The Indigo League (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
indigo_league) wrote2024-11-30 07:37 pm
indigo_league) wrote2024-11-30 07:37 pm
Entry tags:
Character Retirement
At the end of a character's arc in Victory Road, some players may feel that their characters are best off remaining a part of the setting itself, effectively putting a cap on their story. Instead of being dropped traditionally, these characters will become background NPCs in the game, becoming a permanent part of the game.
Characters can be eligible for retirement after they have spent at least one year in the game. We encourage players to consider their character's arc, their impact on the game as a whole, and why it would be meaningful for the character to remain in the Pokémon world as opposed to being dropped traditionally.
Did your character start a business that changed the tourism industry in a town? Did they start their own gym? Did they become an important freelance reporter for EV news? Let us know! Your character doesn't need to have solved world hunger--we just want to know what sort of impact they've had, even if it's as small as settling down in a home in New Bark Town and telling new trainers to buzz off.
Note that retiring a character does NOT bar future players from also applying that character. If a player decides that Clark Kent is going to become an NPC EV News reporter, another player can then later apply as Clark Kent. Multiverse shenanigans are afoot, after all.
After your retirement submission has been accepted, your character will be removed from the taken page (if applicable) and a small blurb will be added to the location your character is associated with, with a link to information about that character's retirement.
Additionally, any characters dropped between August 2023 and November 2024 that meets the above requirements can be retroactively submitted for retirement.
Because there are countless ways that a player may decide that a character is ready to be retired, the mod team will be reviewing these submissions on a case-by-case basis. More information can be found on the form itself!
Submissions are checked every Wednesday.
Characters can be eligible for retirement after they have spent at least one year in the game. We encourage players to consider their character's arc, their impact on the game as a whole, and why it would be meaningful for the character to remain in the Pokémon world as opposed to being dropped traditionally.
Did your character start a business that changed the tourism industry in a town? Did they start their own gym? Did they become an important freelance reporter for EV news? Let us know! Your character doesn't need to have solved world hunger--we just want to know what sort of impact they've had, even if it's as small as settling down in a home in New Bark Town and telling new trainers to buzz off.
Note that retiring a character does NOT bar future players from also applying that character. If a player decides that Clark Kent is going to become an NPC EV News reporter, another player can then later apply as Clark Kent. Multiverse shenanigans are afoot, after all.
After your retirement submission has been accepted, your character will be removed from the taken page (if applicable) and a small blurb will be added to the location your character is associated with, with a link to information about that character's retirement.
Additionally, any characters dropped between August 2023 and November 2024 that meets the above requirements can be retroactively submitted for retirement.
Because there are countless ways that a player may decide that a character is ready to be retired, the mod team will be reviewing these submissions on a case-by-case basis. More information can be found on the form itself!
Player: Your name.
Character: The character you plan on retiring.
Time Spent In-Game: Characters can be eligible for retirement after they have spent at least one year in the game.
Retroactive Retirement?: If your character is being retroactively retired, please link us your drop comment OR an AC comment from when you were in the game.
How did your character change in Victory Road?: How did they grow or develop as a result of being in the Pokémon world? This doesn't have to be exhaustive--we just want to know about the highlights!
What did your character do to impact the setting?: What sort of accomplishments did they have? Do they have a legacy/reputation among trainers? These things don't need to be wildly ambitious or remarkable, but should at least matter to the character.
Why do YOU feel your character should be retired?: What it says on the tin! Just tell us why you feel retirement is right for this character.
NPC Info: What will your character be like as an NPC? How can future players expect to handwave interactions with them? Is there any business/organization info you need to provide for future players to understand what your character will be doing?
reposting with mod account because the actual comment keeps disappearing???
Character: Armin Arlert
Time Spent In-Game: 8 years
Retroactive Retirement?: AC comment & drop comment
How did your character change in Victory Road?: Hoo boy.
Armin arrived at 16-ish, from quite early in his cannon setting. When I dropped him, he was 24, married, a gym leader, and running a breeding project.
Essentially, Armin did all his growing and maturing in Victory Road. From a teenager, who felt strongly that he had to return home if/when given the opportunity (he had a duty as a soldier, and he had knowledge to share) to an adult who would choose to remain in this world if he could and who had learned that perhaps the duties and responsibilities that he was given at barely sixteen were more than one should reasonably give a child (child soldier bad???)
While slightly apprehensive about Pokemon at first (Armin loves animals, but he admitted to not having that much experience with them), he quickly learned... well, everything that he could learn. And not just about pokemon either. While in VR, Armin learned everything about the natural world and about scientific concepts that he would only ever be able to dream of in his world (aided in this by people like Ford, who spent many hours explaining and answering Armin's question; and Shiro who told him so much about space). One of the most impactful influences was Newt Scamander, who really introduced Armin to not only the concept of magical animals (he still has the handwritten first editions of Newt's magical animal encyclopedia!) but also concepts like conservation and repopulation. Which would later become a big part of Armin's life when he inherited Newt's Laura's breeding project and decided to continue where he had left off.
It wasn't all learning and pokemon breeding though! Armin initially joined VR as a trainer, and did what trainers are meant to do -- he obtained all the badges and even defeated the Elite Four! And though it took him a bit to settle down, eventually Armin went on to start his own gym, themed fully around underwater battling; after all, water pokemon should really be admired while in their element!
And on a very personal note, Armin also learned about love. From a cute puppy crush on Newt Scamander to eventually a full relationship (and marriage!) with Angel, Armin was able to find and create a new family here in VR.
What did your character do to impact the setting?:
- As a new Aurora League member, Armin helped defeat Necrozma down in Cerulean Cave.
- Also as an Aurora League member, Armin created the Pelagic Gym on an uninhabited small island in the Sevii Islands, which is themed around underwater battling (and how that changes regular moves)
- Armin inherited Newt Scamander's Lapras Breeding Project, which became part of the Pelagic Gym. With 11 permanent pod members, Armin has been able to release at least 66 young Lapras into the wild.
- Armin befriended Suicune after Suicune stole his tea kettle. This didn't really have an impact on the setting, but Armin sure does rate it highly in his life.
- He helped set up a pen pal project with folks in the Sinnoh Region. He hopes that one day this contact will help allow them access to Sinnoh as well.
- Generally speaking, Armin was involved in every big plot cause, uh, he was my only character for a very long time and I love plots. He wasn't always centrally involved, but he was always there to help.
- He and Angel single-handedly are keeping the ice cream store on the Sevii Islands afloat with their frequent ice cream dates.
Why do YOU feel your character should be retired?:
Essentially... Armin has done everything possible to do. He became a gym leader. He got married. He has a well running breeding project. He grew and matured and is now in a very comfortable spot in his life where he simply is trying to help others as best as he can while living the best life that he can. He deserves a good life. Have you seen his canon?
NPC Info:
As an Aurora League member living in the Sevii islands (which doesn't have any official gyms), Armin would probably be a point member to handle any big disasters. He would be essentially fulfilling the same kind of role as the gym leaders in Kanto/Johto do during events i.e. background organisation and putting out the small fires while PCs handle the big stuff.
And when the world is not in peril, Armin would be splitting his time between the Lapras Breeding Project and the Pelagic Gym. His gym is very focused on teaching people about water pokemon and their majesty (there is a big aquarium that is open for visitors, and he'd always be open to questions. Meanwhile, he'd also be working on breeding ever more Lapras via the Breeding pod + temporarily housing any injured Lapras. Generally, he'll produce one or two big batches of young Lapras a year to release into the wild. Also, related to all of this, general natural conservation would be a big thing for him, so I could also see him organising beach clean ups and the like.
He also has a beautiful wife. Have you met his beautiful wife. Honestly, if Angel and Armin ever had kids, please imagine him going full Maes Hughes on that shit. (but not dying)
Re: reposting with mod account because the actual comment keeps disappearing???