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

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd - FE3H

[nastyboy]

OTA

[nastyboy]

A - Library

Dimitri can't help it. When he, a man who was raised to learn about battle, and hopes to one day challenge the Elite Four properly, gets a chance to read more about Pokemon strategy... He has to do it. He has to dig through all of these books and maybe borrow some for night time reading when he turns in.

..........Except then he's gotten sidetracked.

Which is why anyone browsing through as well may find themselves suddenly approached, with Dimitri holding up a particular book. "Who amongst the Elite Four is into glassblowing, do you think?"

He needs to know for reasons.

B - Pool

Those who were present at the contest may recall that Dimitri and Hob did, in fact, get first place! And as a part of that, they got a whole new companion to their group: a Smoliv! And Dimitri thought it would be a shame for him to not make the little one feel welcome.

And a part of that, apparently, means bringing them to prom.

Which explains why he is in the pool at the most shallow section, kneeling down in the water with his hands held out to the tiny little Pokemon there on the dry stone. A tiny little Pokemon wear a tiny little red-and-white striped innertube.

"There there. I know the water seems deep, but I'll be right here, and the floatie will keep you safe... Oh." Anyone approaching will get two and a half sets of eyes on them - Dimitri only has one eye after all. "I hope we are not in your way."

C - okay but fight time now

Honestly, Dimitri brought along multiple changes of clothes in case the worst happened, and he needed to commit murder get a little bit messy. But now, he's glad he brought plainer clothes because the idea of getting to battle in territory not normally permitted to them is... exciting.

It would be better with Felix, of course, but.... But that's why he has a camera.

And also, like, some of his more aggressive Pokemon, which is why there's a sketchy and large Kingler following after him as he immediately starts to leave the party while dressed in sensible boots and plain clothes. And that cape. Which is there eternally.

He smiles at anyone he runs into. "Any interest in going to battle the local Paliens?"

D - Weaponry

It's the middle of the night. People are probably sleeping. And doing normal things. Maybe nosing about the Elite Four's place some more.

...........But some people who aren't sleeping might hear the sound of wood being carved and follow it to behind the Femblemtroika tent. Where there is Dimitri.

Making wooden staves.

He stares up at anyone who stumbles onto him. And doesn't say anything.

This is fine.

E - Wildcard

[Make up any scenario, or hit me up via DM or on plurk via trilies, and I'm flexible to do anything]

Weaponry

[mamalike]

Eda's Hoothoot is both highly curious and incredibly jumpy, and she hates to sleep in her Pokeball. As such, she picks up on the sound of Dimitri's woodworking, a and knows she must check it out. Just... Not alone, of course. Once Eda has been pecked awake, she groggily follows Hoothoot to the source of the sound. When did she become such a pushover?

When she comes upon Dimitri, she has no way to know it's him. Their conversation was a voice call. She just stares back at him for a moment, first looking annoyed, but that fades a bit as she thinks of the talk she's been hearing about this party. She sighs tiredly, scooping her Hoothoot up in her arms.

"Okay, but why?"

[nastyboy]

Well, now that he's been caught, this is kind of embarrassing, and Dimitri's shoulder shift upwards a little bit, tense. Still, he knows he does have to answer.

"It is... Well, I hope to reassure myself. For the most part." It makes him feel less passive, although he doesn't always know if that's an actual truth or not when it comes to things like this. "Of course, conventional weaponry does not always work here in these lands, even when they do not spontaneously break... But sometimes it is good to have."

Pool

[crystalmaster]

Radley has to smile at such cuteness. He's like that with his youngest Pokemon too.

"Oh no, there's plenty of pool for everyone."

His Pokemon warble greetings! Many of them love to swim.

[nastyboy]

"Indeed. It does seem to be rather large, as befitting of such a renowned group of trainers," Dimitri agrees, even as he looks back to his Smoliv.

"I wonder how many of them truly use it with their own companions, however..."

Pool

[candyapplechild]

[ Eri was very excited for prom this year on account of her experience with prom last year being mostly positive. Sure, a bunch of birds attacked, but it was all very fun! That being said, there's not really much for a girl Eri's age to do inside the villa. The books in the library were all too complicated and even she would get bored eventually inside the gallery.

So to the pool she goes, having been equipped with some water wings for the sake of safety. Following behind her but steering clear of the water is, of course, her loyal guardian of a Pokemon, Aura the (shiny) Lucario. Truly, it's a good thing her Pokemon are all so fiercely protective of her. Even if anything dangerous were to happen, she's certain to have protection no matter what. ]

Aah! Are you teaching them how to swim?

[ If there is one thing unfortunate about this, it's that her scars extend so far along her limbs that hiding them is next to impossible when it comes to swimsuits. Eri doesn't seem to mind—which makes sense, considering her age. She's not really thought of being self-conscious of them yet—but still... one can only hope that they become harder to notice once she's actually in the water. ]

[nastyboy]

[Dimitri doesn't think twice about Eri's scars. After what she's been through... They're not a surprise, really. And in Faerghus, scars are quite common as well, in case Dimitri's missing eye wasn't proof of that enough.]

[So all he does is smile as Eri and Aura come over to him, and he gives a small wave.]

That's right, Eri. Our new friend has never seen water quite like this before. So it's a little scary.

[The Smoliv makes a warbly little noise. There's definitely some fear in there.]

obviously weapons, what other choice is there?

[singlespacedad]

Mando is up in the middle of the night too. This whole thing is suspicious, and he doesn't like it. While most of the tents are quiet, he can hear scraping and follows the sound.

It figures that it's Dimitri, and Mando nods in recognition when he sees him.

"Need a hand?"

Staves aren't his particular area of expertise, but any port in a storm and all that.

[nastyboy]

Honestly, seeing a fellow warrior does help a bit to soothe the surprise quicker, and Dimitri's tension eases up in fairly short order.

"If you would like. After all, I know that not everyone has such odd sleep schedules as I."

You know, occasionally nonexistent, even with the help of sleep aids Pokemon. Dimitri picks up a spare carving knife, twisting it around in his hand so that he can hold the handle out to Mando.

"I've been doing mostly staves - easier to hide, and even the untrained can utilize them well enough."

C

[torinoko]

Paliens?

[Misaki tilts her head a bit at the unfamiliar term but--

Well. She's not gonna turn down a battle.]

If you mean the local pokemon--or if there's trainers around here besides all of us--[Though, you know, she is Considering Dmitiri.] I certainly don't have anything better to do.

[nastyboy]

Another term for the companions you make here, from another land.

[Sure that's totally what it is]

[But Dimitri nods to her, glad for a little bit of companionship.]

I haven't heard of any trainers besides us, so I was merely thinking of challenging the local creatures here. They are in a place not normally accessible, after all, so who would miss such an opportunity?

Weaponry

[shiro2hero]

Haha, what is sleep. Can you eat it? Seriously, though, sleep sounds fake, given who's following the sound of carving at this hour.

"... Hi."

That's about all Shiro can think to say, rounding the nearest corner and spotting Dimitri. And his project. All of his project. Please hold, he's processing what he's looking at here.

"You look. Busy."

[nastyboy]

Well.

At least it's someone he knows.

"It is something that reassures me," Dimitri says slowly. Definitely not paranoid PSTD or anything like that. Definitely not. "Besides, when one cannot sleep immediately, sometimes it is good to find something which will exhaust the senses."

A pause.

"Do you want to help, Shiro?"

Weaponry

[nevercaught]

Every now and then Jarlaxle needs to get up in the middle of the night and make water. He blames it on being nearly six-hundred. He never used to do this as a younger man.

Alas, doing so at Prom means visiting an entirely different tent than the one he is sharing with Kimmuriel, Vierna, and Cordy, but this is fine. He will just take a lazy midnight walk to and from the facilities. Kimmuriel has sharpened the corviknight feather in his hat for him. He is not unarmed.

He did not expect to hear the sound of carving wood, but here he is. And here is a very fine specimen of human youth carving that wood.

"Good evening," he says, when that young man stares up at him. "Are those fighting staves such as monks use?"

[nastyboy]

Well, he's not being judged or called out, so... Dimitri supposes he can relax, at least a fraction.

Even if that answer has him falter for a moment. "As monks use, sir? Perhaps in your homeland, although I cannot say the same for my own. They were rather varied, in truth, although I knew a priest who used a lance while riding on wyvernback."

As is totally normal to do.

Don't worry about Fodlan's church, it's fine.

"But they are fighting staves, yes, although I am adjusting some of the ends." He doesn't want to make outright lances, but... he can still fiddle with them a little. "I apologize, if I woke you."

A (because we obviously don't have enough threads already yet)

[dreamsofahero]

"Well, that depends on whether it's someone who's interested in doing it themselves, or if it's intended for their Pokémon, isn't it?"

Not that Sion plans to seriously speculate on the matter, but it's admittedly an amusing thought.

listen it's fine, my inbox hasn't broken yet

[nastyboy]

Sion, no. Dimitri has to pause and seriously consider that. After all, he is a man with many Pokemon who have picked up all sorts of hobbies of their own.

Gremlin does livestreams of video games. The sky is the limit.

"That is true," he says slowly, brain still clunking along, bless its heart. "But then that makes my search far more difficult and complex. After all, I am hardly familiar with the Elite Four as it is, and certainly not their companions. My search has become far harder, it seems." He sighs.

"Well, I will just have to start asking about, or doing some proper investigation, then."

pool

[instrumentally]

Rei is a good swimmer. She is used to being suspended in water, the sensation of floating. But, it seems one must star somewhere, even with pokemon. So, she tries to push out of the way of the bobbling Smoliv and Dimitri. Two eyes on them, both from Rei. Her Duosion, Mitochondria, bobs along beside her, lifted up and down by the gentle waves of the pool.

"There is enough room to share. I do not mind."

[nastyboy]

"Ha, I thought so, but it is not polite to assume." Dimitri beams, glad to see a familiar face. "Then, pardon us. Although I have to say, your calm composure seems to help a bit, Rei."

Or, at least, the Smoliv is wibbling just a little less, maybe.

Library

[neverbreaks]

While Luisa was interested in learning about the Elite Four and their Pokemon strategies, thinking maybe it would help her finally try out the gym circuit one day, she finds herself a little more drawn to the fiction section, just to see what kinds of stories are available.

As she's flipping through one of the books, though, she glances up when she sees the familiar figure approach. And she can't help a puzzled frown at his question.

"Oh, uh...I'm not really sure, to be honest, sorry. I don't think I know much about any of them to guess what kind of hobbies they like."

for Claude

[nastyboy]

Dimitri must admit that, whatever anyone else may say of the Elite Four, and whatever embarrassing moments Lance has had in the past... He can admire their commitment to their craft, being that of Pokemon battle. As a man of Faerghus for better or worse, Dimitri is really only confident when it comes to battle, and channeling his efforts into Pokemon in particular has helped ease some of his more rattled nerves from the start.

And their library on the subject... Dimitri cannot claim himself any great scholar. However, even he has books that he devours studiously, and gets completely lost in.

His earlier trip may have gotten him... maybe a little sidetracked, yes, but he still made sure to bring some books back with him to their tent for the end of the night. Honestly, he's not sure how well he'd sleep anyway, even with Kent there to help keep him calm. Books to read will help occupy his time.

.......Maybe occupy his time too well.

Which is why Claude will find Dimitri crouched there by the side of his bed in the tent, one blue eye wide in the gloom.

"Claude. Are you awake?"

He read about a really interesting battle and he has to bother someone with it.

for Grant

[nastyboy]

Honestly, with how Grant was the most affected by Chip's disappearance... Dimitri has been wanting to do something for him for the longest while. It's just been difficult to figure out what.

And honesty, with Prom's track record, this probably isn't the best thing to do for it. But who knows! Maybe this time will be different!

Probably not!

But despite that, Dimitri is still trying his best.

And sometimes that means approaching Grant very soon on into their stay at the Elite Four's place and bluntly saying, "Grant, do you wish to abscond into the woods to make s'mores?"

He already has bags of marshmallows in his arms.

[woofdad]

Listen. Prom is stressful as fuck, and Grant is sad as hell, so... even if it might be a bad idea. Escaping into the woods with marshmallows sounds like a great plan.

So, it barely takes him a moment of consideration before answering, "You know what? Sure. Let's go."

For Dedue

[nastyboy]

In truth, Dimitri is distrustful of prom for many of the same reasons that so many other people end up distrustful of prom. You know, the terrible incidents. And Dimitri's first prom involving ghosts sure did nothing to reassure him. Maybe kind of did the opposite.

And yet, he must admit: they do offer some amenities to make up for at least a fraction of the whole experience.

In particular, Dimitri is quite delighted and maybe a little amused that this guarantees free food no matter when. Which means -

"You will have to take a vacation for once, my marigold," Dimitri teases as he inspects the various dishes that are on display, with fully intent to just. start piling things onto a plate and then bringing them back to the tent to hoard. Just in case! "I hope you can at least enjoy the foods that others make here. I assume the chefs are highly trained."

Probably? He hopes that they're at least not Team Rocket members in disguise again, or else he's going to commit an atrocity.