victory_road | Swinub Scurry

Swinub Scurry

Who: Everyone!
When: February 21st-28th
Where: Blackthorn City
What: It's the Swinub Scurry!
OOC Info: here!

Race day dawns bright and early on the 21st. In Blackthorn City, residents are bustling before the Winter sun is fully risen, completing setup for the veritable sea of Swinub-themed stalls and decorations that has been sprouting up throughout the week. The extra advertising has sparked peoples’ competitive spirits, and there’s also an ocean of handmade posters and signs cheering on specific racers.

Understandably, the majority of signs are for locals… but if any characters showed up earlier in the week to sign up, and had their Pokemon out and about, they may have picked up some fans! Is that a cute handmade doodle of their Pokemon hanging off a nearby balcony?

Speaking of racers - anyone who’s stayed in the town since at least last night, or arrived sufficiently early in the morning, will be invited to a complimentary breakfast! It’s simple and traditional, but there’s plenty to go around - rice and miso soup for everyone, and a vast spread of side dishes, including pickled and cooked vegetables and deep fried tofu. This food may be shared with Pokemon, though there’s also lots of high-vitamin Pokemon food specifically available!

Race sign-ups remain open until noon, when racers will be expected to gather up at the starting line - coincidentally, right in front of the big main event stage. As they harness up their Pokemon and double-check their sleds and supplies, the organizing committee for the event will be giving a speech. 30 minutes later, a loud whistle from the committee lead heralds the start of the race, and everyone will be off!

(Glance to your right as you pull away from the crowded stage area - that’s definitely Gym Leader Clair watching!)

Out on the trail, racing trainers and Pokemon will quickly be struggling, but more with the wilderness than with each other! While trainers with less than six Pokemon harnessed up are allowed to bring a regular team to deal with wild Pokemon, trainer battles are off limits during the race. There’s more than enough to worry about as is!

(That’s not to say there aren’t one or two racers willing to stoop to sabotage, provided they see an opportunity where they think they won’t get caught.)

The trail is marked with red streamers on trees and rocks, but they’re few and far between, and there’s intermittent snow showers that make visibility low. Trainers were provided with a map at the race’s start, but this isn’t the city - you better hope you can interpret contour lines and similar-looking landmarks. It’s easy to get lost! These aren’t the nice, trampled-down paths of routes - trainers will find themselves having to dodge around trees, bounce over rocks, and cross frozen streams and rivers! Speaking of frozen rivers… careful, the slushy weather earlier in the month left some of those with a more fragile layer of ice than others…

On top of that, the wild Pokemon out here are higher in level than on the routes! Trainers will find themselves having to fend off large, dangerous Pokemon like Beartics, Lycanrocs, Cetitans, and Hisuian Braviarys.

And then there’s figuring out when to rest. Any veteran racer will tell you it’s a bad idea not to let your Pokemon have a break for at least a few hours, no matter how much stamina you think they have. Dealing with the wilderness takes a lot out of you. (Every race, there’s someone overconfident enough to think they can just keep going… who then ends up staggering into the finish well behind the pack, their Pokemon completely wiped.) But… do you push as far as possible before resting, and hope you can keep your lead? Or do you rest early, and hope to breeze past everyone else while they’re taking their break?

Back in town, the festivities will have kicked into full swing! Food stands abound - in particular, given the weather, there’s endless options for warm bowls - rice porridge (particularly in the mornings), ramen, udon, oden, stew… But for those who don’t want something soup-adjacent, they will find plenty of other treats, like mochi cakes grilled over a charcoal fire, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with both savory and sweet varieties.

There’s stands with souvenirs and traditional crafts, too - do you want a textile with a Piloswine pattern? Of course you do. There’s lots of options for accessories for your Pokemon - woven collars and bandannas, scarves… and clothes for you too, if you’re so inclined! There’s little wooden and ceramic Swinub charms - rub their noses for luck - and various wood and papercraft objects. One particularly large stand seems to be doing a thriving business in traditional Spinarak silk soap!

On and around the main stage, there’s always something going on. During the day, there’s a constant stream of updates and commentary, with several large screens streaming video from race officials following the race on flying Pokemon. But there’s more: every day of the race has a few additional events on a small side stage, like a panel with former racers talking through their experiences, or a Pokemon performance.

As it begins to get dark, activity will slow down… but even in the wee hours of the night, the stage will stay open with the next shift of commentators, albeit with a much more sleepy, relaxed atmosphere. (Absolutely no loudspeakers, people are trying to sleep.) Some brave and selfless stalls will stay open all night with hot drinks, and tiny local bars so small they only seat a handful of guests offer a warm, friendly place to stop and relax well into the early hours of the morning. Even Blackthorn City’s onsen is kept open well into the night, offering a steamy soak to people and Pokemon alike.

In the early afternoon of the 22nd, the very fastest racers will start showing up at the finish line! They’ll be met with cheering, as will every racer that arrives afterward - it’s a Swinub Scurry tradition that every racer must be welcomed back enthusiastically, no matter how long it takes them. Yes, even in the middle of the night. (There’s a reason the finish line is located at the edge of the city.)

Trainers and Pokemon will be dragged back to the center of the festivities and brought inside to warm up and enjoy another complimentary meal. They’re expected to stick around the city until the race is officially over - they want their medal, right? - but they’re otherwise free to enjoy the celebration around town! They may have to suffer through occasional excited crowds when they’re recognized, though people will let characters go if they beg off by saying their Pokemon are tired or hungry. On the other hand, being recognized at stalls might mean getting offered some small treats and goodies on the house - particularly for those who performed well in the race!

Shortly after sunset on the 23rd, the race will finally come to a close when old man Junzo comes placidly trundling in with his full pack of Shuckle. The cheers for him are… lackluster, to say the least, but he seems entirely unbothered. At this point, all the racers will be called to the stage, with anyone who completed the race presented with a medal, anyone who participated offered the option of taking a Swinub egg (assuming they didn’t get caught cheating)... and the top three winners particularly hyped up and praised! Hope you wanted to be on TV?

But that doesn’t mean the festivities are over! While the intensity will ramp down over the week, and the stage and performances will have shut down after the 23rd, the stalls and extended local business hours won’t close down until the 28th.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(9 AM on February 21st)

Cali disembarks from the Ubird after catching wind of the Swinub Scurry back in Cherrygrove City when the fliers were released and being curious, simply had to see the event in Blackthorn City! It had been her first time flying by means of bird travel, but it had been worth it..oh had it ever been worth it. Sweet Sixteen poked his eyes out of the backpack, evidently hating the pokeball intensely, had been living in Cali’s backpack and was proving to be a rather overprotective little Applin of sorts. Ever since the tree incident and the fact the technicolored fever dream sprinted down Route 29 in regards to a homicidal owl abomination, it was safe to say that Sweet Sixteen was more than on edge at this point. There was a low, rumbling hiss coming out of Sweet Sixteen as Cali entered the festival grounds.

“Oh Sweet Sixteen, you don’t have to be shy. Look how awesome the fair ground is!” Cali cheerily said, her observation skills not catching up to Sweet Sixteen’s rather concerning behavior.

“Applinnnn…” Was the only thing Sweet Sixteen would growl out in a gravely tone..it was clear, the moment this apple dragon evolved, he was going to be doing some unsavory things with a broader skill set.

“Goodness, you’re excited today, let’s see if I can get you something to eat.” Cali chuckled as she stopped paying attention to where she’s walking…

(12 PM on February 21st)

Cali had signed up for volunteer work at the first aid stand, much to the relief of Sweet Sixteen. Cali is set up happily at the station as she looks over to the jumbo screen showing the start of the race while her horrid Applin was just glad that they weren’t on the menu for some Beartic or Lycanroc. To Cali though, this was pure magic to see a race like this one before along with there being the ever elusive phenomenon called ‘snow’. Sure, the condensation was fogging up the vibrant colored glass on her mask, but it was keeping her face warm in the cold weather. Periodically, Cali would wipe at her lenses to see the activity on the screen and when she’s needed for assistance at the first aid stand.

“Wow, I didn’t know you would be so invested in the event.” Cali finally noticed as Sweet Sixteen carefully watched the food stand with intent.

“Applin.” Sweet Sixteen simply replied, he was an Applin of very few words.

“Hmmm..it has been a while since you last ate…let’s see if I have anything in the bag for you.” Cali turned her back for a moment to look in the backpack for any leftovers, zoning out a bit to the outside world…

(WE’RE RUNNING WITH THE SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT~ (Night Shift))

Good grief, Cali is still up and going about at the first aid stand while Sweet Sixteen is sleeping in her backpack (It’s now his bed…this is gonna end badly once he evolves). It’s likely Cali will keep going due to having a nap break early on and she’s way too excited to even think about falling asleep, especially with the race still going on. Cali has a small mug of hot broth of some kind she’ll occasionally lift her mask to sip out of and a small Goosebumps looking book before getting right back to her volunteer work…

(OH WE’RE HALF WAY THERE~)

Cali and Sweet Sixteen are on the edge of their seats at the first aid stand, watching the final stretch on the screen. It had been an exciting few days at the festival first aid stand, especially getting to listen to the commentary from the sports casters curing the event. Cali clutched her mug of hot chocolate as she pretty much vibrated with unadulterated amounts of energy from the races (and the insane amounts of sugar this weird consumed.) Sweet Sixteen was more enthralled that somehow, SOMEHOW, nothing entirely went insanely, horribly wrong at all, at least not to the scale of the tree incident. The Applin will never let it go. Oh the race is gonna be such a close one, Cali can feel it in her bones as she watches on…

(Bonus: FESTIVAL TIME: The Quest for the Clay Swinub Charm)

Now that the race was over and her services no longer needed, Cali is off to enjoy the festival while she still can! Sweet Sixteen couldn’t care less, he had survived the last few days and would get to indulge in whatever is left of the festivities before going back to being a little monster in the works. The sight of the little clay swinub charms had certainly caught Cali’s attention earlier, thus…it was going to be her main thing to hunt down…

Min-Gi had been unlucky enough to receive a call out not long before his part of the night shift ended. It's even later now and he's more than ready to call it a night, but first... first he should get his team attended to.

"Have you got any potions?" he asks. Most of his Pokémon are inside their balls for the minute, but he does have a sleepy looking Corviknight at his back and a Plusle dozing in the front of his zipped up jacket. It's a wonder he's not falling out with how far down he's hanging.

Lucky for Min-Gi, Cali is very much awake and eager to help out, "We sure do! What potions do you need?"

There was an annoyed hiss from Sweet Sixteen in the background from having his beauty rest interrupted by little Miss Sunshine who adjusted her mask a bit after sipping some hot broth.

Edited (I goofed on the broth part :x) 2025-02-21 00:18 (UTC)

"Just a few basic ones should do," he says, unzipping his coat partially so he can scoop out the slowly rousing Plusle. Ry blinks as he's down, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up a bit.

"We didn't run into that much trouble with Pokémon this time. It was mostly digging out some kid who hadn't raced before."

Even as a local she'd underestimated, but at least it had meant she'd been dressed properly and knew how to keep herself as safe as possible while she waited.

"Hang on for just one moment while I fix you up with some standard potions!" Cali chirped as she scurried to the back of the stand to fix up a basic compilation of potions for Min-Gi to take along.

"That's good to hear though about the Pokemon, I couldn't do the races as I only have my Applin at the moment. At least the kid is alright, those aren't fun conditions to be out in." Cali commented as she got the potion selection all set up nicely in a bag.

As Cali brought over a bag of compilation potions, Cali fished around for a moment in her pocket before gently booping a scratch and sniff raspberry jam sticker onto Ry the Plusle, "Here we go, some potions for your run and a sticker for your buddy right here."

Min-Gi takes the potions, turning to use the first one on the Corviknight. Red is tired enough she stays still for once while he administers it. Ry, meanwhile, makes a surprised noise at the sticker. It does seem to help with waking up him though. He brightens once he realizes what it is, removing it so he can first sniff it... then lick it. Min tuts, shaking his head to get him to knock it off. Ry grumps slightly, but settles back down to keep sniffing it instead.

"Yeah. She's fine. She really admires Saeki, but her Elektrike just weren't strong enough to finish yet."

Maybe next year. Or ideally a few years...

Cali chuckles a bit as she watches Ry the Plusle's reaction to the scratch and sniff sticker before turning her attention back to Min-Gi.

"That's good to hear, kiddo was very lucky to get help out there. Anywho, I'm Calliope, but everyone calls me Cali for short. I'll be here all night, so if you need first aid to come right on out, I'm more than happy to come along." Cali said cheerily, surprisingly emotive in a mask and the much agitated Sweet Sixteen groaned at the offer.

"I should be done for the next few hours, but let's hope whoever's taking over from me doesn't need to take you up on that," he says, though he supposes it's good to have the option there. Having been out there himself now the conditions are rough. They were actually pretty lucky in not running into any dangerous Pokémon this time.

"I'm Min-Gi," he answers in response to her introduction, turning to gesture at his own Pokémon in turn. "This is Ry and Red Eye. You can call her Red."

The Plusle waves when his name is called, sticker just barely hanging on. Red Eye is still in the entry way, and appears to be startled out of sleep at hearing her name.

"I hope you get a goodnight sleep in soon, I think things are slowing down now. Hopefully we don't need immediate first aid on the track. So far, I'm liking this new world a lot." Cali chuckled softly, a lot calmer than she normally is, though that could be from the low sugar intake and being so late.

Cali started to check off the potions taken for rescue aid before returning to the conversation, "It's nice to meet you Min-Gi and your Pokemon too. The Grumpy Gus in the background is my Applin, Sweet Sixteen."

"Applin.." Sweet Sixteen groaned like a tired middle aged man who just wanted to sleep.

"Yeah, there aren't as many racers going through the night," Min tells her, recalling how few he'd seen still moving on his way to bail out the Elektrike trainer. There'd definitely been a few braving the night, but he can only hope they're planning on getting their rest at some point otherwise they'll need rescuing too.

"You too. You're new then?" he asks. Sure he hadn't seen her around before, but it's a big place. A basic Pokémon and an unfamiliar face (so to speak) isn't a sure sign, but a reference to it being a new world is.

"That I am, been here roughly a week I think? So far, it's a lot nicer here. Where I came from, it's a bit grody. Holy smokes though, it's nice to meet others that are new to this place." Cali beamed happily at meeting another person that was new to this world as well other than Ed.

"Oh shoot, before I forget, do you need any heating packs? We just got them restocked for the night." Cali asked as she casually looked over to the supplies rack where the restocked heating packs are.

"Oh! Well, I'm not exactly new," Min admits. "It's been a couple of years now, but I remember how much getting used to it took."

Honestly, he still kind of struggles with the jump in technology despite being fairly on top of it and interested in his own time.

"Heating packs are probably a good idea. Apart from Ice Age they could probably all do with it now that we're back."

He probably doesn't need to specify why a Pokémon named Ice Age wouldn't be so agreeable to a heating pack.

"Ah okay, but yeah, it's absolutely has thrown me for a loop, but it's a fun loop that I'm loving so far. I'm surprised with how clean everything is along with no radioactive waste sites to be seen. Ice Age is an incredibly adorable name, I love it." Cali cheerily said as she fetched six heating packs from the supply rack and placing them onto the counter.

"Here we go, five for your Pokemon and one for yourself to use out on the track. The instructions are on the back of the pack on how to activate them when needed. Between you and me, if you have a hoodie, I like to place the heating pack in the pouch part to warm up the hands that way in one go." Cali goes to show where the instructions are on the heating packs in a sunny fashion.

Cali Macabre | OTA

Night Shift

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Feb 21st!

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