Come alive come alive

[indigo_events]

Who: Everyone attending the Contest Spectacular! (For more information about this event, check out the info post here!)
Where: Celadon City
When: February 15th-17th
Log:



Valentine’s day may be just past and most cities are relaxing back to normal after all the romance. But in Celadon City, the holiday hype wound up as a lead-in to the month’s main event: the return of the Contest Spectacular!

After Olivine had the honor of hosting in the summer, Kanto’s rainbow city has been eager to draw the event back and truly establish the new tradition. Not that it took much convincing to get Hoenn’s Contest runners back on board—not to mention the Aether Foundation’s assistance as well. They’d heard the city had had an on-and-off issue with pollution, so of course they’re here to supervise and ensure Pokemon safety!

Lusamine having the opportunity to judge more beautiful Pokemon is simply a perk to coming, of course.

Anne and Liz have returned as well, wouldn’t miss it for the world. They’re growing very fond of hosting for this new and interesting region, not to mention getting to meet all the people from entirely different worlds! Whenever they can grab a moment of downtime, they can be spotted out and about with their Plusle and Minun, and are eager to chat people up and hear their otherworldly stories. Just no questions about results!

As for the city itself... Celadon is always flashy, but they really pulled out all the stops this time.

Pink, red, and white tents and booths fill the streets between the towering green-glassed buildings. The fashion center of Kanto apparently didn't get the memo that the fourteenth was over and instead decided on having more hearts, more Luvdisc-themed decorations, and MORE cherry lollipops.

The Aether tents blend right in with the other lovey-dovey colors-- this time they're there to pass out hand-warmers and sanitizer, pamphlets about PokeRus and how to best avoid passing around germs. They're friendly as always (although there seem to be even more of them this time than there were back in August), but Celadon City made sure that there's far more to see than some geeks in white. Now that the Contest Spectacular has two massive successes under its belt, more people than ever want to get in on it.

It seems that every bakery in town came together to outdo each other, and extravagant sweets and pastries are being sold and sampled out at every turn. The usual photobooths and costume-rental stands (that, cough, are definitely not advertising from local fashion companies that want you to stop in and BUY the outfits from their boutiques later...) are present as always-- and the mini-games from last summer are back too!

One booth is surrounded by a near-constant crowd-- manned by a shiny Decidueye and his nervous-looking Trainer-- the regal owl Pokemon is signing copies of his newly-published self-help book-slash-autobi"owl"graphy ("Owl I Want Is You: Memoirs of a Hopeless Romantic") with one of his own quills.
And of course there's the official Contest stalls bursting with merch from the previous contests-- including (but not limited to) colorful additions like:

a sparkling necklace whose beads form the shape of an Onix (EXPENSIVE... but so stylin'!)

a clunky (but very popular with the Youngsters) action figure that transforms into a lumpy Tyrantrum if you follow a bunch of complicated steps

a short newsstrip-style graphic novel about the action-packed adventures of a crime-fighting Wailmer

a VERY dapper line of Joltik-themed bowties and cuff-links

a dainty music box containing a tiny ballerina Eevee figurine that spins when opened

a set of "Ink Blasterz (tm)"-- Octillery-themed squirt guns that come with packets of (nontoxic) black dye so that you and your friends can ruin your neighbor's drying laundry even more once summer rolls back around

a set of gleaming opalescent d20's in a Sableye-shaped box, complete with two hollow holes on the lid where the eyes should be where you can stick two of them!

a floppy green Deino doll that, when switched on, tumbles chaotically around the floor and emits growling noises.

But for those worn out on capitalism the shameless merchandizing, this year the real centerpiece of the outdoor attractions is a temporary but still impressive greenhouse erected in the plaza outside of the main tent. Gym Leader Erika and her underlings have worked throughout the month to feature the fruits of their labor (no pun intended) in the Celadon Gym, and the Greenhouse is a great place for a relaxing respite from the cold, slushy February streets outside. Visitors can learn all about exotic flora and even purchase potted Berry trees, houseplants and bonsais raised by the Celadon gym trainers themselves!

~*~

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

Comments

CONTEST ENTRIES

[indigo_events]

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

<b>Contest Category:</b> Cute, Cool, Clever, Tough, or Beauty <b>Trainer:</b> Character's Name <b>Pokemon:</b> "Pokemon's Name" (Pokemon's Species) <b>Move:</b> List your chosen move! (if there is a second Pokemon in the act, add them here!) <b>Costume:</b> In 100 to 500 words, describe your duo's (or trio's) outfits! <b>Act:</b> In 100 to 1,000 words, describe your duo's act! Include information about any props or special equipment they might be using!

who you gonna call?

[pkemeter]

Contest Category: Clever
Trainer: Egon Spengler
Pokemon: "Louise" (Drifblim) and "Faraday" (Phantump)
Move: Ominous Wind and Ingrain

Costume: With a few pointers and suggestions from his partners, Egon has cobbled together a decent array of costumes for his act. After cleaning it of sewer sludge, Egon has worn the jumpsuit that Ray got him for Valentine’s Day. The jumpsuit is a faded teal color with pink accents, and has a new logo on the right shoulder. On his back, he wears what looks to be a perfect duplicate of a proton pack, blinking indicators and all. It took a whole lot of convincing that, no, the pack does not shoot actual proton beams and is, in fact, a prop, for the security guards to actually clear it. He half expected to be arrested again under false pretenses.

Faraday dons a little grey jumpsuit to match Egon’s, though the outfit cuts off at the waist. On her chest is a black patch with the name “FARADAY” stitched in red. She appears to have a mini proton pack slung over her back--which is actually a black cardboard box a few details carefully painted or glued on. A few LED indicator lights have been attached, which blink and flicker like the real thing. Faraday made it all by herself (with guidance from Egon), and she seems pretty proud of it. Both Egon and Faraday are wearing matching goggles that have been pulled over their eyes, though Faraday’s seem to be a tad oversized.

For Louise, Egon has done his best to make the Drifblim look as intimidating as possible--though, there’s only so much you can do to make a balloon creature look scary. Louise has been covered with a line of worn, criss-crossing yellow tape to invoke the image of a stitched-up mouth. Frayed strips of cheesecloth have been loosely wrapped around his body and hang off his appendages. As he waves his arms, the cloth practically floats through the air, dragging along like ghostly tendrils. The cloth also seems to have been stained and splattered with a rust-colored substance.

Don’t worry too much about it.

Act: The lights dim and paint the stage in the cool blue tone--black light, serving to accentuate the supernatural nature of this act. Egon steps up to the stage, followed closely by Faraday. As he looks out over the crowd, he freezes for a moment, as if unsure what to do. Faraday notices this and gently bumps her head against his shoulder. After a few moments, he takes a deep breath and pulls his goggles over his eyes.

Showtime.

Egon pulls a small, remote-like device out of his pocket and presses a button on it. The device starts to emit a steady, slow clicking noise like a geiger counter, accompanied by occasionally flashing lights that sit on top of it. It doesn't serve any actual function, but it looks science-y enough. Smoke from a tub of liquid nitrogen just below stage starts to fill the arena, reflecting and filtering the light from above. Egon carefully begins to make his way to center stage, occasionally sweeping the device around and looking over his shoulder. Faraday copies his movements, peaking over at the device.

“We need to find that Drifblim before it curses the whole town with it’s magic,” he recites, his voice its usual monotone. Egon’s acting skills could be better, but then again, he’s not really the one performing, is he? In this contest, he’s letting his Pokémon take the spotlight.

Faraday swoops in front of Egon, frowning and squinting through the darkness, as if looking for that pesky ghost. Egon pushes another button on the device, and the clicking becomes more rapid. Faraday lets out a quiet squeak--a warning that’s quickly drowned out by a loud rumbling noise that seems to come from below the ground.

Boom. The lights flicker, and the arena is plunged into darkness. For a moment, there is nothing but silence. The audience starts quietly murmuring amongst themselves. Is there something wrong with the stage? Is this part of the act?

Their questions are answered by an echoing roar that seems to shake the very foundations of the arena. The lights snap on again, revealing a Drifblim that seems to have appeared from out of nowhere. Louise is basked in an eerie red light, casting shadows against the fog building up underneath him. The cloth attachments whip up around him like tendrils reaching and grasping for the two Ghostbusters as he stares menacingly down at them.

“There he is! Get him!”

Egon and Faraday pull out their prop particle throwers in tandem, aiming for the Drifblim. There’s a well placed flash of light to give the illusion that they’re firing at the ghost. Louise lets out another cry and waves his appendages towards them. An Ominous Wind suddenly picks up, filling the air with terrible howling and moaning. Egon stumbles and falls dramatically, though not terribly convincingly. Faraday gets flung to the edge of the stage and has to cling to the scaffolding to keep from being blown away. Thank God they decided on wearing goggles--the first time they practiced this, Egon got a bucketful of sand blown into his eyes.

Louise lets out a noise that sounds similar to a deep, booming laugh--apparently, he likes being able to play the villain.

Egon has to shout to be heard over the wind. “Our particle throwers don’t work! How are we supposed to capture that ghost?”

Nothing happens. Egon clears his throat.

“I said, how are we supposed to capture that ghost?”

Faraday blinks. Oh, that’s her cue! Fighting against the wind, she propels herself forward and towards Egon. She lets out a small cry, gesturing towards the stage and using Ingrain. Large branches suddenly sprout from her stump and shoot into the ground, stopping her from being pushed by the wind. She continues to strain as the roots crawl across the stage, weaving in and out like veins as they wrap around both Egon and Louise. Unable to move his limbs, Louise lets out a frustrated growl as the wind begins to die down. The red light begins to fade and transition to a softer blue tone as Louise slumps to the ground, defeated.

Egon grins up at Faraday. “Quick thinking! This ghost won’t be terrorizing towns anytime soon,” he says. “Now, let us out so we can take a bow.”

Faraday lets out a cheer as she goes to retract the roots from the ground. She struggles for a few moments, and then stops. An expression of realization dawns upon her face as she continues to try and pull herself out of the ground. Egon frowns, tugging at the roots and straining with effort. Louise uses his appendages to try and pull them apart in vain.

After a few seconds of this, Egon then clears his throat, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.

"Ah...if, um, someone could please help us down, it would be greatly appreciated." A pause. "Thank you."

dumbass's mistakes continue to follow him, more at 11

[neverstudied]

Contest Category: Cool
Trainer: Dr. Peter Venkman
Pokemon: "Luca" (Squirtle) + "Garfield" (Torracat)
Move: Ice Beam + Flamethrower

Costume: Venkman was raised in a god damn carnival. If there's one thing he knows how to do, it's draw a crowd's attention to himself- and from there, to whatever act he wants them to see. He doesn't go the whole nine yards with a carnival barker's outfit, but he does dress flashy.

Real flashy. His hair is styled into a spikier look than usual, he's not wearing a shirt under that open vest, and there are entirely too many chains on this outfit. It is almost criminal how stupid he looks, but it has the desired effect of making him stand out like a sore thumb.

Luca, meanwhile, chose her and Garfield's outfits herself. She has her usual sunglasses on, and Garfield had his own pair! His have pointed edges as opposed to her rounded ones.

They're both wearing custom-fitting leather jackets that are just covered with paint splotches, patches, pins, and a few written words. The final products are a bit like this- chaotic but somehow cohesive.

And yes, Luca customized them herself. Garfield tried to help, but the lack of opposable thumbs made it difficult. (Venkman, meanwhile, had basically no hand in any of this, beyond getting dragged to Goldenrod Department store and made to buy all this stuff.)

Act: Standing in front of a crowd of people isn't all that nerve-wracking to Venkman, and neither is having all their attention on him and his Pokemon. What is nerve-wracking is the fact that he has no idea what Luca's planning to do, and he's just having to trust that he's not hyping up something that will end in complete disappointment. Then again, it's not like there weren't plenty of disappointing attractions at the old carny- and he had to talk up acts based in smoke and mirrors just as much as the real stuff, like the sword-swallowers and fire-eaters.

While Venkman spends the first half-minute or so hyping the audience up based on absolutely no information whatsoever, Luca and Garfield prepare, picking out tools- is that an ice pick?- on a large, concrete platform. Luca doesn't need hyping up. She's so excited she's about to vibrate out of her shell. Garfield looks nervous, though, and Luca holds the kitten's head in her hands and clicks something reassuring. After a moment, Garfield nods, and Luca turns to give Venkman a thumbs up.

"Ladies, gentlemen, members of the audience- I give you the raw talent of LUCA and her assistant- GARFIELD!" To his own credit, Venkman only grimaces slightly as he yells Garfield's name to the crowd, though he silently curses Egon Spengler for naming his poor cat like that. Regardless, he gestures to his duo and takes a step back as the lights focus on Luca and Garfield. With a sigh, he shuts his mic off and prays to any deity that may listen that this isn't about to go up shit creek without a paddle.

Luca has no such worries. She gets to work quickly, firing off her first Ice Beam at the concrete platform. Within seconds, massive ice spikes form around her feet, and she hops up, shooting the beam downward and propelling herself up with the force. Within seconds, there's a giant, haphazard tower of ice in the middle of the tent, and Luca looks quite proud of herself at the top.

She then takes a hammer from her jacket pocket and whacks one of the awkward spikes jutting out, sending the ice clattering to the ground. As if on cue, Garfield starts swatting at the ice himself, clawing off massive chunks while Luca takes a hammer and ice pick to any pieces that don't suit her.

What follows is best described as a beautiful sort of chaos, as ice shatters every which way and the giant tower of ice slowly turns from a rough block into... something. It's kind of hard to tell what they're carving out at this point. Every once in a while, Luca fires off another Ice Beam to expand upon what's already there, especially whenever she breaks off something she didn't mean to lose. Garfield, meanwhile, starts using Flamethrower to sear off the edges. The stage is now soaked with melting ice, but the sculpture itself is structurally sound enough that it remains standing.

Venkman, meanwhile, is watching this go on with a special sort of bemused amazement. He'd seen a couple ice sculptures in the park around Goldenrod recently, but he'd had no idea that his own Pokemon were the cause. How the hell did Luca even learn how to do this? It raises a lot of questions as to what her life was like before he captured her, and he'd probably spend the rest of the act thinking about that if it weren't for the rough tap on his shoulder. He turns and-

Oh.

You know, he'd really been worried about coming back to Celadon at first, but he wound up convincing himself that the bikers he'd antagonized at poker before would probably never be caught dead around the contest tent.

Whoops!

Luca and Garfield remain unaware of their trainer's plight, as they get to work on the final touches of their artwork. The tower has quickly been whittled down to a collection of massive hearts[thematic!], surrounded by a base of rough spikes. In the middle of the sculpture sits a giant, grinning turtle skull. It's certainly not the most detailed piece of sculpture work the world has ever seen- Luca may have experience at this, but she's far from an expert. But it looks pretty damn good, and Garfield sets to work on the last touch, using Flamethrower to burn off any carving marks and make the sculpture perfectly clear. Luca hops off the top of the sculpture and turns to look at Venkman, absolutely beaming- and realizes that her trainer is otherwise occupied.

"Can't we talk this over?" Venkman whispers, glad his mic is off, as he takes a step back. He holds his hands up appeasingly as the other men advance on him. "Look, I told you guys before, the fifth ace wasn't mine."

The Squirtle's jaw sets as she watches her trainer, and she taps Garfield on the shoulder and burbles something to him. She pulls out a can of spray paint from inside her shell. Luca looks at Garfield, grins mischievously, and shakes up the can.

Venkman has enough time to register that there is something very bright out of the corner of his eye that is coming towards him, and jumps back just in time to avoid a fucking spray-paint enhanced Flamethrower that barely tapers off before hitting anything important or setting the tent on fire. The bikers stumble back as well, and Venkman takes that as his cue to make a run for it. He runs for his Pokemon and snatches Luca up under one arm, gesturing for Garfield to follow. "Thank you for coming out tonight, you've been a great audience!" he shouts over his shoulder as he just books it to the tent entrance, followed by several mildly singed, pissed off bikers.

... If they're lucky, maybe people will think that was part of the act.

Baking With Slurpuff

[forsaintcecilia]

Contest Category: Clever
Trainer: Kazuki Hihara
Pokemon: "Sticky" (Slurpuff)
Move: Sweet Scent

Costume: Kazuki is dressed up in a chef's double-breasted jacket and toque, tinted a very pale pastel pink, and a deeper pink apron with a cartoonish picture of a Slurpuff winking on it. Sticky is simply wearing the toque, so they can match. They're obviously trying to look as professional as possible, so their costumes aren’t overly flashy. There's a set-up in front of them that almost perfectly resembles the set of a cooking show, complete with burners, a double-oven behind them, a prep table, the ingredients for what they plan to bake and all the tools they'll need placed in a visually appealing manner. Sticky is standing on a tall stool so he can be easily seen by the audience.

Act: As the spotlights turn on, soft accordion music begins to play. Both Kazuki and Sticky give a short, polite bow as any initial applause dies out.

Then, a pre-recorded voice plays over the loudspeakers.

”Hello! I am your host, Sticky, and this is my show, Baking With Slurpuff”

Sticky opens and closes his mouth in mime to make it seem as though he is the once speaking. The voice itself has a funny lilt to it—as if a Japanese person were trying to speak English with a fake French accent.

”Today, my chef,” here, Kazuki bows again, ”and I are going to bake rich Double-Chocolate Cupcakes, perfect for any Valentine!”

“This recipe,” Kazuki adds, “is very simple, and will satisfy your craving for chocolate without overwhelming your palate with sweetness.”

”Let us begin,” Sticky turns to Kazuki as he assembles the first ingredients he will need. ”First, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, as we have. Then in a large bowl, whisk together one cup flour, one cup sugar, half a teaspoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of salt, and half a cup of cocoa powder.”

Kazuki diligently measures and pours each ingredient into the bowl. Once he puts the sugar in, however, Sticky sneakily jumps on the counter, picks up the bag, and sidles over to the bowl to try and pour more in. Just as Sticky nearly ruins the recipe, Kazuki shoots him a glare, and Sticky looks off in another direction with an expression of pure innocence. Then he tips the bag into his own mouth and guzzles the rest of the sugar.

”Next, we add the wet ingredients,” the voice continues as though Sticky had done nothing wrong. ”Pour a half cup of vegetable oil, one cup hot water, one egg, and one and a half teaspoons pure vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Whisk together until there are no more clumps and the batter is smooth.”

Kazuki adds the wet ingredients as Sticky lists them off. When he puts down the bottle of vanilla, Sticky picks it up and begins to huff those sweet vanilla fumes. He drunkenly staggers around the table and nearly knocks the bowl out of Kazuki’s arms while he whisks. Some batter splashes onto his apron, covering the winking Slurpuff. Sticky then falls flat on his face, and the small bottle of vanilla clatters to the floor. Kazuki only rolls his eyes as he continues to whisk.

Sticky recovers from his case of the vapors just in time for the next round of voice-over instructions.

”Next, prepare a cupcake tin with liners,” Sticky instructs as Kazuki pulls a tin out from under the table, ready. ”Use an ice cream scoop to portion batter into the cups.”

Sticky watches very intently as Kazuki fills the cups, one by one. He keeps waddling up, and Kazuki keeps gently pushing him back whenever he gets too close. Finally, when the bowl of batter is empty, he relinquishes it to Sticky, who cleans it of any remaining batter with one enthusiastic slurp of his giant tongue.

”Bake the cupcakes for 17 to 20 minutes,” Sticky adds as he looks up from his bowl, a smear of batter around his mouth. “And now it’s time for our Special Slurpuff Secret Ingredient!”

Kazuki puts the unbaked cupcakes in the top oven, and then lifts Sticky up to the oven’s mouth. Sticky uses Sweet Scent, and blows a pinkish dust into the oven, which Kazuki quickly closes.

”Sweet Scent will give the cupcakes a more pleasant and appetizing aroma! If you have any Pokemon that can use Sweet Scent, please give it a try!”

”Next, we prepare the chocolate buttercream! In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in two sticks of softened unsalted butter. Beat the butter until it is fluffy. While it is beating, melt four ounces of unsweetened chocolate.”

As Kazuki chops and readies the chocolate, Sticky takes a bite of the bar he isn’t using. The Slurpuff’s mouth puckers. BITTER. He shuffles quickly over the wastebasket at the side of the prep table to spit it out. He shakes his body like a wet dog and drool gets everywhere. Kazuki has to lean over the bowl to save the buttercream. Sticky looks like he just brushed with death.

”Add the chocolate,” The voice over starts a smidgen before Sticky recovers, but he pulls himself together, ”a pound of powdered sugar, a fourth cup of cocoa powder, two teaspoons of vanilla extract, and two tablespoons of milk, and beat until the frosting is creamy!”

When Sticky says vanilla extract, the both of them look pointedly at the floor where the bottle had fallen. Whoops. Guess we’re just… Not gonna have vanilla in the frosting. They both shrug, and Kazuki does as instructed. To the best of his ability.

“Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost as desired with buttercream!”

Kazuki pulls cupcakes that had been readied before they started out of the bottom oven, while Sticky fills a piping bag full of frosting. Kazuki puts the cupcakes in front of him, and he goes totally ham on the first one. Kazuki has the snatch the bag away from him, and Sticky looks entirely unrepentant as he scarfs down that over-frosted cupcake.

”Then, to give them a special Valentine’s touch, add a chocolate heart to each.”

Kazuki reaches for the bag, and pulls it up from behind the counter to find that it’s… totally empty. Sticky refuses to make eye contact, and hops back on his stool.

”And that is how to make delicious Double Chocolate Cupcakes!” Sticky bows to the audience, and Kazuki, still covered in batter and drool, bows as well. ”This has been our show, Baking With Slurpuff!”

The spotlights fade with the two of them still bowing. Once it is almost completely dark, Sticky leaps from his stool head-first into their finished cupcakes and devours them all.

Young Frankenstantz

[ghoststanning]

Contest Category: Clever
Trainer: Ray Stantz
Pokemon: "Doppelganger/Doppel" (Ditto)
Move: Transform

Costume: Ray’s outfit is a dark blue tuxedo, however for a good bulk of the performance he will be wearing giant goggles and a lab coat over it, in an effort to make them look like a mad scientist. Notably he’s also wearing tap shoes throughout the entirety of the performance. There is also a blue top hat and a simple cane he will use for a good chunk of the performance

For Doppel… Well… there’s only so much you can do with a Ditto. Ray at least put Doppel through the effort of putting a little bow tie on them, although with Doppel being a pile of slime there’s no one place where it sticks, and it just migrates all over their body when not transformed

But hey, Ray also put a little bit of glitter on them so now they’re extra sparkly!

When transformed, they will have an identical tuxedo to the one Ray’s wearing.

Act: The spotlight comes on to an empty stage, at first. After a few moments, Ray wheels in a table, looking like a mad scientist with his goggles and lab coat. On the table there is his Ditto “laying” down on it, with it there are also two top hats and two walking canes. Under the table there seems to be some dangerous looking equipment attached.

It’s fine don’t worry about it.

Ray takes one of the cane and hobbles to center stage, judging by the light clacking as he walks up, he seems to be wearing tap shoes right now. Clearing his throat, Ray addresses the audience, speaking in a very overdramatic manner.

“Good evening everyone, I’m proud to announce that today you will witness history. For I have discovered a way to…” Ray pauses for dramatic effect “Create life!

“Now I must warn you all: This is a very dangerous procedure, and I would recommend anyone of the faint of heart to leave before it gets any worse. But to those who stay.... Hold onto your hats, because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. One that I don’t think any of you will witness again.

“Now… to create history!” Ray dramatically laughs and flips a switch under the table and sparks fly around. The Ditto is bubbling almost dangerously.

Ray breaks character for a moment, seeming concerned at the possibility of Doppel being hurt. Judging by the fact that he soon breathes a sigh of relief, it’s all going according to plan.

Soon, the Ditto begins to morph into a human shape. With the sparks, it’s hard to tell at first who exactly they’re transforming into, but soon the sparks clear up and it’s clear who it is:

Doppel now looks identical to Ray, except they are wearing a blue tuxedo.

Ray appears to be shocked by this, and drops his cane, backing away slowly before stumbling to the ground. The Ditto locks eyes with Ray and slowly shambles off the table, shambling and making a bubbling noise akin to groaning.

“Stay back you beast! Your master commands it!” Ray calls out in an overdramatic matter. Doppel continues to slowly advances on Ray as he cowards in fear. Suddenly they stop right in front of him and stand there for a few good seconds, and then…

And then they bend down to pick up the cane Ray dropped, lightly tossing it to him. Ray gapes at them, grabbing the cane and slowly getting to his feet.

Doppel shambles back at the table and tosses one of the top hats at Ray, before donning the other top hat on their head and grabbing the other cane. They make a bubbling sound at Ray, grinning suddenly and raising their cane in the air. Ray in turn grows excited as he jumps.

“You’re brilliant! My creation, work with me and we will change the world!” As Ray finishes talking, old timey music begins playing. Ray quickly kicks the table off stage and throws his goggle and lab coat off too, revealing the identical blue tuxedo he’s wearing underneath it.

They move to center stage and start tap dancing, and Ray start singing.

Ray’s singing isn’t… great, but this isn’t a contest to see who the best singer in all of Johto and Kanto is, now is it?

“If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
Why don't you go where fashion sits?” Ray gestures to Doppelganger with his cane, and they cheerfully make a bubbling sound that, if you strain your ears hard enough, sounds sort of like “Putting on the ritz”

“Different types who wear a day coat, pants with stripes and cutaway coat, perfect fits,”
As Ray continues, he taps around Doppel and points at them again with his cane, and they once again make the bubbling sound.

“Dressed up like a million dollar trooper, trying mighty hard to look like Gary Cooper” This time Ray lets Doppel tap dance around him, and once he’s done with his line Doppel cheerfully bubbles out what almost sounds like “Super Duper!”, if you really strain hard enough.

“Come let's mix where Rockefellers walk with sticks or umbrellas in their mitts” They’re now tapping together again, in what best can be described as “rhythmic walking”. Ray points his cane behind him at Doppel and they make one more bubbling sound.

Finally Ray walks to the sidelines as they get to the “main act”, where Doppel now has full reign to tap dance on stage, tapping at such a speed that seems unnatural for an actual human to accomplish. Doppel is having an absolute blast at this, and their normally blank expression is now beaming with pure delight.

The song goes to the climax and it’s time for the finale of their dance routine. Ray suddenly goes all the way off stage as Doppel drops their cane, seeming to prepare themselves for something.

Ray suddenly runs back on stage, with the intent on jumping into Doppel’s arms.

Just as he jumps up into Doppel’s arms, they transform again into a Machoke, and easily lifts Ray into the air.

The music ends and Doppel is just so overjoyed with themselves that they start gigging. It’s soft at first, but soon it grows until they burst out laughing, making them lose the stability of their transformation as they suddenly morph back into their normal slime form.

Ray has no time to react as he suddenly crashes to the floor. He’s dazed for a moment, but he soon laughs himself as he scoops up Doppel into his arms, waving at the audience as they go off stage.

Dance Dance Rainvolution

[sassymaru]

Contest Category: Beauty
Trainer: Shadowmaru
Pokemon: "Keromaru" (Frogadier)
Move: Water Pulse

Costume: Of course, Shadowmaru is more or less the outrageous center here. He dressed himself in flowing blue, surprisingly enough. Covered in glitter. So much glitter. Layers of blue and white, dark and light blues. All in the same colors of his Frogadier.

The Frogadier, for his part, looks like he went and rolled in a pile of glitter himself. He's wearing... what looks an awful lot like eyeshadow. Bright pink. Like a Greninja's tongue.

Oh yeah. And the glitter is glowing.

Act:
You know what, this is a dance number. This is a dramatic dance number. Shadowmaru has no shame to begin with, and this only proves it further. With both the man and the frog moving in swooping, spinning motions, akin to this sort of thing. It's set to the track of a rainstorm. Wind kicking up, howling around. The rain ebbing and flowing in time to it. There aren't any lights up, except for some dull blue lighting.

It makes their glitter stand out even more. Little sparks of shimmering color in the dimness.

In the background, there's a growing rumble. A thunder clap. The lights flash. And the sound of the rain picks up -- as it does, so does the speed of their swooping, spinning dance. They're actually shedding glitter, now. Little sparkling fragments spouting off in every direction. A lot of them into the audience, too.

As the thunder comes again, the two of them flop on the ground. Pulled up again only when the rain starts back up. By now, they're leaving puddles of glitter wherever they land -- because this flop, get up, dance again is a routine that keeps going. Faster and faster.

Until the entire stage shakes with the force of the next thunder clap. There's a blinding flash of lighting, and, rather than a shower of glitter, the Frogadier lets off with a strong Water Pulse in the same moment. Drenching the stage, the front row of the audience, and its trainer, who has slid on his knees to pose in behind his pokemon.

Soaking wet, they'll stand up, now shed of all their glitter, and bow to the audience.

"Thank you!"

Swanna Lake...with a twist!

[icecastlemadonna]

Contest Category: Beauty
Trainer: Yuuko Nishigori
Pokemon: "Biellmann" (Swanna), "Killian" (Zoroark)
Move: Feather Dance (with a bonus Scary Face from Killian)

Costume: Yuuko is dressed up in the familiar costume of Princess Odette from Swan...sorry, Swanna Lake, with a white tutu, white headdress, white tights, silver tiara and pointe shoes, though the tutu is colored more similarly to a Swanna with parts of the bust being blue.

Biellmann isn’t as dressed up since he’s the titular Swanna Yuuko’s costume is modeled after and he already kind of looks like a ballet dancer anyway, though he does wear a small silver crown on his head to match Yuuko. Meanwhile, Killian wears a black robe and a small, pointy wizard’s hat for his role as the sorcerer.

Act: The stage is set up to look like the side of a lake on a moonlit night, with the appropriate backdrop. This may look somewhat familiar, especially once the music starts playing; that’s right, it looks like this will be a rendition of that famous ballet, Swanna Lake.

Yuuko enters the scene as Princess Odette, dancing gracefully across the stage. However, her beautiful dancing is short-lived, for an evil sorcerer (played by Killian the Zoroark) has come to place a curse on her! He sneaks onto the stage while covering his face with his robe, and once Yuuko notices him, she stops dancing and reacts with silent shock. Killian waves his paws dramatically as though he’s casting a dark spell, and uses Scary Face to "shock" Yuuko so much that she collapses to the floor.

The stage darkens for a brief moment, and then lightens again. Yuuko is gone, and in her place is Biellmann; the sorceror’s curse has turned the fair Odette into a Swanna! However, unlike in the original tale, Odette isn’t going to take this lying down and wait for a prince to come to the rescue. Biellmann gets to his feet and flaps his powerful wings in a show of intimidation, and the battle between the Swanna and the sorcerer begins!

Of course, it’s not really a "battle" in the sense of a traditional Pokemon battle; it’s really just Biellmann and Killian dancing ballet across the stage in a dramatic fashion to pretend that they’re fighting. As they dance, Biellmann's wings or Killian's paws will sometimes lash out at the other as they mime exchanging blows. Since Swanna are natural dancers, this comes quite easily to Biellmann, while Killian is keeping up surprisingly well.

Finally, Biellmann pulls out the move that will defeat the evil sorcerer once and for all, using Feather Dance to engulf Killian in a beautiful but deadly storm of swirling white feathers. Killian tries to wave away the feathers, but it’s no use; the feathers are blinding him. Seizing his chance, Biellman fiercely but elegantly sweeps one of his wings to knock Killian off his feet. Killian staggers for a moment, and then dramatically collapses, defeated.

Biellmann spreads his wings and creates even more swirling feathers, so much so that they engulf the entire stage like snow. When they finally settle, Biellmann is gone and Yuuko stands triumphantly in his place. Since the sorcerer has been defeated, Odette is no longer cursed and has regained her human form.

The music ends, and Yuuko bows to the audience. Biellmann comes out from behind the curtain and Killian gets up off the floor to bow with her, and then they exit. Yuuko will have to apologize to the stagehands for all those feathers they have to clean up...

[notvaljean]

Contest Category: Beauty
Trainer: Jean Kirschtein
Pokemon: Spookycheeks the Mimikyu and Blitz the Electrode
Move: Shadow Sneak for the costume changes! Blitz is just kind of there.

Costume: All the outfits are described in the act!

Act:Jean walks out onto the stage, accompanied by an Electrode. This Electrode is smaller than the typical one, only about the size of a beach ball, and glares out at the gathered audience with all the surliness and pissyness of his kind. He’s wearing a garish, touristy Magnet on the side of his body, which screams VISIT JOHNTO in neon letters.

Jean is dressed much more sedately than his rolling friend; he’s wearing long khaki pants and a black polo shirt, his scruffy hair tied back into a tiny manbun, and his sad little attempt at a beard that looks like it’s finally (finally) taken hold. Those audience members at the front of the auditorium will catch a whiff of Axe Body Spray whenever Jean moves.

Okay, it’s not a whiff. It’s a blast.

Jean walks to the center of the stage and smiles out at the audience, displaying a little bit of the unconscious charm he’s built up working at FCAB. “Hello, everyone. I’m Jean Kirschtein, and this is my starter, Blitz.”

A quick gesture at the Electrode, and a glower from the Pokemon himself.

“Blitz is an Electrode. When I first got here, I noticed that almost no one had them. They just weren’t popular.”

Blitz bounces in the air, crackling fiercely, and Jean laughs.

“Which is crazy, because they’re some of the coolest Pokemon. They’re mimics; if you see one from a distance, you just think it’s a Pokeball, and their color scheme helps them blend into their surroundings. I think they’re great, but to be honest, they’re not for everyone.”

That comment just makes Blitz look smug, and Jean reaches into a pants pocket, pulling out an actual Pokeball.

“However, there’s another amazing little mimic that I’d like to introduce you to: everyone, meet Miss Spookycheeks!”

Jean tosses the ball out, and a big swirl of ghostly smoke that temporarily obscures the stage. When it clears, Spookycheeks the Mimikyu is perched on Blitz’s head. She looks demurely out at the audience, and bats her eyes.

“This is Spookycheeks. She’s a Mimikyu. Right now, she’s wearing her Pikachu costume, which is her species’ usual attire. But…” And Jean holds up one finger here, dropping his voice for added suspense. “Did you know that when a Mimikyu is loved and happy, sometimes they’ll make themselves costumes to look like their friends?”

Spooky chirps from on top of Blitz’s head, then does a dramatic twirl, moving so fast she’s a ghostly blur. When she settles down, she’s dressed as a Haunter.

“You see? Here she’s wearing a costume to make herself look like her partner, Haunter. They’ve had some eggs together too, and all their children wear different costumes, which Spooky makes herself for them.”

Spooky bows from atop Blitz’s head, then twirls again. This time, she’s dressed as a Slyveon, complete with ribbons cascading down around the sides of Blitz’s head.

“This is a costume to look like Adorababy, a friend of hers that belongs to Angel.”

Another twirl, another costume.

“Fat Ice Dog, one of mine.”

One more twirl, and this next costume? It… isn’t quite as nice as the other ones. Spookycheeks was clearly trying, but it's just really hard to imitate a Klefki. There are ropes that have been painted silver, and a bunch of tinfoil keys, and it's a bit of a hot mess. Jean clears his throat before introducing it.

“Gulliver the Klefki. Sometimes, the costumes need a little more work.”

Spookycheeks chitters at Jean, and Blitz rolls his eyes, making it clear that this was a planned part of the presentation.

“The point is, Mimikyus are very creative and wonderful little Pokemon, and they deserve a lot more credit for their creativity and talent than they get, as do all the mimic Pokemon. Spooky, give them one last look!”

Spooky spins again, and this is the longest one yet, filling the stage with smoke. When it settles, Spookycheeks is still on Blitz’s head, but she’s wearing an Electrode costume. Blitz himself has been draped in a Mimikyu costume, although he makes a very round Mimikyu. And even Jean himself is different, wearing a long-sleeved blue sweater that’s just a tad too big on him, almost as though he’s trying to mimic a past winner himself.

“Thanks for showing us all you can do, Spooky! Take a bow!”

classic battle defies pokemon type matchups

[sunspotted]

Contest Category: Cool
Trainer: Marco Bott
Pokemon: "Viola" (Alolan Ninetails) & "Lucia" (Growlithe)
Move: Aurora Beam for Viola; Fire Fang for Lucia


Costume: Marco is dressed in a dark navy blue three-piece suit, with a pink dress shirt to accent it. While the vest and suit are a very nice color and seem well kept, it doesn't quite fit him perfectly at the shoulders and feet.

Viola is dressed with a purple scarf wrapped around her neck and over her head, and she has a pair of goggles on - like she's been trekking through snow. Some of her mane has been braided and peeks out from under her scarf. Lucia has a more ragged scarf wrapped around her neck, and a pair of sunglasses on. She has some artfully applied dirt to her face and body.

Act: Marco will come out onto the stage. He looks a bit nervous, but seems to square his shoulders as he begins to speak.

"In battles, we're always told that fire is type that will beat ice. But I wanted to ask you a question. Fire may melt ice, and in the cold of our winter we seek it for warmth - but it's because ice is encroaching, enduring. In the end, our fear is that ice will win."

As he speaks, someone is obviously using Blizzard to build a scene on the stage, slowly filling it up with snow before Marco finishes speaking and the lights go dim, with just one spotlight on stage. That's when Viola trots out, playfully struggling against her own blizzard, the ends of her purple scarf whipping to and fro. She looks Determined.

A musical score kicks up as Lucia pops up her head from over a snowdrift. She looks happy - but quickly schools her face into one of mischief before she LEAPS over the snowdrift to tackle Viola, sending her artfully rolling away.

Lucia strikes a pose, one that is clearly supposed to be smug but undercut by her playful grin a moment later. Viola gets up, a flash of annoyance at Lucia being unable to keep her expression on crossing her face before she switches back to acting like it actually hurt her.

They begin circling each other as the music picks up, and start an obviously choreographed battle, one that Viola knows better than her partner. Lucia will dart in to try to bite or swipe at Viola, who will dance away, her tails waving artfully. Viola will return the attacks to have Lucia roll away.

After a couple moments of this, Lucia throws some fire Viola's way, who rolls away from it. She returns the favor by shooting some ice at Lucia - it melts before it can hit her, but Lucia makes as if she's been struck, staggering.

She braces herself, gathering energy as heat crackles around her - and shoots a beam of fire thanks to Fire Fang at Viola. It's clear she's supposed to pull the attack but struggles to do so a bit, as the yelp Viola emits when it still hits her is very much real, and she goes tumbling.

Lucia looks concerned as Viola gathers herself up, singed. Viola tosses her head and the vengeful look in her eyes is not exactly fake as she rears her head back and then fires off a multicolored burst of light from Aurora Beam. Thankfully, her vengeance is mostly for show and she's skilled enough to shoot it just past the side of Lucia.

Lucia does her part and acts as if she's been truly struck, exaggerating her way through a faint. Viola trots over to the front of the stage, look as proud and smug as she can possibly manage.

Marco comes back on stage as Lucia gets up, and all three of them take a bow and thank the crowd as they leave, Viola staying behind to call all the snow back to herself before she trots off, tails held high.

this is an irl shitpost by jack morrison

[unabates]

Contest Category: Cute
Trainer: Jack Morrison, but will request it be listed as "Jack" or "Soldier: 76" on accompanying media.
Pokemon: "Crybaby" (Skitty), with not official partner "Dixie" (Houndour)
Move: Sing for Crybaby. Dixie has no moves!

Costume: Jack is literally wearing his normal outfit (sans face mask, goggles and gun), and a sweater under it. Crybaby and Dixie are not dressed up. This is literally an IRL shitpost he did to get the free travelling.

Act: Jack walks out on stage with seemingly nothing in his arms.

"I have a young lady who'd like to share an opinion with you."

He reaches behind his head and, from the hood of his sweater, produces the smallest Skitty who is sleepily waking up. She is smaller than a normal Skitty of her species, adequately described as "pint sized".

Jack deposits her on stage - hopefully there are cameras for people to see her - and ... walks off stage.

Crybaby looks around, and, as soon as she realizes that she's alone, in front of people she doesn't know.... she wails.

Well, she Sings, but it's definitely more of an operatic, wailing kind of singing. There's the sound of a pokeball being forcibly burst open, and Crybaby's wail is interrupted by a Houndour who runs out on stage, immediately circling the Skitty and wrapping herself around her. Crybaby makes a noise of delight and climbs onto the Houndour's back, cooing.

Jack comes back on stage, looking mildly annoyed, but takes a bow and ushers his Pokemon off stage.

Was that abandonment for show?

A burning ambition, a dream realized.

[badluckbabe]

Contest Category: Tough

Trainer: Jinx

Pokemon: Miss Fortune and Mr. E (Both Incineroar)

Move: Darkest Lariat (Miss Fortune) and Flare Blitz (Mr. E)

Costume: Jinx will be looking lovely in a form fitting Tuxedo, nothing too over the top because her pokemon are the stars here.

Miss Fortune has chosen to dress like a Biker Queen complete with flowing golden jacket adorned with various patches and pins displaying a punk rock vibe. Across the back the phrase "Nice to meetcha'" has been stitched in.

Mr. E is a sharp contrast to her in silver, and while his jacket also has many pins and buttons they appear to be more playful and cheerful like smily faces, flowers and "Have a nice day." stitched on the shoulders.

Act: As the lights dim a spotlight takes center stage and Jinx appears, eyes glinting pink and catlike from the darkness. She has a coy smile on her face and produces a microphone from her sleeve as if from thin air.

"Deep in the darkness of Mt. Mortar, a fated rivalry began..."

Projected onto a screen behind her are adorable pictures of a shiny litten and a regular litten, the first one with an intense look about her, eyes burning with seriousness while the boy looks more smug and relaxed.

"A beauty with a snowy white coat was lost with her trainer and happened upon a charismatic stranger of her own species. As she sought directions from him, he only seemed interested in guiding her towards his affections."

As Jinx talks a slow guitar begins to play, ominous and low while on either side of her, glowing embers become visible.

"The two clashed as Pokemon will do, but despite her unwavering spirit, the snowy white Litten was unable to defeat the more experienced and Litten for he had grown up in the wild fending for himself, while she had been pampered by her owner for her beauty."

The embers are glowing hotter now casting shadows and giving shape to hulking creatures and muscles. Glints of light glitter off the pins in their jackets as Jinx's story builds in volume.

"And so she swore she would never feel that burning humiliation again! Taking charge she fought every other pokemon she met on her way out of the mountain and evolved! But that would not be enough. NO! She had to be the best, like no one ever was!"

The guitar cuts off and Jinx's mischievous tone hisses into the microphone, "What you will witness here tonight, is a lifetime of passion and determination packed into two years worth of training! These pokemon are at their peak and ready to show you the meaning of BURNING PASSION!"
At her cue the Incinearoar let out deafening roars that seem to shake the very bones of those in the first few rows. Fire ignites from their waists and lights up the stage in orange, red and gold. The music starts up again, a familiar fan favorite tune as the two pokemon strut around the stage. Miss Fotrune is flexing and posing for her fans showing off her muscles and gleaming fangs.

Mr. E on the other hand is flirting, waggling eyebrows and blowing kisses at the crowd, even going so far as to autograph some pictures of himself by scratching an E with his claw in the paper before throwing them into the crowd.

After working the stage from opposite sides they bump into each other at the middle and Miss Fortune roars a challenge while Mr. E takes her paw and kisses it. She tries to punch him and he dodges flipping back across the stage to his spot and leaving her to snarl and turn dramatically with a flutter of her coat and smoke sizzling from each foot step.

The next song that starts up sounds much more dramatic and tense as both pokemon's flames increase till the audience can feel the heat coming off the stage. Jinx stands in the middle and snaps her fingers to signal the start of the match before cartwheeling out of the way. And only just barely as the two beasts rush forward and clash fist to fist.

Each impact is more audible then the last, Miss Fortune launching into a series of devastating body blows while Mr. E focuses on blocking and dodging as many as he can. They seem at an impasse but while neither has given an inch of the stage, the heat is only growing.

As a distraction, Jinx makes her way delicately along the stage passing out sticks with marshmallows on them to the first few rows so they can watch as the heat in the air proves enough to crisp the marshmallows.

Finally, a shift! Mr. E dodges when he should have blocked and Miss Fotune seizes upon it to grab him by the jacket and begin to spin. Faster and faster she twirls until she appears to be a glowing orange tornado of heat. The stage starts to crack under her feet as she stops suddenly and flings him up into the air.

Mr E twists gracefully into the air, his entire body catching flame as he shoots down at his rival, full speed and full heat crashing into her not once, not twice, but three times in a row each time his impact launching him in a different direction before he rushes back in.

But on the third strike...she dodges finally and catches him by his scruff like the cat he is.

Swallowing hard she appears to struggle with this next move. Something she has denied for so long. With a menacing snarl she turns Mr. E around...and kisses him.

The fire blazing over Mr. E's fur ignites once more almost blinding in his surprise...before Miss Fortune draws back...winks and headbutts him into the ground ending the performance and leaving the room sweating and steamed.

Jinx herself is looking wilted as she darts in and takes Miss Fortune's paw holding it up high like the champion she is. Even if she doesn't win tonight...Miss Fortune has won a personal victory tonight.

you expected a different typing? then you're a fool!!!!

[toxicodendron_isley]

Contest Category: Beauty
Trainer: Pamela Isley
Pokemon: "Mr. Darcy" (Lurantis)
Move: Leaf Blade
Pokemon: "Lei" (Comfey)
Move: Magical Leaf

Costume: Pamela is dressed in a flowing white dress with pink flowers that match the shades of pink on Mr. Darcy. Her feet appear bare (but are in fact clad is some beige canoe liner socks, for hygiene reasons) and her hair is down in a fiery red mane. She's used make up not only to pinken her lips and cheeks, but accent any of her peeking foliage tattoos with some extra colour. Around her neck rests a cheerful Lei, who has adorned himself in similarly coloured flowers.

Mr. Darcy himself dons a lovely pink top hat with white trimming and a white waist coat.

Act: The music starts up immediately as Pamela and her Pokemon walk onto stage, Mr. Darcy's hat in her hand and Lei around her neck.

Mr. Darcy and Pamela come to stand about two feet apart in the center of the stage, facing each other, circling each other then stopping. She makes a show of stepping closer, curtsying to him, then, twirling it in her hands, places the top hat upon his head. With what could be called the 'overture' of the music comes to an end, they both turn to the audience and bow or curtsy respectively and the song actually begins.

The first part is short, Pamela beings dancing, taking graceful steps and spinning to make the skirt of her dress lift, moving around Darcy who stands facing forward until she arrives back at her starting position.

With the pause, Pam brings her hands to her chest and inhales, on the corresponding note, her exhale and sudden extending of her arms are matched with breeze that sends hundreds of shimmering, multi-coloured leaves into the air.

She resumes dancing around Mr. Darcy, who's upper appendages being to glow with the distinct shine of Leaf Blade. At the chorus, the Pokemon steps forward and begins dancing and turning too, the two moving around each other gracefully, but differently as more and more leaves glimmer and float around them.

Mr. Darcy matches the violin with swift and harsh movements of his scythes, catching leaves mid-air and leaving them to flutter to the ground in pieces. Pamela incorporates her arms too, but with less urgency, relying on the calmer backbone of the bass. Each time she flourishes a joyful call is heard and Lei around her neck softly glows as another cascade of leaves emerge and dance around the performers.

They continue to dance amidst Lei's Magical Leaf, Mr. Darcy demonstrating the elegantly precise way he cuts the iridescent leaves, slowly hastening his pace until the song slows once again.

The two turn to each other and harmoniously mirror some slower, delicate movements as the remaining leaves fall converge around them, their sheen casting flecks of light on the dancers.

Then with the kick of the final chorus, Lei exclaims happily and showers the stage and audience in the grand foliage. The handsome Lurantis shows off his nimble and refined skills one last time, with the fastest pace yet as he spins and steps to precisely cut down each leaf that hovers a few feet above the stage floor.

Behind him, Pamela slowly lifts Lei off her neck. Mr. Darcy's last step places him facing infront of her as she lowers the Comfey around Lurantis' neck, he turns and bows as the last of the halved, shimmering leaves touch the ground and the music ends.

Pamela then steps out from behind her Pokemon, they all bow once more and she kisses the top of Mr. Darcy's head before they exit the stage.

not quite an extinction event

[bertall]

Contest Category: Tough
Trainer: Bertolt Hoover
Pokemon: "Reiner" (shiny Aggron) & "Galliard" (Tyrantrum) assisting
Move: Strength & Giga Impact
(if there is a second Pokemon in the act, add them here!)

Costume: Just like last time, Bertolt keeps his outfit simple with ordinary street clothes. He's never been about that flashy life, but to really encompass that Tough Attitude, he's opted for a dark blue flannel overshirt with the sleeves rolled up and a... Voltorb undershirt that can't possibly be his. It fits, but since when has Bertolt shown off any Voltorbs?

His Pokemon are fairly similar;

His Aggron doesn't have much in terms of an outfit, but the golden plates covering most of his body have been polished to a light shine and care has been taken to bring the scuff marks on one side of his face to attention. They're more like light scars than anything, and while they've shrunk in size with his growth, they're still there. He's a Big Ol' Tough Guy too, see?

Galliard on the other hand has the Red Scarf from last contest's Cool Category tied nicely around his neck and boy it's big - it had to be to fit the larger-than-life dinosaur, but it's clear that the focus is purely on his Aggron "brother". He's just here to look tough and imposing and provide some back-up for the main event!

Act: The stage never has been Bertolt's preferred place to be, but there was something nice about being able to show off how strong Pokemon can be.

He's not about to make it all theatrical this time, though. Instead, his Aggron comes lumbering out across the stage and stops in the middle to give the audience a careful twice-over, and then he looks over his shoulder for Galliard to follow. When they're out, the Tyrantrum lowers his head and Bertolt gently steps down from the opposite side and ducks under his head, offering a slightly sheepish look.

"Hi, again. Uh... I'm sure everyone remembers Galliard from last time, right?"

Galliard in turn fluffs up his feathers and puffs out his chest, and as an added bonus gives himself a nice little shake. Hello, friends! He is back!

"W-Well, uh... Sorry, I'm not the best at this, but this time I thought it'd be a good idea to bring something else besides eating a vehicle to the table. The Aggron here is Reiner, and we're here to show what he's good at. Back when everything was going down at Mt. Mortar with some of those other Pokemon, Reiner was doing his part to help evacuate the smaller Pokemon who couldn't fend for themselves. In the process, I almost got hurt really bad. If it wasn't for him," Bertolt reaches up to coax the Aggron to turn his head in order to show off the scuff marks and scars on his face, "I probably would've been hurt a lot more. He looks scary like Galliard, but he's very gentle. Galliard, would you--?"

Snorting in agreement, the Tyrantrum lumbers off towards the back of the stage where the props are all set up - one by one he rolls out three boulders of varying sizes, some trees, and finally plants himself at the start of the lineup. To show just how gentle he is (even with those horns), the Aggron gives his trainer a gentle cheek boop with the flat part of his snout, along with a low rumbling purr. "But," he laughs and scratches under Reiner's chin, "Don't let his looks completely fool you. He's gentle, but he has plenty of hidden Strength."

As if on cue, Galliard grabs a boulder and waits patiently for the Aggron to come closer, and then simply drops it on top of poor Reiner - or it would've been dropped, had the Aggron not caught it so effortlessly and threw it off stage with a snort. The second boulder - larger - gets the same treatment, and with some effort it's tossed away as well. "Aggron can be incredibly territorial over whatever mountain they claim as their own and they'll fight anyone who tries to cause trouble in their home. The more scars they have, the more you should probably give them their space. I brought Reiner with me to Mt. Mortar partially for that reason though, just in case the Pokemon who were fighting tried to harm anyone."

Next come the logs - first one, which the Aggron barely bats an eye at. Then comes two, three, and eventually a dozen heavy looking trees. He's straining just a bit, but after changing the way he stands, he hefts them up and over his head as best as a Pokemon like him can. The logs are placed back on the ground, and then he really braces himself - back feet anchored and dug into the dirt, both forelimbs up, claws splayed and head lowered. The much larger Tyrantrum takes it as his signal to take several steps back and crouch low to the ground himself, and if the cameras focus on both of their faces they'll catch a playful gleam in both of their eyes. This is a game!

"Ready, Galli? Reiner?" Two rumbles, and the Aggron flexes his claws and gives the equivalent of a grin - teeth and all. Come at him, bro!

It's the cue all three were waiting for, and this is why Bertolt opted to go with the larger outdoor stage.

For a moment Galliard remains still, but then his body starts to glow orange almost as if he were on fire. And then he takes off with enough force to make a fairly deep impression of his foot in the ground, charging full speed at the Aggron. But, despite this 'threat', he doesn't budge. He braces himself further, and when Galliard collides, he takes the full force of the Giga Impact by catching the Tyrantrum's head and growls under the strain of holding him back.




And just when it seems like he's about to be overtaken, the Aggron heaves and actually lifts the prehistoric king up, up, up, up and holds him in the air. It's... certainly a little awkward-looking, but the fact is that he stopped a full-strength Giga Impact and lifted a larger-than-life Pokemon completely off the ground. The duo stay like that for a few moments (people have to get their pictures after all!), but when Bertolt waves his hand the Aggron slowly and carefully places the Tyrantrum back on his feet. Once he's free Galliard snorts, shakes his feathers out, and ducks his head low to give his head a good scratch with one of his big back feet. Did he do good?

"Ah... They--" Clearing his throat, Bertolt steps back so he's flanked by each one and reaches up to pat both of their heads. "Aggron use that Strength to defend their homes, but they also use it to rebuild them after disasters. Moving rocks, clearing out debris and even planting new trees to replace ones that may have been lost in a fire or a flood. I've never seen one in the wild yet, but I'd love to one day even if it's just to watch them work."

He looks over his shoulder towards the small 'mess' the pair made, and he offers another smile. "We'll clean all of that up too, I promise."

With that, the Aggron ducks down and hooks his horns under Bertolt's legs to heft him up, over and onto his back and offers a soft rumble of his own, and then gently butts his head into the back of Galliard's leg to urge him to move. C'mon, let's get off the stage!

"T-Thank you!"

i heard you like foxes

[meteorman]

Contest Category: Cute
Trainer: Stanford Pines
Pokemon: "Skadi" (Alolan Ninetales)
Move: Powder Snow
Pokemon: "Vixen Sharp-Ears" (Alolan Vulpix)
Move: Aurora Beam

Costume: The worst of winter is probably over, but the name of the game today is still a snow theme. Skadi and Vixen are both bundled up in powder blue cable-knit sweaters. Both have deep blue scarves around their necks and blue wool knit legwarmers on their back legs. They also both have blue bows tucked into their hair next to their left ears. Aside from Vixen being smaller and having longer bangs (they cover her eyes, it's precious), they match perfectly.

Ford is wearing the same exact cable-knit sweater. It's almost like he has a family member he loves dearly who is incredibly good at sweater-making and whose opinion he needed here because lord if he knows how to dress 'cute'. He's exchanged the usual tactical pants and boots for crisp light blue jeans and brown lace-up shoes. He's forgone the leg warmers, unfortunately, but Mabel did manage to talk him into putting a tiny blue bow on the left earpiece of his glasses. He's not going to be in the spotlight for this much so it's fine.

Act: For once there's no complicated prop setup; it's just Ford and Skadi on an otherwise empty stage. This is very outside of Ford's wheelhouse but his compulsion to be the best at everything means he has to do every category at least once. So here he is.

"Good afternoon. I'm sure you all remember Skadi--"

There are some pronounced whoops from the audience. Yes, the crowd remembers her. Skadi puffs up a little, pleased by the recognition.

"Yes, good. So you're all well-aware that Skadi is an excellent dancer. Today she's going to show you that she's also an excellent artist. Skadi, go ahead."

Skadi steps forward, but before she can actually do anything Vixen careens in from off stage in a way that was definitely not rehearsed at all. She tries to stop herself halfway across the stage, trips over her own scarf, skids, and bonks right into the larger Ninetales. Her bow and scarf are skewed and one of her legwarmers is scrunched around her ankle. It looks like she just now threw her costume on offstage. This, too, was totally not at all rehearsed or on purpose. Wink wink.

"It looks like someone would like to join in. Skadi, do you mind…?"

Skadi shakes out her tails and nods, clearly unbothered. Vixen scrambles to her feet. She's still stepping on her own scarf. It's fine.

"Well then! Have at it." He steps back and to the side, his part done. The only way doing a Cute entry would possibly work was if he had minimum involvement in the actual act. He's a lot of things but capital-C Cute isn't one of them.

This leaves the two fluffy foxes center stage. Skadi tips her head up and the stage begins to turn white under a Powder Snow. Skadi immediately sets about sweeping it up into a nice neat pile with her tails. Vixen does the same, though her pile is a lot smaller and a lot less orderly.

It becomes apparent very quickly that what Ford meant by 'art' was 'snow sculpture'. Skadi works diligently, nudging the snow around with her snout and paws and tails. Her control over it is frankly impressive for a creature with no thumbs. Vixen is less… uh… skilled. She's clearly trying to emulate everything Skadi is doing, but she keeps tripping over her own scarf and having to blow her hair up and out of her eyes to even see what she's doing. She is definitely not hamming it up at all (yes she is).

In no time at all two snow sculptures take shape. Skadi's is a proud Ninetales that looks an awful lot like herself. Vixen's is a lump that might have a smaller lump that might be an ear on top if you squint. They both take a step back from the sculptures and tilt their heads in opposite directions in a way that was totally not also rehearsed. Hm. Needs something. Skadi turns to Vixen and then nods her head at the sculptures as though to say 'you finish it'.

Vixen makes a very big show of thinking, even walking in a complete circle while she ponders, and then she blows her hair out of her eyes again. She's got it. She opens her mouth and fires an Aurora Beam at the two sculptures, rendering them rainbow and shimmery under the stage lights. Yeah. Now they're perfect. That's art, baby!

[ghoststanning]

After the contest

[Ray is over the moon after the contest, no matter what others thought about it, he was proud of what he's done. Sure, winning something would be great, but he got to show off one of his great Pokemon and that's all he wanted to do.

So after checking out the shops (and buying a bit too many things from the stalls- hey how could he resist a Joltik bowtie?!), you can find himself relaxing in the greenhouse, holding up Doppel and gushing at them.]

You did so good out there! I'm really proud of your performance!

[Doppel makes a cheerful bubbling sound, clearly pleased with themselves.]

Minigames

[Of course Ray was going to take full advantage of the minigames offered here. After all he came all the way from Goldenrod just for this event he's going to have fun with it! Even though he doesn't have a lot of Pokemon that would work for the event, he still finds a few games to try out.

... None of them go great but still.

Starchild the Cleffa attempts the Clefairy Says game, but is quickly disqualified after using Flamethrower on the teacher when they bop her on the head.

Doppel does try out the Rock Harden game but gets disqualified for literally transforming into a rock.

Finally, Scooby the Gastly seemed interested in doing Snooze War, but is unfortunately still slightly terrified of pretty much everything and ends up running away at least once as the pendulum swings towards him.

But on the bright side, his fear is actually a bonus because he's way too terrified to fall asleep and ends up winning a few rounds on that alone.]

Wildcard
[If there's anything else you wanna do with Ray, please let me know!]

after the contest

[pkemeter]

[Egon's in the greenhouse, as well, but not to relax. No, he wants--he needs to closely examine as many of these specimens as possible, speak to their caretakers on the specifics on how they grow, possibly purchase a sample or two...or three....

You get the general idea. Egon is in the middle of examining what looks to be a String-of-Pearls succulent when he hears Ray speaks, and he looks up and blinks.]

I saw your performance, myself. It was quite impressive--dancing takes a great amount of coordination, and Doppleganger had to dance while in another form entirely. I am very proud of you.

[He looks back to the plant, then carefully pulls off one of the "strings". He takes a plastic bag from out of his pocket that's already filled with various plant clippings and places it inside.

It's fine.]

After the Contest

[forsaintcecilia]

[Kazuki and Sticky the Slurpuff are chilling out in the lobby of the Contest Hall. They haven't bothered to change out of the costumes they wore during their round, and while Sticky's toque is still sparkling clean, Kazuki is covered in chocolate batter and drool. His expression is bright though, and it's obvious that any irritated looks he may have given Sticky during their bit were rehearsed. It was inspired by their very own kitchen mishaps when they were first learning how to bake, but Kazuki could never be mad at Sticky for pursuing his passion.]

[They're both greeting anyone who wants to talk or give them congrats on a job well done. Kazuki likes to get feedback from his audience after any kind of performance, so he's really enjoying engaging with the crowd and other contestants.]

ooc: Wildcards are also totally welcome! Feel free to use any of the prompts above, I'll make them work!

[icecastlemadonna]

[Yuuko eventually manages to find Kazuki in the lobby once her own act is over, followed closely by Biellmann and Killian. She's changed out of her costume, but Biellmann is still wearing his crown since he refused to take it off.]

Kazuki! I really loved your act. I'll have to remember that tip about using Sweet Scent for cooking...

[paladinlost]

[Backstage]

[Once more, Cecil is here to help anyone with costume- or prop-related difficulties! Need something repaired? He's your man! He's equipped for any potential problem, with his thread and needle, his glue, his duct tape, his reserve of glitter that a wild Pidove just snatched and dispersed all over the place- oh dear.]


[Merchandise stalls]

Shadowbind, where are you? Please come back! Excuse me, have you seen a shiny Sableye by any chance?

[At some point during the festivities, Cecil's beloved Sableye has disappeared! What could have happened to her? Has she been stolen, kidnapped, seduced away by some knave? Has she chosen this day to reject her domasticated life and return to the wilderness?

...Actually, she's just looking at those pretty dice with interest, but being around so many people is so stressful that she hides beneath the table every time someone walks by. The poor thing.]


[Wildcard!]

[If you build tag it, he will come!]

Stalls!

[rimeblaze]

[Shoto paused as he was questioned about the whereabouts of a shiny Sableye, the shiny Ninjask on his shoulder and the shiny Shedinja hovering just behind them both perking up.

Someone in need?]

I haven't, no. I'm sorry. Where did you last see it? Maybe we can help you retrace your steps.

[rimeblaze]

[Contest Hall]

[Performing in the contest itself hadn't sounded like something Shoto really wanted to get involved in but the opportunity to go had been there so hey, why not? It was a chance to travel and see some people he'd gotten to know while he'd been in this place--in person rather than over the network--and his team seemed pretty excited about the entire thing.

All of the performances were extremely fun to watch and Shoto found himself enjoying it more than he expected to, hanging out and watching as many of them as he could.

And while Shoto isn't necessarily the type to approach people and congratulate them on a job well done, his Pokemon sure are.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself bombarded by a shiny Chimchar, a Bergmite and an Ivysaur that are extremely excited about your performance. Their embarrassed trainer isn't far behind of course--]

Sorry, they really wanted to congratulate you.


[Mini Games!]

[When not watching the performances, Shoto and his crew decided to take some time to work on mastering a few of the oddly entertaining games present around the grounds. In particular, Shoto and Macaque (his shiny Chimchar) had gotten quite good at 'Clefairy Says!' which is where they were currently, getting ready to start another round--their third in the past hour!

Think you can beat them?]


[The Greenhouse]

What do you think? This one's nice..

[Shoto tilted his head as he looked at one of the small bonsai plants but jerked as a vine gently bapped his shoulder. The young man glanced down at the Ivysaur at his side, Deku shaking his head and motioning to a different one.]

'Saur!

This one? [Picking up the one Deku seemed fond of, Shoto looked over the small bonsai that wasn't quite as full as the others but..there was definitely something unique about it.] You sure?

Ivy-saur! 'Saur!

[Shoto smiled and handed the plant to Deku who was more than happy to take it with his vines, the Pokemon toddling over to where the woman running the stand was unaware that someone was coming around one of the tables.]

Deku watch--

[Sorry about that Ivysaur to the legs, friend.]


[Wildcard!]

Want to do something else? Hit me up! I'm down for anything!

Contest Hall

[icecastlemadonna]

[Yuuko doesn't really mind being bombarded, especially now that she's out of her costume. Meanwhile, Biellmann looks somewhat irritated and tries to straighten out his crown since it almost got knocked off his head, while Killian seems a bit shy about getting this much attention. He did a good job of hamming it up as a villain during their act, but clearly that's not what he's really like.]

Thanks! I'm glad they enjoyed it. We didn't have much time to put it all together, but I think we managed to do a decent job.

[unabates]

[ sizing up the "competition" ]

[ jack, being a late entry, spends time watching the other competitors to get a sense of what they're doing. crybaby doesn't seem to realize she's the pokemon of choice, and she's just excited to see all these pokemon doing what they do best!

his three dogs, bandit, scout and dixie, are also watching with him. they're the first three noses that you might meet if you wander near jack as a performer.

jack calls them back before he speaks to your character. ]

Sorry, they're excited to meet new people.

[ greenhouse ]

[ jack's taken his pokemon to look at the greenhouse. looking at all the plants has a slightly wistful expression on his face, wishing he could pick something up to take with him. with no solid place he's staying right now, though, he knows that's a bad idea.

however, crybaby is having a grand old time sticking her face into flowers, coming out with her face covered in pollen, and sneezing. considering she's sitting on dixie's back, it causes dixie to sneeze, and then scout, and then bandit...

until the whole group of them are sneezing, and jack starts urging them away from the offending plant. ]

[ free play at carnival games ]

[ feel free to hit jack up at one of the carnival locations! maybe bandit is giving his best at dig dig dig, despite being a rock type. dixie and scout are both having fun with ekans hoop hurl or run rattata run.

and, well, who thought a pint sized skitty could eat so much at sushi go round? ]

competition!

[bertall]

<sub>[The thing with dogs is when there's so many of them, they all want to sniff at once.

Two is fairly okay to deal with and three is manageable (depending on the size), but when the new trio gets up in his space to say hello, a fourth one decides to wiggle in to join the fray and sniff right back.

Only this one isn't small like the others.]</sub>

It's o--

_{[At first Marcel was staying low to the ground while he wiggled forward, but once he got his back end past the crowd of people behind him, he stood up and started wagging his tail which unfortunately slaps Bertolt right in the face.]}

Marcel!

_{[FRIENDS. NEW FRIENDS. SMALL FRIEND. FRIEND THAT LOOKS LIKE HIM! AND TALL FRIEND-TRAINER-PERSON! HELLO!]}

[sunspotted]

[ post-performance ]

[ post his performance, marco seems to be gathering his nerves behind stage. viola is prancing around him in a circle, even as he tries to check on her burns. lucia seems shamefaced, but she's also easily assuaged with petting from marco or anyone else who wants to give her attention. ]

[ watching the show ]

[ before their turn (and after, once cleaned up), marco is watching all the other acts go on with an interested look. perhaps more enraptured is viola, who is practically standing up in her seat to get a better look. even if this is competition, she seems to have a good nature about losing. at least if she loses, it's to people who are damn good at it! ]

[ wandering the garden ]

[ if they're not watching the performances, marco can be found in the garden the rest of the time. he loves seeing so much greenery on display, and takes his time examining flowers and even purchasing some seeds, perhaps for a certain venusaur friend of his.

viola accompanies him, as always, but he has the rest of his entourage out. enjoy spotting a furret sticking his face into flowers, a growlithe and a litten up on their hind legs peeking at red orchids, a trumbeak hanging out on marco's shoulder... or yours, and grooming your hair into a suitable fauxhawk. last but not least is sushi, who is...

stealing any food people are leaving unattended, resulting in a lot of shamefaced returning from marco. ]

[forsaintcecilia]

[Kazuki has just stepped off stage himself, and is wiping some batter and drool off of his face with a small part of his sleeve that's still clean. He's giving his Slurpuff plenty of praise for a job well done when he notices a Growlithe bounding up to the both of them. Kazuki crouches down to pet the little guy.]

Hey, you were just up, right? [He offers Lucia a hand for a paw-shake.] You did great! Where's your trainer?

[icecastlemadonna]

Before the show
[Before her act begins, Yuuko will be backstage, trying to make sure her Pokemon will be ready. Unfortunately, Killian the Zoroark seems to be suffering a mild bout of stage fright, since he's crouching in a fetal position while Yuuko tries to comfort him. Meanwhile, Biellmann's distracted by how he good he looks in a crown, preening himself while looking at a nearby mirror.]

Killian, it's going to be okay. We got a lot of practice in yesterday. You'll be fine.

After the show
[After their act, Yuuko and Killian have changed out of their costumes (Biellmann refuses to remove his crown) and are sitting in the lobby of the Contest Hall. Now that it's over, she's trying to give Killian some extra reassurance.]

See, what did I tell you? You did a great job, Killian!

Greenhouse
[Yuuko's used to the cold, what with living in Mahogany Town and basically growing up at the skating rink back home, but even she needs a break from winter weather sometimes. That's why you may find her at the greenhouse with her Tsareena, Ina. Ina's had trouble adjusting to the winter in Mahogany, so being surrounded by all this lush greenery is good for both of them.]

Ooh, Ina, look at these ones! Aren't they nice? [Yuuko points out some spectacular-looking flowers nearby. Ina merely nods and closes her eyes, trying to take in as much of the warmth of the greenhouse as she can.]

After the show

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

[Seeing someone he's at least talked to a few times, Harry will walk over with a wave.]

That was a really great performance. You guys must be proud.

[sassymaru]

POST PERFORMANCE
[Following their damp debut, Shadowmaru and his Frogadier are toweling off backstage. The pokemon less so than the trainer. Both are liberally covered in glitter, as well as water.]

[Watch your step. You may be in the way of far-flung droplets as Shadowmaru towels off his hair. Which is still purple. And still ridiculous.]

Well! That went well. Don't you agree?

STALLS
[And then, you can find the robot-turned man browsing the shops. Focusing mostly on anything shiny or purple. The Onix-shaped necklace especially attracts his attention.]

How fantastic... wouldn't it look nice on you? [He's asking this of the Frogadier who just looks skeptical.]

[Maybe later you can catch him watching the Rattata races. Casually betting on them. That's not illegal, right?]

Post Performance

[isleavepossible]

[She's starting to think this world is going to run out of glitter with you in it.]

I like the hair style!

[Not a performer herself, she's just been trying to stop her ghost pokemon from causing mischief backstage.]

[shiro2hero]

DURING / AFTER PERFORMANCES
[Do you know this idiot? If so, when you perform, you can absolutely expect him to be holding up another sign. Is it the same sign? It looks like it. This, combined with the rainbow hair look, is kind of painfully obvious in the middle of a crowd.]

[Afterward, however, he'll come jogging up to anyone he knows, beaming. No matter how well the act went.]

That was great! You really had something up there!


STALLS
[Yeah, guess who saw the Bruce Whalis Comic and immediately picked one up. This guy, that's who. In fact, he picked up a few copies. He is casually standing near the stall, reading it over. And laughing.]

This is great...

[It's perfect for Lance.]

[He can also be found, his Aggron in tow, idly browsing some of the other stalls. Picking up little things for the others. And maybe a treat for his pokemon. Feel free to stop him and cage a snack or something of your own.]

Stalls

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

[In a place that sells reading material? Harry is probably close by. He looks over.]

A funny, comic?

[bertall]

[Before the show]

Galliard, come on--

_{[Behind the stage in an area big enough to accommodate both an Aggron and an oversized, larger-than-life Tyrantrum, Bertolt can be found perched on top of said Tyrantrum's back and fussing with a large, red piece of cloth.]}

The sooner this is tied, the sooner you can show off! Just-- _{[Galliard shakes his back, nearly knocking Bertolt off but instead sending him face-first into the thick ruff of feathers]} --Sit still, please!

_{[The Aggron? Oh, he's living for this and those growls can only be considered laughter. Why, why can't he use the Pokegear for pictures? CURSE HIS LACK OF PROPER THUMBS.]}


[After the show]

_{[This time wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking, but putting himself out there like that certainly doesn't get any easier. At least it's over now and he can focus on cleaning both of his Pokemon up! But where did that rag go...]}

Ah! Excuse me, have you seen a towel that looks like something chewed the corner off? I thought I left it back here, but I think someone might've moved it.

_{[He can't wipe all of that dust and dirt off of his Aggron with a tiny washcloth or his bare hands!]}


[Merch Stalls + Games]

<sub>[After getting everything squared away from their performance, Bertolt let his Aggron and Tyrantrum take the lead and poke their noses into a few of the merchandise and food booths to see what new foods the contests had to offer. Many seem thrilled to have Galliard here, and every so often they're stopped for some fans to snap a quick selfie or two with the big "scary" dinosaur and the Aggron.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your view), at some point the Tyrantrum sees you and gently boops you in the back for some attention. Are you another person who wants a picture? He's gotten lots of those tonight!]</sub>

Sorry about him, he's, uh... He's harmless, I swear. He's just really into this sort of thing.


[Wildcard!]

_{[Hit me up with anything else!]}

Games

[notyourgoddess]

[Luckily for everyone involved, Maya's reaction to being startled is still attempt to use powers. So the most that happens is when she turns quickly, she just raises her left arm, nothing happens. She frowns at it and lowers it before looking at the two in front of her.]

He's really into poking people?

[An Espurr jumps up onto her shoulder as to remind her what she's supposed to be using here if she REALLY did want to attack things.]

[keep_surviving]

[Merch - Custom Cool Cat]

[Diana's decided to set up a small stall with a few custom pieces of merch on them. Small, simple things, a few mugs and badges but mostly shirts. They're average in quality but they're also cheap so you can't complain.

It's all mostly modeled around Jinx's star Ms Fortune, who returned this year for her second contest. Pictures of the shiny Incineroar adorn most of the objects, though a few sport an occasional white silhouette or Ms Fortune's name.

Diana herself is wearing one of the shirts with a posing, snide looking Incineroar and the words '#swagger' printed beneath. With her is Dare, her Zorua, who's trying to attract attention by switching between the stages of the Litten evolution line and imitating the poses on the products.]

[Games]

[She'd only stopped by the games for a quick look. But soon she was building up an impressive stack of points on Ekans' Hoop Hurl and finds herself unable to pull away from rotating around each one.

At her side stands a little girl with wild hair, watching her intently. Actually, it's just Dare again, which may explain why they're so silent.

Both Diana and her apparent mini-me are totally engrossed in whatever game they're playing at this moment. Break her concentration at your own risk.]

[Wildcard]

[Wow me!]

[Merch]

[badluckbabe]

I'm honestly surprised this stuff turned out so well. Have you done this sort of thing before?

[Jinx appears with Miss Fortune and Mr. E in tow, the two occasionally making fierce eyes at one another as part of their act in case anyone's watching. Miss Fortune seems so pleased with the merchendise she starts mimicking the poses.]