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

[The Mudsdale is more than happy to take it while it can. It knows the cart will be ready soon, and the Espurr will be on its way. ]

They sure do. I'm glad someone else will be on it, though. Maybe meeting some new Pokémon will help keep them occupied.

[His Plusle and Noibat aren't badly behaved, but they are still very excitable. He'd been a little worried about whether they'd stay within the confines of the cart without constant supervision.

In fact, maybe he should let them out to introduce themselves while they're waiting... He considers the Mudsdale Irkut is petting. It does seem very relaxed. Maybe it will be okay.]

[Irkut will be glad to go on the ride and while he has to leave his new friend behind, they both got enjoy each other's company for a bit. Until then, all of the petting]

Perhaps. Mine do like to make friends so they may have encouragement to stay close at hand. Trunti has been a little shy, but she seems to opening up.

[Considering she had gone right up to the Mudsdale and didn't seem concerned at all. Maybe that was a good sign for her]

Well, we could start with one?

[His Vulpix is fine and he has no concerns with her behaviour. She's mostly still in her ball because it seems fairer. He takes her ball from his belt, pressing the button to release her. The ice fox is still in costume, sporting a sheet in the shape of a Shuppet. She stretches out, looking at Trunti and letting out a soft "Vul!" in greeting.]

This is Fade. I started out with her. She's a lot calmer than the other two I was bringing.

Sounds good.

[Trunti, dressed as a princess, greeted the Vulpix dressed as a Shuppet and approached her. So far so good.

Even Irkut paused petting the Mudsdale and looked back to greet Fade as well. He gave the Mudsdale a few more pets before wandering over to see the costumed Vulpix. Priorities. Kitten has them]

It is nice to meet you, Fade.

[Fade wags her tails in acknowledgement of Ulaz and the Pokémon, closing the distance between herself and Trunti to gently investigate. She seems to sense that Trunti is a little shyer, so doesn't get too excited just yet.]

She seems okay so far.

[He's hopeful that this introduction will go well. He may have to have a word with the other two to make sure they don't overwhelm poor Trunti.]

[Trunti wags her tail a bit and yipped in greeting. It was good that she was not so excitable at least yet. It was easier for Trunti to enjoy her company]

She does. She's been getting more confident I think.

[Having Irkut also helps even though he is occasionally part of the problem and not the solution. Irkut gave Fade a wave]

That's good. She's doing well, then.

[Fade chimes in with agreement before she turns to properly greet Irkut, too. She is gentle, but sociable, and enjoys meeting new Pokémon.]

She is. She was very lonely back in Hisuian and took her a while to warm up to me.

[He had felt bad just catching her. He had been able to tell she was unhappy so he had tried to earn her trust first.

Irkut was far more social, but he also seemed to know his teammate wasn't so social so he pretty much made a proper greeting and then did his best to not take over the conversation. He probably would have been better with the other two Pokemon who might join them]

It seems like some Pokémon take a lot longer to warm up to you than others, though I guess that can be true even with regular animals.

[By now the cart has been set up, and the workers are starting to bring it around to the starting point. He's not sure if Trunti is ready for his more rambunctious Pokémon, so he falters once their balls are off his belt before releasing them.]

Hold on a second...

[He retreats a short distance away before he frees them, waiting a moment for his Noibat and Plusle to calm down a little. Once they're over the initial excitement of being free he explains to them they'll need to be calm with Trunti, and not to get themselves too worked up. The Plusle nods, though he's clearly having a hard time not bouncing around too much as they approach the cart again. He does manage to restrain himself by keeping hold of the leg of Min's pants. The Noibat has been scooped up. He's still very young, so he's getting a lot of coddling right now.]

Sorry. I wanted to make sure they knew to stay a little calmer than they normally would. The Plusle's Ryan, and this guy's Echoes.

Indeed it can. And people as well.

[Ulaz gave a nod before the other headed off and he watched as Min-Gi got the two Pokemon out and let them run around a bit. Irkut had moved to stand next to Ulaz so that Trunti and Fade could talk.

But as Min-Gi returned with two other Pokemon in tow, Irkut squeaked and wandered over to see the Plusle, since it was closer to his height. The Noibat was currently further out of his line of sight]

Of course. That is important. It is nice to meet you both.

[The two Pokémon greet Ulaz with enthusiasm before Ryan starts to chatter excitedly to Irkut about what he thinks the hay ride will be like, barely giving him enough time to reach him before he starts up. It seems like he's channelling his excess physical energy into words instead. Echoes leans down to listen in.

Fade's happy to stay hanging out with Trunti, away from the noise of the others.]

It doesn't look like there's going to be anyone else on this ride, so Trunti should have plenty of space away from these two.

[Irkut was fine with Ryan talking to him excitedly. If he couldn't get a word in, he would listen patiently and nod with little affirmative squeaks. Otherwise, he too would chat about what he thought the hayride would be.

Ulaz smiled faintly, watching the two of them and Echoes listening in. At least Irkut was social enough to help with that excess energy. It would help distract from the two quieter girls on the ride as well]

That is good. I'm sure they will enjoy a quieter ride.

[With a friend, Trunti would be fine sitting further away from him]

[After an initial burst of seemingly not even needing to breathe, Ryan does in fact let Irkut get a few words in, too. He has lots more to say, but he's trying to be polite.

It doesn't take long now for the workers to make the final checks and motion their next group of passengers on board. Fade attempts to lead Trunti to one of the corners, while Min takes a seat on the opposite side with Ryan next to him, and Echoes in his lap. Should Irkut sit close enough he'll attempt to get to know him a little better now they're more level.]

It's a pretty big cart. I guess it's set up to take a lot more passengers.

[Well, at least he was trying even if it took a moment to get some of his excitement out. Irkut didn't seem offended either way, willing to listen when Ryan was talking and join in the enthusiasm too.

Trunti followed after Fade, settling herself in the corner with Fade. Yay, new friend for ride. Irkut and Ulaz would follow, Irkut settling himself close enough to Min that Echoes could talk to him as well. And he would talk to the Noibat as well.

Yep, he was a good option for both of them]

It seems so. They might have larger groups at different times, but doesn't make much sense to stand around when there are people waiting.

Works out pretty well for us, huh?

[There's still a chance that someone else might show up before they actually set off, but it seems unlikely. No one else is approaching at the moment, and once they're settled in the seats it looks like they're almost ready to set off.

He is glad he's not totally alone. Even with his Pokémon he would have felt a bit weird riding the cart by himself, and it's always nice to have another person to talk to. Plus Echoes and Ryan seem to be enjoying having a new friend to get to know, and Fade might not be as shy as Trunti it's still nice for her to have a calmer Pokémon to talk to sometimes.]

I think it does.

[It didn't seem like there were more. He was usually paying attention to his surroundings and he hadn't heard anyone else aside from the people working here.

He is glad to not be alone for the same reason. Sure, his Pokemon would have had a blast with a cart to themselves, but he would have felt a little weird being a grown up human. So it was nice having some human companionship. And both of his Pokemon were making new friends. Irkut was having fun chatting with Echoes and Ryan and Trunti was enjoying her corner with Fade away from the more noisy Pokemon]

[Luck works in their favour! After a few more minutes with no sign of any further passengers the workers shut the little door to the cart and lift up the steps. The Mudsdales hooked up to the front huff, starting to plod forward and take their passengers on their haunted ride.

While Min appreciates the scenery, his Pokémon enjoy the novelty Halloween props scattered across the route. Nothing really scary, just fun and reminiscent of the holiday. It's very relaxing. Even Ryan who had been practically vibrating with excitement at the starts seems to be calm now, pointing out the sights that interest him in a much more restrained manner.]

This is a lot nicer than I thought it'd be.

[Trunti looked around patiently from her perch in the corner with Fade, waiting for the cart to depart. Luckily it didn't take too long with no other passenger. When the door to the cart was closed, signaling they were leaving soon, she wagged her tail a little.

Ulaz too enjoyed the scenery, his Pokemon enjoying the Halloween props. Trunti was happily watching all of the sights go by and Irkut too was pointing out props that interested him. They definitely weren't going to miss anything with two Pokemon on the look out for important things]

I agree. It is quite nice. Relaxing, but with enough to keep them entertained.

Yep. I'm sure we'll be checking out the carnival later, but it's nice to build up to it.

[Carnivals are fun, but they definitely take a lot more energy. He absently scratches the Noibat on his lap, who is very torn between letting himself give into the feeling of it, and staying involved with Ryan and Irkut. It's hard to pay attention to all the fun things they're noticing when Min keeps hitting just the right spot behind his ear.

Fade, meanwhile, keeps most of her attention on Trunti. She occasionally looks over to see anything that has Ryan especially excited, but mostly she wants to know what Trunti likes.]

That is nice. We wandered through there. They didn't seem too interested at the time, but they might be more so now.

[Ulaz couldn't help the faint smile at seeing Echoes both wanting scratches and to stay involved in the conversation with Ryan and Irkut. It was cute.

Trunti is definitely talking to Fade. Kind of a "ooo, look at that" sort of thing as she looked at the various props along the ride]

Really? I'm pretty sure these guys would have been up for it at any time.

[Then again, two of the three are quite excitable. It's still probably better to go a bit later, so they don't wear themselves out too soon.

Fade has inched towards the edge, so she can see better the things Trunti is interested in. She adds in her own commentary, as well as pointing out the sights that she likes best.]

Perhaps they were more excited for the hayride at the time. That did seem to be Irkut's focus at the time. I think they would enjoy it now, as would yours.

[Whenever Fade points out things that interested her, Trunti would look as well, enjoying the commentary]

He picked a good time for it. It's nice like this.

[With the sun fading, but still enough light to see by even without the lighting added for later on.]

I agree. If we had waited much longer, it would have been hard to see without artificial means. Probably would not be quite as nice in that case.

[Irkut was looking around at the props again and saw something that looked interesting, pointing it out to both Ryan and Echoes. Small bat needed to see too]

Yeah. I guess it's meant to be spooky, but I like it like this.

[Small bat wants to see!! He wriggles in Min-Gi's arms until he lifts him up enough to see what Irkut is looking at. Ryan stands on his tippy toes to get a good look, too.]

THE CONTEST SPOOKTACULAR!

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