[mod] scrubbing the slate clean

[Deleted]

I REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO FEEL
BUT I GUESS THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN STEAL

Verai was nursing a headache as he stepped onto Gaia Island proper. Not from the trip- He didn't much mind sailing.  The crash and soft rush of the waters were typically soothing to him, and the low thrum of people going about their business should have been the same.

Now, all it was doing was driving up the tension in the back of his neck.

Verai let his gaze pass over the crowd of people, and tried to recall what he was meant to do. The trip over, from when he'd gotten the money saved to leave, all up until stepping off the ship at the docks... had not really been about learning about the region. Or whatever "deal" had made the tickets out here all but shoved into his hand by the barkers. His attention had been- still was- focused on ensuring he wasn't followed, and caught no familiar faces hidden in the sprawling crowd.

He took a steadying breath, ducked his head, and moved into the busier heart of the city, looking for somewhere that looked important. A town hall, or... something. He followed the roads enough to find a map, carefully positioning himself between it and the nearby shop to look over it. He noted the roads out into..., the wilderness, he supposed. Or perhaps those were where the pokemon ranches were. Ah, and there was the... "Main Office." He snorted quietly. That was certainly a name.

Well, whatever. Might as well start there. Verai glanced at the nearby side streets to get his bearing, and headed off. The amount of people getting physically close to him was jarring. The thought that there was no crime here never crossed his mind- Instead, he kept more careful awareness of his belongings. The phone and wallet in his pocket, the pokeball at his waist. Every time someone stepped too close to him, he checked again, mentally. Phone, wallet, pokeball.

Verai made his way to the building, glancing it over. It didn't seem the safest, from the outside, but anything was better than being out in the open. He pushed the door open cautiously, slipping inside and glancing around the room.

361 | @mods | man makes decisions before thinking them through

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[Kris Parker]

Tags: @verai
Pokemon Happiness: Wally - (Max)

A low rumble, a sound caught between a growl and a purr, was heard when Verai opened the doors to the office. A Luxray had lifted his head from his lounging position by the main counter, the lion-like Pokemon's body blocking the way to back behind said counter and a room beyond in the building. The Luxray seemed to have been both snoozing and guarding simultaneously.

When Verai entered the building, the Luxray's ears perked, alert, as his gaze took in the newcomer. He gave a yowl, his call being answered within a few seconds from a voice from the back.

"I'll be right with you," the voice called. The Luxray remained laying down with his head up, watching the stranger impassively until a woman emerged from the back room with a smile.

"Hello," she greeted amicably. "I'm Kristen Parker. How can I help you?"

She took in the stranger's appearance, not being surprised in finding herself looking up at him. There weren't too many people in her life that were closer to her eye level, she knew. Broad-shouldered and muscles from what she could see would make the gentleman an ideal candidate to work on a ranch, and she hoped that was what he was visiting for if he had the right personality and sound of mind to handle the work.

[Deleted]

I REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO FEEL
BUT I GUESS THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN STEAL

Verai fell still as the low growl rumbled through the room, eyes sliding to the dark form om the luxray lying near the counter. Verai forced his posture to relax more than he would otherwise, but his eyes were still intent, and locked on the pokemon. But any concerns he might have had quickly melted away- The luxray seemed in good health, his eyes bright, nose clear, fur soft and shiny. He was well cared for, and seemed hale and healthy. A far contrast from the pokemon he was used to.

Verai glanced up at the soft call of a voice, stepping towards the counter as a woman did. Kristen Parker. The name wasn't familiar, which he took as a good sign. "Hello," He returned, offering her a smile. He drawled his words just a bit, to help his tone smooth out and sound casual. "My name's Verai- I came over to the island because of some flyer you all put out- Saw the island needed some help?" He asked, tilting his head a bit with the question, trying to better gauge Kristen's reaction.

184 | Kris Parker |yeah i'm here for "job thing"

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[Kris Parker]

Tags: @verai
Pokemon Happiness: Wally - (Max)

The Luxray's ears twitched as Kristen and the stranger conversed, with the Electric-type putting his head back down on his front paws. His eyes remained open and alert, however, apparently not willing to sleep again just yet.

Kristen, though, didn't pay her Pokemon any mind, used to her Luxray's vigilance. Instead, she focused on Verai in front of her and shared his smile.

"The island could always use more folks willing to run a ranch, for breeding and rehabilitation for Pokemon," she said. She gathered a few packets of information, one of which was a map of the island and its different biomes. "There's plenty of room all over Gaia Island. If you're willing to put in the work to create a home for yourself and Pokemon, we won't say no to a new neighbor.

"Of course, there are others around always willing to help, if you need it," Kristen added. "There's myself and Kurt Emerson, whose ranch is located in the Eastern region."

After a moment, Kristen asked, "Where are you from? Have you had any ranchhand experience?"

[Deleted]

I REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO FEEL
BUT I GUESS THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN STEAL

"Ranches- That's what it was," Verai affirmed, eyes lighting up a bit as he said it. It was dawning on him, not for the first time, that this was a bad idea. He knew nothing about ranching, other than it took a lot of work and technical know-how. But that was perhaps why he had to do this. It wasn't exactly where most people would think to look for him. Hopefully.

He listened quietly to Kristen as she spoke, glancing down at the packets and brochures she splayed across the counter. The map looked most appealing- The island was large, and the network of biomes could easily get someone disoriented... with any luck.

Verai nodded, absently, already thinking- Where would be best to go? Where would be safest, most secure- He glanced up as Kristen asked a question. "Me? I'm just from a small island chain, just past Hoenn. Nothing anyone's ever heard of," He said, with a bit of a laugh. "I've not done anything like running a ranch before, but... I do have experience in rehabilitating pokemon, if that counts for anything."

184 | Kris Parker |how hard is it to run a ranch, anyway

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[Kris Parker]

Tags: @verai, when you can feel free to PM me or Kurt a completed ranch form so we can set you up with a ranch board and/or some starter Pokemon.
Pokemon Happiness: Wally - (Max)

Kristen raised an eyebrow, a touch of a smile twitching at the edge of her lips in amusement, as Verai seemed to remember that Gaia Island's main thing was ranches. She wasn't quite sure if he thought this through as much as he probably should have, but if someone wanted a new start on Gaia Island, who was Kristen to dissuade them?

"Just past Hoenn?" Kristen echoed. "That's where I'm from. Maybe I've heard of it," she said, although she didn't pry further. If Verai wished to reveal where he was from, he would.

As suspected, Verai had no ranchhand experience, but he sounded confident in regards to rehabilitating and caring for Pokemon. "It's tough work," Kristen said, not wanting to sugarcoat anything about running a ranch, "but very rewarding. Again, if you ever need help, just come to Kurt or me. We'll make sure you get on your feet and do well."

Kristen tapped on the map of the island and said, "First thing you'll want to do is figure out where you'd like your ranch. Each biome is better suited to different types of Pokemon, but of course, any type can thrive anywhere with the proper care. This form," she tugged another sheet closer, "you'll fill out with your ranch information for our directory. Name, type specialities, background info, all that fun stuff. Your initial acre is $1000, additional acres are $500, and you can add on at any time. Do you have any Pokemon you're bringing over yourself? It's a fee of $250 to import Pokemon so we can make sure you have the necessary supplies for them right away."

She hoped she hadn't spoken too quickly. It could be a bit overwhelming to move, let alone figure out all the money that comes with opening a ranch.

[Deleted]

I REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO FEEL
BUT I GUESS THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN STEAL

Verai offered Kristen a smile. "Maybe," He said, but didn't say anything further. Anything was past Hoenn. She didn't need more specifics.  Maybe that made him sound cagey, but... he was.

Verai felt himself stiffen a bit. She wasn't implying anything. She is not being cruel. He forced himself to relax. "I'm... no stranger to hard work, either." He said. "Whatever needs to be done, I'll do it."

He looked down over the map, and the form Kristen had tugged over. The first instinct was to head to the forests, shielded and covered by the dark trees and foliage. The mountains offered protection, viewpoints. His hand moved away, drifting towards markings of lakes and rivers and streams, settling on a tangle of blue, rivers wound in knots.

He glanced over as Kris started about the form, eyes skimming down the lines. It seemed more a request for information than any sort of contract, though he did flip the paper over to make sure. He started carefully filling it out in a thin, even hand. "Um, yeah. I've just brought over one." With his free hand, Verai fished out Bumble's pokeball, setting it on the counter but keeping his hand close.

It- had seen better days. The top was scuffed and scratched, with deep gouges tearing silvery-white lines across the metal, nearly all of the paint worn away. There were chips and scuffs and dents across nearly the entire thing, and the low light of the button seemed to flicker just occasionally as it pulsed slowly. "Uh, just an espurr." Verai added, glancing at the pokeball before going back to filling out the form.

273 | Kris Parker |excuse you bumble is priceless

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[Kris Parker]

Tags: @verai
Pokemon Happiness: Wally - (Max)

"You look it," Kris said with a friendly grin when Verai mentioned he wasn't a stranger to hard work. "If you were a small, skinny dude I may have added on another warning or two." Her tone was casual, and she ended up gesturing to herself. "Not that being small would truly mean anything."

Indeed, Kristen knew she was on the smaller end, although she had lean muscles from her days of traveling and subsequently ranching. Verai looked to be in good shape, and Kristen would hope that anyone planning on making the move all the way out to Gaia Island in near-No Man's Land would have some sort of idea as to what they're getting into.

She waited patiently as Verai filled out all the paperwork and smiled when he brought out his Espurr's Pokeball. Just an Espurr,, he said, but the scuffed-up, worn Pokeball reminded Kristen of Trek's.

"You must have been together for a long time," she said, tone wistful. Either that, or the Espurr was a hand-me-down of sorts. "The Pokeball reminds me of my first Pokemon's."

Kristen waited a few more moments before thinking to ask, "Do you have any questions right now? Anything you can think of at the top of your head that I can help with? Or shall I just shut up, let you finish that, and take you to your new home?"

[Deleted]

I REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO FEEL
BUT I GUESS THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN STEAL

Verai frowned a bit as he worked through the form. All these payments and fees, all these signatures- And yet, it didn't feel like he was signing his life away, despite how lesser forms had done far more. He glanced up again, as Kristen spoke about Bumble. "We... we have, yeah. It's... I guess it's only been a few years, but..." It felt like so much longer.

He glanced over the paperwork once more, trying to make sure nothing was missed, or overlooked. With a bit of a sigh, he set the pen down and slid the papers back over to Kristen. "Uh, nothing off the top of my head, no." He said, taking Bumble's pokeball again, for comfort. "If there's nothing else you need me to do, we can head over to the place. Or, if you're busy, you can just tell me where it is. I don't mind either way." He shrugged a bit. He didn't particularly want to trouble the young woman.

165 | Kris Parker |this would be easier if verai could read huh

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[Kris Parker]

Tags: @verai
Pokemon Happiness: Wally - (Max)

It's only been a few years, he said, but Kristen smiled at the unspoken words. There was always a special bond between a trainer and their first Pokemon. She understood what he did not say just as much as his spoken words.

Verai didn't seem to have any questions -- Kristen didn't really expect him to, not just yet, anyway; getting one's own ranch could be overwhelming enough -- and Kristen looked over his forms. "Everything seems to be in order," she said, filing his completed forms away. She grabbed some car keys and put up a sign on the door indicating that she would be back soon.

"We'll drive to your new home," she said with a smile. "The island is pretty big with plenty of wild Pokemon in between the habited acres. No matter your Espurr's prowess, there's always safety in numbers." Kristen glanced over at Wally and her Luxray stood to his full height, taking the time to stretch before joining the trainers.

Kristen gestured out the door and said amicably, "After you. And welcome to Gaia Island."