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

... Are you even trying?

[ Because the boat is still kind of wobbly!! Joonghyuk fortunately is able to balance despite the movements and elements. If possible, he would like to avoid getting his clothes too wet... He's had enough of being drenched on the first day.

They may be berries, but he pitches them into the Gyarados' mouth like baseballs. The Oran berry doesn't get much reaction, then... the boba...? It makes a face. It does not like it.

So it starts thrashing about again, creating large waves. ]

I'll try harder!

[ He laughs, but he does try harder, using his feet to help steady them as well. Fai watches as Joonghyuk throws both the berries and the boba. ]

Wow, good aim! [ If he wasn't busy holding the boat steady, he'd clap. The large waves the Gyarados sends towards them cause some motion, but not nearly as much as before as Fai manages to hold the boat steady so Joonghyuk can properly balance himself. ]

Aw, looks like the boba was no good. What a shame!

... It doesn't seem to chew its food.

[ Usually, from what he's seen, animals love gnawing and chewing, but... To swallow boba, even if it's small, isn't great. Its overall flavor is lackluster compared to its texture.

The boat is a lot steadier than before, which earns... No complaints. Good job. The Gyarados stops thrashing now that it has finished its meal. Overall? Not so angry. ]

Get closer to it.

[ So they can have a better log? ]

[ Interesting that it doesn't chew, even though it's big it still need to at the very least chew a couple of times... When he asks Fai to get closer, he gives Joonghyuk a salute, picking up the oar. ]

You got it, captain!

[ Fai doesn't go very fast, incrementally getting the boat closer and gauging the Gyarados' reaction as he does. ]

[ That moment when mobile tags strike again. I meant *look, sorry. Joonghyuk squints as they get closer and closer, but it isn't one-sided. Gyarados is also squinting back at them—it's almost like a glaring contest.

When they're about to get too close for Gyarados' comfort, it gives them a warning growl. Joonghyuk frowns... ]

Ungrateful.

[ They brought you this much food!! (But also food shouldn't easily win anyone over.) ]

[ The betrayal of mobile tagging...

He stops then, not wanting to test the Pokemon. ]

What a shame. You brought so many gifts too! Doesn't seem to be that interested in food.

[ Fai puts down the oar, watching the Gyarados. Should they try something else? He doesn't have anything on him right now to even try so... ]

What do you want to do now?

Edited 2020-09-08 06:39 (UTC)

I would like to check the waters, but I don't think it'll let me.

[ Gyarados' eyes are still on them, almost to the point it doesn't blink. As a test, he pulls off one of his black gloves and dips his fingers into the water. It's cold, refreshing, but he can't indulge in it when he's having a mental battle with a giant sea serpent. He can see the Gyarados tense and flare its frilled fins as another warning. ]

It's protecting something in the center. [ Hm. ] Row back.

[ While he's ambitious, he isn't too stupid. ]

[ Fai watches the exchange with an easy smile, seemingly not bothered by the warning the Gyarados gives. ]

Gotcha! [ He starts rowing, getting them back to the docks as quickly as he can. ]

Wonder what it's protecting... you think it might be its children?

[ That's what jumps immediately to mind for him. ]

Most likely, unless there's something else it's meant to protect underwater. [ Like a jewel of power from fairytales? Or a treasure chest, but... Joonghyuk doesn't seem sold on that theory. ] The locals haven't mentioned anything that would imply that.

[ He takes a step out and greets the renter with a look. They thank them for choosing their service! And... For bringing their boat in one piece. Tossing a couple of coins to the renter, his gaze shifts to Fai. ]

You're free to leave.

I haven't heard anything myself either. I suppose all we can do is get closer.

[ His first inclination was it could be a magic feather but... that doesn't seem to really be a thing in this world, which is odd for him.

Fai waves at the renter, giving him a bit of money as well. ]

Aw, you aren't enjoying my company?

[ He gives Joonghyuk a teasing smile, but it's fake and doesn't reach his eyes. ]

[ Oh... You are so kind, Fai. The renter believed Joonghyuk to be a stiff and stoic one, but his money talks well. Fai, however, very kind. Very friendly. They must be a good bunch (maybe). ]

You were useful.

[ That's his answer. The Pokemon that greets them is his Eevee, Minji, who also has a knife in her mouth. She does little tap dance, happy to see her trainer back but. Oh. Who is this? Who are you? She gives Fai a little sniff. New friend? She checks his resilience by smacking the hilt of her blade at his ankle. It's like... a hefty, though not painful tap. ]

I may find you tolerable if you have any interesting information.

[ An Eevee with a knife is one of the last things Fai expects and it's honestly kind of funny. It's not as funny when she taps him with the hilt, but he laughs anyway, crouching down. ]

Wow, you're a feisty one!

[ He looks up at Joonghyuk, frowning. ]

I don't have that much information... probably the same amount as you, actually. I've noticed there's a wide range of strange things going on around here, though. The missing children and people passed out around town are pretty concerning.

[ So is the rain, but Fai isn't sure he can figure that one out without his magic. It's a shame he can't reach out to try and sense what might be going on. ]

[ Minji's tail wags wildly when Fai comes to her level, now rubbing against his shin as he hovers over her. It's okay. She knows how to play nice. ]

It's surprising that there's little sign of enforcement or authority...

[ But he assumes things are more peaceful than it is now... At least from how the natives talk about everyday life aside from Pokemon sometimes attacking people. Crossing his arms, he looks down at Fai. ]

Are you planning to investigate those cases, too?

[ He gently pats her head, smiling down at her.

That smile disappears when he looks up at Joonghyuk, though, and he's more serious than he has been so far. ]

I am. I thought it'd be helpful to get a job at the boba place, since everyone that's passed out has a lot of empty cups around them. [ He sighs. ] I haven't found anything good though. I even tried the boba, but nothing happened to me. I think I've hit a dead end with that one.

[ Now his plan is to go see if he can help find some of the kids. ]

I had thought the boba had something to do with it, too... Though now I'm wondering if it's that day's batch.

[ Unless the drinks are made by machines, but even then something can go wrong with the proportions or ratios. He doesn't know? But he's the type to be paranoid over anything that's made by someone else. ]

... I'll go with you.

[ He was planning to skip out, considering he saw so many looking for clues and all, but it's also good to see for himself. ]

Maybe it is... They didn't tell me anything when I worked a shift though. All I got was the secret menu.

[ He was pretty disappointed, honestly.

Fai stands up from his crouch, stretching, flashing Joonghyuk a smile. ]

Should we go take a look at the posters around the Daycare Center?

... Secret menu.

[ Joonghyuk sounds it out, but overall. Yeah, unimpressed about that kind of discovery. Maybe if he loved boba tea, he would think differently.

He doesn't answer, merely looking at Fai, then shifting his attention to Minji who's whipping her tail happily. All right. To the daycare. ]

They're understaffed.

[ Look at all the bustling noise coming from the facility itself? ]

[ Fai hums in response, watching as volunteers run after different Pokemon. ]

They are. Maybe I should volunteer for them tomorrow.

[ A few of the daycare workers are huddled nearby, talking about Drifloon luring away children and causing them to get lost. Fai looks over at Joonghyuk. ]

Did you hear that?

You should accept pay.

[ Just saying. Joonghyuk prefers not working for free, but... He understands not every place can afford the help, so he doesn't sound as adamant about it. ]

I did. [ But then there's silence. ] I don't know what that is.

[ What the hell is a Drifloon supposed to be?? Joonghyuk only learned so much from the kids here. ]

Neither do I.

[ It would probably be a good idea to look out for them but... what do they even look like? ]

Should we go ask? Maybe they could tell us a little bit about these Drifloons. [ He pauses. ] They are rather busy, though.

Wouldn't it be better to ask children?

[ Since... Kidnapped children. There are also a lot of know-it-all kids in this island that like to toot their horns about being rather great at Pokemon battles. ]

Oh, maybe! The kids might know something they don't want to tell the locals.

[ It's possible they might open up more to people not from around here. He's seen it happen before.

He taps his chin in thought. ]

Who do you think we should ask first, though? I think it might be best if we talk to the kids who are running around asking for battles, only because they already know a lot of us.

[ He imagines that everyone else looking into the case will be asking the adults first, so. ]

I was thinking the same... They're a rambunctious group, so they would be likely to chat and we can go from there.

[ Though Joonghyuk would want to follow an actual Drifloon, see if they can pursue a child that is goes after one? But what are the odds? ]

I think so too.

[ They'll also share whatever knowledge they have if it makes them look smart to the other kids, Fai is sure. ]

If they challenge us to a battle, though, I trust you to be able to defeat them!

[ Yes he is planning on completely avoiding a battle with them. But he'll still try to help, looking around to see if the kids are nearby. ]

... They don't want to battle me.

[ Because he beat them most of the time and they're still bitter about it. ]

You would need to do it.

[ Don't Avoid Responsibilities. ]

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ 09/01 The Arrival

→ 09/01 The Surroundings

→ 09/02 The First Meeting

→ MOD NOTES

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