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EVERYONE: Rockets for Halloween [contest oneshot]

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There are none, it's suitable for all ages.
All can enjoy this while turning virtual pages.

It started one evening in late ‘83
The start of a custom that brought people glee!

Disneyland brought over a western tradition
For folks to enjoy for the price of admission.

A day of costumes, candy, and frights!
One that was known as Halloween night.

Some places had chosen to follow in suit
For people who wanted to dress cool or cute.

They would threaten to play tricks and treats they would receive
For it was Kanto's first official All Hallows' Eve!

But not for one man who was stuck in a chair
Sitting at a desk with papers everywhere.

His name did not matter, he was just a clerk.
Although one for crooks, in a dark line of work.

They were yakuza with a red R for a crest.
It was not honest work, but the pay was the best.

It was then at their HQ that a group came by.
Teens costumed head-to-toe and all looking quite fly!

A guy whose body was covered in hay.
A girl cosplaying as Lynn Minmay.

One clad as a Gengar, a tall boy Big Bad Pete.
They shouted in unison, “Hey there, Trick-or-Treat!”

The clerk sat up, a blank stare on his face.
He said to them, “Kids, you're in the wrong place.”

The scarecrow replied, “It seems it is on the docket.
Why else would you dress up as a grunt of Team Rocket?”

It was nice to know that their bad name went so far.
But this whole situation was simply bizarre!

So he tried to say that the costume was real!
It felt like the best way to bring them to heel.

But the lost kids laughed it off, they were not convinced.
“And I'm a real Gengar,” his words were unminced.

So he tried to show something so they would not linger.
He held out his hand and told them, “I cut off my finger.”

But they simply gushed, “Oh, it's that old trick!”
And he wondered how they could be so thick.

So he tried to throw out an icy stare
To hopefully give them a little scare.

But the teens were not bothered by his sour expression
And how his glare was returned was a huge transgression!

So he tried to threaten to call in the crew.
“And once they get here, hoo boy, they will fix you.”

They all gasped at once, and he thought he had won
Until the girl squealed, “Ooo, now that sounds like fun!”

One thing left to do
That was follow through.

He buzzed for backup and sat back without doubt
They might not hurt them but they would throw them out!

Two grunts came to the lobby with their rats and their bats
He gave a clear order to the pair: “Remove these brats.”

But they laughed in his face and said, “Have fun, man!”
And that spelled the end of his next-to-last plan.

He had one final try, kindly ask that they depart.
But they refused to comply, none of them had a heart.

“We came all this way and you've been a great host!
Please could you now give us what we want the most?”

It did not seem they were going to leave.
He had to do something to earn a reprieve!

But he did not have the sweets that he seemed to owe
So he gave them some money, saying, “Take this and go.”

The teens stared at the banknotes like he handed them trash
And the scarecrow complained, “We want candy, not cash!”

The poor man cried out, “Please, just beat it already!”
He tried to act tough, but his tone was unsteady.

Under his breath, he let out a curse.
He dealt with cops, but this was far worse!

“I have no sweets to give,” he said with a groan.
“So buy what you want, and leave me alone!”

All he wished for was that this madness would cease!
Was it so much to ask to be left in peace?

His head was spinning, his mind was a blur
When the Gengar said, “Thanks a bunch, kind sir!”

Was it really true? Was he free from this cell?
The others confirmed, they said thank you as well.

Then they left the building with a bounce in their feet
No doubt thinking of all the sugar they would eat.

The clerk sighed in relief, and fell into his chair.
He lost all his respect, if not dignity, there.

At least that spelled the end of the ordeal...

###

...until next year came. It was so surreal!

Once more, the four teens had come trick-or-treating!
They carefreely walked in and gave him a greeting!

He cried with despair, “No, why are you back?!”
The girl cracked a joke, “We wanted a snack!”

The clerk fell on the desk, head in a hand.
He felt his luck was the worst in the land!

He hoped and pleaded it was just a bad dream.
But it was for real and he wanted to scream.

Like the first time, he could only give money.
His colleagues all laughed and thought it was funny.

He muttered off to the side, “Who are you guys?”
They answered the question, much to his surprise.

He learned they were exchange students living in Celadon
Attending the city's college, which was upper echelon.

People could argue that they were much too old.
But they had a good reason, is what they told.

It was nice to see a new culture, but they sometimes got stressed
So they were glad the mouse had brought over a piece of the west.

They liked it in Kanto, they made that perfectly clear.
Just the chance to share their own customs brought them great cheer.

They spoke for ten minutes, no names were exchanged.
By the end of it all, the clerk's thoughts had changed.

They were not dull-witted, not pulling a con.
To think he once wished that they were all gone!

The teens soon got going, but said they would return.
That he might not be there was his only concern.

The clerk got back to his work, left with a lot to ponder.
He concluded this was a chance that he would not squander.

So the clerk soon looked forward to their annual visit.
It was a refreshing break from the stuff more illicit.

Their creative costumes were always a fun sight
And he found their company to be a delight.

They showed up for four years, a streak unbroken.
If they did know the truth, it went unspoken.

Then, during a breezy mid-March afternoon
The students came by looking over the moon!

“Why are you here?” the clerk asked.
The girl explained, “We all passed.”

“Oh, congratulations,” he clapped for their graduation.
Their mutual success was worthy of commendation.

They moved here to attend school and saw it through
The clerk asked the students, “So what's next for you?”

“We'll be heading home before the next season.”
“Thought we'd tell so you won't panic for no reason.”

He nodded and played off, “I see, then good-bye.”
He acted indifferent, but it was a lie.

They all simply smirked, seeing through his tough guy front.
“We'll miss you too,” the fat one's words were ever blunt.

Without so much as an ounce of strife
The four went and walked out of his life.

The clerk sat back with a sigh, his thoughts were dispersed.
He mused what to do on October 31st.

That it would be weird without them was not all he would say.
In fact, he would truly state that he liked the holiday.

What he saw seemed fun, he had to admit.
A part of him had wanted to try it.

To fill the void made by this loss
He would have to speak with the boss.

It was something he had wanted to do
Now it was time to at last follow through!

###

The next October, on their headquarters' street
Team Rocket, too, was engaged in Trick-or-Treat!

In many costumes, from the prim to the silly.
Like a tiger, a dragon, and a bowl of chili!

A plumber, a witch, and many monsters too!
Two fixers were clothed as one cow going “MOO!”

Some guys wore their suits, some girls were in gowns.
The grunts who once laughed were dressed up as clowns.

Even their Pokemon were in on the act!
They were all having fun, and that was a fact.

When given a fair glance, it was a wild and crazy scene.
Gangsters shouting at all who passed by, “Happy Halloween!”

Their bags of candy gave all the kids glee!
For their parents, Game Corner coins for free!

The clerk cosplayed as a Gundam machine!
And the boss herself was dressed like a queen!

“Nice idea,” she whispered to him, engrossed in the mood.
The clerk knew she would like it, since her mind was so shrewd.

They were Team Rocket, sure, but they were not plain evil.
That fact probably threw some views into upheaval.

To be yakuza was not all about crime.
They helped the community from time to time.

So tonight, they were holding a festival
And people agreed, theirs was the best of all!

This side of them had not been seen in a while.
Not one soul who walked by left without a smile!

The mood was infectious and the celebrations were loud.
With this revelry he thought he had done those students proud!

For years to come they would bring Halloween spirit to the town!
(At least until the police decided they would shut them down.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
oooh, a collection of rhymes. different, intriguing; got a good laugh at the teens coming to the office and trick or treating the clerk and the latters reaction every single time. one nice thought was that the two teens knew to tell the clerk that they were moving back home out of consideration, but i feel like it wouldve been hilarious if theyd shown up that year during the party just to drive him nuts (just a me thing tho). liked the development of the clerk, who despite losing his mind from the kids, ending up missing the occasion and laying the idea down for the party (idk if that made sense im still p tired so pls bear w me). really liked the direction this went and how far it deviated from everyone elses, yet how close it feels.
 
Hi Extension_Driver!!

This was the most unique entry, I think, but that's a good thing! I don't think I could have came up with enough rhymes to make a story, much less one that had direction, too!

The idea of a yakuza member befriending some students, basically because of the magic of Halloween, is super cool I think, and it was executed nicely!!

Thank you for making this, it was great to read!!
 
I thought this was a ton of fun--not at all what I was expecting, but tbh I should've expected something a little unorthodox. The broader strokes of the rhyme format are clever--it lets you tell a story really efficiently and gloss over some descriptors, and it ends an inherently whimsical tone to this that I think really works. I probably would've needed a much larger wordcount to wrap my head around "team rocket clerk gets guilted into throwing a cute halloween party" without it.

The emotional core was super compelling to me, and certainly one I hadn't expected after seeing the couplets. The detail of the kids being exchange students sold it for me, both for why they'd be so persistent with the clerk the first time around, and why the clerk might start to have a change of heart. It's a sweet, cute story about some of the more fun ideas of Halloween imo--that people can change, honoring traditions/the past, and meeting new people (or old people in a new light). There was a surprising amount of depth packed into a small space here, and I thought this was a genuinely charming read. Thanks for sharing!

One thing left to do
That was follow through.
I am far from an expert on poetry, and I did like the "follow through" refrain, but I thought that this pair of lines was lacking syllables compared to everything around it, which I thought made it disjoint from the rest of the prose.

The girl cracked a joke, “We wanted a snack!”
You'll want ["The girl cracked a joke: "We wanted a snack!"] here since "cracked" isn't a dialogue tag.
 
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