forum "To Protect the World from Devastation!" | Dystopian World Pokémon Roleplay (REBOOT) | CLOSED

Started Jan 23 by @Vitae_

tune

The Koett Region. A mountainous landscape decorated with beautiful cities, terraced crops, and inviting caves. Home to multitudes of Pokémon and proud trainers alike looking to battle their way to the top.

But that is the old way of things.

Ever since the rise of the Paramount, Pokémon throughout the region have been outlawed. Those who once roamed free now face a life of captivity, forced into submission or abandoned to harsh punishments by the Head of the Guard, Xion. Those who once battled or lived alongside trainers have been seized by the Guard without exception. Travelers have been barred from entering the region, inhabitants have been barred from leaving. Not even common items like potions or antidotes remain available to the public.

The only way to live in the shadow of what life used to be, the only way to prevent your Pokémon from being taken, is to swear fealty to the Paramount and join his guard, where you're forced to become the very thing citizens fear.

Resistance means imprisonment or death.

But the darkest nights are said to produce the brightest stars. That is the hope of every rebel who yet possesses the will to fight against the Paramount, to take back what was stolen from them, and to restore the Koett Region to its former glory.

Our story begins with the hopes of three young trainers who, in a desperate bid for their beloved Pokemon back, seek out the leaders of the rebellion.

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If you're still here, congrats! You must be at least a little bit interested, despite my debatable summarization skills. The details are as follows:

• Each participant will join as a trainer between the ages of fifteen and twenty.
• Your trainers will begin with no Pokémon, as they've all been stolen by the Guard.
• Once they're accepted into the rebellion, they'll get the opportunity to choose up to three ragtag rescues each.
• You'll be able to choose exactly what Pokémon you want still, don't you worry. However, they will be low-leveled in the beginning.
• That said, no legendaries or mythicals. And no more than one pseudo-legendary per team. Any other Pokémon from any region is perfectly acceptable.
• Remember that your team will likely grow and change throughout, so your beginning team might not be your final team.
• One more thing!! Remember that Pokémon aren't only valuable for their brute strength in this universe, but also for their various skills in stealth, trickery, ease of living, etc..

Heads up that I'll be playing a different kind of character to more easily lead the group along. I'll post the character template after the rules, but keep in mind that if you have any questions or want to help hide something for the sake of future plot, just shoot me a pm and I will happily help you! I want everyone to have as much fun as possible.

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RULES:

• andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer)'s Rules
• Don't try and control characters that aren't yours without explicit permission.
• Don't make your character (or their team) overpowered or omniscient.
• Respond with an appropriate amount of content. There's no word count requirement and you don't have to match the amount that other people post, but read the room! Give everyone more than enough to work with.
• This roleplay is going to contain graphic depictions of violence and strong language. This is your warning!!
• On that note, there is to be NO GRAPHIC SEXUAL CONTENT and NO SLURS OF ANY KIND. Not that I worry about that from any of you, but I won't tolerate it.
• Do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

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CHARACTER TEMPLATE:

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance:
Backstory (optional):
Pokemon Team (optional):
Weapons/Gear:

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Name: Brodie Merit
Age: Twenty-three
Gender: Male, he/him
Appearance: Brodie's skin is caramel-toned, a result of working long days out in the sun when he was younger. A multitude of freckles, wrought by the same time spent outdoors, cover his cheeks and nose. His hair is thick and shaggy and resembles a wolf cut. Most of it is black, though the underside used to be dyed a stark yellow that has since faded to a muted blonde. His eyes are dark, appearing black in low light levels and turning to honey in proper lighting. They tend to appear glassy and are often accompanied by deep eye bags that betray his unhealthy sleep schedule. He has a small beauty mark just below his left eye.

His style of clothing is very conservative, often dark colors with unexpected bright highlights. He's quite partial to yellow, as his staple dandelion yellow shoes and bandana may suggest.
Backstory (optional): He's originally from the city Chargepoint, which was widely known for its variety of electric and water-type Pokémon. He's tight-lipped about everything else, but one might get him to speak if they convince him the information is necessary.
Pokemon Team (optional): Corviknight, Zorua
Weapons/Gear: An extendable quarterstaff, a handgun (only for dire emergencies), and a custom-made leather belt fit to holster up to six pokéballs. The belt is chipped and scuffed in several places, but very sturdy. Also ties a small pouch to his belt that can be used for carrying any other useful supplies.

Of course, welcome to the party!
Feel free to post your character when you feel ready :)

Absolutely, please do!

Name: Xander
Age: 20
Gender: Male

Appearance: Medium length blue hair, medium height, brown eyes, and blue rimmed glasses
Backstory (optional): Xander used to go on trips with his father, and older sister. His father was an avid mountaineer, and his sister was excitable. After the rise of the Paramount, his family was broken apart due to their part in the rebellion. His father was killed, and his sister captured. Xander is the only one still free and alive.
Other: Xander is trans, FTM. He is Paldean-born, and had lived there for the majority of his younger days. His family moved to the Koett Region after he had turned 11, and gotten his first pokemon. His father was interested in the moutnnous features of the region, and no one knew about the Paramount's plans yet.
Pokemon Team (optional): Roggenrola, Mankey, Honedge
Captured Pokemon(Those that were reclaimed by the Paramount: Paldean Tauros, Flame Breed, Orthworm, Quaxalaval
Weapons/Gear: He has climbing gear, a old-fashioned grappling hook, and 10 feet of rope.

Ooh yes, love seeing that sweet character lore. It'll be be fun to explore his motivations!!

Full disclosure: If no one else shows interest by tomorrow I'll be closing this roleplay and proceeding with just the three of us!

@Desvelarse; if you could post your character by this weekend it would be much appreciated! If you can't, no worries, just keep me posted if you're still interested in participating ^^

Sorry! Work was a bit busy, making my character right now!

Name: Lucia (Lucy) Teller

Age: 19 years old

Gender: Female, she/her

Appearance: (Based off of https://pin.it/4FTJqMO3v ) Shoulder length ginger hair that it thick and curled in texture. Hazel colored, almond shaped eyes that have recently looked exhausted. Her skin is on the pale side and speckled with a small number of freckles. Her build is on the slender side, and she stands at around 5'6 in height. Clothing wise, she tends to wear clothing on the 'outdoorsy' side of things. She tends to wear t-shirts with jeans or jean shorts depending on the weather. She wears outdoor work style boots, and occasionally with wear a flannel shirt over her top. She has to wear glasses, usually a black square framed pair, but has started to wear contacts more often.

Backstory (optional): Lucy was born and raised in the Johto region. There, she grew up living on stretching farmlands surrounded by mountains. Her family moved to the Koett region when she was about 12 to start their business. The business was a Pokemon rescue and rehabilitation center. There, they took in injured and abandoned Pokemon to attempt to nurse them back to health. From there, they would either release the Pokemon back into the wild or, if they were too domesticated, find them trainers who would take them in. With the rise of the Paramount, though, they were forced to halt their efforts as the Pokemon in their care were taken from them, and they were barred from further work. This gave Lucy a strong dislike for the Paramount.

Pokemon Team (optional): Houndour, Espeon

Weapons/Gear: Carries a brown faux leather satchel. Inside she keeps a dagger, a book containing instructions for creating various potions (given to her by her parents), and a few empty containers to hold said potions in.

Not to worry, my friend! I know the feeling, trust me. Also, We I love Lucy! I look forward to getting to know her character better.
As it's been about twenty-four hours and there's still no sign of anyone else joining, I'll be closing this thread now. I'll fill in with another trainer so we still have a four-man squad!

Name: Drew Agate
Age: Fifteen
Gender: Female, she/her
Appearance: Pink hair that falls past her shoulders when left down. She has blunt bangs that curl over her forehead, leaving her inquisitive blue eyes on full display. She’s short and rather girlish looking, with pale skin prone to sunburn.
Backstory (optional): Before the rise of the Paramount, Drew was a well-known pokemon photographer and social media influencer native to the Koett region. She and her Alolan Raichu were inseparable and downright iconic if you asked their fans, though their arguable fame was no defense against the Guard. She tried to fight back, but she and Raichu were no battle unit and they were quickly overwhelmed. Her resistance would have earned her a steeper punishment, had her father not stepped in and pledged his allegiance to the Paramount in exchange for her life. Guilt and regret drove her to run away, and now she’s seeking to channel those emotions into challenging the Paramount and reclaiming the peaceful life she once possessed.
Pokemon Team (optional): Noibat, Treecko, Mareep
Weapons/Gear: A hatchet with a cell battery built into the hilt. Allows for electric-type enhancements to be executed for the duration of its charge—however, the battery drains quickly and takes ten minutes to recharge. She also carries a very basic backpack that's lightweight but able to hold a lot, which normally carries her hatchet.

I'll work on getting my starter up soon!

_{(Apologies if you saw the previous starter I posted! I wasn’t happy with it so I decided I wanted to rewrite it. And here it is! Hope you enjoy <3 )}

_{(PS- For the sake of consistency, this takes place about fourteen months after the rise of the Paramount.)}

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“Hurry up, kid. The others are already inside. Merit won’t be happy if you’re late.”

Drew profusely apologized to the daywatch, going so far as to bow. The man who’d called her out was gruff and more than grumpy, but he’d been kind enough to show her to a tent when she’d first arrived here, telling her it’d be a few days before they could “fit her into the schedule”.

“Here”, of course, being the entry to the headquarters of Koett region’s greatest hope in overthrowing the Paramount. Or at least, the supposed headquarters… The suspiciously knowledgeable fisherman she’d bribed hadn’t been exactly clear about whether this was the headquarters, or whether it was merely a primary meeting point.

A rush of cool air greeted her as the large vault door shuddered open before her. Drew adjusted the brim of her ball cap and then plunged into the mouth of the cave with a single backward glance at the daywatch, an ironic smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

She was hardly surprised when the door began to slide shut behind her, but she still spun around to face it. “You can’t be serious,” she breathed, her smile growing strained. A droplet of sweat slid down her jaw and she wiped it away with her sleeve before it could fall.

“No choice now,” she mumbled to herself, taking a deep breath as the window of light vanished with the click of the closed door. She carefully turned back to the length of the tunnel, one of her hands instinctively rising to trail along the wall.

After a few minutes of cautious shuffling, Drew’s eyes began to adjust to the gloom. Or… No. That wasn’t quite right.

There was a light source ahead.

Drew increased her pace, excitement beginning to overshadow her anxiety. As she rounded the corner, though, she slowed again.

The tunnel emptied into a gigantic pocket of stone. The far edges of the cave were shadowed in darkness, but ahead of her… Ahead and all around were hundreds of glowing crystal deposits. Most of them were a muted blue-green hue, but she noticed a few pink and pale yellow batches higher up. Delight shone in her eyes, glittering with the multicolored lights of the cave.

It had been years since she had last seen such a large crystal nursery. That had been when she was still a child, bumbling through local caves in her hometown along with her parents and Pichu.

The nostalgia weighed heavily in her chest, withering and turning into bitterness at the reminder of her missing pokemon partner.

Her gaze dropped from the ceiling, and she started when she saw the two figures standing in the not-so-far distance. ‘More recruits…?’ she wondered, fingers flexing with her nerves. It looked like they were older than her, though perhaps not quite yet out of their teens. Still young for a rebellion, but who was she to speak?

Wary again, she began to approach them. “You must be the ‘others’ they mentioned,” she said, then stopped short when she noticed the absence of any crystals or other light about fifteen paces ahead of them. “Woah…” she whispered, stopping where she was. No way in hell was she getting any closer to that.

The absence of light was more than just a bare spot on the floor. There simply was no floor. It just…fell away, into sheer nothingness.

Suddenly, Drew felt a lot less confident in her choice to trust the adults outside. For all she knew, this could be some kind of trap, and the two “recruits” could be waiting to throw her into the chasm.

She shook her head furiously at the thought, gripping the straps of her backpack tightly. ‘No! This whole thing is too elaborate to be a trap. There’s no way the Paramount would set this all up… probably. What would he even gain from that?’ Still, she was sure to keep a safe distance from the others.

Realizing she hadn’t said anything else out loud, she fumbled to pick up her train of thought and then rushed out, “My name is Drew!” A pause, and then a far less certain, “Are you two…also waiting for someone to show up and tell us what to do?”

Xander answers Drew absentmindedly. "Yup. Just waiting….And trying to shake off nerves, and prepare myself in general."
Xander was watching the multi-colored crystals lining the cavern, trying to remember where he had seen similar ones. Ah, thats right. He had been to Blueberry Academy once, and they had a place called 'Chargestone Cavern' in their…place. He'd been young, visiting his sister with his father. This cavern was quite different, having more color variety than Chargestone. …. Pinks and yellows as well as blue crystals decorating the cavern walls. ……..
Wanting to take his thoughts off of those now painful memories, Xander turns back to Drew asking, "So… How's it going? Or like, what's your story I guess?" Small talk was not his strong suit.

Lucy had been just as reluctant about approaching when she had first arrived in the cavern. While she had taken interest in the crystals, debating whether or not she would be able to take samples, she chose not to touch anything without the proper safety measures. It would usually be so easy. In the past, she never had to be so cautious. Her Espeon had always been there to levitate the items for her so she wouldn’t have to touch potentially harmful materials. Without her, though, she had to be much more careful.

While being surprised about seeing the man around her age approach, ‘shock’ was the only word to describe how she felt when a young teen approached. Trainers that young were being recruited? Though unsure about the girls part in everything, she still had it in her to worry.

Lucy smiled as she nudged her glasses up a bit further on the bridge of her nose. “I’m Lucia, though you can call me Lucy,” she acknowledged to the young girl, nodding at Xander. His attempt at small talk made the young woman’s brow arch. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to reveal to a complete stranger just yet. Her grip tightened on the strap of her leather satchel.

“Yeah, no one has been around yet. Is it only the three of us?” she inquired. Tilting her head to Xander, she answered, “I’m from Johto. What about you all?”

Drew blinked at Xander's jump in dialogue, her hand slipping a few inches down her backpack strap in surprise. She shifted nervously, lifting her gaze to Lucia—Lucy—and offering a tentative smile in response to the older girl's own.

"It's going fine," she answered, a tad cautiously. She seemed to glance at the pit in the ground, then back to the other recruits, before apparently deciding they weren't about to throw her in. She relaxed somewhat, and added, "I don't really have a story." Not one she was willing to share right away, at least. Drew had seen the poorly masked realization in Lucy's eyes when she'd first spotted her, and she adjusted the brim of her hat lower over her face as if to hide what everyone already knew: She was too young to be fighting a tyrant.

"I-I'm from Koett, though," she offered, internally wincing at the initial stutter. "I've lived here for seventeen years, but I stayed in Kalos for a few summers to visit my mom." And that time, her voice came across as steady. Convincing, even, though she wasn't about to risk any follow-up questions. "The daywatch didn't mention anyone else. He made it sound like I was the last…" she trailed off, about to mention the name he'd hurried her with when a voice, unlike those of the other two recruits, rumbled through the cave.

"That's because you are."

Drew jumped and glanced around wildly until a bit of motion caught her eye.

On the far side of the cave, adjacent to the right lip of the chasm, the shadows parted. Literally. They split around the emerging figure like a wave crashing against a rock. "What is that?" she exclaimed, taking a reflexive step backward and slinging her backpack onto one shoulder, ready to reach in if she needed to.

As the last tendrils of shadow snapped and recoiled into the background once again, the clear image of a man advanced towards them. He was average height and had dark hair, but that was all she could make out before she recognized the revolting gray uniform he was wearing.

"Get back," she hissed at the other recruits, grabbing Lucy's sleeve since she was closer and tugging for emphasis. Drew had no idea how familiar the two were with the Guard, but it looked like they'd all be well acquainted if they didn't get the hell out of there now. 'They closed the door behind me,' she thought suddenly. 'They knew.' She swallowed, the realization followed by, 'We'll need to fight our way out.'

"Ah ah ah," the Guard said, the very sound of his deep voice seeming to carry an imposing weight despite the raspy quality of it. "Don't run away, now. You came all this way and went to all the trouble of falling into this pretty little trap. It'd be a pity to waste it. Don't you agree?" The man continued to approach at a leisurely pace, and as he drew closer, she could see he was tossing a Pokeball in the air repeatedly.

"Tell me, you hopeful rebels. What brings you here?" The Guard inquired, ceasing his advance a good twenty feet away from the recruits. "Sanctuary? Community? …Revenge?" He paused, pointed suddenly at Xander, and smiled. Drew could see it was an empty one in the way the rest of his expression remained flat—that's how close he was. " 'What's your story?' If you tell me, the Head Xion may yet lighten your punishment. Treason is no light offense."

Drew swallowed, doing her best not to shrink away in fear as those eyes passed briefly over her. This Guard would be nothing like her father, she was sure. Her father was merciful, he served against his will—but this one? The looming threat of the pokeball in his hand told her he could crush them all easily if he wanted to.

Xander glares at the Guard head on. "I'm here to save my family. My sister, and my pokemon. …..I guess vengeance is also on the table, as I'd take great pleasure in soundly beating my father's killers."
Xander inserts his hand into his satchel, and pulls out a grappling hook, which is quite old, and could impale a human if aimed properly. "Now, get out of our way. Or else."

The sound of a new voice made Lucy flinch. Her head first whipped in the direction of the door- or where it used to be- before facing the newcomer. A trap. Of course it was a trap. How could they have been so gullible?

Lucy's arm shot out in front of Drew in a protective manner. She eyed the man with a clenched jaw, gaze sharp. She recognized that uniform. The people that had come to shut down her family's sanctuary wore the same dull attire. The man must be a member of the Paramount. She cursed herself for being so gullible as to get herself in their trap in the first place.

Having to fight was not something Lucy was eager to do. She was not a fighter, not really. She had little experience in physical combat, with or without her Espeon. Her Espeon was mostly used for assistance and healing purposes, always having helped her out with tasks at the sanctuary. She had known that her loyal Espeon had more than enough potential to fight and protect her, but the situation never arose for her to take advantage of. There was the dagger that she had in the side pocket of her leather satchel, but she had never used that on another person. She mostly used it for the purpose of chopping up and collecting materials for things like potions. Thinking about what else she had on her, being various berries and plants, mostly, she wasn't sure how much of a help those would be.

The sight of the pokeball in the guard's hand was an easy threat. Without Pokémon of their own, they were essentially as good as dead if the guard decided to attack. Though, maybe she could provide some sort of distraction. Depending on what type of Pokémon it was, maybe one of the berries or plants that she had could entice it enough to distract it for a brief moment.

"It's ok, we'll be fine," she murmured to the girl next to her, gaze moving briefly to Xander. If she was given an opening to be able to distract the man's Pokémon, Xander could get an opening to take care of the guard.

The Guard studied Xander for a moment that seemed to Drew a small eternity, then mumbled something that she nearly missed over the pounding of her heart. "Brave, but impulsive." He raised his voice and added, "Foolish, even. You give no favors to yourself, boy."

The man's eyes swept over her and Lucy again, lingering on the older teen and the protective stance she'd taken. "Cautious. Frozen with fear? …No. Strategizing," The Guard mused, but again, his voice was quiet. As if he was talking to himself, Drew realized. And again, he raised his voice to properly address the older girl. "Curious you should hesitate now. Is your compassion for a stranger more important than securing your future?"

Something was beginning to feel…off, but Drew couldn't quite place her finger on what. She slowly edged to the side, out of Lucy's guarding reach, then stopped as the Guard's stare snapped to her. She suppressed a flinch and lifted her chin in an act of quiet defiance, trying to emulate Xander's lack of fear.

"I came here for penance. To correct a mistake I made in the past and…" she swallowed, trying to steady her voice and channel every bit of her strength into the words. "To fight for those who can't. People and Pokemon alike."

Drew half expected the Guard to kill her for those words the moment they left her mouth, but still, he gave no sign of active attack. 'Is he looking for information?' It seemed unlikely, given he'd already insinuated he'd be handing them over to Head Xion. The rumors all hinted that Xion was quite adept at gathering information.

She shuddered. It has to be another reason. Was he just toying with them?

"I see," the Guard drawled, his gaze dipping to the pokeball now resting in his palm. He clenched his fist around the contraption and leveled his gaze with the three recruits.

"Is that how you all feel, then? In that case, I'll tell you the truth." He cocked his head towards the far end of the cave, shrouded in darkness so thick it was impossible to see what lay beyond. "This is the headquarters of a rebellion, alright." He took a few bold steps forward, raising his free hand abruptly as a clear warning to Xander not to move. "But like all who stand before the Paramount, it has been crushed. This one here?" He waved the pokeball. "A more…recent acquisition."

Drew pulled in a breath as the words clicked. If the Guard was to be believed, then the Pokemon he was holding was no enemy, but a fellow victim. Her hand inched into her bag, wrapping around the hilt of her weapon.

"Let's test your resolve then, shall we?" He reached the lip of the chasm and smiled, then extended his arm over the blackness with the Pokemon held hostage. "If you can save this one Pokemon, as a testament to your vengeance, your compassion, your…penance. Why, I'll let you go free. I’ll even call off the other Guards, as a favor.”

“Why?” Drew blurted out. “What do you have to gain from this? If you’ve won already, then why—”

The Guard didn’t let her finish. "If you expect answers, I suggest you act now. My patience isn't endless." His fingers flexed, his threat to drop the unassuming Pokemon at any moment painstakingly clear.

Xander gauges the distance between them and the guard. Only about 20 feet away, perhaps he could use the rope and grappling hook to knock the guard to the ground, to snag away the pokeball. But they might be able to drop the pokeball faster than Xander could incapacitate them. Hm…Well, not much choice, was there?

(For context, the grappling hook is like the one from Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. A hook on the end of a rope, which must be whirled around and thrown.)
Xander's grappling hook had never seen much use. It would sometimes be used to set up a rope on a higher ledge, but it would mostly just sit in the bag, just in case. It was always more reliable to just climb up and set up a rope by hand then to try and toss a grapple hook onto a ledge. Dad had taught Xander how to use it, how to swing it around, how to catch a ledge, or how to get it to loop around a target. But aside from that one day, he'd never had to use it. But today, it would be used as a weapon. …You could pierce someone with the hook, but..that felt wrong, even for people like this. No, he would rope trap his foes, knock them out, or throw them off a cliff, but he won't kill someone so directly like that. …Not with this.

Xander swings the hook on the end of a rope, and throws it around the side of the guard, aiming to get the rope to tighten around their waist, and knock them to the ground. If he can time this right, then he can take the guard out before the captured pokemon is released.