phantasmemes | TEST DRIVE - BELLMARE MOUNTAINS

Hello and welcome to Phantasmal Rift's Test Drive Meme!

Test drive threads are assumed to be game canon for accepted characters unless otherwise noted, so don't feel like you'll have to introduce yourself a second time to everyone you meet! As an added bonus, participation in the test drive comes with the chance to earn up to two items of loot for your trouble! Characters who are accepted can earn one item for having a top level, and one for tagging out to someone else's top level! Your SWEET LOOT will be included with your acceptance notice.

Additionally, characters currently in game can earn themselves a piece of bonus loot for the dungeon by tagging people's top-levels on the test drive! Existing characters get their bonus loot along with the rest of their loot at the conclusion of the dungeon.

This test drive takes place in the Bellmare Mountain range, a chilly environment even when it's not locked in the dead of winter. Considering that November is just starting to bite - or is it, with the Fissure's time-displacement effect in place? - that makes for an extremely chilly reception for all of the new arrivals. If you're a person at risk of frostbite, you'd better hunker down in one of the scattered mountain cabins or find someone with extra snow gear, and quick.

Once you're a bit more warmed up, exploration of the area will reveal that it's largely abandoned, but there's still some evidence of past human habitation. Old chair lifts stand guard over untouched ski slopes, the remains of what was once a resort, and a handful of hiking paths twist back and forth through the mountain forests, the snow melting off them due to the magical crystals in the gravel that lines the paths.

LET IT SNOW

Chances are that, upon arriving, you find yourself outside in the snowfall. Hopefully you weren't from somewhere too terribly warm, but chances are that unless you were specifically in a cold environment before, you're going to be feeling the chill now. (Unless, of course, you're not human and don't get bothered by the cold. That happens.)

Fortunately, there are plenty of paths scattered around that are warm enough to keep the snow melted off of them - it shouldn't be that hard to stumble across one. The question then becomes, which way to shelter and civilization? You'll have to take a bit of a gamble, but it's almost certainly better than staying where you are and freezing.

LOCKED IN

How fortunate, then, that you were able to find shelter against the cold - at least for the time being. The wooden cabin is the exact opposite of luxury, but there's a bed and wood to make a fire in the fireplace, so you can't ask for terribly much else. Especially once night falls - or when the snow outside begins to fall in more than flurries - it's far better to be outside than in. Even if you can't figure out how to start the fire, the dimly glowing crystals that serve as fire starter will at least keep your hands warm.

Of course, with only a limited amount of shelter to go around in these mountain trails, it's fairly inevitable that you would have to share with someone... Hope they're friendly, otherwise this place is going to get awkward fast.

FROSTY THE - OH, MAN!

And if you're still running around outside, sooner or later you're almost certain to run into a deep patch of snow that rises up to meet you. These giant snowmen, ten feet tall and aggressive, stand up in response to anything that isn't the local wildlife approaching - and their goal is quite simple. Better watch out, because these guys are your own personal avalanche, seeking to bury you under themselves until either the cold or the weight saps the life out of you.

One's dangerous, but it's not uncommon to find them in groups of 3-5, either, which is where things start getting to be a problem. Luckily, it's possible to melt them down to nothing, or just blast them apart with pure force - the scattered snow won't rise again, at least not any time soon.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You got pulled through a weak spot in reality, into an entirely different world. I know that must sound ridiculous, but it's what happened to everyone on this mountain.

[Here, Leaf. The heavy coat is being held out for you.]

I expected new arrivals who might not be dressed for the weather, so I brought some extra winter gear.

[You know what, there is no hesitation as she takes the coat and puts it on.]

I mean, it's not the weirdest thing I've heard. [She's had a challenger or two from Sinnoh who've told her about some of the myths.]

... Man. If this really is another world... Jeez, Lance better not think I went and pulled a Red on him because of this...

We're...reasonably confident we'll go back to when we left from.

[Here, have some snow pants too.]

But right now, we don't have any way to deliberately leave.

[Pants! She'll happily take those, too.

... Though first-- she unhooks her belt quickly, then holds it out to Goro.]

Could you hang onto those for me while I get these on? I'd rather have quick access to my Pokemon and I can't do that if their balls are under a couple of layers.

Ah, so that is a Pokemon!

[She takes the belt, face lighting up a little.]

I've only seen a few species so far, and that one looks remarkably like a kitsune's fox form.

[She starts working on getting the pants on, her own expression brightening a bit.]

Her name's Ginger, she's a Ninetales. Are Pokemon not very common here?

Edited 2018-12-18 04:42 (UTC)

There's a few, but they aren't native to this world. Pokemon eggs turn up here just like people do, and some of us have found and hatched some.

I left my Mimikyu home, though. I thought the cold might be too much for her.

Oh! You have a Mimikyu? I've never gotten to see one in person before!

[She looks a little starry-eyed at the prospect.]

I'd say your judgment there was probably right, though. They're native to Alola, which is a pretty warm region from my understanding.

She's very friendly, but tends to get underfoot when she wants attention. I'm trying to train her out of it, but...she is very young.

Ghost-types tend to get like that when they want attention, I've noticed. Some, ah... more so than others.

[She shoves her hands in the coat's pockets.]

[And she offers the belt back.]

At least she's fairly innocent about it. I think she's just a little on the needy side.

[Oh, right, belt. Taking that and putting it back on over the coat.]

Ghost-types tend to get lonely pretty easily... A lot of people tend to be scared of them, which is a shame. They're really good friends and pretty powerful in battle. Your Mimikyu sounds adorable, though! I'd love to meet her.

A lot of people seem to be scared of ghosts in general, even the harmless ones.

[And, for good measure, have some boots.]

We should be heading back in about a week and a half, so you'll be able to meet her then.

[Boots! Yes, please.]

A week and a half... Well, at least I've got some food to tide me and my Pokemon over...

Don't worry too much about that. We were expecting new arrivals, so we brought plenty of food.

[And she'll be offering some gloves, too.]

Ah, thank goodness...

[She pulls the gloves on.]

... Thanks, by the way.

You're welcome, this is what I brought these for.

I'm Goro Akechi, by the way.

Leaf, Champion of the Indigo Plateau Pokemon League. [A beat.] Not that that really means much of anything here...

[... She likes the sound of the title, though, and it was something she only got recently.]

Nice to meet you!

Well, it certainly sounds impressive. And I can't say 'impressive' isn't in a certain amount of demand here...but maybe I should explain the general situation once we find a cabin.

Ehehe... That'd probably be a good idea. Lead the way?

[She nods and turns to plod through the snow.]

I saw one over this way.

[She'll go ahead and follow behind, Ginger easily falling into step alongside her trainer.]

[She leads them to a thawed path, which in turn leads to a small cabin. Once inside, she immediately starts piling wood into the small fireplace.]

[Leaf closes the door behind her as Ginger pads over to the fireplace to watch what Goro's doing.]

This is already loads better...

I thought being out of the wind would make a difference.

[With the fireplace filled, she calls up a ball of fire in one hand...but refrains from using it just yet.]

You might want to call your Pokemon away from the fireplace, I'm about to light it.

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