>>36081601

Fortunately, you can look over to the knuckleheads sitting next to you for a little pick-me-up. Nick is nursing a large bruise on the right side of his face with an ice pack. You’re surprised the train attendants haven’t already given him a course of stim-and-heals to clear it up. They must want him to suffer. Good.

Bucky (or Max, whatever) has been mumbling about being kicked out of the Tour. He really does seem pretty concerned, even though he didn’t do anything wrong. You almost feel bad for him, but then you remember how hard he was laughing at Dani. Your pity passes.

Turner is just kind of… there. The attendants took away the personal items and electronics from the four of you, and based on how dexterous Turner was with his Silphone it must have been like losing a piece of himself. You’re pretty bored as well, to be honest, but the kid takes it to the next level. At least he isn’t glaring at you like the other two… oh, wait, no. He just did.

And then there’s the only person in the compartment that isn’t glaring at you: the old guy….

>cont.

>>36081631

After what felt like hours of sitting in a chair, Legendary Trio next to you, the old man finally spoke up from his seat across the room.

“What do you have to say for yourselves,” He takes a long draw from his non electronic e-cig “…you dumbass kids…?”

He doesn’t even look at you, instead just flipping absentmindedly through a rather old-looking book. You cross “courteous” out from this guy’s personality chart.

“I started it. It was for a good reason, though. These three insulted my friend and then refused to apolo-“

“That’s enough.” It’s the old man again. Still hasn’t looked up from his book… “I already know that you started the fight. Look up and to your left.” You do so. “You see that? It’s a camera, and there’s one in every car of this train. Picture this: camera catches you punching Nick, he goes down like a weighted Wobbuffet, and we come and collect you. Simple. Thank you for telling me things that I already know.” He takes another long drag. A large plume of smoke flows from his mouth, and he flips another couple pages.

All four of you sit there in the cold metal chairs for a bit. Do you talk? Is he going to say anything else? Are you free to go? Silence.

Alright, so back to the explanation… “As I was saying, you can’t just insult someone for being a clone like that and then refuse to apologiz-“

>cont.

>>36081654

“Listen, Grey.” Well, at least he lowered the book this time. “I’m a busy man.” Not too busy to pause for another drag… “So don’t waste my time. You see this book I’m currently reading?” Yes, yes you do see it. Stop waving it. You see it. Stop waving- “This is a breakthrough on research I have been working on for years now. Probably longer than you have been alive. I could be reading it, but the official Regional Manager of Trainer Affairs, who SHOULD be the one talking to you, couldn’t make this train. So, instead of actually being productive, I’m talking to you about a little schoolyard scuffle.” He punctuates that point by running his hand down his face and sighing loudly. “Listen, Grey. You know what law and policy is of this country. I know, I looked over your profile before you got here. I looked over the profile of all of you.” His eyes scan the other three. Max withers under his gaze, and would probably dive under his seat if he could. Turner just…nope, still nothing. Nick rolls his eyes and readjusts the ice bag.

“And I know that the three of you have a history of starting trouble, and you, Grey…” His eyes meet yours again. “You have a history of trying to end trouble.” Damn straight you do.

“Well let me give you a bit of life advice, Grey. Firstly, you’re not going to stomp out the assholes of the world. If idiocy and unethical behavior could be beat out of children we’d have Hitmon’s as nannies. Secondly, there’s no room for unwarranted violence in this society. Yes, I know they insulted your friend – but you’re not doing her any good by fighting her battles, and you hardly tried a more rational or nonviolent approach first..."

>cont.

>>36081718

"That said…”

He gets up, and with a few strides stands in front of us. He's pretty tall! And... poor Bucky is quivering by this point.

“Society has a way of… rooting out the antagonists and unproductive sorts of the world these days. Part of the Tour general assessment is on character. Those without character are eventually removed." He takes another long drag of his cigar at this point.
"One way or another.”

Damn. “Good job old man,” you think. You might have bruised Nick, but you didn’t make him pee himself. That might have been Max, though….

“Now you three, get out.” And they do, pretty quickly.

So that just leaves the two of you.

The Old Man goes back to his seat and flips his book back open after stuffing his cigar in between his lips. “What’s your punishment going to be today, Grey?”

“… What?”

“Don’t make me spell it out for you… You have to be punished. You might have had good intentions, but your actions were still unnecessarily violent. Would I have punched them myself? Most likely.” He actually chuckles a bit. “That’s one hell of a punch you have there.”

The chuckling stops. “That said! It won’t do for them, for you, or for society for you to look like you got off the hook. So what’s an effective yet fair solution to this problem?”

You set the wheels in your head to turning… “Take something away from me. Either just keep me in here the rest of the train ride, or forbid me from attending the opening ceremony of the tour.”

“Smart kid. There we go – that’s how you don’t waste my time."

Now, you’re going to skip the opening ceremony for appearance’s sake, and, instead, join me in furthering some of my research. What do you say to that?”

>The opening ceremony is awesome. They usually have fully evolved dragons, fireworks, old champions make appearances… No way could you miss that!
>Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Accept.
>Write-in.

>>36081811
>Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Accept.

I can't believe i'm going to miss this. Oh well, in case the thread is done before I get back, thanks for running OP! I look forward to reading this.

Old dude is sounding pretty reasonable to be honest, even if he isn't courteous about it.

>>36081811
>Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Accept.
>"You've piqued my interest in your research actually. Superficial punishment aside, there's always another day for flashy shows. I'd be honoured."

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>>36081873
>>36081872
>>36081897

Good to see some players!

>>36081873
There's always the archive, and you can message me over Twitter if you need to urgently change the direction of the Poke-autist boat. I hope you can join us soon and thanks for the kind words!

>>36081897
Add to this, we should ask if we can go tell Dani we'll be missing the ceremony if we start the 'punishment' immediately rather than waiting til the end of the train ride

>>36081977
>>36081897
>>36081872

This vote doesn't seem controversial at all, so I'm going to take it here and start writing.

That said!
I love write-ins, so I am awarding Team Anon +1 Brownie Point.

>Current Brownie Point Counter: 1

Also, I asked this at the end of last thread but I want to make sure I get everyone covered: What are some pokemon that you would like to see early on? First stages only, and stick to the first half of any given dex as a rule.

>>36082054
I gave my reply last thread so probably little point repeating it.

Glad you appreciate the write-ins, feel free to reword them in a more appropriate way for the character to speak as

>>36082054
Pretty much anything from Hoenn, as Hoenn's the shit. Anything else is up to your discretion, as I haven't played enough of the newer ones(BW1 and 2, XY) to know much about them.

>>36082140
BW and XY don't have many great pokemon in my opinion, the first three gens have better consistency and the fourth gen (diamond/pearl) was decent.

Not that I hate all of the newest mons, it's just that the few I like are scattered amongst the rest of the crap

>>36082054
Love to see some good fire types early, since those and dragons are usually late game.

>>36082275
Vulpix should fit that bill, it's #37

>>36082321
Vulpixes, charmanders, growithes, larvesta, be a nice change to get some good fire ty[es early instead of late. Especially since this looks like we'll have afair bit of water travel.

>>36082321
I mean, I'd prefer a growlithe but it's #58

>>36081811

You can’t help but smile. Seems like the Ursaring has a golden heart inside after all. “I would be honored. I can always catch the recap of the ceremony later on TV – this is a one of a lifetime sort of thing!” Nice! You’re… actually pretty excited. Seems like being a gentleman really does have its benefits, just like your old geezer back home said. Yeah… he mostly focused on the “squishier” benefits, but… Ahem.

“Uh, I have a favor to ask though… Mr….” You balk for a moment. Grizzly over here knows your name, but you’re at a loss. “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t actually know your name.”

“Pine.” Flipflipflip. He must have gone through the book twice, at least, since you met him. What’s he searching for? “Professor Charles A. Pine. You can call me Professor.”

Your heart does a backflip. “Pine…?” You had no idea. The guy is a damned recluse, so you never see him on TVs these days. But, standing before you, is one of the preeminent scholars on Pokemon-dominant ecology. He wrote the book. Literally. You have a couple of his. "Professor Pine? THE Professor Pine? Nobody's seen you in ages!" He just nods along.

“Holy shit…” Okay, you shouldn’t have said it aloud but couldn’t stop yourself. You would slap yourself to check if you were dreaming, but you don’t want make yourself look any more stupid than you already have. "Should... should I get your autograph?"

>cont.

>>36082690

The Professor cracks a bit of a smile around his cigar at that. “Heh. I get that sometimes. Still… never get used to it. Don’t worry kid, I’m human. Just like you. No need for losing your shit."

"Now what was your favor?”

You straighten out a bit. The favor, of course. “Well it’s a pleasure, Professor. Really. And, I-uh just wanted to ask if I could tell my friend Dani that I won’t be making the ceremony. I’ll come right back.”

“The blonde, yeah? Jeez kid, you move fast. You already have her number?” You shake your head no, and he laughs. “Just pressing your buttons… speaking of numbers, I already loaded mine into your phone. I’ll call you when I need you. Good thing you agreed….” He closes his book and stands up. He pulls your Silphone out of one of his coat pockets and hands it to you. “… I mean, I killed my last assistant!” Cue the evil laughing.

What did you get yourself into? “Really…?”

“Just pressing your buttons again, Grey. Now, go join your friend. I’ll call you.”

“Okay! Thanks, Professor.” You throw your phone on your wrist and head towards the door, but something catches your mind.

“Wait… when did you put your number in my phone?”

“Before I came and talked to all of you.”

“But… why? How did you know I would accept?”

He chuckles again. “Because bastards like you always accept. I should know, I used to be one of them.”

>cont.

>>36082731
>“Just pressing your buttons again"
Subtext: 'yes, and I enjoyed it.'

Anyway, Pine confirmed for rad. Grey confirmed for mild spaghetti.

>>36082731
>>>>

You join Dani, who is laying against the window in the seat where you left her, eyes half lidded. She perks right up when you sit next to her and starts right into apologizing for the trouble and questioning you about what happened. She seems a little miffed that you got into trouble for her, but you can tell it covers a lot of appreciation that you stood up for her. It’s nice to have her genuine smile back.

“I was surprised, though,” she says as she dials her number into your phone. “Those guys came back over here and actually apologized.”

You look up from her phone at that. “Really? All three of them? Even Nick?”

“Was he the bruised one?”

“Yeah, the blonde.”

“Yeah, even him. He was the one that actually spoke to me.”

Huh. Well, maybe you'll have to reevaluate your opinion of Nick.

Maybe.

Dani hands you back your phone, and you exchange it for hers. Ah, she put a little smiley face next to her name. That... seems like something she would do.

It won't be too much longer until you've arrived at Jay City. Then the sort, the Ceremony,... and then you're on the road. Damn. There's a bit of a silence as you enjoy the train ride. It's nice being back in the sun and comfort after sitting in the holding area, and Dani's nice to have around. You're jsut about to crack open one of Pine's books to brush up on your ecology when Dani speaks up next to you. “So... what are your plans for after the initial sorting and the ceremony? Have you mapped out your tour already?”

“Uh, a little bit. It kinda depends on the team I assemble. You?”

“Yeah, same here… Hey, remember what I said earlier? About going together? Do you still want to?”

>Yeah, of course. The more the merrier!
>Why don’t you keep your options open, Dani? You might find someone in your Sort that you want to travel with.
>I’ll let you know later.
>Write-in

>>36082821
>Yeah, of course. The more the merrier!

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>>36082821
Anddddd here's the map, earlier than I initially planned because you guys are awesome!

>If you have any questions about the shitty map or the setting please feel free to ask at any time.

>>36082871
This.

>>36082821
>Yeah, of course. The more the merrier!

>>36082895
You forgot to add 7 and d on the key, other than that, could you remind me where we live and where we're headed currently?

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>>36082943
7 and d were intentional, as they are on THE ISLAND.

It's a SECRET.[\spoiler]

You are from wayyyy out of region/area. You had to take a half-day bullet train trip to get here (Jay City).

I like questions being asked!

>>36083209
So i take that's were the Team so and so base is, or is it home too the legendary we're going to try and catch?

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>>36082938
>>36082871

“That would be great, Dani. The more the merrier!”

The two of you share a smile, and you get the feeling that saying that might have meant a lot to Dani.

The trip after that fantastic. Time flies by chatting with Dani. You talk about growing up, favorite foods, favorite pokemon, some of the more famous league matches, aspirations after the tour. Turns out she wants to be a nurse because she always took care of a younger Resident named Peter, who was her best and only friend at the House. She’s pretty solid on her battling strategies, too. You definitely have more virtual experience and textbook knowledge but she certainly makes up for it in enthusiasm.

“Docking soon. Please see to your seats and secure all belongings. Docking soon at Jay City Main Station, Area Side….”

A big smile hits your face. “That’s us!”

>>>>

Jay City was everything you saw, everything you dreamt; and more. Vendors everywhere, looking to sell to the influx of Sorties. Autographs of champions, Secret Formula Repellent, some sort of custom-painted pokéballs… Damn. It’s not as big as your hometown, Nash City, but it’s very impressive!
And that’s not even getting to the Arena.
Huge projection screens adorn it on every side, switching from camera shots of smiling Sorties walking through the gates to highlights from previous Arena Matches fought here. There’s Isabella the Tyrant’s Tyranitar defeating Darius The King’s Umbreon from 5 years ago. Edgar the Quiet’s Chansey. Walter “Winterhead” Scott and his Abomasnow! It’s like electronic heaven raining down on you in glorious HD.

“This is so cool!” Dani’s bouncing on the balls of her feet, looking like she’s going to take off at any given moment. “What do you want to do first?! We have some time before the sorting!”

>cont.

>>36083283

"Sure! I don't even know where to begin, though."

"Here! I grabbed a map when we were leaving the station."

You unfold the map and look over the area designated 'Arena and Main Station.'

"Let's see..."

>Look at some custom balls to buy later?
>That guy is claiming he has some custom maps showing sweet spots for rookies…
>Looks like they have some training supplies over there. That always helps.

Or the surrounding areas...

>Looks like they have some tiny battling areas marked out. If we're lucky, we could see some vets battling!
>There's a stand-alone center and training house nearby. That's always a good place to catch gossip, advice, or to meet some new faces.
>There's a sort of Hall of Fame and museum combo in the arena. Could be fun!


>Write-in. If you have an idea or suggestion feel free and I’ll probably try to work it in.

>>36083399
>Looks like they have some training supplies over there. That always helps.
>Look at some custom balls to buy later?
every rookie will have those maps which are either fake or lead to good spots getting overhunted.

Maybe a get a guide to know what to look for in the basic areas, and pokemon types and species? Forewarned is forearmed and all.

>>36083399
>Look at some custom balls to buy later?
>Looks like they have some training supplies over there. That always helps.
May as well take a look through the supplies whilst we're here. Sick paintjobs on pokeballs sounds neat, and we prolly oughta check what other supplies are on offer.

As for the guy claiming custom maps, mightn't hurt to head over and look at his maps. And then just mark the spots on our own map.

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>>36083528

>what to look for in the basic areas

Not to much conversation right now, so could I take this moment to get you to clarify this statement please anon? Do you mean common dangers, or resources, or specific habitats, or signs of certain pokemon, etc.

Thanks in advance.

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>>36083596

Hey Anons, I'm going to have to leave work in a few minutes. I'll be heading home to continue for the rest of the night - should only be an hour, two at most. If you guys could just keep this alive I would greatly appreciate it.

>>36083596
Typical pitfalls, pokemon species that frequent the area(which ones to avoid so we don't get mugged), maybe what would be safe to eat. basically a starting area guide for dummies. We have only basic if that knowlegde of the area a book that we can read quickly and understnad might save our asses.

>>36083651
Yeah, no problem

>>36083651
Bump

>>36084127
>>36083712
>>36083661

Andddd I'm back. Thanks, guys.

>>36084818
No problem Herald really want to see where this goes and what our starter will be.

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>>36084818
Welcome home!

>>36084818
HORAY FOR PEOPLE FORGETTING APPOINTMENTS AND FREE WIFI!

>>36083399
>There's a stand-alone center and training house nearby. That's always a good place to catch gossip, advice, or to meet some new faces.

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>>36083563
>>36083528
>>36083399

No, no, not going there… Maybe hit the museum up later…
Dani’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts. “How about we check out the mapmaker? It could be useful to know some of the ‘secret spots’ on the tour.”

“Eh… I don’t know. Those sorts of things are usually… You know…” Hopefully the rolling of your shoulders and the obvious eye movements get your point acros-

“…What? They’re usually what?” Nope. Dani’s naivete strikes again…

“A scam.” She still looks confused… ”Well, how do we know that the map is real, or has anything useful on it? Also, how do we know that what’s on the map isn’t somewhere else - like on a government website or somewhere else on the internet? The guy could be just trying to take our money and not give us anything worthwhile. It’s probably a scam.”

“Okay, well… I see what you mean now. But what if it’s not? Also, I think he has some other stuff over there. And, I just feel bad. Nobody is visiting his stand!”

She has a point. There’s no harm in looking, and it seems like he has some other things… A guide, or a map with at least SOME useful extras is still probably worth it. “Alright, come on – let’s go.”

>>>>

The stand isn’t as nice or as polished as some of the others – for starters, it looks like it was made by hand. The fabric banner shouts “Explore with Erwin!” in oranges, blues, reds and whites and is strung onto a tight, sun-bleached wooden frame. There’s an older dark-skinned gentleman behind the desk, rapping his fingers against the wood absent-mindedly while bobbing his head to music played from his phone. When he sees you though he perks up. When Dani comes bounding over in her eternal excitement he goes right into a full on grin.

“Well good day, good day! What can I do for you nice looking folks? Looking for a map? How’bout some advice?”

>cont.

I'm sorry for the delay, Anons. Wife distracted me.

>>36085581

You look over his maps. He has the decency to let you look over them before buying, which is great. And… he has a bound and printed “Erwin’s Guide to the Southern Shores: An Autobiography.” Huh. You flip through some pages and… Maps? Technical details? That’s an impressive autobiography.

>What else you got?
>I can’t buy it yet, but I’ll take the map.
>I’ll take the autobiography. This is you, right? It’s great.
>Write-in

>>36085581
He looks supershifty in that picture, partially due to how it's cropped, but now Dani's made me feel bad about his lack of business.

At the very least it's unlikely that any spots marked will be saturated by other trainers.

>>36085616
His wares seem legit then. Maybe he's a Ace Trainer or something
>I’ll take the autobiography. This is you, right? It’s great.
>"How long did it take you to compile this?"

>>36085581
Perfectly fine Herald, life and wife come first.

>>36085616
>I’ll take the autobiography. This is you, right? It’s great.

>>36085616
>I’ll take the autobiography. This is you, right? It’s great.
>What else you got?
We're getting the book probably anyway, telling him should make sure he doesn't think we're insulting what he has out.

>>36085616
There are certain rules that apply for the tour in the Southern Shores Region:

Trainers go through a sorting process where every item they bring in with them is gone over, and standardized gear is divied out. Personal keepsakes are allowed to go on the trip, but in order to keep the assessment on as equal of a footing as possible outside resources are kept out and not allowed to be brought in. Trainers are to complete the tour on their own efforts.
An allowance is given to all of the trainers at the start of the tour. You can use these funds to buy the maps / balls, etc after the ceremony.

Parents aren't allowed to give funds to their children on the tour. Corruption/things happen, but very rarely. Everything is monitored - the MC effectively lives in a rather benign police state. Seriously. It doesn't get discussed much because it's the norm, but they're always watching.

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>>36085729
So I presume his book is way too detailed to be allowed on our ventures then?

>>36085616
>I can’t buy it yet, but I’ll take the map.

>>36085729
Simple then, we'll buy it after we get sorted ask him to hold a copy of this and a map he'll think would be really helpful.

>>36085616
Erwin seems legit. Since we probably can't afford to blow cash on the sutobiography,
>I can’t buy it yet, but I’ll take the map.
Might as well try to get on his good side.

>>36085649
>>36085616

Dani took to the maps like a moth to a flame. There are individual ones for each city and copies of larger maps that cover the whole regions. Some of them… “Woah. How old is this?” The shores definitely seem off, as do some of the physical features… And it’s missing some cities. Since when was Tonal City just called Tonal Bay?

The old man has a deep rumble of a laugh. “Ooh, you gots a good eye my friend. Yes, that map…” He turns it over in his hands and runs over it with squinted eyes. “Is about 40 years old now. Been a long time since the ecological restoration projects been a’working round here and things, eh, things changed a lot!”

“But you don’t want no’s old maps!” He tosses it aside and pulls out a container from below the stand. “So, How can old Erwin and little Piper’s a’help you’n today?” You just noticed, but there’s been a rather gray Meowth sitting on one corner of the stand behind some of the larger maps. At the mention on if its name it lets out a low purr and lopes over to meet Dani’s open hand. There are series of more appreciative noises as Piper is scratched behind the ears. “We’s got the maps, and an old man’s old book, and I’ve got some booklets here on catching and trainin’ various little’uns for you Sorties.”

“When I come back I’ll definitely pick up this book, Erwin. I really like what I see. You wrote this? Is it based on your Tour?”

Erwin just leans back, smile on his face, scratching hi chin idly. He lets out a happy old sigh. “Mmhm. That’s right… Cept’n it’s based on my tour and past that. I was a surveyor with some of this’n initial ecological expeditions… Served as’n a Ranger for some years… Lots of things, lot’sa writing and I’d figured I better share it with the younger folks. Help the world, you’know? Had to get an editor, course’n…”

>cont.

>>36086221

“And you drew these map’s too? That’s awesome.” Dani has several stuffed under her arms…

“Dani, you know you can’t buy those and take them on the Tour, right…? We'll have to come back.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry! Haha. Sorry, Erwin. I’ll definitely come back for these though!” She puts the maps down gently, her spirits a little dampened. “I used to draw maps as a kid for me and Peter to use when we played pretend. We would be Rangers and go on expeditions.” She chuckles a little as she runs a finger over a nearby map. “I’ve always loved them since.”

For what it’s worth Erwin seems to have enjoyed that story as well. He takes the map Dani had been admiring and bundles it up. “Tell’s you what, missus. You come back after’n Sort and you have this one. Free. Can’t do to be loving maps and not have one to love, I say!”

>The book is actually pretty cheap. $20 is not going to put a significant dent in your initial allowance of $2000. Future allowances come with gym badges. Battle gambling is possible as well.

>going to custom pokeballs unless there is objections

>>36086361
>>The book is actually pretty cheap. $20 is not going to put a significant dent in your initial allowance of $2000. Future allowances come with gym badges. Battle gambling is possible as well.
Not sure if this is a choice or just a statement, but, well, that's my thoughts on priorirty

>>36086361

You still have some time left after visiting Erwin, so you head back across the main walkway in front of the arena towards the people crowding around the trainer supplies and custom ball tent. Man, are fancy-painted pokeballs really that big a deal…?

A few minutes later, when you’re standing in the middle of the tent, surrounded by gawking would be-Trainers and confronted by dozens of hawkers. Master balls…? Really? Okay, no, the fine print says they are ultra balls painted to look like Master balls. Results may vary… Uh-huh.

One guy in particular – an older mustachioed man wearing traditional ringmaster’s clothes – is drawing quite a crowd with his claims of a new ball – dubbed the “premier ball” – that has double he success rate of a normal ball.

“Come ONE, Come ALL! Witness the greatness, the technological marvel that is…” A large, sweeping gesture from his feet to his head, now.... “THE PREMIER BALL! Twice as likely to catch any ‘mon you wish. Large? Snag’em. Small and flightly? Bag’em. Watch, and be amazed!”

You see now that a particularly angry weedle has been brought out in a cage. It’s a big one, too! They’re…

“Grey, look! They’re going to let the Weedle out and the old man’s still in there!” Dani’s grabbed onto your arm and I dragging you towards the tall, fenced-in enclosure that the man is standing in.

>Roll 1d100 for Perception

>>36086361
>>The book is actually pretty cheap. $20 is not going to put a significant dent in your initial allowance of $2000. Future allowances come with gym badges. Battle gambling is possible as well.

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>36086579
I SEE EVERYTHIIING

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>36086579

>>36086416
That was a statement on my part. The book's pretty cheap.

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>36086579
rollan

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>36086579

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>36086649
Aww yiss

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>>36086649
How do you anons always pull off these cray cray rolls, and on the last die roll...?

>writing

>>36086690
Just lucky i guess, glad my roll was good though.

>>36086690

The cage door goes up, and the weedle goes out.

“Observe, as I demonstrate that this ball is NOT attuned to the specimen!” The showman dramatically points the ball at the Weedle, pressing the “recall” button over and over in an attempt to call the bug into the device. Having no luck, the man has to dodge to the side – at the last second, of course – as the bug once again attempts to skewer him.

“Now that I am otherwise defenseless I will be FORCED to catch the weedle! This is where the usefulness of the PREMIER BALL can truly be witnessed! Without a second to spare, and where a miss could mean life or death – I must have faith in the superior craftsmanship that I hold in my hands!”

The old man dodges a stringshot this time and then locks his arm straight out, thumb on the Initiate Catch button. A vibrant red beam of light emits out of the center of the ball, the point of which can be seen on the forehead of the weedle. You count – 1 second, 2 seconds, 3.- and then the man throws-

>93

What was that..? You felt a hand on your backside. You look over the Dani. Nope, her hands are in plain sight and she is watching the show in rapt attention.

There it is again, and you see it. A small hand trying to smoothly pull your wallet out of your pocket! “Hey! What are you doing? Thief! Thief!” You wrap your hand around the tiny, gloved? wrist, but then it slips out. You couldn’t even see who, or what, it belonged to! You push aside the people behind you and give chase.

>Roll 1d100!

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>36086929
Catch the thief! it stoled the precious!

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>36086929
Rollan
>>36086959
Let the glorious rolls never end

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Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>36086929

>>36086959
>>36086977
>>36087019
Oh that thief is toast.

>>36086959
>>36086977
>>36087019
These rolls are just too good.

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>36086959
>>36086977
>>36087019
Dang, they never stood a chance

>>36086959
>>36086977
>>36087019

Why are you anons so lucky?! To which gods do you make sacrifice!?

>writing

>>36087141
Dice confirmed for loaded

>>36087143
We just asked Arceus, he was missing modern day pokemon quests so he helped out like a bro.

>>36087143

Where the tiny thief gets caught on shoes and stuck between legs you have no such trouble. With many “Excuse me’s! and Sorry’s!” thrown out to the people you have to shove through you make quick progress on that little sonuvabitc-

Oh. It’s a… Pokemon?!

You quickly take in the form of a small, bipedal… cat? Looks like a tiny cat holding a bag to one side as it squeezes through the legs of a young woman. She must be confused, as she slaps the guy standing next to her. You advance on still, and the burglar is practically within arm’s reach when you realize – it’s an Espurr? That’s… pretty rare. You’ve seen some, but it’s not like the ubiquitous pidgey or anything…

It’s coming to clear space, now, and you have a decision to make. You scan your surroundings and… An idea forms in your head. It just feels right. It could work. It’s crazy, but it could work.

>Grab a pokeball off a shelf. Catch the thief from behind. You’re not supposed to catch a pokemon like this at your age, but… It’s a thief. The situation will work itself out? No roll needed.
>Tackle the thief. No roll needed.

>>36087321
Or, as always, creative write-ins are always appreciated and rewarded!

>>36087321
>>Grab a pokeball off a shelf. Catch the thief from behind. You’re not supposed to catch a pokemon like this at your age, but… It’s a thief. The situation will work itself out? No roll needed.
Sure, Espurr makes for a fine starter.

>>36087321
Well, if we caught it the Prof would understand even if for appearances sake we gotta take punishment in some way. That said, are pokeballs registered to you if you haven't bought them yet? Are we even registered if we're yet to be sorted? Tossing a ball might just make weird things happen to it

As for tackling, not going to put us in trouble but it's ambiguous as to whether we'll catch it with this choice.

End of the day, I vote for whichever route leads to us catching it

>>36087321
>Grab a pokeball off a shelf. Catch the thief from behind. You’re not supposed to catch a pokemon like this at your age, but… It’s a thief. The situation will work itself out? No roll needed.

Then we can give it to the owner, give it to the prof making a big deal that our starter got taken, give it to another trainer for dosh/loot or keep it as a starter.

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>>36087459

YOU MUST MAKE A CHOICE, ANON!

CHOOSE! MWHAHAHAHAHA

>>36087459
You can't just do that. The point of making a choice is committing yourself to an action you're not sure what the consequence will be, and trying to choose the best action. That's like putting down on a multiple choice quiz. E - The right answer.

>Grab a pokeball off a shelf. Catch the thief from behind. You’re not supposed to catch a pokemon like this at your age, but… It’s a thief. The situation will work itself out? No roll needed.

>>36087533
>>36087528
I meant the choice that other anons think is most likely to lead to catching it, not just flat out 'we catched it lul'

Anyway, consensus seems to be pokeballs and noones added to my thoughts on pokeball registration so

>Grab a pokeball off a shelf. Catch the thief from behind. You’re not supposed to catch a pokemon like this at your age, but… It’s a thief. The situation will work itself out? No roll needed.

it is

>>36087497
>>36087459
>>36087441
>>36087533

>Writing

>>36087563
I appreciate you putting thoughts into the action, Anon. You're exactly right - when do pokeballs get registered, how, and to whom? These are all pertinent and important questions.

This particular situation is a bit of a split-second decision, though. It's time to be rash.

I don't want any of you to ever be afraid to speak up, express concerns, or add write-ins. Those are always to be welcome in this quest.

>>36087620
Even if the ball doesn't work we jsut brained with a lump of plastic, so when it's stunned get our wallet back.

I was just reading up on Meowstic (refreshing my memory over the visual differences between genders) I found that the female version gets this as a hidden ablity
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Competitive_(Ability)

Which honestly sounds incredible, didn't know it existed. What's that? You're lowering my stats? THAT ONLY MAKES MY SPECIAL ATTACKS STRONGER!

>>36087682
I was thinking more along the lines of it refusing to open because it has no registered trainer. You'd hope that if they were trainer ID locked there was a default all can open feature, or that it's the vendor's ID or just a manual override or something but there's always the chance that they hadn't considered the situation arising, etc etc

It's unlikely to occur in a quest, but at the same time this pokemon quest has put in a lot more thought regarding the lore of the setting and it always pays to be careful

>>36087762
Anyway, based on that I'm hoping our potential Espur is female

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>>36087321

You turn to your left, and – There! You turn to the shopkeep, who’s browsing on their phone lazily. You scoop up a pokeball with a “I’ll pay you back in one second, promise!” And turn to your prey.

>91

You had pokeball “set, release, and catch” methods drilled into you for years now. Moving targets, flying targets, disappearing targets… the old man has had you train on them all. This Espurr is moving in a straight line, in clear line of sight.

You point the center of the ball towards its fleeing back and thumb the targeting reticle on. A red point…. There, dead center between its shoulder blades. You start to walk after it carefully, arm steadily aimed towards the cat, as you count down “6…5….4….3….2…” You break into a jog towards the end, and when you reach one you stop.

You reel your arm back.

And you throw.

A textbook perfect pitch sails from your hand. The pokeball whistles as it twirls through the air along its z-axis…. Bam! It smacks the Espurr, who stumbles mid-stride, and there’s a flash of bright light.

You’re running over now. A couple tumbles as the pokeball stabilizes… But you know you’ve got it. You locked on for a full 6 seconds, and you physically hit the little thing!

Espurr acquired!

>cont.

>Think of nicknames in the meantime (Hint: it’s a girl)

>>36087866
Mittens?

>>36087866
>Lightpaws/Quickpaws?
'Cus it was a thieving lil ball of fluff.
>Mittens
because generic cat name
>>36087984
Someone beat me to it whilst I was thinking of others ;_;
>Alcina
Greek name meaning strong minded...

>>36087866
Salem

>>36087866

Once the adrenaline rush wears off your realize… “I have a bit of a situation on my hands., don’t I.”

“I’ll say.” You didn’t realize it but Dani had caught up to you. She’s alternating between looking between you and the pokeball in your hands, a look of concern on her face. “So, what are you going to do with it? I don’t know if they’ll allow you to keep it, Grey…”

You managed to catch the Espurr, meaning it wasn’t already owned, but you’re not legally allowed to catch and keep any pokemon yet until you’re sorted and you go through the official registration process. There’s also the important fact that this pokemon was a thief (for some reason) and it may have other stolen goods on its person.

“Well, first thing’s first – I have to pay for this pokeball.”

>>>>

The shopkeeper was a little miffed but didn’t care past the fact that you paid. Must be a temporary helper watching the stand or something. They seem a lot more interested in their phone than their stock. Your next thought is to dial the authorities, but another idea comes to mind: The Professor. If you can get him to hold onto the Espurr for you until after the ceremony, he can give it back to you afterwards and then you can legally register it under your name. He’s the only person capable that you trust at this point, other than maybe… Erwin?

>Call the Professor up, see if he can meet you and help you out
>Call the Police. Give the pokeball and the Espurr to them.
>See if Erwin will help you out.
>Write-in

>>36088052
>>36087984
>>36088073

Mittens quickly takes the lead! If Mittens gets a couple more votes I'll take it. No worries if you submitted a name, though - I can use them around the quest.

>>36088135
>Call the Professor up, see if he can meet you and help you out

>>36088135
>Call the Police. Give the pokeball and the Espurr to them.

>>36088135
>See if Erwin will help you out.
Prof will be busy still and Erwin's nearby, may as well see what he thinks. We can always call the prof after if Erwin thinks that's the most sensible course of action

>>36088162
Eh, I am a boring person and never nickname my pokemon, so I'll just nth Mittens.

>>36088135
>Call the Professor up, see if he can meet you and help you out
Been lurking but I suppose i shall participate

>>36088165
Changnig to this>>36088222

>>36088231
Hahah, same here, calling the pokemon by it's species just seems more natural to me. Add to the fact that if you nickname it prior to evolving it could end up with a really daft nickname

>>36088222
Seconding this

>>36088222
Seems like this suggestions wins!

+1 brownie point for sensible write-in
+1 brownie point for naming Espurr the same as my cat IRL.

>Brownie points can be redeemed at end of thread to see gag-reels, outtakes, or funnier versions of certain scenes.

>Would anyone like to archive /mind archiving the thread? I'm getting really tired so this will be my last update most likely.

>>36088400
I guess that makes me responsible for two and half of the brownie points now, feels good.

Archived, can find it here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=the%20herald

Figured I'd add the Southern Shores tag since that distinguishes the quest name from other pokemon quests

>>36087563
Uhhhh Glad I could help I guess.....

>>36088517
>>36088400

>Thank you, anon! +1 brownie point

You roll the ball around in your fingers, puzzling over what you should do. To be honest, those first few days of the Tour without any starters are supposed to be a bitch. Having a starter to start with like this will really help both you and Dani assemble teams, and will make traveling a bit safer too. Turning the ball into the police will likely just get you without a Pokémon and this Espurr without a trainer. It might even end up wandering the streets again, stealing, if the police just let it go. The Professor is probably busy and wouldn’t appreciate the bother… That leaves Erwin. “Hey, do you think it would be weird if I explained the situation to Erwin and asked him to help us out?”

“Well…” Dani runs her hand through her hair and bites her lip a bit while she mulls it over. “I mean, if it had been a few hours later you would have legally caught it anyways. All you needed was a ball. I’d say it’s just the timing that sucks, and Erwin should probably understand.”

“Yeah, I figure the same thing. It’s worth a shot asking him either way…”

The stand owner seemed even more surprised to see you again so soon, albeit just as happy this time. Poor guy really isn’t getting enough business. Maybe you could help somehow? You put that thought aside for later.

“So there I was, stolen ball in hand, Espurr in my sights. I wait…and wait… it’s getting farther away…. And then lock! Bam, I get’er straight in the back with the ball and she’s as good as mine.” Erwin’s got Piper in his lap, gently stroking her hair behind her ear, and is smiling and clapping his other hand against his leg. “Very nice’n, very nice’n my young friends. And mighty quick! You’s not even registered, ah’s ya?” You both shake your heads to that. “Well dang. What’chu gonna do about’n the thing, then?”

>cont

>>36088915

“Well, actually…. I was hoping you could help me, Erwin. I know we just met, but you’re the nicest guy here! I was hoping you could hold onto’er until after the ceremony.”

The old man just scratches at his graying stubble for a bit, hmm-in and haw-ing to himself in his chair. He looks over at you from the corner of his eyes. “I’m mighty inclined to help’n nice kids like yourselves. That’s not’n the problem. Question is – do you be knowin’ the philosophy on getting’ help on the Tour?”

Dani speaks up first to that one. “It is better to help and be helped than to be helped for nothing.”

“Ver’good, missus!” Erwin offers up a calloused hand to Dani and the two share a laughing high-five.

You set yourself in a thoughtful pose, eyes closed. How to help Erwin…“You’re exactly right, Erwin. I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness, and you’re a good man. How can I help you….”

>Help Erwin attract customers
>Run the stall for Erwin after the ceremony
>Pay Erwin (will save time but is a bit tacky)
>Take Piper over to the grooming stall
>Write-in!

>>36088940
>Help Erwin attract customers
>maybe get Dani's help? she seems like she'd be good at this with his happy attitude

>>36088940
>Take Piper over to the grooming stall
Seems a bit superficial, it's the kinda that Erwin might enjoy doing himself

>Pay Erwin (will save time but is a bit tacky)
Nah

>Run the stall for Erwin after the ceremony
Wouldn't we be preoccupied with getting on with our own business? Plus, what's Erwin gonna do if we man his store?

>Help Erwin attract customers
Probably the best bet, though hopefully we don't come across as rude when we say that his store isn't that popular. Shame that everyone would be exposed to his delicious knowledge if we succeed at boosting attention though

>>36088940
>Help Erwin attract customers
Do him a solid(ask for him to save you good map so you can buy it later)

>>36088940
Alright guys. Help him attract customers it is!

I'll do that at the beginning of the next thread, which will be next week at the latest. Tomorrow I am running my other quest because I promised. I may run P:SS on Wednesday but it will depend on if I have any creative juices left.

That said.... I had a lot of fun tonight, and I hope you did too. Any glares received from my wife were totally worth it!

I'm going to stick around for a little bit. Shoot me some questions or concerns while I'm here.

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>>36089306
You guys are a great crowd. I would sweep chimneys with you any day.

>>36089343
Great thread op, I look forward to the next one.
What other quest are you running?

>>36089390
Diablo Quest (Sharval Wilds)

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>>36089343
You're welcome. Question-wise, I guess a detailed overview of the registration system would be good. Like, do we get assigned a trainer ID at birth or when we're sorted? Are pokeballs locked to the trainer they're registered to, can you legally own a pokemon that you befriended but never caught and thus registered, things like that

Anyway, thanks for running, look forward to the next one

>>36089343
Thanks for the thread, Herald, it's been fun.

>>36089458
Trainer IDs are assigned at the Sorting and Registration Ceremony, which I hope to get through next thread. A pokeball is functional when it hasn't been registered - which is actually a problem, because anyone could take the ball, register it and the pokemon inside, and then they are the legal owner. Granted, if you can prove it was stolen then that's a different case...
The ball will open/release and recall the pokemon, but no training functions will be operational. Also, you can't take it to a center for the pokemon to be healed. It can't be used in official tournament battles... etc.

You can use a pokemon that you solely befriended and legally own it if you file paperwork showing such. It would be very unethical and actually illegal if someone were to capture the mon after you filed paperwork. The mon will still have to be identified with a serial number of some sort, which is part of the purpose of the ball - it assigns a number/code upon capture.

>>36089603
>it assigns a number/code upon capture
On that note, is there wifi access everwhere?

>>36089603
Official league battles won't allow for non-caught pokemon.

I would like to add a note on political geography... We are currently in a region, but unlike the Japanese counterparts the American regions make up a larger country. Yes, American. That is, they are situated on the American continent. This is XXX years after 2014 (in our distant future) and climate change and warfare (including nuclear warfare) ravaged and transformed the global landscape politically and geologically.
We are currently in Southeast USA. The country is NOT the US, however. That was dissolved long ago.

The MC's hometown is Nash City, up north. Dani is from closer to the East Coast.

The Southern Shores TDR is part of the South East Super-region.

To the west of the peninsula is The Gulf and to the East is the Ocean of Tears, named so after the World War pre-story.

>>36089461
Thank you! Have a great night and see you next time.

>>36089737
Also, what's the fluff regarding the 6 pokemon on your person limit and the way pokeballs send pokemon to the pc after the limit is met?

Are the pokemon just transmitted via this >>36089641 global wifi and the physical balls returned to the bag? Are pokemon capable of conversion to pure data?

Or maybe it's a just a hardware lock on the ball, you can't open multiple simultaneously to prevent uprisings or whatnot

>>36089641
Satellite.

Wifi in this day and age is much more powerful and utiliizes a broader spectrum of radio waves than in 2014, and is very popular. So yes, it's everywhere - but it's not going to be out in the wilds. Satellite "3G" will be.

On a side note, Pokeballs have to be charged regularly. About once a week for normal usage. This time can be shortened/lengthened depending on how often you release/return and the frequency and severity of your pokemon's injuries.

>>36089786
You are allowed to carry more than 6, but using that many at once is rather difficult / almost impossible. What I mean is, don't call all of your mons out and try to order them into battle beyond - fight them!

Most trainers use five or six because it drains the battery pack you carry with you at a reasonable rate. Carrying ten pokeballs is going to require an additional pack - they're regulated and expensive. Also, you will probably never use that many in trainer battles. Pokemon numbers are agreed upon beforehand, and nobody is going to go 6 vs 10.

>>36089786
Pokemon are converted into energy and data when captured in the balls. Mass - > energy conversion and energy -> mass conversion.


Many mundane objects can also be handled and transported this way.

>>36089879
So if we wish to become villains we gotta stock up on batteries / find a electric pokemon powerhouse. I feel like Lt Surge must be a commando, going for ages behind enemy lines, using electric types to keep his power up...

Do the pokemon actually require extended durations in their pokeballs though? Or could an aspiring PokeGeneral focus on leading many pokemon without returning them to their balls at all? Does residing in the ball let them recover PP faster, acting as a mini-pokecentre or something? How is PP actually dealt with in this setting?

So many questions! Tell me when you just want me to stopFor the record, I don't actually intend to steer our protagonist into starting the next world war

>>36089980
I like the Lt. Surge backstory. Very nice.

PP works like normal, mundane fatigue. Pokemon are amazingly powerful animals/organisms, marking the threshold of living weapon and machine. A squirtle has special bladders and organs designed to allow it to use various combat abilities. One of which is a bladder containing extremely pressurized water, enabling it to contain higher amounts of water at a smaller volume. Expelling this water past a certain point is dangerous, and as a trainer you have to recognize that.
A charmander can only produce so much flammable oil.
A bulbasaur can only burn so many calories in producing organic "bullets" and projectiles.

The balls do serve as mini pokecenters in the sense that they can somewhat restore a pokemon to a previous, less injured state after some time in their balls/charging. This is nowhere near as effective as a center. Also, it drains charge as greater amounts of energy is used to compensating for the missing mass/data.

>>36089980
Pokemon don't have to return to their balls. Doing so is useful when they are injured in order to at least "lock" their condition. They can't die in the balls if they go in living. They can die outside the balls.

Some rangers lead 2 mons at a time, by necessity. More is possible but works on a... maybe logarithmic scale? It gets harder and harder to add an additional mon effectively.

>>36090159
I have to go to sleep now.... so tired.....

I enjoyed the questions a lot... +1 brownie point, but.... damn you. so tired.

>>36090180
Night herald thanks for running.

>>36090159
So kinda like juggling balls where the difficulty ramps massively with each extra ball you try to juggle, hitting a maximum human limit.

Pokemon are looking a lot like they were created for the purposes of warfare and accidentally got loose and propagated unchecked through the wild. I'm kinda betting the god-pokemon are actually just super-weapons.

>>36090180
Anyway, thanks for running and humouring my questions, sleep well

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>>36090201

>>36090240

Pokemon are looking a lot like they were created for the purposes of warfare and accidentally got loose and propagated unchecked through the wild. I'm kinda betting the god-pokemon are actually just super-weapons.


>!?!?!?!
>The plot thickens

>>36090284
I love the writing of the quest. It's great.

My biggest problem is that you give away too much in non-story posts.

Please keep running, though. I hate that I missed this thread.

>>36091031
I guess that's my fault for asking...

>>36091122
Nah, it was my main issue in the first thread, too.

It's more the unasked for OOC posts than anything. It only happened once or twice this thread, though.

>>36091261
Oh, you mean like this >>36085729 one?
But they're IC knowledge relevant to our situation...

>>36091399
Pretty much, yes. I think the same results could be achieved through in-character interactions.

It'd bother me less if the rest of the writing wasn't as good. But with the current quality, I feel like TheHerald has the skill to more deftly put that information into his posts.

>>36091494
Ah, fair criticism then. I don't particularly mind either way but I can see how some might