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!
Perhaps he did not appear to be a knight riding out into battle, and the man standing before Cypress Laboratories even looked a little apprehensive, but here he was. Larsa sighed, wringing his hands together. It was now or never. He took a step forward, and the immense amount of sheer effort made it feel as if his feet were rooted in cinderblocks. Another step, and a screaming Luxray flashed before his eyes.
Larsa didn't want to be alone anymore.
He supposed it helped that he hailed from Nerio City. Eos probably figured he had a personal vendetta of some sorts against the Scourge, something to drive him, a mission that, naturally, a human being would want to complete. A cynical grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. How wrong they were.
Hurry up, Larsa. Put a smile on and go on.
He inhaled deeply, a cheerful expression spreading across his face. He wasn't sure whether it was hollow or actually genuine, finally receiving some form of companionship. This gave Larsa enough courage to push the door open (because all the houses, ironically, seemed to be left unlocked throughout Kohaku).
"Hello? Professor Cypress, hello?"
(randomized Pokémon sets scare me a bit but HERE I GO?)
Opening the door revealed a hustling professor, chugging down coffee as he went about his business. The desk was cluttered with paperwork and pokeballs, but Cypress just shoved everything aside when he heard the door open. A young man walked in, and the professor hurried up to him. "H-hello!" He stammered, offering a handshake, "I'm Professor Cypress." The man states, a little more clearly. "I a-assume yo-you're..." Oh man. Cypress had forgotten the poor chap's name.
He shuffled over to his desk, turning it upside down in order to find the clipboard that he desired. Had he left it in the kitchen? Oh, Cypress had better go check. Frantically, he hurried into an adjacent room and called out very loudly. "It-It'll just be a moment!" The words were muffled with the sounds of pots and pans crashing to the floor, but finally, the sounds came to an end.
The professor calmly strolled back into the room, lab coat soiled with ketchup, olive oil, and almost anything else you can think of. "L-Larsa Karimi?" Cypress confirms, wiping his hands on his coat. "I've been expecting you."
Larsa flashes the Professor a grin, hoping that the friendly expression would calm the anxious man's nerves. Smiles tended to do that, he supposed, as he gave the man's hand a firm shake. "The honor's all mine, Professor Cypress," he says with a small nod. The poor man looked like he was a Deerling being stared down by a Houndoom. Larsa nearly felt sorry for him (nearly).
The blue-haired man entered the facility with a curious expression as Professor Cypress hurried to his office, then began shuffling the items about on his desk, muttering to himself. Larsa tilted his head as the man scurried to the next room. "Oh no, sir, feel free to take your time!" he called back. No need to raise the man's blood pressure, which, Larsa imagined, was already staggeringly high. He winced as the clattering of metal echoed through the area, and just as he was about to hurry into the kitchen to ensure the man was unharmed, Professor Cypress came strolling out with a controlled expression.
"Larsa Karimi, yes, that's me," he chimed. "It's quite all right. I figure, it's probably very busy here, isn't it? You must get researchers and trainers bothering you for Pokémon day in and day out. I mean, I suppose I count for that too, but really, it's quite all right for you to take your time and relax a bit. I don't mind at all."
He let out his own nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Er, aha, I suppose I shouldn't waste your time with my idle thinking, Professor. You just seemed a little wound-up like a spring."
He really does get a lot of visitors here. It seems like a new person knocks on his door every day- whether it's a new trainer, a new researcher, or just an old friend. "I d-do get quite a few visitors." The professor chuckles nervously, itching the back of his head. "B-but, oh no, don't worry about me!" He exclaims, stepping towards his file cabinet. "I c-can handle it. It's my job, after all." Turning his back to Larsa, he rummages through the drawer of the metal cabinet, fishing out ten pokeballs, and then proceeding to drop them into his display case, one by one.
"A sp-spring, hmm?" Cypress chuckles. Maybe he was a little wound-up. "No mat-matter. These are some pokemon I-I've obtained from my research. You can choose any one you like." The professor holds out the box for Larsa to look at.
"Yeah, a spring," Larsa responds, blue eyes twinkling at the sight of the Pokémon within the display case. He looks like a five-year-old in a candy store with a Christmas clearance sale. There were small icons that were paired with each Pokéball, one to show what Pokémon was held within each capsule. He recognized all of them, though he'd never seen an Audino for himself in person.
He crossed his arms over his chest, drumming fingers on his elbow. "Professor, they're all great," he said to the man. "Do you raise all of them yourself?" If so, he did not doubt that one of the Pokémon would not have any potential to grow formidable. Yet, as soon as his eyes landed upon the rock-type Pokémon, he wasn't sure if there was any other Pokémon he would have had as a partner. They were docile, quiet, but hardy creatures, and he'd never trained one before.
"Professor Cypress," Larsa asked the man. "How's the Larvitar of yours? I doubt that he'd give anyone problems though, right?"
This was the best part of his job! Sending trainers off into the amazing world of pokemon with their starters had never failed to excite Professor Cypress. Letting them choose their new friend, and then watching them travel was practically the reason why he was still a professor. Of course, the developments of the Eos Program needed him- just another reason to stay put, right here, in this laboratory. (Of course, there were also flesh eating zombies out there, but don't tell anyone he was scared of those). The anxious frown on his face grew as he realized that the trainers he sends out may very well be getting eaten right now...
"Aah, the Larvitar!" Cypress blurts, getting himself out of his own day-nightmare. "He's slightly fickle- but I'm sure with a kind, strong trainer he'd be a wonderful pokemon," Cypress smiles, "both in battle and out." He stops for a moment, nodding. He did raise them all himself, all out there, in the real world. He misses that. "I did raise them all myself, actually." he admits, itching the back of his head. "You'd never believe it, but I used to be quite the trainer!" He chuckles, reiterating. "I was pretty good, if I do say so myself."
"Professor, why why wouldn't I believe you?" Larsa asks with a laugh. He was sure the Professor had made a wonderful trainer. Considering how knowledgeable he was, there was no doubt in the man's mind that Professor Cypress knew everything relevant about Pokemon.
"I'd like to be friends with him anyways," Larsa responds, referring to the Larvitar. Undeclared war is no time to be making idle relationships, but Larsa knows how valuable such bonds can be.
Ah, a trainer who wanted to be friends with the Larvitar! A very good choice. Larvitars grew up to be mighty Tyranitars one day, and Cypress knew those pokemon were almost unstoppable. It was nice to see a trainer take initiative and choose a pokemon to fight the scourge with. "I'm glad. G-Great choice!" He says, wrapping his fingers around the Larvitar's pokeball. Farewell, little guy. He thinks, placing the pokeball into Larsa's hand. "Oh, and a helpful hi-hint: be friends with all of your pokemon. It makes them battle even better." He says, smile disappearing on his face. "The downside is that they're harder to lose."
But he lost his gloomy attitude in a quick moment, as he cheerily sent Larsa off.
Opening the door revealed a hustling professor, chugging down coffee as he went about his business. The desk was cluttered with paperwork and pokeballs, but Cypress just shoved everything aside when he heard the door open. A young man walked in, and the professor hurried up to him. "H-hello!" He stammered, offering a handshake, "I'm Professor Cypress." The man states, a little more clearly. "I a-assume yo-you're..." Oh man. Cypress had forgotten the poor chap's name. 
