a delightful picnic day.

[thunderwave]

Who: Everyone!
What: PokeBalls are now functional, and there are a lot more friends in Tabula Rasa.
Where: Outside of Heavenly Blanc! It's a picnic, baby.
When: You know, now-ish.
Content Warnings: Cute. Dragons. Birbs.

It seemingly happens at random, for the trainers of the creatures they call Pokemon. Sudden bursts of light, and out emerge quite a few new friends. Pokemon of different Types, shapes, and sizes are now wandering around . . . sticking close to their trainers, probably.

There's a small gathering outside of the Heavenly Blanc, with various snacks and food set out on tables outside. Feel free to come by, play with Pokemon, and have a bite to eat! It's a random assortment of food and drink, all "foraged" and/or made by the Pokemon crew in order to celebrate their partners being released and to also introduce them to their friends they've made in Tabula Rasa!

Be careful of the rumbling storm nearby, though . . . but on the bright side, at least your phones seem to be working, if you have any? Time to take selfies with your new friends, or maybe a TikTok that just stays on your phone forever.

(Trainers will have top levels, if they want, so if you want to interact with a specific trainer, you can wait for their level! Otherwise, have fun at the picnic.)

Comments

[rotomphone]

Yeah... Things are starting to feel a little more normal, all things considered. I'm not taking it for granted this time.

[ though he was lucky enough to have Duraludon out and about, not being able to see the rest of his team had brought its own form of anxiety. that, along with being in a world without Pokémon (more or less...) to begin with has given him something of a new perspective. ]

I was talking to Tifa and Cloud about that, actually. [ his lips quirk into a smirk. ] They suggested a gym for Pokémon and people - not sure how good I'd be at managing the latter, but I figured I could try. Got any locales in mind?

[anciently]

Good! I think it's our positive attitudes that make these changes for the better. So, keep it up, okay?

[ His situation certainly has improved, as more and more of his partners arrived, and she would say the same of her own experience here. Zack had somehow come through, after all, and that...was really a miracle. ]

Really? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. We're all pretty close! [ She taps her temple, as if to suggest that all of her friends share a sort of hive mind. ] As for location...hmm. How much space would you need? If we can fit that big dome here, there has to be room for your gym somewhere, too!

[rotomphone]

Can do! [ he gives her a thumbs up and a wink, paired with a wider grin. ] I've got nothing but positive vibes to go around.

[ sure, it's a bummer that they can't seem to find a way back to where they came from, but she's right about keeping a good attitude - if this world is really listening, maybe that much could really turn things in their favour. ]

No kidding! Same world? [ he actually hasn't made the connection until now! ] Glad to hear you've got friends to back you up - I bet you and Tifa've got your hands full dealing with that guy's sour face.

[ as for her question, he pauses to consider it. ]

If we're going to be having Pokémon battles in there, it should be at least as big as the stadium... but without Dynamax, maybe we could downsize a little. [ he strokes his chin in thought - he's mostly musing out loud, but he welcomes any input she might have. ] Might be worth doing a little exploring underground, if there are some hollowed out areas like the one where the school-mall is.

[ he's not even going to try remembering what the name on the placard was. it's way too long. ]

[anciently]

Yup! We're from different parts of it, but we knew each other back home. [ To say the least. ] And you can say that again! Looking after Cloud is a full-time job... Don't even get me started about trying to cheer him up!

[ It's an impossible task, but she seems up to the attempt. With Tifa involved, too, they can...make eke out a little, tiny smile. ]

Dynamax? [ Aerith questions, though she can at least guess from context. ] Oh, that's a great idea! Seems like we might have more space for it underground, anyway. Maybe I can do some exploring and let you know what I find...

[ See doesn't remember the name either, but can guess the area he's talking about. ]

I guess we'd just have to worry about ceiling height... How tall are most of the Pokémon? Don't want them to be too cramped!

i actually calculated this don't @ me

[rotomphone]

Make sure you tell me when you get him smiling. I'll get Rotom to capture the moment for the record books.

[ he's joking, of course, but he sure sounds genuine! and while Rotom has no idea who Cloud is, it winks nonetheless - it's privy to reading the room when there's shenanigans afoot, and is more than happy to play its part in enabling some silliness when it's due. ]

You saw how Duraludon got huge in the video, right? That's Dynamax! [ there's lots more to it than just introducing it by name, but he won't bore Aerith with the world-specific details. ] Well, Gigantimax, if we're being specific - he's got a transformation that's unique to him. Though I'm pretty sure we can't do any of that here... yet.

[ he's staying optimistic about it - after all, who knows what this world will bring tomorrow? if Poké Balls can suddenly appear one day, maybe attacks and abilities are just around the corner. before he can answer her next question, Rotom decides to be a know-it-all and chime in-- ]

Zzt! Statistically, the average height of all Pokémon in this area is 172 centimeterzzz, or five feet and six point four-three inchezzz! This does not take the outlier of Gigantimax Duraludon into account, which towerzzz at one hundred and forty-one feet, or fourty-two meterzzzz tall!

you are a true rock star

[anciently]

Noted! It may be unlikely, but I won't give up!

[ She offers a cheery wink, earnest in her stated attempts to get the ex-SOLDIER to crack a smile...someday. ]

Wow...really? He can do that? [ Aerith's expression is one of surprise and awe; the only comparison she can draw is to some of the summons, enormous in their size and strength. ] That's pretty amazing...

[ She's distracted by Rotom's contribution, turning a little to look at it as it answers, cracking an amused smile. ]

Got it. [ Aerith nods, filing that information away. ] Well, then, we should be all set for the regular ol' gym...assuming nobody's going Gigan...timax. [ There's a little laugh as she fills in the new word, testing it out. ] Or Dyna! But maybe that just means we have to find another spot for a much bigger stadium...

[rotomphone]

[ he grins, glad to hear they're on the same page, joking or not. her wink is cute, but he's admittedly actually curious to see what sort of thing would get Cloud to crack a smile. maybe he should enlist Tifa in this, too... ]

He sure can! Dynamax is what makes Pokémon battles in Galar stand out from the rest of the world - s'why me and my team are way cooler than the other guys here. [ it's whispered a little, to keep Lance and Blue out of earshot. ] Not that they aren't impressive in their own rights, but you just can't replicate our charm.

[ he won't deny Blue's prodigy-tier skill and Lance's iconic status as a dragon master, nor both of their achievements as Champions. but in terms of popularity and crowd appeal? Raihan firmly believes he has both of them beat. ]

I think it's fine to start regular-sized for the time being. We're looking for utility, after all - it's gonna be for everyone to use, not just us!