⇨ ALOLA

[ringleaders]

Who: EVERYONE.
When: Day 73 - Day 87
Where: The islands of Alola.
What: The Carnival arrives at its next touring location, a series of tropical islands inhabited by a species of animal called Pokemon and their trainers!
Warnings: Pokemon is pretty PG-rated.

IT'S A POKEMON WORLD↴ Alola is broken up into four different islands, with a number of unique points of interest. Boats can easily be rented in order to get between the islands, or you can just pay for the fair of a scheduled trip. If you can prove you have the skills for it, you can also call on a "Ride Pokemon" - that is, either a Charizard or a Lapras that will fly or swim you between locations. ► POPULATION: Though the islands appear very small as an abstraction in the actual games, that doesn't hold over into the actual reality of it. When interacting with the different locations, imagine that they are about as big and spread out as they would be in real life. It's about on the same scale as Hawaii is on earth. Ignore any wikis that say the population of each island is like 200 people, because that's just adding up all the scripted NPCs, and there are realistically more than six houses per town. ► AMENITIES: Even if they aren't overtly listed on island maps, it can be assumed that all towns and cities will have basic amenities - that is, places to eat, place to go to the washroom, places to buy souvenirs, and the other things one would expect in a tourist heavy area. You can also buy malasadas pretty much anywhere. ► POKECENTERS: You'll be able to find a Pokecenter in pretty much every town - a Pokecenter is a public building in which Pokemon Trainers can rest and get their Pokemon healed. Think of it like free international Pokemon healthcare. You can also buy Pokeballs here, as well as potions and other healing items for later use. ► AETHER FOUNDATION: A peace keeping organization that shelters Pokemon from harm and abuse. If you kill/maim any Pokemon or otherwise act violently in public, they will come to try to take you down with their Pokemon. They also are the main force working against Team Skull. MELEMELE ISLAND↴ [MELEMELE DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU KOKO] [WIKI LINK] ► TRAINER SCHOOL: A full fledged for young, aspiring Pokemon Trainers! Students go here to learn about Pokemon care and battling before setting out on their own journeys. It would be sort of weird for an adult to show up here, like it would for an adult to try to attend an elementary school, but you can probably learn some of the basics just from touring the facility. ► HAU'OLI SHOPPING DISTRICT: The biggest shopping district on Melemele, you can do a lot here, from eating out to getting your hair dyed. A lot of shops are, unsurprisingly, completely Pokemon focused - but there are some that aren't, too. There are also some very nice beach fronts nearby. ► BERRY FIELDS: Berries come in a lot of different types and have different effects when used. Mostly, Pokemon love to eat them, regardless of what type they are. This is a big field of them, most of which are free to take if you catch them when ripe. ► TEN CARAT HILL: The secluded interior of a small mountain, filled with some rare types of rock Pokemon. You have to be able to bypass the left overs of some recent rockslides to get in. ► TRIAL SITE: There is only one trial on this islands, which is the Normal type trial. All you have to do is fight a bunch of Pokemon ferrets, and then fight an even bigger Pokemon ferret that thirsts for your blood. It's not so bad. AKALA ISLAND↴ [AKALA DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU LELE] [WIKI LINK] ► TIDE SONG HOTEL: A big ass hotel near the port - if you want to stay on Alola overnight, this is a pretty good place to go. It isn't too expensive, and is also rather nice. ► DIMENSIONAL RESEARCH LAB: Alola, on occasion, has been the site of various dimensional breaks (haha) in which extraplanar creatures called Ultra Beasts have crossed over. There isn't much information about these beasts, but they are something that are being actively studied. Characters who are nerds might find some of this information interesting. ► HANO GRAND RESORT: The inevitably big, fancy resort that tends to take route in touristy places like this. If you actually pay to spend some time there, you can enjoy all the things you'd expect to find in a fancy resort, except with way more Pokemon. There is also a fancy, secluded beach for resort goers only. ► BATTLE ROYALE DOME: A battle area in which 4 trainers fight each other all at once, with teams of there Pokemon. The trainers here are mostly quite expert, and you need a team of three Pokemon to play, so player characters probably won't be able to participate. However, you can still come to watch, if you like seeing a bunch of colourful monsters slapping each other around. ► PANIOLA RANCH: A large ranch that keeps a lot of Pokemon that resemble earth farm animals. You can leave Pokemon here to stay for a while if you need a break from the strains of trainer life. Quite often, however, your Pokemon will end up getting knocked up and leave you with another egg to care for. ► TRIAL SITES: Brooklet Hill is a lake filled area that contains the Water Trial. You have to fight a bunch of schooling Wishiwashi, and then an even bigger schooling Wishiwashi to win. Wela Volcano Park contains the Fire Trial, where you must climb to the top of the dormant volcano, and spot the difference between a series of ceremonial island dances. Then you gotta fight a team of Marrowaks and a giant Salazzle. The Lush Jungle contains the Grass challenge, in which you have to find a series of rare organic ingredients in order to brew something that will lure out a giant Lurantis. ULA'ULA ISLAND↴ [ULA'ULA DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU BULU] [WIKI LINK] ► MALIE GARDEN: A nice big garden to hang out in and chill. Also, there are Pokemon there... and also, Pokemon battles? There's really no end to it. ► MOUNT HOKULANI OBSERVATORY: Up at the top of the local mountain, you can go see a space observatory. Like most things in Alola, it's like a regular observatory, except with more Pokemon, since some Pokemon just straight up come from space. You can take a bus up here, but you can also hike if you want. ► HAINA DESERT: A shitty desert in the middle of the island. Mostly only good for if you want the kinds of Pokemon that live in shitty deserts. ► ABANDONED THRIFTY MEGAMART: A Megamart, but haunted. Extremely haunted, filled with the kind of ghost Pokemon that would actually kill you. You have to take a bunch of pictures of ghosts on your way through here if you want to beat the Ghost Trial. ► PO TOWN: The ramshackle remains of the town that Team Skull have taken over. It's completely walled off from the rest of the world, and is pretty terrible. No point in going in there unless you're fighting crime, in which case you can expect to get challenged to Pokemon battles by a lot of Team Skull knuckleheads. ► LAKE OF THE MOON: A huge, round temple thing in the middle of nowhere. It's used to praise a legendary Pokemon that existed years ago, but there presently doesn't seem to be anything around except cool architecture. ► TRIAL SITES: The Observatory contains the Electric Challenge, during which you have to fend off various kinds of electric grubs, before eventually taking on a giant Vikavolt. The Abandoned Megamart must first be cleared before challenging the Ghost Trial officially, at which point you will have to defeat a powerful Mimikyu. PONI ISLAND↴ [PONI DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU FINI] [WIKI LINK] ► SEAFOLK VILLAGE: A village made of nothing but houseboats and other water fairing homes. It's the only major town on Poni Island. ► ANCIENT RUINS: Most of Poni Island has been reduced to ruins, over time. Not many people live here, relative to the other islands, but there are a lot of abandoned buildings from when they apparently used to. ► VAST PONI CANYONS: Most of the island is comprised of canyons, caves, and valleys filled with particularly strong Pokemon, and also a lot of fight-hungry Pokemon trainers. Most of them will want to fight you as soon as they see you, since they are there mostly to train, but they will back down if you tell them you're not a trainer. Though, at that point they will strongly urge you to go home, because it's too danger for anything other than the strongest trainers. ► ALTAR OF THE SUN: A matching altar to the one found on Ula'ula, except this time dedicated to a legendary Pokemon of the sun. If you play some magic flutes here at the right time then apparently a giant lion might show up, but there's no way to be sure. ► TRIAL SITES: The only Trial here is the Grand Trial, which is a fight against the leader's ground type Pokemon. You may also get lucky and have the Fairy Trial's kahuna deign to fight you, with her fairy types, if she randomly wanders into your path. Both of them are very strong, and are not advised to challenge for new trainers.

Comments

[amusicaladventure]

I guess, but one of 'em's good enough, isn't it? I'd go for some variety if it were me.

[The Dratina around her uncurls, then slides over to peer up at its big ol' metal distant Pokecousin curiously.]

[stillwinningthehardway]

If I pick up any more, sure. I know there's issues with the type balance. But I know we're not staying long, so I haven't really tried to build one of those teams I've heard about.

[Most Trainers don't bother with a really balanced team, but those that do end up with some degree of infamy.

Skarmory looks up, then deliberately shuffles its body around to block the kibble from view. I've got a good thing going, it indicates nonverbally.]

How about you? What's that?

[amusicaladventure]

Hell if I know. I was looking for some sort of giant snake. [Ash shrugs, reaching out to grab her Dratini's tail.] Looks like he fits the bill, doesn't he? And these things usually get bigger when they evolve so I'm expecting something impressive!

[stillwinningthehardway]

He's already so big! I'd hope so. I could look him up, I picked up a Pokedex.

[Pause.]

Not one of the ones with the ghosts inside. I heard about those.

[amusicaladventure]

Ooh, would you please? All I know is that he's not one of the snake Pokemon Peridot was telling me about.

[She has no idea what the ghost-thing is, and isn't sure she wants to know, but she sure wants to know about her new buddy here!]

[stillwinningthehardway]

[She fishes out a red device and types for a bit.]

Dratini... that's one of the dragons. It's really rare, congratulations!

[Her togetic chirps excitedly. As a fairy pokemon it's strong against dragons! Scout pets its chest and gets it to settle.]

They shed their skins a lot while they grow and they grow almost two meters long before they change instars. Hang on to the skin if yours does that, apparently those tan well.

[amusicaladventure]

Dragons?

[Ash wants to be enthused by this, but... she and Dratini look at each other, and she cant help but think noooo, he's a snake.]

Well, that's not QUITE as giant as I had hoped, but what's he turn into? Is there something he turns into?

[stillwinningthehardway]

[Scroll... scroll...]

Oh, yeah. Eventually he turns into this.

[Scout flips the screen around and shows them the image.]

That one's Dragonair, it's more than twice as long and has weather powers, apparently. And then its last instar is more humanoid. ...weird, they don't really look alike at all.

[Indeed they do not.]

[amusicaladventure]

Oh, man! [Ash practically bounces when she sees how much bigger Dragonair is gonna get, which is quite a sight on a six-foot girl -- but then the second picture comes up and her jaw practically drops. She looks from the picture back to her puzzled Dratini, then sweeps one plaintive hand from Pokemon to Pokedex and back.]

How?!

[stillwinningthehardway]

No idea! Maybe Dragonair gets limb buds and they're just too small to see in this picture. I mean, this Togetic here is going to turn into a big thranta bird.

[Vaguely humanoid togetic chirps.]

Maybe it's just a metamorphosis thing. Wormlike larva turn into winged imagos all the time.

[amusicaladventure]

This place is wild, man.

[But that doesn't seem to depress Ash too much, as she hooks an arm around her Dratini's neck-ish area and hauls it back in.] So much for my giant snake plans then!

[stillwinningthehardway]

On the bright side it'll be able to fly and punch things really, really hard! You could do worse.

[amusicaladventure]

Guess that's something. [Even if she's skeptical about the 'punching hard' bit with those doofy little T-rex arms.] Maybe we can do some goofy sketch where he kidnaps a princess. I volunteer you for the role. Giant dress and stupid pointy hat, it was clearly meant for you!

[stillwinningthehardway]

Would that make you the handsome prince?

[She tips her head to the side.]

I could see it, but you'd need an equally ridiculous outfit.

[amusicaladventure]

Okay, not that I'm opposed to the idea, but I got a couple of things most handsome princes conventionally don't have.

[Okay, there's magic and stuff to solve that problem, but she's never really been interested in being a guy.]

[stillwinningthehardway]

If I'm wearing a giant dress, you can wear a flattening shirt. Or we could switch. I'm game.

[amusicaladventure]

Okay, there's flattening shirts and then there's defying physics.

[Ash is, uh, not small.]

That's a lot of mass you gotta shunt off somewhere else, you know.

[stillwinningthehardway]

Eh, it's a sketch, not an impersonation. If the effort is made that's good enough.

[amusicaladventure]

Oh. Well then. [Ash makes a show of flexing an arm. (Actually if one looks closely, she has some pretty wiry muscles when she does that.)] Shall I practice carrying you off, Your Highness?

[stillwinningthehardway]

Only if you're ready for how heavy I actually am! Anytime someone drops me, I don't let them forget.

[Scout's tall and kinda looks like Gina Carano. There are bulkier women, and ones with more pronounced definition, but she's all muscle.]

[amusicaladventure]

But I have experience in picking up girls.

[With a wicked little grin, Ash steps right up to duck down and sling an arm around Scout's waist. Scout may be tall, but Ash is just a little taller -- and catpeople are a surprisingly strong race. They were made that way.]

[So hopefully Scout's ready to be heaved over a shoulder.]

[stillwinningthehardway]

[Ash can probably feel Scout tense. If nothing else, that long flaglike tail bristles before she goes limp and has something dry to say.]

Oh no I'm helpless.

[She twists around a little and is more serious for a moment.]

Just don't do that out of the black, I'd probably reflexively attack you

[amusicaladventure]

[Man, and she even had the chance to prepare, too... Ash bends her knees to set Scout back down, careful to keep the other woman from falling.] No way, I'd never grab anyone who didn't see it coming. Boundaries are important!

[stillwinningthehardway]

You're not wrong.

[She dusts herself off and tries to get her composure back.]

Sorry, I know you didn't mean anything by it. I've just spent way too much time around Mandalorians lately. They're an extremely physical people.

[amusicaladventure]

Ha, well, so am I, but I try to behave. [Ash rolls her eyes, well aware that she has been far, far too well-behaved since she popped into this carnival.] I'll buy you dinner first next time.