This is the setting and a good number of the major NPCs for a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon idea that I've had for a long time. If you've never played a PMD game, it's basically just Pokemon having Pokemon adventures, there might as well not be humans in the setting at all. They're mentioned, but never seen, and there doesn't seem to be anywhere to go to find them. Basically, it's all Pokemon adventures, no humans. There is a plot that I have in mind involving this town, but it probably stands well enough on its own.
For those who want to play at home, 8 of the NPC Pokemon are references! Try to find them all.
Ironhorn Town
A growing little town at the base of the northern mountains, where the current mayor grew up and returned to after his adventuring career. The lower ranges of the mountains and the caves beneath them have long been a home to Aron, Lairons, and Aggrons both because they are iron rich and the three highest peaks make the profile of an Aggron staring into the western sky.
The upper reaches and valleys are snowy almost completely year-round, and a large Swinup/Piloswine/Mamoswine herd migrates from one end of the mountain range to the other over the course of a year.
The northern mountains form a border that separates the northern wastes from the rest of the land. The treacherous peaks make travel over the mountains difficult at best. Only a few in living memory have crossed over the mountains and come back, but they report the northern wastes live up to their name. The only exception, and the source of the wild rumors about the north, is the scattered ruins dotting the landscape.
Strange clusters covered in incomprehensible glyphs rise out of the bare earth, and here are there are the remains of what once might have been buildings that have long since worn down to almost nothing. But the mountains are so hard to cross and the north so empty that no one has explored with any depth.
The Pokémon of Ironhorn Town
Name: Michael
Species: Aggron
The mayor of Iornhorn Town, where he was born. He was a noted adventurer, the leader of Team Wild Strength. In their prime they were known for being fantastic at tracking down outlaws, in no small part due to Michael's incredibly hot blooded leadership. Always the first one charging into battle, and almost never to back down from a challenge. He's gotten slightly more even tempered since he retired from adventuring, but he's not as serious a mayor as his secretary might like.
Name: Jody
Species: Mawile
Michael's secretary in name, but in reality she is more the actual brains behind the running of Ironhorn Town. Despite the fact that she seems to spend most of her time chasing after Michael, reminding him of his duties with her usual keening cry of "Mister May-or!" she does seem to love her job. Or, at least, to adore Michael enough to keep the position, despite the stress that it puts her through.
Name: Taiga
Species: Zangoose
Despite all appearances and his own behavior, Taiga was the brains behind Team Wild Strength. Although he is just as excitable as Michael (indeed, the two can easily play off of one another and build each other into a frenzy), there's a keen mind for planning behind his gaze. He followed Michael to Ironhorn Town after he decided to retire, and has taken on the role of leading the Adventurer's Guild branch.
Name: Julia
Species: Ursaring
The last of Team Wild Strength's members. Those who didn't know her back then only know her as a kind Ursaring who seems to live for doting on her son and running a nursery in Ironhorn Town. She never raises her voice, and even the youngest of children grow more charmed by her sweet demeanor than her frightening size. Of course, that's only now.. But Michael and Taiga, who remember her as the muscle behind their team; have been known to back down on issues when Julia starts to sound angry.
Name: Benjamin
Species: Delibird
The mailpoke for the area, almost always announced with a loud, "Heloo!"as he flies in with the mailbag slung over his shoulder. Nothing seems to ruffle his feathers, and nothing seems like it can stop him from making his deliveries. Even through the strongest winter storms he'll make the flight into town, always finding his way.
Name: Margaret
Species: Glameow
Margaret runs the local branch of the Persian Bank, although her ambitions don't end at running the one branch. She's aggressive about drumming up business for her bank, and takes the job of security very seriously. She's much less concerned about threats to her own safety than she is about anything threatening her bank. She'll shrug off slights to herself, but anyone questioning her ability to run her bank branch will get severely told off.
Name: Vinnie
Species: Murkrow
Like most Murkrow, Vinnie has an eye for shiny things, particularly coins. And to get coins, he runs the item shops, picking his wares to be able to upsell to any would-be explorers or treasure hunters looking to try to get over the mountains. And although he has a nice little shop set up in town, he's not above throwing his goods into a sack and flying out in order to make some sales in the field.
Name: Sanger
Species: Farfetch'd
A mysterious warrior who has arrived in the region to train. If the piercing look in his eyes or his very direct, forceful way of speaking did not make him a subject of conversation, the four foot long leek that he uses to fight certainly does. He claims that the Colossal Leek Style is something long handed down by his clan, and he is just a recent practitioner honing his skills in the mountains.
Name: Kelly
Species: Sabeleye
Kelly and her companion Hopkins are nearly inseparable. Where there's one, the other is always close by. Of the two, Kelly is the "face" of the group, the one who is always more comfortable with talking to strangers, even if she needs Hopkins to fill in the blanks she rushes over. Although she tries to be evasive, she's let it slip that they're working for "The Boss," and that she's afraid of disappointing him.
Name: Hopkins
Species: Claydol
Anyone talking to Hopkins (Or "Hop" as Kelly calls him) soon realizes why he doesn't do the speaking. It's not that he's rude, but his incredibly clipped way of speaking and his natural tendency not to turn to face someone makes almost everyone but Kelly feel awkward around him. He seems to be the more analytical of them, with a better head for details.
Name: Roman
Species: Mamoswine
Roman is the current leader of the great herd that lives in the snowy reaches. His sure bearing makes him stand out and be recognizable, despite how rarely he (or many from the heard) come down into the town area. However, one thing that is very clear about him even from those few visits is that Roman puts the safety of his herd first and foremost in his life.
Names: ??? and ???
Species: Mismagius and Froslass
A true ghost story of the region, this is a pair that everyone "knows" about, but almost no one has seen. They've never come into town or approached anyone, and they only appear to Pokémon caught in the worst mountain snowstorms. And even then, only as figures in the distance, leading the endangered travelers to shelter, even if it seems at first that they're approaching a ravine.
For those who want to play at home, 8 of the NPC Pokemon are references! Try to find them all.
Ironhorn Town
A growing little town at the base of the northern mountains, where the current mayor grew up and returned to after his adventuring career. The lower ranges of the mountains and the caves beneath them have long been a home to Aron, Lairons, and Aggrons both because they are iron rich and the three highest peaks make the profile of an Aggron staring into the western sky.
The upper reaches and valleys are snowy almost completely year-round, and a large Swinup/Piloswine/Mamoswine herd migrates from one end of the mountain range to the other over the course of a year.
The northern mountains form a border that separates the northern wastes from the rest of the land. The treacherous peaks make travel over the mountains difficult at best. Only a few in living memory have crossed over the mountains and come back, but they report the northern wastes live up to their name. The only exception, and the source of the wild rumors about the north, is the scattered ruins dotting the landscape.
Strange clusters covered in incomprehensible glyphs rise out of the bare earth, and here are there are the remains of what once might have been buildings that have long since worn down to almost nothing. But the mountains are so hard to cross and the north so empty that no one has explored with any depth.
The Pokémon of Ironhorn Town
Name: Michael
Species: Aggron
The mayor of Iornhorn Town, where he was born. He was a noted adventurer, the leader of Team Wild Strength. In their prime they were known for being fantastic at tracking down outlaws, in no small part due to Michael's incredibly hot blooded leadership. Always the first one charging into battle, and almost never to back down from a challenge. He's gotten slightly more even tempered since he retired from adventuring, but he's not as serious a mayor as his secretary might like.
Name: Jody
Species: Mawile
Michael's secretary in name, but in reality she is more the actual brains behind the running of Ironhorn Town. Despite the fact that she seems to spend most of her time chasing after Michael, reminding him of his duties with her usual keening cry of "Mister May-or!" she does seem to love her job. Or, at least, to adore Michael enough to keep the position, despite the stress that it puts her through.
Name: Taiga
Species: Zangoose
Despite all appearances and his own behavior, Taiga was the brains behind Team Wild Strength. Although he is just as excitable as Michael (indeed, the two can easily play off of one another and build each other into a frenzy), there's a keen mind for planning behind his gaze. He followed Michael to Ironhorn Town after he decided to retire, and has taken on the role of leading the Adventurer's Guild branch.
Name: Julia
Species: Ursaring
The last of Team Wild Strength's members. Those who didn't know her back then only know her as a kind Ursaring who seems to live for doting on her son and running a nursery in Ironhorn Town. She never raises her voice, and even the youngest of children grow more charmed by her sweet demeanor than her frightening size. Of course, that's only now.. But Michael and Taiga, who remember her as the muscle behind their team; have been known to back down on issues when Julia starts to sound angry.
Name: Benjamin
Species: Delibird
The mailpoke for the area, almost always announced with a loud, "Heloo!"as he flies in with the mailbag slung over his shoulder. Nothing seems to ruffle his feathers, and nothing seems like it can stop him from making his deliveries. Even through the strongest winter storms he'll make the flight into town, always finding his way.
Name: Margaret
Species: Glameow
Margaret runs the local branch of the Persian Bank, although her ambitions don't end at running the one branch. She's aggressive about drumming up business for her bank, and takes the job of security very seriously. She's much less concerned about threats to her own safety than she is about anything threatening her bank. She'll shrug off slights to herself, but anyone questioning her ability to run her bank branch will get severely told off.
Name: Vinnie
Species: Murkrow
Like most Murkrow, Vinnie has an eye for shiny things, particularly coins. And to get coins, he runs the item shops, picking his wares to be able to upsell to any would-be explorers or treasure hunters looking to try to get over the mountains. And although he has a nice little shop set up in town, he's not above throwing his goods into a sack and flying out in order to make some sales in the field.
Name: Sanger
Species: Farfetch'd
A mysterious warrior who has arrived in the region to train. If the piercing look in his eyes or his very direct, forceful way of speaking did not make him a subject of conversation, the four foot long leek that he uses to fight certainly does. He claims that the Colossal Leek Style is something long handed down by his clan, and he is just a recent practitioner honing his skills in the mountains.
Name: Kelly
Species: Sabeleye
Kelly and her companion Hopkins are nearly inseparable. Where there's one, the other is always close by. Of the two, Kelly is the "face" of the group, the one who is always more comfortable with talking to strangers, even if she needs Hopkins to fill in the blanks she rushes over. Although she tries to be evasive, she's let it slip that they're working for "The Boss," and that she's afraid of disappointing him.
Name: Hopkins
Species: Claydol
Anyone talking to Hopkins (Or "Hop" as Kelly calls him) soon realizes why he doesn't do the speaking. It's not that he's rude, but his incredibly clipped way of speaking and his natural tendency not to turn to face someone makes almost everyone but Kelly feel awkward around him. He seems to be the more analytical of them, with a better head for details.
Name: Roman
Species: Mamoswine
Roman is the current leader of the great herd that lives in the snowy reaches. His sure bearing makes him stand out and be recognizable, despite how rarely he (or many from the heard) come down into the town area. However, one thing that is very clear about him even from those few visits is that Roman puts the safety of his herd first and foremost in his life.
Names: ??? and ???
Species: Mismagius and Froslass
A true ghost story of the region, this is a pair that everyone "knows" about, but almost no one has seen. They've never come into town or approached anyone, and they only appear to Pokémon caught in the worst mountain snowstorms. And even then, only as figures in the distance, leading the endangered travelers to shelter, even if it seems at first that they're approaching a ravine.
