OCTOBER EVENT PT1

[teamboba]

(toplevel view)

OCTOBER EVENT PT1

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ EVACUATION STUFF

(click to expand- aka getting people out of here)

The water level keeps rising, the storm refusing to abate even after two months of non-stop rain and circulating whispers of an even greater danger: an erupting volcano, threats of subsequent tsunamis, and Toran right there in the blast zone. There has already been one casualty. Jiro, after going missing for a week and a half, was found washed up on the beach. Probably drowned, they say in regards to his cause of death and never investigated further, not realizing that the band of tattooed fire around his neck has disappeared. While there is a very real possibility the island will become inhabitable very quickly and very soon, many townspeople are worried about leaving, with the storm swelling in response to anybody leaving the island in the past and if evacuation tips the situation over the edge... well... at this point, though, there's little other choice. Homes and other buildings get boarded up over the days counting down to the end of the month, berry trees get chopped down to construct as many boats as possible, all the Pokemon in the Daycare get returned to their balls and loaded into crates. The Pokemon Center becomes a shelter for those unable or unwilling to leave while the rest head out, the first of the boats pushing off the north shore at dawn.

With boats carrying six people each, families towards the center of the group and trainers with strong water Pokemon flanking them on all sides for protection, the evacuees steer northeast, veering out of the projected path of the volcanic activity in the northwest, with towering waves, jagged reefs, and whirlpools every several dozen feet dictating travel. Even with their own Mudkip, trainers who try to leave on their own will find it too difficult to cross the sea, with too many whirlpools for one little Mudkip to handle on their own and the storm forcing them to turn back around. It takes a group effort to carve a safe path away from the island, especially when thunder starts to rumble overhead, storm clouds so thick the sky becomes black as night.

The roar is almost deafening, encompassing and full of rage. Boats lurch to the side, caught in whirlpools that threaten to suck them under until the Mudkips in the group are able to reverse the whirlpool and calm the water, other water Pokemon pressing up against the boats to keep them upright as ten-foot waves crash down over people's heads, torrential rain unrelenting and there is no escape from the lightning that flashes across the sky. Trainers with electric Pokemon use them as lightning rods to redirect the lightning away from the others, and other Trainers direct their Pokemon as best they can to block the lightning as the ships cross the sea. Nanami's Marshtomp leads the group, clearing the path and searching desperately for any sign of land on the other side, while Minato's Yamask zips from boat to boat, using Protect to shield them from the lightning, but there is no end in sight.

In that moment, the sky turns white. There is light, there is silence, and the rain snuffs out all at once. Those who think to turn around might see Minato on his feet at the very rear of the group, two shimmering figures fading away into the sunlight behind him just as he topples backwards into the water. For everybody else, their attention is drawn by the deafening screeching that pierces the air, black clouds parting to reveal blue sky and a shining sun for the first time in two months. With the parting of the clouds and the subsequent silence, they hear a muffled boom out in the far distance, a spew of fire, and a plume of black smoke. There's your volcano, and here is the swell of the ocean that pitches the boats forward, driving them east.

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE STAYING

(click to expand - have fun drowning)

The flash of white is noticeable even from the island, the first warning before the clouds part of their heads and the rain comes to a stop. Without the veil of rain constantly blurring their vision, the people who remain can clearly see the tsunami heading their way, waves upon waves dipping and rearing their heads as they slam into the coast and out across the island. A foot- two, ten- the water level rises too quickly for anybody to run, even the lake rising and spilling out as those in multi-story buildings try to make it to the highest floor possible. Drifloons float out and try to grab onto stragglers and drag them to safety, but they're too light and weak and all they can do is inflate themselves as much as they can and be buoys for those stranded to cling to for dear life. From the lake, the Gyarados takes advantage of the overflow and urges its Magikarp towards the north side of the island along with it— and stops in surprise when it spots Akira. Why did this human not ditch the first chance he got? This is not his home, there is nothing important for him to protect here...

The Gyarados turns to stare out at sea. And with its eyes glowing red, the wind starts to pick up, a Hurricane building and whipping the air all around the Gyarados as it faces the tsunami and roars, parting the waves to either side of the island before they can reach the shore. Two little Magikarps splash next to the Gyarados in encouragement, and for the next hour, Gyarados weathers the tsunami until the sea calms down, and the world is quiet and still once more. It looks back at Akira, at the friends who stayed behind with him, and approaches him for the first time. If he wishes, the Gyarados will allow him on its back and it will carry him and company across the sea to join his friends in the northeast; if he does not, the Gyarados and its family slips into the water and disappears.

Either way, maybe we'll meet again someday.

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE LEAVING

(click to expand - have fun camping)

Eventually, the boats bump against the soft sand of a sunny shore. It's warm, the air strangely dry, but welcome compared to the constantly rainy Toran. Not far from the coast is a grove of wild berry trees, overgrown with fruit that a herd of Girafarig and Stantler surround, pausing in their grazing as they watch the soggy mess of evacuees drag themselves onto shore, a little Yamask flitting around from person to person trying to find her blue-haired boy. A small group of water type trainers offer to take the boats back to Toran and make a second evacuation now that they know the path and the storm has quelled- for the time being, anyways, and ask around to borrow or trade for the Mudkips who are able to temporarily reverse the whirlpools. Everybody else is encouraged to find the closest town, and call for shelter and for help.

The forest before them is thick with trees, so dense that the sun everybody's sorely missed is barely visible past the canopy, forcing the group to stay packed together as they search for a path through the forest. Nothing stops the brave or the foolish from peeling off from the group and trying to find their own way, but the children are quick to warn anybody who will listen that following flickering lights in the forest is a bad idea. There is constant rustling in the forest, swift movement out of the corner of your eyes, the feeling that somebody is watching you. It is very dark, very crowded, and like the sea, it is vast and endless. For several nights, the group is forced to camp, taking turns keeping watch and heading out at the first sign of sunlight, but here and there they come across trainers in the woods, surprised to see so many people at once but always willing to spare what little food they have and to point them towards the closest route to town.

Five days after leaving Toran, the evacuees stumble out of the forest and stand before Mango city. While the forest borders half the city, the other sides are wide open plains, fields and pastures as far as the eye can see, all full of grazing Pokemon and flocks of flying types circling the skies. Continuing north, one would find themselves facing the sea; to the east, the forest and eventually the sea once more; and to the west past the endless plains, a severe sandstorm rages that makes further progress impossible.

The city itself is much larger than Toran, with steel and concrete buildings that feel almost out of place amongst all the wilderness surrounding it on all sides. But the people are welcoming, the Pokemon Center accommodating both Pokemon and trainers with plenty of space to rest after a harrowing journey. Many families offer their own homes for refugees to stay in, while others pool together money and volunteers to head to Toran for relief measures in the aftermath, and local children take any stranger's hand to show them around the city.

The pride and joy of the city is............. the boba shop!!!! The specialty flavor for this shop is Miltank milk tea, a classic. Make sure to stop by the shop and get your card stamped with the green Butterfree, unique to this city's shop. The city also features its own contest hall and Pokemon Gym, with its gym leader specializing in Steel Pokemon; a museum filled with skeletons and fossils of ancient Pokemon; an art gallery featuring both prominent and local artists, with a special event every Wednesday where artists offer to draw portraits of visitor's Pokemon; and a bug catching contest hosted every Sunday that awards trainers for catching the largest or heaviest bug Pokemon within a two-hour window. Everybody arrived just in time to see the Vivillon migration, where all twenty different types can be seen fluttering across the sky, meeting together over this city for several weeks before scattering all across the globe before winter. Two towers pierce the sky right in the middle of the city: one a cemetery and one a radio tower, positioned right next to each other and the buildings almost seem to be humming the closer you approach their doors. There are also multiple barbeque restaurants in the city, grilling up Miltank and Bouffalant and Tauros, you're welcome, Cliff. Still, the boba shop is where several of Toran's children still insist on going, latching onto Joonghyuk and Sagi who promised them a three-tiered cake with sprinkles and a magic show and a party!!! We escaped the island. A town might be wiped out because we veered away from the volcano, and Toran is half-drowned and will take several weeks to drain and return to normal, but never mind that. Party.

It's warm, it's dry, there is always a faint static in the air and there has been no phone or radio signal for the past two months. Enjoy your respite.

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ Congrats on surviving September! October will be a no-plot month, so please take the chance to be good to your characters and build up that cr, but there will still be opportunities for investigation!
⬥ Minato will be presumed missing until after Ori's murdergame is over, and cannot be found at sea. The Gyarados and the Magikarp also cannot be found, but may return at a later date. Toran will dry out and return to normal towards the middle of the month, but characters can freely travel between Toran and Mango by catching a ride with one of the sailors whenever they like.
⬥ For those who wish to trade their Mudkips with one of the sailors, please comment to the questions toplevel for your rng options. Traded Pokemon tend to grow stronger quickly, but they might not always listen to their new trainer! Traded Pokemon are allowed to gain 15 levels per month rather than the usual 10.
⬥ Please comment to the appropriate toplevel on the Pokemon info page for challenging the gym or participating in the contest hall.
⬥ Please comment to the bug-catching contest toplevel by October 10 if your character would participate. We will rng three winners, one for each Sunday of the month, and reply with your prize. Characters may choose to either keep or release their bug Pokemon at the end of the contest.
⬥ As a reminder, the Halloween event log will be posted on October 15!

Comments

iii

[selfconcept]

[ The Pidgey attracts Hien's attention when he was just about to leave the island, so he takes the letter to see who it's for at first, but after reading the whole thing, he figures that Sagi is one of the foreigners here, like him. There's good information in here and he can't really pass it up, so he gives the Pidgey some bird seeds that it can munch on while waiting for Hien to write a reply. ]

Hello, Sagi.

Thank you for the mail. It helps us prepare before leaving. Unfortunately, the Gyarados left and is in no longer in the lake, but it helped Toran out a lot while fending off a tsunami to protect the island with a hurricane. We will be sending off more people in the next evacuation transfer. I wouldn't recommend blasting the forest for an easier path though, since it might kill someone. Instead, we will try to bring pokemon who can fly that can help us navigate through the forest. Is everyone doing well over there?

[ Instead of a signature, his Eevee presses his paw on the bottom of the paper with berry juice. Thanks, Eevee... He folds it, gives it to the Pidgey, telling it to return it to this Sagi person. ]

[scension]

[While Sagi hadn't expected to get a letter back at all, much less by the end of the same day, this little mail Pidgey isn't one to leave a job half finished. What a trooper. It finds him out on the streets of the city, easily recognising the wings, and even waits for him to write a reply on the same Steel-type grey letter paper he picked up for the first.]

Dear [tiny, not particularly good pencil reproduction of the paw print],
I'm glad to hear the Gyarados helped us out. When we saw the giant wave, we were worried about the damage. It was more water than I'd ever seen.
I suppose it's more evidence that we need to communicate with the Pokemon we meet, instead of trying to go toe to toe with them.
You're right, bringing flying Pokemon is a good idea in the interim. The two towers and the other tall buildings in Mango City are a lot easier to spot from above the trees.
As far as I know, everyone here is doing fine. There's a lot of things to see just in the city itself. The kids who evacuated with us all seemed to bounce back really fast - the way some of them were going on, you'd think this was a field trip. Of course, it's way better for them to be excited than upset.
We still don't really know what happened on the day the storm stopped, but one way or another, we'll get there!
Take care,
Sagi

[He has no idea why this person is anonymous nor any clue who it might be beyond "too coherent to be Toki", but they sound smart and thoughtful to him, so they probably have their reasons. He'll just pay the Pidgey again and ask it to find them on Toran tomorrow, if it can. If not, they're probably en route to the city by now.]

[selfconcept]

[ "Too coherent to be Toki" is so sad, but true. When Hien receives the letter and opens it, he can't help but to laugh a little when he saw that Sagi tried to copy the pawprint. Eevee coos with pride. This is has to be his signature now. ]

Dear Sagi,

People are coming together to get the water out of the land as much as they can. It's not exactly an easy task, since it's an island, but everyone's efforts are coming along nicely. I don't think I've battled yet due to circumstances, but... Some pokemon seem to be good with people, even going along with them without capture. Thanks for telling me about the towers. Please tell the townspeople that the town will be okay again and they should be able to move back in next month or so. Unless something else happens between now and the end of the month.

Is there anything interesting in the city? A pokemon gym, maybe?

[ Hien was about to sign it again, but his Eevee gets in the way. This time, it's a pawprint with orange juice. He just looks at Eevee with an exhausted look on his face even though he has a mask over it. He thanks the mail carrier Pidgey by feeding it some berries and sends the letter off along with a Sitrus Berry as something like a small present. ]

[scension]

[Another reply! This one arrives with a present... aw, that's really cute. Sagi hands the berry back to the mail Pidgey to eat, though - this is already several long round trips for such a little bird. 10/10 bird, would bird again.]

Dear [scribbled paw print. They responded to this once, that makes it their name until he learns a better one.],
Thanks for all your hard work over there. I'll let people here know the island should be habitable again soon.
About the towers, for the record, there seems to be something strange happening around them - something to do with one of them not transmitting what they're supposed to. More eyes on the problem would probably help, though I wouldn't worry about rushing to come look until things settle down on your end. It doesn't seem to be actively dangerous, unlike the storm.
According to other people I asked, the Pokemon Gym here is based on Steel types. The first room full of Pokemon that use lightning magic while trying to get in your way. I didn't make it past them yet, but having a good strategy should help.
Other than that, there's a lot of shops and a lot more people than on the island. Toran Island had a lot of strange technology too, but this place really has that city vibe. Growing up somewhere like here must be interesting.
I'll send more updates if word gets around about any new discoveries. It's best for us if as many people stay in the loop as possible. Look after yourselves over there.
- Sagi

[What can he attach in return... A boba stamp card with only Mango City's stamp on it? Sure, maybe it'll save this person some pocket change later.]

[selfconcept]

[ When Hien sees the boba stamp card, he pockets it. Thanks, Sagi. He's sure this will be useful in the future. He had to charm some townsperson in order to get food on his first day in this pokemon world. He's not going to deny he has a decent face? But his eyes kinda mess with everything.

Anyway, reading Sagi's letter is really helpful. He also enjoys the tidbits about his thoughts on the city--it makes him think that he hasn't changed at all, from the core of his being. He's not sure what to think of it. ]

Dear Sagi,

That sounds like something people can look into. I'll also take a look at the tower when I get there. Steel-types are weak against fire, ground, and fighting types. I think having a fire or ground type might be your best bet, or at least a pokemon with those kinds of skills.

[ There's a sketch of a Magnemite crying with its big eye while being burned by a fire breathing Fletchling to show an example. He knows flying types are also weak against Magnemite's electricity, so steamroll them with brute force and high speed. That's the only strategy allowed in pokemon. ]

It sounds like you lived in a more rural area back home. The city can be interesting with all the people crowded in a single place, but the peace and quiet you can get in a rural place can't be beat.

Thanks for the stamp card, by the way. I'll make good use of it.

[ Eevee jumps onto the letter. Goddammit, Eevee. Now there are four pawprints coated in seawater on the letter for the signature. Hien sighs and writes an addendum: ]

P.S. Is there a good hospital in the city?

[scension]

[Sagi receives this one while sitting in a tree on the outskirts of town. Good eye, little mail Pidgey. He sincerely hopes it's resting up at its post office home between flights whenever he pays it to go back. Honestly, he's starting to wonder if this isn't a little harsh on it, but he doesn't have any identifying information. The paw prints don't count.

The intel is important, though. Wow, everyone is so well informed about Pokemon moves compared to him. He really needs to figure out how they do it.]

Dear [He draws one paw print, like before. There's only so much space on this letter paper. He'll have to get more of it at this rate.],

Do you happen to know where we could find Pokemon with fire or ground magic? Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with the different types. The gym seems to be run by some kind of community leader - it may be useful down the line for a few of us to try earning their respect, as long as we're equipped for it.

Since we arrived, I've mostly seen a lot of Pokemon that look like ghosts. Probably drawn to or born from the graveyard tower, if it works that way here as well.

I'm glad you like rural places too. Everything happens faster in the city, but there's something healing about places where you can rest your wings and take it slow. Of course, not until we've done whatever needs to be done here.

[Do they want a Mudkip berry juice paw print? They may as well have one.]

- Sagi

PS: The hospital here is a large group of buildings, much bigger and and in better repair than the one on Toran. I'm not one to judge how good it is, but they were kind enough to help some of the hospital patients we evacuated when we first made it here. Did something happen on the island? I know they were worried about infrastructure damage.

[He is now an unknowing accomplice to Toki's kidnapping. Poor Toki.]

PPS: Sorry for how overdue this is - do you have a name I can address these to? I figured one of you staying behind on the island would find a letter left at the Pokemon Centre eventually, but a name might be easier.

[And if it looks like their real name, maybe he can send a different bird to give this Pidgey a break.]

[selfconcept]

[ Pokemon are truly magical creatures. Hien has been traveling--making his way over to Mango City this entire time and they just somehow know where he is. It's fascinating yet creepy at the same time, but he figures that's why they have this sort of job. Maybe it's just easier to pick out a guy with a mask over his face.

When he receives the letter and reads it over, he tries to think of some more advice he can give to Sagi. Let's see... Fire and ground, but there are ghost types lingering around. Hm.

He also sees that there's pretty much no more room left on the paper. Luckily, he bought a notepad before leaving Toran, so he'll just attach that paper with this one. It's a cute pink stationary with a smiling Cherubi in the lower right corner. ]

Dear Sagi,

Sorry about that. I'm Hien. My pokemon has been stealing my opportunities to sign the letter. About the hospital--there was a guy who got tangled up with an incident during the restoration efforts back in Toran, so I've been bringing him along. He hit his head, so he might not remember things clearly. Toran's hospital wouldn't be enough for this guy.

[ Smooth. ]

I hope that I'll be able to see a peaceful town here. Maybe I'll consider retiring and live here permanently if I find one that isn't riddled with disaster. It's pretty tempting.

If it's ghost types, you might want to try finding these since they also have fire or ground type moves:

[ There's a sketchy doodle of Litwick, Golett, and Sandygast with an arrow pointing to each with their names. ]

I'm not sure if they're there, but that's probably your best bet. I think a Houndour would be pretty cool though. They also breathe fire, but they're not ghosts.

[ And there's a sketchy doodle of one, looking majestic.

Eevee does not pass the chance to mark the letter again, so Sagi will see a a berry coated pawprint at the end. ]

[scension]

[The next letter presents itself a little differently from the previous ones. The name "Hien" is written on the back of the envelope in large, clear writing, and the courier is not a hardworking little mail Pidgey, because Sagi finally felt bad enough about its workload to thank it and send it home. Instead, an eye-searingly colourful alien abomination goes sweeping down the forest trail between Mango City and the boats to Toran, clutching the letter in what passes for his feet.

Sagi's Sigilyph does not, of course, know what Hien looks like. Nor does he have a mail bag, so the letter gets increasingly creased the longer he has to carry it in his fork-like toes. He just figures that if he emits a high-pitched shriek at every human he passes and shows them the letter, one of them might turn out to be the right person eventually. Maybe he's right! Or maybe he'll reach the shore, give up and return to the city. Good hustle. Better luck carrying out his ancient duties next time.

Finally, if the letter actually makes it to its intended recipient, Hien might notice that the side of the letter paper looks a little singed...]

Dear Hien,
Thanks for the drawings! They're a great help for learning what different Pokemon are called. There's a lot to memorise.
I went looking outside town and found a Houndour, but it turned out to be pretty headstrong. It's anyone's guess whether I'm getting through to it.
What do we do when that happens? In general, I mean - I recall some of the other people in our group having trouble figuring out what their Pokemon want, too. Just be patient and hope they come around?

[Atsushi. What he means by "some other people" is Atsushi. Also, what he means by "anyone's guess" is that the dog keeps trying to set him on fire. But they're intelligent creatures, so he can't just throw in the towel early, right?]

Hope you and your friend travel safe.
- Sagi

[Was that letter worth getting screamed at by a medium sized eldritch horror with three eyes and finger-tendrils for wings? Possibly not.]

[selfconcept]

[ It's really something to be traveling through the woods and finding a Sigilyph shrieking at him upon meeting. Hien noticed the letter though and he says that he's the person it's looking for. When he inspects it, he notices that the burn marks look a little peculiar. He doesn't think Sigilyph has a fire move...? He doesn't remember too much. Maybe it accidentally dropped it on someone's grill. This poor letter... now, let's see. ]

Dear Sagi,

No rush. I had years to learn about this kind of stuff. Take it easy--one at a time.

It's hard trying to understand what exactly a pokemon would want, but I think it's okay you get the gist of it. It's kinda like talking to people who speak a different language than you. Nobody wants to be treated like dirt, even if you think they deserve it. I guess... there needs to be something like mutual respect. You can befriend some people, but there are times when you and the other person just don't click. It's the same with pokemon.

For a headstrong Houndour, maybe you can try to win its respect with power. Not by subduing it, but by showing you're a strong person by other means--whether it be your charisma, physical strength, or mental strength... those kinds of things. It's easy to look up to someone who seems amazing, doesn't it?

Though, I'm not a pokemon guru who can see into their hearts. They're just as much of a mystery to me when it comes to that sort of thing. I hope it works out between you and your Houndour.

- Hien

[ No Eevee pawprint this time. Hien feeds Sigilyph some berries, pets it (he gives very good headpats), and sends it on its way. From one abomination to another, he supposes. ]

[scension]

[How did he know that this particular Sigilyph loves headpats? It responds with a quieter keening noise and a clumsy attempt to nuzzle with Hien's mask before flying off in the direction of the city.

For the time being, Sagi doesn't send any letters back - it seems pretty clear to him that he's run out of useful intel, he has other problems on his mind, and he doesn't want to keep imposing on this one person's time. His Sigilyph will remember Hien affectionately, though!]