It was strange how many masquerades and balls she had been involved in since she had come to Hoenn. She had put a decent amount of effort into networking, even if it produced mixed results at best. But, aside from the enjoyment of the frivolities of a festival, that was always her main reason to come to one of these.

Nevertheless, she took the opportunity to follow through with this scavenger hunt. Supposedly, there were rumors about getting a chance to network with the hosts. It was an offer she could not pass up.

Moreover, the scavenger hunt was right up her alley.

It did not take her too long to find one of those objects too.

Though it was hidden amongst the books among one of the shelves, it was not the book listed as one of the scavenger hunt items, but a pair of Black Glasses.

A strange object to place there and one she would absolutely have put on her face were it not for the masquerade.

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Admittedly, even with a mask on, it's really hard not to figure out that Lutgarde is who they are amongst all masked individuals. Their curled twin tails are one indication, as well as the gothic lolita style, even if it's now fashioned into something they consider less casual for the occasion. Which, interestingly enough, has resulted in a pants suit with a light, long coat jacket. A few bows and frills, as well as some lace adorn the black suit and accent it with dark red hues. Their mask is actually not Sylveon-themed (but they are, as ever, accompanied by the black-red dyed pokémon, who also wears some accessories), but just simple black with red ornaments.

Overall, their appearance may be described as mysterious, somewhat dark - which does not mix all that much with their easy-going demeanour as they smile and look around the event curiously. That is, until the scavenger hunt takes place, and hmm ... "I wonder if this could be anything?" They hold a mushroom that could maybe resemble a Parasect - but they aren't quite sure if it's actually fitting or not, but hey, it's worth a try!

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A masquerade? Right in Josh's home town of Mauville? How could he say no? He was no stranger to these kinds of parties. While his ideneity wouldn't be much of a secret, he loved his costume from the last one so much that he couldn't help himself, even if it wasn't quite formalwear. Dressed in solid yellow from top to bottom, his top had the sheen of metal to look like a breastplate. His head and face were covered by a medieval knight's helmet; while not quite a mask, it still served the purpose of thinly hiding his identity.

Saber, Josh's Manectric, was part of the costume, as well; though the thundercloud-shaped saddle covering his back had become part of the electric dog's wear in the many months they had been in Hoenn, the Champion went to extra lengths. With a spark-shaped tail dongle, bolt-shaped black stripes painted about his legs and back, and a mask of his own wrought in the likeness of Raikou's face, the Manectric looked like the spitting image. For the night, he would be the Hero of Johto, the Knight of Thunder, and a swordsman of the East, a plastic replica of the Lightning Sword from the legend sheathed at his side.

While still fun to fantasize about, it was a little more awkward knowing that the late kyle lopez and his Patron had made him a Knight of Thunder in reality...

The masque's opening activity appeared to be a scavenger hunt, with six lucky winners being chosen for a special event. There was no way to know which six items were the golden tickets to a VIP pass. He didn't sweat it too much; what he came for was to show off his costume. Touring the mansion, the first place he thought to check was the billiard room. Scanning it, the first thing he noticed was the rack of pool balls seemed off. Upon further investigation, he located a nine-ball that was completely the wrong color. Examining it, he noticed an unusual marking upon it. Perhaps the unusual pool ball was one of the objects on the list!