victory_road | Prom 2023 - Back to the Falls!

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Prom 2023 - Back to the Falls!

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

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[ Her Audino is chuckling at the movement, and gives a nod. But Minfilia shrugs. ] I've known people who've done worse then--

Breaking into prison. Was it to free a companion? [ She. Missed that happening on the network. ] Some laws are not meant to be follow, I've found.

....It was going to be, yes.

[But it turned out - kind of fine. In the end. So that's all that can be said, honestly.]

[At least it's clear that he's talking to a reasonable person, so Dimitri relaxes, at least a little bit. It's hard not to feel a bit sheepish, however.]

That is true... Laws are ideally meant to ensure that people live calmly and happily, well protected, but they are easy enough things to twist, or be misused. Then again, when things are made and used by humans, flaws are bound to crop up.

[ Huh. Her senses are tingling a little, but she is still giving that sort of sly smile. ] Especially when laws are ruled by those who have ulterior motives. Biases are far too easy to slip in. 'tis almost good that the laws here are lesser, that it's so easy to avoid them.

Other then having to aid in prison breaks - but I would do similar, I think. The punishments here seem quite lax. Even if it's because we're not full residents of this land.

Oh, yes. I suppose I must be glad for that. Even when one is suspected of something, they are not... automatically condemned to death.

[The bar is just..... so low. It is embedded in the ground.]

But it is a bit of a dour topic, I suppose, and I seem to be interrupting your admiration of the natural surroundings.

[ She sighs. ] I know it might be a bit forward, but-- your world was not like this one either, was it? It was... crueler.

I say so because we seem to understand how strange this one is.

....Yes.

[There's not really much he can say to that, is there? And not to mention, he's never been a liar anyway. The truth, unfortunate as it is, is all he can say.]

When I had been taken from it... It was in the midst of a war which spanned the entire continent, and involved all our countries. I had not seen my own home for - many years.

[ Her voice grows quiet. ]

My home is at war as well, Ser. With men who only wish to see our home burn. Others who are filled with greed, and even more who seek to simply ignore that the threats exist.

Compared to there... [ She looks out again at the falling water, at the free skies. ] ...it is hard to relax here, even if it's clear it's possible to. Even the worst I've experienced here is a lot kinder then daily life. Crime here seems petty, at most. Men here do not slaughter other men for knowing things they shouldn't know.

Ah-- I suppose my tongue is loose right now. My name is Minfilia, by the way.

[Dimiri listens quietly, to every word that leaves her. It is not an unfamiliar story, in the end, which only adds more to the tragedy. How many men has he cut down that were selfish and desired only more or themselves? How many only desired blood spilled and crops burned?]

...I am Dimiri Alexandre Blaiddyd. I believe we have meet, perhaps, once or twice, but such a thing is prone to happening here, and then much time passes between meetings.

Still, I understand what you mean. [He looks past her, out towards the view which stretches out far to the horizon.] When I first arrived in this place, truth be told, I thought myself dead, and in a type of afterlife that the church could never have foreseen. How else could it be so peaceful?

And yet now, knowing the truth... It is hard to not feel envious.

[ She remembers. She remembers the times they've met, and the time they were meant to fight. Looking him over, she wonders if their Pokemon battle would have become more of a battle between the two of them. (She would not have minded. She needs to get stronger.)

Yet time passes, and things slip. She smiled warmly, carrying the weight of so many things. ]

I did not think myself dead - abducted, perhaps, by those with more power then I. Or that I'd slipped into a pleasant dream. But since I have learned that only cruelty waits if I am to wake from this land... this land has much to envy.

Perhaps that is the cruelty hiding under the kindness of this land. Knowing that it cannot last forever, that it could vanish from our grasp at the whims of the Gods.

Perhaps. And yet, that is sometimes the way of nature, and things we do not understand. They seem cruel, but that is because they are not keeping us in mind - the way that a winter storm understands not the crops it ruins, but simply that it must blow over the land.

There seems to be little rhyme or reason to the way people are brought here, otherwise.

[And why it all comes from that same house... A house that, as far as Dimitri could tell, was always normal, besides this very strange circumstance.]

[But he shakes his head.]

Yet that is only idle guesswork of mine, and I suppose can only ever be idle guesswork until we one day stumble upon the truth of this matter. In the end, still, we simply try to live through it all.

Gods have no care for Man, in many cases. Even the one I believe... She would leave many to suffer, if it would bring a better future.

[ There is resentment in her voice, for a moment, before giving a soft sigh. ]

I know it's foolish, but I want to understand. If only so that knowledge can be passed on to the next people who arrive. Even if it's a foolish endeavor... it's something to keep me out of jail, I suppose. It's why I hope that the next time we hold this... prom, I shall be there as a champion.

...There is much to be said about such gods, I suppose.

[And Dimitri lived for a long time with those words burning inside of him, quiet smoldering embers that had to life with the fact that not only did the Goddess do nothing in the face of such great injustice, but that the people who pledged to her stood to the side and did nothing when greater injustice was wrought in return.]

[But that is a lot to speak of to a stranger, especially with how he knows he must acknowledge that apparently the Goddess was asleep inside of his teacher for all of this time.]

[It is a good thing, then, that she brings up something else, and Dimitri perks up.]

That is right - you seek to complete the gym challenges, yes?

[ Her own body relaxes, releasing a tension she did not know she had. Did thinking on Hydaelyn - the Goddess she was to give her very self to - truly scare her?

This isn't the time to use that. To think on that. Instead, she laid back a little. ]

I am. I've taken on the gym circuit of Johto, and claimed two of the eight of Kanto thus far. I was hoping to have completed them all by the time of this prom, but it seems I've been getting slow.

[ The way she said prom - a mix of confusion, feeling the word out - showed that she was still uncertain about this kind of celebration. ]

I still hope to surprise them with my strategies and power. They may have been born here, but that simply means they overlook what may be obvious to others. Or so I hope. Who among them, for example, would foresee a Pachirisu as an opponent?

Ha - then we are similar, you and I. [Dimitri smiles, easing into this line of conversation as well.] I also have finished the Johto circuit, and it was circumstances that lead to me having to take a break from Kanto's.

But after prom, me and mine as well will return to the journey as well. It will be good for us, I think.

[You know, to help get over the depression, and live life to the fullest.]

Your strategy does seem interesting - but I would not be surprised if it had been attempted in these lands. It seems that for every breed of companion here, there is a human who fully adores every bit of them. Surely one such soul would feel that way towards Pachirisu, and go against the gyms thusly.

[ Living life to the fullest... you know that's what Minfilia hopes as well. ]

Then perhaps we shall be taking on the new Elite Four member together, once they've been voted in. [ A little thought. But then again: ]

It is admirable that each Pokemon is beloved, I must admit. Even the ones who seem to disgust or cause fear - they are loved. Still, with over 900 of them, it is a lot for the League to remember.

That would be wonderful! I have heard tell that the travel upwards is quite a journey in its own right, so company would be pleasant.

[And they totally won't get into a very stupid wrestling match or anything right in front of the doors]

I cannot disagree with you there. I have sixty or so companions myself, and yet even I must refresh myself often on what they are capable of. Although, ha, this one is the most troublesome of all.

[He smiles, reaching up to scritch underneath Gremlin's chin.]

Then I shall message you on the network when all is ready!

[ Clearly they will not. ]

I've about sixty as well - just a little over. In fact, 'tis why I'm getting a house. I feel bad about leaving them in the machines, even if I've been reassured. [ But she smiles at Gremlin so much! ] Yet, even the biggest troublemakers are nice to keep us on our toes. Mine just happens to be a Persian.

Oh, I know that feeling well. If I take into account all of ours together - my family and myself - then the numbers get truly astronomical. Better to see them often, and give them all the sunshine that they could desire.

Where have you taken to be your home? My own are in Olivine so, perhaps if we are close enough, we may visit, from time to time. We have some experience with troublesome cats as well... My lover, Felix, was found of them, and there was never any lack of them.

Alas, I've taken to living near Celadon, in the Kanto region. There's this beautiful place just west of the city, quiet enough yet close enough to the city if I need to tend to myself.

Even if it's across the regions, it's not too far to move with the teleportation technology. It's amazing what they've been able to create without fears of abuse...

[ Ah. A lover who's vanished, Minfilia thinks, and goes a little quiet. A little sad. She's experienced people vanishing, and yet, not ones who've gotten that close. ]

Indeed... Truly, there is so much that is miraculous of this place. I find myself both admiring and envious of it, in truth, and wish that I could take so much knowledge back home with me.

Not only the way they are able to make food plentiful no matter the season, no matter the ability to teleport to another city, but how they can make things peaceful.

It seems so easy and calm now... but I wonder if, truly, it was that way from the start. I wonder how much struggle is behind such peace.

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Prom 2023 - Back to the Falls!

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