⇨ New Location: ALOLA

[ringleaders]

PREPARATION↴ On Day 73, what remains of the Nightrunners will be asked to enter the new location first, to do a cursory security check. The Ringmaster isn't very concerned about this location for various reasons, but she will mention that there are a number of potentially powerful creatures that may or may not cause a fuss, so that they should check out the area to see if anything has been happening recently. In particular there are the guardian dieties that protect each island, and extra planar creatures called Ultra Beasts, but there shouldn't be any problem with either of them in the present timeline. On Day 74 the new location will be open for visiting by the carnival workers. There will be a gateway through the trees that allows entry and exiting, and since the populus here is primarily normal humans, those with inhuman features will be disguised with a fae glamour that makes it so they will not stick out. Usually this means that the locals will see them as something fitting to their environment, while to other carnival workers they will appear the same as usual. For humans with fae traits, they will generally appear as they regular human forms, and for those that are more exotic their glamour image will usually end up as the closest approximate. SETTING↴ Alola is a series of four islands on a planet reminiscent to but still fairly distinct from Earth. The most notable feature of this planet is that it is the home of a highly variable species of elemental creatures called Pokemon that live and work closely with the human natives. Pokemon take many forms, from something as simple to pigeon-like birds to something as grandiose as powerful elemental gods. Though the humans are very similar to the humans of other worlds, the culture of Alola and the other geographical regions tends towards the ideals of cooperation and kindness. Pollution is insignificant and scientific phenomenon like global warming have completely failed to occur due to scientific advancements and the civilization's predisposition towards problem solving. While technology is more advanced that modern Earth, with things like cloning technology, hovering vehicles, and subspace storage in common usage, life among the general populace has remained simple and often quite picturesque. That isn't to say that the humans and Pokemon of this world are unfamiliar with concepts such as poverty or war, but they are less common than average from a multiversal perspective. Importantly, the people of Alola tend towards being friendly and helpful no matter who you are, and have a tendency to give out gifts to strangers for no reason what-so-ever. PATRONS↴ ► POKEMON TRAINERS: Not everyone in Alola will be specifically a Pokemon trainer, but most will have a Pokemon companion of some kind or work alongside them in their endeavors. Trainers in particular are humans that choose to travel the world with a team of Pokemon that they've nurtured and trained to become strong in combat, challenging other Pokemon trainers to battles in a form of sport that is considered to be a character building experience for both the trainers and the Pokemon involved. Despite the inherent violence of the lifestyle, the Pokemon are rarely seriously injured, and trainer philosophical ideals are largely about forming strong bonds of friendship with your Pokemon companions and also the trainers that you win and lose against. For the most part this means that trainers tend to be pretty good sports, and being cruel to your Pokemon is considered to be a major moral wrong. Pokemon Trainers begin their journeys at ages as young as ten years old. ► POKEMON: Pokemon come in hundreds of forms, and have a wide range of personalities - while they don't speak the same languages as humans (usually), they are considered to be more or less equals to humans, and are treated with respect by the local populous. Their intelligence will also vary, but most average out to that of either a very intelligent animal or near human intelligence, able to understand human language and communicate easily with other Pokemon. Pokemon language is just each Pokemon saying their own name over and over again in different patterns, but trainers with a close bond to their Pokemon will usually figure out how to communicate with them regardless. Still, despite their ability to form strong bonds with each other and with humans, some Pokemon can be violent, aggressive, or suspicious of others until trained and exposed to kindness. Some of them also have surprisingly horrifying origins or powers, and others are predators in the Pokemon ecosystem and feed on others for sustenance. All Pokemon have elemental powers based on their type, and will evolve into new forms as they grow older and more powerful. DANGERS↴ ► TEAM SKULL: "Danger" is being used lightly here, but Team Skull is the local band of criminals who do things like trying to mug people or steal Pokemon. Though they have great numbers and are very persistent, they are also pretty incompetent and usually pretty harmless - most Alolans don't take them incredibly seriously unless they are in large numbers or attempting something major. They've managed to overrun a city called Po Town which is where they operate out of, but for the most part they are too stupid and clumsy to accomplish much. REWARDS↴ Become a Pokemon Master. That is, the Ringmaster is going to allow each worker to bring a maximum of one Pokemon along with them after they leave. That is, if they vow to train them properly and give them adequate attention, and not just locking them away in a Pokeball. In order to prove their dedication, everyone who wants to bring a Pokemon home will have to win at least one Island Trial before the carnival departs. Workers will be provided with Pokeballs and the other accessories needed to catch Pokemon, though you'll have to start small if you have no powers to weaken your targets with. You can also gain a Pokemon companion by being gifted one, or by winning them over with kindness and having the Pokemon choose to join you of their own volition. Pokemon are a privilege, however, and the Ringmaster will not tolerate them being neglected or mistreated. While you are not limited to Alola specific Pokemon, the Alolan Pokedex is a good place to start to see what's available. You need to let the mods know how and when you capture a Pokemon. No legendaries are permitted to be caught. CHANGES↴ There are no specific change catalysts associated with this visit unless something wild happens and you fuse with an Ultra Beast or something absurd. (Don't do that.) Beyond that, this is a PLOTTING POST, which means you can use it to make plans! The game chat is also a great place to discuss plots, so we welcome you to pop on in if you haven't already! A mingle log will be posted this weekend.

Comments

⇨ QUESTIONS

[ringleaders]

Have questions about this setting? Are you one of the rare few who knows nothing about Pokemon? Ask away here!

[whattaprick]

What would the Nightrunners ICly know about the fate of Mari, or is that not known to them at this point, only that she wasn't among the people retrieved? This is mostly for the purposes of IC speculation/arguing about who should be calling the shots right now.

I'm assuming the Ringmaster would be asking them directly to do the scouting and it's kind of up to the current Nightrunners to organize their asses accordingly! Can they question locals about recent happenings (assuming they're glamored to minimize attention) or would they be told to keep incognito? Assuming questioning happens, is there anything of relevance that would turn up? How easy is travel between the islands provided you can acquire a boat?

Most important question of all: are cargo shorts mandatory?

[atouts]

In the case of someone picking up a Pokemon that requires an elemental stone to evolve, would they be able to get one while still in Alola (either through legitimate or, more likely, shady means)? Assuming they actually took the time to sit down and figure out that's a requirement and all.

[fourthscribe]

Will healing moves that Pokemon learn have any effect on carnival workers as a healing spell, or do they only work on other Pokemon? Also, I remember mention being made somewhere that Pokemon can pick up a few fae changes if they stay--I assume it's limited to one or two common changes?

[spaghettimonster]

Are members of Team Skull likely to visit the carnival and encounter the non-disguised skeletons among us?

[insidescoop]

So that it's here and handily available for everyone to see!

What's the official verdict and set of limits for eventual tiny bitty fae changes on a carnival worker's Pokemon? (I heard that one limit at least was that the changes sort of come from the trainer themselves, is that true?)

[wild_magic]

Do our characters get any money to spend or do they have to figure that out on their own if they want to buy things?

[walkonedge]

so one question!

what about Pokemon eggs? Assuming that this boy here picks up a Pokemon egg from the equivalent of a daycare centre or was given it as a gift while exploring the islands - would he still need to go through the island challenges of some sort to keep it! Or rather, OOCly, I'm presuming that I would still have to comment on the thread below on the type of egg he's received even though he wouldn't know until it hatches in game.

Also, it's probably going to hatch only after they've left Alola, I thiiiiink.

⇨ I'M CATCHING A POKEMON

[ringleaders]

If you are going to catch a Pokemon IC, please let us know the following:

Pokemon Species: Which Pokemon are you catching?
Catch Style: How are you catching them? Throwing Pokeballs till they give up? Befriending them? Fighting them with your super powers?

Koel Babic

[cuckooed]

Pokemon Species: Mimikyu!
Catch Style: Befriending them! Impostors that mimic together stay together.

Steven Universe

[starseedling]

Pokemon Species: Fomantis!
Catch Style: Befriending with Steven powers. Also empathy powers and plant powers.

Lapis Lazuli

[mirrortide]

Pokemon Species: Dratini
Catch Style: Reluctant befriending because this dratini is a coward and probably saw lapis doing weird ass water shit and decided WHAT A GOOD FRIEND FOR PROTECTION

Jamie

[raynos]

Pokemon Species: Zubat
Catch Style: wanders into a cave and this lil shit won't leave him alone

Lambert

[whattaprick]

Pokemon Species: Mudbray (which is slated to evolve into Mudsdale either during the stay in Alola due to in-game battles/events, or sometime later in its stay with the Carnival!)
Catch Style: He'll be encountering it with Carly and making the mistake of 'befriending' its stubborn ass by accidentally saving it from injury or another Pokemon attacking it, or feeding it something because it just looks so pathetically derpy. And thus the bond between man and Pokemon was made.

Childermass

[atouts]

Pokemon Species: Growlithe
Catch Style: Catching via Pokeball. He will catch something weaker first and actually play by the rules here, even if they are completely ridiculous. Any Pokemon caught between that and finally finding a Growlithe will be released back into the wild.

Hinawa

[sunflowerfields]

Pokemon Species: EDIT I CHANGED MY MIND: Hinawa is getting a Phantump!
Catch Style: The saddest version of Are You My Mother ever, it's just going to start following her around.

Sora

[destiny_key]

Pokemon Species: Shinx, which I plan to evolve into Luxio at some point.

Catch Style: He found it in the grass and they took a nap together. Then it kept following him and he couldn't say no to that face. HOW COULD ANYONE SAY NO TO THAT FACE?

Sherlock

[thevictoriandetective]

Pokemon Species: Rockruff
Catch Style: Befriending, Sherlock adores dogs. He helps fix his hurt paw, gives him some food, and the pupper follows him around after that. He'll probably use a Pokeball for convenience later on but he won't really like keeping him in there.

[whattaprick]

Plotting, kind of, but really more an open call to shenanigans?

Nightrunner stuff -- Lambert's not a natural team player but they've got a job to do and he needs to bond with his coworkers, so what the hell. Freak out at bugs and weird creatures together, remind him they're not supposed to kill things, terrorize some locals, accidentally sight a deity or or goof off ... I've got no idea what's going on in Alola so any of these would be fun.

Other stuff -- for the rest of the time, Lambert's going to find a way to hijack a boat and spend most of his time sailing between the islands if that's possible, because holy shit he's never been to the tropics, he comes from fantasy Poland/Northern Europe, of course he's spending as much time in the sun getting skin cancer as possible. He'll probably develop a sunburn the first couple of days which will then insultingly develop into a decent tan (because fuck yeah witcher healing) and he's going to eat all the food, seriously.

I haven't decided yet if he's grabbing a Pokemon or not, mainly because I can't decide if I want him to get something super useless or something he would actually want to try and catch, like something he can ride. Suggestions welcome because I have no idea what Pokemon exist beyond the first two games. (*´∀｀)bﾟ

[otoko]

Whispers give him the mudsdale

I only suggest this because aside from being something one can ride (And also...actually a Really Good pokemon tbh), there is this: "Mudsdale is known for both its powerful body and emotional fortitude, which prevents it from becoming agitated. Regardless of the trouble it is in, it will never cry out and defeats opponents with a single blow."

[sunflowerfields]

So ICly I'm planning on Hinawa being cured of vampirism by the time they hit Alola so she can spent some time in the sun!!

She'll probably chase everyone down to make sure they're drinking enough water and not getting sunburned out in this island summer heat. When she's not doing that she'll be busy reminding everyone that a brand new pet is a big responsibility! She'll make charts for feeding times and everything.

also she goes to Po Town and makes Team Skull eat their veggies and brush their teeth

[kingsroads]

hey there mom, please teach captain pasty here about sunblock because he will straight up get the world's worst sunburn if nobody points that out.

[atouts]

Plotting out a few ideas for Childermass...

He is finally giving up on his many, many layers here. Alola is friggin hot and it isn't just one tiny side trip into a literal hellscape, sooooo. Alolan shirt, very light linen pants (sorry, he isn't doing shorts, just... nah), HE IS UNSURE ABOUT SANDALS? Sunglasses definitely. Surely, there is no greater delight than a severely grim-looking man in a bright floral shirt.

He'll also be doing his research once he takes a closer look at this freakish magical cockfighting culture and very specifically settling on a Pokemon that will a) be trainable, b) be simple to evolve in the future, and c) be useful. He's settling on a Growlithe, because the Big Top is fireproof and having a trained Arcanine would be a benefit there. He's going to snag a few books on 'em and a fire stone while he can, too.

THAT MEANS A LOT OF TIME WANDERING THROUGH TALL GRASS so idk who wants to go on a pokemon journey with a goddamn forty-something magician? Or maybe just laugh their asses off at the first awful attempts at training a dog that spits fire back at the carnival? What do you mean dogs don't work exactly like horses?

[perverses]

Moving on to Shima! Shima is getting no Pokemon. They're cool, but he's honestly not responsible enough to care for another living creature and there are no real future plot points in having one down the road with one for him. He will be exploring ahead as a nightrunner scout, however, and...

He will be freaking out about giant bug Pokemon because he has a severe phobia of insects! Hooray! Pokemon-verse is a nightmare for him!

He will also temporarily pick up (aka STEAL) a Salandit (and maybe a few other Pokemon) due to encountering and legit beating up some Team Skull goons. He won't actually realize people here fight with their Pokemon and not, like, ACTUAL FIGHTING until after the fact. Bad times for Team Skull, bad, bad times. This may or may not lead to some Team Skull grunts spotting him at the carnival and trying to get revenge, but. We'll see!

I'm open to other stuff, that's just what I have planned off the top of my head.

[flashover]

brings home a bug

nbd

[toogoodtoopure]

So eheh Yuugi is gonna be keeping his vampirism for a bit, but that means night time shenanigans ala Moon. And finding himself adopted by a Litten who decides he's it's trainer (b/c cmon, it's a cat). The nighttime doesn't bother him because it's nice and cool, a bit similar to Domino in the summer, and the Pokemon that appear at night are awesome. Really he's just making friends here, but I plan on having him run into Team Skull, and give his very Yuugi disapproval (canonically Yuugi does not like bullies and disapproves of violence).

Pokemon battles on the other hand...he'll be taking on at least one or two island challenges before the carnival leaves, so I'm up for plotting if anyone wants to team up for the leg of those :) and of course anything else that I've laid out here.

[whattaprick]

Canonically, cats aren't very fond of witchers-- though there are exceptions -- and witchers are generally wary of cats! I think it would be fun to build on their interactions from pre-vampire shenanigans (which already feels so long ago, hard to believe it's been two?! weeks?!) and have them run into each other.

Having said that, since they didn't have an opportunity to thead anything out during hell log, do you want to handwave anything there or do something in the aftermath log side of things as a prelude to Alolan adventures? I can roll with anything, just figured I'd toss the option out there!

[detonarrator]

Sophie's getting a stunky! She's gonna run into some shitheel trying to make a quick buck off a pokemon they don't want anymore. Sophie is gonna be suspicious of him trying to cut a deal, and basically intimidates him into admitting he's sick of looking after the thing and just wants to get rid of it.

(As a kid Sophie was punted off to The Worst Boarding School Imaginable, so she's gonna take this a bit personally and just. Take it.)

Subsequently her lil guy is gonna be really affectionate towards her and she's not??? 100% sure how to deal with that??? So she'll probably be needing advice on how exactly to Care For another living being given that she has next to no experience with regular pets, much less ones with more substantial and involved emotional needs.

[spaghettimonster]

After some deliberation, Papyrus is gonna adopt a lonely Cubone. I promise I very seriously considered several other things, but in the end... Bonding over bones just had to happen.



I'm interested in having a Team Skull NPC accost this skeleton in the carnival itself, where the glamour isn't in effect and it's obvious that he's a living skeleton. If you're familiar enough with Sun/Moon to feel able to NPC one, please ping me!

[betheman]

YO SO Carly is also getting a Cubone (and now I'm curious as to if they're both Alola-evolving or not lmfao), so clearly CUBONE BONDING should be a thing

Alternatively come see Gongenzaka's snubbull It Sees Through Glamours whoops