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.

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[Man, this explains so much! And makes way more sense than the other mistakes he thought he might have made. Sagi nods gratefully, cementing the idea in his head for the rest of time.]

Got it! Alright, our turn. [This time he brandishes his whole palm, as well as a wing for good measure.] If he didn't attack yet, he's setting up for one! Go on defense!

[Yeah, that still isn't a move name. Pawniard is gradually getting used to it, though. Hopping backward a couple of steps, she crosses her claws in front of her face to form a stupid pose of her own, and throws out a Leer from behind them.]

[ nice, nice! looking good, dude! itaru'd totally snap a photo if the guy's just cosplaying, but those wings look too legit to be mere attachments on the back, don't they?

anyway, focus! rowlet's a bit intimidated from the Leer, causing his Defense to lower a tad, but he's standing his ground. itaru has got to think fast, since he's clearly at a disadvantage here, despite being more familiar with this world's lore...

but in the end this is just a tutorial battle, and he'd have to inevitably lose for the guy to learn something from this. so he puts on a determined look on his face, dramatically points once more - ]

That Pawniard should have a weak spot... fly around and Tackle it from behind!

[ rowlet then hovers on the air, spies Pawniard's backside, and divebombs for it! let's fucking gooooo!! ]

[The phrase "0 IV in Defense" would mean nothing to Pawniard herself, let alone Sagi, but -]

Hey, look out!

[Wham, the weight of that Tackle speaks for itself. Pawniard reels from the impact and staggers forward, barely staying upright. That sure didn't look much like a resisted hit.]

Dammit, not fast enough again! [They're practising, there's no stakes, it's okay... and yet, a little crease in Sagi's previously flawless Dramatic Determined Face betrays his growing frustration. He even forgets to change his pose, other than balling up one of his fists.] Come on, we're still in this. Hit him right back!

[Pawniard also seems annoyed about it, whipping back around to face Rowlet even before she finishes regaining her bearings. She lunges in, a glint in her eyes, for another Fury Cutter -

- and whiffs completely. Oops.]

[ oof, almost got him. itaru's heart is racing in a way it hasn't been in quite a while, and cups his hands around his mouth - ]

Attaboy, Rowlet! Now use Leafage again at point-blank range!

[ and with a chirp, rowlet unleashes another flurry of leaves with a beat of his wings, knowing that it's not going to deal that much damage anyway due to that pesky type disadvantage. still, it's worth a try! ]

[Critical hit! Focused on winding up for one more swipe, Pawniard doesn't react in time to deflect any of the leaves - the barrage catches her right in the face, thudding into her helmet-like forehead with a noise not completely dissimilar to a glockenspiel. She reels, dizzied, and lands on her back, where she stays.

It's not a total knockout, but it looks inevitable by Sagi's reckoning. The little monster seems to want to stick with him despite their losing streak. It would be some kind of betrayal to push her more than this in one day.]

That's enough! That's enough. [...Well, he definitely learned a couple of things. He musters a slightly wry smile.] So that's how a vet does it.

[Though he does notice that he hasn't blacked out. Maybe not everyone does that to you when they win? Maybe it was emotional shock earlier, or something?

Regardless, he's already had the rules for this particular outcome drilled into him by those gremlin kids, so let's double check they taught him the right ones. He reaches into his waist bag and rummages for a moment... eh, this one will do. Even if his magnus fix themselves eventually, coping with desert weather is the farthest problem from his mind right now.]

Sorry, I can't exactly pay up. Take this instead.

[What he's holding out toward Itaru is a playing card. The border is golden and shiny, and there's a picture of some crystalline blue object printed on the top face. There's no trick or purpose to it beyond that.]

[ sagi did stop the fight, so maybe that's why they haven't blacked out yet? the kid knows his limits, and itaru's got to appreciate that. oh, to be young and free like that.

rowlet chirps in victory, does a little dance because of it before it retreats into itaru's bag, while itaru offers a grin at his fellow trainer. he was ready to get his usual spoils after a typical battle like that, but what sagi offered isn't something that itaru expected, but... his eyes are glinting with curiosity anyway. ]

Is this... a collectible item? Dude.

[ he looks elated at the very least? it's not money but it looks super special enough that he'll pocket it. ]

But you know, for a first timer you got the hang of it pretty fast. My Pokemon was actually at an disadvantage type-wise, so if anything I only got lucky there. [ he extends a hand. ] Thanks for that.

[Another look of fleeting confusion passes over Sagi's face, but he manages to recognise the gesture and take Itaru up on that handshake, although his grip is the slightly too tight grip of someone who doesn't do it often.] No, thank you! It was fun.

[Except possibly for Pawniard, who is only just now wobbling back upright. Another Pokemon Centre trip after this... At least she'll be able to walk for this one. Forfeiting really sucks, but it does hurt less than drawing things out! As he well knows.]

...Gotta admit, I can't imagine what that other kid I lost to wanted with a broken magnus. But they took it anyway when they figured out I didn't have money, so you should at least get to be on the level of a kid, right?

[He has the decency to look sheepish about it. Money, it's what he wants. Money, it's what he don't got.]

A broken what?

[ blinkblink. oh, must be this card this guy gave him. he flips the card over, checking to see what's so broken with it. ]

Looks pretty legit, if you ask me. But if you're worried about paying me with real money, don't worry about it. It's not realistic to have cash on you when you just got here, right?

[ so yeah, it's totally fine. 'sides, this little souvenir is dope as hell, so he'll definitely treasure this. ]

Name's Chigasaki Itaru, by the way. You should go get your Pawniard healed up - the Pokemon Center does it for free, at least.

Oh, I'm Sagi! Just Sagi. We, uh, really appreciate the lesson.

[He doesn't want to stare while Itaru examines the card - to anyone except Sagi, the perfectly unremarkable card with only a few everyday scuffs - but he can't help it for a second or two. Those gremlin kids didn't realise anything was supposed to be inside the magnus they took, either. It's so weird. Especially when their little ball devices for storing monsters feel like a bizarro take on the same technology to him...

Eh, who cares. When he remembers himself, he ends up directing his sheepish half-smile over at Rowlet instead.]

...And, yeah! The Centre, that's the plan. We already stopped by there a couple times.

[Not to put too fine a point on it. He still isn't bitter! Even Pawniard is putting a brave face on their repeated defeats, already picking herself up and dusting herself off. Gotta relax his shoulders a bit, look on the bright side and acknowledge that he at least learned something this time. (Namely, the pose thing.)]

Hey, would you be down for another round later? Maybe not today. Just later.

[ what can he say, itaru's a completionist of sorts. hand him a seemingly unremarkable artifact and his wild imagination will take care of the rest.

anyway, he nods at sagi's challenge with a smile. ]

Yeah man, take your time. Losing sucks, I get that, but your Pokemon will get experience from it anyway. You'll get the hang of it in no time.

[ especially the post thing. the more flamboyant it is, the better. sagi will surely get better at it, what with his wings giving him extra points in the extra department and all. ]

Just let me know if you need any more help, 'kay? Think of me as a walking-talking Pokedex for the meantime. [ no ]

[a what -

Well, file that as something else he can ask when he comes back. He's already taken up enough of Itaru's vitally important chuuni time.]

Yeah! You two take care, too.

[He waves cheerily as he and Pawniard head off in what is indeed the correctly-remembered way to the Pokemon Centre. See? Learning.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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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