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!
And so it began; my journey into the world of pokemon. I was a trainer and walked the same path as many. What lay ahead of us was anything far beyond our imagination. However firstly, I needed a companion. Someone who would walk the same path as me, someone who would experience the triumph and turmoil as it came. Of course, I needed my very own pokemon.
I slowly made my way into the laboratory in Juno City. It was the lab of Professor Cypress, a man renown across the pokemon world for his efforts with the Pokemon Association. He would be the ticket I needed to acquire my first pokemon. The only issue was, I had no idea what pokemon would best suit me.
Growing up, I had often lingered with psychic/ghost-type pokemon. But perhaps Cypress would see me to suit something different. Perhaps there was another type of pokemon that I was best affiliated to. I really had no idea. It was a gamble I was willing to take, however. Surely somewhere in the vast array of pokemon that would be presented to me I could find the one that I was looking for. I was just moments away of greeting my future lifelong companion. "Professor Cypress... are you here?"
Same month, same week, same Eos trainers and researchers flitting through his office. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing though. In fact, Professor Cypress thought it was quite good. Sort of. After all, prior to becoming infected by the Hades virus, the Scourge, too, had been regular Pokémon. They, too, had feelings, emotions, and had lived. Though if Eos ruled that the best solution was to send trainers out to cull the herds, so be it. He just had to do his job.
"Professor Cypress, a-at your service!" the man called from the belly of his lab. "... a-at least, if you'd be so kind as to, u-um, give me --"
The noises of screeching, hissing, and barking came all at once from the lab. "N-no, come back!" the Professor yelled, exasperated, as a Bidoof went tottering out at an alarming speed. The Professor made an attempt at a mad grab for the Pokémon, only to trip over his own feet. "Y-yes, I'll be right there!"
As the seconds passed, I started to think that perhaps the professor was not in today. Well, that was until suddenly I heard a voice scream out from the abyss. It lacked confidence and presented an enigmatic aura of insanity. It was definitely not what I had expected from the renown professor. From his voice, I gathered, he was rather a mysterious man. I suppose we shared the same traits there.
What happened next startled me slightly. Cypress was halfway through speaking before he was cut short from a distraction. I could not make sense of it as the professor's voice came from an area of the lab which was out of my vision. The cry of the professor was accompanied by the scattering of little footsteps across the laboratory floor. Before I had the chance to think about what these footsteps could have been, a rather loud thud echoed through the lab.
My left eye twitched. Was the professor alright? What were those little footsteps? I was really hoping that today could flow swimmingly. It was my only shot at acquiring my first pokemon. Rest assured however, the professors voice came out from the back once more. "Take your time professor," I quickly shouted out. I was in no rush. This was an important day in my life. The professor could do whatever he had to do first, as long as I got my pokemon in the end.
Nothing ever went swimmingly in Professor Cypress' lab. Whether it was an escaped Rattata, or spilled chemicals, it was a wonder that Professor Cypress was still in charge of handing out vaccinated Pokémon to prospective Eos trainers and researchers. Then again, in the aftermath of Lake Pax, the man was the only one left. Arguably, he knew the Scourge the best, and he knew the vaccine the best too.
The Bidoof slipped past the man's legs, but he managed to snatch the Pokémon off the floor. "Th-there there," the man said, smoothing the Bidoof's fur on his back. The Pokémon squeaked unhappily and wriggled about. Professor Cypress tucked the creature under his arm, finally opening the door to the lab. He gave Pollux an apologetic expression. "A-ah, I'm sorry about the, e-er, commotion earlier," he says with his trademarked nervous laugh. "... o-oh, yes! Y-yes, please do come in, come in!" The man, who seemed to have suddenly remembered what his job was, quickly ushered Pollux into the room.
At long last I was where I was needed to be. The Cypress Laboratory was rather extravagant. I had not seen anything like it before, especially back home in Cura Village where everything was simply antique. This place was amazing; technology and discovery was everywhere. I could not only see it before my eyes, but could feel it in the air around me. It was radiant indeed.
I moved in quickly and greeted the professor with a courteous nod. I was finally able to match the voice to the face. He was who I had expected upon hearing his voice previously; a shy looking man with an average build, just like me. I tried to make myself as approachable as I could. It was rather difficult with this mask covering half of my face, but I was better off this way. The mask had been donned on me ever since I had left home. The least that people could recognise me, the better.
"I think I'm ready for my first pokemon, Professor. What do you have for me?" I thought it appropriate to get to the point. I did not want to linger around here all day and waste more of the professor's important time. He seemed to have his hands full already with radical pokemon running around his laboratory, thus I didn't want to overstay my welcome to create another potential distraction for him.
Straight to the point and very forward; such were excellent traits for a trainer to possess. "Y-yes, yes of course," the man says, gesturing for Pollux to follow. He led the man into a single room, which was also teeming with Pokémon like the last one. All the Pokémon ran about in circles. "S-settle down, everyone. Settle down, please," the man said, waving his hands in front of him to get all the Pokémon to calm down. They did not line up side-by-side, but at least they stopped making noise. Professor Cypress gestured to the Pokémon before Pollux. "U-um, feel free to, er, to take as long as you'd like," he said. "I-it's important that a trainer is satisfied with his Pokémon, b-but you see, it's also just as important that a Pokémon likes, um, his or her trainer as well."
I paced briskly behind the professor as he led me into the room. I was half-prepared for the sight that awaited me. More pokemon. They were everywhere, running around and playing with each other. There was a vast array of them, plenty of types to pick from. I was pleased with the selection that the professor had provided to me. Intently, I studied each of them to try and decide which one best suit me. It was a big decision after all, I couldn't make the wrong choice.
They were all so unique, all carrying various traits which allowed them to be differentiated from the others. Some seemed more darker than others. It was these ones that enticed me the most. After all I was quite the shadowy type of guy, thus I needed a pokemon that resembled the type of person I was. One in particular did catch my eye. Something within drew me closer to this particular pokemon. I knew that it had to be the right choice.
"That one..." I said slowly whilst pointing at the Zorua. "Does it have a name? I think I'd best be suited with that one," I continued whilst studying the pokemon even closer. I hoped that the pokemon would affiliate to me. If not, it would be rather awkward. I hated awkward moments.
Professor Cypress had a feeling that Pollux would be drawn, naturally, to the Zorua. "O-oh, no, he doesn't," the Professor said. "U-um, I just call him Zorua for now."
The man lifted the Zorua from the floor. The fox-like Pokémon yipped, baring his teeth at Pollux. The Pokémon's tail swished from side to side, as if to greet the trainer. "He's a little, um, finicky," the Professor said. "O-oh, and he, e-er, he may try to pull pranks on you. Th-they're all in good humor though! I think, maybe, he just, u-um, needs a patient trainer." The Professor looked concerned for a moment before continuing. "As long as you're patient, I'm sure the two of you will, ah, will get along just fine, y-yes?"
The nickname could come later, I thought as Professor Cypress responded to my query. As the professor held him closer to me, my heart felt warm at the sight of the pokemon swishing his tail from side to side. It seemed as if the little critter liked me. That was a good start. I'd have the thank the heavens later for not gifting me with an out of control monster whom hated me.
The professor stressed that I'd have to be patient. That was no issue. I never really lost control with my emotions at anyone. If anything, my silent ways would probably annoy the Zorua into insanity. It was a trait that the little creature would have to get used to. I gave one brief look to the other pokemon that did not make the pick, wondering on whether I had made the right choice. Many of them did not really have their minds fixed on the fact that they had not been chosen. They just continued to jump around and play with each other after the professor had shifted his focus from them. It made it easier to decide that my choice was the right one. I was afraid to look back into the sea of pokemon and seeing many with tears folding in their eyes. It's always a pain seeing little creatures cry.
I nodded my head in response to the professor. "Yes, that'll work for me just great. Is there anything else I need before I head off on my journey, Professor? Also... where do you think the best place for me to start is? I'm a pokemon trainer so I'll be after the first gym badge on the list." My voice remained still as I communicated to the professor. Although it did not show, I was excited to embark on my journey. It made me feel even better that I had the perfect companion now alongside me.
The Professor handed the little Zorua over to Pollux. "Most trainers and researchers will head to Proserpina City," the man explained. "B-because, you see, that's where the first gym is. But there are, um, many people who live in Proserpina too! Researchers will find plenty of, er, Pokémon, to scan in their Pokédexes. It's a v-very good place to begin at." The man let out a nervous laugh and patted Pollux on the shoulder. "I, um, hope that you'll do well," he said. Professor Cypress always did. There was a glint of amusement in his eyes, behind his glasses. "Ah, w-well, what are you waiting for? Proserpina awaits!"
@pollux
:szorua: LVL10 6 level-up moves + dark pulse 1 STAT BOOST
A smile curved under my bandanna as the professor spoke. Proserpina City was the first location on the list it seemed. I had not heard much of the place before, and did not entirely know where it was. If I remained on the routes however, I'd find my way there one way or another. Before leaving the laboratory, I quickly gave my thanks to Professor Cypress.
"Thank you professor. I hope one day I will see you again. I don't think I mentioned my name before. It's Pollux," I said whilst turning my head to the little Zorua next to the professor. "C'mon, lets get out of here." I jerked my thumb in the direction of the lab exit. The little pokemon got the message and soon followed me to my side. After that, I gave the professor one last nod before leaving his company.
Same month, same week, same Eos trainers and researchers flitting through his office. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing though. In fact, Professor Cypress thought it was quite good. Sort of. After all, prior to becoming infected by the Hades virus, the Scourge, too, had been regular Pokémon. They, too, had feelings, emotions, and had lived. Though if Eos ruled that the best solution was to send trainers out to cull the herds, so be it. He just had to do his job.
:sdrilbur: 
