WriterRaven

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

@NeoAC Huh. I had thought that Sierra and Kazurai could travel for a while. Ah well. I can deal with introductions and such later.

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

Kei wanted to fight, Kazurai could tell from the way she was wriggling around and nipping at his sleeve. Soon, however, the Swablu's singing took effect and she began to doze... Kazurai just sighed and carried her out of the Pokémon Center, in the interest of keeping her awake. In the natural light outside, and away from the singing Pokémon, Kei gave what he assumed to be an approximation of a sigh and a huff. The little Ember she spat up - thankfully, away from Kazurai - helped her case.

Kazurai set his charge back on her feet and crouched down to her level. "I get it, Kei, you wanted to battle. It's been a long trip and we haven't had much time to exercise properly. And your Feather Dance might have helped. But we can't get caught up in a fight in the middle of the Pokémon Center on our first day here. We have places we need to be."

"Rrr... tor." Kei seemed unimpressed with him. It was clear to Kazurai that she wanted a battle, and didn't really care where she found it. Looking around, he got an idea. There were patches of tall grass behind fenced-off sections of the city, although the one across the street didn't seem to be on anyone's property.

"How about this? There might be wild Pokémon past that fence. Let's see what kind of Pokémon live around here." That got Kei's attention. She led the way, slipping through a gap in the fence; Kazurai had to take the long way round. At the grass's edge, he tracked his Torchic companion by the orange feathers sticking out from the grass. She soon found something, hopping into a clearing to find an Abra sleeping there, flat on its back.

Even a dozing Pokémon was still a battle. "Well, Kei, time to get some exercise in. Pick one of the sequences we know and have at it." Kei got started immediately: she jumped upwards, changing the angle of her body mid-flight to aim feet first. She landed a clean hit and sprang off the Abra to ready her defense, but it didn't respond other than to twitch in its sleep.

"Ember!" At Kazurai's call, she hopped forward again, but this time spat up another small fireball. Again, the Abra didn't respond: Kazurai was a bit surprised that it could sleep through getting beaten up like this. Kei, too, was surprised with the Psychic-type's resilience. But she persisted, dashing forward to score another hit with her claws. That woke up the Abra: it sat up and began to hover a short distance off the ground. Its eyes were closed, but it turned its head from Kei to Kazurai, and before Kei could land another Scratch, it Teleported away in a flash of purple light and a loud zwoip.

Kei picked at her feathers, as if she hadn't just been stuck into the heat of battle. Still, she seemed content with the outcome. However, when she finished examining herself, she looked up at Kazurai, head to one side. Kazurai knew that look.

"You know I can't fight Pokémon that aren't trained to spar against humans. I'll run through some of my own exercises later: we need to get moving. Are you okay to travel?"

"Torchictor!" Kei picked her way out of the grass, just as the Pokémon Center doors opened and the blonde girl from earlier - the one who had asked Kazurai about a place to find food - walked out. As Kazurai led Kei back to the road, he pulled out his phone again to double-check the map.

"Come on, Kei, Iki Town's this way."

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

I will probably join you in that regard - assuming Sierra wants company.

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

Might wait for @Shadeflare123 to post before I respond to recent events.

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

The Hau'oli Pokémon Center was quite like the Centers back home. Spacious, populated, Poké Mart taking up a section of the floorspace. Sure enough, the café was inside the Center, tucked away in one corner much like the Poké Mart on the opposite side. With Kei on his heels, however, Kazurai had two questions to ask someone. The nurse on duty seemed to be waiting for someone to help, so he approached the desk. "Er, pardon me, ma'am, but we've just arrived in Alola and have a couple of questions to ask..." he began.

"We?" inquired the nurse. Kazurai paused a moment, then kicked himself: she couldn't see Kei. So he bent down and scooped up his partner to show the nurse. "I need to ask: are the Pokémon Centers in Alola able to care for Pokémon that don't have Poké Balls?"

She nodded. "Of course. It will just take more time than normal, you understand. Does your Pokémon need a pick-me-up?"

That was a relief. If Kei got hurt and Kazurai couldn't care for her - a troubling thought - then at least he had a backup plan. "Not right now, but thank you. Second question, I was told there was a festival happening tonight, but I'm not sure where it is..."

"That would be over in Iki Town. It's not far from here, but you will want to take care on the routes all the same."

"I see. It's good to have a place where you can ask questions that seem like they have obvious answers. My thanks." Kazurai gave a short bow and set Kei back on the ground. "All right, now - "

A series of short, but loud, barks and growls behind him interrupted him. Kazurai spun on his heel to find a Poochyena barking at someone. Another girl, this one with an Eevee and a guitar case. If the Poochyena belonged to someone else, they weren't paying attention. Kei hopped forward as if to challenge the Dark-type, but Kazurai intervened, picking her up again before she could start a fight in the Pokémon Center. She wriggled in his arms in protest, but Kazurai held on. "Kei, not now. This isn't a Dojo."

He raised his voice. "Does this Poochyena belong to anyone?"

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

@Shadeflare123 That'd be fine by me. Perhaps Katherine entered the Center a couple of minutes after Kazurai?

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

"You looking for the festival as well? I think it's taking place in Iki Town, just up the road."

Kazurai looked round to find a younger kid with a traveller's guidebook in one hand. So the festival was apparently scheduled for Iki Town... interesting. Kazurai's research hadn't come up with any points of interest in the area.

"I'm heading there myself actually, you coming?" That gave Kazurai pause. The teenager's tone, specifically. It seemed less a tone of inquiry and more one of command. At the very least introduce yourself before using that sort of voice. He knew better than to say the words aloud, but he was sure thinking them. Well, if the kid and his Pokémon - Kazurai didn't recognise it - were heading to the festival as well, there was a likely chance they were going in the same direction, so he let the younger Trainer go off on his own. Instead, he took the time to mark Iki Town on his own map with a destination tracker.

A voice got Kazurai's attention. "Excuse me. I couldn't use your phone to find the nearest Asagi Cafe spot, could I?"

"Asagi Cafe? I'm not sure I've heard of it, sorry. Let me just run a quick search. Stay close, Kei." The last comment was aimed at his Torchic, as he set the little Pokémon on the ground at his feet and tapped in a search. The results blinked to life quickly. "Er... this says the cafe's in Olivine City, Johto?"

Sierra stared blankly at the phone. "Um...so it's not a chain or anything?" She looked down at the ground, view obscured by the still-sniffling Romano. "Shoot. I was one away from a free sandwich..." Looking back up at the other trainer, she shifted slightly on her feet. "So, there's nothing around here like that, huh?"

Kazurai double-checked the search results. "Hmm. Center Cafés? Apparently there's a café at every Pokémon Center in this region? That would mean the closest one is just up the road from here, if this map is right..." He looked up from his phone to search the rest of the road. "Ah, there it is, at the far end on the corner."

That intrigued Sierra. If the cafes were inside the Centers, that could mean that they are just as free as the healing services.

"Huh. All right I guess that's something. Thanks." She nodded and moved to head away from the marina.

In the interest of seeing the Pokémon Center for himself, Kazurai followed the same path. Out of common courtesy, he chose to keep his distance from the blonde girl. "Up for a short run, Kei? Just to the end of the road."

"Rrrr..."

"I'll give you a bite to eat if you race me?" That got her attention. The two of them broke into a jog for a few metres, then a proper run. Kazurai kept up with his quick partner despite the weight he carried... until she put on an extra boost and dashed ahead to the corner, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. True to his word, once Kazurai caught up, he produced a small cube of food from his satchel and held it out. The young Pokémon scarfed it down in three bites.

"All right, we have some time to spend. Let's have a look inside the Center, shall we?" Kazurai led the way, partly curious about the Pokémon Center itself, and partly hoping there was a local inside who could give him some concrete information.

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

No sooner had the Stormchaser docked and its captain declared their arrival than a blur of yellow and orange hurtled down the ship's boarding ramp and onto the solid ground of the Melemele ferry terminal. In her haste, she tripped over her own feet at the end of the ramp, tumbling head over tail for a few metres before she finally came to a stop.

"Kei! Kei, wait for me!" Ignoring the grins and chuckles from other passengers, Kazurai Tachimazu ran out ahead of the pack to catch up with his downed partner. Not for the first time, he wished Melemele Island - and by extension, the Alola region - had an airport. A SailFlight skyship would have been a much smoother journey. Regardless, they were here now, and Kazurai put his concerns about travel out of his mind as he knelt down and picked up his scuffed Torchic. She had been a handful on the ship, so he figured she was looking for any excuse to get back to dry land.

Kei was fussy about her feathers being ruffled, and so Kazurai brushed them into place with his free hand as he spoke. "You know you can't just run off without me. We're strangers here, you don't know anyone, you could get lost..." Kei seemed indifferent, picking dust out of her feathers for a few seconds before she settled down in his arm with a content "Tor." The Warrior just smiled. "Come on, you rascal. We need to get through Customs." The desk was just ahead: Kei's little escape attempt had gotten him to the front of the queue.

"Kazurai Tachimazu, of Sengun. Items to declare as detailed: rice, snacks for Pokémon, cash, no duty-free items. Pokémon to declare: one female Torchic, Trainer's companion." He presented his pack and satchel for inspection: the attendant on duty quickly cleared both. His passport and declaration form was next: thankfully, his father had provided funds to cover the costs of travel. Lastly, a quick examination of Kei - much to her disapproval at being told to sit still during it - and they were waved through. Kazurai quickly found himself outside the building, blinking in the sunlight.

"All right, Kei, here we are. An unfamiliar region, full of challenges. Now, where was that email I got..." He fumbled in his pocket for his PokéLink, and the email he'd received in response to his request for information. It seemed a little like an automated response, now that he reread it. Basics, mostly. Something about a festival and a Kahuna. A date and time, but no mention of a location.

Kazurai tapped out a quick message to his family back home as he moved further into the city. Hi all. Finally off the boat. Got here just in time, it seems. K

With the message sent, he closed the email app and pulled up a map he'd downloaded on the ferry. "Well, we got here on the right day for it. Now, where's this festival happening...? Kei, any ideas?"

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

Where are we starting things off? I was thinking I'd have just gotten off the ship to Hau'oli.

Pokémon: The Alola Chronicles [Always Open!]

Kazurai Tachimazu

Name: Kazurai Tachimazu
Age: 19

Appearance: Kazurai stands at 5 feet 11; he has a well-built physique from nine years of training in fitness and martial arts. Short black hair and brown eyes help complete the picture. Most of his clothing is simple and lightweight: plain shirts, an electric-blue and silver jacket, long pants, and running shoes. Most of his smaller day-to-day equipment, including Pokémon-related items, is stowed in a satchel, which Kazurai wears over one shoulder across himself. The rest of his personal possessions are all in a large backpacker's pack. A set of five empty catches is attached to the satchel's strap, designed to hold Poké Balls.

Lastly, Kazurai wears three accessories of note: a one-inch-long gold and silver pin in the shape of a sword, worn on the left side of his jacket; and two pendants. The first has a feather from a Torchic's crest in a silver setting, while the second is a slightly worn wooden pendant depicting the Tachimazu family emblem, shown below (the same emblem is sewn into the back of his jacket):

Tachimazu Emblem

Personality/Motivation: Kazurai is a practical, down-to-earth individual who values time management, getting things done, and the wellbeing of Pokémon in his care. He will stand up to a challenge when confronted with one: if his first attempt is not successful, he will immediately take time to study the situation and develop a plan of attack for a second attempt. In battle, he will use his knowledge of type advantages and move speeds to get ahead of his opponents. Knowledge, however, only gets you so far. Kazurai is more familiar with drills and training than the less predictable nature of battles.

A personal habit of Kazurai's is that if he believes he has not gotten enough exercise during the day, he will make time in the evening to maintain his usual training regime. If he can't, he considers the day wasted and must put in extra effort the next day to make up for it.

The main reasons Kazurai has travelled to Alola are twofold: first, to improve his own capabilities as a Warrior; and second, to pass time while waiting for the Pokémon League of his home region to complete preparations and open the doors to challengers. The best way to do both, he reasons, is to challenge another region's League - regardless of the form it takes.

History

History:
Kazurai hails from the Kingdom of Platinos, in the Sengun region. Sengun is a large island landmass, home to ten Kingdoms that divide the land among themselves. Platinos is a reasonably large Kingdom situated near the center of the island, and Steel and Electric Pokémon make their homes in the Kingdom's territory.

Sengun is also home to a somewhat unique type of Trainer: Warriors, individuals who fight alongside their Pokémon and form special bonds called Links as an equivalent to using Poké Balls. The Tachimazu family are Warriors one and all thanks to their lineage originating from ancient Warlords, and Kazurai is no exception. The son of two Warrior parents - his mother from Platinos and his father from its neighbouring Kingdom Challena - Kazurai was quickly confirmed as a Warrior himself, inheriting traits from both sides of the family.

The young Warrior, oldest of three children, grew up in a household that kept him busy: from age ten he was enrolled in Platinos's Steel Mind Dojo to learn martial arts and train in fitness. Between schoolwork, training, and helping around the house, Kazurai was occupied and active. At the traditional age of fourteen, Kazurai determined which types of Pokémon his abilities favoured: through encounters with Pokémon of many types, he found himself most in tune with the Fighting and Electric Pokémon he met, able to befriend them quickly. It was then that he was deemed ready to begin raising his own Pokémon and unlock his true potential as a Warrior.

Kazurai, however, originally chose not to do so. He had more to learn. There was no sense in leaving his studies unfinished: experience would come later when he believed himself prepared. His parents, however, wished him to form a Link with a Pokémon of his own. So he travelled to the neighbouring Kingdom of Regala, where Professors Acer and Holly Ilex offered him the choice of six: three Pokémon unique to Sengun, and three that could be found in other regions. Kazurai found himself spending a little time with the Chikoritas, Torchics, and Oshawotts that the Professors provided.

Eventually, one of the newly-hatched Torchics that didn't shy away from Kazurai considered him friendly, and the Warrior remembered his training. Steady the breath, reach out with your thoughts, stay calm and collected. The Torchic blinked, her expression changing to a wary look. Kazurai held her gaze evenly for a few seconds. Then his senses opened up, and he felt a rush of energy flow through him. Or at least, that was the best way he could describe it. Regardless, he knew that the young Torchic had accepted, the Link was formed, and the two would be partners. Happy with his choice - and with hers - Kazurai named his new partner Kei, and they returned home to Platinos.

Over the next five years the two would develop their bond further, and learn how a Warrior and Pokémon fought side by side through sparring matches. Only when Kazurai had completed his training at the Steel Mind Dojo did he believe himself and Kei ready to venture out into the greater Sengun region, to unlock his second inherited talent: Warrior Skills. The best way to do that was to take on the Pokémon League Challenge: travel to each of the Ten Kingdoms in order to face Gym Leaders and earn the title of Champion.

Sengun's Pokémon League, however, was still incomplete. The Gyms were ready, but Victory Tower and the League Headquarters at its peak were still under construction. By royal decree from Regala's King Paros, the Gyms will not reopen their doors until Victory Tower is complete and an Elite Four chosen to serve as the final test - against would-be Champions and each other. And the construction team was only about a quarter of the way towards completing the Tower's external structure, let alone the League HQ at the top... or all manner of environments and interiors within.

With the Gyms closed off, Kazurai was stumped. All that training, all the studies and preparation. With no knowledge of when the League would be properly ready - and no chance of being chosen as one of the Elite Four with just Kei by his side - he had no way to properly challenge himself as a Trainer. At least, no way in Sengun. Other regions have Leagues of their own, he reasoned. Why not challenge one of them to pass the time until the Sengun League was ready? To that end, he did a little research on the Pokémon Leagues of other regions. It was there he discovered Alola, and its different approach to the system: the island challenge. Trainers took the challenge to visit all four islands of Alola, facing all manner of challenges. What was equally intriguing to Kazurai was the depiction of a Raichu and several other Pokémon in the promotional artwork. Perhaps they were alternate forms?

There was a ship leaving from Mystriver in a few weeks - sadly, no flights. Kazurai knew his goal. So he packed a bag of supplies and a second one for travel gear, and with Kei by his side he set out. On the ship to Alola, he has begun researching the region and the Pokémon therein. He knows, however, that as a visitor to Alola, he could also be considered an ambassador for Sengun: he intends to avoid any action that would dishonour himself and his home.

Notes

Additional Information:

Warrior of Sengun: Kazurai may be a Trainer, but is a Warrior first and foremost. He has several years' training in self-defensive martial arts, a solid education in both Pokémon- and non-Pokémon-related subjects, and rudimentary experience in the general skills needed for travelling Trainers: things like cooking, wilderness survival, and setting up a camp for the night.

In addition, Kazurai has inherited the skills and abilities of Sengun's Warriors. This grants him two skills, the centerpieces of Warrior culture:
• First, the ability to form a special bond with a Pokémon called a Link. If the Pokémon is willing, the Link connects the Warrior and the Pokémon in a similar manner to a Poké Ball, without the need for the Ball itself. The two become partners, each learning from the other.
• Second, the power of Warrior Skills. Warriors use these in battle to provide a boost to their Pokémon. Once a Warrior unlocks their power - how this is done depends on the individual - they gain a Warrior Skill, begin learning to use it, and can learn more Skills from those who are willing to teach them. This power does have its drawbacks, however. Warrior Skills require intense focus and strength of will. Using a Warrior Skill drains a significant portion of your mental reserves, even in the strongest, so a Warrior can only use a Warrior Skill once per battle.

Kazurai knows he has a Warrior's abilities, having formed a Link, but has yet to unlock his ability to use Warrior Skills. Despite this, he still wears the pin so that other Warriors will recognise him as one of their own. Kazurai has also inherited his family's affinity for Pokémon of the Electric and Fighting types: he finds Pokémon of those types much easier to interact with than others, but as a result, it is difficult for him to approach Psychic or Ground-type Pokémon.

Inventory: Kazurai carries the following possessions:
• A week's worth of clothing and other personal items
• Two journals, and a pen to go with them. One is full of notes and its cover features a sword emblem identical to the pin Kazurai wears on his jacket. The other is plain and partially filled.
• A bedroll, compact one-person tent, cooking gear, and a first-aid kit for human injuries
• A pack of ingredients to produce ponigiri, a traditional Sengun dish for both human and Pokémon consumption. Ponigiri are primarily composed of plain rice, but include secondary ingredients for added nutritional and restorative value. Diced Berries, when properly prepared, are a common component. The pack has limited supplies, but Kazurai can purchase more ingredients from any store that stocks basic food staples.
• Two cases of food specifically for Pokémon
• A standard-issue silver PokéLink, with an engraving of the Tachimazu emblem on the back. The PokéLink is a smartphone-esque device commonly used in Sengun. It has pre-installed apps for phone and video calls, browsing the internet, synchronising with a Pokédex, using TMs to teach moves to Pokémon, and assessing the health and fitness of any Pokémon accompanying the user.
• A small amount of cash for minor expenses
• - Debit card linked to Kazurai's personal Sengun-based bank account

Team

Current Team:
Kei: Torchic

Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Feather Dance (Egg Move)
Ability: Speed Boost / Blaze
Notes: Kazurai and Kei have formed a Link, and the two are practically inseparable as a result... even if Kei can be a handful at times due to her young age.