Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Josh Devlin
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 8, 2023 6:38:26 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
EDM, good food, and pinball. It would be unreasonable to ask for anything more at one of Mauville's largest Halloween costume parties. Traditionally rented out of a private club building serving mainly Mauville's retirees, it was one of the few days of the year that the upscale building was open to the public. Tables were set up in front of a stage that was to be used for the costume contest at the end of the night. For now, though, it was filled with DJ equipment and speakers that blared techno, trance, hardstyle, and other EDM genres.

The front half of the hall was filled with gaming machines. The video slots and video poker area was gated off, only permitting attendees over 21 years of age within. Beyond the collapsible wall was a line of pinball machines and early-generation arcade cabinets whose speakers sounded beeps and boops. All of these games were older than most of the attendees, some of them 40 years old or more.

Through the double doors on the east side walked a Manectric that was quite large for his size, though it may have been difficult to identify the disguised Pokémon at first glance. The electric wolf wore a mask in the image of Raikou's crown, face, and fangs, with a spark-shaped dongle hanging from his tail. He was even painted yellow with black, lightning-bolt shape stripes. Most convincing of all was the purple thundercloud saddle adorning his back.

Holding the Manectric's reins was a yellow-dressed young man that looked like a medieval knight straight out of a fantasy novel. In his hand was a plastic sword whose business end was shaped like a lightning bolt. It took several astute guests only seconds to ascertain who was behind the mask. Not long after that, the Gym Leader was surrounded by avid guests looking to spend part of the evening with the Master of Faster.

Being a celebrity was not all it was cracked up to be.




NOTE: Saber is not yet a Shadow Pokémon for this thread.



{WC: 331}
{PC: 1}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
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played by

Ryan

He/Him
25
July 2
Dewford Town
Straight
Trainer
Cadet
5'9 height
5'9 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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Noel Parker
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 9, 2023 17:29:58 GMT
Noel Parker Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","mango leaguechar"]
[attr="class","inner"]



[attr="class","body"]

Parties were never one for Noel, the loud music and constant shuffling of people bothered him so much that he avoided occasions like these all the time. But an invitation from Josh was one he couldn't turn down. Noel didn't know why he'd invite him to a gathering like this but this opportunity would allow him to get closer to the gym leader and see what his intentions are for this party.[break][break]

For now the trainer would lean idly by against a pillar near one of the walls opposite the entrance of the building with his Hisuian Goodra standing beside him. The pair were barely dressed up and Noel made almost no attempt to partake in the festivities. All Noel had on was his casual attire but with crudely drawn cat whiskers on his face. His Hisuian Goodra was more or less the same, with only a cone party hat adorned on the top of its head. The massive dragon Pokemon was warily looking around, it had taken up much room due to its size and the people around were complaining but Noel didn't care.[break][break]

"Hmph where is this guy, invites me over and hasn't even shown up yet."[break][break]

As if on queue, Josh and his Pokemon arrive practically with fanfare. It took a moment for Noel to determine whether or not it was him but he eventually verifies his identity by the electric type theme of his costume. He pushes his way through the crowd, making a clearing for his Hisuian Goodra to walk behind him, dripping slime as they go. Noel then comes face to face with Josh and crosses his arms, letting off a sly smirk as he looks over the detailed outfits of him and his Manectric.[break][break]

"Well there you are Josh, I've been waiting for you. Your costumes are... well they're certainly a whole lot better than mine."

[attr="class","notes"]



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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Josh Devlin
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 10, 2023 6:09:58 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
"That's Josh, the Signer!" he boastfully greeted Ryan, the make-believe Avatar acting as though the Pokémon at his side really was Raikou. "Glad you could make it, Noel," he resumed his normal speaking voice, the loud knocker on one of the pinball machines making him flinch. Someone was having a good game -- good enough to earn a free game. "Not surprised you recognized me, given the entire world knows by now how much I love Raikou. This is the same costume I wore to the party last year. It got second place in the costume contest. I can't remember what took first, but I remember getting second."

Noel's costume was simple but effective. The complaints about his Goodra were warranted; it was only a matter of time before event staff requested he withdrew his Pokémon because of the dripping slime. That was going to be awful to try to get out of the carpet. "There's a lot going on. Good food later tonight, the costume contest, a dance, and a bit of gaming to boot. There's gonna be a good poker game after the costume contest, too. 3,000 PD buy-in is a little steep for me, but it's money I can afford to lose." That remark may have shown Noel how well-off the Gym Leader was. It wasn't extravagant, but he had to have quite the nest egg if he was willing to spend that kind of money. "For now, though, think I'm gonna head to the gaming area for some silver-ballin'," he said, pointing to one of the open pinball machines.




NOTE: Saber is not yet a Shadow Pokémon for this thread.



{WC: 265}
{PC: 2}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
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played by

Ryan

He/Him
25
July 2
Dewford Town
Straight
Trainer
Cadet
5'9 height
5'9 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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Noel Parker DOLLARS
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Noel Parker
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 10, 2023 22:12:19 GMT
Noel Parker Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","mango leaguechar"]
[attr="class","inner"]



[attr="class","body"]

"Hmph all right, I still don't know why you chose me over anyone else but I'll play along for now. I'll try my hand at that little machine."[break][break]

Next to the one Josh had pointed out to was another open cabinet. Noel places himself in front of it and begins to examine the machine, he had never played with something like this before and its mechanisms confused him. He pressed every button he could find in order to get the game to work and from an onlooker's perspective it seemed as if he was roughhousing with the machine.[break][break]

No soon after did he finally figure out how to get the game to start and shortly thereafter he slowly was starting to understand little by little what each bump and score meant. Although he was starting to get visibly and audibly upset at the game, it proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated. With each attempt he shook the contraption with every move he made, the loud sounds garnering an audience in order to see what all the commotion was about. All meanwhile his Hisuian Goodra looked over Noel's shoulder completely mesmerized by the bright lights and pixelated sounds.[break][break]

"Agh, I just don't get this game, I lose too quickly but I feel like I have no control on where the ball goes sometimes. Is this what people out here do for fun?"

[attr="class","notes"]



[attr="class","milkycredit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cookie-bite"]

[attr="class","bottom"]





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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 13, 2023 7:54:22 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Josh, for someone with a title of Master of Faster, had a surprising amount of patience. Rather than taking the first shot he could and flipping the ball away, he took the time to trap up and take careful aim at the targets he wanted. Understanding the table's rules helped him too. A crowd had gathered around them both, attracted by the light show and the presence of the Gym Leader. "Just a minute. I'm in the middle of multiball. Lemme trap up." After one more jackpot callout, he had both flippers raised, one ball cradled on each.

"I go to Mauville's Round One regularly and they have several of these there," Josh explained. "Picked up a lot of tips. Probably the single biggest one, and one that's really easy to do, is what's called the dead flipper bounce. If the ball's headed toward a flipper at high speed, just don't flip. It will bounce to the other side and deaden its momentum, making it easy for you to get control."




NOTE: Saber is not yet a Shadow Pokémon for this thread.



{WC: 171}
{PC: 3}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
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played by

Ryan

He/Him
25
July 2
Dewford Town
Straight
Trainer
Cadet
5'9 height
5'9 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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Noel Parker DOLLARS
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Noel Parker
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 15, 2023 15:03:55 GMT
Noel Parker Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","mango leaguechar"]
[attr="class","inner"]



[attr="class","body"]

Most of what Josh said flew over Noel's head. How could a game possibly be complex? He decided to give it a try once more and set up his stance before his machine. He was determined to last a bit longer this time and would do his utmost best to focus on this attempt. Yet the end result was the same, no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't get any better. Knowing when to give up and accept defeat, he resigns himself from the machine and lets out a sigh.[break][break]

"Gah... Maybe this isn't for me, it just frustrates me to no end. I prefer the more simpler type of games. What else have they got here Josh?"[break][break]

He looked over to his side to see the costumed player completely dominating in his field. Thinking best to let Josh finish his game, he stayed quiet and gazed at the lights and ball making its way through countless scores. The flock of people that had gathered annoyed him, he was never one for crowds and this was an especially big one. He leaned against the side of his Hisuian Goodra's shell, marveling over how easy this game seemed to be for Josh.

[attr="class","notes"]



[attr="class","milkycredit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cookie-bite"]

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 16, 2023 17:58:04 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
While it wasn't an overly long game, Josh's game did last quite a bit longer than Noel's. A loud knock, a signal that he had scored well enough to earn a free game, may have scared him. The game ended from the unpredictability of magnets under the table throwing his ball toward the center. He gave the machine a big shove to try to save his ball. "Bah, too big a move," Josh's voice cracked to applause from the small crowd, prompted to enter his initials for a high score.

"Looks like all they have here is pinball and... well, adult entertainment." He pointed to what appeared to be a privately-run poker game in the adult section of the gaming lounge. While there was no dealer proper, the unofficial game looked good, and from the looks of it, low stakes. "Are you at least 21? Looks like they've got a Hold'em game going. Before my suspension, I used to play pretty routinely at Walpurgisnacht in Mossdeep. They've got a really nice poker room there."




NOTE: Saber is not yet a Shadow Pokémon for this thread.



{WC: 174}
{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
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played by

Ryan

He/Him
25
July 2
Dewford Town
Straight
Trainer
Cadet
5'9 height
5'9 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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826 posts
Noel Parker DOLLARS
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Noel Parker
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 17, 2023 16:40:20 GMT
Noel Parker Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","mango leaguechar"]
[attr="class","inner"]



[attr="class","body"]

"I definitely am at least 21... although I've never played before so it'll also be new to me. I am all for first tries though so let's head on over."[break][break]

He begins to walk away from the dreaded machines and head in the direction of the previously mentioned poker table. The air around it was certainly different. Much more older men and women seated at various other tables with the scent of cigar smoke filling the area. Noel lets off a few coughs while waving his hand around to clear the smoke, unaccustomed to the more mature setting.[break][break]

Sitting down himself at one of the more empty tables, he takes a look around, glancing at other people playing to get a feel for how the game worked. But from eyes alone he could not figure out the rules and instead turns to Josh.[break][break]

"So uh... how do you play?"

[attr="class","notes"]



[attr="class","milkycredit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cookie-bite"]

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 18, 2023 4:56:27 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
The game was indeed low stakes, a 1/2 game with a maximum buy-in of 300 PD. That may have been a lot of money to Noel, but it was a perfect amount for recreational players. It still stung to lose that kind of money, but it wasn't the life-altering sums that business tycoons and professionals played for. "I would hope you're at least familiar with poker in general, because Hold'em is the most skill intensive poker variant around. Popular in Unova, there's a big pro scene for it. Of course, there is still a lot of luck, but there is also a lot of skill."

Before sitting down at the table, the Gym Leader suggested watching a hand or two as he explained the rules of the variant. "Each player gets dealt two cards face-down, then there is a betting round. It's no-limit, so there is no cap to how large the opening bet can be. The two players immediately after the dealer are forced to make blind bets, or blinds, of 1 and 2 PD, respectively. That's what the 1 and 2 mean. Players after that decide whether they want to match that bet, raise the bet, or fold their hand." There was a great example of it at the table: a raise, followed by a re-raise. Someone was going broke this hand.

"After the round of betting, three cards, called the flop, get dealt in the center of the table. Everyone can use those cards toward their hand. Another similar round of betting occurs. Then a fourth card, the turn, gets dealt to the center. After another betting round, the fifth and final card, called the river, gets dealt. After one final betting round, it's the showdown. Players turn over their hands, and the best poker hand wins the pot. That's about as basic as it gets." It was a long-winded explanation, but it was as concise as the Master of Faster could make it without missing any details.




NOTE: Saber is not yet a Shadow Pokémon for this thread.



{WC: 332}
{PC: 5}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
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played by

Ryan

He/Him
25
July 2
Dewford Town
Straight
Trainer
Cadet
5'9 height
5'9 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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826 posts
Noel Parker DOLLARS
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Noel Parker
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 18, 2023 16:08:09 GMT
Noel Parker Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","mango leaguechar"]
[attr="class","inner"]



[attr="class","body"]

The sudden influx of information left Noel speechless, he didn't know where to begin or what to ask. So instead he figured he'd have to feel it out. He eyes the table before deciding he did want to actually play. He looks back to Josh and gives him a reaffirming nod.[break][break]

"All right let's give it a try. What's the worst that could happen?"[break][break]

After receiving his cards and making the first bet as the player immediately after the dealer, he carefully studies the cards in his hands. All a mix of numbers and symbols to him, none of it making any sense on what to do at all. His poker face was nonexistent, his facial features quite clearly a tell that he had no idea on what to do. Committing the rookie mistake of not knowing when to fold, he simply rides whatever hand he's dealt with all the way to the final round with minimum bets.

[attr="class","notes"]



[attr="class","milkycredit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cookie-bite"]

[attr="class","bottom"]





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[newclass=".mango .milkycredit"]font-size:15px; position:absolute; z-index:99; right: 12px; bottom: 58px; border-radius:100px; color:#ddd; opacity:0.6; } .mango .milkycredit a { transition:0.5s all } .mango .milkycredit a:hover { transition:0.5s all; color:var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,246 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 19, 2023 7:33:24 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Fortune smiled on in the first hand; without even knowing it, he had his callers on the ropes every street. Making it to showdown with the best hand out of the three, a medium-sized pot was shoved his way. "You could have gotten a little more aggressive with your top two pair," Josh whispered as the next hand was dealt, the Gym Leader a little frustrated that he had been card dead so far. Patience was part of the game, though!

A few orbits later, Josh caught a playable hand as event staff were setting up a buffet table; it seemed like dinner would be served soon. The opponent he ended up locking horns with was on tilt after a rough loss several hands ago, the Gym Leader quick to call an all-in. "This is something else that can happen. When someone puts all their chips in the pot and the bet gets called, the hands are turned face-up prior to the--" He cut himself off after getting the bad news: both of them had flopped three Jacks, but he wasn't beating the King kicker without a miracle.

"One time, dealer!" Josh cried, standing up in hopes of seeing a ten. No ten came on the final two streets. Thankfully he had more chips than the winner, so he could keep playing without having to rebuy. And a rebuy was something well out of his budget for the evening. "Noel, that's what you call a bad beat. Sometimes you can play the hand perfectly and just get wrecked. But that's poker."







{WC: 262}
{PC: 6}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
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played by

Ryan

He/Him
25
July 2
Dewford Town
Straight
Trainer
Cadet
5'9 height
5'9 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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826 posts
Noel Parker DOLLARS
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Noel Parker
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 20, 2023 15:41:07 GMT
Noel Parker Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","mango leaguechar"]
[attr="class","inner"]



[attr="class","body"]

He was happy to know that his first round had started off so well. But his frustration only come back near the end of the game when he didn't understand what was going on. It felt like a relief when it all came to a stop with neither Noel or Josh as the winner. He had time to breathe now that he was no longer obligated to play. During this downtime, his nose catches a whiff of food that he desperately needed at the moment.[break][break]

"Wait they have food here? Here I was thinking I'd have to starve tonight, I hope they don't mind if I help myself."[break][break]

With that said he rises from his chair and heads his way along with his Hisuian Goodra to the buffet table. A whole assortment of meals placed before him ranging from cooked meats to desserts. He grabs a slice of ham with a hand and feeds it to his Pokemon, the tall dragon grabbing it with its own small hands and beginning to nibble on it slowly and methodically. Afterwards Noel indulges himself with whatever food he could, if no one were to stop him he might just pick the table clean.

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,246 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 23, 2023 5:35:33 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
"Of course they've got food," Josh answered as he cashed his chips out, having lost quite a bit of his buy-in during the private game. "It's what most of the cost of your ticket went towards!" Filling his plate with many cheesy dishes and a macaroni salad that looked delicious, he sat down next to Noel, in just as much awe at some of the costumes as many were of the Gym Leader's "Raikou". Some younger attendees, ones not legally able to go to the poker tables, even thought the real Raikou stood before him.

The duo would eat like kings; Josh even grabbed a plate for Saber. He had to be a bit choosy, as quite a bit of the food was not healthy for dogs. "Hasn't been since the last Ranger meeting in Ever Grande that I've eaten this well," he remarked, covering his mouth before letting our a burp.

As he was finishing his food, several of the younger visitors approached Saber, groveling over being in the presence of what they thought was the Johto legendary. One ran to their mother after touching the electric dog's yellow fur and getting a nasty shock. "I tried to warn them," he sighed. "I think they're gonna start the costume contest any minute now. If you're entering, I wish you the best of luck."







{WC: 224}
{PC: 7}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
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played by

Ryan

He/Him
25
July 2
Dewford Town
Straight
Trainer
Cadet
5'9 height
5'9 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
826 posts
Noel Parker DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @hellboyryan
Noel Parker
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 27, 2023 17:49:30 GMT
Noel Parker Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","mango leaguechar"]
[attr="class","inner"]



[attr="class","body"]

Noel thought there was no point to entering this contest as he was guaranteed to be in last place, he made no effort towards the entire occasion and it showed. Yet he decided to humor the idea and went along with it. Tossing a completely polished bone from a piece of meat he had consumed to the trash. He makes his way to the line of contestants, all eager to show off their extravagant costumes to both the people and judges. [break][break]

"Why am I here?" He says aloud to himself with a sigh. "Well whatever, I'm here now and might as well get it over with."[break][break]

Then finally it was his time to take center stage. He and along with his Hisuian Goodra would present themselves to the audience and judges, all practically silence. Some guests would murmur to each other wondering why such a person would be allowed in. After a sufficient enough time had passed, he nonchalantly steps down from the stage and would no await for Josh's presentation.

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,246 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
Behind the Mask [M][C/Noel]
POSTED ON Oct 29, 2023 3:38:25 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Even Josh was confused as to what Noel was supposed to be. Did he go to the party as himself, just with cat whiskers drawn on his face? There was nothing special about his Goodra, either. Perhaps he was there just to game. The Gym Leader, on the other hand, was met with raucous applause as he took center stage seated on the back of his "Raikou". He rapidly flicked the switch on his plastic blade on and off several times to make it look like it was about to let loose with a lightning strike, like the real Knight of Thunder could.

While much of the crowd was impressed with the Gym Leader's getup, it was his popularity as Leader that carried him in what ended up being a very close vote among all the top three contenders. He and his Manectric took a bow as they were presented with the top prize, which more than refunded the cost of his ticket. "Interesting how opinions can change from year to year," Josh humbly and idly made chatter with Noel as he took his seat and finished his picks from the dessert table. "I wore this exact same costume last year and didn't win."

After taking a bite out of a sweet treat, the young man yawned. He bagged up the rest of the sweets in front of him that weren't messy before pushing in his chair. "Great to see you again. I'm bushed, though. Probably gonna end up sleeping in whether I want to or not. You need me, you know where to find me. See you 'round!"







{WC: 269}
{PC: 8}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Saber         Manectric      Good
img
The Shula Region
Hogwarts AU
RPG Unlimited
MR
The Enroi Region
N:FB
Vyrehaven
Celestial Guardians, AU Sailor Moon RP
EO GENESIS
Code and Crown: An advanced literate warriors cats RP, set in medieval times
Swords Clashing