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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A soft chuckle.

"So it seems." She pulls out an empty Pokeball. "In that case, we'd be happy to have you."

A few seconds of hesitation... and then the Quaxly pecks the button and disappears into the ball. One shake, two shakes, three, and... tada!

"That was easy."

Keith was amused by the whole thing, though. He waited for Allura to pick up the ball again, and then took her hand.

"Do we want to keep going in or head back to the tents?"

"Hm... let's make our way to the falls proper first. The view is supposed to be beautiful, plus you might catch a Pokemon of your own."

"Alright, sure." He nodded. "I'm curious what's up this way, too. We haven't been in here before." Keith turned and started heading further in.

For the most part, their trek through the rest of the caves to find the falls was fairly uneventful. But, getting up to the Falls themselves certainly lived up to the promise of a lovely view.

"Wow." He paused as they emerged from the cave, just taking it in.

Wow indeed... Her gaze doesn't leave the falls, but as she walks up to Keith's side, her hand easily reaches for his.

"It's beautiful..."

He only looked down at the touch long enough to make sure it was indeed her hand before looking back at the view again. He squeezed her hand, though, in response.

"It really is."

In their travels since leaving Earth, Keith had been exposed to a lot of different landscapes, more than he could have imagined as a kid, and this was no exception. He took another moment to look around at where they were standing, and then gently tugged on Allura's hand to guide her over to where they could sit.

"Seems like a really good spot to take a break, yeah?" They had snacks with them, and some time.

"That it does."

She gives Keith's hand a soft kiss before letting go to let out the rest of her team.

"Lunch time, everyone!"

Keith gave a little squeeze in response before she let go, and then also let out his team so they could have a proper picnic, introducing Allura's new Quaxly friend to everyone else.

As they were sitting there enjoying some lunch, Keith reached back when he felt something grab at his pockets.

"Hey!"

A little Noibat was using his Frisk ability to see if Keith had any tasty berries hidden away.

Oh, no, SPOTTED!

Allura can't help but laugh; it's not the first time they've run into Noibats, but she's never seen one quite this bold!

"Well, hello there!"

Edited 2023-07-23 01:45 (UTC)

Bold, indeed. The little Noibat was looking for sour berries, and avoiding anything that had spicy in it.

"Are you that hungry?" Keith dug out a Aspear berry, and the Noibat lit up in excitement. "Here." The little purple bat settled down, deciding that, if Keith was going to give out free berries like that, it would be worth sticking around.

Oh no, that was adorable!

"It seems you have a new fan, dear."

"I guess so..." The Noibat happily snacked away on the berry, taking its time. Keith chuckled. "Seems we both got a new friend today."

"That we have." A soft sigh. "I would say this has been an excellent prom so far, but I worry about tempting fate."

Keith laughed a little.

"Yeah. I've heard stories, and last year's with the birds was... definitely... A Thing." He shook his head a bit. "I'm a little wary to push that luck, too." Especially since he was only just coming off an injury, and he wasn't really sure how far he could push himself right now if something did happen.

The Quaxly soon to be named Tirlan looks between all the other Pokemon... what are they talking about? Oh no, will he have to fight big scary mons? But the more experienced mons give reassuring noises, and Allura offers a hand for scritches.

"Well, hopefully we'll be able to handle it. Not only are we more experienced than last year, but we have the Champion and two Elite-class trainers in our midst."

"Yeah... and, if what I've heard is right, I don't know," he said, still smiling. "Maybe we're due for something to go right for once." Laws of probability and all that.

The little Noibat didn't seem to care either way. He was too focused on getting another berry, please. Keith's Luxray looked unimpressed, and laid down, resting his head on his paws.

"But, when you think about it, it's kind of an anniversary for us..." He looked at Allura. "We could have an actual date."

A coy smile flits across her lips as she leans them closer to his.

"That we could." She steals a soft kiss. "A little dinner, some dancing... you looking ridiculously dashing."

Keith chuckled a little sheepishly.

"Dashing, huh?" He smiled, taking her hand in his. "I don't know. I think you'd have me beat in the looks department."

"Nonsense." Her free hand cups his cheek to pull him closer. "You're a beautiful man, Keith, inside and out."

That got a bit of a flush to his cheeks.

"As long as you think so, that's all that matters," he said quietly. Sure, he knew he could clean up nice, but he didn't often think about his appearance until someone brought it up. And, well, he'd really stopped thinking about it after the scar. It was a reminder of what happened, but he was also sharply aware of just how present it was all the time.

"I do."

She leans in to press a kiss to the point of said scar. Yes, it's prominent, and a reminder of a painful battle for Keith, but it also proves how brave and devoted to his loved ones he is, how it came at a time when he fully committed himself to being a leader. True, she hasn't seen it for herself yet, but she's still so proud of him.

"And I'm not the only one to appreciate your strengths. Just the one lucky enough to catch your eye."

He closed his eyes as she kissed him, then smiled at her comment.

"You're hard to miss," he said, opening his eyes again to meet her gaze. He brought a hand up to brush the side of her face. "Your strength and poise certainly make you stand out in a room." And, for him, when she was all done up, it was like the rest of the world melted away once he saw her. And he had a feeling it was going to happen again at the formal dance during this prom, too. In fact, he was looking forward to it.

She leans into his touch easily, bringing her free hand up to cup his, her cheek burning red under his touch at the words.

"Such high praise." Her face inches closer to his. "I suppose I'll have to do my best to live up to it, hm?"

Keith chuckled.

"I guess so," he said, then closed the small gap to steal another kiss.

At least their Pokémon were used to the mush by now...

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Prom 2023 - Back to the Falls!

Excellent song choice!

hee hee!

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