You are Gary Oak, one of the last Humans in Pallet Town.
On the day before your conscription, your childhood sweetheart, Leaf Ketchum, revealed to you that she's ending her training early and becoming a Trainer with you, quickly diffusing what would have become the fight that ended your relationship. Although you were worried about her, you were also touched and relieved.
The 5 Ancient Houses that founded your settlement have each sent a representative to be a candidate for your first Pact, and you are about to choose one of them in the ceremony where you will officially be appointed as a Trainer.
Library A compendium on the world and everything within it.
Stone is the primary source of energy in present-day civilisation.
Made out of condensed Mana, it naturally forms in places with high concentrations of elemental energies. This is why large veins of Stone can be found in places such as Viridian Forest, Cinnabar Volcano, and other similar Mana hotspots. However, Wild Pokémon have been observed to be drawn to the manifestation of Stone, which is why these mines have naturally become breeding nests for Wild Pokémon.
Stone also tends to form from the bleed-off of Mana when the elements are manipulated by a Pokémon, in particular when elemental Mana is used in combat. This causes small fragments of Stone to sometimes manifest during and after battles, and also the reason why large or prolonged battles tend to attract increasingly more Wild Pokémon.
Early discoverers once sought to build Stone farms within the safety of civilisation, but they soon discovered that Stone does not form within the radius of an Everstone. While this later became an indicator of the presence of an undiscovered Everstone, it is presently one of the main factors that contributes to the energy crisis of the world, as the only way to obtain Stone is to venture into the Wilderness.
As most present-day technology is powered by harnessing the energy within Stone, the foraging of these energy sources used to be one of the main duties of a Trainer party, along with the exploration of uncharted territory and the continuous search for undiscovered Everstones. In more recent years, however, these responsibilities have been slowly assumed by the Scouts, a newer arm of the League dedicated to its less combat-oriented duties.
Stone has been observed to manifest in six known variants, each corresponding to one or more of the Pokémon elements. These include the Leafstone, Firestone, Waterstone, Thunderstone, Dawnstone, and Duskstone.
In a tear-stained voice, she whispers this soft word into your ear. Slowly from behind, her slim arms reach out to wrap around you.
It's comforting, yet heartbreaking at the same time.
"Hey," you say back. It's all you can do to not turn around and reciprocate the gesture.
Your eyes remain transfixed on the monolith towering before you. Dark and rough like slate, it's made of a mineral known as Everstone. It's the only reason any settlement still survives -- including Pallet Town.
But staying safe in its radius of protection is a surefire way to bleed any settlement dry of resources, because the same thing that keeps the Miasma out is also what keeps Stones from forming. That's why every Human man and woman, once they come of age, is conscripted into the League.
Tomorrow is your turn, and then in a year, hers.
"Sometimes..." you start to say. Then you take a breath, and recompose the words you meant to say. "Leaf. Have you ever regretted it? Being born Human?"
Her arms tighten around you.
You could have been born Pokémon. As a simple Bulbasaur tending the fields. Or as one of the Pikachu engineers. You could have even been born a Charmander and become a chef. Anything else but a Human, fated to throw your life away as a Trainer.
"Yeah," she finally confesses. "You know what? Sometimes I do."
You shake your head. Of course.
It hasn't always been this way, but things have changed. Things have deteriorated to the point that your two families are the only Humans left in Pallet. Maybe it's a little better in the bigger cities, but you doubt it's by much.
Nowadays, every Human is a precious resource that must be utilised. Without a Trainer, almost any Pokémon who steps out of an Everstone's radius and into the Miasma will instantly turn Wild. Then who would venture into the Wilderness and mine the Stones that purifies your water, fertilises your soil, or keeps you warm?
So every Human leaves their home to become a Trainer, wading into hordes of Wild Pokémon, risking their life just to secure even one more vein of Stone.
"But Gary."
"..."
At your silence, she releases you from her embrace. She turns you around to face her, and you offer no resistance.
Her eyes are swollen and her cheeks wet, as you suspect they have been since the previous night. Or even many, many nights.
The sight grips your heart like a vice.
"There are good things, too."
"Leaf..." You shake your head again.
"We Humans don't go insane from the Miasma, Gary. And our Pokémon, too. We're also the ones keeping the Everstones working, right..?"
You know all of this. The same shit that your sister preaches about in the Church, day after day after day. That's not the point. That's not your point at all. "Tomorrow might be the last time we see each other, Leaf."
"Gary, come on--"
"No! Listen to me!" You snap. "My parents. Your father... Fuck. Your brother, too. Every single one of them left, promising to come back. And maybe they did once, twice -- however many times. But eventually, they stopped coming back, didn't they?"
"..."
"And after I'm gone, next year, it'll be you. And then what?"
The only ones left in Pallet will just be Gramps, and Daisy, and her Mom. Pallet is doomed. She can't not know that.
Breathing hard, you continue. "That's life as a Trainer, Leaf. To die with your eyes open, far away from your loved--"
At nineteen years of age, you've gone through three harsh years of training.
You've learned how to navigate, forage, and hunt. You've learned how to find shelter and how to administer first-aid. The techniques to determine what sort of Wild Pokémon you might be facing, and the strategies to either kill or escape them. How to keep your Pokémon sane in the Miasma.
Your body has grown strong enough to run, crawl, jump, climb, and swim.
And your Domain has grown strong enough to allow you to form a Pact with a Pokémon. It is the day before you are to do just that, and finally become a Trainer.
But now... Before you stands your childhood sweetheart, Leaf Ketchum. You thought that tomorrow or even today would be the day that you would part, but... Perhaps not?
Even if it means you'll be Trainers together... She's not ready. She hasn't completed her training. Not only is she likely to slow you down, but her Domain is definitely too weak to Pact with one of the stronger Pokémon. And the thought of you being the one responsible for her death... You can't risk her like that, even if it means you're going out there on your own.
[x] You almost can't believe it. "Really..?"
Leaving early... It hasn't been done in years, and the last one to do it had been her Dad, but there's precedent. And although it'll be risky, two Trainers means you'll be starting with two Pokémon instead of just one. Truth be told, there's nothing that would comfort you more. With her by your side, and you by hers... Together, the two of you might just be able to make it through this.
[x] Write-in.
Adhoc vote count started by wdango on Apr 30, 2019 at 12:59 PM, finished with 36 posts and 23 votes.
"Yeah." She smiles weakly. "Really. I've been thinking about it for a long time."
You almost don't believe her, but... "Do the others know?"
She nods. "I just told Gramps earlier this week... I'm planning to tell Mom after the Pact."
Well. You... You don't know what to think, to be honest.
Leaving early... It hasn't been done in years, and the last one to do it had been her Dad, which didn't exactly turn out well... but there's precedent. And although it'll be risky, two Trainers means you'll be starting with two Pokémon instead of just one.
And truth be told, there's nothing that would comfort you more.
With her by your side, and you by hers... Together, the two of you might just be able to make it through this.
"...Gary?"
You look at her, not knowing what to say.
"..."
"It's okay, love." She recaptures you in her embrace. "We're gonna be okay."
Her arms and her chest are shaking, like she doesn't quite believe it.
Three years of training have brought you to the point that's generally accepted as more than good enough to survive in the Wilderness. Or at least, in the less dangerous areas that are not too far from known Everstones.
In fact, you have it on good authority that you're skilled well beyond most rookie Trainers.
You just hope that your skills are enough to carry... both you and Leaf through the ordeals that you'll no doubt be facing.
Choose 2 (two) Skills that Gary is more proficient at.
[x] Gary's Body your physical capabilities, affecting things such as travelling speed, stamina, amount of weight you can carry, ability to function on less sleep, etc. Rank D : Average speed of 5km/h. 2 Stamina Points. 10 Inventory Slots.
⇓
Rank C : Average speed of 6km/h. 3 Stamina Points. 12 Inventory Slots.
[x] Gary's Domain your metaphysical dominion, affecting its maximum radius, ability to strengthen your Pokémon, and the number of Pacts it can sustain. Rank E : Radius of 500m. 2 Attribute Points. 1 Pact.
⇓
Rank D : Radius of 600m. 4 Attribute Points. 2 Pacts.
[x] Gary's Hunting your understanding of Wild Pokémon and their behaviour, allowing you to track down a specific Pokémon or to avoid Wild Pokémon. Rank D : Correction of 20% can be applied to Encounter Rolls.
⇓
Rank C: Correction of 30% can be applied to Encounter Rolls.
[x] Gary's Survival your understanding of terrain and how to use it, increasing your navigation options, ability to survive outside of a settlement, and locate better veins of Stone. Rank D : Reduces movement penalty by 10%. Camps are 25% safer.
⇓
Rank C: Reduces movement penalty by 15%. Camps are 50% safer.
[x] Gary's First-Aid your ability to administer immediate medical help, increasing the effectiveness of medicines, speed of recovery, as well as reducing the risk of long-term injury. Rank E : Medicines can be used.
You're glad that you'll be Trainers together, despite the fact that she's not quite ready yet. Leaf hasn't completed her training, so she is likely to slow you down... and you know for a fact that her Domain is definitely too weak to Pact with one of the stronger Pokémon.
But against all odds... Perhaps no, you'll definitely be able to make it.
You know it.
You know you'll be able to make it.
...Definitely.
[x] Leaf's Domain LOCKED your metaphysical dominion, affecting its maximum radius, ability to strengthen your Pokémon, and the number of Pacts it can sustain. Rank E : Radius of 500m. 2 Attribute Points. 1 Pact.
⇓
Rank E- : Radius of 400m. 1 Pact.
Choose 1 (one) additional Skill that Leaf hasn't completed her training on.
[x] Leaf's Body your physical capabilities, affecting things such as travelling speed, stamina, amount of weight you can carry, ability to function on less sleep, etc. Rank D : Average speed of 5km/h. 2 Stamina Points. 10 Inventory Slots.
⇓
Rank E : Average speed of 4km/h. 1 Stamina Point. 8 Inventory Slots.
[x] Leaf's Hunting your understanding of Wild Pokémon and their behaviour, allowing you to track down a specific Pokémon or to avoid Wild Pokémon. Rank D : Correction of 20% can be applied to Encounter Rolls.
⇓
Rank E: Correction of 10% can be applied to Encounter Rolls.
[x] Leaf's Survival your understanding of terrain and how to use it, increasing your navigation options, ability to survive outside of a settlement, and locate better veins of Stone. Rank D : Reduces movement penalty by 10%. Camps are 25% safer.
⇓
Rank E: Reduces movement penalty by 5%.
[x] Leaf's First-Aid your ability to administer immediate medical help, increasing the effectiveness of medicines, speed of recovery, as well as reducing the risk of long-term injury. Rank E : Medicines can be used.
⇓
Rank X : Cannot use Medicines.
Adhoc vote count started by wdango on Apr 30, 2019 at 12:57 PM, finished with 95 posts and 30 votes.
"Enough, Gary. I'll tell Mom after the Pact today, okay?"
"Fine." You sigh. Even as you stride into Pallet Town's Guild Hall, she still hasn't told her Mom about leaving with you yet. Over the past day, you've only grown more worried about how she'll react or whether she'll blame you, and Leaf is obviously sick of it. You suppose you can only change the topic to something more pertinent. "Have you met the candidates for our Pact, then?"
"I did," she slowly says. "After I told Gramps I'm going to leave... He arranged for me to interview the candidates."
You hum thoughtfully.
As is customary, each of the five Ancient Houses of Pallet Town has sent a representative to be a Pact candidate. That means you have a choice between someone from House Venusaur, House Charizard, House Blastoise, House Raichu, or House Eevee.
There are other families living in Pallet, of course, but as you said, it's custom to forge your first Pact with one of the founding families of your settlement.
"Do you know who you're choosing yet?"
"Ah?" She hesitates, glancing at you. "Well... I mean, you should have first pick, right? You have seniority..."
You shrug. "If both of us want him or her, I promise I won't change my mind."
"Then... Rydia, to be honest."
You could've guessed. "Following in your brother's footsteps, huh..?"
She slows down her footsteps, and you match her pace until the both of you come to a stop. You suppose this is yet another reason why she's so reluctant to tell her Mom... Quietly, you reach out to wrap your arms around her.
"Yeah, that," she admits. "But also... if we're travelling together, I thought a Poison-type Pokémon would be the best way to support you."
"You're always so thoughtful," you say. Tightening your hug, you gently kiss her on her head. "I guess you're planning on Restricting your Domain, too."
She nods into your shoulder. "Poison-type females."
"That's a pretty good call, to be honest."
She doesn't need to explain her choice. Just the fact that Ash's first Pact was with a Bulbasaur would be enough to validate her choice, but if she's thinking about synergy and support... It doesn't get much better than a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon.
In addition... Well, any Trainer without a Pact can choose to place a Restriction on their Domain, strengthening its effect on all of their Pacted Pokémon. The downside is that they can't forge any Pacts with Pokémon that don't fall under the Restrictions, and there's no way to change it unless the Trainer somehow manages to outlive all of their Pokémon.
But for a Trainer like Leaf who's not only undertrained, but also has an underdeveloped Domain? You're surprised she stopped at two conditionals. She could've done what the League's Champion did if she didn't restrain herself. He even went to the point that he Restricted his Domain to the individual Dratini who was his first Pact -- and only that one Pokémon -- meaning that not only can he not have more than one Pact, but also that even if he outlives his Dragonite, it's the end of the road as a Trainer for him.
But you suppose... as far as you know, Ash never placed even a simple Restriction on his Domain at all.
"I'm okay," she finally says, pulling away from you. "We'll be okay."
You're not sure you believe her, but okay.
"What about you, Gary? Have you decided?"
"Hmm..." Actually, you're certain that your Domain is strong enough by now that you could even approach another one of them after the ceremony and propose a Pact. But you do need to pick one of them for the ceremony, so you think again about the candidates that you've interviewed.
Rydia is a bit on the shy side, but she seems like she's pretty sweet. She's not that strong at close combat, but like Leaf says, she'll make an excellent support. Armed with her vines, leech seeds, and powders... She can probably kite her enemies to death.
Arthur is more of a dominant personality with a violent streak, and focuses on using his flames to wreak havoc. Both in close combat or at range, he's learned to utilise his flames to give him an advantage in direct fights.
David seems like a reserved individual, although he does have his witty side. He's an extremely defensive fighter, letting his shell help him tank through any damage while he uses simple but effective punches or bubbles to take down opponents.
Elliot is charming, and you can tell he's a little bit of a ladies' man. Although his constitution means he can't take too many hits, he's the most skilful close combat fighter out of your candidates, and he even knows to use some of his House's Electric element.
Chloe is unruly and mischievous, and she's the type that doesn't like playing by the rules. She's also the only one who doesn't know how to use any Elements, unlike most Eevees who end up learning a few. But not only is she good at brawling, she's also the hardiest amongst your candidates.
status
Rydia
health
mana
|||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||
Bulbasaur ♀ GRASS■/■POISON♀
LV. 3■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
POW 7 ■■■■■■
MAG 10 ■■■■■■
SPD 5 ■■■■■■
EX
Plant Body Able to use vines at medium range.
Basic attacks are GRASS.
XD
Independent Action Can resist the Miasma for 8 hours.
XE
Grass Mastery Able to use Leech Seeds.
XE
Poison Mastery Able to release powders that inflict Poison or Paralysis.
status
Arthur
health
mana
|||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||
Charmander ♂ FIRE♂
LV. 3■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
POW 7 ■■■■■■
MAG 9 ■■■■■■
SPD 7 ■■■■■■
EX
Open Flame FIRE costs less MANA.
Basic attacks Burn on critical.
XD
Independent Action Can resist the Miasma for 8 hours.
XE
Physical Mastery Able to use claws and tail in melee.
XD
Fire Mastery Able to launch small flames.
Able to create thick smoke.
status
David
health
mana
|||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||
Squirtle ♂ WATER♂
LV. 3■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
POW 7 ■■■■■■
MAG 8 ■■■■■■
SPD 4 ■■■■■■
EX
Hard Shell Nullifies critical hits. Soaks damage equal to POWER.
XD
Independent Action Can resist the Miasma for 8 hours.
XE
Physical Mastery Able to punch or wrestle in melee.
XE
Water Mastery Able to spray fine bubbles.
status
Elliot
health
mana
|||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||
Pikachu ♂ ELECTR♂
LV. 3■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
POW 8 ■■■■■■
MAG 9 ■■■■■■
SPD 9 ■■■■■■
EX
Lightning Rod Attracts ELECTR. ELECTR buffs ELECTR once. Stacks.
XD
Independent Action Can resist the Miasma for 8 hours.
XD
Physical Mastery Has developed a quick and aggressive style of close combat.
XE
Electric Mastery Able to shoot small sparks.
status
Chloe
health
mana
|||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||
Eevee ♀ NORMAL♀
LV. 3■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
POW 8 ■■■■■■
MAG 8 ■■■■■■
SPD 6 ■■■■■■
EX
Genetic Instability With increased effort, may pick up additional Elemental Masteries.
XC
Independent Action Can resist the Miasma for 16 hours.
XD
Physical Mastery Has developed somewhat tricky street fighting techniques.
Able to inflict Blind in melee.
XE
Energy Mastery Able to shoot homing lasers.
Choose 1 (one) Pokémon to forge a Pact with.
[x] Rydia the Bulbasaur
[x] Arthur the Charmander
[x] David the Squirtle
[x] Elliot the Pikachu
[x] Chloe the Eevee
Choose any combination of conditionals to impose on your Domain as a Restriction.
If you choose to create your own Restriction, feel free to be as creative as you want.
[x] Restrict your Domain to not-fully-evolved Pokémon only.
[x] Restrict your Domain to Pokémon of a certain element only.
[x] Restrict your Domain to Pokémon of a certain race only.
[x] Restrict your Domain to Pokémon of a certain gender only.
[x] Restrict your Domain to Pokémon of a certain species only.
[x] Restrict your Domain to one Pokémon only.
[x] No Restriction.
[x] Write-in.
Adhoc vote count started by wdango on May 5, 2019 at 5:40 PM, finished with 249 posts and 33 votes.
[x] Chloe the Eevee
[x] Non-repeating types
[x] Limit to 4 Pacts.
Library A compendium on the world and everything within it.
Stone is the primary source of energy in present-day civilisation.
Made out of condensed Mana, it naturally forms in places with high concentrations of elemental energies. This is why large veins of Stone can be found in places such as Viridian Forest, Cinnabar Volcano, and other similar Mana hotspots. However, Wild Pokémon have been observed to be drawn to the manifestation of Stone, which is why these mines have naturally become breeding nests for Wild Pokémon.
Stone also tends to form from the bleed-off of Mana when the elements are manipulated by a Pokémon, in particular when elemental Mana is used in combat. This causes small fragments of Stone to sometimes manifest during and after battles, and also the reason why large or prolonged battles tend to attract increasingly more Wild Pokémon.
Early discoverers once sought to build Stone farms within the safety of civilisation, but they soon discovered that Stone does not form within the radius of an Everstone. While this later became an indicator of the presence of an undiscovered Everstone, it is presently one of the main factors that contributes to the energy crisis of the world, as the only way to obtain Stone is to venture into the Wilderness.
As most present-day technology is powered by harnessing the energy within Stone, the foraging of these energy sources used to be one of the main duties of a Trainer party, along with the exploration of uncharted territory and the continuous search for undiscovered Everstones. In more recent years, however, these responsibilities have been slowly assumed by the Scouts, a newer arm of the League dedicated to its less combat-oriented duties.
Stone has been observed to manifest in six known variants, each corresponding to one or more of the Pokémon elements. These include the Leafstone, Firestone, Waterstone, Thunderstone, Dawnstone, and Duskstone.
Oh hey, a question that I just thought of: What's the status of the 6 party rule? Like, is 6 the maximum amount of Pokemon that any Trainer can bond with at a time, is it the general maximum, or can just any Trainer bond with any number of Pokemon? Because if so, we could just add a Restriction for 6 party members for some more power.
Yeah, that 6 party limit could work, but will that stop any "switching" of pokes? Like maybe one of the pokes we bring along wants to stay back at the city. Does that still count against the 6 limit?
Every time your Domain Ranks Up, you get to forge one more Pact. Right now your limit is 2.
Pacts are permanent unless the Trainer or the Pokemon dies.
6-party limit is meaningless since you need an S-Rank in Domain to get 6 Pacts in the first place, which is a hard limit.
If the Trainer dies, all Pokemon that were previously Pacted to the Trainer gets a Rank-Up in Independent Action, and their Pact is dissolved.
If a Pokemon dies, the Trainer just frees up one Pact slot from their Domain with no other repercussions.
If a Trainer ever gets all of their Pokemon killed while still managing to survive, their Restrictions clear up and they can start over, although trying to convince a Pokemon to Pact with you without having a Starter is practically impossible, since you'll come across as either incompetent or malicious (from getting all your Pokemon killed) and they'll automatically consider you to not be trustworthy.
You typically have to actually work to convince a Pokemon to forge a Pact with you, since most Pokemon are not fighters, and even those that are fighters have their own interests and might not be happy to leave their life to follow some stranger. Wild Pokemon cannot be "caught", since turning Wild is permanent and irreversible. You can only Pact with civilised Pokemon, which means looking around for soldiers or mercenaries.
Of course, every Trainer and their Pokemon actually earn a decent salary from the League, depending on the Trainer's Trainer Rank, so that's a plus.
Typically it's also near-impossible to evolve without a Pact, unless the Pokemon in question has a high Rank in Independent Action, otherwise trying to leave the radius of an Everstone just means instantly turning Wild.
Pokemon soldiers or mercenaries can hold small shards of Everstone to leave their settlement and travel, forage, hunt, etc. but it's a risk because these smaller Everstones lose their effect over time, unless recharged near a primary Everstone.
So most Pokemon fighters typically are just garrisoned to their settlement as defenders in case of a Wild Pokemon attack.
Your best bet for convincing a Pokemon typically is to appeal to:
- Pokemon who hate their settlement/life
- suicidal Pokemon
- idealistic Pokemon
- materialistic Pokemon
- appealing to their desire to travel
- appealing to their desire to evolve
1. Kinda. None that actually work, but they were a thing before the Miasma. You can still find some in ruins that may contain living Pokemon, artifacts, or ancient medicine.
Sometimes unopened Pokeballs are traded or sold like a Gacha, too.
But onced opened, they can't be used anymore. Plus, even if you find a usable one, they're only really useful for items, since civilised Pokemon look down on Pokeballs. Unless you plan on using it on unwilling captors, which... might be interesting.
So the short answer is no, lol.
2/3. Opinions vary. It's pretty complex. Just like how you're mostly expected to keep your fellow soldiers alive in the army.
But at the same time, Humans are a lot more valuable than Pokemon, so Trainers are typically expected to keep themselves alive first and foremost.
And yet... If you can't keep your Pokemon alive, or have a track record of letting your Pokemon die...
That's still a stigma that makes it more difficult for you to court new Pokemon and propose a Pact.
But it's not absolute, just a point that's not in your favour.
But yeah if you lose a Pokemon, no one will actually punish you for it, but it may make it harder to forge new Pacts.
Just like a history of bad breakups or a divorce might make it harder to find a new relationship. But obviously this is social and lying or socialmancing your way through it is still possible.
4. Charizard is Medium-sized. Without any additional equipment, they can only take 1 Medium-sized passenger (Humans are Medium) or 2 Small-sized passengers.
Weight matters, of course, but Charizard has a base Power of 16 without Domain bonuses, so they can carry the equivalent of 4 Humans (Weightclass 2) in Weight, or 2 other Charizards (Weightclass 4).
You can add a harness or a carriage to increase carrying capacity, but carriages have Weight too, as well as Speed penalties.
