- Location
- Denmark
That was how I understood the question. It's certainly what I'm interested in knowing, personally.
Somebody Else [Pokémon]
- Thread starter wdango
- Start date
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
Anything from "go patrol area X for a week" to "we're short on X Stones go get some" to "Okay so one of the Rattata around City X evolved into a Raticate and we need someone to take it out" to "there's a siege on City X defend the City" or even "escort these caravans to City X within Y days"
*shrug* typical mission board stuff.
*shrug* typical mission board stuff.
what about inherently weak humans? (trainers who can't make a new bond after losing their old pokemon, people who's domain never really grew, cripples, mentally frail people), how does society deal with them?
Last edited:
QM's Notes: Desertion 1
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
They are typically forced to carry out missions with no Pacted and only soldiers and/or mercenaries.
All Humans are Trainers who are never discharged from the League, and as a Trainer with or without Pokémon you are still compelled to complete missions. Humans who are not League Trainers are basically deserters and the typical penalty is death.
Even Gramps, your Sister, and Leaf's Mom are all Trainers. They just happen to have long-term missions in Pallet that don't enable them to leave.
There is currently no surviving record of a Human Trainer who passed away of old age.
...Even cripples? Oh sorry you don't have any usable legs mate, you're gonna have to hike up this mountain to look for some fancy rocks anyhow. That seems rather counterproductive especially since they need some permanent human residence to charge the everstones, and then there are the production and support jobs that keep societies like that up, no I could see a lot of those jobs being taken over by pokemon but some jobs need index fingers.
Hell, there not being any old trainers is even weirder, sure there shouldn't be a lot, but quite a few should have reached the age where they are of more use as a reserve force (to help with those sieges, to teach and whatever else) than to actively travel and fight.
That really doesn't even sound mildly sustainable regardless of the energy crisis.
Is the miasma poisonous to humans too? That could at least explain the lack of retirees.
Last edited:
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
If you get crippled you typically die.
Charging the Primary Everstones is the Guild Leader's job.
All civilian jobs are carried out by Pokémon. There are no Human civilians.
..."Typically die" even from regular accidents there should be people who can't walk or are otherwise physically incapable of going out to mine/fight, simply condemning those people along with whatever poor pokemon they're pacted with to death just seems ridiculously stupid and wasteful, small societies don't work that way even tribes and other endangered people living together.
Honestly this sounds more like warhammer 40k levels of grim-derp to me.
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
*shrugs* What are you trying to achieve, exactly?
- Location
- USA
Nothing so far about this situation has struck me as 'mildly sustainable,' to be honest. 'Deeply unsustainable' would be a better way to put it. That is the problem we've been hired to solve, so to speak.
Yes but this is supposed to have gone on for enough generations for this to have become the norm right? The only really remembered state of being in generational memory? Having such a careless society doesn't make a lot of sense in that case, sure they'd be far more pragmatic but there is a difference between a necessary dark pragmatism and careless wastefulness of whatever resources you have, make no mistake due to how the world is built up all humans are a scarce resource.
Just throwing away old people, cripples (which since i imagine a lot of them would be mining using rather unsafe methods would be common-place) and other dependants is wasteful in the extreme, sure you can't use your legs but you can help administrate or some other job, some people I could see being mercy killed since if they can't benefit society at all they're a liability but saying that that's the elderly and cripples is just stupid (the elderly can teach for one which since they are the ones that survived that long means a lot), hell even from a eugenics standpoint there is already a lack of humans which also means a lack of a diverse gene pool and this just makes that worse.
Sorry if I seem pushy but i just disagree with part of your world building, I guess I'm trying to get you to retcon that or at least change it in some way to make it more realistic?
Last edited:
It seems... really strange to me. Why would they not set up what would basically be a breeding program? Humans seem to be dying out, and they're a crucial part of the society. Since the only way to make more humans is to have humans, it just doesn't seem to make sense. (Well, assuming humans and Pokemon both breed as normal. If there's some sort of abiogenesis spawn rate or something then that's completely different)
Unless one of the long-term jobs is "have X kids" or something. I'd honestly expect the society to get increasingly focused on keeping human females alive and making kids so that they can be used in the wilds. It doesn't seem like they're in such a crisis yet that they'd be willing to throw away long-term concerns like that.
That being said this doesn't really matter. We're not here to fix or even understand society, we're here to be thrown into the wilds and try to survive.
Unless one of the long-term jobs is "have X kids" or something. I'd honestly expect the society to get increasingly focused on keeping human females alive and making kids so that they can be used in the wilds. It doesn't seem like they're in such a crisis yet that they'd be willing to throw away long-term concerns like that.
That being said this doesn't really matter. We're not here to fix or even understand society, we're here to be thrown into the wilds and try to survive.
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
I'll think about retconning or changing it if it crops up or becomes relevant.
At this point, even Gramps who's super old is still in service -- he just happens to be a Guild Leader by now. And "old people" tend to be the strongest Trainers, since they have the strongest Domains, so they're put to use until they die.
Let's just say this is a super magic world where Humans don't get crippled and where super magic healing exists.
- Location
- USA
Okay, just to play counterpoint for a minute - pokemon can do all those jobs you listed as available for cripples/the elderly, and pokemon can't hold pacts or community stones. Humans are a limited resource with one purpose, and it's even odds whether or not they're in charge of society. Pokemon being in charge of society means we may well have blue vs orange morality going on. Anyway, we see in the setting built so far that the elderly and parents do have a chance to stay home and take behind-the-lines jobs. It's just if you don't have fighters on the line, the line doesn't hold, and then everyone is really screwed.
0.3 - The First Pact
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
"I'm pretty torn between Chloe and David, to be honest."
Leaf hums thoughtfully. "They're polar opposites, though."
"I know," you say. "But I'm leaning more towards Chloe. David would make a good tank, but Chloe's more versatile and as my first general... I think she has more room to grow."
"She doesn't know any elements yet, though." She furrows her eyebrows. "I hope you're putting some Restrictions on your Domain, Gary."
"I am," you reassure her hastily. "But I'm keeping my options fairly open; I don't want to regret it if I meet someone that I have great chemistry with."
"You're..." She visibly swallows. "That's... That's what Ash said too."
"Leaf..."
"...You understand as well as I do how dangerous it is out there, so." Her tone is frigid. "So why."
"Leaf, enough." You sigh, looking away. "We both lost him, okay? He was important to me too."
"You're going to end up with some stupid Restriction that does nothing for your Pacts!"
"Don't make a scene," you hiss. Your chest grows hot. You've never known Leaf to be someone who loses her temper so easily, so you don't understand. "This isn't like you. And I'm not that stupid, okay? I'm going for non-repeating types. It's a well-researched and effective Restriction."
"..."
That's when you look at her again and realise that... Her lips are trembling, and her eyes are red. She's not angry.
She's scared.
Even though she's been trying to reassure you all this time, the very reason why she's insisting on doing something as stupid as following you out into the Wilderness before she completes her training... is because she's just as scared as you are.
"...I'm sorry," you say. A little bit too late. Your voice is weak.
"Just one more." Her own voice is pleading. "Just add one more condition. Please."
"...I'll set a hard limit for 4 Pacts." You want to hold her, but you dare not. "Is that okay?"
"Mm..." She clenches her fist. "Then I... might need to add more conditions, too."
"Leaf..."
"Let's get a move on." She shakes her head. "We don't want to be late."
You feel your heart sink to your stomach. The rest of your march to the ceremony is quiet enough that the already sombre atmosphere feels even more unbearably heavy.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
Every settlement on the continent has a Guild Hall, and it serves as a headquarters for everyone employed under the League. Other than Human Trainers, there are also the Pokémon: officers, soldiers, and mercenaries.
The Guild Leader is always a Human Trainer who also serves as the head of the settlement, and Pallet's Guild is led by your grandfather, Samuel Oak.
In his full dress uniform and flanked by his Lieutenants, the man you usually call 'Gramps' seems to radiate an oppressive aura that weighs down on the entire Hall of Ceremonies. Behind you, the five Pact candidates stand at attention.
Despite Leaf's presence by your side, you are nervous enough you have to consciously resist wiping your palms on your pants.
"Gary Oak," he says. "By virtue of the power and authority given to me, I hereby constitute and appoint you a Trainer of the Indigo League. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge your duty under the command of the Guild Leaders, and to lead those under your command into the Wilderness and to complete Missions as assigned to you by the League."
"Trainer Gary. Come forward and claim your first Pact."
You step forward and give a crisp salute. "I claim Chloe of the Eevee as my first Pact."
"Chloe of the Eevee. Come forward to forge your Pact."
The sound of her paws against the floor approaches you from behind until she finally comes to a stop next to you. You turn to face her and fall to one knee so that the two of you are at eye level.
"I am Gary of House Oak," you intone. "If you would forge your Pact with me, place yourself under my dominion, and my Domain will be your shield against the Miasma."
"I am Chloe of the Eevee," she says far more solemnly than you thought possible for her. "I place myself under your dominion, and as your Domain shields my soul, my protection will be a shield for your body."
"With this, I pledge that no two of the same Element will come under my Domain at the same time, and that no more than four Pokémon will be sheltered under my Domain at the same time. So mote it be."
"So mote it be."
And then it is done.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
After you, Leaf forges her Pact with Rydia the Bulbasaur, and Restricts her Domain to female Pokémon with the Poison-type, limiting her Domain to 3 Pacts, none of which must share the same typesets.
The moment you step out of the Hall of Ceremonies, she barely bids you a curt goodbye before she leaves with Rydia.
You are anxious, but you feel like you should give her some space.
Tomorrow, you will receive your first Mission as well as your first salary. But there's still enough time today to get one more thing done.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
This Quest is split up into time segments of Weeks, Days, and Periods. Depending on the turn, you may choose actions for the Week, the Day, or the Period.
A Period is 4 hours, and the 6 Periods in a Day are: Dawn, Morning, Noon, Evening, Dusk, and Night.
1 (one) Action is typically allowed per Week.
It is the 3rd Week of the Midsummer. What do you do this week?
[x] Go reconcile with Leaf regardless.
[x] Spend some time with Chloe to get to know her better.
[x] Talk to Gramps about being a Trainer.
[x] Talk to Big Sis about being a Trainer.
[x] Go to the Palate Swap for a drink.
[x] Approach one of the 5 Families for a second Pact.
[x] Write-in.
Leaf hums thoughtfully. "They're polar opposites, though."
"I know," you say. "But I'm leaning more towards Chloe. David would make a good tank, but Chloe's more versatile and as my first general... I think she has more room to grow."
"She doesn't know any elements yet, though." She furrows her eyebrows. "I hope you're putting some Restrictions on your Domain, Gary."
"I am," you reassure her hastily. "But I'm keeping my options fairly open; I don't want to regret it if I meet someone that I have great chemistry with."
"You're..." She visibly swallows. "That's... That's what Ash said too."
"Leaf..."
"...You understand as well as I do how dangerous it is out there, so." Her tone is frigid. "So why."
"Leaf, enough." You sigh, looking away. "We both lost him, okay? He was important to me too."
"You're going to end up with some stupid Restriction that does nothing for your Pacts!"
"Don't make a scene," you hiss. Your chest grows hot. You've never known Leaf to be someone who loses her temper so easily, so you don't understand. "This isn't like you. And I'm not that stupid, okay? I'm going for non-repeating types. It's a well-researched and effective Restriction."
"..."
That's when you look at her again and realise that... Her lips are trembling, and her eyes are red. She's not angry.
She's scared.
Even though she's been trying to reassure you all this time, the very reason why she's insisting on doing something as stupid as following you out into the Wilderness before she completes her training... is because she's just as scared as you are.
"...I'm sorry," you say. A little bit too late. Your voice is weak.
"Just one more." Her own voice is pleading. "Just add one more condition. Please."
"...I'll set a hard limit for 4 Pacts." You want to hold her, but you dare not. "Is that okay?"
"Mm..." She clenches her fist. "Then I... might need to add more conditions, too."
"Leaf..."
"Let's get a move on." She shakes her head. "We don't want to be late."
You feel your heart sink to your stomach. The rest of your march to the ceremony is quiet enough that the already sombre atmosphere feels even more unbearably heavy.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
Every settlement on the continent has a Guild Hall, and it serves as a headquarters for everyone employed under the League. Other than Human Trainers, there are also the Pokémon: officers, soldiers, and mercenaries.
The Guild Leader is always a Human Trainer who also serves as the head of the settlement, and Pallet's Guild is led by your grandfather, Samuel Oak.
In his full dress uniform and flanked by his Lieutenants, the man you usually call 'Gramps' seems to radiate an oppressive aura that weighs down on the entire Hall of Ceremonies. Behind you, the five Pact candidates stand at attention.
Despite Leaf's presence by your side, you are nervous enough you have to consciously resist wiping your palms on your pants.
"Gary Oak," he says. "By virtue of the power and authority given to me, I hereby constitute and appoint you a Trainer of the Indigo League. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge your duty under the command of the Guild Leaders, and to lead those under your command into the Wilderness and to complete Missions as assigned to you by the League."
"Trainer Gary. Come forward and claim your first Pact."
You step forward and give a crisp salute. "I claim Chloe of the Eevee as my first Pact."
"Chloe of the Eevee. Come forward to forge your Pact."
The sound of her paws against the floor approaches you from behind until she finally comes to a stop next to you. You turn to face her and fall to one knee so that the two of you are at eye level.
"I am Gary of House Oak," you intone. "If you would forge your Pact with me, place yourself under my dominion, and my Domain will be your shield against the Miasma."
"I am Chloe of the Eevee," she says far more solemnly than you thought possible for her. "I place myself under your dominion, and as your Domain shields my soul, my protection will be a shield for your body."
"With this, I pledge that no two of the same Element will come under my Domain at the same time, and that no more than four Pokémon will be sheltered under my Domain at the same time. So mote it be."
"So mote it be."
And then it is done.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
After you, Leaf forges her Pact with Rydia the Bulbasaur, and Restricts her Domain to female Pokémon with the Poison-type, limiting her Domain to 3 Pacts, none of which must share the same typesets.
The moment you step out of the Hall of Ceremonies, she barely bids you a curt goodbye before she leaves with Rydia.
You are anxious, but you feel like you should give her some space.
Tomorrow, you will receive your first Mission as well as your first salary. But there's still enough time today to get one more thing done.
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
This Quest is split up into time segments of Weeks, Days, and Periods. Depending on the turn, you may choose actions for the Week, the Day, or the Period.
A Period is 4 hours, and the 6 Periods in a Day are: Dawn, Morning, Noon, Evening, Dusk, and Night.
1 (one) Action is typically allowed per Week.
It is the 3rd Week of the Midsummer. What do you do this week?
Choose 1 (one).
[x] Go reconcile with Leaf regardless.
[x] Spend some time with Chloe to get to know her better.
[x] Talk to Gramps about being a Trainer.
[x] Talk to Big Sis about being a Trainer.
[x] Go to the Palate Swap for a drink.
[x] Approach one of the 5 Families for a second Pact.
[x] Write-in.
- Location
- USA
[x] Approach one of the 5 Families for a second Pact.
-[x] Approach the Squirtle family.
I suppose no one will be surprised that I want to follow up on the David thing. The best thing we can do to reconcile with Leaf is to take not-dying seriously, anyway. We can talk to Chloe on the road.
-[x] Approach the Squirtle family.
I suppose no one will be surprised that I want to follow up on the David thing. The best thing we can do to reconcile with Leaf is to take not-dying seriously, anyway. We can talk to Chloe on the road.
TimEd
Meteor maker
is this right?
[x] Spend some time with Chloe to get to know her better.
Lets not ignore someone we just recently Pacted with huh?
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
Sure but the elderly and the crippled will be a minority (as most people won't make it to that age) leaving enough young bodies (and I easily still count middle aged people within that category to man the frontlines) hell having old trainers who can't really walk or run man the home guard in case of a siege is something i can see as likely since they'd have those powerful pokemon in their retinues in defence of said village, but active duty is just not something you can expect a 50-60+ year-old to do.
As for pokemon taking over all jobs, while sure a pokemon could teach about the pacts, the duties and training but honestly that will always be from a pokemons perspective which while still useful will clearly be different from a successful (read someone who was good enough to survive and reach old age) trainer, humans will have different expectations and jobs, we're are hilariously squishy compared to pokemon some of which can withstand mountain shattering force.
Then there are the ever useful opposable thumbs... which a lot of pokemon don't have and seeing as not every pokemon clan is in every village (there will inevitably be some jobs that simply can't be filled by pokemon workers so the jobs they can each do is going to be far more limited.
Lastly, Pokemon are as dependent on humans as humans are on them, humans are far too weak to survive alone out there, pokemon go insane without humans protecting them, this relationship has to be at least close to equal otherwise both are fucked.
As an extra argument that can be ignored but I personally still find rather relevant, you have to consider hope, humans can go through hell as long as they have a little bit of hope left (even if it's false hope), even if only one in fifty trainers makes it to retirement age the fact that there are vets out there (hopefully being venerated somewhat for beating those odds and you know their service) the kids can tell themselves that they'll be that one in fifty. Hope is a curse as much as it is a blessing, cause it means that people'll keep trying regardless of how many die or how pointless the odds really are.
Sure, whatever I guess I'll drop it.
[x] Spend some time with Chloe to get to know her better.
Last edited:
- Location
- USA
Okay, since I can't get this out of my head, this is just the first possible scenario for how this could work off the top of my head. I'm sure there are lots more. A series of worldbuilding assertions in rough order:
1. People are not stupid, but may be in denial.
2. The deaths in the human population are unsustainable. The human population is dying.
3. People know that. They react in two main camps. Camp one, composed mainly of pokemon and the self-sacrificing, wants to eke out each human life and death to the last drop, using them up until they run out. Camp two, composed mainly of humans, is in denial. They'll be fine! Someone else will die. Someone not their friends and family. Let it be someone else. The math is probably wrong anyway. Who needs math, right?
3. Trainers have a lifecycle. Children stay in the town/city, learning to do their jobs. Very little education outside the necessary and the appropriate propaganda. You're going on an adventure! You'll be fine! (Someone else will die. No one ever dies. We're all immortal. Ash is just on a mission that's gone over-time.) They go out as child soldiers. The ones who survive, with good genes and pact strength, are unsubtly encouraged to settle down, at least long enough to have children. The woman probably stays home to care for the kids. The man goes out on a mission. He'll be fine.
4. Rinse. Repeat.
(5. We didn't put grandma out on an ice floe to die. She volunteered. We're very proud of her.)
1. People are not stupid, but may be in denial.
2. The deaths in the human population are unsustainable. The human population is dying.
3. People know that. They react in two main camps. Camp one, composed mainly of pokemon and the self-sacrificing, wants to eke out each human life and death to the last drop, using them up until they run out. Camp two, composed mainly of humans, is in denial. They'll be fine! Someone else will die. Someone not their friends and family. Let it be someone else. The math is probably wrong anyway. Who needs math, right?
3. Trainers have a lifecycle. Children stay in the town/city, learning to do their jobs. Very little education outside the necessary and the appropriate propaganda. You're going on an adventure! You'll be fine! (Someone else will die. No one ever dies. We're all immortal. Ash is just on a mission that's gone over-time.) They go out as child soldiers. The ones who survive, with good genes and pact strength, are unsubtly encouraged to settle down, at least long enough to have children. The woman probably stays home to care for the kids. The man goes out on a mission. He'll be fine.
4. Rinse. Repeat.
(5. We didn't put grandma out on an ice floe to die. She volunteered. We're very proud of her.)
Last edited:
Pandemonious Ivy
Panties, Revolution. Big Drawers. Parachute.
[X] Write In
-[X] Challenge Leaf to a friendly sparring match. It's totally just to see how far you need to grow. Honest.
Its tradition yall
-[X] Challenge Leaf to a friendly sparring match. It's totally just to see how far you need to grow. Honest.
Its tradition yall
wdango
Storyteller
- Location
- Bali, Indonesia
in good faith, i have to say that this is not the right time.
- Location
- USA
Yes.
But if you're going to rub it in every time something bad happens in this quest, you will have a full time job.
TimEd
Meteor maker
thought it was a typo. Turns out it was just an archaic and ye olde ritual speak.