Lately I've been rediscovering my interest in the pokémon games by playing pokémon ruby in my spare time. The more I play, and the more I think about it, the more setting up some sort of pokémon role play sounds like an excellent idea. I've browsed through the threads in both the Roleplaying Forum and the OOC Forum, but all I've seen are rp's in which you roleplay the pokémon, and that's not what I'm interested in.

What I am interested in, though, is creating something with some originality. I'd like to use some of the original towns and locations, but I'd also like to create a few new places as well. Also, I'd prefer to use mostly the pokémon from the red/blue/ruby/sapphire versions, without creating any new pokémon, or changing the features of existing ones.

If others are interested in joining the rp, then I would love to have them help with the development of the rp as well. A group effort would make the rp more enjoyable, and more involved. Plus I don't want to dictate everything, which would wind up in people not joining/not enjoying themselves. So if you'd like to help, even if you don't want to join, then feel free to speak up. PM me, even, if you want.

Concepts (Everything is subject to change):

I'd like to have some sort of plot the rp revolves around. It doesn't have to be the main focus of the rp all the time, but it would be nice to have some form of gravity to hold the rp together. I was thinking of having some sort of major corporation (Devon, for example, is a large corporation in pokémon ruby), and/or some sort of team (Examples include Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua).

For a company I was thinking something like Devon, but producing items (Like items found in a pokémart. i.e. pokéballs, potions, antidotes, etc.) instead of pokémon gear. I'd like the company to have a 2-syllable name (Iunno why. I guess it just sounds more appealing I suppose).

For rival teams, I was thinking of having them be opposites, like team magma and team aqua. I like the idea of having an arctic team and a tropical team; it'd go well with the island types (actually, I took those two opposites to come up with the map type >>) and the plot (Which would come from the map type and the rival teams).

The towns in previous pokémon things have been named after colors, plants, or the combination of the two. I'd like to have an original map, with original towns named something similar to previous ones, comprised of mostly large-ish islands (Having 2 or 3 cities on the largest one) not far from the known pokémon map.

Duel archipelago map, sort of in the shape of a yin-yang with a strong curved current between the two. The northern islands would be snowy and arctic, while the middle islands would be normal, and the southern islands being tropical. I've drawn a few concept maps, and I might scan something and put it up here soon.

I was also thinking of having 16 cities/towns. 5 in the arctic, 6 in the middle, and 5 in the tropic. Not all cities would have a gym, only about half of them would. There could be something significant in the other cities, though, like team bases or a corporation building or lab.

What we've got so far (Everything is subject to change):

Occupations -

• Trainer
  Breeder
  Gym Leader
  Gym Member
  Elite Four Member
  Professor
  Researcher
  Company Employee
  Team Member

Basic application (Things in parenthesis would be deleted) -

Username: (The name of your account)
Character Name: (The name of your character)
Age: (The age of your character)
Occupation: (Your character's occupation. i.e. trainer, breeder, gym leader, professor, etc.)
Preferred Type: (What type of pokemon your character prefers)
Appearance: (What your character looks like)
Biography: (The background information of your character)
Current Pokémon: (The pokémon your character has at the point of this application. New trainers and whatnot can only have starting pokémon, if any at all)

Hi, I'm interested! I'm looking at the info you've given. An archipelago map has a few issues; if there's not a good boat system--everyone needs a surfer on their team. Also, your application has no space for which specific Pokemon people have. If we don't define that early, we may find someone who said "psychic" on the form for preferred type pulling a Mew out of his/her ass in battle.

I also want to limit the legendary Pokemon. There's only one Moltres. What are the chances of a beginning trainer in a different map having it? Null, I'd think.

Well, those are my thoughts, love.

I'm interested in this.

Would there be an Elite Four or no?

As for rival teams I think the light and dark one sounds interesting... though it'd have to be done very well seeing as the idea is bashed around a lot by people who can't exactly rp. XD

I'm not sure about a plot just yet, but I'll try to think of something later when I'm at home.

I am interested as well, I loved playing the game, and if i was actually in it, that would be cool

I'm intrested, though ideas fail me at the moment. <Thought block> I've been waiting for a good Pokémon RP to pop up. ^.^

Yay, people :]

@Somercy: There'd be a good boat system. I suppose I should have added that, but I guess I must have thought it was already implied.

And a spot for what pokémon the character has would be a good idea. I'll add that for now, but I'll probably be adding a map/list that shows where what pokémon can be found where, and I'd prefer that people don't have pokémon from elsewhere. So that rules out legendary pokémon completely.

For me, legendary pokémon just seem a bit outrageous to have in an rp like this. I'd perceive it as godmodding.

@Poi: Yes, hopefully I can put together an elite four. Or at least something elite-four-like.

@Everyone: I don't really want the rp to revolve around battle. Pokémon battles would have to be handled the same as fighting someone in any other rp; both parties would have to agree on what would happen beforehand. There would be no dice-rolling/percentages thing.

I'd like the rp to be based around a plot, and not just on individual journeys to "become the very best". For a plot, I was thinking something like a feud between the rival teams, and/or some conspiracy or secret thing involving a company.

*nod* Seems like you have the right idea to keep this roleplay alive. XD Ones that focus around battling never really do.

Anyway, I'll definitely apply to be part of the Elite Four or whatever you make up. :3

Still not many ideas for the plot from me but I'll keep thinking! ^^;

If you have an Elite Four character, then I'd advise you to make another character as well. With the way the story would be set up, Elite Four characters probably wouldn't see alot of action.. They'd probably be in reserve until some sort of metaplot or something.

I think what we need now are.. the cities. Ideas for the cities, at least, so I can have something to model the islands around (Bigger islands having bigger cities or more cities). So far the only things I can think of is a company research building centered in a city, a company headquarters building centered in a city, cities for 8 (2 gyms in arctic, 2 in tropic, and 4 in normal) or so gyms (There could be other major things in those cities, too), a "team arctic"-based city, and a "team tropic"-based city.

Any suggestions?

I'd say to count me in, friends. I have possible plans in the works for a Team Artic Member. After all, geek-that-I-am, I've had that name in reserve for a character for ages.

How about some city name ideas:
Wintergreen
Sweetfern
Cinnamon
Yew Harbor
Cloverdale
?

I like that name. Wintergreen. It's a good city name :] It doesn't seem very plant-like, but I like it that way. Perhaps there are more names like this for different cities?

I want in.

Like some of the movies the plot could revolve around the teams both wanting some rare pokemon and it's up to the trainers to stop them!

Also the characters could be in one or two groups so it isn't just random people constantly running into each other.

I was thinking about using a concept like that, sweet&splendid :] I wanted to have a rare/legendary pokemon that controlled the temperatures or something, or have one pokemon for each temperature. In either case, both teams would be looking to attain this pokemon to change the weather for their benefit. i.e. Team Arctic would want to create an ice age, while Team Tropic would want to warm things up.

Oh, this sounds like a lot of fun. I love pokemon. <3

I don't have much in the way of ideas at the moment. Also, I'm fairly busy, so I don't know if I could commit, but I'll definitely be stopping by often. ^__^

Well, Wintergreen is a type of mint. Spearmint, Peppermint, those are the other types I can think of at the moment.

Hey, may I be the leader of team Arctic? I've got some concepts for motives and personality.

@Chexala: Don't worry about it :] It probably wont start anytime in the near future. Not this week, at least. And most probably not next week. I'm sure by the time it starts you'll be less busy :] Even so, you could still make a character and pop in every once and a while.

@Somercy: I think the leaders of the teams will be NPCs; characters that will probably never be seen by any of the players characters. But you could be a rather high ranked member of team Arctic, and you could contribute to what team arctics plans/motives/etc. would be.

Nathuram: Hehe. Yeah. These things can take a while to get started sometimes, but the extra planning is so worth it.
For a character, I'm thinking maybe a researcher, or an assistant to one. They tend to only pop into the story line occasionally anyway, so works out if I get busy suddenly. : P

Ooo, sounds like an interesting character :] And it works out wonderfully.

• I'm very interested in this and would be totally down with it. How would the battle system work?

@Marguerite: Well, the rp wouldn't be completely based off a battle system. It'd mostly be roleplaying your character (trainer, researcher, team member, etc.), with your pokemon as.. puppet characters, I suppose. Of course there would be battles, but, unless I can think of something better, they'd be treated the same as fights in other rps; a mutual agreement between the two roleplayers on what should happen. :]

Mkay...Chiono will be an Arctic member, who wants to freeze the world as much as she's frozen her own heart. I see her as a more dangerous version of Erika from megatokyo. You know, after someone breaks her heart, she goes cold and during the rp, I want her to open up...

:] Well I'm still at a loss for city names/designs.. D:

Well, Wintergreen. Sweetfern? Agrimony? Cassia? I'll get a better, longer list tonight.

• Can we fill out application forms yet? I'd like to be a Gym Leader or Researcher.

I have no problems with people filling out applications yet. I'm not exactly sure if those will be the final applications, but I'm sure it will be something very similar to that :]

Username: Somercy
Character Name: Chiono (pronounced with a Greek 'ch'. Say as KI-ono.)
Age: 25
Occupation: Team Arctic Member, relatively high-ranked
Preferred Type: Ice and Water, and some Dragon, with an tendancy toward Pokemon she considers beautiful.
Appearance:
Biography: Her high school sweetheart broke their heart the night after graduation. Her mother died a week later. She learned not to trust, not to love. The leader of Team Arctic found her one day when she was at her lowest, and decided to direct her energy toward a useful cause. She works to freeze the world like her heart is frozen.
Current Pokémon: Dragonair, Dewgong, Vaporeon and Sneasel. The first Pokemon she caught was a Dratini, and so she shows some favoritism to it (now a Dragonair).