APRIL 2025 EVENT LOG

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ SPRING FLING ✩⋆

The sun rises, and a gentle breeze blows. A day like any other arrives in Bottlecap Bay, and for many of the pokemon that so recently arrived it is a now familiar process. Members of the various guilds flock to the Quest Board, in search of tasks to better provide for the town. Others, maintaining businesses of their own within the small settlement, start to open their doors for another day of work.

There is something different about this day however, and it is a difference that defines the next number of them. There is never truly a dull moment here after all, and it’s time to get involved.

---

DONATION DRIVE

As spring fully settles into the bay, the clinic begins to advertise for additional activities on the Quest Board. A call for donors is made- but donors of what? Pokemon arriving in response to the request will find that answer to mean “anything and everything that can be given” - along with potential medical samples to help with further research into the mysterious illness, there are a great many things that can be made from shed feathers, brushed-out undercoat or trimmed horns and claws.

Or even sweat, alarming as that may seem.

Those willing will be given small interviews in which they determine what to donate, and after the process (however involved), be given a small boxed treat as compensation. And of course, they’ll record the contributions with their guild leaders too!

⟡ WHAT NOW?

Donated materials can be used for a great many things, and throughout the later half of April local businesses will be happily showing their relevant crafts off. Pokemon are invited to try their hand at sewing satchels made using Spinarak threads, spinning yarn from Stufful fur, or stuffing pillows with Ducklett down- and perhaps if they donated anything themselves, they can even make something of their own.

Literally.

---

NO “I” IN TEAM

With the need to re-evaluate the results of recent expeditions through the surrounding forest before making the move to branch out further, the leaders of the three guilds have come together with some training exercises to better pass the time. Rather than sit and wait between tasks determined by the quest board, the last weeks of April see various events hosted through the city with one goal in mind:

Team Building.

A. ⟡ SHOW-AND-TELL

As part of an effort to encourage understanding and community, the Guilds each host various meet-and-greets in their personal buildings- or in the case of the Lum Guild, the public Archives. It’s a chance for pokemon to show each other where they sleep and eat, to share a little of their lives with their fellows from other guilds.

There are also more awkward sharing activities- tossing a ball in a circle and giving a fact about oneself. Tying each other limb to limb and performing races. Or even gift exchanges with the donor crafts! Nothing says community like a present from the heart.

B. ⟡ STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT

As an extra step from simply showing what each guild room looks like, sleepovers will be encouraged through the remaining month as well. Perhaps it’s time for a repeat of the great Oran Sleep-Pile- or maybe a sequel hosting can be held in the Canopy with the Cheri Berries.

It’s a little trickier with members of the Lum Guild, with each one having their own apartment of sorts, but just ask! Surely a few friends can pile together in their Lum buddy’s house.

C. ⟡ THE GREAT ESCAPE

Polteageist is thrilled with the success of the ‘escape rooms’ from March. As such, the existing courses and challenges have been since repurposed in order to encourage pokemon to work together, improving on the initial project. Once again working in pairs, dangerous (but not lethal!) challenges await those who wish to sign up for them. As with before, there are three different rooms to choose from, and experienced rescue Pokemon will be on call the entire time. Anyone who takes longer than the allotted time will be rescued.

⟡ Ocean room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up in a small cave beneath the water, with pockets of oxygen for those who need them. Upon waking, they must work together to escape the labyrinth of caves beneath the water and make it back to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: a maze-like cave system with misleading routes, paths with less or no sunlight, strange plants that may inflict status effects, agitated or disoriented wild Pokemon, and varying water temperatures/underwater geysers. It has an hour time limit, so good luck!

⟡ Forest room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up in the center of a dense forest, with tree cover blocking most sunlight. Upon waking, they must work together to find their directions, navigate through thick brush and forest, and make it back to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: the fog, collapsed floors into cave systems, sudden steep drops, aggressive Pokemon and plants, vines, thorns, poisons and toxins. It has a two hour time limit, so good luck!

⟡ Cave room. Two Pokemon are put to sleep and wake up far beneath the city, in one of the many tunnels belonging to the mines. Upon waking, they must work together to reorient themselves and find a way out to Bottlecap Bay. Some obstacles along the way may include: unstable sections of mines leading to collapses, a vast assortment of tunnel directions leading to disorientation, extreme temperatures, lava pits, and lessening oxygen levels. It has an hour time limit, so good luck!

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OOC NOTES.

⟡ CWS: body horror, medical imagery

⟡ Though dates specified cover only the last two weeks of April, players may assume continued donation drives and crafting projects to be available through the start of May, though less frequent.

⟡ We of the Bottlecap Bay Help Team would like to extend a sincere thank-you to everyone for their patience during the transition of tasks concerning the upkeep of the game. Current events have been taking a significant toll on many, but we are hoping to finalize Exploration Quest responses within the next few days. Thank you again, and happy threading!

FULL NAVIGATION

Comments

[outbounds]

I, Emmet, can see how that would get annoying.

[ was the phrasing intentional? you bet. ]

... why are they making ten year olds be stewards anyway? When Ingo said he was young for it I did not realize that he meant that young.

[ that's on the low end of 'kids leaving home and attempting to take on a league challenge,' and that's in the modern world, far removed and much changed from the glimpses of Hisui he's been able to glean. ]

[offtracks]

Lord Kleavor must have chosen him, I suppose! That is what happened to me.

[Ingo doesn't even disagree, but it feels a little different coming from somebody outside of the Clan...]

[arceusstansme]

I know for a fact Sneasler would strangle anyone who would look at Ingo wrong. So Lian is in good axes.

[Because well, Kleavor doesn't have hands...]

[outbounds]

[ noted, the Nobles are protective of their chosen wardens. ]

... so I guess Melli must have been picked too?

[ talk about some kind of job security... ]

What if the Noble doesn't pick someone? Do they just not have a Warden, or is the position assigned to someone?

[ what if no one passes the vibe check. ]

[offtracks]

The Clan and the other Wardens will make sure that the Noble is appropriately looked after, until they make their selection! In practice, I suppose that might end up with someone in particular assigned to do it...but they would not be considered the official Warden.

[A bit of a rough job for them...]

Lady Sneasler had been without one for a little while when I met her!

[arceusstansme]

I think Electrode just has bad taste in men.

[Really Akari?]

But I really can see Sneasler being picky about who works with her.

[outbounds]

Some Pokémon definitely have a lot of personality.

[ he's never met Sneasler or even heard that much about her, but this sure is drawing some sort of picture for him.

he has several questions at this point, but first: ]

... has Sneasler ever had to try to strangle someone?

[ know for a fact, huh. ]

[offtracks]

Oh, no, she would not do that! The claws would make it very awkward!

[It's anyone's guess whether or not Ingo thinks she would do it like, spiritually!]

[arceusstansme]

I think she would find a way, trust me- she and I have talked a lot.

[By talk, it was more Akari chilling in Sneasler's basket as they climb up a cliff face and Akari talks to her. But Sneasler responds in her own, Pokemon-ish way.]

[Ok, sometimes Akari gets lonely out there! It is perfectly normal to have full on conversations with a giant cat.]

[outbounds]

So it hasn't been needed yet. Got it, got it.

[ That's clearly the takeaway here (no). Honestly, none of their many Pokémon are child friendly or all that particularly safe; Ingo would fall into the past and somehow end up getting immediately adopted by the knifecattiest of the local knifecats. ]

Do we want to get off of the street? Think I saw a nice cafe back that way.

[offtracks]

That would be lovely! Thank you, Emmet!

[Ingo's just pleased that introductions have gone well! Even if the two of them might make a team he doesn't want to deal with! Something about introducing Emmet to anyone from Hisui just feels...fraught, but maybe that was just in his head.]

[arceusstansme]

Good idea, I don't know where anything is just yet.

[She pointed out.]

Like, you would think they would give everyone a pamphlet.

[outbounds]

[ (surely those concerns are all just in Ingo's head.) ]

They prefer to write into clay here and then fire it for the records in their archives. [ a little bit permanent for things like pamphlets? ] But I think doing that much writing by hand ... paw ... claw? Would make someone want to rethink their job verrrry quickly even if it was done on paper.

[ or diagrammed out in dirt for some newbie group orientation, or something. ]

But okay. [ since he knows where it is, he'll lead the way. ] Everything's ready. Let's depart on the express line! Our destination is the cafe on south street! Full speed ahead!

[offtracks]

All aboard!

[oh man they're both like that huh]

I suppose they might use the pearls, but that is a whole other matter! Best not to overwhelm anyone...

[arceusstansme]

Wow, you both do the thing.

[She says following behind to the best of her ability.]

Did you two used to practice it or what?

[outbounds]

It is a part of the job we have? [ Had? Ingo doesn't really remember, and— well, never mind that— but he still does it, what tense works best here... ] Becomes a habit! Safety checks are important. Point and acknowledge is just one part of keeping passengers safe. Acknowledging something, declaring intent or status out loud— helps with focus, means you're paying attention.

Else you might get things like distracted conductors opening the train doors in the middle of a tunnel and not at the platform.

[ Does this actually mean anything to these two, though. ]

[offtracks]

[From the way Ingo turns to listen, it's clear that he never really got this full explanation before.]

Ah! That does seem very sensible!

[hard to say if everything about the actual train operations made sense to him though]

[arceusstansme]

[Akari takes note of that head turn, so she decides right then and there- Ingo, she will be your memory wing-woman.]

Really? You two must have been working there for, like, 50 years. Why did you two start it? Were they just invented and you thought they were cool?

[outbounds]

[




hold on a moment. ]

... how old do you think we are, exactly.

[offtracks]

[Ingo.......has nothing to offer here, actually, he would also like to know how old they are!]

[arceusstansme]

Calaba has gray hair and a hunch is 99. So because you two move faster, 72.

[Did she mean it, was she joking? Hard to tell!]

[outbounds]

Haha! Wow. If you were being serious, that would be very concerning.

[ because that's what that is, right, ha ha jokes. ]

Knock about 40 years off and then you'll be approaching the correct station.

[offtracks]

So we are 32?

[Ingo's also taking that particular estimate as a joke, but he knows that a lot of people do also genuinely think he's older than 32! He himself has never really known, though he hasn't worried much about it; out of everything he's missing, his precise age seemed a little trivial.]

[arceusstansme]

Oh wow, 32. Who would have thought, guess you're just an old soul, Ingo.

[she shrugs.]

So when did you start working with trains?

[She says as if she knows what they are (she doesn't)]

[outbounds]

[ he is going to answer it anyway because we sure are rolling with this conversational track now, why not. ]

18, when we started working part time as Depot Agents while working on our degrees.

Also. 33 actually, approaching 34. [ he said about, not exactly 40 years!! ] Ingo ... should be that plus nineteen minutes.