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

Odile | In Stars and Time | Weavile

[paperceptive]

( A Weavile with head-feathers that resemble her hair in shape, and a diamond-shaped forehead gem. )

i. stranded on a beach

[ For just a moment, as the pain strikes, Odile wonders: is this what it was like for them when - ?

But before the idea can even conclude, she finds herself lying facedown in the sand. Waves rush behind her, a familiar sound that absolutely does not belong in tiny landlocked Dormont. Cursing her aching bones, she starts to push herself upright, turning to her right to see where the others ended up (if they're here), and -

- a huge amorphous form looms above her - 

Odile jumps backwards with a hiss and fires a powerful Ice Shard directly into the face of the innocent Sandygast! Battle start...? ]

ii. copperajah-tone

[ The daytime activities are a bit too rowdy. Odile spent most of that time with the guilds or in the archives, figuring out as much as she could about the current situation. There's no time for playing around on the beach.

There's more to knowing a place than reading about it, though. She does know that. So she ventures out in the evening, once things have calmed a bit, to sit by one of the quieter campfires. She hasn't volunteered any stories of her own yet, or taken any food. She's actually trying to write in a notebook she acquired from the head archivist...but she hasn't worked out how to do it with these huge claws just yet. She fumbles her pen, leaving a smear of ink skidding down the pristine page before her. ]

iii. buddy system

[ Having worked out some system, Odile takes notes through much of the initial orientation session. It's a lot of new information all at once; writing it out will help her remember. ]

And what Pokemon are you?

[ With a tone more like she's trying to catalogue everything more than make friendly small talk. There's too many of these things; she needs to get a better handle on them, or at least learn enough to Examine them in battle on the fly. ]

iii

[telewarped]

[Her current mentor, the vaguely rabbit-like rag doll creature sat before her, doesn't seem much for friendly small talk either. Unfortunately, her blunt approach also comes with an undeniably smug aura.]

Mimikyu. And I don't have any weaknesses, so you can jot that down.

[paperceptive]

Interesting...

[ She does jot that down! The smugness is - not unnoticed, but summarily ignored. The information is valuable, as is the fact that she's met a (nominal) ally with such status first. Better than tripping over a Pokemon without weakness in a real battle. ]

And that's due to the interactions between your two "typings"? Is that common?

[telewarped]

That's right. And nope—not common at all! It's just a me thing.

[So she says (you know, like a liar).]

[paperceptive]

You and every other member of that species, hm? What is it called?

[telewarped]

What, my species or my type? [She'll provide an answer for both.] My species is Mimikyu, like I said. My type is None Of/Your Business.

[Though she doesn't have a visible mouth to smile with, there's an audible grin to the words.]

Unless you wanna go for a round and see what I can do for yourself.

[paperceptive]

Heh. Very well, I accept.

[ Odile expects she'll lose. She's not accustomed to this body or the strange Craft skills it seems to come with. But there's something to be said for learning via doing, and to be honest she finds this kid's attitude pretty entertaining! ]

[telewarped]

Then think fast!

[As much as Shoka enjoys terrorizing newbies, in the spirit of mentorship, she'll go a little easier on this one and start off basic with a Scratch. The only warning is a quick ripple of movement under the cloth of her disguise before a dark, tentacular arm emerges, swiping at Odile with a set of savage claws.]

[paperceptive]

[ Odile's more prone to attempting a Guard rather than trying to dodge attacks, at her age. Getting hit isn't great for her even with a buff, but she's just not as nimble as she used to be. The strange shadowy limb, when it appears, looks rather more like a Sadness than she anticipated. Her attempt to parry with her own large claws doesn't quite work out, and Shoka's claws rake through the short fur on her arms.

It seems like she might actually have some sort of combat experience, though. She ignores the pain and takes the chance to strike back; strangely flat shards of shadow flicker around her claws as she uses Assurance. ]

[telewarped]

[The Assurance hits its mark; the shadows slice through the fabric of Shoka's disguise, sending her reeling backward with a hiss. Judging by how quickly she recovers, however, it apparently didn't cause her any pain—even if her head now appears to be hanging by a thread, lolling far back on its broken neck.]

Huh! Not bad—for a noob. [Even if Odile doesn't seem completely new to battling. To Shoka, this just means she's free to ramp things up a little.] Now let's see how you handle this!

[Next, she'll try a Shadow Sneak, sinking down into her (suddenly much longer) shadow and reappearing behind Odile to attempt another strike.]

[paperceptive]

[ Hm - a decoy? Odile had known it wasn't her real head, but the thing seems to have taken the brunt of her attack. But now that it's dangling backwards like that, she ought to have a shot. ]

What - ?

[ She picks up on what Shoka's doing, but doesn't turn around quick enough to do anything more than take that Shadow Sneak to the face rather than the back. Odile stumbles backwards, sputtering - she's definitely flinched for this turn! ]

[telewarped]

[Apparently having too much fun not to be a little ruthless, Shoka follows that attack up immediately with another, grabbing her wooden tail with her free hand and swinging it wildly like a club at the already stumbling Odile. This is a game to her, and she's looking to Play Rough.]

[paperceptive]

[ That attack certainly hits, sending the Weavile to the ground! But despite taking so many hits all at once, there's a sharp smile on her face. ]

Hah! So that's how it is, is it?

[ She's probably going to lose. Odile knew that from the start; she's a beginner, and for a while, losing is most of what they do. But she's not willing to go down quite that easily. She backs off, whipping out a claw to shoot a hail of small, nearly paper-thin Ice Shards at Shoka. ]

iii.

[dunchies]

A Boltund.

[ The funny looking yellow dog wags his tail, happy to be a of service, until he realizes — she’s writing this all down. His ears immediately perk up, excitement suddenly unleashing on someone who clearly gets what’s important around here. ]

Electric-type. Strong against Water and Flying. Immune to paralysis, even from non-electric based attacks. Weak to Ground. Working dogs, historically. Evolved from Yampers. Originated in Galar. Known for their speed and— [ Every word seems to be coming out faster than one before it, with no intention of slowing down for her to actually keep up. ]

[paperceptive]

Alright, slow down.

[ Her tone is dry, but one corner of her mouth ticks up slightly. ]

Explain "evolution" to me.

[dunchies]

—and I’ve also noticed my bite force is incredibly strong when attacking, but that’s not unique to—oh.

[ His ear flicks as his motor mouth comes to a stop just long enough for a redirection. Time for another question! ]

If you’re familiar with the term back home, it actually means something a little different here. It’s not so much a gradual process of species developing and diversifying over time, but more of a sudden transformation, meant to make Pokémon stronger. [ He tilts his head, clearly thinking. ]

I want to say it’s a triggered response, maybe as a result of training or when in a dangerous situation? I haven’t seen it myself yet, so I’m speculating based on what I’ve read.

[paperceptive]

That's certainly different from the term I know.

[ She'd gleaned, from context, that it probably wasn't the same, but no one has really said what it is just yet. Interesting, to be sure, but probably nothing she'll have to deal with immediately. Odile jots down a few more notes, then idly waves a hand at Laios. ]

Go on, then.

[dunchies]

It’s interesting, isn’t it? Plenty of species look closely related enough for me to think natural evolution as we know it still occurs, but here... the focus is on that sudden boost of power, rather than a direct adaptation to their environment.

[ True to their nature as monsters, he supposes. But Laios doesn’t speak on it, instead taking her motion as a signal to keep talking at her. ]

Ah, and what’s more — some Pokémon even evolve using stones! It’s almost like magic, funny enough, but these changes don’t ever seem to revert, either. [ He has yet to learn of the unfortunate existence of Megas. ] I wonder if it must hurt sometimes...

[paperceptive]

No doubt, if they're transforming that quickly.

[ Hm. Is that likely to happen to any of them...? She jots down a note to pursue that line of inquiry more closely, as it pertains to herself. For now, though, she's too entertained by this kid to halt his flow of info again. ]

Stones? Is that exclusive to rock and ground types, or can any of them benefit?

[dunchies]

[ A quick nod in agreement. ] Mhm. Some can even evolve twice, though there are a few who can't even do it at all. [ Even while talking, he might be trying to take a peek at her notes. ]

Well, it's not just for those types, no. But not all species can use them, either! Those stones just have a special kind of energy that only some Pokémon can react to. Why that is, I'm not really sure, even after trying to research. It's all sorts of fascinating...

[paperceptive]

[ Her notes are all in...well, technically, Ka Buan; subjectively, something that probably looks like whatever language they use in the Eastern Archipelago; and practically, a mess. She thinks she'll be able to read it later, but there's certainly no fine copies being made with these claws just yet. ]

Do they have any samples here? I'd be curious to see one.

[ She doubts she'll come to any conclusion the people here haven't already, but it is interesting! ]

[dunchies]

[ His eyes linger on her notes, a little shocked to find that... he can't read them at all! It's a little jarring, after getting so used to the language around here, but there's enough familiarity to make him think of the letters Shuro used to write. His tails sways. ]

Possibly! There are special collections in the Archives. No one's really allowed to see them, but I imagine they could store stuff like that.

[ Then, bluntly: ] Is that how everyone writes where you're from?

[paperceptive]

[ She narrows her eyes for a moment. ]

In Ka Bue, yes.

[ Suddenly a bit icy! ]

[dunchies]

Oh, I wouldn't be familiar.

[ If there's a sudden chill in the air, Laios isn't feeling it. ]

But those characters... they remind me of how my friend writes back home! His lines were a little straighter, though.

[ His head tilts curiously. ] What's it like? Ka Bue? [ He probably didn't say that right. ]

[paperceptive]

I'd like to see him try it with claws.

[ Suffice to say, Odile is suddenly enjoying Laios much less! But she is, at least, fairly accustomed to questions about Ka Bue. Like, say, being asked to describe the entire country all at once. ]

It's very nice.

[ A complete non-answer, and her default. It's what people want to hear anyway. ]