Character Submissions!!

When you have informed me (either in a pm or in the "General Discussion" OOC thread) of your intent to join the RP you may then post your character to this thread.

If the character is a work in progress, please label it as so at the top of the profile.

Be original, be creative, and be sure to avoid copying the formulas of well known characters either from the Pokémon franchise or other well known anime/manga franchises. Just make a character that speaks to you and let your creativity be your guide.

And most of all... Have some fun with it!

Name: Simon Yates
Picture (without the glowing cube, obviously)

Description: Simon is a fairly large man in his early thirties. He is tall, with wide shoulders and large hands. His hair is black and thick, cut and combed to keep it from his eyes and mirrored by a beard born of the same philosophy. He is clean, and despite his disregard for the state of his hair he does well to present himself. His wardrobe is eclectic, composed mostly of coats and quiet colors. He does not care for head wear or accouterments, but on occasion will accent his attire with a pin, flower, kerchief, tie, or similar, innocuous items.

Simon, in a word, looks like a dad. Not a father, but a dad: His smile is easy, his eyes soft, his body language open and slow. Despite being some years from middle age, his laughter has begun carving lines around his mouth and eyes. He is the image of health, walking upright and proud.

Age: 33
Sex: Male
DOB: January 1st, 1983.
Birthplace: Celedon City, Kanto
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 180 ibs
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue
Body Type: Endomorph

Starting Pokémon: Snivy

Legendary Pokémon: Xerneas

Personality: Simon is a good person. And sometimes that does a lot more harm than good. He's genuine, kind, and honest, qualities for which he is sometimes misinterpreted as being obsequious. He's forbearing, well-educated, verbose, and always trying to help, qualities that can make him appear as patronizing, insulting, or rude. But it does not take long to know those descriptions are inaccurate; he is genuine in speech, forthwith and fair in action.

Simon is intently curious. He's a learner, and a doer, and he operates at a pace with disregard to the capabilities, interests, and sometimes even the safety of those around him. He likes to experiment, explore, and learn. He also likes to teach, and proselytize, and not all of his opinions are popular. He's tragically adamant, and is wracked by an unhealthy concern for the world and its inhabitants.

Simon is verbose, and not always conscious that his audience might not share his level of education. He speaks quickly, choosing particular phrasing, connotation, denotation, tone, inflection, tenor, and allusion such as an artist or poet is particular in their own crafts, with the expectation that whomever he is speaking with will understand everything he says and implies. Despite his control of wordplay, however, he has no patience for puns, and tends to find other speakers of the same qualities didactic, dogmatic, periphratic.

Strengths: Determined. Brave. Forgiving.
Weaknesses: Opinionated. Insulting. Bullheaded.

Biography: Simon was born in Celadon City to an affluent family. Their investments were wide, and lucrative, and could have pursued a quiet life of luxury and vice like his siblings. But, from birth, Simon could find satisfaction in no pursuit. In his own words, it was decided that he would be born in 1983, and no sooner; it was his insatiable curiosity that made it 12:02, January 1st and no sooner. The other Yates pursued quiet and simple lives of deal brokering, accounting, league administration. Simon did not want that life; he wanted to make a living.

Simon's family's wealth afforded him a comprehensive education of the sciences, history, arithmetic, language, and medicine. He pursued opening an independent practice in Celadon after finishing his education, but instead began working for a fellow student who had graduated some years before him, and with whose business he had no hope of competing. Cassandra paid him well, and he continued his education under her tutelage and alongside other physicians, caring for the residents of Celadon. Helping people, a challenging job that allowed him to meet and do and learn at the same time, was the first activity he actively enjoyed for longer than a few months. And he was good at diagnosing and curing simple diseases.

But then controversy struck: a malpractice suit was filed against Cassandra's practice, and a rash of violent encounters with Pokemon left injuries Simon did not know how to cure. Horrific burns, poisons, children being trampled and gored. It was gut-wrenching, and Simon learned two things: One, he did not have the stomach for violence. Two, administering cough medicine was not what the world needed. He left most of his earned wages and his family's stipends with Cassandra to mitigate her costs and decided that he had to learn how to treat Pokemon if he wanted to help humans. He made some calls, moved to Pallet Town, registered as a pokemon trainer, and continues to act as a physician to Pallet residents while working to earn the trust of his Snivy, an unruly gift from a friend of Cassandra.

That friend, a breeder, has taught Simon how to handle his Snivy in exchange for helping with chores and breeding. Pokemon are infinitely complex, and the staggering variation in anatomy, diet, and needs has made the learning process very slow. Simon takes well to new challenges and puzzles, however, and the few months spent in Pallet Town taught him a lot. But, just as he was settling in to small-town life and breaking free of the insulation from Pokemon he once enjoyed, Cassandra called, and has requested his medical expertise in Saffron City.

During his years in Celadon, Simon ran afoul the temperamental and aggressive private detective/bodyguard/curmudgeon Elisabeth. Their initial encounters were made under less-than-ideal circumstances: He ran into her coming around a corner, knocking both to the ground and giving her plenty excuse to yell at him with such a fury that he thought he might be killed by sound, then later when she was stabbed and on his operating table. She left Celadon as soon as she recovered well enough to travel, without so much as a "Thank you." Simon wasn't even paid; he waived her fee and replaced the stitches, gauze, medicine, and tools out of his own pocket.

Two years later in Pallet Town, Simon ran into Elisabeth again. There was a Pokemon disappearance she was hired to investigate after the police dropped the case, explaining that the Pokemon simply ran away from its trainer and there was nothing for them to do. Simon is not privy to the particulars of her case, just that it resulted in the disappeared Pokemon being recovered and returned. Her employer was not the trainer that lost the Pokemon, however, and more events Simon has yet to question has resulted in a transfer of ownership of the pokemon into Elisabeth's care. While she remained in Pallet Town, plying her trade or doing what she could to make enough money to get herself back out, Simon did what he could to make conversation, and try to help her take care of it. She had no interest in either, but now that he is leaving Pallet, is looking for protection, and can afford both, she's attached at the hip.

{Completed}
Name: Yuu-Fina Aikayama
Picture


Description: Yuu has short asymmetrical dark brown hair. Her eyes are a dark brownish color and she wears simple black brimmed glasses. Her long bangs are loosely pinned to the side with two black bobby pins. She wears the usual long sleeved T-shirt and blue jeans. If she wishes to be more comfortable, she also has a pair of black or grey sweat pants packed in her ashy-green backpack. She almost always has a spare pair of shoes(tennis shoes), though she usually wears her brown flats. Her backpack shows definite signs of age and rough handling. Yuu's left leg is fairly crippled and this gives her an odd walking pattern.

Age: 17
Sex: Female
DOB: December 6th, 1998
Birthplace: Violet City, Johto.
Height: 152cm (roughly 5.2 feet)
Weight: 47kg (roughly 102lbs)
Hair Color: Dark brown.
Eye Color: Deep amber.
Body Type: Ectomorph.
Voice Type: Mezzo-Soprano.

Starting Pokémon: Fennekin.
Legendary Pokémon: Manaphy

Personality: Yuu is someone who very rarely acts without thinking. She tries to make the right decision as often as possible. She is genuinely polite and will usually keep her opinions to herself unless asked to speak them. Because she grew up in a large, strict family, she has a habit of following rules. Although that isn't necessarily bad. Yuu is as punctual as she can be. She isn't much of a people-pleaser, though. She rarely lies, but usually comes out with the truth sooner or later if she does. Yuu is hard to anger. She tries not to argue with others; she is careful about how she treats other people. She is rarely ever bored. She can occupy herself with almost anything.

She is a little strange once someone first encounters her. She relies on first impressions. If she doesn't find someone who she thinks she'll get along with, she won't bother with them. Though sometimes she can come to accept someone for who they are if she is around them long enough. If she is scolded or if she is spoken poorly of, she will believe that she has done something wrong, but she won't argue. She isn't the most interesting cookie out there, but she can be pretty creative in certain circumstances. She respects people's personal space, and can't stand it when her's is invaded.

Strengths: Motivation, praise, comfort.
Weaknesses: Arguments, uncertainty, memorization.

Biography: Yuu was born in Violet City, Johto. Her understanding of the world was very minimal, as she was kept in the dark about many things at a young age. She had five siblings; two sisters, and three brothers. She was the fourth child born to her family. Her mother, Fina(Fih-Nuh), named her Yuu-Fina after herself; giving her a hyphenated name (She now goes by Yuu). Her older siblings, Feuko(sister), Tomoya(brother), and Hiro(sister), are triplets, five years her senior. Her two younger siblings, Rinh(brother) and Jun(brother) are both two to three years younger than Yuu. Throughout her life with her family, she was often rebellious against her parents. Though over time, they've shaped her into the girl she is today.

When she was eight, her family decided to make a move to the Kalos region. This is where her older sister, Feuko, decided that she would get involved with Pokemon and become a trainer. The family was against this, concerned for Feuko's safety. Yuu was against Feuko's choice as well. She was upset that her sister would make such a risky choice. Though when the time was right, Feuko left home with her newly acquired pokemon. Yuu was upset as well as her family, not wanting her sister to get involved with these creatures. Yet over time, they had lost connection with Feuko and they seemed to forget about her; all except for Yuu. Though her memory of Feuko is vague, she still has a small longing to see her again. But after a while, that longing came to an abrupt end. Upon a few more years, Yuu had taken an interest in pokemon herself. Though she wasn't passionate like Feuko had been, she still found them interesting. She didn't look too much into them though, leaving her knowledge of them fairly bleak.

Yuu's family had a camping trip one summer. On the second day of the trip, Yuu and her brother, Rinh, had talked their parents into letting them explore a little ways away from the campsite. While Rinh and Yuu wandered and doddled throuugh a patch of clovers, Rinh spotted a fair sized bulb lying on the ground under a tree. He and Yuu went to observe, when they realized it wasn't a plant; but an injured pokemon. From what Yuu could recall, it was a Bulbasaur that was injured. When Rinh made a sudden movement away from it, the animal became startled and lashed out at both of them. Unfortunately, Yuu was the one who took a damaging hit to her left shin. It broke her femur and left her shin badly damaged. However, Rinh was surprisingly left unharmed due to his quick retreat once the Bulbasaur had noticed them. His sudden motion to leave had startled it. As a result, she is unable to walk normally due to the damage done. Though this incident had only intrigued her more, even though her knowledge of the animals is still very thin.

She herself had decided to try becoming a trainer. She had, and still does, have doubts about the path she is taking. She gave the topic much thought, but never went too far. Her minimal knowledge served as a problem. But, she got over it and decided to give it a shot. The pokemon she decided to start with was a Fennekin. Though when she got it, it took quite a bit of getting used to. She has been bitten and burned a few times, and is still struggling to gain its complete trust.

Her Fennekin at first was rather timid and skittish. She tried to handle it right away, but soon learned the hard way by getting nipped at. But the Fennekin didn't really mind being around people. It soon became more accepting of Yuu, knowing she might take care of it. Yuu also learned that her Fennekin was ticklish in a certain place on its underbelly, and when squeezed to a certain extent, it yelps and nips at whoever is holding it. Thus leading to a few burns on Yuu's hands and arms. She came to learn that this animal needed proper love and care.

completed
Name: Zane Ravager
Picture example

Description: Zane is a large,muscular young man with shortly cut hair. His skin is naturally a little on the dark side, giving him the permanent tanned look due to his shading. He's got a fair share of cuts, bruises and scars from Ranger training and a rather rambunctious childhood - it's actually rare to see him without some kind of band aid or bandage on. His being Ranger (even though he's only completed Academy training) leaves his wardrobe choice rather simple: clean shaven and the standard uniform - though he always has a set of protective goggles on hand. Unfortunately, Zane is cursed with a naturally sinister looking face and wild dragonish presence that contrasts with his usual warm smile very strongly. When he's not in uniform, Zane still wears boots and rather heavy pants - giving him something of a biker look in his own opinion. Underneath his more "civilian" style dress, Zane wears metal weights on his forearms,thighs,shins and full vest from years of practice. His justification for this is training so his gear never gets heavy and so he can quickly and easy carry a person if need arises.Rather infamously, Zane always wears a tough set of gloves and has a full back religious tattoo.

Age: 22
Sex:Male
DOB: December 21, 1993
Birthplace: Meteor Village, Hoenn
Height:6'4
Weight:225
Hair Color:black
Eye Color:violet
Body Type: Mesomorph
Voice Type: Base

Starting Pokémon: Mudkip - Crush

Legendary Pokémon: Giratina

Personality: Zane is a hard working and kind young man, that has his faults just like everyone else. He's also a man of faith that isn't entirely sure what he believes in yet. Among friends or people he trusts and accepts, Zane is the loud friend that's always genuinely happy when something goes well and the first to often even down to the shirt on his back when things go poorly. However to strangers, while the same kindness remains it's tempered by a patient silence as if he's the kind that slowly gets to know and trust. He's also a lover of the environment, partly stemming from his own faith and has a healthy respect of Pokemon too - dragon type in particular. The young man in unabashedly small town sheltered so he can also be a little behind on the times in some areas. Zane relies heavily on his intuition and gut feelings, with a mix of good and bad result since he'll occasionally spring into action or do something simply because ' it felt right' at that point in time. While he won't admit it, Zane's wanted to be a Pokemon Ranger ever since he heard about them despite being a little disillusioned as he's gone through Academy training.

Zane is always pushing or training himself in some form- which often results in his forgetting "small matters" like paperwork. When asked why, he will frequently try to avoid giving and answer since he tries to keep a bit of distance from everyone. He's also very quick to blame himself if something doesn't go entirely well.Zane isn't comfortable with battles, on one hand he's actually a little scared but deep down...he enjoys it - in fact it might be apt to say he revels in the exhilaration of battle. This direct clash manifests in his occasionally hesitating in key moments, giving contrary orders, or freezing entirely due to his discomfort when things get serious.Zane also has a tendency to keep his emotions bottled up - often to the point where it bursts out in a single display. Baggage aside, Zane still leads a relatively normal life and is cleared for active duty when he finishes training.

Strengths: Hardworking, Quick Thinker, Level Headed, Fit, Patient, Courageous, observant
Weaknesses: Unconfident, pushes self too hard, asocial tendencies, impulsive, paperwork

Biography: Zane was born on December 25th 1993 in Meteor Village where the elusive Draconid people dwell deep within Hoenn's Meteor Falls to parents whose names he never knew. The primary reason for this being that his parents were killed by a Salamence somewhere between his 3rd and 4th birthdays. The event was caused because the young Zane had run off to play and was eventually drawn by the sound of two dueling Salamences - ultimately the young Draconid was captivated by the display. When his parents came looking for him on the other hand, the two were unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a stray attack. In the village, this was regarded as an ill omen and while he was collectively raised by the small village as a whole he was still treated as something of a cursed child. While this didn't result in blatant shunning, Zane was still raised with the knowledge and blame of the blood of his parents on his hands among the adults. Among kids, this just made him slightly unpopular as the tight knight community didn't wish to tear itself apart due to a child because their parents didn't trust Zane. As a result, roughly one third of the time Zane ended up playing around Meteor Falls alone and in areas much further from the village than would otherwise be permitted normally for children.

As a result, Zane had many occasion of seeing the majestic sight of a Salamence in flight along with the brutal efforts of Bagon and Shellgon in their attempts to reach such heights compared to his fellows and inspired his work ethic to overcome his obstacles. He also got to see a bit more first hand to byproducts of human interacting negatively with the environment and Pokemon - something in line with the religious teachings of the Dragonids. This was flipped on its head when a ten year old Zane was inadvertently caught up in the after math of the psychic tantrum of a Solrock which effectively buried a leg under a pile of rocks. It was a passing Pokemon Ranger that got him out and deemed the kid lucky for not actually breaking anything that got Zane interested in Pokemon Rangers. In his views, the simple existence of such a person ran at odds with the evils his people decried upon the outside world. Ultimately, it made him curious and resulted in a sixteen year old Zane leaving his village to see things for himself. The village's education wasn't impressive by modern standards, but Zane's effective GED and plethora of more trade like skills allowed him to survive long enough to enlist in Ranger Academy on his 18th birthday.

During Ranger Academy Zane trained to join Rapid Response and to be precise as a combat rescue division. As he'd come to see things, eliminating large evil organizations was more efficient than simply tracking down poachers on range. His physical aptitude through years or hard training on his part left him ahead of the curve in that department. However, Zane had to really work hard to get even average results in the academics department in comparison to his pears. In regards to the Academy's specialized battle theory (having a pokemon nonlethal track, locate and subdue a criminal, shield civilians, infiltration and disaster relief) and mock battles, Zane proved to be within the top 5 of his class. As things grew difficult, Zane began to discover more and more his issues with battles and his ratings steadily dropped to average and then passing. By the time he graduated, Zane wasn't deemed fit enough to do a year in the field. As a result, his hard work and a bit of creative help on administration side allowed him to barely skimp through for the Search and Rescue division instead. While to an extent it could be considered lucky, but given the lateness of his arrival he wasn't able to actually get a mentor - effectively putting him in reserve until one can be acquired. Expecting a rather protracted period of down time, Zane filled out the application for a civilian trainer's license in hopes of acquiring some supplemental experience. His choice of Mudkip was because he believed its strength would be useful in battle, but its ability to detect people through air and water currents would be invaluable for search and rescue.

Name: Elisabeth Whitefield
picture (without the pointy ears or armor)

Description: Elisabeth would be an attractive woman, if her otherwise perfect face wasn't marred by a perpetual scowl, and recognized more by her telltale disdain for the world and its inhabitants than the pronounced cheekbones and angular beauty. When she is not frowning, she's baring her teeth, and when she isn't doing that she's loosing the most appalling and rude words her limited but creative vocabulary can muster. When the time for yelling is over, and she needs to run or fight (which is rather often), her thin and lithe-muscular body moves quickly. Her wardrobe is functional, well-worn, and high-quality. She pays no particular attention to how or if her clothes match, and despite weather or terrain opts for cargo pants, boots, and a long coat or a duster. She cuts her own hair, and after some years of practice manages to keep it short and almost even, but she's ringed by split ends. Dirt, grime, oil, sweat, and mud are typical additions to her dress.

Age: 24
Sex: Female
DOB: August 20th, 1992.
Birthplace: Black City, Unova
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 160ibs
Hair Color: Blonde naturally, dyed light brown
Eye Color: Green
Body Type: Ectomorph

Starting Pokémon: Cynidquil

Legendary Pokémon: Darkrai

Personality: Elisabeth is not a very kind or open-minded person.

Rarely is Elisabeth intentionally malicious: She speaks her mind, for better or worse, not so much with disregard for the consequences as a misunderstanding of the effects her speech has on others. She is distant, self-centered, brazen, aggressive, and loud. When she isn't angry about something, she's furious about something, or asleep. Nothing is ever good enough for her, and there is always not just room for improvement, but a dire need for it. She is ungrateful, selfish, and thinks about her own needs before those of other people. She is quick to violence and slow to forgiveness. She has little patience for others, and acts with disregard for their preferences and comfort levels.

Elisabeth is very independent. She doesn't like crowds or cities, waiting for others or meeting new people. She is absolutely loathe to depend on anyone else, for anything. She dropped out of school at a young age, and while she's able to shrug off most things, insults about her education or dyslexia are usually met with violence. She is strong-willed, determined, and a natural loner. She has no respect for cowards or whiners, and she's willing to abandon companions that can't keep up with her.

Elisabeth is scrappy. She fights mean and dirty, hitting whatever with whatever she can. Biting, scratching, throwing dirt, stomping toes, punching groins, breaking fingers-in a fight, nothing is sacred but winning. Anyone who calls her unnecessarily violent usually does so from a hospital. She's resourceful, not just in a brawl but in all things. She improvises weapons, tools, and solutions as necessary.

Strengths: Confident. Independent. Crafty.
Weaknesses: Easily offended. Self-righteous. Rude.

Biography: Elisabeth was born and raised in Black City, Unova. She was a difficult baby that grew into a troubled child, constantly quarreling with other students and authority. She didn't like people or Pokemon. Her parents thought, at the age of twelve, the city had proven to be no good influence on her development, so she was sent far to Kalos to stay with her aunt and uncle in Kalos.

She proved too uncouth for the sensibilities of the quiet, small-town couple and, at sixteen, left for Celadon. Making a living was difficult for a young, uneducated, and belligerent minor. She worked where she could, but never for long, drifting between jobs or being fired altogether. She doesn't remember the exact order of events, but by eighteen she decided she could only find gainful employment in a career that mixed her hatred for other people and her desire for independent work. Being a Ranger was an option, except she had no particular affection for Pokemon, so she turned instead to trying to be an officer of the law. The written exams, regimented schedule, lawful constraints, and uniform barred her entry, as well as psychological screenings. So she became a private detective, instead.

Investigating crime in and around Celadon had no shortage of work, but it paid poorly and was unbelievably frustrating. When work was simple, like intimidation or blackmail, life was simple, but all too often cases came to her because no one else could or would accept them. Small scale crime was easy; snooping around the toxic dump sites of powerful and private businesses was not. She would adjust her fees accordingly, and still managed to carve a living for herself, until her first encounter with Team Rocket.

Racketeering, gambling, fixing trainer battles, and the like were normal for Elisabeth. Milk runs. Recording a conversation, taking well-timed photo, or even just calling the police was enough to see her paid for a few days' work. But at the age of twenty-two, she was tracking down an abnormally elusive trail that lead to a near-fatal stabbing and the end of her career.

Thereafter she got licenses for her rifle and her pistol and left the underworld for good. She guided travelers through Kalos's many forests and overland routes. It wasn't as glorious as apprehending criminals, but people stopped trying to kill her.

Two years later she found herself in Pallet Town. Her client failed to heed her advice and antagonized a cluster of weedles, resulting in her losing her car, clothes, food, money, and client in the ensuing beedrill swarm. She was left to start over, almost from scratch, without the resources or health to leave Pallet again. The same doctor that saved her from bleeding out in Celadon was there again, and for the next year and a half helped subsidize her stay when the small settlement proved client-poor. Mostly old women wanting to know what in the hell was rattling their window every stormy night, which was in fact not a ghost, but branches and leaves.

Some months ago there was an attempted theft from the breeder from which Simon received his Snivy. Elisabeth was available sooner than the police, and found the culprit to be a wannabe Team Rocket recruit, using the smash-and-grab as his initiation test. He was not appended kindly. Among the Pokemon stolen, a cyndiquil outside of its ball witnessed the brawl and began to act in kind when playing with other Pokemon after its safe return to Pallet Town. The breeder thought the behavior unwanted, but not unusual for the species, and didn't know how to keep the cyndiquil relaxed, and couldn't keep it after it started hurting other Pokemon. It was proposed by Simon that it be given to Elisabeth for her stewardship, that they be allowed to bond and that such a relationship might engender both to develop more positive behaviors as was the goal for most trainers. Elisabeth thought the idea patently stupid, among other, less kind words and adamantly refused until Simon's antagonizing grew too much, and she saw the logic in having the creature to defend her during travel. She has no interest in registering as a trainer, or capturing any more Pokemon, but since then she's been happily butting heads with a Pokemon just as thick-skulled as she is.

Name: Joshua Harsh




Description: Joshua Harsh is, by all standards, average. Not too tall or too short, nor too fat or overly muscular, he is the perfect John Doe. Having been an artist before deciding to get his first Pokemon, he normally dresses in what he would define as 'simple fashion'. Black slacks and a white button-up shirt, a black or blue vest with a tie, and black or brown leather shoes depending on the day. All in all, he doesn't stand out in how he dresses, which doesn't help his complete blandness, appearance-wise. The only part of Josh's appearance that makes him in any way unusual or sets him apart at all are the white gloves he wears and the cigarettes he smokes. Having been a chain smoker since he first turned 13, he has recently taken to rolling his own unfiltered cigarettes to save money, and will often keep one in his mouth, unlit, for minutes before he remembers to light it.

Age: 20
Sex: Male
DOB: 10/03/1995
Birthplace: Pewter City
Height: 68 inches
Weight: 179 lbs
Hair Color: Dark brown to black
Eye Color: Green
Body Type: Mesomorph
Voice Type: Bass

Starting Pokémon: Squirtle

Legendary Pokémon: Raikou
Personality: Joshua is the kind of person who doesn't suffer idiots quietly. Actually, he does't suffer anything quietly, never managing to shut his mouth. Joshua values common sense and intelligence, but finds them qualities that aren't often present in other people. Sarcastic to a fault, and then another fault, until the sarcasm-quake kills everyone with sarcastic-tectonic shifts, he will find an opening and then mercilessly abuse his ill-witted target until they lie sobbing in a pool of their own tears. Perhaps it was his upbringing, or the fact that his artist-mind is predisposed to colorful vocabulary and creative insults. Maybe, in the end, its his way of getting back at the world for its cruel ways. Regardless, he enjoys being a jerk, at least on the surface. Not many people have gotten underneath that surface, and fewer still understand how he works.

Despite his sarcasm and mean behavior, he is a natural artist and teacher. If a person shows aptitude and talent, Joshua is more than willing to share what he knows, whether that applies to art, life or just general wisdom. Josh has a teacher's heart, buried deep beneath the sarcasm and possible hate he has for the world. He takes deep pride and satisfaction from spreading knowledge, even if he attributes it to 'leaving less idiots in my wake'. Besides his love of teaching, he can get easily distracted by things that are amusing, attractive, or otherwise interesting. As a story he sometimes tells goes, he was hit three times by three separate cars on his home one day, only attributing it to a Pokemon he couldn't identify. Needless to say, people who don't know him can say he is a bit scatterbrained, which is not inaccurate.

Strengths: Self Reliant, Quick Witted, Slow to Anger
Weaknesses: Judgmental, Sarcastic, Easily Distracted

Biography: Joshua Harsh was born October 3rd, 1995, to Mike and Miriam Harsh. After a week of being a parent, Miriam decided being a mother was too much for her and she promptly left (eventually her body was found on Mount Moon, having jumped to her death from a cliff). When Joshua was 3, his father Mike Harsh got him a paint set, and Joshua fell in love with art. No crayons or pencils or markers would be enough for him, he always wanted to paint. Being raised just as much by his father as a sitter, he had ample time to perfect his craft. His father, meanwhile, fell in love with another man. Keeping this a secret for some time, Joshua didn't find out his father was gay until he was thirteen years old.

On his thirteenth birthday Joshua finally decided to ask Mike, whom he had never called 'father' or 'dad', who his 'friend' was. At that point, his father explained to Josh that he was gay, that his mother had been a very elaborate cover story, and that Joshua had been the product of blackmail. He accepted this about as well as anyone would, which is to say he started to hate his father. Joshua buried himself in his school work, and even more so into his art. This was the age at which he first tried smoking. Joshua bought his cigarettes from a senior at the highschool he went to, a girl by the name of Cassie who by all standards should have been expelled long beforehand. The only thing they had in common was art, and they became good friends, and an odd pair to see. Despite this friendship, being alienated from his father hindered Joshua more than he would admit.

In Josh's senior year of highschool, things went downhill pretty badly. His father was on the receiving end of a bad breakup, and then Joshua went to his second funeral: that of his father. Apparently, his father couldn't handle being rejected for a second time, and promptly killed himself, in the same manner and location as Josh's mother. For months, Josh barely survived his schooling, and he quit painting all-together. Right as Josh started getting his life back together, another problem hit, in the form of Cassie. The news came in the form of a newspaper, of all things. Cassie had been arrested for drunkenly assaulting a police officer, and was set to be in jail for a few years. Josh buried himself into his art, once again. At long last Joshua graduated, ready to start his adult life, prepared to set out on his own, as an artist. As a man.

Name:Alden Jerome Anderson
Picture

Description: Alden has blonde hair and blue eyes, with his hair usually unkempt and locked away under a beanie. He usually keeps his hair long, anywhere from over his ears, to shoulder length. It's also common for a pair of over the ear headphones to find their way around Alden's neck or on his head. Alden tries to remain fashionable on the road. His default attire usually consists of a long sleeve shirt with an open flannel over top of it. When he wears heavier clothing, he opts for a hoodie and a heavier over jacket on top. Being used to the cold, Alden never usually puts on more than this. He almost always wears blue jeans, and loves high top sneakers. His signature tan messenger bag is something he's never seen without, as it has all of his travel supplies.

Age: 22
Sex: Male
DOB: June 23, 1993
Birthplace: Snowpoint City, Sinnoh
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 160
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Blue
Body Type: Mesomorph
Voice Type: Tenor

Starting Pokémon: Piplup

Owned Pokemon: Growlith, Nickname: Rowl. Got his name from when Alden was a young child and unable to fully pronounce Growlith.

Legendary Pokémon: Kyurem

Personality: Alden is a carefree, laid back, 20 something drifting through life, slave only to his own whims. Alden has always been quick to make both friends and enemies, with the former being more common. His carefree attitude is more dominant than some would prefer. It's kept Alden from committing to any one path in life, and his family worries for his future on occasion. While it bothers these close to him, Alden revels in the way he drifts though life. While he enjoys the bonds he forms, nothing means more to Alden than his own personal freedom.

Alden's life has never been plagued by misfortune. Alden was never without, and he was encouraged to pursue his own interests. This is probably where Alden's tendency to drift aimlessly through life came from. He goes from one event or activity to the next, looking for something that can interest him and, more importantly, keep him entertained. One thing that has always held Alden's heart throughout this, is Pokemon. He knew he wanted to at the very least be with them through his life, and he's been fortunate enough to spend most of his life in close contact with many species.

Alden has a tendency to be dismissive, and joke inappropriately. He has an almost constant aura about him, although whether that be an aura of confidence or arrogance is in the eye of the beholder. While smart, he is by no means a know it all. He is a bit of a womanizer, but doesn't use them, preferring long term relationships. He is competent with technology, and loves motor vehicles.










Biography:
Alden was born and grew up in Snowpoint City, born to a loving father and mother. Alden's life was normal in almost every sense of the word. Him an his mother were well taken care of by their father, who ran a shipping company based out of Snowpoint. He grew up with toys, love, and friends. While the other children were wary of the forest and the numerous dangerous Pokemon who resided there, Alden always found it fascinating, even as he was barely able to walk and talk. Alden constantly interacted with the more docile Pokemon who wandered into the city regularly. They seemed comfortable with him, as drawn to him as he was to them. His parents noticed this, and quickly looked for a guardian Pokemon to keep an eye on him, and be his companion as he grew up.

Around the age of 2, Alden ended up beating his parents to the punch, befriending a young Growlith that snuck in on one of his fathers boats. The Growlith was a runt, and had only managed to survive the long trip by chance. Alden took it home to his parents, who assisted him in nursing it back to health. The Growlith was eternally grateful, and the two have been absolutely inseparable ever since.

As Alden grew up, he and Rowl, as Growlith had become known, began to traverse into the vast forests surrounding Snowpoint. While his parents were always hesitant, Rowl always put them at ease. While considerably smaller than most of his kind, he was quick and fierce, serving as a more than adequate guardian to the adventurous Alden. Over the years the pair explored much of the surrounding forest. Once in his teens, Alden began taking several day treks out into the wilderness, going further and further each time.

On one of these multi day journeys, the pair became trapped in a fierce blizzard. While this had happened before, the intensity was notable, and Alden grew worried. Before the pair could set up a bivouac to ride out the storm, a giant figure appeared. Rowl was startled, something that was hard to do, as he was almost always able to detect coming threats well before they arrived. The large figure let out a deafening roar at the pair, and before Alden knew what was going on, Rowl laid bloodied on the ground, minus an arm and eye. As Alden's best friend lay dying, the giant figure turned away and left the duo, taking the storm with him.

Rowl ended up surviving the day. Alden was experienced in basic first aid, and without the storm to hinder them, Alden made quick time back home. Rowl assisted by searing his own gapping wounds shut. He survived the day, but he had obviously lost his zeal for adventure from then on. He was still spry and happy as he had always been, and was always by Alden's side. But from that point on, Rowl avoided the forest, and began to let Alden go on his adventure alone.

Alden held no ill will towards the creature that had attacked them, but he could not stop thinking about it. It fascinated him in a way he couldn't understand. Nothing had ever held power over his heart like this creature had before. He knew not what it was, but he had to see it again. He needed to know what it was. Alden began searching the area for the creature, and began doing research on what it might be. After months of research, he found what he was looking for. Kyurem. A story, a legend. Something that most said didn't even exist. Alden knew this was the creature.

At 22, Alden left his home. While he wished to bring his life long friend with, Rowl had grown old, and without a leg, Rowl would not be well to travel for long. Alden tearfully said goodbye to his friend, and wished well to his mother and father. He made the long journey to Sandgem Town to meet Professor Rowan and get his first real Pokemon and register as a Pokemon Trainer in the Pokemon League. When presented with his options, he selected the timid Piplup, reminded of when he met his old friend Rowl years before. Alden wished to start his Journey Ina different region, as he believed he knew where he might find this legendary Pokemon. Thus Alden made is way to Kanto.....