[SU/DS] Deadroads - Shadow Over Kanto RP

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Deadroads - Shadow Over Kanto

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A WEEKEND OF OUTDOOR FUN

It started with a simple camping trip among old friends and new friends. North of Cerulean City, by Route 25, seemed like the perfect spot to enjoy some fresh air and a few days outside, sleeping under the stars. A campsite north of Bill's Cottage, called White Pines, was where you and some friends decided to spend the weekend camping together before the season ended. Everything was fine with good food, games, playing with your Pokémon, and relaxing outside.

Things seemed normal at first after spending the first day together. No one suspected anything was wrong. And then day two happened. It all started with you and your friends hearing screams from the neighboring campsite next to yours. Suddenly there was a commotion, a struggle in one of the tents, and then the next thing you know, one of the neighboring campers steps out of his tent with blood all over him with a face of horror and disbelief.

You took a peek inside, and it looked like his girlfriend had turned into what can only be described as a zombie. Her flesh was falling off, her jaw was barely hanging on, and her eyes had gone cold and gray. All before her boyfriend had to use a wood-splitting axe and bury it in her skull. Between you and them, no one knows how it happened or what is going on, but something feels drastically wrong.

And just before you try to discuss what to do with everyone else, in the distance, you hear the most unnatural howl you've ever heard. You could swear it sounded like the cry of a Pokémon, only it sounded twisted and deranged...

You're not sure what's going on, but you grab your essentials and leave the rest behind. It's time to get out of here...

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW

The following are details your character isn't aware about yet, but they play a major role in how this all happened and they'll be slightly influencing how you post and what things you come across as you try to escape Kanto, with or without your humanity. These are also things you can have your character learn about as they try to work on escaping.

In the dead center of Saffron City, a biological weapon went off, spreading a mutagen throughout the air that has been spreading all over Kanto. It was intended to transform both humans and Pokémon alike into zombies and frenzied mutant combinations of each other, which would then kill each other, eliminate any survivors that evaded getting transformed themselves, and essentially create an environment where all of Kanto would kill itself from within. While it has been very effective at doing this, it has only been loosely successful so far. Many people and Pokémon remain unaffected. At least so far...

Meanwhile, no one really knows who was responsible for the bomb. Some are suspecting a more nefarious and vengeful Team Rocket revival, but loose rumors are all that anyone has right now. It's suicide for any living and unaffected creature to get close to the detonation site to investigate and all of Saffron City is a hellhole right now with mutants and anarchy everywhere. Authorities are calling it "The Silencer Virus" as it seems the main intention behind this attack was to leave the cities mostly intact, but exterminate anything living within. One can only guess why this was the intended way of eliminating Kanto. Perhaps the ones responsible are hoping to rush in and recover something once no living thing stands in their way...

What exists out there: The intended results

These grizzly byproducts were the original intention behind the weapon.

Infected Humans/Pokémon - The most common component of the virus has turned ordinary humans and Pokémon (both wild and domesticated) into violent, mentally-stripped zombies and tumor-laden ghouls that seek only to kill and feed. They're slowly decaying and dying, so that even if they accomplish their goals of killing and feeding, they're doomed to die regardless in due time.

A human or Pokémon yet to be afflicted will also turn if they get bitten by an infected human or Pokémon.

Mutated Humans - Parts of the virus intended to select a smaller percentage (about 10%) of humans and Pokémon to become mutants. These mutants were once humans, now with twisted Pokémon features and capable of Pokémon attacks and abilities, but driven to savage fury and destruction. Or they were Pokémon, now grotesquely fused with a second Pokémon to create a bizarre, angry hybrid of murder. Nothing is right about them and very often their mutations involve having three arms, a single wing, or even additional heads. Their mental capacity has been reduced to what can only be described as aggressively feral. They even work against the zombies, creating an additional level of internal destruction within Kanto.

Mutants tend not to be out to bite unaffected humans and Pokémon like what the infected tend to do. Mutants just outright kill survivors, plain and simple.

"Chimeras" - The ungodly result of humans or Pokémon becoming horrifically combined with multiple Pokémon. As the virus continues to do its dirty work, some mutants grow bigger and more destructive as more parts of Pokémon are added to their already grizzly, further-mutated states. These don't exist at first at the RP's start and are only rare later on. Not every mutant gets to this point, and some are so grotesquely transformed that it's hard to tell what they even started off as.

Chimeras have lost all rational thought and just seek to destroy both infected and unaffected humans and Pokémon alike. They are hard to kill, but need to be stopped before they continue to mutate out of control. Not to mention killing them would be an act of mercy.

What exists out there: The unintended results

The main components of The Silencer Virus were to create the infected zombies that are now spreading all over Kanto, as well as select a small percentage of the population to become mutants, creating a civil war of abominations within Kanto that eventually would kill itself into obscurity.

However, there are several cases where that hasn't happened as intended and instead other results have happened...

Gijinka/Morph - Some humans are turning into what should have been mutants, only they haven't had their mental state negatively affected like the others. Meanwhile, their mutations are a lot more "cleaner" or "orderly" than the grizzly and grotesque mutations that regular mutants have undergone. They resemble a human that now has several features of a single Pokémon, such as fur, tails, claws, wings, and so forth. They have also found themselves able to use attacks and abilities of the Pokémon they're combined with. Unlike mutants, their new Pokémon features blend seamlessly into their bodies to look almost natural. Appendages like wings and tails look and function perfectly as if they were born with them as opposed to looking twisted and misshapen in mutant cases.

Gijinkas still look more like humans with only tails or wings attached while Morphs look much more like Pokémon with fur, feathers, ears, tails, and so forth. Typically what separates the two is how much their feathers, scales, or fur covers their body. Gijinkas, for the most part, still have retained most of their human skin while Morphs are covered from head to toe with fur, feathers, or scales depending on what Pokémon they've been combined with. The reason for this is unknown, and it seems some are just more affected by the transformation than others.

Guardian - Some former Gijinkas and Morphs will survive long enough to become a "Guardian", which is what happens when a Gijinka or Morph gets seamlessly combined with multiple Pokémon the way Chimeras do, only they still keep their mental faculties unaffected. These are very rare.

ESCAPING

Escaping Kanto is extremely difficult right now. Besides trying to avoid the Silencer Virus, the current number of unaffected survivors is dropping rapidly as those still trapped in Kanto are getting infected or they're being killed by the zombies and mutants. Johto Special Forces have also been deployed after Kanto's police and military forces fell victim to the affliction. And these Special Forces also don't discriminate between mutants and Gijinkas/Morphs, as they don't know the later are still human on the inside.

And while the first wave of survivors may have gotten out of the region via ship or through the border, now there are snipers in the mountains and border patrols screening everyone that attempts to cross into Johto. And not too many working ships will still be in Kanto with the evacuations going on. Relief groups have been told to avoid going into Kanto considering how dangerous it has become, so don't expect a rescue to come looking for you!

In terms of you, you're a long walk away from escape. You need to decide if you want to stick with the group, seek escape by sea or by crossing the Johto border into New Bark Town (no climbing the mountains to the west), or try to get to Vermillion City to see if any boats are left. Traveling by car is impossible with abandoned traffic jams and car wrecks everywhere. Of course, if your character becomes afflicted before they escape, that puts a whole new challenge on trying to get out of Kanto.

RNG MECHANICS

For each post you make, your character, their Pokémon, and any of their friends/followers have a 2% chance (each) of becoming afflicted. Fortunately, your main character will only become a Gijinka or a Morph the first time they're affected. Their Pokémon and friends, however, are be subject to become infected zombies or mutants.

Basically, the Cast List will look like this. Main PC characters are in bold, italic and in all caps, their personal Pokémon (up to four) are in bold and italic, while their friends and traveling companions are in regular italic, and the Pokémon of their friends are just in regular text. So it would look something like this:

• REBECCA ANDERSON (Normal)
  
  • Wisher the Pidgeot (Normal)
    
  • Starry the Butterfree (Normal)

• Dave Vickers (Normal)
  
  • Shady the Zorua (Normal)
  • Rox the Golem (Normal)

• Carla Cunningham (Normal)
  
  • Sol the Sunflora (Normal)

So in this case, Rebecca Anderson is the main character the player is handling, and Rebecca has her own Pokémon, a Pidgeot named Wisher and a Butterfree named Starry. Dave is a traveling companion of hers (whom is also handled by the RPer) who has a Zorua and a Golem of his own while Carla is a second companion with her own Sunflora. So whenever the player controlling Rebecca posts, all eight of these people and Pokémon are subject to the RNG (which I'll roll for you), even if their companions aren't mentioned in their posts.

The RNG Results are like this:

Rebecca: 100
Wisher the Pidgeot: 52
Starry the Butterfree: 71
Dave Vickers: 11
Shady the Zorua: 93
Rox the Golem: 77
Carla Cunningham: 76
Sol the Sunflora: 80

So they're all safe! For now. Had any of them rolled a 1 or a 2, they would have been afflicted!

If your main character gets afflicted: They get turned into a Gijinka or a Morph based on a pre-selected choice you make on your sign up for them. And your next post for them covers how their transformation occurs. Note that your character can get afflicted AGAIN even after their first affliction, which means they become a Guardian and get combined with the second or third pre-select choice you make on their sign up. So for example, if you chose Luxray>Zoroark>Honchkrow for your Afflictions on your main character sign up:

1st Affliction: They would become a Gijinka/Morph of a Luxray and would have the tail/fur/ears of Luxray and such. They also can use attacks and moves that a Luxray can use.
2nd Affliction: They're now a Guardian of a Luxray and Zoroark, so besides their Luxray features, maybe they've got a Zoroark mane and a darker blend of fur to go with their Luxray features. They also get a Zoroark's set of attacks and moves to use as well.
3rd Affliction: They're now a Guardian of Luxray, Zoroark, and Honchkrow, so beyond what they now have from the above instances with Luxray and Zoroark, they've got black and maroon Honchkrow wings and such and can also use a Honckrow's attacks and moves.

It's up to you to decide HOW the combining mutations happen, but RNG decides WHEN it happens. ;)

If your character's Pokémon, companions, or the Pokémon of your character's companions get afflicted: In your next post, they get turned into either mutants or zombies. Your choice. They will also be struck out on the character list and won't be rolled for anymore.

If a human companion becomes afflicted but they still had unaffected Pokémon, your main character inherits their Pokémon. So for example, if Dave became a zombie but his Zorua and Golem were just fine after poor Dave had to be given a dirt nap, they would go to Rebecca's name. Although you can imagine they would be pretty shaken up about their trainer becoming the newest member of the walking dead.

SIGN UP

Ready for this?

Name: (Your character's first and last name)
Gender: (Male or Female)
Age: (Age in years)
Description: (Your character's physique and what clothing they're wearing)
Personality: (Your character's emotional intelligence, attitude, and that kind of thing)
Background: (Your character's history prior to the events of the RP)
Pokémon: (Up to four. Up to you if you want to provide details like background and personality on them.)
Affliction Pokémon: (What Pokémon your character gets blended with upon Affliction. Pick three. The first one you list is the one they become first, followed by the second and third.)
Other: (Skills, likes/dislikes, objects of significance they're carrying, and things of that nature can be mentioned here)
Companions (if any): Companions that joined up with your friend (or are members from the other campsite mentioned in the storyline) for the camping trip are listed here:

Human's Name: (Just their name is fine)
Details: A quick mention of their description, personality, and how they know the main character.
Pokémon: (Name and species is fine. Companions can have up to two Pokémon each)

THE CAST

Jonathan Cole (Naomi and Sasha) - Neo Emolga

Name: Jonathan Cole
Gender: Male
Age: 23

Description: Jonathan stands about 6'1" and weighs about 170 pounds. He has a somewhat athletic frame from the many marathons he runs on a regular basis, and he has short brown hair and brown eyes. Meanwhile, he has a lighter-tan skin tone.

For clothing, Jonathan wears a black t-shirt and worn blue jeans. Meanwhile, his black sneakers are somewhat beat-up and have seen a lot of use throughout the years. He also has a gray sports watch on his left wrist and a black leather belt where he has his Pokéballs and his phone.

Personality: Jonathan, for the most part, manages to keep calm and level-headed even when things look pretty bad. He's usually not one to panic or get very stressed out, though he definitely wouldn't outright ignore something dangerous. But usually he's one of the last people to panic or get stressed out. Generally, he's friendly, but he doesn't like to do anything especially risky or illegal.

Jonathan works as an emergency medical transport driver, and as a requirement for his job, he needs to know first aid, CPR, and what to do when someone is significantly injured or needs help. As a result, he's seen some pretty gruesome and bloody sights, so the appearance of such things is not something he isn't used to. He's slightly less empathic than most as a result, but he doesn't come across as a jerk to everyone else.

Background: Jonathan was originally born in Mauville City, Hoenn, to his father, Logan Cole and his mother, Rebecca. At the age of four, his parents divorced, leaving Jonathan and his younger brother Patrick to live with his mother, who gained full custody. Eventually they moved to Pewter City, Kanto, where both boys went to school. While they trained Pokémon when they got older, their travels around the region were brief and Jonathan had only collected three badges before he decided to go back to school.

Jonathan had many friends throughout the years, but then came and went and only a very few of them were ones he held onto. Throughout his years of school, Jonathan was a good student and made salutatorian of his high school class. After majoring in biology in Pewter City community college, he had intentions of going to medical school, but the rising costs of education forced him to have to work a few years. While still saving for medical school to become an internal medicine doctor, he felt this camping trip would be a good idea of clean fun and a good opportunity to meet new people.

With the current situation, Jonathan is already aware the circumstances surrounding the zombies and deranged Pokémon is a biological anomaly and that it couldn't have been a natural occurrence considering how quickly it started taking effect. However, while he has his hunches, he knows something dangerous and very deadly is going on.

Pokémon:

Striker the Raichu - Generally easy-going and casual, Striker is a very "no worries" kind of Pokémon. Striker also started off as Jonathan's first.
Solaris the Espeon - Guile, as well as cold and calculating, Solaris is very perceptive for a Pokémon and can sometimes be a bit judgmental toward others, though she is loyal to Jonathan.
Stash the Hawlucha - Stash is very outgoing and energetic, always looking for ways to get involved and be a winner. Was given to Jonathan because his previous trainer felt he was "too much to handle."
Breaker the Talonflame - Usually a very no-nonsense Pokémon that just wants to get the job done quickly and easily without too much hassle.

Affliction Pokémon: Lopunny > Ninetales > Umbreon
Other: Jonathan is especially well-trained in first aid and medical-related issues. He mainly enjoys reading fantasy and science fiction novels, but he really doesn't like rap music. He's not a fan of spicy foods either.
Companions (if any):

Human's Name: Naomi Walker
Details: Though Jonathan came by himself, Naomi was a member of the other campsite and she and her friend Sasha have decided to travel with Jonathan.
Pokémon: Peach the Dragonite and Dazzle the Leafeon

Human's Name: Sasha Davis
Details: Sasha is a friend of Naomi, also part of the neighboring campsite. She's scared of what's going on, but she likes the fact Jonathan seems smart and knows a thing or two about medicine. She only just met him but she feels pretty safe around him.
Pokémon: Caramel the Furret and Coco the Ampharos