AUGUST 2025 EVENT LOG

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ THE FIRST TRUE EXPEDITION ✩⋆

The Guildleader’s announcement comes off the excitement of yet another round of mysterious new arrivals floundering their way into society. It comes not long after a fresh round of beach parties and campfires, announced simply by notices posted to the Quest Board concerning a vital announcement to be made at the Archive’s steps. Within the first week of the month, that announcement has been made.

It’s time to expand their borders. It’s time to break through the unknown.

It’s time, the Guilds agree, for an Expedition.

i. LET THE EXPEDITION BEGIN

PACK YOUR BAGS

Preparing for the Expedition is no simple task. After the announcement has been made, all three Guilds prepare personal sign-ups for the matter, extending invitations to Pokemon they feel will do particularly well. An expedition, each Leader explains, is not at all the same as any typical quest. It is an effort comparable to the very exodus that formed what Bottlecap Bay is today. It’s a collective of Pokemon all headed for one singular goal, supporting each other in the effort.

Pokemon are encouraged to invest in sacks and satchels in some cases, while others are simply handed worn packs for their own use. Lists of necessary supplies are passed around, ranging from simple foods like apples and chestnuts all the way to rare and valuable goods that could make or break any team lost in the woods. Seeds that explode when chewed upon, or even revive a Pokemon from unconsciousness are carefully divided among Expeditioners, and as the day fast approaches the nervousness becomes a tangible thing upon the air. Heavy, like a storm. Static, akin to electricity from a yet unseen lightning bolt.

Yet skies are clear - and they remain clear when the day comes for the trek as well.

WE’RE TAKING A ROAD TRIP

⟡ The Expedition begins ICly on the 1st of August - Players are free to handwave characters seeing notices leading up to this day beginning from the 25th of July.

⟡ When it comes to being allowed on the Expedition, even new Pokemon are invited to join! The Guild Leaders are anticipating they’ll have hidden strengths and unusual insights in dealing with the unexpected, compared to native Pokemon - what with the experiences they have coming from very different worlds.

⟡ All Pokemon on the Expedition will at minimum be equipped with some form of sack for personal belongings. While larger Pokemon will also be tasked with carrying extra loads intended for tents and shelters, smaller ones will be asked to tow rations (or other supplies that are easily split) for their immediate party.

⟡ Many stores in the town are eager to do their part to support Expeditioners! While this doesn’t mean any special discounts, it does mean that items and goods they exchange might be a little more personalized. It seems a Pokemon’s favorite snack just happens to have been set aside, while the last satchel available is in their favorite color. How fortuitous!

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

While all three are in agreement, it is only one Guild Leader who spearheads the charge. The Oran Berries of the Spire are left with a trusted deputy to handle any immediate matters as the Expedition Team sets off for the woods in early August, and where most teams are a mere two to four Pokemon strong it isn’t inaccurate to compare this one to an army. As a mass, these Pokemon move forward with their packs filled with supplies. Stone, lumber, and straw for larger sorts. Food and tools for others. And still more with nothing but the most vital necessities, first aid, and so on.

The three sections of forest that are known to Bottlecap Bay all border the sandy shore of the Bay’s lower crescent, with the ‘North’ in particular creeping along the Canopy. Through probing of the Forest’s boundaries and environs, thanks in large part to all of the explorations and quests of the past months, the Guilds have determined that the Forest eventually starts funneling together, the far end of each section growing narrower and narrower as the entire Forest is compressed between impassable terrain. This also means that whatever’s at the other end, any entrance to the Forest should exit in roughly the same place.

The Expedition intends to travel just through the North section - at this point they’ve had plenty of experience dealing with the primary hazard of spores! However, as the team carries on, they start to encounter discordant patches resembling the Middle and South in alternating moments of time. Some begin to voice concerns and questions - the Forest was never so strange before, even when the fog was at its thickest. Is this trip really worth it? How are they possibly going to make it through to the other side? The Forest seemed unending even when they were starting to get used to the conditions in each section individually!

As worries mount, Mightyena calls out encouragement, and hopeful whispers spread from the front of the Expedition. One of the Pokemon near Mightyena has a hunch, and says so in a shy voice. A feeling that just ahead, there might be something that isn’t just woods. Thanks to everyone’s efforts in recruitment, many wild Pokemon have agreed to assist over the last number of days - and the ones from the furthest corners of the Forest concur. The end is near, and this has been the forest’s final test. They just have to push on.

They can do that much, right?

ARE WE THERE YET?

⟡ While the threat levels over all within the forest have dropped down somewhat, navigation during the Expedition becomes even harder than it was before. The trip at minimum takes a full day - but notably, Pokemon who stray from the group quickly find themselves back in the pack, or back in Bottlecap depending on their intentions.

⟡ The Expedition only stops a few times during this trip, each time for a shared meal. There is always at least one Pokemon with their eyes directly ahead so that they don’t lose the path, and others in the group make certain to keep their fellows in sight at all times.

⟡ While they don’t ultimately set up tents in the woods, it’s clear from speaking with Mightyena that it was considered a possibility; in fact, finding a place for the Outpost within just a single day should have been impossible! She seems certain that at least one Pokemon move or ability was involved in this.

ii. BOTTLECAP OUTPOST, NAME TBD

CAMPING WITH EXTRA STEPS

After little more than a day of trekking, the journey comes to an end. The Expedition’s goal was to find a place suitable enough to create another settlement. To find a place beyond the woods that could be considered safe. A place that could eventually become another home.

Thanks to the cooperation of the Pokemon of the forest, they have managed just that.

The valley is a beautiful carpet of swaying grass, gently sloping hills, and tiny babbling brooks. Wildflowers sprout in colorful clumps or large swathes, and the air smells sweet and fresh; a breeze ruffles gently through Pokemon fur and feathers, chasing clouds through the sky. Scattered rocks and boulders make for perfect spots to lie down and sunbathe. One larger stream meanders through the center, its water clear enough to see straight through to the rocky bottom - at least except for the spots where rocks jut out above the surface, generating sprays of drops and foam. It's kind of hard to believe that this was just beyond the fog and gnarled undergrowth of the forest!

At the other end of the valley, the hills begin to grow steeper, and trees fill in again - in fact, it almost looks denser than the forest on the way back to the Bay, if that's even possible. Over near that end Mightyena is organizing expeditions, marking off three general directions to start exploring. It might be tempting to sneak out for a peek ahead of time, but Mightyena insists it's not safe to go solo and without supplies.

Off in the distance, beyond the dense woods, the hills stretch into an extensive mountain range. Dark clouds hang above many of them, caught on the peaks.

Closer to the center of the valley, on one side of the stream where the ground is flattest, the Outpost's boundaries are being marked out. It's time to start building!

NO REALLY DON’T GO IN THERE

⟡ Pokemon who haven’t been approved for Exploration Quests will be swiftly caught and carried back to the Outpost base. Done enough times, and they may even be sent back to Bottlecap Bay!

⟡ Curiously, Pokemon who return from their expeditions will note that even if they encounter mountains, none of the visible mountains match what they saw - no matter what direction teams explore in, the regions and sights are entirely incongruous with what can be seen from the valley.

⟡ Those remaining at the Outpost will have plenty of work to do. Regular travel routes must be established, as well as the placement of temporary shelters. Pokemon will be spending many days out here, which means lots of hunting and gathering work to be done as well. Players are invited to come up with their own unique tasks; a village has many requirements.

THE HEART OF DEVELOPMENT

So here’s the bad news: even with the wide number and variety of Pokemon present, and all the strange abilities and skills at everyone’s disposal, building an Outpost… just isn’t something that happens in a day. Everyone’s going to be here for a while! And there’s simply too much work for anyone to get away with slacking.

Any Expedition members who aren’t being sent out on an official exploration are going to have their paws, wings, and other assorted limbs full of construction tasks. Even those sent out on explorations will be expected to join in as soon as they’re back - assuming they’ve avoided injury, of course. And whenever Pokemon collapse for a well-earned rest… it’s going to have to be under tarps and temporary shelters. (At least it’s probably not much worse than what everyone’s already used to, for everyone but the Lum Berries?)

Still, the relief of making it through the Forest and the loveliness of the environs has the mood of the Expedition high! The overall feeling is like that of a barn raising, with cheers ringing out whenever a new building is framed, and again whenever it’s officially designated complete. Some massive fire pits are very nearly the first thing to get put together, and every sundown there’s bonfires for the Expedition members to congregate around and relax with their supper.

It won’t be long before the Outpost is complete, and this will all be worth it!

NEW PLACES

⟡ While the core of the Outpost won’t be finished until the final week of the month, other unique matters will slowly make themselves known as the 24th of August approaches. In particular, a uniquely shaped building with its own Questboard will finish its construction alongside a storehouse, a clinic, and a dwelling house.

⟡ The latter three buildings are quite basic; the Storehouse is used to maintain and preserve stock of all manner of necessary materials including food, and even has the beginnings of facilities meant to process these. There is talk of possibly creating a water wheel to help with this. The Clinic in turn is a far smaller version of its Bottlecap counterpart, meant for emergency treatment of Pokemon who cannot be brought directly to town.

⟡ By August 24th, Pokemon will be able to experience the finished Dwelling house on their own. While it’s constructed in the style of many of Bottlecap Bay’s buildings, it seems to follow the spirit of the Oran and Cheri guild’s dormitory systems. Pokemon share rooms with four simple beds, and the entire building makes use of a communal stove.

⟡ The final building is the most important; it’s a Post Office. The Quest Board outside of it is meant to host requests relevant to the regions too distant from Bottlecap to reasonably respond to, but for now something else is posted there. ICly posted on August 24th, these notices call for a vote on names for the Outpost and neighboring regions. Further details, and an IC Suggestion Poll, can be found Here.

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ CWS: Typical Pokemon violence - otherwise this is a fairly tame event!

⟡ As promised on the monthly plotting post, we are happy to announce that Activity Rewards are now available! You can find more information here.

⟡ While all Heavy Quests will ICly have completed by August 24th, sign-ups for these quests will remain open all month.

⟡ For those who participated in Heavy Quests this month, don't forget to submit your quest completion forms before the 30th!

⟡ Have any questions related to the event? Ask them 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

[wovensecrets]

[ Bright light was just so different without having her sunglasses, and that sudden wave of heat felt stifling. Even with her traveling, she couldn't recall the sensation of it affecting her so much before. It's annoying but still... interesting, just how seamless that particular area shift through was. ]

Right...

[ She was still taking in their adjustment - she has to turn herself to get a better lay of the land. As for how it felt... still not great, but she had a feeling it might have been worse were she in her previous pokémon form. Odd, that. Emporio's advise is taken into account, but if he keeps stopping to worry over them, they might miss something. Even if the water reminder was-helpful. But that was why they'd prepared. ]

We'll handle that. This is the area you've been through before, so we should keep moving for now.

[seacub]

Just making sure! [He nods, and turns to face the region ahead.] ...It's...well, it's pretty dangerous, so better safe than sorry.

We should try to keep talking so that we don't lose track of each other, [he continues, starting ahead.] ...It looks a little different this time though... ...I wonder if we came out at a different point of this area...

[wovensecrets]

That seems likely. Gates usually are fixed to predictable areas, but there could be multiple warp points involved...

[ Of course she knows it's not going to work the way she's more used to, but her only frame of reference currently would be her past experience. Looking for the familiarity in the unfamiliarity of it all, trying to apply that much logically without feeling like she's saying anything obvious... at least it's something to keep focused with. Maybe a sip of water wouldn't hurt, squinting at the area. Their panpour partner still seems ill at ease not having a better vantage point. ]

Anyway- what you're saying is there's no obvious landmark from the last time you were here... so lets look for what seems the most interesting.

[seacub]

None at all- and that's saying something, because last time there was a massive pillar. You could see it right away, and the storm was worse then.

[It's a little disconcerting...but, the best they can do is trudge onward.] Right now it seems...almost like we could be above it? It's not really a mountainous region, but even a shield volcano still has height I guess...

[wovensecrets]

A pillar, hmm... what was it like?

[ Not connected to anything in their line of sight, no, but she couldn't help but be intrigued by anything remotely sounding like a dark tower.

Especially since currently, most of the scene seemed relatively barren, and just... impossibly hot. Something about the air seemed off, though she couldn't place it... for the moment, she focuses on suppressing a cough as they continue to trudge ahead. ]

We do seem to be heading upwards, still.

[seacub]

Mmmm.

Tall, but...angled. It's like it was broken repeatedly, and then messily put back together.

It was covered in writing too, but I couldn't understand any of it. And...

[He grimaces, which is enough for Panpour to pause and stare. Yes? Go on?

The cubone sighs.] When we touched it we...immediately heard screaming.

[wovensecrets]

Hmmm...

[ Not quite what she was envisioning, but still certainly seems to have piqued her curiosity regardless as she shuffles along to keep up the pace. ]

So a mark of an ancient civilization, or something else connected to yet another dimension? Yet there's no sign of any other structures like that around, even broken ones.

[ A glance toward the Panpour, since that's the first time she's noticed it become more engaged. ] I take it you've not seen too much of this place either? Or did you remain closer to your usual climate?

[seacub]

Could be anything, [Emporio agrees, frowning. He carries on walking, nodding as the Panpour answers Archnemon's question.

It's a 'no' from them- really, they preferred the very woods that Exited into the fields. So all of this is...Very new. And exciting!]

Hmmm. There's been ruins in other regions, so maybe there's something we're missing here, or...

[Something....surges through him. Some kind of sense, or...]

Get back-!

[Moments after he stops everyone, a geyser explodes just ahead of them.]

[wovensecrets]

Clues shouldn't take too long to-- aah!

[ Oh like that timing?! Time to get undignified. Mostly because she’s not exactly designed to hop back easily even with his warning. She hops back with an alarmed gasp. Their partner is definitely able to react in a more agile way.

Right, just. Hot water, suddenly, all of that scorching steam to go along with the pressing heat and everything else. ]

Oh! Well this is new!

[ Annoying! But something new to account for. In a moment. Just a surprise, that's all. ]

[seacub]

[He takes....a second. Just to catch his breath. Just to calm down.

Even the Panpour doesn't like the looks of those. Waves of alarm slowly ebb back down, but- that water is hot. Too hot, they can tell even without touching it.]

G...Geysers...we'll have to really watch our step as we move...

[wovensecrets]

I don't think this is what we're looking for, unless there's a secret hot spring that's actually usable nearby.

[ It would be an ideal find, considering the spa concept they'd talked about before. But now they needed to adapt their approach. ]

More importantly, will you able to tell where these spots in the ground are as we go through, or are we playing a child's game?

[ Like hopscotch. She means hopscotch. ]

[seacub]

D-Definitely not!!

[...Emporio honestly doesn't realize hopscotch is what she's talking about. There's a brief burst of confusion from both him and the Panpour in fact, but it's quickly tossed aside.]

I can feel when the tremors before a burst begin...but that won't necessarily guarantee we avoid everything.

...What about you?

[He's talking to the Panpour of course. It...considers things, and it's fairly certain that with focus, they ought be able to pin down where water at least isn't.

Which is as good as anything really.]

[wovensecrets]

Mostly I was considering tossing a stone ahead of us... see if it triggers anything else that should be avoidable.

[ Which probably isn't too bad an idea with unknown ground conditions now coming into the mix. ]

So between our efforts, we should be able to continue for now... if something changes we'll just have to deal with it.

Maybe timeskip to skeletons soon? :0

[seacub]

[A slow nod. It seems like the best way they can do this- there's a little more confidence in his mood as he agrees.]

Alright. Let's do this then, [He murmurs, taking a deep breath as they begin moving forward.]

Stay focused...

[They might not know where they're going exactly, but they have to at least see what's beyond this field of geysers after all.]

thumbs up

[wovensecrets]

[ And onward through the geyser path they go... not a lot of time for meaningful discussion when the priority is survival and paying attention. Call outs, the reminder to drink the normal cold water - though how long that can maintain itself is starting to get questionable in these conditions. Life dew is surprisingly helpful...

It's Panpour who first notices that their path is starting to lead downward at last. A sign that something should be changing, soon, despite the still persistent scalding blasts. Still being very mindful through here... ]

Finally... it's starting to look different up ahead.

[seacub]

[Down they go- Emporio nods, sighing with some relief.] I can't feel too much from the ground anymore... [He murmurs, and Panpour agrees; the feeling of water is behind everyone!

As they start moving downward, they slowly find themselves surrounded by rock walls. ...As well as something else.]

Are these...scorch marks..?

[They are...comically accurate to whatever burned up here. Yikes.]

[wovensecrets]

Tch... are we walking into some sort of extinction event...

[ As much as she hates giving voice to the obvious, it's hard to visually avoid exactly what's happening here. Nothing looks familiar, at least...

... None of this looks recent, right...? The panpour seems a little more alarmed as well, as some of those scorch forms become more visible, less imprint and more solid. And yet there's no obvious danger. Maybe that's the concerning part, too...

Why gather in this location? ]

[seacub]

Not a bad question... [Emporio mutters, frowning as they carry on. He stops quite suddenly however, as he turns his head to catch what's jutting out of the rocks before them. At first it seems like strange rocky growths. But then-]

Are those...Bones?

[Exoskeletons, maybe?

It's something. Something that doesn't bode well.]

[wovensecrets]

[ Like stepping into the world's hottest museum, or something... she doesn't like to say obvious things, but the way they're walking into it almost makes it necessary.

She still coughs though, before speaking again. ]

It seems possible. This area doesn't seem too disturbed by fighting, so...

[ Were they just... trapped here? Petrified? Eugh. ]

[seacub]

[This isn't the museum trip he dreamed of at all!

As they travel, the remains only make themselves clearer. It's a bit disconcerting, the exoskeleton shapes half melted like this.] It could be that they were caught in a volcanic eruption but...

...These don't look like they're petrified by the ash. It just. Looks like they got stuck, almost. ...But how could anything take that heat...

[wovensecrets]

It's surreal, almost. Maybe the area was different when it happened? Or they were moved here afterwards...

[ But there were so many of them? Yet by her own experience she knew there could be more morbid possibilities. ]

Caught by a trap or someone trying to cover up a different situation...? But that's a lot of trouble. Not many would come to a place like this easily...

[seacub]

I don't think they could be moved here, [he mutters, the Panpour with them looking around anxiously.] I mean...

...Look at how they're trapped in the rock. It's like they were caught mid motion, and then partially entombed in the same instant.

[wovensecrets]

So if they weren't moved, maybe the world suddenly changed around them.

[ Just conjecture here, but wasn't that what they were doing... ]

Something with enough power to change the world or mess with the balance, a lot could happen that could result in a disaster.

[ She knows that one first hand but this result in itself still seemed on the extreme end of things. ]

[seacub]

An eruption could do that, for sure...

[.....He is suddenly very aware of where they're standing. Panpour is too, and has themselves gone silent.]

M...maybe we should turn back once we're done taking notes. Uh. Just in case. It doesn't...feel like this volcano is that active but...

[wovensecrets]

[ It's all mind over matter until the matter catches up. ]

Right. No need to linger unnecessarily. Too bad we don't have a camera...

[ Memorizing how some of this looks to draw for a report later it is.

Someone probably hasn't been taking her own condition too much into account anyway... better to get going to not worry about it... ]