victory_road | THE CONTEST SPOOKTACULAR!

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Min is so lost in his rendition of "Running Up That Hill" that he actually doesn't notice Luisa's arrival. It's not exactly seasonal, but it's a haunting song all the same. It still manages to feel fitting to play at a Halloween party, even if he's well out of the way of the main event right now.

The Duskull, however, do notice her. They come over to sing and dance around her, making it seem as though she's as much a part of the performance as they and Min are.

In hindsight, the movement of the Duskulls away from him should have probably tipped him off to having an audience, but he still startles slightly at the gentle applause before he turns to look at her.]

Ah, sorry. I didn't know there was anyone else here.

Edited 2022-11-01 13:18 (UTC)

[ Luisa smiles as the Duskull hover around her, and she moves along with the music to dance with them until the song ends.

When he finally does notice her, she manages a sheepish smile as she steps further into the room. ]

No, it's not you. I just didn't want to interrupt. You're really good.

Thanks. You could have come in, though. I wouldn't have minded.

[The Duskull tug at her a little now the song's ended, urging her to come closer to the piano.]

Do you play?

Heh, sorry. I just got a bit caught up in the music.

[ She lets the Duskull lead her over to the piano, and she stands close by as she taps a couple of the keys. ]

Not really. My father back home can play, and he tried to teach me when I was younger, but I wasn't able to keep up with it.

[Min sits back to let her play around with the keys, content to let her have a go. It's not fair to hog it when it isn't even his piano.]

That sounds nice. You probably know more than you realise, if you ever did want to pick it up again. The lessons sink into kids a lot better than they do adults.

[Or at least that's what his parents and the string of viola teachers he's had over the years always told him.]

Maybe. I never did get a lot of time to practice that much, though.

[ She'd gotten pretty busy early on. ]

But it might be nice to try and pick it up again. I do have some time to learn now.

That's probably why you couldn't keep up. It's hard for it to sink in if you can't put in a lot of time.

[His own piano skills are down purely to the fact he was so invested in playing keys in his and Ryan's band. You can't exactly be a rock star when all you know is viola, and even if you could he wouldn't want to. He'd frequently taken recess in the music room, and had been lucky that one of the local music shops hadn't minded him spending so many afternoons and weekends playing around with their synths and keyboards. His parents bought a lot of his sheet music and other supplies there, otherwise they might not have been so indulgent.

He's excited by the prospect of someone else wanting to learn the same instrument, but also knows what it's like to be pressured into playing something you don't care that much about, so he's trying very hard not to jump straight into making suggestions.]

Are you on the road, or do you have your own place here?

[Because if she is travelling... probably not the best time to start. Even most keyboards are too bulky to easily move around.]

[ She nods. ] Yeah. I got a bit too busy to really practice, and my abuela wanted me to focus on other things anyway.

[ Not to mention she'd almost destroyed the piano a little after getting her gift, but that's neither here nor there.

Now that she has time, though, she wouldn't mind trying to learn. She had no idea how to start, though, so she would love any suggestions. ]

Mira and I are actually looking for a place of our own right now. We're staying in Goldenrod in the meantime, but we're hoping to find a house to rent, probably in Olivine.

[Ah. He barely knows his grandparents, but he can understand pressure from family members. He nods with a thin lipped smile.]

My parents were like that until recently. Sometimes it's hard for family to accept they don't always know what's best for you.

[Things are still sort of weird between them, but accidentally disappearing for months at a time and not having any kind of reasonable explanation you can give them isn't exactly reassuring. He can't really blame them for worrying now, but at least he can go off and do his own thing. Before the train he'd never been brave enough to stand up for what he really wanted.]

Olivine sounds nice. I caught the train over to Kanto once I got to Goldenrod, but it would be nice to see it someday. Is Mira your friend?

[ Luisa can't help a small laugh. ] Yeah, that's something my family's had to learn pretty recently too. We're...still working on it.

[ At least they had been before she'd left. They had just finished the house and gotten their Gifts back when she'd been whisked away, so she doesn't know how the return of their magic would affect the progress they've made. ]

Mirabel's my younger sister, actually! She showed up here a couple months after I did. And I'd really recommend visiting Olivine, when you can. It isn't as big as Goldenrod, but it's quiet, and being close to the beach is really cool. We never got to see the ocean before coming here, so we wanted someplace close to it.

I haven't been to Kanto yet. Is it much different from here?

Oh. That's good. I don't have any siblings, but it must be nice to have someone you already know here.

[He's a little jealous of that, but it's not Luisa's fault. None of them get to choose who's brought here or who gets to leave.]

Sort of? I think there are some difference, but it's not like... major or anything.

[He's guessing. He's literally just been to Goldenrod.]

[ She nods a little. ] Yeah, it's been really nice. I'd been by myself for a while before that, and while everyone's been really nice I was still a bit lonely. It's still a little weird, just having the two of us, but we've been getting by all right.

Our uncle had also been here, but he hadn't stayed very long.

[ It had still been nice to see him, even if it was just briefly. ]

Oh really? I guess if they regions are sort of nearby, it makes sense that they're not entirely different. Still, it might be fun to visit sometime and take a look.

THE CONTEST SPOOKTACULAR!

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