[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Iron]

The little pagoda makes a lovely silhouette in the half light when you all arrive so early in the morning. At 5:25, the first people come to sit on the marble steps in a half circle surrounding the pagoda. At 5:30 precisely, a little music starts playing, and all the slatted sides of the pagoda slowly open, creating an open-air pavilion with a parquet floor. A tiny ivory building left of the dance theater opens up too, but just on one side.

At 6:00 precisely, a gong chimes. A grassy path suddenly blooms into existence, leading through the garden to the pagoda. Eight young ladies in silken kimonos and dainty sandals start walking up the path in rhythm to the music that is suddenly swelling. Step, pause...step, pause... They make their way gracefully up to the pagoda, where they lower themselves gently into silken hassocks. As one, they pull out a fan and begin fanning themselves.

There is a flash of Pokeball light, and eight Pokemon of varied colors appear: every possible League-recognized evolution of Eevee. The graceful Pokemon step forward to take the shoes of their trainers, which they hide away behind the hassocks. Then they step back and sit in a precise manner. They are lined up from smallest to largest, with only an inch or so in difference between their sitting heights.

From out of that smaller building, and with slightly less grace, comes a younger Eevee. Behind it rolls a cart cloaked in fine linens of varied colors. It follows the Eevee's every move, though it does not look connected by any cordage, nor does it give any sign of being motorized. This Eevee has not yet learned the grace of its older dance partners, and occasionally stumbles or looks perplexed. But it reaches the pagoda, along with the cart, without incident.

The Kimono Girls rise and bow to their partners, then each bows to Eevee in quick succession. They grasp a silk of the opposite color of their kimono and pull it from the cart, revealing several shelves full of tea paraphernalia. First, the blue kimono checks to see if any drop of water has been spilled. It has not. She gives Eevee another bow.

The red dancer removes a small wireframe contrivance, and changes place with Flareon several times in dance before Flareon lights the fuel provided by Jolteon. You're starting to notice that each species has a slightly different style of dance, with Jolteon being quite hunting-doglike and Flareon being more foxlike. It's a bit like the different combat styles you might see among different cultures (or Benders). Naturally, the Kimono Girls have trained in the same style as their partner. It's amazing to see how the human form can pay tribute to the quadruped form.

While this is going on, Umbreon and Espeon take up dancing positions to face the sun and moon, both still visible in the sky at the moment. As the sun rises and the moon fades, these Pokemon must take up several positions in the dance.

Vaporon and the blue kimono fill the kettle with clear water from the cart and hang it over the little fire. The feline Leafeon and her partner are in charge of the herbs. Glaceon handles the ceramics, a very dainty, calm, and slow moving couple. They almost skate when they dance.

The teakettle is almost ready. Dozens of tiny little teacups and saucers have been set up on the floor, including nine saucers set alone with no cups. When the first wisps of steam rise, the dance changes, moving slowly to the sides. People dart in to pour tea into the cups and take it onto trays, until they've all been collected onto eight trays.

The music calms and the dancers pull aside like curtains. From a light mist steps the silhouette that has been missing for most of the dance: the rare Sylveon, the ultimate in grace and propriety. She prances forward like a show dog, right down the aisle, and slips a small cube of sugar into some of the cups, so rapidly it's incredible that she makes no mistake and never lacks for grace.

Then there is more dancing, culminating in each Pokemon leaping up on two legs for just three steps, then spinning around held aloft by their trainers. It's not a frenzied dance like you might see in figure skating, but just a calm reaffirmation of friendship.

The music retreats to mere background noise. The dancers each pick up a tray and move among the crowd, bowing and offering tea to the guests before they drink themselves. From the coloration you can see a few different flavors of traditional teas: Green, Black, flowering, red, Oolong, or delicate. It becomes clear that the different dance steps obscured a complexity of different preparations for these different tea flavors, which require different heats and steeping times. And some don't require sweetener.

The Kimono girls retire to their divans and sip their tea. The Pokemon sit quietly and politely lap their tea from saucers. An elderly man walks among the crowd, answering questions in a quiet voice and passing out thin wooden flyers that explain in two languages that those who wish to may have a chance to battle with a Kimono Girl.

Kimono Battle Rules
-Write your name on your flyer with the ink pens and put it into the old man's floral basket.
-One name is drawn from that basket, and then one of the flowers is drawn, corresponding to an Eeveelution color.
-Eevee, Leafeon, and Sylveon do not fight.
-No fainting. All attacks are held back if even a crit would faint them (if a crit is possible)
-No big scary Pokemon or big scary attacks. They reserve the right to refuse a challenger.
-Winning or losing is not seen as important. Style is very important. Win or lose you will get XP.
-The battle can be cancelled at any time, and the pace is slow, so we'll be doing just one move per round.
-You can tell me how many accuracy dice you will remove from any move. These are all added as stylistic flair dice. Your Perform specialty is also added as a flat bonus.
-Battles are held each morning, each noon, and each evening. Midnight battles are a very rare ceremonial occasion.