victory_road | Friday the thirteenth doesn't usually get this whacky

[The Jane you see wandering about this odd and unusual weekend is different from the usual Jane who appears on the network and makes her home here. Their demeanor is similar enough - she's calm, not too fussed at the situation around her, and interacts with her Pokemon, a Togekiss, with affection and fondness. But there's a lot of visual differences going on. This one's got a streak each of pink, orange, and emerald in her hair, and her clothes are a fair bit nicer than what she usually wears. And there's...something to her eyes, a weariness - or wariness? Maybe both? Unexpected sounds or sudden movements make her tense up, and her hand goes to her pocket immediately.

All these years, and she's still so on edge.

But hey, this is a safe place! Maybe you can reassure her?]

[... They're really not sure how they feel about having been tossed to yet another world but at least this one seems more... welcoming? Accommodating?

They're not being asked to solve everyone else's problems yet, that's a plus so far.

Yuu, at the very least, doesn't seem especially bothered as they wander along roads and through cities and towns with a Litten clinging to their shoulder.

... They can just kind of do whatever they want. It's nice.

Of course, if they spot someone approaching, they'll lift a hand in greeting.]

Hey.

[... nailed it.]

Zed has no idea what's going on here. One minute, he's doing his usual Emperor of Darkness thing--brooding while sitting in his throne and gazing longingly at the disco ball he'd installed in the throne room--and the next minute, he is elsewhere with some weird creature hanging around him, which...okay.

"Ah, yeah, I get you," he says, studying the Necrozma curiously. "You want the light too, don't you?" There can be only one thing to do. "Alright then, come on, let's go get some of that shine." That smile isn't exactly a nice one.

Is there something shiny on your person? On your Pokemon's person? Is the Pokemon shiny? Zed, for better or for worse, is fixated on taking anything that shines or glitters for himself, and now there's no one here to stop him. The Necrozma doesn't seem to know what to make of this weirdo, but they're two of a kind, so why not follow Zed's lead. Zed may either wander up to your shiny item and stare intently and unsubtly at it, or you may find the area around you going dark so they can launch a sneak attack. All options are good options, as far as Zed's concerned.

He can also be severely distracted by a string of Christmas lights or a lava lamp, that too.

Another world? Another world. But, Nozomi isn't too frazzled at this. This one feels very familiar - a Pokemon world. Which means she feels right at home with all of this.

Of course, it seems that this world is being ridiculously silly and not giving her her usual set of Pokemon. Which is a shame, but hey, starting fresh is awesome!

Now, if she only knew where the heck she was! Somehow not exploring Kanto has left her a little lost...

"Hello? Anyone here?!" Nozomi called out, prompting a group of Rattata to run out. "Anyone human?!"

[ A coffin containing a blank mannequin suddenly springs up out of the ground. If that's not weird enough, a few moments later it's suddenly consumed by what looks like black tar for a second or two, and a masked man stumbles out of it.

The man, Aesop, seems about as confused as everyone else.

This clearly isn't where that twisted game was being held. What is this place? How did he get here? What on earth happened to his clothes?!

The coffin practically disintegrated the moment he emerged from it, leaving him stranded in a random town full of strange animals and living people...

... Oh dear. His poor heart's already racing. He clutches his embalming kit to his chest, clearly someone who does not want to be here at all. He needs to be elsewhere, preferably somewhere quiet, less crowded. Somewhere he can collect his thoughts and figure out what is going on.

Unfortunately, he will inevitably bump into people as he scurries away from the crowds. ]

Ah! Excuse me...

Edited 2020-11-13 22:05 (UTC)

[Goldenrod, Team Rocket Hideout]
Jules had kind of sort of started adjusting to being just an ordinary old human again, so when he's suddenly not an ordinary old human again and is once more his Lurkglider self, there is a high pitched and wailing screech coming from his quarters. He's going to look much the same to most of the people there--not just anyone can see through his Mask, after all.

The sudden alarm sends his Porygon into a frantic screech of static beeping, and Rust the Scrafty sits down and starts yelling "SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" at the top of her lungs in solidarity.

[Goldenrod, Radio Tower]
Jules waits until it's dark, because of course he does, and sets out for the Radio Tower. He's a Lurkglider again, even if most can't see it, and he's got needs, okay. The need to be up in high places. The night is both the most comfortable for him and the time at which he's least likely to get caught, because he is going to climb the Radio Tower. He's barefoot as he does this, and as he climbs, anyone who can see well in the dark is going to be treated to the sight of a seven-foot-tall man built like a twig scrambling up the tower at a pretty good clip like a gangly bootleg Spider-Man.

He's pretty focused on his task though, and when he's almost to the top, unfortunately, he'll encounter a nesting Murkrow that's none too happy to see him. There's a bit of squawking and some yelling on Jules's part, and then he falls off the tower, plummeting to the ground with a yell, slamming into the pavement below...

...and he sits up, perfectly fine and otherwise unscathed from the fall. "Oh, come on!" He's not hurt, just annoyed.

[Cianwood Safari Zone]
Jules isn't quite sure how he ended up in Cianwood of all places, but hey, he might as well take in the Safari Zone while he's there. He's going to visit the Snowy Gorge area, because he's still a Winter Court Changeling and the cold feels like what he needs after this truly bizarre "hey you're suddenly a weird gargoyle thing again and pretty much no one can see" weekend, so fine! He'll go hang out in the Snowy Gorge!

Until he sees it.

There it is, looming on the horizon, the lumbering shape of what is surely the polar-bear-esque deposed Winter King, Frosty Jack.

And it is coming for him.

He screams, drops his tail--though to any ordinary observer it'll look like he suddenly just farted out a piece of rope--and runs like hell.

Behind him, the wild Beartic is extremely confused and a little startled by all the noise.

"Huh..."

There's something a little odd about all of this, and Futaba can't quite put her finger on it. Whether it's the barely-noticeable music playing in the background, or the fact that she's suddenly standing in the middle of a city that is clearly not her neighborhood... or something else entirely. Whatever the case, the short bespectacled girl is interested in surveying her surroundings.

And hey, the music's actually kind of catchy. She's starting to hum along as she takes a look around. The white sand-covered streets and abundance of trees are enough to put a smile on her face. It might not be Leblanc, but there's a certain charm to the place.

"... What's a mud spa?"

[There is a child-sized, roughly person-shaped bird wandering about, wearing a hooded cloak and accompanied by a Chatot. There are rounds of 'Chatot cha! Chatot-tot!' and the like going back and forth between the two. The Chatot is honestly a little baffled that her new trainer is playing copy-bird, but they're getting along fine so she's going with it. The probably-trainer is happy to have made a new friend, but also appears to be looking for something, and will march up on her little bird feet to look up at anyone she sees:]

I've never done this before!

[Unlike the mimicking of the Chatot, which sounds very like the Pokemon, the voice Kiri is using for that phrase is a bubbly woman's.]

Goldenrod City

Jim... was not expecting this.

He was walking through the forest, in the dead of night, with Claire and Blinky and the other trolls on the way to New Jersey--

--and suddenly it's the middle of the day, and he can't register anything else because his blue skin and black-and-red armour are suddenly sparking blue and smoking as the sun turns him to stone.

He backs away sharply, snarling like an animal, but his back hits something solid, soft, and there's a flap of wings and suddenly he's in shade and the agonising burn abruptly stops. He's panting hard from the unexpected pain, and cracks an eye open to look up - and isn't expecting to see an elderly-looking dragon...troll... thing, wings spread wide to form an umbrella of shade, and its large head looking down at him with open concern.

"Uh." And the sheer shock of this entire situation is enough: with a sudden, violent flash of red smoke, the dark armour he's wearing vanishes, and a glowing blue amulet rolls away, out of the shadow Jim is in and tinkling to a halt when it bounces off someone's shoe. And the young half-troll, now in the tattered remnants of a tracksuit jacket, jeans and sneakers, looks incredibly confused. "What the hell?"

Wildcard location!

It takes a while to acquire a large golf umbrella - longer to find a set of clothes that fit his six foot dorito form and pay for it, but eventually Jim is dressed in something comfortably familiar, sans shoes, and is wandering around with his Drampa, exploring the sights and generally being really confused.

( Just Outside Goldenrod )

[ It's not really an uncommon sight for Bakugou to be out with Quilava. They spent plenty of time training and battling. In fact it looks like they've just finished a battle with the way that Quilava is hopping around. She is quite happy with her victory and Katsuki just looks halfway bored. Nothing out here is overly strong..

But then she turns and leaps at Bakugou, glowing while she does. Even he looks somewhat alarmed as her shape changes and what's before him is a fully grown Typhlosion. Pinning him to the ground and nuzzling Bakugou for all that he's worth. ]

Hey! Cut that shit out! [ But no, the giant Pokémon isn't stopping at all. ] OI!

[ He puts hands on her face and that's when BOOM! Twin explosions burst from his hands. Right around her face. Typhlosion reels back while Bakugou stares at his hands. Wait. He had thought - but then he looks up and sees his "partner" shaking her face and he scrambles up. ]

Now I told you not to -

[ He had forgotten something. Her fur is completely fireproof. That blast hadn't hurt her at all. So Typhlosion just immediately scoops Bakugou up in her paws and starts licking his face. ]

Augh!

( Floating! )

[ You know what's pretty lame? Not knowing how to control your own Quirk. What's even worse than that? Not knowing how to control a Quirk that you barely know anything about.

It was fine discovering that his own had come back. But then today Bakugou wakes up and somehow it's gone. Now he finds himself randomly floating in the air with no way of knowing what power he has so he can get back down.

His Litwick is amused though. So his his Corvisquire that seem to be snickering while joining him in the air. ]

Oh you two shut up.

[ He's quite put out, really. ]

( Wildcard )

[ Yeah I have no solid plans for what to do on Day 3 stuff. So hit me up and I'll roll with whatever you give me to work with. ]

Near Ilex
There is a Corviknight staring at the ground not quite at the 'gear there, looking almost perturbed. She ducks down so her beak is nearly on the ground, tilts her head one way, makes a bemused noise, and then twists her head around the other way. "...knight."

That's a 'huh, look at that' if there ever was one, and if anyone should approach to get a closer look, that person will be able to see a teeny-tiny man next to the 'gear who's in armor that looks like it was made out of leaves. Said teeny-tiny man has a teeny-tiny sword and looks about ready to draw it on the Corviknight.

It's not everyday one sees a human (looking-person?) less than three inches tall challenging a 7 foot plus bird Pokemon, but maybe someone should step in before things escalate.

Wherever you want it to be
Now that Ronin knows what's going on and has made friends with his new... mount? companion? he's taking a tour of the place to get the lay of the land. Cora has to hold the communication device (such a human thing, that) but to her, it's barely bigger than him, and it's definitely a new experience to ride atop the head of a bird that's bigger than humans usually are! When Cora spots people down below, Ronin directs her to land.

At first glance it just looks like a wild Corviknight suddenly swooping down with a 'gear in her talons, but moments later she'll lower her head and one can see a very small person waving. (Seriously small! He could fit in the palm of a hand!)

Keen ears might even hear a man's voice, "Hey there! I'm trying to orient myself in this new place; what can you tell me?"

Video!

[There's a video that, for some reason, shaking slightly. After a few moments, it stabilizes and Malleus can be seen, from the chest up, including his beautiful horns.]

When I woke up this morning my horns and magic had come back. I don't know what happened but look, [He moves his head, to show off his horns.] they're in their regular place!

Out and about

[Malleus wasn't one to show off his power, so after the video, he went out to the closest route, but something was happening. The Pokémon he encountered were running away from him, just how people did back in Night Raven College.

He tried to get close to a bird to battle it, but it did absolutely no good, as it flew away as soon as Malleus laid eyes on it.]

...This I could have done without.

[Shine the Shinx bites his pant legs and pulls on them. There's someone not too far away from them.

What do? Will they get scared of him and run, or will they let Malleus talk to them?]

Dave draws a calming breath as he looks around from his position in the sky and proceeds to attempt to cordially lose his mind.

hey uh… so i we didnt exactly exchange phone numbers before i left so im kind of just throwing this out there and hoping you see this

are you there mr.president sir?

there seems to be some sort of upload download issue going on here. or maybe its just that someone put the wrong… cartridge in

i know that sounds fucking stupid but i dont really have another explanation for this vr immersive augmented reality pokemon experience that seems to be happening to me right now

wait holy shit is this what happens to the brain when it dies???

is this actually going to like stretch on into infinity but out in the real world its been like five seconds?

aw fuck

sorry to curse mr.president sir but i might actually be getting kinda worried here not that i doubt you or anything

mr.obama?

“Shit. There’s no fuckin’ way he can hear me from in here. I’m probably texting my own asshole right now from inside my own robot body.” But just in case.

im sure youre gonna this any minute now

like…

right

about

now

**now**

now please

Prologue (Locked to Emet or Hythlo)

When the weekend turns weird, it's in the earliest hours of the morning and Steven first notices about halfway through washing his hands after getting up to pee. In his defense, he was still half asleep at the time--but the shock of seeing his real fingers is enough to jolt him into full wakefulness. So instead of climbing back into bed, he tiptoes downstairs to see if his baby sister's showed up again, like she did last.

She has. Thankfully without as big of an entourage this time and luckily quite fleshly. Sure, she's dressed in some weird Homestuck nightgown, but it's not like he hadn't already once seen her make basically the same costume, only Space-colored. She's here. That what matters. And Steven realizes midway through hugging her to him that he really doesn't want her in the same house as Jack right now, not with what Armin told him about Angel.

Welp. At least the very nature of the weird weekend gives him a damn good excuse to just-- disappear for a couple days until it's over. People get stranded in entirely different cities trying to walk around the block. So he leaves a note for Jack to tell him that Charley was here, he'd gone out with her, and not to worry too much about them--and then once he's grabbed enough cash to calm down a little, collected a few of his favorite Pokemon and packed a change of clothing in his briefcase, he takes his little sister's hand and starts walking, hoping his feet will figure out where he wants to before his head does.

And, in fact, his feet end up taking him to a very familiar house. One where hopefully the inhabitants wouldn't be too pissed off at him for knocking on their door at this hour in the morning.

I. The Changeling

Some six hours later, Steven wakes up with a start, only to realize that yes, he wasn't dreaming, it's still the weird weekend and he's been sharing someone else's guest bed with Charley. If nothing else, her Homestuck pajamas seem to be remarkably comfortable for her to sleep in.

Right. So. First thing's first, call work to let them know he might not be in due to the weirdness of the weekend. Technically he didn't have to, but it made him feel better about it--even as it left room for his boss to talk him into coming in if he was still in Goldenrod at the time of his shift. But who knew if he would be?

Next things: find some roses, make some oaths. Try to at least video message Armin and Thace, if he can't see them face to face. And definitely go out and try to raise some glamour. It's only two weeks past Halloween. There ought to be some fear that's easily harvested.

And if there's not, well, Steven can damn well make some. Time to drag himself out of bed, shrug on a coat, and figure out how to scare some poor unfortunate souls. Having multiple pokemon with Night Shade definitely could come in handy.

You'll see him out and about, this man who to most eyes looks like a perfectly normal human being, handsome in the fashion of television news anchors. To those who can see through illusions, however, his fingers are far too long, with an extra set of joints, his pupils are slit like a cat's, his ears are pointed, and his teeth are far, far too sharp for comfort.

Or maybe you won't see him at all. Maybe a tiny shuppet will show you visions terrifying enough for you to pass out and when you come to, you'll feel oddly emotionally drained.

II. The Galra

Steven wakes up again and he's at least two feet taller and purple and furry. Definitely furry. And okay, shit, that's not human junk. Fascinating, but definitely not human.

It's warm.

God, he needs that warmth. It's been ungodly chilly most days since the month turned and a built-in fur coat is exactly what he needs. A quick check in the mirror shows that he could definitely audition for Cats should they take purple and it all comes together for him.

Steven's got a good idea what kind of body he's in. He's just not entirely sure why. You know. Besides the general weirdness of the weekend and certain things Thace has said about him.

Thace! He can find Thace or maybe one of the other people from Shiro's world. Check in with them that he really is what he thinks he is--and maybe see if they can figure out how to get him back.

III. The Amaurotine

Steven wakes and he's nearly three times his normal height and grey-skinned. He stares down in his hands. "What the fuck," he whispers out loud. "What the fucking fuck?"

He wishes, briefly, he could be somewhere with someone who even has half a clue about this--and suddenly he's in that secret Illusionary Amaurot that Hades made and that's startling enough that he wishes right away he was back with Charley.

And suddenly he's there again, as if he hadn't left at all.

Okay. Yeah. You know what he really wants? Something to cover this ridiculously giant sized body--and holy shit, did he just wish those into being? He's pretty sure that he did.

Jesus fucking Christ. Okay. Okay.

You know, it's probably a good thing he can teleport. At this size, there's probably no way that he wouldn't break something in his attempt to leave it.

Just-- maybe, if he's lucky, he can start getting this under conscious control. Because right now it mostly looks like he's teleporting and creating things entirely by accident. And he'd like to be able to almost sort of do it on purpose? Is that really too much to ask?

Edited 2020-11-14 11:34 (UTC)

[Near Goldenrod]

[Well, then. This is new.]

[On a scale of how weird Erwin's life can get, this is somewhere between New Recruit is Suddenly a Titan and Looks like We're Overthrowing the Monarchy Now. So it could be worse. This place is weirdly cheerful and well-lit, there don't seem to be any titans around, and there aren't any huge, furry monsters flinging rocks at everything that moves, so Erwin is going to consider it a leg up on where he last found himself. Of course, there's the ever-present thought that this could be the afterlife, but he's just going to ignore that for now. If he was really dead, he'd be seeing some of the Survey Corps again, wouldn't he?]

[So he's going to be wandering around Goldenrod, gaping at everything like the rube that he is, and occasionally talking to the Galaranian Ponyta that's prancing along beside him.]

Please stop following me. You're far too small for me to ride.

[The Ponyta simply tosses her rainbow floss mane and continues prancing.]

[Network]

[It took some doing, but the Jennys had explained how to use the communication devices to Erwin. It turns out they're just as susceptible to his ~~bullying~~ charm as everyone else, and Erwin types out a very careful message to post for everyone to see.]

Hello. This is Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps. Is there anyone here who recognizes that name?

Arrival
Rafael hasn't a damn clue where he is, but he's not about to let anyone see his uncertainty, especially not the weird-looking wolf-dog that's following him. The swishing of his tail betrays a little irritation with the mess in spite of everything. He crosses his arms over his chest.

"You're not my dog. I ain't in the habit of picking up strays either. Now git."

The Midday Lycanroc, on the other hand is amused as hell, and also stubborn. He barks out a laugh, trots in a circle around Rafael, and then comes to a stop in range of his hooves, almost in a "make me" manner.

Rafael sighs. "Lucky son of a bitch, you know that? I don't have bullets to waste on you."

Nevermind that he wouldn't do that even if his rifle and his pistol hadn't disappeared along with all his ammo, but he's not going to let the wolf-dog know that. Looks like the standoff between Lycanroc and centaur is going to keep up for a while.

Technical difficulties
Rafael has found his Pokegear, although he doesn't know that. To him it just looks like some brightly colored child's plaything or something. So after poking at it for a minute, he's just going to toss it to the side.

His Lycanroc is quick to go fetch it, of course, picking it up carelessly and depositing it back at Rafael's hooves. So he kicks it.

"Not playing fetch--"

The Lycanroc fetches it again, tail wagging. Rafael groans and leans down to pick it up. His voice sounds almost fond, in spite of the gruffness. "You stubborn bastard."

Chances of their antics having turned the 'gear on: 100%

On the route
Once he's determined that his new companion isn't leaving him, come hell or high water, Rafael just resigns himself to having a new dog and starts trying to figure out where he is. This involves a lot of wandering along the different routes in a relaxed lope, Lycanroc by his side.

It's a perfect chance to flag down the eye-patched centaur in late 1800s western clothing for a chat! He might even be eyeing other travelers that pass on the road.

In town
When he finds one of the towns or cities, he's quick to ask questions. "Pardon me, can you tell me where I am?"

Or look askance at all the more modern architecture and conveniences, while his Lycanroc is nearly rolling in amusement. "Ugh, I could use a god-damned drink."

Or maybe having difficulties navigating cities and buildings clearly not well designed for centaurs. "Fucking son of a-- does anybody in this damned place take centaurs into consideration?!"

((OOC: Hey! There are spoilers for Jojo Part 5 here, if you want to avoid those! Thank you for understanding!))

A. Friday the 13th, Violet City

[Today, Doppio wakes up feeling different. He can't really put his finger on it, but something has changed - and he's not the only one who's noticed. A dull headache makes itself known--

Today, Diavolo wakes up feeling different. Whole. It's not a sensation Doppio would be able to understand, unaware as he is of his own connection to King Crimson, but Diavolo knows this feeling well. It's how he feels normally, or at least how he's felt since his life truly began. But could that truly mean...?]

... King Crimson.

[And bam, there he is, in his full two-faced, furiously scowling glory. Luckily, Diavolo is in his room at his current lodgings right now - even if other hypothetical Stand users have regained their powers, no one can see this right now. And it's that same privacy that makes him not only wonder, but verify if, by any chance...

He experimentally flexes his fingers and focuses. Doppio's headache - although he's mostly at the back by now - turns sharp. His arm tenses and twitches with swelling muscle.

Very well, then. Back in business, are we? He should retreat and inform Doppio before they head out.]

***

[Not only is Doppio fully packed and prepared to leave town today, there's a very particular pep in his step. Right now, he's near the exit to Route 36, apparently talking to the four Pokéballs in his hands:]

Sorry to cram you all in there today. Especially you, Cristina. But we've got work to do, okay? I'll get your help on the way if I need it, but our top priority is getting back to Goldenrod for now.

[One of the Pokéballs vibrates irritably.]

... Are you worried about the badge? I mean, I don't know if we're going to need it... But maybe I could try and get it before we leave... I wish you could talk to the Boss.

B. Saturday the 14th, Cinnabar Island

[Alright, this is-- This is not where he fell asleep last night. Which, you know, is relatively normal for him. What's not normal is that, after he picks up the phone (the sound of a grown man imitating a ringing phone may catch your attention. Either that or the fact that he then picks up a conch and starts speaking into it) and waits for a status update, what he gets is...]

...I'm not sure, my Doppio. I must confess I have no idea how you ended up elsewhere.

[Oh, what?

Not only that, as he's frantically looking around and describing his surroundings, a Pokéball falls from his belt. It opens. Out comes a funny little green guy with a swirly hair and a swirly belly.

It opens its mouth.]

POLITOED, [it bellows in a deep voice.]

Boss? Boss, you have to come here quick! This... I-I don't know whose Pokémon this is!

[~~IT'S YOURS NOW.~~]

C. Sunday the 15th (but also Saturday probably), Anywhere, Everywhere

[Okay, so they can't seem to make it to Goldenrod. Or to stay in Goldenrod for more than 15 minutes. Things just sort of keep... happening? And changing? It's all very bewildering, even for Doppio, who is more or less used to just rolling with whatever unfamiliar location he finds himself in on a random Tuesday.

But he and the Boss manage to formulate a plan, or to amend the previous plan, at the very least, although it may be most accurate of all to say that they agree to improvise.

At some point, Doppio manages to duck away from prying eyes and change into his Rocket uniform, and then, funny things start to happen, a little all over the place. Maybe you're at the PokéMart, and you suddenly realise you're already at the counter paying for your items when you were still waiting in line just a moment ago. Maybe you're traveling, throwing a Pokéball at a wild Pokémon, and the next thing you know the Pokéball is on the ground, spent, and the Pokémon is nowhere to be seen.

Rare pokémon and items go missing; they may be yours, or not. Maybe you see a member of Team Rocket in a uniform several sizes too large - or maybe you see one in a uniform that fits perfectly, actually, but the next time you look, when you come closer, or when he turns a corner or walks behgind a tree, it's a young man in an ill-fitting uniform again. Or vice-versa.

If they can't stick around HQ for long enough to figure out how to topple the current management, they might as well get to work on an unforgettable crime spree.]

D. Wildcard?!

((OOC: The possibilities are endless and I am but one tired Naem. Feel free to hit me up with literally anything.))

First day: Blackthorn, Mahogany, Ecruteak for in person
Thace wakes up with a thrum of contentment as he stretches that cuts off when he feels different--

He has his own species back! Claws, fur, everything is in place as it should be. For the first time he can really smell his family, and so it can perhaps be excused that Thace doesn't realize he's in a room in Blackthorn and not one in Ecruteak until several minutes later. Cuddling with his family and everyone familiarizing themselves with his real scent and appearance is so much more important.

When he does realize, he turns on the 'gear and sends a video message to his friends and traveling companions, face furry and purple, and teeth sharp.

"It's a weird weekend. I half-expected one to never happen, but I'm glad it did. I've ended up in Blackthorn according to my map. Where is everyone else? We can coordinate for meeting up."

Later, Thace can be found doing a quick exploration of Blackthorn before setting off for Mahogany. He's absolutely baffled and delighted when the trip takes only a few hours (and most of those because Ice Path is not traveling friendly). After poking around the town and a quick visit to the lake, he tries out Zirthe's new huge wings for a flight to Ecruteak. Even with stops to help out, or talk to, people he passes along the way, it takes hardly any time at all. Ideas start forming.

Day Two: Cianwood, Safari Zone, Olivine, ??? + Network
When Thace wakes up somewhere different, he's not surprised this time. He spends the morning exploring the rest of the Safari Zone, and then agrees with Zirthe to try flying the sea route to Olivine.

In the afternoon, he posts a public question on the network, in his full purple glory. "I have a question for people who have experienced one of these weekends before. Is there a point in trying for a badge right now with the instability of everything?"

After that, he spends the rest of the day training and visiting anyone who wants his company.

Day Three: whirlwind tour of Kanto + power shenanigans (via network)
By day three, Thace has a plan in place and swiftly starts to implement it. The plan is quite simple, really. Taking advantage of the weirdness in travel times to get all the warps in Kanto.

He starts in Saffron, after a ride on the magnet train, which doesn't even take an hour this time. A leisurely Fly with Zirthe later, he's in Cerulean. After a break and another flight, Lavender, then Vermillion. After a warp back to Saffron, Thace makes his way to Celadon, warps to Fuchsia and that's when things get ~~fun~~ chaotic.

Thace sends a video later in the day, looking uncomfortable. He's on Fuchsia's beach, soaking wet, and instead of legs he's currently sporting a purple tail (looks kind of seal-like). "I have developed unexpected powers of my own, so two questions. First, does anyone recognize this one? It apparently comes with the ability to control water's movement with a combination of thought and motion. Secondly, does anyone have advice on controlling a power like this? I can't seem to keep my lower half as legs at the moment."

Little does Thace know that he has a chance of picking up powers or species from anybody he talks with for the rest of the day.

1) ROADS | Hoverbike races
[Want to encounter Shiro before any weird power swaps happen? Feel free! If you can catch him, that is. Because, like previous years, the Weird Weekend has seen fit to hand him his old hover bike.]

[Which clearly means he's racing up and down the roads of Kanto and Jhoto - his Skarmory flying alongside in a bid to outpace him. Don't worry, though, if someone's in the road, you won't be hit! He's got this. Probably.]

2) ANYWHERE | Power Swap
[By now, honestly, he's pretty used to this whole Weird Weekend nonsense. How when you step out of your room at the Pokemon Center, you end up literally anywhere in the pokemon world. You just sigh, and resign yourself.]

[However, today, this particular Weird Weekend, something feels a little more different. Though, honestly, Shiro's not quite sure what it is. Don't mind this stranger walking through probably any town in Kanto or Jhoto - it's fine. It's totally fine. At least until he passes by a window and catches sight of his reflection...]

[The color drains from his face.]

... What the f-

[WELL THAT'S NEW.]

3) A DOORWAY | Awkward Entrances (& Bonus Power Swap)
[Stepping out your door on a Weird Weekend is a gamble. Worst case scenario, you walk into someone's bathroom. Best case scenario, you just find yourself in a new town.]

[CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.]

[Because Shiro is opening a door somewhere near you. Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter when. There he is. In either regular or Power Swapped versions.]

A Post to the Network:
Is it that time of year again? Or... The second time of year? It's kinda hard to keep track of when this happens when you can't totally remember it after it's over...

But! There's a point to this post. I'm in Azalea right now, and I've got a piece of property here that I'm fixing up to be an inn once it's finished. It's still a total work in progress, but I've got a couple of rooms that are livable, if someone needs a place to stay. No charge, considering there's still construction dust everywhere.

If you're in a different area, I can send one of my fliers to pick you up, or take you anywhere else you need to go! Just send me a message and I'll make it happen.

Stay safe, everyone!

Kazuki in the Wild:
[Ever since he moved to Azalea, Kazuki makes frequent trips to Goldenrod to shop and pick up any supplies he might need, since there's only shops that sell groceries and other necessary items in the small forest town. He also makes sure to set aside time for himself, and often buys a snack or a drink at the local cafes, and finds a spot to play his trumpet out in public.]

[Today, he decided that the base of the Radio Tower was as good a place as any. He'd just started practicing this piece not too long ago, so it wasn't perfect yet, but he wanted to give it a try in front of a crowd to see what sections really needed to polish.]

[It was a bright, crisp autumn day, and he was in a chipper mood. It reflected in his playing, and a softer, more thoughtful song was given a bit of extra energy. That was fine. He was never any good at playing sad songs anyways.]

Edited 2020-11-15 00:13 (UTC)

Ecruteak - Start of Fourth Wall

Lust is certainly used to these odd weekends, even if they seem to come without warning and only vaguely seem to have any sort of schedule. There's two or three a year, and she's come to live with the fact that every so often, she wakes up a homunculus again.

Except this time.

At first, she doesn't even realize anything is different. She feels mostly the same as she shuffles into the bathroom. When she catches sight of herself in the mirror, she freezes. Her skin is a dark fawn color, her eyes red. There's no ouroboros between her collar bones, but a strange blue mark vaguely reminiscent of it, a sort of crescent moon shape with a circle nestled in its curve. Blue lines extend in almost vine-like swirling patterns across her chest and right shoulder and down her arm. A quick peek inside her sweatshirt confirms the blue pattern continues down the right side of her body.

What in god's good name?

Confused and mildly distressed, Lust puts on her slippers and steps outside the ground floor apartment she and Timothy share, still in her sweatshirt and striped pajama pants, to attempt to figure out just what's happened....

All Over

By now, Lust knows full well what's going on. It's exciting, in a way. She's known Angel - and Maya, before her disappearance - and is familiar with the concept of Sirens. And while the blue tattoos are still disorienting to catch glimpse of, it's...nice, to finally see her own face in the mirror for once, not the eerily pale one her undead nature had forced upon her.

And the powers...it's taken her a bit to figure them out - or at least enough to utilize them. There's plenty of mishaps. At first, horribly misshapen translucent violet limbs pop out at random - a too-skinny arm with a too-large hand, tentacles instead of limbs, sometimes just oddly shaped shimmering lumps that flex and pulse before disappearing entirely. And the wings...with a great deal of effort, she can manifest a pair of wings in that same shimmering translucence... but actually using them is a painful series of trials and errors that most often end with Lust in a cursing heap on the ground...

Accidental Damage

Lust thinks she's getting the hang of these strange new abilities!

At least until the spectral extra arms she's manifested slam into the side of a building, a shower of debris and dust exploding suddenly. As it settles, Lust can see a large hole...and some very concerned shoppers and staff staring in alarm at her. She clears her throat and smooths down her simple black skirt.

"...it will be fine in two days. Excuse me."

She attempts to call out her 'wings', but only manages to manifest the skeletal shape of them, and instead simply walks off trying to seem casual.

It's fine. It will be fine.

WILDCARD

[It's Fourth Wall, anything goes! Feel free to toss any sort of starter at me!]

Hm.

[That tree sure is on quite a lot of fire.]

[It's one that is- was?- standing on its own, safely far from anything else that might catch and spread, but it's still a rather irresponsible amount of fire involved here.]

[There might not be any actual detectives present here, but the glowing young woman who appears to also literally be made of fire seems like a likely suspect. Her or the tiny Magby held in her arms.]

It's a good start, I guess.

[She idly feeds the Magby a small piece of coal, surveying the blazing tree critically. She squints for a second, pointing a finger and shooting off a small fireball into the inferno of the tree.]

Better! It's not much yet, but this should be a good temporary base while we get the lay of the land, right?

[The Magby either doesn't understand or doesn't respond, chewing at the coal.]

Maybe get some throw pillows and scented candles...

[Oh hell yes.]

[Korra loves these weird weekends. And honestly, she can use it right about now. Tourist season is over until the holidays, and it's been pretty quiet on her little island. She'd been spending most of her time since Halloween helping out with preparing for the rainy season and it's kept her nice and busy and given her an excuse not to make any trips to the mainland.]

[Until now. This weekend, Korra is all over the two regions, bending as much as possible. She only gets a few weekends of it through the year, she's not going to waste it!]

[Sometimes she's at the ocean's edge, calling up great spouts and intricate waves from the sea for her Gyarados to play in, and using her bending to sculpt awkward looking sandcastles for her pair of pudgy Pikachu. Or she's popping into every cave she can find, staying by the entrance and sending jets of flame out the stony cavern mouth for dramatic effect, Iqniq the Arcanine joining her to see who can make the biggest flame.]

[In general, she's anywhere and everywhere, using her Bending to play with her Pokemon.]

[ As far as Yenh is concerned, turning up in another reality and being sent off into the world by A Mom is par for the course. At least the situation she's found herself in seems rather pleasant, aside from the incessant music playing from somewhere, everywhere, and nowhere at the same time. There are magical animals who like to fight, and she isn't about to turn her nose up at a chance to have a series of good-natured tussles with powerful and exotic wildlife. Or powerful and exotic whomever-is-around. ]

[ Those traveling outside of towns and cities may notice a swaying in the tall grass, or the ripple of an unfamiliar shape just under the surface of the water. There's the odd glimpse of a reddish lion's tail lashing about. A flock of pidgeys take suddenly to the air. ]

[ Who's that Pokemon? It's... a magical cat girl! ]

[This week-end will surely be a chaotic, tiring event, but as far as Ash is concerned it's also an opportunity he cannot afford to waste. Not when his long-term goal depends on it. He has a mission, and he will accomplish it no matter what.

Which is why he approaches people at random, in any location, and asks a single question:]

Excuse me, have you seen this Pokémon around here?

[This being a very... stylized drawing of a Galarian Zigzagoon. He's never seen one in person and he's better at drawing mobile suits, okay?]

Jane Crocker | Airlocked CRAU | OTA

Yuu (MC) | Twisted Wonderland | ota

Zed | Ressha Sentai ToQGer | OTA

Nozomi Yumehara | Yes! Pretty Cure 5 (One Too Many Games CRAU) | OTA

Aesop Carl | Identity V | OTA (CW: May get morbid, excuse the icons)

Jules Thibault | Changeling: the Lost OC | OTA

Futaba Sakura | P5R

Kiri | Critical Role | OTA

Jim Lake Jr. | Trollhunters | OTA

Bakugou Katsuki | My Hero Academia | OTA