Sethera

Wartortle Galarian Ponyta Sylveon Tatsugiri Dudunsparce Gholdengo

BGM: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection - Raid! "Weak for a Pokémon you mean right? Ever get Tackled by a Zigzagoon before? I'd rather you run into me again than that!" Shawn shouted over the din. Anna chortled from her position on the floor. "Yeah, I meant for a Pokémon! Even a Zigzagoon is stronger than them." "Hell of a first test for us, Assistant Professor!" Dahlia called out, somehow retaining her sense of humor even now. "Hey, this wasn't my—ugh!" Anna's indignant cry cut off as another Crowdent jumped on her back. The air came out of her chest in a whoosh. For one terrifying second, she could not breathe. And then the Crowdent crawled off, skittering to join its fellows in their assault against those still standing. Anna took in a deep breath then, letting it out quickly in her panic. Another breath in. And then the backward slide as she exhaled. Spots gathered in the corners of her eyes. This was a disaster. And it was all her fault. She had known the Crowdent were inside, had heard their faint whispers that grew silent at her call. But she had told the others to enter, anyway. She had erroneously assumed her abilities protection enough. She had been wrong. 'This never would have happened if I had just went with the original plan and let the professor come here instead.' Nikolaos's question tugged Anna away from her pity party. It also provided her with a glimmer of hope. She could still fix this! She could fix this and pretend like this was all part of the plan. Except she had a feeling the others wouldn't fall for it. Especially Dahlia. She hadn't known the woman for very long, but the other seemed as sharp as a Larvara. But even if Anna couldn't pretend, she could still fix this. That was what mattered. Their current situation was precarious at best. Dahlia had been overrun with Crowdent, though as soon as the woman fell down they lost interest in attacking her, content to sit on her instead like they did Anna. The rest crawled off of the woman, aiming for the others. Several flew at Shawn and Chigusa, but scattered at Chomper's Aqua Jet. Those that were hit passed out then and there. Several more, aiming for Lini, fell to the floor in sleep from Pinky's Hypnosis. The nearby Crowdent let out high-pitched keens, which the others soon took up. Then they came at the Totodile and Munna with Tackles, joined by others racing in from the back of the warehouse. Though Chomper and Pinky posed the greatest threat so far, not all the Crowdent focused on those two. One Pokémon found the pack of crackers that Nikolaos had dropped, paying no mind to the battle as it stuffed its cheeks. Various Crowdent still kept Anna and Dahlia flattened to the ground. A few more approached the latter, wary of her skill with an umbrella. Though they would soon have something else to distract them from the fallen woman. Selini found that telekinesis on an animate organism was much harder than on inanimate objects. Objects didn't resist being pushed, but living beings did. And the psychic's attention was divided between multiple Pokémon, which made it even harder. Still, the rodents' lightness worked against them here, and three Crowdent were thrown back into the horde. While she still had some Crowdent on her back, they were few enough now that Dahlia could pick herself off the floor if she wanted. The keening resumed, but this time the Crowdent had no obvious target to direct their energies towards. The rats shifted in confusion before running toward Dahlia, Chomper, and Pinky in renewed fury. With most of the pack distracted like this, Nikolaos made his way to Anna mostly unmolested. The girl was ready for him, having shifted around enough to open up her duffel bag and take out the thin square metallic box containing the starter Poké Balls. How she had imagined this would go! She would give a grand speech—but not too long, of course, because she was never great at public speaking. And then she would provide a test to choose which trainers to give the starter Pokémon to. Professor Appel had thought it a good idea to give them out to those trainers who were less confident in themselves, or less likely to catch one themselves. But Anna thought that was stupid. Why give out valuable Pokémon to weaklings who would give up before they even got their first Gym badge? They wouldn't be of any help to the professor or his research. So she had devised a test. She would find some willing wild Pokémon to scare the group, and she would choose the three trainers who could handle the fright best to receive the starters. Honestly, not that different from what they were going through right now. Except now Anna was also part of the test. The girl handed over the container to Nikolaos, gritting her teeth as the boy stared down at the box, making no effort to help her up. While she also would've appreciated some help, she knew that time was short. She wasn't the priority right now. The Pokémon were. And then a Crowdent crashed right into Nikolaos's back, another running forward and knocking the box out of the boy's hands. "No!" Anna cried. With a surge of adrenaline, she clawed her rat-laden self forward, desperate to catch the container. Her focus narrowed on the box, and for one second, she believed she would make it. And then the back of her hand slapped against the latch of the box, and instead of catching it, she threw it further away. The movement had also undone the latch, and the container flipped open, revealing a velvet interior cushioning three shiny Poké Balls. It was like watching a chariot wreck in action. The box crashed to the concrete floor, dented but whole. Separately, the three Poké Balls all landed as well. BGM: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection - Pokemon I Choose You! When she first arrived at the laboratory, Anna didn't know the first thing about Poké Balls. But Professor Appel was quite knowledgeable. He had showed with an empty Poké Ball how clicking the button in the middle once would resize it, and holding it down would open it. Closing it required just a simple press of the two sides together. "Applied force to the surface of the Poké Ball also works," the professor explained. "When thrown, they open after hitting the ground. If the ball is empty, they release a red particle beam that converts electrons into muons, and if the ball is full, they do the reverse. It's quite fascinating, and discussed in full in Professor Westwood's essay on the mechanisms of Poké Balls." And that was where he lost her. But she understood the basics. Using force from the outside on a Poké Ball would open it. So then, these falling Poké Balls… would the force of them falling to the floor be enough to open them? According to Professor Appel, the answer was no. "Considering the negligible mass of a Poké Ball combined with gravitational acceleration… not even mentioning air resistance, ahem. Dropping a ball from up to seven feet above the ground does not produce enough force to open it. Poké Balls were designed that way to avoid accidents. After all, most new trainers drop their Poké Balls from time to time. Heh, even I've done the same when my arms were full." So normally, the balls would have just dropped to the floor. But Anna, in her attempt at catching the container, inadvertently transferred energy, or positive work, to the container, which then acted on the Poké Balls. Now their acceleration had increased, surpassing the threshold. In simpler terms, her knocking the box away caused the Poké Balls to fly out and not just drop, but slam against the floor. This excess of force caused them to open, revealing the Pokémon inside in a flash of white light. The first to appear was a tiny green snake with a darker scale pattern on the back of its head, narrowing down to a point between yellow almond-shaped eyes. A shiny round red fruit hung from its tail. It blinked and tasted the air, then shook its tail in a rattle of warning. The second was a fierce-looking silver kitten with blue extremities and a shock of white hair on its head. It bore matching white markings on its face and belly. A spiky tail glowed faintly, lighting up the surrounding space. It crouched down, letting out a low growl as its sky-blue eyes darted from person to person. The last was a small calf with a milk-colored coat and brass-colored nose, horns, and front hooves. Aqua blue hair curled over its head in gentle waves. While the front looked like a normal bull, the back ended in a blue fish's tail, giving it the look of a bovine mermaid. It peered into the darkness with wide eyes, hooves pawing at the ground. "Grissy, Felight, Calfin!" Anna called out, still lying on the ground. The three turned toward her, recognition lighting up their faces. "I know this situation isn't like we discussed before, but these people will be your new trainers." She gestured at the group. "Listen to them and follow their directions!" The two-toned girl looked toward the other humans in the warehouse. "These are Grissy, the fruit snakelet Pokémon; Felight, the glowing cub Pokémon; and Calfin, the sea calf Pokémon. They are—" she cut off as a Crowdent jumped on her, and then took a deep breath when it leaped off, "—grass, fire, and water types respectively. I wish I could give you more time to decide, but you'll need to choose quickly. Or just take a random one for now and decide your starter later. We need more battlers, and fast!" OOC: Hello, hello! It's that time of the RP. Yes, it's starter time! For those of you choosing fakemon starters, anyway. Just as Anna said, you can either decide amongst yourselves which starter you're choosing (and of course, certain people get priority for certain starters). Or you can choose a random Pokémon to fight this battle now, and decide your actual starter later. Also, once I am sure everybody has read this post, I will post a picture of the starters in the Discord chat.

"There is no way you were two hours late because of me! You probably ran off after another Pokémon!" That… was not wrong. Anna had, in fact, gotten distracted by a Pokémon. A Rattata who had alerted her to some unrest going on at the harbor. Not that she had seen any sign of that herself. Still, she hadn't been in the city for very long, what with hurrying to make it to the meeting spot on time. She was sure that Professor Appel had meant for this to be some grand meeting with at least a couple dozen young trainers. The sun would be shining overhead, like it usually was in the Zeia Fields. The professor would arrive, right on time as usual, where Lytos Pier met the main harbor. As he would call it, "the junction between land and sea." There would be a speech, since it was expected, but it would be short, because it was him, after all. And everybody would smile and laugh and even the most nervous of them all would relax. Because that was who the professor was. And they would depart with more smiles and waves, and then Anna would return to the lab with the professor to continue his research. But that was not what happened. Instead, Anna had volunteered to do this for him, and now she and the five remaining trainers huddled in a circle to dry off in a dark warehouse. Outside, a veritable hurricane lashed its fury against the walls, rattling the rafters and blowing rain into the open doorway. None of them were far enough inside to avoid the rain entirely, but none of them dared to venture further in where they couldn't see, either. At least, not until Nikolaos brought out his flashlight. The rest of them seemed to ease up at the light and named themselves, but Anna tensed. Not even the introduction of two of their Pokémon was enough to drop her shoulders. Because she could hear something. Something that the others seemed unaware of, though those with sensitive ears would hear what sounded like high-pitched squeaking. Dahlia had hit the nail on the head with her comment. They were not alone, and the others did not like the light. "Light." "Bright." "Sun?" "Lightning?" "Bad." "Twofeet." "Two others. Bigmouth and dreamflower." "Dangerous?" "Dangerous." The Totodile and Munna, called Chomper and Pinky, both tensed and moved forward to stand between the group and the inner part of the warehouse. Anybody paying attention to the two Pokémon would be able to tell that something was wrong. Anna sucked in a breath. "It's nice meeting you all," she said, keeping her tone steady. "But, uh, I need to bow out for a moment. I'll be… right back." The girl walked past the two Pokémon to face the darkness. Small pinpricks of red light broke up the blackness, which from up close could be identified as glowing eyes. "It's fine, it's fine," the two-toned girl reassured. "We won't hurt you. We just came in to get out of the storm. The light's for us to see by." "Hurt us?" "Storm." "Bad light." "Hate light." "Bad twofeet." "Run?" "Bighouse no escape." "Attack?" "Attack." BGM: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection - Raid! "Come on, listen to me. Wait, no, hey, turn off the light—" Anna turned around to shout at Nikolaos, but she wasn't able to finish her sentence. Something small and heavy crashed against her back, and then several more followed suit. The girl fell to the ground on her stomach again. "Ouch," she groaned. "I did not need another crash landing today. And this time, I don't have somebody to break the fall for me." She glanced up at Shawn and the others, who were all a good several feet away now. Closer to her, Chomper and Pinky faced off against the darkness. Tiny claws dug into the back of her raincoat as several creatures ran forward at the group. One of them jumped into the beam of the flashlight, revealing itself as a tiny brown rat Pokémon with black extremities and red eyes. Anna struggled to rise, but found herself unable to when several rats stood on her, their weight keeping her down. She lifted her head instead to shout out a warning. "Be careful, everybody! These are Crowdent! They're pretty weak, but don't underestimate them, especially in these numbers." OOC: Our first fakemon appearance! I will be including a picture of Crowdent and any future fakemon in the Discord chat. Also, we have our first battle! However, only two of you have Pokémon. Guess the rest of you should've decided to bring your own, too bad so sad. :P However, there might just be a way for those of you without a Pokémon to join in as well... And yes, the Crowdent are attacking all of you, not just Chomper and Pinky. Fortunately, those two Pokémon are also between all of you and the rats.

"What did I do?" "You left me behind, that's what! Once it started raining, you sped off like it was chasing you!" Anna pointed accusingly at Nikolaos. "Anyway, one of us has to be the scape-Aquoat, and it won't be me. So it has to be you!" The girl cared not one bit about the fairness—or lack thereof—of this statement. Decision made, Anna turned around and grinned at Shawn. "Roger dodger! I won't do that again. Or at least, I'll try not to," she winked. At the boy's next words, she peered at the fallen door, bringing a finger to her mouth in thought. She had arrived too late to see how the door fell. "Huh, so it came off on its own? How spooky." She peered around the psychic. "That means the warehouse is open, though. I don't want to stay outside here, so I'm heading in too. Not that I can get any more wet." She gestured down at her raincoat and mud-splattered knees. Without waiting for a response, Anna walked inside after Lini. "Sure wish there was a light in here, huh? Maybe you can help us out?" she turned to face the darkness. "Can you tell us where the light switch is?" She paused, as if expecting an answer, but no such thing was forthcoming. The only noise Lini and anybody else within the warehouse would hear was a faint rustling. "Huh? No answer? Are you tired?" Anna hummed in thought. "That's fine. The dark works just as well. We're going to stay here for a bit. Let us know if we bother you." The two-toned girl turned back to the group, though they wouldn't see the movement in the dark. "Come on in, already! Yes, I know you can't see, but follow my voice. Let's not be too loud, but normal talking tones should work, since this storm is loud enough." She waited for everybody to enter the warehouse. "Because you were all determined enough to wait for me, you've, uh, passed the test! Yes, there totally was a test, and not me, you know, running late." Anna coughed. "That's not important right now, though. It's time for introductions! I'll go first. My name is Anna, and I'm Professor Appel's assistant. I volunteered to substitute for him today to meet you all and ask you for a favor on his behalf. He's been pretty busy at the lab, so it worked out okay, I think. Weeded out some of the less worthy." The girl grinned toward where she thought Dahlia was, though it was only when the lightning flashed through the open doorway and the windows that she could make out anything more than darkness. She turned back to face forward. "How about you all? What do you call yourselves?" OOC: Post didn't take as long as I expected, since Anna already talked to most of you in your posts. So that worked out nicely. Anyway, it's introduction time! We can FINALLY learn each other's names.

The boy in the beanie said nothing while the others spoke their piece, but the darkening expression on his face said it all. He was annoyed at their disagreement. "Sure, you can't get anymore wet, but you can get sick. And it's not stupid at all!" By the end, his voice rose into a shout. "What's stupid is staying here! Why wait around like this when it's obvious that nobody's coming? That poster was probably just a prank or something! And you!" He whirled on the girl currently trying to break the warehouse door down with her mind. "What are you doing?! What if the cops show up?" His voice rose in dismay. The girl in an orange shirt, who until now had seemed willing enough to stay, looked to have changed her mind as she listened to both him and Dahlia. She leaned away from the latter, as if further distance would prevent her from getting either condition the woman spoke of. "I think…" she started. "I think I'm going to leave now. Even if I can't start my journey now, I'd rather not start off on the wrong trench foot—er, foot. And it's probably best not to begin our journey with breaking and entering either," she drawled out with a look toward Chigusa and Selini. The boy in the headband shook his head. "I doubt anybody will notice right now. Still," he glanced at the sky. "The weather's not getting any better. And I don't know if it's the storm or something else, but I can't get any signal here with my phone." He took out his phone and showed the screen to the gathered people, but especially Shawn. "I tried to call my brother an hour ago, but wasn't able to. Honestly? Kind of spooky." Despite his words, his voice itself came out flat. "I hate to agree with him," he nodded at the beanie boy, "but I think we all might be better off finding some shelter before we get electrocuted. And not in the warehouse," he added. "Yes, there's a low chance anybody notices, but I'm not risking getting my trainer's license revoked over this." "Argh! Why did everything turn to shit?!" the boy in the beanie scrubbed at his hair through his hat. "What if we got the wrong place? Or what if something happened to the assistant? Or maybe it really is a prank? Crap, I don't know, and that makes everything worse!" He shook his head. "It doesn't help that the longer we stay here, the more likely we all are to come down with something later!" The boy seemed to realize he was spiraling. "Listen," he took a deep breath. "I can't stick around any longer or I'll go crazy. You're all free to do what you want. I'm not your boss. Just… be careful. And don't get arrested. I'd hate to hear of anything happening to you all later on. Would make me feel bad." He took another breath. "The name's Isaac, by the way." "I'm Reina," the girl chimed in. She leaned toward Dahlia briefly before darting away. "Good luck with your trench foot. I'm leaving before I catch that." "She was obviously joking," the last boy muttered. Then, even quieter, he said his name. "… Qadir." Isaac adjusted his beanie one last time. "Well, hope I see you all later on our journeys." Then he turned around and walked away from the pier, toward a hazy building in the distance. For those who had already booked a stay, they would recognize it as Hotel Atlantica. Through the rain, they could only make out bright points of golden light and the vague outline of pointed spires. But even that seemed like a beacon of warmth and safety in the storm. "Stay frosty, but not too frosty, you hear?" Reina waved and followed Isaac toward the hotel, Qadir trailing behind with one last nod. And then they were five. Qadir's words proved true. The storm was not getting any better. In fact, it seemed to worsen, as if determined to make the group of five change their mind about staying behind. The clouds had covered the sun and cast the land below into an early night. Soon enough, everybody was treated to the sight of rain falling sideways. In the distance, a small potted plant hurtled through the skies before crashing onto the deck of the cruise ship S.S. Lemu, still docked at the port. The warehouse door was giving way with each psychic shove. Perhaps it was because of the ruckus Selini was making, or the ambience of the storm, but Chigusa was the only person to hear what came next. A low, mournful howl that came not from the land, but from the sea. One could have mistaken it for the wind itself, but for the deeper, almost yawning cries. The sound blended with the crashing of the waves like the notes of a song. Chigusa and the others would get the unmistakable sensation of being watched. It was an eerie feeling, made even more so for the girl by the deep singing that only grew louder as time passed. Try as she might to look out over the sea, though, she would spot nothing capable of making that sound. Though it was difficult to see much of anything. The scenery would go from pitch black to a blinding white whenever the lightning flashed. There was not enough time for one's eyes to adjust to either the light or the darkness. And then suddenly, the singing stopped. Soon after, Chigusa heard the patter of frantic footsteps from the opposite side. A few seconds later, a young woman who looked about the same age as everybody else whipped around the corner, hands clutching at her duffle bag. Though far more bedraggled, her distinct cotton candy locks identified her as the same girl that Nikolaos had traveled with for part of the route to Khalk Harbor. "I'm here! Sorry I'm late! I got lost on the road of life!" she shouted. The girl skidded to a stop, but her feet gave out on the slippery path. For a second she stood there, arms spread wide like a bird's in an attempt to right herself, and then she crashed forward, headbutting Shawn in the stomach. The two fell to the ground, splattering mud and rain everywhere. "Ow…" the girl groaned, rubbing at her skinned knees as she sat up. "That really hurt..." Distracted by her pain, she hadn't yet realized she was half sitting on the boy. At that same moment, Selini finally broke the warehouse door down. It fell to the ground with an even louder crash, revealing the shadowy interior of the warehouse. A few pinpricks of light winked at the group from the darkness. OOC: A lot happened in this post! Feel free to react and respond. You can also post more than once this round if you feel like it, though that's of course, entirely optional.

I am now closing acceptance since all the slots are fill (the last one being taken up by my character). And with that, the RP has started, everybody!

<OOC> Act 1, Scene 1: A Stormy Arrival Khalk Harbor BGM: Welcome to the World of Pokémon (Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire OST) In the pouring rain, a poster was plastered against the warehouse wall. On it, a colorful picture of three Poké Balls hung above some text. This same flyer had been posted all over the cities of other regions, not just Lemu. Announcement! For any interested trainers! I, Professor Roman Appel, welcome any and all locals as well as visitors to the mystical Lemu region. Once you arrive at Khalk Harbor, the entry point to Lemu, there is a request I would ask of you. Of course, you shall be rewarded for your efforts. Three of you may also receive a Pokémon. Please meet with my assistant at two in the afternoon on Sunday, March 31st, at Lytos Pier. It is the same pier where the S.S. Lemu will dock, near the Khalk Airport where the Lemu Airlines will land. — BGM: Driftveil City [Pokémon: Black & White] What a day for a storm. Anna was no stranger to rain, of course. The Zeia Fields were known for their incomparably clement weather, but that didn't mean that it was always so. This spring had been a rainy one. Anna had spent more days than she could count running for cover beneath clouds flattened into thin gray mats. Just a couple of weeks ago, she had gotten a cold, her body weakened from the change in temperature. She had only stopped sniffling yesterday. Despite her interest in the change of weather, a small part of her could not help but miss the usual cloudless skies and warm sun. But it wasn't just rain today. The wind joined in, bounding and howling like a Woolf. It carried the freezing rain and drove it into clothes and exposed skin like bullets. Above her, a metal crane creaked in the wind. She eyed its swinging end, picking up the pace to run past it. As she ran, she made a game of how many puddles she could jump into, ignoring the biting rain. Professor Appel would scold her if he saw, but he wasn't here to see, was he? "One puddle, two puddles, three puddles, four. Now, how many more?" she sang. The wind blew away her breath, so that even she could barely hear the words of the song. All that remained was a faint tune. It didn't usually storm like this down here, but nothing was usual about this year. It was the year, after all. The one year out of every seven that the mists and whirlpools surrounding Lemu finally cleared. Perhaps the storm was a side effect of that, or perhaps it was just Lemu's unique way of welcoming visitors. The teenager's booted feet slapped against the concrete, the raincoat she wore slick from the rain. Her hood fell back, revealing pale two-toned hair that waved about her face like a Tangela. Anna grinned, dancing alongside the rails, uncaring of how closely each step carried her toward the crashing waves below. "I stepped into a puddle, but it was a pond! A pound for a pond, a song for a sea. Turns out, it was the sea for me!" she sang. A Finizen popped up, peering up at her from the waves. "Hey, hearer, be careful!" he warned. "It's not a good day for you finless ones to go swimming." "Haha!" the girl laughed. "Don't worry, friend, I'll be careful. But if I fall in, you'll save me, right?" The Pokémon bobbed his head. "Of course! I have no grudge against the finless ones, least of all a hearer. But it's like we say: don't go looking for Sharpedo. Inviting danger is only asking for trouble." Anna mimicked his bob. "I'll keep what you said in mind! Anyway, did you see if any new finless, er, people arrived in the city yet?" "There are some finless ones at the end of the floating spike," the Finizen replied. "Near where the big metal birds come to land and the metal wave-top fish rest." It took Anna a second to figure out what he meant. "You mean at the dock near the airport?" she asked, then continued. "That sounds about right. I think the professor told me that was the right place. Thanks, Finizen!" "Of course. Stay safe, hearer," and with that, the dolphin dove back into the sea. Anna sighed, eyes narrowing in determination. Much as she wanted to enjoy the stormy weather, it was time for "serious business." Unfortunately, "serious business" was boring, which was why she was rarely ever serious. But her skin was stinging and dimpling from the cold and rain, and Professor Appel had told her to hurry. She was already running behind schedule. So, the girl adjusted the strap of her duffel bag, gritting her teeth as she ran faster. — The large gray warehouse rose like a dark shadow in the storm. Initially, around a hundred trainers gathered, all eager to either receive a Pokémon or learn more about the task and the professor's reward. Now, only eight remained, the rest having left to take shelter from the storm. "Ugh, I've had it," a boy in a red vest complained. The beanie he wore dipped down his head, weighted down by the rain. He grabbed it, cringing at the wet feel of it. "Look, it's almost four now, long past when the flyer told to be here at two." He jabbed a thumb back at the sodden poster on the wall. "We've been standing around for almost two hours, and the assistant still hasn't arrived. So I vote we just leave and start our journey now." "But it's not like we'd be able to get much journeying done in this weather," a girl in an orange shirt sighed miserably. "Still, we can at least find somewhere to wait out this storm," the boy replied. "Like that hotel nearby. What was it called? Hotel Landick, or something?" "Hotel Atlantica," a boy wearing an orange headband corrected quietly. "Though I have a feeling most of the rooms might be taken right now. After all, I doubt those trainers who left earlier made it out of this city." "Yeah, but there should still be some rooms remaining. Or we can just stay at the Pokémon Center or something." The boy looked over at the five remaining people. "What about you? You guys coming, too?" While the three trainers all were different in their own ways, the other five didn't lose in eccentricity. The first was a boy who was so pale that he glowed almost incandescently against the backdrop of the storm. The second was a girl with hair a rare shade of dusky brown and large blue eyes like a small Pokémon. Third was a girl with dark brown hair and blond highlights who looked a few years older than the rest of the group. And then there was the lavender-and-white-haired girl who seemed almost comfortable enough to sleep in the rain. Last, the boy with red-and-black hair and two painted black stripes under his eyes. The boy adjusted his beanie again. "You got some grit to stick it out this long, but don't you think we should all call it quits for the day? No point in getting sick by staying outside any longer." OOC: And with that, the RP has started! You might have noticed that rather than being split up into two groups, you all are gathered together. This is not an accident! While I have two groups in mind, I figured the best way to test character compatibility is interaction. So before I make a final decision, you're all going to be grouped together for a little while first. Please let me know if you think certain characters work better with yours. And as always, have fun! Especially now. You won't stay as one big group forever!

Ayyy glad to have you! And with that, this is now an OOC! I will also create a Discord server for this RP, hopefully pretty shortly. Also, after looking at what people are choosing, I have decided not to keep to the hard limit of three native and three foreigner characters. I think I can make it work with an uneven distribution. I think I might also be able to do the same for fakemon vs non-fakemon. I will still divide you all into groups of two, however. And it looks like I'll be making my own character as well to join one of the teams lol.

Ayyy glad to have you on board! Yep, lol! I'm glad you're interested, though! And I'll keep all you said in mind, though best-case scenario nobody will have to change much if at all. Ikr don't know who else would do an idea like this. Glad to have you, though! Glad to have you! Okay, I'll give it some more time but hoping to get 1-2 more people on board. As I said 5-6 is the optimal number and anything less is... well, not optimal. lol But we'll see!

Theme Song: Opening Movie - Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl <IC> Hosted by: Sethera The world of Pokémon is full of mystery and wonder, with new discoveries made every year. However, many would argue that one of the greatest mysteries is the elusive Lemu region. Most of the time, it lies surrounded by whirlpools and shrouded in constant mist, inaccessible by plane, ship, or Pokémon. However, for one year out of seven, the mist and whirlpools vanish, and curious trainers can come and go as they please. For this one year, the normally sleepy region buzzes with activity. Many take advantage of this time to go on Pokémon journeys. You are one such person. You might already have a Pokémon of your own, or you heard that the local Pokémon professor is hosting a giveaway. But you will need to act fast if you want to receive one of their Pokémon. There are only three, after all… As for who you are? You have lived in Lemu for at least seven years already. Perhaps you moved here when you were younger. Or you could have been born and raised here. This year, the region is stirring with new tourists and trainers. Now is the ideal time to travel. Or… You are a Pokémon trainer already, or you are a fresh newcomer who hopes to start your journey soon. Though you have never been to Lemu, you have heard stories, and look forward to traveling there. There are several ways you could have arrived. Regardless, you are here now. So then… Your very own Pokémon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits! Let's go! Rules Things to Know Setting Trainer ID Trainer Character "From NPC to PC"

Belle's eyes widened at the talk of ghost Pokémon, but that wouldn't change her plans. She just had to… be a bit more careful. That's all. In the end, Belle drank a large glass of water and went to sleep first, to ensure she was the first awake. And her bladder woke her up in the middle of the night as planned. The girl took out the note she wrote earlier. She hesitated and then placed it on her pillow. When the others went to look for her… they'd see it. I'm leaving. Don't look for me. Be well. I'll miss Don't do anything stupid. Normies. ~B Her eyes stung and her chest hurt, but… this was just how things had to be. If she couldn't find a way home, she'd just go at her own pace. The others were too ambitious, too eager, too… nice. 'They're cramping my style,' she told herself as she exited the Pokémon Center slash Day Care. If she said it enough times, she might even believe it. Part of her felt like, in some ways, this was fate. Perhaps in another world, she was the one the others left behind. She could almost see it. Stumbling through a swamp, meeting a girl with purple hair and a rough-and-tumble boy, and journeying together until the inevitable end. She wasn't cut out to work with others. Nate and Quinn were nice, but how long would that last? No, she had to leave first. Before she let herself get hurt like that time so long ago. A little girl ran out toward the beach, wearing a white dress and a sunhat over silky sapphire locks. Her golden eyes sparkled like gemstones under the summer sun. She grinned, revealing a gap between tiny baby teeth, and shouted a greeting to a group of children her age nearby. The kids' expressions twisted. One held his nose, another made a gesture to ward off evil. Even more spat out vitriolic words, while others turned away as if she didn't exist. The girl's face fell. She grabbed the sides of her dress and twisted them in her hands, looking down at the ground. The earth underneath was flat and mixed with yellow clay and sand. Belle crouched down and reached out a hand. The girl took a finger and swirled it into the sand, creating shapes in a corner of the beach by herself. Every so often, she looked up, biting her lip and gazing at the other children wistfully. "Why don't they like me, Mommy?" she asked her mother when she arrived to pick her up from the beach. The woman gave a painful smile. "Because you're different, and people don't like those who are different." "I…" the girl trembled. "I don't wanna go outside anymore, Mommy." "What? But you've been wanting to go to the beach all month! And what about our trip to the park next week?" "No!" the girl screamed. "I don't wanna do that anymore!" She sniffled. "Sorry… I know shouting's bad." "No, it's fine." Her mother frowned. "I understand. Take as much time as you need. But please, don't shut yourself away." The girl shook her head and said nothing. Belle withdrew her hand from the ground and snorted air from her nose. This wasn't the end of her journey, but this was the end of her journey with other people. She stood up. Maybe one day, she could let herself heal, open her heart, and move on. But that day seemed faraway, as distant as the stars in the night sky above. And then she began to walk. Step by step, on the road that would lead her to her eventual destination.

Penelope and Alois "Oh, go an' blow a flabby one, ye pinprick-pinteled wandought," the maid spat crudely. If looks could kill, she'd have speared him through already. Fortunately for Alois, he remained intact and whole. Unfortunately for him, the maid found her second wind shortly after. Fueled by frustration and anger, she used Alois's momentary lapse of attention to her advantage. The woman heaved the fighter off of her and regained her feet. "I ain't 'ave time fer ye two, so I'll jest be on me way. Ye gots yer answers, so leave me be, an' I'll do ye the same." The maid hared out the door, swerving around Penelope, the sudden motion causing a flurry of activity from the pigeons in the dovecote. It would be difficult to follow her through the hail of birds. Gunther, Citron, Raki, and Peaches Luckily for Peaches, with Citron leading the way, and Gunther, Raki, and the villagers helping, the operation went without a hitch. The arrow was out, and the biggest danger had passed. Despite the wyvern's body still being injured, sore, and weak, the sharp pain that had wracked her chest had lessened slightly. All that remained was to wait for recovery. The bandages would need to be changed out for fresh ones every so often, and the wound checked in case infection set in. But that was, at least, familiar territory for most of them. When Citron expressed her gratitude, Thile grinned. "Oh, t'was no problem a'all. Us Phar folks, we git things done." "Right glad I am t'see the wyvern's doin' all right. Wouldn't be right t'see one o'em go. T'would be a bad omen, 'em being so alike to—" Achos wiped his brow. "Aye," Pheodea spoke over him. "I'm sure it would. But for now, we should focus on cleaning up the area." The older woman turned to Raki. "I don't know how you got here, and I don't know what your purpose is, but anybody who would help a creature in need like that is somebody I'm willing to trust. If you do no harm to Phar, then no harm will come to you here neither." The weaver smiled momentarily at him before purposefully turning her back to the Isaurian and barking out orders to the other villagers. "Clean up the area. Any sharp pieces need to be cleaned up, sharpish. Make sure all the blood is gone, or it'll attract flies. Gather up all the cloths." When one of them gave her a sullen look, she shook her head. "Don't look at me! I'm just an old woman! You're lucky my old bones even made it over here." Link, Tsetseg, Cora, and Garinphasia Tsetseg's arrow struck true, and Gaston staggered with a cry like a wounded beast. "Oh, woe is me! Lackaday, for I have been besieged most aggressively by these foul ruffians." A mad glint came into his eyes then. "But ho, there is yet promise." He stumbled forward, angling toward his horse. Were Link or Cora to approach him, he would ignore both. Meanwhile, his horse, still galloping, veered to the side to avoid Garinphasia, running over her tail. Spittle flew from the horse's mouth as it turned, aiming away from the trees and toward open land. Where Gaston stood, arms outstretched, though one of them was bent at an odd angle. "You will cessate now! For your master! You are but a mere beast, and I, a hunter of beasts. I, Lord Pylauses Gaston, commendate you!" When it became apparent the horse would not stop, his brow furrowed, and with his good hand, he grabbed hold of the animal by the neck, forcing it to a stop in front of him. The man laughed wildly. "Yes! Yes! If you shall not acquiesce, then I must bring you to heel. Now, let us go!" Once more, he attempted to get back astride the horse.

Training was. Well. It was not going well. Belle was out of shape. And even worse, she was holding the others back. As she trained with the others, a decision she had been avoiding previously grew impossible to ignore. 'I have to leave.' The others would not approve of the decision. Part of her agreed with them. But it was necessary. She had grown to care (somewhat) for the other two. This was as much for their sake as it was for hers. By the time they arrived at the day care, Belle was dragging. She said little to the others, simply nodding her head when addressed. If anybody directly asked her a question, she would grunt, giving off an unapproachable atmosphere. And when both Nate and Quinn were suitably distracted by Billy, she took out a piece of paper and wrote, crossing out some words and wishing she had chosen a pencil instead of a pen to write with. Her chest hurt, and her eyes stung a little, but that was fine. Things weren't okay now, but they would be soon.

BGM: In the Morning Sun - (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Sky) To an outside observer, it appeared as though the Pokémon were engaging in a cheer or pep rally. But their faces did not display passion, but grim determination and fear. And then, at the last, smiles. Jirachi himself looked wistful, tears falling from his closed eyes. And then, everybody felt. Clobber's hopeful joy, Z.'s satisfaction and anticipation, Noibat's innocent excitement, Chester's proud fulfillment, Es's cheerful camaraderie, Marv's nostalgic affection, and Hector's optimistic gaiety. Mixed in among them was a warm sense of belonging. Though nobody knew which emotions came from whom or what brought them about, they experienced them all the same. The feelings washed over everybody in a dizzying wave that seemed to only amplify their own happiness. And soon, despite their current situation, the world did not seem as dark or as overwhelming as before. Each one of them felt as if they were a star illuminating the night sky. Nothing in the world could put out their light. It seemed only right that they began to actually glow, though the light traveled across their bodies and ended at the badges, which then emitted a blinding effulgence that seemed even more so under the cover of night. At that moment, they could feel a pale cloud surrounding them, growing ever closer. And each knew intuitively that if they were to let it touch them, they too might become washed with its color, as the rest of the world had. But as soon as the light reached it, the haze pushed back before dissipating as mist beneath the morning sun. And then the light expanded, resembling an inflating balloon, enveloping a larger and larger area. Until everybody's foreheads beaded with sweat and the euphoria ebbed away. "Stop," Jirachi's voice awoke them as if from a spell. Their bodies and badges no longer gave off light, but the air seemed purer and the night sky brighter somehow. And then they realized why that was. Without knowing it, perhaps distracted by the task before them, night had come and gone. The black of the sky diluted to a pale blue shot through with streaks of orange. At that moment, everybody there was both exhausted and buoyant. Because they all knew they had succeeded. A mysterious energy protected the entire island from the Mist. Even now, they could still feel it like a static crackle on the skin, but only if they concentrated through the badge. A period of silence ensued. There seemed no need to speak, because they had all shared in the same emotions and success. Finally, however, Jirachi broke the lull. "Thank you, everybody." He sniffled, dabbing at his eyes with his arm-sleeves. "I predicted, of course, that we would succeed, being a genius," he chuckled wryly. "But even genius plans fall through, and… well, I guess it doesn't matter, since we succeeded. ♪" BGM: Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon OST - Partner's Theme The mythical beamed radiantly at the group. "I think I've decided what I want to do now. Everyone, I have a request! ♪" He paused, "I understand that I've already asked a lot, but…" The Pokémon ascended into the air. "As you know, we could only restore the island. While that is an amazing accomplishment, it doesn't change the fact that the Endless Mist still covers the rest of the world." His expression turned determined. "I don't think it's any coincidence that, of all things, the wish gave us badges. These badges were initially used by Rescue Teams, then by the Exploration Guild, then Adventure Squads, and then by the Expedition Society." His voice softened at the last two words before it rose again in conviction. "So I think it's only right that we team up as well." Jirachi hovered in the air. "Though the teams, guild, squads, and society are gone, I want to revive the sentiment of cooperation and hope that started them all. I want to make this world a wonderful place for Pokémon to live in again." Stars seemed to shine in his eyes. "And after what we all experienced, I firmly believe that you can grant this dearest wish of mine. So everybody…" He extended an arm toward the group. "Please unite with me to restore this world and establish the Restoration Union!" OOC: Finally, the long-awaited title drop (sort of)! And more music! The plot is finally starting to move forward, and things are happening! What will you do? What will you say? Is this a "but thou must" scenario? Find out next time, on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Union of Stars! The host does not guarantee the fulfillment of this promise. Side effects of taking the host at their word may include annoyance, disappointment, and outrage. No Pokémon were harmed in the creation of this post. The words above do not necessarily represent the opinion of the host.

Belle didn't like the sound of that "nowhere near the worst thing a Pokémon has done," but she also didn't care enough to ask what Quinn meant. "If you say so," she said instead and turned away. She was tired and ready to go home. But she couldn't do that, so she did the next best thing—return to the Pokémon Center. The way back was quiet except for the occasional wild Pokémon. Remembering her earlier loss, Belle bit her lip and sent out Moo to get some training in. The cow seemed to handle most of the Pokémon just fine, which was good, at least. Nate seemed to take their shared interest in the Hoenn Rangers as a sign that they were friends now. Or that she was open to chatting. With a put-upon sigh, the girl replied in short sentences: "Yes," and "fascinating" and "uh-huh," though her irritation subsided eventually as she was drawn into the conversation despite herself. "You mean Littleroot Crimson," she corrected. "And he's not bad. I preferred Pacifidlog Cobalt, myself. She was the coolest, but she was also hyper-aware of how the world saw her. She felt the most realistic out of all the Rangers." Moo didn't have to rest much compared to the others (having done the least amount of battling) but he still benefited from a rest in the center. When everybody was done, Belle approached the other two, agreeing with Nate as she glanced over Quinn's stomach. "It did. I wouldn't overdo it if I were you." She didn't push the subject, however, instead grunting at Nate's last words. She didn't enjoy training (it sounded too much like work), but she also didn't enjoy losing. Which is why she got good at League and Unite. But if she didn't want to lose in actual battles, she had to train. Sabrina had told her that enough times.