Prom 2023 - Back to the Falls!

[indigo_league]

What’s this? There’s glitter in the air. What’s this? There’s dresses everywhere.

Oh right. It’s Prom time.



From the afternoon on, on Friday the 7th of April, your characters will all be arriving at Tohjo Falls via the transport arranged for by Lance. He did end up borrowing a few of those Corviknights from the JKBA, but there are also several of you who will find themselves flown to the Falls by one of Lance’s Dragonites or Charizards. Please give them a poffin if you are able, they are all very good boys and girls.


Your characters will be set down on a tiled driveway (more like flyway, Ha) in front of an impressive-looking villa. Those who have been here before might note that the villa has gotten a bit of a renovation and an update. Turns out that when Team Rocket kidnaps you and keeps you captive in your own home for several weeks while wrecking the house and digging Arceus knows how many basements beneath the house, you might be entitled to some compensation.

And from the looks of things, Lance and co used that compensation to turn their little vacation home back into something where they can relax in peace.

After you arrive, you’ll be greeted by Lance or one of the other Elite Four members, who will give you a quick run-down. You are free to explore the house and surrounding area at your leisure. Please respect their privacy and do not go into any of the locked rooms. You’ll find your accommodations behind the house, so feel free to head there and unpack. Oh, and, there will be a little announcement later, so if you could be in the dining room for that, that’d be stellar.

Well, off you go!




WELCOME (BACK) TO THE FALLS

THE SIGHTS The Villa As mentioned by Lance and Co, parts of the villa are off-limits to guests. Not to worry, there is nothing nefarious hiding there this time. It's just that those rooms are the Elite Four's private quarters, and they'd rather not have people go through their underwear drawers! Other areas that are off-limits include the kitchen, but this is just for practical reasons; wouldn't want to get in the way of the cooks preparing lunch and dinner. Still, even with these off-limits areas, there is still plenty to see. Library On the upper floor, there is a decently sized Library for anyone who needs a bit of peace and quiet. The books within are part of the Elite Four's personal book collections. There are a lot of books related to each members' preferred Pokemon type, as well as a very sizeable collection of books on Pokemon Battling, strategies and counter-strategies, in addition to a good number of autobiographies from famous (former) gym leaders and Elite Four members. Their books aren't all business though! There is also plenty of fiction available, as well as non-fiction related to the Elite Four's personal hobbies. The books are not marked, so it's hard to tell which book belongs to which E4 member, so have fun trying to figure out who added the books on glassblowing to the collection, and to who the knitting books belong to. Gallery Also on the top floor is a gallery that contains the many prizes each Elite Four member has won over the years, as well as some interesting artefacts they've found during their lives. Ever wanted to see Lance's first badges? Or perhaps Bruno's weightlifting trophies? And wow, looks like Will participated in some contests back in the day! Okay, those things probably aren't worth hours of visiting, but there is also a collection of photos of various legendary pokemon, as well as some items related to them, such as a feather that is said to have belonged to Ho-oh, a scale that was left behind after Groudon and Kougre fought and could it be true? One of Hoopa's hoops itself? Fascinating! Dining Room Obviously where characters can dine. Unfortunately, the dining room itself is not big enough to fit all characters at once, so they've also set up some tables outside among the tents, and people are asked to check back if there is no space. When not in use to have dinner in, the room is left open and available to anyone who'd like to use it. Ball Room Now that prom night is finally here, your characters may enter in what was previously forbidden. Yes, beyond these doors lay a mysterious land of, uh... tables and a dance floor. Listen, there is only so many ways you can describe a ballroom, okay! There is a central floor where people may dance if they so desire, and around that spot, plenty of tables and chairs have been set up for you to rest your tired dancing feet at. Though there is no big dinner served at prom, there are staff flitting around with refreshments and canapes and, fitting the style of the villa, tapas. There are, of course, also flutes of champagne and wine and other adult drinks. Note the emphasise on adult, there. Don't expect to con these waiters into giving you something if you are underaged. (instead, try and find a trusted, untrustworthy adult friend. It's okay. We won't tell your mom. Pool Outside, of course, is the pool. This hasn't changed that much from previous visits here. It's... well... it's a pool! What more can we say? It's a good place to have some fun and play around, but if you are more into relaxation or perhaps even catching some rays, there's also plenty of space around the pool with plenty of deck chairs available to you. It is still only April, so to make sure nobody catches pneumonia in the pool, the water has been heated. Please do not heat the water further. You know what we are talking about! The Accomodations Those who have visited before may remember that the Villa doesn't exactly have enough bedrooms to house all promgoers. In fact, there have been years where you just kipped on the floor in the garage-like area. Maybe Lance is trying to match the standards set by previous organisers. Maybe there was a little extra money left over after the renovations to plurge, but this year, you won't be expected to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag! Instead, behind the Villa, beyond the pool area, there is a field of tents. And these aren't your basic little travelling tents. These tents look pretty luxurious. True, you will still be sharing them with a few others, but at least you'll be sleeping in something like a regular bed. There are also some chairs and benches dotted around the area, where you can sit and relax, as well as a few open tents that have tables and benches inside of them where one could eat breakfast or dinner. (And, of course, there are tents available too where you can take care of the, ah, less glamourous needs of the human body. No need to bring your own TP either, it will be provided!) The tents house four people each. If you, for whatever reason, want to cram more people inside, Lance will be a little startled but will allow it. If you try to grab a tent all to yourself, Lance will give you a very disappointed look. The Surroundings If your character isn't the type to hang out for hours by the pool or spend their entire Saturday already getting ready for prom, why not go exploring a bit? The area around Tohjo Falls is normally off-limits to people, after all. This might be your only chance to see it. (unless we come back again here next year) While exploring, your character has the option of trekking into the forests behind the villa or descending into the cave that houses the waterfalls this area has been named for. Wild pokemon can be found in each area, though please be careful! As few people visit this location, the pokemon here are very unused to humans. Please always bring a strong pokemon with you when you go exploring! And who knows, if you keep an eye out, you might run into an unfamiliar pokemon or two... Forest (lvl 20-45) Charjabug, Corvisquire, Venipede, Sizzlipede, Fletchinder, Greedent*, Whirlipede*, Nincada*, Flapple**, Appletun**, Talonflame**, Ninjask**, Shiinotic**, Sprigatito**, Centiskorch***, Vikavolt***, Corviknight***, Trevenant***, Scolipede*** Cave (lvl 20-45) Sandshrew, Woobat, Rolycoly, Noibat, Roggenrola, Aron*, Glimmet*, Sandslash*, Rhyhorn*, Carkol*, Noivern**, Swoobat**, Boldore**, Fuecoco**, Lairon***, Rhydon***, Glimora*** Falls (lvl 20-45) (Fishing/Surfing) Qwilfish, Staryu, Arrokuda, Wishiwashi, Finneon*, Skrelp*, Lumineon*, Relicanth*, Starmie**, Overqwill**, Quaxly**, Seadra**, Gyrados***, Barraskewda***, Dragalge***, Kingdra***

---

THE ANNOUNCEMENT


Once everybody has arrived and has been given some time to unpack, it's time for the announcement Lance has been teasing. What is this unique opportunity he mentioned? Will this have anything to do with prom itself? Has Lance conned us all into attending a Tupperware party?

In any case, you all gather in the dining room. The Elite Four is gathered at the front of the room, Lance taking the center stage. Will is standing next to him. For a moment Lance just glances out over the crowd, as if checking that everybody is here, before he clears his throat and begins.

"First of all, let me say that I am very happy to see you all here. It's been a few years since we last were able to greet you in our home, and here is to hoping things won't end as badly as last time.

But that is not what this announcement is about. Rather, there is going to be some changes within the Elite Four. Changes we'd like to make you a part of.

A few months ago, Will announced to us that he will be stepping down from his position as Elite Four member to--" Lance seems to pause for a moment, looking at Will, "--pursue opportunities elsewhere!

Of course, we cannot leave his spot unoccupied, so in the last few months, we've been hard at work vetting and narrowing down the choices for who will replace him. And finally, we've been able to narrow it down to just two remaining candidates. It's been a struggle, let me tell you! We've had so many qualified and incredible trainers who wanted to join us, but we believe we've found the best two.

And that is where you come in!

As I said, we have been able to narrow down the field to two final choices. And what I'd like to offer you this weekend, is an opportunity to take an active part in deciding who gets to be our newest member. You all, after all, have proven over the years that you not only care about pokemon, but you've also grown to care about this world, often helping us out when situations were dire. We believe you, as much as anyone, have a right to determine the future of this region.

In just a moment, I'd like to introduce you to our two final applicants. I can already assure you that they are both excellent trainers, and very skilled battlers, as well as individuals who we believe we can rely on in a bad situation. What we'd like if for you to cast the final vote on who takes over Will's position.

Throughout this weekend, they will make themselves available for questions. Please ask them anything you wish to know, and please also discuss the manner among yourself if you wish. Whichever person you choose, know that we already feel we could work and depend on either of them. At the end of this meeting, we'll distribute voting slips to everyone. These cannot be replaced, so please hold onto them, and once you've made your choice, please submit them to the vote box in front of the Ballroom before the start of the dance. Then, during the party on Sunday, we will reveal who will become our newest members.

Now, I've said quite enough, so let me introduce you to our two final applicants--"

The dining room doors open, and two figures stride in, walking to the front to join Lance and the other Elite Four members.




"Please welcome Bede from the Galar region and Malva from the Kalos Region"

---

Not sure what is going on? Why not check out our prom FAQ

Comments

Riz Gukgak | Fantasy High

[nightyorb]

[Prompts not to your liking? Drop me a line and we can hash something out.]

[nightyorb]

Investigation

Nobody who has ever met Riz Gukgak should be surprised that he is going to spend much of Friday evening and Saturday morning, investigating the Villa. Riz would be investigating things out of sheer habit, but considering the reputation Prom has and the experiences he had with it last year, he's going to go through this place top to bottom to make sure they aren't going to spring a trap on them.

Of course, considering last year, he knows that checking the entire place out won't fully guard them from having to deal with Trouble, but it's the least he can do. And seriously, what else is he going to do? Relax in the pool? As if!

So, don't be surprised to watch Riz slink through various hallways with a notebook and pen in hand, taking stock of the situation, and scribbling down something or another. And whenever he comes to a locked door, he peeks left and right to make sure nobody is around, before reaching for his lockpick set and setting to work.

He's not being a creep or trying to steal anything! He's just making sure they are all safe!

[mamalike]

Riz isn't the only one who's checking this place out a bit more deeply. Eda is doing some investigation of her own. And hey, if this turns out to be some kind of trap and these guys are trouble? Yeah, she's taken note of where a few things she might want to grab on her way out are.

But theft isn't her MO, and really hasn't been at all in her time here.. Mostly because by the time she was anywhere where things were worth swiping, she had met up with Hunter, and she doesn't want to cause the kid any problems. Her real concern is that this whole thing, down to the name, has a very Grom feeling. And while Grom is a standard practice on the Boiling Isles, it's not for the faint of heart, and people here seem a lot more that way than back home.

All this to say that at some point, Riz may come upon a locked door that is already being worked on by the witch. She doesn't have any special tools for it on her - she wishes! - she's just fiddling with a bobby pin. This is the entire reason she has her hair up in a bun, actually! Such an updo is not really her style, it's far too grandmotherly and clearly the only reason that fairy-training brat said what he did.

And maybe Bede just threw Eda off her groove entirely, because she's muttering to herself and doesn't even notice someone approaching.

[nightyorb]

Maybe its her preoccupation with what Bede called her, maybe it's the fact that Riz just has a pretty bonkers stealth. Whatever the reason though, it gives Riz a few moments to watch her as she works on the lock.

She isn't someone he recognises, but then again, there are times where he gets so preoccupied with the mysteries he's chasing down for the paper or with training his pokemon, that he doesn't think to check the network at all. Could she be a potential ally? Someone else who doesn't trust all these locked doors and who isn't just gonna hang around the pool and wait for trouble to come to them?

A professional thief would have better tools than bobby pins right? Maybe her reaction can tell him more?

"Need a hand?"

He tries to go for a cool and casual tone. Just supes cas. Totally cool.

Of course, considering Riz thinks a suit and tie is the height of casual, it doesn't really land.

[mamalike]

Eda looks over her shoulder at the question, and aside from a moment of looking surprised, she appears neither ashamed nor flustered. As she regards this kid, she's not sure if she should be amused or impressed. It all depends on if he can really help her or not, she supposes-- If he's even trying to. He does sound a little awkward, maybe tense? Either way, there's only one thing to do to see what's up here:

"Sure. You any good at this stuff?"

[outofsynth]

Walking along the villa hallways, one of the last things Min expects to see is someone fiddling with the lock of one of the off limits rooms. It's less surprising when he double takes and sees just who it is. Riz is unpredictable, but now he's seen him... this is absolutely the kind of thing he'd expect him to do left unsupervised in a place like this.

Even after months he isn't sure what to make of him, but he doesn't dislike the teen. He doesn't want him to get in trouble for messing around in places he shouldn't.

"Riz!" Min hisses, his voice a loud whisper. "What are you doing?"

[nightyorb]

Riz jerks a little at the hissed whisper --it's only the fact that he heard Min's steps a moment before he spoke that keeps him from fully jumping a foot in the air-- immediately reaching up to slap a small, scarred hand over Min's mouth.

"Keep it down" To Riz, Min's loud whisper had practically been a yell. Gods, you'd think the guy had never tried to break into anything! "What does it look like I'm doing?"

[outofsynth]

Min-Gi glowers, pulling Riz's hand firmly away from his mouth so he can reply.

"It looks like you're trying to rob the most powerful trainers here."

His whisper is a little quieter this time, but he's not happy. From the way his eyes darting up and down the empty hall you'd think he was the one doing something wrong.

[nevercaught]

Unfortunately, Jarlaxle is terribly good at sneaking up on people--or in this case in particular, Riz when he is attempting to pick a lock.

He coughs discreetly.

[nightyorb]

Riz jumps with a yelp, nearly losing his balance and making even more of a racket. He jerks around where he is crouched at the door and stares up (and up!) at Jarlaxle.

"Uh. I lost my keys."

[nevercaught]

Jarlaxle favors him with a broad smile. "So I see. A very convenient skill, lock-picking."

(He is 99% sure that this is not why you are messing with the door, but he honestly is more amused than anything right now.)

[torinoko]

You know, I think that might want a wafer instead of a rake.

[Has Misaki stumbled upon a Criminal? Yes. Is she going to stop anything Riz is doing? Absolutely not.]

[nightyorb]

[He is not a criminal! He's just a concerned citizen!!]

This isn't the first lock I've picked, you know.

[torinoko]

Well, of course not, but a rich bastard like this is gonna buy weird and esoteric locks and we both know that.

[Misaki's wondering at what point Riz realizes he's talking to a stranger about crimes but it's not like she's gonna rat him out. She even just quietly shooed Sei down the hall to keep lookout.]

[4play]

IV has been watching Riz's skulking around for a while before he finally decided to take action. Sneaking up on him, the teen grabs his shoulder with a smirk.


"Caught you! You're clearly either a Team Rocket Spy or a thief!"

[nightyorb]

You'd think that after a year and a half here, Riz would've grown past the first instinct to reach for his missing gun. He has not though. So when IV's hand falls onto his shoulder, he jumps, his hand immediately dropping down to where his gun would normally be strapped to his hip, closing only on air.

"Lemme go! I'm not a thief or a spy." He somehow manages to sound very offended by the suggestion even though he was just actively trying to pick a lock.

Well. Sort of a spy, but for his own purposes!! Definitely not for Team Rocket.

[4play]

IV has quickly drawn his hand back when his target ends up jumping a little more than he had planned. He also doesn't miss the way Riz' hand goes for a weapon that doesn't exist, or what that fact implies.

Taking a step back, he still gives the other a cocky smirk. "You know, that's exactly what a thief or a spy would be saying."

He is pretty confident that the other isn't a Rocket (because IV himself is), but that's just all the more a good reason to pull the other's leg a bit more. Somebody who's truly innocent wouldn't react like that after all, right?

[heartofalioness]

"Hello, Riz."

She's not TRYING to sneak up on him, but uh... he seems very engrossed.

[nightyorb]

Riz jumps a little at her sudden voice, his back tense as he turns and-- oh. It's Allura. All at once, his shoulders relax and round again, his face landing on a relaxed sort of grumpiness at being interrupted, but not actually minding the interrupter at all. "Oh, hi, Allura."

And he turns back to the lock to continue his picking.

[heartofalioness]

"I know you're investigating, but you realize whomever Lance has hired for security might not think so if they see this, yes?"

[bloodyroses]

[ Cordy doesn't quite have a purpose built lockpick with her, but she whips out a hairpin before glancing around at all the doors she could possibly break into. ]

Find anything interesting?

[nightyorb]

For Mando

'Why haven’t you caught any Pokémon specifically with me in mind?'

It's something Mando had said about a week and a half ago while helping Riz deal with some Extremely Teen Shit, and while he had immediately followed up and said he didn't need Riz to get him a Pokemon (and really, the reason it had been brought up was to help Riz understand how he felt about Boober), the idea had nestled itself in Riz's brain.

Because, yeah, he hadn't caught any Pokemon for Mando, like he had for Boober. And while he absolutely did not feel the same for Mando as he did for Boober (whatever that might be was still a bit unclear, but it was definitely different) he did like Mando a lot. Sure, he was kind of a weird adult who mostly hung around kids, but he treated Riz like he was just any other adult, and not like he couldn't handle himself. And he had always listened to Riz's concerns about everything in this world patiently and had even agreed most of the time. Plus there had been the way he had helped him deal with his, ugh, feelings.

So, yeah, Mando did probably deserve a Pokemon. And he definitely deserved a thank you for helping Riz out, and maybe, just maybe, those two things could be combined.

After having gone through the whole villa and finding nothing suspicious, Riz had moved his interest outside. Last time, those crazy god Pokemon had come from elsewhere, so it was very well possible that the disaster wouldn't be coming from inside the house. And if, while he was investigating the caves, he was also keeping an eye out for any interesting Pokemon that might suit Mando, well, that's entirely his business.

Hour later, Riz returns, looking a little grungy, but fairly satisfied. Or as satisfied as he is ever going to look during prom. He could do with a shower, but first--

"Mando? You here?"

Riz sticks his head into their shared tent, and hey, if his eyes are closed so he'll be sure not to catch Mando and Shadowmaru in flagrante then again, entirely Riz's business!

[singlespacedad]

Good gods, Riz, that was one time, and it's not like they were boning down on the couch! Mando had his arm around Shadowmaru's shoulders! So G-rated it could be streamed for all ages on Disney+! No parental restrictions necessary!

"Yeah, I'm here."

Mando lifts his head from where he's been chilling on one of the beds. Not doing anything more illicit than paging through one of the books he took from the library. A book which is a historical study of Pokemon evolution, by the way, so definitely nothing that would offend delicate sensibilities.

He takes one look at Riz, and sighs.

"What have you been up to?"

He's not going to broach the topic of a shower yet. Yet.

[nightyorb]

Riz squeezes open one eye and then the other, when he is certain nothing untoward is happening. Listen, if Mando knew Kristen and Tracker, he'd understand Riz's concerns about catching people having sex anywhere once they hook up. He's lucky in that he doesn't actually live at Mordred Manor and doesn't have to worry about these things when he is at home, but even then he's seen some things.

"Making sure the perimeter is clear. If something is gonna go down, it's not gonna come out of the caves."

Also, hush. He's going to take a shower after this. This is just more important!

[singlespacedad]

On some level, Mando gets it. Horny young Mandalorian apprentices have been known to make bad decisions about where and when to find openings in their armour. Hell, horny old Mandalorian warriors have done it too. But he'd like to think that, as adults, he and Shadowmaru would have better sense than that.

"Good plan." Mando will take over checking the perimeter later tonight, in probably fruitless hope that Riz will actually get some sleep. He'll probably stay up all night working on a conspiracy board, but a man can dream. "You find anything interesting down there?"