victory_road | THE CONTEST SPOOKTACULAR!

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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

[This is an antique! And truthfully probably the nicest piano Min's ever had to have the opportunity to play, which probably isn't helping his reaction. Especially since Riz is so unrepentant. He's seen Ryan use his guitar to smack a giant butterfly right into a fireplace and never said boo to that, but unlike this there was a real threat and at least that was his own instrument.

Unlike Riz, Min does have an ear for music and knows full well now that it's fine. It's possible the impact could still cause it to go out of tune once it settles, but he would have expected it to have gone at least a little out of key if Riz had caused a problem. Now he's honestly more annoyed at being wrong.]

It's not nothing! You obviously don't know anything about pianos, so you should stop acting like everything's fine when it's not.

Why do you care so much? It isn't even yours.

[If the Duskulls were angry with Riz, he would at least understand that! He did kind of fall onto their house. But this guy is getting his undies in a twist over a dusty old piano that doesn't even belong to him. And is, again!!!, totally fine.]

[The Duskull are decidedly not angry. They still seem concerned, but more with Min's sudden flare of temper than over the piano now. One hangs out by Riz, seemingly to try and make sure he's okay, while the other two try to calm Min.

He doesn't want to calm down, though. Part of the issue is he's had to be nice and polite for near enough two months now, barring situations he wasn't comfortable being in in the first place. He's had scary criminals putting pressure on him from one side, and helpful people being extremely kind to him on the other. Neither good options for taking out his frustrations on. Riz is just unlucky in having given him a valid reason to finally snap.

On the other hand, Min really doesn't want to risk upsetting his new Duskull friends. He looks slowly between the two hovering around his shoulders, then uses his sleeve the scrub away a few angry tears that had been threatening to spill. He takes a deep breath, sitting himself stiffly back in front of the piano. There's something almost mechanical about the way he taps out notes now. There's no tune being formed, or even any consistency. Just the occasional press of the keys. Something for his fingers to do.]

It doesn't have to be mine. It still deserves to be shown respect.

[The scrub over his eyes catches Riz's attention. That sort of action generally only means one thing.]

... are you crying?

[The question comes with a tilt of the head and a tone of voice that has gone from pissed to hesitant. For all his stick-in-the-mud attitude and limited patience in dealing with people, Riz isn't actually a bad kid.

(Well, he is a Bad Kid, just not a bad kid. It is an important distinction.)

It's one thing to be pissy with a guy who is also acting pissy with him. It's something else entirely to rag on a guy who is actually upset and crying. And Riz doesn't particularly revel in that sort of stuff.]

No.

[The denial is immediate, his cheeks heating up as he avoids looking at Riz. He doesn't want sympathy from this kid. He wants to be angry. He wants to keep thinking he's a jerk. It's not like he's even sad. For all he tries to keep his emotions in check (except, you know, just now...), Min cries frequently. It's something he hates, but it's seemingly impossible to fight when faced with almost any negative feeling.

He sighs heavily, knowing the lie had been obvious.]

I'm mad at you. [Well... a lot of things, really, but it's Riz that's here.] Lots of people cry when they're mad.

Sure, yeah.

[People do cry when they are angry! And sometimes people puke when they get excited (Riz) and this is all perfectly normal and ordinary.]

But, you know. If you were crying for other reasons that's okay too.

[Fabian danced and toxic masculinity is dead now, so you know. Riz can't judge.]

[Hm. He's not sure how to respond to that. It might be 2022 here, but his head is still in the 80s and toxic masculinity is alive and well.]

Thanks.

[The reassurance doesn't really help, but he can tell that he's trying. It's something, even if the only thing he feels now is awkward and bitter. He's not good at apologies. Not when they mean something. He can acknowledge when he's in the wrong, and he apologies almost habitually for minor transgressions, but when he actually feels bad about it? The words get stuck.]

I shouldn't have flipped out so hard about the piano. [Just say it, Min.] I'm sorry. I know you didn't do it on purpose.

[Riz can't claim to be completely free of toxic ideals and self-destructive behaviours, but despite his complete reluctance to apply any of Jawbone's very sensible mental health suggestions to himself, he still supported them for other people!

He just. He was fine bottling up his emotions and fears. Just fine. There were no problems here.]

I'm sorry too. Even if I don't care about this thing, it matters to you. I just hate getting interrupted.

[And perhaps there had been a little bit of self-frustration with not seeing that trap door in the first place. Everybody beefed it sometimes, and it was a harmless time to fail all things considered, but still, noticing shit was supposed to be his thing.]

It's okay. We've sorted it out now, right?

[The Duskull seem relieved that they aren't arguing anymore, and Min admittedly feels a lot less tense. The downside is that drained, sad feeling that lingers after a fight is setting in. He wants to distract from that. Now the worst of his anger's faded he can think clearly enough to know he doesn't want to let this ruin his night.]

I'm Min-Gi. Guess I forgot about formalities for a minute there.

[Riz digs into the pocket of his vest with a slightly excited look. Lightening quick, he withdraws a small paper rectangle, holding it out to Min-Gi between his first and middle fingers (very cool). Yes, it is a business card.]

Riz Gukgak. Licensed Private Investigator.

[Well, he's licensed back home, at least. So it's not a lie. It is not his fault if someone doesn't read the very small print pointing out that fact on his business cards.]

[Min takes the card carefully, reading it with no small amount of bewilderment. Why does everyone here have business cards?

Naturally, he takes the time to read the extremely tiny writing that disclaims he's only licensed at home. You should always read the fine print. Everyone knows that.]

Can you say that if you aren't licensed in this place? Like... isn't that illegal?

[Min, you are an actual criminal who works for an actual criminal organisation. A misleading business card is not that big a deal.]

[Riz just gives him a winning grin (it is very toothy and a little goofy)]

I am not making any false claims. I am a licensed private investigator back in my world, and I made a note that I am not in this world. It is all very truthful and perfectly legal.

[This is the kid whose first business card claimed he was a (un in very very tiny print)licensed private investigator, so if he is skirting the intent of the law, he absolutely doesn't care.]

[Hnnngh. He disagrees on it being truthful, but he's reluctant to start another argument now.]

If you say so... To be honest I didn't know PIs needed a license in the first place.

[So then what was the point in questioning his license at all?]

You deal with a lot of sensitive information as an investigator. Plus a lot of desperate people that would be really easy to screw over. The license is supposed to cut down on that.

[Of course, Elmville gave a license to a 14-year-old kid, so questionable how much protection those licenses really are.]

[He definitely seems too young to have a license like that, but then they're currently in a world where ten year olds are allowed to go off and have their own adventures. What does he know? Other worlds are weird.

Not that it stops him trying to angle for that information anyway.]

How long does it take to get something like that?

Normally? At least three years. Or less than that if you got a degree in criminal justice. Well, it changes from place to place, but that's what it's like in Elmville.

[Which means Riz is definitely not old enough to have done any of that, unless he started college when he was eight.

He grins though, anticipating the question that is to follow.]

But they get really cool about making an exception when you solve the disappearance of seven girls and kill a dragon before it can start taking over the world again.

[Riz anticipates correctly. Min just looks more confused through his initial explanation, and already has his mouth open to ask further questions before he carries on.

Though in the end it doesn't leave him with any less questions. Like... what is this kid doing with his life? Where are his parents?? How can he talk so casually about something so terrifying?

There are so very many questions, but it's always best to start with the basics.]

You did what now?

My friends and I solved the disappearance of seven missing girls and killed a dragon. The dragon was also our vice-principal.

[At this point in the conversation, Riz has gone from crouching on the piano to just casually sitting on the edge of it, his feet dangling high above the floor. As he talks, he gestures with his hands.]

The dragon was the one who had kidnapped the girls. He needed them for a ritual to break free from the bindings placed on him. So once we put together who was behind everything that was going on, we were able to beat him and make sure the girls got freed.

I also ate him. Some of him. He was too big to eat all at once and they didn't let me take more than a few kilos of leftovers home with me.

[Somehow this is actually a lot better than he was expecting. Mostly because the missing girls are actually found and freed.

Then Riz has to go and ruin this by talking about......... eating him. What. Even if he was a bad dude if he was sapient it feels very wrong to have eaten him.]

Dude, what? You can't eat your vice principal. Even if he was a dragon he was still a person.

[There are probably better ways to word this, but he has no idea what they are. This isn't something he ever thought he'd have to say.]

[Riz sniffs, and even now, anger glints in his eyes.]

Maybe he should've thought of that before he ate my dad.

[Riz had been very set on taking back his father's weight in flesh bite by bite. He hadn't quite managed, but he had still gotten plenty of dragon burgers out the deal.]

[God. He is very much not equipped to have this conversation. He and his dad rarely understand each other, but Min still cares about him. He can't imagine losing him, much less in such a brutal manner. And Riz is even younger than he is...

He starts to reach out to... what? Touch his arm? Maybe? He doesn't know himself, but he barely knows him. Touching him would be weird, even if it's meant to comfort him. He draws it back. ]

I'm sorry. [That apology comes a lot more freely than the earlier one. What else is there to say in this situation? He still doesn't understand the logic behind eating him. Surely that's taking revenge too far? It's not an opinion he's willing to voice right now though.] I'm sorry about your dad. No kid should have to go through that.

[It is honestly for the best that he didn't end up touching Riz. Because really, this is why Riz hates talking about his dad. Every time he does, it just nets him pity and phrases he doesn't really know what to do with. They are sorry? Yeah, he is sorry too. Doesn't bring his dad back. No kid should have to deal with that? Cool. You certainly don't have to tell Riz that.

It's--

He gets that it is meant to be comforting. Probably. But it isn't.

He glances away, reaching up to adjust the brim of his hat and pull it a little lower over his eyes.]

Yeah. Well. Nobody has to worry about that now. Not from him.

Yeah. Guess not.

[He taps out a few more notes, then abruptly stops. That's probably insensitive. The silence no matter how short feels heavy, but he has absolutely no idea what the right thing to say here is. Apparently stock sympathy phrases won't cut it, but he doesn't have any better ideas.]

School sucks, huh?

[Yeah, no, that was not any better and he sincerely wishes he could take it back.]

[Riz snorts.

That was... yeah, that was a really bad line, but in a strange way, that makes it much better than dealing with another empty platitude. At least this guy isn't just rattling off some standard internal 'pity for sad kids' script. He's trying. Not very well, but Riz of all people cannot judge people for their lacking social graces and abilities.]

Only when your vice-principal ruins prom by turning into a dragon and trying to take over the world. It's actually pretty cool most of the time. School is where my friends are.

[The 'pity for sad kids' script would be easier, frankly. He'd still suck at it, but at least he sort of knows it. Not having a good read on Riz yet, he's shocked (though relieved) that didn't make him kick off again.]

Really? I don't know if I'd ever want to go back to school again if that happened to me.

[Not that he wants to go back to school anyway, but at least he doesn't have any traumatic reasons for it.]

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