Shock-UNLOCKED!

[yochamp]

Hellooo, fellow trainers!

[ The face lighting up the Gear today is probably unfamiliar to most of the Kanto and Johto residents; it’s been a while since she’s used this thing, after all, and it’s a bit of a process to get the thing to work, but once she sees the blinking light, she puts on her most photogenic smile and gets straight to business! ]

Green here, with an ultra-important announcement! Okay, first things first: we’re thrilled to announce that the reconstruction project was a complete success! Thanks to everyone who decided to help out all month, all of the craziness on the routes in both Johto and Kanto should be totally clear now! You guys should give yourselves huge pats on the back; we couldn’t have done it without all of you! From all of us here at the Pokemon League, we’re so happy that so many people got involved to help out, and we can’t thank you enough! ...Heck, believe it or not, we even managed to get our favorite shy little mountain man to come down to help, too!

[ She swivels the Gear over to her quiet compatriot; if she hadn’t said anything, knowing him, he probably would have stayed quiet the whole time, but she’s not one to just hog up the spotlight here! ...Okay, she totally is, but, listen! He’s the Pokemon Master here, he’s gotta say something! ]

Isn’t that right, Red~?

Ah. Mm-hm.

[Of course that’s right. Whatever she said. Obviously. He’s been paying attention, of course, why would you think anything less? Holding his Pikachu steady, the boy in the hat offers a small bow.]

Thank you. You helped a lot of people and Pokémon get home safely.

[Red turns to Green again, speaking softly.]

Are you telling them about it, or am I supposed to…

I’ll do it, I’ll do it! Geez, you can at least be a little more enthusiastic about it! This is big news, you know! Huge, even! It could totally change the way people think about the world itself! ...Okay, maybe it’s not that big, but it’s pretty big! Listen up: so while we were on cleanup duty, we managed to clear out the way from Route 26 and Route 28 up through the Pokemon League Reception Gate. You guys know what that means? Red, give me a drum roll, or something!

[ She tries to give him a dramatic point, but...it doesn’t look like she’s getting it out of him. Figures. ]

Anyway! It means you guys get to finally pass through Victory Road! It’s a tough cave with lots of strong Pokemon, so it’s probably not the best place to go unless you’re confident you can take it on, but if you’re up to the challenge and you have the badges, go right on through! I’m sure lots of people will make use of it to train up! And you’re going to need it, too! Because waiting at the end of Victory Road is, obviously, the Pokemon League challenge! ...Red, you can handle this part, you know all of the bigwigs up there better than I do!

Okay. [And he must, because he smiles a little.] Once you pass Victory Road, you’ll reach the Indigo Plateau. There, you’ll meet five of the strongest trainers in the world: Will, Koga, Bruno, Karen, and the League Champion, Lance. If you can defeat all of them in a row…

[He stops, then scratches the back of his head a bit, almost sheepishly.]

It used to be that then you would become the Champion, but it’s different now. But, I talked to Blue and Lance, and they said…

[Pikachu’s tail quivers with excitement, and even Red looks practically enthused.]

If you win the Indigo League challenge, you can start your own Gym wherever you live in a new League. The Aurora League. [His slight smile turns to one of amusement.] That’s what Blue did, after I beat him. Became a Gym Leader. So anyone can do it.

Well, you heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen! Beat all five of the Pokemon League members, and you get the chance to start up your own Gym wherever you want! It’s not easy, but, I’m rooting for you guys! Train hard, fight, and win! And if you have any questions, well, feel free to reach me here! I’ll be fielding whatever you guys need!

[Red nods.] Me too. Before I go back, at least.

((OOC: CONGRATULATIONS, Victory Road! You've unlocked, well, Victory Road! You can check out The Elite Four's team here as well as a note on making Aurora League player-run Gyms, and you can find the Gym request form here on the Building Request page. You can also ask OOC questions below or talk to Red and Green ICly! If there's one of them you'd prefer to speak to, please note it in your comment header; otherwise, we'll likely be trading off.

All roads are now clear, and folks can get back to their business in Kanto!

Thanks again for this first month at Victory Road, and here's to many more!))

Comments

OOC QUESTIONS!

[indigo_league]

OOC QUESTIONS!

[ruinimpendent]

okay but what if somebody had a full box at the end of the e4
and couldn't get the dragon egg
would lance cry

(silly questions at 3 am)

Okay but a semi-serious one now. Can Gym Leaders put their gyms... anywhere? Like, if they felt like living alone and getting money for it could they place one in the middle of the sea.

[indigo_league]

Lance would just send the egg to their PC because in Victory Road we DO WHAT WE WANT, WEIRD PROHIBITIVE GAME MECHANICS!

Uhhh no, they can't put their Gym somewhere that other characters can't really get to because then they're essentially shirking their duty as a Gym leader, but they could put it on an out-of-the-way route or in a less populated town if they'd prefer not to have their door kicked down on the daily.

Re: OOC QUESTIONS!

[tearsofademon]

This is super cool, even if it'll take lots of prodding from Rose to get Ryner to actually care. ^^; That's what I get for playing Mr. Lazybutt here.

Question though, because it's a thing I thought of: would it be possible for two characters who both win the league challenge and earn the right to make gyms to make a gym together and sort of co-run it as a tag team a la Tate and Liza?

(cross-asked from Plurk)

[indigo_league]

Yes, a co-run Gym is A-okay as long as both characters have won the League challenge!

[faintwaves]

What if a character is interested in kicking the League's ass but not in being a Gym Leader.

Can they use their gym for something else like say...make it a gym for playing and training in.

[indigo_league]

Well, players can certainly kick the League's ass WITHOUT choosing to become a Gym Leader entirely!

If they would still like a Gym though, they could certainly have a Gym for playing and training in as long as they also provide some sort of challenge for other players. It doesn't have to be a battle. It can be a contest, a really extreme obstacle course, PokéOlympics, something more cerebral, or anything else like that, but the League likes for Gym challengers to come away feeling like they accomplished something cool.

[gainedlove]

There will be warp pads in the main Kanto cities as well, I assume? Also bouncing off of that co-gym idea, what if two gyms are established separately, but the leaders later want to become co-leaders? How would that process go?

Elrics causing all this gym drama, whatchu gonna do

[indigo_league]

Yes, Kanto Pokémon Centers will have warp pads! We'll let you know the order after we fix all the maps.

If two Gym Leaders want to become co-leaders, they should decide on one Gym to keep and let the Indigo League know the score (i.e., you just post to the Aurora Gym Requests comment noting the change and redoing the form to reflect that). The two Gym Leaders can still have different specialties and different Badges if they share one Gym, but if they want to really co-lead, they should try to agree on a theme and a new Badge.

[soundmind]

Okay because I'm dumb and need the clarification: since the warp pads are a permanent fixture, does this mean the teleportation of psychic pokemon will continue to be scrambled and only send you back to the last pokemon center you were at like in the games.

[indigo_league]

Yes, Poképowered teleportation will only send you to the last Pokémon Center you were in. IC explanation can be that the warp pads within the Pokémon Center keep rescrambling things no matter how hard the poor Pokémon try.

[paladinlost]

Such awesomeness to read after a long day of work! Thanks, mods!

1) Does the Indigo League work like in the games, where the challenger keeps the same team and battles them all in a row? Or do we send our... non-badge requests separately for each opponent, with the possibility of changing our team in between?

2) Are characters with 16 badges the only ones allowed on Victory Road itself? Or are other characters allowed to cross it, whether or not they're accompanied by an actual League challenger?

3) Will the Pokémon Availability list be updated with the info for Victory Road/the Indigo League?

I think that's it for now. Thanks again!

[indigo_league]

1) It's just like the games, so you have to take the same team through those five battles all in a row. You can heal your Pokémon in between battles with items, of course, and take short breaks, but if you leave, you give up on the challenge and have to start again.

2) Yes, only characters with 16 badges may travel Victory Road. Characters without those badges will not be let through the reception gate on Route 26.

3) Yes, it will!

[foolishwren]

first of all THIS IS SO EXCITING, THANKS MODS!

Secondly, when it comes to the egg from Lance, would it be possible for the egg to contain Pokemon that only gain the Dragon type upon evolution (ex. Trapinch, Swablu, etc) or will it strictly be Pokemon that are Dragon-type even at their basic evolution?

[indigo_league]

1. You're welcome!

2. The former! Since he's got one or two of those himself. Trapinches for errybody.

[Video, RED PLS]

[foolishwren]

_{[IN CARTOONISH FASHION, Heather had been in the middle of eating a bowl of cereal and idly thumbing through her 'Gear feed when this video went live, and throughout its duration, has been sitting there with her jaw hanging open and the spoon halfway to her mouth.]}

--Whoa.

Six years later and we FINALLY get to fight those guys?

<sub>[Beside her is her own Pikachu, who is SHOCKED and ALARMED for an entirely different reason than her trainer, and that reason is Red's Pikachu.]

[Everybody knows about Red's Pikachu!]

[Red's Pikachu is a legend among Pika-kind.]

[Okay, Hazel, okay, play it cool.]

[Adjusting her little Eviolite necklace, the electric mouse sits up straight in the chair next to Heather and tries to look as chipper and unaffected as possible. Red's Pikachu look how professional she is.]</sub>

[Video]

[yochamp]

[Whoa, don't look now, Hazel, because it seems Pika-senpai has noticed you. Pikachu leans over Red's other shoulder to twitch his nose with friendly interest at the camera. Hello there!

Red shifts a little to steady Pikachu's weight and looks a little surprised.]

It was closed that long?

[Who has two thumbs and lives in a cave on a mountain completely off the grid?]

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[OH NO. OH NO. HE'S TWITCHING HIS NOSE AT HER. SWEET ARCEUS.]

[Trying not to look too starry-eyed, Hazel lifts a paw and offers a bright, cheery Pika pi! Hi! You guys are awesome, I'm a big fan!]

[Heather, meanwhile, has no idea that her little yellow pal is currently experiencing heart palpitations.]</sub>

Well-- closed to us, anyway, I don't know if it was open for challenges from... ah, the locals. _{[She'd honestly never paid too much attention to the Elite Four, outside of that one time she got to snoop all around the resort and totally nick stuff from their personal shelves I MEAN.]}

[motherfucking_ghosttype]

............Okay, look. I'm the last person who should get on people about names, all across weird galaxies and all, but--are your names seriously 'Red' and 'Green'?

Also are we supposed to know you? You're talking like we should know you. Some of us from more interdimensional travel might not know you. Just, like, as a future heads up.

[championbound]

Look, I didn't pick it. That's the name my Mom gave me, so that's the name I use!

Maybe I should've given a better introduction, though! I've met most of the natives here, but when it comes to everyone else, I'm not surprised people are like "Huh, who's this chick spouting on about Pokemon League nonsense?" I'm shocked you don't know who Red is, though! He's only one of the greatest Trainers who's ever lived, after all...though I'd like to think I can give him a run for my money!

[ No chance, Green. ]

Anyway, yes, as you already know, I'm Green! I'm with the Pokemon League now, sort of like their PR person? But I started out as a trainer, just like you! And if you don't know what the Pokemon League is...well, they're pretty much the best of the best! That whole Gym challenge everyone's been taking? The League won't even recognize you as a challenge unless you've gathered up all sixteen badges. They're the toughest of the tough! I've never even managed to beat them all in one sitting...

[yochamp]

Green, you're embarrassing me.

[Shuffle, whisper whisper.]

video;

[gainedlove]

[Goodness, that sure is a lot of stuff that Frisk doesn't know a terrible lot about. But it sounds exciting!]

Um...! What's th' Pokemon gyms? 'S it t' get strong an' suplex boulders?

[championbound]

[ Oh, sweetie... ]

Not quite, little one! ...Well, yes, it's to get you and your Pokemon big and strong, and I'm sure there are some that'll get strong enough to lift through boulders! I've seen Charizards melt them, after all, and lots of Pokemon can push them with Strength...in fact, to get through Victory Road, they'll need to!

But as you go on your adventure, you'll find that there are quite a few cities and towns that have these Gyms. And the point of these Gyms is to train hard enough to beat the Gym Leader, a really strong Pokemon trainer! If you can beat the Leader, though, you'll get a badge that shows that you did it! And once you get all sixteen badges, that qualifies you to fight the Pokemon League, the best of the best of the best!

[islandshore]

[This is the moment he's been waiting for. It's been years, and he started to think he'd never get a chance. Is this happening? Is it really happening?

He clears his throat, smooths his hair, and tries to keep a straight face, but it's hard. The excitement bubbles inside him, threatening to burst out his ears.

Heh. Where does he even begin?]

Starting up our own gym... That's sure to get a lot of attention. Heck, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested.

But man, to think we'd get to see a real champ... Guess we've all got pretty huge shoes to fill.

But before we start hiking down that Victory Road, is there anything we should know about it? Hazards, recommended gear... I doubt it's a straight shot, anyway.

[So the more he knows, the better he can prepare. Simple as that.]

[yochamp]

...It's sort of cold at the top.

[Red is the most helpful, it's him.]