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

Monsoon | Metal Gear Rising Revengeance

[lorentzforcego]

[Tent Area]
[Monsoon arrives with Armstrong and, while he mostly remains with the larger man, he does putter off by himself to mingle from time to time. If he is relaxing in the tent, he's reading various books or looking over his pokegear and taking notes on... something. Who knows. It's not in the auto-translated language, that's for sure. Sitting next to him is a happy Croagunk who's either nibbling on snacks or walking around and watching people walk by.]


[Dining Room]
[The albino is always a snazzy dresser no matter what the occasion. Black suit, red dress shirt, slate grey-silver tie (look, Amaterasu!), black leather gloves, and his signature wraparound red tinted sunglasses. He keeps the sunglasses on even indoors. It's the lights, you see. He's enjoying the variety of food they're serving as well as trying to persuade people to vote for Malva but is of course open to any other topic as well.]


[Forest/Falls]
[Time for catching pokemon! He needs to develop more of a team anyways and catch a few rare ones for his Rocket submission. Dressed more casually, Monsoon's wearing the stereotypical mafioso pinstriped grey shirt (complete with rolled sleeves), black dress pants, suspenders, and his trademark leather gloves and sunglasses. Whether you catch him early on in the day or later in the evening dictates whether the sunglasses are propped up on the top of his head or if he's wearing them normally. Croagunk's at his side, just as grinny as his trainer.]


[ooc: want another prompt or have an idea for something else, feel free to contact me through PM, plurk, or discord @ KnuxieChan#9429!]

Prom Dance

[lorentzforcego]

[The Dance]

[Monsoon has not been in a club or partaken in a dance like this in about half a decade if not longer. It's odd to be back in the environment. Even when he was human, he generally didn't dance. It's not that he doesn't know how or anything (knowing this guy, he probably could bust out some Michael Jackson moves), moreso that... this is meant for the younger folk. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but the albino is content to simply watch the activities and occasionally mingle when he and Armstrong aren't floating around together. Why are they both so damn big? Who makes suits in their sizes?

He is dressed rather sharply though. Dark grey suit, deep red dress shirt, black leather gloves, black dress shoes, his wraparound red sunglasses... But this time, instead of his usual black tie, Monsoon has a blueish silver tie, courtesy of a certain Goddess of the Sun.]


[Party Favors]

[Monsoon stands over the offered items, hands folded behind his back as he's leaned forward slightly. It's incredibly hard to read the man but he doesn't seem at all bothered by the outcome of the voting.

Why should he? He might be attached to Team Rocket but being such a new arrival, his loyalties don't fall completely with them. Besides, it'll be fun to see how the Bede kid develops being in the public eye more than he already is.]

Hmm. The Dice are rather nice but... these Technical Machines are all useless to me. A pity.

Party Favors

[rolltoavoidpossession]

[Ryou walks up to the table as well, eyeing up the party favors thoughtfully.]

I think the Clear Amulet and Stored Power could work well together if you're doing a strategy involving a lot of stat boosting. I might want to see how well that works out.

[And hey, even if the Clear Amulet/Stored Power strat doesn't work, then he still gets a held item that can help prevent stat drops.]

[lorentzforcego]

[The older man glances to the side as Ryou steps forward, immediately noticing the color of his hair and paleness of his skin. Curious. His lips widen into a small smile.]

A good strategy but I do not see myself using any pokémon that would be able to use that particular TM. The Amulet is quite useful though. I must admit, I have a soft spot for dice. Even if I don't use them in battle, they're fun to collect.

[rolltoavoidpossession]

[Ryou glances up, finally noticing that Monsoon is about as pale as he is. Huh.]

I had a dice collection back home too, but it was mostly polyhedral dice for gaming. I like using different dice for different purposes.

[And you know. Dice superstitions. It's always good to have different dice to use if one set starts rolling badly.

Glancing at Monsoon again, Ryou considers the elephant in the room before finally just asking about it.]

Sorry, but I have to ask. Are you albino too? [He's never encountered anyone else with albinism before.]

[lorentzforcego]

Oh? Like tabletop gaming?

[That is very true and he's well aware of the superstitions. Perhaps even practiced a bit of that himself when he was in the mafia and dealing with casinos.

Well, color him impressed the kid brought that topic up on his own volition.]

Indeed I am. Quite the coincidence that we should bump into each other, isn't it?

[He holds out a hand.]

The name's Lorentz. It's a pleasure to meet a fellow albino.

[rolltoavoidpossession]

Yeah, for tabletop gaming. I played a lot before coming here.

[And he'd play again if he could take the time to learn one of the local games and get a group together.

Ryou takes the offered hand, surprised that he did in fact meet someone like him.]

My name's Ryou, it's nice to meet you too. I've never really met anyone else with albinism before.

[lorentzforcego]

How fun. I never played any of them myself but I'm aware of them.

[Monsoon gives him a gentle but firm handshake.]

There aren't many of us. Are your symptoms on the less severe side?

[He assumes from the lack of eyewear.]

[rolltoavoidpossession]

They're very fun. I like to GM for my friends and make miniatures for my games.

[He likes being able to construct scenarios and share them with his friends/surprise them with whatever he plans up. It helps that Monster World's ruleset revolves around heavy miniature use.]

I still don't get along with the sun, but I can get by without having to wear sunglasses as much. I guess I'm lucky I didn't get hit too hard with the vision problems.

[He's just ignoring that he probably should go to an eye doctor at some point, but it's true that he didn't get hit too hard by the light sensitivity.]

Tent Area

[nastyboy]

[Honestly, Dimitri doesn't make it a habit of snooping around others - not like certain people that could be named and which he is actively dating. However, sometimes when a man is simply passing by, things catch his eye.]

[Right now, for example, as he's making his way past with Dean the Emboar. It's just an idle glance at first, and then Dimitri recognizes the fact that he can't read it.]

Oh! [Excuse him a bit of backtracking...] Excuse me - I hope I'm not bothering you, but I was hoping to ask you a question, if that were all right with you.

[lorentzforcego]

[That makes one of them at least. Monsoon is much more inclined to snoop - without being noticed of course. He doesn't mind people watching him when he knows they're there though. One would say he does that kind of thing on purpose to grab people's attention.

The albino looks up from his writing and cocks his head slightly to the side with a smile, his Croagunk copying him.]

Hmm? Oh, no. Not at all. What is your question?

[nastyboy]

I was just wondering, but would that be the language from your homeland?

[Dimitri points down at where the other is writing.]

It occurred to me that it didn't look like that of Kanto or Johto, so I became curious.

[lorentzforcego]

[This man has a sharp eye. That intrigues him.]

Indeed it is. I was surprised to find this place auto-translates language unless one truly concentrates on speaking or writing in their native tongue.

Convenient for linguistic sake but I prefer to have my privacy on some things.

[nastyboy]

[He's only got the one, it's gotta be sharp.]

I see, that makes a fair bit of sense. I suppose because it is easier, most people do not think anything of it.

Still, I am glad to see that I am not the only one with such a habit. I had wondered on occasion, but it has not come up naturally in most conversation.

Have you taught any of your companions the language as well?

[lorentzforcego]

[Oho~]

Makes you wonder how many even realize it's happening.

[He looks to his Croagunk at Dimitri's next question.]

You mean my team? I haven't. I only arrived about a month ago, up see. I suppose I could though...

[That could take time but prove very useful down the road. Monsoon thinks for a moment before returning his gaze to the other man. (Which is hard to tell with the sunglass.)]

I don't know why that didn't cross my mind before. Thank you for the suggestion!

[He sets his notes aside for the time being, stands up, and holds out his hand. An American tradition but it's the safe bet to go with greetings.]

The name's Lorentz.

[nastyboy]

Likely, it depends on the language...

[There are some words that sometimes don't have an exact translation, after all, or concepts, things of that nature. Dimitri knows that some of Claude's nicknames for them all are in the vein.]

[As the other man stands up, fortunately Dimitri seems used to handshakes, and accepts it with a smile. Despite his height and the obvious muscles on him, his shake and grip are actually almost delicate - maybe a twitch, but not a proper grip.]

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. And I'm glad I could be helpful. It was something that I actually started myself when I first got here. It helped pass the time a bit, while we were traveling through Cherrygrove and the like.

[And also he might have been in the absolute Worst State mentally, and thought his Pokemon are reflections of parts of his soul, and.... Well. It's fine now. But he still teaches his Pokemon Fodlish.]

[lorentzforcego]

Makes sense.

[Monsoon has only tried speaking in another language a few times, generally when muttering to himself while ruminating or something. That's when he noticed, when the words felt slightly off as they were auto-translated. Writing definitely is easier to pick out when it's being translated though.

Thankfully Dimitri is with similar company. His suit hides it but the albino is of a lithe muscular build and far taller than most of the people here. He gives the blonde a gentle but firm handshake in return. (He's gotten the hang of using his regular hands again by now. Phew.)]

A pleasure, Dimitri. How long have you been in this world, if you don't mind me asking?

[He's going to tuck that idea away for now but teaching his own team Khmer will certainly prove useful for Rocket shenanigans.]

Tents!

[4play]

[The first thing that announces IV has slunk his way into the tent Monsoon and Armstrong share is the Joltik that suddenly drops on top of the notes the older man in taking. The redhead can be surprisingly stealthy is he wants to, putting his loud personality to shame. Even his Rockruff that trots at his is silent as it inspects the contents of the tent in a way that's alert but not tense.

Monsoon better not have left any edible treats out, or Attila will claim them right away.]

Is that Cambodian you're writing?

[lorentzforcego]

[Huh. He must have been more involved in his notes than he thought. Normally no one sneaks up on him like that. As soon as Diva is on his notes, he gives them a gentle scritch on the top of their head.

While he doesn't have any snacks, Hanzo certainly does. Upon seeing Attila, the Croagunk offers some.]

Khmer script. Familiar with it?

[4play]

[Diva makes a happy :3 face and promptly catches his finger with its claws to keep it there. More scritches, please!

In the meantime, Attila trots over to Hanzo and happily accepts the treats. IV watches their antics with a faint smile, even as he clicks his tongue and shakes his head.]

He's going to always expect treats if you spoil him like that. And sort of, but not really? [IV shrugs his shoulders.] I've seen it around on the back of treats and the like, y'know, where they write everything that's in them in several languages. I was wondering what it could be, since it was too squiggly for Arabic. You know, like...

[holding his finger up, he describes a couple of S-lines in the air]

[lorentzforcego]

[More scritches, coming up!

The pokemon are more endearing than even Monsoon would like to admit. They grow on you and have such differing personalities. They are a means to an end though. If only they weren't so easy to get attached to...

Hanzo looks up with a guilty grin. Sorry... But at least Attila is happy?]

Do you? Curious. I suppose I didn't go looking when I was in the different Asian countries but you never see it in the Americas. You generally see Thai more and while we do share some diction, there's still differences.

What languages do you know, if you don't mind me asking?

[4play]

Oh, just the usual you'd expect when one's the Asia Champion... I'm fluent in English and Japanese, a little Chinese, some French and Spanish... I try to pick up a little whenever I'm in a new country. Gotta show some respect to the locals and it always being good when you can ask how to get to the next restroom, you get the idea.

[He shrugs his shoulders again, pretending to watch the antics of his pokemon when his senses are actually trained on Monsoon. So he's a Cambodian with some clear ties to the underworld, but he's also spent the gamut of his last time in the United States... How weird.]

I end up with a lot of free time and little to do on my hands between my matches, especially right before they start and the interims. Reading the backsides of snack wrappers is still one of the less weird things I've done for entertainment. What's the difference between Thai and Khmer?

[lorentzforcego]

[Monsoon's smile widens as IV lists his known languages. He's rough around the edges and is still working through things but this young man is impressing him far more than he ever thought he would.]

Would you like to learn more Chinese? That's my second language, after all. It would give us an extra secure way of speaking when in public should certain matters arise.

[Indeed. How did he get from Cambodia to the USA rather than settling in any other Asian country?]

That's fair. Sometimes you just need to do something simple to pass the time.

[He cocks his head to the side for a moment.]

Pronunciation and how words are written. I believe we share 30% of their language. They absorbed ours millennia ago and made it work despite the languages not being entirely compatible.

[4play]

[IV doesn't quite get it, but the kid has a sixth sense for when he's being praised that has him instinctively puff up a little.

The offer still surprises him, tho.]

Chinese? I guess I could try. Which version are we talking about? [IV knows enough to know that there's several versions of Chinese and Chinese dialects or variants, which is hella annoying if you ask him.]

I see. Sort of how we use loanwords from other languages today.

[lorentzforcego]

[It's really perfect for Rocket operations. If no one can understand them, they have a clear advantage.]

I know Teochow and Cantonese. I assume you know Mandarin due to being on the mainland.

[It's very annoying even for him.]

Yes, that's a good way of looking at it.

[He puts his book and writing tools back into his pack.]

So, how has the party been for you? Having fun with your date?