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!
"Ceres, huh? What's it like over there?" he asked. He admittedly didn't get much of a chance to see the Kohaku region for himself, only really leaving Sol in order to join the Ranger Corps. He couldn't help but wonder what the region was like before the incident . . . or how things would be if it never happened.
Ambros casually waved, a bit curious as to why an Assist was summoned here of all places. He held his tongue (as the crab usually did, frankly), but couldn't help but wonder if the other ranger was on guard for some reason.
There was a Mienfoo too, even more quiet than he was. Shiny, too: must've been a vaxx. He pointed at it curiously, wondering if it was one of the ranger's partners.
"it's a forest, and all that goes with it. a lot of pokemon are there. it used to be a safe zone - not anymore, not these days." not since the scourge attacked. dan had come at a bad time to be exploring ceres.
the fraxure shrugs, staying at his ranger's side. she's been more twitchy as of late, and to be truthful it had been the other partner that had asked him to stay with her. he'd been happy to oblige.
madonna tilts her head at the krabby. < hello. yes, i am a partner if that is what you're asking. >
A lot of Pokemon? That sounded like Dan's kind of place! Although with how things were, perhaps that wouldn't be the case anymore . . .
Of course, he wouldn't be a Ranger if he just gave up at the slightest bit of struggle. Heck, if Ceres wasn't a safe zone anymore, maybe he'd have to just stick around there for an extra period of time to help keep an eye on it!
There was a determined flash in his eyes, and his grin seemed a bit more confident. That was Dan shorthand for bad ideas on the horizon.
Ambrose nodded, turning back to his pile of stones. He picked one up, weighing it for a it before hurling it into the ocean. Would it skip?
Nope! It hit the water once and then just tumbled into the surface. Mission failure.
The crab shrugged, holding up a single claw. 1 hop. Wow, that was sad. He tried another toss, which skidded a single time before falling into the sea.
He sighed and offered one of the stones to the Fraxure. Maybe he'd have better luck.
Dan, meanwhile, turned to Ahuda. "What is it like fighting the Scourge?" he asked. What used to just be a spark of an idea was now solidifying into a plan: if the situation in Ceres still needed management, he and Ambrose would be joining the fight in any way they could. All he needed now was a bit more of an idea of what he was up against.
< ...wow. good luck, then. > really, all he can do is wish the krabby luck. it's not like he's any good at skipping stones, after all. but he takes the stone and tosses it.
it sinks like, well, a stone. cole shrugs; it's no real loss to him.
ahuda glances at dan. had she really been that bright-eyed, eager? "it's hell," she finally says, eyes distant even though they're directed at the sea. "if you're not prepared for it, any mistake, any slip-up, can cost you. dearly."
(a flash of green flesh, only tinted blue very, very recently, fingers drawn across the skin and leaving blood in its wake --)
"it's best to go out with someone more experienced at first, or at least with someone else. backup is arceus' blessing. and don't be afraid to run." not like she'd done, when she'd first met the scourge. she'd stood her ground - stupidly, a part of her mind whispers - and she'd almost lost everything for it.
No mistakes, no foolery . . . Dan had figured such. While he had never seen a Scourge up close and personal, the stories were more than enough to put the fear of the Scourge in him. Seeing a senior ranger talking about them in tones cold enough to send shivers down his spine only cemented that fear.
Her advice, while given with a strange, ominous tonelessness, was very sound and sensible. Don't go alone, and don't go in expecting a dramatic last stand. Ambrose in particular nodded with appreciation at that advice: he knew the value of a good tactical retreat, and especially the value of a good ambush.
"I'll be sure to keep it all in mind. Thanks for the advice." He shot her a bit of a concerned look, unsure if he should say something or not. She seemed quiet in general, but the constant pauses and the way she stared at the sea seemed like she was very deep in thought. Almost like, in a way, she was lost.
"Where do you think you'll be going after your visit here?"
Dan knew what lied ahead: duty. As much as he was enjoying his time in Proserpia, getting to Ceres to monitor the situation there would be top priority. He figured Ahuda would probably be doing much of the same, in much more dangerous areas than he could ever imagine. And yet she seemed so . . . tired. He hoped she would at least find some relaxation before running right back into the fray.
Ambrose had given up on skipping stones, his latest failures irking him too much. He once more began scooping stones into a small pyramid, trying to see just how high he could stack them.
"probably back to hespera." and get drunk at one of the bars, or sleep at the pokemon center. one of the two, really. but ahuda doesn't say that out loud. "you? will you be moving onto ceres, or do you have somewhere else to go?"
Ambrose let out a small cheer of delight. He didn't usually share, but having someone taller to help was a huge benefit!
"Definitely," Dan decided. "But I can't just stop there. It'd be a much better idea to get to Di Manes first to get some vaccines. If there's a Scourge presence there, I don't want to take chances and get my Assist bitten.
Of course, once I've gotten proper vaccinations, I'll probably head back over to Ceres to help keep the area under control."
"yeah, vashti gives vaccines. and we need rangers to help fix up the amberwell. i'm guessing you've heard about that already?" it had been an internal memo that eos had sent around, if ahuda remembers correctly. but she could be wrong.
"Yeah, I caught wind of it. Judging by your comments, I figured the situation still needed a bit of wrangling."
There were many places being attacked by the Scourge, but the Amberwell was unquestionably vital. Without vaccines the Scourge problem would pretty much be unstoppable. Situations like that were why Dan and Ambrose trained for so long before applying to be rangers. They had to be fighters from the outset, not helpless bodies causing more trouble than they're worth.
"no." sweet, simple, and to the point. it's enough for ahuda - although she does check up on it from time to time, she's not certain if she'll be welcome back.
(she doesn't know how wrong she is, but let's not enlighten her, shall we?)
ares comes running up, a black dragon body moving with a quick grace. with his nod madonna, the fraxure assist, and ahuda are up, and she is offering dan one last respectful nod. "sorry, but i gotta run. duty calls." she tries to give him a cheery smile, but it's brief and it's a flash.