bottlecaplogs | AUGUST 2025 EVENT LOG

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AUGUST 2025 EVENT LOG

⋆✩ 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!

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Nice save. [With a chuckle, she shuffles her way over to him.] Food collection duty, actually. Guess I'm just too good at apple-picking and had a couple extra, so... Consider this delivery a self-imposed quest.

[If she were a more diligent and honorable worker, she might have added it to an emergency surplus of some kind... But she isn't, so she didn't. Besides, Pokémon still gotta eat before the expedition, too, right? She hands Bigby the apple.]

What about you? They got you on sulking duty, or what?

Gee. Wonder why I didn't get picked for that. [ He takes the apple with both paws before turning it over to examine. ] Fresh outta rewards though.

[ Despite his obvious interest, he's not actually taken a bite yet. ] I'm on my mandated break, actually. Not that this place knows anything about workplace violations. [ Bigby scoffs, though admittedly it sounds a bit more tired than usual. ]

... Clinic duty's just a bit much right now.

Let's just say you owe me one.

[She's only teasing, of course; no reward necessary.

As he continues, her good humor fades. She thinks she knows exactly why clinic duty is a bit much, having spent plenty of time flitting in and out of the coma ward herself, checking in on friends that still showed no sign of waking and feeling that much more useless each time. It makes everything she's found in Bottlecap Bay feel precarious; any random day, Bigby could slip away, too, just like Firepaw and Dark Heart before him. Just like Ayano and Susukichi, and Rindo and the Wicked Twisters.

She can't just ask Bigby outright if that's what it is, or if he wants to talk about it. Instead, she attempts:]

... What've they got you working on in there?

I'll be sure to add it with the rest.

[ Like Shoka, the humor behind his words seems to be dwindling. He looks past her, back toward the clinic entrance, his ears slowly falling flat again. Even if she did ask, he probably couldn't even place why he's feeling the way he is. The grip on his apple just gets tighter. ]

Mostly supply runs for the big hike. Or just... making deliveries to patients. It's easy for me to squeeze around in there.

[ Bigby had already been aware about Dark Heart, being from the same guild, so seeing him in there wasn't much of a shock. He didn't really know him, not as well as Shoka probably did, but it's hard not to feel some sort of way over a kindred spirit gone silent. But Firepaw—

Bigby shouldn't be feeling anything over him, and yet here is with a pit in his stomach. Didn't help that the nurses who knew of him gave him the stink eye whenever he got too close to look. ] ... You make any visits lately?

[ He doubts he needs to tell Shoka. She seems pretty on top of things when it came to friends. But, he still has to make sure, in his own way. ]

... Some. I mean, for all the good it does.

[Eyes averted, she withdraws in on herself, tucking her limbs and foot under her disguise. She wants to leave it at that, but after a moment, she forfeits her examples, trying to keep her tone light and unemotional.]

Dork Heart's lazy ass has been conked out there for months now. And Firepaw...

[Remembering Firepaw's fraught relationship with Bigby, she trails off before saying anything more. It's just as well; she's not sure how she'd finish that sentence without spiraling anyway.]

[ Watching Shoka shrink into herself almost makes him regret asking at all. Of course she would know. He's not good at this, and now he's struggling for what to say despite bringing it up in the first place. They're okay, they'll pull through — simple words of comfort, but coming from someone who doesn't fully believe it himself, they're empty.

When nothing else comes, he simply goes quiet with her, silence filling the air where comforting words should be. He rotates the apple in his hands as he tries to think. At some point, he just has to concede and call a spade a spade. ]

I shouldn't have brought it up. If it was hard for me to see, then... [ His brows furrow. It's all coming out so clumsily. He ends it there. ]

I'm the one who asked what you were working on.

[Not his fault; she wanted to know, even if she doesn't know what to say either.]

It sucks, but... [But...? She gives a humorless snort.] Yeah. It pretty much just sucks. Don't blame you for being messed up about it. [She glances at the apple, still sitting uneaten in his paws.] Doesn't mean you have to go hungry though.

Really the only way to put it. [ A pause, and then quietly: ] But don't... don't blame yourself, either. [ He glances at her briefly before staring down again at the fruit in question. ]

I know. I'm just— [ How does he even begin to explain himself. Apples and comas. Of course he'd be thinking about Snow in between all of this, too. As if his thoughts didn't weigh heavy enough already. ] —it reminds me of someone. Back home. She got pretty sick from one of these once.

[ That said, he finally takes his first bite. ] Mm. Not down yet, though. Guess it's not the food causing problems. [ A tasteless joke. Even he seems to realize this with how dry his delivery is. It's just so much easier to slide back toward that direction rather than linger on complicated feelings. ]

Didn't say that I do.

[Except of course she does. She blames herself for a lot of things.

But what he says after that is so baffling that she actually forgets to be upset for a moment.]

... Uh. From an apple?

[ He could press, if he really was in the mood for it, but he's not, and he already has enough to surmise where her head must be at. The deflection comes and goes, uncontested, with only a sigh from him to show for it. It's time to focus on the potential mess from what he thought was an innocuous comment, anyway. ]

... Yeah? It was from a bad batch. [ Surely an apple doesn't need to be poisoned to put someone under. He takes another, louder bite. ] She got better.

Okay... [What kind of fairy tale BS...?] Well... I dunno what kind of bad apples you have in your world, but this one's Pokémon grade. Promise.

[Even if apples in this world are also a little strange—far more filling than any apple she's ever had.

A stretch of awkward silence then, before:]

... So. What made her get better?

New York could probably use some sanitation notes from this place. Still has better pizza, though.

[ Bigby is feeling every moment of that silence. It's almost hard to keep eating with how loud each bite is. When she finally asks, he abruptly looks away, clearing his throat. ]

... Shoka. [ His voice is quiet. Tense, even. ] You're not going to believe this, but— [ He looks right at her, brows furrowed, expression deeply serious. ]

It was true love.

[For another excruciatingly long moment, Shoka stares back at him, thinking to herself that he cannot be serious. Eventually, she scoffs—and he still keeps looking at her with that entirely serious expression. More staring from her, before:]

Oh, fuck off.

[She sounds... genuinely kind of pissed?! He was right; she doesn't believe it.]

[ His expression shifts back into exhaustion before he looks down at the apple again. It’s not exactly disappointment he’s feeling, but there’s suddenly a need to put back up a wall he didn’t realize was starting to come down. He should know better by now.

His tone, in contrast to hers, has no bite. ]

... She’d probably say the same thing. [ Hard to call it true love anyway when it didn’t even last, despite all the mundy retellings. ] But how’d you expect me to answer, huh? All I know is she was in the right place at the right time to get help. How she got better, I wasn’t there for it.

[Even more staring. Watching that shift in his expression, she realizes—]

Wait. You're...

[He's serious. She's taken aback, struck with a sharp pang of guilt, and then angry all over again.]

So... what? I don't love 'em enough? Am I doing something wrong?

[She knows that isn't what he's trying to say. This isn't even about her. Way to go, Shoka! Kick him while he's down by saying more callous things!]

Shoka, no. That’s not—

[ What is he, stupid? That’s exactly what it sounds like with zero context. ]

I just meant — in the stories... [ He presses against his forehead. ] Even when things go sideways, sometimes all you can do is be there, when there’s nothing else you can do. [ For what is true love and friendship, if not a trial of endurance. ]

... You know them not getting better has nothing to do with you, right?

Edited 2025-10-13 23:57 (UTC)

[Shoka droops, looking not unlike a rag-doll left out in the rain, and doesn't answer.

(She doesn't know anything about that sickness, same as everyone else.)]

"Stories"... So did what you just told me really happen or not?

[ He sets the half-eaten apple down beside him. ]

... I don't know the details, but. [ He lowers his head, eyes fixated on his now empty paws. ] It did.

[ There's something that feels deeply wrong about using her story like this, but no way to undo that now, even as a hint of guilt sneaks into his voice. ]

But she doesn't like to talk about it. All I have are stories too.

[He's definitely serious. After a long moment, Shoka plants her palms over her eyes and heaves a sigh.]

... Ugh. I was trying to be there or whatever for you, too, and I just...

[Made everything worse.]

My bad.

Shoka, it's not— [ He rubs his face in frustration before glancing at her again. ] I brought it up.

[ For a brief moment, he stretches his arm out, as if to offer some physical reassurance, but he reels it back before he does. ]

I don't... like talking about home for a reason. [ Too much baggage, too many rules — all too complicated to get into now. ] Just hard not to with the similarities sometimes. I thought, if it could work out for her with some magic bullshit, maybe there's a chance for them too somehow. Or something. Even if it's not really the same.

[ He's rambling. His turn to sigh, though it sounds more like a low growl than not. ]

... Probably should have just phrased it better.

[Shoka draws her hands back under her shroud, repeating,] My bad, okay?

[She looks at him as she says that, then away again with another sigh.]

I get it. This place does have its own share of magic BS. Just wish... I had any idea how to start trying... [There's a wry, hollow sort of humor in her voice when she adds,] Not like I can pull off a true love's kiss or whatever. Gross.

[Even if she was desperate enough, she doesn't even have lips.]

[ There's a moment of frustration before he finally lets it go. Of all the things they could argue about, pinning whose bad it really was didn't seem worth it. They're both just trying to figure it out, in their own way, whatever that means.

His eyes catch her just as she looks away. Briefly, his frown deepens, but he slowly tilts his head at that last part. ]

... Trust me. That cheesy shit will haunt you forever if you did. Not worth it. [ His nose scrunches in a slight sneer. ] And with how things are here? I'd figure the magic would come from true love's fist. [ Despite how cute Pokémon are, they sure love battling over... everything. ]

[She snorts.] Now that I might be able to manage...

[It's only mostly a joke. At this point, maybe she is desperate enough to try pummeling them awake.]

But I should trust you on that first point, huh? Don't tell me you're speaking from experience...

[ He's a bit surprised a joke that bad managed to land, but he's glad it did. Sometimes a weak laugh is all you have in times like these. Too bad his quickly gets cut short. ]

Wh—? Not my experience. Like I'm some sort of... Prince Charming back home.

[ He's trying to play it up, if only to hide how flustered the thought makes him. If there's anything he's known for, true love's kiss is the exact opposite. ]

Didn't think you'd make fun of an old man, Shoka.

You didn't?

[She'll make fun of anyone. Especially old men!

But she isn't right now. She's kicked him while he's down enough for one conversation.]

... Not right now, maybe. I mean, wherever you're from clearly has some fairy tale logic going on... For all I know, you could be.

(no subject)

wolfcut - 2025-11-29 21:21 (UTC) - Expand

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