A shame the game didn't really pique Josh's interest, but he understood. Games at carnivals were meant to provide a challenge. That's when the thought came to mind and excitement bursted forward and caused his eyes to gleam. Josh wanted a challenge? Then a challenge he'd get. Sven cocked his head to the side and gestured for the gym leader to follow him. As they got to the clearing, there the game sat. Well, not necessarily a game, but a chance to prove one's endurance: the Tauros Rodeo game.

"Let's give this bad boy a try," he beamed.

His excitement was matched by the sight of a grown man no shorter than 6'3" whom had been flung into the cushioned wall with a loud 'oof!' Sven rushed into line and waited for his turn. Once it was his turn, he gave Josh a thumbs up and sat his Smoliv plush near one of the walls. He climbed onto the mechanical pokemon and readied himself. Twenty seconds was the goal, if he could make that, then he'd win no problem.

And with that, the ride began to move. The Tauros bent and bucked every which way as Sven attempted to grip onto the saddle with all of his might. His own body flew about and nearly flew off the ride at a particular harsh jerk. "Five! Four! Three! Two!--" And at the very last second, Sven went flying right off. The buzzer to show he failed sounded loudly, but he was too busy recovering from the sudden collision with the cushioned wall.

He could almost see a collection of Starlys, Pidgeys, and Natus spinning above his head as he attempted to gain his composure. With a few quick shakes of his head, he came to and stood back up.

"YO! That was FUN!"

The crowd cheered at his gusto, but he knew he had to let the next person ride, so he scooped up his Smoliv and made his way back out. Let's see how the Master of Faster could handle this belligerent bull.

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Josh Devlin

With the lava that offered minimum light to the darkened room in sight, he sighed in relief. It seemed that he got lucky he didn't land in said lava. But it wasn't until he began to walk forward that he felt his body slam directly into a wall. Hands held out before him as he felt the pattern of something that felt sun-like. With a light on, he took a better look around the room and spotted another one of those chests. Brows furrowed as he approached and propped it open. Hey, this kinda looked like the one Shalin had prior. Once the two crossed paths again, he'd make sure to hand it over.

For now, he withdrew the pokemon he had out and made the approach with Spock. Sven reached up and gave the Slowking a firm pat on the shoulder. Before he could venture to find a way out, it seemed that once more, the duo above crossed paths with him. A relieved sigh left his lips. It didn't stop the Magcargo who had been revealed the moment Shalin's Espeon's bright light. As Lava Plume began to pool towards them, Sven made the quick decision to use his Slowking's Surf to minimize the lava's intensity and reach. Water mixed with the molten rock and cooled it down enough.

"Now that we have its fire put out, slam that overcooked snail with Psychic!"

Immediately following the command, his Slowking used Psychic to levitate one of the Magcargo into the air and spin it around a few times to disorient it. Then soon the psychic force doubled down and sent the snail-like pokemon plummeting to the ground. Before he forgot, he ripped the Sceptile Fragment from his pocket and offered it out to Shalin.

"This thing looked like the one you found! You should keep hold of it!"

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Elise Calcifet Shalin Nariya

Brows knit together, quite baffled at the Volosenkov patriarch's words. His blessing? For what exactly? But nonetheless, his expression softened as he turned to look at Nikolaj, met with the back of the man's head. He was too focused on fishing to really bring the topic up again. So he didn't. Instead, he accepted such a blessing in a reassuring silence. While he hadn't reeled it in, the Prinplup that swam up to the boat seemed rather interested in the fishing rod. Even enough to give it a gentle tug. Sven's eyes widened in surprise to see such a dapper pokemon making its presence known.

A hand offered out to the penguin as he felt excitement bubble in his chest. It seemed that like Sven, the Prinplup would be a new addition to the evergrowing family. The Prinplup offered its flipper to Sven and he flashed the creature a look of surprise before his features softened once more.

"You're so polite," he mused. "Did you want to join the family too? There's plenty of room."

He offered one final pokeball out to catch the Prinplup and relaxed back into the boat. Maybe when they weren't so entangled in the ambience that the waters offered, he could ask Kolya exactly what he meant with his words. For now, he'd just live in ignorant bliss.

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Nikolaj Volosenkov

It seemed Jasmine had taken the opportunity to scout while Lam reasoned that it wouldn't be an issue for him to use Noodle to distract the Megalopolans. Sven's expression offered furrowed brows as he thought the scenario over. Was Lam certain? At least for Jasmine, she was able to take to the sky with the use of her pokemon that looked none too dissimilar from a prehistoric Salamence. These new pokemon that some of the league scientists had deemed Paradox Pokemon had some questionable origins. Rumors of their creation stemming merely from thoughts and dreams seemed farfetched but... What didn't anymore?

"Only if you're certain," he warned Lam. "Be safe, and godspeed."

A friendly yet firm hand met the green haired man's shoulder as Sven gave a firm nod. It seemed it was up to himself and Jazz to check on the person that she had managed to find while scouting. With Lam on the distracting end of the spectrum, it seemed they'd have to find some safe haven for this Megalopolan. His breath hitched as feet pounded against concrete to make a mad dash in the direction that Jazz had come from.

"There's no time to wait, we've got to move."

Lam could likely only keep the zombified Megalopolans distracted for so long. The other two? They were stuck on guard duty. Who knew how many more of those creatures lurked about? As Sven rushed towards the location of the Megalopolan, his Iron Valiant kept pace with no issue. And the moment he caught sight of blue skin, he knew the Megalopolan was straight ahead. He didn't mean to scrunch his expression as he did in frustration, but could anyone blame him? Megalopolans had caused plenty of troubles with Hoenn.

"Tell us what's going on."

"I-- I really don't know... My team was stranded here. They've already got the other two. I'm the only one left. Please get me out of here."

Something about the tone of the Megalopolan felt trustworthy. Maybe it was a gamble, but one Sven felt it was worthwhile to take. He turned his attention to Jazz once she managed to catch up and spoke directly.

"Hey, can you take this... Person? Up into the air with you. Get them safe on a rooftop for now. Then I need you to rush back to make sure Lam is safe. You're able to get there way faster than I can. Sorry to bark orders at you, I'm just trying to think of the most logical way to get around this."

He was certain he'd be fine.

prompts completed
- 13 use a light source in some way to distract a swarm of mad megalopolans.

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lam logan Jasmine Blair

It was a brief traverse via flying taxi, but Sven insisted they enjoy the fireworks show on the beach. There was something much more breathtaking about it in that retrospect. Plus, he just really wanted ice cream, man. As he brought the vanilla cone with sprinkles to his mouth, he took a bite with his lips because he wasn't a psychopath who used his teeth to bite into ice cream. A touch of it got on the corner of his lips and it wasn't long until he poked his tongue out to get it. He handed Saskia's cone off to her, then took the lead towards the sand once more.

"The carnival was fun, but it was so hot," he complained.

The nice seabreeze felt like a blessing in comparison. Sven plopped down into the sand and decided to let himself relax. The option of swimming sounded promising, but for now, he felt it best to simply enjoy the scenery like it was a new breath of fresh air. His head turned upward to look at Saskia as he felt his expression twist into one of concern. Throughout their time at the carnival, he remembered the talk he had with Kolya and felt himself a bit lost. Maybe she'd be willing to offer him some answers.

"You know, I spent time with your dad the other day. He said something about viewing me as family, and that he's always wanted a son."

Then the realization hit him as his eyes grew wide. He was mid-bite, mouth agape as the thought finally hit him. A twinge of excitement reached his voice as he finally spoke to Saskia from his inner musings.

"Do you think he wanted to adopt me, bro?"

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saskia volosenkova

Whether it be the promise of prizes, or the delicious food that the carnival offered, Sven found that he kept coming back for more and more. Maybe it was the fact that they were in Lavaridge Town, but the food choices certainly differed. The climate wasn't kind to treats like ice cream, but thankfully they had some other options like jigoku mushi cuisine made from the heat of Mt. Chimney. It was certainly something new. Sven felt some relief that he managed to have the foresight to dress light.

"I can't say I'm hungry yet, so let's see what game options they have, yeah?"

It wasn't long before he pulled his phone out and took a picture of the two together. Though he offered Saskia enough time to prepare herself for the photo; no need to take a candid shot. At least not yet. Once the two were satisfied with their pose, Sven took the photo and brought his phone back down to type away. Just a quick post under social media to promote the Funtasia festival. "it's hard to be this cool when it's so hot out #Funtasia #Lavaridge #IFeelLikeI'mBeingBoiledAliveByThisHeat"

He made sure to include some pictures of the attractions set up there that week. Once he was satisfied with the post, he looked to Saskia and gave a laugh.

"So how about we start with something risky first? They do have a pendulum ride and a few extreme-spin ones."

There was something risky about riding those sorts of rides at a travelling carnival. Did they really meet standards of safety? Sven wasn't keen on construction but he figured that on an extreme-spin ride meant to rely on gravity, it wasn't exactly reassuring to hear grinding of gears, especially on the outside of the ride.

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saskia volosenkova

"That should do it!"

Sven shut the door he had propped open for the kiddie-sized rollercoaster. The power in it had been cut, and with the help of his Morpeko, it seemed the electric mouse had managed to piece together the wires that had snapped apart. While the operator of the ride thanked him profusely, Sven waved a dismissive hand. He was happy he could help in any degree. But as he checked his watch, he felt a sense of stupidity. He promised to meet Mari roughly five minutes ago! Sven scooped up his Morpeko and made a dash towards their meeting spot. Once he got to the bench and came to a sudden halt, his sneakers squeaked against the smooth pathway laid down.

"Hey, sorry I'm late!" he apologized. "One of the rides broke down and I figured I'd do what I could to help."

While Sven himself remained spotless, his poor Morpeko seemed to have some grease matted in its fur from the machinery deeper in the ride. Once he saw that, he quickly grabbed a few napkins and fetched a water bottle from one of the concession stands to clean the Morpeko as well as clean his hands. It would do for now, at least. He placed his Morpeko, Ziggy, down so it could give a greeting to both Marilee and her Sylveon. The mouse raised a paw with its standard smile before it pitter pattered back over to Sven with both paws up. Sven couldn't help but give a laugh as he knew what that meant -- he dug through his bag before he found the granola he kept on hand as a snack and gave a medium-sized chunk to the pokemon.

"Did you want to get to the games first? Or try some rides?" he questioned. "I'll let you finish your cotton candy first which... Is admittedly too cute to finish, aww!"

He felt his smile grow wide as he looked at the intricate Eevee shape of the treat.

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marilee beaufort

As much as he wanted to try again with Maugrim, it seemed fate wouldn't let him. Maybe when he was a bit more prepared. (It wouldn't be a good idea to bring the hound to the beach. The fireworks would have been enough to frighten the poor thing.) While he would have loved to reason another opportunity with trying to help train Maugrim, the promise of ice cream sounded like a far better and safer option. The moment Saskia took off towards the house, he made a quick jog to catch up and slid on the wooden floors as he rounded the corner.

Yes, this was a race and he was determined to win.

However as he slid, his feet managed to give out from under him. That didn't stop the way he crawled like a madman towards the fridge. Saskia had beaten him no doubt, but he was more than happy to flounder about and make a fool of himself. It was just in his nature. As he finally pulled himself off the ground, he gave a huff of breath.

"Damn, I really wanted that last fudge pop," he feigned defeat.

Oh well, there was still an orange popsicle in there that he was happy to take.

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saskia volosenkova

Had Sven had any further foresight to give, he would have realized the game Nikolaj was trying to play. No shock that he seemed utterly ignorant however. The idea of love wasn't really something he thought long on -- it was normal to love family and friends, right? But the following words Kolya offered caught Sven completely off guard. He nearly dropped his fishing rod from the shock that came. Had Kolya just said that his family viewed Sven like a son? A hand came up to cover his mouth.

It wasn't until that moment he realized just how lonely he had been. How he wanted so desperately to have someone to fall back on, that safety net of family, that there was something akin to it right then and there. His eyes burned but he didn't dare to let any tears slip out. Because he wasn't sad. If anything, he was elated. A shaky breath shook his body as he attempted to calm himself down.

"I'd love to be the son you never had if you'll have me," he offered admittedly shakily.

At least his tone of voice came off as even. No sense of his own inner turmoil. He didn't want to burden Nikolaj with those feelings, the man had enough on his plate as it was. Sven shifted just a bit to turn around to say something to the older man, but he was nearly flung out of the boat by a violent Staravia. Sven was quick to hold his arm up to block the sudden swoop of the quick attack the creature offered.

His body teetered just over the edge, but he managed to keep himself steady. Hands clasped the edge of the boat as he pulled himself up and eyed his Dewott with a nod. The otter like pokemon hopped out of the water and onto the edge of the boat where it pulled out one of the shells it kept to throw at the Staravia. The Razor Shell attack managed to make contact and brought the cocky bird down. And as it began to plummet, Sven took out another pokeball and threw it at the bird.

"These wild pokemon are getting a bit bolder, make sure to watch yourself."

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Nikolaj Volosenkov

He figured with the plastic sword in his grasp, he could trade it in given it was a prize from that booth. Sven just needed two more wins, right? That's what the guy at the booth had said. The brunette was quick to flash a thumbs up at the gym leader. He didn't mind one bit -- a favor repaid for the snow cone. Sven handed the plastic sword back to the person at the booth and flashed a wide grin.

"I'm going for that Smoliv this time," he insisted.

With the plastic fishing rod handed off to him, he watched the water carefully in an attempt to see if any of the Magikarps rolled over to show the color on their stomachs. It was a small setup so it didn't take much. And once the wind started to move in the right direction, he casted the line of the toy fishing rod and hooked onto a Magikarp with a green mark on its stomach. Unlike actual Magikarps, the plastic replica offered no resistance. Sven quickly ripped it out of the water and held it up for the booth attendant to see.

Just one more.

He played the same method and simply waited for the third one to reveal itself. And yet again, he hooked it and ripped it from the small blow-up kiddie pool. While the attendant didn't seem pleased that Sven had used an unfair method, it's not like they didn't say that looking for the right one wasn't allowed. With the proper points accumulated, he got his large Smoliv plush that was practically the size of his torso alone. Sven tucked it under his arm and looked to Josh.

"Here, if you want a round, let me hold your stuff real quick."

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Josh Devlin

And just like that, the pair were off to take on the drop tower. Sven stopped just for a moment to tell his Sprigatitos not to run off too far. At least he was guaranteed they'd be willing to listen. The concern, however, was Elinor's Sprigatito. Maybe with the company of the other two, it would remain. Indica took the opportunity to make itself comfortable near the gate. In the meantime, Sativa seemed to playfully pounce on their playdate in a mock fight. Its front paws batted at the opposing cat which earned a laugh from Sven.

"Play nice, you two."

Once they reached the front, Sven took it upon himself to snipe the first two neighboring seats he could find on the ride. It didn't take much to buckle himself in, and he had no qualms of helping his newfound acquaintance should she need it. The attendant went around and made sure everyone was fastened, then flashed a thumbs up to the operator. It was mere seconds before the ride slowly began to rise towards the top.

It was hard to make much conversation as he felt the anxiety of the ride building. But was it really anxiety when he couldn't break the wide grin that spread across his face? No, he felt excited. In a matter of minutes, the ride reached the top and sat at a standstill. He readied himself for the drop, but it never seemed to come. Confusion plastered itself onto his expression as he looked at Elinor, absolutely bewildered.

"Do you think the ride is broke--"

And just like that, it let loose.

An involuntary scream ripped itself from Sven's throat as the ride plummeted, then came to a harsh stop just before it could hit the ground. Eyes wide in excitement and bewilderment. The ride had certainly caught him by surprise, but like any good ride, it didn't stop there. The ride continued to rise and fall, and each time it seemed to drop, he felt his heart in his throat. A white-knuckled grip on the handlebars, he tried desperately to fight against gravity, but with each rise and fall, it seemed that physics were in control. Despite that, he was having the time of his life.

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Elinor Anderson