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!
During his stay in Proserpina, Kaz found himself going to the Docks more and more. It was an escape from the insecure feelings in Grimer's Court, which had begrudgingly become his home. It only reminded him of his real home: the brick house on the corner that was now probably either in shambles or occupied by Scourge. That only angered Kaz, and he didn't want to be bitter.
The wind that drifted in from the sea was chilly, reddening Kaz's cheeks with windburn. Lake idly sat in front of him, longingly looking at the water below. Kaz made no attempt to turn away from the sea as his thoughts wondered. Regions like Kanto and Hoenn probably faced nothing like the Scourge; no, their kids ran around freely and challenged gym leaders without fret. Kaz's eyes scanned the horizon continuously, though they weren't in search of anything in particular. Perhaps a ship with a cure for the Scourge. He returned to the thought of the Scourge's actual spreading -- surely they would have been informed about its spread. Informed, chastised, cut off. Maybe.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kaz searched for a number giving him the distance to one -- no, any -- of the other regions. He reminded himself to teach the Wooper Surf someday soon. nette
The city's docks are loud and boisterous, chaos entrapped in a small space. It provides a good excursion, even if it is cold and Ahuda has to pull out her scarf, which is orange. Neon orange. Passerby do not notice that, though, as everyone is wearing at least some sort of protection from winter, especially from the wind that blows in from the sea. Madonna at her side looks to the boats with curiosty, and the ranger does as well - there are no places for sea-worthy vessels in a forest, after all.
Sighing, Ahuda escapes from the flow of the crowd, her partner at her side as always. It is comforting to know that the Mienfoo is here with her in a place such as this, and with a sigh she reaches the sea's shores. She glances towards the other occupant - an orange-haired man that has a Wooper sitting with him - and she nods before sitting down on a bench near by, flipping her head back to gaze at the sky. Madonna sits down carefully next to her, on the side furthest to the strangers. She is cautious, more cautious than Ahuda, who gives their company a wave of her hand without looking at them.
His rest was disrupted, eyes refocusing. Kaz turned his head to find a woman standing beside him, her hand waving to him. Lips curling into a smile, Kaz returned the gesture, waving her toward him. He moved over to ensure that she had an ample amount of room. "Hey there!" he was jubilant to find that someone found him approachable enough to go out of their way; the least he could do was return the favor. More and more, he found that people weren't so friendly, which was odd. They may have been afraid of agents trying to feed them to the Scourge. He didn't know.
A strong wind picked up, adding to the already blustery weather. It wasn't warm either, and yet Kaz found himself more comfortable than he'd been in a while. He still found himself turning his head away from the water to prevent his eyes from watering. His Wooper took a similar approach: hiding behind his legs as a means protection. Lake waved the Mienfoo, who had gone unnoticed by Kaz, to his hiding spot as best as a Wooper could. It really turned into a frantic nodding of his head, but the gesture probably was probably received.
"It's pretty windy." Kaz's voice was strained, only so that it could reach the girl. He felt the chill in the back of his throat as he spoke. Kaz found himself wondering how cold the sea was, too. Perhaps Lake was better off jumping in. Wait, no, there may have been Scourge in the waters. nette
She can see him returning the gesture out of the corner of her eye with a smile, moving over in the process. It allows Ahuda to slump more comfortably onto the bench, and she does so. The wind picks up, making her tighten her scarf, but she does not miss the Wooper waving greetings at Madonna. Her partner merely nods to the small water-type pokemon, returning the gesture in her own dignified way.
Ahuda turns her head, though, and raises her eyebrow. Of course it's pretty windy, it's practically blinding her with the way it's blowing her hair into her face. Her companion says it in a strained way, though, so she lets it slide. "Isn't it always windy next to the sea?" she asks instead, looking her benchmate in the eye. A genuine smile reveals her teeth at the edges, warming the expression on her face. "I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Ahuda, and this is Madonna." She says it in a friendly tone, hoping that he'll respond as such; most, she's found, are uneager to share names and greetings, but from what she's seen so far Ahuda doesn't think he's like them.
Lake didn't seem pleased with Madonna's resistance. His head continued to bop his head tenaciously, hoping that she would play with him. It still went unnoticed by Kaz, who offered another small smile at the girl. She had been right, it usually was pretty blustery. Kaz was only making small talk. "Yeah, I guess you're right." he chuckled softly -- he doubted she would hear him. "I'm Kaz Novak, Bacchus native, Eos trainer, and lover of long walks on the beach." he could have used any other statement to end with as a joke. Still, he smirked softly, having given her a glimpse into his life. People liked to hear that he was in Eos. At least, most of the time. Others questioned why he was talking to them when he should have been out fighting for their safety. It was a double-edged sword of sorts, one that he deeply regretted at times.
"Nice to meet you, Ahuda. I'm guessing I'm not the only Eos member here, huh?" his eyes leveled with Madonna, who was still being courted by his Wooper. Kaz took notice, only rolling his eyes in response. "The color gives it away." Karimi had said the same thing to him; it was a nice piece of information. Kaz found himself pulling his hat tighter over his ears and crossing his arms. He stared at the horizon. nette
In her attention on the orange-haired man Ahuda misses the Wooper continuing to try and make contact with Madonna. The pokemon keeps bobbing his head up and down, and her partner only gives him an odd look and the impression of an eyebrow raised. She doesn't move, though, which apparently only agitates the Wooper further. Ahuda doesn't pay attention to the two - she's too busy noting down the guy's name. A smile curls up the corner of her mouth at the last part.
"Walks on the beach in this kind of weather?" she asks jokingly, laughter in her voice. She moves on, though, latches on to the mention of Eos - she's seen precious few others in the program. "Yeah, I'm an Eos ranger," she replies, eyes flicking with Kaz's own to the two pokemon beside them. Whoever said that Madonna had endless patience needs to be whacked upside the head - she's ran out, apparently, and reaches to still the Wooper with a gentle but firmly placed paw on its head. "Color gives away everything," Ahuda says instead, turning back to her benchmate who's looking out onto the sea. He's crossed his arms and is staring into the horizon, and Ahuda's peering out into the same general space to see what he's looking at.
"How long have you been in the program?" she asks, snuggling into her warm scarf. In all of the Eos members that she's seen, not one of them have been a fellow recruit, and she's finding herself asking the same question to everyone of them she meets.
"Not in this weather." he chuckled softly, head shaking unhurriedly. "Too much sand. I don't need that getting anywhere it doesn't need to be." the shrewd tease sounded serious enough. He wasn't wrong, at least.
"Ranger?" his eyebrows raised slightly. They didn't seem as populated as the trainers were. Kaz turned his attention to his Wooper as he thought about sending it into all of his battles. It seemed unfair. Then again, Kaz didn't know much about the occupation and its inner workings, so instead he pursed his lips. Ahuda moved along quickly, anyway. "I, of course, didn't know that until recently." a smirk appeared as Kaz idly watched his pink Wooper get manhandled. Lake didn't object -- he'd gotten Madonna to come over, hadn't he? Rather, he let out a purr that rose into a hum. Kaz just shook his head. "Nevermind him."
"Not long enough." Or, perhaps too long? Kaz didn't know. "I haven't seen any Scourge yet, if that's what you're asking." Kaz could only assume that Ahuda was just as new to this as he was, since most of the veterans were up at Lake Pax and Decima Town, apparently. "And you? I'm guessing you're pretty green, too?" nette
The Wooper hums, seemingly content, and Madonna sighs and humors him by sitting down next to him. She isn't really a social pokemon, and even a shared meal or other interaction is enough for her. Humans are a different story, but until then, Madonna is content to follow along in whatever Lake wanted to do.
Ahuda nods, a sheepish grin on her face. She didn't comment on the pursing of lips on Kaz's face from earlier - enough people are suspicious of rangers, given how new they are in Kohaku - and instead smiles. "Yeah, just joined last week. Madonna's been with me all my life, though. What about your Wooper? Is he new to your team, or an old friend of yours?"
Lake found that he had, in fact, won. In triumph, the mindless Wooper leaped up, his little, stubby legs carrying him in circles around Madonna to signal his victory. The parading lasted for a minute or so before Lake plopped back down behind Kaz's legs, staring intently at her. Kaz would have been nervous, too, if that were any consolation.
Kaz caught Ahuda's discomfort with ease. "No!" It hadn't been his plan to make her seem less than him; he just didn't want to risk sound like a complete and utter moron. "Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as rude or anything." his face flushed with the familiar embarrassment of a lack of knowledge. "I just didn't really know what to say. I don't know a damn thing about Rangers." Oh boy. He wondered how it was that he got into the Eos program as he analyzed the tips of his shoes. He was the one who should have been sheepishly grinning.
"He's new. I have a Vullaby, too. She's my actual starter." he debated on bringing her out, but the wind was chilly. He decided against it as he searched for Lake's head with his hand. "I never had the chance to be around Pokemon 'til now. Must have been nice growing up, always having a companion." Kaz didn't know much about that. nette
Funnily enough the pokemon dances around Madonna before settling down again. It was an interesting version of a victory dance, as the Mienfoo presumes it is, and she finds herself standing to walk over beside him despite the Wooper's intense look. She tilts her head, studying him, before poking him in the arm before moving away - a classic invitation to a game of tag.
Ahuda, to her credit, does not jump in fright when Kaz interrupts her abruptly. She does, however, move back a bit, as if distance would make the volume less loud. Well, not many knew about the rangers, given how few they were wandering around these days. "It's fine," she said, before pausing to listen to the rest of Kaz's response. It shouldn't have come to her as a surprise that Kaz had more than one pokemon, but a vullaby? She hasn't seen one before, and she'd like to, but Ahuda thinks that the cold would be too much for the pokemon, so she doesn't ask to see it.
"Chaotic, more like," she says with a laugh, though, with fond memories. "They were always running around, making a mess of things, or they were always doing something that needed supervision. The older ones were a blessing - they knew enough not to accidentally kill themselves - but companionship and friendship are really important if you live with one constantly." Ahuda's about to go on, explain to Kaz her experiences with them, when her C-Gear beeps. The Eos-issued thing is new and shiny, teal in the few places where there is color, and apparently it gets summons from the actual program, too - it's asking her to come to a makeshift battle arena on the other side of the city.
Ahuda sighs, motioning for Madonna to stop her antics and standing up in the process. "I have to go, Eos wants me for something," she says, and smiles to Kaz. "It was nice meeting you, though." She's almost about to turn away when she remembers something and holds out her C-Gear to Kaz. "Do you want to exchange contacts? I find it's always good to have someone on speed dial when you need something." The offer is for Kaz's to take; but whether he wants to or not, Ahuda's leaving here with a new contact number in her phone.
To Kaz's relief, Ahuda didn't seem to mind his ignorance. She even understood it, which was relieving. He may not have been the friendliest, kindest soul, but Kaz still wanted to be liked. He reminded himself to open a book every once in a while, so that he wasn't a complete waste of a conversation. Still, he stared at the tips of his shoes, trying to recall a book he actually had read a few years ago. Something about wasting time in the elevator. He really did need to read more.
Kaz couldn't help but smile, trying to imagine his own antics. At a loss for any good stories, he decided that Ahuda's sounded more amusing anyway. A small chuckle escaped his lips as she finished, but his lack for Pokemon-related tales was covered by the beeping of her c-gear. Instinct told Kaz to check his own, but it was brand-spanking-new and didn't really have many contacts. Any contacts, actually, besides his mother and Eos, of course. They didn't need him, though. Kaz was relieved, actually, to be left alone. Maybe he'd just slide under the radar for a while. "Duty calls." he said simply, grinning and offering a hand once more, standing up in the process. Below, Lake found his cover to be blown -- he quickly leaped onto the warmed bench and into his trainer's arms. Kaz didn't even care if that wasn't the most masculine pose. "It was nice meeting you, too, Ahuda."
Before the two could part ways with the wind, Kaz found an actual need for his c-gear. "I'd love to." he said simply, handing it to her so that she could deal with the contact info. He didn't know much about it yet -- there was another thing he needed to read up on. nette
He offers her a hand, and Ahuda takes it with pleasure. There aren't many left that do such courtesies, and she finds it a good measure of a person's character. From what she's seen so far, she definitely likes Kaz.
With a grin she taps in her contact into Kaz's C-Gear, leaving him with her own - it's new, like hers, which isn't that surprising considering they're both rookies by Eos standards. Still, the contacts are glaringly empty and Ahuda leaves her own number to fill in the space. She hands it back to him, not minding the Wooper in the man's arms as she carefully takes hers back, and with a gesture Madonna is at her side and ready for a run.
"See you around, then, and don't be afraid to give me a call when you need something!" she says with a smile, and off they go to wherever Eos wants them.
Just like that, Ahuda had his number, and he had hers. He could go into his fascination with modern technology, but even kaz was aware of his technological ineptitude. Rather, he took it back with a smile, fumbling with it in his hand as he held Lake with the other. The Wooper seemed to be staring at Madonna, who was, apparently, his new best friend. Another moment passed, as Kaz had Ahuda's name in the c-gear. He shoved it into his pocket and offered her one last grin before she was off at a run, a drone serving its queen bee. Kaz thought of himself as a less valuable, less motivated drone. "Later." he said simply, doubting that she even heard him.
Instead of leaving, Kaz found himself turning back to the sea, checking again for anything on the horizon. Kanto hadn't sent its non-existent flotilla yet, but Kaz had faith that it would whisk him away from his problems eventually. A Pokemon like Lake needed a warmer climate for leisure, anyways. nette
The city's docks are loud and boisterous, chaos entrapped in a small space. It provides a good excursion, even if it is cold and Ahuda has to pull out her scarf, which is orange. Neon orange. Passerby do not notice that, though, as everyone is wearing at least some sort of protection from winter, especially from the wind that blows in from the sea. Madonna at her side looks to the boats with curiosty, and the ranger does as well - there are no places for sea-worthy vessels in a forest, after all. 
In her attention on the orange-haired man Ahuda misses the Wooper continuing to try and make contact with Madonna. The pokemon keeps bobbing his head up and down, and her partner only gives him an odd look and the impression of an eyebrow raised. She doesn't move, though, which apparently only agitates the Wooper further. Ahuda doesn't pay attention to the two - she's too busy noting down the guy's name. A smile curls up the corner of her mouth at the last part. 
