4.0 Dedicated to its Members and Fans of Pokemon A Pokemon Sandbox RP
Pokémon Dubstep (ft. Lindsey Stirling)
W
elcome Adventurer to EPOCH! A Pokemon Sandbox Rp set in the original region of Nue. Everything you need to know will be in the Guidebook and PokeDex 101!
EPOCH uses the Manga and is built on the Original ideas suggested by our members.
We are more than just a Pokemon RP, we're a friendly community with a goal on being a memorable experience for those that look in.
Golden Rule: Treat others as you wish to be treated. If you find yourself content with being an asshole EPOCH and its members will not tolerate you.
RULES
Understand We're All Human. Respect the staffers as well as your fellow members and guests. We all have flaws, tempers and quirks. Be patient with one another, but if issues involving other members come up please don’t just grin and bear it. Contact a staff member, informing them of what's going on so they can address and resolve the situation. The staff won't know what's bothering you unless you tell them.
EPOCH is PG-13. Proboards’ Terms of Service:
Sex; When you get under the clothes, fade to black.
Violence; Do not go into extreme nauseating detail.
Cursing; This is so fucking allowed, but don't go overboard.
Suggestive Content; In avatars, signatures and templates can attract the wrong kind of attention. So be careful.
At the mention of Team Rocket, Leon paused and cocked an eyebrow. Whether by reflex, conditioned instinct, or mere shock, he could not be entirely sure, but he nonetheless wore it on his sleeve that he did, in fact, know a thing or two about their kind. Subtly, almost imperceptibly, his face tensed and his fist clenched, just for the briefest moment - an infinitely slight act of body language detectable only by the most attentive sort. Even with the added bonus of suspicion, so small a twinge would likely require some manner of training to reliably detect. Of course, Leon could be forgiven for not having expected to discuss the Rockets in so innocuous a situation. Since those noble and heroic children stymied their efforts so many years ago, Team Rocket existed only in the collective unconscious of the general population. They could scarcely be said to have been active at all, and what little they did in the open could be chalked up to petty or, if nothing else, localized crime. Oh, their spheres of influence had not diminished significantly, but the circles they moved in were far better-hidden.
"'Rocket', huh?" Leon asked almost rhetorically, letting out a steady sigh and pursing his lips before smiling resignedly. If Izumi asked about them, then that meant she had business with them, and her manner of speech and character led him to believe that she was not sympathetic to their cause. "Oh, I can tell you a few things about Team Rocket, Izumi. As for how much I can tell you? That all depends on what you're looking to know." A streetwise, knowing grin stretched across his face but did not fully consume it. Rather, he gave a cool half-smile and slid his hands into his pockets. "But, if you've got some specific gripe with them, I dunno how comfortable I'd feel divulging that sorta information in a public place like this. I can say that they're mostly active around these parts and in Johto. They're looking to spread their influence, but they won't; not if I can help it." Leon chuckled with a genuine and self-assured confidence, returned Stonewall to his Pokeball, and walked toward the opposite end of the room. He, too, slid his socks and shoes back on, then stepped out onto the hallway's floor.
"But, Izumi," he began, turning to face his student with a look of concern, "if you're thinking about going after them, there's something you should know. All that stuff I just told you about proper battling forms and etiquette? Playing nice with the Rockets might get you killed, and it'll definitely get you hurt. Fighting a syndicate like that is fighting a life-or-death battle, so you'd have to throw out all perceptions of 'fair play'. If you're anything like me, you'll be lookin' for Team Rocket no matter what I tell you, so if you'd like to learn a thing or two about fighting dirty...well, I could teach you that stuff, too, sometime." Of course, he spoke only the truth, especially regarding his lack of certainty. Izumi, fresh-faced and eager, had the makings of a great Trainer, but Leon did not know if he was entirely comfortable telling someone who did not yet know proper type matchups about where to find Rocket goons. Still, if she wished to learn, he felt it only proper that he teach her.
Post by Izumi Yamamura on Dec 8, 2013 3:29:00 GMT -5
“How much,” she began, before considering his offer. He looked at her questioningly, and then she flipped the notepad over in her hands, looking for one particular part of the pad that had her gathered scribbling on it. “Well, what I have is that they’re operating again, even if the world knows they’ve been disbanded some time ago. Why do I know this? Because I’m on the tail of someone who was an ex-Rocket… he’s trying to bring them down from inside, but I know he’s going to get into so much trouble gain when he does, hence my attempt to keep his ass out of trouble,” she said in an undertone, wiggling her socks into her sneakers and quickly lacing them up. She looked around to make sure that they weren’t being spied on or anyone was eavesdropping nearby, and she continued, “Let’s just say I’m keeping an eye on my hometown’s prodigal son… he returned home recently, and kind of told me what he’s planning in revenge…”
After sighing, she moved on to her other sneaker, double-knotting the laces as she did so, before continuing in that same undertone, “Well, Rocket’s gone and twisted him beyond recognition, so you could say that me and a couple of his friends are trying to save him from winding down the path of madness and destruction…” while grunting and wiggling her toes within the sneakers, before pulling herself into a sitting position. “What I’ve gleaned from Pewter was mostly old news, but he’s dead-set on bringing them down, no matter what it takes, even if it kills him,” she added, standing up and quickly giving her jeans a pat-down. “If you have information about them, recent information, can I ask you for help… and for that offer, I’d take note of that. But for now it’s just information-gathering on my front, because you can never be too careful,” she added.
"Is that so? Interesting..." Leon's voice trailed off as he reflected upon Izumi's words. Perhaps, he supposed, he had underestimated the young lady even as he sang praises of her potential on the field of battle. She knew far more than he initially believed, if nothing else, although he maintained his deep-seated concern for her safety. Nevertheless, he listened attentively as she spoke of her town's prodigal son, twisted and corrupted by the hand of Team Rocket into a most unfamiliar and unflattering shape - a story he knew with much greater intimacy than he would care to admit. Leon folded his strong, athletic arms across his chest and relaxed his posture gradually, until he stood in a conversational, laid-back pose almost exaggerated in its proportions. He nodded his head slowly, wisely, and deliberately, then scratched his chin as though looking within for a suitable reply. "Hm..." His intense focus betrayed a very deep interest in the subject of Team Rocket, and not at all in a sympathetic sense. At last, a few seconds after Izumi finished her explanation, Leon spoke.
"Walk with me. There're a few things I'd like to discuss with you." He said and started off down the hallway to the outside world at a brisk yet manageable pace. Before getting too far ahead, however, he turned and motioned for Izumi to follow him into the streets of Saffron. Once outside, the two became a piece of the greater populace, rather than a solitary duo in an easily-spied upon room. The commotion and bustle of the big city served as a backdrop of white noise that assimilated their conversation. Even so, however, Leon kept an eye out for anyone who seemed to be trailing behind them at too steady a pace or any wandering members of the criminal element. Still, although Saffron once served as the central hub for Team Rocket's greater machinations, Leon felt comfortable in dwelling around the city's Gym. Though rumors circulated regarding its attachment to Team Rocket in years past, the Gym itself sat in a reputable part of the city and, as such, did not likely harbor a great many spies.
"You're correct in assuming that Team Rocket is still active, but I don't know the specifics of their plans. I can only say that they seem to be keeping a lower profile, as far as full-on criminal activity goes. What I've seen has mostly been shaking down shopkeepers for 'protection money' and petty stuff like that, but, frankly, that just says to me that we need to be all the more suspicious." He said, continuing their walk at a steady pace and weaving nimbly through the crowds. He kept them going through the city's more densely populated areas, sometimes moving in circles and never staying on a straight path for too long. "Their bases are mostly in big cities. Hell, I'd put money on them having one here in Saffron. I also know that their leader is a man by the name of Murdoc, but he goes by the alias 'Ducky'. I'm conducting a search to find out more about him, but watch out for false information. Always verify with multiple, unrelated sources - but I'm sure you already knew that." He said with a chuckle. "There're a few, more specific bits of information, but I'd like to be absolutely certain we meet in a secure location before I divulge that. And of course, I'd appreciate hearing anything you feel at-liberty to tell me. That includes information about this ex-Rocket."
Post by Izumi Yamamura on Dec 9, 2013 21:31:55 GMT -5
“Gladly,” she said in reply to his statement, picking up the pace as they wound their way out of the Fighting Dojo—she closed her eyes for a moment and let the shouts and grunts of people training wash over her ears for a moment—before following Leon out into the street. Once they were outside, the hubbub of sound smacked her in the face (well, not literally) and he began sharing what he knew—although he was also wary of his surroundings, like she was. As it turned out, he had some information on Team Rocket s well, and she quickly slipped out her notepad and began jotting down the notes she could manage in her own shorthand. She watched as the symbols quickly filled up the page, and for a moment, she stopped scribbling—if but to turn over to a new page and continue her coded handwriting there.
Listening to the rest of the information, it also appeared in her shorthand writing as well, before she looked furtively around—to most passersby they looked like two ordinary people having a normal chat—if Izumi wasn’t wearing something so watered-down she may have passed as a member of the press going around the city doing ‘ambush interviews’, or something of the sort. “Of course, I always make sure to verify the information I gather with a lot of sources. Apparently I’ve gotten wind that there are some other people who’ve turned around from ‘that way of life’ and are starting anew as well; though I also have other sources of information to inquire with as backup if in case something is amiss,” she said, carefully weighing her words and making sure that she didn’t let anything slip. After all, she was looking for any traces of recent activity, and tapped her pen against the sheaf of paper she had with her.
“Even now they’re asking for ‘protection money’? That’s typical of them, reminds me of the time they were all around Johto, frisking everyone who passed through Mahogany Town,"—that bit happened to be in the history books about Johto’s different Towns and Cities; though after that little remark it doesn’t say what else happened after that point. She nodded solemnly at their proposition; and then looked around before leaning in once again to whisper, “If you know any safe places to meet, I’d like to meet with you there to exchange more information—right now I’m headed on over to Celadon to do a bit of looking around there myself—because apparently the so-called ‘Game Corner’ is still around, though traces of their involvement with the establishment have all but been erased. Until recently, that is,” she ended, before straightening up and scribbling more notes once more.
She then flipped to another blank page and quickly jotted down some numbers, before tearing off the sheet of paper and handing it to him, saying, “If you need to keep in touch with me, here’s my number—that’s a bit of information I only give out to trusted people; and since you’ve given me much more information than what I have, I can turn to you as a reliable source.”
"Definitely check out the Game Corner, but, to be honest, I've got a feeling it might be a dead-end. The Rockets are looking more clever this time around - this Murdoc guy seems pretty shrewd, and I dunno if they'd be stupid enough to use the same base twice." He said thoughtfully, then took a step closer to Izumi so that he could speak his next bit of advice in as hushed a tone as possible. The last thing Leon wanted was for Team Rocket to catch on that he knew all that he did; certainly, he didn't want to leave any sort of trail that could conceivably lead back to Yumi. The Rockets had eyes and ears everywhere. Leon felt reluctant, in fact, to trust even Izumi implicitly, but her sentiments against the Rockets seemed every bit as genuine as his own. "Also," he began in so quiet a voice that it could almost be considered a whisper, "be on the lookout for a guy standing around near the back of the building. If you see a shady guy like that skulking about, that probably means you've stumbled on one of Team Rockets' bases. Seems like they still haven't totally broken the habit of the old 'switch behind the poster'." He said with a shrug.
Come to think of it, Leon wondered if he had yet popped up on Team Rocket's radar. Their subtlety made it such that he had not encountered a plot to foil, sans a few run-ins with some small time crooks. How long would it take for one of them to remember that his name existed in their files as a member gone AWOL? Hell, how long would it take for them to bother learning his name in the first place? Leon knew it well that he should savor and take full advantage of this period of anonymity, and that he should make it last as long as possible. He needed to cover his tracks; if necessary, he might pay off his sources so that they would conveniently forget to ask for his name. Regardless, he accepted the slip of paper given to him by Izumi, then tore off half of it and scrawled his own number down. "Here you go. Likewise, call me if you find something out. I'll do my best to verify it wherever I am; if two sources on opposite ends of the country tell you the same thing, it stands a good chance of being legit." He said with a grin. "As for where we can talk, I own an apartment here in Saffron from back when I used to live here, but I make a more permanent residence in Slateport City in Hoenn. However, I'll be returning to Orre soon to start my Gym Challenge."
"Oh, but no matter where I am, give me a call if you run into trouble." He concluded in a tone wholly noble and genuine. "I'll head over as soon as I can. I know it sucks to be forced into a corner without backup."
Post by Izumi Yamamura on Dec 12, 2013 0:04:14 GMT -5
“I knew my suspicions about the Celadon Game Corner, but you know what they say about old habits… they die hard,” she said, her own voice lowering as well as he leaned in and let her know what little information he’d managed to gather as well. Once he’d scribbled his own number and then gave it to her, her eyes almost widened out of surprise—who knew that he was from the Hoenn region as well, having known of Slateport City? “So you’re going to Orre… I’ll let you know if I find out anything around here, because I’m going to be here for a long while… poking around, doing some searching of my own…” she trailed off, covering her mouth with her hand as well—as if they were just sharing secrets. She nodded and understood his apprehensions; and grinned at the offer of help once it was needed.
“Of course,” she said, walking ahead before turning around and giving him another bow, “if you need my help, just let me know and I’ll come as quick as I can manage. Hopefully by then I’ve got several ‘mons that can ferry one person—or more—through the skies of the world. I’ll update you once I find out about anything,” she ended, straightening up and pocketing the scrap of paper that had his number scribbled on it. “If and when we meet again, I may challenge you to a battle; just to see how stuff has changed ever since this moment—when you helped me out to understand what being a Trainer’s all about,” she added, before giving him a two-fingered salute and walking off towards the direction of Celadon, where she knew that someone was waiting for her to show up so that they could exchange information as well.
