Fandom Pokémon: Johto (Roleplay Thread)

As Rick and his pokémon were nearing Ecruteak, his eyes were locked at the Bell Tower as the building came to view. Whereas most people would look at what was the tallest building in Johto with awe, Rick couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration. "We were that close. What a waste!" He exclaimed, with Pearl also giving away a sad expression. "Chris! What do you have for me?" Rick asked, touching his headset. "I was looking to give you better news, but aside from a stall in the Safari Zone, the only store that sells Dusk Balls in Johto is in Blackthorn." Chris told. Rick rolled his eyes. "Wow! They couldn't be any more distant from each other." He sighed. "Blackthorn it is, then. In the meantime, Pokéballs will have to suffice."


Iris skid into a halt as she crossed Ecruteak's archway. "What the clusterfuck is this?" Upon arriving at Ecruteak City, Rick's eyes widened as he looked around and saw nothing but chaos, with Mankeys and a couple Primapes running around the streets, swinging over the buildings, and causing havoc in what was supposedly a tranquil city. "And I thought Mahogany had a problem." He muttered.

It didn't take long for the Mankeys to notice the newcomers. Rick didn't have a backpack as it's typical from travelers, so they probably couldn't take much from him. Nevertheless, that beltpocket would probably be worth checking out. Good stuff comes in small packages afterall. A sly Mankey went ahead and hopped onto Iris's rump, pushing Zephir off his seat and taking a peek at Rick's beltpocket. Alas, there was no food in there. But there was an envelope, and it had cash in it. Profit! Rick glimpsed at the snatcher with disapproval, grabbing them by the arm and holding them aloft. "And what do you think you're doing?" The two stared at each other for a moment, until the Mankey reached out the can of Max Repel with its tail and sprayed right at Rick's face. The resulting burn caused him to let go the Mankey and fall off Iris, whimpering on the ground as he rubbed his eyes. "Why you bastard!" Pearl spurted some water to help clean the substance. Still rubbing his eyes, Rick pointed at the general direction the Mankey had ran towards. "Get 'em!"

Iris rushed in and easily cut ahead of the fugitive. The Mankey, with the envelope in one had and a can of repel in the other, came to a halt, staring at the mare as she stood in front of them. Iris lowered her head, growling at the Mankey in a threatening manner to have 'em drop the stolen items. The Mankey, however, wasn't convinced. They pointed the can at Iris and sprayed it at her face just the same, which caused her to rear back in pain. The Mankey took the opportunity and ran underneath. They didn't go much further before Pearl flew past them, and unlike the previous two, her head was way out of that can's reach. Zephir jumped off Pearl to face the thief. The Mankey pointed the can at the cat, but it got promptly knocked off with a slap of his tail. Iris then came from behind and stepped on the Mankey's tail, who immediately threw the envelope and started flailing in pain. Rick picked up the envelope and repellent, and put them back onto his beltpocket. "What made you think you were getting away with this?"

Iris took her hoof off the Mankey's tail, who started rubbing it in to alleviate the pain. Upon seeing Rick and Zephir hopping back onto Iris, the Mankey threw a tantrum. "If you have any complaints, please send them to the IDGAF Department! Don't expect a response anytime soon though." Rick said, coaxing Iris to turn back. Frustrated, the Mankey ran up to Iris and kicked at one of her legs. The mare gritted her teeth and instantly kicked back at the Mankey, sending it rolling against a tree. "This is a human settlement! Learn your place, you monkey pig!" Said Rick, as they made their way to the Mart where he would buy the Pokeballs.

Upon entering the store, he approached the desk and waited for the cashier to come. Moments later, a Primeape came in . Rick raised an eyebrow. "Where's the cashier?" The Primeape tapped its chest. "Oh, no! I want the real cashier!" The Primeape narrowed its eyes, tapping its chest once again. Rick sighed, rubbing his face. "Aww, my goodness... Fine! Just... give me five Pokeballs, whatever!" He said, putting the bills in the counter. However, the Primeape denied the payment, pointing at the pokeball's price tag. Rick looked up and noticed they've drawn an extra zero on the right, effectively making them 10 times more expensive. "Oh, no! That's a ripoff! Set them back to the regular price, or we're gonna have a problem!" The Primeape didn't like the human's tone. In an outburst of rage, Rick was sent flying through the door and off the store, head first. Flabbergast, his pokémon that were waiting outside went to check on him. As Rick got onto his knees, he also got hit by a pokeball thrown at his head by the "cashier". Jokes on them, he actually got a Pokeball for free! Rick sighed. "I wanna get out of this place."

While Rick was still getting his bearings, another Mankey took the opportunity to snatch the radio from Rick's belt and started running away. "Oh he's stealing! He's stealing!" Rick shouted at two police officers who were nearby, while pointing at the running Mankey. However, as said "officers" turned around, Rick realized that the Mankeys had been stealing more than just people's goods. "Wait... What?!" He rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing properly, and they were in fact Primeapes wearing police uniforms. "Can't believe it! These guys are stealing people's jobs, too!" He exclaimed. The officer Primeapes disregarded Rick's call and simply walked away, as they saw no illegality going on. Rick gritted his teeth as he got up, and with a little help he got back onto Iris. "After them!"


The Mankey ran towards Route 38, and Iris quickly darted ahead and cut its path. This one wasn't armed with a repel at least. "Hand over that radio! You're not faster than either of us!" The Mankey glanced at the radio, and after a brief thought, threw it at Rick, who raised his hand to grab it. However, another mankey swinged overhead and snatched the radio before it could reach Rick's hand. The accomplice continued their escape on the treetops. "Oh, come on!" Rick sighed, before continuing the chase. "Bring 'em down!" Rick commanded to Pearl. Zephir also waved at her for a ride. Since Iris could only follow on the ground, the two went to chase the Mankey on the treetops. Zephir took position behind a trunk and waited. As the Mankey passed by, he swung his tail to try and knock them off, however the Mankey simply hoped over the cat and to the next branch. Pearl flew ahead from below and fired an Ice Beam at one of the branches. As the Mankey tried to swing on it, they slipped, falling off the tree and down to the ground as Iris passed by. "Now we got 'em!" Rick said.

Iris braked and turned back. The Mankey rubbed his butt before getting up and tried to run back, but got intercepted by Pearl. And for extra measure, Zephir also grasped the escapist with Grass Knot. "I enjoyed the chase, very fun indeed! Now give it back!" Rick demanded, as he dismounted and walked over to the tied Mankey to take the radio. Then, out of a sudden, an uncurbed Tauros rushed out of the thick bushes in a headlong charge, and it didn't seem like it was gonna stop anytime soon. "That's bulls-" Everyone moved out of the way to not get trampled. Except the Mankey, which was still wrapped in vines in the middle of the path and thus was taken in for a rodeo. "Seriously?" Rick ran to Iris and quickly mounted. "We can't let that thing reach the city and cause more problems than there already are!"

Iris raced alongside the Tauros, while Rick used the Escape Rope he had purchased before in Violet City for a lasso. As he threw it at the bull's horn, the latter shoved Iris aside, causing her to falter and forcing Rick to switch mounts as the mare fell behind. Leaning on the bull while he grabbed it by the horns, the Mankey that had taken the spot first, jumped on Rick's back and started smacking him in the head. "Why you son of a bitch, I'm unwillingly saving you!" He shouted, before grabbing its arm and taking the radio off its hand. "This is mine by the way!" He shouted. The Mankey kicked Rick in the face and almost knocked him off the Tauros had he not grabbed the rope. The radio wasn't so lucky though, as Rick let it go to hold himself. He kicked his legs up and returned the favor by smacking the Mankey in the nose and off the Tauros. Persistent as it was though, the Mankey still managed to grab onto the bull's tails. Rick rolled his eyes, as the Mankey pulled themselves up. "Give your worst!" As the Mankey lunged at him, Rick grabbed it by the leg and threw it off to the bushes. "Pesky little creature!" He exclaimed, before focusing on his task.

Rick gritted his teeth and gave the rope a few more turns around the horns and neck of the Tauros. Moments later, Iris came in at full speed with Zephir on her back. "This thing won't stop for nothing!" He said. Iris's eyes narrowed, as she accelerated. After getting ahead and putting some distance, she turned around and braked. Rick gritted his teeth and started pulling the rope as much as he could. "Brace yourselves!" He shouted. Both the Tauros and Iris glared at each other. An aura transferred from Zephir onto Iris as the former used Helping Hand. Iris gritted her teeth, before rearing and stretching out her front legs and she neighed. As the two pokémon collided, Iris was pushed several feet across the road, her hooves struggling to gain traction and with little signs of letting up. Pearl eventually caught up to the party and wrapped her body around the Tauros, at which point the bull finally started to slow down. "Grass Knot!" Zephir jumped off Iris and started pushing at her leg, all the while his body glowed green and multiple vines started to grow to ensnare the Tauros's feet. Once it came to a full stop, Rick jumped off. "Thunder Wave!" Pearl's neck orb lit up and started pulsing, as it released rings of static electricity.

Tired, paralyzed and restrained, the Tauros eventually collapsed on its belly. Rick and Iris also dropped to the ground, panting heavily. "What the hell is going on with these pokémon?" Rick murmured, before he turned to Pearl. "Can you go back and pick up the radio that I left behind? While I rest a little bit? Please?" He asked, before lying flat on the ground.


Rick and his pokemon dragged the Tauros all the way back to Ecruteak, where the rangers would take care of him. After taking a breathing, Rick called. "Rangers called to the western gate, please!" A group of Primeapes wearing ranger uniforms came in to check. "Aw, fuck this shit!" He threw the rope on the ground in exasperation. At that point, Rick had had enough. He headed to Ecruteak's Gym to talk to the gym leader. That, of course, assuming his place hadn't been taken by a Primeape yet. He shoved the doors open, and was at least relieved to know that the gym trainers were actual trainers and not some roleplaying pokémon.

Among regular trainers who came to train, Mediums and Sages stood along an "S" shaped bridge over some thick, dark fog, waiting for the next challenger. Gastlys and Haunters floated around, barely visible. The Gym Guide eventually approached Rick as he walked in. "Greetings, trainer! If you wish to challenge Gym Leader Morty, please walk over that bridge. You must first prove your worth by defeating our Gym Trainers. Be mindful of your steps." He told him. Rick however, was having none of that. "I have nothing to prove, sir. Nor do I have time nor patience for that Gym Challenge of yours. Now I do need to talk to Morty. Urgently!"

The Gym Guide and all the other trainers turned towards the platform at the far end of the bridge. As the Mediums blew their candles off, two torches lit up at the furthest platform, where a man walked out of the shadows. He stared at Rick with hands in his pockets and a serene expression. "I'm Morty of Ecruteak City Gym. If you're not here for a challenge, then what brings you here in a time like this?"

Rick narrowed his eyes walked a few steps in before speaking. "It's a jungle outside! Mankeys have taken over the city! Heck, the Primeapes are even taking over people's jobs!" He complained, waving his arms. The Gym Leader closed his eyes in what seemed like discontentment. "Yes. That's the repercussions of the Sanguine Swarm. Mankeys are moving towards South to avoid the swarms of Zubats in the North, and Ecruteak just happens to be in the middle of it. There's plenty of food here, and Zubats don't attack the cities. So a lot of them choose to stay." He explained.

"Well, you're the Gym Leader! Just kick them out to where they came from! Surely this is not a problem for you. I could even help with that and it would give me some satisfaction after what I've been through since I arrived."

"And they would just come back after a few hours, except now they'll be angry and vengeful, and some might even evolve because of that anger. You're not solving the problem by using force. You're escalating it. That's the last thing you wanna do when our health care is having complications."

Rick crossed his arms and tilted his head. "What do you mean complications?"

Morty frowned. "Mmm... so you haven't checked the Pokémon Center yet..." Rick's eyes widened. "You don't say..." He rushed out of the gym and towards the Pokémon Center. The automatic doors opened and he ran to the center of the hall. "Nurse!" He called. A pink haired figure, wearing a white coat and hat, stood behind the reception desk. "Oh, no... please, no..." As they turned around, it was revealed to be a Primeape in disguise, with make-up and a wig.

"AAAAAHHHHhhhhh!!!!"

Rick bursted out of the building, with hands in his head and kneeling. "Give me a big! Fat! Fucking! Break!" He shouted, as he pulled his hair. Moments later, Morty came to him. "So? What do you think?" He asked. "What do I think? I miss the Zubats already! At least those only cause trouble at night. Mankeys cause trouble the whole day!" Rick whined. The Gym Leader nodded, rubbing his chin. "Well... I don't blame these pokémon given the circumstances." Rick sighed, and stood up. "If you could help the authorities finding out why these Zubats are acting like this. The Gym Leaders can coordinate with the Aces and Rangers to make sure the cities don't fall in too much disarray. But we can't reach everywhere." Added Morty.
Rick crossed his arms. "I was on my way to search the caves before this whole Mankey madness."

"Mt. Mortar is right ahead on Route 42. Mind you, it's not an easy cave to navigate." Morty warned. "Then I better get moving and make the most out of my time. And I need pokeballs to capture some Zubats along the way for examination. Reasonably priced, that is." Morty nodded. "I'll provide." The Gym Leader handed a couple Pokéballs to Rick. Such generosity, Rick wondered if he could get more out of it. "Dusk Balls?" He asked, smirking. Morty scowled. "Now you're asking too much. If you want those, you'll have to buy them at Blackthorn's Mart. To be honest, I don't expect you to find many opportunities to catch Zubats anyway." Rick raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Well don't mind if I disappoint you." He went to retrieve his Escape Rope, then mounted on Iris and headed towards the Eastern gate. "Don't forget to report to the authorities if you find anything relevant. Best of luck! 'Cause you'll need it..." Morty said, before walking off towards his gym.


Rick stopped by the western-most entrance of Mt. Mortar. Going by Route order, this was the first cave system for him to check. It was also the largest in the region. It could be argued that he should cover the smaller ones first before tackling what would be the most time consuming. But he didn't feel like going back and forth when he could just get one out of the way. "Alright! Those Zubats should be leaving for dinner in a couple hours. In the meantime, let's spread out and take a look around! If you find anything that shouldn't belong here, call!" The three pokémon nodded and spread out. Pearl went to check the lakes first, before scouting from the sky; Iris went to check the cliff sides, while she benefited from a higher point of view to the base of the mountain; and Zephir would check the woods. Rick found a hidden place where he could get a clear view of what came in and out of the cave. At least from that one. With multiple entry points, it would be impossible for him to keep an eye on all of them. But he expected Pearl and Iris to have those covered. "And now we play the waiting game. The most boring part of the job." He mumbled.

As the Sun started to set, Pearl and Iris returned to Rick. He looked at them and closed his mostly empty notepad. "Nothing I presume?" The two pokémon shook their heads. "I wasn't expecting anything anyways! He shrugged, putting his notepad back into his beltpocket, and stood up, stretching a little bit. "If there's something, it's inside the caves. Now, we better find some nice hiding spot. Don't need those blood addicts to ruin our tour before it even starts." Zephir eventually came in from his search, a little later than the other two pokemon, and started tapping at Rick's leg. "Yes?" The cat started pointing with his tail before running towards the woods. Rick's eyes narrowed as he followed the leafeon to a nearby tree, which had a camera attached to its trunk. Zephir sat in front of it, grooming and making himself beautiful for the camera. Iris got close to it, sniffing and take a close peek. Rick eventually came in from the side and out of view. "A trail cam, huh? Or a privacy taker, as I like to call them. Don't ask how I learned the so called "mysteries" of pokémon breeding." He nodded, rubbing his chin.

"Hold on! How old were you?" Chris asked on the radio. "Oh, I don't know... 15? It was before I got Iris. They gave me a cheap one for birthday, and I had to put it to good use. I believe it was a Miltank and a Tauros? I didn't know pokémon could do those kind of things." Rick told. "You watched that kind of content before you were 18?"

"And then I uploaded it on Mewtube, yes. Really, adults should stop hiding things from kids. So when they do learn the truth, they won't be surprised. They always told me it was magic. Turns out it is very... umm... natural." He added. Chris sighed. "But I digress! When I see one of these, poachers is the first thing that comes to mind. And what do we have here?" Tilting his head and peeking from the edge of the camera, he saw an identification tag. "Hm... nevermind, it's from the Sinnoh Research Lab." He muttered, now walking in front of it. "In Johto?"
"Well, after Kanto it's the closest Region, so it's not that weird. Maybe they're afraid it might reach Sinnoh through South. And what else..." Reading a bit further below, he saw a name and contact that were familiar. "Naka!" He exclaimed.

"That woman is everywhere where's trouble!" Chris commented. "Well, at least someone else is being proactive about this. I won't even complain, means I don't have to do it all by myself. Which gives me an idea..." Rick pondered for a bit, then smirked. "If we're working on the same case, surely she won't mind if I borrow this thing for a few minutes!" He said, as he proceed to detach the camera from the tree. Chris, however, wasn't convinced. "Uh... Shouldn't you be asking permission first?"

"No time for that! Those things are coming out at any minute. But go ahead and do that for me! I left my phone on the table, remember?" As he meddled with the camera, a loud beeping sound came out of it, causing him and his pokémon to wince. "Damn... this sounds almost as bad as a Kricketune." He rubbed his ear and continued on. "Wait! What model is that camera?" Chris asked. Rick sighed. "Who cares? They all serve the same purpose, that is filming stuff. So long as it does that, I'm happy enough." He said, as he finished detaching it and juggled it in his hand.

"Well, if it's the latest model, you might regret touching it before you get confirmation." Chris warned. Rick grinned. "What is it gonna do, explode? That would be shocking!" And as he said this, he did indeed get shocked, immediately throwing the camera in the air. "What the freaking hell!" He shouted, while Chris could be heard laughing. "What is so funny about this?" Rick asked, grasping his hand. "Because that electric shock only triggers if someone on the other side presses a button." Rick raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the camera on the ground with a suspicious look. "Bitch..." He muttered, as he went to pick it up again. "I'm setting it back! Don't you dare press that thing again!" He talked to the camera with narrowed eyes, as he attached it back to the trunk. "Welp! Your loss! I was gonna give you a privileged view of the cave." He said, dusting off his hands. "But meet me at Mahogany by morning and I might give you a description. It won't be as good." He said, shrugging. Moments later, Iris groaned, and Rick gave a hurried look at the cave's entrance. "Shit! Here come those suckers. Everyone to your positions!" He said to his pokémon, as they went to hide.

Rick stayed crouched under thick bushes and watched, as a large number of Zubats, and even Golbats, came out from the cave's entrance like a plume of smoke. "Damn... how many are there..." He muttered. And that was just one side of the cave. He could see even more swarms flying off from the other entrances of Mt. Mortar by simply turning away. After waiting for several minutes, plus a couple more for reassurance, he finally left his hiding spot and ran towards the entrance. His pokémon soon joined up. He peeked inside the cave, then took a step back while he took the Max Repel from his beltpocket and started spraying it. "Alright, this is it! Iris will stay outside in case those Zubats decide to come back early. If anything comes up, neigh! The rest will come with me. Pearl, you light the way!" Pearl went first, followed by Zephir. Rick turned to Iris one last time. "I'll call if we need something. Make sure nothing gets in. Pokémon are all out of their minds these days." He told Iris. She nodded, while Rick petted her cheek before going in.