Welcome to the world of Pokémon! Here's your starter. Enjoy the soundtrack.
For a non-laconic version, Route 29 is a Journal Roleplay that works as a bit of a darker Fusion Fic set in Johto, the main region of Generation II of the Pokémon franchise (and their Generation IV remakes). None of the characters in the original Pokémon setting are playable - all of them are NPCs kept only to keep the worldsetting from collapsing on itself. Instead, characters from any and all other walks of life and fandoms find themselves waking up either in a Team Rocket base or in "Mom's" house, ready to begin their lives as Pokémon Trainers!
Originally, the game was located here
, but then it later moved to Dreamwidth.
This game provides examples of:
- All There in the Manual - In-universe example. Every character is given a handbook along with all of their other starting gear, which they can consult at any time.
- Back from the Dead - It is possible to apply for a character after their canon deaths, while others such as Envy were Dead to Begin With.
- Brought Down to Normal - Everyone with supernatural powers, and even enhanced physical abilities to some extent, so as not to upstage the Pokémon.
- Cast Herd - Traveling parties tend to stick together. People from the same canon tend to stick in traveling parties. The Soul Eater + Homestuck crew had formed an especially enormous Cast Herd that has all but singlehandedly populated Goldenrod City.
- Darker and Edgier - Oh, yes. It's to be expected when you mix things such as Silent Hill, Twin Peaks, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica with Pokémon.
- Let's not forget some of the events. The nightmare event in September '10 and the MissingNo. event the following month. And then there was the time that Tarantulas unleashed a swarm of insane Bug-type Pokémon on Johto...
- Good Old Fisticuffs - While Pokémon battling is the preferred method of settling disputes, fistfights aren't banned. In fact, some people, such as Lancer, prefer to settle things with their fists.
- The Great Flood - The first major, mod-generated event involved a massive storm system that hammered southeastern Johto for over half a week.
- If It Tastes Bad, It Must Be Good for You - Averted. Berries are bad for humans, with some of their effects verging on the downright deadly. Of course, some people are strange, and may prefer a Masochist's Meal.
- Insurmountable Waist-Height Fence - Think you can hop over those little ledges? AHAHAHAHAHA have fun in the hospital.
- Left the Background Music On - Played straight. It can't be turned off. It can't be blocked out. Nobody knows where it comes from. Occasionally causes character breakdowns. You'd crack too after hearing that cave music for a week.
- It can, however, be drowned out by the radio.
- It can also be drowned out with your own theme music, if you have enough badges.
- Level Grinding - Pokémon can only gain a maximum of five levels per week, but considering how long characters stay in towns, this quickly adds up. It results in trainers with level 80 Pokémon challenging gym leaders with level 50 Pokémon.
- Nobody Can Die - It's even stated in the rules. Characters CAN get seriously injured, though.
- For one case of this, Ise Nanao fought a Scyther hand-to-hand. And won. (She was, however, seriously injured in the process.)
- Another example involves Shelly de Killer and Matt Engarde. It wasn't pretty.
- Non-Player Character - There are a few of these, the most notable being Prof. Oak, gym leaders, and Team Rocket executives. Prof. Oak, however, takes it a step further in that he will not acknowledge anyone unless they specifically mention Pokémon — and then he goes off on a tangent about adventure.
- Pokémon Speak - A variant. As animals, they make the expected sounds as well as saying their names, but those characters with Psychic Powers or Psychic-type Pokemon can read the minds of their Pokemon, and hold conversations with them.
- Punny Name - Carmen Sandiego names her Pokémon in the style of her henchmen, terrible puns and all.
- Quirky Household: Soul, Maka, and Eridan as of recently.
- Xanxus, Squalo and Killua have formed a tight-knit bunch of late.
- Souji's Breeding Centre has most of the Persona 4 cast living there, along with some Persona 3 characters, and several others.
- The Tennis Haus and The Otherhouse, coincidentally both in Goldenrod City.
- The Scrappy: Youngster Joey has become an in-universe example.Doc Scratch: How. Do. I. Make. That. Infernal. Brat. Stop. Calling.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: December 2014 saw Schuldig and fellow Rocket Alfred Ashford drop tinseled-up hordes of berserk Combee, Sharpedo, and Cryogonal onto an unsuspecting Celadon City, blaring Christmas songs from their helicopter all the while.
- Stuff Blowing Up - The Summer 2012 Powers Plot resulted in the destruction of a lot of Pokémon Centers.
- The game currently has both Solf J Kimblee and Dr Kato working for Team Rocket, both of whom are not afraid to live up to their Mad Bomber reputations.
- Theme Music Power-Up - Related to the above, the radio (and now songs that can be downloaded onto the PokéGear) are occasionally used to invoke this ICly.
- Characters are allowed their own BGM after getting five badges, which opens up all new possibilities for invoking this.
- Took a Level in Badass - The gym leaders, when compared to their video game incarnations. To give you a good idea, Falkner — the first gym leader — doesn't have a single Pokémon below level 30.
- A further example - Clair's lowest leveled Pokemon is a level 65 Gyarados. No one knows how strong the Elite Four are meant to be... yet.
- Unexpectedly Realistic Gameplay - The setting, while strictly following the rules of the game's universe, seems to take a fair amount of its flavor from the anime - routes are no longer a short jog but instead several days of walking to traverse, gym leaders are professional battlers who are to be feared and respected, and the thought of becoming a League Champion is a years-long ordeal.
