Pokémon Odyssey: Search for Cresselia

Pokémon Odyssey: Search for Cresselia is the fourth roleplay in the Pokémon Odyssey storyline, created by Supervegeta. It focuses on the events thirty years after the end of Pokémon Odyssey: A New Beginning.

Setting
''"Harmony never truly dies, and neither does chaos. If chaos returns to the world, light will follow in its rebirth." ''

Once upon a time, in a world ruled by Pokemon, there existed a nation that united Pokemon under the slogans of freedom, love, and peace. This nation eventually became known as Valkaria, and the government that ruled it the Alpha Alliance. The core of the Alpha Alliance is what kept the nation together. They were the Gold Tribe, a group of elite Pokemon peacekeepers who protected the Alpha Alliance and made it a place of harmony and happiness. For years, the Gold Tribe defended the Alpha Alliance from a multitude of threats. However, none have been as prominent as the Dark One, Darkrai.

The history of the fighting with Darkrai began over 2000 years ago. At that time, he was defeated at the cost of many lives. Darkrai was successfully imprisoned and hidden away from the world in a small but powerful device known as the Silver Crystal. However, Darkrai’s will was too powerful to be contained even in the Silver Crystal, and eventually, portions of his might began to pour into the world again, despite still being trapped. Wars were fought and much blood was spilled as Pokemon fell under his command and slaughtered all in their path. For Darkrai’s power is fueled by the darkness, chaos and malice of this world. It is through these traits that he could control and corrupt other Pokemon, and it is through these traits that he could return. The violence fueled him, and when he had gotten enough power, he broke out of his prison and returned to the world once more.

Thirty years ago, the Pokemon of the Alpha Alliance managed to stop the Dark One after he was finally released from his prison in the Silver Crystal. With the help of the Gold Crystal, the Silver Crystal's counter, he was defeated. Yet he was not destroyed, and he vowed one day to return:

"Darkness and chaos. These will always exist. I will never become just a memory."

Instantly, plans were made to ensure that should he ever return, they would be ready. Yet the Pokemon of Valkaria understood that finding and fighting Darkrai would only benefit him. Open war would be exactly what he would have wanted, as violence would fuel his strength. Instead, the Pokemon of the Alpha Alliance decided to try and find another solution.

The last, and perhaps only solution they had left.

Since Darkrai fled, much has happened in an effort to be prepared. In order to achieve complete transparency on the enemy, Pokemon began moving about the country to spread the message about Darkrai and the history of their battles. Records from the Golden Catacombs (the unofficial, private library of the Gold Tribe) were made public, and all across, Pokemon became more knowledgeable about the Dark One.

Yet this knowledge wasn't just kept inside the borders of Valkaria. Soon, expeditions were sent outside of the borders of their home by multiple groups, including the Gold Tribe and the Seekers. While they varied in their approaches, they had two overlapping goals: to spread the tales and terror of Darkrai, and to search for signs of Cresselia (whose energy was inside the Gold Crystal), the counterbalance of Darkrai, and the supposed one Pokemon who could stop the spread of Darkrai's chaos.

As the years passed by, Darkrai's presence had begun to strangely decrease. Sightings of his minions or the Dark One himself became less common. Then they became rare. Eventually, not a whisper was heard of him at all. Some from the younger generation began to question whether he had ever existed at all, while the old veterans continue to cling onto the dark memories of long past.

Story
Pokemon from all across Valkaria (and some from beyond it) arrive to the thirtieth anniversary celebrating the end of the Silver War. Many Pokemon, especially some Gold Tribe and Seekers, are skeptical about the party, which was organized by General Grett. The grandiose design and festival which the ceremony has become, was thought by many to be unnecessary, too festive and less honoring, and just downright pointless. Though many respect the sacrifices of the Silver War, there are also some believe that Darkrai never actually appeared in the closing stages of the war, and that the war was conducted by former members of the Gold Tribe in the form of the Silver Tribe. This group, or movement, is called the Valkarian Exposure and is led by a former Commander Hypno known as Thomas Blake.

The party progressed on, with many old acquaintances meeting back up and some new ones meeting for the first time. Notable dignitaries included the Thieves with their King Snype, the Seekers and their leader Penance, SEC employees and their founder Hanso, the Gold Tribe and their leader Guardia, as well as many more surprising and some new faces. As the ceremony for the fallen was conducted, however, Thomas Blake got into an argument with another General, Riken, about the nature of the Silver War's end. Soon after, Grett revealed a surprising bit of information, his involvement with Darkrai, which promptly led to his appearance along the outskirts of Gold City soon after, along with an army. Grett was soon dispatched, and everyone got to work. The defense of Gold City had begun, with the Gold Tribe and other defenders clamoring over to the wall of the city, while others heading to the SEC Network points (there being three) to try and evacuate all the non-combating citizens to other cities.

Unknown to the defenders originally, a Greninja believed to be working, perhaps voluntarily, with Darkrai, has begun destroying the Network points. He has successfully destroyed Network point two with a Hyper Beam Cannon, and proceeded to Network point three. A fire had mysteriously begun around Network point three. The Greninja was discovered by Snype, Paradox (Penance), and other defenders of the Alpha Alliance. The Hyper Beam Cannon was fired, but the network point was thankfully not destroyed, and in the process of being moved (as it is somewhat portable by SEC employees). Though in apparent captivity, the Darkrai agent known as Gabriel, or Gabe, hinted at possible other infiltrators into the city. At the same time at Network point one, an Ursaring revealed himself and began causing mayhem around there as well, apparently with the goal to destroy the Network point there.

Meanwhile at the wall, the defense of the city began. Darkrai's army was vast and wide, but with the Gold Tribe, the Alpha Alliance, Hyper Beam Cannons and a small, evil Ralts, the walls were being held off. Stampedes and other Pokemon charged for the gates, but were held off. An enormous Wailord began to be carried by the Pokemon of Darkrai. It seemed to support a lot of weight on it, despite the Wailord's notoriety for being quite light. Even with some armor plating around it, it didn't appear to make much sense yet. However, with a bit of a psychic disturbance from Razathiel, the Wailord was initially tipped over and caused destructive damage to the armies of Darkrai. The Pokemon of Darkrai quickly recovered the Wailord, put psychic barriers around to prevent additional mishaps, and proceeded again forward to the wall. The Gold Tribe and General Warren headed over the gate to take on a few enemies close range, and the defense of Gold City continued.

At the wall, the giant wailord that was being carried by the Darkrai forces was actually filled with Electrode. The 'mon at the wall managed to damage and partially destroy the wailord before it reached the wall, but it still ended up unleashing most of them closeby the wall and blowing up half of the main gate and taking down a good portion of the mon there. General Riken found Guardia there among the survivors and basically relayed the plan to her to do that mission she was planning tomorrow (check OOC) now instead, so she basically asked her to gather everyone she wanted to bring and take them to Network Point 3. They're all heading there now. At Network Point One, there were a group of Pokemon who were trying to destroy the Network there, an Ursaring, Machamp, and Ariados. They were tough opponents, particularly the Ursaring, but all were eventually taken out. Alex and Obsidian took out the Machamp with a sleeping dart, while Charlie took out the Ariados. A joint effort by Scar, Gaia (Naku NPC), Desmond (Naku NPC) and Atrox was used to take out the Ursaring. Gabriel arrived there too, and ended up destroying Network Point one in a concealed explosion at the same time as the explosion on the wall. So only Network Point 3 is left. In the end, Scar stayed behind to fight off Gabriel, while the rest continued on to Network Point 3.

From there, Riken and Guardia explained to the gathered about their mission, and of how they had to leave Gold City now to accomplish it. Fighting off the armies would only prolong the inevitable. The only way to win was to do what was originally intended: Find Cresselia. Along with that, they would get any help they could from the other countries in terms of fighting Darkrai's armies.

The group were teleported by the Network to Fort Ferrol, which was a relatively small outpost just north of Valkaria in an area known as the Valkaria Protectorate. It wasn't a country per say, as within it was only a collection of a few separate villages. Ferrol was half abandoned when they got there, including most of the Gold Tribe which was stationed there because they went off to help Gold City. However, there remained a couple of Gold Tribe members: 'Wraith' the Dusknoir, 'Whirlwind' the Fearow, and 'Reign' the Seaking. Along with them, there was a Seeker and SEC base, as well as a few dozen villagers who still occupied the village/fort.

The group spent the rest of the day resting, eating, and getting to know each other. Snype and Kaveri went on their second date, the first being in Gold City just before the attack. Guardia discovered Charlie, a traitor of the Gold Tribe and current member of the thieves, and confronted him. The brothers Joshua and Charlie met up, with the conversation going quite sour. Thomas, Sylvio, Cal, Raz, and Anna all met up and talked within the inn in town. The following day, the group gathered together to decide where they would begin their journey. After some debate, they ultimately decided on beginning in Tollen. From there, the group dispersed once more, everyone doing their own thing. At this point, Guardia once more confronted Charlie, with the two butting heads, but didn't resort to fighting. Guardia also spoke to Snype, frustrated that he had been hiding so much information from her about the extent of his organization. A similar conversation took place with Penance. Joshua and Cal also shared their reservations about trusting some of the non-Gold Tribe members of the group. The following day, they met again to discuss how they would get into Tollen, and what they would be doing once they got there.

The Alpha Alliance
The Alpha Alliance Army/Citizenry

The Alpha Alliance is the nation of peace and prosperity. They are protected at their core by the Gold Tribe, but the Alpha Alliance itself has most of the army under its command. They have upgraded their weaponry to feature protected, powerful Hyper Beam Cannons throughout the cities of Valkaria. The Alpha Alliance is led by three different Generals, who are appointed by the Pokemon citizens. Players can choose to be an Alpha Alliance soldier, citizen, or one of the three Generals (only one General spot is available).

The Gold Tribe
The Gold Tribe is a group of elite, highly-trained Pokemon who are and were the core of the Alpha Alliance. They are peacekeepers, the Alpha Alliance’s first and last line of defense against powerful enemies, and those who threaten the peace and freedom of the Alpha Alliance. Members of the Gold Tribe treat each other like family, often referring to each other as fellow ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ of the tribe. The Gold Tribe is selfless, putting the Alpha Alliance and their citizens above all else, even their own safety. They have a deep sense of honor and duty, and treat Pokemon, especially other members, with respect. The Gold Tribe is usually led by a leader, elected often by the previous leader to whom they believe is most worthy. This person on many occasions is a son or daughter of the previous leader, but not always. There is also a second-in-command. Gold Tribe members tend to be identified by Golden emblems/insignias that each member wears somewhere on their bodies, either as a necklace, a bracelet, an armband, etc.

There are two major differences which have occurred in the Gold Tribe in the last 30 years. The first is that acceptance into the Gold Tribe has become more rigorous. The trials of the Gold Tribe trainees were always difficult, but the current leader, Lyn “Guardia” Reed, has also ensured that they are a test not just of ones physical and mental capabilities, but also an analysis of the content of one’s character. For this reason, many Pokemon who would have gotten in on their strength alone were turned away. The second major difference is that they no longer encompass just Valkaria. The Gold Tribe has become a true international entity, having ties, alliances, and even bases in multiple nations and countries. Players can choose to be a member of the Valkarian Gold Tribe or the Beatrucian Gold Tribe.

The Sharp-Eye Corporation (SEC)
The Share-Eye Corporation, or SEC, is a business developed and constructed by Hanso SharpEye, formerly ‘TrueStriker’ of the Gold Tribe. After the Silver War, Hanso left the Gold Tribe, and began acting a mercenary and guard for hire. From there, after discovering a sizeable wealth left in his nearly-destroyed mansion, he utilized it to hire mercenaries, soldiers, contractors, and advisors to the Alpha Alliance as a third party agent, as well as invest in technologies by a Raichu scientist named Demas. Of those technologies include a machine which allows the Pokemon exchange a move they know for a new one (TM swap), as well as many other useful technologies that help in defending the Alpha Alliance.

One of the most important tools Hanso and the SEC have brought to the public is something they refer to as the Network. The Network is a psychic link between Pokémon. Basically, a team of psychics are set up in every major city, and some minor ones. The Psychic Pokemon link their minds in such a way that creates mental barrier across that city to prevent teleportation willingly, greatly strengthening their defenses in most cities. The Network also makes travelling easier for allies, who can travel between cities, being identified by the city's psychics as someone who is allowed to pass, and then teleported by one city's psychics to another. The Network has gone beyond Valkaria too, being established at or nearby cities of other nations/countries, should they have accepted iit. However, as the SEC is seen as a third party rather than part of the Alpha Alliance government, most countries generally have allowed their presence to some degree. This has been crucial in establishing alliances and bonds with the other countries, and demonstrates how important the SEC has been.

The Seekers
Formerly known as the Affiliates, an underground criminal group, the Seekers are a group created by Penance “The Madman” Malum, a former Gold Tribe member. As the Affiliates, the group operated mostly against the Gold Tribe in order to further Penance’s goals. The Gold Tribe and the Affiliates often were on opposite sides, tangling on multiple occasions in Cape City prior to the Silver War. After the war began, the two sides temporarily joined together to defeat a common enemy. When Darkrai was defeated, Penance created the Seekers with this main goal in mind: to seek Cresselia wherever she may be. They would do this by going out into the lands and spreading the tales and messages of what they had encountered.

To become a Seeker, one must go through a rigorous test, which begins with a year long course on the nature of inner darkness, the manner by which it exists in every Pokemon, and how to fight it. If they pass the tests, they are admitted as Seekers. The new seeker is then enlisted in one of the three branches: become a teacher to help others fight against darkness, a defensive soldier who protects cities from those who are corrupted, and those who go out and spread the mission, as well as fight against any corrupted they meet.

The Thieves
The thieves have been the natural enemies of the Gold Tribe for many, many years. There was once a Lucario named Arnold who sought to change the norm of society completely in the Alpha Alliance. Instead of rules and regulations and laws, he advocated for the abolition of every law and rule known to Pokemon. He believed then the Alpha Alliance would become a completely free society, and everyone could rule themselves. The view had quite a bit of supporters, who followed Arnold. But it had harsh criticism too, believing it to be too rash, and too heartless. In this system, burglary, assault, murder and all other crimes would become second nature, as if nothing was wrong with it, and nothing could stop it. But Arnold wanted to go ahead with his plans. Gathering up all of his supporters, he attempted to launch a revolution that would bring his dream to reality. The Gold Tribe fought this rebellion and ultimately finished it. Those who managed to avoid captivity fled to Eden Forest and made it their home. The forest was like a labyrinth, and eventually the Gold Tribe stopped immediate pursuit of Arnold. There had been multiple attempts over time to burn them out to stop them, but the forest seemed to have a life of its own, always somehow putting out fires and replenishing the forest. The forest became almost independent of the Alpha Alliance, coming solely under the jurisdiction of those inside, as they were the only ones who learned how to navigate it. Over time, it became a safe haven for all types of criminals (excluding murder) and those inside renamed it the Thieves Forest.

The Gold Tribe and the Thieves have occasionally gotten into a few bouts over the years, including during the Silver War. However, after the thieves were nearly annihilated by the Silver Tribe, they allied themselves temporarily with the Alpha Alliance to bring the Silver Tribe down. When the war was over, Lyn “Guardia” Reed, leader of the Gold Tribe, decided to pardon the remaining thieves for their previous actions on the condition that they not resume their previous activities as renegades. Snype, new leader of the Thieves, brought back all the survivors to the forest, and since then, they've been relatively quiet, being spotted only on a handful of occasions. It is rumored that Snype somehow managed to expand the Thieves to other countries, but that has yet to be confirmed...or denied.

Gold Tribe

 * Lyn "Guardia" Reed


 * Abel "Atrox" Onderon


 * Callimer "The Emerald Sentinel" Vian


 * Kaveri "Jetstream" Vian


 * Joshua "Watchman" Vensworth


 * Sahar "Synner" Bronze


 * Alizai "Skuld" Arashi

Alpha Alliance

 * Warren "Devastator" Karkanos


 * Sylvio Arcansus

Sharp-Eye Corporation

 * Annabeth Serta

Seekers

 * Penance "The Madman" Malum

Thieves

 * Snype


 * Charles Vensworth

Unaffiliated

 * Razathiel "The Dreadmage"


 * Victor "Firestorm" Maelstrom