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

B

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Even a city guy like Blake can surely recognize the sound of hoofbeats.]

[Because they're there, and they're getting closer.]

[But first, a lanky white shape emerges from the underbrush. It's an Absol!]

[Who spots Blake and Steve and then freezes.]</sub>

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake's just finishing off the second sandwich when Steve hops to her feet and sniffs the air. A minute later, he hears steps.

When the cat-dog-or-something-hairy-thing emerges, Steve crouches into a fighting stance. Blake doesn't bother to get up.

He gestures with the crust in his hand.] If you're with one of those Team Lava assholes, hold your horses. I'll kick your ass in a minute.

[foolishwren]

<sub>[IT IS NOT A TEAM LAVA ASSHOLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.]

[Alessa looks downright offended at the notion, but fortunately she's not one of those Pokemon who is prone to attacking people. So instead she just gives Blake and Steve a really dirty look, as a Rapidash steps through the same undergrowth that the Absol had.]

[AND THE RAPIDASH HAS A PERSON ON IT! GUESS WHO?]</sub>

Wh-- ... hey there, ol' man! I didn't know you were getting in on this action!

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake gives the hairdog a dirty look right back, and he has a face that is made for those. Then there's some distinctive firey hooves, and Blake's about to stand to fight-

Only to see a sight for damn sore eyes on the thing's back.] Heather? Shit, is that you?

[He looks happier than anybody's ever been to see a young lady who has punched him in the head.] Shit, it's been a damn long time. Din't think I'd be running into you...wherever the hell this is.

Hey, I was bored so I thought, hey, why not get warped out to some rich asshole's backyard warzone.

[He spreads his hands.] I can't leave all the fighting to the little girls.

[foolishwren]

Hell yeah, months!

Been pretty busy.

_{[She nudges Carousel forward and the Rapidash trots over obligingly, closing the distance between them. Alessa trails after, a little reluctantly.]}

Who'da thunk we'd be coming back here without it involving fancy outfits and secret booze, huh?

[lieutenantantichrist]

Goddamn. Time flies when you're having magic horses beat the shit out of each other.

[He looks over at the big, fancy mansion, through the smoke and steam that haze the atmosphere. Not fr off, there's all kinds of yelling. Attack names, mostly.]

It's a hell of a different look for it, that's for sure. And this time there weren't any nice invitations.

[That's scraping by dangerous territory, so he changes the subject.]

I'd say a kid shouldn't be out on a battlefield, but you can handle yourself.

[He had the bruise on his face for days that proved it.]

[foolishwren]

I'm not a kid.

_{[But she says it more on principal than out of any actual annoyance.]}

Anyway, I've spent all this time training up my superpowered animals, might as well use them.

_{[The Rapidash whickers in agreement.]}

What about you?

... You're not JUST with Steve, are you?

[lieutenantantichrist]

You're younger than me, so yeah you are.

Always thought these things might come in handy if we get teleported to some idiot's civil war. [His voice is blase, but there's a hint of strain around his eyes.

He waves his hand.] Nah, I got a bunch of the little bastards. Crab, elephant-balloon, the karate thing Emily left me...

[Attracted by the sound of conversation, a Clauncher peaks out from behind the rock.]

...and that lobster, though he's not much for a fight. He just keeps hanging back and scraping stuff into the dirt.

[There's an indignant cla! He is composing, thankk you very much. If you look closely, you might see a line or two in the dirt, something about onslaught and won't be all-for-naught.

Blake tips his head to Heather.] Lil' weirdo.

[foolishwren]

Tch.

_{[That's the only reply THAT will get, because she can't really argue with it.]}

But yeah, okay, good.

I was a little worried, 'cause as tough as Steve is-- _{[She offers a grin to the Snubbull].]} ... the shit going down here is a little much for just one Pokemon.

I only brought three and I'm already regrettin' it.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Steve flexes her bicep. Damn right she's tough!]

It's a little much for an army. I haven't even figured out what these idiots are fighting over.

[He gives her a critical look.] And what the hell are you doing walking around with a half-empty magazine?

[foolishwren]

_{[At that, Heather's expression sobers up a little bit, and her Rapidash lets out a low whicker.]}

You know those swarms last month? Of all those new Pokemon?

I caught three of 'em.

A few days ago... right before that big quake, they disappeared.

I think they joined all those migratory groups that came here.

So I'm lookin' for them.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Steve reaches her paw up to pet the Rapidash's muzzle, if it's amenable.

Blake's hand goes to his belt, to the empty loop where something usually hangs.]

Is that where my goddamn keys went?

[foolishwren]

_{[... Okay, that actually gets a weird look out of her. Because it seems like such a nonsequiteur after what she asked.]}

Your keys?

_{[GUESS WHO HASN'T SEEN A KLEFKI BEFORE.]}

[lieutenantantichrist]

You know. Those things. The keyrings with faces. A bunch of them showed up a while back. I got that one cocky blonde professor asshole [that is to say, enjoymyatelier] to pick one up for me.

[Blake makes a gesture as if jingling keys.]

Then it vanished the other day. I had to break the fuckin' window to get in my apartment.

[He looks morose.]

Not like I was getting the safety deposit back anyway.

[He straightens his shoulders and remembers the value of appearances.]

But hell, I get to take it out on these assholes, so it's not all bad.

[Vanished keys are what's bothering him. Nothing else.]

[foolishwren]

... Keyrings... with...

_{[... Okay, you know what, this place shouldn't even surprise her anymore. She throws her hands up.]}

Well, I guess at least I'm not the only one whose Pokemon up and left when this started going down...

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake nods, knowing exactly how that sounds.] Yep. Don't look at me, I didn't come up with the things.

[He's mumbling around the last bit of sandwich and not thinking much when he says] Maybe they heard something too.

[foolishwren]

Must have.

Anyway, if you could... if you could keep an eye out for the ones I mentioned... I'd really appreciate it.

_{[A pause.]}

... And I'll try to help you find your keys.

[lieutenantantichrist]

Sure. I'll look out for em.

[He grunts,] Thanks. Keys'd come in handy if whatever fuckin' dragged us here shows up and lets us go home.

[He looks down at the ground, face dark.] Not before I have a couple words with it, though.

[foolishwren]

... Well, I'm sure that'll go well.

_{[Her tone is a bit dry. SHE CAN'T HELP IT.]}

[lieutenantantichrist]

[His look sharpens. She sounds like she knows what she's talking about.]

You got some idea who's behind this?

[foolishwren]

Not specifically, but anything that can open portals and use the voices of dead people to get us to come running is probably not gonna be some random human you can go pick a bone with.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake's face tightens, as though a drop of cold water has just hit the nape of his neck. Steve notices the scent of tension and raises her head with a curious snub?]

[He speaks cautiously, not quite willing to commit. He doesn't want to look crazy.] You heard something too.

[foolishwren]

_{[There's a brief silence, before Heather replies.]}

... Yeah.

I heard my dad.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Shock slackens Carter's face.]

Christ. It wasn't just me.

[foolishwren]

I think we all heard what we wanted to hear.

... Whatever wanted us here, it knew, and it used it.