In midst of a Summer Festival, yet again!

[ulternnpc]

In the coastal city of Turnbloom yet again, the sun is bright and warm--but of course it's not the only place. All over Ultern everyone is enjoying the summer weather. Little by little, Ulternians and long-time Drifters alike have started to put out summer decorations throughout the start of August, which replaced the ones from Tanabata (if any had been left out to begin with).

There's a distinct sound of waves, and bustling of people nearby. Followed with the cool gentle breeze that carried the salty scent of the sea. Things seem to be at peace, as usual--or is it?

After all, there were always new Drifters popping in. Maybe today there just might be some new faces wandering through looking confused. Now's the time to step up and lend a helping hand. Icharibachoude, we're all brothers, as they say in Ultern!

Or heck, just feel free to enjoy the fun festivities filled with food and music.

That is, if you can--as behind the walls of houses in Ultern that day the familiar friendly faces all wake up with a surprise no one's expecting.

---

(🌺Ulsai! Happy anniversary everyone, and thank you so much for a whole year of time in Ultern! Please note NPCs will be popping up here and there! But for some reason they’re all different…? For any comments, concerns and questions head on over to the OOC post! Plot with your fellow players there as well!🌺)

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[ulternprofessor]

Banyan's Research Lab
[It's early in the morning, and while the Professor starts his morning early with his Pokemon things are different. There's no signs of the familiar Pokemon Professor emerging out to the porch. Instead, a young boy emerges out, barely dressed for the day and barefoot.

Not only is the big bandage on his face quite notable, but it seemed there were a few bandaids on his arms. Perhaps he was the clumsy kind? Or perhaps not given how he's jumping down, past the stairs on his porch, calling out to someone.]

Chide?! Chide, where are you!?

Route 1 - Seaside Trail
[The wind is refreshing from the breeze picking up the water from the nearby sea. There's a young boy out on his own clearly searching for something. There's a Staryu that seems to be slowly trailing after him. The boy seemed to be too focused on whatever he's doing to notice the Staryu--that or perhaps, he didn't seem to mind having one tagging along?]

Research Lab

[gold_drum]

It's too early in the morning for someone to be making so much noise. Gold sleepily makes his way out of his room, still in his pajamas, and looks out the window. Huh, an unknown kid. Did Banyan invite another kid to stay here without Gold noticing? Gold opens the window.

"Hey!" he calls out to him, voice a bit thick from having just woken up. "People are trying to sleep here!"

[ulternprofessor]

The child stopped at the sound of Gold's voice, before whirling around to see who it was. A clear look of confusion appeared on his face.

"What the...that ain't...? But that's my room...?" He's mumbling to himself at first, before frowning. "Who the heck are ya!?"

He finally called back out to Gold with his gaze lifted up to him.

[gold_drum]

"I'm Gold!" Gold calls back, leaning against the windowsill. "Who the heck are you?"

But there's something vaguely familiar about that kid... Weird. Gold rubs his eyes and yawns, before returning to staring at the kid.

[ulternprofessor]

"Have ya been drifted here?!" He's calling out to Gold still, clearly confused. Unlike Gold he wasn't tired as concern about something seemed to be fueling him. At Gold's question there's a frown. Why was this guy acting like he lived there?

"The name's Beni! Who are you?!"

[gold_drum]

"Well, yeah, a year ago..." Gold says with another yawn.

At hearing the name, however, he blinks, suddenly very awake as he realizes he knows that name. He stares at the kid. Oh, crap. He knows that haircolor, and those eyebrows...

"Hold on, I'm coming down there!" Gold yells with urgency and disappears from the window, going down the stairs as fast as he can safely manage, then running through the house and slamming the door open. Hopefully Beni wasn't too close to the door!

[ulternprofessor]

"Huh...?" Beni's frowning at Gold's sudden change in behavior. Had he said something funny? But his name wasn't all that odd, right?

No worries on getting hit by the door, as Beni had already jumped out into the yard when yelling out his younger brother's name. Instead he's stared clearly surprised when Gold had slammed open the door.

"Uh...ya...okay?"

[gold_drum]

Gold stares Beni up and down, wide-eyed. He's seen this before... He's met a younger Trip, so he knows something like this isn't impossible, but still! Is this kid really Professor Banyan when he was young?! Gold can't even imagine Professor Banyan being young!

"...How old are you?" he asks after staring for a while, barely even hearing Beni's question.

[ulternprofessor]

Why was Gold looking at him like that? Did he have something on his face--aside from the bandage? At Gold's question he's frowning, still not making sense of any of it.

"'M 10. Why ya ask?"

[starinheaven]

Uwah! [Ai peered out very meekly from behind a wall, inside the house.]

... a new kid? He's very loud.

[ulternprofessor]

[Loud child doesn't notice Ai quite yet! But you know who does notice both Ai and him? Beni's Pikachu--Tipper. It's skittering over curious by the loud sounds. He'll notice Ai looking out from a wall and follows to do the same.]

Pika?

[Oblivious to the two, the boy is still outside calling out to someone.]

Chide! Chide! Where'd ya go!?

[starinheaven]

[Ai looked at Tipper in confusion.]

You don't know who this is either, do you?

... maybe we should say hi.

[ulternprofessor]

[Tipper shook his head. Never met him! But at the sound of greeting the boy he preened! Banyan would be so proud of him if he did that!

Excitedly, Tipper will scurry ahead of Ai.]

[starinheaven]

[Ai smiled and followed, gently encouraging Tipper.]

Good luck! You can do it.

[When they're close enough to speak to Beni, Ai called out.]

Hi!

[ulternprofessor]

[Tipper once he's up close to the boy gave one sniff and immediately his expression brightened. He recognized that scent!]

Pipi!

Huh?

[He turned, blinking in surprise.]

A Pikachu? Where'd ya come from?

[Before he could question Tipper any more, he's lifting his gaze up to Ai. There's a look of confusion wondering why there was a girl near his home. Nevertheless he'll raise a hand, and force a smile.]

Ulsai! Ya new here?

[picks at old tags...]

[starinheaven]

... ah! I wanted to ask you the same thing. I've lived here for months now...

Ulsai! My name is Fuji Ai. [A little bow.] It's nice to meet you.

Your name is...?

slides into tag

[ulternprofessor]

Oh!?

[He's looking between Tipper and Ai, clearly confused.]

Funny--I don't think I've met either you or this lil' Pikachu--what'd you say your name was?

[He glanced down to Tipper who wagged his tail happily.]

Pikaa!

[Lifting his gaze back to Ai, Beni smiled. He has no idea what's going on, or how a little girl was living in the same house without noticing but he had no reason to be rude to her.]

It's nice to meet you Ai, and Tipper too. I'm Banyan. Beni Banyan, but everybody just calls me Beni.

trail

[domeinion]

[Alice doesn't recognize him, but she waves and smiles. As he often is, her cannon-legged Masquerain flies buzzing behind her.]

Hello, you two! Are you on the way to the festival?

[ulternprofessor]

[Oh! A Pokemon trainer and a... he's squinting at her odd looking Masquerain. His Staryu however recognizes Alice and will immediately give a greeting to both her and Masquerain.

At the mention of the festival Beni began to fidget.]

I wanna go but everything's so different when I woke up today. The house is different... Staryu keep saying things I don't remember about...

[domeinion]

[Alice doesn't question him understanding Staryu. Why would she? She tilts her head and pulls out one of her notebooks. Hyperbug, on the other (cannon) hand, happily waves.]

What kind of different? Could it be you've just drifted here, or is another of the strange phenomena hitting? I find they tend to congregate around holidays, and summer festivals aren't that dissimilar...

[ulternprofessor]

The house gotten a new room attached to it for one? Some kinda lab?

[Beni shook his head at the drifted comment.]

There's no way I drifted in! I don't think anyway... Ultern's my home. It always has been! But if something weird's going on that's news to me. Only oddball thing that really happened here been people who drift in and outta Ultern.

[domeinion]

I see... The only lab I know of is Professor Banyan's. Mine's a bit further from here, and it certainly wasn't anything else before.

[ulternprofessor]

[At the mention of Banyan there's a look of surprise from him.]

Wait a sec! Banyan! That's my family name! But...but there ain't no Professors in our family?!

[domeinion]

Wait, really? I don't think he mentioned a kid your age... Staryu seems familiar with you, though.

[ulternprofessor]

He...?

[Beni's looking a little hopeful--but he blinked, and glanced back to Staryu who's waddling up closer to him. Reaching out, he smiled and placed a hand onto Staryu.]

'Course he's familiar with me! We're best friends. Ain't that right Staryu?

Shaaaa!

[Staryu gave a surprisingly energetic response.]