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the_plateau2020-04-12 09:37 pm
indigo_league) wrote in the_plateau2020-04-12 09:37 pm
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Prom: the hauntening. Coming to a game near you soon. Very soon.
HEY GUESS WHAT TIME OF YEAR IT IS.
THAT’S RIGHT IT’S APRIL, WHICH MEANS IT’S TIME FOR...
THE BASICS
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS POKEMON PROM?
Pokemon Prom is a yearly event where everybody and their Pokemon get to go PARTY HARD in sweet sweet formalwear and generally have a good time. We’re talkin’ music, dancing, big ol’ buffet tables, all that good stuff.
SO WHAT’S THIS YEAR’S SWANKY VENUE GOING TO BE?
As much as Johto and Kanto are understanding of the...excitement that otherworlders bring to their homes, the last few proms have ended in huge, scary misadventures. Like, seriously. The Elite Four mansion is STILL being fixed, the Sevii Islands have not forgotten the Nilhilego swarm, and the S.S. Aqua very possibly could have been capsized! Most venues look at this annual event and shudder with fear at the idea of Lance showing up on their doorstep to try and garner their business. Honestly, the only places he's been able to find willing to take the risk are a few high schools with gymnasiums free that night, and Ninja Nickie's Tricky Hideout.
So, not exactly the height of swank. But, as luck would have it, this year Lance has been approached by a party very much interested in hosting a soiree of the highest caliber for an unusual clientele, and has taken them up on their offer:
Meet your hosts for Prom 2020: Sordward and Shieldbert, Galar celebrities extraordinare!
WHOA, WHAT? HUH? GALAR YOU SAY? IS PROM...GOING ABROAD?!
Not quite. You see, these... uniquely-styled celebrities have quite a bit of money. So much money. Too much money. Enough that they feel they can bring a near-authentic Galarian experience to whatever location they fancy! And hoo boy, did they find the perfect place!
On the outskirts of Kanto, near Cerulean Cape, lies an abandoned castle. Legally, it's owned by Bill's family (Bill of the Pokemon Storage System fame), specifically his great uncle, but the family hasn't stayed there nor kept up with maintenance for quite some time. Rumor has it that Bill's great uncle was a bit... paranoid, let's say. Always convinced his amassed treasures and money and artifacts that he had in his lavish estate would be stolen. So, to keep his precious things safe, he added traps and secret passages and hidden vaults to the castle, and that he continues to haunt the property to this day to watch over what things in life he could not bring with him into death.
Your intrepid hosts saw this grand castle and immediately decided to rent it from Bill and his family, renovate a majority of the facilities, and import an obscene amount of Galarian culture to deck it out for a gala fit for royalty!
That's right, y'all. April 17th-19th 2020 is the year of Castle Prom.
HOLY CANNOLI! HOW DO I GET TO CASTLE PROM???
In the tradition of Prom, the event will be free of charge for all characters who wish to attend, and transportation to the castle itself, out in Kanto, will be provided if characters are unable to warp there themselves. Starting April 12th, standard invitations delivered by Pidgey will have begun to make their way into player characters’ hands, complete with a full brochure of all the amenities the castle will have to offer. Included in the invitation will be instructions on how best to make your way to Cerulean City, plus a complimentary ticket to the Cerulean Cape Shuckle Shuttle, which will run multiple times to bring all promgoers to their destination. If your character has not been to Cerulean City and cannot utilize the warps, or is not interested in taking the Magnet Train, they can request a flying escort to pick them up.
MY CHARACTER’S REALLY NOT INTERESTED IN PARTIES, BUT I AM! HOW DO I MOTIVATE MY STICK-IN-THE-MUD CHARACTER TO ATTEND?
We’ve tried to include a little something for every type of character, including more introverted or adventurous ones! This is a considerably old castle, but it has been repaired and refurbished and made incredibly comfortable. Those who wish to relax in the lap of luxury and pretend they are royalty for a little while will find no shortage of quiet, tucked-away lounges and a plethora of intriguing material to pore over in the freshly stocked library, curated with only the finest Galarian legends and resources for those with a hunger for culture or knowledge. Those who are hungry in a more literal sense will have no shortage of new dishes to try, as chefs flown in from Galar's premiere restaurants show off their culinary chops to impress. As for those seeking a bit of adventure, there are hiking paths that go all around the cliffs and castle, with the option to ride various horse Pokemon along the trails, and while there isn't a beach to speak of, there is a path down to a small stretch of rocky shoreline littered with unusual bits and bobs that have been washed up by the waves. There's a full courtyard with space for Pokemon battles, garden greenery, a fountain just waiting to be jumped in while you're dressed to the nines - it's a luxe experience to be sure!
For the truly curious, however... we did say that only most of the castle had been renovated. Some of it has been left untouched, unused, dusty and creaky and full of mystery. And those legends about Bill's great uncle's treasure, and hidden passages and traps...
Well... maybe you'll be able to find something worth keeping, hm?
Still no? Perhaps their friends or Pokemon can encourage them into it! This event isn't just for the trainers, after all — it's a get-together for your rosters, too! (Why should the humans be the only ones to have fun, right?) The castle and its grounds has plenty of room for Pokemon to spend time together, play, and interact! Let your team have fun, too!
WELL, I HATE PARTIES AND PARTY EVENTS.
That’s okay! As we said, the event is entirely optional, and no one is obligated to come! Granted, characters who choose to stay behind will probably find that there’s not a whole lot going on in the interim, but hey, peace and quiet! Either way, if you'd rather avoid this event altogether, you're perfectly welcome to!
I’M NEWER TO THE GAME AND HAVE NEVER ATTENDED A PROM BEFORE! WHAT’S IT LIKE?
It’s a big party event serving as an excuse for characters to all get together in the same place, with the bonus of picking out fun outfits. The log will have a detailed description of the castle and its amenities when it goes up, which will also be linked here when it’s ready. And if you’ve still got questions, feel free to ask them below!
If you’re curious about prom events in general, check out some of our previous Pokemon Prom posts!
THE PAST FEW PROMS HAVE ENDED WITH AN INVOLVED EVENT WITH WIN CONDITIONS, WILL THIS ONE?
Not necessarily. While there will be some Shenanigans popping up towards the end of the event, it will not be anything like Team Rocket or Ultra Beasts crashing the party, and there are no Legendary Pokemon in particular distress these days. It will also not have a separate log - the party is the main event! While it WILL be possible for characters to contribute to a very loose “win” condition, there won’t be sign-ups ahead of time or percentage-based check-in threads to keep track of.
Details about the Mystery Encounter will be revealed on Saturday the 18th!
WILL THERE BE PRIZES?
Depending on the outcome of the Shenaigans, yes! Without revealing too much, there will be a gamewide prize and smaller individual prizes for players.
ARE THERE LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT POKEMON OUR CHARACTERS CAN BRING?
As always, characters may bring up to six of their Pokemon with them. While size and weight restrictions do not apply this year, we will leave it up to player discretion if they really want to send out their Wailord in the middle of a castle courtyard, wrecking all the hard topiary work Gus the gardener put his heart and soul into crafting...
WHAT'S THE ITINERARY OF THE EVENT?
IC Itinerary:
I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS!
Ask 'em right down below in the Questions thread!
DYNAMAX?????
Yes, you heard right! Sordward and Shielbert have attempted to bring the Dynamax phenomenon to Victory Road! Key emphasis on "attempted". Like they let slip, the materials they "brought" with them, Wishing Stars (and perhaps a few other things) are strictly not allowed to just jump out of the Galar region whenever someone sees fit and without whole file cabinets worth of paperwork to get the clearance.
As you can see, their hubris has led to the precious (and ILLEGAL) keys to Dynamaxing falling out of their oh-so-pedigreed hands and into the paws and claws of Pokemon who likely don't know what the dang heck is happening to them right now!
WHO'S DYNAMAXING? WHERE'S IT HAPPENING? I DON'T WANT MY PIKACHU TO BECOME GIANT, HE'S ON A DIET!!!
Right now, there is at least one Pokemon per main area that has Dynamaxed. These are all wild Pokemon who were minding their own business, and thus are not especially strong or trained. They are, however, very confused and possibly scared of these changes! (Or just very excited! All their friends are so small now!) Players will have to help them calm down before they have the presence of mind to start returning to normal size.
There will also be one Wishing Star in the area per Pokemon, either being held by said Pokemon, stepped on, or possibly in their mouth, like how a naughty pet needs something taken away from them. Once Pokemon return to normal size, these strange stones can be retrieved from them, their power inert for the time being. Sordward and Shielbert will want them back, but after all this, it's entirely possible players may not want to return them to two rich dweebs who were so careless with them in the first place...
Specifically, these are the Pokemon who are in Dynamax Distress:
1 - In the Dining Room, a hungry Gengar has grown absolutely massive, its cavernous maw eager for all the tasty treats left out for promgoers. While it doesn't seem like it's about to eat any other Pokemon or humans, it'd be nice if it could stop cleaning out the trays of spinach puffs with its immense tongue...
2 - In the Main Courtyard, a Butterfree had alighted to take a drink from the fountain, and now the wind whipped up by its giant wings have blown bushes, tree branches, and all sorts of things about! Those two kingly figures in the fountain also look to be smashed up, too, but given the creature's frightened chittering, it doesn't seem to have done any of the damage on purpose.
3 - On the Rocky Beach, a Kingler that had been minding its own business seems to have something clenched tightly in one of its claws as it grows, the unusual froth from its mouth covering the shore and sending the Pokemon that live in the shallow rock pools scurrying for cover - that stuff's incredibly alkaline in nature, so you may not want to touch it!
4 - In the Castle Basement, accessible through the Kitchens and through some catacombs presently being used for food storage, is a Pokemon that you've likely not yet seen before in Victory Road. Judging by the various electrical equipment in its vicinity, one could safely say this creature was powering all the electricity in the castle by itself! And... mostly, it seems pretty chill, for having grown in size like it has? Frankly it's almost dazed by how small everything seems to have gotten. Maybe if it expends all the energy it's generating, it will go back to its normal size?
WAIT, THAT'S NOT JUST NORMAL DYNAMAXING...
That's right! These Pokemon are Gigantamax versions of themselves! Their forms have changed considerably, not just in size but in appearance. Kind of like Mega Evolution, but bigger.
SO HOW DO WE STOP THEM?
Players can calm these massive beasts in any number of ways! Battle them to wear them out, or appeal to their needs - that hungry Gengar might shrink back down once it's full, and that Butterfree could return to normal if you make it feel safe, for instance! Non-battlers are more than encouraged to take the initiative through peaceful means.
Also, while battling is a default reaction, you don't know how much damage a giant Pokemon could do to yourself, your Pokemon, or the surrounding area, which is a historical landmark. Maybe don't bring the whole castle down around you?
I'VE GOT MORE QUESTIONS!
Ask 'em HERE!
THAT’S RIGHT IT’S APRIL, WHICH MEANS IT’S TIME FOR...
THE BASICS SO WHAT EXACTLY IS POKEMON PROM?
SO WHAT’S THIS YEAR’S SWANKY VENUE GOING TO BE?
So, not exactly the height of swank. But, as luck would have it, this year Lance has been approached by a party very much interested in hosting a soiree of the highest caliber for an unusual clientele, and has taken them up on their offer:
WHOA, WHAT? HUH? GALAR YOU SAY? IS PROM...GOING ABROAD?!
On the outskirts of Kanto, near Cerulean Cape, lies an abandoned castle. Legally, it's owned by Bill's family (Bill of the Pokemon Storage System fame), specifically his great uncle, but the family hasn't stayed there nor kept up with maintenance for quite some time. Rumor has it that Bill's great uncle was a bit... paranoid, let's say. Always convinced his amassed treasures and money and artifacts that he had in his lavish estate would be stolen. So, to keep his precious things safe, he added traps and secret passages and hidden vaults to the castle, and that he continues to haunt the property to this day to watch over what things in life he could not bring with him into death.
Your intrepid hosts saw this grand castle and immediately decided to rent it from Bill and his family, renovate a majority of the facilities, and import an obscene amount of Galarian culture to deck it out for a gala fit for royalty!
That's right, y'all. April 17th-19th 2020 is the year of Castle Prom.
HOLY CANNOLI! HOW DO I GET TO CASTLE PROM???
In the tradition of Prom, the event will be free of charge for all characters who wish to attend, and transportation to the castle itself, out in Kanto, will be provided if characters are unable to warp there themselves. Starting April 12th, standard invitations delivered by Pidgey will have begun to make their way into player characters’ hands, complete with a full brochure of all the amenities the castle will have to offer. Included in the invitation will be instructions on how best to make your way to Cerulean City, plus a complimentary ticket to the Cerulean Cape Shuckle Shuttle, which will run multiple times to bring all promgoers to their destination. If your character has not been to Cerulean City and cannot utilize the warps, or is not interested in taking the Magnet Train, they can request a flying escort to pick them up.
MY CHARACTER’S REALLY NOT INTERESTED IN PARTIES, BUT I AM! HOW DO I MOTIVATE MY STICK-IN-THE-MUD CHARACTER TO ATTEND?
For the truly curious, however... we did say that only most of the castle had been renovated. Some of it has been left untouched, unused, dusty and creaky and full of mystery. And those legends about Bill's great uncle's treasure, and hidden passages and traps...
Well... maybe you'll be able to find something worth keeping, hm?
Still no? Perhaps their friends or Pokemon can encourage them into it! This event isn't just for the trainers, after all — it's a get-together for your rosters, too! (Why should the humans be the only ones to have fun, right?) The castle and its grounds has plenty of room for Pokemon to spend time together, play, and interact! Let your team have fun, too!
WELL, I HATE PARTIES AND PARTY EVENTS.
I’M NEWER TO THE GAME AND HAVE NEVER ATTENDED A PROM BEFORE! WHAT’S IT LIKE?
If you’re curious about prom events in general, check out some of our previous Pokemon Prom posts!
THE PAST FEW PROMS HAVE ENDED WITH AN INVOLVED EVENT WITH WIN CONDITIONS, WILL THIS ONE?
Details about the Mystery Encounter will be revealed on Saturday the 18th!
WILL THERE BE PRIZES?
ARE THERE LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT POKEMON OUR CHARACTERS CAN BRING?
WHAT'S THE ITINERARY OF THE EVENT?
• Friday, April 17th: Welcome, one and all! Characters will arrive at the Castle and be shown to their rooms - all individual rooms, and extremely luxurious. Tours will be available throughout the day to give characters an idea of what's where, but otherwise all facilities will be open and ready for characters to use!OOC Itinerary:
• Saturday, April 18th: Characters can keep having fun throughout the day, and then at night it’s time for the main party! Shenanigans will likely occur towards the end of the night, so keep your eyes peeled!
• Sunday, April 19th: After a late breakfast, characters will be sent on their way, leaving their short-term castle home behind.
• Friday, April 17th: The Prom Log will be posted, which will be a catchall for all three IC days of the prom.
•Saturday, April 18th: The Shenanigans will be revealed under its own thread in the main log for characters to respond to.
• Sunday, April 19th: Players can respond to the Shenanigans thread and post/thread out their outcomes regarding the events of the night or their reactions the next morning.
ETA: We have decided to extend the OOC timetable for the event, to better fit the current flow of the game. The shenanigans will still take place ICly on Saturday, but the reveal will not be posted until Monday/Tuesday at latest to give everybody the chance to just genuinely have fun and explore the possibilities of prom, before the Shenanigans Appear.
I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS!
DYNAMAX?????
Yes, you heard right! Sordward and Shielbert have attempted to bring the Dynamax phenomenon to Victory Road! Key emphasis on "attempted". Like they let slip, the materials they "brought" with them, Wishing Stars (and perhaps a few other things) are strictly not allowed to just jump out of the Galar region whenever someone sees fit and without whole file cabinets worth of paperwork to get the clearance.
As you can see, their hubris has led to the precious (and ILLEGAL) keys to Dynamaxing falling out of their oh-so-pedigreed hands and into the paws and claws of Pokemon who likely don't know what the dang heck is happening to them right now!
WHO'S DYNAMAXING? WHERE'S IT HAPPENING? I DON'T WANT MY PIKACHU TO BECOME GIANT, HE'S ON A DIET!!!
Right now, there is at least one Pokemon per main area that has Dynamaxed. These are all wild Pokemon who were minding their own business, and thus are not especially strong or trained. They are, however, very confused and possibly scared of these changes! (Or just very excited! All their friends are so small now!) Players will have to help them calm down before they have the presence of mind to start returning to normal size.
There will also be one Wishing Star in the area per Pokemon, either being held by said Pokemon, stepped on, or possibly in their mouth, like how a naughty pet needs something taken away from them. Once Pokemon return to normal size, these strange stones can be retrieved from them, their power inert for the time being. Sordward and Shielbert will want them back, but after all this, it's entirely possible players may not want to return them to two rich dweebs who were so careless with them in the first place...
Specifically, these are the Pokemon who are in Dynamax Distress:
1 - In the Dining Room, a hungry Gengar has grown absolutely massive, its cavernous maw eager for all the tasty treats left out for promgoers. While it doesn't seem like it's about to eat any other Pokemon or humans, it'd be nice if it could stop cleaning out the trays of spinach puffs with its immense tongue...
2 - In the Main Courtyard, a Butterfree had alighted to take a drink from the fountain, and now the wind whipped up by its giant wings have blown bushes, tree branches, and all sorts of things about! Those two kingly figures in the fountain also look to be smashed up, too, but given the creature's frightened chittering, it doesn't seem to have done any of the damage on purpose.
3 - On the Rocky Beach, a Kingler that had been minding its own business seems to have something clenched tightly in one of its claws as it grows, the unusual froth from its mouth covering the shore and sending the Pokemon that live in the shallow rock pools scurrying for cover - that stuff's incredibly alkaline in nature, so you may not want to touch it!
4 - In the Castle Basement, accessible through the Kitchens and through some catacombs presently being used for food storage, is a Pokemon that you've likely not yet seen before in Victory Road. Judging by the various electrical equipment in its vicinity, one could safely say this creature was powering all the electricity in the castle by itself! And... mostly, it seems pretty chill, for having grown in size like it has? Frankly it's almost dazed by how small everything seems to have gotten. Maybe if it expends all the energy it's generating, it will go back to its normal size?
WAIT, THAT'S NOT JUST NORMAL DYNAMAXING...
That's right! These Pokemon are Gigantamax versions of themselves! Their forms have changed considerably, not just in size but in appearance. Kind of like Mega Evolution, but bigger.
SO HOW DO WE STOP THEM?
Players can calm these massive beasts in any number of ways! Battle them to wear them out, or appeal to their needs - that hungry Gengar might shrink back down once it's full, and that Butterfree could return to normal if you make it feel safe, for instance! Non-battlers are more than encouraged to take the initiative through peaceful means.
Also, while battling is a default reaction, you don't know how much damage a giant Pokemon could do to yourself, your Pokemon, or the surrounding area, which is a historical landmark. Maybe don't bring the whole castle down around you?
I'VE GOT MORE QUESTIONS!
Ask 'em HERE!
no subject
What sorts of treasures would characters be able to find if they go looking hard enough?
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Related, what could an enterprising young (thirtysomething) Rocket find out from researching their hosts ahead of time?
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In other words, most of the word on the street is just people wondering about the hair. Just like we are all doing.
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so like is the castle hauntedi mean, uh-
More seriously, will characters be likely to get in trouble if caught poking around for secret passages like menaces?
And for the more polite (hi jonathan), is it possible to just ask the dear hosts about exploring around unfinished areas with the promise of bringing up anything strange?
no subject
super hauntedCharacters will not get into trouble! Their hosts are quite a bit too busy with something to babysit the characters, so if anyone will go poking around, they won't get caught, and even if they were, there would not be any trouble.
Polite characters could ask the hosts for permission and probably receive an answer along the lines of there being nothing interesting in those dank old corridors, really, this place was in a terrible condition when they first got here. This is no bit. These two genuinely don't seem interested at all in what lies in the rest of the castle. But if pressed, they will tell characters that they can't stop them if they really want to look at some dusty old halls, but they should make sure not to get lost, because there will be something really interesting happening Saturday evening, and it would be a shame if they missed that.
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which, if i had a giant nerd looming over me with that face, how could i say no??? (he promises to be back though, You Have His Word)
Anyway cool Emporio will be over here where the ghosts are, nbd,no subject
paranoidmaking plans could look at and make copies of?no subject
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I mentioned this on plurk, but to make it official-
Emporio has yet to use up any shiny rolls...could I put in for his roll for the 4month block using the castle as a location? (Just the castle, to be clear,)
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SATURDAY SHENANIGANS QUESTIONS
Re: SATURDAY SHENANIGANS QUESTIONS
Not for this nerd, but...Soooo, does this mean trainers who have the mega stones can use them?
I just want mega houndoom to face off against this gengar, okay. LET LILITH HAVE HER SPOTLIGHT.no subject
Re: SATURDAY SHENANIGANS QUESTIONS
... and if it's one with a Gigantamax form, will it then Gigantamax?
no subject
plot magicSticky little goblin hands have left the wishing stars very sticky too and they need a little bit of force to remove.but really just plot magic.But who knows what sort of gigantic surprises the future might bring...
no subject
Since Casper the Shuppet is locating it, can Team Handsome still retrieve it by hand after the Gengar gets smol again? And where is it anyway, by the by?
no subject
its buttthe Gengar. Once it is returned to its small size, it should be easy to retrieve.