bottlecaplogs | AUGUST 2025 EVENT LOG

Entry tags:

!event

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!

FULL NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hm. Are they, now? If you had those... "poke balls" as you've mentioned, to hide them away during a time of weakness, in a sort of... pocket dimension? It sounds like it wouldn't make them sturdier, just give the illusion of it. Not if they had to experience things all the time, like weather or inconvenience.

[ She can appreciate the strategy of it, but it's still weird to her. And then taking different types of Pokemon and different types of Digimon... really no good way to tell what was stronger depending on where they were in their evolution. And her own unique set of circumstances which she was definitely not talking about.

... though speaking of that, somehow the topic had come back around to her again, at least currently. She's quiet for a moment, debating. She doesn't particularly like talking about her own weaknesses, but she hasn't been able to completely hide them, either. Still, she tries to keep her tone light when talking about it. See, she's fine. ]

As for my adjustment, my weaknesses aren't too physical, so I can manage. Unfortunately, I seem to have acquired a particular sense for... perceiving emotions and they can be quite vivid, at times.

Oh, those have only been around a year or so! And wild Pokemon certainly would not have them!

[ Ingo's not sure wild Pokemon would change like that in response to Pokeballs! Though, maybe domestically bred lines could...? Emmet would know. ]

Ah! That is unfortunate! I have found the Pearls overwhelming, at times, but those can be turned off! Is it difficult to be around so many people as this? [ He feels like he should try to calm down himself, but he already feels calm? Can he be calmer? ]

Mmm, I have gotten the impression that other Pokémon of this species would make it a point to be as far away as possible from any of this...

[ Clearly that means she's doing great so far! ...Aside from randomly collapsing when someone with too much going on reaches her radius. Luckily, Ingo has seemed like one of the calmer sorts to be around, maybe with that undercurrent here and there, hence why she keeps approaching him. That little spike of something, though... ]

Ehh - you're -- tolerable, in this regard, so you don't have to worry too much. It helps when I have specific people I can focus on, to work on filtering out the rest~ unless there's something unavoidable, of course.

Ah! Very well!

[ Stop worrying about being calm enough? Easier said than done, maybe, but he certainly sees the irony. Ingo tries not to think about it. ]

Perhaps if you evolve, you will have an easier time of it. Some Pokemon are like that - they need time and experience to get a better handle on certain abilities!

[ "Don't think about it", practically her motto, an all in one problem resolver. Anxiety just - crackles with unnecessary vibrations. ]

Evolution does have benefits, but may not also be a guarantee. If I don't have a backup plan, it'll just be more annoying the worse it gets...

That is true...

[ Ingo frowns at nothing for a moment, then goes on carefully. This is something he's thought about before, but he hasn't really floated the idea to anyone yet. ]

It seems strange to me that none of us have evolved yet. Certainly, some of us could not, or could not do so easily, but...there are people who I'm sure ought to have evolved by now under normal conditions!

Under "normal" conditions, hmm...

[ She hadn't too thoroughly considered the aspects of Pokemon evolution or how it might differ, so she couldn't help be curious. ]

What ordinarily would be considered normal? We've already seen differences to what might be expected...

[ Like herself and Guilmon, but of course she hasn't been too forthcoming on what she views as a potential similarity in that variation, for Reasons. ]

Well - are you familiar with Akechi?

[ Feels weird to talk about him if she isn't, but he's the most obvious example to Ingo's mind. ]

He is a Rookidee, a species that evolves through gaining more experience in battle! It is the base form, so it does not generally take a great deal! Akechi goes on quite a lot of missions as well, and I have seen him fight - he has certainly gained skill! Yet, he remains unevolved. A Pokemon can choose to suppress their own evolutions, but I do not believe he would have done so - or, at least, I think he would have said something if he felt such a change coming on!

It is not necessarily a problem. Some Pokemon choose never to evolve! But it does strike me as odd...

Oh?

[ ... This is important serious news the way Ingo is delivering it, but unfortunately, she also finds it quite amusing as she is familiar with Akechi and his insatiable curiosity and obvious determination. She is trying to hide the amusement, at least, given the greater implications involved, this would affect her too. Right, something constructive... ]

I can see how that would prove to be very strange in those circumstances. I know who Akechi-san is... he does seem like the type who would do anything to advance if he could. Maybe it's just because we are from different worlds that it doesn't work in the expected way...? So it could need some kind of trigger...

That may be so! But I'm afraid I could not guess what it is! Maybe some sort of unique stone - that is a common evolution method. Yet, common enough that I am not sure it would hold, for those such as us...

[ Plenty of ordinary Pokemon do that, after all. If they're different for being off-worlders, and not originally Pokemon at all, why should they hold to such things? ]

It may be that we are not capable of it at all! But that seems unfortunate for those who would like to!

[ Like Akechi! Ingo's pretty sure he'd rather be bigger! ]

Well, maybe if what happened to Guilmon and myself is anything to go by, maybe the evolution will be to change forms instead of what's expected instead?

[ Which would probably be alarming for everyone involved, but at least it wouldn't be completely unheard of, just... weird. ]

I suppose that isn't so different from some evolutions...simply very unexpected!

[ Ingo imagines that, say, Silcoon to Beautifly is quite an adjustment! But at least they know that's what it'll be! ]

Right? And... you didn't mention yourself as a possible candidate for evolution, you know. You're going to have to get used to expecting the unexpected, or you'll have a bad time if something else happens.

[ Just... helpful advice? She does want him to be able to keep calm, after all. ]

I suppose that is true! I ought not to be capable of it - Typhlosion is the endpoint for that line! But, maybe I will become something else one day.

[ That...well, Ingo's not exactly sure he'd say he likes being a Typhlosion, but he's become accustomed to it. He's not sure he wants another change. ]

...is it difficult to adjust? Outside of the...emotions?

Mn...

[ She struggles with these more personal questions, caught in her own trappings of not liking to be too open about her issues but at the same time, there's really no reason to hide... much. ]

I'd rather push myself to get over it than worry about what makes it difficult, besides being... different. Though, the pain lasted a little longer this time, so it was more annoying in that way, too...

Oh! I am sorry to hear that! I had not thought it would happen again - I suppose it is about changing form, not being brought to this world.

And not just form, but our capabilities, mental and physical. Just, that constant reminder of how fragile we are physically, despite our potential for power...

[ Is she bitter? Carrying some sort of concern, perhaps? Probably. No wonder she has such a secret preference for sweet foods. ]

Anyway, don't worry about it!

......right. Of course.

[ A bit doubtful! That was a wild thing to say! ]

Well - I am glad that you are doing well, at least! That incident with the forest was certainly alarming.

[ She'd be more annoyed if she weren't trying to be so casual about her situation, the amount of it she's processed and the amount she's choosing not to deal with, it's easier that way.

... He still seems doubtful, so she'll-- carefully part with more information in the hope that eases off any of that anxiety. ]

Mn, I was even invited to the Cheri berry guild, so that's all settled too.

Oh, how lovely! I have been to the Cheri base once or twice - the trees are far more navigable than I expected they would be!

[ There's plenty of Pokemon that can climb trees perfectly well, of course, but Typhlosion generally isn't one. Archnemon...well, if she's psychic, she can probably manage. Psychics tend to get where they want to go! ]

[ One might say, psychics just have to put their mind to it and figure it out --? Archnemon's started to come around to that concept, even if the other form felt more natural at the time... ]

I admit, I didn't have too much time to experience most of it before we all came out here on the Expedition, but it seemed reasonable enough to me at the time.

[ She's also used to all manner of hideouts, so being under open sky isn't exactly something she is offended by. Though, she may have convinced Guilmon to put up a roof for his own behalf... ]

Though, I hope that offer for soup visiting still stands...?

[ Archnemon, that was months ago... ]

Oh, of course!

[ ...... ]

Well. Provided I could get it up into the canopy. [ They must have a lift or something for things like that, right? ]

Or if possible, I would have to visit your location, right? Otherwise you might be expected to bring enough for the entire guild, if I understand how it all works there~

[ No general mess hall, but very clear rationing mentality... so she doesn't mind knowing she has other potential options. Even if the potential cluster of emotions is likely less desirable, but... what the leader doesn't know won't hurt him- ]

Oh, dear, is that so?

[ He hasn't spent enough time in the Cheri base to know much about how they handle meals! But he doesn't think there's any similar expectation in the Oran guild. There's food right there in the mess hall - why fuss over someone else having a private meal with a friend? ]

Well, you are certainly welcome to visit! The climb down the cliffs can take some getting used to, but if you can handle the canopy then I am sure it will be no significant obstacle!

[ Granted she also hadn't considered the issue of the cliffs but surely it would be fine. See, the inconvenience would only be to herself, but it would be like working for the "reward".

Such a "healthy" mindset- ]

I'll manage. Although, I wonder if it would be safe enough for Guilmon...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject