004 ⟡ JULY TEST DRIVE

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ test drive 04 ✩⋆

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

STRANDED ON A BEACH

Beneath your body is wet, thick, sand. In the early dawn hours, one would think all color drained from the world. Eyes open to the shadows of distant buildings, with massive cliffs looming ever closely in the faint twinkling of sunlight. Water, for those particularly unlucky, laps at the body to leave a persisting chill — sinking into bones that no longer feel familiar.

It’s impossible to tell how you got here. All you have is those last moments before it felt as if your entire being was being broken down and stretched into this uncanny shape, this thing that doesn’t feel like you. Even the ground itself seems to agree. It shifts, and rumbles. Gathers into mounds, rising up and over with the sounds of dying gasps. But wait.

That isn’t normal sand. That sand is alive. That sand, gathering into shades of pink, of blue, of green, it all forms faces before your very eyes. An enemy, you may think? A monster? A threat?

“OhhhHHhHH…What has happened to us..?”

Or perhaps, someone in the same predicament as you?

“Someone…Someone get Mightyena!!”

Albeit someone who clearly knows more than you do here, on this beach that slowly regains its color.

CASTLES OF SAND

⟡ Severity of dysphoria and disorientation symptoms are entirely up to the player, as is the duration of time these symptoms last.

⟡ The Sandygasts on the beach of Bottlecap Bay are in fact residents of the town by proxy. They are at their most active during the summer, and can thus act as helpful NPCs to help player characters toward the town.

⟡ These Sandygasts are very strange in color. The colors they appear in include — Pink with lilac stones and a blue shovel; Moss green with brown stones and a black shovel; Deep red with black stones and a cyan shovel; Dark purple with white stones and a black shovel. They don’t know how their colors changed either, but they certainly remember being normal Sandygast before everyone arrived.

ii. see the sunset

COPPERAJAH-TONE

With newly arrived Pokemon settling in from the beach, the town quickly moves to adjust existing plans until they’re certain the shores are clear. It only takes a few days before they’re back on schedule however, and every Pokemon including those same arrivals will find themselves with an open invitation to the shoreline.

With the recent successes of Bottlecap Bay, public opinion is at an all time high, which is reflected in the activities pulled together in response. Through much of the Summer season, the beach of Bottlecap Bay becomes a literal hotspot of activity. Beach activities that many will find familiar take part at all hours, with equipment set up at small stands for public use.

A volleyball net is a particularly popular feature of the beach, with a particularly spooky form of gameplay spotted in the evening hours where Ghost types reign. Multicolored buoys float out to section off a safe zone of the water for Pokemon capable of it to swim at their leisure as well, with Bottlecap’s very own Dondozo and Tatsugiri acting as lifeguard.

The most popular game by far however is sand sculpting. Tools of wood and stone can be gathered up to shape the sand into any number of shapes, and some Pokemon may even offer small rewards to those who make especially impressive ones.

Be sure not to accidentally use the sand of one of those colorful Sandygasts however.

Beach Day Breakdown

⟡ During the entirety of July, beginning on the 15th, the beach is open for public summer games.

⟡ While examples listed above are available, Players are encouraged to include their own Beach traditions within reason. If you are unsure, please ask under questions.

⟡ Beach fun will happen during the day and night alike. During the day, the beach is far more active; Pokemon are livelier, and enjoy much more cheerful activities. At night, while many Ghost and Dark type Pokemon enjoy the games, there are also often small campfires where quieter traditions such as apple roasting and scary stories happen.

⟡ Alcohol may be present at the campfires of the evening. Please be sure to mark threads including alcohol with a warning, and remember that characters under the age of 21 may not partake.

iii. mentorship methods

BUDDY SYSTEMS

A whole host of new Pokemon arriving is no longer a fully unanticipated scenario for Bottlecap Bay. While the town has persistently done their best to seek a solution to so many displaced new citizens, they have also come to recognize a growing pattern in their arrival. Every other month, these new Pokemon have appeared.

Therefore, the combination of their recent peace and the local nature of these particular arrivals has given them an easy option for guiding these lost new souls. Rather than any of the Guild leaders seeking out ideal Pokemon among their ranks, those who have arrived from other worlds themselves are tasked with a new assignment. Help their fellow interlopers!

At minimum, each Guild Leader suggests a few basics to cover, but the methods with which they do this is ultimately left up to them. A tour of the local sights? A chance to test their mettle with brand new powers? Or perhaps simply a listening ear from one who understands the strangeness of these new bodies. The world is truly their Cloyster.

A MENTOR MINDSET

⟡ Each of the Guild Leaders will offer to their existing members few points they consider most vital to teach to the newcomers. Mightyena focuses on making sure the new Pokemon have a place to sleep, and insists that they be taught how best to fight. Ribombee emphasizes a need to show the necessary work ethic of the community, so that an understanding of how much they need to work together is understood. Polteageist in turn, gives a list of necessary establishments to familiarize themselves with, beginning with the Clinic, Archives, and Questboard.

⟡ During much of the month, various Pokemon maintaining stores and eateries within Bottlecap Bay will be offering their own helpful advice to guides and their charges. This trivia is minor, but typically focused on what the food is like, or what the benefits of certain articles of clothing might be.

⟡ Any Pokemon who helps another newcomer will earn 50 points for their Guild! As well, newly arrived Pokemon who put up with the guidance will receive a voucher for a custom, non-magical accessory, such as a hat or scarf.

ADVANCE TRAINING

After considerable research and effort, Polteageist has once again teamed up with Dr. Denne to craft a series of ever popular escape rooms, hinting that participating in them will be very useful in the future. Joining the effort is none other than Cheri and Oran's own Ribombee and Mightyena as well, making it a truly unified project. With so much investment going into these exercises, it's no wonder that every Pokemon from another world, new and old alike, is offered the chance to try at least one when they have the chance.

THE NORTH

⟡ Located just between the Canopy and the beginnings of Bottlecap Bay’s southern coastline, the lush greenery of the Northern Forest's entry has been sectioned off into a training ground. Pokemon are grouped into random pairs, and tasked with finding the end of a hand-crafted maze within this early area of woods.

⟡ While many threats within the Northern Forest are well documented, some may still come as a surprise. Wild Pokemon such as Bug and Grass Types may still be encountered, as well as mushrooms releasing rage spores.

⟡ The Forest itself is also a threat — though it seems to understand these Pokemon mean no true harm, vines and plants will move when not directly looked at, creating added navigational challenges.

⟡ Pokemon who show no signs of escaping on their own after a certain point will find themselves retrieved by a local Grafaiai or Mankey, as enlisted by Bottlecap Bay.

THE MIDDLE

⟡ Located a good distance down the southern coastline of the Bay, a section of the Middle Forest's entry has been carefully sectioned for a training ground. Supervised in part by a recently recruited Bloodmoon Usaluna, Pokemon will be grouped into random pairs, and tasked with finding the end of a hand-crafted maze in this early area of woods.

⟡ Due to the presence of heavy supernatural fog, Pokemon participants are warned heavily in advance of what to expect. The fog is known to literally reach into others, creating visions and hallucinations, as well as a deep loss of identity the longer they're exposed.

⟡ The end of the maze does not lead out of the Middle Forest. Instead, Pokemon must find their way back from the uniquely marked bone pile; because of the fog, this return is far shorter than the journey in.

⟡ Pokemon who spend too long within the Middle Forest while showing no signs of successfully escaping will quickly be retrieved by Ursaluna, whose Mind's Eye grants relative immunity to the Fog's effects.

THE SOUTH

⟡ Far to the south of Bottlecap Bay, beyond the farthest stretch of wooded coastline, the Southern Forest lies shrouded in darkness. While there is no longer a thick haze of fog, its unique dangers mean that numerous Ghost Pokemon have been recruited to monitor a simple challenge within the woods. Specifically, two Pokemon will be paired at random, led a short ways in, and told to find their way out.

⟡ Due to the mechanics of the Southern Forest, nothing within this 'maze' has been crafted personally. Pokemon are sufficiently disoriented by the forest's own ability to alter its surroundings when none are looking directly at them, as well as the significant time dilation that occurs here.

⟡ Local Ghosts who have entered an agreement with Bottlecap's recently recruited Spiritomb will be available as both obstacles, and guides. As obstacles, they will intentionally lead Pokemon astray by joining the team in disguise, playing on the Forest's ability to create inconsistencies in memory and experience both.

⟡ Any Pokemon who spend too long within the Southern Forest with no signs of being able to return on their own will be led home by Ghost Pokemon acting as guides. These Pokemon take care to not shapeshift into anything other than themselves.

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWS: Disorientation, Dissociation (Escape Room Prompts), Body Dysmorphia, Possible Pokemon Injury

⟡ 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, they may assume themselves to share rooms within any one of them during the course of the TDM.

⟡ 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 a reminder, reserves and applications are permanently opened. Please see their respective pages for details on processing time.

⟡ 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

Ingo | Pokemon | current (h. typhlosion)

[offtracks]

i. stranded on a beach 

[ Seeking out new arrivals to help is, by now, something of a routine. Ingo isn't sure what to make of the patterns that have become apparent over the past months. Is it good, that these things seem so much more predictable than his previous time-space experiences? Or is it a bad sign, that the voice has continued to recruit?

Either way, it doesn't change what he must do. The Typhlosion trots along the beach, looking for anyone who seems especially lost or sodden. ]

Hello, there! Would you like some help in drying off? It can be quite unhealthy for certain Pokemon types to remain wet for too long!

[ He says that last bit regardless of whether or not YOU are one of those types. It's an interesting fact! ]

ii. copperajah-tone

[ A festival! Or, at least, near enough to count!

Ingo's quite enjoying all the stalls and activities. He can be found wandering around throughout the month, even if he does usually avoid the beach! You can run into him at any activity, but one of his most common pastimes ends up being helping out at the apple-roasting fires. The added heat wards off the chill from the sea, and he can help keep the fires banked besides! ]

Hello! Would you like an apple? I can do it however you like, if you want it faster!

[ His attacks are also a good deal more targeted and hotter than the regular campfire! ]

iii. copperajah-tone b (alcohol)

[ Ingo rarely partakes in alcohol, largely because he lives alone on a series of cliffs. It isn't exactly the safest of environments in which to be intoxicated! But it's an extremely common activity in Hisuian festivals, so later in the evening he does acquire a glass - well, maybe it's really sort of a wide, deep bowl. It's easy enough to carry in his teeth without spilling, so he carefully makes his way to a dune farther up the shore to settle down. Being close to the water doesn't feel so good anymore, especially at night. ]

Good evening. Would you like to have a drink with me?

[ He does, of course, only make this offer to other adults. ]

iv. clothes shopping~!

[ Ingo has received accessories and decorations in return for completed missions before. One of the very first rewards he ever got was a fur-clip with a wrought flower decoration on it. It might have fit in his short fur, maybe, but it did not especially appeal to his tastes; it's still tucked away in a nook of his room, in case he ever meets anyone who might like to have it better.

This last one, though. This was a hat.

The black hat he finally chose, a cap that manages to sit even on his transformed head, is not much like his old hat. The shape's similar, but it doesn't fit the same way. It's too...whole, too new, with dark fabric that has yet to fade in the sun, and there's nowhere to affix that old medal, if he still had it at all. Still, it feels a bit better to be with it than without.

Maybe he could get something sort of similar to his coat, now? He never gave a great deal of thought to clothes here. They felt unnecessary. But he has dearly missed his old uniform pieces...

The Typhlosion meanders along the shop stalls, pausing occasionally to look at scarves. An actual coat would probably not fit him, but maybe if he could find a black scarf with brown stripes...would that make it all feel a little more normal? ]

v. wildcard

(( hit me up at lluosogrwydd! ))

i

[fromsprouts]

[The Lucario lifts his head to blink blearily at Ingo. While he looks mostly like a standard example of his species, there's a small scar above his left eye, where the black mask-like part of his face fur meets the blue above it. Where an eyebrow would be on a human.]

Certain...what?

[The creature speaking to him at least sounds some sort of friendly. That's nice, given how he feels...heavy right now. It's a little like the feeling one has after waking up from anesthesia, and your tongue is thick in your mouth and not entirely behaving enough for words, but spread throughout his whole body.

Like it's not really wholly his. Which is close enough to true.]

[offtracks]

Pokemon! Those are the creatures that we have all become upon coming here! But I knew about them before that, so I have a little more information than most. You are a Lucario, for instance.

[ Lucky, really. The leg shapes are different, but at least that's still a bipedal species! He tilts his head a little. The arrivals from the forest last time had been rather off, which is to be expected when leaving the forest, but this fellow does not seem too much better... ]

Are you alright? Can you stand?

[fromsprouts]

[Umemiya goes to hold up a finger to request a moment to figure that out, but finger doesn't seem to be happening, because paw.

...which is ridiculous, and confusing, but sure does clarify what Ingo meant by 'creatures that we have all become'.]

...the fuck. Gimme a moment.

[But. With a little effort toward coordinating his new limbs at their new lengths and strengths, he manages, in succession:
- rolling over onto his belly
- levering to all fours
- pushing to kneeling
- working his way to his feet...
- and falling over backwards because he wasn't accounting for his tail and his new digitigrade feet, in balancing while standing.]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo watches all of this without any apparent reaction, at least until he falls. ]

Are you alright?

[fromsprouts]

Yeah. Nothing bruised but my dignity. The sand is pretty soft. Lemme try that again.

[Slower. More carefully. Even when he manages standing properly, it feels like he's tiptoeing or something. But he does end up standing, offering Ingo something of a smile (though the shape of that feels different, too, with a snout and ears that perk to emphasize the expression).]

Feels weird. So...what's going on, exactly?

iv

[wovensecrets]

[ To this (presently) spinarak, the world seems a whole lot different after having exited the clinic only to wind back out in the fog for a "few hours". Suddenly instead of everyone being worried about the fog, there's suddenly access to the beach, and - well. It's a disorienting world. Sometimes one looks for what was once familiar in these circumstances, however mortifying it might feel on the inside.

Particularly since while the shops were a nice change of pace, not being in a guild certainly limited access to such things. Still, she couldn't help her fashion-minded curiosity all the same. Maybe someday things would be different, after all. And perhaps luck would have it, that's a familiar looking Pokemon in the vicinity... though she can't quite be sure. So she watches, of course. Ever get the sense of being followed...? Hm. ]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo lives in the wild, where Alphas also are! He's pretty sensitive to such feelings!

Of course, he worries less about them in the middle of town. But he does glance behind himself several times, until eventually he does take note of the little Spinarak. ]

Oh! Hello there! I have not seen you about for quite some time - how have you been?

[wovensecrets]

[ After dealing with the annoyance of the southern forest, the familiarity is welcome, even if the words are - somewhat concerning. Still, she tries to deal with it as enigmatically as possible. "Some time"... she does not like the sound of that. It doesn't make sense, but she doesn't think she has a reason to disbelieve fully. ]

Just fine. [ :| ] Although I've noticed there seems to be quite a different attitude around all of a sudden. Strange, what can change with just going out for air.

[ And getting lost for "Hours." ]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo tilts his head slightly. He hadn't really been worried about the fact that he hadn't seen her. Spinarak are quite small, so it would have been easy to miss her if they were not in the same guild, and anyway he himself has been going out a little less recently. She does seem a bit odd, though...?]

I suppose it is the festival! I am not sure if this is a particular holiday, but it is quite fun!

[wovensecrets]

[ There's exactly one (1) person she'd expect to worry about her, but as far as she knows, he is not here. Yet another thing on the list of things she has deliberately chosen to not think about. ]

Right, right... it just seems like a quick turnaround, from all the caution before.

i

[wormeater]

[Here's someone who could use some drying off, because his thick white fur is absolutely soaked and his wings are drooping with seaweed. It's probably not good for a Volcarona to be in the water-- wait, that's not a Volcarona, but its more ancient cousin.

The Slither Wing stares blankly at Ingo, only understanding half the words.] Yeah, I guess I could use some help.

... [But then he looks and notices the fire naturally around Ingo's neck and hesitates.] Wait, are you just going to set me on fire? Do. Not do that, please.

[offtracks]

Of course not!

[ Why would he do that? Ingo lights himself on fire instead, flames igniting around his neck like a collar as he starts to radiate heat. Just about as good as lighting an actual campfire! ]

...you look like a bug-type, but I'm not certain of your species. If you are, though, fire would be quite dangerous for you!

[wormeater]

[Bug-type? He's never heard of a bug... type. Fire, sure, but he's hasn't been weak to fire in sooo long.

Then again, he's also a giant bug, so maybe this guy knows better than him.]

If you say so. [He steps closer, and away from the water. Demi-fiend takes a second to try and shake himself dry, probably unintentionally throwing water everywhere.]

[offtracks]

[ Ingo takes the moment to look him over again. He really is entirely unfamiliar. Strange - usually Ingo has at least a tug of memory about such things. Ah, well, it is probably too much that he know every species out there. ]

How are you feeling? I arrived here in a similar fashion, months ago.

[wormeater]

[He's quite the unique creature, isn't he? He's been like that for a while. Even before this Pokemon nonsense. He's kind of tired of it.]

Disoriented. Annoyed. [He looks around, drawing closer to utilize Ingo's warmth. It does feel nice, even if his instincts tell him to shy away from it.]

Confused. Everyone here seems... nice? We're all some kind of demon beast things, shouldn't we be trying to eat each other?

copperajah-tone b!

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin has had... kind of a weird day! They're only half paying attention to their surroundings, lost in thought. Or maybe just straight up zoning out.]

[Whichever it is, they go,] Oh - sure. [- before they realize who's asking. Yeah, they could probably use a drink, whatever the Pokemon version of one is. "With" is going to be a challenge, but it might be worth it -]

[Then they blink and focus. Oh, it's... it's Ingo. Their tail twitches awkwardly. It's not that they dislike Ingo, and their quest with him and Emmet earlier this month went fine, but. They still feel awkward about their first time talking, in the rain... they haven't been avoiding him, but they haven't, you know. Not been doing that, either. Hm.]

[But it's too late! They already said yes, they're stuck now!]

[offtracks]

Excellent!

[ They sure did!!!

If anything, Ingo called out in the hopes that they might be able to overcome what lingering awkwardness there seems to be. He still cannot quite think of how he managed to offend them, but maybe a nice chat can help to iron it all out? He shuffles aside, and pushes a second bowl over for them. ]

Have you been enjoying the festival?

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin tucks themself behind the second bowl with a mumbled thank you.]

Yes, it's been fine...

[Hmm. That sounds. Very convincing? They don't seem outright upset so much as off-balance, though.]

[They shake their head and try to think of something to explain it, that's not the actual reason, which feels rather silly in retrospect. Just an odd encounter...]

It feels kind of weird to look out into the bay and see Dondozo just... there. [That is also true!]

[offtracks]

...I suppose that is a bit strange.

[ He looks out at it for a moment. Ingo was less involved, but Emmet went along on that mission where they learned of the Pokemon Dondozo had eaten. How does he feel about it...? ]

Something similar happened in my world recently. Several powerful Pokemon were driven into frenzies. They lost control of themselves and began to attack indiscriminately. But...no one was killed, then.

[loopsiedaisy]

[It's not like they can judge too much. Several of Siffrin's guildmates in the Cheri Berries hunt for food outright, and they're kind of uneasily not thinking too hard about the existence of any meaty snacks that can be obtained around the Bay. The town certainly seems willing to roll with accepting Dondozo and Tatsugiri in, perhaps because Pokemon preying on each other is a fact of life here.]

[But it does also feel a tad odd when... the Pokemon who landed you and your teammates in the clinic are now peacefully being lifeguards on the beach. Siffrin doesn't think they want to swim while Dondozo and Tatsugiri are around.]

Could that happen to us, too...?

[...]

Or... maybe that's what the fog's already trying to do? [Is "trying" the right word...? It makes it sound eerily deliberate.]

ii

[beenpracticing]

An... apple? [Hahli asks, sniffing gently at the air as she considers the offer. It's a food of some kind, but not one she's heard of before.] What kind of food is that?

[offtracks]

...it is a fruit.

[ Ingo's realizing he has no idea how to describe an apple? ]

There is a core that you should not eat, but the rest is crunchy and full of juice! I have been helping to roast them, but I suppose you could have an unroasted one if you wished to try?

[beenpracticing]

[Not a fruit she's ever heard of before, but that's not a surprise. Everything here has been strange.]

If you think they're better roasted, I'll try it that way.

[offtracks]

It depends on one's tastes, truly! Whether one is in the mood for a cold treat, or a warmed one. But the roasted ones are quite nice! They are spiced!

[ He'll scoop one up and start to lightly roast it with a flame from his mouth! ]