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The Indigo League ([personal profile] indigo_league) wrote in [community profile] victory_road2025-02-17 08:13 pm

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.
phoenixwiz: (We Need to Talk)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-03-19 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Right. So that means no Flamethrower, Raging Fury, or any major Fire moves from him tonight. But is it possible for him to try Ember without causing any fires?

Arc?

Yes, Godric. We would like you to try to melt some snow spots so we can get this tent set up as soon as possible. Or maybe you can attempt to dig out the snow if you have to avoid using too much fire power right now.

Arc, Arc!
seacub: (AND NOW A PIPE TOO??)

[personal profile] seacub 2025-03-25 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
Hmmmm...

[He's a bit nervous but...] We'll have to be ready in case any sparks catch the tent but that should be fine. We're only looking for enough room to drive the stakes, so aim near....

[He moves over, starting to mark a few spots.] ...Here we are. Fortunately, we need to stake a bit from the tent for stability anyway.
phoenixwiz: (When He Smiles)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-03-25 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Good idea. It doesn’t hurt to make sure to be ready for any emergency at a moment’s notice. I might need to bring out of my water Pokémon to put the fire if needed.

Arc, Arc!

(Godric barks cheerfully as he promptly runs to melt the snow in the marked areas. He is being mindful to not accidentally set off fires as he melts the marked snow with Ember.)

Great work, Godric. Now we should get the tent set up in no time.
seacub: (:])

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-01 08:56 am (UTC)(link)
Great! [Perfect, perfect.] Alright let's see...

[Get a few poles....and...]

I'm going to feed the main pole through, if you can grab the other end when you see it? From there we can drive the ends down.
phoenixwiz: (Confidence Within)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-01 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Arcanine! Arcanine! Arcanine!

Heheheh. Oh Godric, you silly big dog. Sure yes, I’ll get to that right away.

(Harry quickly gets to where the other end of the tent is at and, upon spotting it on the snowy ground, grab hold of it. Godric happily barks in sheer delight as he wags his tail in excitement.)

Okay, got it! I’m holding onto the other end of the tent now. Let’s get this tent set up.
seacub: (:])

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-05 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Great! In we go then...

[That's the main pole in place then!] Right, one down, a few more poles to go!

[They'll go on like that for a while, but the tent will go up in no time as a result. Soon, they can happily say the tent is up!]

That's yours done then- any problems inside?
phoenixwiz: (Confidence Within)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-05 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
(It may have taken a while to get the tent set up for the night, but they are able to get it done with very little problems. Godric happily barks to see the final result and Harry is very much glad that they have somewhere to stay for the night?

He does a quick checking of the tent’s interior for any problems spotted. Much to his relief, there is nothing major that is present that could give him a lot to worry about.)


Phew, thank goodness. We got the tent set up, and so far I don’t see any major problems to be found in here. At least it should be big enough for Godric to enter and exit without any trouble.

Arcanine! Nine!
seacub: (:])

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-08 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Seems like it. Unfortunately for my team, they need to rest in pokeballs instead of the tent, I don't have nearly enough room for everyone...

[They don't seem too bothered by it, fortunately.]
phoenixwiz: (We Need to Talk)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-08 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I understand the struggle in ensuring that there should be enough room for everyone in a tent. In fact whenever I go travelling on foot, my team had to take turns to sleeping in the tent due to them being of varying sizes and weighs.

(Harry can see how tough it is for his Pokémon to draw lots on who could sleep in a tent with their Trainer. But they know that there is no point in complaining about tent sizes and share resources when not living in cities and towns.)
seacub: ('boy i sure hope nothin bad happens')

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-09 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
It was good of you to do even that- I think most of us just stick to the pokeballs... ...You managed to get a pretty good size tent for the purpose though, where'd you pick this one up?
phoenixwiz: (When He Smiles)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-09 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I was able to find this one at the Goldenrod department store as a backup for the tent I had from the battle convention from a couple of years ago. It is at a good price at the time so I bought it as it is big enough to accommodate larger Pokémon that I would get eventually.

I actually packed it with me instead of the main travel tent when I got teleported to Mahogany Town during one of the more recent weird weekends.
seacub: (AND NOW A PIPE TOO??)

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-12 01:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Huhhh, the department store... ...That does make sense, they have a good camping supply there.

How've you liked it compared to your usual?
phoenixwiz: (When He Smiles)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-12 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh yes, really wonderful. It’s really good so far. I never had any issues with it since getting plus having an extra tent on hand does come in handy when I somehow forget to pack the main tent with me during travels or whenever I need something different for once.
seacub: (:])

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-16 02:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Emporio nods, able to relate easy.] Heh, that's better than my other tent...

I think you might have seen it? Maybe not...It's the one that unfolds from a grocery cart.
phoenixwiz: (We Need to Talk)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-16 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow: There is such a thing as a tent that could do that? Hmm… I don’t recall seeing many tents that can unfold from grocery carts in stores often, whether it is at my world or in here.

Though I must admit that the tents I have been in at my world are magically enhanced to be bigger in the inside, allowing wizards to pack everything including the kitchen sink while on the go, than most normal tents that are sold in normal camping shops or department stores.

Arc?

Wait, Godric: You never saw tents coming out of grocery carts or magical camping tents at all?

Nine…
seacub: (:])

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-18 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Hahahaha!

I wouldn't expect you to see any other ones, but I can show you mine if you drop by the Gym?

It was a prize during an earlier March- probably the Snorunts to blame, if I think about it...
phoenixwiz: (We Need to Talk)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-18 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
The Snorunts gave you that tent a while back? That is interesting, I wound up having a fan club filled with Ghosy type Pokémon while I was helping my team at Ecruteak City.

Apparently they want to cheer us on while we’re training hard over there. On the other hand, I would love to drop by at your Gym real soon and see it up close and personal.
seacub: (:])

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-20 01:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Heh, not quite...the Snorunts gave me a really weird curse I think. Every store I went into, I was the 10,000th customer.

The tent was one of the prizes.

This year uh...I think they're the reason most of my staff can't start work yet honestly...
phoenixwiz: (What?!?)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-20 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Wait what?!? Your staff weren’t able to start work for some time? Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear about it.

And I thought that I have some of the worst luck known to the Pokémon world at varying points so far.

Arca-NINE?!? Nine?
seacub: ('boy i sure hope nothin bad happens')

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-22 02:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Well...one suddenly had to deal with a pregnancy...another broke his leg...another suddenly found himself wanted by loan sharks...

...so... ...Snorunts, [he finishes, blinking emptily to both Harry and Godric.]
phoenixwiz: (Default)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-22 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow, that was a very busy time at the time. And oh right, it is them (the Snorunts) again: those Snorunts are quite fascinating even if everyone has varying experiences with them.

I found myself gaining a group of Ghost type Pokémon wanting to support me and my team during our time at Ecruteak City. I honestly don’t know what to make of it at first as I was used to get some form of bad luck or uncertain stuff from my interactions with them.

Arca-Nine.
seacub: ('boy i sure hope nothin bad happens')

[personal profile] seacub 2025-04-25 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I guess that would count as... ...odd luck?

[Through all of this, Emporio seems to have been setting up a camp stove.

Can't go to bed without food!
] Did you keep the ghosts at all?
phoenixwiz: (Default)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-04-25 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadly no. I didn’t get to keep one of them or all of them. They seem to be wild Pokémon who just so happened to be living near where I was living at in Ecruteak City and they thought that me and my Pokémon were that interesting enough for them to watch out of curiosity.

But over time, we did become acquainted with them, and based on what I have seen from them, they seem to be very friendly in our interactions with them.
seacub: (:])

[personal profile] seacub 2025-05-01 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Ahhhh. I think I know the feeling, [he chuckles.] ...Ghost pokemon tend to...follow me around sometimes, it's part of why that rumor keeps sticking I think...

[What rumor? He's not clarifying, shush.]
phoenixwiz: (Confidence Within)

[personal profile] phoenixwiz 2025-05-01 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
True, Ghost Pokémon can be very mysterious in how they choose to interact with their world around. Not to mention having a very, erm, interesting sense of humor to put it lightly.

(Says the guy who has seen his fair share of ghosts in his world on a semi-frequent basis. Knowing his bizarre luck with attracting the attention of wild Pokémon without intentionally meaning to, it is not much of the matter where his next Pokémon catch might be coming, but when.)

I know that this may sound a little awkward, but right now, I honestly don’t need more Ghost Pokémon for the time being. With me having a fairly big team at the moment and how mischievous they can be, I don’t plan to seek out more unless I really want to.

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