SEPTEMBER INTRO LOG

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→ 09/01 The Arrival

「 Welcome to the world of POKEMON 」

"It will come to be. And in exchange..."
You wake up with a start. Thunder rolls across the sky, steamrolling the voices and the fog out of your head and replacing them with mottled grey on white— greyer in some spots than others, and if you're one of the unlucky ones, the greyest leaks cold water right down on your face. Drip... drip... drip... the intervals in between getting shorter and shorter until

SPLOOSH!!

The entire ceiling caves in and water and soggy drywall collapses onto your head, and those of several dozen others sharing this very open, very wet room. Rain pours down from overhead through the large hole in the middle of the ceiling, but the perimeter of the room is a little drier: about a dozen cots line the walls, not enough for the number of people here and so most must pick themselves off the ground. Other than a few curtained dividers now scattered across the flooding floor, the room is otherwise bare. White, grey, and very wet.

"Uh..." The only dry people in the room stand in the doorway: a girl who pulls her hood further over her head to keep the water off her face as she steps in to help the person nearest her up, and a boy who hangs back behind her, hesitant, staring at his feet a little guiltily until he looks up and catches somebody's eye, and he too steps forward to help people onto their feet. They introduce themselves as Chiaki Nanami and Minato Arisato, explain that they've arrived here a while ago in the exact same way as everybody here, and show off the purple and grey bands around their right and left ankles respectively, as if that is proof enough. Your unconscious bodies may or may not have been investigated while you were unconscious, but every person here will find some sort of band tattooed around a part of their body, some with a single pattern and some with two, some matching somebody else's and some unique to their own.

For those who want to hang back and ask questions, Nanami and Minato stick around and do their best to answer them, otherwise, you're free to go out in the rain and get soaked and wonder why this is your life.

→ 09/01 The Surroundings

"Ichi help me think of headings. I am so bad at writing headings" - Card

It's actually not that bad, all things considering. Sure, it's raining all day nonstop, but the rain varies between pouring and sprinkling and is weirdly lukewarm, like a shower that doesn't have enough water pressure and can't get hot enough. Strange creatures called Pokemon roam about the town of Toran, many hiding from the rain and liable to attack when people unexpectedly stumble upon them trying to find shelter themselves, especially the arm-hungry bears who just want to nap under trees, but others are friendly and eager to help people sweep water out of buildings and patch up roofs.

Whether you woke up with one or stumbled across them later, you have your own strange creature too. Be friends. If you don't know anything about Pokemon, there are plenty of elementary schoolers eager to laugh at your ignorance and teach you everything you need to know about catching and training Pokemon, little four-year-old escorts around Toran to show you where to find them in the lake at the center of the island, the surrounding ocean, the patches of grass throughout the town. The ground is perpetually marshy, thick mud and tall grass slowing foot traffic and the spiderwebs of pavement connecting the other structures around town are covered with half squashed, wiggling worms(egments) that are almost unavoidable to step on unless it's during a lighter drizzle when the bird Pokemon are free to swoop down to pick the roads clean. Want to get some experience in Pokemon battling? These literal children will gladly pulverize you to the point of blacking out and take your money or whatever fun little trinkets you have in your pockets.

The building everybody arrived in turns out to be a hospital, with an adjacent building being a hospital for Pokemon- a Pokemon Center- which offers free shelter for travellers but is currently overflowing with people who are stranded on this island, even with so many visitors forced to resort to long term lodging in the town's small inn. Both the hospital and Pokemon Center stand right along the lakeside, water overflowing and nearly lapping against the front steps, which is home to an abnormally large 30-foot long Gyarados. It thrashes about in the middle of the lake and has been scaring all the other wild water Pokemon to the outskirts of the lake, blasting the nearby buildings and berry trees with torrents of water, and lashing out at anybody who tries to approach. Several fishing boats that have gotten too close have been smashed, but a few are left tied to the docks around the lake for braver trainers to use.

Large canopies have been set up over the berry gardens dotting the rest of the lakeside to keep the rain (and the occasional Gyarados hydro pump) from washing off the berries. The trees are tended to by gardeners with their grass Pokemon, and at times Minato with his Yamask covering his face, one black arm wrapped around his neck and the other lazily waving an arm to part the cloud of several hundred Combee buzzing protectively around the boy, trying to keep unfamiliar people away from the beehives as Minato makes his rounds checking up on each of the hives and picking up the fruit that has fallen or has ripened enough on the branches, offering berries to any person or Pokemon who's hungry.

Most of the buildings around town are doing well enough, despite the unending gloomy weather and too many people. The Daycare Center is particularly packed with Pokemon whose trainers are stuck outside of the island and unable to pick them up, and volunteers to help feed and care for the Pokemon are needed more than ever, especially the younger Pokemon who are fussy and upset at being away from their trainers for so long. Even the older Pokemon are a bit worried, and some of the daycare workers whisper about rumors of a pack of wild Drifloon seen around town whenever the rain calms down to a drizzle and luring little kids into the thick fog and getting them lost. There are also whispers about the hospital, hushed words about how it's haunted by the spirits of the deceased and that when a group of Murkrows gather around a patient's window, it's to mark that person with misfortune and death. Several posters of missing children are hung up around the Daycare Center, with the promise of a reward for any information or return of the children, and flyers begging for help to calm the residents at the hospital of their worries about the Murkrows or ghostly sightings.

The Game Corner arcade never knows silence with the constant flashing and chiming of the slot machines and roulette wheels, but don't be fooled with the frequent payouts seen at the machines Nanami and her Mimikyu sit at, because the odds are actually pretty low and the tokens can only be traded in for berries, common items, and Pokemon accessories. There are no windows in the Game Corner, and it is very easy to lose track of time inside— one elderly gentleman in a tophat can be seen at the same slot machine in the corner at all hours of the day, never eating or sleeping or doing anything else but mechanically pulling the lever, unresponsive to the rest of the world around him. He's going to hit the jackpot, he knows it. Just one more pull. One more pull...

The newest building in Toran is the boba shop, freshly painted in bright yellows and blues just before the storm hit and the colors remain bold against the grey sky. The "Grand Opening" sign still hangs above the front door despite opening over a month before, inviting customers inside to try their specialty: milk tea with Combee honey boba balls. Boba is half off for first-time customers, and you also get your stamp card stamped with a lavender Bulbasaur face, unique to Toran's shop. There are eight stamps total to be collected- fill up your stamp card for a special prize! But strangely enough, scattered throughout the town, people of various different ages slump against walls and on the ground, barely responsive and with empty cups of boba around them. They're ignored by the townspeople and despite the unnerving sight of these semi-vegetative citizens, lines to the shop are just as long as ever.

The shop is also currently hiring, for those who would like to fill up their days while there's nowhere to go and make a little $$$. How about it? Join Team Boba today! (:

→ 09/02 The First Meeting

"Hahahahaha" - Ichi

After giving people some time to get settled, later in the evening of the second day, Nanami, Minato, and their Pokemon go around finding people with those mysterious bands marking them as isekai'd strangers to the island, and herd them towards the boba shop to Talk. About why they're all here, about that dream, about where to go from here...

As the group waits for the last of them to arrive, with a round of boba provided courtesy of Nanami and her small Game Corner fortune, chatter around the boba shop paints the same story: a storm has been raging for over a month now, with thunder and lightning, hurricane winds, and whirlpools making travel to and from the island too hazardous, trapping visitors on the island way past their expected length of stay. There are talks of strong Pokemon trainers having headed out into the storm to try and get help from other towns, most of them quickly forced to turn back, and others— whether they were lost at sea or managed to break through— never heard from since. Storms are never this bad here, the people say, they never last this long and they don't ever seem to be... sentient... getting a lot worse earlier yesterday when so many new people were found collapsed around the island and were brought to the hospital, intermittently throughout the past month whenever a trainer tries to leave the island, and the largest reaction from the storm over a month ago when a girl with pink hair and a boy with blue hair were found in the lake and dragged half-dead to the hospital.

The island has been isolated for well over a month now with nobody having any idea what's going on outside, but the arrival of so many people at once can't be a coincidence- it must signify the time for change. When something to this scale happens, people tend to look to the gods, the Legendary Pokemon, but if they're really the cause... it'll take effort from everybody in order to break through the storm to catch the attention of the Legendaries and reach the rest of the world.

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ Welcome to Pokespe! All characters wake up at the hospital by the lakeside and can explore the rest of the island. Players are free to play out Pokemon battles or wild Pokemon encounters, but please let a mod know when catching a new Pokemon so we can approve or decline the capture.
⬥ On the second day, Nanami and Minato will be available to answer questions about what they've found out in the month before everybody else arrived. They will each have an NPC toplevel for those who wish to speak with them, and characters present at the meeting are free to learn about the information shared without needing to thread with an NPC.
⬥To proceed to the next area for next month's log, characters must find a way to travel across the stormy ocean filled with whirlpools and choppy waves. Make sure to mention your efforts on the permanent AC page at the end of the month!
⬥ There are several other oddities and problems around town that characters may choose to help with or investigate, which may or may not help with escaping the island or have ties to the plot as a whole. To investigate one of these areas, please comment to the questions toplevel with a link to your thread so the mods can direct you appropriately.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's certainly always a plus!

[ And he even smiles to make a point. But now he can't help but wonder since Minato brought it up... ]

Do you like to make people smile?

[ There's a quick glance down at his feet before he raises his gaze back up to meet Fai's. ]

Doesn't everybody?

[ he asks quietly, because... doesn't everybody? like making people smile, and laugh, and bring some sort of happiness to other people's lives. Even at the lowest points of his life when he wanted nothing to do with other people, that never stopped him from wishing the best for them. ]

The best kind of people do.

[ There are definitely a few out there who don't, and Fai certainly feels like he doesn't deserve the smiles he gets from others.

But Minato's question draws a softer, more sincere smile out of him. ]

Even if almost everybody likes to make others smile, it's still an admiral trait, don't you think?

[ Now that's a question he doesn't have to think too hard about, but it lingers anyways even as he dips his head in a nod, unable to stop from thinking of one of his closest friends, and the smile on his face slips for a split second at that thought.

He straightens up a little, face carefully falling back towards neutrality. ]

Yeah. That's one of the best things about humanity. Helps them get through even the toughest times... [ And in a situation like this, smiles are definitely needed. ]

Cafes aren't really my thing, though, so I've been trying to help out in other places. Taking care of the Combee, or trying to keep Gyarados' damage to a minimum.

[ Fai notices the way his face falls and quickly goes neutral again, but doesn't say anything, pretending he never saw that and instead making a show of stretching his arms. ]

Ah, so our friend in the lake is called a Gyarados? How are you helping with the damage?

[ He'd like to help if he can. ]

Mm, a Gyarados. My Pokemon, Facehugger—

[ She hangs out outside of her Pokeball a lot and comes to say hi, floating over and bumping the side of Fai's head lightly with her mask. ]

She has pretty good defense, so when she can, she tries to block whatever attack Gyarados unleashes, that'd otherwise hit a berry tree or one of the other Pokemon. I guess I don't do much besides coordination... It's all her.

[ He laughs when she bumps his head. ]

Still, coordination is important, isn't it?

[ Fai looks at the mask Facehugger is holding. ]

Has she always had that mask?

[ It's definitely easier when you have somebody in the background able to see all of what's going on and trusting them to direct everything. He used to play that role a lot, and here, at least with his small party of two, it still holds. ]

Mm, yeah. It's her... face. Back when she was a human.

[ He glances over at Facehugger, who turns towards him and sets her mask on Minato's forehead. Not directly on his face to possess him, but just sitting there on top, in longing to be him. ]

She's a ghost Pokemon, and I promised to help her find out where and how she died. And if there's anybody left.

[ That's... dark. Fai's smile falls from his face, and he doesn't bother to try to cover it up for now. ]

If you need any help with that, I'll do whatever I can. Unfinished business is pretty serious but you probably feel the same, right?

[ At least Fai thinks so, if Minato promised to help her. ]

Yeah.

[ He reaches up and cups Facehugger's face in his hands, palms pressed against her cheeks like she would always do to him. She coos at him and reaches out- not to cup Minato's cheeks but to cup Fai's. Like a daisy chain of appreciation. ]

Finding her family and her home again... That's why I want to get off this island. I'd be content to live here like this forever otherwise, but I promised her, so...

[ So that much is his motivation to explore the world until he can reunite this Pokemon with her loved ones. ]

[ Fai grins. ]

How cute! [ And since they have an appreciation chain going on, he puts a hand on top of Minato's head. ]

Promises are important to keep. It might take a lot of research, but I can help you with that part. You'll find her home.

[ He ducks his head almost reflexively, but there's little room to escape and a small smile works its way on his face despite himself. Being pat on the head... He'd had to do a lot of growing up in a short amount of time, but here he feels like a child again, and it's new and it's wonderful. ]

...Would you like to talk to her? In person.

[ The way Minato ducks his head a little but still has a small smile reminds him of Syaoran for just a moment, and Fai can't help but feel a small burst of affection. ]

I would. I'd like to listen to her story. Everyone has one to tell.

[ Hypocritical coming from him, but Fai immediately counts himself out of that anyway—he doesn't have a story worth telling. ]

[ Minato would have agreed with that sentiment, but sometimes you don't need to have a compelling story. Sometimes you touch other people's stories, and bind them together, and they become part of yours too. That's how he feels helping Facehugger, lifting the mask from her hands and placing it over his face as her shadowy body fades away. He's part of her story, and that makes it worth it.

He goes still for a moment, and then ]

My name is Maya! Ma! ya! Don't go calling me by that stupid nickname Minato uses, mister!

[ There's a stamp of the feet and a huff, Minato's voice but pitched slightly higher in agitation, something practically unheard of from the boy. ]

[ Fai looks on in surprise, not expecting the mask to be able to possess someone. With the way this world has been so far, maybe he should have expected it.

He laughs at the agitation in Minato's voice, holding out his hands placatingly. ]

Alright! Maya it is! You have a lovely name.

[ And because it's only fair that he gives his own name: ]

You can call me Fai.

[ It's impossible to see a smile with the mask in the way, but they show it with the rest of their body, the way their back straightens and they lift up a little on the balls of their feet and bounce in place, hands clasped behind their back, very clearly pleased at being told they have a lovely name. ]

Hehe... It's really lovely, isn't it, mister Fai? Mama and papa used to say all the time it means "love," and I got named Maya because they loved me sooooooooooo much!

[ Fai's grin softens into a smile. This spirit seems to be a child, and he can't help but feel saddened by the thought. ]

They must have loved you dearly. [ It's nice, seeing others who have been raised with love. ]

How old are you, Maya?

[ It's nice, and then there's Minato who goes ahead and nicknames her after a movie monster. ]

I'm seven years old! Which means I'm almost eight, which means I'm almost nine, which means I'm almost ten! And then I can get my trainer's license and have my own Pokemon!

[ Oh Minato... ]

You're right, that's not far away at all!

[ He'd heard a few of the kids talking about getting their trainer's license at ten, but he still has trouble wrapping his head around that. Having a whole team at only ten... he can't imagine that.

But she really is young, and it's hard to keep the smile on his face. ]

I bet you're excited to have your own team, aren't you?

Yeah! I already know what I want my starter to be, and—-!

[ They clap their hands together in delight, but then all of the sudden, they fall quiet, wind taken out of their sails as they look down at their hands— Minato's hands, long pale fingers that tremble slightly when they're held out like that. This is Minato's body, in the end, and her own... ]

But I can't ever have my own team, can I? Minato says he'll catch what I want, and I don't have to wait at all. But it's not really the same... 'cause I can't be me anymore...

[ Fai reaches out to put his hand on Minato's head, the same exact thing he did before. ]

You're right... it isn't the same. [ He's not going to lie, and tell her it can be when he doesn't know that. His lies have a limit. ]

Minato and I are here to help you, though. At least you have us. [ It's not going to get rid of Maya's problems but maybe hearing that can help at least somewhat. ] What can I do to help you, Maya?

[ They bounce on their heels again, a giggle escaping from behind the mask, somewhat subdued by the topic but at least it's a laugh. ]

Thank you, mister Fai...

[ Minato had told her the exact same thing: sharing a body isn't the same as living her own life, but he wants to do whatever he can to help her anyways. It's been a month of this, hesitant to believe, but with Fai promising too, she wants to believe. ]

I want to be me again- that's my dearest wish. But I know that can't happen, so if I can't have that... I want to see mama and papa again! I want to go home! But I also want to see the rest of the world too... I want to play with Minato, and with Chiaki, and with you too! I want to try all the boba from all the other towns I've never seen before! I want to see all the Pokemon there are in the world, even if I can't catch them myself!

[ She wants to do so much- everything- she wants to be a little girl and grow up and live a life that's been robbed from her. ]

[ The laugh is good, and it makes him happy to hear. ]

I'll do what I can to grant you your wish. [ It's a difficult promise to make, but he wants to make it. He understands what it's like to feel like you can no longer live the life ahead of you, and he hates that she feels that way. ] If there's anything you remember, please tell me. I want to help you find your home.

[ Maybe there will be places he can research, or he can ask around about things. ]

Hopefully we'll be able to travel soon when the storm dies down, and you can see the world and every Pokemon out there. [ He smiles. ] And I'll play with you as much as you want, of course.

[ She really really hopes so. There's not much she remembers, and it feels like her memories get foggier by the day as her human self slips away. The world pretty much revolves around yourself and your toys and your bedroom when you're that young, anyways, so even when the storm stops and they can leave the island, she's not really sure what direction to head from here.

But that just means she'll go everywhere until she finds it, and she has Minato and Chiaki and Fai now too to be there with her, so she isn't scared at all. ]

Thanks, mister Fai!

[ There's a much brighter laugh that escapes the mask this time, and they run up to Fai and flings their arms around him in a big bear hug— and Maya chooses then to have the mask slip off Minato's face and leave him hugging Fai stiffly and awkwardly. ]

...Uh.

[ He lets go, while the Yamask bobs around behind Fai's head, giggling to herself. ]

[ The laugh has Fai feeling more resolved in keeping his promise to her. If he can at least help one person, then his detour here will have been worthwhile.

Fai just laughs when Minato lets go, joining the Yamask in giggling. ]

Aw, you don't want a hug too? You deserve praise for a job well done!

[ Fai certainly wouldn't let himself be possessed by a Pokemon. ]

SEPTEMBER INTRO LOG

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ 09/01 The Arrival

→ 09/01 The Surroundings

→ 09/02 The First Meeting

→ MOD NOTES

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