'TIS THE SEASON! For December and January - a mashup due to the fact we're partway through December already - the weather in Alola overall is fairly pleasant, if oftentimes rainy. Unlike other regions, the temperature is still rather warm this time of year, although anyone living or traveling in Ula'ula may notice an increase in snowfall around Mount Lanakila. None of that will stop any of the yuletide festivities from happening, however!
Tourism has been a little slow during the beginning of December, but that just means that the Alolan citizens can wipe their brows in relief prepare for the sheer influx that comes around for Christmas and New Years. Cities, towns, and ports are all on display for the season, with lights, wreaths, and other assorted decorations everywhere. Hotels and motels are just as lit up, tinsel and stockings (and even evergreens, in the hotels) welcoming in guests in their lobbies, hoping to make them feel at home. That isn't to say that the local trees aren't getting the same treatment, though - or the Exeggutor, much to their chagrin or joy, depending on the individual pokémon.
The closer it gets to the holiday itself, there are numerous celebrations, such as festivals full of food (ranging from banquets in the resorts to stalls at fairs), live performances, and many, many places for you to buy presents for your loved ones and yourself. Offerings are placed out for the respective island guardians during this period all the way up into the New Year, where fireworks shows and parties are thrown across the entire region.
Worried about disturbing the wild pokémon? It's fine - a lot of the ones that live closer to human civilization will wander out to investigate and even participate in festivities, although the more skittish ones probably require a little coaxing with treats. Maybe consider leaving offerings for them as well, to make up for all the ruckus?
After the New Year celebrations are over, things will start to wind down again. Tourism will return to the more even keel it generally has throughout the year, with the little spikes around various holidays. There'll be a decline in rainy days, as well, although don't expect that to last long. (October through December is the rainiest stretch of time, but March sees a massive spike in rainfall. Get your raincoats ready for spring!) Any festivities will be on a local scale, such as celebrations for trial goers and anyone setting out on their pokémon journeys.
Team Skull, for its part, has been fairly well behaved for the holidays. There have been reported thefts, of course, but the Aether Foundation and Alolan Police have been taking care of those reports so that neither residents nor tourists need worry about it more than they have to.
BE THE VERY BEST Some of you already know each other, and some of you don't, but the bulletin can also be used for player plotting and mingling! Introduce yourselves, talk about your characters and what they're up to, and maybe what kind of CR or stuff you're looking for.
If you have Discord, we have a channel! But it's not required for you to play and plot, as the OOC comm is open for all players to use whenever they want for memes and discussion posts, and I'll be announcing updates here and on plurk via PPs for the box. ( folklores, if you don't have me added!)
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here or on any of the info posts. Tags are at player discretion, and have been enabled so that you can add them yourselves, but please do them in FIRST NAME LAST NAME format. Pokémon canon characters remain NPCable, should you choose to interact with Professor Kakui, any of the captains and kahunas, etc.
And while I'm done giving out group invites in a mod capacity, that doesn't mean invites are closed, so feel free to continue bringing in friends.
Otherwise, consider Dex officially open for gameplay now! A mingle log for Christmas festivities will be going up sometime in the next week, and one for New Years during the last week of December. Happy holidays, and good luck, trainers! |
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