Kids grow up fast in troubled times, but not that fast. I think 13 is a more reasonable age.

Team Rocket takes in kids because a) some Rockets genuinely care about kids and want to watch over them, like big brothers, and b) kids have a smaller profile and are less likely to be suspected or caught.


That sounds fair.


Pokémon are about as well understood as animals in our world -- perhaps even more so, given the importance they play in society. As a working-class boy without formal education, you've probably memorized most of the common Pokémon, like Rattata and Magikarp, and you would know a fair bit about their evolutions and natural capabilities. However, you might get some facts wrong - you might not know that Magikarp evolves into Gyarados, or that Pikachu can evolve with a Thunder Stone. You wouldn't know much about uncommon Pokémon like Staryu and Tangela, or about Pokémon from other regions. Remember that there's no Internet in this era, so all you know comes from old wives' tales, personal experience, and the rare library book.


Depends on the job. On a smash-and-grab mission like the one I dropped you unceremoniously into, you're wearing dark rugged clothes with lots of pockets, possibly hand-me-downs from older gang members or modified work clothes from your odd jobs. On another mission you might wear casual clothes to blend in, or rags to evoke sympathy.

Team Rocket has no "uniform" right now. What kind of eccentric, megalomaniacal leader would make all his grunts wear black jumpsuits with giant Rs on them? This isn't a manga, you know!

In case you missed it, by the way, the game has started.

I haven't, I'm just keeping OOC posts in here until I make an IC post.

13 is significantly less cute. That is about the time they have develop independence. I could possibly rationalize a staggered development because of a lack of friend circles for peer pressure.
Say 12, then it's still not middle school for Norway. That way I still haven't crossed my mental bridge into the age of puberty.
edit: idk, do I have too high of an expectation of teenagers? I can't really see them as nearly as naive or trusting.

12 is a little young for a yakuza member, but since you're with your older brother it'll do.

cool
Garren, we need a surname.
Gale? Plaid? Banks, Glen, Pyre, Drought, Winds, Gray, Maple, Hickory, Sienna, Umber...?
Maybe something Pokémon related, like Lavender, Vermilion, Gringey, Laramie, Azalea, Catallia or Florando (random cities in Johto and Kanto that sounded neat.)

I have a question. Would it be at all possible for me to play in your game but not alongside the young new team rocket members? Perhaps as a young trainer who dreams to one day be the champion of pokemon league, going on his own adventure, and sometimes clashing with team rocket when our paths cross? (like in the anime with ash and jesse/james). I could function as kind of like an adversary for your team rocket pals. I realize this would create extra strain on you as a GM since you'd be essentially running two games simultaneously set within the same world. If this isn't possible, don't sweat it, I'll just watch your game with avid interest from the sidelines.

why can't we all just get along

Because I want to be a pokemon master, not a member of a criminal organization.

This seems like it could be fun. Let me know if my character doesn't fit.

Name: Edward "Eddie" Ovmoth
Talent: Eddie is talented young investigative journalist. He's a decent writer, but his real passion is getting the scoop.
Nature: If Eddie is anything, it's curious. If Eddie wants to know something, he'll do just about whatever it takes to find out.
Flaw: Eddie's stubbornness often gets him in trouble.
Goal: To report on a career-making story.

Name: "Flo"
Species: Farfetch'd ♀
Types: Normal/Flying
Nature: Brave
Loyalty: 2
Special Traits: Fly HM. Can use her leek to draw things from memory.
Bond: Ed and Flo are both coworkers and friends.

I thought you had a dice phobia.

Looks like I failed to resist joining the game.

Thanks for the interest! Feel free to join by building a character. I'll put you in the narrative once this in media res opening is over.

I would prefer characters to be members of Team Rocket, given the focus of the campaign. You're free to play characters that aren't Rockets, but you'll need a good reason to be in the same story as Hal and Noel. Good examples of characters would be an informant for Team Rocket, a bitter street doctor with a soft spot for kids, a childhood friend of the two who doesn't know about their gang involvement, or a cop trying to get them back on the straight and narrow.

Rubik, you can be a journalist for the Kanto Daily, a government-controlled newspaper. Your assignment is to infiltrate Team Rocket and write a special feature about the shocking true lives and horrendous deeds of Kanto gang members. You'll end up working alongside Hal and Noel, and you'll be forced to make hard choices between the real friendships you've made in the organization and your loyalty to the Kanto Daily and the government. Would you be up for that?

Sounds good to me.

You've been added to the list of players. Once the current encounter is over, I'll put you in the narrative.

Can I be a scientist/engineer who's life's work it is to replace Apricorn balls with something easier to make that can be mass produced (ie. the eventual inventor of the Pokeball)?

I could work for Team Rocket because their resources proves to be the best means to advance my goals.

Is this an acceptable character concept?

How's this?

Professor Richard "Rick" Hornsby
Age: 28
I am the ultimate McGuiver. I can jury rig almost anything with limited supplies.
I have a driven personality. I am dedicated to making my dreams a reality.
My lack of common sense gets me into trouble. I might be an expert builder, but decision making is not my strong suit.
My life's dream is to invent a better Ball for catching Pokémon.



Toby is actually Rick's second Pokémon. He previously had a Nidoran♀ named Maggie which unfortunately had a rare condition in which it was allergic to Apricots! It quickly grew ill in his care and no one could figure out what was wrong until it was too late, and Maggie died. Rick vowed to invent a new type of Ball that could house captured Pokémon other than Apricots, so that no Pokémon would ever suffer the same fate. After many years in school studying to become a mechanical engineer, Rick finally has the skills to maybe make his dream a reality one day.

Note: I am aware Magnemite is also Steel type, but I am assuming since this takes place 50 years prior to Gen 1&2 that the Steel type hasn't been "discovered" yet.

You will also be forced to make posts in the thread, Rubik. Are you up for that?
I'm going to say now that I'm not able to suspend my disbelief and pretend that someone is flying on a Farfetch'd.

I'm assuming that Dark, Steel and Faerie were canon from the start, and that they someone didn't just realize one day that Magnemites were immune to Toxic and Clefairies could actually tank Dragon Rage without problems all along. And since we have access to Johto, that Umbreon isn't assumed to be typeless.
I'm also assuming we use the ORAS movepool.

That sounds like a cool concept, Zinger. Is Rick native to Kanto or part of the influx of Indigo League engineers?

To address Mown's question, we will be using ORAS types and movesets. Scientific taxonomy, however, is in the pre-RBY era. It isn't until people study Pokémon genetics that Pokémon have discretely defined "types," and not until even later that they discover Steel, Dark, amd Fairy as types.

Moves, on the other hand, are just things like martial arts techniques that vary from trainer to trainer. The proliferation of "moves" in the 2000s is just the result of move tutors trying to one-up each other and make their fighting style seem new and different. Many are just old moves repurposed in different ways.

I think I can manage.

A 2-and-a-half foot magical bird that can flap it's wings hard enough to cut things with the air can't fly carrying something under 150 pounds after extensive training, even slowly?

How does a sheep shoot electricity or a dog breathe fire?

I'll go with he's part of the influx of indigo league engineers.