Scavenger Hunt End!

[indigo_league]

September's arrived and the intense heat of summer is slowly slipping away-- Some Pokemon trainers roam all year round, but for many folks, it's time to bring their summer adventures to a close and head back to more familiar stomping grounds.

As the sixth rolls around, some people might have even forgotten about the stickerbooks they received back in June... but not Nephelis!

In the wee hours of the night, Nephelis' signature aurora sweeps across the sky. Even the nightowls who might normally be awake at such a time will find themselves naturally nodding off. And once everyone's asleep...

Wherever their stickerbook might be, whether it's tucked in a bag or plopped on a hotel bedstand, a starry, ethereal paw will gently bat it onto the ground where it can be perused.

And depending on what it finds in there... the owner of the book will awaken in the morning to find a small, clumsily-wrapped parcel laying atop it that, regardless of the contents, smells vaguely like ozone.

A small piece of parchment stuck to the top bears a sparkly, dusky-red pawprint and reads...


HELLO, REMARKABLE HUMAN !

THIS SUMMER HAS ENDED AND SO HAS THE QUEST I OFFERED TO YOU !

REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY UNIQUE HUMAN BEINGS YOU WERE ABLE TO MEET IN THESE PAST INCREMENTS OF 30-31 DAYS, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING WITH FONDNESS AND PRIDE !

I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS ADVENTURE, HOWEVER BIG OR SMALL, AND PERHAPS EVEN MET NEW HUMAN FRIENDS WHO WERE NOT ON MY LIST ALONG THE WAY !

( THIS WAS SECRETLY MY GOAL ALL ALONG ! I HAVE FOOLED ALL ! )

PLEASE SEE ENCLOSED A " REWARD " FOR YOUR EFFORTS !


- YOUR FRIEND AND OWN LEGENDARY NEPHELIS



SCAVENGER HUNT END INFO

FIRST OFF, WHAT'S IN THE PACKAGES?

That depends on you!

No matter what, each participant will find two items within, though the items will differ depending on how many "human cryptids" they found during the scavenger hunt. Each “tier” will have an automatic prize and then several options, out of which you can choose one. The tiers are:

1 to 3 people found: A pair of Wise Glasses and your choice between: a photograph of someone/a location from home, a Pokemon egg of choice with ONE egg move, OR an extra sheet of magical stickers that will never run out.

4 to 9 people found: A pair of Choice Specs and your choice between an item from home that could fit in a pocket, a Pokemon egg of choice with THREE egg moves, OR a SNACK bar will innocuously and unobtrusively appear in hand’s reach whenever you’re craving a snack on the road and there’s nothing else around.

10 to 15 people found: A Wide Lens and your choice between: an item from home UP TO the size of a sack of flour, a Hidden Ability candy, OR a region map with pawprints over Nephelis’ favorite out-of-the-way locations to visit (which we will elaborate on if chosen).

16 to 18 people found: A Zoom Lens and your choice between: an item from home UP TO the size of a sofa, a shiny Pokemon egg, OR the opportunity to give Nephelis a pat on the head (which we will describe/thread).

These items are chosen oocly, not ICly, although you may assume that Nephelis would try not to give anybody something they'd totally hate! Also, as usual, all items from home must follow the existing rules: no pets, weapons, or vehicles, and all magical items will be stripped of powers.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO OOCLY TO CLAIM THE PRIZES?

Just comment below with the following information: your character's name, their location on September 6th (approximate is fine), the number of "human cryptids" they found and "proofs" of each finding (either a link to a thread/post playing it out OR a brief summary), and of course the rewards being claimed! If you need a refresher on who and where all these people were, hop over to the original Scavenger Hunt post for a list!

Feel free to use the form below, and see here for an example of how it might look filled out!

<b>Character Name:</b> _________ (<user name=" ">) <b>Current Location:</b> _________ <b>Number of "Cryptids" Found:</b> __ <b>Reward(s) Claimed:</b> ________ <u><b>PROOFS:</b></u> <dd>1. 2. 3.</dd> (add as many as you need)

NICE. SO, WHAT DOES THE PACKAGE LOOK LIKE?

It's wrapped in some truly lovely shiny, dark-blue wrapping paper with colorful glitter swirls reminiscent of sprawling galaxies, and bound with a silky white ribbon.

AW. DID HE MAKE THE WRAPPING PAPER HIMSELF?

Actually, this wrapping paper is sold in the little gift shop on top of Mt. Moon, and the shopkeeper nearly had a heart attack when a tall shadowy figure in a huge trenchcoat and face-obscuring hat stepped into the shop just before close and said "HELLO ! I AM A HUMAN ! I WISH TO BUY THIS DECORATIVE PACKAGING MATERIAL ! PLEASE ACCEPT THIS HUMBLE PAYMENT !"

... DID HE HAVE MONEY?

Only Stardust, but it turns out that stuff is worth a lot of money in shops!

CAN MY CHARACTER WAKE UP AND WITNESS NEPHELIS PAWING THROUGH THEIR BOOK?

No, but if you earned the "16-18" tier of reward and would like to give him a pat on the head, he will wake them up! ... Gently.

WHAT IF MY CHARACTER IS ON THE ROAD AND HAS SIX POKEMON IN THEIR PARTY ALREADY? CAN THEY STILL RECEIVE AN EGG?

Because these are very special eggs gifted by the patron deity of the otherworldly itself, your character may carry the egg with them for awhile until they can free up a party slot. The egg won't hatch until they do!

WHAT IF MY CHARACTER GETS AN EGG BUT PLANS TO STAY IN THE WILDERNESS FOREVER AS A WILDMAN, NEVER TO RETURN?

Please come back to civilization eventually!!

I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS!

Feel free to ask them here!

Comments

[indigo_league]

In his parcel, Armin receives a lavishly-illustrated, beautiful map of both regions on soft but sturdy paper. Glittering red-and-gold pawprints that are faintly dusty in texture (but won't rub off) are stamped all across the map. Where could they lead...?


(click to enlarge!)

If followed, the pawprints will take him to the following locations (with a bit of exploring, of course!):

1. The Great Diglett Escape. A short distance from the Safari Zone (not far enough to be impossible to find, but definitely far enough that there's not a significant danger of people falling into it) is a considerably-sized sinkhole that goes straight down, too far for the eye to see the bottom. Asking around about it will eventually lead to the Safari Warden himself, who explains that years ago, he imported a squad of non-native Digletts to populate a new region of his park... only for the Digletts to masterfully plot an escape, leave the Safari grounds, and burrow directly into the surrounding caves (and that's how wild Digletts came to be there, apparently!). If someone were to swallow their fear and descend into the sinkhole (hopefully with the help of some Pokemon and a LOT of rope), they'll go down, down, down... and eventually find a Big Nugget at the very, very bottom. Sweet!

2. Seaglass Caves. Where the cliffs meet the shore about a mile or so down the coast west of Olivine City, there's a mostly-concealed opening in the rock face just big enough for a person to crawl through. Once inside, the hole widens into a sprawling web of beautiful, sunlit caves and grottos. While there's no hidden gold, there is a lot of random oceanswept debris that winds up in there-- including whole shoals of green and blue seaglass!

3. Candy-Cane Forest. In the woods immediately west of the Ruins of Alph, there's a patch of forest where all the tree-trunks are painted up and down with swirly stripes! While someone who stumbles into the woods by accident might think they stumbled into a Dr. Seuss book, a careful observer who settles in to watch the area will discover that the markings are the result of an ongoing territorial dispute between two rival troops of Smeargle.

4. Hilltop Down. In the hills just north of Union Cave, there's one particular hill that stands out... it's full of holes! Turns out the entire hill is one enormous Bunnelby warren, with tunnels running seemingly throughout the entire thing. A very big tree at the top of the hill is partially responsible for holding the whole thing up with its roots. Trainers can traverse the hill relatively easily as long as they don't disturb the comings and goings of the hard-working Bunnelby-- but they might regret harrassing the bunnies, as the warren is led by a very big Diggersby who won't be happy about that at all.

5. Longneck Rock. On Route 42 about halfway between Ecruteak and Mahogany is a truly stunning rock formation. If you look at it from the right spot, it looks just like an Aurorus towering majestically against the sky! Local legend says that it's a remarkably-intact Aurorus fossil, but experts from Pewter City have studied it and concluded that no, it's just a REALLY cool rock.

6. The Secret Sake. Among the rice paddies that make up the northern outskirts of Violet City, there's a well-kept secret among locals... a local farmer and a Sprout Tower monk have teamed up to open their own little sake stand and pop-up restaurant primarily patronized by hardworking farmers after their long days out in the field. The food is humble but fresh and startlingly-delicious.

7. Rolling Rock Towers. There's Geodude and Gravelers all over Route 45, but in the ones in one particular valley have formed an interesting tradition. Tall stacks of stones can be found everywhere-- each Geodude has their own, and will add a new rock to the stack every time they gain a level. When one of them finally evolves to a Graveler, all the rest will gather to watch as they climb to a high point and then roll downwards as hard as possible to send their tower toppling!

8. Steepslope Hot Spring. Hot springs are kind of one of Blackthorn City's specialties-- they're all over the place! But they're so popular that most of them are kind of crowded. But local legend tells of an enormous hotspring far up in the mountains that's populated only by Pokemon... and unlike Aurorus Rock, this time the legend is true! Way out past the last remote cabins and lodges is a hot spring in the snow where many wild Pokemon come for a warm respite from the chilly mountain air. A human visitor will certainly surprise the usual crowd, but as long as they behave, they'll be tolerated... but any attempt to catch one of the wild Pokemon around the spring is likely to result in being chased down the mountain, possibly naked, by a bunch of very wet, very angry Oranguru.

9. LEMONAIDE 5P A CUP. What exciting locations could possibly be this close to Pallet Town of all places...? Well, Nephelis never promised that each pawprint would lead to adventure... some are just things it really likes! Case in point, there's a lemonade stand run by two ambitious Youngsters and their Spearows just outside of Pallet. They're out there every day, rain or shine, and Nephelis just really admires their entrepenerial spirit and wants to drive some business their way.

10. Concert Cave. Those Clefairies up on top of the mountain sure think they're special with their little moon dances... well, they're not the only musical sensation around! In a small cave and clearing on Route 3, a trio of Jigglypuffs regularly hold their own midnight concerts among the naturally-luminescent crystals in the cave. Of course, anyone witnessing this concert does so at their own risk... it's sure hard to stay awake and the Jigglypuffs take it quite personally when their show sends the audience to sleep. You might wake up the next morning with all your food gone and drawings all over your face!

11. Bike-In Theater. Celadon City has no shortage of movie theaters, but sometimes people just want a more old-fashioned experience. Fortunately, there's a local fellow with the means to pull it off. In a hilly clearing west of Celadon, he's set up a big screen with a projector and every Tuesday night, trainers and Pokemon gather for a potluck movie night! Perfect for folks about to head out on Cycling Road-- or who just slogged up it all the way from Fuchsia and can't make it a step further. Nephelis has been attending for awhile, lurking way in the back... (its favorite movies are the old ones with terrible Legendary effects).

12. Hothoof Race Trail. Trainers aren't the only ones racing down the long trail of Cycling Road-- in one spot down below the bridge, there's a strip of land where the earth is permanently singed black. This is where local Ponyta meet up to see who's the fastest! Cycling Road isn't usually a trip that trainers like to take slowly, but anyone lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the thundering inferno of 20+ Ponyta stampeding below at breakneck speed is sure to be impressed.

13. Ninja Nickie's Tricky Hideout. Kids love this place. Everyone else? ... Eeeeeehgh. Ninja Nickie's is a a local chain combination party-and-restaurant place in Fuchsia for kids to scoot through big plastic tubes and eat pizza in. There's terribly-made animatronics, because of course there are. The main mascot is a Mienshao named Ninja Nickie, whose design is very not-subtly reminiscent of Janine. What does Nephelis see in this place?? It's a mystery.

14. The Bee Tree. North of Vermillion on Route 6 is a very large tree that is avoided by locals. Why? Because the whole thing is basically one enormous Beedrill hive. Oh hell no! ... Right? Actually, if a brave soul dared to get close, they'd find the Beedrill to be incredibly docile and friendly. There's so many of them that they basically don't have any natural enemies. They're even happy to share their honey!

15. All That Glitters. When it comes to natural beauty, Rock Tunnel isn't usually considered a standout location. In fact, the subject of this pawprint is usually missed by those passing through specifically BECAUSE the rest of the cave is so dark and drab that they don't bother wasting their Flash PP on every little chamber... but deep within, there's a chamber that, when lit up properly, reveals a dazzling sight. Everything from the walls to the stalactites are made of sparkling geode crystals!

16. Mini Museum. There sure are a lot of Joltik at the Power Plant. Far too many for regular guests to catch. Turns out, there IS a pest control man who regularly comes around to clear out the little bugs... but what does he do with them? Turns out, a lot! Though not officially a part of the Plant, there is a small, recently-opened museum featuring miniatures of every type imaginable. Model buildings, dollhouses, toy vehicles... all neatly displayed and both inhabited and powered by dozens of Joltiks. Come here to learn about electricity AND get tons of great photos of "giant" Joltiks in exquisitely detailed miniature dioramas!

And as for the two golden pawprints...

17. Ruins of Rage. Up the slopes north of the Lake of Rage, there's a well-concealed cavern behind a small waterfall that feeds into the lake. Inside, the cave walls are covered in paintings of Magikarp and Gyarados that look very, very old... further exploration will uncover severely-crumbled but still recognizable structures and Unown writing too faded to read. It's all quite reminiscent of the Ruins of Alph, but... nowhere near as well-preserved. It doesn't look like anyone's set foot in here in ages!

18. An unassuming patch of ocean... Just off the eastern coast of Cinnabar Island there's a particular spot of water. It looks no different than the rest of the sea around it, but something about it just feels so... strange. It's hard to tell why... until the night falls and a red glow lights up the water. There is an absolutely massive Starmie down there. Just. Huge. Trying to battle it is not recommended... but the sight? Awe-inspiring.