roleplayerguild.com/topics/198298-pok…

thread is up, might be a bit before I do the first post

I’m interested!

wow! That was fast!

Imagine a sports anime like Haikyu or Hajime no Ippo, but with the lovable mascots of your favorite game series! Expect training arcs, tournaments, and lots of angst! Do you have what it takes to thrive?

Alright, you got me. I've been in a sports anime mood for a while and as I work on my own future pitch, I think this pokemon sports could be fun.

I do have some questions though. Given you mention beating a regional champion is "just the beginning" are the characters meant to be beginners just starting out on their journey (or like a couple months in) or are they meant to already have accomplished a championship and the RP is following these vets getting even stronger in "Valkyrie"?

Also, Valkyrie League itself isn't really mentioned in the pitch, so I'm wondering if its a specific league for the best of the best, a training program for trainers akin to people seriously going after Olympic medals IRL, or just the RP title (which would be fine haha). I want to know how and why the characters would be around each other or if they even will be.

@Yankee

I will admit, I am pretty rusty with gming. Some of the people here really know how to draw you in with their ads and openers, and I envy that haha.

The idea here was that the characters had long since beaten the champion. I know in the games you beat them and replace them, but in this world, it's like getting your black belt: you've proven you understand how to fight, but that doesn't mean you're a master. So we would be playing well accomplished trainers, the kind that have a full team and a lot of accomplishments behind them. They'd be competing on, like you mentioned, an Olympic level.

I imagined the 'Valkyrie league' is more or less a stand-in for whatever group is orchestrating these Olympic-level Pokémon matches. They set up battlefields, transport everyone participating, record the matches, etc. This is 100% a stand-in name, I just wanted to throw the idea out there first. This all said, I do like the idea of making it a training program for high-level trainers hoping to go pro. That might be better than what I was imagining. Having them all be competitors makes it harder to beleive they'd interact outside of matches, and this is not Arena forums.

No problem! GMing is tough, but your initial sell was just fine! I just had the follow ups which you answered for me!

I think just using the name "Valkyrie League" for the in-character group/league is perfect because it already evokes the kind of feeling you seem to be going for (the organization looking for the pinnacle of "warriors"). As for what direction you go, whatever you think will be the most fun is probably best so interest stays. Training league with a group of friendly rivals that grow and compete against each other definitely has a more "sports anime" feeling in my opinion, and everybody loves seeing character growth, but there is merit in starting with high level characters too.

Or maybe split the difference and have the recruiters be those dudes in the gyms giving advice to people challenging them, and participants get scouted for Valkyrie training program after X number of badges? To weed out the weak early without spending real time or resources on it lol. Then you can still have recording, practice arenas, and transport going on to test out their chosen trainers against various regional leagues. Really I think either way works so just go with what seems best to you!

I am liking what you're adding to this idea! Thank you!

I like the idea of these people being scouted. Perhaps the actual 'Valkyrie league' is more like a goal for the players. When they finish training, that's where they will go. In the meantime, they're all in some smaller 'league' for people showing a lot of potential. Still doing professional matches and entering tournaments, but on a smaller scale. A lot more focus on training and friendly rivalries, like you stated. That does feel a lot more like the genre we are going for.

Could the first arc be leading up to like a freshman tournament?

this is a yes. Alternate forms allowed or not?

@tadcfnaf Regional variants and mega evolutions are fine!

You have my attention.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but I would ask if this intended to be, for lack of a better way of putting it, PvP focused or...?
I mean I assume obviously players will battle each other at some point no matter what. Just curious to what extent it will be emphasised.

I feel like words are failing me and there had to have been a better way to ask that. I hope that made sense.

@KillamriX08 I imagined this would be very pvp heavy, yes.

Well... it sounds cool and you get big points for mentioning Hajime no Ippo so I guess I'm in.

I am very open to suggestions too! I wasn't sure the best way to format this rp just had a vibe I wanted to capture. Did you have a character in mind?

I like the idea of these people being scouted. Perhaps the actual 'Valkyrie league' is more like a goal for the players. When they finish training, that's where they will go. In the meantime, they're all in some smaller 'league' for people showing a lot of potential. Still doing professional matches and entering tournaments, but on a smaller scale. A lot more focus on training and friendly rivalries, like you stated. That does feel a lot more like the genre we are going for.

Could the first arc be leading up to like a freshman tournament?

That sounds great to me!

As for PvP, that makes sense too. I imagine it would be part of training, and possibly like rankings within this pre-league program (if that's what you're going with). I guess it would be slice of life (life on the road or in dorms or whatever), practical training with each other (PvP), and then professional matches with NPCs until tourney brackets pit the characters against each other for real?

I have a few other RP obligations at the moment, but I'll see about submitting a sheet after that. I can say right now my concept is a Pokéathlete that swapped from competing in Pokéathlon to professional battling.

I’m interested

I am very open to suggestions too! I wasn't sure the best way to format this rp just had a vibe I wanted to capture. Did you have a character in mind?

Not much for suggestions at the moment, but I'll let you know.
And I figured I'd recycle a character a made for another game a long time ago, though obviously modify them as needed to fit this better.
You said lots of angst, so they'll be a perfect fit for this.
Should I put the sheet together now and post it here? It's been a hot minute since I joined a group RP...

<Snipped quote by Birdboy>

As for PvP, that makes sense too. I imagine it would be part of training, and possibly like rankings within this pre-league program (if that's what you're going with). I guess it would be slice of life (life on the road or in dorms or whatever), practical training with each other (PvP), and then professional matches with NPCs until tourney brackets pit the characters against each other for real?

I do like the sound of that if that aligns with the original vision for the RP.

I’ll probably be a Fairy type specialist. Because that’s my thing.

For me, im going to specialise in alternate forms.

@KillamriX08 yeah please feel free to start making a character. It will be a little while before I get out an IC