Cosplay: Shokumatsu

Me: So, um, today's going to be a little (maybe, make that a lot) different.

Ash: I'm in! So what's the deal?

Me: A group of my friends were invited by the organizers of a food festival to liven it up with characters, music, and... you know the deal.

Goh: Oh, so it's one of "those" deals.

Me: Yeah, Goh already knows where this is heading.

Pikachu: Piiii~ ["There~"]

Me: Anyway, let's cut to the chase: how was it like?

Ash: It was in front of a mall! But they had to share with the cars coming in.

Goh: They couldn't find another entry for the cars?

Ash: I saw one but they didn't use it.

Me: You'd think that they know that the way crowds are drawn to things like this, they'd make space for the people.

Ash: Yeah. There wasn't many when I came, but then it was just like any other you sent me to.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu. ["Just like that."]

Goh: So how did they entertain the people?

Ash: They had a singer, a comedian, a character performance, and a dance cover.

Goh: That seems nicely varied. And of course there had to be competitions-

Me: Hold it - I'll take this one. For this one, since my friends really know me, I couldn't really put Ash in them.

Ash: One of your friends felt bad for that and tried to put me in the singing competition on the spot, but he couldn't. And he wasn't able to either.

Goh: That was nice of him, even if it couldn't happen. I guess the other competitions were character ones.

Ash: Yeah! There was a character parade, a street competition, and a "low-cost" one.

Goh: Low-cost?

Me: That's more of a creative one, just using whatever you have, and it can be silly too. But that one needed to be done before today, so it just couldn't happen.

Ash: And we'd look too silly.

Pikachu: Pi pika! ["Very much so!"]

Me: Right, so that's not really for us.

Goh: But there still had to be winners for them. So who won?

Ash: Two good friends of our friend won the singing competition.

Me: Hmm.

Ash: And a character friend of me and our friend won the character parade and the "low-cost" one - both the same.

Me: Hmm.

Ash: And two people who looked furry won the street competition.

Me: Hmm. Now I feel strangely beside myself for sending you today - although it would be more so if I hadn't.

Goh: You don't usually feel like this after something like this.

Pikachu: Pika chu? ["What's the matter?"]

Ash: Is this why you wanted me to come back to you as soon as it was done?

Me: In a way.

Ash: Don't be too sad - I got to talk with a friend of yours and the furry people, and you might have something good, for us even. And you did have me do something with a lot of Squirtle during that time.

Me: Well, I guess that's the only consolation. Anyhow, I think we need to regroup before we get ready to send you to somewhere else next time.

Goh: Try not to get too weighed down on things.

Me: Let's see what I - er, we - can do.

One year ago: Respect for Zeno Robinson

Two years ago: More on Ideal Raid Lengths

Three years ago: The State of Nominations, Part 5

Four years ago: Movie Manga, Part 2 (Really 2)

Five years ago: Pokémon Style Figure Sun & Moon 2 - Mimikyu

Six years ago: Cosplay in a Bag