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.

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Then there must be a story left here as well. It was no easy task to get here, after all.

[As they ascend the stairs, they come to a landing with high ceilings with windows on the left side and doors on the right. There’s only dwindling light up here and the rustling of half-bare trees against the glass.]

Ah… Do you have a light? Our exploration may be cut short without one. [He gazes out the bank of windows for a moment, casually calculating the amount of natural light they have left.]

[There's something so endearing about Hythlodaeus when he's got a taste for adventure. A rare treat, seeing as it was more oft then not Azem and himself who would go all over creation, while Hythlodaeus was glad to welcome them back after the journey. To see this side of Hythlodaeus is something he missed, something he took for granted far too many times, never knowing how truly finite they were.

The question jolts him from his thoughts, and for a second he's left stunned trying to recall if he did or not—then the realization slaps him like a palm to the forehead as he pulls his 'Gear out and turns the flashlight on.

He waves it a little as he speaks:]

Did you leave your own at home? Becareful where you step, who knows when last these floorboards were maintained.

[ He smiles and shrugs. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t! He’s not always in the habit of carrying it around. But in this case you know he just wants Hades to hold the light so his hands are free for rummaging.]

Let us see what’s in here!

[He tries a knob. Locked.] Hmm…

[He… tries the next knob. Locked. Peculiar. He bends down to try to peer through the lock.]

One of them has to be open, surely… And isn’t it strange for these doors to be locked, anyway?

Not if there's something dangerous behind them, like...deteriorating floorboards, perhaps? All the better to keep wandering fools from killing themselves upon them.

[Had Hythlodaeus been thinking, he might have brought along a Klefki so it could attempt to seek out the appropriate key, but ever does it prove difficult to plan for the spontaneous.

Making his way over, he peers down at Hythlodaeus with an unamused frown.]

There's always...the Azem way of dealing with this hurdle.

Edited 2022-11-08 02:24 (UTC)

And I think you might be best qualified to execute such an action. You being the bearer of inseams and all.

[He stands back up straight and clears the way with a grin.]

Surely… Any noise we make will be blamed on the unruly specters.

...Indeed. What else are phantoms known for if not kicking down doors.

[Handing his gear to Hythlodaeus, he sighs in resignation. Adjusting his pants a little to give himself a bit more range of motion, he situations himself before the door taking a stable stance to deliver an alarmingly strong kick to the doorーone that the lock simply does not hold up against. The poor thing.

The sound of the door being kicked in rings in the lofty rooms, and perhaps even down the stairs a bit. Fortunately for them, this is a pretty secluded area and if anyone were to hear anything, it'd be because they were likewise rule breakers.

To snitch on them would be to snitch on oneself!

Emet steps out of the way to gesture for Hythlodaeus to shine the light on through.]

[The things that seeing that makes him feel must be put aside for now. There’s no time. Or rather, there is, but there is no suitable surface in which to express those feelings amongst the thick swaths of dust clinging to every surface.]

[And now he’s in charge of the light. But that’s okay, since he gets to pick what they look at now. He swings the light over the features of the room. It seems to be a study at first look. Bookshelves, though mostly empty, desk, lamps, a silver trolley with glass bottles. There are letters upon the desk and a window seat. Plus another door to the north.]

Interesting… Surely what was taken is just as informative as what was left behind. Though this room does not seem to have the same grandiosity as the rest of it. Whose office must this be?

The former occupant's.

[He says with the flat tone that suits being a killjoy. He steps in the look at some of the furniture, glancing over the letters, then the trolley of glass bottles.

Fortunately for Hades, he isn't so afflicted with the feelings Hythlodaeus is putting aside for now, but he certainly knows they're likely here with them. Furthering that fortune is the lack of suitable furniture for which he might express those feelings, but he would not put it past him to try all the same.

He'll have to be on his toes.]

The room's in less disrepair than I suspected. But, who in their right mind would leave behind—what I can only assume to be—personal letters?

[Wandering over to them, he picks one up.]

Perhaps they contain sorrowful memories. Or… [He picks one up and holds it to the light, revealing a scrawling gibberish covering the page.]

… Or illegible. Is this a child’s writing?

[He flips the paper around, revealing that it had been wax sealed. Was that too complicated for the average mortal child?]

Can you read this?

[He stares at it, blinking owlishly for a few moments.]

I cannot. What is that? Surely that cannot be aught else but a child's?

[But then again, the people here...]

Are they all..?

[He places the one he is holding into the light and—]

...Perhaps this was a child's study. But what of the bottles?

[He walks over to the trolley, trying in vain not to kick up more dust than was already sort of floating midair. He lifts the crystal stopper and takes a sniff.]

…Either a child with precocious tastes or a neglectful guardian?

[Looking at the desk again, he realizes it is perhaps a little small. But was that just because the two of them were such tall men? He tries a desk drawer, and to his surprise, it actually opens. Within…]

…Crayons, twigs, bottle caps. A child’s desk, surely?

Or an extremely mentally stunted adult.

[His face twisted into disapproval as he looks on at the collection in the drawer. Who was this person?]

If we were to attempt to give this stranger of ours a bit more benefit, perhaps that bizarre scrawl is meant to be a code language.

[A beat.]

One understood by someone equally mentally behind.

…I suppose it is not necessary to be intelligent when one is unfathomably wealthy.

[He opens another drawer. More twigs. More bottle caps. What the fuck was going on here?]

Perhaps there are some clues in the adjoining room. The other locked one.

[He points to the door with the beam of light.]

Shall we try it?

[Almost imperceptible, under the cover of Hythlodaeus’ voice came a scratching from… somewhere.]

More oft than not the two tend to be mutually exclusive.

[Nodding, he begins to head towards the door, but stops when the scratching reaches his ears. Holding up a hand to gesture for Hythlodaeus to wait, he glances around—fruitlessly.]

You heard that, yes?

…But of course. [Had it been Hades talking, the sound would have had a lot more competition. But he pauses there with held breath, wondering if the scratching would come again. After a moment of nothing, he turns back to the door.]

[Only for the door that Hades had kicked open to slam shut, startling Hythlodaeus into dropping the gear. It bounces off the carpet, light shining up to blind them. And then it goes dark. It sounds like the drink cart has been shoved, perhaps, with the clinking of glass.]

Oh for the love of—

[He can't even be startled by this turn of events, because it's so classic haunting, that he's more annoyed he didn't call it would happen. A lot of this would be far more fightening if there was any danger, and if they weren't the two involved.

With a sigh, he attempts to feel around for the Gear.]

Well, by your expert opinion, was that merely the wind, or something more of the spectre persuasion, hm?

There were a couple of broken windows in the hallway. [But that doesn’t mean much.]

[Hythlodaeus turns to where he remembers the cart was, lighting pawing towards it as his dark vision returns to him.]

That cart’s missing.

[And so was Emet’s phone. Save for a large wet spot on the rug.]

[A large wet spot he just put his gloved hand in.

Wonderful.

He recoils with a light squawk of disgust as he squints around the room trying to catch sight of anything.]

What an opportune time for you to be without your PokéGear. Must I always be the one most prepared?

[He groans as he removes his glove.]

You think the spirit hopes to make a few drunk calls? Perhaps it needs a bit of liquid courage and a false identity ere it makes such an endeavor?

Where would I even put a Gear in this outfit? You know Dirk would have left if I wore a purse. Why did you make that sound?

[He sighs, sweeping the floor with his foot to try to help find it.]

[A scent begins to cut through the mildew and dust for Emet as he removes that glove. Is that… Earl Grey?]

[It's a shame that Hythlodaeus cannot see his expression, because it's a pretty great one. Like he's withering and his soul is leaving him, while trying to keep it together with how beat for beat this is trope-wise.

Honestly, those ghost-type hunter shows that he sometimes catches when he has a bout of insomnia would sue for infringement on their haunting formula.]

I made that sound because I stuck my hand in something wet. But, do tell me you smell that as well? Is that tea?

[Taking off his other glove, because he has no desire to walk around with only one, he places the clean on in his pocket, the other he keeps out to inspect with a cautious sniff.]

That certainly is tea. Yet the smell is entirely too strong for the absence of a boiling kettle…

[Hythlodaeus hits something with his foot that makes a little “tink”, a “clunk”, followed by the sound of ceramic rolling on wood for a quarter turn.]

That sounded like a pot. Did you notice a teapot on the ground?

...I think I know what we are being haunted by.

[Considering he has his own Polteageist, it couldn't be more obvious.]

I did not touch a teapot, but the sudden appearance of one with all this nonsense means we've intruded upon a Polteageist, more like as not.

[He squints through the low light towards the vague teapot shape.]

Am I correct, or are we to suffer more of this farce?

Oh- This is the Polteageist’s study, then.

[With a cry it levitates, adding drama to the scene by switching the light back on the gear and holding it under its “chin”]

Oh my! How exciting. [Hythlodaeus claps at the reveal of the thing’s performance.]

[The light makes Emet squint and scowl at it, but he doesn't truly hold any ill will towards it. Idly he's left wondering how long it's been locked away up here.]

Well, well. Seems your ruse was short-lived. Now, will you return that to me or will I need to take it by force?

[He extends his hand, raising an eyebrow expectantly.]

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THE CONTEST SPOOKTACULAR!

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