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.

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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***;

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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

Vierna Do'Urden | OTA

[noamuth]

A. Ballroom
[Vierna has two goals at the moment: to register for the contest, and to not get waylaid by any oh so helpful staff members and herded onto the catwalk. She's not technically in costume, although it's been months since she's pulled out the spider-patterned robes she'd arrived in Johto wearing.

For the moment, treating this like trainer challenge rules apply seems to be working - no eye contact. Which means she's in need of an excuse not to acknowledge some too attentive attendant, and unfortunately for whatever other person is on hand, they look like a good pretense to her. She pointedly turns away from the attendant trying to wave her down, and toward whatever poor sap is standing near her.]

Try to look interested. If we look as if we should not be interrupted, we might yet get out of this with our dignity intact.

B. Library
[Vierna frowns absently as she turns an EMF reader over in her hands. Dr. Espa has probably tried to explain what EMF is, but Vierna would have to care a lot more than she currently does to actually listen to the explanation. The gist is clear enough: the little box is supposed to light up and make sounds when a ghost is at hand.]

You know, none of this would be necessary if I were receiving spells.

C. Outer Courtyard
[Earlier, the carnival games had not held a great deal of interest for her - the kinds of physical feats Vierna is any good at tend more toward direct conflict, and the bobbing for applins stall just seemed silly.

It still seems silly, but also after her time exploring the castle, she's found herself in possession of a Sweet Apple, and well, with that tucked away in her bag it seems a little silly not to at least try to acquire a pokemon that would be able to use it. She... hasn't quite worked up the nerve to go for it, though.]

D. Wildcard?
[[Anything else you'd like to do with Vierna? Hit me up.]]

Beach

[noamuth]

The...? Oh. Right. The star-patterns.

[She waves off the offer of the chair; she's just as comfortable staying on her feet at the moment. The beach is too open, too full of people she doesn't know well. Some habits die hard.]

What is there to see? [The question is less dismissive than it could be. More genuine bafflement than disdain.]

[crystalmaster]

Sure. Thanks!

[He sits down and some of his Pokemon hop on his lap or climb his shoulders.]

I wonder if this is really the whole region.

["Eevee," Evie says in awe.]

Ballroom

[nellacerniera]

[At Vierna's request, Bucciarati's body language immediately takes a turn for the clearly interested.]

They really are quite overeager, aren't they?

[noamuth]

[Excellent. Thank you for your cooperation, random stranger.]

One would think they had nothing better to do.

[Vierna... Vierna, this is literally their job.]

[nellacerniera]

[Happy to help! It keeps the attendant away from him as well, so it really is a win-win situation.]

Well, it is what they're being paid to do... I just wish they weren't so overzealous about it.

[crystalmaster]

I'm a born leader, but you probably are too, aren't you?

[He smirks.]

Since you asked me, why don't you have first choice?

[noamuth]

In my experience, the people inclined to get up and show off their costume will need very little encouragement. [She's thinking of one man in particular, but she supposes the principle applies more generally, too.]

You intend to enter the contest, then? Or simply here to observe.

[nellacerniera]

That's about my experience, too...

[He's fairly certain nobody in his group (the one here or back home...) would be terribly willing. Except maybe Narancia, but he's not really sure about that.]

I intend to enter, yes. And you?

[shiningkindness]

[ She's trying to stay as far away from the stage as she can, just so people don't try to convince her to walk the catwalk. But when she sees Doppio she smiles. ]

Oh yes, it's me. How are you?

[shiningkindness]

[ Fluttershy nods, glancing over at Radley. ] Oh yes! It's just sooooo cute!

[shiningkindness]

[ It helps that she's worn something like it before, so it's not entirely uncomfortable. ]

Oh, hi! It's good to see you too. I'm not really sure, to be honest. I wasn't planning on it, but the Mudsdale here say that it's not really all that scary.

[shiningkindness]

[ Despite not wanting to participate herself, she enjoys seeing everyone else showing off their costumes. She's watching people strutting across the catwalk when she hears her name, and as she turns she smiles. ]

Oh, Marik, hi!

[ He doesn't say anything for a long moment, though, long enough that she starts to get a bit worried. But when he finally does speak, she feels her face get a bit warm herself. ]

O-Oh, um...th-thank you. I really like yours too.

A. Ballroom

[desirestruth]

[Naeva kind of froze a bit. She wasn't expecting to be addressed, or being asked to make facial expression. Ma'am she is wearing a mask so she doesn't HAVE to make facial expressions--

Right. Get it together, Naeva dos Martos, you are a Queen you can Do This.]

...I should wonder if it wouldn't be easiest to pretend we're deaf and blind?

[Nailed it.

Here, Friend I Clearly Know and Have Important Things To Say To, have a glass of Red Drink.]

Inner Courtyard

[desirestruth]

I...suppose. I'm not sure what this is?

[She has been trying to figure out what a 'haunted house' is as a fun attraction. Aren't all houses haunted????]

[crystalmaster]

[He smiles more at her enthusiasm.]

Are you gonna try for it?

[desirestruth]

"I'll have to ask. I've never been much good at sewing, so I can't make him one."

Remy has yipped in triumph at the swish, but then goes running off to greet other pokemon.

"...I might not much understand the holiday, but as a birthday present, the opportunity to meet others is quite invaluable."

[desirestruth]

"If I've learned anything over the last century, it's that 'right' is only clear when things are most dire."

Well now Evie's going to get the tummy rubs. This is an extremely funny contrast to this conversation, isn't it?

[desirestruth]

You did quite well...and I believe the goal is to enjoy ourselves, no? So if you had fun, you've already succeeded.

[Naeva's expressions are harder to read with a mask on, as if they weren't already muted, but she does try to smile encouragingly.

Remy is a much more communicative creature, but a tiny Riolu yipping and dramatically waving his arms might not entirely convey the message.]

[crystalmaster]

"I wish it had been for me," Radley says. "I still don't know if I did the right thing in dire circumstances."

He has to chuckle as Evie rolls on her back and holds up her paws cute like a cat.

[desirestruth]

"We cannot ever undo what's been done. Better then, to see the results and act accordingly. In the end there's no ledger or balance to tell us, at the end of our lives."

Seriously Naeva are you going to keep talking about justice and philosophy while crouched down giving tummy rubs?

[crystalmaster]

Radley slowly nods. "At least I've seen my town is finally safe again." Although he wasn't able to help free it in the end. "But you don't believe in a final judgment of everything we've said and done in our lives?" He does, but he's always curious and interested in other points of view.

Evie is the picture of innocence and bliss. Now some of his other Pokemon come for attention too!

Dining Room

[crystalmaster]

Radley smiles kindly. "Sure! I recognize most of the dishes on here." He starts to go down the menu, telling about his favorite foods on the list. His Pokemon warble affirmation at their favorites too.

"You and your Pokemon gave a really great performance! The illusion masks were really impressive and the story was chilling and sad, perfect for Halloween."

B.

[crystalmaster]

[Radley had been avoiding the library after seeing the strange woman and her equipment from down the hall. That had reminded him too much of Cara Liss and had set off alarm bells in his mind. But while passing by again, he has to stop when he sees Vierna.]

What are you doing with that thing?

[He's curious and confused, not accusing.]

[desirestruth]

"Well...it's a bit complex."

Good news, pokemon, Naeva has two hands and is absolutely thrilled to pet anyone who comes within arm's reach. This is why she hasn't battled anyone she's caught, isn't it?

"Largely speaking, my people believe in reincarnation. All our physical components, and the mana that makes us up, is returned to the world and reused. Looking at it that way, it doesn't make much sense to think our souls--whatever it is that makes them up--aren't also broken down and recycled."

Naeva does pause to consider this.

"In the end, justice and judgement are the purview of the living."