victory_road | It's time for the solstice!

Entry tags:

It's time for the solstice!

Who: Everyone attending the Azalea festival!

Where: Azalea town and surrounding woods

When: June 21st

Summary: Celebi's come out, so it's time to throw a party in its honor!

Log:

It's Midsummer! Traditional festivities in Azalea are all in full swing, and this year even bigger and better than ever, thanks to the influx of curious tourists and Legendary Seekers drawn by the rumors in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive Celebi. Everyone in Azalea is putting out their finest, and the whole town is decked out with flowers in vases and pots, colorful streamers, and bright awnings under which vendors hawk their wares.

The fun doesn't stop there, however. Those time disturbances that have been popping up all over the place? They've become at once more localized and more benign. Flowers open quickly and stay in bloom without fading, a blissful moment seems to stretch into eternity, somehow you've managed to sample the food of a dozen different booths and it still is barely mid-morning. It's like a perfect moment somehow drawn out, suspended in time to savor as long as possible. Those who have a particularly fun few minutes may even find them repeated a few times!

Which perhaps should be no surprise, given that Celebi itself has come out to play! If you're lucky and paying close attention, you might even catch a glimpse of it flitting about from one place to another throughout the town and the nearby forest. It certainly isn't shy, though it is moving quite quickly and doing anything but staying in one place. Anybody who might attempt to catch or challenge it to a battle isn’t going to get anywhere at all—and stubborn trainers might find themselves stuck in a time loop for a few hours. There's simply so much to see and do, after all! Strangely enough, if any of the Legend Seekers are around, Celebi never seems to be anywhere to be found.

Eventually, though, the long day will come to an end, and the festivities with it. By morning, all the hubbub will be gone, and Celebi with it. But not quite without a trace: anyone who came to Azalea Town to participate in the festival will find in their belongings a single fossil as a parting gift from the Time Travel Pokémon.

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Some of the various stalls include such local favorites as Pin the Tail on the Slowpoke, Cinnamon Charcoal Sticks, Superb Slowpoke Souvenirs, Ilex Herbal Remedies, Azalea Slowpoke Special Lemonade (made with genuine Rainmaker Well water!) and more! There's also a few booths from outsiders eager to cash in on the crowds, selling all kinds of trinkets, souvenirs, and charms of dubious effectiveness, including one stall that looks…a little shady, purporting to be selling the special patterned Magikarp for 10,000P apiece (although anyone who buys one will discover…a hastily painted regular Magikarp). By the end of the day, this stall will be. Uh. Shut down by the local Officer Jenny. Several enterprising souls have gathered a number of the still sped-up Slowpoke in order to stage races every other hour. Place your bets!

What would a festival honoring Celebi be if there wasn’t any attention paid to the little shrine in the forest? At the edge of the treeline there are tables set up with a variety of crafty ways to make your own offering if you didn’t bring one yourself, and at a few set times during the day a local guide will take any who’d like to leave something through the forest straight to the shrine. Both the time oddities and Celebi sightings are at their highest on the path to the shrine.

Well, this is certainly the flashiest booth at the festival. And also somehow the cheapest looking…seems like buying transport for so many people might have used up more money than expected. Early arrivals will see that they did get one of those dancing inflatable attention-grabbers in the shape of a Deoxys, but it’s not long before the Jenny comes around and makes them take it down for being too disruptive. Whoops. The brothers themselves aren’t at the booth, they’re out and about trying to gather evidence, but it’s being manned by a couple of very enthusiastic Hikers. There are sign up sheets for those looking to join up officially (and you’ll even get a little badge to pin on!) and subscribe to the monthly newsletter.

If the rest of the festival is feeling a little…sedate for the more adventurous types, the Adventure Park has decided to waive the admission fee for the entire day! There are even a few decorations up here, although only so much as wouldn’t interfere with safety. Have fun climbing and ziplining through the trees, maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of Celebi as you’re flying through the air!

Ash might not be able to go into town seeing as he stole T-Pain the Slowpoke from there, but that doesn't mean he wasn't gonna celebrate in his own way. And the time weirdness weighed in Ash's favour; time was slow for him, meaning that the guides hadn't come along once in the time he was there. He picked as many flowers as he could of all kinds and laid them out in a circle around the shrine. Circles were important for fey creatures back home so even if that didn't apply here, it felt right to do.

If you come by to the Shrine with a guide and linger, or if you come by without one, he'll seem to appear. He was lying on the grass, legs loosely crossed, eyes closed and meditating with Danny sat beside him, also focusing. They were both very calm, listening and meditating together.

[Offerings and prayers remind him of home a bit. Though it's not something he and his family did often, only at festivals, like this one. So this is obviously the place to go first.

Kira has also been studying endlessly about the Legendary Pokémon in this area and a chance to see Celebi would be an absolute dream.

But what to give as an offering? He doesn't have much...

Butterfree, who always sits upon his hat peers waaaay over as he digs through his bag looking for something worthwhile to offer up. If Legendaries are like Gods then it needs to be good. Can't just throw some coins. It has to mean something.

Unfortunately the only worth while items he has are...]

Pictures...

[Pictures from that weekend that Josefumi was here. The only solid memory he has. Butterfree gives a small whine at this, not wanting to give up something so dear and important.]

It's okay. [Is it?] Maybe he'll come back some day and we'll make new memories. If we give them to a Legendary Pokémon maybe he can bring Fumi back. It seems like he messes around with time and stuff. [Kira shrugs a bit and yet despite the fact that he's come to a conclusion about what to give up as an offering he has yet to do so, still holding on tight to the only memories he has of his best friend's brief visit.]

Walter was interested in the concept of a time Pokemon. It had always been a funny thing with the Otherworld, given how it warped dimensions, and time had been strange as a ghost too. The Order also preached on the past, present and future and how it played into God's reincarnation.

So he had opted to attend this festival, bringing several of his Pokemon in tow. Source and Doll levitated by him, with the fat little Litwick occasionally setting down on his shoulder. He considered the stalls, remembering when he had first arrived; the ghost festival had taken place the very same month. He calmly browsed, looking for any game that seemed legimately winnable or any items on sale that might catch his eye.

A shadow fell over Ash.

If this were a monster movie, this would be the part where the strings started screeching and the audience braced for something terrible to happen. Instead, a wrapped funnel cake plopped onto Ash's chest and Maurice bent down with his hands on his knees and a big dumb grin on his face.

"Hey, stranger."

His hair was wilder than usual today--he'd flown in with one of the local cryptid crew and still hadn't quite caught his breath.

[One thing that Tony loves about this world is that it offers anything that reminds him of his (former) spy job. Namely about the climbing and zip lining that reminds him some of his awesome missions. And even offering the chance to get a glimpse of a Pokemon he never heard about also gives him the energy to do some adventurous time in the Adventure Park.

In fact, if you're just climbing or zip lining by, you can see him screaming at the top of his lungs while doing those stuff.]

Yee-Haa!!! I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!!!

[Whether if he's doing this just to relieve his travel dilemmas involving a time distortion problem or not is up to you. Just watch out if he bumps (or crashes) into you.]

[Unsure if you're ready to try ziplining or not? Dubious about how sturdy those ziplines actually are? Just generally loitering around the Adventure Park's gates? Well, sooner or later, chances are you'll be accosted by a petite young lady wearing a floral print dress. Whether you know her or not, and whether her words are strictly truthful or not, she latches onto your arm and chirps:]

Hey, hey, come with me! I've never done this before, so I'm too scared to go alone!

[Though she doesn't look very scared, beaming and laughing as she tugs at your arm.]

Walter let himself be pulled, although he couldn't help smiling at the fact that it's Manaka. Maybe she hadn't recognised him.

"You seem terrified." He commented, Source giggling eagerly over his shoulder. He hadn't considered going in...not seriously. He might have been looking in to see the climbing walls. Either way, he was certainly going in now.

[What's a party without alcohol? And what's alcohol without a certain golden child trying to get around the age restriction with bad arguments about his actual age, copious amounts of 24 carat gold, and schmoozing on drunks? If you've got a glass, bottle, or cup of any wine, spirit, or 'Berry Juice,' you'll sooner or later find a pair of red eyes and a golden smile with a matching Umbreon charming your way.]

Aaah, hey, what'cha got there? Anything good?

[Aaah, what a nice young man. What's the harm? ~~it's not like he's a high functioning alcoholic or anything, or a Babylonian king.~~]

Edited 2017-06-21 19:04 (UTC)

[Gil finally slipped away from Manaka and Jack a few hours after they got to Azalea, and he couldn't be happier to be free of her uncanny....Manaka-ness. And Jack reminding him far too much of his adult self. Now he actually has a chance to have some fun-

Wait. Wait, why is she here on his arm. wait.]
Aah! Manaka??

[He tries to wriggle his arm away from her, but she has a shockingly strong grip for someone so small. Alas, he is smaller, and much lighter. Oh, no.]

Ash needed a moment to zone back in, exhaling and blinking several times. Upon seeing Maurice, he beamed and sat up, catching the funnel cake. "Hey! Aw man, and you got me- what is it?" He'd never seen funnel cake before, opening the package and tearing off a piece to try.

Danny boofed and waved to Maurice brightly, after also coming out of his own mental zone. "Were you in Azalea when they announced the party or did you come by 'specially for it?"

"Delicious is what it is." Maurice joined him on the ground, pausing to give Danny a high five/however many fingers Danny had on the way down. "I came for the party--those legendary chaser guys made it sound like a must-see. I haven't seen any weird little alien fairies or whatever but I did find you so I think the trip was worth it."

Be careful Walter, or you might just trip over the little Espurr stood in front of a stall.

He's clearly in the way of foot traffic but his disruption to those around him doesn't seem bother him in the slightest. His wide eyes are fixed upon the large, bright yo-yo balloons hung around the stall frame. A tiny paw raises itself as if reaching out and wiggles in a way that indicates if he had fingers, he'd be making a grabbing motion.

The games and stalls always draw Lust's attention at these festivals. She's fairly good at the games, and god knows she enjoys spending money. It's proof that she has money to spend, she's successful. She can spend it thoughtlessly on festival trinkets if she wants. Besides, she's an attractive, well dressed young woman. It isn't hard to coax free games, under the right circumstances. And she's dressed for the festival, in a long green dress patterned with red and orange flowers up the skirt and across the bodice.

There's extra incentive for something more light and summer appropriate. She's attending the festival with Timothy, a proper date - though she hardly expects them to spend all of their time together. Being here now, she remembers last summer, when they'd only just first met. They met up in person for the first time at the festival in Ecruteak, and she'd urged him to try his hand at the games. He'd won a stuffed Eevee at the Test Your Strength booth. Now here they were, at another summer festival, and how much had changed between them. He'd gone from a near stranger she felt badly about turning down, now she's rather certain they're going to be spending the rest of their lives together in this world.

And the thought doesn't entirely terrify her.

She can be found often among the games and stalls, either with her beau or by herself, and it seems she has quite an interest in the Slowpoke Races. If she isn't browsing wares or giving the games a try herself, she's quick to urge others to do both. Guttle, her Spheal, is with her as always.

Jinx loves a festival, and this world seems to be full of them. So of course she and Diana had to come.

Tailed by her Spritzee leaving a lovely citrus scent in it's wake. It will occasionally lit in her hair and be almost completely invisible, pink feathers on pink hair.

She does seem to be exceptionally lucky or skilled at the Carnival games, either from years of experience or natural luck but either way she was collecting a fair amount of cheap toys, trinkets and snacks.

"I've always been a sucker for charms and things." She remarks browsing through the selection.

[Madoka wasn't really sure what she signed up for when she asked the brothers for transport to Azalea, but she did figure she owed them by hearing more about what exactly they were trying to find.]

[and so, she's standing at the booth, tiny little Eevee in her arms, having made the mistake of telling a Hiker she has no idea what a legendary pokémon is — Madoka's stunned into silence as the Hiker rattles off the names and. uh. legends. of every legendary pokémon he knows about.]

Ah — I'm — [... yup, she's probably going to be here the rest of the festival.]

[and somewhere in the crowd behind her, a Pikipek lurks, watching.]

Seriously? I highly doubt that, princess. You just wanna see me make a fool out of myself 'cause I'm 'old'.

[Jack's pretty sure not much actually scares Manaka. But laughing at other people? That's right up her alley. But he's just drunk enough to be eager to prove her wrong.]

I'll show you. I'm great at this kind of shit!

[Gil finds Lust meandering by the Slowpoke races. It'd been forever and a day since he'd had a chat with someone in something resembling a similar circumstance, what with the whole age shenanigans, and it wasn't as if Gil was above using his young looks and charm to cozy up to lovely women. Especially lovely women who'd give him wine if he asked nicely. There was a reason women and wine started with the same letter in English, right?]

Miss Lust, a pleasure to see you again! Can I get you a drink?

[The golden boy king, less than five feet tall, is looking rather spiffy in a lovely little....okay no, it's a shade below gaudy. It's a golden-jacket silk tux three piece suit without a tie. At least it's not leopard print]

Despite time being all wibbly wobbly, Noctis had been able to get by pretty easily. So far. He and Prompto had warped into town for the festival, the lure of such an interesting celebration too much to resist.

It was Shepard that spotted them first, the Lycanroc letting out a gleeful, growling laugh and taking off over towards the pair. Noctis follows with Bean in tow, grinning to himself as Shepard skids to a quiet halt near them and sniffs at Danny before looking at her trainer with a sly grin.

Noctis creeps over, motioning for Bean to wait as he sneaks over, crouching down near Ash. Slowly and carefully he leans in as if he's going to whisper in his ear while, at the same time, poising one hand so he can poke the other in the side.

"You awake?" he mused, not too loud but loud enough to get the point across at the same time he pokes the other in the side.

Well if it isn't my little island friend. Hello. You're all dressed up for the day, aren't you?

[Lust offers a friendly smile. God, when was the last time she'd spoken with him? She can't even remember. The days blur together and time is a funny thing. Especially recently...]

What have you been up to?

When Cecil finally decides to bring his offering, he does so at night, with no guide to follow.

It is silly of him, perhaps, but even in another world he cannot quite shake the feeling that his spirit is strongest by moonlight. What better time, then, to offer a gift to a being far stronger than he is? Even if that offering is a mere bowl of Cele-Berry Meringue, and perhaps...

The still-blooming flowers on his path startle him, remind him that he's reached his destination. He sets the bowl down carefully, avoiding any spills, before reaching into his pocket. The disk he takes out reflects the moonlight dully, a small gleam in the darkness.

"I wonder if it'll be any use to such a powerful Pokémon? I've no idea if it's even compatible..."

Well, it's good form to dress formal for little god-like creatures. Or it's just a nice excuse to dress up~

[Gil takes a sip of the soda he's procured, which is decent but not to his spoiled tastes.]

A little of this, a little of that, mostly been on the road. Oh, we got trapped in the Alph Ruins for four or five weeks, that was something. Might be going back to challenge a couple of gyms like I initially planned. What've you been getting into?

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It's time for the solstice!

GAMES AND STALLS

OFFERINGS

LEGENDARY SEEKERS

ADVENTURE PARK

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