OCTOBER EVENT PT2

[teamboba]

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OCTOBER EVENT PT2

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→ THE BEGINNING

(click to expand - happy early Halloween)

It's on the evening of October 28th when everything quickly descends into madness.

It begins with faint static in the air, gradually becoming louder and louder until it's impossible to ignore, the pattern of cries that was once hidden now audible to everybody as it grows and grows until it culminates in an explosion. The walls of the local bookstore burst outwards, a rampaging Hydreigon within unleashing Hyper Beam after Hyper Beam without any rest in between. Its trainer, an old man, hobbles up to it in a panic in order to ask what's wrong, but the Pokemon knocks him to the ground, ignoring him and continuing to destroy everything in its path while its trainer lies motionless on the ground, blood pouring from his head.

Further down the street, another eruption shakes the city, a group of Galarian Rapidashes slamming themselves against walls and windows until they break through, careening and crashing through buildings with wild abandon. Occupants inside a cafe scream as they attempt to flee, crushed under rubble and trampled by merciless hooves. From the sky, Murkrows and Natus swoop down on residents on the streets, long talons outstretched to claw at any exposed skin and pluck out any staring eyes. All around the city, Pokeballs burst open on their own and the Pokemon rush madly at human and Pokemon alike, disregarding orders or pleads from their trainers and attacking anything within sight in a wild frenzy.

Fires blaze across the city as children wail and adults scream. All the while, the pattern of cries continues...

→ THE RAMPAGE

(click to expand - you're in for a bad time)

Throughout the night, dark, ghost, and psychic-type Pokemon rampage throughout Mango City. Wild Pokemon appear from the outskirts of town and attack anyone and anything on sight, while companion Pokemon force themselves out of their balls and turn upon their trainers. No other types seem to be affected, the other Pokemon just as confused and distraught as the humans as they're forced to run from, defend against, and fight the Pokemon they were once allied with.

While many of the mad Pokemon physically assault those around them, other use innate abilities to wreak havoc. Musharnas emit a dark mist that engulfs entire beings and brings their fears to reality, forcing all those within the fog to face the same delusions. At the same time, Shedinjas steal souls away in their shells and keep them captive in a shared endless nightmare of their worst experiences relived. Similarly, Beheeyems cause those nearby to reexperience their most feared and hated moments, erasing all memory after that moment in order to trap their victims in that vulnerable mindset of the past. Meanwhile, Zoroarks trap their targets within grand illusions that force them to undergo a series of deaths over and over again, causing them excruciating pain and suffering while their physical bodies continue to live. Haunters phase in and out of walls to surprise and lick their victims, sapping years off their life and causing a frigid shivering that won't stop until they wither away, and Gengars loom in the shadows, sapping heat away from its surroundings and causing the small and the weak to slowly freeze to death. Umbreons spray poisonous sweat all over the street, causing people to choke and convulse if they stay too long near the toxic areas, and Cofagriguses drag humans into their coffins and wrap them up as mummies, bound so tightly nobody can hear them scream. No amount of pleading nor bargaining will cause any of them to stop; the only option left is to defeat them in battle, either by killing them or knocking them out.

It'd be kinder to do the latter, but in the heat of the moment, it's difficult to hold back. It's desperate times, after all, as the city streets soon begin to fill with the cold and still bodies of both Pokemon and humans.

→ HELP...?

(click to expand - is anyone even sane enough left to help)

At the outskirts of town bordering the forest, herds of Stantler lead the unaffected and helpless deeper into the forest into an area where the trees are so densely packed that even the shine of the moon can't break through. The only source of light are the small Litwicks that scurry towards the humans, smiling and holding out their little hands. Follow them. They'll keep you safe(?).

Perhaps it's time to abandon the city, where the fires continue to grow and rage throughout the streets, threatening to engulf entire neighborhood blocks. The hospital and Pokemon Center get repurposed to disaster zones as the doctors and nurses struggle to treat their patients while fending off rampaging Pokemon at the same time. Mari's large Steelixes wrap themselves around the buildings to become iron walls keeping the wild Pokemon out, but even their great defense struggles against the never ending attacks.

In the midst of the ongoing disaster, the radio tower remains undamaged and completely abandoned, untouched by the rampaging Pokemon outside. The receptionist has fled long ago, leaving the front doors open but the door to the stairs and the elevator up remaining locked. The tower stands empty and silent, completely free of the static and pattern of cries playing outside, the one place of reprieve from the hell that has descended upon Mango City.

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ Welcome to the Halloween event! Due to the nature of the prompts, please properly warn for any potentially disturbing content in your threads/tags for all players.
⬥ This event is forward dated to the evening and night of the 28th and may last past the 28th if no proper IC measures are taken to stop the rampaging Pokemon. The OOC deadline to solve and fix the disaster will be October 29.
⬥ Please comment to the mod question & investigation thread to report any actions that characters may take to stop the events of the log.
⬥ Have fun! :)

Comments

[thetyger]

[Looking at the bodies, he's overcome with shame that he'd asked to spare the lives of those Drifloons. People are dead. It's not the rampaging Pokemon's fault that they're doing this, but... they are. It's a fact.]

I'm sorry I yelled at you.

[Akira probably does not care, but he has to apologize for it anyway.]

Thank you... for saving me.

[He can't stop looking over at that old lady now. What was he thinking? Why wasn't he already out there mercilessly killing all of the Pokemon who have essentially committed murder? Capturing them might not be the best plan after all. Lost in his thoughts, he just stares at the dead woman for a moment.]

[infiltrationtools]

...Those were your Drifloon, weren't they?

[Akira's expression is stone-cold, but his voice is strained.]

I'm sorry I hurt them. I thought the threat would be enough that I wouldn't have to kill.

[And he was right. The Drifloon are still alive. One of them's missing its arms, but they're alive. The Phantom Thieves do not kill; they do things to people which might invite death if they mess it up, but they do not go out with the intent to take another person's life.]

[thetyger]

They were.

[He never liked them and they were frustrating, but apparently he had more attachment to them than he'd thought.]

I understand.

[They don't have to die, but injury can't really be avoided in this situation. He's a little overwhelmed by everything, and doesn't know what to do without instruction. Akira used a knife on them, and it hurt them, so...]

Are regular weapons a good idea for them, the Pokemon? Does it usually do damage?

[The Drifloons were weak, and the had string arms. The knife might not be good against some others. Atsushi shouldn't have left that rocket launcher in Toran.]

Or is fighting with what Pokemon are left better?

[infiltrationtools]

It does some damage. Pokémon are tough. I haven't tried to shoot one.

[Akira looks down at the dagger in his hand.]

Other Pokémon are probably better. If you have Pokémon left.

[thetyger]

All yours turned!?

[It was only the Drifloons for him.]

Um, do you want to borrow the Spearow?

[infiltrationtools]

[Akira... at least looks like he's thinking about it, but he's not happy.]

Do you have any others?

[thetyger]

Yeah, I have...

[He just gave Efi his only decent level one in another thread, but...]

A Sentret and a Wailmer.

[Really, the Spearow is the best bet.]

[infiltrationtools]

[Those are definitely words that mean Pokémon but they don't mean much more than that to Akira. He knows Spearow are hardy and persistent, and they fly, and they evolve into Fearow.]

...I didn't see you using any of those Pokémon when you were attacked.

I don't know if it's right for me to take one.

[thetyger]

[This is a reoccurring problem for him, in moments of fear or stress he doesn't think clearly and forgets what he has to use at his disposal, whether it be the Pokemon or his own power. And he's usually stressed. He's also kind of annoyed at Akira pointing that out right now, and he's going to be a bit snippy.]

Take one or don't.

[infiltrationtools]

Then I won't.

[Put on the spot with a tone like that, he gets snippy right back.]

[thetyger]

W-well, okay then.

[But Akira is right, and he should be fighting with a Pokemon, so... he releases the Wailmer for lack of a better choice. At least she can swallow some of the rampaging Pokemon whole or something. Off they go.]