006 ⟡ NOVEMBER TEST DRIVE

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ test drive 06 ✩⋆

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 FRYING TUBES…

The first thing you notice is the heat. It’s dry and sweltering, a pressuring thing that surrounds you in darkness. Opening your eyes reveals that it’s not just the temperature doing this however - no, all around you is a near total darkness, broken only by the soft glow of red gold that creeps in from distant cracks.

And perhaps, in some circumstances, yourself.

The tunnels here appear to be lava tubes, long faded from primary use by the caldera nearby. While the occasional pool of hot molten rock can be spotted throughout this impressive maze, it never seems difficult to avoid. In fact, the deeper you go, the more evidence you find that someone - or at least, something - even lived here!

Staying here is probably not going to feel comfortable however. Not unless you’re Fire or Ground type. Escaping the tunnels is only half the battle, too, as the exits lead to a desolate plain of ash and dust. The caldera of Furnace Mountain is hot indeed, and it seems that’s precisely where you wound up! But perhaps, another kind Pokemon will appear to help lead you to somewhere safer?

AND INTO THE FIRE

⟡ Furnace Mountain’s regions all return to the settlement of (Death Blood Murder) Skull Town easily, but it’s not impossible for Pokemon to get lost and wander from the tunnels to other locations:

The Caldera Crater is a maze of molten lava and narrow walkways, where one can eventually find a crooked Obsidian Spire - making contact with this will cause a chorus of shouts to echo through one’s mind.

The Plateau in the meantime is covered with numerous geysers, with safe paths marked by what appear to be skeletal remains. They lead to a valley filled with even more such skeletons, many of them partially melted.

⟡ Worry not dear Pokemon, for Lurantis, the Mayor of Skull Town, will be sending rescue crews to your location; in addition to current Players, various Ghost Pokemon will likely answer the call to guide others out.

⟡ For those who remain in Skull Town for a time, they will find the village primarily focused on either rescuing newcomers or preparing for winter: Characters may find themselves swiftly recruited to help dry foods, or gather wood.

⟡ While TDM events specifically will occur here, Players are welcome to have their Top Levels involve other locations as well.

ii. BRISK BREEZES

KNOCK ON SUDOWOODO

For the most part Pokemon are encouraged to return to Bottlecap Bay as quickly as possible - rather, to be brought there for the first time. The Guilds are all located there after all, and it will be far easier to settle Pokemon into their new homes if the Leaders are able to meet them in person. With the winter season right around the corner, everyone is trying to avoid travelling unnecessarily; they held that mayoral vote for a reason after all!

While much of the food stores have been prepared, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do either. In addition to putting together warm materials for beds, or cutting and preserving the last of the autumn harvest, a good number of Pokemon have started their own efforts to prepare the guilds, and gladly accept extra help from these newcomers! In Cheri Guild, everyone gathers to build stronger, more weather resistant rooftops for the otherwise open tree houses, with some even gathering large leaves to make curtain walls - the more that the wind can be kept out, the warmer they will be, and starting a fire in these buildings is ill advised.

In Oran in the meantime, an enterprising Tinkaton has started work on a bilge pump system - an incredibly relieved Mightyena is happily telling everyone who will listen that if they’re lucky, they won’t have to worry about flooding until the seasons warm up again.

Even the Lum Berry Guild has their hands on something, even if it isn’t anything quite as impressive; given the weather preparations they haven’t had time to put together any special escape rooms this time, but they’re at least willing to send out less busy members to give tours of the town.

Though of course, the quality of the tours vary, and it’s hardly as if the new Pokemon can offer to help tour themselves!

…Right?

YOU JYNXED IT!

⟡ Pokemon who assist in any of the three projects - including the tours, which they can indeed attempt for themselves, will find themselves granted an article of warm clothing. Stay warm everyone!

⟡ For current players, Player Quests as referenced can be found here, along with many other wonderful submissions!

⟡ As Guild Leaders will be taking their time to decide on who fits best in each group, housing is at the moment an open bag. Players are free to assume anyone from Oran, to Cheri, to even Lum opened their room to other Pokemon to be shared - they can even assume residence at Skull Town for the time being if they wish!

iii. FREEZE THE DAY

WINTER HAS COME

It happens without warning. A sudden chilled wind from the coast - a darkening of the skies that would normally entail thunder, and rainshowers. Rather than the anticipated storm however, weather experts at Lum are quick to sound the alarm: a blizzard is here!

With just moments to spare, all Pokemon residents - and even some visiting wild Pokemon, who are confused but grateful all the same - are herded into the nearest shelter. Houses, Guilds, even storefronts become temporary homes as the snow blasts through the streets, freezing anything in its path. While some Pokemon might find the conditions tolerable, the leaders of each region are enacting a No Exceptions policy to the rule, even making use of Pokemon abilities to locate anyone who might be in danger.

With the snow storm in full force, it’s on the various guilds to find methods to pass the time. The winter storm can’t last forever, but if it does they’ve fortunately prepared. At this point in the year, there was very little food that would need to be sourced from outside each building - each and every location has at least a small connection to the storage tunnels below, and the Oran berries even have access to sheltered portions of the ocean. Even the newly planted Winter Gardens are well protected, with one of Lurantis’ first orders of business being to put enough fencework up that they could roof things in if need be.

Entertainment will be the true struggle, and each Guild Leader has their own method at the problem - as does Lurantis, back in Skull Town. And fortunately for those with Grumpig Pearls, it’s possible to make your own fun as well!

Unless you actually enjoy the ice breakers, of course.

HOW ABOUT SOME ICE BREAKERS?

⟡ There are a variety of ways Pokemon will be catching others outside, including methods such as ‘Future Sight’. Players are free to get creative with how other Pokemon might find their characters (and vice versa, with Player permission).

⟡ Each Guild has their own unique set of ‘Ice Breakers’:

The Oran Guild involves various races, as well as seek-and-find games through their more sheltered tunnels, capitalizing on their ability to remain active. They also host a number of slumber parties to help keep everyone as warm as possible.

The Cheri Guild also hosts sleep overs, as well as various crafting circles within their huts - that way, they can do something useful! As the buildings are connected via bridges, Teleporting Pokemon within the guild have offered to graciously lend their power to get everyone between the necessary buildings.

The Lum Guild has access to the archives, so a similar Teleport use is offered on a case-by-case basis to get Pokemon into the Archives; try not to abuse this, everyone! Once in the Archives they’ll find plenty to read and study, and some Pokemon are even hosting ‘board game’ parties! Though they seem somewhat confused about how these board games work.

Last but not least, those in Skull Town will have found themselves herded into the primary housing facility to sleep together. Lurantis, despite her anxiety with crowds, has actually arranged a variety of simple ‘Get to Know Each Other’ activities such as word games in the hopes of keeping everyone entertained. She seems stressed, but she’s clearly trying to keep the peace.

⟡ It’s more than possible for members of one Guild to end up sheltering within another. Due to the distance between them however, someone stuck in Cheri won’t be able to simply teleport to the Lum Archives, and vice versa. Long Distance Teleporters are too focused on the clinic!

⟡ Grumpig Pearls will be working perfectly despite the blizzard, due to their use of Psychic energy rather than anything that relies on a signal - because of this, characters may feel free to get creative about how to use their Pearls to entertain themselves and others.

IT’S SNOW MUCH FUN!

When the winds and snows of the blizzard settle down, Bottlecap Bay and Skull Town wake to a beautifully sunny landscape covered in white. It’s just warm enough during the day that snows start to melt, and trees drip water and handfuls of snow onto everyone’s heads. (Sometimes entire heaps come sliding off at once - if you’re a smaller Pokemon, careful you don’t get buried!) The ground cover is far too deep to disappear completely, though, so the first order of business everywhere is digging walkways through the snow.

Once that’s done and everyone’s had a breath of fresh air, though, Pokemon find ways to take out all the pent up energy of being snowed in! It’s very easy to find a snowball fight, or join in on building a fort - or both! Or if all that’s a bit too frivolous for you… there’s rumors going around of a giant snowbeast that’s been glimpsed around the borders of Bottlecap Bay, ducking in and out of forest. Descriptions aren’t consistent, so it might just be gossip that’s been blown out of proportion, but maybe it’s worth investigating?

Over in Skull Town, Lurantis flits to and fro frantically, visibly stressed. The harvest was practically done, so very little has actually gone wrong. However, it’s very early in the year for such a bad snowstorm, and she has terrible feelings about what it might mean for this winter. Pokemon who don’t seem busy with something else might get pointed toward collecting more firewood, or better insulating Skull Town buildings, or other winter preparation tasks.

On one particular day, one of the mountains around Crowncork Valley experiences an avalanche - snow shears off near the top and tumbles down in a giant sheet, piling up at the bottom and invading the very edge of the valley. It’s an impressive sight - nearly all Pokemon in town pause and watch in awe before returning to their tasks. Good thing that wasn’t closer! Hopefully no one was out there…

EVERY DAY I’M SHOVELIN’

⟡ There are numerous ways to get rid of snow, with some Pokemon moves more effective than others. While Fire is strong against Ice, it results in a lot of snowmelt that gets everything wet - Pokemon will find that as long as they can push the snow elsewhere, it’s a lot more effective than trying to just vaporize it.

⟡ Pokemon who investigate particularly deep into these ‘Snowbeast’ tales will find themselves incredibly confused - at least until the end of the month, where one such ‘beast’ finally slips up. It appears a group of Solosis were inspired by scary tales of something their Uncle Reuniclus saw just at the end of October. A big, tall monster, with frozen clouds at its feet, and horns of ice…what could that be?

⟡ Those who help Lurantis won’t receive any points for their guild, but she’ll be incredibly grateful for the assistance given how new she is to her position! She’ll speak to any such volunteers individually, and while she admits she can’t give them anything now she tells each one to come visit once spring is here.

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWS: Skeletal Remains, Hard Wintering conditions, Pokemon Typical Violence

⟡ 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.

⟡ Rough Timing on the prompts are as follows: the Blizzard will begin on November 20th, and lasts until the 23rd for a full three days. The avalanche in Crowncork occurs on November 27th. Thank goodness it didn’t happen to the town somehow right?

⟡ 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

[notyourbloodymessiah]

Is that so?

[ eleanor tilts her head to the side, still shuffling alongside him. she's generally been following along for the sake of it -- on account of literally not even knowing what a lizard is in the first place. she also lacks most important skills in navigation, so following locals seems like an easier alternative.

she's well aware of beaches being at their height in summer, it's something her little sisters had told her of often. they came from coastal towns all over the world, so she knew of the idea, albeit from the idyllic lens of girls aged six to ten. she doesn't neccessarily want to play on the beach either, it's moreso that she has begun to realise how lucky she is to have ended up in a bay specifically. being able to hear the ocean made things less uncomfortable. ] Can you not swim?

[seacub]

Uh-huh.

[On the upside, all his winter gear- which, goodness, it's going to be quite the time when actual snow hits- makes him a bit of a waddler himself. So...At least they're moving at around the same speed.

The worst part is he's not even a lizard. He's long determined he's warm blooded, which lizards definitely are not.]

Oh- uh...Well, I can't, but it's not really that. I'm a 'Ground Type' Pokemon- so water naturally deteriorates my skin. When I arrived here at the end of Winter, I actually appeared right in the ocean, [he explains calmly.] ...The clinic had to treat me for some really serious rashes after I got to shore...

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ ouch. eleanor's not exactly sure how she's meant to respond to that. sympathy, probably, but that feels like it would be too hollow. at least she can just go to the beach on her own time, no need to drag this fellow along with her. ]

But you're fine now, right? [ she assumes he means last winter, anyhow, but there's no telling if her perception of how seasons work is in any way accurate to the reality of the matter. ] You seem to be.

[seacub]

Oh yeah, it's long healed!

[He supposes Eleanor might have seen the scars on his hands? He'll explain those are unrelated if they gave the wrong idea at least.]

That was almost a year ago. It only really took a few weeks to heal up. I had to stay inside the whole time though...

[notyourbloodymessiah]

That's not such a terrible fate to deal with. You could have experienced far worse.

[ she shrugs. ] You're more than used to such a handicap now, though. Right?

[ she's slowly working it out. so she has a type advantage over him. interesting. not that she'd be one to instigate fights, she's more than willing to keep a mental note of any advantage she may hold in case something goes wrong. force of habit. ]

[seacub]

Yeah, but it's still better to avoid it if you can.

[It's all about the aftermath, or something.]

So far I am at least. I'm a little worried about if they get snow at any point though...I found out the hard way that it can actually do worse to me than even salt water. At least with water I can handle contact for a little bit, but the snow felt like fire once I was in there.

[Which, yeeks.

At least she's talking to a child though? Emporio certainly sounds like one, any way.]

...Honestly, I...try not to talk about all that too much though. Compared to a lot of the others, I have a lot of advantages still.

[He motions with a hand.]

Like, uh. ...This.

[Yeah.]

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ eleanor is not actually sure what she's supposed to be looking at here. ]

Erm, yes. I'm sure that's very... advantageous. [ smile and nod. ]

[seacub]

[Fortunately, he clues in and explains.]

Most Pokemon don't have hands. A large number are either quadrupeds- so they walk on all fours- or even winged.

I'm still able to grab stuff with thumbs, while most of the others can't.

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ oh. she glances down at her flippers. ]

I suppose that's a point. [ she's seen plenty of pokemon out and about with their own adapted ways of handling things, though. maybe she's just missing an important thing here. ]

I know what a quadruped is, by the way.

[seacub]

It's definitely something a lot of the others complain about, [he confirms, before jumping in a small show of embarrassment.]

U-Uh-

R-right! ...Sorry, uh. It's not that I didn't think you would, I just...uh.

...I have a bit of a habit of over explaining, I guess, [the boy mutters, unable to quite look at Eleanor as he says that.] I didn't really get to talk to a lot of people growing up, s..so...

[notyourbloodymessiah]

It's all right. [ it isn't exactly she's wholly unused to, at any rate. ] Me neither.

[ eleanor offers a cartoonish shrug with her flippers, before shuffling around to reorient herself. ] The people here are the first new ones I've spoken to in years.

[seacub]

Yeah?

[Now that's interesting. He doesn't think that's something he's really had in common with someone here before, even those from the most intense of places.]

I guess we have that in common...uh, not that that's a good thing I guess, but it does mean things are looking up!

...I hope.

[Hopefully the idea of meeting new people has been a good one, not a bad one!]

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ for a very brief second -- or perhaps half of one -- eleanor gives emporio a funny look. this disappears almost as quickly as it came. ]

I suppose? [ she pauses to think about it some more. ] You're probably right.

[ she's been caught in the tumult of everything else going on and hasn't really processed that part yet. ]

[seacub]

Uh.

[He's observant enough to catch minute looks. And be...well, at least a little worried about them? Just a little.

The cubone figets.] ...W-well. It does assume a lot. I...don't really have anywhere to go back to, so I might be projecting, [Emporio admits.] I- it probably wasn't that bad where you were...

[He's pretty clearly worried about insulting Eleanor.]

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ she's off to a fantastic start, isn't she. eleanor shuffles where she's stood (flopped?), tilting her head. ]

Oh, neither do I. Sorry. I just hadn't thought about it yet -- everything's been happening so quickly. [ she offers a shrug. ] I'm not good at this sort of thing, am I?

[ she giggles, mostly to herself to try and shake off any embarrassment. ]

[seacub]

[He can't help but giggle himself- even shaking his head as he covers his own mouth.]

I wouldn't know- I definitely didn't think it at least! I mean...it is a lot. You get a new body, and it's a new place, with all kinds of different things...

Even some of the rules of reality seem different!

[notyourbloodymessiah]

Seals typically can't talk, no.

[ she shakes her head with a silly smile. ]

I can't quite say I'm wholly used to being this, ah, small? [ sure. she can be small. little sisters are small. but this is tiny, even tinier than them. ] But everything else will work out. Hopefully.

[seacub]

[Another muffled giggle.] Among a few things, probably.

...The size definitely takes adjusting. Especially with the buildings. There's plenty made for our size, and then some made for a bit taller...and then much taller...

...And on top of that, a lot of Pokemon are still this small. It actually took me a while to get a good sense of measurement, because I couldn't even be sure the plants were as tall as they would be where I came from. Plus, so many Pokemon are suddenly eye level with me, instead of two heads over...

[Ahhh but he rambles. Shaking his head, Emporio smiles.]

You're right though. Everything should work out!

[notyourbloodymessiah]

I've learned to navigate in my body before, who's to say I can't do it again?

[ granted, she's had to do this multiple times. so maybe that gives her a certain edge, but still. ]

[seacub]

Did you get turned into something else before this?

[That's what it sounds like to him anyway.]

[notyourbloodymessiah]

Something like that.

[ something she's not all too keen on sharing right now, but she gives him a knowing smirk nonetheless. ]

[seacub]

[Well, at least he can take a hint.

And look- they're about at the beach! So Emporio just nods, and then gestures.]

Well...Here it is!

...Now that I think about it, it looks kind of interesting at this time of year. Look, [the cubone adds.] The edges of the shore are kind of frosty.

[notyourbloodymessiah]

I didn't realise that was possible. I thought salt water required significant sub-zero temperatures to even begin doing that.

[ it's a nice view, though. seeing the waves stretch on for miles before dipping over the horizon. it's as if she's not that far from home after all. ]

[seacub]

Right?

[He beams, clearly interested.] It's definitely salt-water, but something about the temperature just doesn't seem to matter for it. It's definitely still warm enough for Pokemon to swim in...otherwise there would have been complaints at the spire I bet.

[notyourbloodymessiah]

Well, I imagine most water types like myself have blubber of some kind. It's how whales keep warm in harsh temperatures and such, I probably have some too since I'm. A sealion, I think? [ she pauses to ponder. something she needs to check later, for sure.

she's still just staring, clearly enraptured by the view in ways most people wouldn't be. ] Since it's freezing I can't imagine it's a pleasant experience for anyone who lacks a protective layer such as that.