002 ⟡ MARCH TEST DRIVE

[baymods]

⋆✩ test drive 02 ✩⋆

The day begins like any other.

Routines, eventful scenes, and boring errands — no matter what you were in the middle of, there's a moment where everything begins to feel wrong. A searing pain tears through your body, so intense that it feels like every nerve has been struck at once. Muscles spasm, joints scream in protest, and as you double over, you find yourself clawing or clinging at anything within your reach. As your attempts to maintain composure fail you, your bones begin to twist with an agonizing force, the pain rising in a crescendo until it becomes unbearable to even breathe. Then, as quickly as it began, everything stops.

For a single, terrifying moment, there's nothing. No sight, no sound, no touch, no taste, no smell — just the weight of nothingness swallowing you whole. The absence of sensation might even be worse than the pain, leaving you adrift in a void you can't escape. Hopelessness threatens every fiber of your existence, and try as you might to fight it, your darkest thoughts begin to surface, flooding your mind in an onslaught of suffocating feelings and ideas.

In the darkness, you hear a voice.

It's faint, a gentle flashing of something warm along the edges of your mind, like sunlight itself. It's a voice, but you can't identify who or what it comes from, how it sounds, or what it means — still, you know it's directed at you. Something tugs at your heart, a powerful ache that throbs once and ripples outwards. You can feel the aches again, like fresh sores throughout your body. You feel off, like something isn't quite right, like you're not where you should be, or who you should be. But the voice continues, whispered just beyond your understanding. The sound is warm like hope, and it wraps around you, distant yet intent, before you wake up.

i. arrivals

OUT OF THE WOODS

A branch cracks, loud and deafening in an otherwise eerily silent forest. Thick fog coils through the trees and around your new form, twisting into unnatural shapes in your peripherals, and returning to nothing when your head whips around in an attempt to catch it. Though your memories are still solidly your own, they're gathered and pressed oddly into the back of your skull, out of reach in a way that's difficult to explain. Something rustles between leaves and underbrush, and the unmistakable sound of claws against bark follow shortly afterwards. Though the fog is thick and difficult to see through, you're suddenly aware of one thing: you're not alone.

The fog that surrounds you and your fellow new arrivals is maddening, and something foreign wraps around not just your mind, but your body as a whole. A strange illness has long been spoken of and witnessed within and around Bottlecap Bay, and you're the unlucky bunch to arrive with it slithering its way in now.

The fog is heavily related to this mystery illness that has plagued Pokemon, both inside the city and wild, for some time now. Though the connection isn't easy to fully grasp, it becomes incredibly clear as time passes that the fog worsens the symptoms of the illness. Some Pokemon who traverse the fog come out just fine, but others fall ill with varying levels of severity.

As soon as the first reports come from the Cheri Berry guild indicating that a large amount of confused Pokemon have been spotted approaching Bottlecap Bay from the forest, the three guilds send their members out in forces. Rescue these newcomers and discover that they're just like you, and not just confused wild Pokemon. Dr. Denne firmly insists on bringing everyone they can to the Pokeclinic, so please hurry!

AND INTO THE FIRE

⟡ Whether you fall ill or not, the fog is not safe to stay inside of for extended periods of time. Time within the fog leads to hallucinations, aggression, temporary memory loss, and overall confusion, so Pokemon should be careful, and try to get out as soon as possible!

⟡ While all new characters will arrive infected with this mystery illness, it is not contagious in any traditional fashion, and the severity of the symptoms is up to the players. Some barely exhibit any symptoms at all beyond the initial foggy memory and may even wind up cured out of nowhere! Existing characters may become infected during the rescue, if you so desire.

⟡ The illness can cause Pokemon to have the fog symptoms listed above in any area, and it can come and go erratically. It also creates symptoms much like a normal illness, varying by the person. Some examples are: coughing, fatigue, fever, chills, sneezing, nausea, and the accidental discharge of Pokemon moves. NPC characters who have had this illness have died from it, and some characters are warned the same.

⟡ Symptoms may improve or worsen for characters as the players desire, at this time.

⟡ As some of you have already discovered during your quests, the forest is filled with Pokemon exhibiting these same symptoms, as well as dangerous pitfalls, plants with minds of their own, and poisonous berries, leaves or thorns! Be careful!

ii. nightmares over

LINGERING SHADOWS

The nightmares had ended weeks ago, or so everyone had thought. Now, some Pokemon may experience them again, a more extreme version that causes a number of Pokemon to wake up in the middle of the night in a panicked sweat, screaming, writhing or scrambling quickly out of their nests. Upon waking, these Pokemon plagued by resurfacing nightmares notice something is wrong. Physical scars or injury over a spot of insecurity, phantom pains over limbs that are no longer there, or constant shadows in the corners of their vision...

How does it feel, when the Pokemon beside you wakes up with a calm stretch and a healthy, well-rested and rejuvenated smile? They feel great, they say, looking at you with worry and concern. What's wrong? You didn't feel that warm and wonderful sensation during the night, like being wrapped in a blanket of lullabies? How odd...

What could this possibly mean?

THE FOLLOW UP

⟡ From our survey, 8 characters talked things out, and 6 timed out, meaning we took this as a fairly even match of sharing versus holding it in. Because of that, only those who held it in have "consequences" to bear, and only those who talked it out have "blessings" to hold.

⟡ Characters who did not talk through their nightmares in the previous TDM experience one more horrible nightmare, accompanied by the feeling of a foreign presence. They may optionally feel someone eating their happier dreams, leaving only nightmares in their wake. These characters may now experience physical manifestations of their suffering upon waking from this last dream-eater's nightmare: scars, phantom pains, continuing nightmares with the sensation of being eaten, strange injuries, weakened abilities, etc. We encourage creativity! While you may choose the punishment and its severity, everyone who did not talk it out should have a lasting scar or effect of some sort. It should be at least mildly unsettling and upsetting, but not a heavy block for playing your character.

⟡ Characters who talked out their own problems, especially if they also helped others, will sleep amazingly, especially with the company of others. They'll tend to feel more refreshed after a night's rest in company, and will notice that they feel great in the mornings after sleeping alongside friends or companions. Their presence will also, from now on, seem to create a soothing aura that calms those around them during the night, meaning that those Pokemon experiencing suffering may seek them out for better rest.

⟡ New characters this round enter with a similar sort of presence. Characters who see their sleeping forms will feel the urge to cuddle up next to them and keep them safe from these nightmares. Any characters who sleep in the same room as them will feel more refreshed the morning after. New characters who do not find sleeping partners or roommates may find themselves plagued with similar creeping nightmares.

iii. pokeclinic

PRESSED FOR SPACE

Though the number of mystery-illness cases has been steadily rising for months now, this is the first time that the Pokeclinic has seen so many patients at once. Existing characters receive updates constantly over their Grumpearls, indicating the Pokeclinic at max capacity, but still insisting that all new Pokemon be brought to the clinic, and that all previous "newcomers" come in for a quick checkup, as well.

Anyone who steps foot or paw into the Pokeclinic can tell immediately that it's overbooked. The main ward of rooms is packed, cots spilling out into the hallways, and even the lobby is beginning to look like an impromptu campsite. Pokemon staff shuffle, flutter and scramble around the bodies of ill Pokemon, performing checkups wherever they can find the space, applying medication and herbal treatments where necessary, and reassuring worrying family and friends.

In the midst of this chaos, it's not hard to see how mixups are occurring. It gets bad enough that even Polteageist themselves joins in on treatments, causing a shocked ripple of whispers and gasps any time they float by in a hurry. They can be heard, at times, firmly scolding those who make the mistakes, insisting that there's no excuse for poor health care, and that even in times of urgency, care and attention to detail is needed. But for the time being, this isn't enough to help.

So they put out a plea to the other guild leaders. The Pokeclinic needs everyone who can help to check up on patients, deliver meals and medications, and check records for mixups. Lum Berries are fewer in number, so it makes sense that they're being overwhelmed right now! Polteageist promises to make it worth everyone's while, of course. Any Pokemon who works within the clinic during this time will be awarded with points.

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?

⟡ Characters, old and new alike, are encouraged to help where they can. Obviously those more serious cases should focus on resting, but anyone capable is allowed the chance to help out!

⟡ Caretaking is one of the most important roles in the Pokeclinic. While Pokemon like Chansey, Lilligant, Gardevoir and others move around using their moves to help with ailments, many of the patients need more personal care and assistance. Whether it's feeding them their recommended diet, helping locate and deliver their medication, or just snapping Pokemon out of hallucinations, it all helps!

⟡ The rooming situation is a complete mess! Hospital cots are stacked multiples to a room, lined up in hallways, or even spilling into the lobby. New characters may end up staying together, and existing characters may end up temporarily checked in while awaiting their screening, or listed as an actual patient after showing signs of the illness. Or maybe there was some kind of a mixup? Whatever the case, you're in rooms together, now!

⟡ Clinic visits may lead to violence on occasion. In some cases, Pokemon moves are set off on accident (like a thunderbolt going off after a reflex check), and in other, the illness-related agitation flares up, leading to straight up brawling in the clinic. With newcomers and ill wild Pokemon mixed together during the chaos, some may resist treatment and lash out at staff, other patients, or any passerby. Try to keep order if you can!

LEARNING YOUR BODY

Polteageist has worked with Dr. Denne to encourage an assortment of activities and classes to help characters better adjust into their new forms. Not only is this helpful in every day matters like movement and balance, but Dr. Denne also believes that this could help reduce symptoms of the mystery illness that's still being looked into! Because of this, characters are encouraged to pair off for activities or visit various classes together, hosted in various places around the city.

BODY SPECIFIC

⟡ Various body type angled classes are being held throughout Bottlecap Bay! On the beach, aquatic Pokemon hold classes on swimming, and an underwater obstacle course has been set up beneath the waves of the ocean and through the various underwater cave systems!

⟡ Pokemon with wings or other methods of flying are encouraged to meet in the Canopy for some careful flying classes. The natural clutter of the trees and branches makes for a great agility course, too, and this has been marked off with bright painted colors.

⟡ For those with more or less legs than they're used to, various activities have been set up around the city and outskirts to promote paired encouragement of movement! Just be aware, sometimes these new forms of yours come with a large tail, or bulky wings, and you might just smack into someone next to you while trying to get your bearings.

⟡ Mightyena is holding sparring tournaments and matches on the beach just before the cliffs. Try your bodies out in battle with one another!

TYPE SPECIFIC

⟡ Each type (fire, water, grass, etc) has its own collection of activities to try to better become accustomed to the movesets. Often, opposing types will be matched up and told to fire attacks at one another, with the aim of practicing brushing off super-effective moves, or powering through weaker type moves. First aid kits are scattered throughout the city for this purpose.

⟡ Sometimes, it can be difficult adjusting to a type. Fire types, while comfortable in high heat, may find themselves overheating or unable to control their temperatures. Water types may forget how to breathe on land temporarily, requiring assistance in meditation. Grass types may feel oddly slow, or tied to the ground beneath them, though it's purely in their mind. Maybe your dragon type can't stop roaring. Feel free to be creative with your character's struggles!

⟡ In an attempt to encourage special Pokemon moves (rather than physical), one of the local bakeries has developed Type Muffins for characters to try out! Just be warned, sometimes it makes it so easy to use your moves that you might send them off on accident. It's suggested you try these with a friend to spot you.

CHALLENGE YOUR MIND

⟡ More dangerous (but not lethal!) challenges await those who wish to sign up for them. Polteageist insists that with the dangers on the horizon and at their door, it's important now more than ever to become prepared. So, they have suggested an escape room of sorts. These come in three flavors, and even ill Pokemon are welcomed to try them, as experienced rescue Pokemon will be on call the entire time. Anyone who takes longer than the allotted time will be rescued.

⟡ Ocean room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up in a small cave beneath the water, with pockets of oxygen for those who need them. Upon waking, they must work together to escape the labyrinth of caves beneath the water and make it back to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: a maze-like cave system with misleading routes, paths with less or no sunlight, strange plants that may inflict status effects, agitated or disoriented wild Pokemon, and varying water temperatures/underwater geysers. It has an hour time limit, so good luck!

⟡ Forest room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up in the center of a dense forest, with tree covering blocking most sunlight. Upon waking, they must work together to find their directions, navigate through thick brush and forest, and make it back to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: the fog, collapsed floors into cave systems, sudden steep drops, aggressive Pokemon and plants, vines, thorns, poisons and toxins. It has a two hour time limit, so good luck!

⟡ Cave room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up far beneath the city, in one of the many tunnels belonging to the mines. Upon waking, they must work together to reorient themselves and find a way out to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: unstable sections of mines leading to collapses, a vast assortment of tunnel directions leading to disorientation, extreme temperatures, lava pits, and lessening oxygen levels. It has an hour time limit, so good luck!

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWS: body horror, death, disorientation, hallucinations, illness, injury, scars

⟡ TDMs are game canon and act as events for the month they are posted.

⟡ New characters can link to their top level beneath the NEWBIE DIRECTORY!

⟡ All new arrivals are not assigned to any one guild. However, if they assist with any of the clinic prompts, they may gain points for their future guild!

⟡ The creepy forest fog can be done away with temporarily through Pokemon moves, but always seems to work its way back like it has a mind or will of its own.

⟡ Remember that at least one thread for your application must come from the TDM! There is no comment minimum, but we will be looking for engagement, as well as for players and characters who take the time to delve into things like character thoughts, emotions, morality, and other deep themes. Take this time to engage with the setting as you would in game!

⟡ As of today, reserves and applications are now permanently open, with apps processed every other month! See information on their respective pages for details!

⟡ Have any questions related to the TDM? Ask here! If your question is more general for the game, please make sure to direct it to the FAQ page instead. Thank you, and happy threading!

FULL NAVIGATION

Comments

[loopsiedaisy]

[Hang on, hang on, are they a cat now?? Siffrin stares at their paw, wide-eyed.]

[You know what? Yeah, that's just typical. Of course the Universe would make them into a cat, as if it weren't enough that...]

[Weren't enough that...?]

[They shake their head briefly, giant ears flopping about. Focus. Why are they in the woods? There's a bitter, lonely taste to what feels like the right answer:] I don't have anywhere better to be.

[Don't think about it, don't think about it. Find something distracting instead, like -] ...wait, do you mean you are the talking rock?

[The Shinx's sparks finish dying down. They creep closer, eyeing the rock for... seams? They're not sure what they're looking for. Is that a mouth in between the glowing... eyes? Has it been moving when Itsuhito speaks, this whole time?]

[caughtademon]

Am I a talking rock? [There is a mouth between those glowing eyes. It's very °∆°

it doesn't move when he speaks, though the sad little triangle does shift from closed to open, kind of slowly. The shape of the eyeholes doesn't change but the glow of his eyes gets wider, maybe it's surprise?

But other than the triangle mouth and the round eyeholes, no other seams or openings. Just round rock with stubbly little pegs for legs, and weird ghostly branches sticking out of the solid surface at intervals.]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Hm.]

I mean. You look like one...?

[They creep another few steps closer, and very slowly, very hesitantly, reach out one paw to touch Itsuhito. Does he feel like a rock, too?]

[This close up, they can finally see the ghostly branches too, despite the fog.]

[...they decide to avoid those.]

[caughtademon]

[He definitely feels like a rock, or maybe something slightly closer to bone. A little cooler than the ambient temperature, slightly damp from the fog.

Very like a rock. He's still floating just a bit off the ground, and he bobs lightly when patted, like a very low altitude balloon.]

I'm not supposed to be a rock. [He says, and he's not like, worried about it? It's not supposed to be happening, but it's not the weirdest or most distressing thing that's happened recently. It might as well happen, nothing else feels like it's making sense, he might as well be a talking rock interacting with a talking cat.]

Are you supposed to be a blue cat?

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin pulls their paw back, flicking it to try and get the damp feeling off. (They're not very successful - the fog just makes everything feel clammy.)]

I'm definitely not... I definitely didn't plan to be a cat.

[For some reason, they don't feel like they can confidently say whether or not they're supposed to be...]

[...]

What's 'blue'...?

[caughtademon]

You're blue. And yellow. I've never seen a cat those colors before.

[He is a magic floating rock. He is talking to a cat who didn't plan on being a cat and doesn't... know what colors are? Do cats not know colors? No, this person wasn't a cat before (probably) just like he wasn't a rock before.

(It's hard to think. The irritation spikes again, self directed. Focus, Itsuhito.)

They're in a weird, foggy forest. Before this he was... he can't remember.

Is it a trap? It has to be a trap. They're caught up in something. They have to find a way out.]

Do you remember where you were? Before you fell off the cliff and landed on my head.

[loopsiedaisy]

[...]

Are you just making up words?

[Though... does something about "colors" sound familiar? ...no, they can't place it.]

[They can answer where they were, though! It was - a meadow. A tree. The House. A meadow. The House. The House. The House. The House -]

[Oof. Memories shouldn't overlap like that, should they? Their head hurts, and a chill has sunken into their bones; they're back to shivering involuntarily. But, no, they really do have an answer - all of those places, they're in:] Um. Dormont. It's a village in the country of Vaugarde...?

[caughtademon]

In...? [This cat doesn't know what colors are and is from a country Itsuhito's never heard of.

There probably are a lot of countries he's never heard of, he's a school nurse not a geography teacher, but it doesn't make sense.]

A space-influencing type shouldn't be able to do that... [that's muttered to himself, as he considers. Tries to consider. He's missing something important, some kind of key that would make this make sense or outline what's wrong or show him where to hit to break it.]

I think we should try and find someone else who knows what's going on.

[loopsiedaisy]

[No recognition...? Well, that's not necessarily surprising, depending on how well traveled this magic rock(?) is and where they're from. Maybe Siffrin will have better luck?]

Where do you last remember being?

["Space-influencing type" makes the fur on their spine bristle up. Something about that... makes them think of the smell of burnt sugar. Sickly sweet. They look away from Itsuhito, then spin around awkwardly in a circle on four paws, trying to control their shivering.]

[They probably should find someone else, but the forest looks the same in all directions...]

[They look back at Itsuhito dubiously. He's floating now, but:] Can you move like that?

[caughtademon]

At work. [Which really isn't any kind of answer, but he's kind of distracted by that second question.

Can he move like this?

He drops down to the ground with a hollow thunk. A careful step forward, but he's putting too much thought into it now, trying to coordinate too many limbs. One stubby leg moves, and he sort of tilts forward.]

...

[that's not good.]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Helpful! Siffrin's tail does an annoyed little lash, but they decide to drop it.]

[...mmf. They're not sure they like this talking rock, exactly, but abandoning him in the woods when he can't get around feels. Awful. So:]

...I don't think either of us will be happy if I'm rolling you around. Can you float up again, if you try?

[If Itsuhito can manage it, Siffrin will muffle another sneeze, then pad underneath him and look up. They're clearly expecting him to drop down on their back.]

[Itsuhito felt pretty light when they bapped at him, so this should be fine. (Right?)]

[caughtademon]

[Is there anything worse than waking up disoriented in a strange forest, in a body that isn't yours and that doesn't work correctly, encountering a stranger that keeps saying nonsensical things, and not knowing what's going on?

Of course there is. It's having all that happen and for the stranger to offer to help you with the most basic task possible, thereby inconveniencing them when they're already in trouble.]

Oh, no. [He says, with a movement that should be shaking his head but that ends up shaking his whole body in a back-and-forth wiggle.] I'll be fine. It might just take a few moments before I figure out how to make my limbs work.

[So no floating yet, just another attempt to take a step.

This time he manages to fall over completely on one side, and then with his balance lost, he starts to fall over completely on to his back.]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin is getting the weird, nagging feeling that they should be feeling called out about something right now. They're not sure what. But something.]

[They can hardly object when they'd probably also hate being carried, though...]

[They back off a little and crouch on the ground, their ears folding back uncomfortably. Their fur brushes the mud and they shudder.]

...so. Rolling it is?

[caughtademon]

[And now he's completely on his back. His little stubby legs waggle a bit in the air, dejectedly.]

... I think I'm stuck.

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin's secondhand embarrassment about this is beating out the urge to tease. They keep their mouth shut, looking away awkwardly, with their fur poofed up.]

[After Itsuhito actually admits to being stuck, though, they reach out and try to bap him upright.]

[caughtademon]

[As long as they don't touch the spikes, they'll be fine (if they do touch the spikes, they'll have to deal with paralysis and exhaustion again). He's able to be bapped upright again, rolling up onto his legs and thankfully not rolling over again.]

... thank you.

[He carefully tries floating, and has a lot more success with that than with walking, hovering a few inches off the ground.]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Honestly, they probably at least brush against one of them momentarily. Very unpleasant! But this time they're better able to see what's going on and actually clue in. It's not a Tear, it's... those.]

Did you know that you have haunted branches growing on your back?

[Still, now that Itsuhito is upright again, Siffrin looks around some more. There is no sign of humanity in... any direction, really, but the fog is thicker everywhere but to their right. Maybe that's the way they should go? They turn to face it, squinting their eye.]

[caughtademon]

Haunted... branches? [No, he didn't. He tries to look at his back and just ends up spinning in a circle instead, a slowly bobbing rotation until he makes it back around to face the stranger.

He does track their gaze, and reorients to look off into the thinning fog.]

Do you see anything?

[Or just more fog?

He will need help moving that way, but he won't ask for it.]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Right. Haunted branches later.]

The fog looks a bit lighter that way, maybe? It might slant uphill...

[It's as good a direction to head as any. Maybe, if they're lucky, they can get a view from above?]

[...]

[Can they nudge Itsuhito along with their head, while he's floating? They're going to try that. (Probably better than having him on their back, honestly, no risk of falling off.)]