Tropblocs, a Pokerole Pokeblock Brew

Tropblocs a chain of stores where people can come and make pokeblocks for their Pokemon. The chain started in Hoenn but has branched out to a least a few stores in each region. The chain’s logo is a Tropius smiling and looking straight forward, with pokeblocks falling around him. Especially in non Hoenn regions, the store will give you a pokeblock case if you don’t have one as an incentive to try it out.

The store interiors are made up of a large, high ceiling room. The room has a long counter opposite the door where the clerk running the store can be found. The wall behind the clerk is dozens and dozens of wicker baskets filled with berries. There are baskets with mixed berries as well as single type baskets. The rest of the room has Pokeblock machines with four seats around them. There are some with couch style seating and others with four chairs.

After checking in with the attendant, customers sit at a Pokeblock Machine and get an assortment of berry baskets brought to them. The pokeblock machines are coffee table sized, and right in the center of the machine is a hatch berries can be dumped into. On each of the four sides of the machine there are pedals which the customers use to blend the berries in the machines.

The process requires berries to be added over time, so it’s around 15 minutes of pedaling while putting more berries in every couple of minutes. Pokemon frequently help their trainers make blocks, as Pokemon are far better at telling what a berry will taste like at a glance. When the process is complete, the machine with lock the pedals and press the blended berries into the block shape. A tray (not unlike an ice tray) is raised up to the hatch on the top, where the customers can take their pokeblocks!

This ends up being a social process, both in selecting the berries and sitting around while they blend. Groups will come to grind some blocks for an hour and chat over coffee or read the paper. Some Tropblocs have blenders that support large groups like 6 or 8, while others have cafes attached.

Flavor Reference

• Players pay 250 Pokedollars to blend a batch of Pokeblocks. They do not have to provide the berries.
• Berries are made by a series of Social stat rolls, one for each stat. This represents how much a players preference for the flavor associated with that stat influences their berry selections for the blend. For each stat:
  • The player can roll their trainer’s stat OR if they let their Pokemon select the berries for that flavor, the Pokemon’s pool for that stat.
  • The GM writes down the total number of successes for that stat across all players.
• Once all 5 stats have been rolled, the flavor profile is determined. The players will get 2 Pokeblocks of the flavor with the most successes rolled for it. If there’s a tie, the Pokeblock has all those flavors in the forefront!

• Ash and Serena are making Pokeblocks together. They start with the Sour berries. Each of them rolls their Tough stat (3, 1) and get a total of 2 successes, which the GM marks down.
• Ash and Serena then decide to have their Pokemon pick the Spicy berries. Gengar rolls it’s Cool (4) and Pancham rolls it’s Cool (2) and they get 4 successes!
• Ash and Serena once again take the lead and roll their Clever stats (1, 3). They get 1 Success, ensuring the berry isn’t going to be very Bitter.
• They then roll Beauty stats, (1,2) and get 2 successes.
• Ash and Serena have Pikachu and Braxien pick the berries for the Sweet flavors, who roll (5, 5) and get 4 successes.
• The GM now looks at the successes the two have achieved.
  • Cool & Cute got 4
  • Beauty and Tough got 2
  • Clever got 1
• The flavors with the highest number of successes (Cool & Cute, or Spicy and Sweet) determine the flavor of the Pokeblocks the trainer receive, so they end with Sweet and Spicy Pokeblocks!

• Pokeblocks have one or more flavors determined when they were blended.
• Pokemon have a preference for a certain flavor or flavors. That preference is the one or more highest social stats it has. ( EX: If Pikachu’s Cute is it’s highest social stat, it likes Sweet Pokeblocks.)
• Once per day, a Pokemon can be fed a Pokeblock of a flavor that it likes and it will regain one Will Point. This cannot be used during battle. The GM may also want to award Happiness, Loyalty, or other perks to the Pokemon for giving it a treat it enjoys.