[ E V O L U T I O N ] ♔ A Pokejinka Interest Thread

[Lime Blossoms]

E V O L U T I O N

^{A Giant WIP of a Pokemon Gijinka Interest Thread}

We all know the story: an over-ambitious, albeit well-meaning, researcher creates a strain of virus that is meant to serve as a cure for humanity's greatest diseases. Things then take a rather unexpected turn and the virus mutates into something that is more malicious than helpful, but fortunately this dangerous organism poses no threat to anyone so long as it's kept under quarantine.

Which, of course, means that some kind of accident results in the virus being set free into the public. Just take out the inevitable zombies and insert Pokejinka instead, and you have this tale.

Having heard a great deal about his work, Professor Laurel moved from Unova to Kalos in order to research mega evolutions under Professor Sycamore's guidance. In doing so, she found herself wondering two things: could all Pokemon undergo mega evolution, and if so, could it be instigated through means other than a close bond with a trainer? That is, could mega evolution be stimulated in a Pokemon through artificial means?

Driven by these questions, Professor Laurel sought to create a serum that, upon being taken, would allow a Pokemon to switch to and from their mega forms at will. Although she was constantly met with failure, she pursued her research with a doggedness that would eventually reward her in the form of a potion; a potion that, if drank, caused the Pokemon to evolve...

...but not in the way she had initially intended.

She gave the completed serum to her first willing volunteer: her daughter's Dusknoir. The change was nearly instantaneous; one moment, she was looking at a Dusknoir, and the next, she was staring into the face of a young man who just so happened to share a number of familiar characteristics to the Pokemon who had just been in front of her. After discovering the unexpected effects of her serum--and acknowledging that the current symbiotic relationship between humans and Pokemon would be thrown into disarray if it were to get out--Professor Laurel quickly decided to dispose of the potion. However, before she could actually prepare to do so, she received a request for immediate assistance from Professor Sycamore and consequentially set her creation aside for the time being. A lab tech would later find it and, believing the unlabelled and clear solution to be innocuous, disposed of it by pouring down the drain.

And so begins the madness.

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Notes

• Set in Lumiose City. This is where Professor Laurel works, and this city/the surrounding areas were the places that were hit first
• Choice of playing a trainer (with up to 2 Pokejinka) and/or a wild Pokejinka
• Increasing team through recruitable wild Pokejinka
• Pokejinkas generally have the same mental capacity as humans and can communicate fluently, though those who have lived away from humans/in the wild may be less so
• Physically, they tend to be more fit/skilled than humans and retain their ability to use attacks
• They can still be kept in Pokeballs, though this become an issue of debate now that Pokemon are more human
• No legendaries; shinies are debatable! I'm thinking that they can be brought in by GMs to be recruited once in a blue moon or something.
• OOC things: mid to high casual RP, so minimum requirement of 1-2 paragraphs! Fade to black for any mature scenes, and taking care to only control your own characters (especially emphasized when interacting with recruitable Pokejinka)

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Questions/Considerations

• Greater goal/conflict at large? Should an opposing team (i.e. Team Rocket) be brought in? Maybe a team (of humans, Pokejinka, or a mix) arguing whether it's humane to continue keeping Pokemon. Eventual breakdown in society?
• Should recruitable Pokejinka be played only by GMs, or should the option to play a recruitable Pokejinka be open to everyone? I'm leaning towards the latter at the moment, though if the former is chosen, that also brings up the question of who plays the Pokejinka (the GM or the trainer's player) after they're recruited.
• Should this be opened up to a large number of RPers, or is it ideally confined to a small group? This is especially important in terms of how characters are going to travel.
• At least one other GM? Please help me, I am a mess at RPs haha...
• A lot of other things I'm undoubtedly forgetting...

[Lime Blossoms]

F O R M S

"Trainer (with up to 2 Pokejinka)"

[center][h3][color=CHARACTERCOLOUR][b]Character Name[/b][/color][/h3]
[sup][b][color=gray]Age:[/color][/b] -- | [b][color=gray]Hometown/Region:[/color][/b] --, -- | [b][color=gray]Occupation:[/color][/b] --[/sup]

[img]Your character's image[/img][/center]

Brief personality/bio here!

[b][color=gray]Pokemon:[/color][/b]
[hider="Name (Species)"]
[center][h3][color=POKEJINKACOLOUR][b]Pokejinka's Name[/b][/color][/h3]
[sup][b][color=gray]Physical Age:[/color][/b] -- | [b][color=gray]Species:[/color][/b] --[/sup]

[img]Pokejinka image here![/img][/center]
Brief personality/bio here!

[color=gray][b]Obtained:[/b][/color]
How did your character obtain this Pokemon? [/hider]

"Wild Pokejinka"

[center][h3][color=POKEJINKACOLOUR][b]Pokejinka Species[/b][/color][/h3]
[sup][b][color=gray]Physical Age:[/color][/b] -- | [b][color=gray]Species:[/color][/b] -- | [b][color=gray]Recruitable:[/color][/b] --[/sup]

[img]Pokejinka's image here![/img][/center]

Brief bio/personality here!

F O R M S A M P L E S

"Trainer and 2 Pokejinka"

Naia Laurel

^{Age: 16 | Hometown/Region: Nimbasa City; Unova | Occupation: Coordinator}

As the sole daughter of Professor Laurel, Naia grew up assisting her mother in her research, consequentially developing an interest in Pokemon from a young age. While she is passionate about learning about the different types of Pokemon that live throughout the many regions, Naia decided at 13 that she would move away from the path of a Pokemon professor--at least for now--and pursue the career of a Coordinator instead. Now at 16, she finds that she loves being a coordinator, but has temporarily put her dreams on hold to assist her mother in trying to control the outbreak.

Overall, Naia is a very cheerful individual. She rarely lets herself get down, and responds to any negativity directed at her in an light and playful manner. A social butterfly at heart, she adores being with other people and is unafraid to throw herself out there, eager to make new friends whenever possible. Of course, her overly-friendly attitude tends to turn off some people, but that doesn’t always stop her from trying to pursue their friendship and try getting them to warm up. Unfortunately, this does mean that she can be a bit of a pest, and gentle hinting isn’t enough to get her to back down--it needs to be blunt and to the point for it to sink through her skull. More than anything, she desires to be the type of friend that people can talk to if they have an issue or need support, even if--hypocritically enough--she is hesitant to share her own feelings and struggles with others.

Pokemon:

"Ithel (Dusknoir)"

Ithel

^{Physical Age: 24 | Species: Dusknoir}

A Pokejinka of few words, Ithel's tall and intimidating appearance shadows the fact that he is, in reality, a rather gentle--and socially awkward--individual. He rarely speaks not because he has nothing to say, but because he is incredibly nervous when in the presence of those who he does not know intimately; any attempts to speak usually result in some garbled, tongue-tied mess, so he's decided it's best to just not speak at all to save himself the embarrassment.

Since he retains his abilities as a ghost Pokemon, another way that he uses to avoid uncomfortable situations or conversations is simply to fade away, sometimes right in front of the individual that is trying to speak to him. Although he can be aggressive depending on the circumstances, Ithel typically prefers to find peaceful ways of resolving any sort of conflict.

And if that doesn't work, throwing Naia over his shoulder and escaping is his go-to answer.

Obtained:
Ithel has been Naia's companion ever since she was a baby. Shortly after she was born, she and her mother moved into an old house that was closer to the latter's workplace, oblivious to the fact that the house came with the bonus of an unwanted tenant. Professor Laurel would later describe the first month of Naia's life being "straight out of a horror movie"; she would spot objects moving by themselves, and at night, she would hear sounds and see a shadow lurking over Naia's crib through the baby monitor. While initially alarmed, this concern soon faded to curiosity when she came to realize that the presence was not malicious; if anything, it seemed quite helpful, going so far as to guide Naia away from danger, pick up dropped toys for her, and even rock her back to sleep if (or rather, when) she woke up in the middle of the night.

While Professor Laurel was eventually able to determine that the presence was in fact a Dusknoir, it was not until two years later did she finally meet the Pokemon face to face. After an awkward, mostly one-sided conversation with the Dusknoir, the professor learned that he had hidden from her in fear that she would drive him out from the home. Additionally, although he had initially begun taking care of Naia as a simple gesture of goodwill (and as an indirect way of saying "please don't kick me out"), they had inevitably formed the close bond that one would expect between a trainer and their Pokemon. Professor Laurel, without hesitation, assured the Dusknoir that he could continue to remain in the house and that she was grateful for the company and care that he provided for her daughter.

For years, the Dusknoir--who was eventually named Ithel--continued to serve as a friend and companion to Naia. However, it wasn't until she made her decision to become a coordinator and travel the world that he officially allowed himself to be caught in a Pokeball. The two continue to be nigh inseparable, and Ithel can more often be found out of his Pokeball than in it.

"Charity (Lilligant)"

Charity

^{Physical Age: 19 | Species: Lilligant}

Polite and warm-natured, Charity makes every effort to exert the aura of a mature and responsible individual. Driven by her highly maternal feelings, she has the tendency of trying to take people under her wing and assume an older sister role, regardless of whether they want—or appreciate—the sentiment. Unfortunately, this does mean that she can be quite the busybody when it comes to those whom she is close to, and she is not above sticking her nose places where it doesn’t belong.

Furthermore, for all her efforts to appear wise and ladylike, the fact of the matter is that Charity is far more gullible than she is willing to admit. Although she is surprisingly perceptive when it comes to things that she prioritizes, such as the feelings of her companions, she is anything but when it comes to everything else. If--or rather, when--she starts nagging someone about something, all that is required to get her to stop is a tiny white lie. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be all that convincing either; if she were to ask someone why was late coming back, Charity would be just as likely believe that a massive bird swooped down and carried them off for some time as she would if they just told her they had run into a friend.

Charity was the Pokemon that Naia used most often in Pokemon Contests, and she presently possesses half a dozen ribbons.

Obtained:
Excluding Ithel, Charity was the first Pokemon that Naia caught, and had been a Petilil when they first met one another. Charity had been in the midst of traveling with a group of Petilils and Lilligants when an unexpected storm separated her from her companions. It was shortly after this point, lost and alone, that she found herself wandering her way to the Laurel Residence.

After learning of her plight, Naia and Ithel packed a bag full of supplies and set out with Charity in hopes of helping her find her group. However, as the days wore on, it quickly became clear that the group was long gone. When no hints to their location turned up after two weeks of searching, Naia extended an offer to the dejected Lilligant: if she so desired, she could join the pair of them and become a part of their team. Then, if they were to come across her group at some point during their travels, Charity would be free to join back up with her friends and family.

Accepting the offer, Charity allowed herself to be captured. Although they have yet to encounter her old group, Charity has made herself quite at home with Naia and Ithel, and seems content to live in her present situation than fret about the past or the future.

"Wild Pokejinka"

Arcanine

^{Physical Age: 18 | Species: Arcanine | Recruitable: Yes}

Playful and passionate, this Arcanine Pokejinka has spent the greater part of her life fleeing from trainers who have attempted to capture her. Although she holds no ill-will towards humans--and is, in fact, quite fond of them--she is a free-spirit by nature. She loathes the idea of being tied down to a particular place or to a specific person, and she likes the fact that she has no responsibility to anyone besides herself.

Although her transformation from Pokemon to a Pokejinka was surprising, she finds it to be more exciting than anything else. Her favourite part so far has been messing with the trainers who occasionally return in hopes of catching her; she had a ton of fun pranking them during the first few days when news had yet to really spread about the transformations.

While she has rebuffed many trainers' attempts to get her to join their team, this isn't to say that Arcanine is 100% against ever joining someone--it just means that it'll take someone who is able to pique her interest and who can promise her freedom within their partnership. Until then, she is more than content to be by her lonesome.

[Kit N Kat]

Certainty am interested in this. It's been a few years since I played gijinkas and certainty a few since I last GM'd, but I'd be glad to help if needed.

[Shadow Daedalus]

Seems very interesting, and I love the idea of RPing as pokejinkas. Not many of those around

[Cyndyr]

I'm going to drop my interest. No promises since I'm rather busy, but I really can't resist. This is just so very unique.

[Lime Blossoms]

I'm excited to see that there's interest, and a huge thank you for the offer to help! :) As you can see, there's still a lot that still kind of needs to be ironed out.

I guess the biggest question I have right now is whether this would work better in a smaller group of 4-5 people, or if it can work with a large group!

[Kit N Kat]

Smaller group might work better with this, since each person is playing a handful of characters at a time. (tbh i kinda want to play a freelance shiny umbreon. She's an old character of mine I've been wanting to reboot)
*EDIT* If you need any help, I'll gladly iron things out.

[Rune_Alchemist]

I will drop my interest in this.

Because I totally need another RP. hahaha, riiight.

My thoughts on stuff:
Greater goal/conflict at large? Should an opposing team (i.e. Team Rocket) be brought in? Maybe a team (of humans, Pokejinka, or a mix) arguing whether it's humane to continue keeping Pokemon. Eventual breakdown in society?

Its always a nice idea to have some sort of external conflict to help motivate players into action, especially those that may not normally work together to temporarily do so.

Should recruitable Pokejinka be played only by GMs, or should the option to play a recruitable Pokejinka be open to everyone? I'm leaning towards the latter at the moment, though if the former is chosen, that also brings up the question of who plays the Pokejinka (the GM or the trainer's player) after they're recruited.
Maybe a bit of both? The wild pokejinka is played by the GM when its wild, and when it is captured it becomes the players. Would be the simplest way, however if you're like me you don't entirely enjoy playing other peoples characters, so that might pose a problem. Might be best to just let them be created by the player.

Should this be opened up to a large number of RPers, or is it ideally confined to a small group? This is especially important in terms of how characters are going to travel.
Honestly, small groups have always worked better more cohesively in my opinion.

At least one other GM? Please help me, I am a mess at RPs haha...

I wouldn't mind, though I am admittedly a fairly bad GM myself, but if you want plot ideas I've been told I'm awesome at it. Though, they can get fairly grandiose and world-changing sometimes. (I like the drama and the 'save the world' sort of thing xP)

[2b3heart]

I'm interested!

[Raijinslayer]

Drops interest, though I have to ask a few questions?

First, how widespread are Pokejinka a d who was the person to catch them? I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty sure that most people wouldn't go around catching human-looking Pokemon. The OP makes me think they're still pretty new, and thus, not as well known. Also, would wild Gijinka retain memories of themselves as Pokemon, and how do regular Pokemon react to them. Also, are Pokejinka stronger then regular Pokemon, or just smarter?

[Viciousmarrow]

Interested! I've been wanting to do a pokejinka rp for a while now.

[GoredGuar]

Very interested in this! Looks like a fun idea :3

[Lime Blossoms]

Thank you for all the interest! I'm really excited to get everything done and started! And sorry for inevitable typos in this reply--I'm on a veeeery glitchy phone.

@Rune_Alchemist Thank you for all your feedback! I will definitely be planning a conflict at large so that the characters actually have a goal to work towards. :)

@Raijinslayer

• Pokejinka are still quite new; not all captures are documented, of course, but there are definitely some people out there who probably don’t care that they look more human now (i.e. whoever I end up making antagonist, maybe). Otherwise, it’ll operate like recruiting a new party member or something—it’ll be dependent on the individual playing the Pokejinka whether they’ll allow themselves to be recruited or captured, and how. Maybe some have to be convinced or bribed, while others have their own requirements.
• So far, all of Lumiose City and the areas surrounding it have been hit, but it’s rapidly spreading throughout the region. At this point, news has definitely gotten out to all the regions and travel in and out of Kalos is under lockdown.
• All Pokejinka retain their memories. Their mannerisms, on the other hand, obviously depend on how they feel about their newfound circumstances.
• Regular Pokemon will be able to sense that the Pokejinka used to be like them. Otherwise, again, the reaction is dependent on the individual (are they alarmed? Curious? Frightened?)
• They aren’t any stronger. Technically not any smarter either, just able to show their intellect in a different way now!

[Kit N Kat]

[@Lime Blossom] I think it might be best that we close off to other people, considering how many people already show interest.

[Kit N Kat]

@Lime Blossoms

[Lime Blossoms]

@Kit N Kat True! There has been enough interest I think, though I'm hesitant to close it off completely when I know that people tend to just come and go anyways from interest threads/nothing has been set up 100% anyways at this point.

And since I apparently screwed up and the mentions didn't work in my last post (and I assume editing the mentions in doesn't make them work): @Rune_Alchemist @Raijinslayer

[Rune_Alchemist]

@Lime Blossoms
Oh, no worries there xD

but yeah, editing the mentions in tends to not work. Still definitely here though, and very much am interested~

I'll probably be playing a wild pokejinka. Might make a trainer, though. Haven't entirely decided yet.

[Kit N Kat]

@Lime Blossoms If you don't mind, I kinda wanna play a freelance pokemon, kinda. Not really under any trainer or anything of the sort, though teamed up with some of the trainers. I thought it might be fun.

[LunayMochizuki]

I would like to join

[Raijinslayer]

@Lime BlossomsStill in myself, and will probably be doing a wild Pokejinka and, if possible, a Zoroark Pokejinka trainer that could pass for human? I think it'd be an interesting idea. He'd only run with regular pokemon, though, and he wouldn't use pokeballs unless they couldn't normally fit in buildings and such.