Tangeh
Well-Known Member
- Legend's Guardians -
*SIGN-UPS ARE CLOSED*
*SIGN-UPS ARE CLOSED*
*RP thread*
Preface:
A young girl quietly shone a flashlight into a history book. Bright blue eyes scanned every word with more interest than any typical nine-year-old would have in such a subject. But to Sonja, this wasn’t some stuffy topic reserved for cramming the night before an announced test – this was a story of greed, of tragedy, and finally, of compassion.
Long ago, it was said that humans and pokemon lived peacefully alongside each other, rarely interacting, rarely quarreling. But the humans were jealous of the pokemon – they longed for the power that these creatures so readily possessed. They had no such powers themselves, and wished to harness it for their own means. The humans were not strong, but they were versatile. A device carved from apricorns was created to capture pokemon and instantly brainwash them into obeying a human’s every command.
The dynamic suddenly shifted; pokemon became tools to be used by humans. Pokemon were forced to fight each other and became fearful. Angered, the gods punished the humans by first liberating all pokemon from their confines, then they plunged humanity into a horrible drought.
Crops dried out and people began to starve. People plead for forgiveness, but their prayers went unanswered. The pokemon felt this sentence was justified at first, but after watching the humans suffer, they felt sympathy.
Of their own free will, pokemon began helping humanity rebuild itself. Some used their powers to water the fields, others used their strength to till the soil, and some flew great distances to retrieve seeds for harvest. By working together, the crisis was averted, and from that day on, pokemon and humans lived side by side.
It was said that the gods were inspired by the demonstration of teamwork, and set a decree for people and pokemon to work as one for all of eternity. This was the creation of the bonding process. When a person reaches the age of ten or eleven, a pokemon will be drawn to them and will willingly devote the rest of its life to them. Capturing and holding pokemon against their will is strictly prohibited, but bond pokemon do not need apricorn balls to obey their humans. In fact, many bond pairs learn to communicate with each other as fluently as any human pair can, though humans cannot understand pokemon other than their own bond pokemon.
The pokemon a person bonds with often indicates where their strengths lie – for example, a future chef may get a fire-type, or a future housekeeper a minccino. Of course, every bond pair is different, and not every pairing has such an obvious interpretation.
The only cases where it’s clear what a person is destined for based on their bond pokemon are those who bond with legendaries. Legendary pokemon will appear in front of people destined to rule a region, and they form the highest level of government and act as a monarch for their region. There has never been a case of a legendary choosing a person unfit to rule, so their decisions are rarely questioned.
‘Rarely questioned…’ The young girl closed the history book and stared quietly out of her window. Sonja found those words hard to believe after Unova’s last selected legendary bond pair – a twelve-year-old boy named Jakob Inglis and the great Thundurus – could not complete the Journey of Trials, a traditional trek performed by a newly selected legendary bond pair to hone their spirit and prepare them for the responsibilities that lie ahead. According to the eight Guardians – people chosen to help the new legendary pair make the journey – Jakob was murdered. The culprit was never found, and their motive never revealed.
The tragedy happened ten years ago, and five years after the death of Unova’s only monarch. For the last fifteen years, Unova has not had another legendary pair chosen. Some wondered if the gods were angered. Whatever the reason, it had Sonja, and many others, deeply concerned.
Sonja stood and went to kneel in front of her window.
Long ago, it was said that humans and pokemon lived peacefully alongside each other, rarely interacting, rarely quarreling. But the humans were jealous of the pokemon – they longed for the power that these creatures so readily possessed. They had no such powers themselves, and wished to harness it for their own means. The humans were not strong, but they were versatile. A device carved from apricorns was created to capture pokemon and instantly brainwash them into obeying a human’s every command.
The dynamic suddenly shifted; pokemon became tools to be used by humans. Pokemon were forced to fight each other and became fearful. Angered, the gods punished the humans by first liberating all pokemon from their confines, then they plunged humanity into a horrible drought.
Crops dried out and people began to starve. People plead for forgiveness, but their prayers went unanswered. The pokemon felt this sentence was justified at first, but after watching the humans suffer, they felt sympathy.
Of their own free will, pokemon began helping humanity rebuild itself. Some used their powers to water the fields, others used their strength to till the soil, and some flew great distances to retrieve seeds for harvest. By working together, the crisis was averted, and from that day on, pokemon and humans lived side by side.
It was said that the gods were inspired by the demonstration of teamwork, and set a decree for people and pokemon to work as one for all of eternity. This was the creation of the bonding process. When a person reaches the age of ten or eleven, a pokemon will be drawn to them and will willingly devote the rest of its life to them. Capturing and holding pokemon against their will is strictly prohibited, but bond pokemon do not need apricorn balls to obey their humans. In fact, many bond pairs learn to communicate with each other as fluently as any human pair can, though humans cannot understand pokemon other than their own bond pokemon.
The pokemon a person bonds with often indicates where their strengths lie – for example, a future chef may get a fire-type, or a future housekeeper a minccino. Of course, every bond pair is different, and not every pairing has such an obvious interpretation.
The only cases where it’s clear what a person is destined for based on their bond pokemon are those who bond with legendaries. Legendary pokemon will appear in front of people destined to rule a region, and they form the highest level of government and act as a monarch for their region. There has never been a case of a legendary choosing a person unfit to rule, so their decisions are rarely questioned.
‘Rarely questioned…’ The young girl closed the history book and stared quietly out of her window. Sonja found those words hard to believe after Unova’s last selected legendary bond pair – a twelve-year-old boy named Jakob Inglis and the great Thundurus – could not complete the Journey of Trials, a traditional trek performed by a newly selected legendary bond pair to hone their spirit and prepare them for the responsibilities that lie ahead. According to the eight Guardians – people chosen to help the new legendary pair make the journey – Jakob was murdered. The culprit was never found, and their motive never revealed.
The tragedy happened ten years ago, and five years after the death of Unova’s only monarch. For the last fifteen years, Unova has not had another legendary pair chosen. Some wondered if the gods were angered. Whatever the reason, it had Sonja, and many others, deeply concerned.
Sonja stood and went to kneel in front of her window.
Introduction:
“We thank thee, Cresselia, for your shining beauty, your undying grace. May you watch over both of our lands with gentle, knowledgeable eyes. Let us borrow your guidance until we can stand on our own.”
The traditional prayer was performed while kneeling, and finished with a deep bow from the knees. Sonja had repeated it every night since she could remember. Though the ritual was commonplace, it was borrowed from Sinnoh customs and left an odd feeling in her heart. After all, Unova wasn’t Sinnoh.
Sonja stood up and stared out of her bedroom window at the crescent moon. That was Cresselia’s symbol. It was meant to fill her with pride and resolve. But it didn’t. She tucked her long brown hair behind one ear and watched it sadly. She knew if her mother caught her pondering like this she would be scolded. ‘The Queen is not to be doubted! How many times have I told you this, Sonja?’
Since the death of the king fifteen years ago, Unova’s political system relied on Sinnoh’s monarchy. Without a legendary leader to guide them, nobody could truly be trusted to run the region. Sonja still thought a democracy was a better option than allowing Sinnoh to export jobs, ignore the increasing poverty rates, and slowly replace Unovian culture with their own.
Her mother sometimes chided her for being too young to worry about the fate of her home country. Sonja struggled to fathom who wasn’t worried at this point. A monarchy takeover usually lasted for a few years, not fifteen.
Something had to be done.
No sooner had the words crossed her mind than a yearning tugged her away from the windows and out of her room. Confusion flitted briefly across her mind, but it was replaced with a strong resolve. Sonja heard her mother call her name just as she flew out the front door.
She couldn’t explain it, but she knew she had to get to the pond at the back of the city. She’d read about a phenomenon like this before. This was a bonding ritual. Her heart started pounding in her ears as she ran through town, still in her nightgown.
Sonja approached the pond, and a soft blue light engulfed the water. It sparkled brilliantly, and something urged her to close her eyes and hold out one arm. Something velvety brushed against her hand, and her entire world fell silent.
She opened her eyes and saw Keldeo standing in front of her.
A/U Overview
This RP takes place in an alternate universe where each person "bonds" with a single pokemon roughly around the age of 10/11. Capturing pokemon is illegal and seen as very morally wrong and thus pokemon battling is less commonplace. The gym challenge exists in each region, but is designed to test both pokemon and trainer and usually takes one to two years to complete. It is normally taken on by those who want their pokemon to evolve, or as a resume-builder for more physical careers or careers that emphasize teamwork between trainer and pokemon. Although its not common for a person to pursue the gym challenge, the relationship between each person and their bond pokemon is still known as a pokemon-trainer relationship.
Contests, etc. also exist in similarly modified forms. Both battles and contests are popular recreationally and have a following akin to sports, but much like it is uncommon to become a great sports star it is also uncommon to actually pursue a career as a professional pokemon battler.
The species a person will bond with is normally based on one of three things: their career, their hobbies, or their life aspirations. Bonding sometimes happens before the child themselves is even aware of what these three things are, though it doesn't take long for them to figure it out thereafter.
It is extremely uncommon to bond with a legendary/ mythical (the terms are used interchangeably) pokemon, and those that do are heralded as monarchs for their region. It is widely believed that a legendary pokemon chooses the child that shows the greatest potential for becoming a leader. Before taking on the title of a monarch, the legendary bond pair must undergo a traditional journey across the region and undergo eight "trials" to hone their aptitude in eight different traits. Eight guardians, one representing each trait, will accompany the to-be monarch to ensure the trial is completed safety.
Basic schooling goes up to age fourteen (the equivalent of eighth grade) and then a person will typically either begin specialized schooling or an internship, take the gym challenge, or directly enter the work force. Practically all people have bonded by this stage of their lives, so it is beneficial to begin specialized training early.
For simplicity's sake, gym leaders and NPCs are the same as in B2W2. A character's strongest pokemon from those games is considered their bond pokemon. The current monarchy is listed further down.
Setting:
This RP takes place in Unova, based off of B2W2. I picked this location because it had a lot of landmarks & Team Plasma fit well with the plot, but I've never actually played B2W2 so bear with me. >_> I've read over a walkthrough so I get the gist!
The RP:
Your bond pokemon has picked up on the signal from Keldeo and urgently informs you that you have been selected as one of the eight guardians for the to-be princess of Unova. You are instructed that it is your mission to escort Sonja to each of the eight trials, which are meant to test her in the eight personality traits that the guardians represent. Once all eight trials are completed, she will be officially sanctioned in as Unova's princess and will train under Sinnoh's monarchy for a few years before gaining the title of Queen. If your character is the skeptical type, then Keldeo will also inform them personally via telepathy.
You have been urged that this mission must be kept a secret. The last to-be monarch to attempt the journey ten years ago was murdered, and the villain never caught. With Unova's independence slowly ebbing away, it is crucial that the mission be a success.
The Opposition:
An organization known as Team Plasma has been in the spotlight for years for trying to liberate bond pokemon from their trainers. Unbeknownst to Unova, the group has a much more frightening prerogative in mind; to intercept the next legendary pair and gain the throne to Unova. After all, their last bid ten years ago hadn't panned out as well as they'd hoped; Thundurus had vanished as soon as Jakob had been killed.
This time they are ready. They have already intercepted the telepathic communication's of Keldeo's message to the Guardians. A new tool based on history's tale of apricorn balls has been created to capture Keldeo.
This time, they will succeed.
Regions will typically have 1-2 monarchs. In the case of two, the younger will hold the title of Prince/Princess until the death of the elder, after which they will gain the title of King/Queen. When a King/Queen dies without a successor, a neighboring region will take over until a new monarch has been chosen. The King/Queen is the top of the political structure for their region.
The monarchs won't be encountered, but here's a list so your characters can make references to them:
Name: King Mathis
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Region: Kanto
Bond Pokemon: Moltres
Notable facts: Bonded at age twelve, three years after the death of Kanto’s sole monarch and Zapdos, during which Kanto relied on Johto’s monarchy. He took full control over the Kanto region at age sixteen, after training under Johto’s monarchy for four years. He is revered by the people of Kanto, and is known as a kind, gentle man. He is best known for his focus on re-establishing Kanto’s independence, though their relationship with Johto is still very strong.
Name: King Alexander
Gender: Male
Age: 65
Region: Kanto
Bond Pokemon: Ho-oh
Notable facts: Bonded at age eleven and has many significant accomplishments. “Alexander” and its variants are extremely common baby names in Johto.
Name: Princess Brynn
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Region: Johto
Bond Pokemon: Suicune
Notable facts: Is well-known for wearing extravagant dresses and is a popular trendsetter both within and outside of Johto. Considered highly beautiful by many people.
Name: King Adomas
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Region: Hoenn
Bond Pokemon: Rayquaza
Name: Queen Cecelia
Gender: Female
Age: 49
Region: Sinnoh
Bond Pokemon: Cresselia
Notable facts: An extremely busy woman, tasked with looking after both Sinnoh and Unova. Though revered in Sinnoh, she has shown bias towards her homeland which has made Unova increasingly concerned. Though it is taboo to question the legendary leaders, her actions are consistent with historical records showing similar situations.
Name: Queen Delia
Gender: Female
Age: 53
Region: Kalos
Bond Pokemon: Hoopa
Name: Prince Frederick
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Region: Kalos
Bond Pokemon: Yveltal
Notable facts: Bonded at age 13 and has been in training for less than two years. Popular among young girls.
Deceased:
Name: King Winston
Gender: Male
Age at death: 78
Region: Unova
Bond Pokemon: Landorus
Notable facts: Unova's last monarch. Died 15 years ago to natural causes. As is normal after the death of any person, Landorus disappeared shortly thereafter.
The monarchs won't be encountered, but here's a list so your characters can make references to them:
Name: King Mathis
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Region: Kanto
Bond Pokemon: Moltres
Notable facts: Bonded at age twelve, three years after the death of Kanto’s sole monarch and Zapdos, during which Kanto relied on Johto’s monarchy. He took full control over the Kanto region at age sixteen, after training under Johto’s monarchy for four years. He is revered by the people of Kanto, and is known as a kind, gentle man. He is best known for his focus on re-establishing Kanto’s independence, though their relationship with Johto is still very strong.
Name: King Alexander
Gender: Male
Age: 65
Region: Kanto
Bond Pokemon: Ho-oh
Notable facts: Bonded at age eleven and has many significant accomplishments. “Alexander” and its variants are extremely common baby names in Johto.
Name: Princess Brynn
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Region: Johto
Bond Pokemon: Suicune
Notable facts: Is well-known for wearing extravagant dresses and is a popular trendsetter both within and outside of Johto. Considered highly beautiful by many people.
Name: King Adomas
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Region: Hoenn
Bond Pokemon: Rayquaza
Name: Queen Cecelia
Gender: Female
Age: 49
Region: Sinnoh
Bond Pokemon: Cresselia
Notable facts: An extremely busy woman, tasked with looking after both Sinnoh and Unova. Though revered in Sinnoh, she has shown bias towards her homeland which has made Unova increasingly concerned. Though it is taboo to question the legendary leaders, her actions are consistent with historical records showing similar situations.
Name: Queen Delia
Gender: Female
Age: 53
Region: Kalos
Bond Pokemon: Hoopa
Name: Prince Frederick
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Region: Kalos
Bond Pokemon: Yveltal
Notable facts: Bonded at age 13 and has been in training for less than two years. Popular among young girls.
Deceased:
Name: King Winston
Gender: Male
Age at death: 78
Region: Unova
Bond Pokemon: Landorus
Notable facts: Unova's last monarch. Died 15 years ago to natural causes. As is normal after the death of any person, Landorus disappeared shortly thereafter.
RULES
1. No god-modding / no Mary Sues (no perfect/ invincible characters. You cannot dodge every hit or win every battle!)
2. No powerplaying (“bunnying”) without permission, unless exceptionally minor in order to progress the RP. THIS MEANS NO AUTO-HITTING (do NOT harm another player’s character in your own post. It is up to the RPer themselves to decide 1. IF they are hit by an attack and 2. To what DEGREE the attack affected them)!
I will first gently remind you and then whine at you excessively and publically if you continue to break either of the two above rules. I have the right to ask you to leave the RP if it gets out of hand. Pls don’t do it.
2a. Sonja will act as group-controlled NPC, meaning anybody can bunny her freely without invoking any wrath from the above rule, and it fact this is encouraged. You can converse with her, move her, put her in danger, etc, so long as you don't kill her, gravely injure her, or have her be kidnapped or something like that without permission. Just make sure she stays in character!
3. The character limit is ONE human and ONE bond pokemon per RPer. Your character must already have their bond pokemon to be eligible.
4. Sign-ups are limited and will close after the RP begins. PLEASE do not sign-up for this RP if you aren’t going to be active as you’re taking the slot away from another person.
4a. ^When I say “active”, I mean keeping up with the group, whatever that ends up being.
Sign-up form
Your character does not need to be from Unova nor currently living there, but must have some connection to the region and must be able to quickly get to the starting place of the RP, which will be Pledge Grove in southern Unova.
PHP:
[B]Name:[/B]
[B]Gender:[/B]
[B]Age:[/B] (14+)
[B]Guardian Trait[/B] (pick a descriptor that suits your character AND would be an ideal trait for the leader of Unova. Ex: compassion, courage, etc.)
[B]Occupation:[/B]
[B]Appearance:[/B] (at least 100 words)
[B]Personality:[/B] (at least 100 words)
[B]History:[/B] (at least 100 words)Bond Pokemon Sign-Up
**NOTE** - Your pokemon should have at least one of its types unique to it, so if another member has already claimed Seel, don't claim Oshawott. (Keldeo doesn't count for this). And yes, you can have your character start with an evolved bond pokemon.
PHP:
[B]Nickname:[/B] (optional)
[B]Species:[/B] (may be be any pokemon that is not legendary)
[B]Gender:[/B] (or lack thereof)
[B]Personality:[/B] (brief)
[B]History:[/B] (if not already covered in the trainer's SU, note how they bonded and what their role is in their trainer's life)
[B]Moveset:[/B] (limited to four moves)
[B]Ability:[/B] (hidden abilities are fine)
[B]Other:[/B] (This section is optional. Please use it to point out any differences in your pokemon’s physical appearance compared to others of their species. If there’s any other quirks you haven’t mentioned, they can go here too.)Sonja's SU:
NOTE: You may suggest additions or changes to Sonja or Keldeo up until the RP starts.
Name: Sonja Overbay
Gender: Female
Age: 9
Occupation: Fourth Grade Student
Appearance: Sonja has long, dark brown hair that reaches several inches past her shoulders. Sometimes her mother will braid it for her, or she'll let her friends mess it up attempting to do the same, but she doesn't know how to braid it herself. She has deep blue eyes, thin lips, a oval-shaped face, and a slight overbite. She is missing her left lateral incisor, though the adult tooth is starting to grow in its place. She doesn't wear makeup as she isn't allowed, and doesn't usually wear much jewellery either, though her wrists are often adorned with friendship bracelets that she likes to exchange with the other girls in her class.
Sonja currently stands at 4'7", though she will likely reach an adult height of 5'8", similar to her mother. Sonja typically sports a t-shirt and shorts. She has a preference for brightly coloured clothing, particularly anything that is pink, blue, or purple (with purple being her favourite colour). She has a pair of purple sneakers that she usually wears outdoors.
Personality: Sonja is a kind, thoughtful girl who gets along very well with other children her age, but is initially shy around anybody older than her. That being said, it can be difficult to remember that she is only nine years old as she is mature for her age and can hold conversations about politics, history, and current events with adults unusually well. Of course, more typical of girls her age, she also enjoys discussing what she learns about in school, her favourite novels, and favourite television shows. In particular she idolizes Unova Champion Iris, who is a popular role model for young girls.
She dislikes math and has trouble with spelling, but other than that is a good student and genuinely enjoys school (the exception being homework). She likes the idea of sports as she likes playing with other children, but is usually one of the last kids picked for a team and is aware that she's not much of an athlete. She takes violin lessons once a week and prefers music to sports.
A common conversation topic for kids her age is what pokemon they will eventually be bonded with and what career path they will take. Sonja thought she would eventually become a family court judge, because she is a good listener and likes to help other people sort out their problems. She is empathetic and does not like to see other people feel sad. For whatever reason, she felt she was destined to bond with a natu, despite never having seen one in real life. This is probably because she is fascinated by most psychic-type pokemon.
Although mature for her age, Sonja is naturally still childishly naive about many aspects of the world. She is curious about anything she doesn't understand and will usually ask the nearest trusted adult as soon as she has a question. She also is a bit too serious for her own good, and sometimes doesn't understand when somebody is joking around with her. In these cases she will offer either a politely confused smile or a blank head tilt, but doesn't usually humor them with much of a verbalized response. She also dislikes being playfully teased by adults, particularly about boys in her class, and will decline to respond to anybody teasing her about romance.
History: Sonja was born and raised in Aspertia City, Unova. She is an only child. Her mother, bonded with a munna, works as a high school teacher. The munna, nicknamed Gumdrop, typically floats around the classroom and is very efficient at catching students trying to cheat on tests. Her father, bonded with a pansage, works as a commercial bus driver. His bond pokemon more represents his love for nature, and Sonja has spent many a days in the nearby forests with him, safe with Pansage watching over her. Sonja's parents were always highly supportive of her, and they share a healthy relationship.
Sonja was always a bright child and had many friends at school, but never felt that she was destined for anything extraordinary. Meeting Keldeo was a complete shock, and she is nervous for the journey ahead and doubtful that she can actually complete it. At the same time, she wishes for Unova to gain back its full independence and is willing to try her best with help from the Guardians.
Bond Pokemon
:647:
Nickname: N/A
Species: Keldeo
Gender: Male
Personality: Usually acts very serious and is highly protective of Sonja. He tends to urge the group onwards if he catches them trying to take breaks or slacking off, though he will relent if he notices Sonja wishing to join in. He does not have any memories from before appearing in front of Sonja.
History: Very recently met Sonja at the pond in the back of Aspertia City. As a legendary pokemon, he will act as a powerful symbol of Sonja's monarch status, and will help to escort her through the Journey of Trials.
Moveset: N/A - Legendary pokemon relearn their moves gradually over the Journey of Trials.
Ability: Justified
Other: Like all legendary pokemon, Keldeo can turn invisible and communicate with both humans and pokemon through telepathy.
RPer list:
1. Monster Guy - Cadenza "Cadence" Mia Amoré - Compassion & Gardevoir (Psychic / Fairy)
2. Sketchie - Joshua Hoffman - Perseverance & Togekiss (Fairy / Flying)
3. Hydrangea - Aella Doukas - Courage & Dragonair (Dragon)
4. Schade - Rory Denver - Reliability & Houndoom (Dark / Fire)
5. TheCharredDragon - Sundance "Sunny" Araw - Friendship & Escavalier (Bug / Steel)
6. Janice Quatlane - Nova Annalise Rice - Patience & Porygon (Normal)
7. Dragalge - Olivia Lee Parker - Perception & Whimsicott (Grass / Fairy)
8. Tangeh - Alvin Kohlberg - Innovation & Pichu (Electric)
All reserves are filled so further sign-ups are closed. If you are not on the above list and are interested in joining let me know and I'll contact you if somebody drops out.
You may not choose a similar trait to another RPer nor a bond pokemon that shares all of its types with another RPer's pokemon. You are allowed to switch your reserve/ sign-up before the RP starts so long as you follow that rule. If you don't know what pokemon to commit to yet you may alternatively reserve a type.
Reserves will be held for one week. Please get your sign-ups done before then. WIPs are welcome in the mean time.
Feel free to bring up any questions or suggestions!
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