GET YOUR TOWELS READY, IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN

[indigo_events]

Wingulls wheel and dive in the salty springtime air of Olivine City's harbor, as white as the gleaming sides of the ship moored directly below. The S.S. Aqua isn't an infrequent visitor in the slightest, but this time it's for a very special occasion! Colorful banners stream from the sides, each one proudly declaring the word PROM in glittery font.

The boarding starts around noon on Friday, and the sight of the huge ship alone is enough to get many people and Pokemon swept up in the party atmosphere. The captain is even there when the ramp is rolled out, wanting to welcome each otherworlder onto the boat personally with a hearty handshake and (mentioning he's a renowned 'people reader'), a recommendation on what part of the cruise he thinks they'll like best based solely on a glance. Weirdly enough, guests might find that he's usually right!

Unsurprisingly, it takes a good long while for everyone to get on board and accounted for, which leaves each guest with plenty of time to find their rooms, dump their luggage, let their Pokemon out to stretch their legs a little, and finally head back to the deck to wave goodbye to the harbor as the SS Aqua heads out onto the open water.

IT'S FINALLY HERE, THE BEST TIME OF YEAR!


For the next three days until it makes its way back to shore on Monday, the lucky cruisegoers can live it up as much as they want. And, as the captain boasts over the announcement system once things are underway, the S.S. Aqua and its staff truly are the hosts with the most-- not even Gorgeous Resort has as much variety as this!

THE ATTRACTIONS

FIRST OF ALL, THE ROOMS!

Each room is fitted with either one or two king-sized beds, making them perfect to share with partners or friends, along with a wide-screen TV, dimmable lights, and fancy bathrooms. With little soaps that have "Please Steal Us!" printed into them.

Depending on whether they're exterior or interior rooms, they may or may not have porthole windows and balconies on the outside.

Check out the "Mood" channel on your TVs, you won't be disappointed.

GET YOUR SWIM ON @ THE WATER PARK

Possibly the first thing about the ship that most people notice (because it's noticeable from a mile away) are the set of pools and waterslides (proudly titled the Winged Mirage Pools) on the very top deck. It's about as wild as it gets while staying within the acceptable safety level for being pools on top of a huge boat. Each pool has its own set of waterslides that turn and twist to your heart’s content, so be mindful of your fellow guests rushing out to drop in on the fun!

Lifeguards are stationed and well-equipped to keep watch over patrons, and will do their best to keep the pools’ populations separated according to the ship’s rules. It would be unsafe, after all, for a small Pokemon to be bowled over by a group of rowdy folks playing water volleyball, or some similar incident.

The Articuno Pool is limited to human swimmers only! It has a small cold-water jaccuzi on the side, and the mosaic tile laid down looks quite similar to deep arctic ice. Pokemon are allowed in the vicinity of the pool but not within the pool itself.

The Zapdos Pool is special pool just for small to medium sized Pokemon to enjoy! It is staggered in two “tiers” and features greenery and water properly calibrated to suit even the pickiest sea Pokemon’s taste. Humans are allowed to supervise their Pokemon, but are asked to not interfere with the many Lifeguard Starmie on duty.

The Moltres Pool, flanked by two warm jacuzzis, is where people and small Pokemon are allowed to swim together! The water is calibrated carefully to be safe for all swimmers, and while it is expected for swimmers to get a little rowdy, Pokemon larger than their trainers are asked to refrain from cannon-balling, for the safety of everyone around them.

IT'S NOT PROM WITHOUT DANCING!

For the main dancing action, you’ll want to go to the Nido-King and Queen Ballroom. There, you can get down and funky with friends and your roster alike in your nicest prom duds to tunes spun out by a live DJ, who will happily and eagerly take your song requests. Don’t be shy, bust out those moves you’ve been holding onto all year!

For those of you who might prefer an all-night techno thump to your dancing, the Porygon2 Discotheque will keep you up and about long into the wee hours of the morning. Featuring actual Porygon2 assisting their DJ trainer, you’ll have their ill mixes and projected lights guiding you into perpetual party heaven.

AND IT'S NOT A PARTY WITHOUT FOOD AND DRINK!

Food is plentiful on board, nowhere more so than Wailord’s Bounty, a buffet operating round the clock to make sure all guests have the chance to fill their plates with delicious morsels whenever they want. While there’s plenty to go around for people and Pokemon, cruise staff do ask that Munchlax and Snorlax are not brought into the buffet. There have been... incidents.

For those looking for fine dining in the evening, look no further than The Mother-of-Clamperl. Slightly fancier than the other areas of the cruise, guests are expected to be dressed somewhat nicely. No showing up in flip-flops! Wear a dress shirt and have some champagne!

Somewhere in between on the fanciness spectrum, The Shiny Corsola may look like a gaudy bar, but lurking in that sparkly, shimmery haven is a smooth nightlife scene with all of the fancy liquor and exquisite jazz you could ever want. The jazz is live, by the way - the Jazzypuffs play an ever-rotating set for your listening pleasure, setting the mood for a sweet, sexy, relaxing night away from the hustle and bustle of cruise life.

AS FOR NON-AQUATIC RECREATION...

The Radical Croconaw Cove is the dope place to chill for preteen and teen promgoers, ya dig? Chock full of tubular snacks and stocked with retro video games that are the bomb-diggety, this is the off-the-hook zone to get your chill on! There’s also some board games too, for you tabletop nerds who want to squeeze a session in.

If you’re after live entertainment, Sudowoodo Centerstage has all your needs covered. Live comedy? Check. Sketches and skits performed by an ever-rotating cast of human and Pokemon actors fresh from Unova’s Pokemon Musical stage? Check! Opportunities for open mic performances by guests? Oh, honey, that box is done CHECKED! That’s right, guests of all species are encouraged to come on up and belt out that Lady Gardevoir cover that’s been stuck in their head, or perform in any other way! the only limitation is that guests are asked to keep Pokemon moves involved to non-destructive ones. After all, this is a cruise ship, not a Contest! And renovating a ship stage can be pricey.

While Goldenrod and Celadon have their Game Corners, the SS Aqua has the Mystery Egg Arcade, welcoming all ages to come and earn technicolor tickets via timing, chance, sharp eyes, and steady hands! Your first twenty tokens are complimentary, the rest shockingly reasonable in price (the equivalent of twenty-five cents per token), and the prizes you can glean are, while not the usual battle items or rare Pokemon, still very nice! Everything from well-made toys to good quality candies to the usual arcade bits and bobs like whoopie cushions and harmonicas, tiny parachute plastic figurines and paper finger traps...it’s all here, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg in tickets to win it, either!

For those looking for more intellectually stimulating pursuits, the Mantine Maritime Library offers a decent selection of reading materials, all seafaring in nature. From glossy photo spreads of underwater expeditions to reproductions of nautical journals from early sailors in Johto and Kanto history, this place has...well, not everything, but enough to whet your academic appetite.

What cruise ship is complete without an awesome rock wall to climb? Shuckle’s Challenge is specifically for humans, and any Pokemon that can’t learn Rock Climb or similar moves. It’s a test of ability and will, and the top of the rock wall offers a grand prize - the most spectacular view of the open sea on the entire ship.

Colorful and cheerful, Phanpy’s Putting Green is exactly the kind of kid friendly minigolf experience you could come to expect from the Pokemon world. Springy green turf adorned with figurines and obstacles depicting various baby Pokemon in play, it’s a hit with little children as much as it’s amusing for all ages to play a round or two together.

No ship is complete without a place to get in some rigorous physical activity, and The Rink is the perfect place to do so! Fitted with colored spotlights, this arena is fitted with all sorts of sports stuff that shifts throughout the day. For a few hours, it’s a basketball court, then, poof! It shifts to tennis, or racketball, or even a roller skating rink! And in the evening, it is of course open to Pokemon battles! Feel like hosting an impromptu tourney in your friend group with your best partners? This is the place to do it!

...And oh, don’t worry. We didn’t forget the most essential cruise amenity of all. Shuffle board courts can be found where you least expect them, and are always maintained by at least one friendly-looking elderly staff member willing to show you or your Pokemon the ropes. It’d be criminal not to make sure everyone has access to this timeless and treasured activity!

AND ONCE YOU'RE DONE PARTYING HARD...

Rejuvination is the core to the SS Aqua’s Max Revive Spa Center. Equipped with saunas, mineral soaks, and fancy mud masks, you’ll feel like a new ‘Mon once you emerge from their pampering. There’s even a special Trainer and Pokemon massage package for those of you who would like to try and improve your bond with one of your partners. Does it work? Only one way to find out...

While they may not have a specific name, the outdoor deck lounges can be found most everywhere on the outer decks, offering peaceful views of the ocean and any land in the distance that the ship might pass. These decks are awesome places to work on your tan or read a book or chat with a friend without disturbing others or being disturbed, and hold wonderfully atmospheric aesthetics for anyone looking to spot breaching sea Pokemon or take pictures.

[Feel free to toplevel to your heart's content! For more information about the event, check the infopost over here!]

Comments

[lyingheart]

She might have enjoyed the challenge of balancing a ball of a pokemon at the same time as dancing; and the throw down would be entertaining, if they had more space. There was just enough of Krieg that it wouldn't be as easy as directing the falls of those she sparred with in the training fields.

Ballrooms. So unforgiving for sudden throws.

He's dressed up, and her thought on this was summarized as, You're wearing a shirt, which was so obvious she left it unsaid. She takes his hand, gives him an approximation of a smile that's barely a turned up corner of her lips, and asks a simple question. "Want to take the lead, or should I?"

[fuelthefire]

Curse you, ballrooms, for your complete unsuitability for throws!!!

He is indeed wearing a shirt. And a tie. Just like a real people! Progress!

When she attempts to smile at him, he grins right back, totally unperturbed by her seriousness.

"I'll follow you."

They're going to be a sight to see, small, dainty Annie leading giant, beefcake Krieg around the dance floor. This is going to be good.

[lyingheart]

Especially if she practically prances out on the dance floor—though she doesn't. More like she strides out, where she could have sashayed, and faces Krieg. Taking the lead here is a matter of matching what people are doing, and most the dancing veers between structured and not. There's a beat, there's a count, and a basic pattern of movement she can pick up on then deviate away from, but to start, she wants an idea of how well they can move together.

As far as she's concerned, that's like reading anyone's foot and body work when sparring, so when she guides him back, a hand at his side and the other hands clasped, it's for a two-count before stepping them both sideways.

"How many of these have you been to by now?"

[fuelthefire]

Krieg isn't exactly what anyone would call "coordinated", and dancing does not come naturally to him. He is, however, a decent observer, and has also developed an excellent sense for teamwork. Sensitivity to body language and non-verbal cues were often the difference between life and death on Pandora, when the tide of a bandit bloodbath could shift in an instant and there wasn't always time or breath to shout a warning. Always be aware of your teammates. Always know their position.

His teammate right now is Annie, and she's showing him how to do a thing which is...not really that complicated, honestly. And the music helps, weirdly? Aural direction backing up visual, cool, he's got this. He may not be particularly elegant, but his motions, once he figures them out, are efficient, and he's probably not going to step on her feet.

The single lesson Lust gave him two years ago now is so very far away it's almost like it never happened at all, sadly.

"This one is two. It could've been three but I didn't go last year."

[lyingheart]

She adapts well, and doesn't end up asking Krieg to do anything complicated. Up until she guides him into a spin, more to see if she can than anything else. Variety is the spice of life, or something like that!

She'll just have to step faster if she grows any fears about trodden toes.

"Sounds like last year got exciting. Which is most of why I'm here." She doesn't end up asking why, since assuming even if he remembers the specifics, it's not her business for what he does or doesn't do. "Your shirt looks nice," she adds, tipping her head toward one of his shoulders. "I'm surprised you didn't go armless."

Says the one in spaghetti straps when she usually wears sweatshirts.

[fuelthefire]

He does pretty okay until she tries to spin him. He has no idea what she's doing when that whole thing initiates so he just kind of. Stops short. Spin incomplete. Uh. Sorry?

Not that it's a big deal to get it sorted out and go back to the simple stuff. Which they do because they're adults. hell yes.

"Pfff! If you're looking for a fight, you don't have to wait for the prom, you can just ask me!"

Krieg does remember where he was last year, and it's an unintended kindness on Annie's part to neglect to ask. He's been doing a very good job of not thinking about Angel - the importance of Maya's presence at this time cannot be overstated - but if asked why he'd missed prom last year, he would instantly lose The Game. He and Angel had taken off to spend a couple weeks camping in the islands together foregoing the fancy shindig, and then in the wee hours of an otherwise unremarkable morning, she had disappeared.

"Thanks!" Luckily, they're not talking about last year's prom, but about his shirt. "Miss Fitz wanted me to wear it, so I did!" He's still not a fan, and now that Annie mentions it, he'd definitely prefer to go sleeveless, but Lust loaned him the shirt, so he's honor-bound to be extra careful with it. "But I'm gonna take it off when we leave."

Hopefully without popping off any buttons.

[lyingheart]

If anything, she seems amused at the stopping short, before they slide back into what works. Mission complete either way. One tries to see what works, and one perseveres.

"I avoided asking people much of anything about prom after the invitations went out," she says, a touch dry. "I keep expecting something terrible is going to happen, and so far, the worst that has is... Lute going on a candy collecting spree."

All things considered, it was very, very mild. She might mention the people who've left, only they're not people she's close to, mostly just those she's acquainted with, and she knows he's lost Angel, so she doesn't want to mention disappearances. There's the airplane crash, but that, too, isn't anything that's happened to her, nor happened to have any answers that she can find. Not that she's looking hard. It's not her job here.

"Leave the boat, or leave the ballroom?"

[fuelthefire]

"The ballroom! The boat's not landing for days!"

Well. A day. Maybe two? When is this dance even happening, anyway? Whatever, it doesn't really matter - the point is, as soon as the fancy evening is over, so is Fancy Krieg.

"D'you want something bad to happen? Dancing with a Psycho's not exciting enough?"

...He is absolutely attempting to make a joke. Because while yes, he is still very much a Psycho, for the most part he's no longer a very exciting one. He's practically predictable these days. It's shocking, the kinds of things a gentle civilization and lots of normal friends can do for a guy.

[lyingheart]

"Do boats land, or do they make land? Sounds like we should be hopping off and flying to shore, just to get out of these clothes." Says the woman whose clothing had been destroyed day one she got on the boat, leaving her to make do with a gown. Which is not, by now, whatever day it might be, looking quite as fresh as it once had. Still, no wrinkles, and no stains. It's a win.

"No one's bleeding," she says, tone dry. "So there's still some excitement level we've avoided. Not that I mind." Continuing through and keeping their dancing similar, she offers a fleeting smile. "I'm content to settle for dancing with a Psycho."

In a way, it did make two of them.

[fuelthefire]

"Don't ask me, I'm not a boat technician!"

Annie. Annie, sweetheart. Pls. What happened to the rest of your clothes? Have you told anyone about this?

"Pfff! Good." He's grinning at her underneath his mask, and it's probably a lot easier to tell with this new one than it was with the old one. "Sometimes just doing normal-people things is exciting." Psychos on Pandora don't really dance so much as run screaming in your direction, sometimes with a torch, sometimes with a live grenade, but always with intent to murder. Krieg, as one of those aforesaid Psychos, had also done plenty of both. That was certainly one way to get the adrenaline pumping. And until he'd been stuck here in Pokéland, he'd believed that was the only way to get that adrenaline rush. But he knows better now.

"You've been having fun, right, Honeyshine?" He knows this fancy gig isn't really here scene. Heck, it's not really his, but so what? He's been having a blast. He hopes she has been, too.

[lyingheart]

"... Sure." Was she or wasn't she? Annie has a hard time telling half the time, but she doesn't hate this. Therefore she's having better than a terrible time, and the dancing is nice. Keeps her moving, keeps her edges from being so sharp.

"Same for you?"

Regardless of this not being their scene, but it can be fun to go so far outside of their normal. Or usual? Outside of what they might choose to engage with on their own.

[fuelthefire]

You know what, he'll take it. It may not be very enthusiastic, but it's also not a negative, and he knows Annie well enough by now to realize that if she really hated being here, she'd straight up say so. So he's just gonna call that a win.

"Yeah! There's a ton to do and all my monsters are having fun, even the Fairy Cat and Sheep Face!"

Fairy Cat and Sheep Face, Annie will know by now, are two of the pokemon Krieg inherited from Angel when she left. She'll also know them by their proper names, Adorababy and Mari, but leave it to Krieg to pile a nickname on top of a nickname and muddle things even further.

[lyingheart]

Annie's entire team has been patrolling, but that's kept them occupied and out of trouble as well as helped her feel being here was useful. Indulgences that weren't food are still out of her normal.

"What have they been up to?" The music is continuing on, halfway through, she's guesses, based on the timing.

[fuelthefire]

Even if it occurred to Krieg to ask his monsters to patrol, he probably wouldn't. If something dangerous is going to happen, it'll happen whether or not they're watching out for it, so they might as well have a good time until then. And then they'll continue to have a good time while the danger is dealt with. Win-win!

"Lockjaw likes the buffet and the pools. Sheep Face and Torch Dragon liked the library. Whisper Bunny had lots of naps in the sun, and Murder Chicken cleaned out the arcade!"

He pauses there to concentrate on the dance again, because his steps had fallen out of rhythm as he'd talked. There are two more to go:

"I don't think the Zen Doll has a favorite, and I think the Fairy Cat is trying to romance Shiro's Space Cat."

[lyingheart]

"... Seems like people tend to have several romantically inclined pokemon."

Another almost smile from Annie. Such a bizarre reality, where the animal like partners they relied on carried their love affairs. All for the sake of... eggs.

... Does physical gender even matter?

Where the hell do the eggs come from?

Pokemon fall in love?

"Wonder if it's any easier for them than it is for most people."

[fuelthefire]

"Probably! I've seen lots of monster romances but only two people ones!"

Both of which were microcosms of teenage drama.

Though only one of the two couples he's thinking of is actually composed of teenagers, and is therefore excused on that basis. The other one...

Well. Krieg is positive Shiro is trying his best.

"I don't get it but I guess it's nice since it seems to make them happy."

Monsters and man.

...Awkward, awkward Man.

[lyingheart]

She almost says, the pokemon have a better chance of it lasting, but she doesn't want to bring up his loss yet again. So she says nothing, makes a noise of agreement, and continues dancing. It doesn't make "sense" to her, but in the same way that eggs don't make sense to her. Individuals seeking strong bonds with others is something she knows, has studied, and studiously avoided.

But it's nice right now, dancing in a gown she's worn for too many days, on a ship that might sink out from under them in an hour, but is steady yet.

She'll take it.