victory_road | come alive, come alive

come alive, come alive - spring is here!

Who: Everybody!
Where: Ilex Forest
When: March 14th
Summary: Come one, come all to the newest contest hosted by Riegfried and Soy. Today's theme: springtime and nature!

The sun is shining brightly and the weather is surprisingly fair–perfect for an outdoor contest spectacular! Spring is finally around the corner, and with it comes budding trees and the first fresh green leaves in many months. Just a short walk away from the edge of the Ilex Forest is a clearing where the contest is being set up, and boy, have Riegfried and Soy gone all out. This is one of the few contests to take place outdoors, after all.

The contest grounds have been set up so that the ‘stage’–in this case, a wide, clear patch of ground designated for performances–is at the center of everything. Despite the thick trees of Ilex Forest, this singular patch of grass seems to have a natural spotlight cast upon it, which makes it perfect for people’s attention to be drawn to it. Foldable chairs have been placed in concentric circles around the area, so the audience can get a nice 360 degree view of your performance.

Next to the stage is a private, portable dressing room where contestants can go get ready. All manner of costumes have been provided, if you don’t mind the fact that most of them are quite ostentatious. There is also a treasure trove of decorative props that you can weave into your performance.

Further into the trees, market stalls and concessions have been set up for your enjoyment. Local craftspeople seem to be selling all manner of trinkets and baubles, many of which are Celebi themed. You can also buy all manner of specialty PokéBalls–hey, we are near Azalea Town, after all. There are workshops where you can pay local crafters to walk you through making something with your own two hands, such as your own clay bowl, or a birdhouse, or a floral arrangement, or heck, even forging a tiny, decorative metal broach! (Results may vary based on individual skill.)

The food stalls seem to be mostly street food that you might see at an outdoor market–things that you can easily carry with you and eat on the go. Yakitori skewers, takoyaki, mochi, sandwiches, meat patties, hand pies, and kebabs are among some of the selections. Yum!

If you’d like to get away from all the hubbub, you can pay a visit to the Ilex Forest Shrine for some quiet contemplation. Riegfried and Soy were careful to set up far enough away so the shrine would not be disturbed. A few townspeople have left some offerings–perhaps you’d like to, as well. They say it grants you good luck and wards off evil spirits.

Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?

[Don't forget to view the contest FAQ here!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Submit your entries here. What we are looking for is information on what your character is doing, and how their Pokémon are carrying out this performance. To help you along, we've created a small form to fill out. Should you run into any questions, please use the previous OOC info post to ask them!

Please remember that for this contest, your Pokémon must be Grass type OR you must heavily feature a Grass type move.

The deadline for these submissions is Saturday, March 18th at 11:59 PM EST. Best of luck to everyone!

Character name: Sion Astal
Pokemon: Valiant the Gallade (main) and Flourish the Serperior (supporting)
Moves used: Rain Dance, Misty Terrain, Grass Knot, Magical Leaf, Teleport

The performance:

The performance opens with Sion approaching the stage alone. Not that he's easily recognizable: he's wearing a long, hooded cloak in a dark blue-gray color, as well as a Zoroark mask obscuring his face. He says nothing, but upon stopping at the edge of the stage makes a quick gesture with his hand.

Literally on cue, the sky above the clearing darkens, and it begins to rain, turning what had originally been the pleasantly sunny afternoon into a dim gloom. Then, an eerie, faintly-glowing mist swirls forward to blanket the stage to complete the mood. And now, the performance truly begins.

A Gallade steps out from behind Sion onto the stage. He's dressed like some kind of hunter, with tan pants and shirt under a rugged, leathery vest and cap, and carrying a prop bow and arrow. Slowly, cautiously, the Gallade walks toward the center, as Sion begins to narrate.

"The warm weather brings relief from the deadly cold of winter, but with it comes its own dangers as well. Floods and storms. Collapsed bridges and sudden holes pocking the roads. And, of course, desperate, half-starved beasts newly awoken from their long slumber."

With each step the Gallade takes, the grass around the stage thickens, lengthens, and tangles, combining with the mist to obscure the ground. As it does, however, a patch of it moves, the grass waving and mist swirling as something slides through it.

"For years, the monstrous Jalorda has terrorized our farms and towns. Many have tried to put the beast down, but to no avail. This time, however, will be different. This time, I will put an end to its reign of terror."

The Gallade begins circling the middle of the stage, glancing about as though looking for something. On the outer edge, Sion matches his movement, his dark robes obscuring his outline as he moves around the perimeter of the stage in the dim light. Behind the Gallade, the grass rustles once again, and a glimpse of something lithe and a dark, mottled green can be seen before vanishing into the mist once more.

"There are many dangers, of course, but I am prepared. I have studied all I can of those who came before me. I know the beast's strengths... and its weakness."

Again, the grass rustles and parts briefly, a long, sinuous body sliding through it on the far side of the stage from the Gallade. The Gallade rushes over, but it's too late, the grass is still and silent once again by the time he reaches it.

"Jalorda may be fierce and powerful, but it's not invulnerable. A dart to the heart or head will fell it as much as any other beast. But Jalorda is crafty, and one must be careful not to be taken unawares."

Quietly, a serpentine head framed by a pair of large, pale spines rises just enough to be briefly visible, then vanishes into the tangled grass once again.

"Instead, I will be the one catching it by surprise. Recently, it raided a farm, and I know that after gorging itself it must be slow and lethargic. I will find it now, while it's vulnerable, and end this menace once and for all."

The thick grass, if anything, becomes even thicker and more tangled as the Gallade continues, making it appear that he's traveling into increasingly wild, untamed land. To one side, the tip of a leafy tail slowly emerges, distinguished from the grass mostly by its languid movement, then sinks down to disappear once again. The Gallade spots it and freezes, then begins to cautiously approach, his bow and arrow held at ready.

"I nearly have it. But I must be careful, this is the most dangerous part of all. It's said that Jalorda's gaze can freeze anyone who meets its eyes, so no matter what, I cannot look upon its face."

As the Gallade begins to move out of the middle of the stage, a shape rises silently out of the mist behind him. And rises, and rises, until the head atop the long, sinuous body looks down on the would-be hunter. From the shape, one can see that it's a large Serperior, but its usual coloration has been mottled with dyes and paint and costuming, giving it a much darker, more feral look.

"As long as I avoid meeting its gaze, however, I will slay the beast!"

The grass rustles as the Serperior rears back, opening its mouth seemingly impossibly wide. The Gallade spins around, but it's too late. With a hissing shriek the Serperior lunges forward, the red of its mouth standing out in the gloomy light against the dark greens, and both Pokémon tumble into the mist and grass. Leaves briefly fill the air, seemingly disturbed by the struggle, and grunts and thuds can be heard as the dark shapes tumble over each other in the grass and mist.

It's only moments, however, before it's over, and silence falls once again. Then, there's movement, and as the mist begins to clear and the grass recede back to normal, the Gallade is nowhere to be seen. Nor, for that matter, is Sion present by the side of the stage, should anyone try to look. No, the Serperior alone remains, slowly slithering its way across the stage.... But now, with a clearly visible and suspiciously large bulge around its middle.

Of course, as soon as the performance is done and the rain finally clears, Flourish is quick to rear up again and make his bow. Or at least, as nice a bow as he can pull off in that bulky costume. And what about Valiant and Sion? They're already nearly back to the stage to make their own bows, walking up from where Valiant had teleported them behind the audience while eyes were on the tableau in the middle of the stage.

Character name: Princess Allura
Pokemon: Amue the Hisuian Lilligant
Move used: Mega Kick, Rock Smash, Leaf Blade, Close Combat, Sunny Day, Leaf Storm, Petal Blizzard, Solar Blade, Grassy Terrain, Victory Dance

The performance:
By now, people who have seen Allura perform are used to her coming onstage in a pretty dress and narrating a story from Altea while her Pokémon act it out.

Not this time. Instead she marches fully onto the stage, clad in ice blue unitard, holding a quarterstaff painted in pale blue and shimmering white at the ready, gazed focused as if for battle. Her opponent, approaching from the opposite end of the stage at the same poised, steady pace, is Amue, unarmed and unadorned save for the natural gloss of her foliage, but no less beautiful, no less determined.

Once they approach the center, they stand at attention, the light casting Allura’s in a deep cold blue with fluttering snowflakes thanks to a snow machine, Amue’s in rich green, poised woodwinds paying in the background. They size each other up, bow… and then Allura attacks first. The music explodes into a frenzied orchestra as she rushes forward with a loud cry, quarterstaff sweeping out to aim at Amue’s side, Amue dodging by inches before countering with a Mega Kick that Allura dodges into a roll. She lands behind Amue and from her crouch lunges forward to jab with a point, but the Lilligant is still too agile, quickly turning the evasion into a charge for Rock Smash. Allura barely rolls out of the way in time, the ground where she once stood shattered.

The two continue to trade blows, each swing or jab of Allura’s staff met with Rock Smash, Mega Kick, Leaf Blade, on and on. Every time one of Allura’s blows lands, the blue light encroaches on the green and the snow blows harder, but every hit of Amue’s helps the green push back and the wind and snow weaken.

It’s at this point Amue tries to switch to the offensive, lunging forward with a Close Combat flurry of blows. But this just makes it easier for Allura to land a solid hit back. They’ve rehearsed this part down to a light tap, but Amue still sends herself flying to crumple in a heap on her end of the stage, the music growing deep and booming. Allura stands, smirking and slowly walking over towards Amue for a finishing blow, the blue storm almost swallowing the faint green light.

A few twitches… and then Amue struggles to a kneeling position, closing her eyes, taking a slow, deep breath… And then as the music swells with strings, woodwinds, triumphant brass, the pink blossom on the top of her head begins to bloom, growing in strength until it pierces all the way up through the canopy of the trees, bathing the whole forest in a Sunny Day. Not only just the harsh sunlight cause Allura’s Winter to panic, it activates Amue’s Chlorophyll. The Lilligant leaps to her feet in a flash, and even faster than before pushes Allura back with a Petal Blizzard, flooding the stage with a gale of sweet-smelling pink petals, then Leaf Storm pushes Allura back further still. The recoil may have lowered Amue’s Special Attack, but she doesn’t need it as she lunges forward almost faster than anyone can see to land a Solar Blade for the finishing blow. As Allura takes a controlled fall to the ground, the blue light and snow disappear entirely, the flowers kicked up by the petal blizzard now floating through the gentle air.

Spring finally here to stay, Amue summons Grassy Terrain to blanket the stage (and to help her and Allura recover from the bruises they landed on each other) before spinning into a Victory Dance, the twirls slowing so Amue lands facing the audience, one leg bent out fully behind her.

Character name: Misaki Yamazaki
Pokemon: Sei the Meowscarada & Gusion the Drone-Rotom
Move used: Flower Trick, Night Slash, Seed Bomb

The performance: The stage starts off dark. Overhead, a rotom possessing a drone camera buzzes the stage, happily wearing a flower crown on it's head and carrying a basket. It is helping. Then a spotlight shines onto the dark stage!

There, Sei the Meowscarada stands, with a masked woman just at the edge of the light behind her, dressed in a magician's tuxedo. Don't mind her. She's not important. She is definitely not Misaki. She is, however, singing acapella, about a mysterious magician who grants people's wishes.

Sei steps forward dramatically, using Flower Trick to really single themselves out before surprising the stage with her tail flower, presenting it to them as a rose.

The magician once had a love of her own, the song continues, but it was viewed as taboo throughout all the world, who considered magicians no more than monsters. When the magician attempted to woo her love, she was caught!

The spotlights shine suddenly in flashing red and blue on Sei, who staggers back and kneels, as if captured...but then grins wickedly! She throws a couple Seed Bombs, really playing up the poof of smoke and the growing sprouts from them! She then uses Night Slash to cut open the sprouts, creating a rain of petals (that is just regular flowers being poured out of a basket from the Rotom. They're helping.)

After all, they could not truly catch the magician! She spirited herself out of the prison, and then went to where her love had been locked away, and broke it open! They were free. But while a magician might live forever, mortals do not, and so their love was doomed to be finite, just as flowers are. The lights cut. And then come back on, to Sei standing in the...increasing pile of flower petals, facing somberly away from the crowd.

Ever since, the song concludes, The magician travels the land, planting flowers, and helping young lovers, for while their love did not last, the memory of it was still sweet. Sei turns suddenly, once more using Flower Trick to surprise the audience with their flower...though this time, she is also holding a bright red rose.

The performance over, Sei and Misaki bow, and walk off stage. A couple minutes later Misaki comes back and gently convinces the Rotom to stop sprinkling flowers.

Character name: Vierna Do'Urden
Pokemon: Quavraena the Appletun
Moves used: Sweet Scent, Leech Seed, Bullet Seed

The performance:
The performance begins with most of the stage swathed in billows of soft white cloth, covering a variety of props and set pieces in a reasonable approximation of drifted snow. The one piece of scenery not in the grips of this fluffy, low-budget winter is a faux-rocky cave entrance in the middle of the stage, inside which Quavraena the Appletun is, apparently, snoozing in contented hibernation.

The strongest, least tree-filtered beam of sunlight highlights the cave, and Quavraena yawns, blinks, and shuffles to her feet, streeetching her stubby legs before ambling out into the middle of the stage. She uses Sweet Scent, sending a positively mouth-watering aroma wafting toward the audience - a scent that is, admittedly, distinctly of the baked goods variety, because she is an Appletun - and then begins wandering about the stage.

(Sharp-eyed audience members might note Quavraena's trainer ducking from one piece of the scenery to the next, following the Pokemon's progress.)

Each time the Appletun encounters one of the faux snow drifts, she lays into it with either Bullet Seed or Leech Seed - and as each drift is seeded, Vierna pulls the covering fabric "snow" away and out of sight, revealing stands of prop greenery. And in the middle of each newly revealed piece of spring growth is some small edible (to pokemon, at least) treat - a berry here, a cookie there, a poffin tucked into a faux bird's nest. Clearly this is what Quavraena is really interested in, as she cheerfully munches on each treat she finds, until all signs of the winter are gone and a very happy Appletun sits in the middle of a stage full of vibrant greenery, methodically chewing her way through a cut-fruit flower arrangement tossed to her by her trainer.

Edited 2023-03-15 05:55 (UTC)

Character name: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd
Pokemon: Hob the Raticate, Coblynau the Steelix
Move used: Grass Knot, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Rain Dance

The performance:
It starts, quietly enough, with one single Pokemon released from her ball: Coblynau, a massive Steelix.... that is in fact released already in position. Her large frame is truly massive, even for a natural stage like this, but she compacts herself well, serpentine form contorted so that she fits well enough. Her head is tucked away carefully amidst herself.

Pidgeot-eyed viewers in the audience may notice gray packs, carefully blended in with her shining rock hide, have been attached to her.

But Coblynau isn't the star here. That would be Hob the Raticate, who leaps into the spotlight after Coblynau has had a moment to settle. The smoothly furred Raticate is dressed in a simple brown sweatshirt that matches her fur well enough, not obstructing her in the slightest as she races about the massive Steelix towering there in place. She squeaks! She sniffs! She inspects so very thoroughly!

And then.... She attempts to climb.

But steel is not a grippable material - and in the direct and dazzling light of the sun, the Steelix's hard body shines almost like ice as much as something that might have once upon a time been rock. Hob reaches up, but her little rat hands find no purchase, and she slides down. Again and again she tries, to no avail, at every possible spot around the base of the steel mountain.

Just climbing is clearly not enough.

So she tries to make handholds for herself with rapid Quick Attacks sent right at the base of this mountain. Again and again, the little blur of brown races around it, tries to slam right into that imposing gray. Each and every time, she bounces off dramatically, until, rolling from the latest bounce, her sweater slips off, revealing a little dress of blue sequins shimmering there on her.

One last Quick Attack, one last bounce and roll of defeat, and she flops in place, sighing and sad. Sighing, sighing, sighing... Until she finally gets up, trotting around the base of the mountain. Yet those watching may notice that she's not only sighing, but blowing out a discrete Ice Beam from her mouth as she looks up and down at thee massive Steelix mountain, until it really is ice covering a great deal of it. Despondent, she reaches up to try and make one last attempt up the mountain.... but the ice only makes her slip all the faster and sooner.

Hob does one last sad walk around the base of the mountain, her head bowed, her tail dragging along the grass..... But her gait is even more unsteady, now, wobbling, weaving, twisting - it's Rain Dance! The more she walks, the more clouds begin to gather there amongst the leaves over her head, until the stage is gloomy and dark.

Discouraged, uncertain, the blue of her dress no longer sparkling with no sunlight to see.... Hob curls up, there at the base.

And then the rain starts. A quiet few drips, there upon ice, and steel, and grass - and Hob herself, landing there delicately upon her nose. She raises her head up to the gloom in confusion, just in time to meet the intensifying rain. None meets the audience, just the two Pokemon there in the center.

Sparks suddenly burst from the Raticate - a small controlled Thunder Wave, and the electricity leaps from fur, to grass. Suddenly, it leaps to the mountain of a Steelix and crackles up along its massive form, finding route where water pours along steel and begins to melt the thin layer of ice there.

Hob squeaks.

Once, and then again, her little body rowsing as she stands on all fours. Energy is in her ears again as they twitch upright. Hob braces her body, tail thrashing through the grass behind her, sending water upwards in small splashing waves where it'd grown heavy on the blades of grass.

And then she's bursts off again!

Just not straight towards the mountain. Instead, again, she races around... and, as she does so, little feet kicking up green...

She uses Grass Knot.

The grass begins to grow further upwards, crawls up against the base of the mountain to replace dull gray with vivid green. Another race around again - the grass keeps growing! It tangles upon and over itself, a layer of green -

Until Hob can leap forward, and her little hands dig into the sanctuary of where the grass has grown across the unforgiving steel.

She keeps running, on the mountain now, and the grass follows in her footsteps, giving her more and more handholds for all that it gets thinner the higher she goes. And yet, as she's racing around and up the mountain, her tail goes thrashing wildly as she Quick Attacks....

And her tail smashes into one of those packets attached to the Steelix, spilling forth a dozen of brilliant and bright flowers that fall upon the grass knots.

Higher and higher she goes! More and more grass grows! And flowers, tumbling forth from more and more places where they'd been hidden on the steely mountain. And finally, finally, Hob races up to the very top -

She backflips -

And, as she does so, two things happen. The first is that the force of her flip sends the sequins on her dress reversing, showing off no longer that sad and somber blue, but a green to match the vivid vegetation now all around her. Green that sparkles brilliantly with sunlight bouncing off of it.

The second? One last smash of her tail against a packet tucked away at the very top, sending dozens upon dozens of flowers flying high into the air.

Landing on her feet, Hob looks up towards the sky, where the rainy clouds have faded away. Now, there is only light. Light, and flowers.

Atop a mountain of newly made green, Hob looks over everything and everyone for one final squeak before she curls back up.

The Raticate closes her eyes.

Exhausted.

Content.

Flowers float gently upon a breeze to rest upon her head, and down to a few lucky audience members.

NO STEELIX WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS CONTEST ENTRY.
A TRAINED TEAM OF RATTATA AND RATICATE WERE ON SCENE TO CHEW THE GRASS OFF OF HER.

Character name: Ryou Bakura
Pokemon: Will-o-Wisp (main), Ivory Stag (supporting)
Move used: Leech Seed, Worry Seed, Razor Leaf, Scary Face, Trick, Seed Bomb

The performance:

Ryou steps out first, dressed in a loose fitting pale green dress shirt and pants, hair tied back in a fluffy ponytail. He glances around, then, with the tone of someone who's very used to telling stories to an audience, he speaks.

"Spring is when the plant life wakes up and blooms back to life. If you're a gardener, it's the perfect time to tend and refresh it, get new seeds started."

"However, spring is also when the wildlife wakes back up, and an undefended garden is easy pickings for a hungry pest..."

With that he steps aside, letting the focus go to Will-o-Wisp the Pumpkaboo. Will-o-Wisp, wearing a large sunhat that shields him from the sunlight coming in through the trees, bobs around the clearing delightedly, shooting off Leech Seeds and Worry Seeds into the ground as he goes. However the Pumpkaboo's delight is shortlived, as it's not long before Ivory the Stantler comes in from the edge of the clearing and starts pawing at the ground, trying to dig up Will-o-Wisp's freshly planted seeds to eat!

Will-o-Wisp cries out in shock, angered at the sight of a Stantler munching on his garden, then fires a Razor Leaf at Ivory, who easily sidesteps the attack and watches as the leaves embed themselves in the grass of the clearing before returning to digging at the ground. Practically growling in frustration, the Pumpkaboo rushes right in front of Ivory before using Scary Face, hoping to scare him off with the move, only to find that the Stantler is unmoved by the frightening look. In fact, Ivory's ears seem to twitch as if in laughter at the attempt at scaring him, a loud huff escaping him as he wanders off to eat more seeds.

Mocked, his efforts so far useless, Will-o-Wisp seethes for a moment before finally rushing forward as Ivory bends down to take another seed. Getting close, the Pumpkaboo uses Trick to snatch the seed away from the Stantler, only to scream in frustration as Ivory just trots off a bit to keep eating, and, with the rage of a frustrated gardener, flings the seed at Ivory in a Seed Bomb attack.

Ivory makes a show of actually being hit by this, collapsing briefly before lifting his head to look at Will-o-Wisp in shock that he would go this far. Will-o-Wisp, for his part, looks genuinely shocked at his own actions, as if he let his rage get the better of him. Thinking fast, the Pumpkaboo uses Razor Leaf again, but doesn't fire it, instead just offering them to the Stantler as an apology/peace offering. Ivory sniffs, then, deciding that the offer seems genuine, takes the leaves and eats them. Will-o-Wisp sighs in relief before moving some distance away to garden again, replanting his now lost Leech Seeds as Ivory watches.

Suddenly the Stantler gets up and approaches again. Will-o-Wisp eyes him warily, but all Ivory does is paw at the ground and nod, as if indicating that he's trying to help now instead of eat the seeds. Hesitantly, Will-o-Wisp plants a seed, and Ivory steps a few paces away and paws at the ground again. The two slowly work together for another few seconds before finally coming to the center of the clearing for their bow, Ryou coming out again to join them.

Edited 2023-03-17 22:41 (UTC)

Character name: Ryan Akagi
Pokemon: Cyndi the Bounsweet
Move used: Magical Leaf (Also Splash and Rapid Spin)

The performance:

Ryan has never been in a contest before. He's never even seen a contest before, but he has a horrible case of FOMO and simply must participate - even if it means catching a grass type pokémon for the occasion and going on stage with a pokémon he's barely had any time to train.

It's fine, probably.

In the middle of the stage, Ryan's set up a few stakes with a stretchy fabric pulled between them. He's dressed to match Cyndi, and when the performance starts, Cyndi is happily rolling around on her make-shift trampoline. Ryan is to the side, guitar on his back. At first he wasn't going to have an intro to their performance, but so many other people did really elaborate narrative things that it feels like he needs to try and tie it all together somehow.

"We're all here today to celebrate Springtime, but do you know what the best part of Spring is? It's finally warm enough to run around outside!"

He gestures widely to Cyndi, who just looks happy to be here.

"Cyndi here's so excited to make her Springtime debut she could...jump for joy!"

Weird emphasis there, but Ryan retreats to give Cyndi most of the attention on stage. He slides his guitar in front of him and starts to play a guitar only cover of a song 80s kids will remember, which is covering up the fact that it's an extremely basic command to just jump up and down and be adorable. The tarp is giving her a lot of extra air, letting her bounce taller than Ryan.

She is using moves as she bounces, though it isn't actually in time with the song really. Most of it is just Splash to get some height and Rapid Spin. For at least two-thirds of the song, it looks like Cyndi might not use any grass moves at all, but Ryan is trying his best to be encouraging while singing.

Finally, on a particularly good and sturdy bounce, Cyndi uses Magical Leaf and fresh green leaves spread out and flutter around her and even into the audience.

At the end of the song, Ryan scoops her out of the air and together they take a big dramatic bow in several directions before dismantling the make-shift trampoline and exiting the stage.

Character name: Shadowmaru
Pokemon: Darling the Deerling, with Yamask as backup.
Move used: Leech Seed

The performance:
This is not his greatest performance, honestly. It's not even that well-rehearsed or thought out. But Shadowmaru refuses to let this opportunity go by. He's going to give it a shot. So for this performance... prepare to be educated!

On the festival of SETSUBUN!

First, the legend! Which entails Yamask drifting around as the part of the "oni", the monster. Looking as scary as a Yamask holding a mask with a mustache drawn on possibly can. It makes scary wailing noises! Ooo! So terrifying! Who will save the world from this horrible monster!

It's... a Deerling. A little spring Deerling.

Shadowmaru explains that this is mamemaki - the bean throwing. To ward off the bad fortune of the monsters, the demons, and all of the like. As he speaks, the Deerling shakes herself, throwing out her leech seed attack! Dramatic! Stunning! The seeds bounce off the Yamask instead of setting in to drain it. Nevertheless, the Yamask wails as if it's been horribly burned. Turning to float off the stage in defeat.

"Demons out, fortune in," explains the narrator (Shadowmaru).

Deerling takes center stage, and unleashes another Leech Seed into the audience - again, it won't actually start seeding anything, it's just the seeds launching into the air.

Both she and Shadowmaru take a bow.

"May you have continued good fortune, this year!"

Character name: Min-Gi Park
Pokemon: Xanadu the Rillaboom & Rodeo the Alolan Marowak
Move used: Wood Hammer, Noble Roar, Drum Beating & Grassy Terrain

The performance:

The scene is set with Xanadu settled behind his drums, beneath an archway draped in drab grey cloth to give the illusion of a cave. His eyes are closed, and his sticks are poised ready to play. In an ideal world he would be in darkness, but it's harder to play with lighting outdoors. The performance clearly isn't without any electronics though. From behind the cave comes the sound of synthetic wind. In the forefront is Rodeo, forgoing his bone for flowing blue cloth. Min-Gi's spoken voice echoes out from behind the cave, and Rodeo sways slowly.

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea."

It's now that the Rillaboom starts to play. Although it's clear his drumming is the intended focus, it's accompanied by an unseen synth. Rodeo begins to dance, flourishing the swaths of cloth in time with the music as he leaps about the stage. From behind the scenes, Min-Gi starts to sing.

"It may be I lack the fertile mind
Of those men long passed who have defined
The worth of artistry, leaving none for us.
Still, I've my own seeds from which thoughts spring anew.
I see there's beauty, even in the brush;
The sunny spots of greenery remain.

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once he saw:
Until he was interrupted
By Porlock knocking at the door."

Rodeo is at the back of the stage area at this point, right in front of Xanadu, and starts to lower the fabric onto the ground as he weaves to the front of the clearing. First one piece, then the other, to create a river flowing in wide arcs from the cave. Once the last of the cloth is down, Rodeo's unignited club is revealed. He must have retrieved it when he was further back with Xanadu. With the river now set, Xanadu starts to make use of Wood Hammer to drum out a dramatic beat.

"My songs don't sojourn my dreams;
Like caverns they're forged by time.
The wear of stone is slow,
But eventually the words align.
Then the music, oh, it flows
'Til I think of nothing else."

Xanadu turns to let out a Noble Roar, and the drapery representing the cave falls away. In reality it's actually Min pulling it down, but he works hastily so he can try and hide it behind his gear so it isn't too noticeable. None of the things he needs to get his synth up and running outdoors look especially natural, but it's all been draped in flowers and vines to try and make it fit the theme as best it can. The archway that had been representing the cave is also covered to match. Min himself has forgone his usual cool tones for the performance to dress in greens and browns, though he's doing his best to stay hidden behind Xanadu. This is his Pokémon's show, after all.

Rodeo's club lights up, each end ablaze with blue-green flame. The tempo of the music picks up considerably, and the Marowak's dancing along with it. He performs increasingly daring jumps and manoeuvres, spinning and tossing his club so the flames seem to dance across the stage right with him.

"The sunless sea will meet the light,
Should it leave behind complacence.
Through dispelling expectations,
And cavernous conversation,
True ocean's start ends its plight:
The time is come for something new.
I hath not fed on honey-dew;
My paradise, I make my own."

There's a brief pause in Min-Gi's synth as Xanadu uses Drum Beating. Thick roots emerge from the base of his drum, tossing aside the blue cloth and discarding it out of view. Rodeo dances through the thrashing roots, up and over and under, so fast he's just a blur of black and blue. He takes on a slower pace as the roots withdraw, and Min-Gi starts playing a more gentle tune.

The clearing is enveloped in fresh greenery as Xanadu makes use of Grassy Terrain to finish up.

"It may be I lack the fertile mind
Of those men long passed who have defined
The worth of artistry: still some's left for us,
And I've my own seeds from which thoughts spring anew.
I see there's beauty, even in the brush;
The sunny spots of greenery remain."

The music fades out gradually, and Xanadu stands so both he and the shorter Rodeo up front can take a bow. Min-Gi hangs back, letting his Pokémon have their moment.

Edited (Accidentally chopped off the ending, oops.......) 2023-03-19 00:15 (UTC)

Character name: Jarlaxle Baenre
Pokemon: Z’talin the Gallade (starring role) and Dalhar the Zoroark (supporting role, SFX)
Move used: Leaf Blade, Icy Wind, Flash

The performance: The best part of having a Zoroark when staging contest entries, is the ability to use their inherent ability to create illusory surroundings as well as illusory guises to make your set design visually impressive, even when the stage is literally just space in a clearing.

In this case, the stage has suddenly been plunged into the dead of winter! The ground is heavy with snow and more snow whirls in the air. Concealed for the moment by the illusionary snowstorm, Jarlaxle’s Gallade Z’talin uses the Icy Wind he learned from a move tutor when still a Kirlia to send cold air whirling over the stage as music from a hidden device plays over the words that appear in the air, thanks to Dalahar’s talent for illusion:

Bregan D’aerthe presents
SPRING COMES TO ICEWIND DALE

As with his Halloween contest entry, the words hang in the air for long enough for the audience to read, before fading and being replaced by others.

STARRING
JARLAXLE BAENRE … as THE BARD
DALHAR … as THE FROSTMAIDEN AURIL
and introducing
Z’TALIN … as THE HERO WHO BROUGHT SPRING

These words linger on the stage longer, but they’re finally replaced by a single sentence:

Based on a true story.

The words fade. Dressed in his gaudiest finery, Jarlaxle strides upon stage and begins to recite a poem:

”We bow to She who wears the crown;
Let the world shiver with dread.
Clad in winter's whitest gown,
Her snow enshrouds the dead.

“Her fury sheds but frozen tears
as gray clouds issue forth.
Her wind across the wasteland shears,
bringing blizzards from the north.

“Ice-kissed flowers caught mid-bloom,
beauty kept in all its grace.
Summer's gone to its silent tomb,
stilling in Her cold embrace.

“All the world in winter's white,
sheathed in sleet and ice.
Set upon never-ending night,
She conjures paradise.

“Behold Her everlasting rime,
see how it covers all;
Weep not for those She traps in time
behind Her glacial wall.

“Sovereign of summers lost,
general of winter's war;
Long live the queen of cold and frost.
May She reign forevermore.”

He pauses for a moment and looks over the entire audience.

“Five years ago, Auril, the Frostmaiden, trapped the entire region of Icewind Dale in an eternal winter. For two years, the sun was hidden past heavy clouds and the snows refused to melt. The people grew quite desperate.

“Desperate times tend to breed heroes. And it soon became clear that the only way to defeat Auril’s eternal winter was to defeat the Frostmaiden herself—in all three of her forms.”

There is a whirl of illusory snow coupled with another Icy Wind, which Jarlaxle uses as cover for him to move to the side of the stage and for his Pokemon to take the center stage… though while Z’talin is easily recognizable as the Gallade he is, looking as serious and stoic as a paladin, Dalhar is in another guise entirely.

Indeed, he is a tall yet stooped chimerical creature, with the head of a snowy owl, clawed hands, hooves, and curving horns, clad only in a ragged blue mantle. “Foolish adventurer,” he addresses Z’talin, in a cold, inhuman voice. “I am winter’s wrath. You cannot defeat me. Spring will never return to Icewind Dale.”

Z’talin’s response to such a chilling speech is to draw a Leaf Blade and to bound forward with sword at ready!

What follows is an exquisitely choreographed fight sequence where very few of Z’talin’s blows actually truly hit Dalhar, but they are made to seem like they did. He fights an athletic, high-pitched battle against his foe, and soon enough lands what seems like it must be the final blow—

—only for the chimera-creature to assume a new form, that of an impossibly tall woman made of ice! But Z’talin keeps fighting and when the ice-woman is seemingly defeated, Dalhar shapechanges one last time, into a hovering crystal of ice. Z’talin seemingly strikes and strikes again against the crystal, and as he jumps in to land what seems like it must be the blow that will shatter the crystal, a bright Flash fills the stage with light.

When the light fades, the Frostmaiden is gone and the stage now shows all the many flowers of the tundra in bloom. Spring has indeed come to Icewind Dale. Z’talin flourishes his Leaf Blade, bows, and exits the stage. The illusion fades away, showing Ilex Forest once more.

Edited (Typo) 2023-03-19 05:09 (UTC)

Character name: Yuzu Hiiragi
Pokemon: Diva (Tsareena) and Fantasia (Hisuian Lilligant)
Move used: Victory Dance, Entrainment, Petal Blizzard, Helping Hand.

The performance: Yuzu is dressed in her one of her fancier dresses with a skirt short enough for her to actually perform in the contest. Standing at her side is a very proud Tsareena... as well as a graceful Hisuian Lilligant. In comparison to both of her proud Pokemon, Yuzu looks strangely nervous... but she seems to suck in a breath and calm herself before the performance starts.

As the performance begins, the first to step forward is Diva (Tsareena), seemingly prepared to take the center stage... only for Fantasia (Lilligant) to leap forward, using Victory Dance and starting her usual dance as a Hisuian Lilligant. At the same time, Yuzu—having prepared specific background music to be played during the performance, starts to sing... remaining in the back so that her Pokemon keep the center stage, but providing voclas via her own personal cover of a Song that she picked out. Clearly, this is what she was nervous about... but though she may deny it, she's actually a fairly skilled singer.

As for her Pokemon, they dance along to the song... while simultaneously acting out their roles in a supposed encounter in the wild. Diva, proud and haughty, is upset at being outdone by the beauty of Fantasia's dance, dancing alongside her in practiced-choreography. Their movements clearly show Diva attempting to disrupt Fantasia... only for Fantasia to deftly avoid each of Diva's attempts. A dance move disguised as a kick is avoided easily... and as the song grows softer, Fantasia uses Entrainment to lead Diva "unintentionally" along into her dance.

As the performance goes on, Diva gets more and more frustrated, attacking Fantasia more blatantly before eventually tiring herself out... and finally, as the song nears it's end, Diva looks down at the ground... frustrated until Fantasia suddenly stops dancing... and lends out a Helping Hand to Diva.

Fantasia helps Diva up... and they begin to dance together, with Fantasia taking the lead and using Petal Blizzard to create a soft gale of falling pink petals flowing around them as they dance, now in-sync... until at last, the song ends, and the two Pokemon end it off as well... with Fantasia dramatically dipping her dance partner as their final pose.

Yuzu takes one last breath before stepping forward, her Pokemon moving to stand at her side again... as they all make a graceful curtsey, signaling the end of their performance.

Hopefully you had a lovely time while the votes were being counted, whether that was by visiting the shrine, indulging in some tasty treats, or trying your hand at a few handicrafts. If you aren't done having fun, you can certainly get back to it after the winners have been read out!

For now though, lets all head back to our seats as Riegfried and Soy take the stage, one carrying a lovely box with the medal inside, while the other carries a strange and unusual little pokemon.

---

Thank you all for coming today and making this Springtime contest a true success. Though we, of course, cannot possibly know Celebi's thoughts, we cannot help but feel that surely, where they currently are, they must have been impressed by the performances you all showed today.

But of course, there are always a few stand out performances, and those are the ones we wish to reward right now.

★★★

First up, in third place, presenting us with a beautiful tale from his own world... JARLAXLE BAENRE!

For his portrayal of a courage fight against the Wraith of Winter, we'd like to reward him not only with this medal, but also with a hot air balloon ride for two to view the beautiful sights of Spring from above, along a local Butterfree migration path.

★★★

Then, in second place, treating us to a marvelous spectacle of coordination between Pokemon and trainer... ALLURA!

For her dazzling display, we not only grant her this silver medal, but we'd also like to present her with this Miracle Seed, to hopefully lift her future performances to an even higher level!

★★★

And finally, in first place, a face that has already become familiar to many of you... DIMITRI ALEXANDRE BLAIDDYD!

For his and Hob's wonderful show, we'd like to reward him with this gold medal, as well as with this pokemon from the Paldean region called Smoliv. Though she may not look that impressive right now, we've been told that with care and time, she can become a creature of extreme kindness that nevertheless should not be trifled with.

---

With those prizes out of the way, the only thing that is left for us to hand out is the prize for this contest's Mystery Category! This time we asked you all to judge our many contestants on the costumes they brought to the stage. Whether it was uniqueness, level of detail, or fit, we asked you to nominate the person that impressed you most this contest.

Though it was a close competition between several contestants, in the end, our mystery winner of this contest is... DIMITRI ALEXANDRE BLAIDDYD!

For his victory, we will arrange a meeting with one of Kanto's leading fashion designers, where he'll be able to pick something from their upcoming Spring Collection. After all, we hear that Prom is fast approaching again, so perhaps it is time to trade in that heavy winter cloak for something more airy!

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come alive, come alive - spring is here!

CONTEST SUBMISSIONS

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boss fight spoilers for Rime of the Frostmaiden

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AND THE WINNERS ARE...