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

Of course they did.

[What didn't Rome have?]

Do you have a preference on which you want to try? Or do you want to try a different game? There's a bunch more.

Bobbing for Applins might not be the best choice though. Don't know how you feel about possibly biting into an apple that houses a pokémon.

[Oh. Right. Marik's getting ahead of himself. Think about other people first and all that nonsense. ~~Or at least sometimes.~~ He shifts his weight from one side to the other.]

That's, eh, if you're interested...

If you are wanting to win a particular prize I will be happy to help. I'm sure I'll be able to glean inspiration from whatever the people here have come up with for festivities.

[He shrugs.]

I'm not sure. I didn't actually look over what they had.

[Marik pulls a coin from his pocket and flips it. Tails. Way to include Lucius on the decision there.]

Cork it is. Probably better since I've never handled a gun before.

[He starts walking towards the game stall, Usi waddling after him, and he looks over his shoulder to make sure the man is following. Once at the stall, Marik looks over what they've got for prizes.]

I'll go for... that Gengar keychain. And I'll cover paying for the games.

[Usi claps his hands. An excellent choice!

The teen hands over two coins just in case. This way Lucius will have two tries right off the bat.]

You just need to hit 4 different targets in a row. Think you can do that?

Edited 2022-11-11 01:58 (UTC)

[Lucius looks over the little rifle, inspecting its parts and sights.]

Despite the tiny size of the ammunition, the fact that this little device is capable of dispensing a repeated magazine of projectiles is very impressive. It reminds me of the Scorpio used by our own Legionaries, but it seems much smoother in its overall operation. Being handheld is incredible in and of itself too.

[He pauses to shoulder the weapon and aim.]

That being said though... [He fires and hits the target dead-on.] ...it seems rather straightforward to operate.

[Oh, another history lesson. Marik's about to comment about how it's fascinating how Lucius is able to mentally take apart things and understand their inner workings when the man shoots. He flinches a bit then looks over at the Pidgey target.]

How in Oblivion... You got a bullseye!

[These games are supposedly rigged against the players. How did he get a perfect hit right off the bat? Marik just stares slack jawed.]

... Y... You've got... 3 more shots.

[Lucius looks up from the rifle's sights.]

This devices is quite accurate. It seems to lean a bit to the right, but nothing that would cause the projectile to land inaccurately from this distance.

[Wait a minute.]

Wait. You said three left? But didn't you just need the one hit?

But to just pick up a gun and immediately shoot it with such precision...!

[WHO'S MANS IS THIS.]

Y-yes! I told you. You have to hit four different targets in a row in order to get a prize. So you still need to get three more bulleyes.

...

Surely you can't... be that good of a shot.

[I wasn't sure how many shots were in the pop-gun, so I figured it was about five in the magazine. I flipped coins for the remaining four and got three hits and a miss for the last one. From our other conversation I know there's only four in the mag so, insanely accurate as it is, it seems Lucius hits every shot.]

Three more then? I'll do what I can.

[Lucius shoulders the rifle again, squaring up with the target. He fires shots-off, one after the other, and succeeds in hitting the bullseyes on each one.]

Well. [He gives a satisfied nod as he sets the rifle on the counter.] That should do it then. Was that what you needed for the item you wanted?

[Completely at a loss for words from the older man's ability whether it's natural talent or dumb luck, Marik just slowly raises a hand to point at the small Gengar keychain he had his eye on earlier.

Usi claps his hands then gives Lucius a pat on the back. Good going, champ!]

Excellent.

[Lucius hands the keychain to Marik, seemingly oblivious to his state.]

Glad to have been of assistance then!

[He takes it but just keeps staring while his brain processes the ridiculousness of the situation.

Usi'll take the keychain away while his trainer gawks. Thank you very much. That at least snaps him back to reality. Where did-

Oh. Usi has it and is... treating it like a baby. Sigh.]

... T... Thanks. For getting it. Are you this good at everything?

[Lucius just stares blankly for a second, trying to process what Marik could mean.]

What... what do you mean? I haven't done anything.

[He blinks a few times.]

You just beat a rigged game! Like... like it was nothing! How?!

Rigged?! You mean to say the games here are specifically set up for unfair play? That's terrible!

Yes! It's so they don't have everyone winning a bunch of prizes super easily.

But you managed to hit the targets no problem! You're either an extremely good shot, have incredible luck, or these games aren't as hard as they seem.

... Taking our previous conversation into consideration, I'd say it's the first. You're... Are all Romans like this?

[He motions at Lucius.]

Rome's borders stretch across myriad lands with all manner of people, so I can safely say that not every Roman resembles me.

[He thumps his fist to his chest before continuing.]

I can say that I do hope they keep the same spirit burning within them though. The fourteen virtues help firm a people who are stalwart and industrious, so I can only hope to be an example of their value.

As for the game though, I'm inclined to lean towards the latter of your summaries. The game didn't seem all that challenging, so perhaps others are having issues simply because the activity is outside of their scope of knowledge.

[He opens his mouth to say something and stops again. Okay, yeah. Every Roman is like him. Can't convince him otherwise.

How the hell did they fall into obscurity if everyone was like this? ~~Should've paid attention to history better.~~]

You sure are an example...

[Hmm. What other games can he test Lucius's insane skills at? ~~Marik, stop using him for your own entertainment.~~]

Hm. Come on. I see another game that could be fun.

[There go the Gengar trio, marching off to the another game stall. Oh, right. He should probably look to see if the man's actually following him. If he is, the teen has led him over to an archery game. Shooting is one thing, archery is another. Surely this will be difficult for him!]

Looks like you just need one bullseye to win a prize at this stand. Think you can handle a bow and arrow?

[As Lucius has literally done this exact same game in Thermae Romae Novae and nailed it, I'm not going to bother with a coin-flip or dice-roll for the shot.]

Archery eh? Just like in the other festival town!

[Lucius nods, as if affirming his own comparison.]

Have your eye on another prize then I take it?

[In on fluid motion Lucius nocks the arrow, lifts the bow, and looses an arrow... directly into the bullseye.]

You only needed the one hit for this game right? That should about do it then if that's the case.

[Where's a pillow when you need to scream.

Chen chooses a tiny Goomy pencil topper while Marik stands there grinding his teeth. Usi howls with laughter at his trainer's obvious hissy-fit.]

Do it again.

[What fun. Lucius isn't a military man, but he's picked-up quite a few skills in his life that fit that profession. Who'd have thought those talents would allow him to entertain someone in a world so very far removed from his own?]

You must have your eye on a few prizes then eh? Sounds like a plan!

[Lucius looses another arrow, nailing the bullseye again.]

[... Okay, he's pleasantly surprised. Lucius has called him out before on his attitude. Him hissing orders at the man surely fell under that category but he seems like he's looking forward to the challenge.

Expect him to drag you everywhere like a little kid, Lucius. Marik isn't particularly interested in any of the prizes except a few but once those are obtained, he'll just want to see this insane mountain of a man conquer every game like a right proper Rrrrroman. That's what they do, right? Conquest and conquer?]

... You mentioned another festival with this same game? So you've already got practice at this one. Hmm...

[More looking around, trying to plot what to throw him at next. In the mean time...]

Shoot one more time and we'll move on, okay? I want to get something for a friend.

[Kaiba deserves a tiny Goomy keychain.]

I wouldn't say practice. There were a couple of girls who were having trouble with the game and I helped them win a prize. Much of my experience with archery came from being with the Legion during the Bar Kokhba revolt. I wasn't a combatant of course, but spending years alongside soldiers on a warfront meant it was inevitable I'd pick up a few of their skills.

[He nocks another arrow, aims, and looses it into the center of the target.]

So what was the other game you had in mind then?

... YOU WERE IN A WAR?

[Because that's what he took away from all of that.

Give his brain a moment to catch up. Meanwhile Chen's crawled up to sit on Marik's hood and gives Lucius a thumbs up.]

Er... I was... thinking the Ring Toss game. Are you familiar with that one as well?

Edited 2022-11-22 00:33 (UTC)

I wasn't in a war. I travelled with Emperor Hadrian to the front and helped him construct a Thermae for the troops. I was around the fighting, yes, but I was far from being a combatant. There was some concern that I would end up a target for the enemies at a point though, as my elimination would have greatly affected the Legion's ability to heal and recuperate.

[Lucius raises an eyebrow at the mention of ring toss.]

Is that some kind of discus? Sounds intriguing. Lead the way!

[Oh, he wasn't directly in the war. He just traveled along with THE EMPEROR OF ROME.

Marik just lets out a winded little hack. Are all adults like this? His sister's a Secretary General, after all. Or maybe it's just people who know how to handle themselves. He realizes the majority of adults he's been around were all... uh... criminals so. Not the best for gauging what's normal. Or anything in his life. Good Gods.

The teen and his ghost gang lead Lucius off towards the Ring Toss game.]

I guess I can see why they'd want to take you out then if your baths have that much of an affect on people. The more you talk about it, the more I want you to build one here.

[That's not how you ask someone to do something.

And what is discus.]

It's... a game where you toss a ring around a stick or bottles. Looks like this stall uses bottles.

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