THE CONTEST SPOOKTACULAR!

[indigo_league]

You arrive before the sun sets over the shining sea, a little before 5 o’clock. A fleet of Corviknight taxis descend near the entrance of the castle, slowly setting their passengers on the ground and allowing them to depart. The golden rays of sunshine illuminate the edges of the castle, casting long shadows and making it take on a rather ominous appearance. Better hop to it–you wouldn’t want to miss the Halloween party, now would you?




WELCOME TO THE HALLOWEEN FRIGHTFEST!

Riegfried and Soy greet you at the entrance of the castle. Riegfried is dressed as a Zubat, toting a blue-and-purple cape, a cute hat with giant ears, and plastic fangs. Soy is dressed as a midnight Lycanroc, wearing a dark red suit and wielding a pair of fuzzy white paw gloves. They welcome you warmly, assuring them that they’ll be well taken care of here. Perhaps you’d like to get something to eat, first? Or maybe you’d like to look around at what games and delights they have to offer! Or, perhaps you’re here to perform in the Contest Spooktacular. The choice is yours!

(If asked about the previous attendants of the castle, Shieldbert and Sordward, Riegfried and Soy will exchange looks and explain that they had been…well, very politely asked to leave and not to come back to Kanto, under threat of legal action.)

EXPLORING THE FESTIVAL The Ball Room The old castle ballroom has been outfitted with spooky decorations and all manner of electrical equipment--all the necessary things to put on a good contest! Most of the furniture has been cleared away, save for a central stage for people to perform. At the beginning of the night, before the actual contest takes place, a costume catwalk will take place! Costumed guests will be encouraged to get up on there and strut their stuff. Don’t have a costume? Don’t worry! The attendants will usher you to a very big walk-in closet for you to pick out an utterly fabulous get-up. All from Riegfried and Soy’s personal collections, of course. They wouldn’t want someone to miss out on a chance to show the crowd what they’re made of! This is also the time for characters to register for the contest. After a few hours or so, an announcement is made informing people that the contest spooktacular will be taking place shortly, and for people to make their way to the ball room. The lights dim and a distant, pre-recorded bone-chilling cackle is heard. Who knows what sort of spooky scary things you’ll be seeing tonight? The Outer Courtyard For those wishing to get a breath of fresh air away from the festivities or to explore the activities the festival has to offer, look no further than the courtyard. Nestled safely within castle walls, a large fountain (certainly too new to have belonged to the original castle) stands at the center of the courtyard, the water gently cascading down over the marble figures of two nondescript and crowned humans, one holding a sword, the other a shield; wide-open doors welcome characters further into the castle. There are a plethora of spooky carnival games that have been set up along the perimeter of the courtyard. They’re definitely rigged, but maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll win that giant Mareep plush. One booth seems to be garnering quite a bit of attention–Bobbing for Applins. If you manage to grab an Applin with your teeth, you get to keep it! Just be careful you don’t bite too hard…. The Stables To the west lie the stables, with a sign posted that reads “HAUNTED HAYRIDE!”. The comforting smell of hay and wood hangs in the air. Instead of the Galarian Ponytas and Rapidashes that previously graced this area, there are a bunch of Mudsdales lounging, waiting for their turn to pull the cart. Outside, there is a scrawny bearded man perched on top of a Mudsdale, patting it on the neck and giving it reassuring words. A nearby cart filled with hay bale seats lies vacant, ready to be pulled alone. Fancy a little ride around the outside of the castle to see the sights? You can watch the sunset over the ocean, and maybe spot a few rare Pokémon! Heck, if it’s dark enough, you could even be so bold as to hold hands with someone else on the ride! Who knows what you’ll find out there? Of course, you could always just hang out with the horses. Nobody’s gonna stop you. The Kitchens To the east lie the kitchens, and what kitchens they are! Characters will be able to smell the delicious aroma of a variety of sumptuous courses being prepared for the festival. Officially, the guests are asked not to enter the kitchen, as to not to disturb the many cooks working there. Unofficially, there are not exactly any guards, so if you really wanted to sneak in, you probably won’t get stopped. The Dining Room Adjacent to the kitchens awaits a large dining room. Tables have been set up in long rows with plenty of room for all with some to spare, and once someone sits down, almost as if by magic, they will soon find one of the waitstaff at their side, presenting them with an extensive menu. Order as much (or as little) as you like! The chefs will have it ready for you in a flash. Many of the menu items seem to be…well, puns. Perhaps you’ll be interested in some Crobat Monsieur, a croque monsieur decorated like a Crobat? Or perhaps a spot of Pumpkaboo Pie? Perhaps a nice cup of Coffee-grigus would do the trick. (Rest assured, no Pokémon have been harmed in the making of any of these delicious selections.) The Inner Courtyard The Inner Courtyard looks…well, different. All the plants seem to have been temporarily removed from this area (as evident by the dozens if not hundreds of potted plants along the outside), and it’s quickly obvious as to why. A haunted house has been set up inside of the courtyard, the temporary walls obscuring the horrors that lie within. The door to enter is slightly ajar, and you hear strange and eerie noises inside. Was that howl from a person, or from a Pokémon? And what about that clanking, shuffling sound? The hairs on the back of your neck begin to stand up. Dare you enter? Fright and fun both await you. Feel free to make up what terrifying attractions are inside the haunted house. At the end, an attendant will present you with a photograph of you and your friends inside the haunted house. Ahhh, treasured memories. The Library It looks like the books were removed from the library with the departure of Sordward and Shieldbert. Perhaps they couldn’t be without their personal collection. Nevertheless, it seems that someone else has taken an interest in this room. A woman with frazzled, gray hair and gigantic spectacles stands near the entrance, a slightly unhinged grin on her face as she welcomes you inside. You see, her name is Dr. Espa–she’s a paranormal investigator, and she needs your help to study ghosts! No, no, not Ghost Pokémon–she wants to track down Bill’s great-great-great-uncle, and any other ghosts that live within these halls! The doctor–if she can even be called that–has a wide variety of pseudo-scientific equipment on hand, including spirit boxes, dot projectors, EMF readers, temperature gauges, and more. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to wander into the deepest, most haunted sections of the castle and report back to her on whatever you find! If you weren’t already motivated by the pursuit of knowledge, she’ll also offer you a reward of 2000P for any evidence that you find. She’ll…accept any evidence, really. Is she a staff member, or just a regular woman with a keen enthusiasm for ghosts? It’s hard to tell. Riegfried and Soy certainly don’t know who she is. The Tower Not all of the towers have undergone restoration, but the grandest, largest of them has. It will take some real stamina to climb all these stairs, but if they do, characters will be rewarded with a stunning sight. From the tower’s high vantage point, it seems the entire Kanto region is on display in the incredible view. The ocean stretches out along the horizon, but closer to home, characters will be able to behold wild forests and cliffs, the green lush routes of Cerulean Cape itself and millions and millions of stars twinkling up overhead. The Rocky Beach The main attraction outside of the castle is a small stretch of rocky shoreline accessible just outside the main courtyard and down a surprisingly sturdy set of stone stairs. It looks like a group of people have set up a nice, warm bonfire on what little strip of sand they can find--perfect to stave away the chilly waterfront breeze. Why don’t you help yourself to a cup of warm cider and sit by the fire for a bit? If you’re done making your clothes smell like smoke, you could also comb the beach for interesting trinkets. Shells, whole or broken, peek out between smooth pebbles and the rare piece of sea glass, and at low tide clumps of seaweed lay draped over the craggy outcroppings. Nothing is stopping you from fishing or poking around in the shallows for Pokemon, but you're more likely to find an interesting souvenir than a new friend... And all the rest... Beyond those sparkling rooms and done up corridors lies... the rest of the castle. The parts of the castle not quite done with their renovations are roped off, but nothing is stopping guests from exploring if they so wish - especially if they are interested in finding those rumored lost treasures or traps. While the rest of the castle shines, these parts of the castle feel almost haunted. Dust and derelict dominates the rooms, old broken furniture covered in dingy white sheets and creaking doors adding to the atmosphere. Did the eyes of that painting just move? Why is there a weird draft coming from that wall? What was that strange ominous creak coming from behind you? Are there any dungeons? Wait, did you just hear someone crying in a far off room? Jeez, no wonder they say this place is haunted.

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AVAILABLE POKEMON Naturally, this wouldn't be a Pokemon Prom without some Pokemon to catch! All catchable Pokemon range between the levels of 10 to 30. The Pokemon in the castle mostly haunt the unfinished section, but feel free to have the occasional encounter in the renovated sections too! Castle Impidimp; Gastly; Haunter; Litwick; Lampent; Duskull; Shuppet; Sinistea; Misdreavus; Yamask; Dreepy; Honedge; Doublade**; Dusclops**; Mimikyu**; Polteageist***; Gengar***; Courtyard Venonat; Venomoth; Drifloon; Phantump; Pumpkaboo; Murkrow; Rookidee; Zubat; Hoothoot; Woobat*; Noibat*; Rocky Shore Galarian Corsola; Binacle; Staryu; Wimpod; Frillish; Krabby; Relicanth*; Wimpod*; Kingler**; Jellicent**; Slowking***;

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TRICK OR TREAT! Near the entrance of the castle is an old man dressed in dark, heavy wool clothes with a mysterious gleam in his eyes. He holds an oil lamp in his hand, waiting for those to approach. If you get close enough to speak to him, he’ll ask you a question. ”Halloween’s not over ‘til you’ve got yourself a good haul of candy. How do you feel about a little bit of…trick or treat?” He’ll regale you with an old tale about the castle grounds. You see, the castle was built by a relative of Bill (you know, the Pokemon storage system inventor?), but no one has lived in it for years and years because it is haunted. Though previously only haunted by the ghost of Bill’s great-great-great-uncle, the recent human activity in the area has caused droves of Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon to flock towards the area and take advantage of this newfound source of fun. Those who attended Prom 2020 would remember that trainers were allowed to search for hidden treasures among the secret passages and strange traps. This year, however, the search will be a…little different! Instead of trying to find treasures, your characters will be exploring the labyrinthian hallways and secret passages to find tricks…or treats. Feel free to explore those abandoned halls and ruins for these supposed long-lost treasures. Better check for hidden rooms and passages behind old bookcases, trap doors covered by thick dust-riddled carpets, and perhaps even a hidden vault or two in the castle basements. Players are free to go absolutely wild in coming up with secret passages and hidden secrets for their characters to find. Let us know in your comment where your character will be looking! As characters explore, they will have a 50/50 chance of encountering either tricks or treats! A character that rolls a treat will have a generally positive encounter with a Pokémon, who will likely lead you to great treasure and sweets! Conversely, a character that rolls a trick will probably be pranked by a Pokémon. Characters will not be able to catch the Pokémon they encounter, unfortunately–they’ve gotta scare the other guests, too! In both cases, characters will stumble upon a random assortment of sweets and ghost-related items, including but not limited to rare candies, Alcremie pastries, poffins, and other consumables! Characters may also find a rare, unique item that may be sold for about 5000-6000P or kept as a memento. In order to allow for an element of surprise, every character that wants to participate in trick or treating is allowed to comment once to a special RNG comment to find out exactly what they will encounter. Each treasure will consist of somewhere between two and four items, the exact number of which will be left up to chance. For any questions, please refer back to the previous OOC post.

Comments

[outofsynth]

[Oh...

Min isn't unused to people getting his name wrong, but it's still something he intensely dislikes. His expression goes stony, but he does take the seat. The Plusle hops onto the table to introduce himself to Lucius' companions, while the Pancham starts climbing up the side of his seat.]

It's Min-Gi. One N. No A.

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

[Crap. Lucius wasn't the best at remembering names, but it never got less embarrassing to drop the ball. Lucius quickly bows his head in apology, his Falinks following-suite.]

My sincere apologies Sir Min-Gi! Please forgive my error.

[outofsynth]

[Okay. That reaction softens him a bit. He's used to mispronunciations of his name (which he'll never understand; it's two syllables, why is that hard?), but less used to such genuine dismay when he corrects it. He sighs, not quite meeting his eyes.]

It's... fine, Mr. Modestus. You don't have to call me sir.

[Just. Y'know. His actual name. He doesn't really mean to revert to using a more formal name, but he almost feels like he was the rude one here. He does feel a bit bad he's upset him this much.]

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

[First impressions are important, especially in face-to-face interactions. To have fumbled so badly when someone was approaching him was simply terrible. Lucius would have to explain himself immediately.]

I've met quite a few people at quite a rapid rate since coming to this land. Between the names of all the people, and the staggering amount of creatures in the bestiary I'm afraid it's been a bit too much to keep track of. It was only by the grace of the gods that the Pokémon I ended with was something straight out of my own world, or else I'm sure I would have ended up slaughtering their name too.

[Still standing, he bows his head in apology again.]

[outofsynth]

[Urgggghhh. He hates accepting apologies over this. He can't even count the number of times it's happened in his life, even from people who should know, but Lucius just seems so sincere.]

It's... I know it's a lot to take in. I get that. I'm just used to people getting my name wrong already, and I don't like that. Please sit down. This was your table first.

[Hopefully he hasn't made him uncomfortable enough he doesn't want to sit together anymore...

Maybe he should try and steer the subject towards something else? He glances towards Lucius' Pokémon. It's not one he's familiar with yet, but it looks like one Lucius like enough to have collected lots of them already.]

These guys exist in your world?

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

[Happy to have another topic of conversation to segway into, Lucius turns his attention to the Falinks.]

Not directly, as the diminutive little round soldiers that stand here are far from a one-to-one for their equivalents in my home. All the same the armor they wear, tactics they employ, and even the name they bear are all dead-ringers for warriors from my own history. The Phalanx formation was and is one of the most effective military stances deployed by the Grecian city-states and was responsible for many of the decisive victories won by the Macedonian Ruler Alexander the Great.

[Thinking for a moment, Lucius continues.]

Well... that is, if Alexander is still known in your time.

[outofsynth]

Oh, so they just resemble the soldiers? I can see that. Especially in a group like that.

Alexander the Great's actually one of the most famous guys in history. They even made a movie about him back in the 50s.

[A beat.] Do you know what a movie is yet?

[They're common enough Min feels like he probably does, but... he is from a really long time ago.]

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

He's known even in your time? That's quite reassuring actually. Knowing that the works of people like Alexander and Hadrian are remembered even a millenia into the future fills me with pride. Perhaps some of my own works might, in some small way, last the test of time like that as well.

[He smiles dimly, as if he doesn't quite believe that will be the case, before continuing.]

I'm afraid I don't know what a movie is but, given the context of what you were saying, I'm assuming it's quite a big deal to have one made of you?

[outofsynth]

It could have. I don't know much more than what they taught us in high school, which isn't much. You can't exactly learn the whole of history in just a few years.

[He can actually sort of understand how he's feeling. He likes to think sometimes that in the distant future there might be people who appreciate Chicken Choice Judy even after they're long gone. It seems unlikely that their music will ever have that big an impact outside of maybe a small group of people, but it's still nice to dream.]

It is a big deal. It's kind of like a play, but on a screen. The big ones get released all over the world.

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

If there is indeed as much time between your home and mine, then I would imagine that trying to take in a thousand years of history would be quite the undertaking. When I studied in Athens it was quite a venture just to learn the history and trappings of my craft, let alone so many centuries of world events. Still, it does sound fascinating.

[Upon hearing the description of a play, but on a screen, Lucius claps his hands together in recognition.]

Oh! I believe I do have some idea of what you're talking about! We have such theater. A script will, of course, be sent to places and then they'll use a light to project a scene onto a wall or screen and the actors and scenes will be played out in front of the light. I'm surprised that such a method is still around in your time though as, enjoyable as it is, it's a bit out-of-vogue in Rome even in my era.

[outofsynth]

Yeah. Way too much for just one class. They focus on some parts more than others, but there's a lot we just didn't learn at all.

[Hnnnnnngggh. He probably would not have made that comparison if he'd realised that was a thing. This is so much harder than he'd realised it would be.]

No, no. It's like... recorded.

[Which he also needs to explain. He sits there for a moment, perplexed, before he has an idea. He pulls out his PokéGear, opening up StaryuTube to find a clip from some random movie to show him. It turns out to be "Enter the Dragon Type", and Min turns the screen so Lucius can see it.]

See? So this was made years ago, but you can still watch it now without needing new actors, or another set, or even needing to go out. It's sort of like when you use this to video call someone, but when it's recorded it can be played back whenever you want.

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

[Lucius just stares at the little screen completely dumbfounded. He'd been able to wrap his head around the idea that, by some manner or another, people were able to broadcast their picture and sound to one another live but this was a whole different deal.]

You're telling me... moments in time are able to be captured on the Pokégear? I... I don't have words.

[He slumps back in his chair, a look of complete awe on his face.]

[outofsynth]

[Min had expected him to be mind blown, but maybe not to this extent. Maybe he should have persevered with trying to explain the concept rather than jumping straight to showing him...

He's a little concerned now.]

...Are you okay, dude?

[lectus_thermae_et_ultra]

I've seen much in the way of wonders in my trips here, but this is head-and-shoulders above the other things I've seen here.

[He shakes his head in disbelief.]

To capture sound, to capture picture, and to capture moments in time just to be able to replay at will... I legitimately can't fathom how such things are able to be done.

[Lucius leans forward, putting his hands on the table, and gives a kind of "what the hell" gesture with his hands as he continued.]

This land calls thinks everything from sentient cream to fire-breathing dragons are the same kind of animals and fails to even provide decent roads but somehow they've managed to capture time itself in the palm of their hands. I just... I have no idea what to say.

[outofsynth]

It's... actually a lot more difficult to do it live.

[Probably not helpful, but even if the accessibility of recordings here is on a level he's never seen before, it's still something that's been possible for a whole lot longer than he's even been alive. He kind of takes it for granted that it's a normal thing.

For Lucius, maybe it's just a bit too much.]

Should we look up how it works? Would that make it better?