bayhelpers: (Default)
Baymod Helpers ([personal profile] bayhelpers) wrote in [community profile] bottlecaplogs2026-04-15 10:03 am

APRIL 2026 EVENT LOG


⋆✩ SPRING INTO ACTION ✩⋆



Not a single flake remains from winter’s chill. Wherever the land can give purchase to new roots, flowers are beginning to bud and bloom. Leaves are filling in the depleted forest canopy, and with these refreshing signs of warmer days, spirits should be as high as the clouds themselves.

Should be is the key word here. Lingering troubles from February still loom, making it difficult for the motivation and excitement from the Starfall Festival to keep from gradually draining away. Surely not everything is dire, right?


i. PROMISES TO KEEP
FLOWER GIFT(S)


It’s a shame that those researchers from the Lum guild are still unaccounted for. The primary guilds of Bottlecap are in an absolute tizzy over the matter, with all of the higher ranking guild leaders spotted picking up slack where their exhausted superiors find themselves slipping. But while the Bay is a hive of frantic worry, things couldn’t be more different in the settlement of Death Blood Murder Skull Town - in fact, everyone who helped Lurantis with preparing Skull Town for the ludicrous winter they experienced will be called via grumpearl to drop in…

Apparently, she has a gift for them.

It’s doubtful that only those due to receive gifts are showing up of course. Perhaps Lurantis even counted on that, as when Pokemon begin to arrive she has far more than just cute presents in store. Spring season doesn’t mean everyone gets to slack off, and while things aren’t quite as pressing as when the town was first settled they still have plenty to do! Even gift recipients could find themselves recruited for one task or another, but this time they’re not getting anything spectacular.

though they won’t be leaving without some kind of repayment, courtesy of the small bounty those of the town have been making for themselves. It’s clear that over the course of the half year they’ve had, Skull Town has formed itself into a system determined to stand on their own zero-to-six legs. Where once the only major constructed buildings to be seen were the communal dwelling house, clinic, and mail shack, they’ve since expanded into additional large structures! A windmill works constantly to grind the grain now being cultivated in the many flat fields naturally present. A bridge now spans the stream that cuts through the area, leading to a cleared out training field for Pokemon to spar in. For those who haven’t taken the time to visit since before winter, it’s probably quite the shock!

PLANT-IFUL WORK⟡ Back at the start of Winter, Lurantis promised a personal reward to those who came to her aid in preparing Skull Town in response to the worrying signs of a particularly brutal winter. Now that spring is here, she’s been able to properly grow what she needs to do for just that - but these aren’t merely plants. Lurantis’ gift is personally crafted pressed flower paper, with the added bonus of small floral soaps. The paper is sturdy enough to use for crafting, not just writing, and can be made into lasting objects like paper lanterns. Each set is one of a kind, and has clearly been customized according to each recipient!

A similar gift has been prepared for those who assisted with the avalanche!

⟡ More Pokemon from the local regions have come to settle into the buildings at Skull Town, apparently interested in the relative security it brings. In exchange, aside from participating in maintaining the town, they're also willing to demonstrate personal talents; otherworldly Pokemon can take the opportunity to get a good idea of what "trade" here typically looks like! While it's not uncommon for longer-term residents of the Bay to pick up interests and skills that don't necessarily "align" with their species, given the access to a wider variety of equipment and resources, those recently from the wild rely more on personal abilities. Grass types can find tutors for more readily growing certain plants, and fire types could even learn how to hone their flames for better tempered metal!

⟡ Among the various tasks that are necessary to Skull Town at the moment, there’s something for everyone to do; the farm fields need to be prepared for planting, and the buildings need to be inspected for any weather damage in need of repair. The same can be said for the roads of course, but the biggest focus will be out in those fields - Lurantis wants them to be neat and organized!

⟡ With all of this happening, one might wonder what ever happened to Ribombee’s plan for the forest burn-off. Hadn’t everyone been talking about how vital that was to keep fire risks down? Lurantis explains that despite Ribombee gathering the necessary Pokemon and resources, the woods have proven alarmingly resistant to the usual methods. One would hope this means that the wood's fire resistance will hold as summer approaches of course, but the Cheris are looking just a little more anxious and stressed as time goes on through the month - to say nothing of poor Ribombee himself!

ii. SIGNS OF THE TIMES
ROLLING UP FROM THE SOUTH

Every year, Pokemon of certain species engage in migration. Where others get sleepy, or tuck in for a long hibernation, these Pokemon prefer to just get out of town until the weather is more comfortable.

The region of Bottlecap Bay is not part of the common migration routes, but it's also not out of the way enough to find migrating Pokemon remarkable. Locals and otherworlders alike would have spotted the occasional Swanna flying south last year, or a Seel out in the bay making their round trip of the seas, but it previously would only spark as much notice as a rainy day in spring.

This year is different.

This year, the Pokemon are everywhere. It begins at first with the birds: Flying Pokemon of all kinds shed their feathers as they pass overhead, and it’s the first warning that anyone in Skull Town has before there are suddenly Pokemon canvasing the ground just as much as the feathers themselves. The rooftops, fields, river - anywhere that they can fit, they’re flooding in and fast.

To the Pokemon’s defense, they don’t intend to stay; typically when they land here through the spring they file out in a reasonable order, so much so that it’s easy to forget the field acts as a landing pad for any migrations at all! But the recent weather phenomena really messed up their timing and flight paths…and unfortunately that also means not all of them can immediately head for their usual waters.

The main town at Bottlecap Bay isn’t immune to these sudden swarms either; while less of a hot spot for Flying types on their seasonal loop, there are the occasional Water types passing through…and whatever it was which created such hassle for the air has done the same to the seas! One by one, soon to become ten by ten, Spheal and Seel begin to gather at the beaches alongside Pokemon like Carracosta seeking a place for a seasonal nest. The crowded conditions are creating quite the stir down there, and it’s soon clear that without intervention, some fights are going to be breaking out!

MIGRA-TATED CONFUSION⟡ Pokemon migration is common, and player characters present for some time can have noticed it in the past - but as the native Pokemon who have lived here for years can confirm, it’s never been this crowded! As noted, it seems the weather this past winter really messed them all up.

⟡ The various Pokemon who took part in the migration will confirm this theory if asked; the pinniped Pokemon of the seas remark that due to the extended cold, the currents have shifted into something so unfamiliar and treacherous that they simply had to change routes en-masse to stay safe. Meanwhile, the flying travelers comment that there was ‘bad wind’ farther south. What ‘bad wind’ means is anyone’s guess though.

⟡ While the Pokemon don’t need housing, they certainly need space! Local Carracosta are more than irritated about this encroachment on their usual nesting sites (that’s a private process you know!), and requests to help settle disputes soon begin to flood the Quest Board. Once they are appeased however, Pokemon are in for a potential treat as they hear stories about just what the world is like in the central seas…or even what the seas are like at all, if one is a Pokemon ill suited to that domain.


SPOILS OF LABOR


While the aquatic journeyers have little to offer material-wise - anything they can fish up can be retrieved by locals just as easily - the veritable cloud of feathers from the flocks near Skull Town are a more tangible side effect of this recent invasion.

Well. More tangible than the Pokemon themselves, of course!

While none of the Swanna have been dropping anything like the skill feathers one might have occasionally found in the nearby woods, their feathers are an incredibly downy and soft material - pillows and bedding stuffed with these are something of a luxury, making their shed feathers a hot commodity!

More Pokemon than just Swanna came flying in from the sky however, and it’s largely these feathers that characters will likely be finding. A feather is a feather though, which means that there’s use in anything from stuffing to decoration to even tool creation on the table…and Lurantis is not one to look a gift Horsea in the mouth! (How would that even work!)

As soon as the various birds have been settled - either in their trek off to their actual destinations, or temporarily in beds at the communal building - the town sets to work. A call to gather as many feathers as possible is made, and stations to help clean and prepare said feathers for crafting are quick to follow. It’s more complicated than just washing them in water; these feathers have to be cleaned multiple times, dried, and even steamed before they’re appropriate for use!

Well, unless you just plan on making a necklace or something of course. Then you can have at it.

FEATHER IN YOUR CAPAll of the feathers available in this event are mundane - that is, they can’t be used to boost anyone’s stats or skills in the slightest! That said, these feathers come not only from Pokemon like Swanna, but also others such as Farfetch’d, Unfezant, Bombirdier, and even Talonflame!

⟡ As varied as Pokemon are, so too are the things that can be crafted with their feathers. The obvious examples involve using the down in bedding and pillows, but feathers can also be used for certain resistant accessories - nothing that would help in a fight, but perhaps with enough feathers you can have a nice rain cloak…or even a cloak that helps you stay cool in the summer heat!

⟡ Players are free to come up with any number of ways to craft feathers into fun accessories and knick-nacks. The majority of the collected feathers will be used toward Skull Town’s own supply, but player characters are welcome to keep and use enough to make themselves one item each! (Or several quill pens.)

iii. DISTANT DISASTER
OUT OF SIGHT…


For the Pokemon aware of but not participating in the plan to rescue the missing Lum researchers, the first sign of something going wrong is an uproar at the Archives. It may take some time to get more information, though, with everyone busy handling... whatever it is that happened. Unless, perhaps, you're in grumpearl contact with one of the teams that was going on the expedition?

Depending on who someone tries to reach out to, you'll either get no response at all... or you'll be informed that the first group of Pokemon teams that was teleported out has vanished. To somewhere unknown, that is! They haven't shown up where Chimecho was waiting for them! Needless to say, there won't be any more teleporting going on today.

Polteageist was already supervising at the Archives, but the other guild leaders are rapidly summoned. For once even the usually even-tempered Mightyena seems very agitated, but she and Ribombee take turns keeping each other on track. For their part, Polteageist steadfastly defends their teleportation specialists to the other two guild leaders, but behind the scenes their questioning is very thorough and intense. A retrieval for a single team of Pokemon should absolutely not be shaping up into a rescue mission for multiple teams of Pokemon at once!

The guild leaders pull together to form a plan, though. Once the teleportation specialists report back apologetically that they're working on tracking where each team could have ended up, the remaining expedition teams are reassigned to retrieve the missing ones - on foot, this time.

For the moment, Polteageist refuses to accept any additional teams; after all, the ones that signed up were the ones prepared to go into unknown terrain, and that seems to be what's going to happen regardless! But that doesn't mean there's no way for others to help. Pokemon loitering near the Archives may be roped into retrieving supplies and otherwise readying the remaining expedition teams. It seems as though the expeditionaries are expected to be gone for multiple days this time, once they do set out...

Or perhaps you could just keep the remaining expedition teams company? Some of them may be a bit rattled, or winding themselves up anxiously over having to wait to head out.

...ON OUR MINDS⟡ Attempting to contact missing teams over the grumpearls will get no response. Or - hang on, sometimes, a single word or burst of emotion seems to get through? Is that really from your missing friends, though? And are they getting anything like that from your attempts at contact too? There's nothing to do but keep trying…

⟡ Once the remaining expedition teams set out, contact with them also gets spotty, and eventually ceases in the same way.

⟡ While they're too busy beforehand, after the last expedition teams set out the Lum teleportation specialists can be questioned on what went wrong! When asked, Raichu shamefacedly confesses that while they tested teleportation with a wide variety of Pokemon species and types, they didn't realize that there might be something different about the otherworlders, who they've mostly come to think of as just like any other Pokemon. And with how busy the otherworlders are, so many of them constantly running all over on various quests, they never happened to test with one!

⟡ That's his current theory, anyway… it's either that or their testing sample size of Pokemon was still too small.


✩ OOC NOTES.
CWS: Mentions of extreme weather, missing persons.

⟡ While all Light Quests must be submitted by the 25th of the month, Players may submit their own Player Quests at any time before that point! (Though we recommend saving Player Quests for the next month if it is after the 20th.)

⟡ 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
edgewater: parvati giving a toothy, lop-sided smile (^-^)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-02 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mornin'!"

Parvati's an early riser by habit. Years of gruellingly long workdays don't get rinsed out of you overnight, even with her months aboard the ship and in the Bay. Usually she just stays home, makes some breakfast. Simple meals that she's certain aren't as good as Perrin tells her they are. But today she actually has stuff to do. "Running some errands, figured I'd get out early so I can get first choice of berries in a bit."

The shops aren't open yet, but she needs to stock up for the month ahead.
sharpjustice: (drawin')

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-03 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Before you head off, could you have a look at this?" Mayaka asks, holding the parchment out with both claws so that Parvati can read what she's written on it.

In semi-cursive writing, Mayaka has neatly written out her request about collecting sweets reviews from around the Bay. She's underlined the requirements, such as needing to give the dishes submitted a rating out of five stars.

She's embellished the piece of parchment with an intricate border pattern, and simplified drawings of desserts such as cakes and puddings.

"I'm putting this up on the board later. Does it read okay?"
edgewater: an illustration of parvati smiling at something off-camera (soft smile)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-03 09:24 am (UTC)(link)
Parvati gingerly takes the paper out of her claws. Wow. Her handwriting is real fancy. The kind she only ever saw once in a blue moon, in fleeting glances on Reed's desk. Almost everything was done on computers, back home, so the fact that everything is written by hand is still a very novel concept to her. She nods, combing over it with her eyes and admiring the little details. It looks almost like one of the fancy posters she saw all of the time back home.

"Wow, this is lovely," she replies after taking a few minutes to really take it in, "oh! And I think it reads all right. Gets your point across well."
sharpjustice: (blush)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-03 09:45 am (UTC)(link)
Mayaka tries not to smile too widely when she hears Parvati's words.

"Okay! That's good, then."

After Parvati returns the quest posting to her, Mayaka will stand in front of the board and figure out where's the best place to pin it up. Though, with her height, she's limited to the lower third of the board. She continues speaking as she ponders on this.

"After I get the food reviews, I'm going to compile them all together and share them with everyone. Kind of like how I put my club's anthology together every year. But it'll be a pain figuring out how to distribute the reviews when there's no printer here."
edgewater: parvati looking warily at something off-camera (Wet cat)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-03 10:10 am (UTC)(link)
She places a hand on her hip as she listens to her friend speak. "You know, I've been meaning to try and work something like that out."

It's been real slow going, mostly because she's been really busy and also trying to recreate a printing press from memory. The other annoying part is the inevitable headache from Polteageist over it.

"I was talkin' about it with Laios--" ouch "--and Dolly a couple months back. I want to put it in the post office, if I can get one working."
sharpjustice: (WOW!)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-03 11:05 am (UTC)(link)
Mayaka's attention snaps to the Tinkaton immediately.

"Really? You can build one?"

Her enthusiasm wavers with the mention of the missing Boltund, but a part of Mayaka believes that he's still out there, somewhere. She stares unblinkingly at Parvati, keen interest burning in her eyes, now that she's brought it up.
edgewater: parvati being flashbanged with her eyes wide (o_o)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-03 11:23 am (UTC)(link)
"I'd like to try to."

Parvati nods, but she looks a bit... pensive about it. "I don't want to make any promises."
sharpjustice: (i'm listening)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-03 11:29 am (UTC)(link)
"Y-yeah, of course. It doesn't sound easy at all."

The feather on Mayaka's head droops a little.

"But trying is what's important, right?"
edgewater: an illustration of parvati laughing into her bandaged hand (sweat)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-03 11:39 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, of course. I want to make it so everyone can have an easy time making posters for the board, or writing letters. That sorta stuff."

She's been too busy - it's been a rough couple of months. Less rough for her than most, but still rough. Parvati still has to figure out all of the materials, and the size, and--

She can think on it later. "If I work it out, you could make your book."
sharpjustice: (huh?)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-03 11:45 am (UTC)(link)
Mayaka is a bit startled by Parvati mentioning a 'book'. She doesn't know about the manga, right? She can't possibly be referring to that. She must be talking about the reviews.

"Oh, the food reviews won't be enough to make a book. It'll be a thin pamphlet, I think."

She fights the urge to ask Parvati if printing pictures on the press would be possible., She doesn't want to give the Tinkaton more stressful stuff to think about now. Even something that could print letters already sounds impressive -- beyond what Mayaka thought would be possible here.
edgewater: an illustration of parvati blushing and glancing off-camera (more talking??)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-03 12:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, you sure? Maybe you could get enough to compile 'em into an annual or something at the end of the year." Nothing wrong with a thin pamphlet, but she supposes book binding would be a pain. "Six binds their own books, see. I made them the book press, I figured it can't be so different in practice."

She pauses. "I just want folks to have an easier time doing things -- I think it'll be good for the community."

That's what she cares about. She's just worried Polteageist'll catch wind and want it for themself. She holds no obligation to listen to them, she knows that, but with how they get she can't help but worry.
sharpjustice: (thinking)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-03 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, there's an idea. Perhaps she can work on a longer anthology collecting the reviews of various things around the Bay.

"Maybe I can work on a guide of some sort. Since we always have new arrivals every few months. It might help them figure out stuff that the guild leaders don't usually talk about during orientations."

Like where to get the best dessert -- very essential information!

"Anyway, I want to support you Parvati-chan! Just let me know if there's anything I can do, alright?"
edgewater: parvati looking at the camera nervously (nervous)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-03 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Honestly, Parvati's surprised nobody's done that already. Verbal instructions can only do much for some people, and she'd quite like to compile an engineering manual to help train other Pokemon into her workflow. Laios had wanted to read that, though... ugh.

"I'll have to do a lot of tests." Tests she'll need help with-- "Do you have any paper on you?"
sharpjustice: (Default)

aslkdjlkal;k the contrast between mayaka's sweets guide and parvati's workflow document HELP

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-03 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Mayaka had placed her satchel behind the quest board, and she now ducks behind to grab the sketchbook in the bag.

When she flips it open, and Parvati will see various sketches (of what appear to be Siffrin), before Mayaka arrives at a blank page she can tear out and hand over to the Tinkaton.

"What do you need it for?"
edgewater: an illustration of parvati smiling at something off-camera (soft smile)

there are two kinds of pokemon in this world

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-03 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"Thanks! I think I'll put a request of my own up. I can't keep putting it off forever."

She produces a worn-down pencil from one of the many pockets on her belt, bending to the floor to scribble down her quest. "I've gotta get it done ASAP if you wanna print your pamphlets, right?"
sharpjustice: (Default)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-04 12:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Mayaka stands next to Parvati, peering over the Tinkaton's shoulder to see what she's writing on the paper.

"It'd be nice to be able to share the reviews with everyone. But don't work too hard on it, alright? Remember to take breaks in between."
Edited 2026-05-04 12:36 (UTC)
edgewater: parvati looking at the camera neutrally (Bwuh)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-04 02:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Everyone sure loves to tell her that. It's not as though work-life balance is a new concept to her anymore, but still.

"That's what the help is for."
sharpjustice: (heh)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-04 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Mayaka's managed to read what Parvati has written out, and is already starting to form ideas of the kinds of stamps she can carve to contribute.

"I'll let others know about this when I see them too!"

Because of their height difference, Mayaka will end up posting her own request directly underneath Parvati's on the board.
edgewater: an illustration of parvati smiling at something off-camera (soft smile)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-04 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"...thanks."

Parvati steps back to admire their handiwork. "You reckon it'll work out?"

At least they'll catch the eye - a boon considering the quests are related. Best case scenario, they attract the same people.
sharpjustice: (thinking)

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-05 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
She cups her chin with one claw.

"Lots of people like sweets, and having a way to print messages sounds really convenient. I think we'll get plenty of responses."

The Sneasel tilts her head as a new thought, or rather, connection, forms in her mind: "Hey, this is kind of what we talked about, right? Working on a project together."

Mayaka laughs at the realisation.
edgewater: an illustration of parvati laughing into her bandaged hand (Default)

[personal profile] edgewater 2026-05-05 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Parvati blinks. Huh!

"So it is! Ain't that funny." She wasn't expecting to stumble onto this quite so soon, with everything going on. "You know, I'd be happy to show you the ropes of putting this stuff together once I get it all worked out."

She's offered that before, she remembers that, but still. Never bad to renew an offer.
sharpjustice: (Default)

wrap?

[personal profile] sharpjustice 2026-05-06 01:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Mayaka nods with sincere interest.

"Count me in, Parvati-chan!"

Maybe if she learns how it works, she can figure out how to make art prints.