122nd moon [video]

[paladinlost]

Good afternoon, everyone! As many of you have not yet had the chance to enjoy a prom in this world, I'll be sharing a few tips to ensure your upcoming weekend is a pleasant one.

[Cecil is transmitting from his Gym's office today, a mug of coffee in hand and one of those delightful fire bunnies sitting on his lap. The bunny manages to smile shyly at the camera, possibly thanks those gentle scritches between its ears.]

Firstly, be certain to come with a full team of Pokémon that are battle-ready, including a few that can easily fight inside smaller rooms. Cruise ships are spacious, but you'd still not want to use Blizzard while trying to hide in the washroom.

[Cecil takes a sip. The bunny stops smiling.]

Secondly, while swimwear and formal wear are obviously a must, remember to also bring comfortable shoes and clothing, and to keep it in a location you can access at all times. Tuxedos and gowns are not ideal for dealing with Rockets and violent Pokémon, as you may find out.

[Cecil sighs at the less-than-pleasant memory. The bunny looks like Christmas was cancelled and it just fell out of a destroyed plane. Again.]

Thirdly, do not forget your supplies! You never know when you might need potions, pokéballs, revives, rope, emergency rations, bandages, a personal source of fresh water, duct tape, a notebook, a- Oh dear. What's wrong?

[Cecil looks mildly alarmed. The bunny wails in terror. Important message forgotten, Cecil turns the Pokégear off even as he tries to calm the poor creature down.]

Comments

[neverstudied]

[Oh, boy. Venkmam winces sympathetically.]

Probably shouldn't've made that PSA until the traumatized animal was outta earshot. You could've at least waited for it to fall asleep or something...

Hold on-

[He digs in his bag for a moment, pulling out a Pokeball, and releases his own Scorbunny from its containment unit. The rabbit takes a moment to adjust to its surroundings, ears down and nose twitching. She flinches when she recognizes the sound from the Pokegear as one of her own species freaking out, but Venkman gently shushes her and strokes her back with light touches.]

Hey, sweetheart. Can you tell the other rabbit that everything's ok and they can chill?

[video]

[paladinlost]

I did not think it'd be so...

[Sensitive? Easy to upset? He does look like he feels terrible about this, though, gently petting the rabbit's head with the occasional humming.]

I was merely preparing for the worst case scenario. Perhaps this'll be a lovely event, and hundreds of happy young bunnies will have the chance to enjoy the sunshine together!

[That last part is addressed to both Scorbunnies, in hopes that it'll reinforce the 'everything's ok' position.]

[neverstudied]

[Venkman's Scorbunny- Trix- appears confused, and more than a little concerned, but squeaks out some reassurances of her own. Her trainer probably knows what he's talking about, after all. Right?]

Hey, now you know what not to do in the future, right? And that's half the job when it comes to dealing with trauma stuff- figuring out what doesn't work and then not doing it again.

I'm gonna bring my rabbit to the cruise, I think- [He scratches Trix behind the ears for a moment.] -she needs some time to relax. If you bring yours, they can probably meet up together and hang out.

[paladinlost]

I have more experience with human traumas of magical origin, to be honest, but I'm trying to learn. This poor child deserves that much, at the very least.

[The Scorbunny in question is somewhat calming down. Whether that is because of the renewed pettings, or because of Trix's intervention, is yet to be determined. Seeing a fellow Scorbunny on the network is a decent distraction, at the very least.]

I was thinking of bringing the little one too, as I've plenty of battlers to ensure our safety, but I plan to visit the ocean first. Considering how they found themselves in this region, I worry that heights and large bodies of water might also be potential sources of trauma.

video+text

[neverstudied]

Hey, ditto. Not the "magical origin" bit, but I'm a psychologist. Applying the stuff for humans to these guys is kinda hit or miss, but it's better than nothing.

Good point. I'd hate to bring this girl along and then find out she's seasick. Or worse.

[A pause. Venkman starts typing something on the Pokegear- his video is still on, though it's more centered on Trix now.]

not saying this out loud just so we dont freak ur rabbit out again

do u really think this prom will go to hell, bcause my partners are already planning to wear our jumpsuits under their tuxedos and rays going wild over the possibility of seeing aliens or whatever and i gotta know if they're completely stupid for this or just kinda stupid

video;

[schachmeister]

Does this always end in disaster? I mean, last year there were those strange... creatures. And the year before that there was team rocket.

I'm just saying, I'm starting to feel like, perhaps, a fancy dress party doesn't quite outweigh the risks of disaster.

video;

[paladinlost]

The first few times were delightfully pleasant, though that one dream prom was rather strange at times, and the visit to the moon three years ago was simply wonderful! ...But I can hardly deny that the last two were far more dangerous than they should have been, even if I hope it'll not be the case this year.

video;

[schachmeister]

Do you happen to know how often this prom has been organised in the past?

video;

[paladinlost]

This will be the seventh of its kind, though not all were organized by humans. But as long as people have the opportunity to dance and eat, why should we care if the host has paws or feet?

video;

[schachmeister]

Oh no, I don't think that is a concern. At least, not in this world.

[Back home he probably wouldn't attend a prom organised by horses, but pokemon are just their own thing entirely.]

I'm just trying to get more of a feel for whether it will be a good idea for anyone to attend. If it has been hosted seven times before and most of those occasions involved no danger whatsoever, I suppose that does alter how risky this is. Though the fact that the last two years have ended as they did does possibly suggest a worrying trend.

[thegreenhornet]

...hey, tell me more about these Rockets and violent Pokemon. Did something like that happen before?

[Britt sounds rather curious about the matter, yup]

[paladinlost]

Last year's prom was interrupted by an unknown Pokémon species that descended from the skies. The situation quickly became chaotic, though we prevailed.

[In their defense, they were lost and scared and getting shot at with fire and worse.]

And the year before, it turned out that Team Rocket had taken over the venue and was holding a Legendary Pokémon hostage in the basement. Admittedly, we should have known; the hosting that year was far below Clair's or the Elite Four's usual standards.

[thegreenhornet]

...sure doesn't bode well for this year, since unknown Pokemon species are sprouting around already.

[Maybe a more dangerous one will emerge during the prom, he thinks]

Did the Legendary Pokemon get freed or did get away with it?

[paladinlost]

Unknown species are not always a threat, and these three seem as harmless as the Espurrs and Furfrou that heralded the last mass migration. Last year's creatures were far more... alarming, in both appearance and acts.

[In a creepily pretty way.]

It was freed. Did you take part in the scavenger hunt last summer? That was its doing, along with the rewards.

[thegreenhornet]

[All in all, there's a precedent for both...it wouldn't harm to be alert this year]

Good.

Someone should organize someone to have security. Not me, though, but someone really should.

[He already decided he will bring his vigilante suit and mask. If he can get one before the prom]

[isleavepossible]

I thought proms were a school thing.

....also the tips kinda make this sound like we're going to some sort of survival weekend.

[paladinlost]

From what I understand, proms are formal dances that may last a whole weekend usually held in elegant or uncommon venues. Interruptions in the form of Team Rocket or unknown Pokémon species are optional, but becoming more and more common. Certain... precautions must now be taken.

[isleavepossible]

Huh, maybe it's a different universe thing.

Okay that's good to know. But-

[She can see a submarine in her minds eye explode and it still terrifies her. She shakes her head slightly.]

So, uh. This might sound paranoid but what do you think the odds are someone or something will sink the boat. I know it's large and there'll be life boats and water pokemon but ...is that something you think could possibly happen?

[paladinlost]

I estimate the odds to be low.

[Not negligible, not non-existent, but low. He understands all too well why she'd worry about that, though.]

Sinking such a large ship filled with trainers willing to defend themselves would be difficult for humans. And while certain Legendaries might be large and powerful enough to do so, none have a reputation for attacking travelers. Not even the whispers of sailors and traders, as far as I know.

[isleavepossible]

Thanks.

[For taking that seriously. There is no way she'd believe "it could never happen", so that's a much more reassuring answer.]

So, does something bad happen at these things every year or has there just been a string of bad luck at the last few?

Video

[dreamsofahero]

It really is that predictable, isn't it?

Video

[paladinlost]

After the last two years? Certainly. The only mystery is what will happen.

Re: Video

[dreamsofahero]

I wonder if we should start some sort of betting pool...

Video

[paladinlost]

I'd advise against it. We'll surely face a threat none of us could have imagined, and there's nothing sadder than a bet no one wins.

Re: Video

[dreamsofahero]

Perhaps we could base it on categories rather than specific threats? "Villainous team," "rampaging legendary" or so on...