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DECEMBER LOG PT1

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→ OH THANK GOD

(click to expand - the boba shop survived!!)

Sandstorms quietly continue to blow across Melona's desert, tinged black with ash carried over from the west where the volcano still intermittently sputters and spits, its hiccups and coughs darkening the sky to the west. Occasionally, a clap of thunder can be heard even as far as Melona's dome, and a shadow can be seen within the ash clouds looming above the mountains. Whispered rumors travel throughout the region, carrying warnings that "The storm is alive," remembering the destruction wrought upon Toran and the volcanic eruption two months ago that had devastated Hami, the town to the northwest. For two months, the heat and the ash had choked the skies over the mountains of Hami, but eventually, the lava stops flowing. Eventually, the skies begin to clear. Eventually, the people of Melona become curious enough— concerned enough— aware enough that their life inside their bubble that blinded them to the plights of the world at large— to start sending small groups out to Hami to see what aid, if any, they might require. The gym leader himself wanted to head the expedition, worried about his friend and fellow gym leader in the neighboring town, but he got yelled at enough for leaving his post during the last month that he reluctantly agrees to remain at the gym. Because, apparently, challenging gyms is very very important to some people, never mind the world being in a crisis and the safety of both people and Pokemon being at stake.

Instead, the desert guides are the ones who lead the way to Hami, knowing the desert and the mountains and are able to carve the most direct path towards the town. Self-sufficient as the townspeople of Melona tend to be, they do not ask for volunteers to join them, but they do not turn down help either, whether from bleeding hearts who want to do everything they can to assist people in need, or those who just want to get to the next town for their badges and ribbons. Like the trek from Mango to Melona, travel to Hami also takes several days of camping, of riding upon Numel through the sand, of climbing mountains and scaling unstable cliffs because there is no well-worn path from the ground to the peak. And nestled in the middle of the mountains, where Hami is supposed to be...

Ash and cinders. A field of rubble. Skeletons of buildings jutting up out of the ground where they are half collapsed and half buried in the ground, flames licking what little wood and scraps of cloth remain and hungering to devoid the new souls that have stepped within their domain. Aside from the rescue team from Melona, there is not another soul in sight, no sound of everyday chatter in the distance nor husks of bodies left charred on the ground. In this town laid to ruin, a single building has been left relatively untouched by the flow of lava that had run through its streets and washed away all its people. The sign hanging above the front door, blackened at the edges, reads: "Hami Boba." Inside, a single worker in uniform can be seen slumped over the counter, who is startled so badly when the door opens that she falls off her stool and blanches as if she'd seen a ghost— which is exactly what she thought, because who else would be here in Hami after everything that had happened? The volcano had erupted two months ago, she explains, all of the sudden without warning and most of the townspeople were forced to leave. Others stayed behind, those with rock and ground Pokemon who weren't bothered by the heat, or those with water and ice Pokemon who were willing to tough it out to battle the lava and the flames in an effort to save their town. This war against nature lasted over a month, and nobody ever came to their aid... But eventually, it became clear that their greatest threat came from the sky, from the ash that fell upon the land like a woolen blanket and smothered all the air, driving the last of the resistance fighters out.

In the end, the only person left in the entire town was her. The boba shop was constructed with the nearby volcano in mind, and there is no lack of things to eat inside the shop when there was only herself to ration for, but the funny thing is... even though she was stuck indoors and was horrifyingly lonely, she could feel a cool breeze pass through the shop every once in a while, and the air remained fresh. It felt as if there were something watching over her, she explains shyly, and there must have been, because she held onto that hope all this time and her patience finally paid off. Her first customers in two months!! Would they like some boba? The store's specialty is Shuckle berry juice boba! The stamps are a little dried out, but you get a cute red Slugma stamp for visiting this shop.

→ WELCOME TO THE NEW HAMA

(click to expand - it's free to live out here)

So, there's that. There is no town, not really. No gym, no contest hall. But the Melona guides aren't satisfied with leaving it at that, so they stock up on all the Shuckle berry juice boba they can carry and continue their search for the town's residents. They offer up Abras to teleport anybody who doesn't want to continue back to Melona, and then split into small groups to spread out across the mountainside, winding around smoldering lava lakes and trudging through paths knee high in ash. Here and there, all across the mountain range, small campsites can be seen. Up on a ledge on the cliffside, a group of people can be seen foraging berries alongside some wild Mankey. Out in the open in a valley, another group of people are seen roasting meat and nuts over several wild Torkoals' backs. At the base of one of the mountains, another group of people and Machop are hard at work breaking large boulders into smaller pieces to build shelter. Rather than having relocated to a single area, the people of Hami seem to have scattered to live in the mountains, welcome enough to the Melona guides and those who accompany them but denying that they need any help or expressing any real desire to reform a central town. There is no need, after all. Everything they need to live on is provided by the land and the wild Pokemon who share not only their habitat, but where to find food and water, and keep them warm and safe through the night. The volcano still grumbles from time to time, the seas around them continue to churn with relentless whirlpools, and sandstorms rage in the east towards Melona. But right now, they're just trying to live day by day.

While there is no main town any longer, the people do come together from time to time in the valley to share resources and spread news, and once a week, they sit together under the stars and hold Pokemon Contests on a stage that is nothing more than a large, wide slab of rock. The gym leader, Tsubomi, specializes in both fire and fighting type Pokemon and honors battles wherever she is challenged. Because of the lack of a gym building, she might need to be tracked down, though she is easier to find than Konoha, often making set rounds from group to group, checking up on the townspeople spread across the mountains. Central to all the campsites are natural hot springs, and both people and wild Pokemon come here to submerge themselves in the steaming waters and rejuvenate after a long, hard day. When the first of the rescue team arrives at the hot springs, two familiar faces are seen: a girl with pink hair and a boy with blue hair. Nanami opens her eyes blearily and pats Minato on the face. He looks up at the group and goes, "Hey. What's up?"

→ AW NUTS...

(click to expand - you really should have done something about that volcano)

A couple nights into the month, a shooting star is spotted streaming across the sky and disappearing into the waters to the southwest.

The ground shakes.

In the dead of night, the sky is lit up with a spew of fire that bursts out of the volcano hundreds of meters in the air, black smoke billowing up into the air in thick clouds, the mountains hacking up ash and molten rock. Screams can be heard throughout the mountain range as lava rushes down the slopes, people trying to grab what little they have left for a second time— though many already have nothing left but their lives. Wild Pokemon flee from the mountains in herds, heading for the desert to face the sandstorms rather than being consumed by flame.

The ground shakes. It cracks.

Desert becomes beach as the sand spills into the water, the cusp between mountain and desert becoming a chasm driven deep into the water as the Hami mountains break away and start sinking into the sea.

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ For the sake of timelines, the Melona guides first head for Hami on December 3, the volcano erupts on December 5, and Hami subsequently becomes its own island on December 6. Destruction and evacuation can be played out however you want, but the boba shop remains standing in the end. The building is in impeccable condition. Not even the ash sticks to it.
⬥ Please make note of the new investigation form in the toplevel below, involving investigation style.
⬥ The second event log will go up on December 15.

Threaded | Flat

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ɪ. ʜɪ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ

[ Nanami should probably say something. She can't let Minato do all the talking (haha), so after patting him on the face, she just barely raises her hand to wave. ]

Long time no see... I think.

[ She has no idea how long she's been here. ]

ɪɪ. ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇғғᴏʀᴛ ɪs... sᴏ ʜᴀʀᴅ

[ Eventually, whether it's through her own willpower or another's, she gets out of the hotspring. She's absolutely soaking wet, though, since she went(?) in there with her clothes. She's leaving behind a trail of water as she just barely drags her feet. ]

... heavy...

[ Eventually, she's just going to lie on the floor and wait until she finishes drying off. Also because she feels like taking another nap. Feel free to either find her walking at the pace of a snail or just chilling on the ground. ]

ɪɪɪ. ɴʏᴀ ɴʏᴀ ɴʏᴀ

[ Later on the third of December, I'm just going to cut to the chase and say that there's there's a giant white tiger. I'm not even going to explain it. There's a giant cat and it's chilling near the campsite, but just far away that it won't get pelted with Pokeballs. It can be found doing any of the following things: ]

[ a. Sleeping. Are you even surprised by this. ]

[ b. Hovering over a small Gameboy Advance, sadly pawing at it. It lets out a whine and will try a few more determined tries to push at the tiny buttons. ]

[ c. It gives up and it flops onto its side like a depressed cat who has all its will to live. It's so preoccupied with its misery that it'll squash anyone who dares to come near. You came to pet or investigate the tiger but you become a tiger pancake instead. ]

ɪᴠ. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏɴᴜs sᴛᴀʏs

[ During the actual evacuations, Nanami won't be found anywhere. Instead, there'd just be that same lazy tiger trying to eat people and when I say eat people, I mean that it looks like it's trying to because it keeps going for the head or neck while actually trying to grab onto the person's shirt. Of course, people don't think that it's trying to save them and that it's trying to eat them instead so... yeah. ]

[ I guess it's helping in a way. It gets people to run even faster when you combine lava with a giant cat. ]

ᴠ. ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ

[ hmu the fuck up ]

i. also hi again
[ Minato doesn't look like he's up for talking very much, but this is your toplevel to go "what the fuck happened" at him while he stares off into the distance and a shiny Yamask comes zooming out from nowhere to bodily slam into his face, throw him backwards into the water, and nearly drown him.

All threads will be set pre-evac, and he will mostly be found at the hot springs. If he can ever be convinced to leave, he might also be at the boba shop. ]

wildcard.
[ May or may not have my investigations under here so I can track them with Minato's account and not have emails in the mod gmail buzzing Ichi's wrist all the time ]

I. Goodbye Melona; 12/03
(cw: facial injury description)

[Yoichi has had it with this stupid desert town. Hien's joking comment proved to be right, and he has the worst luck. Two days ago, it took him over forty minutes to catch a Pokemon; the longer the Mudbray eluded him, the more determined he had been to obtain her. His Pokemon were easily dispatched, only Hana-chan left, though barely standing. With a triumphant 'yes!', Yoichi had ultimately succeeded, but just before the donkey creature was trapped inside the Pokeball, she directed all of her remaining strength into one last obstinate kick to Yoichi's face. He could taste blood as a tooth was dislodged, and seconds later the pain registered, akin to a knife in his eye socket; so much worse than breaking his toes. He'd woken up in the clinic, and he doesn't remember the details of that for the most part, having generally been in a hazy fog induced from painkillers. But he'd still taken that Mudbray right to the gym as soon as he was released. That battle also remains sort of a blur, and Yoichi had given Toki's Spinda free reign of the other Pokemon in the challenge; Hana-chan led them to victory somehow. It was not worth it.

With that revelation, he cares less about battling and challenges than he did. It wasn't satisfying. There was a key element missing, a connection that wasn't there, because it wasn't the same as striving for something he'd wanted since he was four years old. He doesn't care about getting to the top of the Pokemon ladder, he never did, and therein was the problem. It's not giving up, because it was never really his goal; getting home is. As Hythlodaeus had said, to do that, they likely have to keep unlocking other islands somehow. A culmination of achievements that will allow them to leave Cassava.

So, now Yoichi is arguing for a spot with the guided expedition to Hami. He understands he does not look capable at this point, and yes, it's obvious he can't do any mountain climbing without help, but that's what he has Pokemon for! The left side of his face is mostly covered in various shades of purple, the skin sort of shiny and a little inflamed. He can't open his eye all the way, and what does show is bloodshot and bright red; while his good eye is glassy and a little unfocused, but he's not as out of it as he was in the clinic. Trying to get that point across to the guide with the Numel isn't going so well, because it's also hard to talk when he can barely feel half of his face. They continue to look at him like he's out of his mind and suggest, politely, that he go back to the clinic. They'd appreciate the help, but well...]

II. To Hami; 12/04-12/07
(bonus wildcards: extremely happy + everyone's pokemon hates him but his own)

[For all the camping, mountain climbing, and island separation. Yoichi will find something to be happy about, and smile creepily the whole time. It's mostly reactionary, so idk what else to do with this bonus.]

III. Boba Shop

[This is the first time Yoichi's had boba in Cassava, now willing to focus on more than battles. The stamp card he's finally obtained has a cute lava slug on it, and now he wants one. There's probably some of these Pokemon around to catch somewhere. He shoves the card in his pocket, and tries the Shuckle berry juice boba. It's not bad, but there isn't anything about it that he thinks warrants the boba shop being the only lava-resistant architectural structure in a town near a volcano. The shop in Mango had survived, with a little damage. Now he wonders about Toran.]

There was a tsunami on Toran, right? Did you go back? Was the boba shop still there?

IV. Hot Springs

Hey! Stop!

[Near the outskirts of the hot springs, anxious skittering can be heard over the rocks. Yoichi has been engaging with his starter Pokemon more often after they'd all been more obedient, but the Corphish has suddenly reverted and turned on him. It snips its claws viciously, darting around Yoichi's feet and trying to cut up his ankles. He doesn't want to hurt it - after the Rolycoly incident, he's refrained from kicking Pokemon - so he settles for yelling at the lobster and blocking its efforts with his crutch. The Corphish is losing it, the mineral smell of the hot springs brings visions of his bright red shell, floating as he boils inside it. No hot springs!]

What is wrong with you!? I gave you berries!

[Snip, snip.]

V. Wildcard
Anything goes!

( NOTE: Hien recently regained memory powers! He will get the aspect of it affecting other people too in my next regain, so please fill out permissions form here. Thanks! )

I - night camping on trek towards hami

[ Hien would normally be sleeping by now, but he's staying up, sitting in one of the corners of the huge tent because the night chill in the desert is something that shouldn't be underestimated. That's why he has Mimi, his Flareon, out to provide heat for the nearby people with its very warm body. There are two young twin boys cuddled up with each other right next to Hien as he gently pats one of their heads as if to better lull them to sleep. They kinda look like him--is a feeling your character might get even if they have never seen Hien's actual face behind the mask, which, he still has on by the way. One of the mutters "daddy" and snuggles closer to Hien, making the other twin follow. Hien is absolutely fond of these two, and maybe it's a shame he has the mask on right now. For the record, their actual parents are here, but Hien is babysitting them anyway and they like Mimi so much.

But what might better catch your attention apart from the kids is a very long film reel floating in the air in front of Hien that has a moving picture in each square film. The reel is shaped like a cramped and elongated S similar to a super snake, trying to fit as much as it can in the space provided in front of Hien.

He reaches out to a particular square film, pinches it between his thumb and index finger, and it breaks apart, leaving no mess behind as it disappears. The gap is restored by the reel stitching the two broken edges together on its own.

He mutters, "that takes care of that" and waves his hand, making the reel sort its many square films in proper order. Then he just sits there, watching the moving scenes in each square like it's late night TV in total silence. It doesn't seem like he cares about anyone else watching him do this. ]

ii - hot springs, pre-volcano eruption

[ Hien's wounds have more or less healed by now (much thanks to many people and pokemon), so he can go into the hot springs without fear of any of them opening back up. This guy has way too many scars and old bruises and such, but he's mostly submerged under the water apart from the head. He has a towel over his face though, it draping from the top of his head and he has his legs close to his chest and it looks like he'll doze off at any moment from how his head has been tilting here and there. He's in the men only section, just dozing off in the far corner of the hot spring. zzz...

There's Mimi who's by his side though, with a small towel on his own and a rather happy =v= face. Anyone who opts to sit by the Flareon might feel like the water is hotter around him... also if you're gonna try and pull a prank on Hien, well. Mimi won't take too kindly of that. Only exceptions are Hythlo and Fai because Mimi likes them. ]

iii - volcano crisis

[ After shooting a Hyper Beam out of his shadow arm at the sky in hopes to clear up the smoke and ash in at least some of the area for a temporary reprieve (it only worked for two minutes, but feel free to have your character seen a beam shooting up at the sky for some ominous sign or something), Hien has been going around helping rescue efforts... or at least it would have been, if his pokemon actually listened. It's a great time for pokemon to not follow instructions, apparently.

A) Mimi the Flareon is actually hopping on lava as if he's just playing with goo (Flash Fire leaves him partially immune) and Hien's level 44 Lampent finally feels compelled not to listen to Hien anymore and go around, sucking life force out of whoever, which might leave you slightly tired. It is absolutely Not Picky whether your soul is completely fine, broken, made of two people, anything goes, because Hien worked very hard to prevent it from eating souls/spirits that it just wants to go all out. Sorry if you get affected. There's an angry Staryu chasing after it though, so... that's good? Maybe. It's shooting Brine (basically saltwater) at Lampent, who effectively casts Minimize and floats away. Can't catch me.

B) Meanwhile, Hien is having a hard time. His shadowy arm is eating quite a lot of lava when it gets too close to people and while it no longer transfers directly into his body after consuming, there's something wrong in the way that he staggers every now and then. He uses his arm to dig something like a small trench border so that can delay the lava somewhat from falling. It does, however, make a large dent in the mountain. Sorry, but it's to buy time for people so that they can run. ]

Can you make sure no one trips on their way out?

[ Since people running in panic can be more dangerous sometimes. ]

wildcard

[ Hit me up with anything. I'll take multiple threads. If you want to hash things out for other possible plans let me know by PM,

factious, or on discord! ]

december 3

[ on hindsight, maybe itaru shouldn't have gone into the ruins in melona by himself. but he did manage to get out of there after getting lost in it for some time, and while he wanted to lie down and rest already, he's also kind of eager about going into another unlocked location. too bad the damage in hama was That Bad.

so much for that fancy dinner he'd promised.

but at least the boba shop is still standing. he's leaning against the counter, breathing in the fresh air that comes by here amidst the soot, and manages a tired smile at anyone who comes by. ]

You coming to drink too? Doubt that there are any secret menus here, though.

december 4

[ while itaru can appreciate the townsfolk of hama trying to make the best out of their current situation, the exhaustion is starting to show on itaru's face. he really isn't the type to rough it out, no matter how understanding he can be of the matter, but he has to challenge the gym leader here too...

at least there are hotsprings. it's been a while since itaru went in one, come to think of it, so let him just take a dip, exhale a blissful sigh of relief as he lets the hot water wash away all his troubles, and try not to nod off. he can be seen almost nodding off though, too relaxed to do anything anymore. ]

wildcard

[ y'all know what to do. also let me know if you wanna see older itaru as a bonus thing (he got aged 10 years older so he'd be 34 now)! ]

Edited 2020-12-04 03:03 (UTC)

I. Arrival

[A few days before everything goes to hell, there is a flash of white in the sky. Is it a Skarmory? Is it a plane? It's... well, it's certainly something falling in the desert at an appreciable speed. Unless your character is outside Melona at the time, it will remain a mystery for a while.

But for those who are out in the desert or decide to venture to investigate...

The falling shape is certainly a human figure that just about manages to bundle up and shield itself with its arms before hitting the ground. The impact is surely painful, but the momentum is too strong, and the person is thrown even further for a good few hundred meters before finally coming to a stop... half-buried under a sand dune. Oof. They are probably dead.

They stay motionless for a minute or so - long enough for a pink birdlike Pokemon to hop over the top of the dune, land on their feet and start preening itself. The Pokemon is promptly scared off, though, once the sand-diver suddenly jerks, apparently coming to consciousness, and scrambles out of the dune, gasping air.

It's... a girl, or maybe a young woman, long black hair absolutely ruined and full of sand, her face a mess of scratches from being dragged over the desert. She's dressed in some sort of white parade uniform with elements of armour - a knight, maybe, if you're familiar with that sort of thing. She looks around blearily, but once she seemingly realizes that this is somewhere unfamiliar her eyes snap open and she drags herself up, despite almost collapsing again in the process.]

Where...

[Before she can continue, the girl is interrupted by the pink Pokemon cooing at her indignantly and fluttering up to rub itself at her face. She flails at it weakly, then freezes again as something seems to strike her. She stares down at herself, a kind of shock plain on her features.]

Regression?..

[...Yeah, that's it. Who knows what she's talking about.]

II. Boba Disaster

[Some time later that day one of you boba enthusiasts may notice a new face... and it's not exactly a happy one. Satsuki stands outside the boba shop, seemingly having just purchased a drink, staring at it suspiciously. She takes a sip...]

...It's sweet.

[There is utter disgust in her features. Never has anyone been so disappointed in boba. The Spritzee on Satsuki's shoulder chirps indignantly and pecks at the girl's hand when she moves to throw the boba away. At least give it to her, geez!]

III. Preparations

[Satsuki has been largely keeping to herself: with her powers and weapon gone, there isn't much she can do yet, and her Pokemon barely has any moves yet. She's wasted no time in looking into ways to train her Spritzee, of course, but there's only so much growth you can cram into several days. This time, though, she's among those looking to join the expedition to Hami. She's got herself a fashionable Desert Coat(TM) over her uniform, but the next item of preparation is a little unusual.]

Is there any way to get a weapon here?

[...is the question she decides to ask anyone who looks capable of handling themselves. She's really missing having Bakuzan, but if there's nothing else, she would like something to defend herself with.]

IV. Wildcard! hmu

[In the middle of the night, Sagi steps away from one of the makeshift campsites in the mountain valley to see if relatively fresh air mitigates the persistent headache he's had since he arrived with the rest of the travellers from Melona. He doesn't get any. He gets a glimpse of a streak of light past the thick clouds, a flare of pain that for a moment he thinks might burst right out of his skull again - and then an answering flare, a tower of fire and smoke rising from the top of the mountain as if to join heaven and earth.

Which, to Sagi, it just did. Familiar and alien at once, the feeling is unmistakable.]

It's erupting!

[The same cry is going up elsewhere along the valley - the shaking is impossible to sleep through, the great plume of ash impossible to ignore. But not everyone shouting it now is about to lower their voice again right away, the way Sagi now does.]

You really picked a bad time. [And he doesn't have the luxury of dwelling on it, it seems.] Just lay low for now. Let's go.

---

[i: evacuation, mountainside]

[The way out of the mountains would have been treacherous without the volcano and its encroaching pyroclastic flow, but what path is there besides down? All Sagi can do is try to make it easier to follow. Wielding his glowing dagger as a guiding light under the dark ash clouds, he leads a clumsy entourage down the slopes - Swampert ploughing ahead through debris and cliffsides to form an improvised path, Sigilyph keening loudly as it attempts to clear the air of ash, Houndoom barking from the rear to keep the human stragglers they've picked up from falling behind.

If he recognises you, he'll beckon you along, but he's none too interested in small talk mid-evacuation. He is, however, talking every so often - under his breath, hard to properly hear over the rumbling of the earth.]

Another boulder... Through or around?

Full steam ahead!

Okay. [At this point he raises his voice to a shout, which is honestly less out of place than the muttering right now.] Blue, smash this one too!

[He directs his Swampert to the front of the group and stands aside.]

[ii: evacuation, the separation]

[The ground splits. Salt water rushes into the rapidly widening chasm with an almighty roar.

Sagi's wings are out, wide and shimmering; he made it across to what can now be considered the mainland side before the gap became too wide to fly over. Unlike the wild Pokemon stampeding away into the sands, he doesn't escape any further. He probably should - there's a girl of 7 or 8 nestled in his feathers, clinging to his shoulders, and the rest of the campers she escaped with are a little further ahead. Instead, he's watching, helpless, as the ground falls away.]

It's like that arma all over again...

[The look in his eyes is... distant. That may not be an ideal state of mind to be comforting kids with. The child on his back just burst into tears, overwhelmed by the sight and the sound, and he hasn't reacted yet.]

[iii: evacuation, morning]

[Somewhere past the ash clouds, the sun rises. The lava flow seems to be at bay. One loose cluster of survivors has congregated a little ways upshore of the new seawater strait, caught between lingering ash clouds and desert winds. Some guides from Melona escaped with their tents intact and set them up as a shield against the elements, but it's crowded and sombre inside. These are people who made it all the way down from the mountains, but now aren't sure where else to turn.

Sagi is somewhere on the periphery, crouching just outside a tent with his bag next to him. A dog-eared sheaf of letter paper is balanced on his knee, covered in the same sooty smudges as his gloves, clothes and face. He's writing. Is this really the time? Well, he clearly thinks so.]

West of Melona... town is gone... medical supplies, food, water... What else?

[The Sigilyph watching over his shoulder is too tired to scream, its constant noise reduced to only a series of high-pitched beeps. Sagi looks pretty exhausted himself - but who isn't, out here? It won't stop him from looking up rather abruptly if someone approaches.]

[iv: post eruption]

[Smoke continues to darken the sky long after the volcano goes silent, and the new island with it. There's probably nobody left to find in the smouldering wreckage of the old town and the campsites who didn't already escape. Still, Sagi feels obligated to look. He didn't spend all sixteen years of his life an optimist just to give up the next time he yet again showed up too late to stop a disaster.

He pauses outside the boba shop, gingerly touching a gloved hand to the uncannily smooth, clean building walls. His expression can't be read through the lilac cloth he's wrapped around his face as an improvised face mask, but it can be deduced from the way he's still talking to himself.]

It's... almost untouched.

That feels strange.

You think so too? I have to wonder if there's something to what she said.

[Muffled by the cloth, all of that just comes out sounding like Sagi's voice. Maybe the smoke got to his brain.]

[wildcard]

[yell if you need more details - prior to the eruption Sagi just arrives with the rescue squad and goes around the campsites in case anyone needs help, after it he sticks with the evacuees until the clouds clear a little and/or outside help arrives, after things marginally calm down he travels back to Melona to resupply and check on the Groudon shrine in the ruins but returns later. he's around! he's a jrpg! he's always around!!]

I- Hami, pre-eruption

[Joss barely sets foot in the ruins of Hami that Hachiko the Lycanroc starts looking for people to challenge to a Pokémon battle.

Joss doesn't know why he's like that. Joss, quite frankly, doesn't even know how or why the dog decided to pick him as his new master; he was merely walking through Melona, his other Pokémon in tow, when the Lycanroc suddenly started following him. He must have looked strong enough... but ever since, he hasn't been able to go outside without the Pokémon challenging at least one person to a fight.

If you're walking through Hami or the various camps, you might get approached by an overly serious wolf. He barks once, before going into a battle stance and looking at you expectantly; Joss usually shows up shortly after, looking apologetic even before he has a chance to open his mouth. ~~Feel free to handwave the battle if you don't want to thread it out.~~]

II- Hot springs, also pre-eruption

[Eventually, the inevitable happens. Hachiko runs up to a woman with long green hair as she was about to undress and get into the springs, barking insistently even as she tells him to piss off. Joss apologizes profusely, but at this point it's too late; she sics her Pokémon on him... kinda, sorta setting him on fire.

He'll be fine. He immediately dipped into a hot spring. But if you wonder why there's an overgrown beanpole sitting in the water fully dressed... well, it's not just because he's allergic to people seeing him naked, or because he's trying to emulate Nanami.

Hachiko is lying next to him, looking slightly disappointed. He's ~~stolen~~ gotten a nice share of Joss's winnings against random trainers, but gym leaders are good money.]

III- Wildcard

[HMU! Anything goes. Feel free to assume Joss is helping with the evacuation post-eruption if needed.]

I. GOD I'VE SEEN WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OTHER PEOPLE

[ Kyuhyuk is carefully dusting off any soot that has collected on Eunji's fur while Jooheon settles on his lap. On occasion, the Sewaddle will attempt to crawl out and look for something around the boba shop; not entirely sure of what, but curiosity comes first.

So sorry if a little bug pokemon comes crawling up your leg... probably chewing at your clothes because baby hungy. Kyuhyuk will realize that he's missing a child soon enough and come over like a concerned dad that managed to lose sight of his kid (that's still beside him) at Disney. Though the one that grabs Jooheon will be Eunji, acting like an older sibling. ] Sorry! He snuck off all on his own...

[ He's trying so hard not make this a habit I swear. ]

II. NUTS ROASTING... ON A TORKOAL'S BACK

[ Fortunately Kyuhyuk keeps Eunji occupied with roasted nuts. Happily indulging in both the food and warmth of the Torkoal, who seems content with them there; though Kyuhyuk is mainly doing this for anyone who is looking for a quick snack to eat.

If you happen to approach, curious of what he's doing or simply familiar with the formally dressed man, he'll respond to your presence with the same, practiced smile. ]

Would you like some? They're sweet, but surprisingly good.

III. WILDCARD

( hmu if you wanna do contest related threads, have friendly battles, catch kyuhyuk in the hot springs and question why he's so fucking ripped, or anything else feel free! otherwise he'll be seen around the base of the mountain at nights before the eruption, post he'll probably be a damsel in distress. )

this boba shop...

[ Okay, so. Joonghyuk finds the boba shop extremely suspicious to be basically untouched by the disaster. Air? Too fresh. Exterior? Pristine. Though he hasn't bought anything, he's here. Loitering. Staring. At the only employee of the shop to the point she gets uncomfortable and might ask for others to...

Maybe take care of him for her? Minji, now an Umbreon, stays seated next to him like a good girl. ]

the monthly curses return

[ While Joonghyuk is trying to help here and there with the evacuation before he decides to book it to investigate other things, he has... Been met with misfortune once again. Instead of being his usual age, he has been relinquished of several years leaving him to be...

A teenager.

He's not as tall, not as intimidating or foreboding, lacks the intimidating scars, and then his face has less sharp features. It's still him considering there is an Umbreon with a harness to hold her dagger. Minji has grown! Minji, however, is also constantly staring at the spot behind Joonghyuk... No matter what position she is.

It only isn't her, but also all the locals. They all deny doing it, however. Even if he doesn't catch you staring, he just assumes— ]

What is it?

[ He sounds annoyed, but it doesn't have the oomf. Why are people staring at him as he lends a hand with the supplies?! No, it isn't a ghost. It isn't a ghost. ]

wildcard

[ feel free to throw me whatever! Joonghyuk is staying to help with the evacuation only a little bit before maybe... Investigating the boba shop or the volcano. Can assume he's gathering quite the amount of supplies to go. And also just. Putting them, no matter what length, into his pocket as long as it fits through the pockethole. Hammerspace inventory is great. ]

i - boba;

[ Fai is practically laying on the counter, enjoying the fresh air inside the boba shop. It's strange and he should probably look into it but... he's just going to enjoy it for now.

He already has the specialty boba flavor next to him, but he's only had about half of it. ]

It feels nice in here...

ii - campsite;

[ Fai doesn't want to crowd the boba shop, so he's got a little makeshift campsite going himself. He has a fire in front of him, and he's sitting in front of it. There's a Galarian Ponyta curled up next to him, happily exhausted after running around the mountainside gathering berries and whatnot with Fai for a good part of the day.

If anyone happens upon them, he'll wave. ]

Why don't you join us?

iii - hot springs;

[ It's nice to relax in the hot springs, and Fai has found a secluded corner for himself to do just that. He sits in silence for a while, his eyes closed. Despite how outgoing and friendly he is, he does like to be alone.

It looks like he's sleeping, but if he hears anyone nearby, he'll open one of his eyes. ]

Did you come here to relax too?

iv - evacuation;

[ The first trembles woke him up immediately, and he could sense that something was wrong. As people start to run, Fai takes out Chii so she can help carry people away. He takes out his Ponyta too, to help with evacuating children.

Whether he recognizes your character or not, Fai will beckon them to leave with him. ]

iv - wildcard;

[ Come at me with anything!! I have the following bonuses:

1) Every single NPC will swarm Fai and confess their love for him over the course of an afternoon.
2) Fai's making his way downtown, walking fast, it's a Zubat. It's a thousand Zubat chasing after Fai.
3) Fai loses his indoor voice and must shout everything for two full days.
4) For an entire day, every sentence that comes out of Fai's mouth will have at least one swear in it.
5) Fai catches a really bad cold for two days.
6) Fai seeks out eating strange things for three full days. Mmm, that grass sure looks good.

Feel free to wildcard a bonus or add them to whatever prompt you want! Time is fake so I'm cool with them happening whenever, although preferably not during the eruption. ]