enthusiast is a generalist. Their likes and goals fall anywhere on the spectrum of options, forging their own journey's as they unfold! (+1 Battle Offense, +1 Battle Defense, +1 Growth, +1 Discovery, +1 Capture Rate)

A trainer class shouldn't confine a character's personality, outlook, or style. However, it should fit and your selection should be shaped on how your character behaves, and what their long term goals are. When in doubt, just pick what you want, it isn't the end all be all of who a character is. Your character gets to start, of course, with a Pokemon! And Professor Spruce is just the nicest. For your starter you may select any Stage 1 (unevolved) Pokemon that is not mythical or legendary. Ever rare stage ones (such a  Dratini, for example) are on the table to be your starter of choice. Your starter Pokemon begins at level 5.

Your starter Pokemon will begin with 10 in each of the Pokemon stats (Attack, Special Attack, Defense, Special Defense, Speed, and Evasion). Whenever any Pokemon you have levels up, you will spend 5 points divided however you want among these stats with one exception, you may never put more than 3 points in a single stat per level up. Pokemon that you catch will come with pre-determined stats, given to you at the time of acquisition. We will be playing with Pokemon abilities - you may pick the ability for your starter Pokemon, if it has multiples available, however hidden abilities are off limits for this selection. Obtained Pokemon will come with abilities. We will not be using natures. Pokemon may know a total of 6 moves at any given time, customize your dream team! Finally, in addition to the stats above, Pokemon in your party (not tracked elsewhere) have Hit Points as follows:

• Stage 1 Pokemon have 3 Hit Points.
• Stage 2 Pokemon have 4 Hit Points.
• Stage 3 Pokemon have 5 Hit Points.
• Baby Pokemon have 2 Hit Points.
• Single Stage Pokemon have 4 Hit Points.
• Pokemon gain an additional Hit Point for every 20 levels they have attained.

Which brings us, finally, to game flow specifically regarding battle. During a battle, each particpating trainer will be allowed a round to declare their actions. Once all participant rounds have been made, a "scoring" post will be made to determine the out come for actions taken. You don't need to worry about anything - no dice, no math, no anything - I will tell you exactly what takes place. All the numbers you picked? Those are for me, you are never, ever, going to interact with them. You're only job is to make flowing, awesome posts that paint the picture of the epic battle. During your battle posts you make make 3 actions. That could be three moves used, a recall, a send out, and an attack. There may be special rules for certain things (Solar Beam costs 2 actions this post, Hyper Beam reduces your actions next round by 1, as potential examples). This will all be accounted for in the scoring post - which also includes things like status effects! Take note that at best a Pokemon can only ever have 10 Hit Points - this is intentional to keep battles from becoming huge slog fests. Quick and punchy!

Part of the reason to do rounds like this is to avoid the constant need for "Pikachu, dodge it! Now counter with thundershock!" type posts. Your Pokemon gets the basics, it knows to avoid when it can. The idea is for you to be able to execute a strategy and spend time writing the fun parts - the action, and the reactions, rather than worrying about the basics of battle. Feel free to pepper it in how you please, though.

[Aethyrium]

Game Stuff

• Please post completed sheets in this thread for approval.
• Characters should be represented by artwork of reasonable quality.
• Please use Pokemondb to get pictures for your Pokemon (which will be needed on in-game headers). You can also use this site to get the most recent learnset data.
• Not all submitted characters will be approved. I am not looking for a specific number of players, but I expect this to be a small-group, to potentially multiple small groups depending on level of interest.

[li]Your starter Pokemon can know any moves that it's species can learn from levels 1-10 (despite only being level 5), plus up to 1 Egg Move of your choice, if you are so inclined. Move Tutor, TM/TR/HM moves and what not must be obtained elsewhere.[/li][/list]

[Aethyrium]

Oroh League Regulations

• The Oroh Gym Challenge
  
  
  • Any trainer may participate in The Oroh Gym Challenge.
  • There are no restrictions on what gym a trainer can challenge. Gym Leaders are prepared to face challengers of any skill level.
  • Battle rules will be determined based on the number of badges currently possessed at the time of challenge.
    
    
    • 0-1 Badges: Both participants will use teams of two Pokemon. The challenger may swap Pokemon at any point, the gym leader may only swap pokemon when their own has fainted, or they have scored a knock out.
    • 2-3 Badges: Both participants will use teams of three Pokemon. The challenger may swap Pokemon at any point, the gym leader may only swap pokemon when their own has fainted, or they have scored a knock out.
    • 4-5 Badges: Both participants will use teams of  four Pokemon. Both participants may only swap Pokemon when theirs has fainted or upon scoring a knock out.
    • 6-7 Badges: Both participants will use teams of five Pokemon. Both participants may only swap Pokemon when theirs has fainted or upon scoring a knock out.
    • 8+ Badges: Both participants will use teams of six Pokemon. Both participants may only swap pokemon when theirs has fainted.
• The Seasonal Cups
  
  
  • Only trainers that have obtained at least eight gym badges may participate in a Seasonal Cup.
  • Each seasonal cup has thirty-six slots, and is a five rounds. Sign ups in excess of the thirty-six slots will be handled by preliminary rounds, handled progressed by single elimination until only thirty six competitors remain.
  • Battle rules are determined by the round.
    
    
    • R32: Each trainer will use teams of three Pokemon. Switches are not allowed, except on faint.
    • R16: Each trainer will use teams of three Pokemon. Switches are not allowed, except on faint.
    • R8 - Quarterfinals: Each trainer will use teams of four Pokemon. Switches are not allowed, except on faint.
    • R4 - Semifinals: Each trainer will use teams of five Pokemon. Switches are not allowed, except on faint or knock out.
    • R2 - Finals: Each trainer will use a team of six Pokemon. Switches are open.
• The Oroh Elite Challenge
  
  
  • Only trainers that have attained at least R4 - Semifinals in at least one Seasonal Cup may participate in The Oroh Elite Challenge.
  • The Oroh Elite Challenge is five consecutive battles.
  • Upon completetion of each battle, the challenger is allowed to restore one of their Pokemon.
  • The challenger is allowed to use a full team of six Pokemon. Substitutions may not be made between battles.
  • The challenger may switch freely. Members of the Elite Four may switch only on faint or knock out. The Elite Champion may switch freely.
  • Each member of the Elite Four will use a team of five Pokemon.
  • The Elite Champion will use a team of six Pokemon.
• The Oroh Master Challenge
  
  
  • Only trainers that have earned all eighteen gym badges, and completed The Oroh Elite Challenge may participate.
  • Each gym has a Master Badge to be earned. These battles are six on six, switch on faint or knock out only battles.
  • A challenger must earn all eighteen Master Badges to participate in the Master League.
  • The Master League has four members, that must be challenged in order. These will be six on six, switch on faint or knock out only battles.
  • The Oroh Pokemon Master may only be challenged if the Master League has been defeated. This is a six on six, switch on faint or knock out battle.

General Guidelines

• Badge 1: Level 14
• Badge 2: Level 20
• Badge 3: Level 25
• Badge 4: Level 31
• Badge 5: Level 37
• Badge 6: Level 43
• Badge 7: Level 48
• Badge 8: Level 55
• Badge 9+: Level 65
• Seasonal Cups: Level 75
• Elite Challenge: Level 85
• Master Challenge: Level 100

The Oroh Contest Circuit
Is there sufficient desire for a contest circuit to exist? Mention it below if you're interested.

[Aethyrium]

[MelodyCake]

You can definetely count me as interested for the Oroh League!
I really like the system you have gone with and very curious to see how it would play out once the battles start. Don't have a character concept just yet, but I think picking out on the trainer class is definetely going to be a fun way to draw up a character for the character sheet.

You shall see me again soon! Hopefully with a filled out character sheet for you to look at :P

[Aethyrium]

Hello, welcome!

Glad to hear that you like it. I have high hopes for it. I've done something similar in the past - though it had considerably different mechanics. However I believe this adaptation will really help keep the narrative flowing, keeping players immersed in the writing rather than having to work out and repeat themselves a hundred times to get to the end. All while preserving the feeling that you can train your Pokemon however you want, and that will be reflected in their performance without having to just guess-work it.

Can't wait to see what you come up with. Hopefully we can gather some more traction here. I think I'd like to see at least three players... That seems a fun adventure party. But we'll see how things play out.

[Kadigan]

Aethyrium posts an ad. It's super effective!

It looks like a neat game, if I can think of an interesting character I have some interest certainly.

[Envious]

Nice timing, as I just had a Pokemon game end! Very neat system and I'll be thinking about a character.

[Intimate Ink]

Hey there!

I have a question:  How equivelant to canon pokemon's overall strengths, weaknesses, and aptitudes/power is the game going to be?  To clarify: I think that we can all mostly agree that due to certain type combinations, potential for abilities, potential for evolutions, etc. that not all pocket monsters are created equal.  Even if we're just looking at the mythic/non-legendary ones. 

Specifically in relation to choosing a starting pokemon I'm curious whether it's smart to be playing to the meta, or if this game is set up in a way so that it's impossible to notably advantage or disadvantage ourselves through a starter choice.

Thanks!

Iink

[Aethyrium]

Aethyrium posts an ad. It's super effective!

It looks like a neat game, if I can think of an interesting character I have some interest certainly.

Hope to see what you produce!

Nice timing, as I just had a Pokemon game end! Very neat system and I'll be thinking about a character.

I am told that I have, truly excellent timing.

I have a question:  How equivelant to canon pokemon's overall strengths, weaknesses, and aptitudes/power is the game going to be?  To clarify: I think that we can all mostly agree that due to certain type combinations, potential for abilities, potential for evolutions, etc. that not all pocket monsters are created equal.  Even if we're just looking at the mythic/non-legendary ones. 

Specifically in relation to choosing a starting pokemon I'm curious whether it's smart to be playing to the meta, or if this game is set up in a way so that it's impossible to notably advantage or disadvantage ourselves through a starter choice.

This is another problem that should mostly be remedied by the "system" that's being used. Since Pokemon aren't being given the stats arbitrated to them by Gamefreak, all Pokemon should end up on, more or less, equal ground. Should a reality present where a person captures a mythical or legendary Pokemon, I will likely give them some kind of stat bump to signify their power - but not something insurmountable.

My hope is to capture that "anime" style feel, where a trainer who is dedicated can get by with whatever Pokemon they want. As a quick case study:

If you had a Pikachu and a Charmander, and you got them both at level 5, and then leveled them all the way to level 100. Additionally, you allowed the Charmander to evolve into a Charizard, but kept the Pikachu from ever evolving. These two Pokemon would have an identical number of stat points (assuming no bonuses, outside factors, rewards, etc). The only difference is that Pikachu would have 8 Hit Points (5 from levels, plus 3 for being a Stage 1 Pokemon), and Charizard will have 10 Hit Points (5 from levels, 5 from being a Stage 3 Pokemon).

Does this mean the Charizard is more powerful? Yup, sure. Kind of. But only just barely. You absolutely could get by with keeping your favorite Pikachu around forever.

My point here is that you shouldn't be worried about a "meta" feeling at all, within The Oroh League, you will hopefully see a world that's more inline with the anime portrayal of Pokemon, and any Pokemon - regardless of species or evolution level - can be amazing.

[Cold Heritage]

Is the idea that the player characters will be friends who make their pokemon journey together through the Oroh League, living, laughing, and learning together, becoming best friends in a world they must defend?

[Aethyrium]

Is the idea that the player characters will be friends who make their pokemon journey together through the Oroh League, living, laughing, and learning together, becoming best friends in a world they must defend?

This will largely depend on how many characters we end up with, and what everyone's goals are. There is certainly a hope to form a small group that'll do this. I think in a perfect world exploring the relationship between two groups of friends, and those groups are rivals, would be really fun. But I'm not going to get ahead of myself.

In short, the world is meant to be sandboxxy - your goals are your own, and realistically you don't even need to participate in the actual league itself. Maybe you want to explore ancient ruins, or whatever.

This is a longwinded way of saying: that's one possible way we may play, but not the only possibility. I'm quite open to work with concepts, ideas, and wants of people interested in exploring a Pokemon world.

[Envious]

Not finished, but getting there. Working on art!

Art question: On the scale of cartoony to realistic, where are you hoping the art leans towards? Or does it matter?

Character Name: Olivia Owens
Trainer Class: Ranger
Gender & Sexuality: Female & Bisexual
Age: 25

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
2	1	1	3	3

Personality: Olivia is filled with an exuberance for life; there is always a new adventure right around the corner and she is eager to get started! She is positive and uplifting, even when faced against rivals. She has an exceedingly short attention span which means she doesn't always finish her last adventure before starting a new one, but to her the journey is far more fun than getting to the destination. When it comes to a tough situation, you might find her taking pictures instead of taking action.

Motivation & Goals: First and foremost, Olivia is a photographer. She wants to see things that most people never have the opportunity to witness and document it with her trusty camera! Her passion project is Pokémon - she particularly enjoys teaching Pokémon how to grow to the next level and documenting their progress along the way! One of her favorite moments to capture are Pokémon evolving. Olivia embarks on adventures to find "the perfect shot," of Pokémon showing off their skills in the wild, but is often side-tracked by running into a particularly photogenic Trainer or Pokémon who she will tag along with in order to get some candid shots.

Biography: Olivia is the youngest of five children - all of whom are significantly older. She was a sweet surprise, born 20 years after her parents had their last child, so her siblings were all entering adulthood when she came into the picture. Her brothers and sisters all made the holiday visits, bringing back stories of their adventures. Inspired, Olivia began taking photos of her daily life. They weren't the adventures of her siblings, but they were just as magical in her childlike imagination. She would send these pictures out to her siblings in an effort to connect with them and she was always met with praise and encouragement to continue. It became her thing - what set her apart from her brothers and sisters, but also what drew them closer together. As she grew, she continued to develop her craft and win small awards, but she also found what she was passionate about taking pictures of: Pokémon! This is what set her down the path as a Trainer. While she enjoys capturing Pokémon, she's more interested in teaching her Pokémon new tricks and advancing their skills rather than creating a huge collection.

Badge Case

Pokemon

Growly, Growlithe | 5 | Species: Puppy Pokémon
Ability | Moves: Intimidate | Flash Fire | Bite | Howl | Ember | Morning Sun (egg)
Stats: Attack 10 | Special Attack 10 | Defense 10 | Special Defense 10 | Speed 10 | Evasion 10

[Aethyrium]

So long as it's generally quality, I probably am not going to raise a fuss over it - art that is. It certainly doesn't need to be in the Pokemon style, but I wouldn't reject that either.

One quick bit about your sheet - trainer stats are 5/spent how you like, plus the 5 bonuses from your trainer class. The 10/all stats is for your starter Pokemon.

[Crash]

I will read everything but I am definitely interested!

[Aethyrium]

Woot for additional interest. And I'd love even more, come all ye Pokemon fans.

[Crash]

Aeth - What is the different between Ability and Moves for pokemon?

I know Litwick has Flash Fire and Flame Body as well as a hidden moves, but I am not sure what you mean by ability.

I am a Pokemon Go player so much of the reference to the actual videogame will be a struggle for me.  I figured that part out!

Oh and are moves limited by the level they are shown on pokemondb or can we take any moves?

[Crash]

Character Name: Mina Atwater
Trainer Class: Collector
Gender & Sexuality: Cis Female / Pansexual
Age: 24

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
0	2	4	1	3

Personality: Mina is a curious and inquisitive woman.  She is a voracious reader and explorer that doesn’t mind poking her nose in places it doesn’t belong.  Mina is openminded and accepts others as they are as long as they are not toxic. Mina is not a rabid competition hound.  She is way more interesting in accumulating pokemon, particularly ones other trainers shy away from.  While she accepts the need to train as a way from her to find and capture more pokemon, she has a particular distain for those that abuse their pokemon for their own glory.

Motivation & Goals: Mina has a particular interest in ghost and dark type pokemon and feels they generally get a bad rap.  While all pokemon fall into her field of interest she will go out of her way to capture ghost and dark types for her to study and lean from.  Mina wants to write the definitive work on Ghost and Dark type pokemon in hopes that she can shine a better light on what she considers to be misunderstood creatures.

Biography: Mina grew up next to Oroh Memorial Cemetery.  Her parents were in the mortuary business and lived and worked in a big, old house that everyone in town thought was haunted.  In truth, it wasn’t, but the cemetery next door certainly was.  Mina spent her childhood looking out her bedroom window watching the pokemon that frequented the cemetery at night.  Most people were afraid of them but Mina felt sad that they were always being chased out or shooed away as to not bother the living. 
Mina had figured that she would to into the family business when she grew up.  Being around the dead didn’t bother her and it seemed like a logical thing to do.  Her parents were sweet and kindly people that helped others on their worst days and she saw a lot of value in that.  It wasn’t until her parents asked her to catch a little Litwick that had wandered out of the cemetery and begun hanging around the house that Mina really found her passion.

She had intended to release the little guy back into the cemetery but when she did he followed her home.  This happened again and again.  So much so that her parents were starting to get worried that the creature was an omen of impeding death.  It turned out that the Litwick just liked the aura of sadness that accrued around the home/business and more than that seemed to like Mine.  She named the little guy Tallow and he has been her faithful companion ever since.
It was very clear to Mina what path she wanted to take in life after catching Tallow.  While her parents were not happy that she was not going into the family business the saw how invested she was in catching and studying pokemon and bought her her first pokedex and a couple of pokeballs to get her started.

Badge Case

Pokemon

Tallow (Litwick) | Level 5 | Species: Candle Pokemon
Ability | Moves: Flame Body | Admonish (ghost), Ember (fire), Acid Armor (Poison), Minimize (Normal)
Stats: Attack 10 | Special Attack 10 | Defense 10 | Special Defense 10 | Speed 10 | Evasion 10

[Aethyrium]

I figured that part out!

Oh and are moves limited by the level they are shown on pokemondb or can we take any moves?

Oh good! If you have any other questions, definitely let me know.

This is actually a good question that I considered and then forgot about. Whoopsie.

Your Pokemon can known any moves from levels 1-10, plus 1 Egg Move of your choice - up to the cap of 6. Move Tutor moves, TM/TR/HM moves, and the rest will need to be obtained elsewhere in game. :D (added this to the game stuff above. Good catch, thanks!)

[Crash]

Oh good! If you have any other questions, definitely let me know.

This is actually a good question that I considered and then forgot about. Whoopsie.

Your Pokemon can known any moves from levels 1-10, plus 1 Egg Move of your choice - up to the cap of 6. Move Tutor moves, TM/TR/HM moves, and the rest will need to be obtained elsewhere in game. :D (added this to the game stuff above. Good catch, thanks!)

Okay.  I will need to modify my litwick!

[Mr L]

Couple of quick questions while I think about what I might want to play.

1: How NSFW is this game set to be? (if you said, my apologies for missing it)

2: Would it be possible to play as a Psychic? I had a character built awhile ago that was a Psychic human who was just discovering their powers, alongside their baby psychic pokemon. I don't imagine they'd get to Sabrina levels of power, but at least minor Telekinesis and Telepathy with their pokemon at a base.

[Aethyrium]

1: How NSFW is this game set to be? (if you said, my apologies for missing it)

In so much as this is a game on Elliquiy it will certainly be present. Though I suspect it will largely be between characters. There'll be space for characters to interact in this way should they choose. However, I wouldn't expect to get bound up by Definite-Not-Adult-Team-Rocket's Ekans and taken advantage of by Mistress Jesse. (But now that I say that outloud...)

Point is, will exist, and since this is an adult version of the world, I will definitely probably incorporate some elements in the game somewhere. However it isn't at all the focus of the game, and will be largely referred to as tertiary.

2: Would it be possible to play as a Psychic? I had a character built awhile ago that was a Psychic human who was just discovering their powers, alongside their baby psychic pokemon. I don't imagine they'd get to Sabrina levels of power, but at least minor Telekinesis and Telepathy with their pokemon at a base.

Hrmmm... My instict is to say no. Psychic's in the Pokemon world are meant to be rare. If game numbers are to be accounted for, it's something absurdly small like 1.2% of battle able individuals (with minor fluctuation depending on the game in question). And barely referenced in material outside that. But beyond all of that, I think the primary issue I feel is that... It, too, isn't the focus of the game. This is the sort of detail that feels like it's covering for a lack of something else in a character - like a D&D character that needs to be an exotic race to be interesting.

All of my blathering aside... I would be willing to entertain the notion, and see a character presented that was this. However, there would be a steep expectation that this element needs to add in someway to the character that absolutely couldn't be conveyed in another way - it needs to add something real and deep that is worth exploring, it can't just be a tack on additive. Plus the reality that such powers will, ultimately, be relatively minor, and not substantial enough to impact gameplay in overly influencing ways. (We won't be levitating ourselves up cliff faces to overcome obstacles, compelling villains to change their ways, or even reading the thoughts of enemy trainers).

TL;DR - No. Unless you're willing to put in the work to try and convince me it's a meaningful addition, and feel you can portray it in a way that is flavorful without being overtly influential - in which case, maybe.

[Pink Professional]

I'll put a flag of interest down. I'll throw you some questions in a bit, would you prefer them to be public or Pm'd?

[Aethyrium]

Public is generally better, if only because it can answer other people's potential questions at all. However if you're more comfortable with private, my inbox is always open. :)

[Pink Professional]

Okay, so...Where to even begin.

Let's start with general system Questions.

1) What does growth and progression look like in the game? Not so much the stats side of thing, since you explain that, but things like progressing and gaining experience: Will there be an incentive to group up and play as a team? Will there be a reason to work together? Is there any benefit to spending time going "I go and train in the grass." because that Lone-Wolf behaviour always worries me. Mostly because if the game functions on that and it becomes clear that is the 'optimal' way to play, I'd hate to see it basically become you throwing randomly generated XP at people.

2) How important are the trainer stats? What's the difference between someone with 0 additional Battle Power and +3? What about +2 vs +3? Will that stat grow or is this ChaGen the end of our Trainer's stat growth? I understand it is meant to be a hidden system so I don't need the exact math, but my monkey brain is trying to figure out what these stats really mean, so I can try and think where the system might allow for different characters.

3) What is the verdict on strategy? Will it be sort of more Video-Game logic for the strategies? Are we going to have to worry about using Thundershock on the Rhydon's Horn? I assume with things like an Evasion stat, you'll have some form of RNG to represent an attacks accuracy, but I'm just curious about agency and the shared ruleset.

4) Is there any possible story beat options for trainers who add self-imposed limitations? I like the idea of, say, a Monotype Trainer entering the Oroh league as their form of a Gym Leader application, for example. Would that be something interesting to you as a GM? Are you hoping to keep things fairly sandbox? Mostly based on a more railroaded story that follows the Gym trail? Nothing against either approach, I'm just trying to figure out where things stand.

[Aethyrium]

1) What does growth and progression look like in the game? Not so much the stats side of thing, since you explain that, but things like progressing and gaining experience: Will there be an incentive to group up and play as a team? Will there be a reason to work together? Is there any benefit to spending time going "I go and train in the grass." because that Lone-Wolf behaviour always worries me. Mostly because if the game functions on that and it becomes clear that is the 'optimal' way to play, I'd hate to see it basically become you throwing randomly generated XP at people.

The short answer here is, you can't walk into the tall grass and grind level 3 pidgey's until your Pokemon hits level 100 and you can sweep the game. Not only is the game designed with level 100 Pokemon in mind (so you wouldn't be auto-successful anyway) this defeats the purpose of "explore and enjoy the world!" which is, probably, the core pillar of the game. Aside from forming the sweet sweet partner bonds, and what not.

Playing with one another will certainly have some benefit. In the sense you and your Pokemon can benefit from what other trainers bring to the table. Maybe you've got one trainer, and a breeder in a group. Well that breeder is focused on growth, and that can translate to a benefit to your Pokemon if you play it up. If some other trainer has a high discovery, you can benefit from that by being around them. In short, this is why there are non-battle oriented stats that exist.

I won't go out of my way to prevent lone-wolf behavior, but I don't suspect it will be an issue. And at game start, I'm likely to find a reason to tie this group or that group together - but I don't want to provide a blanket approach how I'll do that, because I'd very much like to tailor it to the approved characters. But what they do post that... I'm up for going with the flow. And individual arcs might be compelling somewhere along the line.

All of that to say, the "optimal way" to play (if there is such a thing) is to engage the world not try to game the system. The system exists almost exclusively for my benefit, to creating compelling narrative that doesn't have contrived results. Secondarily it gives you a meaningful way to influence your training style and how you want to play that you can see represented somewhere and because of that will be able to see play out in the scenarios you encounter.

2) How important are the trainer stats? What's the difference between someone with 0 additional Battle Power and +3? What about +2 vs +3? Will that stat grow or is this ChaGen the end of our Trainer's stat growth? I understand it is meant to be a hidden system so I don't need the exact math, but my monkey brain is trying to figure out what these stats really mean, so I can try and think where the system might allow for different characters.

Trainer Stats for Smooth Monkey Brains
(I too need these primers sometimes, so I totally understand where you're coming from)

Assume that 0 represents an average person.
Your trainer stats will improve as the game goes on.
You can safely assume that higher always means better. Which isn't to say that a trainer with +3 Battle Offense is superior to a trainer with +2 Battle Offense. Only that their Pokemon has <some> level of advantage when it comes to trainer-issued attack commands. Not an insurmountable advantage, not even a little. View these as "skills" the trainer is particularly good at.
Honestly, without going into the math this probably looks incomprehensible, but it boils down to "more gives you some level of bonus". There is no wrong answer.

What I feel like this question ultimately is (and I may be wrong here entirely) is... "Is a trainer that focuses entirely on Growth/Discovery/Capture Rate going to be boned when it comes to battles at any stage of the game", and the answer to that is absolutely no. Will battles be a little tougher? Possibly... but also probably not.

Growth may as well be a battle stat, for all that it can make your Pokemon stronger than average for its level.
Capture Rate isn't a battle stat, but can be utilized to make sure you have the right Pokemon for whatever challenge is ahead of you.
Discovery will help you find other solutions to problems, and potentially gain an edge by getting cool/unique things (re: held items possibly?).

These are meant to be subtle, but not irrelevant ways to represent the strengths of your character - there are no weaknesses, remember, 0 is average. You're never going to be punished because you didn't have atleast <x> of <y>.

3) What is the verdict on strategy? Will it be sort of more Video-Game logic for the strategies? Are we going to have to worry about using Thundershock on the Rhydon's Horn? I assume with things like an Evasion stat, you'll have some form of RNG to represent an attacks accuracy, but I'm just curious about agency and the shared ruleset.

No, you won't have to Thundershock Rhydon's horn - which wouldn't work anyway because ground types are immune to electric, but whaaatever, I know what you mean. XD

You're certainly welcome to flavor things like that, and depict them as such. But you won't be getting bonuses because one player decided to break the sprinkler system and use the water to amplify the electric attack (silly Pikachu!). Instead your situation will be influenced by what commands you issue, what moves are utilized, how you've trained your individual Pokemon, and of course whatever fun narrative stuff we come up with along the way.

We're going to ride the line somewhere between "I press tackle, then tackle again, then tackle again" and "I use Iron Tail to deflect the Electroball so that I can quick attack into their face!"

With the latter being the side I would lean - even though Iron Tail isn't a defensive move, but I'm all for flavoring it being the reason you were able to avoid the Electroball... Does this make sense?

4) Is there any possible story beat options for trainers who add self-imposed limitations? I like the idea of, say, a Monotype Trainer entering the Oroh league as their form of a Gym Leader application, for example. Would that be something interesting to you as a GM? Are you hoping to keep things fairly sandbox? Mostly based on a more railroaded story that follows the Gym trail? Nothing against either approach, I'm just trying to figure out where things stand.

I am 10,000% on board for individual arcs. If you want to write a character whose goal is to become a Gym Leader, I am here for it and we will incorporate it. It's... Obviously something of an "end game goal", and you may never get there (feels like the conclusion to the game... or the opening to a sequel... but in either case far off), but absolutely I am willing and wanting to write the story of their adventure to attain that goal. And that sort of thing doesn't even need to come from a place of self-imposed limitation... Though, I think it'd be a cool addition if it was. I'm all for such things.

We'll be sandboxy in the sense that the world is open and I am mostly looking to tell the tale of whatever trainers come along - what that looks like is really up to what you want to do. I've got some bigger metaplot ideas, but there's no real need for the players to directly interact with that... MAybe you'll come across little bits, maybe get sucked up into something, maybe not.

[Envious]

My sheet is officially finished and submitted for your consideration!

[Aethyrium]

My sheet is officially finished and submitted for your consideration!

Gleeeee! Review it I shall.

[Pink Professional]

Thank you for humouring me; especially when it comes to the ol' Monkey-Noggin'. 

All of that to say, the "optimal way" to play (if there is such a thing) is to engage the world not try to game the system. The system exists almost exclusively for my benefit, to creating compelling narrative that doesn't have contrived results. Secondarily it gives you a meaningful way to influence your training style and how you want to play that you can see represented somewhere and because of that will be able to see play out in the scenarios you encounter.

This is encouraging, and was what I was hoping to hear really. It's always hard to judge when a Sandbox game inherently has a System-like approach, even if that same approach is in the background. It also has enough anonymity and such that I don't feel I have to do a thing to be good enough.

Trainer Stats for Smooth Monkey Brains
(I too need these primers sometimes, so I totally understand where you're coming from)

Assume that 0 represents an average person.
Your trainer stats will improve as the game goes on.
You can safely assume that higher always means better. Which isn't to say that a trainer with +3 Battle Offense is superior to a trainer with +2 Battle Offense. Only that their Pokemon has <some> level of advantage when it comes to trainer-issued attack commands. Not an insurmountable advantage, not even a little. View these as "skills" the trainer is particularly good at.
Honestly, without going into the math this probably looks incomprehensible, but it boils down to "more gives you some level of bonus". There is no wrong answer.

What I feel like this question ultimately is (and I may be wrong here entirely) is... "Is a trainer that focuses entirely on Growth/Discovery/Capture Rate going to be boned when it comes to battles at any stage of the game", and the answer to that is absolutely no. Will battles be a little tougher? Possibly... but also probably not.

The question wasn't intended as  "Is a trainer that focuses entirely on Growth/Discovery/Capture Rate going to be boned when it comes to battles" and more as "How much of a difference is X player going to experience when they are out of their depth and in a field they aren't an expert at" if that makes sense. I like the idea of there being a reason for players to come together, and if it is suddenly really important to get on the side of the trainer who Specs into Discovery because of a Safari Event for example, that's an opportunity for someone to shine. I certainly can't blame you for thinking that's what the question was, I realise reading back that a lot of my questions sounded a bit...Powergame-ee, because I'm trying to sorta-dissect the system.

No, you won't have to Thundershock Rhydon's horn - which wouldn't work anyway because ground types are immune to electric, but whaaatever, I know what you mean. XD

You're certainly welcome to flavor things like that, and depict them as such. But you won't be getting bonuses because one player decided to break the sprinkler system and use the water to amplify the electric attack (silly Pikachu!). Instead your situation will be influenced by what commands you issue, what moves are utilized, how you've trained your individual Pokemon, and of course whatever fun narrative stuff we come up with along the way.

We're going to ride the line somewhere between "I press tackle, then tackle again, then tackle again" and "I use Iron Tail to deflect the Electroball so that I can quick attack into their face!"

Okay, great.

Now, to ask a couple more questions that are frankly a lot more fun.

1) Thoughts on Mega Pokemon, Z-Moves, and Formes?

2) How realistic is it for a Trainer to potentially 'Seek out' a certain Pokemon? If I'm going a Mono-Type trainer for example, I might really want that One Good Tanky Flying Type, or that one really fast Rock Sweeper. Seems like a great reason to want a high discovery stat, for example.

[Crash]

Okay, I modified Mina's stats and fixed the moves on her litwick.  I think she is done.

[Aethyrium]

The question wasn't intended as  "Is a trainer that focuses entirely on Growth/Discovery/Capture Rate going to be boned when it comes to battles" and more as "How much of a difference is X player going to experience when they are out of their depth and in a field they aren't an expert at" if that makes sense. I like the idea of there being a reason for players to come together, and if it is suddenly really important to get on the side of the trainer who Specs into Discovery because of a Safari Event for example, that's an opportunity for someone to shine. I certainly can't blame you for thinking that's what the question was, I realise reading back that a lot of my questions sounded a bit...Powergame-ee, because I'm trying to sorta-dissect the system.

I would say that ultimately I wanted a "system" (can this even really be called that... Anyway) that doesn't lend itself to telling a player "you're good at <x> so you aren't good at <y>". Instead this is about "Okay so you're extra good at <x>". But, yes, your example about a safari event is exactly the sort of reason you might want to lean into someone that is good at Discovery, for instance.

Discovery is particularly... Influential like that. If you are familiar with Dungeons & Dragons, imagine a zone in the game has a 2d6 table of events where the center of the table represents the common stuff and the outer edges represent the more rare stuff. A player with better discovery is going to have an easier time finding those edge results. And maybe even they get to roll on a special 1d8+1d6 table, that has some stuff the "average" person might never encounter.

In that sense, yes, it's very worthwhile to have companions.

1) Thoughts on Mega Pokemon, Z-Moves, and Formes?

You know, I meant to include this in the game write up, because I thought about it and had plans for it... Then forgot to write it. Whoops.

Mega Evolution is in, Z moves and D/G-Max is out. Because they are inferior mechanics in every way, and sad, sad replacements to what was ultimately one of the best concepts ever introduced into the Pokemon universe... fight me. Mega Evolution, in fact, may ultimately be one place I eventually (possibly, not for sure) look to Fakemon. I have no plans for this, but I have considered it, and it's possible that I may be willing to include this somewhere down the line as a special "hey you get this really cool thing for your <thing>".

Formes definitely in, and regional variants as well. I may play with the concept of regional variants in game as well, Oroh variants - but like mega evolution Fakemon, this is a... Ultimately undecided, not sure if I want to go there idea.

2) How realistic is it for a Trainer to potentially 'Seek out' a certain Pokemon? If I'm going a Mono-Type trainer for example, I might really want that One Good Tanky Flying Type, or that one really fast Rock Sweeper. Seems like a great reason to want a high discovery stat, for example.

I'd say seeking out specific Pokemon is reasonable. I will probably come up with a map to show everyone eventually (before game start, probably?) but Oroh is meant to feel more open than any other region. That is, you don't go: Starting Town, Route 1, Side City, Route 2, Forest Area, Gym City 1.

Rather from the starting city there are 3 connected routes (10, 20, and 30). Which all go to different places. The Gym Challenge doesn't need to be taken in a specific order, either. You don't need the boulderbadge to try and get the cascadebadge to try and get the thunderbadge etc etc. You can order how you tackle gyms in any order that you come across them or decide to take them on.

Because of this the world should feel much more open. And each 'zone' won't feel like, okay well there's Caterpies, Blipbugs, Weedles, Pidgeys, and Rattatas on this route, but if I want that Skarmory I'll need be half way through the game. Finding a Pokemon habitat is it's own adventure, and maybe you steer your way to where a certain type hangs out so that you can hunt that specific Pokemon - you aren't gated like the games might make you feel. There will also, possibly (read: definitely) be opportunities to catch things that might not be local in certain areas. Assume that I'll want to keep things interesting and throw in the Ho-Oh flying overhead style events regularly because the world is moving around you.

[Aethyrium]

Okay, I modified Mina's stats and fixed the moves on her litwick.  I think she is done.

Woohoo! I'll look today and make comments. :D

[Pink Professional]

Well, I'm contented. Mostly because you have the only opinion worth having about Megas, Dynamax, and Z-Moves

I'll throw a sheet out in a couple of hours. Thank you for putting up with my inquisitive, smooth brain.

[Mr L]

So for the psychic, I was honestly thinking along the lines of the telekinesis being barely better than Mage Hand from D&D, only able to lift maybe 10 lbs with it, and the Telepathy would purely be just for communication between them and ones they've spent a significant amount of time with and bonded with (not sexual, but they understand the creature on a deeper level). They wouldn't use either in a trainer v trainer scenario as they believe it unfair. So at best it's silent communication (which they won't even have with their starter, probably until it evolves) and maybe some light debris clearing? If still no, no worries, I can think of something else. I just think this ability to bond with others to evolve their powers is a fun idea.

EDIT: those are fair points, I can't really find a good excuse to use this type of character at the moment. The initial idea for them is that they had brief flashes of power, but couldn't remember them. So they don't know they're psychic, until they've developed the bond with their starter or something. The power growth would be a slow progression to not great degrees.

And crud. I had another question while catching up, but forgot.

[Crash]

Woohoo! I'll look today and make comments. :D

Here is the link to the post so you don't have to search for it.  I can also PM her to you if you would like.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=329780.msg15754532#msg15754532

[Crash]

So for the psychic, I was honestly thinking along the lines of the telekinesis being barely better than Mage Hand from D&D, only able to lift maybe 10 lbs with it, and the Telepathy would purely be just for communication between them and ones they've spent a significant amount of time with and bonded with (not sexual, but they understand the creature on a deeper level). They wouldn't use either in a trainer v trainer scenario as they believe it unfair. So at best it's silent communication (which they won't even have with their starter, probably until it evolves) and maybe some light debris clearing? If still no, no worries, I can think of something else. I just think this ability to bond with others to evolve their powers is a fun idea.

EDIT: those are fair points, I can't really find a good excuse to use this type of character at the moment. The initial idea for them is that they had brief flashes of power, but couldn't remember them. So they don't know they're psychic, until they've developed the bond with their starter or something. The power growth would be a slow progression to not great degrees.

And crud. I had another question while catching up, but forgot.

Just an outsider opinion.  I do not believe that you intend it to be an advantage. However, these sorts of things almost always becomes an "advantage" of some sort, even if unintended, and it opens the GM up to having to consider and balance "special abilities" for everyone because once one is submitted then a lot of people start submitting special abilities of their own creating a power creep.  If the GM then decides to deny it for a different player later they get accused of playing favorites. 

[Mr L]

Just an outsider opinion.  I do not believe that you intend it to be an advantage. However, these sorts of things almost always becomes an "advantage" of some sort, even if unintended, and it opens the GM up to having to consider and balance "special abilities" for everyone because once one is submitted then a lot of people start submitting special abilities of their own creating a power creep.  If the GM then decides to deny it for a different player later they get accused of playing favorites. 

That makes sense, which helps soften the potential "no." Even if I would imagine bonding with another human enough for telepathy being difficult, being able to communicate mentally with a pokemon could have a huge advantage, since they could understand it.

Even if it was gonna be just a flavor thing (like never tosses a pokeball by hand, clearing debris would take just as long), it can still be a bit much.

[Aethyrium]

I appreciate your understanding Mr L.

Crash makes good points about it, too. Yeah, ultimately (now that I've had a few hours to sit on it and think), I just don't feel like it's a needed element to the game and probably introduces more complications than are really needed. I feel we can tell awesome stories without that being in there to stir it up more.

And Crash, thanks for the link, I appreciate it. :D

[Crash]

I appreciate your understanding Mr L.

Crash makes good points about it, too. Yeah, ultimately (now that I've had a few hours to sit on it and think), I just don't feel like it's a needed element to the game and probably introduces more complications than are really needed. I feel we can tell awesome stories without that being in there to stir it up more.

And Crash, thanks for the link, I appreciate it. :D

Glad I could help, at least with the link. ;)

[pdragon]

additional images

Character Name: Tracy Jones
Trainer Class: Tactician
Gender & Sexuality: Male, Bisexual
Age: 18

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
1	3	2	1	3

Personality: Tracy is a willful and determined young man with a kind nature and strong sense of justice. More than anything he seeks to help and defend others, though his willingness to help out can sometimes lead to him butting in where he isn't needed, or worse plunge head first into a dangerous situation. He grew up reading detective novels and watching crime dramas, which he often attempts to replicate in his own investigations. As such he has a penchant for dramatic flourishes and wild leaps in logic when working on a case, though thanks to his sharp senses and analytical mind his track record is actually pretty good.

Motivation & Goals: Officer in training. Obtain a minimum of 5 badges.

Biography: Tracy was only 7 years old when he had his first criminal encounter. A gang of thugs were attempting to rob a pokemon center his family was visiting, taking everyone inside hostage and demanding they all give over their pokemon. At the time Tracy was too weak and scared to do anything, completely helpless. However it was then that an officer arrived, a woman named Jennifer, and with her pokemon in tow managed to take down the entire gang of robbers single handedly. That incident was what inspired Tracy to become an officer himself. He worked diligently all throughout school in both athletics and academics, and joined the police academy right after graduation. He's currently still in the middle of his training, which is the reason he's traveling the gym circuit. It's important for any officer to have both an intimate knowledge of the region they're patrolling, as well as be a competent enough battler to contend with criminals who use pokemon as weapons. As such having recruits work their way through the gym challenge is a good way to give them hands on experience with both. 

Badge Case

Badge Case

Pokemon

Name: Barrel | Level 5 | Species: Clauncher
Ability: Mega Launcher | Moves: Bubble Beam, Water Gun, Vice Grip, Flail
Stats: Attack: 10 | Special Attack: 10 | Defense: 10 | Special Defense: 10 | Speed: 10 | Evasion: 10

[Pink Professional]

Character Used: Ryouta Kise

Character Name: Mikial Bronnwyn
Trainer Class: Trainer
Gender & Sexuality: Male & Bicurious
Age: 27

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
3	3	1	2	1

Personality: Driven, optimistic, and a little prideful, Mikial is a constantly moving towards his goals. He sees himself as a dependable and reliable sort, much like the type of Pokemon he brings to battle. His most redeeming feature is his work ethic. He doesn't like to be called a genius, or a prodigy, or whatever buzzword people like to throw around at schools or academies. His power, his talent, his potential are all the result of well honed hard work forged in the anvils of practice and repetition. Mikial's worst feature is his tendency to hone in on things. He is the sort of man to see something he wants to do, and rush towards it headlong and headstrong. This has gotten him into trouble before, and likely will again in the future. Thankfully, things always work out. Right?

Motivation & Goals: Mikial has a set goal in mind. He wants to become the best Normal type trainer in the world. At the moment, he's setting the realistic goal of doing as well as he can in the Oroh League, but his aspirations are to become a Gym Leader or; perhaps even a member of the Elite Four? The Sky is the limit, and the only thing stopping him and his team from reaching the top is hard work and grit.

Biography: Born into the reasonably well-off family of a Gym Assistant Mother, and a Pokemon Researcher Father, Mikial was the first and only child of the pair. His parents were loving and supportive, and when they realised his ambition was set early on to follow in the footsteps of his mother they tried their best to set him up for success by enrolling him in a Private academy for Pokemon trainers. Mikial earned his entrance into the venue fair and square through a lot of hard work and practice in terms of acing the exam, and so started his journey towards Trainer-dom.

Mikial's fascination with Normal Type Pokemon came with a visit from a Gym Leader dedicated to the type. He saw something in the Pokemon that other people didn't. Whereas they saw boring, he saw humble. Whereas they saw bland, he saw the beauty of simplicity and minimalism. He saw something in them that he wanted to see in himself one day.  Reliability, and dependability. Surety, and certainty. When he told his classmates about this newfound fascination though, they laughed. When they saw he was serious, things got awkward and the Teacher was involved. The adult told the teenager that there was a certain...ceiling above people who focused on Normal types. They were the sort who never gained a chance to shine. Even the Gym Leaders tended to be early bumps in the road for the average trainer.

This only served to harden Mikial's conviction, and forge his ideal of hardwork and motivation trumping what was conventionally seen as the 'smart' path. He graduated the academy for a few years and existed as a trainer in a lesser region before the invitation to take the Oroh challenge came into his lap.

Badge Case

Pokemon

Broark| Level: 5 | Species: Munchlax
Ability:  Thick Fat| Moves: Lick, Tackle, Recycle, Rest, Curse, Sleep Talk
Stats: Attack - 10 | Special Attack - 10| Defense - 10| Special Defense - 10| Speed  - 10| Evasion - 10

[Mr L]

I appreciate your understanding Mr L.

Crash makes good points about it, too. Yeah, ultimately (now that I've had a few hours to sit on it and think), I just don't feel like it's a needed element to the game and probably introduces more complications than are really needed. I feel we can tell awesome stories without that being in there to stir it up more.

And Crash, thanks for the link, I appreciate it. :D

I'm still interested in playing, will just have to think more about my character and their starter. Will try to get something out tonight if I can.

EDIT: i remembered the question and a new one. First, do we get full control of our pokemon outside of battle?
Second, how are we working with pokemon who evolve via trades or otherwise impossible conditions for a solo player?

[Cold Heritage]

Is Onyx a valid choice as a starter Pokemon?

[Mr L]

Character Name: Abigail “Gail” Rivers
Trainer Class: Breeder
Gender & Sexuality: Female and Pansexual
Age: 22

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
1	2	2	3	2

Personality: Sweet, caring, and more than willing to get her hands dirty. Abigail grew up caring for others, regardless of the situation, always looking to see some form of betterment from the one she has her eyes set on. She is a very selfless person and has trouble asking other humans for help, mostly just to not seem like a burden on others, thus she’ll almost always try something herself before even asking her pokemon to help, let alone another human.

Motivation & Goals: Nothing makes Gail feel more alive than seeing others become better, through hard work and dedication (and sometimes a loving kick in the rear!). She wants to travel to make long lasting friendships, to make a team of pokemon that are strong, but kind. While she wants to eventually take on the Elite Four, it’s a far-off future kind of dream. In the meantime, she’s content just building a strong family around her, in her pokemon.

Biography: Her parents worked in physical therapy fields for most of her life, while she often stayed home to help take care of her two brothers and sister. When her siblings were old enough to watch themselves, she would often volunteer to help her parents with some patients. It was here that she discovered her love of helping others through hard times and watching them become better over time.

One day, a boy came in with a pokemon that the nearby center was unable to heal due to a sudden surge of patients. Abigail and her mother took the little Skiddo in and nursed it back to health. The pokemon took a shine to Gail and refused to leave her side. It was discovered that it had no trainer, and so her mom gave her her first pokeball, to make the bond official. The two have been inseparable ever since.

Between watching her siblings, volunteering with her parents, and taking care of a pokemon, Gail started to feel a bit overwhelmed, when her father made a suggestion. To go on a journey. She was old enough, she had a great reliable pokemon partner, and she can share the love in her big heart with others who need it. It took a restless night to decide. She would do it. Maybe she could take on the league afterall?

Badge Case

Pokemon

Name Slick | Level 5| Species: Skiddo
Ability Sap Sipper| Moves: Growth | Tackle | Vine Whip | Tail Whip | Rollout |
Stats: Attack 10| Special Attack 10| Defense 10| Special Defense 10| Speed 10| Evasion 10

[Cold Heritage]

Character Name: Toddward Jackedsson
Trainer Class: Champion
Gender & Sexuality: Cismale, Bisexual
Age: 25

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
5	3	0	2	0

Personality: Toddward Jackedsson is a fairly affable and gregarious man of few words. He has a simple mind, with simple needs and simple desires. The school of hard knocks has taught Toddward basically every lesson in life and he only learned three letters: T.K.O. but he more often than not gets by with just K.O. In battle Toddward is a bombastic foe, calling attacks while screaming like a wild animal, as if there were some correlation between how loud he is and how powerful his Pokemon's attacks are. Loyal to a fault, Toddward is always willing to help pump the Pokemon of his friends up.

Motivation & Goals: TO BECOME THE POKEMON SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!

Biography: Hailing from Parts Unknown, Toddward Jackedsson has done some things that he is no longer proud of. His early Pokemon battles were fought as a junior member of the global criminal organization known as Team Rocket. Toddward had the beanie with a red 'R' on it and everything. His Pokemon would mercilessly trample down the Pokemon of other children, and once victorious, he would steal both Pokemon and candy from his crying, defeated opponents, often kicking dirt in their faces as a final humiliation.

But Toddward's reign of terror was curtailed when the tales of infamous villainy reached the ears of the mysterious and unknowable TRAINER X. TRAINER X confronted Toddward and defeated the young man in a brutal, humiliating battle that was decided in a single move. Forced in a single moment to confront every bad thing he had forced his opponents to endure, Toddward's callous young heart was broken and as he shed MANLY TEARS out of shame for his wrong-doing and years of evil TRAINER X set Toddward on the path of righteousness and virtue! It took many years of HOT-BLOODED POKEMON BATTLE, but Toddward was ultimately capable of retrieving all of the Pokemon he had stolen, returning them to their beloved trainers, and replacing every single piece of candy he had ever stolen. He even submitted to letting the trainers he defeated kick dirt in his face to even the score, if they wanted to. Many did. Toddward endured it stoically, his DUE PENANCE.

Now freed from the chains of his past and the burdens of his sins, Toddward has come to Oroh to forge the first link in his glorious new future!

Badge Case

Badge Case

Pokemon

KING COBRA (yes, all upper case) | Level: 5 | Species: Onix
Ability: Sturdy | Moves: Defense Curl, Smackdown, Harden, Bind, Rock Throw, Tackle
Stats: Attack 10 | Special Attack 10 | Defense 10 | Special Defense 10 | Speed 10 | Evasion 10

[Aethyrium]

EDIT: i remembered the question and a new one. First, do we get full control of our pokemon outside of battle?
Second, how are we working with pokemon who evolve via trades or otherwise impossible conditions for a solo player?

Yes, you absolutely will have full control over them. As for non-standard evolutions, either in game opportunities will be provided for such things or I will create a list of replacement evolution criteria.

Is Onyx a valid choice as a starter Pokemon?

Sure is! :D

Two more profiles! Woohoo! That brings up to 6 submitted sheets, so I will begin reviewing them. I expect I'll leave this open through the coming weekend, just to make sure everyone who wants an opportunity to have a chance. I'll announce an official date soon as I'm ready.

In the mean time... thank you for all of your patience and enthusiasm. And if you've been stalking this, please please jump in and fill out a sheet. I'd love to see what you would want to play!

[Mr L]

Yes, you absolutely will have full control over them. As for non-standard evolutions, either in game opportunities will be provided for such things or I will create a list of replacement evolution criteria.
Sure is! :D

Two more profiles! Woohoo! That brings up to 6 submitted sheets, so I will begin reviewing them. I expect I'll leave this open through the coming weekend, just to make sure everyone who wants an opportunity to have a chance. I'll announce an official date soon as I'm ready.

In the mean time... thank you for all of your patience and enthusiasm. And if you've been stalking this, please please jump in and fill out a sheet. I'd love to see what you would want to play!

Is suddenly picturing a booth near a trading station with a sign, "Need a trade to evole? Lemme help!" lol

Couple little questions.

One about catch rate. Is this stat taken into effect during the whole process of catching a pokemon (like you're a better judge of how weak the wild pokemon is), or is it literally just after the pokeball hits it?

How hard or soft are pokedex entries for some species going to play in? Some fire types could literally not exist without the region/world being destroyed because they're so hot. The hole on the back of a Shedinja taking anyone's soul who gazes into it, etc.

Last, will we have to worry about money management?

[Aethyrium]

Ha. An adorable idea. No... Worst case, there's always the other trainers in the game. But I think I can be more clever than that if I need to be. ;)

Catch Rate is representative of the whole process - but it's "primary" function is making sure that ball wiggles thrice and seals. Also crit captures - because why not. So yes, it will help inform you of when to throw the ball, but also help ensure that your throw is successful.

Pokedex entries are whack, and I would just assume that they will not play any role in the game whatsoever. If I'm feeling particularly perky, when/if Pokedex's are used, I'll make up my own entries for you. But we're going to avoid the idea that there are Froslass' haunting towns and abducting people from their homes on snowy nights! (And eesh, especially all the even more crazy bits).

I hadn't considered money things. I... Will get back to you on this. My instinct is no, but I may put that to vote from the approved players - some people like that resource management, some don't, and I could go either way.

[Crash]

Ha. An adorable idea. No... Worst case, there's always the other trainers in the game. But I think I can be more clever than that if I need to be. ;)

Catch Rate is representative of the whole process - but it's "primary" function is making sure that ball wiggles thrice and seals. Also crit captures - because why not. So yes, it will help inform you of when to throw the ball, but also help ensure that your throw is successful.

Pokedex entries are whack, and I would just assume that they will not play any role in the game whatsoever. If I'm feeling particularly perky, when/if Pokedex's are used, I'll make up my own entries for you. But we're going to avoid the idea that there are Froslass' haunting towns and abducting people from their homes on snowy nights! (And eesh, especially all the even more crazy bits).

I hadn't considered money things. I... Will get back to you on this. My instinct is no, but I may put that to vote from the approved players - some people like that resource management, some don't, and I could go either way.

Glad you are not making the pokedex entries so nuts.  Makes my girls ghost and dark hunting more fun.  I won't have to worry about my litwick draining the life out of poor child Mina meets and I can still investigate haunted houses and keep some of the danger and excitement it entails.

As to the money thing, I would rather it not be a resource management thing.  Roleplaying it wealth or lack thereof is more interesting to me than having to track it all.

[Mr L]

I lightly toyed with the idea of a Machop for a starter, but the trade evolution made me rethunk things.

My tradition was unwittingly kept this time around. When playing a new mainline game (not counting remakes necessarily), i have always started with the grass type. And I'm choosing a grass type for this game lol.

I know it's for your sake more than ours, but it's neat knowing what all the catch rate entails.

I think the reasoning behind the pokedex question was for the sake of having a fire type pokemon that is listed as having a body temperature of several thousand degrees. I'm guessing we're following the amine logic of "if the pokemon trusts you, it won't burn you on contact?"

Meant to include items in the management question, but it leads to the same thing. Same as Crash. RPing that a character is low on money or items is probably more fun than actually tracking it and seeing that you *are.*

[Crash]

To be honest if I need to know what trade evolution does what and all the other nuances of the Pokemon video games, I am not really that interested in playing.  It doesn't seem that that was the original intent of the game but if that is what people would prefer, I will bow out. 

[Envious]

In the context of this game, I don't think it matters. I watched the anime when I was a kid and pokemon go and that is the extent of my knowledge.

[Mr L]

To be honest if I need to know what trade evolution does what and all the other nuances of the Pokemon video games, I am not really that interested in playing.  It doesn't seem that that was the original intent of the game but if that is what people would prefer, I will bow out. 

There's only a small number of pokemon that require trades or other conditions to evolve that isn't just leveling up or using a stone. Trading in the mainline games with another person made those easy, as you can trade them back to the original trainer. Pokemon Go is a step backwards in that regard.

And I'm imagining, due to the sandbox nature of the game, rarer stones (that usually require post game exploration to get) won't be quite as rare.

And there's nothing saying your pokemon have to evolve at the end of the day. That's the beauty of this battle system. For the most part, pokemon are all equal.

[Aethyrium]

To be honest if I need to know what trade evolution does what and all the other nuances of the Pokemon video games, I am not really that interested in playing.  It doesn't seem that that was the original intent of the game but if that is what people would prefer, I will bow out.

You definitely don't need to know anything about how any mechanics work from the games.

There are trainers, there are Pokemon, there are battles, and there are adventures to be had. If anything else is needed, I will provide it - no work for anyone, you don't need to be familiar with anything beyond "this is a Pokemon world" - which requires a vague understanding of what Pokemon are.

[Crash]

You definitely don't need to know anything about how any mechanics work from the games.

There are trainers, there are Pokemon, there are battles, and there are adventures to be had. If anything else is needed, I will provide it - no work for anyone, you don't need to be familiar with anything beyond "this is a Pokemon world" - which requires a vague understanding of what Pokemon are.

Sounds good. 

[MelodyCake]

Sorry for taking so long to come back into the thread after stating I was interested, took longer then I thought to come up with a concept to roll with.

But I am happy to see there's been some characters posted whilst I was coming up with mine. Had a lot of fun reading through those before finishing up my character sheet.

But I have finally finished and here is what I got so far.

Character Name: Neron Dovan

Trainer Class: Enthusiast
Gender & Sexuality: Male, Bisexual
Age: 18

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
1	3	2	1	3

Personality: Stupid or overly trusting could be one way to describe Neron's personality. Neron's actually pretty easy to trick and lie to as he tends to believe most things that he is told and takes people for their word pretty easily. Due to his upbringing he does have the tendency to not notice when he isn't respecting peoples personal space and is pretty far from being shy. When he comes face to face with a problem Neron tries to tackle things the only way he knows how and that is going at the problem head on and hope for the best.

Motivation & Goals: Neron's long term goal is to find his father, but he is also hoping to replace all the Pokemon he lost before he finds him. Not being too keen on the idea of telling his dad that he traded them all for a Milcery.

Biography: Most people would have considered the idea of a Team Rocket member becoming a single parent as both dangerous and not right for a child. But that is exactly what Neron's father did as he balanced both single parenting and his Team Rocket work career in the best way he could think of; by moving the two into the country side when Neron was just a boy. To somewhere they could be far away from prying eyes in the city and far away from anyone that could have had an influence his son and tell him what Team Rocket was. Despite what his father did for a living Neron never truly learned what Team Rocket was and what they did.

It wasn't always easy but Neron's father worked hard to balance his work and home life and did his best to home school his son on the things he believed where important. The isolation of living away from it all kept their world small and easy to manage. Just the way his dad liked it and it gradually but firmly established the believe to the child that his dad was the most amazing and cool his dad in the world.

But life is never smooth sailing and comes with its own waves of change when you least expect it. For Neon that happened on the day his father disappeared and was tricked into trading all of the Pokemon his father gave him for a Milcery...

Badge Case

Pokemon

Milk | Level: 5 | Species: Milcery
Ability: Sweet Veil | Moves: Baby-Doll Eyes, Aromatic Mist, Tackle, Sweet Kiss, Sweet Scent
Stats: Attack 10| Special Attack 10| Defense 10| Special Defense 10| Speed 10| Evasion 10

[Cold Heritage]

I watched the anime when I was a kid and pokemon go and that is the extent of my knowledge.

About the same for me (stopped watching the anime before the movies came out though), although I played Red, Blue, and Yellow on the OG Gameboy. I've played a Smash Brothers iteration that had Pikachu in it if that counts, too, but I'm almost 99% certain I just Falcon PUNCH'd that little yellow mouse.

[Mr L]

Meanwhile I've played most of the mainline games and have pretty decent knowledge of a lot of pokemon and abilities and such (Up to Gen 7, haven't played Sword and Shield). I'd be happy to help answer any questions folks might have. :D

[Aethyrium]

-Looks at every Pokemon game ever released, even those not released in America. Looks at shelves of manga. Looks at my complete Living Dex on Pokemon Home. Looks at the collection of series' on the dvd rack- I... Like Pokemon. You know, I guess you could call me a "fan" or whatever.

[Mr L]

-Looks at every Pokemon game ever released, even those not released in America. Looks at shelves of manga. Looks at my complete Living Dex on Pokemon Home. Looks at the collection of series' on the dvd rack- I... Like Pokemon. You know, I guess you could call me a "fan" or whatever.

If that only makes you a "fan," then I'm a poser lol

[Crash]

I play Pokémon Go so obviously I know everything there is to know about the Pokemons.  ;D

[Cold Heritage]

This is a completely accurate depiction of my understanding of how Pokemon fights go and completely informs how I intend to play Toddward.

[Mr L]

This is a completely accurate depiction of my understanding of how Pokemon fights go and completely informs how I intend to play Toddward.

Abigail: "Wait please don-! *grimaces* that's going to hurt you more than them!"

Onix are not light pokemon :')

[Envious]

Aaaah, these replies have me cracking up.

[MelodyCake]

I will admit, my knowladge comes from mainly watching friend play when I was a kid, and then from Playing Pokemon Sword, and a bit of pokemon go, back when I had a decent phone xD
The rest has mainly come from looking things up :P

This is a completely accurate depiction of my understanding of how Pokemon fights go and completely informs how I intend to play Toddward.

Okey, I had a bit of a chuckle there, hopefully Toddward isn't going to be throwing his Pokemon around too hard xD
Else Abigail might just be in for a full time job following Todward around :P

[Mr L]

So a two part question: are we going to worry about type match ups? And if so, will there still be immunities, or will they be handled like in PoGo, where they just do abysmal damage?

[Aethyrium]

So a two part question: are we going to worry about type match ups? And if so, will there still be immunities, or will they be handled like in PoGo, where they just do abysmal damage?

Yes, type matchups will play a role in things, and yes, immunities will be considered.

[Mr L]

Okay, so no Mega Punch working on a ghost without setup. Got it

[Aethyrium]

Consolidating all current character submissions into a single place for ease of access for myself, submittors, and lurkers. I'm going to announce approvals and what not on Monday, 2.22.21 - so those interested have until then to get sheets posted up here for consideration. I have not yet made a decision about the total number of participants I'll be taking, but will have a more clear idea of that once I start threading ideas together from the sheets. Don't delay! But also take your time ;)

Olivia Owens

Character Name: Olivia Owens
Trainer Class: Ranger
Gender & Sexuality: Female & Bisexual
Age: 25

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
2	1	1	3	3

Personality: Olivia is filled with an exuberance for life; there is always a new adventure right around the corner and she is eager to get started! She is positive and uplifting, even when faced against rivals. She has an exceedingly short attention span which means she doesn't always finish her last adventure before starting a new one, but to her the journey is far more fun than getting to the destination. When it comes to a tough situation, you might find her taking pictures instead of taking action.

Motivation & Goals: First and foremost, Olivia is a photographer. She wants to see things that most people never have the opportunity to witness and document it with her trusty camera! Her passion project is Pokémon - she particularly enjoys teaching Pokémon how to grow to the next level and documenting their progress along the way! One of her favorite moments to capture are Pokémon evolving. Olivia embarks on adventures to find "the perfect shot," of Pokémon showing off their skills in the wild, but is often side-tracked by running into a particularly photogenic Trainer or Pokémon who she will tag along with in order to get some candid shots.

Biography: Olivia is the youngest of five children - all of whom are significantly older. She was a sweet surprise, born 20 years after her parents had their last child, so her siblings were all entering adulthood when she came into the picture. Her brothers and sisters all made the holiday visits, bringing back stories of their adventures. Inspired, Olivia began taking photos of her daily life. They weren't the adventures of her siblings, but they were just as magical in her childlike imagination. She would send these pictures out to her siblings in an effort to connect with them and she was always met with praise and encouragement to continue. It became her thing - what set her apart from her brothers and sisters, but also what drew them closer together. As she grew, she continued to develop her craft and win small awards, but she also found what she was passionate about taking pictures of: Pokémon! This is what set her down the path as a Trainer. While she enjoys capturing Pokémon, she's more interested in teaching her Pokémon new tricks and advancing their skills rather than creating a huge collection.

Badge Case

Pokemon

Growly, Growlithe | 5 | Species: Puppy Pokémon
Ability | Moves: Intimidate | Flash Fire | Bite | Howl | Ember | Morning Sun (egg)
Stats: Attack 10 | Special Attack 10 | Defense 10 | Special Defense 10 | Speed 10 | Evasion 10

Mina Atwater

Character Name: Mina Atwater
Trainer Class: Collector
Gender & Sexuality: Cis Female / Pansexual
Age: 24

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
0	2	4	1	3

Personality: Mina is a curious and inquisitive woman.  She is a voracious reader and explorer that doesn’t mind poking her nose in places it doesn’t belong.  Mina is openminded and accepts others as they are as long as they are not toxic. Mina is not a rabid competition hound.  She is way more interesting in accumulating pokemon, particularly ones other trainers shy away from.  While she accepts the need to train as a way from her to find and capture more pokemon, she has a particular distain for those that abuse their pokemon for their own glory.

Motivation & Goals: Mina has a particular interest in ghost and dark type pokemon and feels they generally get a bad rap.  While all pokemon fall into her field of interest she will go out of her way to capture ghost and dark types for her to study and lean from.  Mina wants to write the definitive work on Ghost and Dark type pokemon in hopes that she can shine a better light on what she considers to be misunderstood creatures.

Biography: Mina grew up next to Oroh Memorial Cemetery.  Her parents were in the mortuary business and lived and worked in a big, old house that everyone in town thought was haunted.  In truth, it wasn’t, but the cemetery next door certainly was.  Mina spent her childhood looking out her bedroom window watching the pokemon that frequented the cemetery at night.  Most people were afraid of them but Mina felt sad that they were always being chased out or shooed away as to not bother the living. 
Mina had figured that she would to into the family business when she grew up.  Being around the dead didn’t bother her and it seemed like a logical thing to do.  Her parents were sweet and kindly people that helped others on their worst days and she saw a lot of value in that.  It wasn’t until her parents asked her to catch a little Litwick that had wandered out of the cemetery and begun hanging around the house that Mina really found her passion.

She had intended to release the little guy back into the cemetery but when she did he followed her home.  This happened again and again.  So much so that her parents were starting to get worried that the creature was an omen of impeding death.  It turned out that the Litwick just liked the aura of sadness that accrued around the home/business and more than that seemed to like Mine.  She named the little guy Tallow and he has been her faithful companion ever since.
It was very clear to Mina what path she wanted to take in life after catching Tallow.  While her parents were not happy that she was not going into the family business the saw how invested she was in catching and studying pokemon and bought her her first pokedex and a couple of pokeballs to get her started.

Badge Case

Pokemon

Tallow (Litwick) | Level 5 | Species: Candle Pokemon
Ability | Moves: Flame Body | Admonish (ghost), Ember (fire), Acid Armor (Poison), Minimize (Normal)
Stats: Attack 10 | Special Attack 10 | Defense 10 | Special Defense 10 | Speed 10 | Evasion 10

Tracy Jones

additional images

Character Name: Tracy Jones
Trainer Class: Tactician
Gender & Sexuality: Male, Bisexual
Age: 18

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
1	3	2	1	3

Personality: Tracy is a willful and determined young man with a kind nature and strong sense of justice. More than anything he seeks to help and defend others, though his willingness to help out can sometimes lead to him butting in where he isn't needed, or worse plunge head first into a dangerous situation. He grew up reading detective novels and watching crime dramas, which he often attempts to replicate in his own investigations. As such he has a penchant for dramatic flourishes and wild leaps in logic when working on a case, though thanks to his sharp senses and analytical mind his track record is actually pretty good.

Motivation & Goals: Officer in training. Obtain a minimum of 5 badges.

Biography: Tracy was only 7 years old when he had his first criminal encounter. A gang of thugs were attempting to rob a pokemon center his family was visiting, taking everyone inside hostage and demanding they all give over their pokemon. At the time Tracy was too weak and scared to do anything, completely helpless. However it was then that an officer arrived, a woman named Jennifer, and with her pokemon in tow managed to take down the entire gang of robbers single handedly. That incident was what inspired Tracy to become an officer himself. He worked diligently all throughout school in both athletics and academics, and joined the police academy right after graduation. He's currently still in the middle of his training, which is the reason he's traveling the gym circuit. It's important for any officer to have both an intimate knowledge of the region they're patrolling, as well as be a competent enough battler to contend with criminals who use pokemon as weapons. As such having recruits work their way through the gym challenge is a good way to give them hands on experience with both. 

Badge Case

Badge Case

Pokemon

Name: Barrel | Level 5 | Species: Clauncher
Ability: Mega Launcher | Moves: Bubble Beam, Water Gun, Vice Grip, Flail
Stats: Attack: 10 | Special Attack: 10 | Defense: 10 | Special Defense: 10 | Speed: 10 | Evasion: 10

Mikial Bronnwyn

Character Used: Ryouta Kise

Character Name: Mikial Bronnwyn
Trainer Class: Trainer
Gender & Sexuality: Male & Bicurious
Age: 27

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
3	3	1	2	1

Personality: Driven, optimistic, and a little prideful, Mikial is a constantly moving towards his goals. He sees himself as a dependable and reliable sort, much like the type of Pokemon he brings to battle. His most redeeming feature is his work ethic. He doesn't like to be called a genius, or a prodigy, or whatever buzzword people like to throw around at schools or academies. His power, his talent, his potential are all the result of well honed hard work forged in the anvils of practice and repetition. Mikial's worst feature is his tendency to hone in on things. He is the sort of man to see something he wants to do, and rush towards it headlong and headstrong. This has gotten him into trouble before, and likely will again in the future. Thankfully, things always work out. Right?

Motivation & Goals: Mikial has a set goal in mind. He wants to become the best Normal type trainer in the world. At the moment, he's setting the realistic goal of doing as well as he can in the Oroh League, but his aspirations are to become a Gym Leader or; perhaps even a member of the Elite Four? The Sky is the limit, and the only thing stopping him and his team from reaching the top is hard work and grit.

Biography: Born into the reasonably well-off family of a Gym Assistant Mother, and a Pokemon Researcher Father, Mikial was the first and only child of the pair. His parents were loving and supportive, and when they realised his ambition was set early on to follow in the footsteps of his mother they tried their best to set him up for success by enrolling him in a Private academy for Pokemon trainers. Mikial earned his entrance into the venue fair and square through a lot of hard work and practice in terms of acing the exam, and so started his journey towards Trainer-dom.

Mikial's fascination with Normal Type Pokemon came with a visit from a Gym Leader dedicated to the type. He saw something in the Pokemon that other people didn't. Whereas they saw boring, he saw humble. Whereas they saw bland, he saw the beauty of simplicity and minimalism. He saw something in them that he wanted to see in himself one day.  Reliability, and dependability. Surety, and certainty. When he told his classmates about this newfound fascination though, they laughed. When they saw he was serious, things got awkward and the Teacher was involved. The adult told the teenager that there was a certain...ceiling above people who focused on Normal types. They were the sort who never gained a chance to shine. Even the Gym Leaders tended to be early bumps in the road for the average trainer.

This only served to harden Mikial's conviction, and forge his ideal of hardwork and motivation trumping what was conventionally seen as the 'smart' path. He graduated the academy for a few years and existed as a trainer in a lesser region before the invitation to take the Oroh challenge came into his lap.

Badge Case

Pokemon

Broark| Level: 5 | Species: Munchlax
Ability:  Thick Fat| Moves: Lick, Tackle, Recycle, Rest, Curse, Sleep Talk
Stats: Attack - 10 | Special Attack - 10| Defense - 10| Special Defense - 10| Speed  - 10| Evasion - 10

Abigail Rivers

Character Name: Abigail “Gail” Rivers
Trainer Class: Breeder
Gender & Sexuality: Female and Pansexual
Age: 22

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
1	2	2	3	2

Personality: Sweet, caring, and more than willing to get her hands dirty. Abigail grew up caring for others, regardless of the situation, always looking to see some form of betterment from the one she has her eyes set on. She is a very selfless person and has trouble asking other humans for help, mostly just to not seem like a burden on others, thus she’ll almost always try something herself before even asking her pokemon to help, let alone another human.

Motivation & Goals: Nothing makes Gail feel more alive than seeing others become better, through hard work and dedication (and sometimes a loving kick in the rear!). She wants to travel to make long lasting friendships, to make a team of pokemon that are strong, but kind. While she wants to eventually take on the Elite Four, it’s a far-off future kind of dream. In the meantime, she’s content just building a strong family around her, in her pokemon.

Biography: Her parents worked in physical therapy fields for most of her life, while she often stayed home to help take care of her two brothers and sister. When her siblings were old enough to watch themselves, she would often volunteer to help her parents with some patients. It was here that she discovered her love of helping others through hard times and watching them become better over time.

One day, a boy came in with a pokemon that the nearby center was unable to heal due to a sudden surge of patients. Abigail and her mother took the little Skiddo in and nursed it back to health. The pokemon took a shine to Gail and refused to leave her side. It was discovered that it had no trainer, and so her mom gave her her first pokeball, to make the bond official. The two have been inseparable ever since.

Between watching her siblings, volunteering with her parents, and taking care of a pokemon, Gail started to feel a bit overwhelmed, when her father made a suggestion. To go on a journey. She was old enough, she had a great reliable pokemon partner, and she can share the love in her big heart with others who need it. It took a restless night to decide. She would do it. Maybe she could take on the league afterall?

Badge Case

Pokemon

Name Slick | Level 5| Species: Skiddo
Ability Sap Sipper| Moves: Growth | Tackle | Vine Whip | Tail Whip | Rollout |
Stats: Attack 10| Special Attack 10| Defense 10| Special Defense 10| Speed 10| Evasion 10

Toddward Jackedsson

Character Name: Toddward Jackedsson
Trainer Class: Champion
Gender & Sexuality: Cismale, Bisexual
Age: 25

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
5	3	0	2	0

Personality: Toddward Jackedsson is a fairly affable and gregarious man of few words. He has a simple mind, with simple needs and simple desires. The school of hard knocks has taught Toddward basically every lesson in life and he only learned three letters: T.K.O. but he more often than not gets by with just K.O. In battle Toddward is a bombastic foe, calling attacks while screaming like a wild animal, as if there were some correlation between how loud he is and how powerful his Pokemon's attacks are. Loyal to a fault, Toddward is always willing to help pump the Pokemon of his friends up.

Motivation & Goals: TO BECOME THE POKEMON SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!

Biography: Hailing from Parts Unknown, Toddward Jackedsson has done some things that he is no longer proud of. His early Pokemon battles were fought as a junior member of the global criminal organization known as Team Rocket. Toddward had the beanie with a red 'R' on it and everything. His Pokemon would mercilessly trample down the Pokemon of other children, and once victorious, he would steal both Pokemon and candy from his crying, defeated opponents, often kicking dirt in their faces as a final humiliation.

But Toddward's reign of terror was curtailed when the tales of infamous villainy reached the ears of the mysterious and unknowable TRAINER X. TRAINER X confronted Toddward and defeated the young man in a brutal, humiliating battle that was decided in a single move. Forced in a single moment to confront every bad thing he had forced his opponents to endure, Toddward's callous young heart was broken and as he shed MANLY TEARS out of shame for his wrong-doing and years of evil TRAINER X set Toddward on the path of righteousness and virtue! It took many years of HOT-BLOODED POKEMON BATTLE, but Toddward was ultimately capable of retrieving all of the Pokemon he had stolen, returning them to their beloved trainers, and replacing every single piece of candy he had ever stolen. He even submitted to letting the trainers he defeated kick dirt in his face to even the score, if they wanted to. Many did. Toddward endured it stoically, his DUE PENANCE.

Now freed from the chains of his past and the burdens of his sins, Toddward has come to Oroh to forge the first link in his glorious new future!

Badge Case

Badge Case

Pokemon

KING COBRA (yes, all upper case) | Level: 5 | Species: Onix
Ability: Sturdy | Moves: Defense Curl, Smackdown, Harden, Bind, Rock Throw, Tackle
Stats: Attack 10 | Special Attack 10 | Defense 10 | Special Defense 10 | Speed 10 | Evasion 10

Neron Dovan

Character Name: Neron Dovan

Trainer Class: Enthusiast
Gender & Sexuality: Male, Bisexual
Age: 18

Battle Offense	Battle Defense	Capture Rate	Growth	Discovery
1	3	2	1	3

Personality: Stupid or overly trusting could be one way to describe Neron's personality. Neron's actually pretty easy to trick and lie to as he tends to believe most things that he is told and takes people for their word pretty easily. Due to his upbringing he does have the tendency to not notice when he isn't respecting peoples personal space and is pretty far from being shy. When he comes face to face with a problem Neron tries to tackle things the only way he knows how and that is going at the problem head on and hope for the best.

Motivation & Goals: Neron's long term goal is to find his father, but he is also hoping to replace all the Pokemon he lost before he finds him. Not being too keen on the idea of telling his dad that he traded them all for a Milcery.

Biography: Most people would have considered the idea of a Team Rocket member becoming a single parent as both dangerous and not right for a child. But that is exactly what Neron's father did as he balanced both single parenting and his Team Rocket work career in the best way he could think of; by moving the two into the country side when Neron was just a boy. To somewhere they could be far away from prying eyes in the city and far away from anyone that could have had an influence his son and tell him what Team Rocket was. Despite what his father did for a living Neron never truly learned what Team Rocket was and what they did.

It wasn't always easy but Neron's father worked hard to balance his work and home life and did his best to home school his son on the things he believed where important. The isolation of living away from it all kept their world small and easy to manage. Just the way his dad liked it and it gradually but firmly established the believe to the child that his dad was the most amazing and cool his dad in the world.

But life is never smooth sailing and comes with its own waves of change when you least expect it. For Neon that happened on the day his father disappeared and was tricked into trading all of the Pokemon his father gave him for a Milcery...

Badge Case

Pokemon

Milk | Level: 5 | Species: Milcery
Ability: Sweet Veil | Moves: Baby-Doll Eyes, Aromatic Mist, Tackle, Sweet Kiss, Sweet Scent
Stats: Attack 10| Special Attack 10| Defense 10| Special Defense 10| Speed 10| Evasion 10

[Rynn]

Don't delay! But also take your time ;)

So are you saying I should put something together for this today, or are you saying that I should leave it to the very last second. jkjk And then get screwed over by a difference in time zones? Yeah that sounds like something that would happen to me.

I'll admit that I've been not-so-quietly lurking around in the shadows since this idea came up, and to be honest with you I'm still a little on the fence on whether I'll ever be able to wrap my head around the more technical aspects of this. But I suppose the learning experience could be fun? I think my biggest obstacle at the moment is deciding whether I should submit a female or male character. I am leaning a bit more towards the later, but for the good of the group (and possibly my chances of being accepted) I guess I could go female too.

I am however very curious as to how many people you will be accepting for this, since you've already got seven applications and I'd hate to make thing more competitive if the window of opportunity is already going to be really small.

[Crash]

Hi Rynn.  I plan on ignoring all technical aspects of this. ;)

[Aethyrium]

You should apply because I really enjoyed staring at your avatar for a solid 3 minutes.

The gender balance right now in submissions if 4-3 male-female, so I really don't think it matters much which way you go. Definitely go the route you feel most inspired to play, rather than basing it off of anything for the state of the game.

Honestly, if the technical aspects are what are holding you back, I wouldn't worry about it. You will, pretty much, never have to interact with them. And when you do (dividing Pokemon stats, mostly) it's about how you feel you'd train your Pokemon! Are they strong fighters? Sinking stats into Attack/Special Attack. Good at taking blows and endurance? Defense/Special Defense. Quick and flashy? Speed/Evasion. There really isn't a wrong answer here. It's about personal style and that being reflected somewhere.

In short, pay the numbers no mind. They definitely aren't there to be scary.

As for the total number of players, I don't know. I am... On the fence. My initial thought was 3 - when I was designing the game. But that quickly evolved to 6. I have been playing around with the concept of more, though. I may stick at 6. Depends on how all the characters fit together and what I can come up with. That is to say there is definitely room for more applications, it isn't that competitive for slots at this point.

[MelodyCake]

I guess to stick to the theme of asking questions, I do have one now :P

When you say you are currently considering of going with 6, is that 6 players including yourself, or without?

[Aethyrium]

Without. I will be serving exclusively as the game master and facilitating the adventure and NPCs, rather than running a character of my own.

[Aethyrium]

Hello everyone!

I am going to be temporarily postponing the launch of this game. I apologize for the inconvenience. However a friend who inspired the game, and ultimately the reason I decided to launch it - they wished to play - has had an unfortunate life event swallow them up. I have toyed around with the idea of bringing them in later, so I didn't have to hold everything up, but... I think this is just the best route to go for me at this point.

Oroh will be returning, I just can't offer any specifics of when that will be. Maybe next week, perhaps next month. But I would much rather kick this off the way I wanted to, rather than brute forcing it. I appreciate all of the interest, and the work that went into character creation. Hopefully everyone will understand, and I'd love to see you all come along with me when I'm ready to put this game back on the market.

Until then, so long, fair well, happy writing, and I guess I'll have to work on a different project for everyone to enjoy! ;)