This world is inhabited by creatures that we call pokemon. People and pokemon live together by supporting each other, but now the scourge threatens the safety of the entire region. Kohaku has become a dangerous place, where children stay at home and only brave souls go adventuring.
Welcome to KOHAKU. Come for the nightmares. Stay for the tea and crumpets.
The season is SUMMER. It is easy for survivors to forage for food from the land, as there are entire abandoned farms ready for harvest. On the downside, you can smell the corpses.
swarms
GRAND OPENING !
Welcome to KOHAKU REGION's grand opening! If you're interested in joining, come check out our grand opening giveaway!
There was no need for a flashlight. Not when Donovan's fiery tail lit up the walkway- if you could call it one. They were trapped in a cave, squeezing through tight spaces and pressing up against rocky walls, all so that they could reach Nerio City. The Monferno lead their pack, guiding the way with his fire. Cameron was close behind. Close enough that he could use the light to read his map. But all he saw was a maze of tunnels. He tried to keep tabs on exactly where they were. He didn't want to get lost. Cameron didn't even want to admit that Zachary that they might get lost. Everything looked the same.
Cameron spared a glance over his shoulder, holding his breath as he did. Any time he looked up from his map, he was scared that his partner would be gone. Or, just as bad, a monster would be blocking their way. He thought that they could handle a Rhyhorn, or a Drilbur. But if a Haunter emerged from the dark, they'd be turning back now to run back to Ceres.
Watch his back. Never take his eyes off his back. These were the words that ran through Zach's mind as he followed behind him. As long as he saw the man's back, everything would be okay. Just fine. He had done this since he was a child. Watching Cameron's back kept him calm.
Taking a calming breath, he forced a smile to the other. "Totally!" He said this warmly, but then tried to look around the other. He spoke to him from time to time, but it was mostly silent. However, when he did speak, it was usually to ask the boy to squeeze into smaller spaces. He looked at the older with a bit of fear, wondering if that is what he'd ask him to do this time. Man, he hated this cave..
Cameron's pace slowed. He folded the map a little. Small enough that he could hold it in one hand. The free hand fell back behind him, out stretching to Zachary. He'd come to a halt, watching the boy and offering his hand. There wasn't a shy smile or a nervous look in his eyes as he did this. Cameron was serious about it.
"Stay close. If I've been following these directions correctly, we should at least be nearing the catacombs," the man explained, a shiver down his spine, just from saying that word. Catacombs meant dead bodies and ghosts, didn't it? The next gym leader was there. She trained ghosts. Cameron was feeling ill from fretting over how he'd defeat her. "The gym is in the catacombs. Though it's best we reach Nerio. We can rest there."
"She needs a new realtor" He almost growled these words, but no, they were more a weak grumble. He squeezed Cameron's hand tight while looking around, before staying close enough to almost rest his forehead on the other's shoulder. He wanted to, but no, they had to keep moving.
It was so dark in here, almost hard to see. Zach tugged his hand softly, looking at the map curiously. "..are you going to be okay, Cam? Look - I know you really want this. How can you though? Are.. are you sure you can finish this fight?" Zach knew the man's fear.
Cameron's walk was slow from here on, so that he wouldn't leave Zachary in the dust. He tried to squeeze his partner in by his side, not wanting to continuously look behind him every time he wanted to talk.
"They say that the battles are done in the dark. How can I be afraid of something that I can't see?" Cameron asked, forcing a nervous smile. But, in reality, that was the worst thing about the ghosts. They could turn invisible and float through walls. He never knew when they would appear before him next. "Just... stay with me? I know you don't like them either. But, if you'd just... j-just stay close to me."
" ..Because they're ghosts!" He frowned now, looking at the other a moment, but then smiled. He was so silly. "I am not going to leave your side any time soon. Don't worry about that" As if he would. Or could. Zach wouldn't survive a single day with Cameron by his side, protecting him form getting hurt or lost. "I don't mind ghosts. I can handle them. .. I won't let anything hurt you Cam. If a ghost comes, I'll scare it off!"
"Is that so? Damn, it sounds like I don't even need Pokemon. I'll send you out in the battlefield. You'll be so scary, the gym leader will be too scared to even fight me," Cameron started snickering, his hand moving from Zachary's. This time, he hooked their arms together, pulling the friend in close as he ducked his head as they came toward a low ceiling. It should have been high enough for Zachary to fit, but Cameron was too tall of this. He whispered 'careful' and squinted forward. It was all dark and rock.
He didn't have to duck. Had almost an inch from the top as well. Zach tsked, but stuck close to the other. Tall jerk. "I'm always careful!" Says the boy who tripped so many times at the start, Cameron threatened to carry him. At the comment, he actually laughed. "That sounds terrifying! You know I'm that scary though~" It was nice to laugh around in this dark place. Made it easier.
"But, I also know that you wouldn't stand a chance against a Litwick's embers. Or against a sand tomb. You'd get beaten, bruised and burned." The reason they were traveling together was so that Cameron could protect Zachary. He didn't want to lose the only one that he had left. "We'll protect each other. Both of us are going to live through this." He didn't just mean through the caverns. They'd survive the apocalypse. Even if no one else did.
"No less beaten than deciding to rough house with you. Really. I think you have hurt me more than any pokemon could." He tsked, eyes rolling for now. The man was too strong for his own good. The comment kept his smile up. "Of course we are. .. they are just ghosts. I mean. We could shine a bright light or throw some salt.." Zach was trying so hard to be optimistic. He wasn't this way before. Always looked to the darker side of things. Had his head low. Since everything went down, he had been trying hard to keep in the best spirit he could.
The look on Cameron's face seemed almost ashamed, as well as apologetic. He had been the biggest bully in his younger years. He had hurt many people, and was still known to get angry and hurt a great deal of people. "N-no... Pokemon hurt more than I do!" Cameron took a deep breath, squeezing close to Zachary as the walls started to narrow, bringing them both much closer together. But Cameron didn't seem to mind. "Ghost Pokemon aren't weak to salt and lights! They're weak to other ghosts. And to the dark. I don't own ghost Pokemon. Or... dark ones." What a problem.
Maybe we can give them treats and they'll go away?" What an innocent thought. Far too innocent for their situation. He stumbled a bit, using Sterling as a more or less walking stick before he got steady on his feet again and gave a nervous laughter. "It's pretty dangerous in here.. uh. Why would a gym leader be in here? What if someone got hurt?" Then again. If they were hurt so easily, they shouldn't be fighting scourge.
"Are you six?" Cameron sighed and rolled his eyes back. If only it were that easy. Then there'd be no reason to be so afraid right now. He almost stepped on his Pokemon, who'd slowed to a halt, and looked up at the two of them, then back into the dark, as if something might be there. "Why don't you ask her when we meet her? I don't stalk her and know everything about her. Not her of all gym leaders." He snorted, trying to nudge Donovan forward, who seemed very hesitant, but stumbled onwards.
Sighing a bit, the boy looked to the monkey, daring to rub the little creature's back softly, whispering. " Hey.. It's gonna be okay lil guy! Cam is gonna protect you. Me too. .. and all your friends and my friends" He pulled back, patting the bag he carried to prove this to him. He might not be the most brave, but he sure as hell wouldn't let anything happen to the little monkey.
But Donovan stopped again, reaching out with both hands. He grabbed each of their pant legs and started pulling on them. "Mo-mon!" he started jabbing his fingers toward the dark in the tunnel. But it wasn't all dark. There were small, flickering lights quite a way down. But when Cameron squinted, he realized something was down there. "Wait..." he stopped walking now, throwing the map back open again and tracing where they had just been. "I think... I think that's the catacombs. Those are the entrance lanterns! We could get directions."
Watch his back. Never take his eyes off his back. These were the words that ran through Zach's mind as he followed behind him. As long as he saw the man's back, everything would be okay. Just fine. He had done this since he was a child. Watching Cameron's back kept him calm.
