Then One Foggy Christmas Eve...

[these_balls]

Happy Holidays, Route! We're getting towards the end of the month, and if you've checked the Calendar lately, you've seen that we're in for snow, snow, and more snow right up until the 25th! But a White Christmas Holiday Season isn't the only thing the snow is bringing...

Starting late in the evening on Sunday, December 22 and carrying through until 5:59 AM EST on Wednesday, December 25, both regions will be invaded by a Stantler swarm! But this isn't your average Stantler swarm, so make sure to read carefully for how this may affect your character!


❄ SWARM DETAILS ❄
Between the 22nd and the 25th, your character may spot two different varieties of Stantler milling around and generally wreaking havoc:

• Brown-nosed Stantler, which are your standard variety and will have movesets traditional to what you might expect of a Stantler.
• Red-nosed Stantler, which are slightly more magical in that — you guessed it — their moveset includes Fly.

(Yes. Yes, we went there. Yes we did.)

Now, since your characters will hopefully be making every effort to avoid getting run over by these hordes of flying- and non-flying reindeer, here's some further details on the swarm:

• For both red-nosed and brown-nosed Stantler, their levels will be approximately the equivalent of whatever levels the surrounding Pokemon in the area are at; the one exception to this is the Stantler running around in the vicinity of New Bark Town and Pallet Town, which will be found at level 1. Happy holidays!
• Characters may catch as many brown-nosed Stantler as they wish; they may only catch one red-nosed Stantler, for reasons detailed below!
• ONLY the red-nosed Stantler will be flying! Brown-nosed Stantler are regrettably grounded for the duration, so you will NOT see any of these variety being airborne!
• Both red-nosed and brown-nosed Stantler can be found anywhere in Johto or Kanto, with the red-nosed ones being slightly rarer than their brown-nosed counterparts. However, the red-nosed ones will also be the only ones you'll ever spot in the air, so if you see a Stantler in the air, there's a good bet it's a red-nosed one.
• Both red-nosed and brown-nosed Stantler are subject to all the same type weaknesses as a normal Stantler would be; however, red-nosed Stantler are also weak to Electric attacks, but resistant to Ice. What, you think a flying reindeer can't handle a little ice? Please.

❄ CATCHING THE STANTLER ❄
As mentioned above, you are welcome to catch as many brown-nosed Stantler as you like! However, each character can catch only one red-nosed Stantler, and this is why:

AFTER CATCHING A RED-NOSED STANTLER, WHEN A CHARACTER ATTEMPTS TO CALL IT BACK OUT OF ITS POKEBALL,
A STANTLER WILL NOT APPEAR — BECAUSE AN ITEM DROP WILL, INSTEAD.

• The item in question will appear in a cheerful gift-wrapped box with red and green paper and a big ornate bow in holiday colors — just right for the Christmas season!
• Yes, the gift box will actually emerge from the Pokeball instead of a Pokemon. Santa works in mysterious ways.
• The item inside that gift box will be subject to our usual item drop rules (no pets, no living creatures, no vehicles, no weapons, no grossly oversized death machines, etc.) — with a twist!

❄ ITEM DROP 2013: THE GIFT-ENING ❄
As a twist on our usual holiday bonus drop, we have tweaked the item-drop rules slightly! For this drop, your character is not confined to our usual rule that the possession must be something they specifically owned or was traditionally viewed as "theirs" in canon! For this item drop, because it's the holidays, we are also opening the potential up to wishful thinking! That means items your characters may not have had in canon, but may have wanted either in canon or in Route, are now fair game!

NOTE: Anybody who decides to ask for a dick in a box will universally receive a photo cube filled with photographs of Sam Spade. Merry Christmas.

Feel free to use common sense and personal judgment when deciding whether or not something is a valid item drop; however, if you're not sure and would like our input on the matter, or if you think there's a possibility of it violating one of our standard item-drop rules, feel free to ask us here! As usual, we reserve the right to veto or modify drops to keep them in line with our usual standards.

ETA: If your character wants to use this "item drop" to get a Pokemon Egg as an "item", please ask us for approval! Eggs for Pokemon that are currently available in Route are probably fair game; GEN VI POKEMON ARE NOT FAIR GAME.


❄ A BONUS NOTE FOR NEW ARRIVALS ❄
Because our app weekend is falling so close to Christmas (and in the middle of a snowstorm), we are also providing a special option for newly apped characters to the game! If and only if your character has just entered the game in this most recent app round as a Trainer or a Breeder (and therefore are located in New Bark Town), you may have your character hitch a ride on one of our flying Stantler for a faster trip to Cherrygrove! The Stantler will be friendly and considerate in offering up their rides, and the trip will take slightly less than the usual length of time for flying travel. (What, they're Santa's reindeer, they can't be stopped by little things like physics.)

If your character is hitching a ride on one of the red-nosed Stantler, they can be in Cherrygrove within six hours of their departure from New Bark! A breakneck and chilly trip, perhaps, but with a nice warm payoff at the end. (And yes, you are welcome to catch that red-nosed Stantler at the end of the flight for your holiday gift, as well!)


❄ ANYTHING ELSE? ❄
Still got questions? Please feel free to utilize either:

❄ GENERAL EVENT QUESTIONS ❄ ITEM DROP QUESTIONS ❄
Also, you may use the comments of this post to discuss shenanigans and make arrangements with other players! Though this is not a substitute for our usual CR/Plotting Post (which will be up on Sunday!), you are absolutely welcome to use this for event-specific discussion as you like!

And from the modteam to all of you, thank you so much for another wonderful year, and we're all really excited to carry on the Pokemon shenanigans into 2014!

Comments

GENERAL EVENT QUESTIONS

[these_balls]

I COMMENTED IN THE WRONG THREAD OOPS

[solas_ion]

Please forgive me for being slightly unclear--does the item drop replace the flying Stantler entirely, or can characters keep one if they catch it?

(Either's fine with me, I'm just clarifying!)

Re: GENERAL EVENT QUESTIONS

[imthe_shit]

So, Snake was teleported to Mahogany during the 4th wall event, and his Torkoal is only about level 8 right now (he only has a Torkoal because he has been doing very minimal amounts of trainer-ing this time around.)

There's noooo way he'd be able to catch any of these Stantlers unless he punched one and that'd get him in trouble, so what could I do if I wanted him to get a red-nosed Stantler?

ITEM DROP QUESTIONS

[these_balls]

[ghostytrainer]

Gothita egg for John's "item", is this okay?

[timelymaid]

Aradia wants Troll Indiana Jones. ...The trilogy set if possible, the first one if not. Specifically, she wants to make her friends watch it in full glory.

This is a very legitimate use of an item drop, I know.

[cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

This is admittedly a weird question, but would something like this, or other things like this be permissible?

Not the actual base of course, but the playset coming out of the Pokeball instead. That way it'd be something someone like Cobra would want..but in a way that doesn't violate the no weapons, vehicles, deathtraps, etc. rule?

[exeggutorhead]

Would a kit that had a bunch of things in it (this thing, basically) be alright? Since it's all part of the same general item.

[soundmind]

Would a Shuppet egg for Botan's item be all right?

[pipers_son]

A whip would technically count as a weapon, wouldn't it? Just asking since one of Joker's castmates used one in her liontaming act and the idea came to me.

Re: ITEM DROP QUESTIONS

[moveslikestrider]

Would a pair of Dave's Butt communicator be okay? I'd even be fine if they don't work or only short range.

and now i'm down here again

[solas_ion]

Would a Tyrogue egg be reasonable?

Barring that, how's this for wishful thinking?

(he's obviously not gonna get a girlfriend for christmas lbr here)

[lullabytes]

This cellphone gear charm? It says "My name is Usami… Magical Girl Miwacle ★ Usami! I’m a tiny sweet milky girl!!" if you push it's stomach.

...i have very serious item requests, apparently.

[beholdmydemons]

Is a full outfit within reasonable size limits?

Is a full outfit that includes boots and a helmet within reasonable size limits? (I'm assuming no on that but eh, it's worth asking.)

[shadows_edge]

Okay this probably takes the cake for dumbest item drop question BUT HERE GOES...

Would it be possible for one of Faize's Pokémon to to take advantage of hypnodeer gifts instead of Faize himself? There's nothing Faize really wants (other than his friends which he obviously can't regain) and he still doesn't really get this whoe Christmas thing anyway, but Mylo the Kirlia REALLY wants a dawn stone. Unfortunately his master is a butt and won't get him one because of Canon Reasons.

So can like...a Pokémon catch a Pokémon or can a Stantler just feel bad for him or...? or get out, Katar, this is too silly

[lightningbearer]

Would it be possible for characters to get held items for their pokemon that aren't currently available in route? Such as a Light Ball or Eviolite. Or alternatively Choice items...

[radeonthecity]

I'd like Domri to get this. As for what it does, it can generate one unit of red or green magical energy, after which it can't do anything else until the next "turn" (whatever that equates to in real-world time). If one unit each of red and green magical energy is put into it, it becomes a creature for the turn, but if it uses any of the energy that it generates for this effect, the resulting creature will essentially be a statue incapable of doing anything. While this is the energy that Domri uses for spellcasting, he still wouldn't have his spellcasting ability back, so he couldn't do anything with it. This is basically the equivalent of giving a kid who just got their license the keys to a Ferrari, but not the actual Ferrari. I'm taunting him with this and I should probably feel guilty for this cruelty.

While this item would effectively do nothing, I'm asking because it's technically a "living" creature and would still have the magical powers, because the taunting is only effective if Domri knows that it's actually working.

[angerpoints]

Hello! Could Yusuke receive a photograph from home?

[redenzione]

Hello, can Dante get this Cross, minus all magical abilities? It's more for the sentimental reasons, because it belonged to his lover.

[imthe_shit]

woops

Onix egg for Snake's item?

[gardentrainer]

Would it be okay if Jade got this back for her item.

[notchinese]

This might come off as a dumb question but would it be ok to receive a bone as a present?

Not like one of those bones used by Cubone but rather one of those dog toy ones?

[foolishwren]

BELATED but okay so recently a collectible Silent Hill figurine of Heather Mason was released, complete with a bonus note from her creepy canon stalker who makes dolls and writes spooky poetry for her.

WOULD IT BE ACCEPTABLE FOR HER TO RECEIVE THIS FIGURINE?

[struck_out]

I am so sorry for how late this is and that I can't find the original picture for this , but during Leon's time in school before the Despair Incident, the whole class had dressed up as cats once for a party. I'd like to request that when he captures a Red-nosed Stantler he'll find a pair of cat ears instead?

Also taking this opportunity to request that Luxord receive a pack of playing cards? The cards will lose all magical properties and will no longer be able to be used as weapons.

And I'd like to request a copy of LOVELESS the play for Rude, because he is a sap like that.

[these_balls]

That would be this picture, actually - which this mod happens to know because it's particularly relevant to the character she plays. (Hee.) Cat ears are fine, yes!

And both other requests look okay, too, so go forth!

[bertall]

Following on the late train here, but would it be possible for Bert to get his Scouting" Legion uniform back? Minus the 3DMG, obviously!

[these_balls]

Is that brown uniform plus cape, as far as the costume is concerned? (It doesn't matter either way because the request is approved, but I'm curious.)