HOENNWEEN: INTRO CHALLENGE LOG

[these_balls]

Who: Hoennween Plot Participants!
Where: Tohjo Falls!
When: Wednesday, October 29th
Summary: You've just received a call from a mysterious voice asking you to come help save the world. This is Day One of The Rest Of Your Life™ — the introductory skirmish that will determine your field position for tomorrow and the advantages you'll have going in to the fight against Archie and Maxie.
Rating: PG-13 in general; please mark threads that go higher accordingly!
Log:



YOU ARE HERE. YOU'RE FIGHTING THESE GUYS AND ALSO POSSIBLY THESE GUYS. THEY'RE NOT HAPPY TO SEE YOU.

ETA: AND THIS IS YOUR BACKGROUND MUSIC!
KEY:

• GRAY areas in the north are a range of mountains that form a natural barrier around part of the Tohjo plain where the Elite Four's resort is located. It is both difficult and dangerous to get up into the mountains proper, but this seems to be the direction from which most of the Team Magma Grunts are entering the area.

• GREEN areas in the southeast and southwest are densely-packed forested areas interspersed by lakes and rivers that seem to be feeding into the main waterway into the area. It is both difficult and dangerous to venture into the woodlands proper, but this seems to be the direction from which most of the Team Aqua Grunts are entering the area.

• The BLUE area in the south is the massive lake that feeds the eponymous falls that give Tohjo its name. You will also find Team Aqua Grunts here taking great care to hold control of the lake, if you're interested in engaging in a water battle.

• PINK diamonds in the east and west are the sites of massive formations of Mysterious Plot Crystals™ jutting up from beneath the surface; the Grunts on both teams appear somewhat wary of these growths, so they will be keeping a reasonable distance from them while still doing their best to protect them.

• The BROWN rectangle dead-center in the map is...the Elite Four's resort. Not exactly what you might call a fortunate place to be located, but it's easy to see why this might be considered prime real estate for both teams. You're likely to find members of both Team Aqua and Team Magma hanging around here, so be cautious!

A FEW OTHER SETTING NOTES:

• As per Arceus's summon, there will be Gen VI Pokemon joining the battle on their own! You may NPC these Pokemon, within reasonable limits; you may not capture them in Pokeballs, and they are still wild so they will not take commands from characters the way a captured Pokemon would from its trainer. However, they do recognize that the portaled-in humans are fighting on roughly the same side as they are, so they won't attack player characters and might occasionally come to their aid if need be — you're free to NPC them as you like for purposes such as this.

• The aforementioned Gen VI Pokemon can be any Pokemon that swarmed during September, plus any of their evolved forms. They've had several weeks in the wild to get buff and settle in; now you can see what they've got to show for it!

• You may NPC the Team Aqua and Team Magma Grunts as you see fit; either one can be found anywhere on the map, though Team Magma will be more highly-concentrated in the northern areas of the map, and Team Aqua will be keeping more to the south.

• There is no restriction on how many Aqua and Magma Grunts you may fight.

• You may fight members of both teams on this log if you so choose; you are not required to pick just one or the other to focus on for this particular log.

• You may forego Pokemon battling entirely and simply beat up the Grunts with physical violence yourself. If you KO a Grunt, they will white out and be warped to the nearest Pokemon Center back down in the regions proper, where they will be arrested by an officer of the Kangaskhan Police.

• FOR CHARACTERS INTENDING TO USE HONEDGES LIKE WEAPONS: due to the high volume of questions we have received on this topic (it's a popular inquiry!), we want to clarify for this Pokemon in particular —

If you choose to use a Honedge as though it were a traditional sword, the most that the Honedges will allow might be slapping the grunts with the flat side of the blade. They are still opposed to attacking/killing humans, opponents or not, and if you try to stab an opponent with them, you're going to get a really obstinate ghost sword going incorporeal and ineffectively going through them. There's also the fact that you're grabbing them by the head and swinging them around — they won't like that very much.

PLEASE NOTE: if you intend to use a Honedge in this manner anyway, we may ask that you experience light IC consequences for it later in the plot! We're not barring you from getting your sword skills on with your Honedges; we're simply pointing out that there may be natural outcomes that follow from those choices.

• UPDATE: if you would like to interrogate the grunts, check here for information you can learn from them!

~

☆ THE NUMBER TO MEET OR BEAT IS 50 PARTICIPANTS ☆.

REMEMBER: IF YOUR CHARACTER DOES NOT POST TO THE INTRO CHALLENGE LOG AT LEAST ONCE
(AS A TOP-LEVEL COMMENT OR IN RESPONSE TO SOMEONE ELSE'S TOP-LEVEL COMMENT)
BEFORE 9:00 PM EST on OCTOBER 28, THEY WILL NOT COUNT TOWARD THE 50-PARTICIPANT GOAL!

~

QUICK LINKS

EVENT LINKS MASTERPOST | THE INTRO CHALLENGE INFOPOST | QUESTIONS FOR MODS | INTRO CHALLENGE PARTICIPATION CHECK-IN THREAD

Comments

[foolishwren]

<sub>[There are things that Heather regrets about the way circumstances came together today... and things that she doesn't.]

[One that falls into the former category is that she left Goldenrod City with only three Pokemon. The second half of the six Pokeballs on her belt are all empty, because she'd anticipated catching up with her three wayward runaways and needing the space to transport them home safely. Turns out having only three Pokemon on you makes it significantly harder to battle consecutive goons for hours on end.]

[... But on the other hand, something that falls into the latter category is how much time she'd spent throwing herself into riding practice over the past year and a half.]

[Because having only three Pokemon, turns out, still feels badass when you ride into battle atop the blazing back of a Rapidash.]</sub>


OH GOD! OH GOD! MAYDAY! TEAM MAGMA, ASSEMBOOF!

<sub>[Another Team Magma member bites the dust as they promptly topple backwards over a log and into a ditch of gravel and ferns, because even hardened criminals tend to back away when faced with a giant flaming horse charging straight at them, horn down.]

[Of course, getting trampled to death is a little too grim an ending for a Pokemon goon, so Carousel turns on a dime and clatters to a halt alongside the ditch rather than following the unfortunate Magma down.]

[The trainer atop her back peers smugly down at the gobsmacked thug for a moment, before pointing a challenging finger at him.]</sub>

Stay down there if you know what's good for you, buddy!

_{[Then she clicks her tongue and whistles over her shoulder.]}

C'mon, Alessa! Lead the way!

_{[A white shape darts ahead of her once more, nose to the ground, and Heather and her Rapidash plunge after it.]}

[exeggutorhead]

[After stepping through that portal, Envy hasn't had any time to go looking for the other two people he'd been traveling with. He's found Greed already, but he has no idea where Heather wound up...at least, he didn't until just now.]

[It's pretty easy to hear her coming, her and the Magma grunts she's terrifying. He sticks his head up from behind a group of boulders where he'd been planning to get another pit trap dug, and waves one arm wildly as he shouts.]

Hey, there you are!

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah, it had all been kind of... sudden.]

[She'd have taken more time to look for her two traveling buddies, but the scene they'd been spat out into had been little more than unbridled chaos. And she had yet to find her three missing Pokemon.]

[Envy's shout has her tugging Carousel into an abrupt halt-- then she spots him.]</sub>

--Envy!

_{[The Rapidash comes trotting over, skirting around the boulders to get out of sight of any Magma troops coming their way.]}

I was wondering where you went! Where's Greed?

[exeggutorhead]

Greed's around here somewhere, he found me earlier. He's been helping me out.

[Wait Heather is riding a horse around he should probably warn her.]

...hey, if you're riding your horse, watch out for any giant holes in the ground. We've been digging them to catch these morons in.

[And from the slightly manic, satisfied look he's got when he says that, it's been working.]

[ossifragant]

[And that's his cue to show up. Where Greed has been, no one knows, but it probably involved digging more traps if his expression is anything to go by.]

Heather!

[He's happy to see her, at least. That's a good thing because it means the three of them have finally caught up with each other.]

We're all together. What say we have a little fun?

[foolishwren]

<sub>[.... THANKS FOR THE WARNING, DUDE.]

[Heather grimaces, thinking of how bad that could have been, and hops down off of Carousel, patting the Rapidash's neck.]</sub>

Yeesh.

That's good to know.

<sub>[She'll just pass over the fact that Envy looks entirely too happy about getting these guys to fall down into holes in the ground, mostly because it probably looks hilarious and she has no business judging him for it.]

[Still catching her breath, she lifts a hand in greeting when Greed pops up.]</sub>

Hey!

That's-- well, I mean, I still haven't found...

<sub>[She trails off, looking at the rocky terrain around them. Between the pits and the Grunts absolutely swarming this place... it's going to be hellishly hard to make any kind of thorough progress on looking for the three missing Pokemon.]

[It'd be a lot EASIER if they cleared the area of pesky guys in dumb uniforms.]

[After considering this for a moment, she rubs her hands together.]</sub>

Okay.

I'm down for fun.

[exeggutorhead]

[Oh, there you are Greed!]

We can still keep an eye out for them while we're doing this. They're fire types, they'd be more likely to be around here than over by the water, right?

[armoredsoul]

[It's the screams that attract Al's attention, and it's with his Liepard in tow that Al goes searching for the source of the disturbance.]

[Of course, it's hard to miss it when it comes charging up on you from behind a clump of trees, and Al yelps as he dives out of the way of those very sharp-looking hooves.] Whoah!!!

[foolishwren]

<sub>[The cry successfully alerts Heather to the fact that she almost just ran somebody over.]

[Carousel clatters to a halt, snorting loudly, and Heather twists around in the saddle, planting a hand on the Rapidash's rump (and only barely flinching when it encounters the flickers of flame running down the horse Pokemon's back-- she's been working on that phobia of hers!) so that she can better see over her shoulder.]

[Is that friend or foe? She doesn't see a uniform...]</sub>

Hey!

You okay?

[armoredsoul]

I think so...! [Al pushes himself to his feet, Cecil nudging him up and rumbling with worry.] Man, you came out of nowhere!

[Then he turns and actually sees Heather, and grins a bit.] Hey, I remember you!

[foolishwren]

Hhah, sorry, I was, uh.... not looking where I was going as carefully as I should've.

<sub>[YOU'RE GONNA KILL SOMEONE LIKE THAT ONE DAY, HEATHER.]

[Turning Carousel around, she starts towards Al. Alessa, who'd been running ahead, has stopped on a tussock of earth and is looking back at them, but doesn't approach.]</sub>

... Oh... uh... yeah, that's right. We've talked.

Did I get your name?

[armoredsoul]

[Cecil steps forward a few paces to sniff Carosel curiously in greeting, and Al shrugs.] Well, it is hard to keep track of everything going on here! But yeah, might be a good idea to slow down maybe a tad.

Hehe, I don't think we did with all the talk about weird owls in backpacks. My name's Alphonse. [He holds up a hand for her to shake with a friendly grin.] And you?

[foolishwren]

_{[Now calmer, the Rapidash lowers her head to snuffle back at Cecil, letting out a low whicker.]}

Alphonse. Cool.

I'm Heather.

_{[She takes the hand and shakes it-- she's got one of those forcibly-tight grips, a handshake with something to prove. She's gotten a little better at holding it back over the years, though.]}

[armoredsoul]

[The Liepard rumbles a purr in return, and Al returns the handshake. Firmly, but not in a challenging way.] Nice to meet you again! I'd ask if you needed any help, but it looks like you're doing pretty well on your own!

[foolishwren]

What can I say, I know my way around in a battle.

_{[Perhaps not entirely as well as someone who'd been here longer than like 90% of the people here had an excuse to, but still PRETTY DAMN WELL.]}

That said, there is something I could use your help with...

_{[She pauses to dig in her pocket.]}

[armoredsoul]

[Well she's better than Al is, mister punch-the-grunts-like-a-bararian!]

Huh? Sure, what do you need?

[wing_attack]

[There's a roaring bear shape clearing a path, too - and when Rachel's path meets the Rapidash's she pauses, checking over the horse and rider. Tobias peeks around her, blinking.]

Oh. Hi.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[What happens when a charging horse meets a rampaging bear?]

[Well, hopefully they both stop, because otherwise things could get ugly.]

[Carousel is a fairly calm and level-headed Pokemon, but even she can't avoid being startled at the sudden appearance of a FREAKIN' BEAR. With a whicker of alarm, she rears up slightly, making Heather grab for her neck to balance.]</sub>

WHOA!

WHOA, easy, Carousel, EASY!

[wing_attack]

[Rachel backs off, and Tobias moves in front of her, holding up his hands.]

Sorry. We didn't mean to startle you.

[He looks at Rachel and gestures off to the side, and she continues on her merry battling way.]

Are you okay? I've been sticking to the ground for now but if you need to get airlifted out I can give you a hand.

[foolishwren]

_{[The Rapidash is still puffing in consternation, but she calms down as Heather rubs her neck.]}

I-it's okay-- this place is a madhouse. I haven't seen a free-for-all this big since-- well, it's not important.

_{[She shakes her head in response to his offer, though.]}

No thanks-- I've actually got air coverage, and I'm kinda... looking for something down here.

_{[She gestures upward, where Sunny is circling in the sky like a giant white hang-glider.]}

[wing_attack]

Oh.

[He looks up and nods, before looking down at her.]

What are you looking for? Maybe we can help.

[foolishwren]

Actually, I'm looking for three Pokemon.

And-- _{[Ugh, it's awkward to admit this.]} one of them is the lion you traded me.

[wing_attack]

Ah. Are they some of the new ones? They ran off, right?

[foolishwren]

Yeah. The night before that big quake, I think. I didn't notice till after it hit.

The other two are a little fox one and a bird.

[wing_attack]

... Right. Regal, head up and take a look.

[Regal flaps and takes off. Two sets of eyes in the sky are better than one.]

Mine have been acting weird, too. The two dinosaurs I got kept heading this way. I wonder if something's been calling them. Migration of multiple species doesn't happen this fast. At least not where I'm from.