Plot

In this round, groups are sent out to retrieve supplies - medical supplies, in particular. Groups may scavenge upward from the Upper Atrium as far as they please, or to the middle level, as in the last round, for food, technology, building materials, etc. However, if you are scavenging for human medical items, you will need to head to the Belt, which contains sick bay (the Auroris equivalent of a small hospital). Roy and Kieran will be leading the main scavenging group to sickbay.

This is no simple in-and-out gathering mission, however. The colonists' activities in the last round drew the attention of a number of deoxys who lurked in the shadowed outskirts of the atrium to observe. They are not pleased that the humans are attempting to creep lower into the ship's bowels - in fact, any human below the Upper Atrium will most likely be attacked by deoxys as the alien pokemon try to herd them back up and away from below. They can change form at will, and use any legal deoxys move. The deoxys will grow more hostile the further down you go, and less hostile the further up. The deoxys will stop attacking/chasing a character who makes it back into the Upper Atrium.

Objective

COMPETITORS: Embark on a scavenging party below the Upper Atrium that encounters a deoxys, and survive long enough to show, or at least imply, that your character can make it back to the safety of the Upper Atrium. You do not have to go with Roy and Kieran's team for medical supplies, but the deoxys will be the most hostile down in the Belt.

NPCs: Same as the competitors, but you also have the option of taking a deoxys-free scavenge, below or above the Upper Atrium. Alternatively, you may busy your character in the food court itself, tending to the wounded, building shelters, cooking, etc.

Points to Remember

For NPCs and Competitors alike:

• You may rescue a survivor from the Belt, or one from the lower levels of the Atrium if you can give a way they survived the oxygen leak. They may know there are deoxys there, but aside from that, they won't know more than the original survivors.
• You may rescue a stray pokemon or replace a pokemon this round, but it may not be evolved beyond second stage. You still cannot access the PC, so they would either be wandering/looted off someone
• NPCs may travel with competitors
• This round is taking place 2 days after the events of round 1
• You may not go beneath the Belt. The Belt itself and anything above it now accessible
• Damage report (refer to destruction chart):
• Loss of life via oxygen starvation and injuries from structural damage in the Lower Atrium (like the Middle Atrium), though it was less populated
• Heavier structural damage in the Lower Atrium, particularly near the breach which is right above sick bay; structure remains extremely unsound, including splinters along the glass outer walls
• Heaviest structural damage yet in the Belt, more as you get closer to the lab where the explosion took place, which is just a hole in the ship now. It's advised that you not open the airlocks that would have led there
• Sickbay looks like a bomb went off; tread carefully
• You may encounter strange messages written on the walls, or through electronic devices the deoxys are powering, if you wish. We suggest things along the lines of 'stay out', 'go up', 'death below' etc. but feel free to creepify and/or be cryptic
• For the rest of us, emergency power is it. Flashlights, pokemon lights, and little red glowy wall lights are fine, but only battery-powered devices will work
• It is beginning to get a little colder throughout the ship, more so as you venture down
• You may evolve/hatch ONE pokemon this round, as usual (Regardless of whether you add/replace a pokemon)
• Contact us for approval if you are planning on killing/maiming your competitor and continuing the competition with an existing NPC
• You do not have to be in Roy and Kieran's group, and/or cameo them

Technical Details

MEDIA:
Competitors must submit a comic that may be traditional, digital, animated or a MotionBook. We have no requirements on the length/size of the comic, but ensure your comic is long enough to give a meaningful response to the objective.
NPCs may submit any art that is visual, audio, written or a mix thereof.

DEADLINE:
Competitors have a month. You must submit your entry by SUNDAY 21st SEPTEMBER at 11:59PM, unless extended.
NPCs have until the beginning of round 3 to submit their entries, so at least a week after the competitor deadline.

JUDGING: Mostly the same drill as last time, except we are restructuring our judging criteria so that the categories of characterization and plot will be separate; the new version will be released tomorrow. There will be at least a week between the end of round 2 and the beginning of round 3.

SUBMITTING: Include a link to your character's app with every submission to the group gallery. Note any cameos, lyrics and references used in the description. For multiple-deviation entries, only submit the first page, with clear links to subsequent pages in the description. We will not dig through galleries for missing pages. Competitors may only submit one entry per competing character.

As always, feel free to note, comment or ask us any questions that remain!

Edited 24/3, to clarify status of pokemon retrieval