THE CONTEST SPOOKTACULAR!

[indigo_league]

You arrive before the sun sets over the shining sea, a little before 5 o’clock. A fleet of Corviknight taxis descend near the entrance of the castle, slowly setting their passengers on the ground and allowing them to depart. The golden rays of sunshine illuminate the edges of the castle, casting long shadows and making it take on a rather ominous appearance. Better hop to it–you wouldn’t want to miss the Halloween party, now would you?




WELCOME TO THE HALLOWEEN FRIGHTFEST!

Riegfried and Soy greet you at the entrance of the castle. Riegfried is dressed as a Zubat, toting a blue-and-purple cape, a cute hat with giant ears, and plastic fangs. Soy is dressed as a midnight Lycanroc, wearing a dark red suit and wielding a pair of fuzzy white paw gloves. They welcome you warmly, assuring them that they’ll be well taken care of here. Perhaps you’d like to get something to eat, first? Or maybe you’d like to look around at what games and delights they have to offer! Or, perhaps you’re here to perform in the Contest Spooktacular. The choice is yours!

(If asked about the previous attendants of the castle, Shieldbert and Sordward, Riegfried and Soy will exchange looks and explain that they had been…well, very politely asked to leave and not to come back to Kanto, under threat of legal action.)

EXPLORING THE FESTIVAL The Ball Room The old castle ballroom has been outfitted with spooky decorations and all manner of electrical equipment--all the necessary things to put on a good contest! Most of the furniture has been cleared away, save for a central stage for people to perform. At the beginning of the night, before the actual contest takes place, a costume catwalk will take place! Costumed guests will be encouraged to get up on there and strut their stuff. Don’t have a costume? Don’t worry! The attendants will usher you to a very big walk-in closet for you to pick out an utterly fabulous get-up. All from Riegfried and Soy’s personal collections, of course. They wouldn’t want someone to miss out on a chance to show the crowd what they’re made of! This is also the time for characters to register for the contest. After a few hours or so, an announcement is made informing people that the contest spooktacular will be taking place shortly, and for people to make their way to the ball room. The lights dim and a distant, pre-recorded bone-chilling cackle is heard. Who knows what sort of spooky scary things you’ll be seeing tonight? The Outer Courtyard For those wishing to get a breath of fresh air away from the festivities or to explore the activities the festival has to offer, look no further than the courtyard. Nestled safely within castle walls, a large fountain (certainly too new to have belonged to the original castle) stands at the center of the courtyard, the water gently cascading down over the marble figures of two nondescript and crowned humans, one holding a sword, the other a shield; wide-open doors welcome characters further into the castle. There are a plethora of spooky carnival games that have been set up along the perimeter of the courtyard. They’re definitely rigged, but maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll win that giant Mareep plush. One booth seems to be garnering quite a bit of attention–Bobbing for Applins. If you manage to grab an Applin with your teeth, you get to keep it! Just be careful you don’t bite too hard…. The Stables To the west lie the stables, with a sign posted that reads “HAUNTED HAYRIDE!”. The comforting smell of hay and wood hangs in the air. Instead of the Galarian Ponytas and Rapidashes that previously graced this area, there are a bunch of Mudsdales lounging, waiting for their turn to pull the cart. Outside, there is a scrawny bearded man perched on top of a Mudsdale, patting it on the neck and giving it reassuring words. A nearby cart filled with hay bale seats lies vacant, ready to be pulled alone. Fancy a little ride around the outside of the castle to see the sights? You can watch the sunset over the ocean, and maybe spot a few rare Pokémon! Heck, if it’s dark enough, you could even be so bold as to hold hands with someone else on the ride! Who knows what you’ll find out there? Of course, you could always just hang out with the horses. Nobody’s gonna stop you. The Kitchens To the east lie the kitchens, and what kitchens they are! Characters will be able to smell the delicious aroma of a variety of sumptuous courses being prepared for the festival. Officially, the guests are asked not to enter the kitchen, as to not to disturb the many cooks working there. Unofficially, there are not exactly any guards, so if you really wanted to sneak in, you probably won’t get stopped. The Dining Room Adjacent to the kitchens awaits a large dining room. Tables have been set up in long rows with plenty of room for all with some to spare, and once someone sits down, almost as if by magic, they will soon find one of the waitstaff at their side, presenting them with an extensive menu. Order as much (or as little) as you like! The chefs will have it ready for you in a flash. Many of the menu items seem to be…well, puns. Perhaps you’ll be interested in some Crobat Monsieur, a croque monsieur decorated like a Crobat? Or perhaps a spot of Pumpkaboo Pie? Perhaps a nice cup of Coffee-grigus would do the trick. (Rest assured, no Pokémon have been harmed in the making of any of these delicious selections.) The Inner Courtyard The Inner Courtyard looks…well, different. All the plants seem to have been temporarily removed from this area (as evident by the dozens if not hundreds of potted plants along the outside), and it’s quickly obvious as to why. A haunted house has been set up inside of the courtyard, the temporary walls obscuring the horrors that lie within. The door to enter is slightly ajar, and you hear strange and eerie noises inside. Was that howl from a person, or from a Pokémon? And what about that clanking, shuffling sound? The hairs on the back of your neck begin to stand up. Dare you enter? Fright and fun both await you. Feel free to make up what terrifying attractions are inside the haunted house. At the end, an attendant will present you with a photograph of you and your friends inside the haunted house. Ahhh, treasured memories. The Library It looks like the books were removed from the library with the departure of Sordward and Shieldbert. Perhaps they couldn’t be without their personal collection. Nevertheless, it seems that someone else has taken an interest in this room. A woman with frazzled, gray hair and gigantic spectacles stands near the entrance, a slightly unhinged grin on her face as she welcomes you inside. You see, her name is Dr. Espa–she’s a paranormal investigator, and she needs your help to study ghosts! No, no, not Ghost Pokémon–she wants to track down Bill’s great-great-great-uncle, and any other ghosts that live within these halls! The doctor–if she can even be called that–has a wide variety of pseudo-scientific equipment on hand, including spirit boxes, dot projectors, EMF readers, temperature gauges, and more. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to wander into the deepest, most haunted sections of the castle and report back to her on whatever you find! If you weren’t already motivated by the pursuit of knowledge, she’ll also offer you a reward of 2000P for any evidence that you find. She’ll…accept any evidence, really. Is she a staff member, or just a regular woman with a keen enthusiasm for ghosts? It’s hard to tell. Riegfried and Soy certainly don’t know who she is. The Tower Not all of the towers have undergone restoration, but the grandest, largest of them has. It will take some real stamina to climb all these stairs, but if they do, characters will be rewarded with a stunning sight. From the tower’s high vantage point, it seems the entire Kanto region is on display in the incredible view. The ocean stretches out along the horizon, but closer to home, characters will be able to behold wild forests and cliffs, the green lush routes of Cerulean Cape itself and millions and millions of stars twinkling up overhead. The Rocky Beach The main attraction outside of the castle is a small stretch of rocky shoreline accessible just outside the main courtyard and down a surprisingly sturdy set of stone stairs. It looks like a group of people have set up a nice, warm bonfire on what little strip of sand they can find--perfect to stave away the chilly waterfront breeze. Why don’t you help yourself to a cup of warm cider and sit by the fire for a bit? If you’re done making your clothes smell like smoke, you could also comb the beach for interesting trinkets. Shells, whole or broken, peek out between smooth pebbles and the rare piece of sea glass, and at low tide clumps of seaweed lay draped over the craggy outcroppings. Nothing is stopping you from fishing or poking around in the shallows for Pokemon, but you're more likely to find an interesting souvenir than a new friend... And all the rest... Beyond those sparkling rooms and done up corridors lies... the rest of the castle. The parts of the castle not quite done with their renovations are roped off, but nothing is stopping guests from exploring if they so wish - especially if they are interested in finding those rumored lost treasures or traps. While the rest of the castle shines, these parts of the castle feel almost haunted. Dust and derelict dominates the rooms, old broken furniture covered in dingy white sheets and creaking doors adding to the atmosphere. Did the eyes of that painting just move? Why is there a weird draft coming from that wall? What was that strange ominous creak coming from behind you? Are there any dungeons? Wait, did you just hear someone crying in a far off room? Jeez, no wonder they say this place is haunted.

---

AVAILABLE POKEMON Naturally, this wouldn't be a Pokemon Prom without some Pokemon to catch! All catchable Pokemon range between the levels of 10 to 30. The Pokemon in the castle mostly haunt the unfinished section, but feel free to have the occasional encounter in the renovated sections too! Castle Impidimp; Gastly; Haunter; Litwick; Lampent; Duskull; Shuppet; Sinistea; Misdreavus; Yamask; Dreepy; Honedge; Doublade**; Dusclops**; Mimikyu**; Polteageist***; Gengar***; Courtyard Venonat; Venomoth; Drifloon; Phantump; Pumpkaboo; Murkrow; Rookidee; Zubat; Hoothoot; Woobat*; Noibat*; Rocky Shore Galarian Corsola; Binacle; Staryu; Wimpod; Frillish; Krabby; Relicanth*; Wimpod*; Kingler**; Jellicent**; Slowking***;

---

TRICK OR TREAT! Near the entrance of the castle is an old man dressed in dark, heavy wool clothes with a mysterious gleam in his eyes. He holds an oil lamp in his hand, waiting for those to approach. If you get close enough to speak to him, he’ll ask you a question. ”Halloween’s not over ‘til you’ve got yourself a good haul of candy. How do you feel about a little bit of…trick or treat?” He’ll regale you with an old tale about the castle grounds. You see, the castle was built by a relative of Bill (you know, the Pokemon storage system inventor?), but no one has lived in it for years and years because it is haunted. Though previously only haunted by the ghost of Bill’s great-great-great-uncle, the recent human activity in the area has caused droves of Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon to flock towards the area and take advantage of this newfound source of fun. Those who attended Prom 2020 would remember that trainers were allowed to search for hidden treasures among the secret passages and strange traps. This year, however, the search will be a…little different! Instead of trying to find treasures, your characters will be exploring the labyrinthian hallways and secret passages to find tricks…or treats. Feel free to explore those abandoned halls and ruins for these supposed long-lost treasures. Better check for hidden rooms and passages behind old bookcases, trap doors covered by thick dust-riddled carpets, and perhaps even a hidden vault or two in the castle basements. Players are free to go absolutely wild in coming up with secret passages and hidden secrets for their characters to find. Let us know in your comment where your character will be looking! As characters explore, they will have a 50/50 chance of encountering either tricks or treats! A character that rolls a treat will have a generally positive encounter with a Pokémon, who will likely lead you to great treasure and sweets! Conversely, a character that rolls a trick will probably be pranked by a Pokémon. Characters will not be able to catch the Pokémon they encounter, unfortunately–they’ve gotta scare the other guests, too! In both cases, characters will stumble upon a random assortment of sweets and ghost-related items, including but not limited to rare candies, Alcremie pastries, poffins, and other consumables! Characters may also find a rare, unique item that may be sold for about 5000-6000P or kept as a memento. In order to allow for an element of surprise, every character that wants to participate in trick or treating is allowed to comment once to a special RNG comment to find out exactly what they will encounter. Each treasure will consist of somewhere between two and four items, the exact number of which will be left up to chance. For any questions, please refer back to the previous OOC post.

Comments

Sandalphon | Granblue Fantasy

[dejabrewed]

The Library

[ it's a shame that the books were sniped, because sandalphon could definitely imagine the shelves filled to the brim with books. if he could buy the library alone, he would. but that's beside the point now. the ghost lady and her desire of evidence was something to behold that's for sure. he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about being her mole, but it was an excuse to explore the place. gabriel the milcery looked extremely estatic, though. ]

Big!! Very big!!! [ and spooky, but beside the point! ]

I'm aware, Gabriel. Don't wander too far off.

Rocky Beach

Europa likes beach! Let Europa out!

I don't even have her on hand. Do you really want us to go back and get her?

Yes~!

[ sandalphon only wanted to go to the beach for the sake of being alone and enjoying some peace and quiet. now, he had to handle a demanding piece of sentient milk wanting to play with her friends. this is sandalphon's life now. the argument goes on for a while, so maybe you should step in and stop it...?

or be surprised at the talking milcery, who knows. ]

Ballroom

[ and back inside he goes, with a tired milcery tucked into his arms. yep, even after the 'fight' and the need to go back and fetch his empoleon, they managed to find themselves more tired than normal. it was a moment of respite before sandalphon made his way into the dining room, but he couldn't help himself but think about the contest... ]

I wonder...

[desirestruth]

"There was a young man I spoke to when I arrived, his--Lucario? She could speak a human tongue, too."

Naeva's still not totally great at identifying pokemon, she's only been here a month and there's over 900 of these little shits, give grandma some time here.

"Most of them seem more intelligent than a regular animal by default. It's a small wonder that the people native here refer to them as partners, not pets."

[psionicmolotov]

So you had a similar ability that stayed with you, but only that. Interesting.

[ It is a strange way to describe his powers, but then again, who knows the places these folk come from? ]

Through the use of psionics, yes. The power of the mind. You are not familiar? [ It is possible she may just not know about it - psionics is not known to all - but it is entirely possible it may not exist to her, just as the long lives of elves did not match the human-adjacent lifespans of 'elezen'. ]

[desirestruth]

It is unheard of. The closest to it...

[She is thinking that over, for a long few seconds.]

I believe there is a Witch who's domain is over Justice--she is always aware when someone lies. But that isn't the same thing, is it?

[ripetuto]

Please, he wouldn't understand why I want to hear them.

[The kid idolizes you, Bruno, and Leone wants a good chuckle.]

[dreamsofahero]

"Indeed. Though how intelligent they are does seem to vary considerably from individual to individual."

Look, the pond Magikarp are not that bright no matter how you look at it.

"It's yet another peculiarity of this world, I suppose."

[psionicmolotov]

[ This sounds like someone who simply does not know what psionics are at all. He will lean tentatively towards 'might not exist for her'. ]

Certainly I could tell if someone was lying, or otherwise distorting the truth. What someone dwells on within their mind and what they speak aloud can often be at odds with one another, especially if they are conscious of their lie.

But a psionicist is capable of much more than that. We draw from within ourselves to enact changes on the world around us in various ways -whether that is mental or physical. It is quite useful for learning those things which others would prefer we not know or understand.

[desirestruth]

Ah, that's...hm.

[It is different than what she knows, but there are parallels that are...interesting.]

Fascinating. That is the description many would give witches, but it's clearly not the same thing at all...

[She's almost more talking to herself. That magic itself might differ between worlds was something she knew conceptually, but to hear it spoken of is a whole different matter. Is magic even the right thing to call it? Certainly, Kimmuriel seems to make a distinction between the two...]

The changes you could enact--on what scale? Or is that only limited by the user themselves?

[epitaffio]

O-Oh, yeah! Don't worry about it. [Is it that obvious...? He really doesn't want to talk about it, so...] Hey, um, what about your Pancham? Is it okay?

[demonpuppy]

Chip is probably like...banned from going into the abandoned bits, Grant has a Concern, but they will definitely be running around the courtyards a whole bunch! TRICK OR TREAT IT'S THEIR BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

[songofthedawn]

G'rhyf will be exploring...yes. The answer is yes. As soon as they find a secret passage they are not leaving that shit until they've seen every bit of it. Catch them stumbling out covered in cobwebs three days later--

[outofsynth]

They're happy to play! Though they do have kind of an advantage, though... it's a little mean, but they seem to be floating juuuuust outside of jumping range of the Eevees, occasionally dropping briefly to tease them. Of course, the downside for them is it's not totally impossible to catch them if the Eevees are quick enough.

"Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the tournament. It's just good to see all the different ways Pokémon can have fun."

He's seen pets in his travels, and healers in the Pokémon Centres, but there's still a lot he has to learn.

[outofsynth]

Hm? [He glances down at the grumpy Pokémon, lifting him up a bit to rest more comfortably.] Oh, Blitz is fine. He's just mad I won't let him down.

["To hit you" is what he leaves out. Because that feels inevitable if he does put him down. He hasn't noticed his grumpiness over having his powerful typing played down. As is the case with most of his team, they're still getting to know each other.]

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

[Lucius makes a face at the notion that he would get lost in the woods like some small child.]

The note said that a bird would be present for guests to go back and forth from the venue. With the ornery creature standing in front of a path it was only sensible to assume that was the way there.

[He sighs before continuing.]

There's very little in the way of signage or mile-markings from what I've seen thus far here too, so I can only imagine the nightmare it must be if your location lays off the beaten-path.

[outofsynth]

Really? I don't have a lot of experience with ghost Pokémon, but these don't seem so bad. Yours seem really well behaved, too.

[Though he guesses he did say Yūrei is usually more chaotic...]

That's pretty rad. I've never seen any like that before.

[At least not that he knows about. Maybe he has and just didn't realise.]

[crystalmaster]

The Eevees jump very high and reach their paws as far as they can go. Sometimes they go on two legs to jump.

"Yeah, there's so many different things they do here," he says. "They seem to help people in just about every aspect of their lives."

[thetombkeeper]

[Marik takes a deep breathe like he's about to go on a long winded explanation but stops himself before he gets started. Right. Lucius is new to this sort of technology and probably still doesn't quite have down the basics of pokemon and their abilities. So instead he walks over to stand next to him and pulls out his pokégear.]

From my experience they usually provide transportation on the larger side. You can't fly on a Corvisquire but once it evolves into Corviknight, you can. Here...

[He opens up an app titled "MAP" which pulls up their current location somewhere in Kanto. He shifts the map around to go to Route 29.]

Right there is New Bark, where you arrived. You pretty much head directly west from there to get to Cherrygrove.

[He traces along the route with his finger to indicate where the path is.]

See? You can pull up the map whenever to check where you are. And here...

[He closes the map tab to open up the "contacts" app which lists a bunch of names along with their usernames and trainer IDs.]

You use this to contact people.

[He scrolls down to Lucius's name and clicks it, which opens a menu with a couple of different options.]

If you click on a person, that opens this menu that lets you contact them in different ways. Got it?

Re: The Outer Courtyard

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

[Lucius sees Radley approaching and spreads his arms in welcome.]

Oho! It is good to see you in-person my friend! I've been enjoying the amenities offered by the hosts of this place. The chance to relax and bathe after days on the road was most welcome, but I'm also looking forward to getting some food in me.

[He pats his stomach as if to emphasize his hunger.]

How have things for you, and have your furry friends joined you for the festival?

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

[Lucius listens to Marik's explanation respectfully as he goes through the functions of the Pokégear. Some of the information was new to him, but the majority of it had all been shown to him by people upon his arrival.]

I'd been shown the map but, unfortunately, it doesn't seem to show where you actually are. The notion of an automatically-tracking map is quite splendid, but all it would tell me is that I was between the two townships. Actually finding my way back to the road was all on me.

[He gestures to the map where they are right now.]

For example, I don't think the currently location reflects where we are correctly as that's not what it looked like on the terrifying flight in here...

[thetombkeeper]

Hmm... Yeah, I suppose it's not super accurate... I guess just try to ignore smaller paths and stick to the wider open ones? That's what I've always done.

[Chen gets his attention by pointing at the Falinks standing on the other side of Lucius. Marik blinks and leans over to get a closer look.]

Oh! You've already got six pokémon? That's impressive! I've never seen these before.

[He opens his pokedex and-]

... THEY'RE ONE POKÉMON?!

Re: The Outer Courtyard

[crystalmaster]

[Radley grins.]

Yeah, they've really thought of everything here.

[He hopes. Maybe it won't go topsy-turvy like Prom.]

Some of them are here! We can only have six out at a time if we're not on our property.

[His Eevees dance and prance in delight and come to say Hi! His Espurr meows and Cosmo the Ralts smiles shyly.]

Things have been pretty good lately. Hopefully that will continue.

stables

[smallshot]

[Gabi hadn't intentionally gone to the stables. She'd been chasing an Impidimp down hidden tunnels only... it seemed to have given her the slip. Because as she reached the exit of the tunnel, she was the only on to pop out of the straw bedding of the stable pokemon.

Just a small, soggy child appearing headfirst out the floor. Now it was time to stare at the lady who was already here. Whomst?]

GAMES

[smallshot]

[Having noodle arms, Gabi was more suited to the games that involved careful aim. You know things that didn't need strength. There had been an Attempt at the hammer game, sort of, okay she hadn't been able to lift the hammer high enough to play.

She's hopping up as soon as she sees this guy obliterate the game. ]

How'd you do that?

[Probably by not having noodly child arms.]

The Stables

[smallshot]

[All of a sudden, the peaceful stable was disturbed by screaming. High-pitched child screaming to be exact. Because Gabi had just left a hidden tunnel, only to be surrounded by towering hellbeasts(horses). The Mudsdale didn't particularly care, barely glancing at the preteen and snorting.

Horses! She remembers those, how hard they are to ride. How one had tried to kill her by biting her ponytail. The worst! ]

[thetombkeeper]

It's fascinating how so many places can have such different cultures and beliefs but still celebrate the same things.

[Marik stops walking so he can look over the mirror more closely, his eyes moving along the script. He'd recognize that writing anywhere now.]

Truth is found... within one's reflection. Hn.

[He can't sense anything coming from the mirror. A pity that particular sensitivity was taken away from him when he arrived. With all of his dealings with ghosts, it would come in quite handy.]

It goes without saying you should avoid looking into it unless it's fully polished. Even then, I'd avoid it. If Unown are involved, you might get cursed with something... idiotic.