Friday, 13 January 2017

18. Getting to Know You

[X] Talking! You want to get to know your shiny new pokegirl

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Well obviously the first thing you need to do is actually meet your new pokegirl. Shopping and battling can wait till tomorrow. 

After stopping briefly to ask a passing Officer Jenny for directions, you make your way to the nearest pokecenter. 


It's much bigger then you'd expected, the two story building towering over the pokemart next door. Walking inside, yourself in a surprisingly spacious lobby. 


"Hi there!" the Nurse Joy at the counter greets you cheerfully. "Welcome to our pokecenter. How can I help you today?"

Showing her your new tamer's license, you ask if there are any rooms available. As a registered tamer, you're eligible for free basic food, board and healing at all official pokecenters, though you'll still get charged for any extras. 

"Sure!" the pink haired pokegirl chirped, swiping your card on some device behind the counter. "Room 16 is available. Just go up the stairs and turn right. Will you be needing anything else?"

Shaking your head, you accept the key card she hands over before heading up to your new room. 

The room itself is simple enough - a double bed, desk, chair and a mini fridge containing several stamina drinks, healing droughts and aphrodisiacs. A note taped to the fridge door lists down all the items and their prices as well as a warning not to drink too many within a 24 hour period.  

You dump your backpack onto the desk before sitting on your bed, rolling your starter's pokeball in your hands. 

You can't help feeling a bit nervous. Even if she has to obey your commands, there's a world of difference between a pokegirl who's willing to accept you as her mistress and one that doesn't. This will be your only chance to make a good first impression. 

Once you'll bring out your pokegirl, you'll need to decide on what kind of approach you want to use. 

[] Strict - make it clear who's in charge here

[] Friendly - try to get her to relax

[] Lewd - she doesn't need to be tamed for at least a few days, but why wait? 

[] Something else? 

Tuesday, 10 January 2017

17. Starter Get

[X] Witch C (45, 000 SLC)

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In the end, as tempting as the fire witch was, you decide to go for the former mage apprentice. Even if she's not as experienced, her education should come in handy. After confirming the purchase and deducting the money from your account, the pokegirl employee directs you to another counter where you can pick up the pokeball containing your new starter. 

You're almost bouncing with excitement as the gray haired man across the counter shows you how to fill in the required paperwork with the resigned air of someone who has had to repeat the same thing over and over again with every new customer. 

"A quick scan of the pokeball shows that the inhabitant is healthy and not in need of taming for at least a few days." he says flatly as he scribbles the information onto an official looking form. "Pokegirl is a Witch, product designation M8-1164. Sold to tamer Blue Beryl of Wakefield town. Product was sold at about... 2.45 pm on Saturday, 12th of June 335 A.S. Please sign here... here... and here."

Jotting down your signature with a flourish, you finally collect your new pokegirl. For a moment, you can almost swear that you can hear music in the background. 

Now that you have your own pokegirl, what do you want to do next?

[] Shopping! Time to hit the shops and start buying the equipment you need in order to start your journey

[] Battle! The best way to meet other tamers and gain valuable experience is to challenge them to a friendly match

[] Talking! You want to get to know your shiny new pokegirl 

[] Something else?

Monday, 9 January 2017

16. Browsing Part 3

After a moment's consideration, you decide to focus on getting a Witche or Synthan for your starter. Sure, they aren't as powerful in combat, but their sheer versatility and evolutionary options should be enough to make up for it in your opinion.

You bring up the profiles of all the interesting Witches and Synthans you found earlier and glance through them, narrowing down the list to three individuals from each breed.

------------------ 

[] Witch Option A


Price: 40, 000 SLC

Notes: Born and raised on a Ranch specializing in magical types, this Witch only just became old enough to be sold. Her power is noted to be a little above average, but her lack of experience and limited spells has lowered the price a little. Personality wise, she seems very calm and relaxed. 

[] Witch Option B


Price: 45, 000 SLC

Notes: Surprisingly enough, this Witch is actually a feralborn that was recently caught in the wild. The tamer who caught her noted that even as a feral she seemed to have above average magical reserves and an instinctive grasp of fire magic, making her a fairly dangerous combatant. She still isn't used to civilized life yet, though, and her habit of lashing out aggressively at those that anger her has lowered her price somewhat. Personality wise, she's very passionate and wild. 

[] Witch Option C


Price: 45, 000 SLC

Notes: A recent threshold case, you'd normally pass this one over in favor of a more experienced girl. However, looking over her profile revealed that she was formerly a student at a small magical school, meaning that this Witch has a solid grasp over the basic fundamentals of arcane theory. Her former teachers have also added notes saying that she has a talent for Black magic, though you're not sure what exactly that entails. She seems rather gloomy and depressed, though you're unsure how much of that is a reaction to her recent thresholding. 

[] Synthan Option A

Price: 45, 000 SLC

Notes: Another Ranch girl who just reached her majority, this pokegirl is a standard member of her species with no real noteworthy features apart from the fact that she has not yet begun to adapt any other pokegirl genetics. Personality wise, she is very cold and logical. 

[] Synthan Option B


Price: 50, 000

Notes: Having absorbed a number of traits from insectoid pokegirls, this particular Synthan has developed a Poison affinity. She's primarily a physical battler, preferring to wear down her opponents through her venomous secretions, though she is relatively fragile due to her adaptation's focus on speed over stamina. Personality wise, she is somewhat mischievous, with a rather caustic sense of humor.  

[] Synthan Option C


Price: 60, 000

Notes: This particular individual has developed a ghost affinity, allowing her to turn invisible and intangible at will - though her former owner notes that keeping it up for too long will exhaust her quickly. She also has no problem fighting even while blindfolded, though you're unsure how exactly she does so. Personality wise, she is very quiet and mysterious, preferring to lurk in the background whenever possible. 

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Hmm... not bad. Your 'official' budget is 80, 000 SLC, but you have 100, 000 SLC total in your account. If you wanted to, you could afford to buy two pokegirls instead of one, though that would almost assuredly mean that you'd be less prepared equipment wise. 

Decisions, decisions... A quick glance at the time reveals that you've still got about ten minutes remaining, so you decide to...

[] Buy
- [] Which pokegirl? Can buy more then one, but total price must not exceed 100, 000 SLC

[] Not buy. Look at something else instead
- [] What? 

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QM Note: If you're wondering why the Witches seem to be cheaper, it's cause of that crit you got earlier while searching. 

Saturday, 7 January 2017

15. Browsing Part 2

Hmm... surely there must be other options available?

You take a moment to recheck the Sheying's profile. They're asking 85, 000 SLC for her, which is just outside your budget, but you can probably stretch it enough to fit. Problem is, if you can't control the girl all that money is just wasted.

Moving on, you make a quick search for Synthans and Doppeldames. Surprisingly enough, while both pokegirls breeds are available, the prices seem to change drastically depending on which individual you're looking at.

[Mind Check: 12 69: 69+5 (Academic Dabbler): 74]

After looking through a few profiles, you realize why - experienced or skilled individuals are significantly more expensive then untrained ones. A Synthan who has already absorbed many adaptations or a Doppeldame who has been trained in specialized skills are pricier compared to one that is fresh from the Ranch.

Checking the time, you see that you still have 20 minutes remaining before your free hour is over.

[] You've already made a list of the best interesting Witches. May as well get a look at them. (will have higher stats due to crit)

[] The only Sheying you can afford looks like it'd be a pain, but you're sure you can break her in soon enough

[] Growlies have a good reputation for loyalty and reliability. In addition, their enhanced senses mean that they're great as guards or trackers

[] Rapitaurs are perfect for transportation and carrying heavy goods around. Why walk when you can ride everywhere?

[] Magikoi are terrible battlers, but can access a pocket dimension that can be used to store things, making them a cheap alternative to pokepacks.

[] Cameltoes are similar to Rapitaurs in that they're excellent for transportation purposes, but are not quite as fast the their fire type cousins. However, they make up for it with their higher stamina and water storage abilities.

[] Doppeldames have the ability to create clones of themselves, providing you with a small team straight off the bat. A few extra hands would surely be worth the lack of pure combat ability.

[] Synthans can serve as living wifi hotspots, making them popular among tamers who spend a lot of time travelling through the wilderness. However, their ability to 'adapt' their body by absorbing traits of other girls makes them one of the more versatile breeds available.

[] No, I'm not interested in any of these pokegirls. I want something else
- [] Search for...

Friday, 6 January 2017

14. Browsing the Catalog

After confirming your budget, you are directed to one of the benches outside Hall Sixteen, where you find yourself waiting patiently to be let in Fortunately, it seems that the place is rather quiet at this time of day - after a minute or two, a uniformed pokegirl pops her head out of the door. "Number 0216: Miss, uh, Blue?"

"That's me."

"Good, good!" she said, leading you inside. The hall is filled with line after line of computer terminals. Many of them are filled by young men and women about the same age as you, though you do spot a few older individuals hanging around.



"Go ahead and use any of those." she said, pointing towards the empty chairs on the far side of the room. "Access is free for the first hour, but after that you need to pay to continue, understand?"

After you pick a machine, the pokegirl takes a moment to show you how to log in using your Tamer's License number. "It should be updated automatically, but if the your personal details or registered pokegirls are inaccurate, make sure to report it and we'll get someone to fix it ASAP." she said. "If you require any help, just send me a message via the Help button over here."

Once she leaves, you begin searching through the database, looking for any pokegirls that could serve as your starter.

Your first idea is to get a Fire Elementalist. You don't know why, but having such a powerful fire type on your side sounds like a good idea.

Unfortunately, there aren't too many Elementalists  available, and even the cheapest one is more then double your current budget. Scrolling through the all-too-small list, you wince at the prices being demanded. It seems that you'll have to try something else.

[Mind Check: 10 95: 95+5 (Academic Dabbler): 100

Crit Roll: 5: 5]

Hmm... well, an Elementalist is too expensive, but how about a Witch? You can probably get a Fire Stone and evolve her yourself if need be.

A quick search later, you find yourself dealing with a whole new problem - compared to Elementalists, there are simply far too many Witches. A quick glance reveals at least a hundred individual pokegirls being sold today, all of them with their own unique skills and abilities. While most people would feel overwhelmed, you quickly sort through the lists, narrowing it down to a mere handful of individuals.

Putting that aside for now, you take a moment to think of any other pokegirls that you might want before typing in a quick search for Romanticides and Sheying.

Romanticides are available, but are all outside of your budget. It seems that they're selling like hot cakes around here. As for Sheying, most of them are also too expensive for you to consider, but you do find one that's just barely within your budget. You're not sure why she's so cheap, though...

[Mind Check: 19 56: 56+5 (Academic Dabbler): 61]

It takes a bit of digging, but looking through her history you realize that this particular Sheying is a recent Thresholder who's been noted to have severe personality issues. Getting her might be more trouble then it's worth. Still, if you can bring her to heel, having a strong dragon type starter would be a point of pride.

After that, you decide to run a quick search through the database for any other Fire and Water type pokegirls who fit your budget. A minute later, you refine the search to focus on those with useful support skills outside of combat. Water types are a bit tricky since most of them can generate drinkable water, so you narrow them down further to only those that can live and fight comfortably on both land and water.

The list becomes noticeably shorter.

That should be enough for now, you think. Checking the time, you see that you still have half an hour remaining.

[] You've already made a list of the best interesting Witches. May as well get a look at them. (will have higher stats due to crit)

[] The only Sheying you can afford looks like it'd be a pain, but you're sure you can break her in soon enough

[] Growlies have a good reputation for loyalty and reliability. In addition, their enhanced senses mean that they're great as guards or trackers

[] Rapitaurs are perfect for transportation and carrying heavy goods around. Why walk when you can ride everywhere?

[] Magikoi are terrible battlers, but can access a pocket dimension that can be used to store things, making them a cheap alternative to pokepacks. 

[] Cameltoes are similar to Rapitaurs in that they're excellent for transportation purposes, but are not quite as fast the their fire type cousins. However, they make up for it with their higher stamina and water storage abilities. 

[] No, I'm not interested in any of these pokegirls. I want something else
- [] Search for...

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QM note: And here's your first skill check. This is how it works - all skill checks rely on your Body, Mind or Soul stats. You roll 1d100 for each point you have in that stat and use the highest roll. If you meet the DC, you pass. If not, you fail. 

Crit rolls happen when your roll goes over 100. A Natural 100 is a super crit, which means that you can add all your normal bonuses to your Crit Roll. If a roll becomes a crit due to your bonuses (e.g.: Academic Dabbler), your Crit Roll only adds the Overflow bonus which is equal to your total roll minus 100. 

Any questions or concerns about this system? Let me know in the comments section below. 


Wednesday, 4 January 2017

13. The Auction House

[X] Head to the Auction House where all the rare and powerful pokegirls are being sold


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The Auction House is a massive cathedral of a building, towering over everything else nearby. People scurry through and fro, their voices and footsteps lost in the vast, echoing chamber that is the entrance hall. Looking around, you note the many guards standing around, both human and pokegirl. Considering the amount of wealth held in this building, you're fairly certain that there are many more hanging around somewhere nearby.

Putting it out of your mind for now, you make your way to the counter set up in front of you. Surprisingly enough, the receptionist is a man, ableit one with some heavy pokegirl ancestry judging by the greyish skin and two small horns jutting out of his forehead.

"Welcome to the New Home Auction House." he greets you briskly, barely glancing up from his computer. "Name and ID please."

Wordlessly, you hand over your license.

"One moment... Ah, here you are." he smiled, turning to look at you properly. "Very well, Miss Blue. It says here that you still haven't received a starter yet. I'm assuming that that's what you're here for?"

You nod.

"I see. Anything in particular? There are a lot of breeds available here, though I cannot guarantee that we have exactly what you're looking for. Still, if necessary we can arrange for almost any pokegirl to be delivered. For a small fee, of course."

Hmm... you haven't really thought much about what to get.

In the end, you decide to ask for...

[] What do you ask for? You can request a specific pokegirl or simply make a general request for a certain element. The rarer and more powerful the girl is, the higher the price will be. 

"Noted." the man said. "Hmm... what's your budget like? How much are you willing to spend?"

[] Budget? (Max is 100, 000 SLC)

Tuesday, 3 January 2017

12. The Big City

[X] "I might take a trip to the nearest city and just get a starter there. Red's mom said that she's planning to go there on a business trip in a few days, so I can probably tag along."

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Staying and waiting for the league to deliver the official starters would take too long, but going through the wilderness without even a single pokegirl to protect you just seems too risky. Red might be willing to risk it, but she's strong and tough enough to chase off any low level feral that gets too close.  

In the end, you decide to pick the option that'll give you the biggest variety of starters to choose from. Going to the city means that you can buy pokegirls from all over the league. It'll be more expensive then buying directly from the Ranch or collecting a free starter from the league, but you're sure that you can afford it. 




The city of New Home is actually quite old compared to most of the other settlements in the league. Its citizens claim that it's been here since before the Revenge War, though admittedly most of it was ashes and rubble until the league decided to rebuild and rename the place in about 87 A.S (After Sukube). One of the first things they built was the massive wall encircling the city.

Fifty feet high and at least twenty feet thick, the Great Wall is an awe inspiring sight. It was the brainchild of Douglas Dogwhip, the founder of the Progressive Party. His insistence of using an all pokegirl workforce for the project made him more then a few enemies, though the fact that the walls have never been breached by ferals made him wildly popular among the common people at the time.

You've seen it before, of course, but the sight of the walls looming over the horizon still caught your breath for a moment. Sitting beside you, Red's mother smiled briefly as she caught sight of your reaction.

"Heh. You get used to it, kid." she remarked, lazily tapping away on something on her phone. The two of you were riding to the city on her 'official' work car. It was a bulky, heavily armored vehicle that had been painted the garish red and gold pattern of all league-owned automobiles.

You briefly wondered which petty bureaucrat had insisted that having bright, eye catching colors while travelling in feral territory was a good idea before deciding that it wasn't too important. Even if the driver wasn't armed, you were travelling with a Gym Leader carrying a team of highly trained pokegirls at her hip. Anything they couldn't handle would have been way out of your league anyway.

Watching the walls creep closer, you settle down and wait for the journey to end.

-------------------------------

About half an hour later, you and Red's mom parted ways, promising to meet up again in the evening. Even though she wouldn't be able to send you back (she needed to stay in New Home for a few days due to work), she still wanted to make sure that you were prepared before sending you out on your journey. 

"Your mom's already sent some money into your account, so just make sure not to spend it all at once, all right?" she warned you. "No point getting some super fancy rare girl if you can't even keep her fed."

You nodded, already wondering about how well you could stretch the money. 100, 000 SLC sounded like a lot, but getting all the equipment you needed to start a Taming Journey was expensive. 

Your first stop was the City Hall to get yourself properly registered at last. Your mom hadn't been able to give you a pokedex or official license due to the attack, but the results of your Tamer's Test was still in the system. You had to sign a few forms and go through an interview with a Psychic pokegirl to confirm that you were who you said you were, but by lunchtime you were the proud owner of a pokedex, official tamer's license and five brand new pokeballs. 

"Congratulations, nyaa!" the Catgirl at the counter said as she passed over your new items before sliding over a slim pamphlet. "Since you're a new tamer, you need to take this too."

"Oh, thanks." 

"Nyooo problem, nyaa!" the feline purred. "Just doing my job. Good luck on your journey, Ms Blue!"

You stopped by a cafe just outside the building to grab a bite to eat. You flipped through the pamphlet as you ate, realizing that it was a newbie's guide to getting new pokegirls. It warned you of a number of common scams that criminals liked to run and showed you how to avoid them. Useful, if a little dry.

Once you finish eating, you decide that now's a good time as any to get your starter. But how do you want to proceed?

[] Just go to a Pokecenter. Even if they don't have anything available, you can at least get pointers on where to go

[] The Marketplace seems a bit sketchy, but you're bound to find something interesting there

[] Head to the Auction House where all the rare and powerful pokegirls are being sold