victory_road | Come alive, come alive!

Current Location: Olivine City

Entry tags:

Come alive, come alive!

Who: Everyone attending the Contest Spectacular! (For more information about this event, check out the info post here!)
Where: Olivine City
When: August 17th-19th
Log:

With summer getting ready to turn into fall, what better way to send off the warm weather than another Contest Spectacular?

For the past six months, Johto has been clamoring for a chance to host an event of its own, and after the booming success it had in Kanto, the organizers were all too happy to bring the magic even further west. In the end, Olivine City received the honor-- not only because it happens to be one of the top summertime tourist spots in the region, but also because it's the major port where ships from the Sevii Islands come in... and boy is that port ever decked out for the occasion!

Banners and flags fly from every mast, and the marketplace normally devoted to fish, fish, and more fish has been transformed into a colorful whirlwind of Contest Spectacular merchandise and attractions. Like last time, there are photoshoots and rentable costumes, as well as swag featuring the likenesses of the Hoenn contest champions. But among the unfamiliar faces, those who were around for the Kanto Contest may notice some familiar ones... an adorable plush Rattata with a bell attached to the tail, brightly-colored skull-print stationary featuring a punk-rock Popplio with its flippers crossed coolly, and a big cozy flannel with faux-Bunnelby fur lining, to name just a few! ... There's even a chunky robot action figure with a top that pops off to reveal that it's being piloted by a plastic Trubbish, with spoon accessories (this one's really popular with the Youngsters). This last one is, notably, not "official" Contest Spectacular merchandise... but that isn't stopping vendors from selling it by the dozens.

This time, in addition to the mountains of swag, there are also booths and rings set up for games and miniature competitions available to attendees! There's a grassy little racetrack for Rattata and other rodent Pokemon, an eating contest featuring a makeshift conveyor belt and as much fresh sushi (locally caught prepared!) as long-tongued Pokemon can gobble up, and of course the ever-popular Magikarp Jump, which manages to not only draw a crowd but get people really riled up. While the only prizes are cheap ribbons, the games are a great way to pass the time and make your Pokemon feel like a star even if they're not entered in the Contest proper!

Also of note are the bright white tents set up every few blocks or so-- that's right, the Aether Foundation is here! Even with the enormous success of the Kanto Contest, sponsors were needed to make the next one even bigger and better, and the Aether Foundation was more than happy to fill in. Their tents offer free water, sunscreen, and even little granola bars for any trainers or Pokemon who find themselves getting thirsty in the summer sun. Invariably, the Aether agents are friendly and helpful, although like any charity sponsors at a big event, they're also happy to talk your ear off about their mission and environmental cleanup work on the Sevii Islands.

But of course, it all comes down to the main event...

An enormous tent just like the one back in Celadon (albeit altered to be more suited for sunny beach weather than a cold Kanto winter!) has been erected in a large open area near the base of the Lighthouse, with easy access to the beach for anyone looking to swim or sunbathe while they wait for the category they’re looking forward to. As before, stages suitable for all types of Pokemon have been arranged, from the typical wood main stage, to tanks for water types and sandy arenas for enthusiastic fire types. Schedules for what contestants will be where and when are posted almost anywhere you turn. If you're lucky, you might even spot Anne and Liz making the rounds to sign autographs and chat with contestants. They're as busy as anyone else, though-- with the big tent more open to the elements than the one in Celadon, it's clearer than ever how much work goes into these things!

One thing's for sure, the bustling audience expects big things, and the organizers are determined not to disappoint!

The lights are on, the music is starting, the show is about to begin! BREAK A LEG, EVERYONE!

... Not Literally!

~*~

[IMPORTANT: Please submit your contest entries here! For all other activities, feel free to make your own top-levels!]

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For anyone entering the Contest Spectacular, please reply to this comment with your entry using the template provided!

Contest Category: Tough
Trainer: Thida
Pokemon: "Oku" (Octillery)
Move: Octazooka

Costume: Oku has been rubbed up with some waterproof, hydrating lotions - they are Pokemon safe and smell like seaweed, but not unpleasantly so. This gives her skin an extra oomph of sheen for the stage lights even if she comes out of the water for long periods of time. She's sporting a pair of silver goggles over her eyes and the bridge of her snoot, and her two front tentacles bear shiny black sort of "gloves". The costume is intentionally reminiscent of an Octoling from Thida's world, and fittingly enough, Thida herself is bedecked with a headset with conical ear pieces, a black high-collared jacket with yellow safety vest, and black sneakers with lime green accents. She is also armed with what is essentially a Super Soaker, painted in blacks and limes, filled with water colored a dark blue.

Oh yes, fam. We're reenacting Single Player Campaign.

Act: The stage is set up in a bit of a strange way. There's a pool of water with a circular platform in the middle anchored by a beam underneath, and on top of the platform sit a couple of old, worn crates - ones that would take one good hit to blow to pieces. A wooden gangplank connects the platform to the rest of the floor. From the ceiling hang, funnily enough, trash can lids! Each has been adorned on both sides with a stylized squid in a kind of street art style.

When the act begins, the only light comes from low fixtures at the bottom of the pool, casting an eerie ripple around the stadium. The first proper sound is that of footfalls as Thida rushes out onto the stage and across the gangplank, Super Soaker hefted up as she surveys the area. There's a moment's pause, and then-

BAM!

The gangplank is shot from below, sent into the air, and Thida whips around towards it, a touch of authentic dread in her expression. The path back has been compromised, but by what?

The answer comes as Oku emerges from the water on the other side of the platform with a splash and a trill of her call. By the time Thida turns to confront her, another Octazooka bursts forth, smacking into the squid target above her. It's a warning - a signal - and Thida's on the move, shooting her Super Soaker in retaliation.

No matter where Thida goes on the stage - tumbling behind a crate, darting between them and past targets, Oku's Octazooka hits marks with startling accuracy, while Thida's shots always just miss. A couple of times the trash can lids are hit hard enough to send them clattering down, but most of them are left with dents right in their squid pictures. Crates are blown to smithereens until there's nothing left for Thida to hide behind - nowhere to run. She's left standing in the center of the platform, teeth grit as Oku hauls herself up over the edge.

There's a moment where the two stare each other down, Thida's Super Soaker leveled at her Pokemon. There's a visible twitch of her trigger finger and one of her eyes closes to aim - and Oku rears back, tentacles curled on the edge of the platform for support, and launches one last Octazooka - the biggest yet!

With a cry, the shot of gunk and ink hits Thida in the chest. Her Super Soaker goes flying, splattering colored water everywhere as she's launched off the platform and just over the water. She's down for the count, and Oku cries out in triumph.

On this day, Octillery-kind has won!

Contest Category: Beauty
Trainer: Yuuko Nishigori
Pokemon: "Ina" (Steenee)
Move: Sweet Scent

Costume: Since Yuuko and Ina are doing a ballet routine, it’s only natural that their outfits should play up the ballerina angle. Yuuko wears a pink ballet dress that’s decorated with tiny flowers, pointe shoes, and pink ribbons to hold up her ponytail and to wear around her right wrist.

Ina isn’t wearing quite as much since she already looks like she’s wearing a dress, but Yuuko still made sure that she would look pretty as well (and Ina was very insistent on that; she is going to be the star of this show, after all). She wears the same pink ribbons as Yuuko; two on each of her pigtail-like sepals, one around the stem that sticks up from the top of her head, and one around her left wrist. She also wears a flowery collar that matches the flowers on the bustline of Yuuko’s dress, along with a small, frilly white ballet skirt around her middle.

Act: For a competition, Yuuko would much prefer to do some figure skating, but obviously that wouldn’t be easy to pull off on a stage. However, she did take ballet lessons along with skating lessons while she was growing up, so she figures that dancing would be the next best thing. She just hopes she and Ina can pull it off since she hasn’t danced ballet in a while.

The stage is a very simple one, aside from the pale pink curtains as a backdrop (yeah, there’s a lot of pink involved in this performance). Yuuko and Ina enter from opposite sides of the stage and stop in the middle to both get down on one knee into their starting positions.

Then the music starts, and Yuuko and Ina get to their feet and begin to dance. The ballet moves they go through aren’t the most complicated ones—Yuuko’s skills in ballet are a little rusty, and she also wanted the choreography to be something that Ina could learn quickly and easily. But she’s found that the more they’ve practiced, the more she’s felt those skills coming back to her. In Ina’s case, the Steenee’s newfound delight over having arms and stronger legs serves her very well, since she’d taken to dancing fairly quickly so she could show them off. The two of them dance with an easy grace after several days of practicing, and they even manage to include a grande jeté, making a huge leap across the stage side-by-side and each landing on one foot.

About two-thirds of the way through the song, Yuuko moves to the side of the stage; now the performance is all about her Pokemon. Now at center stage, Ina winks and smiles to the audience as she goes into a retiré devant that leads into a pirouette. But it doesn’t stop there; Ina makes herself pirouette faster and faster until she’s almost a blur.

At that point, it’s Yuuko’s cue to say, “Ina, Sweet Scent!”

As Ina continues to spin, a pink, misty substance starts to come out from the top of her head, spiraling above her. Though at first it comes out in a neat spiral, the pink mist soon spreads across the whole stage, surrounding both Ina and Yuuko but still letting them be visible. Though the pink stuff doesn’t spread much further than the stage, the audience may soon find themselves smelling a pleasant, fruity scent.

Then Ina abruptly stops spinning…and begins to spin in the opposite direction, which somehow causes the pink, fruity-smelling mist to be sucked back into her body. The mist then completely dissipates, though the pleasant scent still lingers.

The last notes of the song are played, and then Ina concludes her spinning, her arms raised above her head in fifth position. Yuuko rejoins her and the two of them curtsy for the audience, though in the end Ina can no longer contain her happiness and she hugs Yuuko’s legs. Yuuko can’t help but smile at that, and the two of them break apart and exit as the lights dim.

Contest Category: Beauty
Trainer: Mabel Pines
Pokemon: "Diamond" (Onix)
Move: Rock Polish

Costume:
Mabel is dressed in what was most likely part of a kid's fairy costume at one point but she's left out the wings and made some new additions to the outfit. Stars decorate the head band and seem to shimmer in the lights of the stage while several more stars of various sizes decorate the under-layer of the skirt portion of her dress. She's also opted for flats instead of sandles to make it easier to perform.

Diamond was tricky but Mabel did her absolute best! A flower crown that may have once started life as a wreath rests around the point on the Onix's head, shimmering much like the stars decorating Mabel's headband. White ribbons with faint star patterns that gleam in the light are carefully braided around Diamond's body, flowing with her natural shape and winding all the way down to the tip of her tail where a bauble hangs in the shape of a crescent moon with two stars.

Act:
The duo take the stage in darkness, though it's hard not to see the looming shape of the Onix as she slithers out from the wing, and Onix curves herself around Mabel who stands center stage. The music starts as the lights come up, tinted shades of blue with a few white lights in the mix to illuminate the stage just right. The Onix moves first, curling around Mabel in a slow circle that makes her body seem to shimmer faintly in the light until she starts to stretch out across the stage revealing Mabel who twirls then hops after Diamond in mock-ballet steps (she's not formerly trained and she doesn't dare try!!), keeping time to the music as she reaches out to touch the Pokemon's side with a sad look on her face. Diamond lowers her head sadly then dips to the stage, allowing Mabel to climb up onto her back with practiced--a lot of practice!!--ease, only to rise back up as the chorus starts for the first time.

She starts to coil at center stage again and lifts herself high with Mabel on her head as the lights brighten as less blues are used and more whites flick in here and there as if stars were gleaming around them. Mabel stretched a hand up towards one right above her, reaching for one light in particular--

only for the chorus to end as Diamond sags back to the stage, Mabel sinking to her knees on the Pokemon's head.

Diamond starts to slither downstage again as Mabel slowly climbs to her feet, both of them swaying to the music though the little girl stumbles and flails briefly--comically--only to recover and strike her pose as Diamond stops at the edge of the stage. The Pokemon lowers her head and Mabel hops off rather ungracefully only to strike a pose the next moment and spin away from Diamond as the Onix slithers and spins carefully towards the other side of the stage. Each reach the wings and pause without going out of sight completely, the lights going back to all blue as the verse trails towards the chorus again.

Both look up, Mabel pointing while Diamond simply turns her head up, and white lights flicker about above them more prominently now, twinkling like millions of stars on a clear night. Mabel smiles brightly and prances out to center stage as Diamond slinks out to meet her, rumbling merrily as she twirls around her trainer then straightens up tall like she had before--only this time Mabel was in the center of her coils with a hand lifted towards the ceiling.

"Diamond, use Rock Polish!"

The twinkling lights stopped as the Onix rumbled and used the move, a single light above the Pokemon shining down on her as the stage went mostly blue again. Her entire body seemed to glimmer like a thousands stars all on it's own and she began to slowly twist again, Mabel disappearing from view as Diamond stayed in place like a music box ballerina on a peg. Using some well placed extra ribbons and skill from practice sessions, Mabel scaled Diamond out of view of the crowd as her Pokemon spun and just as the music came to an end she reappeared on the Onix's head doing a mock-pirouette as Diamond stopped moving and the blue lights faded leaving just a spotlight on the pair.

Once the performance was over Mabel collapsed in a giggling pile of frills and ruffles on top of Onix's head, hands thrown up with a loud whoop of joy.

"We did it, Diamond!"

Sorry to everyone for the answering roar of joy she gets. It's kind of loud.

[Around the Venue - before the performance!]

There. I think that'll do it Diamond!

[Mabel was seated on the ground just outside some of the stage doors, her Onix curled around her in a loose circle with her head resting on the ground while the little girl worked on the final touches on what looked to be a crown of some sort? (Looks like a wreath that's been spray painted..)

Tabby Puss the Meowth and Mermando the Popplio were snoozing on Diamond's head while Squiggles the Draitini and Princess Chomper the Gible wrestled around together getting covered in glitter but hey, it was better than wrecking things! Bouncy the Spoink was the only one actively attempting to help Mabel as he held onto some ribbons for her, bouncing slowly at her side.

Sitting back, Mabel grinned at her bouncy pig then looked at Diamond as she leaned on her hands.]

What'dya think?

[The Onix rumbled her approval after giving the wreath a critical eye and Mabel beamed, flopping backwards now to lie on the grass.]

Victory is mine!

[GAMESS!!]

Oh Oh, let's try this one!!

[Mabel was darting through the crowd as she cried out in excitement, dragging along her Gible while also trying to keep the Dratini that was draped around her from falling off. (It was a very cumbersome situation okay.) The pair of dragons seemed quite content with it nonetheless and just let Mabel do her thing, the Gible snapping her jaws excitedly as they reached the game Mabel was so excited about--

Sushi-Go-Round.]

Princess Chomper you would rock at this!!! [Clapping her hands together as she shuffled around to face her Gible, Mabel grinned.] Wanna eats lots of yummy sushi?

[The Gible let out a happy growl-roar, flailing it's little arms as her tiara shifted a little lopsided on her head causing Mabel to giggle and attempt to straighten it.]

Let's eat some Sushi!!

[On the Beach]

[Taking a break from the games and craziness of the contest, Mabel had ventured down to the beach with her Pokemon to do some exploring! She'd never been to Olivine City before so it was a good chance for her to see the sights and it was a pretty nice little town!

She'd gotten herself some ice cream, perched on top of Diamond the Onix's head with Mermando the Shiny Popplio and Tabby Puss the Meowth and were heading along the shoreline minding their own business when a terrible noise made all of them wince.]

What in the heck was--

Stupid sandcastle!

Go away go away!

[Mabel blinked and peered around Mermando, watching as two boys around her age threw a shovel and some other objects at what looked like a normal sandcastle. But then Mabel saw it move and oh did she see red.

Handing off her ice cream to Tabby Puss, the little girl hopped up as Diamond let out a low growl, the Onix lifting her head--and her trainer--high.]

HEY! Leave that Pokemon alone!

[The boys turned to most likely yell at her only to stop as they saw the angry Onix she stood on and the bristling Popplio and Meowth alongside her. One paused while the other frowned, brandishing a stick.]

Or what? You gonna do something?

[Mabel's eyes narrowed and she took another Pokeball off the fanny pack she'd got for herself, tossing it towards the boys.]

Jeff! Use Gust!

[The Drifloon that appeared looked angry and immediately did as he was told, for once, launching an attack against the boys who screamed and took off running with the angry little ghost hot on their heels.]

GET 'EM JEFF! CARRY THEM OFF TO THE HOARD!!!

[Mabel no.]

[Wildcard!]

Feel free to hit me up with anything you'd like if none of these work for you! I'm down for anything!

A. After her act

We did it, Ina!

[Yuuko is sitting in one of the Aether Foundation's tents with Ina for some water and a granola bar. She's grasping Ina's hands and beaming, while Ina jumps up and down in excitement. Their act took quite a bit of practice, especially with the limited amount of time they had before the event, but Yuuko isn't too concerned with whether or not she'll win anything. She'd almost forgotten how exciting it was to be part of a competition, and as long as the audience enjoyed their performance, she's happy.

At one point, though, she does wince and rub one of her feet. She'd forgotten how merciless pointe shoes could be...]

B. On the beach

Flip, don't swim out too far, okay?

[After changing out of her costume and putting on a simple tank top and shorts, Yuuko has decided to go and enjoy the beach. It's a good chance to let Flip the Seel out so she can swim. The weather is obviously warmer than Seel typically prefer, but Flip is still enjoying herself, and her swimming is far more graceful than how she usually moves around on land. She swims in wide circles, occasionally diving underwater and then leaping up into the air with a happy bark.

Yuuko stands with her feet in the water to stay cool, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand so she can keep an eye on Flip. Meanwhile, Biellmann the Ducklett paddles around a short distance in front of her, while Ina sits on the beach to happily soak up the sun's rays. (Salchow the Alolan Vulpix opted to stay in his Pokeball, since he's an Ice type and thus isn't too fond of the summer heat.)]

[Wildcard]
[Feel free to hit me up with anything else!]

Edited 2018-08-19 01:26 (UTC)

[Around the Venue!]

[While performing was not something Chise had any interest in doing she was definitely intrigued to see what other people were going to do and it seemed like a good opportunity to just...not be alone. Especially after the encounter with a Spiritomb in the Ruins of Alph. She was more shaken by the entire thing than she wanted to admit and readily accepted the free trip to Olivine, settling into a hotel before doing some exploring around the town.

When the performances get underway, Chise can be found around the venue spectating and just exploring between shows, her ever protective Rockruff at her side as her Litwick stays perched on her shoulder. New to her party is the shiny Togepi that she'll be carrying around with her while she's in Olivine as well as the Ralts that had helped her get out of the Ruins of Alph. She also has a Flabebe and a Gastly following her around as she wanders through the crowd, keeping any eye out for anyone she may recognize.

She needs to get better about putting herself out there after all.]

[Games Games Games!]

[Chise can't help but bite her lip to keep from laughing as several individuals attempt and fail to follow the latest pattern the Clefairy had put up on the board, five Pokemon getting knocked out this round leaving just two to go. Gwyllgi, her Rockruff, was watching with interest as the game continued while the rest of her Pokemon just chattered among themselves--

except her Togepi. Daruma was determined to cause a fuss.

The shiny little Pokemon squirmed in Chise's arms until he finally caused her to lose her hold with a yelp of surprise--"Daruma!"--rolling away then clambering to his feet before Gwyllgi can get to him and toddling towards the Clefairy and the chalkboard.]

Oh no...Daruma!

[Excuse the tiny little Togepi as it squeaks and chirps, flailing it's arms as it interrupts the game to do it's own little dance while Chise tries to get through the crowd.]

[Wildcard!]

I'm up for anything and everything!

Contest Category: Tough
Trainer: Lance
Pokemon: "Bruce Whalis" (Wailmer)
Move: Water Gun

Costume: Here you have two cool guys wearing leather jackets and sunglasses. On Bruce, he has a black bandana around his head (aka around his whole body because he's a Wailmer and we're working with the space we got.) Bruce also has some scars drawn on him in black eyeliner. There's one that looks like it still has the stitches in it on his right fin and something that looks like a terrible rendition of a stab wound on the bottom of said fin. The left fin features circles reminiscent of gun shots, looking like Bruce ran through an active battlefield one too many times. Of course, Bruce's face just needs some scarring too, so one is drawn under his blood and sweat (actually just ketchup and saltwater) splattered bandana, ends stretching beyond the fabric. The line is drawn on in red eyeliner, making it look fresh and still raw because tough guys don't have time to bandage up head wounds.

Lance is dressed just the same as Bruce, minus the scars and bandana, but he's clad from head to toe in black leather, with a nice (fake) gold chain and fingerless gloves and sunglasses. In his hands is a water gun shaped like a machine gun because why not. All projections used in the act are courtesy of Pidge helping Lance create them on the computer.

Act: There's a plain white cloth backdrop on stage and for a moment, it looks out of place and weird amongst all the other brightly colored decorations the other contestants use. But then the cloth suddenly bursts into a clash of color: red, orange, brown! It's a series of explosions! Bullets fly from speeding cars driving right to left and back again. But don't worry, it is only a projection. A very realistic looking one, especially when four brawny men jump out a black unmarked van and appear against the cloth. One punches his hand with his fist, looking like he woke up this morning spoiling for a fight. Another one has a machete strapped to his back and the other two wave big guns in the air.

But none of them intimidate Bruce Whalis. No way, no how. He rolls onto the stage and meanmugs the scene behind him. It's a mess. The cops are shady and won't come to the help of some hostages waving out of the windows of speeding cars. This is a job for Bruce. He is a whale of morals, the marine life here to set human life right. And with his trusty trainer by his side, this is just another day on the job.

One of the goons starts yelling about how Bruce has come to the wrong neighborhood to be a hero. Them's some fighting words, so Lance barrel rolls onstage, screaming at the top of his lungs as he points his water gun at the projection.

"Bruce, Water Gun 'em!"

The fight is quick, but dirty. Water flies everywhere from trainer and Pokemon both, possibly splashing a few contest spectators in the process, and Bruce gives his all to spurt as much seawater at the backdrop because that's where the enemies are. Each video goon goes down easy, but not without a fight. The Machete Guy is the toughest one and he pulls out his weapon and swings it around as if he's some kind of ninja, but Bruce shoots one well placed Water Gun that knocks the machete out of his hands and then another shot to the face to put the fool down on the ground next to his useless buddies.

There's cheers from the hostages who run out of the cars and towards their hero who just stands there with a neutral look on his face. Bruce doesn't do this for his own personal happiness. He does it because it's what's right. These people are trainers too and now they are free to go back home to their Pokemon.

Both Bruce and Lance turn their backs on their adoring fans cast against the white bedsheet Lance stole from his own bed, not interested in making a name for themselves at a time like this. And as the pièce de résistance, the projection explodes into a firey ball of flames as both of them nonchalantly walk off stage. Because cool guys never look at explosions.

Contest Category: Tough
Trainer: Wrath
Pokemon: "Mad" (Deino)
Move: Work Up

Costume: Wrath is wearing a football helmet with a huge dent in the side, and two large white pillows strapped to his arms with bungee cords. He's also wearing kneepads. They're bright orange. Other than that? He's in normal clothes-- a black t-shirt, cargo shorts, and no shoes whatsoever. There's black paint smudged under his eyes.

Mad is wearing a giant pair of googly eyes taped onto her hair (in a rough approximation of where her eyes would be if her species had them), and a pair of giant blocky black eyebrows cut out of construction paper, fixed in the "angry position". Like so.

Act:

After some of the more high-tech acts, the scruffy barefoot youth shuffling out onto the stage might seem a little underwhelming. First he comes out with a crate of assorted props, and then with another crate that has a much-more-lively occupant, judging by the growling coming from within and the sign taped to it that reads "DANJER". He sets both down, a decent distance apart from each other, and then silently and seriously begins to don his protective padding. All the while, the "Danger Crate" growls and scoots an inch or so across the floor in random directions.

He gives his helmet a couple of knocks with his fists and then, seemingly satisfied, turns to the audience.

"Hi. I'm Wrath."

He steps over to the Danger Crate and opens it, lifting out the star of this show-- an incredibly furry green Deino with a pair of angry googly eyes taped on. Once set down, she tramps around in a circle, the eyes spinning madly as she snaps her teeth at the air. A chuckle runs through the audience, but Wrath's stony expression doesn't change.

"This is my daughter, Mad. You can tell we're related because of our similar appearances and also because our names are words that mean the same thing."

Another chuckle, and some "awws". At least one PokeFan whispers loudly to her husband that this act belongs in the 'Cute' category.

Wrath continues. It's clear that he's not really used to being in front of so many people at once, because he sounds a little stilted, even compared to normal.

"She is angry almost all the time. Even angrier than me. But for this show, um, we're going to see what happens when we raise her anger levels even higher. I believe in her. And so should you."

With some difficulty thanks to his arm-pillows, the boy extracts a slightly-crumpled paper from his pocket and smooths it out.

"To achieve maximum anger, I will now read off some things that Mad hates." He clears his throat. "One... other dragons."

The Deino stiffens, stumpy tail standing straight up, and bares her teeth. The two googly-eye pupils are pointing in different directions, exaggerating the motion even more. Other dragons?! WHERE?!

"Two... dry kibble."

A sharp bark, followed by more stomping-- as though she's crushing imaginary dry kibble under her feet. Take that, fake food!

"Three... vacuum cleaners."

The little dragon-type starts to hop in place, snapping and snarling and tossing her head. VACUUM CLEANERS SUCK!!!

"Four... the government."

Flecks of white spittle start to fly around-- she's literally worked herself up into a rabid-looking foam, quivering with sheer, unbridled rage. SMASH THE STATE!!

Wrath lowers his list and drops to a crouch, briefly squinting at his furious Pokemon, who is gargling and clawing at the stage. After a moment, he nods.

"Yeah... she's pretty mad."

He now steps over to the crate of props.

"Now that she's worked up, I'm going to show you her incredible power... starting with this ball."

Pulling out a soccer ball, he slowly and deliberately tosses it at the Deino.

What happens next can only be described as carnage.

Within three seconds, the tiny dragon has popped the ball and shredded it into ribbons with her sharp teeth. It has basically ceased to exist. She spits the last of the leathery material down onto the floor and stamps on it decisively, snorting and curling her lip for all to see.

Undaunted, Wrath next pulls out a pillow like the ones he's wearing and throws that.

An explosion of feathers and a cacophony of fabric-tearing noises follows as it is consumed in a whirlwind of claws and fangs. It's like he threw it into a wood chipper, if wood chippers sounded like a deranged poodle mauling a
pinata.

And so it continues. One by one, the silent youth pulls props from the crate and throws them, where they meet their violent end at the jaws of what is apparently a green, quadrupedal version of Taz from the Looney Tunes. The props themselves get more and more outrageous with each round-- a whole cabbage, a child-sized wooden chair, an entire beanbag, a fake Christmas tree... all of them, noisily demolished within seconds and, sometimes, even in midair.

By the time he pulls out the pièce de résistance: a human-sized Aipom doll made of woolen purple socks, with a piece of paper taped to it that reads "PEPL WHO R MEAN 2 ME", the audience has pretty much divided into two categories: people who have gone silent in awe and horror, and people who are laughing even harder. But Wrath continues to look dead serious as he tosses the apparently-symbolic sock monkey to its fate.

Its gruesome, violent fate.

Mad the Deino is now surrounded by an ocean of debris that can only be compared to what it might look like if you emptied the contents of a McDonalds playplace ballpit into an industrial-grade paper shredder. She is panting, drooling, and one of the googly-eyes has slide down to the very tip of a strand of her mane, where it now dangles. Part of the sock-monkey's face is still dangling from her jaws.

Wrath finally pulls off his helmet (which, while not dented any more than it was before, is splattered with drool-soaked scraps of Mad's ten minutes of destruction) and steps forward to scoop her up and hold her aloft, Rafiki-style. He's been pretty calm this whole time, but like daughter, like father: both trainer and Pokemon throw their heads back and let out awful, feral shrieks to the stage-lights above.

And then Mad reaches down with her horrible little mouth wide open and starts to shred one of Wrath's arm pillows.

~Fin~

Edited 2018-08-18 22:11 (UTC)

Contest Category: Cool
Trainer: Matt Holt
Pokemon: "Halley" (Minior)
Move: Cosmic Power

Costume: When they step out onto the stage, Matt is wearing something that looks like an orange version of a Paladin Uniform. Behind him, is his Minior, who has been polished and glittered until it looks like it is sparkling. Around its middle, and streaming out behind it is a comet-like tail, which flaps as it moves around. Matt also has rigged the 'jetpack' of his suit so that it works just a bit like a real jet pack. He's also added a few details here and there on the armor to make it look more like a stereotypical space suit, including a few pouches on his belt. It's obvious that what he's going for is space.

Act:

Matt comes out on stage first, flying in with his jetpack, and landing right in the middle of the stage. Reaching into one of the pouches, he pulls out a pair of binoculars, and starts scanning the 'sky' for something. That's when Halley comes floating in, its tail flapping cheerfully. Halley swoops down towards Matt, then back up, much like a real comet. As it is in the top of its arc, Matt points up to it. "Cosmic Power!"

Minior sparkles for a moment, then starts pulling beams of light in towards itself. Tiny blips of starlight, small nebulae, and shining light are all drawn into the small meteor, who shines like a star itself for a moment, before flying back up and away.

Matt watches it go, and then jetpacks away himself, hoping that he didn't make an utter fool of himself.

Edited 2018-08-18 23:54 (UTC)

AT THE CONTEST (and after);
[You can bet this guy showed up all decked out for the occasion. Under one of his awful Alolan Shirts, he's definitely wearing something like this. And, if the embarrassment wasn't complete, whenever someone he knows, be they teammate or friend or otherwise, this giant, glittery sign lifts up over the crowd.]

[Look... it's not often he gets to go all out like this. It's not often he gets to support the team and their friends in a capacity that isn't "fearless leader". And you can bet he's going to take this opportunity.]

[After individual entries, you can find him approaching people he knows, or even just younger people who participated.]

Hey! You did great up there!

[And he sincerely means that every time.]

THE GROUNDS;
[Still wearing the awful shirts from earlier, he'll generally be out and about, flanked by either his Gallade or his Umbreon. Kuro isn't really allowed out here among so many other people, he's just too big.]

[But he can be found at the games, mostly, trying to win a couple little things. Not much, but hey. He's enjoying himself in the process.]

[Probably going to be giving the Aethers a wide berth, though. Eying them a little suspiciously.]

WILDCARD;
[Hit me up with anything!]

A - Pre-contest

Before the contest itself, Matt is pacing around near whatever could be considered 'backstage' is, Cutiefly buried in his hair, and Venus the Vulpix next to him, as well as Halley and Mimi.

He's worried, and mumbling to himself.]

B - Post Contest

[After the contest itself, Matt, Venus, Halley, Mimi and the Cutiefly are wandering around the festival, cheerfully talking to anyone who approaches them. He tries his hand at a few of the games, but mostly just people watches.]

C - Observatory Table

[Before too long, Matt's claimed an open table, and he sets up a couple handmade signs advertising the Observatory on the Sevii islands.

He's wearing a lab coat with an observatory t-shirt and some khaki pants underneath it. Halley, still wearing its comet tail is hovering above the table, sparkling to draw people in.]

Edited 2018-08-19 03:00 (UTC)

[Yuuko's pretty used to the kind of people who go all out and hold up banners for events; they're a common sight at figure skating competitions, including the ones she was part of herself, once upon a time. It was still a pleasant surprise to see Shiro in the audience with the banner during her and Ina's act, though!]

Thanks! It's been ages since I danced like that, but I think Ina and I managed to get through it pretty well.

Hey.

[He's probably not supposed to be back here, but no one's going to stop him, at this point. Who really would? He'd probably find a way, anyway. Especially with so many people he cares about entering this contest.]

[Matt's pretty easy to find, though. You just had to follow the sound of muttering. He does his best not to startle his boyfriend, knocking on the nearby wall before he speaks up.]

Don't tattle on me. Breaking a couple rules to come back here.

[Venus is the first to see Shiro, sauntering over and wrapping one of her tails around him in greeting. Matt smiles up at him, taking a deep breath.]

Hey. I won't tell. In fact, I'm glad you're here.

[He reaches down to give Venus a couple scratches behind her ears, not breaking stride over to see him.]

I thought maybe you could use a boost before you head out there.

[And then he reaches out to take one of his hands.]

I'm really proud of you for doing this.

[Venus smiles, swooshing around his legs for a moment before rejoining her trainer.]

Thanks. I... still don't know what possessed me to. Possibly just to drum up excitement for the observatory.

[He runs a hand through his hair, dislodging Cutiefly for a moment before it settles back down.]

Remember that one TV interview we did before Kerberos where I just forgot what words were? That's how I'm feeling right now.

You probably will, honestly. Maybe we've got some astronomers out there in the crowd somewhere.

[He's going to squeeze that hand in his. Carefully. And step in closer.]

Don't worry. This is a lot more forgiving than any interview. You can do this.

Besides -- what you did say was pretty funny.

I hope so. There's so much out there, and I hope I can get people excited about it.

[He shakes his head, blushing furiously.]

I think Dad was about to smack me at one point. Not to mention, I think people started thinking I was just the comic relief.

[He's laughing a little, as Yuuko approaches. Because while it's one thing to cheer on the gang, it's a bit more embarrassing to get caught by another adult. Didn't mean he wasn't going to cheer her on though.]

You both did great! I have no idea what they're looking for, but that seemed solid to me.

You and Ina both.

You will. You've already done so much for that place, you're going to do great.

[He shakes his own head, and slides his hand out of Matt's to cup his face instead.]

Listen. You've got this. No matter what happens, you're going to do great.

... and you know, you kind of set yourself up for the comic relief. But we needed that.

I think the idea is how well your Pokemon can show off their move, or how well you can incorporate your Pokemon's move into your act. And you also have to be involved in the act in some way, so...I think we got that part down, at least.

[Ina squeaks and does a little pirouette. She's very happy that she got to learn how to dance, even if it was only within a few days before the contest.]

[Dipper is exploring the games with his own group of pokemon. A Phantump floating after him and an aloan vulpix sitting on his shoulder, somehow. She makes it work.]

Hey Mabel, find a good game?

[Mabel pauses mid-shove, Princess Chomper practically drooling at the sight of all the sushi, as she grins over at her twin.]

Hi Dipper!! Princess Chomper's going to stuff her face and win all the prizes!

[Said Gible yip-roars her approval while the Dratini still draped around Mabel twills happily.]

What about you guys?

Matt Matt Matt!

[Their meeting at Prom may have been brief but Mabel never forgets a face!

Diamond the Onix put away for now so she could rest after their performance, Mabel has Little Dipper the Minior and Princess Chomper the Gible tailing after her instead as she dashes through the crowd.]

That was awesome!!! Where did you get a jetpack! That was so cool! And your Minior looked amazing!

[She throws her arms up and beams as she gushes (something Princess Chomper mimics) while Little Dipper thrums merrily as he twirls through the air and hovers near Halley.

Good job, friend!]

Edited 2018-08-19 15:37 (UTC)

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Come alive, come alive!

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Sure is a lot of pink and ballet in here

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OTA!

Yuuko | OTA

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After the contest

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Games

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