Goldenrod Christmas Market

[indigo_league]

Who: Everyone
Where: Goldenrod Christmas Market
When: December 1st - December 31st
Summary: Ah, Christmas time! A time of joy, family and... commerce?


Like every year, the Goldenrod Christmas Market is opened on December 1st by a Santa (not the Santa, but certainly a Santa) with a merry Ho-Ho-Ho and a jolly tinkle of sleigh bells. And like every year, the stalls are stacked to the brim, overflowing with everything you might wish to buy this Christmas season. Every few stalls, the items make way for hot food and drink -- waffles, hot chocolate, cider, you name it and you can most certainly find it.

Just like last year, you too can open a stall at the Christmas Market. If you've got a special talent for creating things, why not drop by Goldenrod, and see if you can sell your creations for a bit of extra money. Stalls can be rented by the day, the week, or even for the whole month, so even if you've only got a small stash of items (or pokemon eggs or food or whatever) to sell, why not come by and try and make a buck.

Comments

Christmas Market Explanation

[indigo_league]

The Goldenrod City Christmas Market is a chance for characters to get their hands on items that are not normally available in the game. It'll take a bit of browsing, but characters will be able to find TMs that are not currently available on the listings, and they will also have a chance to buy Held Items.

Of course, some common sense applies here. While you might be able to find a Cleanse Tag, you won't be able to find held items normally associated with Legendary Pokemon (such as an Adamant Orb). Numbers are also limited, so don't expect to be able to buy ten of each! One or two is fine, especially if you intend to give them as gifts, but these items are in short supply!

If you are unsure about whether a certain items might be found at the Christmas Market, please don't hesitate to ask us!

OTA all of December! Fletcher Gym's Sweet Treats Stall!

[cyan_maid]

[Oh, Jane's been waiting for you, Goldenrod Christmas Market. She had her application for a stall already filled out and signed by October, she's so ready - and unless called for a gym challenge, she is spending as much time as possible running her very own stall:

FLETCHER GYM'S SWEET TREATS
So pretend this isn't all in German and you have a relatively good idea of how things look - packed in, warm, full of goodies, and Jane happily selling baggies and boxes of all she's made even in the cold weather. And what can you expect to find for sale? Quite a bit, actually! Each item has a special note next to its name card stating who inspired her to make it from their various suggestions back in September! There's sweet honey and nuts baklava rolls (allergens listed), maple and brown butter blondies, a savoury option of portobello mushrooms and Gruyère pastry swirls, pumpkin pie cheesecake bites, cranberry orange scones, gingerbread cookies with eggnog frosting, a take on struffoli with candied fruit inside fried dough covered in honey, and peppermint bark in addition to a veritable fuckton of chocolate chip and sugar cookies, chocolate-vanilla swirl cupcakes decorated for the season, and hot drinks on tap! Just plain coffee, black tea, and cocoa I'm afraid, but it'll pair well with whatever you so choose to try.

While Jane spends like, 90% of her time at the market working, for the rest of that 10% she takes a break to let one of her gym trainers hold down the fort and goes browsing in the other stalls, strolling with one of her Pokemon (usually Dinah the Audino, but they're all getting some time out and about if it's easy for them to walk around with humans) and doing her own shopping, or just enjoying the ambiance. For Jane Crocker, at least, the winter holidays never lose their wonder or splendor.

So hey, any day, any time, anywhere, why not come say hello?]

[nastyboy]

[Well of course Dimitri has to go and visit Jane's stall! Last year, he was so busy with his own little bit of business that he was only able to glance about things a bit quickly. But this year, with his financial goal having been met in the form of a house, he's much more content to go and browse things. Especially because, well, he still has to get so many Christmas gifts this year.... as every year.]

[He's not sure if food is the answer here, but that doesn't mean they can't be gifts anyway! Just not Christmas gifts. They'll go stale. So there he is, smiling as he spots his friend.]

Jane! Business seems to be going well for you!

[cyan_maid]

[I mean he can always come closer to Christmas and get more, or just have them around the house for Snack...that's always an option.

Jane brightens up from behind the counter when she sees Dimitri approach, and greets him with a big smile.]

Hey, Dimitri! It's going pretty well so far - I'm just glad we've been able to keep up with demand!

[Thankfully all her gym's trainers seemed on board with promoting the gym and its services through the market and were thus very happy to help make all this stuff with her - and of course she paid them overtime for that, so hopefully sales cover the expense.]

Anything catch your eye? There are a couple things that have to be kept cold, but I've got warm options here too...

[soupguy]

Oh wow, this is wonderful...

[Seeing Jane's stall on a break from manning his own, Boober has to come over. At first, he doesn't make the connection between this baker and the one who he'd texted with over the Pokegear a couple months ago. (He does remember that conversation, though-- He'd appreciated Jane sending him recipes to try!) And sure, he's not exactly in favor of sweet treats, but exceptions can be allowed! Between the savory mushroom pastries looking delectable, and Boober wanting to get something to thank Riz for helping him prepare for the market... Yeah, this is a stall he must check out.

As he browses the display cards, it clicks, and - in unusually high spirits thanks to the atmosphere - Boober has to laugh as he addresses Jane.]

Oh, you gave me the hand pie recipes! Hello.

[cyan_maid]

Hm?

[Jane peeks up from over her counter - she'd been reorganizing the lower shelves down there, making sure the additional stock was holding up - and she brightens immediately.]

Oooh! Hello there, how wonderful to meet you in person! How did those pies turn out?

[cardinaldirections]

[The market was overwhelming, but in a wholly pleasant way, if that made any sense. While he was somewhat familiar with the idea of markets period, the ones he was familiar with were seedy and underhanded, where the shadows themselves could stab you if they wanted. Here... Here it was festive and pleasant, and whenever it got too much and he had to take a break, it wasn't long at all before he was back at it.

Right now he was walking through one area with his Buneary- the sheer size of his partner made his usual walking companion impractical, and besides he wanted to see if he could shave off some of the Buneary's attitude by spending some time together -and he just had to stop when some sweet scents caught his attention. He wandered over to Jane's stall, looking over everything with an awed expression.]

Wow... Did you make all this yourself?

[cyan_maid]

Well, I definitely perfected the recipes of all of this - actually making every single thing, though, required a lot of help. And a lot of things were inspired by the suggestions of other people! So in truth, this stall is very much a collaborative effort of a lot of people that I am very proud to get to run.

[Jane beams - she's proud of her work, but also really happy she got to collaborate, in a way, with friends and her gym trainers. It's fun!]

Anything in particular catch your eye?

Harry Potter (OTA)

[phoenixwiz]

(It took him a quite while to get to Goldenrod City via a Warp Pad trip to Ercuteak City and a lot of riding on Godric’s back, but Harry is able to make it to the Christmas Market. This is his first time visiting the market and he is taking in all the sights and sounds it has to offer.

The smell of baked goods and hot chocolate sure take him back to a much happier time where he either spent most Christmas breaks at the Burrow and making memories with his friends. And oh boy does he sure miss Mrs. Weasley’s food and helping her at the kitchen very much.

If he is not busy checking out the treats, he could be seen looking at the stalls selling trinkets, TMs and Held Items, very much undecided on which ones he could get for his team or as gifts to friends. He is going to need help to make a decision somehow.)

Re: Harry Potter (OTA)

[crystalmaster]

Radley was definitely all for the Christmas Market and was happily walking around with some of his Pokemon.

"Hey!" he smiles. "This place really feels like home. I'm glad they celebrate Christmas here."

[logical_lioness]

Hermione's emotions are still all over the place after that random visit to Hogwarts, and she's been a little obsessed with trying to talk to Harry or see him as much as possible just in case.

So of course when she spies him near one of the TM stalls, she beelines towards him.

"Harry! I'm so glad you made it! Oh, you're looking at TMs? Do you know what you're going to get yet?"

[cardinaldirections]

[Hunter himself is at one of the trinket stalls, trying to decide between simple little flat ornaments. Which would be better, the snow scene with he presumes Ice types? This one with some weird antlered beast (Stantler) in ribbons? Or maybe just something with a nice message on it. Oh who knows, he doesn't even know what these holidays are, what is he even doing here?

He only realized he'd reached across someone else to grab another item a good twenty seconds after he'd done it. Then he glanced up, making a little wave with his hand.]

Uh. 'Scuse me. Sorry.

[Right. That's how social works, right?]

Geddoe | Open

[lightningbearer]

[Market Wanderings]

Large markets are, in Geddoe's experience, a place to potentially find interesting things, or even more interesting information. So while he has pretty much no interest in the holiday itself, he's still taking the time to scope out the place, to see if there's anything worth seeing or hearing.

The fact that there's nearly always a Helioptile and/or a Pikachu snuggled into his scarf as he wanders might, perhaps, detract from the usual intimidation factor.


[Closed to Zack and Cloud]

It's been what, a few weeks? since Zack took off to go meet up with his newly-arrived buddy from home. Long enough for the two of them to apparently make it as far as Goldenrod City, at least, which proved convenient when Zack asked Geddoe to come meet them at the market. And while he did at least take a look at some of the Pokémon-related goods available, not a lot of it ended up interesting Geddoe much, so he easily makes it to the appointed meeting spot before the agreed-upon time.

So don't mind the big guy wearing an eyepatch and sipping a large mug of spiced hot cider there. He's just waiting for someone, is all.

[nimbuster]

If Cloud hadn't spent several years living in Midgar by now, this market would be overwhelming. Even with all the hustle and bustle and noise, he likes it. Sort of makes him feel like he's a part of something, getting swept up in a crowd full of holiday spirit, even if his own is a little lacking. Sure, they have a holiday something like this back home, but it's always the kind of thing that makes him feel even more like an outsider than usual. All the parties and gift-giving and whatnot among groups of friends, none of which ever include him, because he's never been part of a group of friends in his life. So either he ends up left out, or he gets included as an afterthought out of pity or something, and the latter is worse so he usually just skips it all.

This year, though, he has Zack, who for once isn't pulled in a hundred different directions. No having to rush a holiday lunch with him because he has to get ready for a big SOLDIER party later that night or a photo shoot with a fan club or anything. It's just the two of them and Cloud gets to spend as much time with Zack as he wants.

Or...it's just the two of them until now, at least, when Zack says he wants Cloud to meet a friend of his. This is the part Cloud hasn't been looking forward to - the part where he's gotta try to make a good impression on people he not only doesn't know, but has no way of relating to at all because they're not even from his world. Who knows what new and creative ways he'll find to shove his foot in his mouth here, in front of Zack's friends?

It doesn't help that when they approach the meeting spot, the person Cloud sees there looks like a hardened war veteran with a bone to pick with literally everyone on the planet. Great.

Quietly, he leans closer to Zack with a subtle gesture in that guy's direction to ask, "Uh...is that him?"

Boober Fraggle | OTA

[soupguy]

[The homemade soup stall Boober runs, while barely-decorated, can mostly likely be smelled from a distance. This kid knows his way around the kitchen, after all! Any of his offerings can be purchased in a sealed container to take away and heat up later. Plus, on each day he's running the stall he has a few of them on-offer warm, keeping them warm with help from his Hisuian Growlithe, Traveler, as well as more traditional means.

Nearly all of the soups are vegetarian, with the only exception being a ham and potato soup, but there's no shortage of variety: mushroom and wild rice, tomato and basil, carrot and ginger, and autumn squash to name a few, plus corn chowder, a thick pink soup identified as "cream of radish," and a split-pea gazpacho Boober seems to take particular pride in. There is a little binder available with a complete list of ingredients for each soup, just to be sure no one eats anything they can't, or don't want to. And while Boober lacks any salesman flair - it's really up to that smell of soup to bring people in - there is clearly a lot of pride in his product! He's very confident while running the stall.

But, he can't sell soup 24/7, either! There are plenty of days where he can be found simply browsing the market, Traveler by his side - or running off on her own, of course. The crowds can get overwhelming, as can the cold - case in point, Boober is wearing a knit winter hat on top of his usual cap - and he'll bump into people here and there. But he finds a coziness to this whole thing, and that's very appealing.]

[desirestruth]

[Naeva has, finally, finally made it to Goldenrod, only to find the market. She's deeply fascinated by this place, and has begun wandering through the stalls to look at things, and follow her nose, diminished as it is by being human again.

Remy is, of course, bee-lining for the stall, he knows Boober's scent, and Naeva arrives shortly after, with a Little stuffed in the large coat she'd acquired along the way.]

--Oh! Hello!

[machismost]

[ Kirishima is here to get some shopping done for his friends, but the smell definitely pulls him over by the nose, almost like one of those cartoons. The imposing figure of a Machoke and a Blaziken tail him, their appearances considerably softened by the fact both Pokemon are wearing sweaters. Yes, both of them. No, the Machoke is not wearing pants - well, not aside from the ones Machokes usually wear.

While Kirishima's eyes flicker to the binder, he ultimately seems to decide addressing Boober is better. ]

Hey! Are any of these for Pokemon?

[nellacerniera]

[The smell of soup and an empty stomach is what draws Bruno near during a day of shopping.

He's carrying his Nidoran and has his Lucario trailing behind him as he looks over what's available.]

All of these look and smell so good, I'm not sure what to pick... [He glances up at Boober while the Lucario continues to carefully flip through the binder.] Which one would you recommend?

naeva dos martos | OTA | After the 12th and onwards.

[desirestruth]

[Well, she doesn't arrive in Goldenrod until after the 12th of December, but Naeva does find the market truly fascinating. So after a day or two to recover (and procure a larger hotel room than she really meant to), Naeva can be found most days at the market, either looking through the stalls to shop or, curiously, talking to a few people about some ideas of hers.

Which leads to, eventually, her paying for a booth space and setting it up with a small sign and a chair. She is sitting there and knitting, mostly, a Litten stuffed in her sweater and Remy sitting on a higher chair next to her, looking very pleased with a freshly knit black-and-gold scarf.

Her sign reads as follows:

Pokemon Counseling
500p for 30 minutes.
Initial Consultation Free.

Charging for it feels a little strange but she figures, she has gifts to buy and hotels to pay for. Later in the month, she also has a selection of sweaters for pokemon, although they're mostly sized for the smaller starters. Whether you catch her at her little booth or wandering the Market walking one of her pokemon through, Naeva's always happy to talk to people.]

[dreamsofahero]

While it's not a service Sion finds himself in need of, that sign does catch his eye. Or more specifically, the familiar face seated behind it.

"Starting a business, I see."

[ourstosee]

[Aymeric de Borel is a man on a mission. While the holidays celebrated in his world are somewhat different than the Starlight Celebration, they are at least close enough to be familiar. If anything, the traditions observed in this world are all the better, seeing as how they did not stem from helping war orphaned children against the rules of an authority. It's a win-win.

That doesn't mean Aymeric is abandoning tradition entirely. He's already spent most of his day gathering up gifts to donate to local schools and other programs. It's exhausted both the man and his wallet, but he's nearly satisfied with his efforts.

All that's left now is to shop for those he considers allies and friends. And though his list is significantly smaller than the names of the children he'd donated gifts for or the various organizations he's brought something to, it's still a monumental task nonetheless.

Aymeric can be found moving from stall to stall, picking up a few items to examine them, then setting them down. Every now and again, he might turn to someone standing beside him and show his collection.]

What do you think of these?

[The items range from TMs, baubles, or even clothing! He might even do yout the courtesy of describing a red-headed catboy, a brunette warrior of a similar background, or a tall and brooding man near his height. Doesn't matter if you know who they are, though! He'll be happy with even the most blasé of advice!]

[desirestruth]

Ah...

[Well, first, this exceedingly pale woman kind of looked around to make sure he was addressing her.

Remy, however, has opinions on the gift Aymeric has asked about, and the young Riolu has no problem yipping at the man to express them. He...very clearly seems to think Aymeric can understand him.]

Fluttershy | OTA throughout December

[shiningkindness]

[ Fluttershy had actually been looking forward to the Christmas Market. Last year she'd only recently arrived when it had opened and let those from other worlds open stalls, so she hadn't had too many items ready to sell at the time. But this year she had come prepared.

So those wandering through the market might notice Fluttershy behind one of two tables that had been pushed together. The first table carried an assortment of color in the form of various knitted items; from accessories like bows or headbands, different kinds of gloves and winter hats, socks, sweaters, and many other kinds of apparel to keep warm, for humans and Pokemon alike. Some of her smaller Pokemon were even sitting on the table, and her larger ones around or behind it, sporting some of the available ware as models. There were also various styles of bags, egg cozies, and even plush Pokemon dolls. Displayed on a sign hanging from the table were prices for the items, as well as offers for commissions for anything that people might not see at the table, or for something in a different color.

The second table, usually the one that Fluttershy could be found sitting behind when she wasn't taking a break, didn't display any of the knitting ware aside from something she might be knitting at the time. Instead, there was only a single sign on the table itself. ]

Pokemon Translation Services
Having trouble understanding your Pokemon partner? Let us help!
Prices to negotiate

[desirestruth]

[Naeva had initially just been going to look over the knitted ware, since she hasn't had much time to make much herself, but it's the sign that actually stops her in her tracks. Remy, who is working very hard at learning to read, has climbed up onto the table to try and figure this out. There's a lot of big words here.]

Ah, Remy, it's not our table, you shouldn't climb on it...

[He doesn't agree. Loudly.]

[cardinaldirections]

[Hunter had selected a few of the different items, mostly hats and scarves in assorted sizes, but something on his face didn't look quite satisfied. Finally, he got to a point where he addressed Fluttershy.]

Do you have anything for Pokemon with- [Oh how to put this] -weird heads?