The Snowfall Gala

[Godai]

Delimas Gala Event

Welcome to Godai’s First Delimas Gala RP! This will be a thread for your characters to write together and interact as you’d like, essentially a big Tag Thread for everyone~ We’re going to outline some rules and regulations since Writing Two (2) Posts in this thread will award a character 5,000 or Multiply their Dians by 2.5. This is to stimulate Delimas Shopping, and we want everyone to enjoy the holiday season of 2020.

This game is expected to be entirely Non-Canon, meaning that nothing that happens in this thread will affect your story or evaluations the rest of the year. That is unless you would specifically like to logic it into your character’s timeline and reference it in other threads. Do keep in mind however that if you age your character down, for example, and meet a character here that will be the same age later in your threads, you’ll have to explain away that inconsistency and no one likes time-travel deus ex machinas (lol). Additionally, you must make each post at least 200 words, just like normal tag threads. It is encouraged that if you are writing a scene with another player, you use a google doc to work collaboratively and alternate who posts which scene~ Google Doc Posts count as One Post for Each Author that Collaborates. If Three people write together, and one of them posts it, that counts as one post for all three people. If you are referencing a post from much further back or a different page, it is helpful to use the quote feature to clear up ambiguity, this feature also helps for those who don’t want to use a google doc. If you have any further questions, ask a Staff Member on discord for an immediate response~ Let’s move on to the fun part now.

***

The Premise of this RP is going to be that your character has been invited to a large public gala held at an estate near the Imperial Plaza in Dianette after an intense snow storm! While not intentional, this cold, powdery gift from above appropriately blankets

The Snowfall Gala

The host is an eccentric politician turned philanthropist named Jerboa “JahJah” Kakuyasu. They are a kind soul in their 60s who has used their time on this earth to make as many friends as possible. Short and mousy in stature, no one ever knows how they’re going to appear for any event, especially their own where they have full access to their many closets full of different outfits that walk a tightrope between being called costumes. Tuxedos, ball gowns, ball gown tuxedos, feathered headdresses, a moomoo and slippers, a palanquin carried by several broad shouldered individuals, and multi-stage reveal garments have all made appearances at previous events.

Their goal with this event is to give Godai a place to gather in the cold, and participate in festivities to start off what is generally considered the “Holiday Season,” specifically December First. The main event will be an auction of donated and curated belongings with the proceeds going to a number of different beneficiaries. The items being auctioned range from art, to boats and cars, to the latest and prototype technology, to trips abroad, and more! However, rich folks are much more likely to loosen their pocketbooks when they are fed, entertained, and have had a few glasses of champagne (imported freshly from Beliae), so Jerboa has opened up their lavish home, hired a diverse staff of chefs and servers from many different walks of life to provide all sorts of food and drink and encourage everyone to be social. They also have maintained their estate following the snow storm, which dumped almost 6 feet of snow, creating a large snow field for everyone to play in. There are winding paths that lead from the patio to a Sloped Field (good for picnic concerts in warmer weather, better now for sledding and snowy antics), to a Frozen Lake (great for ice skating), and a small Evergreen Wood (not deep enough to get lost and with a large, lit up tree at the center) and many other chilly spots to get away from the noise inside. Watch your step so you don’t slip on the ice!

Jerboa also happens to be a huge fan of not just people, but pokemon as well! Everyone is welcome to bring their entire teams, following the law of course. Jerboa has several connections to the police, many of whom will be in attendance both as guests and security, meaning that property damage should be avoided at all costs. This is not an event for violence, but if guests would prefer to practice or show off their pokemon’s abilities, there is a Construction Zone, essentially a hole in the ground rumored to be an in-progress swimming pool, now covered in ice and snow, designated for it on the grounds. It lies beyond the host’s private lake at the far end of the estate, big enough for most sparring matches, and if a guest’s pokemon makes that hole bigger and doesn’t hurt anyone, JahJah might just have them back for a swim when the pool is complete to say thank you..

Inside, the first thing people see will be a person to check their coats and belongings in a surprisingly deep coat closet before entering the Entrance Hall. There are art pieces that can’t hang on walls set out to be admired here, there are stairs that lead to an upstairs area, but most of it is blocked off since these are guest rooms for those that need to sleep off their merriment. There is a large Dance Hall with a full stage and a rotating set of entertainers playing fun, raucous music for the more expressive sorts. There is a tended bar here, please enjoy responsibly! There is also a Lounge with a floor to ceiling window overlooking the back of the estate. It has many different types of comfortable, intimate seating with much more relaxing live music, for those that need a break from the noise. If they need a pick-me-up JahJah has hired a barista for their coffee bar in the lounge. For those that still need additional time away from the party, the Kitchen is large enough that if you’re able to befriend a server or cook, they might let you hang out, but be careful they might make you clean if you hang out too long! A two-story back Patio rests outside with access both from the entrance hall and the kitchen. There are many hot tubs of various size and several fire pits to keep warm in that liminal space between inside and outside. The sounds of the party don’t reach out here, and can be a nice place to enjoy the cold without having to be in the snow. On the opposite side of the house from the entertainment is a long, winding hallway that leads to a smaller theater collectively referred to as the Art Gallery. The hallways are adorned by several dozen pieces of art and collected artifacts from around the world, most of which are available for auction! The actual auction hall has plenty of seating, including a balcony for VIPs.

The guest list is extensive and there were even lottery tickets. Jerboa believes that diversity is what makes the difference between a gathering and a party, and opens their doors for as many different people as possible. This also means that, in addition to all your characters, many Gym Leaders and other important NPCs will be in attendance, including the Queen and the Champion of Godai! While they might not mingle with everyone, especially given security detail, this event will serve as a rare moment for people to get the chance to meet folks who may have previously been thought of as untouchable. Plus, if someone wants to hear rumours and gossip about anyone important, the best person to go to is JahJah anyway. It’s one night only, we should make the most of it~

***

Please do not be too concerned about the specifics of the setting, it’s just meant to be a sprawling house owned and maintained by an peculiar but kind elder for your characters to have fun and play off of one another. However, we recognize that playing in a setting you did not design can result in a conflict of wanting to do something interesting but not wanting to impact anyone else too much. With this in mind, we are going to be providing a number of vague Prompts at each “Location” so that you and/or someone else can have a place to start writing some interactions. Do not feel bound to one location either, we only specified different spaces so that we can group prompts by starting location. If you feel a prompt takes your character through every room in the house before venturing out into the cold, please write that, we’d love to see it~ If you have any ideas for your own stories that can be turned into prompts, please feel free to mention it in Discord, publicly or in a message to a staff member. If you feel your character could not be at this event without an NPC of your own, please feel free to include them, but your character should still be the main focus of your story. If you want to write with a particular NPC, such as a gym leader, please do not feel like you have to coordinate with the staff to do so. This thread is a great place to practice writing as gym leaders with no consequences. Please take the time to read their entire profile so you can gain an understanding of them and how they act and why they act that way. They were designed by several other people and we don’t want to disrespect those creators by writing them contrary to their intentions. If you would like to write with the Queen, Jerboa, or the Champion, please talk with Johnapillar since they do not have profiles up (yet).

Here is a list, sorted out by location, of prompts for your characters to start with.

• Entrance Hall

[li]Dance Hall[/li]

[li]Lounge[/li]

[li]Art Gallery[/li]

[li]Kitchen[/li]

[li]Patio[/li]

[li]Sloped Field[/li]

[li]Frozen Lake[/li]

[li]Evergreen Wood[/li]

[li]Construction Zone[/li]

[/ul]

We sincerely hope you enjoy this holiday season, and that you find joy and peace wherever you are and in whatever you do. It’s been a hard year, and this time of year is traditionally about coming together, so let’s do exactly that, and have some fun~

And get those dians lol.

[Mr. Johnapillar]

Deep breath, The host’s chest rose and fell as they inspected their reflection in their floor-to-ceiling mirror in their closet once again, despite being able to describe their image in minute detail, having planned it months in advance. Their mouse-like stature blanketed by an enormous gown with long velvet sleeves, rippling with all the colors of blue one would see during a winter sunset. They didn’t have a supermodel’s body, but an old friend and a skilled tailor go a long way to making one feel beautiful. Another deep breath betrayed not nervousness, but perhaps tiredness. There was a long night ahead, and this gown would only be the first. The memory of a crowd of raised eyebrows and impressed murmurs brought the host’s shoulders high and back to support a cape, shining with carefully placed jewels, across a sheer uranian blue fabric folded up at their waist. They fastened an emerald brooch, a gift from a dear friend many years before, Or did I borrow this and never give it back? Oh well if she’s here and wants it back she can have it. With a lightness, they stepped out of their closet, effortlessly balancing on a modest six inch heel, which only brought them to the average man’s eyeline. They made their way to yet another mirror, this one with a ring light so as to inspect their makeup. Almond-shaped eyes seemed to reflect more light than given, with elaborate makeup that (of course) mirrored shades of blue underneath. Deft hands reached for eyeliner and a brush as soon as they noticed one wing reached a millimeter further than the other. Deep breath. This time their corset poked their ribs, another reminder to fix their posture. Being satisfied with their facial artistry, they stroked their mustache, combed apart but not waxed into points, and crossed their bedroom to their second closet. Inside sat three busts of remarkable likeness to their owner, each supporting a wig.

“JahJah?” rang a voice after a brief knock on the bedroom door.

“Entrez!” They called back, still analyzing what would don their head for the next part of the night

A bright eyed young man wearing a tuxedo and a powder blue, pink, and white brooch circled the room before finding the host in the wig and jewelry closet, “Fifteen minutes Mama, you need any help?”

“Fifteen, heard, I’m okay handsome, just tell me how gorgeous I look in this.” They briefly placed a nearly black wig done up in a large bun and braids, graced by a tiara almost as tall as the bun.

“Queen Bardan herself will pale in comparison,” the boy replied.

“Oh she’s the least of my concern, I have people coming who have yet to be impressed by me!” They both chuckled with familiarity, “Besides, Avery, you didn’t hear it from me, but soon it’s going to be Queen Seika-Tai.” They both walked back to the lit-mirror in the main room and JahJah began securing their hair.

“Oh is she finally getting married?” Avery remarked, enjoying but not surprised by the subject of the gossip. In this house, rumors like this flow through every hall.

“No that would be too boring, apparently she’s picking her own name,” They turned and faced Avery for dramatic effect, “Just like her… Mother!” Jahjah pulled a melodramatic face and clutched their chest as if they were shot in a silent film.

Avery gently laughed, moreso out of humoring their elder than actual humor, “Well, I won’t say anything until she does, you haven’t had any champagne yet have you? We don’t want your lips to slip.”

“No, no, if I start drinking now I’ll have a headache before midnight, I can’t keep up with young-uns like you.”

“Please tell me you aren’t going sober, it’s cold enough outside we don’t need hell to freeze over too.”

“Oh please you’ve lived here for years and I’ve been around nearly three times as long as you, no one likes a quitter and if I haven’t died yet, I have no reason to stop having fun.” They made eye contact in the mirror, crows feet crinkling in jest, “Don’t you worry I’ll find some way to embarrass you tonight somewhere between the first champagne and the last hurricane.”

“Hurricane? It’s December!”

“Time is an illusion sweet-heart and if I want to pretend that I am on a tiny island in Vivimi, with a beautiful individual with the name Stamos serving me a bright red, sugary rum beverage, I have every right to do so in my own home. Hand me a bobby pin please?”

Avery grabbed two and extended them to his elder, “Yes but I get to make fun of you for it.”

Stabbing both pins into the wig, JahJah turned and patted their young companion on the cheek before straightening their bow tie. They turned and swung their arms wide, swirling their cape to be regarded, “How do I look gorgeous?”

“Gorgeous,” He replied simply, perhaps the millionth time answering that question that way, and yet no less sincere than the first. “Five minutes,”

“Thank you love, heard,” JahJah grabbed Avery’s hands gently, “Though are you sure you don’t want something more exciting to wear?”

“I was sure the last ten times you asked, and I promise you, yes, my family would never have let me wear this tux anyway.”

The host’s eyes softened and their face grieved for the briefest moment before leading the boy out into the hallway by their moisturized yet still wrinkled hand. From downstairs, the din of guests socializing carried itself and waves of excitement. “Okay Avery, take,” they grabbed one corner of their cape’s fabric, “this corner and hold it‒”

“Regally, like a king holds a skull and contemplates his suicide, yet also deftly, like a rose in full bloom being offered to a lover, and one wrong motion will cause it to wilt.” Avery finished for the elder, “It’s not my first rodeo Dad, nor yours, are you going senile on me?”

“I like our little family rituals, thank you dear. Be a good boy now, showtime!”

Deep breath,

The duo turned a corner to a balcony overlooking an ornate staircase leading down to a massive room full of well over a thousand people admiring art, eating, drinking, and apparently merry. A few of the staff started applauding, prompting the rest of the guests to follow, all turning to admire their gracious host. JahJah raised their hand with a limp wrist and a flourish once they had their fill of praise, and an unexpectedly loud voice rang like silver bells.

“Thank you everyone for your attendance! Many of you know me, and perhaps a few of you don’t. While I would truly love to sit here and talk about myself at length, there are many other things on my itinerary tonight, so please be satisfied with this introduction,” They started walking, their cape being held aloft by one corner behind them. By the time it became taught, more fabric released from the folds on the waist, extending almost out of nowhere for the length of the walk “My name is Jerboa Kakuyasu, but please, as guests, consider yourself family for tonight, and call me JahJah. I’ve worked very hard for many years, and I would like to extend my blessings to as many of you as possible.” Kakuyasu reached the upstairs landing, and grabbed their cape, now nearly fifteen feet long, before tossing it over the banister. The sheer fabric fully extended, being pulled now by gravity almost to the point of touching the heads of some of the taller guests, into a sprawling sheet of semi-transparent fabric the color of moonlight across snow. Jerboa held for reactions, their cheeks fit to burst with admiration, before resuming, “Thank whatever you believe is in the sky for the fresh blanket of snow as a fitting start to our holiday season and for providing many winter activities on the estate. While this event has no official denomination, people of all or no faiths should feel free to come together and celebrate as they wish. As many of you have seen, our staff is willing and able to see to nearly any desire, please do not be shy. In a few hours we will be having an auction in our gallery,” They gestured behind them before removing their cape, leaving it resting on a banister, and descending. The back of their gown appeared to be caught, but it took started to extend behind similar to a bridal train, but this time a rich marine blue, “All of the art pieces you see in here and in the hall leading to the gallery are up for auction, please take time to admire them, if an artist is in attendance and you would like to speak with them, please alert the staff or myself. All proceeds from the auction are going to dozens of different non-profits and if you have any questions about that, please ask me soon before I start drinking.” They paused once again for polite laughter, “With that being said, please be safe, have fun, and make a friend, in that order.” They reached the lower landing, their train fully relaxed as Jahjah gracefully unclasped it from their gown. With all the extra fabric removed, their gown’s silhouette much slimmer, and with a slit up the leg to their thigh.

One of the servers handed them a glass of champagne, and they raised it in toast, “Welcome to the Snowfall Gala!”

[Ty the Squirtle]

“I can’t believe we’re here…” Aeneas shuddered as he and his new traveling buddies arrived at the Snowball Gala. In front of them was a large gilded entrance decorated with wreaths of merry and yule. Beyond that, the party in full swing brimmed with the full glow of ornaments, lights, and people walking around, dancing and chatting with each other. But Aeneas looked away from the gala in the direction to the Pokémon Center where he and his traveling friends were resting. He sighed and muttered himself how long he and his friends were going to party before he could go back there and read books in peace.

“Hi!” A tall woman threw a sudden and loud welcome to Aeneas before heading to the party.

“Hello,” replied Aeneas, but his response sounded a lot more muted. To be fair, just trying to muster a hello almost made his heart pass out.

Aeneas waited at the top of the marble staircase flanked by wreaths of mistletoe and bells for his three friends to make their way to the top. All of them neatly dressed in black tuxedos, except for the blond kid Aaron who decided to wear his ugly sweater for a formal gala that showed a badly sewed picture of the red-nosed Deerling.

“Okay. Can we try to leave by 10?” Aeneas’ suggestion sounded respectful yet solemn.

“Aw come on! We’re blessed that we’re here! Can’t you be excited guys!?” The black haired and tanned Luis chastised Aeneas before throwing his heavy arm at Aeneas’. Aeneas gasped and tried to respectfully distance himself from Luis inch by inch, but Luis’ arm and enthusiasm proved to be too strong.

“No!” Brandon, the Isda born group leader, made his way up into the stairs and threw a sharp glare and finger at Luis. “It’s because of you that we lost a lot of money for a lottery that got us into this stupid party!”

“But it’s a party of a lifetime! We get to feel rich for this one night!” Aaron joined them, raising his voice and throwing his arms around as if he was in the theater. Brandon simply narrowed his eyes at Luis, who grinned bigger as Aaron enthusiastically joined on his defense. “Do you guys not know the full implications of this glorious night? This one night?”

“Here we go. The monologue…” Aeneas sighed.

“For one night boys! We dine like kings! We will mingle and integrate ourselves into the elite! We are now them! Our party is our oyster! We shall dine with them, chat with them, and I promise you that all of us will be dancing with princesses!”

“Princesses?” Aeneas question, raising his voice.

“Princesses!” Brandon threw Aaron’s word back at him while aiming his cold stare at Aaron. His arms were crossed. He was not amused.

“Yeah,” Luis nodded back, raising his eyebrows at Aaron. To be honest, he didn’t believe that the four nobodies would even have a chance to meet any distinguished celebrities or royalties here. But he quickly sided with Aaron just to have some fun. “If we won our way to the gala, we can certainly win our way to the princesses.”

“Yeah sure. Why not…” Aeneas quietly replied, rolling his eyes. But his sarcasm flew right over Aaron and Luis’ heads. “Let’s just head to the party.”

“Let’s.” Brandon nodded, and the four entered through the gilded doors.

[RunSpinAwa]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Important IC Updates}

- This is Cole's post as noted on the dark blue post template.
- Cole and Senuki find a peculiar painting that looks like him.

Cole was not much of an art collector or critic. Yet he decided to walk around the art gallery since it might be a bit crowded inside the lounge and dance hall and he was not very much a dancer especially since he was wearing a black and white tuxedo with a blue vest underneath the suit jacket and black shoes. His dyed cyan hair was slightly slicked back, yet he let some of his bangs stick out as he tightened his bow tie while he was walking around.

As for why he was here, he was invited to be in a gala by his friends. Although, all of them split up to enjoy the festivities individually, which made him question why he was invited here in the first place. Because of this, he had to let his Frogadier so he won't be a bit lonely walking around the venue. However, he stopped to see a particular artwork above him, namely a young teenager with black messy down hair and midnight blue eyes wearing a polo shirt, brown shorts, and brown boots. He was surprised at the near resemblance, which Senuki also gasped at this.

"Whoa... This is a bit awkward." Last time he recalled, neither his parents contribute to the art for the gallery nor he remembered an ancestor in his family. "What do you think, Senuki? Any idea who that is?"

His Water-type just shrugged as his reply, which the young trainer began to hum in thought at this strange painting.

Word Count: 253

[Snow]

Gale sat on a bench by the frozen pond. Sitting beside him wrapped up in her wool was Rhea. She had a pair of green earmuffs that matched her horns. She shivered and cuddled closer to Gale for warmth. He proceeded to unzip his winter coat and the whimsicott climbed inside. He proceeded to zip up his jacket until just Rhea's little head popped over the edge. Ever since the Cascadia incident, Rhea refuses to return to her ball. Now, her scratched pokeball just sits at his waist as mere ornamental decoration.

"I see you've taken time to enjoy the sights." a voice from behind called out.

Gale turned his head to watch Samuel Heartford sit on the bench beside him. He handed his son a Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate. Gale happily took the cup and cupped it in both hands.

"You know," Samuel said, taking a sip from his own cup, "Lynn will be able to get her own pokemon soon. She's exactly like Lyssa. Too fleeting to stay in one place."

"I'll keep an eye on her when the time comes," Gale replied, looking down at the liquid inside the foam cup.

Rhea wriggled inside the coat, turning to try and take a look at what was inside the cup. Gale shook his head, saying something along the lines that chocolate is bad for pokemon. Rhea pouted and turned around, burying her face into Gale's stomach to get the sweat liquid out from eyes view so she wouldn't be tempted.

[nyxxie]

Placing his hand ever so gently on the stylist’s own, Venus sat still as he watched him paint a shiny clear coat on his nails and add several jewels to each and every single finger. He had to be careful not to move too much as a hairstylist did their best to slick his hair back and straighten it so that there was no more shrinkage. The young man could feel the heat from the straightener on his head and to say it made him uncomfortable was an understatement. Venus’s anxiety was through the roof from just this one alteration alone. He begged his team not to do it, however, they felt the hairstyle would pair well with his ensemble and give him a more ‘edgy’ look. So he would tolerate it this one time. Never again though, never again. Venus would not tell them how he truly feels only because he was touched to see his entire team together for this one night. They couldn’t imagine how much he missed getting all glammed up for photoshoots or commercials with them. Over the years, they’ve become like a family to him and coming back to Godai without them was troubling.

“This is the night to really make an impression, you know.” Lee stood on one side of his suite with her phone in her hand, checking things off. She appeared to be serious and usually, when she’s like this, Venus did his best not to joke around.”Our boss really pulled strings, he got an exclusive designer for your suit and you can’t imagine how hard it was to find a good paparazzi and news journal company here that would actually write about you.”

“Uh, I believe I got the designer. She is a fan of mine after all.” Venus kept his mouth slightly open so that a makeup artist could gloss his lips.”But do not worry, I won’t ruin the night. I’ll show up, make the big stink you guys want and leave.”

“Don’t do that. We don’t want you to stink. We want you to mingle and make new friends.” Lee glared at Venus as his team placed a few more finishing touches on him.”Lets go. We’ve gotta get you to the party.”

~~

Venus hugged Estrella, who was on his lap in a silk long-sleeve dress with a barette to match during the entire car ride. It wouldn’t be long before the car pulled up to a lovely residence Venus only wished he could afford. A group of hired paparazzi and journalist waited for him as he would soon slide out the car in a lovely sapphire colored suit made of velvet; his bottoms were bell bottoms with a corset-like vest and his jacket was just draped over his shoulders so that there was a better view of the lovely diamond pendant necklace around his glistening neck. Estrella had one that matched.

He did as he was told too. Venus answered a few questions and mentioned who designed his suit. Eager to see the inside of what he believed to be a palace, the model wrapped it up quickly so that he could move on.”This is our first gala together, Estrella. How do you feel about it?” He mentioned to his pokemon out of earshot of the paparazzi.

Being just as excited as he was, the ralts made a joyful sound and even jumped a little.

“Me too. I love the holidays. Since everything will be your first this year, I’ll try to do as much as I can so that we have a great year. I promise.” Holding his pokemon’s hand, he squeezed it and smiled down at her as they followed a group of boys in. Their conversation was interesting and very amusing. From what he’s heard, they seemed to be fighting over whether or not they’d be meeting a princess tonight.

What an interesting topic of conversation.

“I’ve never met a princess before. If you boys find some, promise you’ll introduce them to me?” Venus spoke loud enough to grab their attention as they entered the gilded doors.

[DrakeX]

Standing in front of a body sized mirror, the man nods approvingly of his choices. Greeting him is a tall man dressed in form fitting black trousers, with a six-buttoned double-breasted tailcoat constricting just nicely along his torse and a pair of classic shoes comfortably fit around his feet. Underneath the tailcoat he wears a simple, white button up shirt with its cuffs and his tie carrying the Godai Royal family's crest as a small, silver chain connects his trousers with a pocket on his vest. He pulls the silver watch at the end of the chain out of the pocket, allowing him to inspect it and check the time before he places it back. A pair of dark blue rimmed, aviator glasses are pushed firmly on top of his nose by a white, leathered glove while his other hand has a firm hold of his cane.

Turning his focus slightly to the other being visible in the mirror, Hendrickson addresses it with a cocky grin while playfully bowing ever so slightly forward with a hand over his chest. "What do you think?"

Marilyn buzzes in excitement at her Trainer's choice of garment, and more importantly at being able to see it. She is one of the few Pokémon even allowed outside of her Pokéball during such a gathering, being the most disciplined and social of his ragtag bunch by a mile and a half. Which does not mean she is the only one he carries with him, not after his experiences. Chuckling at the excitement clear on her face, Hendrickson walks out of the dressing room and towards the attendent.

"I do believe I'll be picking this outfit to enjoy the festives."

"Ah, splendid sir. Might I inform you that you seem to have been born to wear those clothes?"

"Fufufu, you are too kind. Well then, I suppose I will be mingling with my fellow guests. I do hope you have an eventful evening." With those words, the bluette makes his way out of the dressing area and into the entrance hall of the massive mansion he finds himself in, Marilyn buzzing contently behind him. He takes a minute to fully appreciate the view, not only of the interior but also the sheer amount of people present and that before the main focus of this event is underway. Hendrickson politely thanks a nearby waiter as he grabs a glass of the plate and walks further into the mansion, interested to explore his host's residence.

The statue of an unknown Pokémon grabs his attention before he can make too much of a headway in. Standing in front of the art piece, the sheer bulk and power the creature execudes even as a still, marble object amazes him as a small glimmer of greed enters his eyes. Wings outstretched, one talon standing in front of the other, head raised high and beak opened in a screech defying the world Hendrickson cannot help but want it. A slight, temporary increase of Marilyn's buzzing - barely seconds even - informs him that he will be joined shortly by another, but the man neither flinches or acknowledges the presence, instead simply opting to sip from his glass.

"Impressive, is it not?" A suave voice offers.

Faking surprise with the blink of his eyes, Hendrickson turns his head to a flamboyant man who choose to go all out in the dressing room. Wearing a red and green striped jester's outfit over a white, long-sleeved shirt along with yellow tights, purple shoes, and a brown leather belt worn around the waist. On his back a bunch of pink feathers not unlike a peacock's are standing straight, forcing him to take up almost twice the amount of space of a normal person. His face is completely covered up by a white paint, a blue star painted on one eye while the other has a indigo teardrop underneath it. The lips are hidden behind a black fan with golden ridges.

Hendrickson is not ashamed to admit the sight of all those differing colours disorients him the slightest of bits. It almost makes him ignore the fact the man is almost a head taller than him and must be some professional powerlifter, because those clothes are just barely holding together under the strain of all the muscle - and he can clearly see it is muscle - the man possesses. Almost.

Not that he shows it, as an inviting smile forms its way on his face. "It most definitely is. It's my first time seeing such a Pokémon and I was simply amazed by the sheer beauty it gives off."

Chuckling demurely - that is not the sound someone like him should make - at his tone, the man nods his head along. "I understand what you mean. Trust me, seeing one in real life will completely steal your breath away."

"I can only imagine." Hendrickson took another sip. "You would not know anything else about this Pokémon, wouldn't you?"

"Now wouldn't you like to know, darling?" The man's eyes crinkle in such a way to show he is smiling behind the fan before he makes his exit.

Staring after the man until he cannot see a single feather of his peacock's tail, the bluette gives one last look at the statue before following him deeper in. A scowl briefly - barely a second - replaces the friendly grin on his face. 'Let's find out just how much use this gathering will be.'

[Ty the Squirtle]

“So where are we supposed to go first?” Brandon quizzed the group with a straight face. The four were already beyond the entrance and at the grand golden foyer with guests in colors of mistletoe and wreaths of all ages coming and going.

“The dance floor!” Luis shot out loud.

“The food!” Aaron yelled at the same time.

And immediately, Luis and Aaron turned their heads and sharp glares at each other. Brandon sighed calmly. He crossed his arms, casually predicting that they were going to yell at each other in less than three seconds, which he was right. When Luis and Aaron began shouting at each other whether to win over girls or quiet their stomachs, Brandon simply watched. A small smile cracked from Brandon’s lips; It’s certainly entertaining just them throwing bad arguments at each other.

Meanwhile, Aeneas wandered off from the group, certainly not interested in hearing Luis and Aaron verbally play it out. His eyes and curiosity were captured by the sight of the runic slabs hoisted on the wall inside a glass box for everyone to see.

“No way! The futharks in its entire alphabet! Lemme see… sol… oss… naudiz…” His finger pointed to each rune on the stone slabs.

“Hey, Aeneas!” Brandon hollered. When Aeneas’ head turned, all three of them turned their glares at Aeneas. “Now’s not the time to just stare at ancient artifacts! Let’s eat!”

“But they’re authentic futhark runes!” whined Aeneas. “I wanna learn more about it!” Besides, it was the only interesting thing about the party in Aeneas’ eyes.

“We’re here to party! Not study!” chastised Luis.

“But-but-but…” Aeneas tried to throw out another reason, but Luis shook his head and approached him ready to grab his hand. The black-haired kid wasn’t mad at him, but he was slightly disappointed that this was Aeneas’ definition of ‘fun’.

“Hey! I think what that kid’s doing is cool!” When Aeneas and Luis heard the voice, they turned their heads to see a taller brunette woman in a golden skirt dress. To Luis, a living goddess in front of their eyes and taking full interest in them; He swore that the girl looked like she came from college. Not even Brandon nor Aaron could ignore it: the first woman they might have captured for the night.

However, Aeneas simply gave her the quirky, looking directly into her eye. “What do you want?” Aeneas softly spoke, but his words were sharp and to the point.

“Geez Aeneas,” spoke Aaron. “Manners!”

“It’s okay!” The woman smiled, not worried about Aeneas’s interrogation. “I didn’t know anyone else at the party would be interested in runes. I thought I was the only one staring at it!”

“You know about it?” Aeneas’s rude tone disappeared and curiously pitched.

“Well, not really but I really like it. I just don’t know the language,” confessed the woman.

Aeneas took a quick look at the runes and nodded. “Solgaleo. It’s not hard. The sol rune doesn’t say a lot, but the other runes are kennings of the solar lion god.”

The woman didn’t say anything and simply stared back while Aeneas was simply smiling. But Brandon, Luis, and Aaron silently eyed his fourth friend with dread. To their eyes, Aeneas might have scared their goddess-looking college woman away with his geeky talk about ancient stones. So many ideas ran across Luis’ mind: get between Aeneas and the woman to force her sights on him, kick Aeneas out, anything could have worked.

“If you don’t mind, I can tell you more about it. If the owner of this mansion has more ancient artifacts, we should find it and study it.” To Brandon, Luis, and Aaron’s shock, Aeneas offered a hand to the woman, a behavior completely out of nature. Aeneas normally shy away from anyone, especially girls. Why then was the shy and timid nerd suddenly asking her to hang out with him as if he already knew how to pick up ladies?

“It’s a date! I’ll even grab my friends!” The woman took Aeneas’s hand, whose smile grew a lot bigger. It wasn’t the fact that she’s hot. Rather, he just found a new friend who may love things about myths and legends.

“Date? Friends!?” Aaron barged in, trying to get a piece of Aeneas’ catch. “We wanna meet them!”

“I’m sorry guys. But I want to hang out with this little bro here. Maybe you should go to the sloped fields. There’s a nice bouncy house there with all the kids,” apologized the woman.

“I will catch up with you guys later!” Aeneas gave a goodbye wave, and the two immediately walked away leaving his shocked friends behind, empty, and robbed of their opportunity.

Before the two turned right and disappeared from Brandon, Luis, and Aaron’s eyes, Aeneas smiled and gave a playful finger wag at the lady. “It’s not a date for me. I would officially call it an archeological study…”

[seenter]

-Chris Seenter-
Chris found himself walking along the edge of the lake that was frozen over and cleared of snow. He couldn’t believe he was at an actual gala; having received an invitation due to his participation in the tournament several months back. It seemed all participants received an invitation, though he only noticed a few upon arrival. None of the ones he knew personally had arrived yet, but he did spot some who were in the tournament.

By his side Samis walked on the packed snow keeping up with him. He had considered his other Pokemon like Rein his Heracross or Dusk his Castform, but decided on the Skiddo because she was his very first Pokemon. She was his best friend, and if he was going into the Pyroar’s den he wanted someone he trusted to watch his back.

At least I didn’t bring Flint with me. He chuckled at the thought. The Tranquill might have made a beeline for the food and make a mess of the whole gala. Keeping a smile on his face he turned to look out onto the ice. Several people and Pokemon were skating on the smooth ice and having fun. Many were falling on the ice, but still he heard laughter mixed in with the pain of hitting the hard surface. In a way he wished he knew how to ice skate, but growing up in Kotoba it didn’t get cold enough to freeze the water. There was some snow, but not enough.

Looking out over the frozen water Chris noticed as a young boy skated close to the shore with his Bronzor floating nearby keeping up. He watched as the boy noticed some of the more advanced skaters perform a sudden stop and tried it himself.

The resulting impact was enough to make Chris cringe. The boy let out a wail of pain, and his floating Bronzor circled the boy in agitation. Letting out a sigh the young man turned and headed for the foolish boy. Samis followed behind keeping up with her trainer.

-James Greyknow-
Standing with his back to the wall James surveyed the ballroom as couples and even strangers danced on the slightly raised platform in the middle. He wasn’t one to dance, mainly because he never learned how. Growing up in Durskrim the only dancing he was familiar with was the kind his mother did to earn extra income. And he was quite sure he’d be arrested if he tried it here. Instead he contented himself with people watching as they danced.

Ray sat on his shoulder watching the festivities with a look of open fascination. The small Ralts stood a little taller than his ankle, but when she sat on his shoulder she was almost to the top of his head. He was comfortable with her weight there and didn’t pay it much mind. Being an off color version Ray always drew the eye, but here at the gala she didn’t get much more than a glance.

On their right was a hallway that lead to the lounge where people socialized and took a break from dancing. James wasn’t much for socializing, though his uncle did teach him how to have generic conversations with complete strangers. It’s how he was able to find himself alone on the wall without offending anyone who came up to ask him questions. Most were about his uncle, who had secured him an invitation to the gala. Being a successful merchant had its benefits it seemed.

James felt the awe Ray had watching the dancing turn slowly to pain and great sadness. He looked over in surprise at the Ralts and noticed she was looking down the hallway leading to the lounge. Taking a moment to calm his mind he probed at the motion until he realized it wasn’t coming from Ray. True the empathic link was through Ray, however she was projecting someone else’s emotion to him. Turning his head he looked down the hallway to see who the emotion belonged to.

A young woman sat in a chair next to the hallway on the other side looking out at the people mingling in the lounge. From what James could see she appeared to be just enjoying the solitude, but the feeling was another matter. She wasn’t crying, but her heart said she wanted to. He turned his attention back to the dancing to ignore the feeling, but Ray kept the feeling from being ignored. Finally with a defeated sigh he turned and headed down the hallway towards the woman.

[Snow]

Gale looked over the lake, his eyes following a pair of bodies gliding across the frozen surface. A happy couple enjoyed their time with each other. Gale frowned and turned his gaze away. His eyes fell on another pair of bodies. Another couple. A man held onto a woman's arm trying to steady himself. The woman giggled every time he staggered. Eventually, the man fell and brought the woman down with him. The two were laughing hysterically sprawled out on the ground together. Gale's frown deepened

"I know what happened between the two of you is hard son," Samuel said, watching the same scene as Gale.

Gale shifted uncomfortably in his seat. This was not a topic he wanted to talk about. Especially not with his father. Gale placed his hand on his stomach, which just so happened to be Rhea's back, and pulled her in closer. Rhea squirmed under his embrace, much like a cat when you try to hug it.

"Sorry dad, I don't want to talk about it..." Gale said trailing off.

"It's fine. I'm going to take a walk around the Gala. I heard that there are some important people walkin' about." Samuel said, "Goin' to see if I can get a quote from them about the recent fire in Cascadia."

Gale pursed his lips and gave a nod towards his father.

"Okay."

"Don't just sit here and sulk. You should go for a walk too..."

"Okay..."

Samuel looked at his son for a moment and patted him on the shoulder. He paused with his hand on his shoulder, patted it once more then turned and left.

Gale continued to stare at the frozen lake, his eyes fixated on the smooth surface. Rhea tapped him in the stomach. Nothing hard, but a sort of 'Oi, I can't breathe' tap. He loosened his grip on her, his arms slumping to his sides.

[macbeth]

The fighting type's claws dug into her calves. Though the talons stung, she got the feeling that he was being as gentle as he possibly could. Delicately, she adjusted her weight so as not to send the makeshift totem pole toppling over. A concerned chirp came from below her. "Alright, Dio," she muttered, more for her comfort than the pokemon's. The Blaziken remained non-responsive as his trainer watched on, barely concealing a laugh behind a thick woolen scarf. Numb fingers groped alongside a gutter drain. She couldn't see inside, so her best option was to use her sense of touch. Unfortunately, it had already been crippled by the freezing weather.

Andy and Pasha remained silent for a moment, though she heard the latter clear his throat a few times- likely to prepare himself to speak out. Her brow furrowed in concentration. After a few moments, she grabbed the object of concern- a small throwing disc- before the pokemon holding her aloft nearly tumbled as he attempted to bring her down safely. Andy slid a small object back into his pocket- possibly a holocaster camera- before clearing his throat. "Man, good thing you didn't tumble." his tone of voice was exaggerated in its relief. "If only one of us had a flying type."

A beat passed. And then two. Pasha looked at the ground miserably- that had likely been what he had been trying to say earlier. She didn't have enough time to get a good look at his face, though, as she threw the disc to the side and dove towards Andy, shoveling snow down his undershirt and directly into his mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cosette, meanwhile, had her hands full- quite literally. Nobody knew her in Godai- for better or for worse- and as such she was allowed to take comfort in her own anonymity. She kept her head down low, allowed Cei to follow her as she explored the residence, and just... let herself be.

The unfamiliarity of the experience was sobering.

The ghost type was hard to read, but in general, she was pretty docile- from what she could tell so far, she didn't have a preference when it came to soaking up emotions. Occasionally, she'd look at the party platters being passed around, but never tried to take anything off. Which was to be expected- ghost types, especially pure ones like the Duskull, rarely needed to eat.

Her stomach wasn't too keen, either. Eating with others was difficult; she much preferred to be by herself. Nonetheless, she couldn't turn down too much without making a scene- a small plate was delicately placed on the coffee table to her right, topped with some whipped cream and various fruits. The former singer and gym leader let herself melt a little further into the couch. She didn't know anyone here, and the thought of starting a conversation was daunting.

Despite being surrounded by people, she'd never felt so completely alone.

An odd noise off to her side drew her attention. Cei was gone, as was a large dollop of cream and half a strawberry. When the ghost type slowly manifested back in place as if nothing was wrong, her bony face was speckled with white.

[nyxxie]

He was slightly taken back by the boy’s rudeness. At least, that’s what he thought of it at first. Then he decided to take the blame; maybe he was just too quiet for anyone to hear him. Venus had moments where he cannot recognize the tone of his voice and whether or not he’s using it correctly. Sometimes, he thinks he’s talking loud enough for others to hear him and other times, the model believes his voice is as quiet as a mouse. This might be one of those times where his voice isn’t very loud and that’s okay. The boys walked off cheerfully and it made him smile. He wished he had friends like that--friends he could attend parties with and make jokes that only they could understand.

While pausing and admiring the moment the children were sharing, Venus did not notice his pokemon had left his side. Estrella had disappeared, taking her trainer’s energy with her. By the time he noticed, there was nothing but the train of her dress for him to follow. He was surprised that no one had stepped on the ruffled pink cloth of silk. At the same time, Venus was grateful too. Venus tried to pick it up, but he missed it each time as well.

“Ester, come on…” He called out to the pokemon. Venus was beginning to grow tired of her shenanigans now. In a short period, he was drained of his energy.”This isn’t okay-- OH NO.”

The time he dreaded had come. The ralts was lost to her trainer and he was beginning to panic. She should have known that this is not the time nor the place to get lost. Venus began checking most of the rooms; nothing more than sticking his head through each door frame, his eyesight was good enough to spot her. No sign of her in the dance hall or lounge. He was on his way to the patio when he finally spotted her. It was almost fate, the art gallery cleared as he passed it and the soon-to-be coordinator could see his ralts.

Estrella remained still. She faced away from him, staring as something Venus couldn’t exactly see until he stood right next to her.”Estrella, you can’t leave my side whenever you please! What if you got hurt? What if...what if….”His voice drifted as he noticed Estrella paid no attention to him whatsoever. Her gaze remained on what was in front of them.

A painting.

Venus followed her glance, he looked at the painting. A beautiful one at that of a gardevoir that appeared to be sleeping. Its hair was longer than their kind and curling around its face and bosom area. The gardevoir held flowers, roses, against its chest too. The painting appeared to sparkle and the colors used for the gardevoir were much lighter than their usual color.

“Estrella...do you like this?” Venus looked at his pokemon. Estrella’s eyes remained on the painting as she nodded.”It looks like the gardevoir you saw on television, right?”

Again she nodded. He soon got the hint, following his pokemon’s cue. The young man too began admiring the painting silently.

[DrakeX]

"Oof! Gahahahah!" While normally not a reaction many people expect from falling on your ass, the sight of a man laughing heartedly while his dwarfed clefairy fusses over him is one many enjoy.

The thought of attending a social gathering of this magnitude never crossed the giant man's mind - more because of the stuffy image he had about such events along with the idea he'd never even be invited. Not that he personally was, but he supposed that being the 'plus one' for his younger sister to this gala was just as good as any excuse. As soon as they entered the mansion, his sister seperated from him no doubt in search of old and new connections to further her ambitions and he wished her all the good luck. He was actually thankful to her for doing so, as he was more the 'natural' type of social guy. Give him a beer and a conversation partner and he'd be set to go. But politics? There was a reason he liked being a simple miner with no desire to move up in the company.

Left to his own devices Leonard let his feet guide him and was briefly tempted to call upon Fern to have at least one familiar face around, but knowing how little the Grass type enjoyed such gatherings stopped him. He doubted the fine owner of this establishment would much care for having a Rock type's natural dirt strewn around, so he refrained from calling Gjöll up. Crysta on the other hand, was a safe choice no matter how you looked at it. The Fairy type cheerfully greeted him but upon seeing all the pretty lights and dresses, she proceeded to ignore him to explore. Or attempt to. Knowing the gleam in her eyes due to his experience with naughty children, Leonard quickly had a firm hold on the clefairy and placed her on top of his shoulder. Not that she terribly minded as Mt. Leonard gave her an even better view of her surroundings.

When he noticed that people could go outside to the snowblanketed garden, Leonard followed that group suit after donning some appropriate clothing for both him and his 'mon. While Crysta was less pleased to be out in the cold rather than inside with the pretty people, the festival decorations did please her just as much. As they explored the outside, the two of them quickly found a lake frozen by the cold on which quite a few people show off their skating skills. Never having done such an activity himself, and with Crysta pulling him along by the beard, the man gave it a try himself. He quickly found out that his skating skills were quite non-existent, as this was the fourth time he fell on his ass. Not that he found it any less amusing! Learning something new was always such.

"Hahah, don't worry Crysta. I'm fine." The reassures the Fairy type, who looks at him disbelievingly.

"Trrrrri~." The concern in her voice is clear and her eyes longingly shifting towards the solid ground tell Leonard enough.

"All right, all right you worry wart. Let's go explore more, shall we?" The beaming smile she gives him makes him burst out in laughter once more, which continues on even as he stumbles his way back to the snow like a newborn Ducklett. Once back on solid land, he hands the rente skates back at one of the attendees with a smile.

"Hahah, thanks for those. I can only image how much of a pain it must have been to find a pair in my size. Make sure to keep heated! Oh, woo-!" The mountain gets pulled along by his beard once more by the impatient critter on his shoulder, preventing him from hearing the attendee's response. Patting the small of his back with two of his fingers to calm her down, the man rubs his beard once she lets go and inspects it for missing hairs. Finding none, he cheekily addresses his Pokémon.

"You know, if you keep pulling on my beard like that you'll be pulling it out at this rate." The Fairy Pokémon simply huffs and looks away as she crosses her arms, making him laugh once again. His laughter gets cut short when he notices a man sitting forlornly by himself. Surveying the lake, he cannot help but notice the contrast between the man's image and the happy couple and laughing people around and about. While normally not one to meddle with a stranger, twas the season of happiness and giving and no one should be alone to their dark thoughts during such a time.

Changing his trajectory, Leonard makes as much noise as possible to prevent spooking the brooding man and his Pokémon - whimsicot he believes? It certainly looks like something from his youngest sibling's fairy tales - before greeting him from a few feet away.

"G'evening mate! The name's Leonard, how're you doing this evening!"

[RunSpinAwa]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Pokemon Declaration/Encounter!/Important IC Updates}

- This is Cole's post and a continuation of this post.
- Cole learned about the painting before he and Senuki left.

"Oh, is this your first time seeing that artwork?"

Cole's eyes widened as he and Senuki turned around and saw a man in a suit and glasses approached the young trainer. "Um... Sort of... Though I'm just attracted at how eerily similar that kid in the painting as me."

The man turned to see the said painting and smiled as he said, "Ah, you mean the "Determined Child"? A marvelous masterpiece, isn't it?" He then took a closer look and then the young trainer. "Although, now that you've mentioned it, you almost have a large resemblance to this young lad. The only thing that stood out between both of you is your hair."

"Yeah. Before you ask, mine is dyed cyan. But the dye I'm using is safe for me to use," Cole reassured the man. "As for the painting, when was it first made? I don't know if it's too old or new." From that painting alone, he wouldn't be surprised if it was a descendant of his family, although that would be too farfetched and ridiculous to be true.

"Well, this painting is part of the "Trainer's Predecessors" series that was made by a well-known painter a few years ago. True to its name, the paintings depict several figures before the era where Pokemon trainers exist most of them features a Pokemon by their side."

Once he said this, Cole turned to the painting again for a closer look, which he did notice that the boy has a Honedge by his side as well as his narrowed eyes with a small smirk while staring with an air of confidence around them. "I can see the theme of the past running through this painting. Although that doesn't answer my question on why does he look like me?"

"Oh, that. I don't the reason behind it, but there are rumors that if you find a doppelganger from one of these paintings, there is a chance it may predict something in your journey soon."

"Predict? Like what?"

The man hummed in thought as joined the young boy's side. "Like the Pokemon you may catch in the new future. Your goals, your feelings, anything! Just think of it as the painting is reading your thoughts and predicting your future."

"O-Okay..." He had no idea what he was saying, but he did see his point. A Pokemon that he was a bit familiar with and the mountains that seemed to resemble Miner's Memorial Caves.

"To be honest, I don't know if the rumors are true. But I can commend the composition and how he blended the colors in. He even did justice on the boy's expression as well as..."

Before they knew it, Cole and Senuki watched the man ranting about the painting in pure disbelief. As they continued to listen, the trainer couldn't help but back away until he whispered to his Water-type, "Um... Do you want to join up with the others on the dancehall?"

His Frogadier nodded yes before he and Cole silently walked away from the ranting man.

Word Count: 509

SPOILER: Click to show

{Pokemon Declaration/Encounter!/Important IC Updates}

- This is the first post for Theo. And another Cole's.
- Theo meets Cole.

The Snowfall Gala was a wonderful holiday event set before Delimas. With several people enjoying the festivities and food, everyone was having a good time inside the mansion. Well, almost everyone.

"Snowball fight!"

As a snowball flew and hit the Miltank's face, she mooed panickly as she quickly hid behind a small snow hill just as a kid in snow clothing threw another one to her. However, a Shuppet flew in and took the hit meant for him and growled at him as he laughed at this.

"Guess again, evildoer!"

Upon hearing that voice, the boy turned around and gasped to see Theo jumped out of another hill nearby and threw a snowball towards his face. Once it hit it, the boy in his age froze in shock before he screamed and ran away. "Return fire! Return fire!"

As soon as he declared this, many more boys in his age jumped out behind the trees and snow forts and started pelting on Theo. This caused him to shield himself with his arms to no avail as he shouted, "I don't think so! Vivi, you're up!"

The kids stopped throwing snowballs, which they were confused at who he was talking to. But then, they heard a noise behind them and when they turned around, they gasped and screamed as a large snowball the size of a car rolled through the small slope and before they could react, it hit all of them in one strike, which spread the snow around them as they were now trapped in it.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!" One kid protested.

"Ask a kid who made a rule that anything goes!" Theo pouted as he approached them. Just like them, he was wearing snow clothing layered on his original outfit that consisted of an aqua down jacket as a replacement to his signature vest, blue gloves to his long fingerless gloves, and black snow boots to his sneakers. "Besides, isn't this kind of snowball fight a little bit too much?"

"What's wrong with it? Besides, we do agree that we're letting our Pokemon join the snowball fight, right?" Another kid countered.

"That's true. But it doesn't mean you got my permission to bully my Pokemon! Plus, this isn't a fair fight for both us and Pokemon. Can we just do this without them?"

Hearing his complaints, the kids frowned as they surrounded him as some of them cracked their fists. "Are you saying you're not going to fight? I thought you agreed to this knowing the rules of it!"

"Yeah! But that doesn't mean you have to call me a cheat and pelt Miu without her permission!"

"You know what. Forget this." Theo's eyes widened to see the leader raised his fist against him. "Maybe it's time to show you..." But before he could throw his fist, a blue webbed hand grabbed his wrist. "H-Hey! What gives?!"

"You'll show nothing if you try resorting to this argument with force!"

As they turned around to find the source of the youthful male voice with a mature tone, the kids and Theo gasped to see not only a blue bipedal frog with scarf-like soapy foam bubbles, but also a young boy in Theo's age with dark cyan unkempt hair wearing a long-sleeved navy blue turtleneck jacket, dark blue pants, blue fanny pack attached to his belt, and black boots.

"Unless you want me to report your behavior to your parents, you better let that kid go."

The kids were not only shocked to see a new face siding with Theo but to see an evolved Pokemon beside him. Seeing this, the kids reluctantly backed away as Theo ran up to his Miltank, Scorbunny, and Shuppet as they cried happily.

"U-Um... Let's do something else. Come on," the lead boy declared before he and his friends left Theo and the new face.

"T-Thanks for your help. But I could have to take care of them by myself," Theo said to the boy, who frowned as he looked at his Pokemon.

"Hey, there are times that you need to accept help from others sometimes. I see you got guts, but you have to avoid being reckless when it comes to those kids. I know because I dealt with those same type of guys before."

"Oh... I see." The brunette-haired boy rubbed the back of his head as he stared at the boy. "By the way, who are you? Are you here for that Gala thing, too?"

"Why yes. Most of the trainers are here for it. As for me, my name is Colby Tsukiyuro. But you can call me Cole."

Word Count: 770
Total Word Count: 1,279

[macbeth]

Dripping snow froze her stomach and sides as she and her friends stumbled inside the manor. A giggle left her lips- even Pasha had gotten involved. Dio had been returned to his pokeball, but in return, Queen had been sent out. A few hours before the Gala, Bailey had sprinted her up and down the parks, and as a result, she was much too tired to cause any trouble. Instead, the cat simply snuggled into her arms and shoulders limply, occasionally chittering when she saw a food-filled plate pass by. Despite being an ice type, her lithe body warmed her torso considerably.

The dark type let out a huge yawn next to her cheek, showing off a row of viciously pointed teeth. A small poke of her bristled tongue on her bare skin let Bailey know that the pokemon didn't mind the current positioning. She looked around briefly- Andy didn't have any other pokemon, but Pasha was holding a bundle of dark fur as well.

Almost wordlessly, they collapsed in front of the nearest fireplace. Her skin stung from the sudden temperature increase. The pokemon in her arms tensed at the shifting of her position but ultimately remained docile. A soft meow right into her ear jolted her out of whatever thoughts she had as she ran a finger down Queen's coarse, dark fur. She hated cold weather, being from the south, but if every winter was like this, she might not mind so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cosette picked up a soft napkin from the coffee table in front of her. Little dabs of whipped cream came off of the ghost type's bony face while she hovered perfectly still. The retired leader balled up the piece of paper after she was finished, letting herself stand up. "Come on," she spoke softly. The red light that represented her partner's eye flickered- perhaps it was her equivalent of blinking? "Let's find a trash can, then head home." Tenderly grabbing one of the ghost's spindly arms, she led her pokemon through the large manor. From another room, music began to play softly. It wasn't something she'd typically be interested in, but... She glanced behind her.

Cei seemed to bob and stutter in place every so often- usually in tune with the music's beat. "Do you like the song?" she asked. The pokemon did not respond, but she didn't expect her to. Her eye flickered once more. She might not have been able to respond vocally, but minute physical cues could be used to determine her current mood. Another full-body shudder. "You do, don't you?" her own response was barely audible. A tilt of her head. She supposed it couldn't hurt if they stayed a little longer.