Jory

Just for your information, average grunt Pokemon level is 28. Also, I'll be waiting on a couple more replies before I react to anyone's post. EDIT: Wow, that blew up fast. Glad to see so many people are still paying attention! The people involved in this will find themselves with a level advantage over those who weren't. I'll have time to post a big update later.

There's obviously stuff going on that would be helpful to know, but the majority of characters in this would be OCs so it wouldn't matter too much anyway. The OP world is so large that at any given moment anything could be happening away from the Straw Hats. Even the Marines (up to Admirals) can be OC. But yes, knowing things in OP would be very helpful.

You wouldn't need to catch up to participate, as it's only loosely based on the events. As in we might get ripples, but not anything that would rock the boat.

Hey guys, how's it going? I figured I'd ask if anyone would be into doing a One Piece RP. Basically, there'd be two options in terms of player faction: You could play with the Crew, a yet unnamed band of misfits supplied by YOU. The fun part? After the first mission, if all goes well, a Captain will be elected. He or she will then help make decisions about navigating from wherever we start to the Grand Line and beyond. Ideally we would stray away from the events of the main series, with the only mention of it in the background. This means the current anime and manga events will be happening at the same time as our story. The second option is to play as a Marine or Bounty Hunter, who would be part of the Marines and who would be tasked with interfering in the Crew's missions. Should you earn it, you can actually prevent the Crew from doing their job and earn promotions in the process. That's it. Let me know what you guys think or if you'd be interested, because I love One Piece and feel like the universe in that series is ripe for use in RP.

Yay triple post! You guys should notice that I've put a huge wall of text in the IC. This is the start of a pretty major event. It's my first one, so here's to that. Anyone in the audience should make their way to Waiting Room B. As long as you post that you're on the way, I'll make sure you encounter both friend and foe. Murdoc, you should know what to do. Anyone who I potentially missed, or was not in the Arena, get there. As punishment you have an encounter on the way that I'll be writing.

((Check the OOC for instructions. BGM optional but advised:)) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRgXGigPKuc {Outside Uno's Lab} The timer hit zero. "Just a bit too late, Albert," the Professor said with mock sadness. The door instantaneously disappeared in a flash of red light that was oddly similar to that of a Poke Ball, leaving the way to Redwood's lab completely unobstructed. Uno attempted to rush in through the vacant doorway before his student could catch up. As he turned, there was a flash of white. Suddenly, the Professor's belt buckle shot backward, preventing him from moving through the threshold of the doorway. Albert stood with a Poke Ball in hand, a Probopass floating next to him. "Great work, Herschel. Now maybe the good Professor wants to tell us why he's breaking into Redwood's lab?" Albert asked harshly, betrayal evident in his voice. "What's going on here?" Uno laughed, shaking his head. "You always were too smart for your own good. I have no time or need to explain myself to a snot-nosed little brat like you. Simply rest assured that everything I'm doing is for the greater good." He reached to his belt and pulled off a Ball that Albert had never seen before. Unlike most Poke Balls, it was a solid color scheme. However, the entire Ball was a mottled silver. "So you understand that it's nothing personal, you see. I'm simply going to remove you from my path." He clicked the button in the center of the Ball and a Beheeyem appeared in a flash of white light. Albert only nodded, then pumped his fist. "Herschel, Flash Cannon!" The Probopass fired off a huge white beam, creating a large explosion in the middle of the hallway. As the dust cleared, a shining blue barrier showed around the Beheeyem and his Trainer. Dammit, he's good, the student thought to himself. But I just have to hold him off until help gets here! "Subject 51, stop playing games." The Beheeyem dropped the shield and charged a large, glowing orange ball of energy, pitching it viciously toward the Probopass. {The Arena- Finally, some action!} Just as Jacob was about to reveal his Trapinch's attack, a loud crackling noise could be heard over the speakers. Murmurs came from the audience as the battlers looked around, confused by the equipment malfunction. Suddenly and without warning, the screens around the Arena began to display static. People in the crowd began to look to one another, bewildered at the low quality of the tournament being held. Out of the gray, black, and white fuzziness on the screen, a logo began to coalesce. It was a simple design; a silver metallic pyramid with a simple eye embossed in the material. A voice came over the speaker, apparently addressing the audience. "Well, isn't this fascinating?" the voice asked. It didn't sound malicious, oddly enough. It sounded like a young man. "A tournament? Held for what purpose, I wonder?" The voice went silent. "Ah, I see. I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but this is, well... This is rather embarrassing. You know those Pokemon you hold so dearly?" The audience looked nervously at their Pokemon, wondering what was coming next. Luckily, the voice answered for them. "I'm afraid I need them more than you do." That was when all hell broke loose. An explosion rocked the campus, seemingly coming from the academic building. The audience members began to panic, rushing in a wave toward the emergency exits in an overwhelming tide of flesh. It would be some time before anyone inside the Arena could even hope to get out through the main exits. Perhaps Waiting Room B had an additional exit? {Jacob, Kage, & Bart Jenkins- Arena, Main Field: Hostiles inbound!} Meanwhile, on the main field, Jacob was shocked to see what appeared to be four thick cables drop down from seemingly out of nowhere. He was even more shocked when he began to see two men and women in some really freakin' cool outfits dropping down each of them. He turned to Kage, thinking quickly. "Forget the Finals!" the young Trainer said, wincing as the words left his mouth. There'll be other tournaments. Right now we need to get to safety. "We need to get out of here! Let's head to Waiting Room A!" He took two Balls off his belt, tossing them into the air. Arete and Spitfyre appeared. Seeming to grasp the situation, they prepared for battle. Jacob heard footsteps behind him and turned, ready to fight. However, what he saw delighted him. Bart Jenkins stood in the middle of the field, looking from one combatant to the other. "Don't just stand there!" he shouted at Kage. "Get your Pokemon ready to battle!" With that said, he reached to his own belt and grabbed three Poke Balls. He threw them into the air, releasing half of his team in one motion. An Infernape leapt into a combat stance mere feet from his master's side. "Alright! Luffy! We've got this on lock. Help protect the first-years!" By the time the first two students finished preparing, the squadron had finished dropping out of the sky. They appeared to be wearing charcoal combat pants and black combat boots with charcoal zip-up jackets on top. Strangely enough, they were also wearing white metal pauldrons. Through small gaps in the armor one could see a system of pulleys and cables housed within them. To complete their otherworldly ensemble, the people wore white gloves and flared white helmets with shiny purple visors over the eyes. The visors looked like the had some form of HUD upon closer inspection. It was very clear that whoever these people were, they had an abundance of absolutely kickass technology at their fingertips. Two thugs approached Jacob and Kage, while four rushed Bart. "There's one! Set for stun!" one of the four shouted. They each threw a Poke Ball, in total containing a Klang, two Magnetons, and a Porygon. Luffy the Infernape rushed to intercept them, his fists aflame as he charged into the fray. Two more charged at Jacob, releasing an Elgyem, a Magneton, and a Lairon. The final pair ran at Kage, throwing out a Metang, a Voltorb, and an Elgyem. {Waiting Room A- Phoebe} The Water-type Trainer grinned smugly as her Blastoise's Hydro Pump attack sent the strangely-dressed mob that had assaulted the room packing. However, she could hear them calling for reinforcements. Shit. This can't be good. She quickly picked up her walkie-talkie, which was squawking like a murder of Murkrow after a midsummer picnic. Through all the commotion she could make out Tyron's voice reporting in about driving off attackers at Waiting Room B. From what she could gather, the whole campus was under attack by these crazy people. They'd come from the forest and from the sky, managing to incapacitate a good portion of the school's in-house security force thanks to the element of surprise and their sheer numbers. The Ymora National Guard was on their way, but it would be at least another twenty-five minutes or so before the first troops would be able to chopper in. In other words, the Ymora Academy was on its own.

Sorry about the wait! This week was pretty hectic thanks to work starting and family things for the 4th of July. A post should be up by tomorrow night.

{Jacob} The young man nodded, then pumped his fist back and smiled. "Let's give 'em one hell of a show! Teo, let's get things started! Antlion Den, go!" With the first command of the battle issued, Teo promptly jumped up and tipped his mouth down, diving into the earth beneath the arena. Suddenly, the ground beneath Lucas turned to sand and began to slope harshly down toward the center of the circular area, with Lucas standing near the perimeter. Oddly enough, it seemed to have no effect on the Kirlia. {Inside the Arena} "What an... exemplary... play?" Marco said into the mic, his voice rising in question at the end. "Now that Jacob's done nothing, it seems as though Kage will have a chance to strike for free." The crowd murmured anxiously, wondering why the highly anticipated final round was turning out to be so dull. {Just outside Uno's Laboratory} Uno grinned as he exited his lab and walked into the corridor. He immediately turned right and stopped at the sliding metal door next to his. Unlike his colleagues, this lab's occupant had no qualms about marking his territory. Never one for subtlety, were you, Craig? the professor thought to himself as he admired the workmanship on the plaque that read: Professor Craig Juniper in embossed script. Uno removed a device from his lab coat pocket and fiddled with it for a moment before placing it firmly on the door. It was a small metal disc that shone under the hallway's fluorescent lights, bare save for three digits in the center. "Start," Uno commanded. A bright red, blinking 1:00 became 0:59. The professor turned around, moving only a few steps before a familiar voice rang out behind him. "Professor Uno?" Albert asked. "Start what?"

{The Arena- Anticipated Match! The Finals Begin!} The speakers blared as Marco began his commentary of the finals. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Both contestants have taken the field! Now, introducing our guest referee for the match, it's the Winter Cup Champion from two years ago. You know him and you love him, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Bart Jenkins!" A very dark-skinned teenager of fairly average build who looked about seventeen years old walked out of a tunnel in the middle of the Arena. He stepped onto the referee's platform and waved to the crowd, a bright smile on his face. The camera did a close up of the photogenic young man and his face was plastered on the jumbotron, apparently much to the delight of the screaming girls in the audience. He cleared his throat and spoke, his voice projected on the speakers thanks to a small mic clipped to the collar of his Hawaiian shirt. "Alright guys," he said, looking from Jacob to Kage. "Your match is going to be a Singles Battle involving all three of your Pokemon. You each are allowed one switch. When all three of your Pokemon have fainted, the Trainer with Pokemon still standing will be declared the winner. Guys, I want a clean battle. Bring honor to the Winter Cup. But most of all, have fun," he said amiably. He procured a coin from his pocket and showed it to the combatants. "Heads means Jacob goes first. Tails is Kage." The young man flipped the coin. The sunlight glinted off it as it sailed through the air, coming back down to land in Bart's hand. "Heads. The first move goes to Jacob." He then smiled. "Release your Pokemon. Then, Jacob, whenever you're ready to begin, you may." {Jacob} The teen smiled and looked up at the audience, his eyes full of wonder as he took everything in. In fact, he was so busy doing that that he was caught completely off guard when Bart finished speaking. "Oh... Uh..." He quickly thought and regained his footing, reaching down to his belt. "Alright. You haven't let me down yet today. I know we can do it!" He unlatched a Ball from his belt and threw it into the air. It exploded in a swirling pinwheel of sand, which Teo popped out of. He landed on his feet and gave a gurgling battlecry, challenging Kage and his Pokemon. "Let's see what you've got, roomie!" Jacob said excitedly. This is it! The Winter Cup!

Lux thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'm ready."

I'm excited

Two things: One, I'm not sure why every host here seems to be kill-happy. If you don't want your character dead, he/she will not die in this. Period. It's meant to be a fun roleplay, not super dark. Two, once Murdoc posts that Kage is in position to battle I'll be writing up the next post. This will trigger plot events. If you want to be involved, make sure your character is in one of the two places mentioned (the academic building or the Arena). That's it for housekeeping.

{Jacob} The Trainer looked at the clock. It's time, he thought to himself. He looked to his Pokemon and nodded, no words needed to convey his unspoken message: We will win. Then, he quickly returned all of them to their Balls and clipped each capsule onto his belt. He took a deep breath and stood up, beginning to walk down the tunnel toward the Arena.

I'm not really sure what to do about Kenny getting killed to be quite honest. For now he'll be assumed to be missing (parents notified, letters sent home to all students), but missing persons aren't usually noticed for a day or so. The chapter title no longer really applies. There will not be any students abducted in this chapter, as we have few enough as is xD

{Jacob} The competitor laughed lightly and smiled at Slade, glad to have his friend's company. "Thanks for the pep-talk, Slade. This is a huge battle. I just needed a little reality check," he said, sounding as though he was feeling much better. "I'm so excited that I'm almost speechless," he quipped.

As long as the people who posted they'd be here are here, I'm fine with continuing my storyline. I don't need a large audience, just a dedicated one By the way, I'm going to try and crowd source ideas for this RP more. Since you guys are staying and giving the RP your time, you should get to have a say in the direction we go in. I'll be introducing three more characters with the next update, all of whom will be shaped by their interactions with certain students. Everyone who's active will be getting plot-relevant battles and an opportunity to go all out.

{Jacob} The Trainer had been in Waiting Room B since long before the announcement. Truth be told, he was nervous. Really nervous. All his Pokemon were out, even Princess and Chalchi. Jacob was seated atop his Lapras, his Togetic perched on his shoulder and his Trapinch in his lap. I've got this, he thought to himself, although it seemed a hollow expression. "I'll be fine," he said out loud, hoping that actually sounding out the words would make them truer somehow. He continued his nervous self-assurances until finally, one teammate had enough. Spitfyre let out a defiant cry and looked at his Trainer with disappointment. This was the Trainer he had put his faith in? One who would doubt himself when the stakes were the highest? He simply refused to believe it. He grabbed Jacob's leg and pulled him off the Lapras, dragging him over to the monitor. "Char," he said firmly, pointing at the live video footage. Jacob noticed hte 'Mute' icon in the corner of the screen and reached up to the monitor, turning the volume on. He cringed as the TV's volume blared in his ear. He was confused for a moment before realizing that Marco had just announced his name and the crowd had roared its approval. He nodded, looking down at his Charmeleon. "You're right," he said quietly. It was a seemingly miraculous transformation, but Jacob's tone shifted noticeably. "These people are here rooting for me because they've seen what we can do and they believe we can win." He shook his head, looking disappointed. "I'm sorry I let you down just now. By thinking we were going to lose, I wasn't just doubting myself. I was doubting you and Teo and Chalchi, too. But the truth is that we're the strongest!" His eyes flashed and Spitfyre nodded in approval, a grin creeping across his face. "There's no way we'll lose!"

No worries. I just want people to post ;~;

Excuse the double post. I just put up a post in the IC skipping to the Finals day. People who aren't in the battle can go to the waiting rooms to support their friends, get food, or sit and watch the match.

Rooftop Bark nodded again. Then, realizing Vixen couldn't see his head moving, he said a quick, "Gotcha." He stood next to the woman for a moment, feeling an odd sense of camaraderie. Another oathbreaker, perhaps? he wondered. "I'm not going to ask anything about this 'other part' of yours. Just know that I've probably been in a similar situation," he said sincerely. "Plus, what kind of Deviant would I be if I went ahead and helped the factions?" he said with a light chuckle. "Bastards that they are." He cleared his throat for a moment, feeling as though he'd forgotten something. Then, he realized. "You've probably got some crazy sniper-assassin-hunter tracking skills, right? I'll let you take the lead. Anything needs smashing, you just let me know."

Bumping this thread. As of now, the matches have been decided. Kage wins in Ryan vs. Kage Jacob wins in Danielle vs. Jacob The final will take place in the IC thread.

I posted a thing today. Housekeeping stuff: Let's get those battles finished that's it

Rooftop Bark nodded. "You're correct on both counts." He offered the woman a grin. "You can call me Bark. And I'm more of a Deviant these days. Not exactly in good graces with the Preservers and the Protectors won't have me, so it's not like I'll ever owe them anything." The large man gestured to Vixen. "Not much else to tell over here."

{Professor Uno's Laboratory} The black countertop had been polished so well it practically gleamed under the fluorescent lights. It ran in a ring around the relatively spacious room and began again in an island that spanned more than half the length of the lab. There were sinks on the far wall and on part of the island closest to the door. This solitary portal to the outside world was stationed in the middle of its own wall, the metal door nearly blending into the charcoal paint on the walls. There was an orderly clutter all around, with glass-doored cabinets revealing meticulous rows of all sorts of sciencey glassware. On the counter opposite the door was a Master Ball suspended six inches above the workbench by a miniscule pair of robotic arms. A third arm poked and prodded at the inside of the Ball. Hunched over the experiment was a man wearing what appeared to be night vision goggles. He glanced periodically at a screen that was giving some sort of readout, nodding and muttering to himself as he ran his tests. We’re not quite there yet. Still, I should be able to finish by the time- Suddenly a buzzer sounded loudly. Someone at the door. He put down his holo-tablet and removed his goggles, moving with a remarkable calmness. The man moved to a small mirror and fixed his short white hair. Despite his hair, he was actually quite young. At only thirty three years old, he was the youngest of his colleagues. He brushed a spot of soot off his prominent cheekbone, a result of an earlier experiment gone awry. He realized he was grinding his teeth and put a stop to it, halting his narrow jaw in its track. Satisfied with his cleaned up appearance, he went to the door and pressed a small button on the outside of the doorframe. The large metal door slid open, revealing an older student. He seemed to be about seventeen or eighteen. He had an olive complexion and jet black hair. His gaze seemed to unravel whatever it was he was looking at, examining every aspect of it. He blinked as the door opened, finally realizing who was standing in front of him. “Sorry, Professor Uno!” the student gushed. “I know I’m a few minutes early, but I wanted your thoughts on a project I want to do for an independent study!” Uno smiled. Albert was a quick study, one of the smartest students he’d ever taught. “Not a problem, Mr. Nichols. Come in.” The student entered the Professor’s lab. “The Winter Cup is awesome this year! There are some really good competitors. And the Opening was amaaaaaazing!” he said, his rapid-fire speech giving way to seemingly randomly elongated words. His eyes caught on the setup on the far counter, becoming wide as saucers. “Wow! A Master Ball!” Uno nodded slowly. “Yes. Redwood was kind enough to request one for me from Silph. They only make them rarely, and they’re only permitted for research purposes. Trainers having them is quite an anomaly, despite the legends I’m sure you’ve heard.” Albert grinned. “Well, what I had to say can wait. You need to make sure you eat, Professor. You’ve been in the lab all day.” All Uno could do was chuckle. “You’re right, you’re right. Come with me. We’ll get some food and you can tell me all about that experiment.” With that, the pair left the lab, heading toward the Winter Cup grounds. Behind them, the metal door slammed shut, the lock sliding into place with a foreboding clang. ----------------------- THE NEXT DAY ----------------------- {The Arena Marco, all students except Jacob and Kage} A loud cheer could be heard coming from the Arena. The Academy's campus was abuzz with excitement as people began slowly moving toward the epicenter of the action. Suddenly, the loudspeakers crackled to life all across the Ymora Academy. "Greetings on this lovely day, ladies and gentlemen! It is I, Marco, once again here to bring you the most exciting color commentary in the history of the Winter Cup! Today we have a veeeeeeeery exciting treat for you all! That's right, after a long wait and many arduous battles, we're finally here! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to be the first to present you with this year's Winter Cup Final!" As Marco finished his statement, the Winter Cup itself rose from a hydraulic platform on the referee's stage in the Arena. The crowd erupted, many different names being cheered. However, two were the most prominent: Jacob and Kage. After hard-fought semi-final battles against their closest associates on campus, each of them had emerged victorious to battle on the world stage once more. But this time, the stakes were even higher. "The match won't start for another twenty minutes, but let's get to know our contestants! The AV Club has been hard at work preparing their highlight reels, so let's reel'em out!" The screen illuminated with the Winter Cup logo, a Poke Ball superimposed over a snowflake. A slow EDM beat could be heard building tempo through the speakers as a shockingly deep voice rang out. "Our first contestant today is Kage!" The boy's picture appeared on the screen. He was in the middle of a battle and his determination showed across his face. Then the monitor began switching to clips of his Winter Cup battles. "This year we have a true underdog in the mix. Meet Kageharu Tsukihashi! A student in the Breeder Program, his triumph over many Trainers to get here has not gone unnoticed! With his quick thinking and telepathic link with his Ralts, Lucas, this youngster is a force to be reckoned with! Hailing from Mossdeep City in the Hoenn Region, he's a long way from home but only a short distance from the Winter Cup! Will he be able to make this next gigantic step???" The crowd roared its approval, with chants of Kage, Kage, Kage! raining down from the seats and heard all over campus. After the cheering had died down, the screen returned to the Winter Cup logo. A slow drumbeat and bassline began to pick up as a rock and roll song began to play. "Now, allow me to introduce our next contestant." Footage of Chalchi and Teo's first battle in the Winter Cup began to play on the screen, the double KO starting ripples of chatter among the audience. As the clips kept rolling through, whichever student had done the voiceovers continued. "Hailing from the Unova Region's Accumula Town, he's been touted as the favorite to win this tournament from the get-go. His matches have been edge-of-your seat exciting, and his bold strategies have unsurprisingly led him this far." The screen transitioned to a picture of Jacob with his finger out in front of him, his mouth open as he shouted an order. "Ladies and gentlemen, Jacob Robertson!" Screams of excitement and admiration poured forth from the audience. "Kage, report to Waiting Room A! Jacob, Waiting Room B! Let's get this show on the road!" --------------------------- MEANWHILE... --------------------------- {Professor Uno's Laboratory} As the robotic arms probed and prodded again at the Master Ball, Uno's eyes widened at the readout machine. "Finally..." he muttered. "So that's how they did it. Quite clever, really." He laughed to himself, not caring that no one else was in the lab. "And all those countermeasures to prevent reverse-engineering, too. But I've finally figured it out." He went over to a seemingly blank wall and pressed his hand to it. A band of green light scanned his palm before giving an extremely innocent chime. "Handprint recognized: Authorization granted. Welcome back, Ein," it said. A small computer terminal slid out of a port in the wall. Uno's fingers were like lightning across the familiar surface as he documented his findings. After an arduous ten minutes of continuous typing, he cracked his knuckles and hit the most important keystroke of all: Control-S. A command console almost instantaneously appeared in the center of the screen. A Matrix-like cascade of characters fell like a waterfall down the screen. Some of them stopped at the bottom, beginning to form a sentence. Uno read it, nodded, then pushed the console back into the wall. "Goodbye, Ein," it said sadly. "Why so sad?" Uno said, a sinister smile creeping over his face. "After all this hard work, it's nearly time."