There were a lot of masquerades in Hoenn around this time of year, but almost all of them were in very inconvenient places for a hermit living in Petalburg Woods to get to. Mauville, Lilycove, Mossdeep... they were all so far! When she heard that there would be one in a city as close as Rustboro, she wasn't going to turn it down. Furthermore, part of the party's grounds were outdoors, letting her Pokémon get in on the fun!

With how fast some of her Pokémon were, it did not take her long to get from her Secret Base in Petalburg Woods to Rustboro City; at a brisk pace, it was about a half hour's ride on the back of Kiara, her Pyroar. The lioness was dressed for the occasion, too, looking much more like an equine. She kept her burning mane a solid orange color, boasting a false, cyan equine tail, large, blue false hooves covering her paws and claws, and a dark blue horn that looked like a sword. Sticking out of the furs of her head were three feathers: one green, one orange, and one blue.

Shalin was even more different-looking than usual; her normally solid-green outfit was a light blue color with oranges and the occasional green. She had even dyed her hair a cyan color, and had the general look of a swashbuckling heroine out of a medieval fantasy setting. A blue, plastic sword in the likeness of Resolute Form Keldeo's horn was at her hips. A Pokémon plush in the Sacred Swordsman's likeness in her left hand, her Pyroar's reins in the right.

With the party having already started, Shalin waved as she and "Keldeo" entered the premises, looking for familiar faces. Then, she could have sworn she heard a song she recognized from her time at Round One Arcades in Mauville. It was Bad Apple!!, perhaps the most popular song among casual Step Step Revolution players. She looked for a place that wasn't crowded, set her Keldeo plushie down, then started stepping the song's EXPERT dance routine from memory, in almost perfect lockstep with the music. To anyone not familiar, it would look like she was tap-dancing the song's exact rhythm, sixteenth notes included.

Niky Racz

{WC: 374}
{PC: 1}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Kiara         Pyroar-F       Good
Starr         Espeon         Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       Good
Prance        Wyrdeer        Good

To say that were some interesting costumes would be an understatment. While his was bordering some fine lines between minimalistic, sexy, and cute, others were...a bit more hardcore. One such hardcore party goer was a bit late, but was riding on a Pyroar dressed as a Keldeo, and she a knight. There was a costume contest as well...but he was sure this lady was going to win it. Just as someone tipped him, Niky noticed the lady going at it to Bad Apple. The man spoke to him. "She sure is going at it."

"It's just the SSR dance at expert level for this song. She could add some flair to it, though."

"You know it?"

With a raised hand, tapping to the beat of the female voice, with a deep breath, he started singing to the male voice. While his voice was at least a little bit more masculine than it was back then, there was no mistaking it. He was half of the song. Once that segment was done, he spoke up. "Sis and I might have checked out what it was a few times." Meaning a lot.

"Not going to show her how its done?"

"Nope. Why start something? Besides, I have a bum leg, and these gigs are happening so frequently that its really inflamed. The more I relax it, the better. She does have my vote on the contest though..." That got a laugh out of the guy, who agreed and moved on. He got another song going, I Like it Loud. It certainly fit the mood. Might as well keep it going.

Shalin Nariya

Shalin got a moderate level of applause when she was finished with her impromptu performance. The young lady picked up her props after hearing the start of the next song. While she didn't recognize the song, she did bob her head to the beat. It was quite good, if a little lower octane than what she usually played. The crowd was quite a bit larger than what she was used to at the arcade, which made her a tad nervous. She reached toward Niky Racz and gently tapped him with the soft horn of her Pokémon plush.

"I like your taste in music," Shalin complimented, retracting her prop from the young man. "Couldn't help but mention you like SSR! It's been my favorite game for a long time. I always wanted to do tournaments, but we never had enough players in one place to do them back home." Kiara let out a greeting purr as she approached the dancer again. It certainly wasn't very Keldeo-like; a Galarian Ponyta would have been a much better fit. Unfortunately, she had yet to track one down. She started listing her most played songs, most of which were very high octane and likely too musically intense for a wide audience. Highlights included the extremely upbeat and speedy rock tone, ranker killer girl and the intimidating-sounding tech-trance, Schwarzschild Field. One thing was clear, though: she was quite good at the game. All of those songs had brutally difficult charts whose steps would have sounded like a drummer going at it do the untrained ear.

"Looking forward to the costume contest later tonight!" she quipped, drawing her plastic, Secret Sword-shaped blade and raising it above her in a victorious pose. "Name's Shalin, by the way. Wildest Pokémon rider this side of Hoenn!" Maybe dropping that title at a party like this wasn't a good idea...

Niky Racz

{WC: 310}
{PC: 2}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Kiara         Pyroar-F       Good
Starr         Espeon         Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       Good
Prance        Wyrdeer        Good

Soon enough, his vote for the costume contest walked over to him. Before she could tap him with her horn, an Ember flew out from Sol's mouth, past her and into a fire pit. The Larvesta glared at her as she spoke. Still, the blue-green eyed young man smiled. "Thank you. Though...do watch out. I'm pretty attentive, so just walking up gets my attention. Sol over there gets a little fiesty...there's a reason she's security." And said Larvesta had set four people on fire tonight, no need for his favorite to win the costume contest be the fifth victim. At least someone had a water pokemon to put them out too. "Yeah, its surprising how many songs, usually idol or upbeat musicals/electronics get on those. Sis noticed one of her exceptionally few singles got on there too. Still, they were fun. Pity for a tournament like that to happen, you practically have to go to Lilycove or Slateport." Plenty of people in those cities, you were bound to get enough people for those.

She then proclaimed her interest in the costume contest later tonight, and promptly introduced herself. Chuckling, Niky half wondered if she was going to flirt with him...not that it would be very successful, he batted for likely the same team she does. Yep, he assumed her sexuality, sue him. "Niky Racz, the hippest DJ in Rustboro, and likely all of Hoenn. And I also used to be an idol, until I took a car bumper to the knee." Quite litterally. And was bad enough to take multiple surgeries to fix, and even then it wasn't in the greatest of shapes. Especially right now. It used to be that just mentioning the accident would spiral him into an abyss...now he can actually joke and meme it now. How therapy had done him wonders, as well as supporting family members encouraging him to move in and step up. He moved on to one of his sister's singles, Ranker Killer Girl. That also happened to get onto SSR. "Don't hesitate to make a request or to tip me, either. This party is fairly chill, especially compared to some of the others that I have done recently..." The one with seven "Karens" almost made him give the main host a refund and pack up and leave because of them. One of the "Karens" did end up getting booted from the party at least. It was still bad...


Shalin Nariya

Shalin's jaw dropped when she heard Niky's name for the Larvesta that was working security. "...You don't say!" That wasn't the reason she was impressed though. "I also have a Volcarona named Sol, though he couldn't make it to Hoenn before the barrier went up. One of the first things I'm doing after the League takes care of the meteor is getting his paperwork filed again." When Niky revealed his sister wrote Ranker Killer Girl, Shalin smiled. "She must have won the big contest the devs put out. Every year they put out a contest for fans of the game to submit songs, and the winner gets to have their song debut at the finals of the biggest tournament in the world. The finalists have to play a chart they've never seen before on a song they've never heard before." Niky mentioned tournaments in Slateport or Lilycove. "There's a Round One in Mauville, too. That place is probably big enough for tournaments." She conveniently left off that most of the region's lower division tournaments took place there.

Niky had a sad story: a career as an Idol was illustrious, and likely would have made him financially loaded for life. "I wouldn't wish a career-ending accident on anyone," she empathized. "Still, I'm glad you've been able to stick with music." When the song started up, Shalin again set her props down to play along with the chart, as she had it memorized from grinding it for weeks on end as her first (and only) Full Combo on a 17. To anyone unfamiliar with the game, the moves would look dangerous with their rapid turns. To anyone familiar with the game, the speed she crossed her opposite leg across her body with was quite impressive. Even keeping up with the song was a big feat, given the speed matched that of many heavy metal songs.

When her performance was over, Shalin grabbed her Keldeo doll again and leaned against a nearby table, catching her breath. "And people are clamoring for a harder chart for that song," she sighed after receiving a round of applause. "17s still hurt, apparently."

Niky Racz

{WC: 356}
{PC: 3}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Kiara         Pyroar-F       Good
Starr         Espeon         Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       Good
Prance        Wyrdeer        Good

Oh, a similar taste in Pokemon? And nicknames... "Not sure how much trust to put in the League, but I'm not going to complain. Nice to know there's a kindred spirit in Pokemon and nicknames." It was kinda cute...pity she was a girl. Niky didn't know the circumstances about his sis. She didn't do idol work like he did, aside from a select few duets that she insisted on, but that checked out. "Wouldn't surprise me. She never spoke about it. Just because we did a select few duets, didn't mean she divulged that she was interested in that career path. Though she honestly could have succeeded. She has style and a voice." But she was also a rock that helped him all through his depression. He wouldn't trade her for the world. He'd also completely forgotten about Round One. Granted, he never had the opportunity to hit that arcade either. His shows in Mauville had always been quick one-night stoppers. Much to his chagrin.

After expressing her sympathy, he shrugged. "I still made a lot of bank. And even during my depression period, I still released occasional singles that were still popular enough. I still do, in fact. It's been a long road, but I'm still kick'in it." No need to dwell on it too much. Besides, there was some headaches that he was glad he didn't have to do/take anymore. After she did perfect 17s, she took a break. A much needed one. And this time, he laughed whole heartedly. "What, you don't have the stamina for it? Come on, dancer, surely you can do better." Someone heard this.

"Oh yeah, go do Sand Planet, Cripple!"

Oh, it was on. That guy just activated his trap card! Sand Planet originally wasn't even a song, it was just a musical tone that he did and liked. And went with it. It wasn't as refined as his later works, but Niky still wrote and danced to it. After setting it up, he tossed his cane at his Metang, who caught it with ease. Fuck his bum leg, he can still do this! "Just a note, this dance routine works mostly for a stage, witha single viewpoint of an audience. So step aside and face me!" And he went with it. It wasn't a particularly upbeat or tough routine, but it was perfect for the song at hand. And when he was done, he also had a round of applause. Optimus came by with his cane, and he leaned on it the whole way back to a counter and a much needed seat. "So, dancer girl, any particular duel performance you wanna do?" Adrenaline pumping, he wanted to go at it now that he had stepped up onto a stage.



Shalin Nariya

Shalin groaned; she had merely mentioned the meteoroid in passing, and she already got an opinion about distrust in the League. It wasn't her decision to make, and the League had more information than they did. Why worry about it? She was sure they would make the best decision with the information they had. Hoenn had survived far worse than a simple meteoroid. "To each their own! One of the reasons I had to get away from my family is they wanted to take me on a career path I didn't want to go on."

Her expression turned back to a smile when Niky said he was able to make quite a living. It seemed all it took was one hit to go megaviral and an artist would be set for life. "Just used to having the back rail behind me is all," Shalin answered, still a little short of breath. "How people play super high level charts without it is beyond me." She was, of course, referring to a rail that the game developers had to put behind the four panels as a safety measure to avoid lawsuits. Players quickly started to use it as support to conserve stamina, and after only a few years, became legal in tournaments. Considering the fastest so-called "death runs" in the game reached an almost inhuman sixteen steps per second, it was virtually mandatory at the highest levels of competition.

Niky's performance was impressive to watch, bum leg or no. And he still had more in him, it seemed. "Niky, let me think on that." Most of the songs she liked appealed to a very specific audience. She needed something strong and upbeat. Not something that would scare away half the party with how menacing it sounded. Aha, she had it. It was plenty difficult for her to impress, yet not exhausting. Furthermore, she could easily freestyle to its beat, rather than step exactly to the chart's rhythm.

Shalin pulled up the song's music video and Challenge stepchart on her phone. "Unfortunately the title is in Kantonian, and it doesn't translate well to the Hoennian tongue. It transliterates to 'Dadadadadadadadadada', but that character in Kantonian is closer to the word 'striking'. Almost like the POW sound from someone being struck in a comic book or cartoon. That's the first thing that comes to mind. And we better hurry - the costume contest is starting any minute."

Niky Racz

{WC: 402}
{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Kiara         Pyroar-F       Good
Starr         Espeon         Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       Good
Prance        Wyrdeer        Good

Niky nodded. He at least had support from his family. More than that, they were the ones that hooked him up. The blonde did laugh at the charts. "Yeah, even for me and sis, we struggled. I was only able to do it because of the all the choreography and stuff I had to do. Nowadays, no way in hell. Not with a bum knee and all. I can still dance with the best of them, but not for long." And then he proved it. He went back to his station for a few songs before Shalin pulled up the song. Showing it to him, Niky scrolled his selections. Oh! There it was. After a quick preview, it was at the same speed and everything. Grinning, he nodded. "Two more songs, then I'll play it."

True to his word, Niky warned about the next song. Then joined Shalin on the floor. "I'll follow your lead." As they waited, he tapped his finger on air, listening. And once it started, he went wild, following Shalin's lead. Together, they dominated the floor, him in his sexy Pikachu inspired costume, and she in her Keldeo inspired costume. During the performance, Niky did spot his client tipping him. When it was over, the crowd went wild. Niky was even breathing quite heavily at this point. Sadly, after just a single step, he nearly collapsed, caught only be his Metang. His iron Pokemon gave him his cane as he hobbled back to his equipment and set up. Sitting down, he spoke to her again. "Arceus that was so much fun! Thanks for the fun time. Looks like you got a couple minutes before the contest starts to rest." With a wink, he stayed at his seat and did his job. When it came time for the contest, he looked towards it and watched. Shalin and her Keldeo get up was definitely the best, even with some close second and thirds in his opinion. When the voting began, he did his vote for her. And hopefully she'll win it.

Shalin Nariya

This time, rather than mimicking the chart and simply tap dancing, Shalin decided it would look better to truly freestyle...especially if Niky was going to be taking the floor with her. The song's Kantonian lyrics lent themselves more toward hand motions rather than lower body ones, making it a good fit for the two. During the chorus, she drew her plastic sword and slashed it back and forth in time with the titular lyrics, as though she was rapidly striking something back and forth. "Thanks! I figured this one wouldn't be as bad on your legs, though," she answered with a frown.

And just in the nick of time, too! Shalin's name was called first for the costume contest. Going first was both good and bad: she could make quite the first impression on voters, but said voters also had to remember her performance. She took the stage, seated on Kiara in her Keldeo getup, and posed triumphantly, several traditional cameras flashing. Yes, there were some older folk that still used flash camera. Come on, get with the times already!

Her swordplay was impressive to watch. While it didn't look professional, the amateur looked like she knew enough of the basics to impress those who had no knowledge of how to use one. Ultimately, she ended up tied at the top, alongside a wizardess with a Ribombee "familiar". Even a runoff vote could not break the tie. The young ladies split the first-place prize evenly...which wound up being less to each of them than solo second. It left a bit of a sour taste in her mouth at first, but she still had a great time! Being able to pose as Keldeo's companion would be an experience she wouldn't forget. She looked forward to the day that could be real...

Niky Racz

{WC: 302}
{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Kiara         Pyroar-F       Good
Starr         Espeon         Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       Good
Prance        Wyrdeer        Good