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!
Operation Get in Touch with People After Disappearing for Six Months was actually becoming pretty successful. It looked like pretty much everyone in his C-Gear contacts list was still alive (yay!) and didn’t mind meeting up with him (double yay!), although not everyone was super enthusiastic (coughgraysoncough). Still, he wanted to see their faces again. Even those he maybe didn’t know so well. The sense of familiarity would help ground him once again in regular society. Those six months of hell had turned him into something of a jumpy mess for awhile, even once he was back in ‘safe’ areas. He’d finally gotten the hang of living among cities and towns again, so at the very least he wouldn’t worry J. Er well, not that J was prone to worry? Well, he’d be more himself at any rate!
Waiting in the café, Nima had already ordered a scone and a hot chocolate, which he was sipping happily. He was beginning to warm up finally, but man this cold weather was really something else. Thank goodness he’d wrapped up his affairs before winter hit! He couldn’t even imagine trying to camp out in snow, yuck!
J trooped into the café, his shoulders worn and tired from slaving through the snow and wild pokémon eager to take advantage of him. in the eyes of wild pokémon, all they saw was a tired trainer primed to be eaten -- they had never been more mistaken than the moment J whirled on them, pokémon at the ready.
as sturdy as he was, things took a toll on him. by the time he spotted nima, he was ready to topple into a chair and do nothing else. he didn't even feel like drinking hot cocoa, and that was saying something. he shrugged off his parka before he took a seat opposite the researcher. his hand moved to wipe off melting frost on the fabric, as if trying to buy some time until the moment he looked towards nima.
Nima sat quiet and dumbstuck for that entire sad display. For a moment, wide eyed as he was, he wasn’t sure if he should say anything - at least not until J finally spoke up himself. If J wasn’t the textbook definition of exhausted right then, he didn’t know what was. “Ah…uh…” Nima half stood slowly, before abruptly pushing the scone toward J (as it wasn’t eaten yet), and quickly waving down the server. He debated between coffee or hot chocolate, but figured J probably needed sleep much more than he needed to stay awake at this point, so hot chocolate it was. In the end, Nima was half hanging over the table, as if unable to decide if he should get up or stay seated. “J, are you alright?? You look exhausted! I’m sorry, you didn’t have to meet with me if you’ve been so busy!” Fret fret fret fret! Maybe he should get J out of the café and into a hotel soon? At the very least, a nap would help him a lot! “Em…I’m glad to see you’re alright, but it looks like things have been rough…” Nima had to wonder if he’d looked even half as tired when he’d finally gotten back to a safe city just weeks prior.
J doubted he would have even had the strength to drag himself out of scourge haven and get to somewhere safe if he hadn't promised to meet nima, so he made no comment about the researcher's words. instead, he wrapped his hands around the warm mug when his drink arrived. hot chocolate was a good idea, he willed his eyes to say as they fell on nima, but J was certain his eyes shone of nothing but lethargy and weariness.
"scourge and snow," J managed to say, "bad combination."
he lifted the mug and drank. he hadn't realized he'd drank half the mug until he set it down again. J raised an eyebrow at the hot beverage, surprised. "it's fine," said J after a while. it was something of a delayed reaction to everything, but the warmth had started to seep back into his layers of cold fabric, and the trainer was feeling much better than before.
Nima’s own gaze was practically overflowing with concern, and the only thing he could read on J’s face were lines of fatigue. Goodness…he really did look a mess. The response, slow as it was, helped to explain most of it. So he’d been fighting then, out there in this weather. Nima couldn’t help the small grimace that passed over his features - just the idea was enough to make him shudder. Just the idea of trudging through snow while fighting made his leg and arm want to cramp up! “Not a good combo at all! I’m really, really glad you’re alright.”
Still half hovering over the table, he watched with some surprise as J nearly drank the entire mug. Abruptly, he clapped his hands together. “Aha! This should help, I hope the manger doesn’t mind!” Finally standing up in earnest, he dug about in his bag and withdrew a poke ball. In a flash, a regal looking Rapidash had appeared behind J’s seat. Phoenix, friendly as ever, nuzzled straight into the back of the man’s neck - if nothing else, he was warm, and the natural heat from his flaming mane and tail began to take effect. “There! Phoenix, stay close to J, alright?” More than happy to oblige, the pokemon nickered. Nima tapped his lip, and then pulled off his fluffy scarf and wrapped that around J as well. Mm, much better! Of course, he had the feeling that as J got warmer, he would just get drowsier.
“Oh, me? Well, um, I guess you could say I just recently got back into civilization eheh. I’ve spent the last months searching around Lake Pax and Bacchus. I’m glad I finished up before winter hit - just seeing you is proof enough to be grateful! I’d be a crippled mess if I tried fighting in this weather, eheh…” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly with his good hand. Nima was well aware of his own limitations, if nothing else. He wanted to tell J more about what had happened, and what he’d found, but…somehow it didn’t seem like the right time. Honestly, he was still a bit worried about his trainer acquaintance, which made it hard to focus on his own situation.
oh, it had certainly been a long while since they had last met. J's vision registered a regal rapidash as it appeared from the pokéball and took form. the horse nuzzled the back of his neck; J shivered slightly from the contact, but appreciated the warmth coming from the fire-type pokémon. he wasn't used to this kind of gestures; most of his own pokémon weren't in a state to provide heat (see: being a steel-type specialist) and in fact, disliked the idea of it.
he tugged gently at the scarf that nima wrapped around him somewhat clumsily. it wasn't a good wrapping job by his standards, but it was the thought that counted. he adjusted it to hang just right, and finished the rest of the hot chocolate. nima's tale was an interesting one -- he had questions, but not the energy to ask them.
"it's good that you're safe," said J, "many people disappeared as winter came." he didn't know what else to say without it turning into a question.
A shiver ran through him at the mention of disappearances, and a strange look flashed over his face. It disappeared quickly enough though, and in the end the young man just nodded. He was uncharacteristically grim. “It hasn’t been kind.” It seemed J had finished his hot chocolate, and was suitably warmed up, so Nima couldn’t help broaching what he’d pondered before. After all, their conversation had already puttered to a stop, mainly due to his friend’s bone-tired state.
“Hey J, maybe we should get you somewhere for a little rest? There’s probably a pokecenter or hotel or something nearby. You could use some sleep. I can stick around if you want to catch up after you’ve napped, since I haven’t decided where to head off to next!” Well, was that too pushy? He wasn’t exactly sure, but he was worried, and his own logical thought process was driving him to this conclusion. Couldn’t hurt to try! Right?
J wasn't sure if walking into a pokémon center half-battered with a chirpy researcher was the best of ideas. he wasn't sure if he could keep walking. he glanced at the rapidash, and despite his dislike of mounting pokémon for a ride, he felt that there were times for him to make an exception. this was one of those times.
"... if phoenix could give me a ride," said the trainer, "that would be nice." J sank his head into the scarf wrapped around his neck. it was warm, and he felt like dozing off. "i don't know."
J's mind was blurry and he wasn't really in best shape. "pokémon center," he finally managed to say.
“Of course!” There was absolutely no hesitation in Nima’s voice. Pheonix whuffed his approval, for he rather liked J (as he rather liked any of Nima’s friends or acquaintances) and honestly didn’t mind letting the man ride him awhile. Still, Nima noticed those drooping eyelids. Was J even going to be able to get on Phoenix in that state? Not only was he tired, he was probably pretty sore. The researcher again went to tapping his lips with a finger, and just as quickly came up with an idea. Not the most dignified one, but an idea all the same.
A second pokemon suddenly emerged - a Leavanny named Peablossom. She twirled about, and then set to fixing up Nima’s hair. “Hehehe, it’s ok Peablossom. Could you do me a favor?” Crooking a finger at her, the curious bug leaned over so her trainer could whisper in her ear. She then gave an excited little cry, and nodded eagerly. Of course she would help! Why, she absolutely adored taking care of others! Trotting over to his fire type, Nima did a similar gesture, and Phoenix seemed equally enthused.
And then it all went down, whether J wanted any part in it or not (the poor guy). Phoenix gracefully tucked his legs under his body so as to be laying on the ground. Nima slid J, chair and all, away from the table with a surprising amount of strength given his slender form. And in the next instant, both he and Peablossom were depositing J onto Phoenix with an impressive show of graceful maneuvering. That settled, Phoenix neighed and then carefully stood with his new passenger. “Watch your head J!” Nima warned as they left the café, though Nima took a quick skip over to the desk to pay properly. Peablossom had leapt gracefully up onto her fellow pokemon, behind J, and was grateful for the warmth once outside in the winter wind.
A few long minutes trudging up the road in the snow landed them at the nearest Center, wherein J could get some rest. Nima insisted on having Phoenix stay in the room with J, if only to act like a space heater, though he had to withdraw Peablossom to keep her from fussing over the poor man overmuch. For his part, Nima found a vacant table in the lobby and spread out his notes. Might as well get some work done!
J was a man of little words and even less reactions. the trainer allowed himself to be moved and lifted (though he did help along slightly; didn't want nima to injure himself) before being placed unto the rapidash.
it was easy to sink into the rhythm of phoenix's walking up until they reached the nearest pokémon center. J rolled over on the thin mattress, and sighed into his pillow. he didn't remember actually sleeping on a bed for a very long time now. it had mostly been chairs and wherever he could sit down. if possible, he didn't sleep at all.
Nima worked into the evening without noticing the passage of time, tucked up under the table with all his notes spread around in a state of organized (?) chaos. He was scribbling rather furiously at a nearly constant pace near the end, condensing and consolidating various information. Glancing up, he noticed how dark had become outside, before craning his head around to look back at the hallway where the rooms were. He wasn’t surprised that J hadn’t woken up before now, given how exhausted he’d been. Standing gingerly (his leg had cramped up), he waited a few minutes until he could hobble up to the desk and order some food. It was well past dinner time, after all! If sleep had been the first thing his friend needed, food was probably a close second.
He hobbled back to J’s room next, and whispered against the door for his pokemon to hear. Phoenix was good at gentle wakings, as Nima knew from experience, so he’d leave it in his pokemon’s capable hands. Er. Hooves. Phoenix himself had dozed on and off as he stood a warm vigil inside the room, but now he stepped up to J’s sleeping form. He started with soft neighs, slowly getting louder, until finally he gently nuzzled the man now and then. He’d be as persistent as was necessary to get J awake, without being too jarring.
the rapidash's assault was effective on a sleeping man. J buried his head under a pillow and groaned. waking up felt like a bad idea. it was a bad idea, actually. he didn't want to wake up. J let out another groan of protest before batting at phoenix lightly with the pillow.
"five minutes," he told the horse. "five more minutes."
Phoenix nickered in soft protest at being swatted, tossing his head slightly. Well then! Somebody was rather reluctant, hm? He shifted from one front hoof to the other, hovering near the side of the bed, looking down at J with large warm eyes.
He actually waited five minutes.
And then he renewed his attack on J, nuzzling his way into the protective blankets and pillows to whuff against J’s neck. And then nudge. And nudge again. And nuzzle. And nudge. Etc, etc. He was quite determined to get the young man up, if only because Nima was waiting outside the door rather patiently.
For his part, Nima had stifled a giggle at J’s protests, heard through the door. Finally, he cracked it open and stuck in his head, wobbling a bit as he stood only on one leg. “Come on, wake up J. I’ve got food waiting.” He wondered if that was good enough convincing. He wasn’t sure how strong an allure food actually was for J. “If you don’t get up, I’ll have to come in and…hmm…maybe tickle you. Or sit on you. I’m heavier than I look you know.”
J was a person who kept his promises. when he said five minutes, he meant five minutes. he pulled himself out of the bed, only to be assaulted by the rapidash. "hey," J growled at the horse, and then his gaze snapped to the door. "i'm up, call your horse off." he didn't even feel like dealing with the apparent threat of tickling or sitting; he was already up, and phoenix was kind of standing in the way.
Aw shoot, J was already up. Wow, that was kind of impressive though…who ever actually got up five minutes after begging for ‘five more minutes’?? Was that like a special skill of his…? Phoenix was pleased, and nuzzled the top of J’s head (completely disregarding the man’s irritation) before finally disappearing in a flash of red light. Nima gave his tired acquaintance a sheepish grin, poke ball in hand. “Sorry J. Um, well, if you want there’s dinner! Then if you need some more rest that’s alright.” Honestly, even though he wanted to talk, it wasn’t the most important thing right now. J’s health was. And besides, J wasn’t…the most talkative to begin with, eheheheh. Well, it would be nice to have some company for a little while as he wrapped up his research, prone to chit-chatting or not. Hobbling backward, he held the door open for J. “Is it okay if we just eat in the lobby area? I’ve got all my papers spread out there already.”
Operation Get in Touch with People After Disappearing for Six Months was actually becoming pretty successful. It looked like pretty much everyone in his C-Gear contacts list was still alive (yay!) and didn’t mind meeting up with him (double yay!), although not everyone was super enthusiastic (coughgraysoncough).
Nima sat quiet and dumbstuck for that entire sad display. For a moment, wide eyed as he was, he wasn’t sure if he should say anything - at least not until J finally spoke up himself. If J wasn’t the textbook definition of exhausted right then, he didn’t know what was.
Nima’s own gaze was practically overflowing with concern, and the only thing he could read on J’s face were lines of fatigue. Goodness…he really did look a mess. The response, slow as it was, helped to explain most of it. So he’d been fighting then, out there in this weather. Nima couldn’t help the small grimace that passed over his features - just the idea was enough to make him shudder. Just the idea of trudging through snow while fighting made his leg and arm want to cramp up!
“Of course!”
Nima worked into the evening without noticing the passage of time, tucked up under the table with all his notes spread around in a state of organized (?) chaos. He was scribbling rather furiously at a nearly constant pace near the end, condensing and consolidating various information. Glancing up, he noticed how dark had become outside, before craning his head around to look back at the hallway where the rooms were.
Phoenix nickered in soft protest at being swatted, tossing his head slightly. Well then! Somebody was rather reluctant, hm? He shifted from one front hoof to the other, hovering near the side of the bed, looking down at J with large warm eyes.
