PLOT & SETTING

[admin]

PLOT "The Pokemon Association urges all travelers to exercise caution and vigilance at night." One year ago, a strange virus struck the Kohaku region's pokemon. At first, no one noticed, and any shocking incidents were quickly hushed up, but the ignorance was short lived. It didn't take long for wild pokemon with pitch black eyes and a taste for human flesh to begin appearing in the heart of Kohaku. It seemed like they originated from the lake, and sure enough, the Pax Institute of Research was nothing but a ruin, all tell-tale signs of a disaster evident to anyone that could see. "The hades virus is contagious, and hadean pokemon cannot be tamed. Please do not make any attempt to capture one--we repeat, do not attempt to capture any of these pokemon." The hadean pokemon were more than just angry, violent variations of their breed. They fed on other pokemon, and they attack any and all humans. Far stronger and faster, their anatomy had significant internal developments to improve their capability for battle, and their chemical balance was altered so they thought of nothing but violence. Within a month of Lake Pax's disaster, trainers were found devoured, their pokemon dead. People now call them the Scourge. "We do not know how the virus spreads, but if you suspect your pokemon may be contaminated, bring them to the Pokemon Association immediately." In the end, the citizens of Kohaku reacted too slowly to the growing number of scourge pokemon. The scourge became a horde, sweeping over the likes of Decima Town, and now they're a grave and present danger over nearby Nerio City and Hespera City. Many of the region's best trainers and rangers have already lost their pokemon to the virus. Breeding farms have closed down, and the vast majority of Kohaku's brightest minds died at Pax. "There is no cure, but a vaccine is already in testing. We are now looking for aspiring trainers, breeders, rangers, and researchers to join the Eos Program." Your character has been, for one reason or another, entrusted with free access to the rare vaccine against the hades virus. While these pokemon are no stronger than usual, their appearance is strikingly different, with shiny bodies that glitter even when there's no light. The Pokemon Association hopes that this new force of vaccinated pokemon and their masters will be able to defeat the scourge threat. "All admitted Eos Program applicants will have full access to the vaccine. If accepted, please report to Juno City as soon as possible."

[admin]

SETTING Kohaku used to be a peaceful region where 10-year-olds could go on pokemon adventures. That's changed now. While some cities are mostly untouched by the scourge, other cities are experiencing a zombie apocalypse. Traditionally, Kohaku is a very modern region that applauds ambition and discipline. Here, breeders hatched pokemon with the pedigree of champions, trainers battled day in and day out to become the best, and researchers focused on improving a pokemon's combat capabilities. The vaccine for the hades virus is both new and expensive, not to mention still undergoing testing, so it's very rare. Besides the player characters, only the Elite Four, some Gym Leaders, and a handful of NPCs have access to it. Vaccinated pokemon are typically shiny. Some vaccinated pokemon don't change appearance at all, or only turn shiny later after they evolve, but most are easily identified as shiny pokemon. Besides for vaccinated pokemon, there are no shiny pokemon in Kohaku. Many of the region's ace trainers and veterans immediately took to the frontlines to battle the scourge. Most of their pokemon are now infected. Likewise, famed breeders have lost their prize studs to the scourge. All the region's most experienced scientists died at Lake Pax. Kohaku has no history of rangers, but with the loss of their best battlers, they have invited the Rangers Union to their region to help preserve nature as Arceus intended it. The eos vaccine came when Kohaku needed it most. Now, the Pokemon Association intends to turn the tide back in their favor--whether they can or not depends on you. The Pokemon Association has created the Eos Program, which accepts prospective pokemon trainers, breeders, rangers, and researchers. Your character is a member of the Eos Program, and they have one mission: to prevail against the scourge. The eos vaccine is very limited. All pokemon hatched from an egg are born vaccinated, but wild pokemon require vaccination. The longer a pokemon remains unvaccinated, the higher the chances of them coming into contact with the hades virus.