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

[It takes Joss a second to bend his freakishly long neck far down enough to notice the small child who just bumped into him. Oh dear. Maybe he should be glad his current armor doesn't have gratuitous shin spikes like some of his previous sets.

With that thought safely filed under his long list of anxieties, he stares at Efi for just a touch too long as he tries to come up with something to say... until the Swablu perching on his shoulder, frankly sick of his indecision, squawks angrily into his ear.]

Oh... [He bring a hand to his head, massaging his ear canal with a finger. That hurt a little.] Sorry. I do not have a bug net.

[He shuffles his weight from one foot to the other, the very picture of awkwardness. He doesn't know how to talk to kids, but it doesn't mean he enjoys disappointing them.]

[ Damn, this man is tall. Efi usually has to crane her neck to look at people, but this guy is on another level entirely. Despite Joss not having a bug net readily available, she grins. ]

It's okay, mister! I probably can't reach them with one... but maybe you can! Can you? Can you?

[ It's as if she has a glimmer of something in her eyes that are full of e x p e c t a t i o n s. ]

[Oh no. Forget this whole "saving the world" business, small children expecting things from you is definitely way scarier.

Joss hums thoughtfully as he considers his options, the Swablu nibbling at his ear when it seems like he's going to take too long again. He picks her up in a giant hand in an attempt to stop her, then, gently but so loosely she just escapes and tweets excitedly as she flies back up to sit on his head.

He sighs.]

... I am closer to the sky than you are.

[Is that a yes? That's probably a yes.]

The bird is closer to the sky than you!

[ Since, you know, it's perched on his head. Efi doesn't look like she's being a smartass though (at least on purpose), as she grins cheerfully. ]

Maybe your bird can help me too, mister!

[Joss opens his mouth to say "The bird isn't mine, it merely started following me around," but only half of that comes out before he's interrupted by cheerful trilling.]

You wish to help?

[Though he does feel a little silly for trying to have a conversation with a bird, the affirmative chirps he gets in reply are all the confirmation he needs. How smart... Perhaps these soibloux, as the old man from Toran called them, are an alternate universe version of his world's trusted chocobos? A single one wouldn't be enough to transport anyone though, not even the diminutive Lalafell people...

Well, Joss definitely can't ignore a sidequest, especially if doing so would make a child sad. He's not a monster.]

Very well. [He nods, curtly, and though he remains overly serious his features do relax enough to show a hint of hint of smile.] What must we do?

It can hold this!

[ Efi holds out a pokeball to Joss. ]

And it can try throwing it at one of them! But I want the light blue one.

[ That... will be a difficult task, seeing as the Vivillons are all packed together and constantly moving about in the sky. Maybe it's just doomed to fail... ~~Also because Efi caught one already in another thread~~ ]

[Joss has to bend down quite far down to grab the pokéball he's offered. He turns it between his fingers, judging its weight, before raising his eyes to the sky. Something seems to be bothering him.]

A heftier rock might work better.

[That's what Efi meant for them to do, right? Knock the butterfly out of the sky with that weird ball? Joss would feel bad if he messed that up and she missed her catch as a result... ~~which he will anyway because that's entirely valid, have a good day.~~]

[ Efi tilts her head for a moment. She's trying to get on the same page, so it'll take her some time.

... ]

Oh! You catch them inside the ball!

[Oh. Joss stares at the ball again. He feels very stupid all of a sudden, because he still doesn't understand what Efi is getting at.]

It's very small.

[The butterflies are very big. Small child please impart your wisdom upon him, he is officially dumber than a five-year-old.]

Uh-huh! It makes it very convient!

[ Convenient. She means convenient. Big words are still too hard for a baby. But she figures Joss would have an easier time understanding if he just sees it like she does, so she gets out a pokeball, shows it to Joss, and clicks the middle button.

A Wailmer pops out of the pokeball and grins at Joss. Hello, friend! ]

[In the dead of night, when all other thoughts have left him, Joss is going to keep himself awake thinking about "convient" and whether it's a real word he should have known.

Right now, though, he is kind of distracted by the man-sized whale suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Even he can't help but express surprise at that.]

By the Fury!

[Alright. Alright. Breathe in. Breathe out. This must be normal in this world, and certainly explains why so many people seem to be carrying these little balls around. He's seen much stranger things before.

Joss raises a hand, heart still beating a little fast and moving as if he wants to touch the creature but is unsure if it's something that's done or not. Wouldn't want to be rude. In doubt, he just lowers it again as he turns to face Efi, only for Swablu to hop onto the Wailer instead. Chirp! Maybe Wailmer is less stupid than this weird Girafarig man she's been following around.]

That was enlightening. Thank you.

[Mission: Help Small Child Catch A Bug seems way more within his reach now. ~~Duty Failed noises go here.~~]

[ Wailmer looks like it's enjoying Swablu using it as its perch while smiling all the while. It's quite a jolly Wailmer--always smiling, going along with his trainer's antics, and very friendly to other pokemon and people. He would definitely like pats, so it looks like he's nuzzling the air in Joss's direction. Peeeet meeee. ]

It's brighter?

[ What's "enlightening"?? ]

[Well... Joss supposes that's alright then. He extends a hand again, pressing it flat against the round creature and not moving very much.

He may not be very good at petting.

He may, also, not be very good at knowing how to talk to children.]

Oh. Hmm. [He shuffles his weight, feeling a little awkward. How do you phrase things so kids can understand them...] It means I learned much.

[On Wailmer's head, Swablu roosts comfortably and starts preening.]

[ Wailmer looks very satisfied with the petting, even if they aren't very good. He's a jolly good fellow, and will take things in stride as long as Efi doesn't get hurt. What a nice, but a tad awkward, man.

Efi makes a :O face, looking at him with realization. ]

Oooh, okay! Like a lightbulb!

[ She seems to understand that sort of symbolism at least. ]

Are you gonna throw it now, mister?

[Joss is definitely relieved he doesn't have to expand on it further. Bright kid.

He nods.]

Light blue one.

[He aims at that one, long limbs folding into a throwing position... and misses, the Vivillion dodging the ball effortlessly.

Swablu emits a sound that could be likened to a chuckle.]

...

[He finds nothing to say, but looks a little like a kicked puppy. Maybe he should have stuck with the plan of having Swablu carry the ball... He isn't used to throwing light, round items... Now the kid will be disappointed and hate him... Oh no.]

[ Oh no. Wailmer feels bad for Joss. He wants to roll over there and pat him with his fin, but that won't exactly work, will it...

Efi goes over to get the ball that dropped on the ground over in the distance and then toddles back over to Joss, holding it out to him. ]

Again!

[ She definitely doesn't look disappointed. In fact, she looks excited that Joss is even helping her at all. ]

[Whew. Good. The kid doesn't seem sad... yet. He crouches to grab the ball, but his stare turns to the bird perching on Wailmer's head.]

Your turn?

[Swablu beeps. Well, she did say she'd help. Sorry Wailmer, you are a very comfortable friend but ~~her planet~~ a small child needs her! She takes the ball into her tiny claws and flies up, and up, and up... until a particularly ornery Vivillion blows a gust of wind at her (enough of these people trying to capture them! Freedom for the bugs!) and she's sent spinning, the ball escaping her grasps and smacking her in the face... turning her into a beam of light, which safely lodges itself into the pokéball as it tumbles back down to earth.

Doot. Doot. Doot. Beeeeep.

It all happened very fast. Joss stares at the now immobile ball for much too long, completely dumbfounded.]

[ Efi stares at the situation unfold with a :O face, trying to process what just happened. She thought the Swablu was Joss's, not a wild one. ]

We can catch other people's friends?!

[ That sounds absolutely awful. That's why Efi goes over to get the ball and hands it to Joss. She will not take this. ]

That's bad, because the bird is your friend! Here! Yours now.

[Joss blinks as Efi hands him the ball, which he accepts gingerly. It's true he can't just foist the bird upon the little girl... but he can't just steal her things either.]

I could let the bird out and give your ball back.

[This should work, right? What kind of madperson would design a single-use magitek item?

... That said, he doesn't click the button just yet. It's nice not to get your scalp clawed by tiny bird feet for a bit.]

[ Efi shakes her head no. ]

It's like her house! You can't take her house away!

[ Yeah. ]

And it's okay. You can keep it, mister.

[Joss isn't entirely sure the bird thinks of the ball as her house. Maybe he's just imagining it, but he kind of feels like he can almost see a menacing aura coming from it...

Well. He can cross that bridge when he gets to it.

He gives Efi a stiff bow, way too formal for someone addressing a small child.]

I am in your debt, Miss.

[Hmm. It keeps happening. He keeps forgetting to ask people for their name before it becomes awkward to do so. Unless she did introduce herself and he missed it? He doesn't think she did...]

Pardon me. I did not catch your name.

I'm Efina! You can call me Efi! Just Efi!

[ No Miss or anything. She's baby. ]

What's your name, Mister?

[ She really doesn't seem to mind the things that Joss might get worked up about... very oblivious. ]

[Efi is baby! Sadly, Joss has to be told not to do that or he automatically defaults to being overly polite. It's hard being from a particularly stuffy culture.]

Joscelaint. [It... actually occurs to him Elezen names are not always the easiest to pronounce. Hmm.] ... My friends call me Joss, if you'd prefer.

[He would feel bad if she struggled to get his name right... and he would also feel bad about hearing his name get mangled. This seems like it should work out nicely.]

Mister Joss, then! I'm your friend now!

[ Because that's how it works, right? Efi looks pretty happy about it too. ]

How do you get so tall, Mister Joss? I wanna be tall one day too!

[Oh. Now that's a genuine young child question if he ever heard one. What are you supposed to reply to those again...]

Soup.

[Now that he thinks about it, he's not sure ~~the French~~ Ishgardians don't use that as an excuse to get children to eat their vegetables... But he's not a chirurgeon, so how should he know? And he did like soup when he was little...]

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ EVACUATION STUFF

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE STAYING

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE LEAVING

→ MOD NOTES

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