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!
[atrb=width,500px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,border-radius:10; background: #e7f1fa url('http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/lil_ari/greenbg.png') repeat-y; ][style=background:#b2b894; margin:25 0 0 85px;width:100px;height:100px;border-radius:10 0 10 10px; padding:5px;opacity:0.8;][/style][style=background:#b2b894;width:250px;border-radius:0 50 50 0px; padding:5 25 5 5px;text-align:justify; margin:-110 0 0 195px; opacity:0.8; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.9; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;] There's no up or down. Everyone's under the same sky. The paradise from our dreams, that's our paradise! Greedless, nothing to lose, an impartial world, a dream paradise here right now! [/style][style=font: italic 17pt/12pt Hoefler Text,serif; color:#95957c; margin:70 0 0 85px;width:390px;text-shadow: 2px 3px 2px #effbde;opacity:0.9;]Maria, I'm still here where people fight~[/style][style=font: 9pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:5px;color:#31322a; margin:-5 0 0 85px;width:370px; padding:10px;text-align:justify;]Well, this was it. Mikael was finally face-to-face with the humble sprawling of Cypress Laboratory. It had taken a week to get here. Mikael had been careful to travel in daytime along with traveling in a group. Nowadays, it wasn't safe to walk around without a Pokémon or being in a group so most people did not complain about being followed by someone else. He always made sure to stay towards the middle of the group in case a Scourge Pokémon happened to attack, but he kept his head low to keep attention at bay. Mikael did not want his face to be remembered, just in case. That was the biggest mistake of most thieves. He had no real defining features, no scars for people to remember him by, but his piercing green eyes often made a lasting impression on people. Still, there were plenty of people with emerald eyes, were there not?
Mikael was just relieved that the Pokémon Association was desperate enough to ask for his help. He wasn't exactly a magnanimous person, nor was he notable within his area, but he'd had the luck to bump into a person working for the Association that liked him. The man had offered Mikael a chance to meet this Professor Cypress and receive his first Pokémon. It was perfect. Mikael had planned on getting his own Pokémon some way or another and he had been hoping that he wouldn't have to steal it though he would not have entirely taken that method out of question. It would have made things so much more complicated. To Mikael, there was a difference between stealing money and food compared to a Pokémon. A Pokémon was a living thing with its own mind and will. It was like... kidnapping another person, at least, in his head it was.
But those had all simply been previous, old concerns. Mikael didn't have to worry about things of that nature. Instead, he decided on making a good impression on Professor Cypress. Now, he'd never been much of a people person, but he was willing to try. He felt a pang of sadness as he realized that if Maria had still been alive, she would be right by his side. They would have received their first Pokémon together and she would have been fifteen years old. Mikael slipped a hand casually into his brown pants. It slowly curled into a fist. The year of fifteen for him had not been so pleasant and he remembered every single lash he'd received in the Nerio City police headquarters, and he'd felt each one's sting whenever he'd swiped coins, an apple, or bread. And even still, he could feel the twisted leather biting into his skin. He'd never have to feel it again. The officials had thought him incorrigible, and sometimes even he convinced himself of it as well, but today was the start of a new day. He'd make a living by becoming a Pokémon trainer. For himself, for Maria.
"I'll make you proud," he mused under his breath before progressing through the lab's doors.[/style][style=background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:10 10 0 10px;margin:10 0 0 85px;width:360px; min-height:5px;padding:15px;text-align:left; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7.5pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.95; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;]WORDS - 512 TAGS - CYPRESS NOTES - THIS STORY'S JUST BEGINNING[/style][style=font: 7.5pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:0 0 10 20px;color:#effbde;text-align:right;margin:0 25 0 300px;padding:0 5 0 0px;]coded by arionne of pokemoncheyenne[/style]
Mrs. Brown waited in the foyer while Mr. Brown assisted Professor Cypress in the lab rooms. Another batch of pokemon were being vaccinated today, and it seemed that most pokemon found her presence cold and off-putting. Apparently, this was not a good thing, and Professor Cypress bid her remain outside to meet with any guests instead of assisting with the vaccination process. She understood his sentiments entirely. Mrs. Brown faulted the pokemon for being too easily frightened, not herself for her bedside manner (or lack of it).
When the trainer entered, she turned to attend to him. It wasn't easy for her to use words in the human language, but it wasn't impossible when it came to communicating telepathically. With her voice, she'd never be able to form such a variety of sounds, but Mrs. Brown believed her mind capable of most anything, yet her words always sounded foreign, too blunt and precise to be natural. <Hello. Welcome to Cypress Laboratories. We have been notified by the Pokemon Association to expect a trainer to pick up a vaccinated pokemon today. Are you that trainer--Mikael Rogers?>
Last time, she'd simply dug into a guest's mind telepathically to draw out their name and purpose visiting, but Professor Cypress had explained to her that was not an appropriate way to treat guests. Mrs. Brown didn't understand that--it was quicker, simpler, and she was a born telepath. Surely, she would never think of telling a human being that it was improper to babble in a tongue that no other species understood?
As an afterthought, she added, <If you are not Mikael Rogers, I apologize for the presumption. How may I help you?>
[atrb=width,500px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,border-radius:10; background: #e7f1fa url('http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/lil_ari/greenbg.png') repeat-y; ][style=background:#b2b894; margin:25 0 0 85px;width:100px;height:100px;border-radius:10 0 10 10px; padding:5px;opacity:0.8;][/style][style=background:#b2b894;width:250px;border-radius:0 50 50 0px; padding:5 25 5 5px;text-align:justify; margin:-110 0 0 195px; opacity:0.8; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.9; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;] There's no up or down. Everyone's under the same sky. The paradise from our dreams, that's our paradise! Greedless, nothing to lose, an impartial world, a dream paradise here right now! [/style][style=font: italic 17pt/12pt Hoefler Text,serif; color:#95957c; margin:70 0 0 85px;width:390px;text-shadow: 2px 3px 2px #effbde;opacity:0.9;]Maria, I'm still here where people fight~[/style][style=font: 9pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:5px;color:#31322a; margin:-5 0 0 85px;width:370px; padding:10px;text-align:justify;]Mikael blinked at the site of the Gothitelle. There was a voice echoing in his head, and it almost sounded feminine, yet robotic all at once. He frowned slightly, both puzzled and troubled at this voice when he realized perhaps this Pokémon was capable of telepathy. After all, he'd heard that Pokémon were quite capable of anything and during Scourge ambushes, he occasionally heard their moaning voices reverberating on the inside of his skull. It was quite terrifying to listen to the things they wanted to do to their prey, how they would tear each human limb by limb and then consume them while they were still thrashing about alive.
He suppressed a shudder at those memories and gave Mrs. Brown a curt nod. "Yes, I am Mikael Rogers," he said. It felt so odd giving the Pokémon his surname. He could have been a Smith, Mason, or Thompson and it would not have mattered. His entire biological family was gone and dead. The name was the last thing binding himself to the family, and those were only letters, words that were now meaningless. He could have dropped the last name at whole, but it felt reassuring knowing his roots. He knew where he had come from and now he would not forget his roots. Apart from his appearance, it was that single name, 'Rogers', that continued to bind him to Maria. For that sole reason, he would not renounce it.
"I have come to receive a vaccinated Pokémon on request of the Pokémon Association," he replied in a controlled tone. No one else would ever know the other motives he had for receiving a Pokémon. Of course he had his own agenda, but it was not necessarily a malicious one. After all, he just needed the money. And after that? Not even Mikael knew. Perhaps he'd run into old friends, or if he was lucky, make it to the Pokémon League. But he still did not know what fate held in store. For now, he just needed to survive each day.
"Is the Professor in?"[/style][style=background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:10 10 0 10px;margin:10 0 0 85px;width:360px; min-height:5px;padding:15px;text-align:left; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7.5pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.95; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;]WORDS - 343 TAGS - CYPRESS NOTES - SHINX PLEASE~[/style][style=font: 7.5pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:0 0 10 20px;color:#effbde;text-align:right;margin:0 25 0 300px;padding:0 5 0 0px;]coded by arionne of pokemoncheyenne[/style]
<Unfortunately, Professor Cypress is currently quite occupied. A selection of pokemon are being vaccinated as we speak, and such processes require much of his attention. If you prefer to deal with him in person, then I am pleased to tell you that I do not believe he will be busy for much longer. I foresee his return in perhaps fifteen minutes. However, I believe I can be of equal service to you for your purposes.>
That wasn't an empty boast; Mrs. Brown knew plenty well how to operate the transporter machine, although she had to admit Mr. Brown was more familiar with it, and its workings didn't baffle Professor Cypress at all. Such intricate technology was not her forte, but her skills would suffice here, although she would have to go at it slowly to ensure all the settings were set exactly right.
Still, a part of her hoped that the trainer would prefer to wait for Professor Cypress. Another part of her would be rather offended if he thought her unfit for the task at hand.
Next to the machine, she retrieved the clipboard that they kept well stocked with forms and information sheets, and she presented it to Mikael. <I understand that you have already submitted many and more forms to the Pokemon Association, but unfortunately they do not share their data with us. We ask that you fill out this form, which asks only for the necessary details for identification, as well as contact information, shall we need it.>
<When you have completed the form, please be sure to sign it. The papers below detail our current inventory of vaccinated pokemon, of which you may select the breeds that interest you, and I will present the pokemon to you in turn, so that you may find one with a temperament to your liking.>
[atrb=width,500px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,border-radius:10; background: #e7f1fa url('http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/lil_ari/greenbg.png') repeat-y; ][style=background:#b2b894; margin:25 0 0 85px;width:100px;height:100px;border-radius:10 0 10 10px; padding:5px;opacity:0.8;][/style][style=background:#b2b894;width:250px;border-radius:0 50 50 0px; padding:5 25 5 5px;text-align:justify; margin:-110 0 0 195px; opacity:0.8; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.9; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;] There's no up or down. Everyone's under the same sky. The paradise from our dreams, that's our paradise! Greedless, nothing to lose, an impartial world, a dream paradise here right now! [/style][style=font: italic 17pt/12pt Hoefler Text,serif; color:#95957c; margin:70 0 0 85px;width:390px;text-shadow: 2px 3px 2px #effbde;opacity:0.9;]Maria, I'm still here where people fight~[/style][style=font: 9pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:5px;color:#31322a; margin:-5 0 0 85px;width:370px; padding:10px;text-align:justify;]So the professor was out. Well, that was no real biggie. But was Mrs. Brown truly capable of tending to the professor's duties? Surely she would not make an empty claim about something of that effect. But how was he supposed to reply properly to her? The Pokémon had a stolid expression on her face as she handed him a clipboard. Forms and papers had been laid upon it and Mikael carefully slipped the pen out of its place as he chewed on the side of his mouth. He'd never truly attended school not like anyone else in the Pokémon world had though, had they? but was literate, thanks to his mother. She'd taught him and Maria how to read and write, and with practice, both of them had grown quite good at it. But reading and writing was also an invaluable skill when living on the streets. If you could read signs or advertisements, you knew what people were setting up for others to snatch up.
Mikael browsed over the new form, filling in typical information such as full name, age, gender, and various other forms that called for medical conditions. He was never entirely sure how to record his data on those, but figured he had no serious health conditions since he'd always been healthy. It had been Maria who had been sickly. The papers were very similar with the information he had already sent in to the Pokémon Association, so it didn't take long for him to fill them out. He checked off the the boxes that displayed 'none'. He'd also been blessed with keen eyesight. He knew he'd never be able to afford glasses and walking around half-blind was not good in Nerio City.
But when it came to the section where it read "Select breeds of Pokémon interested in", it took Mikael a bit more thinking. He'd received a pamphlet detailing each of the available Pokémon. There had been three he'd been interested in. The first one was Houndour. Loyalty was important when it came to a Pokémon partner, but Mikael was not sure just how loyal a Pokémon could be. After all, the only ones he'd seen were part of the Scourge and they were rabid. But the canine Pokémon looked like a survivor. Then there was Scyther, a bug-type with a pair of twin scythes for arms. Surely a Pokémon equipped with such weapons would be strong and quite capable of defending itself. He wanted a Pokémon that was not weak. Finally, there was Shinx. The Pokémon was a small electric-type, but he knew that it had the potential to grow. Mikael valued this potential for growth, and he felt that partnering with a young Pokémon such as Shinx would be wise. That way, they would have time to bond.
Bond? Mikael knew nothing of showing affection to anything that had not been his family. But Pokémon became a trainer's family, didn't they? He chewed on his lip thoughtfully before checking off all three of the breeds. Surely there would be at least one of them that was right for him. Mikael took the pen and signed off his name before handing the forms back to Mrs. Brown. "I trust your own judgment," he said to the Pokémon. "If the professor is busy, I don't wish to disrupt him." He paused. "I'd be interested in receiving a Shinx."[/style][style=background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:10 10 0 10px;margin:10 0 0 85px;width:360px; min-height:5px;padding:15px;text-align:left; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7.5pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.95; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;]WORDS - 553 TAGS - CYPRESS NOTES - N/A[/style][style=font: 7.5pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:0 0 10 20px;color:#effbde;text-align:right;margin:0 25 0 300px;padding:0 5 0 0px;]coded by arionne of pokemoncheyenne[/style]
Mrs. Brown could not resist but to dig into the trainers mind as he pondered over the pokemon. She would have guessed him for a strong type pokemon, he had a presence about him like he was here for a reason. Like he needed this pokemon for a specific reason. So as she read the list of three in his mind, of the Houndour, the Shinx, and the Scyther, she was not surprised. However, she would have expected him to go for one of the changing pokemon rather than one of the steady ones, when he asked to view a Shinx. Not that she did not know it was coming, she was dipping into his thoughts again, even though she was not supposed to. It was not proper.
<Indeed, better to leave him to his work.> Was her response before she moved to the machine. Allowing her mind and fingers to work together to press the buttons, it took her a bit longer than the others to make the pokeballs appear. However, it was not too long before they showed up on the platform before her. However, instantly, another worry entered her mind, would she be able to keep the pokemon under control? Well of course she should be able to figure something out to do it. Releasing them one at a time, the first Shinx that appeared looked at the trainer with the usual curiosity that pokemon had. <This one is very smart. He can quickly go over any situation and come up with a way to respond. He is not quick to react, but instead looks over a situation before deciding. He has a rather laid back attitude as well.> She nodded and tossed out the next pokemon.
<This Shinx is a female. She has a ton of energy all the time and is a bit of a dare devil. She is always looking out for the next adventure, battle, or exciting thing. Nothing catches her off guard or startles her.> Mrs. Brown pointed to the next pokemon who ran a few circles around the trainer before looking around. She obviously wanted his attention and for him to play with her or take her somewhere or something. With a soft mew, she then turned her attention to playing with the other Shinx. <Now this one has a tougher personality than the other two> Mrs. Brown began, tossing out the final Shinx who quickly took in his surroundings. Finding the first two pokemon to be acting foolish, he took a few haughty steps toward the trainer before looking him over, but not approaching him like the Shinx before him.
<He has an ego, but is not overly full of himself. He has one of those never dying spirits and loves to battle and do new things. Things do not tend to bother him and he often seems unaffected by his surroundings. Like the first pokemon, he is smart, but ever since he was vaccinated, he are not sure what to think of him.> She said, her voice not having really changed throughout the talk about each pokemon. She did not show any sort of real affection toward them, but instead watched the first two with a stern look that warned them not to touch or break anything and to try and make themselves appear presentable, rather than like a couple of fools prancing about. <Any of them interest you? Or would you like to see another type?> She looked back to the trainer.
[atrb=width,500px,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,border-radius:10; background: #e7f1fa url('http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/lil_ari/greenbg.png') repeat-y; ][style=background:#b2b894; margin:25 0 0 85px;width:100px;height:100px;border-radius:10 0 10 10px; padding:5px;opacity:0.8;][/style][style=background:#b2b894;width:250px;border-radius:0 50 50 0px; padding:5 25 5 5px;text-align:justify; margin:-110 0 0 195px; opacity:0.8; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.9; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;] There's no up or down. Everyone's under the same sky. The paradise from our dreams, that's our paradise! Greedless, nothing to lose, an impartial world, a dream paradise here right now! [/style][style=font: italic 17pt/12pt Hoefler Text,serif; color:#95957c; margin:70 0 0 85px;width:390px;text-shadow: 2px 3px 2px #effbde;opacity:0.9;]Maria, I'm still here where people fight~[/style][style=font: 9pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:5px;color:#31322a; margin:-5 0 0 85px;width:370px; padding:10px;text-align:justify;]Mikael felt as if he were being watched, but not quite. It made him uneasy as he suppressed a second shudder. It was almost as if someone was... dipping into his thoughts. Yes. That was what it was. But was that even possible? He eyed Mrs. Brown carefully before she replied telepathically. He nodded in agreement. Besides, the Gothitelle appeared entirely capable of taking care of the Pokémon business herself. And he was proven right when she glided over to a curious-looking machine to press a few buttons. He heard the machine hum dimly as three round red-and-white capsules appeared on a platform.
Mrs. Brown's voice remained calm and composed. It was strange as she spoke to her with her alien voice. It was incredibly monotonous, as if it were a computer speaking. But as long as she had the released Pokémon under control, Mikael wasn't complaining. It was a bit strange to be speaking with a Pokémon though, especially after seeing what the Scourge Pokémon were like. Mrs. Brown was... incredibly civil compared to them. And he hoped that she was not reading his mind because the comment could have been interpreted both as a compliment or as an insult. He hoped she considered it for the first reason.
Mikael listened quietly as Mrs. Brown explained the Pokémon's different personas. There were two male Shinx and a single female one that he had been presented with. They were each unique in their personalities and quite frankly, he adored them all. The first one seemed to have a very good head on his shoulders (much like himself, he noted), and figured the two of them would get along quite well. The final one appeared to disapprove of the first two's antics as they play-fought with each other. Sternness was never a bad thing in Mikael's books but the Pokémon looked stubborn. Mikael liked to take things at his own pace, and he figured that this Shinx might get a little frustrated at that. So he was left with the female one, which he didn't quite mind. In fact, he found her charming. With a little training, he knew that she would grow up to become a strong fighter, and her thrill-seeking attitude reminded him particularly of someone special.
"I'll take the second one," Mikael said to Mrs. Brown. He'd crouched down to the Shinx's levels to see if any one of them would be curious enough to come to him.[/style][style=background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:10 10 0 10px;margin:10 0 0 85px;width:360px; min-height:5px;padding:15px;text-align:left; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7.5pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.95; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;]WORDS - 407 TAGS - CYPRESS NOTES - N/A[/style][style=font: 7.5pt/8pt times new roman,serif; background-color: #cbcea6; border-radius:0 0 10 20px;color:#effbde;text-align:right;margin:0 25 0 300px;padding:0 5 0 0px;]coded by arionne of pokemoncheyenne[/style]
Mrs. Brown had been warned away often enough from digging through minds unnecessarily, although that didn't stop her. Telepathy was as innate to her as breathing, but she did typically give people as much mental space as she deemed fit--the same sort of respectful space she'd give another psychic pokemon. As such, she couldn't make out Mikael's exact thoughts, but his sentiments were clear enough. He thought her strange. This was all well and good; almost all visitors thought her rather strange for a variety of reasons. Fully evolved pokemon were a rarity in Proserpina, and strong telepathic pokemon were even rarer still. Besides, the boy didn't disapprove of her, and she was thankful enough for that. Many a Pokemon Association grunt had refused to lower themselves to dealing with a pokemon instead of the professor himself.
<The second one,> Mrs. Brown repeated. She didn't move at first. Instead, she delved again into his mind--she wasn't attempting to open up an excavation into his soul, merely to check what he thought of the shinx. In this, she felt no guilt, if only because she knew that Professor Cypress would do the same if he could. What she found pleased her though. <Good. You are... not unkind. You will be entrusted with her care.>
From beside the transporter machine, Mrs. Brown produced a kit of items that Professor Cypress had prepared for all the trainers that came here. <This was prepared by us for you. It contains pokeballs and several healing items. Use them wisely.> Precisely, in an admirable economy of motion, she handed him the bag as well as the shinx's pokeball.
<Good luck, Mr. Rogers. We wish you and your shinx well on your future journeys.>
Mikael received a LV5 ♀ Shinx! tackle | leer | +1 egg move
[/style][style=background:#b2b894;width:250px;border-radius:0 50 50 0px; padding:5 25 5 5px;text-align:justify; margin:-110 0 0 195px; opacity:0.8; text-transform:lowercase; font-size:7pt; font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; line-height:0.9; color:#757963; text-shadow: 1px 1px #c3c594;] 
