Camp Map

The front gate to Camp Pokexplorers is bustling with all the new campers arriving. The big wooden gate towers over the camp ground’s entrance and has “Pokexploration Starts Here” on a colorful sign in the center. The dirt path is well traveled leading into the woods where the Camp must be. The day is warm and sunny and the tree leaves sway softly due to a pleasant breeze. The serenity of the scene is marred slightly by the sound of cars dropping campers off and goodbyes of the hurried and prolonged variety behind you.

Go around the table and have each player describe their character and their arrival by answering one or more of these questions.

Once they’ve all introduced their characters, read the following.

“Alright everyone! We’ll be setting you up in your cabins to get started!” A blond girl wearing a camp uniform calls. “Follow the path up and then take the first right! Go ahead and claim whichever one you like, two to a Cabin! I’m so looking forward to getting to know all of you during orientations, aren’t you Hubert?”
Next to the blond is a dark haired boy with long hair that covers most of his face, also wearing the camp uniform. He nods without a verbal response, looks to his left and right, then heads towards the woods, away from the directions the first counselor provided.

Cabin Corner

Transition to the cabins by reading the description of them on page 1. If the player characters have already started talking and bonding, they can bunk together if they so choose. If they enter a Cabin alone, assign them one of the NPC trainers as a bunk mate. Ethan is likely a poor choice, unless a character is looking to be mean to his fellow campers.

After giving each player the chance to meet their roommate and answer a question or two, they hear the blonde counselor calling for them to come to the campfire spot. All the NPC campers head out towards it immediately.

Campfire Circle

Once again, transition the scene using the description of the Campfire Circle on page one.

The two counselors are waiting for you in the circle and unsurprisingly the blonde girl starts talking as soon as everyone arrives.
“Welcome everyone! My name is Counselor Becky and I’m so excited to be here with you all! Me and Counselor Hubert here,” She points to the dark haired counselor, “Are going to be your guides to a weekend of fun! Speaking of fun, let’s not waste any daylight, Hubert if you’d please?”

Hubert walks around, face hidden in his hair, and presents everyone a piece of paper. On it is a riddle.
“Alright everyone! Our first activity is this, a scavenger hunt! Each of you have riddle to solve that will lead you somewhere in camp! When you get there, you need to find a Pokexplorer badge like this one!” Becky holds up a red and white badge that looks a lot like a Pokeball, but with Pokexplorer written across it’s front. “It’s not a competition, so have fun!”
Hubert then speaks up for the first time. He brushes his hair from his face and gives everyone a serious look. “Don’t stray into the woods. It’s too dangerous.” Becky nods in agreement then blows a whistle to be your starting bell.

Give the players a chance to breath, ask questions, or RP a bit with the counselors and other campers. More information on how the hunt is run mechanically is in the next section. Before the PCs leave the campfire area, they should witness the following scene.

A stocky boy with dark hair cut short and a rough and tumble look about him climbs up on a log bench when the counselors are out of earshot. “Listen up! This is a competition now! And I’m going to be the winner. You wanna come in second place though, or any place but last, cause whoever does the worst in all the events this weekend is going to get a pounding from me!” He punctuates his statement by pounding his fists together.
A girl wearing a wind breaker, visor, and running shorts sighs near the lot of you. “That Ethan… He lives in my hometown, he’s always like this… He’s serious too, and sneaky. Watch out for him. If it comes down to it, I’ll ‘lose’ on purpose, he won’t mess with me since I know his Mom.”

Ethan walks off while the girl (Alice) speaks. The PCs are welcome to interact with the other campers or attempt to challenge Ethan at his own game before embarking on the scavenger hunt. The NPC campers split off into handfuls heading towards various places around camp, and the PCs are welcome to do the same.

The Scavenger Hunt is run as follows. Each Riddle will require a different type of roll to know the answer to. Any player can make an attempt to figure out the answer for any player’s riddle, 1 success is all that’s required. Once at the location hinted in the riddle, the players will be faced with a second skill challenge, physical in nature. 2 successes are required on these checks, or a creative use of the parties Pokemon.

There will be suggested skill rolls for acquiring the badge listed with each riddle. If your players come up with a different way to get badge, let them roll for that solution! Just pick the skill and attribute that apply most to what they’re doing.

The riddles are self contained on this page: Riddles.

Important! Halfway through the riddle solving, include the below scene.

When the players get the last of the PCs badges, the loudspeaker announces that all campers should reassemble for dinner in the Dining Hall.

Campfire Circle

Breeze through dinner with a few questions spread about amongst the players. Let an interesting moments that come up from the player’s answers play out as a full scene if you’d like.

To keep things moving, glaze over the rest of the evening as well. Here are some questions that cover “Bedtime” that you can pose to the group before moving into Day 2 of camp.

Here’s one more set of questions to cover the morning. Use the player’s answers as a way of transitioning into the new day before they get started on the next big event.

Once the players have answered a few questions, the counselors will have the campers move to the Combat Clearing. Introduce this new area of the camp via the following

This area of the camp is packed down dirt, and chalk lines have been drawn for a Pokemon battlefield! Logs sit on one of the log edges of the battlefield, set up for people to watch the fights.

Combat Clearing

“Alright everyone, today’s the day we do some Pokemon battling!” Becky shouts from the sidelines of the dirt battlefield. “Even if you don’t like to battle much, it’s important to know how when traveling, just in case a particularly nasty pokemon sets it’s eyes on you!”

The battles can either be played out as single matches, or as a full tournament. In single matches, simply have Becky call out “who’d like to fight next” and let PCs volunteer. You can also have friendly NPCs invite them to battle, especially if they’re hesitant. That said, don’t push it if the PC’s character isn’t a fighter, they don’t have to be.

All of the trainer’s pokemon are healed after a fight. (Becky has potions.)

If you chose to do a tournament, the tournament structure will vary with the player count. Play out the first round, then use the Lunch Break section below to divide up the time.

• 3 Players
• 4 Players
• 5 Players

A word of caution, the Tournament will be around 5 consecutive battles, which can eat up a lot of your session time! Keep an eye on player engagement or ask them from the start if they’re okay waiting for the other PCs fights to finish.

With the sun getting high in the sky, Becky calls for a break in the battling for some boxed lunches!

After establishing the scene a bit, say the following:

“Oh shoot,” Becky says. “I forgot to top off the potions bag. Alright kids, wait here, me and Hubert will be back soon!” Becky runs off down the trail away from the area. You don’t spot Hubert at first, until you see him heading into the woods in the opposite direction of the medical tent.

Give the PCs a chance to chase after Hubert. Do or don’t, ask for an Insight+Alert check from each of them. Presuming one of them succeeds, they see the following.

You spot another scene taking place by the outskirts of the battlefield. Ethan is looming over Roman, his Houndour beside him with a nasty look on it’s face.
“Look four eyes, I don’t like you telling people about my Houndour’s weaknesses, see?” Ethan says. “I heard you during the battles, you were talking smack about Houndour to Caroline! Still feel like Houndour could be easily beat?!”
“Hey, come on, I was j-j-just explain type-”
“Hush nerd! Send out your Joltik already!”

Presumably, the PCs will intervene. Ethan is combative and will fight anyone, but if the PCs gang up on him he scoffs and tries to play it off like they’re not worth his time. Roman is too scared to help in any way, though he’ll be incredibly thankful after the fact.

If the PCs don’t spot this, they might see Roman return to the lunch group with burned edges of his clothes, or running towards the medical tent with Joltik. Ethan will proudly talk about how “Roman challenged him to a fight” to his peers, but pretends to be worried about Joltik when counselors return.

Becky and Hubert returning is a great way to end a fight quickly. Ethan will immediately recall Houndour upon hearing either of them approaching and lie through his teeth about what happened. Hubert differs to Becky with any kind of tattling, and Becky plays it off that she can’t be sure and she’ll be keeping a close eye on everyone from now one.

Campfire Circle

You’ve all gathered for the afternoon’s activity in the now familiar campfire area. Becky is standing on one of the log benches, holding a burlap bag in her hand.
“We’ve got an extra cool adventure for this afternoon everyone! There’s an influx of wild pokemon recently and the Pokemon Rangers have asked us to help out by catching them! Everyone’s goal is to catch one pokemon by sunset. We’re going out in two groups, one with Hubert, one with me. We’ve got plenty of Pokeballs here for you to use, so let’s get to it!”

The easiest split to do would be to have the PCs be one group, and the rest of the campers be the other. Mixing the groups up won’t hurt, though it will limit player to player interaction.

All pokemon encountered in the wild will be Starter rank, which makes them fairly easy to catch. Becky and Hubert both have an infinite supply of Pokeballs. For quick reference, Pokeballs roll 4 Dice to catch, and starter rank pokemon require 3 Successes to capture. A trainer gets an automatic success for the target pokemon being at half health, at 1 hp, and having a status condition.

What happens if a wild pokemon is knocked out? You can flavor it however you want, but the Pokemon can’t be caught like that. Perhaps Becky and Hubert prevent the catch, or 0 HP really means that the wild pokemon runs away with it’s tail between it’s legs. You can also state that it’s against league rules.

Hubert and Becky will ask the PCs what kind of pokemon they’re looking for. Use the following table and their answer to chose what Pokemon they would encounter.

These are only some samples. Feel free to drop in your own Pokemon and locations.

While you ate dinner, Becky and Hubert have set up a big bonfire for you all to sit around! The bonfire is taller than all of you and very warm to sit beside. Everyone chats merrily over smores while Pokemon idle about playing with each other. Ethan is telling some tall tale about his Houndour’s strength that Becky seems to be humoring, but it at least keeps him from bothering anyone.
Though speaking of counselors… On a whim you glance around for Hubert. You spot him in the distance, making his way towards the shadowy tree line.

This time, the PCs are able to follow Hubert without issue. Once they reach the treeline, ask them for a Insight+Nature roll to track Hubert’s path through the woods. (If they fail, have them stumble on a wild pokemon that startles them before leaving, then ask them to roll again.).

Upon finding Hubert, read the following:

You follow Hubert, finally able to track him as he slinks off into the woods for the third time you’ve seen. His path leads you through thick undergrowth, the only sounds the ones you make moving through the bushes. You stop short hearing Hubert’s voice. through a thick shrub.
“3, 4, 5… Okay great, you’re all here. We’re almost ready, the bonfire is lit, the campers will be tired… Then we can head towards camp.”
What do you do?

Let the PCs jump to conclusions, and when they’re ready, approach through the shrub.

Before you, you see Hubert standing tall over… a quintet of small pink pokemon that hide behind him.
“Gwah!” Hubert calls out. “Oh, it’s just you guys. Be quiet okay, we don’t want to scare these poor little guys.”

Hubert will explain that he’s been taking care of these Hoppip all weekend. They had lost their strength and were separated from the rest of their flock, so he snuck them food and is going to help them use the bonfire to get really high in the air so they can rejoin their friends. He’s nonhostile and neither are the Hoppip. He kept them a secret cause Becky gets mad at him for spending more time with Pokemon than the campers, and asks them to keep the Hoppip a secret.

Once the PCs have asked their fill of questions, Hubert will suggest they return to camp together, saying the woods are dangerous at night. Upon their return, Becky is waiting near the treeline.

“Oh good, you all were with Hubert! What happened?” Becky asks and Hubert shuffles awkwardly. You can tell he’s no liar.

Presumably the PCs will come with a lie of some kind. If not, Hubert will say they got lost and Becky won’t question it. She tells the PCs to meet up at the cabins and that lights out is coming up, then walks away. Hubert encourages them to go along with her, and ‘keep her busy’ while he helps the Hoppip float off.

As you all settle into bed, Becky’s megaphone sounds from outside.
“And that’s lights out campers! Get some sleep… You’ve got an extra big day tomorrow.”
It’s true, since tomorrow you return home, and you drift off into sleep…

You wake up to a banging sound, probably pots on pans. Becky’s voice over the megaphone calls “Kids, get out here!” All you know is it’s early as heck for such a loud wake up call. Your roommates shuffle out, confused but too tired to question her.

Becky continues to bang things and will eventually come into the cabins to drag campers out into the courtyard in the middle of the cabins.

Becky stands on the path away from the cabins towards the rest of the cabin, Hubert by her side, also looking tired. Becky however looks incredibly awake, with an almost manic glint in her eyes.
“Campers! There’s one special activity left for all of you, and this one is only because I think you’re all amazing kids!” Becky says. Hubert looks confused. There’s a whirring sound and above you a black helicopter comes into view, with a red R painted on it’s side!
Becky continues, “I’ve seen you battle and capture pokemon this weekend and I think you all have great potential. I was looking for talented kids like you and it’s great that I found them so quickly! The special activity I have in store for you is…”
Becky tears off her camp uniform to reveal a black uniform beneath it with the same red R on her chest! “You’re all going to join team Rocket!”

Let the players take first crack at responses. Any mention of Hubert or an appropriate moment can prompt the following:

“W-w-what? Becky what are you-” Hubert stutters, stepping between the campers and Becky.
“Ugh, you and your stupid stuttering! Spit it out next time!” Becky pushes Hubert side and he stumbles into a briar bush, crying out as the thorns dig in.

Let the banter continue, but Becky cannot be swayed. Ethan will step forward and join Becky, saying that Team Rocket will appreciate his greatness. The rest of the campers are too scared to do anything. Once the PCs move to escape or fight, read the following:

Becky sneers. “First rule of Team Rocket… Follow your superiors orders if you don’t want to get hurt!” A pokeball flies from her hand, releasing a massive Snorlax! There’s no getting around it, it looks like you’re in for a fight!

Victory: “Nooooo!” Becky shouts. “How did you…”
There are siren sounds in the distance and a walkie talkie on Becky’s belt says “We’ve gotta move, Officer Jenny is on her way!”
“Damn you all!” Becky curses, grabbing onto a rope ladder dropped from the helicopter. “You haven’t seen the last of me!”
The helicopter flies away just as Officer Jenny rides up on a motorcycle. The other campers cheer and shout and thank you all for saving them. The rest of camp flies by in a blur of packing, giving police statements, and exchanging phone numbers, but you know you’ll never forget this year at Pokeexplorers Summer Camp!