Deserter [a Pokemon AU Quest]

Markala · Sep 23, 2016

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Deserter
a Pokémon AU Quest by Markala

HIDDEN MARK #1: The GM started writing this quest by asking themselves: "Just how much realistic trauma can I fit into one Pokémon quest? (+5 RP)
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Markala · Sep 23, 2016

Acknowledgements:

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My thanks to @Coshiua, @Shadow, and @wdango for inspiring this quest! (Psst, whatever squares haven't seen them yet, their quests are awesome and worth checking out)

PREFACE

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In the wake of tragic circumstances that devastated her family, a young Samantha Demetriou finds herself conscripted into a mysterious Orrean military outfit and her remaining family nowhere to be found. In this strange new place, she does what she can to cope, and--OH GODS WHY ARE SAND HIPPOS TRYING TO EAT ME.
-Summary provided by @Oh I am slain!

(Now presenting, 'Deserter [a Pokemon Quest],' a blend between the games, the Anime and AU elements. For more information that is not AU, please refer to Bulbapedia.)

RULES

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1. No posting inappropriate content
2. Be civil to your fellow players
3. Have fun

INDICES

Title Card
Preface, Indices, & RP Scorecard
Main Character Sheets & Party Status & Etc

0.01 Flames in the Night
0.02 Forget Angst, WHO DO YOU SIT WITH?!
0.03 Who Needs Exposition Anyway? Not Us, Apparently!
0.04 MAXIMUM! EFFORT!
0.05 Hungry! Hungry! Hippowdon! And a Rival?!
0.06 Sam DOESN'T Recommend Playing Chicken with HUNGRYHUNGRY Muder-Hippos
0.07a ATTACK (AKA Something Resembling an Interlude)]
0.08 Into the Cold Bowels of the Compound We Go!
0.09 In Which There is Much Dialogue
0.10 The Hope Spot (is Probably a Lie but it Soothes the Grief)

Kanto's Legendary Bird Trio

OMAKE(s):
BFFs (by @RagnorakTres)

ART Things:
Sam Demetriou made on Rinmaru Games-Mega Anime Avatar Creator (by @Skenvoy)

Hidden Mark Scoreboard: #1 - The GM started writing this quest by asking themselves: "Just how much realistic trauma can I fit into one Pokémon quest? (+5 RP); discovered by @Drebom
#2 - One of the GM's Top 10 Favorite Pokémon is Togekiss (+1 RP); discovered by @Muer'ci
#3 - One of the GM's current life-goals is to out-write that 90k+ word n00b-monstrosity of a fic (AKA: The SHAME) they wrote back in high school, which they've since buried inside a USB never to see the light of day again. (+1 RP); discovered by @Drebom)
Reward Points "RP" (Updated 04/19/2019): Reward Points or "RP," are points that I award to Questers for omakes/fanart/helpful things/etcetera. I also reward RP to Questers who discover "Hidden Marks" (geddit?). Hidden Marks are random world-building notes or GM-messages I put in random places that Questers can find along with an RP reward amount, in order to claim your Hidden Mark RP prize, you have to share the discovered hidden message on the main thread while tagging me to announce your victory). Each Hidden Mark can only be discovered once. Please PM the QM (me) to purchase RP prizes, voters may also pool their RP for prizes if they wish:

RP Rewards Store:
1 RP -

- D10 roll for EXP toward skills progression of Sam or her Pokémon

2 RP -

- Sam or her Pokémon find a useful but common item [i.e. A random berry, a plant, small-game, or a Potion, a small-random amount of money, etc.]

- 1 Re-roll on the next Crit. Fail in the future

5 RP –

- Find a special item considered moderately regulated {in most regions} in-universe [i.e. A revive, Protein pills, etc.]

10 RP -

- Sam encounters a wild [non-regionally compliant, unevolved] Pokémon

- Sam encounters a common Wild Shiny Pokémon

15 RP -

– Sam encounters a wild (unevolved) Dragon-type

- Sam or her Pokémon find a special piece of equipment, item, etc. (i.e. Body armor, Evolutionary Stone, a special dagger, etc)
RP Scorecard(as of 1/21/17, 1:21 AM EST): @RagnorakTres = 5 RP
@Sendicard = 1 RP
@Oh I am slain! = 2 RP
@Muer'ci = 1 RP
@Drebom = 6 RP
@Skenvoy = 1 RP

MECHANICS

Traits: Traits are separated from Skills and can give modifiers to certain situations; Negative modifiers may be able to be removed by fulfilling special circumstances, and there are two levels:
ω (skill with both positive & a negative modifier) ---> Ω (positive modifier kept/&or modified, negative modifier removed)
Skills: New skills can be discovered and gained at NOVICE level, and level-up through practice, fulfillment of special circumstances, the use of mentors or other magical bullsh*t. Each letter has a - and + level before and after it barring the Novice and Mastery levels. Skill level progression is as follows:

NOVICE ---> F- ---> F ---> F+ ---> E- ---> E ---> E+ ---> D- ---> D --> D+ ---> C- ---> C ---> C+ ---> B- ---> B ---> B+ ---> A- ---> A ---> A+ ---> S- ---> S ---> S+ (Skill Mastery) || EX (Legendary Status)
Pokémon "Moves": These are Pokémon techniques, there is no "4-move limit" and they follow the same typing as they typically do. Moves can be used with creativity & with other moves to create useful and effective strategies, Moves also gain effectiveness according to the Skills Level Progression Scale *refer to "Skills" tab.
Pokémon Specie Abilities: *under construction*
Encounters: Under construction
Combat: Death: Players should keep in mind that when a character or Pokémon is injured or ill enough to enter the 'Dying' Condition, they obviously run a high chance of dying, which can end the quest if players aren't careful.

Regions

Orre

Locations Government

Mesa City - located in Orre, this medium-sized town neighbors the crime-infested hole that is Pyrite, (Mesa)known for its thriving Market District and city Militia presence.

Pyrite Town - The city of Fool's Gold, about a decade ago, the arrival of foreign businesses and enterprising investors breathed new life into the dying mine town, now it's city of restaurants, shops, gambling dens, casinos and bars, along with the thriving industrial factories that went up a few years ago. Dad had always used to say that sins laid their heads in Pyrite Town, the 'town' part is more of a misnomer now, today it's closer to a medium-sized city.
Orre is a region largely made up of a scattered city-states that operate independently of each other, though most of them have trade and travel treaties between each other. Each City-State has smaller satellite cities, towns and settlements that fall under their protection and their economic and legal purview. Mesa City for example is a satellite city of Pyrite Town, you don't know much about the other cities to be honest.

Markala · Sep 23, 2016

Art by Markala (done in Avatar Maker - Create Your Own Avatar Online)
Samantha "Sam" Demetriou

biodata

Gender: Female ♀
Age: 9
Species: Hume
Ethnicity: Orrean, ???
Region/City of Origin: Orre - Mesa City
Height: 4'0" (121.92 cm)
Weight: 58 lbs. (26.31 kg)
Temperament: ???
Appearance: A bit short for her age, Sam has lightly tanned skin and midnight-almost-black-purple hair. She has a strong facial structure with a pointed chin, her eyes are hazel and wide-set; Sam is also a perfect case study of Resting Bitch Face syndrome.

EXP	Like the world's most barely-experienced civilian.
CND	Healthy (Recovering) - Your jaw and right wrist ache (and itch something fierce), but you'll live.
MOV	Could you be any slower?
UNT COST	1S/day (Comm. Pay)
FUNDS	0 G, 0 S, 0 C, 0 b ?? SCC (S. Community Credit)

CURRENTLY EQUIPPED:

HEAD:	-empty-
FACE:	-empty-
ACCESS.	-empty-
NECK:	Peter A. Demetriou's Mesa City Militia dog tags
COAT:	-empty-
???	-empty-
BODY:	Plain White T-shirt
L. ARM	-empty-
R. ARM	-empty-
BELT:	-empty-
WALLET:	-empty-
LEGS:	Dark Olive BDU pants [4 pockets]
FEET:	White socks & canvas sneakers

Flame-Touched (EX)
- Fire has left its indelible mark on your life, and has shaped you in many ways; it resonates within you, but also you fear it greatly, which can often negatively affect your performance when dealing with it.

Brawling (NOVICE)
- Ability to punch, kick, headbutt and otherwise fight an opponent without a set or limited martial art form, a rather impromptu, mish-mosh style of close-quarters-combat.
(EXP. 20/30, RP 0/2)

Animal-Taming (E)
- Ability to assess, interact, tame and befriend animals and Pokémon.
(EXP. 41/200, RP 0/2)

Cryptography (NOVICE)
- The art of deciphering and encoding hidden information and messages.
(EXP. 0/20, RP 0/1)

Herbalism (F)
- Ability to safely identify, handle and store usable or edible plants and fungi.
(EXP. 0/20, RP 0/1)

[Human] First Aid (NOVICE)
- Ability to assess and treat human injuries & illnesses, also limited by available supplies, time & technology.
(EXP. 65/200, RP 0/2)

[Pokémon] First Aid (E)
- Ability to asses and treat Pokémon's injuries & illnesses, also limited by available supplies, time & technology.
(EXP. 12/800, RP 0/8)

Singing (D)
- Ability to carry a pleasing tune with your voice.
(EXP. 0/500, RP 0/5)

Sneak (NOVICE)
- The art of traveling and doing things without being noticed.
(EXP. 0/20, RP 0/1)

Urban (NOVICE)
- The ability to remember and find your way in Urban areas such as buildings, towns and cities.
(EXP. 0/20, RP 0/1)

Wilderness (NOVICE)
- The ability to remember and find your way through the Great Outdoors.
(EXP. 7/25, RP 0/1)

Firemaking (F)
- Ability to create fire without matches or lighters.
(EXP. 0/200, RP 0/4)

Shelter Building (NOVICE)
- Ability to assemble a shelter (that is not a factory-made tent) to protect yourself & others from the elements.
(EXP. 0/20, RP 0/2)

Foraging (E)
- Ability to locate, identify & gather edible wild plants, mushrooms, roots, berries, nuts, etc. to eat.
(EXP. 0/400, RP 0/4)

Meteorology (F)
- Ability to observe and sense coming changes in the weather.
(EXP. 0/200, RP 0/2)

Herbal Pharmacy (NOVICE)
- Ability to safely handle, process and craft medicinal remedies out of available botanical and fungal materials.

Trapping (NOVICE)
- Ability to craft things such as small-game traps and at higher levels of skill, traps for larger game as well as anti-personnel traps.

party status

PARTY MBRS	- Sam (Hume) - Rake (Zangoose)
SUPPLIES	∞ (Comm. Pay)
TRVL	-none-
TOTAL RSTK PARTY COST	14S/wk (Comm. Pay)
MISC COST	-none- (Comm. Pay)

Pokemon in Sam's Possession

on-hand

Art belongs to RacieB on Deviantart (RacieB on DeviantArt)

BIO DATA

Name/Callsign: Rake (???: Attack)
Species: Zangoose (plural: Zangeese)
Gender: ♂
Type: Normal
Age: 6 months (Juvenile)
Weight: 50.2 lbs (22.77 kg)
Pokeball: ???
Temperament: Adamant

LIKES: Sam, ???

DISLIKES: ???

FLWSHP	"Sam-thing is my new favorite."
EXP	Like a fuzzy baby, but with claws and sharp teeth.
CND	Healthy - A little bruised and beat up, but otherwise nothing a little rest won't fix.
MOV	Faster than a small human child, slower than everything else.
UNT COST	1S/day (Comm. Pay)

Currently Equipped:

NECK	(empty)
???	(empty)

???

Temperament: Adamant
- Stubbornness, Grumpig-headed, headstrong, all are just synonyms for the iron-will that this Pokémon has in spades, once they've decided on something, they'll follow it through to the bitter end and woe betide to whatever gets in their way.

Scratch (D) "Your blood looks better on my claws."
Disable {Egg} (D-) "No."
Leer (F) "Scary, aren't I?"
Quick Attack (F-) "Gotta go fast."
Metal Claw {Egg} (??) "All the better to cut you with."

Objectives: *Under construction

*Under construction

*Under construction

*Under construction
Humans You Know: ??? Demetriou - Apothecary Shop Owner/Father - ???
(Father - ???, owned an Apothecary is Mesa City, died in the Great Mesa Market Fire when Sam was 6; Deceased)

??? Demetriou - Hospital Nurse/Mother - Emotionally Distant
(MIA)

Peter Demetriou - Lieutenant Junior Grade/Elder brother - Very close
(Eldest Demetriou sibling, was a promising Mesa City Militia LTJG, had a service 'mon [Granbull] known as Jaeger, both died in the Great Mesa Market Fire when Sam was 6; Deceased)

Lana Demetriou - Elder sister - ???
(Elder Sister - MIA)

*Under construction

??? ??? "Blondie" - Kingfather
(Leader[?] of the Community - Saved you, Rake, Jason & Thistle from death-by-sand-hippo; has an Aegislash)

??? Shaw - Quartermaster
(Quartermaster who ostensibly runs Warehouse 8 and possibly more[?], tall woman with a bad limp, missing most of her right arm, and a no-nonsense attitude; Jason's mom.)

"Flo" Shaw - Private - Acquaintance
(Elder sister to Jason Shaw, daughter of Quartermaster Shaw; polite and helpful, has heavy burn scarring on her face and ostensibly her left side and limited use of her left arm as well as three missing fingers.)

Jason Shaw - Cadet - Friendly acquaintance
(Has a Mom & elder sister who work down in the warehouses; his Service 'Mon Partner is a female Ratatta with a thistle-colored coat, Thistle.)

Aisling ??? - Cadet - Stranger
(Pretty popular among your peers, has a Zigzagoon, she's built like a shit brick-house and probably doesn't even know you're alive.)

Paul ??? - Cadet - Stranger
(Elder brother[?] to Dinah)

Dinah ??? - Cadet - Stranger
(Younger sister[?] to Paul)

Amos ??? - Cadet - Stranger >>> Rival
(Son of a Community Lieutenant, has some sort of weasel-like Service 'mon you can't identify; he probably hates you for kicking him in the throat for choking Jason and kicking Rake. Jason says Amos steals food)
Pokémon You Know About: *Under construction
Journal Entries: *Under construction
Collectibles: *Under construction

sam's inventory

Samantha "Sam" Demetriou
BDU PANTS [4 Pockets]:
- (1) Plastic Pen - Black
- (1) Engraved Multi-tool
- (1) Salted Hardtack (FOOD)

BAG/S:
-None at this time-

STORAGE:

Equipment

Equipment:

Wearables Weapons & Ammo Tools

Wearables:

- Fatigues Jacket (Second-hand) x1
- Socks (pairs) x6
- Underwear Pack (10 ct.) x1
- BDU Hat x2
- Belt (leather - brown) x1
- T-shirt (white) x7
- BDU Olive Pants x4
- Leather Gloves (pair) x1
- Desert Combat Boots (Beige) x1
- Hand-wraps x1
- Gym shorts (grey) x3
- Sweatpants (grey) x1
- Sweatshirt (grey) x1

-(Empty)-

-(Empty)
Weapons & Ammo:
- (Empty)
Tools:
- Penlight x1

First Aid

First Aid:

First Aid Pouch:
- Pressure Bandages x1
- Box of Band-Aids x1
- Alcohol Wipes Pack x1
- Butterfly Stiches x10
- Ibuprofen Bottle (Pills x24) x1

Items

Items:
- Service Pokémon Care Kit x1
- Personal Hygiene Pouch x1
- Toothbrush ~ Green x1
- Tube of Toothpaste ~ small x1
- Towel x2
- Washcloth x1
- Shower-shoes x1
- Laundry Pin x3
- Laundry Bag x2
- Cotton Swab Pack x1

Key Items

Key Items:
- Journal x1

Consumables

Consumables:
- Canteen (0.0 L/1L of liquid) x1

Books

Books:
- "A Guide to an Enlightened Life: A Community Handbook" x1

Materials

Materials:
Nothing

Misc.

Miscellaneous:
- Second-hand Duffel >>> (empty)

Nothing

Markala · Sep 23, 2016

Hello everybody! Welcome to my first quest! I'm taking the plunge! Mind you, as this is my first quest EVER and that I'm writing this in effort to break through my writer's block with fics(ahahaha I haven't updated in forever), so constructive criticism is welcome and write-ins are all subject to possible-GM veto. So if you're all willing to bear with me, let's have some fun! (Also: does anyone know where SV's tally things are? Or do I just count/itemize votes myself?)

Death, descriptions of non-sticky gore(fire stuff), implied background prostitution, drug use, depressing shit, swears.

O~o~O

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ARC 0:
People respond to tragedy in different ways, your mother fell apart and your sister became untouchable and you alone in your own home, a place once filled with love, laughter and dreams, now pulled asunder, ash in the wind. Mom turned to Mother, her sought comfort turned into a cage, a leash like a noose held by a man of honeyed words and a Krookodile smile. Mother took your broken family into a den of snakes, where the first moment of weakness could be your last, you're on your own and escape may be the only option, the only questions are when, how and what after?

O~O~O

Arc 0.01: Flames in the Night
You stare up at a rough, featureless ceiling, the mattress is lumpy and the blanket feels rough to your clenched fingers.

You think back to the journey here, only a few days ago you'd celebrated your ninth birthday, not that it mattered much. In just a week, Mom had turned your entire world upside-down and inside-out, with naught but a single sentence.

A choked hiccup escapes your throat, and you suck in a shaky breath.

'Order, breath, crying doesn't help anything, lists, lists help, start with the most obvious and work your way down.'

Your name is:

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[X] Write-in (included name meanings would be nice):: Sam Demetriou (Samantha means "Listener" in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)

And you are:

-

~~[] a Boy~~
[X] a Girl
~~[] Write-in~~

You thought life couldn't get any worse than it did after that night, but it managed to somehow.

'Lucky me,' you think sarcastically.

Two years ago, a week before to your birthday, you'd snuck out of the apartment and into the dusty streets of Mesa, intent on catching Peter at the end of the shift he picked up and grilling your big brother about Dad's gift hiding places while your dad was busy with the inventory.

'Dad always hid the gifts somewhere in the shop.'

Your Dad owned that shop, handed down through the generations before him, it was a:

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Family Business (PICK 1{& 1 cluster-subvote unless #4}):
[] a Pawn Shop - such a wide variety of things seemed to come and go from the shelves it had always been hard to keep track. (The Lansky's)
-[] The days you spent at the shop were at Dad's side - he was a master in the Art of the Sale. Dad's artful words, his ability to haggle down sellers and haggle up buyers was nothing short of amazing. The one thing he taught you? Prices are always negotiable and money wasn't the only currency. BARGAIN HUNTER
-[] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even though you were only seven, telling you how money worked, where it went, why, profit margins, and how to disappear money whatever that meant, you didn't understand all of it, but it was nice that your big brother tried to include you. SHADY ACCOUNTANT[

[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
~~-[] You remember Dad's green-stained fingers - filling out orders, telling you what did what, the plants each and every product came from.~~ HERBALIST
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water. MILITIA BRAT

[] a Pokémon Goods Variety store - Dad hadn't given up on challenging Pokémart yet, even if sales were down. (The Connors)
-[] Dad was stubborn - sales had been down, but he knew each and every product he sold and kept the shop afloat, on the other hand you were always more interested in the Pokémon products themselves. KNOWLEDGABLE
-[] You days were spent following Peter - and watching him do boring paper stuff, but he could stretch a Yen like nobody's business and never talked down to you, he even tried to show you how money worked, you didn't understand it all, but it was nice that your big brother tried to include you. FRUGAL

[] a shop, where people… Bought things? - You had no earthly idea what the family store sold because you spent most of your days running through the streets, skipping school to your parents dismay and your elder siblings' apathy in favor of climbing things, running along the rooftops and occasionally befriending feral dogs and the odd, street Pokémon or two. As a result, you're a headstrong, contrary little shit with a more street-smarts than book-smarts, you could read and count… And that's pretty much it, as you were too busy trying to figure out how much food it would take to get that Poochyena to like you to pay attention in class. (The Pierce's); URBAN HELLION

You remembered walking down the street when you smelt it, the scent of gas and ash as it wafted through the cold night air as you drew closer to the market district. You turned that last corner, then suddenly, a blast of heated air hits you, washes over you as the street turned bright.

'Fire!' You can't really remember if you thought or screamed that, though it made no difference really.

Before you, it had been like the sun had come down from the sky, kissed the earth and set the street ablaze-!

'Peter and Daddy are still at the shop-!' You remember thinking as you ran, towards the fire, toward the shop, ignoring everything, you had to find Dad! Find Peter-!

Wailing of sirens filled the air, Militia running to and fro, the volunteer Fire Department and Pokémon, all desperately trying to put out the flames as-

Crrrrr-! CRACKA-THOOM!

Next thing you knew, you were on the ground, surrounded by an almost-halo of torso-sized chunks of cement having missed you by mere inches, your ears ringing and bright spots dancing in your vision as you felt something wet drip down the side of your face.

Your head hurt, but still you looked up.

An explosion had rocked the street, one of the buildings had exploded outward, showering the street with rubble and had taken the two adjacent buildings down with it. You'd dragged yourself forward, the shop was at the very end of the street, surely-

'Gotta find 'em, have to get to them.'

You'd stumbled up onto your raw, bloody knees, your chest twinging with every stuttered, smoky inhale, looking up under that shroud of ash that hung low in the air, towards the shop, towards where Dad and Peter would, just had to be...

And suddenly a man sprinted past, followed by a Pokémon you'd never seen before streaking close behind, a large, vulpine creature of red and yellow fur, with a white-furred chest, black paws, and a large branch grasped in its teeth…

By the time you'd struggled back to your feet the two were gone, so you loped a few meters down the street before being tackled to the ground, and then a telephone pole laid where you'd been standing just a few moments ago.

"Daddy and Pete's are still out there!" You'd screamed between violent coughs, at the member of the local Militia who'd saved your life no less, who had to drag you away kicking, screaming, flailing in his arms.

Forever passed and dawn came as the fire burnt itself out, when you'd finally snuck away from the medics to where your family's store had once stood, and the shop now nothing more than a charred husk of wood and cheap cement. You remember hobbling through the smoking rubble, coughing, wheezing, hoping against all hope, that Dad and Peter had been among the rescued, among the escapees of that nightmare.

That they weren't in the shop.

Behind the front counter, you'd come upon the charred remains of:

-

FAMILY POKEMON (PICK 1):
[] Dolly - patient, loving Dolly who'd understood you better than anyone, your father's Ampharos. Now she laid there, her long, graceful neck twisted beneath her at an ugly angle, her chest caved open, her blackened ribs reaching for the heavens and her once soft fur now an acrid stench in your nose.
[X] Jaeger – Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.
[] Krause – at least you think that large, lumpy, misshapen mass of charred flesh was Krause, Mom's Crobat. Mom wasn't the biggest fan of Pokémon, she hated bringing work home with her, but Krause had managed to worm his way into her heart long before you were born. His wings were missing.

You remembered choking back the tears, the sobs that threatened to tear their way out of your chest, and then you'd entered the back room; the door had been missing, and there were two… Two, featureless, people-shaped husks lay on the floor, propped up, charred beyond all recognition, scorched skin flaking off, their teeth exposed like sick facsimiles of grins, sweet Arceus.

You fell to your knees, and cried.

You cried, and you cried, and you cried; until a member of the Militia carried you away to the Hospital.

Half your family roasted alive in the same night, your dreams forever haunted by the unnamed screams in the night as the firefighters and the Militia tried to contain the blaze that had roared through most of the Market District before the night was done.

After the funerals, the apartment had gone quiet, mail piled up, the fridge grew empty and Mom just stopped going to work one day and Lana was hardly ever home. Mom stopped cooking, stopped eating, sometimes she didn't leave her room for days and when she did, she disappeared for weeks.

In response to this you:

-

PICK 1:
[] learned how to keep the apartment running - it's not like anyone else was going to do it, and you did little odds jobs for your neighbors whenever you could… You weren't actually sure how Mom was making rent anymore.
[] retreated to the mean streets of Mesa– if Mom was going to let your lives fall apart, that was her fault, you'd figure out how to take care of yourself. A cruel world it may be, but it was better than the silence, the emptiness of that apartment, of that dinner table.
[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things

Before this, before Mom decided to just, rip your family away from Mesa, a mid-sized settlement whose closest neighbor was the crime-infested, gang-ridden shit-hole known as Pyrite, you'd loved:

-

HOBBIES (PICK 1):
[] Reading
-[] Write-in (something a child would like to read)
[] Watching the Mesa Militia's hold Pokémon Tourney's
[] Taking apart your home appliances
[] Raising hell with the kids in your neighborhood
[X] Write-In:: Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.

It doesn't even matter anymore, Mom, Mother… Two months ago, she came home looking happier than she'd ever been, she'd cooked for the first time in two years, then you'd had dinner, together, like a family.

Lana hadn't been there, but... But it was something, and then you'd thought, you'd thought back then that everything was going to be okay, that things were finally getting better. Two months, for two blissful months you had your Mom back, she'd hug you, ask you about your day, ask how school was, it was wonderful.

Then one night, one of the rare nights that Lana was home, Mom announced that you were all moving.

Before you knew it, Mom became Mother again, and the family dinner had devolved into her and Lana's latest screaming match, with Mom crying again, but still hollering back at Lana.

Then Lana said something, so haughty, so self-assured, a joint defiantly held between pursed lips.

Crack!

Mother's hand cracked across your big sister's face, and Lana was quiet.

Later, you could hear your Mom crying.

Before you knew it, hours later, all your things disappeared, men came to the apartment, greeting Mother politely before loading everything, furniture, books, clothes, into their truck. You managed to save one thing from your room though:

-

PICK 1:
[X] Peter's dog tags – a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral
[] A friendship bracelet Lana made you – a reminder of better times

"Don't worry about it sweetie," Mom looks so worn, "we're going to a better place, I promise."

You couldn't find it in you to believe her, you wished you could, but you couldn't.

Now, days or perhaps a week or so later, you run a hand over your freshly shaven head, it's just like all the other kids in the Compound. That's what this place was called, this austere place of uniforms, shaven heads and sandstone-colored walls, and despite the contrasting almost-friendly faces that greeted you when you, Mother and Lana had arrived:

-

PICK 1:
[] Gut – something in your gut tells you that this place jacks up your 'danger! Will Robinson! Danger!' senses to eleven
[] Mind – something about this place makes your brain itch, you have no idea how that's possible, but it does.
[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

Nevertheless, tomorrow is some sort of big day… At least that's what the grown-ups told all of you kids. You haven't seen Mother or Lana since you'd arrived and were assigned a temporary bed to sleep in; so you breathe, you don't know what tomorrow will bring, but you can handle it.

… You hope.

So you sleep.

O~o~O

SWEET MOTHER OF ARCEUS! Two sittings! I did this in two sittings! It's 3AM and who needs sleep! I DON'T, I SWEAR! >->

Seriously, tell me how I did though, if you find mistakes mind you the last half was written in the dark, while sleep deprived, so just point it out and I fix. Tell me what you like, what you don't like, how I can improve, yaddayaddayadda my writing skills are rusty as all heck I know. Discussion is lovely, I like discussion, discuss away! (In other news, I found the threadmarks button, yay me!

veekie · Sep 23, 2016

[X] Wilson Willows
[X] a Bou
[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] You remember Dad's green-stained fingers - filling out orders, telling you what did what, the plants each and every product came from. HERBALIST
[X] Dolly - patient, loving Dolly who'd understood you better than anyone, your father's Ampharos. Now she laid there, her long, graceful neck twisted beneath her at an ugly angle, her chest caved open, her blackened ribs reaching for the heavens and her once soft fur now an acrid stench in your nose.
[X] retreated to the mean streets of Mesa– if Mom was going to let your lives fall apart, that was her fault, you'd figure out how to take care of yourself. A cruel world it may be, but it was better than the silence, the emptiness of that apartment, of that dinner table.
[X] Raising hell with the kids in your neighborhood
[X] A friendship bracelet Lana made you – a reminder of better times
[X] Mind – something about this place makes your brain itch, you have no idea how that's possible, but it does.

RagnorakTres · Sep 23, 2016

[X] Sam Demetriou (Samantha means "Listener" in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)
[X] a Girl

[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water.

[X] Jaeger – Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.

[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things

[X] Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.

[X] Peter's dog tags – a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral

[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

A fascinating concept for a quest, I'll be watching with interest.

Novus Ordo Mundi · Sep 23, 2016

[X] Sam Demetriou (Samantha means "Listener" in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)
[X] a Girl

[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water.

[X] Jaeger – Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.

[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things

[X] Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.

[X] Peter's dog tags – a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral

[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

Terrabrand · Sep 23, 2016

Markala said:
(Also: does anyone know where SV's tally things are? Or do I just count/itemize votes myself?)

This thread contains links to such.

Oh I am slain! · Sep 23, 2016

Ah, I don't know much of Orre, so this should be interesting. Seems like there's a very strong militaristic streak, at least in this version of Orre. Hmm. And she's never seen an Arcanine before? The killer will be a long-running mystery, I presume.

The writing itself was engaging and vivid, in my newbie opinion. It left me with a good starting picture of the character's situation. And I approve of the little details and word substitutions that make the world feel more like a Pokemon world.

As for chargen, I quite like RagnorakTres's combination of votes. I'll probably vote for it if no other combinations appear that pique my fancy.

Edit:
[X] Sam Demetriou (Samantha means "Listener" in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)
[X] a Girl

[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water.

[X] Jaeger – Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.

[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things

[X] Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.

[X] Peter's dog tags – a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral

[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

AnimalKrazed · Sep 23, 2016

[X] Sam Demetriou (Samantha means "Listener" in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)
[X] a Girl

[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water.

[X] Jaeger – Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.

[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things

[X] Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.

[X] Peter's dog tags – a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral

[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

Ψυχή · Sep 24, 2016

[X] Rui
[X] a Girl
[X] a Pokémon Goods Variety store - Dad hadn't given up on challenging Pokémart yet, even if sales were down. (The Connors)
-[X] Dad was stubborn - sales had been down, but he knew each and every product he sold and kept the shop afloat, on the other hand you were always more interested in the Pokémon products themselves. KNOWLEDGABLE
[X] Dolly - patient, loving Dolly who'd understood you better than anyone, your father's Ampharos. Now she laid there, her long, graceful neck twisted beneath her at an ugly angle, her chest caved open, her blackened ribs reaching for the heavens and her once soft fur now an acrid stench in your nose.
[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things
[X] Calling up your grandparents in Agate Village — you shared in their grief at the loss of their son and your father — but eventually conversation would drift to better times, like the distant past when grandpa was still traveling as a Pokemon Trainer with his Pikachu...
[X] A friendship bracelet Lana made you – a reminder of better times
[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

Plan Backstory is go...?

Coshiua · Sep 24, 2016

[X] Sam Demetriou (Samantha means "Listener" in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)
[X] a Girl

[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water.

[X] Jaeger – Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.

[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things

[X] Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.

[X] Peter's dog tags – a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral

[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

I can't wait to see what you do with Orre.

Muer'ci · Sep 24, 2016

[X] Sam Demetriou (Samantha means "Listener" in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)
[X] a Girl

[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water.

[X] Jaeger – Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.

[X] hung out where Mom used to work – at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokémon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokémon and you've picked up a few things

[X] Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.

[X] Peter's dog tags – a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral

[X] Observation – something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't… Fit.

wingstrike96 · Sep 24, 2016

[X] Wilson Willows
[X] a Boy
[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokémon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] You remember Dad's green-stained fingers - filling out orders, telling you what did what, the plants each and every product came from. HERBALIST
[X] Dolly - patient, loving Dolly who'd understood you better than anyone, your father's Ampharos. Now she laid there, her long, graceful neck twisted beneath her at an ugly angle, her chest caved open, her blackened ribs reaching for the heavens and her once soft fur now an acrid stench in your nose.
[X] retreated to the mean streets of Mesa– if Mom was going to let your lives fall apart, that was her fault, you'd figure out how to take care of yourself. A cruel world it may be, but it was better than the silence, the emptiness of that apartment, of that dinner table.
[X] Raising hell with the kids in your neighborhood
[X] A friendship bracelet Lana made you – a reminder of better times
[X] Mind – something about this place makes your brain itch, you have no idea how that's possible, but it does.

Markala · Sep 24, 2016

Voting is now Closed, winner by a landslide is Sam Demetriou, buckle up ladies, gentlemen and eldritch abominations, we're going for a ride. :3

VOTE TALLY: [X] Sam Demetriou (Samantha means Listener in Aramaic; Demetriou is a Grecian last name referencing Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture)
[X] a Girl
[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and Pokemon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] Your days were spent following Peter - even if all he did was the boring paper stuff, he never told you to go away or buzz off like Lana always did. He never talked down to you, even if you were only seven but he split his time between the shop and the Mesa Militia, so sometimes he took you on camping trips in the desert, and you enjoyed them immensely, even if it meant eating lizards and snakes and drinking cactus water.
[X] Jaeger - Peter's assigned partner from the Mesa Militia, a Granbull, quiet, stately, but every inch in your family's corner, a quiet companion for when you didn't need words, won every Militia tourney he'd ever fought in, had killed bandits before he'd been reassigned to Peter. Now he just lay there, burnt to a crisp, and his entire skull caved in like a broken egg.
[X] hung out where Mom used to work - at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a Pokemon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the Pokemon and you've picked up a few things
[X] Listening to the music your father used to love: jazz, blues, swing. - The blues in particular always made you feel better afterwards...and it taught you to carry a tune fairly well.
[X] Peter's dog tags - a reminder to soldier on ahead, you'd rescued this from the trash after the funeral
[X] Observation - something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't... Fit.
No. of votes: 6
RagnorakTres, Novus Ordo Mundi, Oh I am slain!, AnimalKrazed, Coshiua, Muer'ci

[X] Rui
[X] a Girl
[X] a Pokemon Goods Variety store - Dad hadn't given up on challenging Pokemart yet, even if sales were down. (The Connors)
-[X] Dad was stubborn - sales had been down, but he knew each and every product he sold and kept the shop afloat, on the other hand you were always more interested in the Pokemon products themselves. KNOWLEDGABLE
[X] Dolly - patient, loving Dolly who'd understood you better than anyone, your father's Ampharos. Now she laid there, her long, graceful neck twisted beneath her at an ugly angle, her chest caved open, her blackened ribs reaching for the heavens and her once soft fur now an acrid stench in your nose.
[X] hung out where Mom used to work - at the Hospital, Mesa kind of had a PokÃ©mon and Human hospital in the same place, you usually came for the PokÃ©mon and you've picked up a few things
[X] Calling up your grandparents in Agate Village - you shared in their grief at the loss of their son and your father - but eventually conversation would drift to better times, like the distant past when grandpa was still traveling as a Pokemon Trainer with his Pikachu...
[X] A friendship bracelet Lana made you - a reminder of better times
[X] Observation - something about everyone, the people here, was off, something didn't... Fit.
No. of votes: 1
Î¨Ï…Ï‡Î®

[X] Wilson Willows
[X] a Boy
[X] an Apothecary - herbal teas, powders for pains, bruises, cramps, bandages, for humans and PokÃ©mon alike, you name it they sold it. (The Haines)
-[X] You remember Dad's green-stained fingers - filling out orders, telling you what did what, the plants each and every product came from. HERBALIST
[X] Dolly - patient, loving Dolly who'd understood you better than anyone, your father's Ampharos. Now she laid there, her long, graceful neck twisted beneath her at an ugly angle, her chest caved open, her blackened ribs reaching for the heavens and her once soft fur now an acrid stench in your nose.
[X] retreated to the mean streets of Mesa - if Mom was going to let your lives fall apart, that was her fault, you'd figure out how to take care of yourself. A cruel world it may be, but it was better than the silence, the emptiness of that apartment, of that dinner table.
[X] Raising hell with the kids in your neighborhood
[X] A friendship bracelet Lana made you - a reminder of better times
[X] Mind - something about this place makes your brain itch, you have no idea how that's possible, but it does.
No. of votes: 2
veekie, wingstrike96

Ψυχή · Sep 24, 2016

This is acceptable CX

Sendicard · Sep 25, 2016

I'm late, but I like the winner. So. Woot.

Markala · Sep 26, 2016

Homework's done and I'M ON FIRE! LET'S GET JIGGY WITH IT!

Swears.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arc 0.02: Forget Angst, WHO DO YOU SIT WITH?!
You dream of fire, ash filling your lungs and shining points of light speared across the sky; you toss and turn, teetering on the edge between wakefulness and sleep, drifting in and out between memory and the roaring flames that have haunted your sleep since the Mesa Market Fire.

[ You gain the Flame-Touched Trait at Rank ω. ]

You wake up in a cold sweat, it's the middle of the night and you're unable to sleep any longer as you huddle into the scratchy blanket. You end up mentally listing the various plants and mushrooms and what medicines they made, the ones you remembered Dad teaching you; or at least what he'd tried to, you stopped paying attention after learning about the plants you shouldn't touch or eat, but now? You wish you'd paid more attention, even busy Dad always tried to spend time with you and your siblings… You sigh bitterly.

[ You re-discover the Knowledge Mental Ability at Rank E. ]
[ You re-discover the Herbalism Field Ability at Rank F. ]
[ You re-discover the Herbal Pharmacy Craft Ability at Rank NOVICE. ]

But not even boredom can lull you to sleep, so you hum an old, catchy blues tune Dad used to sing, rather terribly, to Mom back when things were better. You muffle a sad little laugh into your pillow, you'd forgotten, you haven't sung in so long, you miss Dad's warbling voice carrying throughout the apartment; you miss Mom laughingly telling him to shut up or the neighbors would call the Militia to report the sounds of a murder.

[ You re-discover the Singing Personal Ability at Rank D. ]

You lay in the cot, quietly humming to yourself, missing home; not the empty place where Mom never left her room and was otherwise the stranger referred to as Mother, and not the place where Lana brought strange people to her room every night or being too high to even speak coherently. You missed Dad's terrible singing, Peter's dumb militia jokes, Mom's cooking and even Lana roping into a makeover, you missed curling up with Jaeger next to the radiator on chilly nights while the radio played-

Your vision blurs with tears as you curl up into an even tighter ball, face pressed into the pillow to muffle the noises. You start humming out a quiet little tune, some swing and a little blues, it's comforting, yet bittersweet, but you calm and can feel yourself drifting…

"UP AND AT 'EM!"

The lights flick on suddenly, you half-roll, half-leap out of bed in alarm, and not two seconds spent on the floor, a pair of pristine combat boots march into view.

You gaze upward to see a man wearing a militia uniform of mottled beiges and light browns, no Mesa Militia patch, you note with disappointment, all hopes of going home depressingly dashed. The man had a square jaw, a five o'clock shadow, a dirty blonde crew-cut, and a swimmer's build.

He has a surprisingly friendly face, you note.

[ You re-discover the Perception Mental Ability at Rank E. ]

"What are ya' doing on the floor?" The man's warbling voice asks you with a little half-grin, amusement plain on his face. Then he steps back with a big, sweeping gesture toward all the other kids in the dormitory, giving you full view of the combat knife strapped to one of his boots, "don't you know that today's the most important day of your lives?"

"Yeah!" A girl at least two years your senior, or she's just really tall, pipes up; and you can see her, shaved head, freckled skin and sharp brown eyes, already clad in the featureless dark olive pants, white shirt and canvas shoes that you were given when you'd arrived, "Placements are today!"

"That's right," the built-man says seriously, "today is the day you take your first step into your future with the Community."

"Wha'sth th' community?" A boy with a lisp, maybe three years older than you, asks tentatively, with a girl about two years your junior huddled at his side.

Another sweeping gesture as the man walks to the center of the dormitory as you slowly rise to your knees; the prospect of drawing more attention to yourself didn't really hold much appeal to you right now.

"This is the Community, everybody here, you, me and everybody else all working towards the goal of a better life and enlightenment for everyone living here, to bring our gifts together and serve our community, our family, miss Dinah," the man says, not missing a beat as he crouches at eye level with the shy girl, still smiling.

"Y' know my name?" Dinah said with awe.

"Of course," the man said, standing up smoothly, "I know each and every one of you, Paul," a nod to the boy with a lisp, "Aisling," that was the freckled girl, "Jason," he indicated the a quiet, non-descript boy across from you and then the man's gaze locks with yours, "and yes, even you Samantha."

A beat.

CLAP!

He claps his hands once, "so what are you all still doing in your pajamas? Get moving! Your future, your family, your entire lives await!"

In that moment the room becomes a flurry of movement, everyone scrambling to dress for the day.

'He never introduced himself.' You note suspiciously, before deciding to refer to him as Blondie.

The dormitory was plain, big enough to house sixty bunk beds with what looked like a really tall, but narrow nightstand next to each one, where you'd found you're sleeping clothes last night, a set of loose, plain white sweats.

It's then that you realize your old clothes were gone, missing from the bedside drawers where you'd put them last night. You'd worn Peter's tags everywhere ever since Mother tried to throw them out after the funerals, if you hadn't worn them to bed last night…

'Arceus-damnit Sam,' you think, shaking your head brusquely, 'get your head in the game, Pete could- Would, do better.'

You find your new clothes and shoes in the drawer next to the bed and just finish dressing as another adult woman dressed-similarly to Blondie marches into the dormitory, her head is shaved like yours.

"Alright you rats," the woman barks harshly from just in front of the doorway, "front and center, ten-hut!"

You're almost bowled over by the mob that rushes to the front of the room, and it's a mess, but you manage to slip quietly into the back row; your view is now blocked by most everyone taller than you. Its total chaos, at least somewhere around sixty of the other kids, talking over one another and-

BWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOP!

You quickly identify the sound as the wail of an air horn though you can't see up front, and everyone shuts up quick.

"As you all know by now," you hear the woman say loudly, "today is the day of Placement, today you all leave your junior dormitory and will be assigned your place in the Community; today is the last day of your childhoods, your first step out that door is your first step into adulthood and serving the Community with everything you can muster."

Loud murmuring-

BWEEEEEOOP!

"NEVER INTERUPT A SUPERIOR OFFICER!" she barks sternly, and you think you hear the sounds of her getting up in someone's face, "you are all to report to the Mess Hall Seven after a stop at the head, with the fellow juniors of your age group, and after breakfast you will all be called for Placement in groups, is that clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" At least two thirds of the present kids yell back.

"I didn't hear all o' you rats! I saaaaaid, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" The woman snaps.

"Sir, yes SIR!" You find yourself yelling out, you just want to make it to breakfast at this point. Your hand drifts up to Peter's tags hanging from your neck, hidden beneath your shirt, before becoming a clenched fist at your side.

'Here we go.'

So you march.

00000

The only reason you knew what the woman had been talking about when she said 'the head' was because you'd spent so much time with Peter and the lingo had rubbed off on you.

After splashing some water on your face you stare at yourself in the mirror, taking in your shaven head and tired eyes, and damn do you look like crap… Not because of the hair thing, but because you feel like crap.

-

[X] Write-in Appearance ~~(Eye/Hair/Skin color, facial feature descriptors, etc; Pics are preferred too, don't have to be shaved)~~

'Time to greet this day.'

…

As if you've got a choice.

00000

The mess hall is more of the same, just more drab, sandy, desert-themed colors, off-white linoleum floors, beige walls, brown doors, sandy yellow-orange trim and hallways of beige, beige, beige and even more… Wait for it, beige.

If it weren't for the pants you and the rest of the kids are wearing or the varied Militia uniforms, you'd probably start to even miss seeing primary colors…

'Real pathetic Sam,' a thought that sounds suspiciously like Lana chides in your head, 'moved to this weird new place and all you can think about is how you miss the primary colors, loser.'

'Mess Hall 7' is filled with nothing but kids and more guards, it's a large cafeteria with around three-hundred other kids of ages varying from seven to twelve and around seventy adults in it yet its relatively calm and orderly with people going to and fro for food before sitting down, and it's downright surreal.

Not even Mesa City Hospital's cafeteria was this orderly, you found yourself hanging out there a lot after the Market Fire, even after Mom… Quit? Was fired? You still aren't sure what happened there and her former co-workers had always clammed up before you could get anything useful out of them. You'd preferred the Pokémon to the people to be honest, but the nurses had been kind, and you'd picked up a few useful things here and there over the past two years.

[ You re-discover the [Pokémon] First Aid Field Ability at Rank E. ]
[ You re-discover the [Human] First Aid Field Ability at Rank NOVICE. ]

You move through the line, sliding your tray along the counter, and are given a water bottle, a little cup of sad-looking fruit and a bowl of… White mystery oatmeal with mystery bits?

You would complain, if this were actually worse than Mother's post-Fire cooking, before Mom's period-of-uncharacteristic-return-to-normalcy, but it isn't so you don't.

[ You re-discover the Fortitude Mental Ability at Rank E. ]

'Food gotten, first the cafeteria, then the woooorrld.' A thought with the memory of Peter's voice attached to it flits through your mind…

Sometimes you think your memory hates you.

It's now that you notice it, some of the adults watching you have short, holsters at their thighs, like… Guns.

You'd seen pictures of pistols in history books referring to the unwieldy weapons but never ever seen one in person before, you hadn't known they were real. It's a strange feeling, being in the same room as that many guns, not many, you'd always thought it'd be more dramatic?

'Life is full of disappointments loser,' another one of your thoughts sounds suspiciously like Lana.

Briefly, you wonder if your social solitude was responsible for your tendency to think in 'WWPD,' what would Peter do, and 'WWLS,' what would Lana snark scenarios…

… You're still standing in the middle of the cafeteria aren't you?

No adults tell you where to sit, so now you're holding out your food tray and standing in the middle of the cafeteria like the awkward Torkoal that you are. But you spot some familiar faces, if by familiar you mean that you've seen them this morning, not even met them, just seen them.

You walk over to:

-

PICK 1:
[] Aisling, the freckled early bird – she looks and sounds like she knows what she doing and what's going on, you want to talk to her.
[] Paul & Dinah, the brother with a lisp and the sister (are they related?) – they look just about as lost as you feel, maybe you put your heads together you can figure out what's up with this place?
[X] Jason, the quiet, brooding boy in the far corner –what you need is some silence to think and plan by yourself, and someone who'll respect that silence (you think).
[] An empty table or at least a sufficiently secluded seat – you don't really want to deal the possibility of talking to other kids right now, you just want to shovel food into your food-hole and get this Placement-whatever over with.

- Gained the:

Flame-Touched Trait at Rank ω

- Re-discovered the:

Knowledge Mental Ability at Rank E
Herbalism Field Ability at Rank F
Herbal Pharmacy Craft Ability at Rank NOVICE
Perception Mental Ability at Rank E
[Pokémon] First Aid Field Ability at Rank E
[Human] First Aid Field Ability at Rank NOVICE
Fortitude Mental Ability at Rank E

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I DID IT! WHO NEEDS SLEEP?! I DON'T! I'VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT! On a more sober note I would've had this up yesterday, but I was stuck writing an essay about how the formation of scientific thought reflected and shaped human history and culture across the ages and my brain was pretty much mush after that. A whole update top to bottom in one day, twice in a row, in the same week(7 day period), holy shit I haven't been this writing-productive since highschool. So, vote, tell me what you liked, didn't like, how I can improve, or just plain ol' world-building discussions or Pokémon discussions, I like those, they're fun. Note that I have no real-life experience with military doctrine, infrastructure or what-have-you and this is a product of google-heavy research and artistic license, so I hope it was okay.

…. Pffffft, @Oh I am slain! … It wasn't an Arcanine.

P.S: I updated the Char-sheets & Reference (Lore, Rules, Overview, Mechanics) page if you guys are curious, I'm learning how to make SV things pretty! WITH CODE! I such a SMARTICLE! *Pats self on back* =|:3

Ψυχή · Sep 26, 2016

[X] Aisling, the freckled early bird – she looks and sounds like she knows what she doing and what's going on, you want to talk to her.

Appearance stuff I'll leave to the creators/voters for Sam's backstory

Muer'ci · Sep 26, 2016

[X] Jason, the quiet, brooding boy in the far corner –what you need is some silence to think and plan by yourself, and someone who'll respect that silence (you think).

Some peace and quiet to plan without looking like a loner.

Gon leave appearance to others, can't search for pics now, but hope for something normal tbh. Brown hair, brown eyes, tanned skin...

Oh I am slain! · Sep 26, 2016

Markala said:
…. Pffffft, @Oh I am slain! … It wasn't an Arcanine.

Oh no, a French pokemon.

I'm enjoying the writing, and will make a longer post when I have a break.

Edit: I'll just add in a vote for now.

[X] Jason, the quiet, brooding boy in the far corner –what you need is some silence to think and plan by yourself, and someone who'll respect that silence (you think).

Aisling will probably assert control over the relationship; which wouldn't be bad per se, but I'd rather check Sam's other peers first. Dinah seemed too easily awed. Jason is worrisome, since I'm scared of "non-descript" characters.

veekie · Sep 26, 2016

[X] Paul & Dinah, the brother with a lisp and the sister (are they related?) – they look just about as lost as you feel, maybe you put your heads together you can figure out what's up with this place?

Malaquez · Sep 26, 2016

[X] Jason, the quiet, brooding boy in the far corner –what you need is some silence to think and plan by yourself, and someone who'll respect that silence (you think).

Was tempted to remain a loner (gotta keep that edge sharp), but let's go with the Mr Broody over there.

rileyshima · Sep 26, 2016

[X] Aisling, the freckled early bird – she looks and sounds like she knows what she doing and what's going on, you want to talk to her.

JaceAoT · Sep 26, 2016

[X] Jason, the quiet, brooding boy in the far corner –what you need is some silence to think and plan by yourself, and someone who'll respect that silence (you think).

Deserter [a Pokemon AU Quest]

Hannor & Polycho Shipper

Hannor & Polycho Shipper

Hannor & Polycho Shipper

Hannor & Polycho Shipper

Technically Correct

Apparently I Work For Jon Moxley Now

the Ordainer

Wynaut?

Caw Caw!

Beyond my wingbeats lie the fate of all worlds...

An Autistic Kyogre~!

Hannor & Polycho Shipper

Beyond my wingbeats lie the fate of all worlds...

Writer of Sakura

Hannor & Polycho Shipper

Beyond my wingbeats lie the fate of all worlds...

Wynaut?

[MUFFLED EUROBEAT]

The Architect