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!
frankie shaded her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the building--though she supposed "warehouse" was more appropriate. part of her was a little indignant that the ranger station in fiore had directed her here of all places. but another part of her was giddy at the prospect of finally being able to help the environment and do something with her life instead of sitting behind a desk in some cubicle--like her parents. she took a folded sheet of paper from her pocket, flattened it out and read over what it said one more time. she seemed to be in the right place. all she had to do was go inside and look for some lady named sa'di. frankie couldn't deny that she was excited, especially at the prospect of meeting the top ranger (who she heard was a badass female, which made it all the better), but a little bit of anxiety lumped in her gut. what if this place was more or less exactly how it looked? well, she wouldn't find out by just standing here.
without knocking--she saw no point--frankie pushed the door open and stuck her head in, eyes blinking as she took everything in. "hello? ranger sa'di?" she called out, slowly stepping into the building.
sa'di. her eyes flicked up from her paperwork. she's here. the ranger nodded, shuffling the papers to the side of the desk, as the lucario moved to go open the door -- or not, seeing as the woman had let herself in.
sa'di raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "woodman." the ranger leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable. she met the gaze of her lucario, then addressed the ranger-to-be. "why are you here?"
frankie jerked in surprise when she noticed the red-haired woman at the desk, shuffling papers--and looking absolutely bored. there was a spark of indignation in frankie, though she tried to smother it. whatever trouble with authority that she had, this was no time to bring it up. she had heard that the ranger was a little cold to recruits, and if she wasn't careful, she'd have to go back home and find a desk job, just like her parents. carefully closing the door behind her, frankie stepped further into the room so that she was right in the light. if she was going to be judged, then fine. but when sa'di curtly addressed her by her last name, she felt her back stiffen as she straightened up and if she hadn't suppressed it, she almost saluted. arceus this lady was so ... official.
but then the ranger asked what frankie thought was the dumbest question. why was she here? really? she was here to deliver pizzas and do the irish jig. but frankie bit back the sarcastic reply. she couldn't fuck it up, not now. after she got her partner pokemon, maybe, she might snap a sarcastic comment or two, but now now. "to become a ranger," she replied curtly, taking out the letter she had received and holding it in the air. but despite her seemingly obedient subordination, nothing could hide the irritated look on her face.
sa'di's expression didn't change. she didn't even glance at the letter the woman held up. "that much i know."obviously. otherwise, she wouldn't have known frankie's name. just because eos accepted recruits didn't mean that she did -- they were known to be the 'best and brightest,' but she had a feeling they were taking anyone who wanted to sign up.
"my question was why." why did this woman want to be a ranger? "why should i accept you?" she was in charge of the ranger union in kohaku, and she wasn't going to send out the partner pokemon with those who would just die on the field; or, almost worse, run away.
well then why didn't you clarify yourself? frankie blinked slowly, trying her hardest to smother all the sarcastic comments. she didn't want to fuck this up right now, but arceus this lady was making it so hard. "why? because from what i heard, you guys need all the help you can get," frankie said, unable to help a little bit of snark, "and i want to do something with my life, not sit in some cubicle." there was more to it, frankie supposed, but she wasn't about to bare her soul to this lady. like how if she didn't accept her, frankie would probably find some way to stay in kohaku and do what she can. maybe she could join the eos organization again under a different name and become something else becaues there was absolutely nothing, nothing, that was going to make her go back to fiore. nothing. "plus, pokemon are better than people and i heard they needed some saving in kohaku."
"do what? go out and die?" sa'di stood. "we need recruits, but we don't need people who don't know what they're getting into." it was obvious this woman wasn't native to the region. "the point of the eos program isn't for adventure or glory. it's to defeat the scourge before they defeat you." rangers were different from trainers in that they didn't go through the region with brute strength -- they forged bonds of friendship with their partners, trusted their partner above all else, but the end goal was the same.
it would always be the same until the scourge were eliminated.
"kohaku needs help, not martyrs." she folded her arms across her chest and silently regarded the other woman. she could feel shirazi questioning her with his aura, but the ranger tilted her head almost imperceptibly. later.
when sa'di suddenly stood up from behind her desk, frankie almost jumped in surprise, but the feeling soon subsided for something much more ... intense. she wasn't sure what she was feeling, but irritation and indignation was certainly a part of it. silently seething, she let the woman lecture, but as soon as she was given a moment, the girl snapped at her, "do i look that fucking dumb? i'm not here to become some hero or be a martyr or whatever you think. i'm here because i want to be a ranger, i want to help pokemon. i heard about the scourge, i didn't come here expecting some bullshit flowers and rainbows, if i did i would have stayed in fiore." frankie ran a hand through her dark hair and frowned. "i don't care about glory, but these poor pokemon are dying and they don't deserve it." having calmed down a little, she let out a deep breath through her nose and watched sa'di, half expecting the lady to tell her to leave. whatever, it didn't matter. if she wasn't accepted as a ranger, she'd try to help some other way.
her eyes narrowed at frankie's outburst. sa'di merely stood silently as she continued, waiting for her to finish. "shirazi. you know what to do." the lucario nodded as the ranger disappeared into another room, fighting a smile that threatened to break out on his face.
the golden lucario gestured for frankie to follow, heading through a different door than sa'di had. it led to a wide, spacious room with large windows. it was fitted to the natural habitats of multiple pokemon; there were some rocky outcroppings, a field of flowers and grass, and even a pond. find your partner, he instructed, not unkindly. this woman was rough, but passionate; he could see why his ranger had approved of her.
frankie tensed up when ranger sa'di left the room. what, what did the lucario know to do? expecting to get thrown out of the warehouse, frankie turned to look expectantly at the golden pokemon, who merely gestured for her to follow as he disappeared into a different door. cautious, but curious, she followed, only to find herself in a large room, fitted to be an indoor environment. she stopped, frozen in awe as she scanned the diverse landscape (?) where she saw pokemon going about their business, obviously unaffected by the appearance of her and the lucario. she glanced sideways at the other pokemon. "so ... i'm not getting kicked out?" she asked, before realizing how stupid the question was. if she was to find her partner, she must have been deemed acceptable by sa'di. using all of her will to quell her excitement (she'd jump around when she was outside, not in front of the lucario), she stepped forward into the room, looking around at the different pokemon. how was she supposed to find a partner? she wished the lucario would leave and give her some privacy. silently, she walked about, smiling at the bobbing pink dome of the wailmer and ducking under an emolga that whizzed overhead. she turned in a circle, trying to decide which one to approach first, when she almost tripped and something squeaked underfoot. "oh shit i'm sorry," frankie blustered, looking down at a little green axew, who blinked at her with its big red eyes. after a moment's hesitation, she squatted down so she was sitting on her heels. "i didn't hurt you, did i?" she asked, cautiously reaching out a hand--which the axew promptly nipped. with a sharp cry of pain, frankie withdrew it and looked angrily at the little dragon-type, who, to her surprise, seemed to be laughing. massaging her hurt hand, frankie watched the pokemon who hopped around for a second before nudging frankie with its horned head. "huh, you're a weird one," frankie murmured, stroking the axew's head and, when she was allowed to, scratching under its chin. "i like you." to which the axew responded by trying to nip at frankie's hand again, but she wasn't about to fall for the same thing twice. quickly withdrawing her hand, she pointed at the axew, who only squeaked in delight and tried to clamor onto her lap. "and i guess that means you like me too, in your own way."
tuyet oh wow this is long i got really bored but tl;dr axew prz