Kuroi

Kuroi is a city built to the south of Shiidara City, north of Gaston Town, and east of both in the Hayashi-nettai Mountains. The city is famous for its irregular architecture where multiple layers of city are built on top of one another. These layers of city fill the Kuroi valley and form a sort of vertical megalopolis.

Early History[]

Kuroi was first the name of a valley found in the Hayashi-nettai Mountains. Settlers came to the valley from what would be Centria, Eureka City, and Shiidara City. Though there are many reasons why people were migrating, the lack of employment and to escape the violence that was rampant in Tatsu at that time period are far and wide the most common.

There were many attempts at populating the area, however, for unknown reasons most ended in utter failure. The strangest part of the failed settlement projects is that while there are written documents that describe them in detail, there are no archaeological remains prior to the Aoki settling.

After nearly 60 years of failed colonizing attempts three villages were established permanently: Aoki in the east, Jakk in the west and Secorro constructed in the middle of the valley. These three villages lived in peace until they had expanded large enough to come into contest for resources and space. Attempts to resolve the issue were made but no outcome was proposed that all three parties agreed on. As such, war was declared among the three; this conflict is known as the Kuroi War. The war lasted a long 31 years and saw the collapse of both Secorro, Aoki, and at the end of the war Jakk fell to riots from the Black Leaf Resistance, whom is blamed for the ignition of the Great Aoki Fire.

The attacks by Black Leaf Resistance prompted the survivors of the Great Aoki Fire to move to the Aoki occupied city of Secorro where the local population was largely massacred and any survivors were exiled. On this site New Aoki was constructed, and to combat the BLR attacks that still plagued New Aoki’s progress the New Aoki Defence Agency was created to spearhead Operation Autumn. This operation made it illegal to be a BLR member, offered rewards for information on the organization, and actively looked for and destroyed BLR hideouts. Their operations were so effective and aggressive that it took only two years to eradicate the enemy completely.

To further ensure the safety of its people the New Aoki government started radical plans to transform the city. They commissioned work forces from Eureka and Ironclad to construct massive iron columns around the valley floor on which would be built a new city that would be easier to defend and open only to citizens from New Aoki. The huge pillars took several years to be built and transported to the construction site. When they were all in place several huge metal plates were fused together several meters above the surface of the valley to create the “ground” on which the new city would be built.

The plan worked, however, it had taken so long to get to this point that the original enemy was no longer a threat. In time the city turned into a privilege for the wealthy instead, while the poor and middle class working people stayed on the ground in New Aoki. To further widen the divide the aristocracy named the new city Kuroi City after the valley in which it is located. Over time as the gap between wealthy and poor shrunk, the aristocracy were forced to repeat the process of vertical expansion, building what is now the Upper City. Kuroi was expanded and more iron pillars were put in place and built over again. With this expansion the city grew not only out but up, eventually taking the shape of the valley it filled.

Cityscape[]

The process of expanding the entire city up and out occurred a total of three times to create four distinct levels. The Skyline is the newest addition and is the “top layer” of the city. It is here that anyone entering the city will spend most thier time. Beneath that is the Upper city which was the second edition to Kuroi. Though less wealthy than the Skyline, the Upper City still has much to offer in the way of rest and entertainment for visitors. A visit here is recommended for travelers who wish to immerse themselves in the city’s culture as this is where the common people live and the area is less commercialized. Below the Upper City lays the Under City. This section is largely just apartments for middle and lower class families. There are very few tourist attractions and crime rates in the Under City are the highest in any other part of Kuroi. The Under City is the oldest expansion in Kuroi and beneath it sits the Valley Floor.

In the outskirts, a mere 20 minute walk from the city, sits the Southern Pier. The pier was constructed to provide a port of stay for cruise ships wishing to bring tourists to Kuroi. The pier also doubles as a docking point for local transportation to Centria, Gaston Town, and Shiidara City. The Southern Pier has become an increasingly popular option for trainers to get into Kuroi who want to avoid the Black Forest.

Skyline[]

Towering structures and elegant buildings fill the air on the surface of the city. Here people walk around on open-air walkways between plazas that give access to the cities many towers. Many attractions can be found on the Skyline level and entertainment is always at hand. Malls, restaurants, bars, theatres, stores, and museums are just some of the things that are available to do in the Skyline. One of the Skyline's largest plazas on the east side of the city is also home to the Fairy type Pokemon gym.

Upper City[]

The layer of city directly below the buildings that form the Skyline. The Upper City consists of series of hallways, tunnels, and hive like building complexes which both house more of Kuroi's dining and entertainment and hold up the city above it. Like the above section of the city this layer boasts shops, houses, and businesses.

The Upper City is often hailed as the spirit of the local people because the rampant tourism and commercialism that defines the Skyline isn't nearly as apparent down here. Many of the stores and restaurants are own by locals instead of large chains or corporations which is largely the case in the city above. While it is recommended to make a visit to the Upper City if you want to experience to local customs, many people experience claustrophobia while here as glimpses of the outside are rare and are only afforded through skylights that sporadically appear in the hallways systems. These skylights can be seen dotting the Skyline and a skylight usually designates that there is a large plaza overhead.

Under City[]

Similar to the Upper City, the Under City is made up of thousands of interconnecting hallways and tunnels. Down here however there is no chance of glimpsing natural sunlight. The Under City is more run down than the Upper City and its hallways are in need of constant repair. It is not uncommon to find missing wall or roof panels along with dripping pipes, litter, and even sparking wires. Always when one travels the Under City they are surrounded by the buzzing and humming of generators that power every level of the city.

It is generally unsafe to traverse the Under City alone as muggings are common and gangs as well as organized crime syndicates are popular on this level due to the low level of law enforcement present. It is also on this level that companies find solace to conduct illegal activities away from the prying eyes of the public and governmental bodies. Unknown to most of the population, Kuroi's sheltered laboratories were on the leading edge of experiments that led to the discovery of Fairy type Pokemon. Tourists, trainers, and the general public will have no need to be on this level and 60 – 70% of Kuroi’s population is found in the levels above.

Valley Floor[]

Staircases and elevators will bring you down to the natural dirt floor of what was once the valley. On this level all plants are dead and it is very cold due to there being no sunlight. The only things populating this level are homeless citizens, horrible Pokemon, and the various companies rejected experiments. Down here life is a real struggle from day to day and life expectancy is very short. Looters will sometimes come down to this level as it is possible to find the original Kuroi, Jakk, and Secorro sites with some of their buildings intact. Down here the view is dirt ground, stone walls and massive circular pillars holding up a metallic roof that the entirety of Kuroi City rests on. It is possible however to find cave systems which will bring you through the mountain and into the surrounding forest.

Gym[]

Kuroi is now home to the newest gym in Tatsu which specialises in Fairy type Pokemon. Nestled into one of the Skyline's biggest plazas, the gym is a very large building that is illuminated 24 hours a day just like the casinos and entertainment buildings around it. Trainers travel to this place in their attempt to obtain the Legend badge only given to them when they defeat Pixie Fay, the gym's fairy type elite leader. The Legend Badge has a tiny diamond shaped shard of rose quartz in the center and every one of these quartz shards are taken from pieces of quartz imported from Mt. Moon in Kanto.