OCTOBER EVENT PT1

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→ 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'll be sure to.

[ Fai smiles, noticing the way Hien's voice gets quieter and wondering if it has to do with the way his voice sounds. His eyebrows furrow just a little when it seems like Hien wants to say something before he smooths out his expression again. ]

How cute! [ He directs that to the Eevee and Chii, crouching down a little. ] Let's go get your portrait done! I believe they're near the lobby.

[ He looks up at Hien. ]

Are you going to come along with us? If I'm not mistaken, it seems like you want to talk more, right?

[ Fai says that teasingly, standing up straight again and pointing his thumb in the direction of the lobby. ]

[ Ugh. Just for the teasing, he wants to refuse out of spite, but Eevee makes that hard, because he's just cooing over the prospect of getting his picture done.

Defeated, he follows Fai. His Eevee is happily trotting alongside Chii. New friend! New friend!! ]

... Fine. I was just wondering... you look like someone I know.

[ Chii shyly reaches out to touch the Eevee in a gesture of extending friendship while Fai enjoys Hien's defeated posture.

That enjoyment doesn't last long before Fai visibly freezes at that question. With that mask and his distorted voice, Fai wouldn't be able to recognize him if he does happen to know Hien from somewhere, and the possibility of who he could be is terrifying. He turns to Hien, an obviously strained smile on his face. ]

I do?

[ Eevee is elated by Chii's gesture and looks really happy about being friends. He turns back to look at Hien and Fai, but there's a weird atmosphere between them...?

Hien knows a strained smile when he sees it, especially when Fai makes it somewhat obvious. He doesn't point it out though. ]

Yeah.

[ And there's a slight pause as he looks down at Eevee, with his wagging tail and all. ]

So, picture for the two babies, right?

[ That answer doesn't help his nerves, but Fai does manage to make himself relax a little, especially when Chii looks at him worriedly as she starts to cling to Eevee.

Fai nods. ]

I think one with both of them would be really cute.

[ When they finally get to the lobby, the artist is currently occupied, sketching a Stufful. While they're waiting, he looks over at Hien. ]

...What is this person you know like? I'm kind of curious, since I look like them.

[ He had snall hopes that the artist would have been able to take up drawing them, but now that he thinks about it, Fai would have ample time interrogating him either way. Now, does he want to be a smartass about this or cooperate to lessen Fai's potential anxiety?

... ]

He smiles like a clown.

[ It's very blunt, and there doesn't seem to be any affection behind those words. ]

A clown smiles to entertain other people.

[ Wow. Fai really feels called out right now!

That blunt delivery combined with those words reminds him of one of his traveling companions, who was always ready to call on Fai's bullshit and he can't help but frown. No one here had bothered to do it yet, and he'd gotten too comfortable in thinking he could carry on like this until he can find a way to leave. ]

They smile to entertain themselves too, don't you think?

[ He doesn't sound very convinced of his own words, as they come out half-heartedly. ]

[ He could drive it in right now, but does Fai deserve that? It's not like he's done anything wrong. However, Hien, of all people, knows how it's like to continue being something you're not. Fai could be that or not. He doesn't know. And it's not up to him to decide that for Fai. ]

A clown knows it's stupid and acts that way. An idiot is just stupid to the core. They smile to entertain themselves.

[ They're supposed to be talking about whoever Fai reminds Hien of, but if it actually strikes a nerve. Well. To be honest, Hien didn't think this far. ]

... But he just goes about doing whatever he wants anyway. It's not like you're anything similar to that... are you?

[ Hien is definitely right about that, because well... Fai doesn't smile to entertain himself, and he wishes he did. It's easier to keep your distance from other people when you're always smiling.

He looks at Hien for a moment. ]

No, I'm not. I don't think I could be even if I wanted to.

[ He knows he can't just do whatever he wants, not without feeling intense guilt over it. ]

Then you're not him. Maybe your fluffy blond hair is the only thing that resembles his likeness. And maybe your eyes.

[ He won't say anything about the smiling thing though. There's no need to drive the wedge even further. ]

... No one should be like that guy anyway.

It seems like you dislike him quite a bit.

[ Fai knows that's an understatement, with everything Hien has said so far. But it seems like the artist is ready now, as they motion towards the two of them.

Chii hesitates for a moment, but seems more confident when Fai steps forward. ]

Is it alright if we have ours together? [ It seems like it's fine, because the artist nods and Fai ushers Chii over to the designated spot. ]

Edited 2020-10-05 01:06 (UTC)

[ Hien's Eevee looks excited and follows Chii without even looking back at Hien for his permission, because it'll just do what it wants and Hien will most likely let him as long as he doesn't cause trouble. This is the relationship between them now and Hien watches them go.

He thinks about what Fai said. Does he dislike the person he was talking about? Yes. Does he hate him? No. Hien thinks about how he can't really hate him despite his personality, because he knows why he's like that. But at the same time, there is no modicum of affection. If anything, the closest emotion he feels for him is pity. No one needs to be like him. Godhood or any form of ascension shouldn't be rewarded upon suffering.

...

He crosses his arms, while lost in his thoughts. It would just look like Hien is watching Fai, Chii and Eevee trying to get settled for the picture. Eevee is really bent on being super close to Chii though, to the point he might accidentally knock her over. Sorry, Chii. ]

[ Chii stumbles over, Fai catching her at the last moment. ]

Be careful! [ He directs that at Eevee, but he says it gently, patting Eevee on the head and arranging them both so they can be close without toppling each other over. Honestly, he feels like he's wrangling children.

But it seems like the two Pokemon are happy with their positions now, and he looks over at Hien. Although he can't see Hien's face under his mask, the way his arms are crossed has Fai wondering what he's thinking about. ]

What do you think? Will this work?

[ Huh? Oh-- Hien blinks under his mask, his vision coming to focus when Fai asks him. With a quick glance over to the two, who seem to be behaving and in a good position, Hien merely nods to give his confirmation.

Eevee sure is enjoying himself at the very least, especially when Fai gave him a pat on the head. Headpats are the best, but nothing beats Hien's! He has a little :D smile on his face and maybe if this was amie mode, there would be floating hearts coming off him. ]

[ That nod is enough for Fai, because he looks at the artist and then back at the two Pokemon. ]

Be good, okay? We'll be waiting right over there!

[ He walks back over to stand next to Hien, putting his hands in his pockets. ]

It seems like they really like each other already.

He likes just about anyone.

[ Except those who attempt to hurt him or try to mess with him in his vulnerable state. Like sleeping. Though unlike before, there's some fondness in his voice when he talks about his Eevee. ]

Especially when you scratch behind his ear, like this.

[ It's time to mess with Fai, because Hien sometimes has impulses to do these sorts of things. So after he says that, he reaches over and attempts to lightly scratch the back of Fai's ear. ]

[ Wow. Usually he's the one messing with other people, so it catches him off guard to actually be the one messed with.

He smiles almost immediately, though. ]

I can see why he likes it when people do that.

Yeah? You want some more?

[ Is it an invitation to be teased? Is that how it is? Hien sounds like he's enjoying himself. ]

Only if you tell where you like to be scratched.

[ But before Hien can answer, he just... brings his hand up to Hien's head and ruffles his hair like he's an Eevee. ]

[ For some reason, he didn't expect Fai to ruffle his hair. There's a silent huff from him as he shakes his head quickly. It doesn't completely save his hair, but it's better than being an absolute mess. ]

... Didn't think you'd be the touchy-feely type.

[ Given how distant he seems. If there's anything Hien learned throughout years and years of interacting with people, all the smilers are distant. ]

What can I say, I'm full of surprises!

[ It is weird, isn't it? He tries to keep his distance and always has his guard up, but doesn't shy away from physical affection if he isn't already initiating it himself. If he were to let himself actually think about it, Fai would probably realize he doesn't actually want to keep himself distant from people. ]

[ Maybe you should actually think about it, Fai! If Hien knew, he would at least understand that--nobody really wants to be alone when they're surrounded by people. He's here to be a listener, but not to offer advice, because he knows his own way of dealing with things doesn't fit everyone else's like a cookie cutter solution.

"Full of surprises", huh? ]

I'm pretty hard to surprise, so maybe you got lucky.

I'll have plenty of time to see if it was a fluke, won't I?

[ Since he has no idea how long they'll all be stuck here...

Fai looks over at the artist, who seems to be making decent progress on the portrait. ]

You arrived not too long ago, right? I think I saw you helping out with the evacuation efforts, but I don't recall seeing you before then.

[ And he would have remembered seeing Hien at the meetings and probably around town, what with that mask and cloak. That's why he remembers seeing Hien during the evacuation at all despite how chaotic everything was. ]

[ Hien snuck a glance at the art progress too. Looking good so far, artist. Hien can only simply doodle, so he thinks the art is coming along great.

He ponders again, since, yeah, his appearance really stands out. He was also the guy who almost drowned while trying to get some kids out of the water and was saved by a baby Spheal who spent an hour trying to keep the guy afloat. What a champ. ]

Yeah, just several days ago. It's been a wild ride.

[ Coming in and almost drowning on the spot, dealing with multiple natural disasters at once, helping relief efforts, kidnapping Toki to Mango City so that he wouldn't hinder Toran's restoration efforts... yeah. It's been an Adventure. Perhaps Fai spotted Hien carrying an unconscious Toki at some point to the hospital at night. Real shady. ]

[ Wow, Fai can't even imagine arriving here in the middle of, well, everything that just happened. ]

You certainly picked a chaotic time to arrive.

[ To say the very least... and now that he thinks about it, he does remember seeing some masked figure carrying a boy to the hospital. ]

Now that I think of it, I believe I saw you carrying someone recently too.

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ EVACUATION STUFF

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE STAYING

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE LEAVING

→ MOD NOTES

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