bopbay | 002 ⟡ MARCH TEST DRIVE

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002 ⟡ MARCH TEST DRIVE

⋆✩ 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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... Oh?

[ The actual apology surprises her as she usually doesn't get such an earnest response to her tirades. She's still irritated, but it allows her enough pause to focus better. No need for any unnecessary battles. She adjusts her position on the rock, trying to get a better look at him. ]

Guilmon, huh... were you a child level before?

[ It's not a familiar type, but everything else seems to be odd in this world. The fact that he had acknowledged being a digimon at all was something, anyway... younger ones did stand out. ]

Guilmon's usually child level, but sometimes isn't, and I turned into a baby level before I had to go back to the Digital World...

[He tilts his head, scratching his cheek with a claw.]

But this wasn't what Guilmon devolved into... It's small, but the shape's all wrong!

[ World hopping, a baby form... something seems off, familiar though it all might be to her, but then again she knew there was always a larger scope to what was known at any time.

She didn't think their situations were linked, but then again, his words only created questions. ]

So you were able to travel between worlds before. Were you defeated before you woke up here?

No. We all stopped the D-Reaper, and everything was okay! But all the Digimon had to go back to the Digital World, or we'd turn back into programs.

[His posture droops, and he scuffs his foot on the ground.]

I thought this was the Digital World, but maybe it's not?

Eh? What are you talking about? D-Reaper...

[ It's a slight point of aggravation. D-Reaper... it's a completely unfamiliar terminology, and she doesn't like how it uncomfortably feels close to the familiar, either. She skitters over the boulder, trying to utilize her unsettled energy. It was an irrelevant query, she hated asking questions but she needed time to put a thought together. Because now she was going to have to think about this whether she wanted to or not. Nothing seemed to be too obvious, just yet.

If he was brought here by a different circumstance than she was - that would be odd. ]

[A grim expression crosses Guilmon's face, and he bristles at the memory.]

It was a scary program that almost destroyed the real world and the Digital World...

[And she doesn't know...? That seems weird. The D-Reaper was a super duper big deal...

So Guilmon squints. Something's weird...]

[ Like staring at a puzzle with all the pieces missing. Certainly, they hadn't had the same encounters or experience, but it was still recognizable enough. A different time, maybe? Or perhaps the link was the near destruction...

But even moreso, seeing someone else trying to think in front of her was a different sort of headache entirely. ]

Right, right... destruction, I know - don't think about it too hard.

[ As annoyed as reassuring someone can sound, probably. As much as she claimed she did not like to have a sounding board, sometimes she did need to work through some thoughts with someone else to bounce off of. ]

At any rate, it is becoming more likely that this is neither of those worlds. There are all sorts of in between places. Ones you only really end up in if you're not careful. But, if the balance between worlds has been messed with, it only makes sense that we'd end up somewhere like that instead.

[ "We." Why we? She was annoyed with herself, with being so chatty with this unknown child digimon.]

Hmmm... So instead of going back to the Digital World, Guilmon ended up somewhere else...

[He raises one of his stubby arms, squinting at it.]

Maybe that's why we look different? Something funny might have happened to our data...

[ This fog had dark ocean vibe all over it. The reconfiguration, she could be less certain of, but it made a certain amount of sense with what she understood of how certain things would "work". When things that were once impossible seeming had just happened, it was... what broadened experience. Was the data corrupted, or just different?

Ugh, the headache. ]

It seems probable, right? If it's not the Digital World, it wouldn't have known what to do with our data. It's become something else.

Hmm... But I wonder why that happened here. Guilmon was still Guilmon in the real world and the Digital World.

[Then again, he's not an expert with these things. Maybe someone like Renamon would be able to make more sense of it, or Jian, or his dad.]

But Guilmon smells other... somethings. Guilmon isn't sure what kind of somethings, because they're probably not Digimon.

[He takes a few steps forward, sniffing some more.]

And maybe food?

[ Her least favorite question, "why." Especially when it was only going to lead to more inconclusive, circling spirals. ]

It's a compatibility issue. If there is a gate out of here, it could be fixed. More importantly-

[ More importantly, he'd handed her a good distraction. She can't quite... smell the air properly in this form. Another compatibility issue. She can feel and sense other things, more than she's allowed herself to, but she hasn't fully allowed herself to try, either. ]

Food?

[Guilmon shuffles forward, sniffing some more.]

There's some berries, I think, and...

[Step, step, sniff, sniff, sniff...]

Wah! Something hot and sweet, but it's far away. Maybe there's a town?

Oh? Like a hot cup of tea? Or pastry?

[ She can't quite help it. No matter how much the irritation, the headache, it's the very simplicity of food that feels the most motivating.

The baseline of necessities, maybe. Or was it too good to be true... the excitement fades just as suddenly. ]

It could also be a trap.

Mm... That'd be bad.

[Still, Guilmon keeps moving.]

But if it's dangerous, Guilmon will just fight!

Ehh, in that puny form?

[ She's not certain why she's adding the concern, and she's certainly not going to think further into that, but this has already been... Enough... of an experience. ]

Small doesn't mean weak! MarineAngemon is super small, but he's an Ultimate level!

[Yeah, he's not remotely offended, keeping that goofy smile as they trot along.]

I only mean, you don't really know what else you can do in that form yet, right?

[ ... Kids. ]

Mmm... Guilmon usually attacks with fire, so that's something I'm already good at!

[He'd shoot another fireball for show, but there are lots of plants here, so that's probably not a good idea. Hm...]

Right, right, so you'll just have to go first if something happens... but, you used to have help to Evolve, didn't you?

[ At least nothing seems to be intent on attacking them at present. As difficult as it is to make out the surroundings. She was still adjusting to how she perceived the world and took in information. ]

Hmm... That's true. Takato would slash cards in his Digivice, or Culumon would help us evolve.

[He quiets for a few moments, as if he's deeply contemplating this...

And then he starts moving again.]

But that's okay! Guilmon can still fight, even if I don't get bigger.

Well, we'll have make sure you don't get defeated right away. There have to be other ways to help you get strong, too...

[ She wasn't about to think too hard about the circumstances-the point was that she needed some kind of ally in a difficult situation, and having someone who asked less annoying questions around made it easier. Strange though it was. ]

Maybe Guilmon just has to fight... That's how it worked before.

[He pauses after taking a few more steps.]

Just maybe without having to absorb anybody's data...

[ Well, she has to admit that consideration gives her pause, for all the oddities she's experienced. Was that what he meant by Culumon? There's something else that bothers her - but she's not going to think about it. Not that it matters here. Just something to tuck away. ]

Eh -- well, regular food is generally what works for energy too, so we can focus on finding that first.

Like bread! Bread is the best!

[He picks up the pace, practically marching down the path as he speaks in a singsong voice.]

Bread, bread, lots of bread...

[ She skitters along the ground to keep up with him, but this is tiring. She shouldn't be walking! But cars likely wouldn't be something to have in these forms... ]

Soup would be nice... nn, are you sure we're even heading the right direction?

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