HOENNWEEN: AFTERMATH LOG

[these_balls]

Who: Hoennween Plot Participants!
Where: Tohjo Falls!
When: Friday, October 31
Summary: The bosses are defeated, the strife is over, the apocalypse has been averted. But things are still a bit of a disaster and some benign faces are arriving, so this is your chance to wind down, rest up, commiserate with others over everything that transpired, and breathe a little in general before it's time to go home again.
Rating: PG-13 in general; please mark threads that go higher accordingly!
Log:



YOU ARE HERE. IT LOOKS A LITTLE APOCALYPTIC. BUT THESE GUYS ARE HERE, AND SO IS THIS GUY.

NOW GO LEARN THE MAGIC OF YARN.

KEY:

• The GRAY, GREEN, and BLUE areas remain as they have all plot; these are the mountains, forest, and lake areas (respectively) that are now devoid of Team Aqua and Magma Grunts and currently form the natural boundaries of the map area you're in!

• The BROWN rectangle in the center of the map is still the Elite Four's Resort; because you did so well at fighting off the bosses and their legendaries, it escaped the conflict with minimal damage. For this log, that means it will also still be available to you as a bonus area map!

• The PINK triangle represents Shauna and Sina's private jet (or, well, someone's private jet, anyway), in which they just arrived from Kalos! Also, it sounds like they've got some kind of goodies for you in there, so you might want to stop by and have a chat with them to see what that's all about.

• RED stars on either sides of the map are approximate locations where you are most likely to be able to find and approach Arceus! Note that it can be sighted pretty much anywhere on the map as it walks around restoring things to some semblance of normal, but if you intend to approach it directly, it should be in one of these two areas. Attempting to catch or battle Arceus will result in a character immediately whiting out and being booted to the Blackthorn City Pokemon Center, and thereby suspended from participation in the remainder of the event.

A FEW OTHER SETTING NOTES:

• The Gen VI Pokemon that assisted you in the battle are still around somewhat, but they're largely leaving the area to head back down into the Johto/Kanto regions proper; they made good on the summons from their creator and have received its profound thanks for it, and now it's time to get back to the areas they've picked as their new habitats from here on out.

• FOR CHARACTERS WHO USED A HONEDGE LIKE A WEAPON DURING BATTLE:
This is also where we are asking you to experience some IC consequences! Namely, in exchange for picking up your Pokemon and rather unceremoniously winging it around by the head during battle, Arceus will be returning the favor by winging you around by the head a little at some point during the log! You're welcome to handwave this as you see fit, but we ask that you please accept this as the consequence of your choices!

• On a related note, if your character has mistreated one of their Pokemon lately and you would like them to suffer a llamagod-delivered consequence for it (for the purposes of development or what have you), feel free to let us know and we'll work something out with you!

• There is no restriction on how many of the NPCs you may talk to; feel free to interact with any and all of them!

• Maxie and Archie are not available on this log; they are, however, going to be taken into Shauna and Sina's custody and presumably deported back to Kalos to receive justice for...something or other, assuredly.

• You are welcome to thread out scenes occuring at any time during the aftermath events — waking up in the morning to Arceus, spotting Shauna and Sina arriving around noon, and experiencing the Sylveon Swarm in the afternoon are all fair game!

• At the end of the day you will be getting home the same way you initially came: via an Arceus-opened portal that will take you back to the location you left, with its thanks!

• EDIT: It's been brought to our attention that this was somewhat unclear — yes, you may make your own top-levels on this log! It is not solely for interacting with the NPCs, so please feel free to tag around and interact with others as you like!

QUICK LINKS

EVENT LINKS MASTERPOST | AFTERMATH LOG INFOPOST | QUESTIONS FOR MODS

☆ THREAD WITH ARCEUS ☆ THREAD WITH SHAUNA ☆ THREAD WITH SINA ☆

Comments

OPEN NPC INTERACTION: ARCEUS

[legendarybeasts]

[There is still much to be done.

It's good that these children, the strange ones and the Pokemon alike, were able to prevent the impending cataclysm that the meeting of Groudon and Kyogre promised to create. Destruction inevitably followed when those two legendaries came head to head, and under the command of the grudge-matching humans with their supporters, they became even more so. Save for the intervention of those who answered the call for aid...

Well. There is really no telling what may have happened. What matters is that in the end, it did not come to pass.

Majestic and solemn, Arceus will leave them to their recovery for now. They have fought bravely and nobly for a land that, unlike the Pokemon, is not inherently their own. They have earned their rest; their work is done. The time for Arceus's own work has begun, and it has set about doing precisely that, and will do so for the duration of the day.

There is a certain beauty and peace in restoring that which was destroyed; the grass grows, the rocks lose their scorched color. The air grows cool and sweet; the broken pieces begin to come back together.

But even as it works, Arceus is always aware of its surroundings, and should one of those valiant ones approach, it will almost certainly pause in its work to look up and greet its arrival with an impassive, silent gaze.]

[solas_ion]

Hey!

[Today wasn't the first time Lancer mouthed off to a god, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Beside him, Tyrfing pressed a paw to his face. Why are you doing this.]

Are you the one that called us all here in the first place?!

[fatalissimo]

[...Nonon really isn't sure what she thinks of this.

She hasn't been in Johto long enough to have spent much time studying the Legendaries, and if anything maybe she's been avoiding it; it's all mythological bullshit, it doesn't really matter in the end, and it's got nothing to do with her. After all, since she's got here she's been a bored kid on the internet, a little girl who works in a bakery, and she's actually come to sort of like it that way.

Maybe she's been wrong in how she's going about it, though. Maybe. If things like this can happen...it's no better than back home. No safer. Is it?

She's got no idea what that massive...thing is over there, tending to the land; obviously it's a Pokémon, but it's not one she knows or recognizes. It might be a god; it might just be the designated Zamboni of the world, who knows.

That said, she'll approach it eventually, though her approach is cautious; she doesn't have her Pokémon out, though – this doesn't seem like a battle, and she doesn't want it to be interpreted as one.]

Hey.

[It's kind of an informal greeting, as talking to gods goes, but it'll have to work.]

Were you the one doing the...

[She trails off a bit before tapping the side of her head with her fingers.]

Are you the one we've been hearing?

[islandshore]

[It's a lot to take in. When he saw those beams flying towards the center of the battlefield, he thought it was gonna end, but no. Here they are, and bit by bit, everything seems to be getting a bit better.

When he awakens, Riku finds that Flare has returned to his normal appearance. They're both still in one piece, and the fighting has stopped.

Still, far be it from Riku to sit around in the aftermath of a crisis, thus, before long, he and his team of Pokémon begin surveying the area, starting with the lake.

And it's there that they spot Arceus, big, imposing, and a species he's never seen before. While he doesn't make any sudden moves to attack, he spends a few moments watching closely before making his approach.]

Who are you?

[It's a simple question. He has a nagging suspicion this might be the strange ball of light from before, but one can never be too sure.]

[in_praetego]

[ He was always an early riser. Call it a force of habit. Even when you aren't aware as to what time it is, you always end up waking up at the same time and so is the case for Yukio at that moment. He'd gotten up like he usually did, let his team out from their balls to allow them to roam about in order to get some exercise... and even Yukio has to admit that having the little noibat on his shoulder feels like a small comfort.

It's when Kizamime stirs that his attention is on the figure before them. The noibat seems to shrink back and some part of him says he should too but curiosity is a much stronger creature.

Exorcists deal with spirits all the time. He's gone on missions with his father, seen powerful beings both evil and benign, seen his father negotiate with lesser gods so this... an encounter with something akin to a god in this world and on his own, too is a first for him.

Part of him wonders if he should call Rin but... it's just a fleeting moment. He can't help himself. So Yukio approaches, keeping a respectful distance from the pokemon-god. ]

You're... [ And a pause to recall his name from what he'd read during the Prom. ] Arceus, aren't you?

[armoredsoul]

[This whole week had been a nightmare. First the Pokemon swarming away, then the earthquakes, crystals everywhere, and then...this whole battle. It was absolutely, completely insane, and quite frankly Al was completely worn out by it all.]

[He'd finally found his wayward Pokemon early that morning, actually curled up beside him when he woke. He'd spent several hours hugging, petting, and coddling them both, so glad they were safe...it was nothing short of a miracle. And now they padded along beside him as he walked towards the white creature--was it a Pokemon? Could beings of that power even be called one?--that paced around the battlefield, healing the damage wrought. He wasn't even completely sure if he should approach it, especially with the way Trisha and Avaro were acting around it. But...he had to ask it something, he needed to know.]

I...ah, I'm sorry but...

[Alphonse swallows, glancing around nervously before meeting the creature's eyes.]

Were you...you were the one that called us here, right? The one that...put the voices in our minds?

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy has been keeping an eye on the unfamiliar Pokemon since it showed up, watching as it restored the plain. It's only later that he finally decides to go over to it. His Tyranitar follows behind him, and Envy doesn't miss how Chimera looks practically reverent instead of his normal outgoing friendliness.]

[This Pokemon has a sense of something truly powerful about it; if Envy was going to compare it to anything, it would be to standing before the Gate. So he's a little on edge as he gets closer. He crosses his arms almost defensively and frowns when he gets close enough to speak.]

[If he didn't already know that Pokemon generally understood human speech, he'd feel a bit silly talking to this one. There's a lot he could ask, but he finally settles on:]

You kept us all from getting wiped out in that blast, didn't you? And you brought us here.

[cawsforalarm]

[Henry's never been a particularly religious person. Oh, he was a member of the cult of Grima by virtue of being a Plegian citizen, but he never really cared. Eventually, he learned that Grima wasn't even a god at all, just an extremely powerful dragon who humans assumed to be one. After that reveal, he honestly stopped caring, and it wasn't a problem at all.]

[This... this, though.]

[This is a god.]

[So like an idiot, Henry approaches. He's only got one Pokémon on his shoulder this time, a Vulpix; she was the only one out of his team of four who didn't want to be hiding in a Pokéball when they approached Arceus. They were nervous around it, though not out of fear -- out of reverence.]

Hey. Um... 'scuse me.

[There's an awkward pause, in which Henry realizes he has no idea how to talk to a llama god.]

I guess you... called us all here, right? To stop Magma and Aqua? [Somehow, "the people in the dumb outfits" doesn't seem like an appropriate thing to say right now.] Um, that's fine and all, I don't mind helping, but... couldn't you have just asked?

Like, did you need to... use other people's voices... and stuff?

[ossifragant]

[Whatever it is, Greed knows it must have been what protected them. He supposes for that, it deserves thanks. He's not going to say it, not right away anyway, because he has another question first.]

You were the one who called us here, right?

[No, he's not bitter. That's your imagination.

...Okay, he's super bitter. Why, why did it have to be Martel's voice that brought him here? Why couldn't it have been the voice of some random woman?]

...and you protected us from that blast, too.

[sincereheart]

[ Okay. So there's a... thing hanging out here. It's a big thing, and it's... fixing the world? Something like that. It's making a whole lot of plants grow, anyway. Which Palmon would approve of. And her Pokémon have been very excited about this thing since they woke up, talking in hushed whispers, chitters, and mewls among themselves. Mimi figures it might be kind of important.

So she sits by the lake, idly swinging her feet and watching as the thing works its magic. Sometimes people come up to it and ask it stuff, and from their reactions, it might even be answering them back. Well, she has been curious about what it might be like to have an actual conversation with a Pokémon... one that doesn't communicate solely in haiku, anyway. Assuming the thing is a Pokémon, of course.

So when it comes her way and Hanemaru tugs on her arm, she thinks, well, is she ever going to get another chance? And so she gets up and walks toward it, realizing that her Pokémon are hanging back a bit. Is it that scary? She saw some of her friends talking to it, and they didn't end up eaten or anything... as far as she saw. Well. It's kind of too late to back out now. ]

Excuse me, mister... miss...? [ HOW DO YOU EVEN TELL WITH THIS THING ] Um, my name's Mimi Tachikawa. [ And she drops into a clumsy curtsy, for once not forgetting her manners. ] What's yours?

[awesmazings]

[It's unlike Jimmy to stay back and watch silently, but in the aftermath of what just happened, he's acting a little more subdued than normal. A little. Make no mistake, here. Jimmy's still Jimmy, but even he seems to be able to tell that this isn't just any normal Pokemon. The only Pokemon he has out currently is Leader- the Manectric formerly known as Mega Rhombus- who is trying to recover himself from, well, everything that just came to pass.

...Yeah, Jimmy wanted those guys to work together and make up, not blow up Lance's house and almost bring forth the apocalypse. Needless to say, God bless Arceus.

He eventually approaches carefully with a question that Arceus has probably heard about a dozen times over by now.]

So....you're the one that called us here, aren't you? ...That voice I heard, back in Goldenrod?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[The fighting stopped. All Veronica remembered was a bright light and waking up a moment later with dirt up her nose. She'd fallen over. Fantastic.

At least all her Pokémon were still there. Ako, Baburu, and Ronin were by her side, about as worse for wear as their trainer was. It took only a moment for her to pick herself back up like she had hundreds of times before.

And... oh. Okay.

That's a big Pokémon.

She has no idea what's going on around here, or why this giant llama creature was here. But, it seemed... natural almost. She couldn't put it into words.

But hey, might as well go approach it. Her Pokémon trail behind her, seemingly awed. Worst case scenario, she gets obliterated. Wouldn't be the first time.]

Uh.... hey?

[Can't believe this is the second god she's meeting.]

[superordinary]

[ Naegi wakes up early in the sea of warm fur that is his Arcanine, and he's so relieved to see that his Pokémon are all doing okay (the baby Kangaskhan seems a little miffed over not being able to battle alongside mom and wreck shit anymore, however) and that the fighting has ceased. After praising his team for their valiant efforts yesterday, he begins to wander around to see how everyone else is doing in the aftermath of a massive battle.

When he spots the white creature as it heals Tohjo Falls, he gets the same feeling that he had when he encountered Ho-Oh back during fourth wall; its presence alone seems so incredibly powerful and it's nearly enough for Naegi to start trembling and feel compelled to bow down to it. He wonders if he even should approach it because he's just a tiny human and that's a deity, but it seems benign and he doesn't think he'll get a chance like this again.

So here's one (1) protag, still wearing the cape he borrowed from Lance's basement. It's probably a good thing he hasn't tried on the fedora he got from his Fabulous Kalos Goody Bag yet because dear god Naegi what is your fashion sense even. ]

...You're Arceus, aren't you?

[loveisanopendoor]

[Well, though they had all fought valiantly...that last bit certainly came out of the blue. Anna's gonna need a little bit to process what had just happened, before that nap of hers...Things looked like they were getting bad for a moment there, but that bright light...she didn't quite know what it was, but she knew one thing; it had definitely saved them. And that's not all; one look at her new surroundings, at just how serene everything's become...things are starting to become back to normal. It reminds her, almost, of how amazing her kingdom looked after the Great Thaw...after all the chaos that had transpired these past two days, to see how peaceful everything is...it's a welcome relief.

And she's guessing that giant alpaca-looking thing had something to do with it, because its presence...there's definitely something awe-inspiring about it, though she can't exactly put her finger on what it is. Her Pokemon have gone awfully silent in the presence of the creature, too...whatever this unfamiliar Pokemon is, it's a pretty important one. So, keeping this in mind, Anna will hesitantly approach, trying to be as respectful as possible. She wants to pet him, but she doesn't know if that's overstepping a boundary...]

Um, excuse me...but you were the one who saved us back there, didn't you?

[wing_attack]

[Tobias has experience with godlike beings. He's been saved by one more than once. He doesn't feel the need to be particularly respectful with them, but from the way Regal is acting as he approaches, he figures he'd better at least give respect a try.]

[He approaches, his Braviary watching him carefully. Rachel the Ursaring is watching, too, with somewhat more respect than she has for most. They're both more than happy to drag him back if things go bad, but neither are particularly eager to get too close.]

Um... hi. I just wanted to say... thanks. That was you that brought us to this place to stop those people, right? And who saved us at the end.

[He has a few choice words about exactly who was the voice that urged him on, but he's sure this creature has its reasons. He's not going to push his luck right now.]

[friendyousohard]

[An Alakazam and a young woman with dark purple hair are having a discussion between themselves as they approach the towering Pokemon.]

I simply ask that you be careful. Be respectful in your word choice, and do not waste the ancient one's time-

Starswirl, please. I know how to deal with beings of great power and importance. I was raised by one.

[They stop several feet from Arceus, and Twilight turns to it and inclines her head.]

Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting your work too much... I'd offer to help in return for a bit of questions, but I'm afraid neither myself nor my Pokemon would be particularly useful. So I hope you'll just be willing to indulge me. My name is Twilight Sparkle. You probably know I was one of the ones fighting to protect his place. Were you the one who brought us here, and the one who protected us from the final cataclysm that took place?

[enjoymyatelier]

[...okay, so like quite a few people, Kayneth is super peeved about the fact that Arceus used Sola-ui's voice to get him to come along --- or so he thinks, anyway. Maybe he'll get to that later, but given that his Pokemon have basically confirmed that yes, that is God and holy shit, bro, do not piss off God... so you know.

He may as well ask some questions he's been wanting an answer to for a long, long time. Grey the Reuniclus is floating by in the event that he actually needs a translator (even though he doubts it), so... time to see if he can grill the god llama for information

Best to start out polite and gentlemanly, then...]

Good morning, and thank you for your assistance back there --- really, I'm not sure what would have happened otherwise, but it's appreciated all the same.

...I understand you're busy, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind answering a question or two?

[killer_sweets]

[This world, actually prepared Killua pretty well for meeting such a being. He has met plenty of gods and goddesses, without their powers of course but he had still met them. He's also not stupid enough to mouth off to his creator of his pokemon.

It's pretty easy to see that Arceus could turn them all into dirt stains with the power it had already displayed. SO Killua decides to take the direct but hopefully polite approach.]

I don't like saying Thanks to anyone I don't know to well but thank you for not letting us die.

[He still isn't use to saying thanks to anyone let alone being he doesn't know very well. But he has to give thanks where thanks are due.]

However, since I'm pretty sure you're the one that called us her to help you out. Was it necessary to use that particular method to get use to come here.

[Arceus probably saw how enraged quite a few people were when it dropped them here. Killua is pretty sure that not including himself for once; that some people literally maimed a couple of the grunts during all this.]

[unkinder]

[Out of all of the trainers that Arceus encounters today, this one might be...one of the stranger ones, admittedly. He doesn't have any Pokemon out, and he doesn't seem very inclined to just approach and start shooting the breeze with the god of all Pokemon, as opposed to...whatever it was he was doing with Maxie yesterday. By now he's got a sneaking suspicion that this Pokemon was the reason he heard Crawford calling for him to come to this place, but he isn't going to ask about that.

In fact, he doesn't ask anything. He just stands off at a bit of a distance, watching the grand Pokemon slowly cross the earth, causing new life to spring up wherever he goes. He watches people come up to it either yelling at it, asking it asinine questions, or giving it hugs or something. It's a little bizarre, particularly since- by game standards- Arceus should have run away from all of them. Probably.

...then again, in games you can feasibly catch and own a pokemon deity, so perhaps that point doesn't even need to be brought up.

However, though Nagi is quiet and says nothing, the expression on his face is considerably tense. He's thinking and thinking hard about something, and it's clear that he has something on his mind that he may or may not want to eventually speak, but for the time being he doesn't.]

[envy_the_sinners]

[It's hearing his brother's voice a second time that causes Scar to approach the great Pokémon that seems to have just ended the battle. He watches quietly for a moment as grass regrows and earth reforms itself before speaking.]

You called us here.

[pokestars]

[ Shauna is one of the humans in the vicinity who actually knows what Pokemon this is. It helps to be an NPC born in this world...but she never really expected to have this sort of encounter. Serena's the one who runs into godpokemon in her day-to-day existence, right?

But she has only one question, even as her Sylveon follows shyly at her heels. Sina can man the booth for a minute or too. ]

Hey! Do you want to play a round of Head It? ♪

[ what else would you ask of a god

nothing ]

[soundmind]

[Did Arceus ask for another protagonist? Even if it didn't, Maka is approaching--Alakazam at her side and cautioning something that she's been thinking about a lot lately, go slow--Arceus is not to be disrespected.

She knows. Even without her sixth sense being as sensitive as it was back in her world, she can still feel the power from Arceus--the kind very similar to Lord Death. It can easily crush reality and yet out of benevolence, it doesn't. Something in her gut tells her as well, this is the voice she heard, this is what called her here.

She stops, a fair amount of distance from the Godmon--though regardless she's still looking up at him being short. Maka smiles, she doesn't know what to say, haha, this is silly.]

...Lord Arceus. [Yes, lord seems like a respectful enough title.] Thank you for helping us, I'm honored to have had the privilege to be called by you.

[Flash is very proud of his trainer for Not Fucking Up a conversation with God.]

[neededlassie]

[Shaun doesn't know what to make of this. Obviously, the pokemon making its solemn way around the edges of the property is a legendary, and obviously an even more powerful legendary than the two who had been doing battle with one another the day before.

But while Shaun is awed at the sight of the shining llamagod, he isn't...scared. Not like he was of Groudon and Kyogre.

He remembers the gentle voice in his head the night before, the warm feeling of dreamless sleep that had overtaken him (after almost a month of nightmares, worse than they usually were, of a Musharna too headachey to maintain her usual diet). But he also remembers the voice that spurred him into action, the one that brought him here. So he approaches Arceus carefully, while the god pokemon is healing the mountains to the north. The gaze that turns to him makes him stop walking, pulling up short and staring back while he collects the scattered words to try to form a question.]

Was it...you who called us here?

[dreamsofahero]

Sion had spent a lot of his time in this world chasing legendaries. Metaphorically speaking, of course. But his innate sense of curiosity coupled with a chance encounter with Raikou had ensured that, once the diversion of challenging all the gyms was finished, there was one thing in particular that continued to pique his interest. And so along with Ryner he'd researched folklore and legends in such place as Azalea and Ecruteak, traveled to Kanto to peruse the Viridian library and see the fossils on display in Pewter, even spending several weeks in an excursion to the Whirl Islands though all he found was a silver-colored feather.... So, needless to say, the chance to possibly speak with one of them face to face wasn't something Sion was about to just let pass him by.

He approached calmly, his absol starter Dusk by his side as always. Stopping at what he gauged would probably be a respectful distance--close enough to easily converse but far enough not to get in Arceus's way--Sion addressed it.

"I don't wish to disrupt your work, but would you be willingly to speak with me a bit?" he asked, reasoning that it would be simplest to approach things directly. Though for all his calm exterior and polite speech, an inner part of him was filled with a sense of anticipation.

[tearsofademon]

[Of course he knew who this was.

Ryner had only been researching the local lore for several years now. What had started as bored curiosity had turned into a full-time interest on encountering Raikou a few years back, and the excuse of "Sion is a cruel taskmaster" only lasted so long before it got to be just generally flimsy. Sure, his research had given frustratingly little information at times, but he knew enough to know who this was.

This was Arceus. Legend said this was the Pokemon equivalent of a God. Even Rose was in awe with respect for the creature.

Such opportunity doesn't come around often, but what do you say to, or ask, a God?

...Aside from the obvious, of course. Even Arceus wouldn't know why he was born with his eyes. He rules over Pokemon, not people. Hell, he probably doesn't even know what the term Alpha Stigma means.

But perhaps something similar.]

...Hey, can I ask you something?