GingerDixie
Hopes and Dreams
After Halcyon Days
A GingerDixie Roleplay
This is the actual RP thread. Sign ups are here. Sign ups do not close even after the RP begins.
POSTING INFORMATION
This RP will be using post headers, which serve to help let other RPers know who is interacting with whom and at what time, as well as keep track of character effects that last more than one post. I believe in one rule about post headers, and that rule is K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Stupid*)
* no offense intended
Therefore, this is all I expect of a proper heading to an RP post:
Character Name and Species
Faction and Orientation
Location
(Optional line for any ill or beneficial effects your character may be suffering, and how long this affect has lasted for)
RPers Affected (Both character name and RPer name)
Thus, here is what it would look like in the RP:
Thibault the Aromatisse
Trained Faction/Urban Oriented
Ruins of the Mauville City Gym
(Optional Ill/Beneficial Effect: Post 1/3)
Affected Characters: Esme the Aromatisse (GingerDixie)
USING MANIFEST ABILITIES
As is stated in the premise below, Manifest abilities cannot be controlled with utmost precision. However, they can be used, and when the time comes that you wish to use an ability in the RP, I ask that you please quote it from your sign-up sheet and include it in your post below, like so:
They were vermin, the lot of them. Nothing but beggars and thieves who did nothing but take and give nothing back in return.
Thibault continued this mantra as he continued to fire Moonblast after Moonblast at the wild Pokemon horde who had launched the raid against the Gym, his mate standing bravely by his side and aiding his efforts with her own powers. They'd been at it since about 5 o'clock this morning, when the Loudred guard who went by the name of Decibel had first raised the alarm, warning the small pocket of trained Pokemon that trouble was approaching. At first, he'd thought it was rotters. And then, he was hit with an Aqua Jet. And all hell broke loose from there.
Whoever was left standing was doing a good job of keeping the ferals back, but just as Thibault started to get complacent, a scruffy-looking Raichu darted beneath the bolts and balls of energy flying towards his comrades and having the gall to head straight for Esme. His disposition was calm, collected even, but just as he raised a filthy paw to place it on his mate's face a fiery red flare of anger rose sharply in Thibault's chest. Without thinking of it, his claws began to tingle, and the griffon takes several long, slow steps towards the offending ruffian just as a white glow began to emit from his fingertips.
Mystic Claw: This is an enhanced swiping attack, activated in extreme times of stress such as fear, anxiety, or anger. Thibault's claws are enveloped in a white glow that lasts only until contact is made, and his claws harden and hone automatically to the tempering of a meat hook, automatically slicing easily through soft tissue and gouging toughened skin or armor with ease.
NPC Effect - This attack is always deadly to an NPC, and will cause the foe to bleed out either very slowly or very quickly, depending on where the swipe lands.
PC Effect - This attack is powerful enough to injure, but not kill, a player character, and those with a shallow Manifest of skin are especially more likely to recover quickly. However, while the wound will not kill it may scar, and depending on the area struck the character will or will not be incapped, yet still aware of their surroundings to react.
The Raichu turned just in time for Thibault to sink his claws into the electric mouse's neck, his beak bared as he tore the feral's throat out with an almost supernatural strength. As the Raichu gurgled out his surprise Thibault yanked upwards on his trachea while simultaneously kicking him away from Esme, tearing the cartilage and leaving the male with a fistful of blood and viscera, his own red eyes as wide and glassy as the dying rodent before him. Behind him, his mate let out a startled cry, and it seemed as though Pokemon on both sides had stopped attacking in shock at the gruesome scene before them.
And so it stayed for only a few seconds...but to Thibault, those few seconds seemed like an eternity. Then some female on the wild side screamed and the leader of the raid ordered a retreat, leaving Thibault, Esme, and the remainder of the Gym settlement in stunned silence before the Aromatisse simply dropped the dripping mass in his hand onto the floor, where it landed with wet, anticlimactic "smack".
They were vermin and thieves. Beggars who did nothing but take and gave nothing back in return.
But then again...with this sort of power...what did that make Thibault?
Story:
[SPOIL]What started out as a breakthrough in medical technology ended up becoming the end of the world as we know it.
Virion PK-RS 0-089, also known as Pokerus 89, was a strain of Pokerus that had the unique characteristic of being transmissible to humans who worked closely with Poison-type Pokemon, particularly urban species such as Grimer and Muk. It was thought that due to the abilities of the Pokerus particle (a particle that exhibited traits that closely resemble the replication and latency patterns of a retrovirus), the virion had adapted to pass from human to Pokemon due to the closeness of their living spaces, and as such, this particle was a common cause for many mild, flu-like symptoms among the populaces of the world’s largest cities: Viridian, Goldenrod, Mauville, Pastoria, Castelia, and Lumiose.
Due to its virulence among the human population, Pokerus 89 was isolated and experimented in a lab in Mauville City, Hoenn, with the goal to find a vaccine that would prevent the interspecial spread of the organism and thus eliminate the odds of contracting it among trainers who specialized in Poison-types. However, during the tests, something changed. Call it a breach in protocol, or call it plain, stupid curiosity...but the actions of one scientist who knew the virion’s beneficial effects on Pokemon devised and tested a hypothesis to see if the mild annoyance that Pokerus 89 had upon humans could in fact be written out in favor of more beneficial effects: in layman’s terms, he wanted to create an organism that attached and augmented human abilities in the same way that it did Pokemon’s, thus creating a strain of a literal “super-hero” virus. This scientist had gotten a hold of inactive particles that were soon to be infused in an experimental vaccine mixture, introduced a gene that would both block the particle’s ill effects in human cells and allow for full human infection, and then introduced the newly mutated viral vectors into a laboratory sample of what he documented as “willing subjects”, and waited to see what his concotion would create.
The results: he had made a gross miscalculation.
By the time the Mauville research facility had known what one of their own had done, said scientist and ninety percent of the original test group was dead, and the virus was on its way to a slow burn around the Pokemon world. One foreign gene had mutated the virion into something unseen by scientific communities before: it retained its ability to infect both humans and Pokemon, but the consequences of infection in both hosts had become something so much deadlier. In humans, it caused a systemic infection of malignant and rotting tumors, liquefied whole muscle groups and finally drove their victims mad until their death, while in Pokemon it caused the same flu-like symptoms as it had in humans...only for it to worsen several days later and kill half the Pokemon it infected.
For five years what was left of humanity raced to find a cure, but in the end, the ever-changing, retroviral nature of what had become known as PXH-334, or the Pokecross virus, had completely wiped out humanity and eliminated half of the Pokemon population across the known world. Cities and general society crumbled as humans died by the droves, and whichever of their Pokemon survived their own infections were soon tossed into a growing wasteland to fend for themselves, spreading Pokecross into the wilds. Eventually...there was nothing left of the six thriving regions but burning husks of what had once been, and the chilling wraiths of Pokemon long forgotten were left to pick about the scraps, fighthing for survival over what little remained of the land.
But that was far from the end.
Among the Pokemon that remained, chances to pull together and make what they could of the devastated human world never came to fruition as Pokemon realized that their walks of life before the infection had prepared them in different ways. Trained Pokemon, without the guidance of their human partners yet still far more powerful than their wild counterparts, easily overwhelmed untrained wild populations and became the bane of their existence, easily taking in the best resources and safest sanctuaries from their rivals and the elements and making up the majority of the survivor populations located in city ruins regardless of where they would naturally reside. However, while trained Pokemon had power and high ground, wild Pokemon had numbers, and with the majority of them being confined to woodlands and other wild areas regardless of their natural habitats, close quarters also led to rampant breeding, especially among species that already reproduced quickly. Eventually, a standstill was reached and wars fought over the remains of human civilization ceased, while tensions among the survivors continued to run high.
After the human populace was destroyed the remaining Pokemon soon bore witness to two other unexplained side-effects of the virion: true to its Pokerus origins, PXH-334 did indeed have its beneficial effects on its hosts: in Pokemon, the survivors found themselves with augmented abilities that tied in closely to the virion's point of infection, which became referred to as "manifests". Survivors gained abilities such as outward resilience to substances that would otherwise burn, poison, or maim them, sharp increases in any of their 5 (or 6 in the case of some types) senses, or increased mental or cognitive abilities that granted them powers unheard of, taking their normal capabilities into account. All Pokemon survivors possess these Manifests, and once they were discovered, they changed the way that Pokemon fought forever. Knockout battles became bloodbaths, and the powder keg was close to igniting again...that is, until it was discovered what PXH-334 did to humans.
As if on cue, hordes of superpowered zombies far more dangerous than your typical undead began to plague the budding settlements of Pokemon who remained, creating a new enemy far more powerful than even trained Pokemon could not surmount. It seemed as though the scientist's failed experiment from long ago had indeed been a latent success...but now, these heavily modified, super-human bodies had become nearly unstoppable killing machines. They felt no pain, they stopped at nothing, and they are increasing in number, spreading throughout the Pokemon settlements that remain...starting with Mauville City, the ground zero of the Pokemon world. [/SPOIL]
Setting:
[SPOIL]Though PXH-334 has been widespread throughout the Pokemon world, this RP will focus on the region of Hoenn, particularly Mauville City and the area around it, where the war between Pokemon is the most severe and what is considered the epicenter of the post-infection world. Of course, any Pokemon taking up residence in the remains of the city is most likely to be trained, and a Pokemon who is oriented for urban environments will be the most skillfull in foraging and navigating the city streets where they live. Keep in mind, however, that the population density of a city is low, with about 1 Pokemon per city block as opposed to the wilderness's 5 in a land area of comparable size. Trained Pokemon may also live together in small packs due to many still being most comfortable in a "team" setting, but this is not a hard, fast rule as there are also many of the formerly trained that prefer to go at it alone, believing themselves powerful enough to take on both the hordes of wild Pokemon who risk the cities for resources that are being made scarce from overpopulation and the hordes of zombies that are beginning to crop up from the rubble of the human settlements.
[/SPOIL]
Faction/Orientation Information:
[SPOIL]Factions:
Trained
These Pokemon were part of a Pokemon trainer's team before PXH-334 started its course of destruction, and as such are far more powerful and have access and knowledge to use a variety of man-made devices that they may or may not find around the city. However, keep in mind that while they may know how to use certain devices such as Potions or Status Heals, they do not possess the knowledge to operate vehicles or elevators, as many Pokemon were often in their Pokeballs when humans performed these duties. They are also, barring whatever Manifests they may have, more powerful than a wild Pokemon, meaning more powerful moves and generally being physically stronger in general, due to the many vitamins and extensive training a typical Pokemon trainer does with their Pokemon.
Due to their training these Pokemon also hold the idea that they are a "civilized" group, and as such, try to recreate human customs and courtesies when meeting in groups amongst each other; in contrast, wild populations in their eyes, are uneducated, uncivilized, and there is little hope for them to become anything but. Their lacking power levels only further prove to the trained faction that they should be considered separate and superior to the wild Pokemon, and once the Pokecross zombies began to appear, their picking off of the abundant wild populace is considered a form of natural selection in the trained faction's eyes.
Wild
These Pokemon were born and raised in their wild, natural environments, whether it be in an urban setting or the wilderness. In this case, however, most wild Pokemon regardless of their natural origin (or orientation as it will be called below) have now been forced to live in the outskirts and wilds around formerly populated areas due to their being systemically driven out by the trained populace, and are forced to make do with whatever they're given to make out a living. Unlike the trained Pokemon, wild Pokemon cannot use man-made items and must depend on natural plants such as medicinal herbs and Berries...the upside to this, however, is that many of them are very good at identifying the differences between these plants, and can utilize them in much the same way trained mons can use Potions.
Wild Pokemon are much less organized than trained ones, but that simply means that their numbers at any given moment cannot be predicted. Given the high population density of the wilds post-infection, wild Pokemon are never alone, even if they prefer to be. Their attitudes are Machiavellian in nature, but if a common enemy is spotted, chances are they will all form a temporary bond and pull together (especially if it's a trained Pokemon as they are all aware of how much more powerful those Pokemon are) until said enemy is defeated; their bonds will then dissipate and the pack will go their separate ways. Wild Pokemon are also known as notorious hoarders, and any items they can get from cities (whether they actually know how to use them or not) will be hidden away in hard-to-reach areas and heavily guarded until a use for them is found.
Orientations
Urban
If a Pokemon is urban-oriented, this Pokemon's natural environment (i.e. their Pokedex-stated location) is in man-made structures and settlements, whether it be ancient or modern. Urban Pokemon are incredibly adept at making their ways through city streets, and many of them are even active rebuilders, making what repairs they can to buildings crumbling from neglect if only to make the Pokemon who now occupy them safer. They will recognize Pokemon Centers and Marts, prime places for scavenging coveted necessities, as well as know how to pick their way into houses to hunt for food. However, these Pokemon do not do well in natural environments, tend to be less aware of their surroundings, and tend to be the worst at differentiating between edible and poisonous flora, often finding more comfort in the use of man-made products despite their increasing rarity.
Terran
If a Pokemon is terran-oriented, this Pokemon's natural environment is in natural biomes, such as forests, deserts, mountains, caves, or tundra. Like urbans, terran-oriented Pokemon know the wilds like the backs of their hands, are always ready to run or fight at the first sign of threat, and are generally the most adaptable of the two orientations, provided one does not leave the wilderness. They have no troubles making food and medicines out of natural plants...but sticking a terran in any city environment is sure to confound them, as they will immediately become lost at the absence of many familiar smells and cramped over the proximity of buildings. Terrans are often singled out fairly readily by both those familiar around the city and zombies, making them easy targets when exposed should they be unable to get to a suitable shelter in time. [/SPOIL]
Manifests:
[SPOIL]Pokemon who survived the initial Pokecross infection have developed "manifests", or augmented abilities, that passively enhance their powers for a limited amount of time as well as grant them three additional powers that are exclusive to both the type of manifest that they have inherited and the type of Pokemon they are. Currently, there are three recognized categories that a Manifest can fall into, which will be briefly explained below.
Keep in mind that Manifests are still poorly understood by the Pokemon that possess them and are thus rather hard to control, making their use limited and sporadic. That being said, I am trusting you all to not abuse the powers I am otherwise giving you full creative freedom over...do NOT ruin that trust or I will not hesitate to remove you from the RP.
Shallow Manifest: A Pokemon with a shallow Manifest stores the latent PXH-334 virion in their cutaneous tissue, meaning that the sources of their Manifest powers and ability can come their skin, hooves, horns, fur, mane, paws, etc. An example of a Shallow Manifest ability would be toughened and super-protective skin, supernatural speed, a horn or set of horns (depending on how many the manifested had before their infection) that can be protruded and retracted at will, etc. Powers relating to this manifest must relate to the part of the body that is manifested, an example being able to exude a protective aura or dispel a harmful explosion from manifested skin.
Mesoteric Manifest: A Pokemon with a mesoteric Manifest stores the latent PXH-334 virion in their musculoskeletal system. Signs of this type of manifest include incredibly quick reaction times, supernatural strength, bones that remain unbroken even under ungodly amounts of pressure, and supernatural endurance, and powers that relate to it can range from attacks guaranteed to shatter natural or devised barriers or shatter the bones of any Pokemon who does not also possess a mesoteric manifest.
Deep Manifest: A Pokemon who posesses a deep Manifest stores the latent PXH-334 virion in their brains and, consequentially, their minds. These Pokemon have become clairvoyants, mind or aura readers, and empaths, with Pokemon who already possessed these abilities gaining a sharp increase in their skill in using them. Powers that relate to these manifests can range from psychic attacks on another Pokemon's mind or making another's brain literally explode from sheer mental power alone, making this one of the deadliest Manifests currently known. Unfortunately, not many Pokemon possess this Manifest as Pokecross was known to have a high mortality rate once the brain was reached; not to mention it didn't seem as though the virion cared much for neural tissue. [/SPOIL]
Rules
- Of course, all Serebii rules apply.
- Given as I am a college student as well as a part-time employee, I understand if you cannot post here every day, on the day. That being said, please at least try to remain somewhat active. The story doesn't go anywhere when no one is participating.
- Though I am lax about bunnying and will permit it given permission from the other RPer is given and acknowledged, I will absolutely NOT tolerate godmodding, and all complaints of such will be investigated and could lead to you being kicked out of the RP. Simply put, don't do it.
- I will gladly take suggestions or critiques from fellow players, but in the end, I am the GM and I have the final say in things, so I politely ask that you respect the decisions I make. I swear to you that I am not a petty person, I am merely a nutty little Nuzleaf trying to have fun like the rest of you.
- With that being said, do not hesistate to come to me with questions, comments, or criticisms! Just do it in the discussion thread, please. We have (or will have) one of those things for a reason.
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