Finally Becoming a Real Adult (MOD)

[Deleted]

The boat ride had been fun enough, and she was looking forward to everything she’d get to do after the official stuff was over and done with, but…truth be told? Nora didn’t exactly want to be here. She did her best not to show it – nothing like a sour face to bring down the mood of everyone around her, right? Still, registering would be work. Probably tedious work, at that. It was necessary, though, and this was just one of those things adults were supposed to do without making a fuss over it. Besides, if she did it right, she’d only have to go through all this once. Then she could focus on what really mattered – filling her lovely new ranch with suitable Pokemon and encouraging relationships!

At least the office was easy to find. The last thing she wanted was to get lost and lose hours she could be spending on more pleasant pursuits. On that note, she wasn’t in the mood to waste any time, so she headed into the office, giving the interior a glance around. She’d never done anything like this all by herself, and she wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but maybe she could figure it out, or find someone to help, or…she didn’t know. Something.

“Hello?”

[Kris Parker]

Tags: @noracarter

"Hello!" came a friendly call from the back room. Within a moment, a young woman around Nora's age emerged from said back room, giving Nora an amicable smile.

"Hi there," she said. "I'm Kris Parker, one of the heads here on Gaia Island. What can I help you with?"

The few folks who found their way to the office lately were looking to open their own ranches, so Kris was hoping the same was true regarding the young woman in front of her. Kris was delighted at their little community growing.

[Deleted]

Oh, someone was here! Great! Nora remained where she was then, waiting for the one that had greeted her to appear.

The person in question was a woman around her own age, and that sent a small stab of guilt through her that she’d waited until now to start her own career. She was no stranger to seeing those of her generation hard at work, but it felt a bit different now. Or maybe she was just feeling particularly sensitive today, with how drastically her life was changing. The guilt was unnecessary and unwanted – she’d finally gotten the motivation to do what she was supposed to do, so she should be proud instead, right? Emotions were weird, though.

Brushing all that aside to deal with later, she returned the woman’s smile. At least she seemed friendly – maybe this wouldn’t be as tedious as Nora was dreading.

Her companion introduced herself then, and…one of the heads? Okay, that was impressive. Nora had really left this way too long, hadn’t she? Ah, well…

“Nice to meet you. I’m Nora Carter, and I’m here about starting a ranch.”

Kris Parker

[Kris Parker]

Tags: @noracarter

"Wonderful!" Kris beamed when Nora mentioned wanting to start her own ranch. "We have tons of space since the island itself is still growing. Have you gotten a chance to look further into the island and its biomes...?"

As she spoke, Kristen gathered a few forms for Nora to fill out. "No worries if you haven't," she continued. "Some folks literally just came over here for something different and challenging. Here we are..."

She placed a map of the somewhat star-shaped Gaia Island in front of Nora, one that detailed a few of the marked pathways and the different biomes. "Each are more suited to different Pokemon types, but of course Pokemon can thrive anywhere as long as they receive the proper care," Kristen said. Pointing to the forms, she continued, "These are mostly basic information. Name, emergency contacts, ranch information, background checks, all that fun stuff. Take your time filling it out and deciding where you want to set up your ranch. If you have any questions, let me know."

[Deleted]

Kris beamed at her, and Nora returned the smile, though it faltered a bit when the biomes were mentioned. “I mean, not in person.” Maybe she should have done some exploration first? But the other woman assured her it was fine, and Nora was relieved to hear that she wasn’t the only one who’d come here first. She had an idea of what sort of place would make her happiest, at least.

And it was paperwork time. Lovely. It’d be good to get it out of the way, though, so Nora thanked her companion and looked everything over while Kris explained everything. It looked like there was a decent variety to choose from, and hadn’t Kris said there was still plenty of space everywhere? She thought she’d dragged her feet, but maybe this was actually the perfect time to try this whole rancher thing.

“No questions so far – it all seems simple enough,” she mused when Kris finished talking. “Thanks for this.” She started filling out the forms. At least most of it was easy, right? And she was pretty sure she knew where she wanted to set up, as well. At least, that forested area sure did look inviting, and easier to deal with than some of the other places.

Eventually, she completed the forms, and she gave them a final glance-over before returning them to Kris. “I think that’s everything.”

Kris Parker

[Kris Parker]

Tags: @noracarter

Kristen allowed Nora the time and quiet to finish up the paperwork, knowing it was probably the most tedious part of setting up a ranch. Kris took the time to find potential spots that Nora may like for her ranch and began setting up the registration in her own system.

It took a few moments, but soon enough Nora was passing over the paperwork and Kris gave it a once-over. "Everything looks great," she said with a smile. "It's $1000 to open up a ranch. Do you have any Pokemon you're bringing with you? There's a fee for them to ensure we got all the supplies necessary for them while you get your ranch started."

The types that Nora chose were interesting. Kristen could think of a few Pokemon she and Kurt were rehabilitating that may do well on a ranch more catered to them...

[Deleted]

Kris looked over her paperwork and…great! It seemed like she’d done everything correctly so far. At the mention of money, she dug through her wallet, counting out the amount and hanging it over as well. Of course property and all would need purchased, and she’d been sure to save up what she thought she’d need to really get started.

“None yet, sadly,” she answered when Kris asked about Pokemon. How many ranchers were starting form basically nothing? It couldn’t be just her, could it? Well, at least she wouldn’t have to pay that fee for any existing Pokemon, not that she’d mind if her circumstances had been different. “Looking forward to meeting my first companions, though.”

Kris Parker

[Kris Parker]

Tags: @noracarter, deducted the money from your account.

The transaction was smooth, and Kristen drew where exactly the borders of Nora's ranch were on Nora's copy of the map. Nestled near the Apricorn Woods, it would be a quiet area for the types that Nora described in her paperwork.

"No worries about not having any Pokemon just yet," Kris said. "There are plenty to catch on the island and, of course, the mainland whenever you go to visit there. Kurt -- he's the other head of the island and has a ranch over in the east should you need him for anything -- and I are actually starting to rehabilitate a couple of Pokemon that may be right up your alley...

"But first!" Kristen pulled out a set of car keys from one of the cabinet drawers and stuck up a Be Back Soon sign on the door. With a smile, she said, "Let's get you to your new home. If you ever have any questions, Kurt and I are always around to help, okay?"

[Deleted]

Nora smiled, relieved, when Kris spoke again. It seemed like her situation was a pretty common one, then. She was looking forward to getting started. Catching Pokemon without the worry of gyms and contests would be fun, and hopefully the Pokemon would be happy with her and not disappointed that she wasn’t out to seek glory. Maybe the ones here on the island were used to that, though? Anyway, it might be a bit tough to find just the right species for her ranch – she’d chosen some…unusual types to specialize in, she knew – but she could handle it. And…they had some Pokemon that might be a good match for her, already? “I’m looking forward to meeting them.”

But that would be later. It seemed like she actually got to see her ranch now. Nora nodded and prepared to follow her companion. “Thanks for everything.” She’d be doing her best to get things up and running and turn her new plot of land into a thriving ranch. Ha…imagine – her looking forward to the work. But, for the first time in her life, she was taking care of something that was fully hers, so maybe it wasn’t so unbelievable.

Kris Parker