Name: Dante Gallo
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Description: Dante has an Italian heritage that goes back for many generations. This shows in his light blue eyes, common in northern Italy, and his mocha complexion. As a result of the French influences in his genes, however, he was born with dark blonde hair. He dyes it a slightly deeper brown than his skin, as he does not like blonde hair. More than likely due to the fact that most male Gallos are extremely tall, he is of an impressive stature at six feet and six inches. Despite that and his fairly-muscled physique he does not look harmful, for there is a gentle undertone to his eyes. He is very meticulous about his appearance, believing a member of a family so dignified as the Gallo ought to reflect that pride. His hair, he keeps well-trimmed, the tips touching the base of his neck. He always wears clothes that match, even his socks and undergarments. His favorite way to dress is with slacks or dark jeans, a dress shirt, a vest, and a tie. That way, he feels as though he's remaining sophisticated without getting too posh. As an added note, his nails are always perfectly trimmed and he is never seen without a clean-shaven face.
Personality: Dante is a very calm, compassionate individual. It takes effort to ignite his temper, but once done the offender will be lucky to be seen or heard from again. He takes things seriously, perhaps too much so. Though he does know how to have fun when he deems it proper he has a hard time expanding his horizons to encompass the lighter side of life as well as the darkness he is sure lurks around every corner. Dante tends to be amiable, enjoying companionship from people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. The only sort he cannot stand is the pathetic. Those who whine, those who complain, and those who engage in self pity make him nauseous. If it says anything about him he is a cat person, not a dog person, preferring the nonchalant affection they offer to the more excitable adoration presented by a canine.
History: In 1957 his grandparents immigrated to the United States and settled in east Texas. They met little success when attempting to start a cattle ranch for beef and milk. Their son, however, offered the idea to sell the cattle and instead buy horses to breed for recreational animals. It was a risky venture but they decided to do so. By the time Raymond Gallo was twenty six he was living in an extra house built off of the original with the money produced from the instant success of the horse business. The endeavor had given Raymond enough confidence to decide to enter the world of race horses. He bought a stallion by the name of Brine and Dandy. He turned out not to be an instant winner, though he did receive a phone call from a young woman named Diana McNiel. She owned a young filly, and wanted to purchase Brine and Dandy's sire services. He agreed to meet with her the following day, and when he did it was instant chemistry. Their horses produced a foal they registered as Dandy Lion, who became a success when he was just two years old. To celebrate his win of the Kentucky Derby Diana and Raymond married, she twenty seven, and he twenty eight. A year later Dante was born. His parents loved him dearly, and bought him anything he desired, or anything they thought he desired.
By the time he was six he already had his own horse, dog, cat, and snake, whom he named Hoofs, Paws, Claws, and Scales, respectively. Only Hoofs is alive in present day, and is a black and white paint. With the release of Pokemon Blue and Red in 1998, Dante's addiction began. He received the both of them for his birthday, and by the time the month had passed had already leveled his monsters up to seventy and higher. He was rabid for the release of Gold and Silver in 1999, and beat both games soundly in the same fashion as he had their predecessors, ravenous for more. He passed completely on Yellow version, due to his complete and utter distaste for Pikachu. The electric rodent was certainly not a favorite to raise, seeing as he had been "lucky" and captured one in Viridian forest during his first time playing Blue. It had been such a failure as a Pokemon, especially an electric type, that he vowed not to use them anymore if he could help it, and capture them only for the completion of the in-game Pokedex.
At twelve, in 2003, Ruby and Sapphire were released. They proved to be his absolute favorites, due to the drastically improved graphics and the addition of Mightyena. The hyena-like Pokemon was without question his favorite, and a prominent member of his team in both games, as well as Emerald, when it was released. However, it was at that time that he began to realize boys his age shouldn't play Pokemon anymore. Others who were more vocal with their enjoyment of the franchise were teased in school, and Dante did not want to be teased in school. So he played in secrecy, without even his parents knowing. He would have preferred people to think he had a drug addiction than to know he still played that kid's game, but he still gleaned enjoyment from capturing, training, and battling with monsters inside his gaming systems.
Then, when he was fourteen, he was given news that his cousins were coming over, and would be staying in his room with him. Frantic to hide his guilty pleasure he stuffed his Gameboy Advance and Color, along with his six games, into a hiding place so brilliant, they would never find them.
...and neither would he. After they left he realized he did not remember where he had put them. His heart sank as he searched, but he was never able to uncover their whereabouts. So the games went to the back of his mind and he never thought about them again. That is, until five years later, when he was going through his room, packing to leave home. He had just turned nineteen, and after a year of post graduation relaxation he was off to college. Then he found them, stowed behind his dresser. Ecstatic, he found some new batteries, exchanged them, and popped Silver into the slot. He found it no longer worked, due to an internal battery problem he knew well enough. Gold offered the same result. Sapphire, however, started up perfectly and went to his character. He sat down on his bed, packing forgotten, and began to play.
RP sample: The sun shone brightly overhead, decorating a nearly blindingly blue sky. There was a hush in the air as Ethan left the house in the direction of the Laboratory. It took an astonishingly short time for him to reach it; the distance seemed to have been covered within a span of a single heartbeat. Even so, he did not question it. After all, today was going to be the day he received his very first Pokemon. It took some effort, as always, not to turn up his nose at the shabby building. But this time was different. This time, there was something truly fantastic, and his, inside.
He pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by a tall woman with long flowing blonde hair. Having never met Professor Rowan, Ethan just assumed that everyone else in the world was wrong, and the Professor was female. A very nice female, at that. Smiling widely with a vacuous expression she greeted him and handed him an Apri ball. He unscrewed the top knob and a ball of light flew out, hit the floor, and began to take form. Within moments the light expanded, growing taller and wider until it crashed through the ceiling. The ceiling then evaporated or disappeared in a similar manner. The light took on the appearance of wings, a long, spiked tail, and rows of protrusions along the back of the form. Then the light faded, leaving an abnormally large Lugia in its place.
"I knew it!" Ethan exclaimed. "I knew I would get something awesome."
At the sound of his voice the Lugia looked down and tilted its head, reminiscent of a pigeon. Then in one decisive movement it dipped its neck and swallowed him whole.
With a violent twitch Ethan awoke and promptly fell off of the bed. He jumped to his feet quickly with a glance around to make sure no one had seen that. Who would, considering it was his room and the door was shut, he didn't know. Perhaps the Glameow may have pushed the door open and waddled in, as the fat Pokemon often did. But she hadn't, and for that he was grateful.
Ethan's light grey eyes flitted to the analog alarm clock positioned on the table next to his generously sized bed. The angle of the hands told him it was nearly seven. On most days he wouldn't even consider beginning the day this early, but this was a special case. Not only was his shin smarting from his fall, but he would be receiving his first Pokemon today, thus the fantastic dream he'd been having. He truly hoped for something magnificent. Whatever it was, he knew he could make it the best battler ever born, worthy of belonging to a true Master.
A small smile curved his lips as he took a short and rushed shower so as to look presentable. He was a master at cleaning up his appearance, if only because he always wanted to outshine everyone in the room. He combed through his hair until it looked halfway decent and threw on a clean black shirt and pair of dark jeans, cinching a belt around the waist. He didn't have to look perfect, he knew, and he didn't want to, because it wasn't like training was going to be clean work. After slipping his feet into his favorite black and white shoes he was ready.
...or so he thought. Ethan was about to go out the front door when it occurred to him maybe he should go to breakfast so he could say goodbye properly and eat something before he left. He turned tail and entered the dining room, where his mother and father were both seated at the table, already eating breakfast.
"Good morning, dear," Mrs. Sarvois said affectionately. "You look simply dashing. Be sure and eat your fill, I don't want you to get hungry."
Ethan flashed a smile as he sat down and piled his plate high with bacon, scrambled eggs, waffles, hash browns, french toast, and two pieces of toast. Mrs. Sarvois had never really had to worry about Ethan eating too little. As a matter of fact, it was a wonder he wasn't four times as wide as he was. He supposed it was his young age and fast metabolism. Even so, she constantly agonized over whether or not he was getting too thin. She watched him now, making sure he was actually eating his mountain of nutrition instead of just pushing it about his plate to appease her.
It didn't take him long to finish the entire plate. When he did he wiped his lips with his napkin politely and glanced up, knowing he was not to leave until given permission by his father. Mr. Sarvois was a very strict man, and things were always done his way or not at all. It could be said Ethan had developed similar traits, but they were never present in front of his father.
When all plates were empty Mr. Sarvois nodded to his wife. Beaming, she reached under the table and produced a medium-sized pack, to be slung over his back, of grey and black material.
"We bought it for you last night, dear," she said happily as she passed it to Ethan. "It's got I don't even know how many pockets, so you can keep all your things nice and organized."
He turned the bag over in his hands, examining it happily to find that it was already full of clothes, food for both him and his Pokemon, and the necessities, such as a comb, antiperspirant, and medicines for whatever might ail him.
"Thank you," he said simply. He had never been one to partake in such niceties, but these were his parents, and not only did they expect it, but they deserved it.
Mr. Sarvois turned a stern eye upon him. "Now, listen, Ethan. I don't know what starter you're getting, they weren't able to tell me. But I expect you to bring pride to the Sarvois name, no matter what it is. Even if it's a Wurmple, I expect you to raise it to its full potential and eliminate anyone who stands in your way. It is how I got to the top, and it is how you shall do the same."
Perhaps for most young men, to hear a speech like that from their father would be upsetting, even disconcerting. But not to Ethan. That had been the nature of his relationship with Mr. Sarvois for his entire life, so it was normal.
"I will," he promised.
All that done, he was excused. He hugged his mother once more before leaving, with a promise to call as soon as he got to the Pokemon Center in the next town. His father shook his hand stiffly and wished him luck. With that he pulled the straps of the bag over his shoulders and made his way to the front door. The Glameow mewled up at him solemnly. Though he'd never liked her, he knelt down and pet her on the head a few times before he straightened up and stepped over the threshold, leaving the house, not to return for a time he could not determine. The thought was frightening, but exciting at the same time.
The trip to the Lab took longer than it had in his dream, naturally, though he did get there eventually. Stepping around cardboard boxes that littered the outside, Ethan pulled the creaky door open and entered the spacious first room. He cautiously inched inside further until he found a lab associate that pointed him in the correct direction. He then followed the path she described and found Professor Rowan at the end of it, as promised. Though he was not blonde or female, as he had dreamed, he seemed nice enough.
Ethan was greeted with enthusiasm. Slightly unnerved by meeting such a lax Professor, he waited until the introductions were over to ask, "What starter am I getting, exactly?"
With a laugh, Rowan led him to a row of red and white spherical objects. Ethan gave him a quizzical look, which only made him laugh again.
"These are Pokeballs," he explained. "Sort of a prototype for the next generation of Pokemon containment devices. They're a step up from Apriballs, though not as much is known about them and their weaknesses. They're also a slight bit larger. But they're much more convenient. Instead of having to screw a knob you just have to push this white button in the middle, and your Pokemon will be released."
Ethan nodded slowly, taking all of the information in and committing it to memory. "Alright. So which of them belongs to me?"
Rowan gestured at the balls with one hand. "Any of them. Just take one. To be fair, once you choose it you can't return it. It's sort of a Pokelottery, if you don't mind me saying."
Yes, Ethan did mind him saying. But he wasn't about to disrespect the man who was giving him a Pokemon for absolutely free. While money would not have been an issue, he certainly didn't mind getting things free of charge. So he examined the row carefully, noting that there was absolutely no hint as to what was inside any of the balls. Finally, after careful consideration, he reached out and took the one in the very middle.
His heart sank as he saw the name in the indention where the ball had been. "Caterpie?"
Rowan nodded, showing much more enthusiasm than he. "Yes, Caterpie, a larval-stage bug Pokemon. They usually don't seem like much, but you should never underestimate them. The greatest power often comes in the smallest, squishiest package."
Ethan was not convinced, but he knew there was no changing it. He had already chosen it; his only option, he thought, was to capture more Pokemon and raise them instead, and maybe give Caterpie to someone else.
Rowan interrupted his thoughts with more enthusiasm. "I see you're already packed. Here's a Pokedex to go with it. It'll help you record information on all of the Pokemon you meet. Just get close to the Pokemon and press the button here. A short description will scroll across the screen here."
He accepted the portable encyclopedia with a faint smile. Rowan then handed him five Pokeballs and shooed him out.
"Now go! Go make a name for yourself."
Taking that as a much-wanted opportunity to get away from the Professor in his shame, Ethan swiftly strode out of the lab and into the sunlight, ball clenched tightly in his hand. "Why you?" he growled audibly. As if on cue, there was a flash of red light and his new partner appeared on the ground in front of him. It looked up at him with large dark eyes and squeaked happily.
Deciding he might as well learn something about the useless creature, Ethan pointed the Pokedex at it and watched the words scroll across the screen.
'Caterpie, the Worm Pokemon,' they read. 'Its short feet are tipped with sticky pads that allow it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls. If you touch the feeler on top of its head it will release a horrible stink to protect itself.'
"Lovely. You're useless and you stink."
Instead of seeming offended, the Caterpie climbed up his pant leg and onto his shoulder, where it chirped happily on his shoulder. He glared at it from the corner of his eye. "What are you doing? Get off, you disgusting insect."
He swatted at it, but it dodged his every attempt, just moving from shoulder to shoulder as necessary. Frustrated, he gave up. "Fine. Stay there."
It seemed more than happy to do so as he started walking again. Instead of yelling at it some more, he remained silent, as did the Caterpie. He would find something better, he was sure of it. And he would make sure it wasn't a stupid bug. As he followed the road out of Sandgem he played with the Pokeball in his pocket, belonging to the Pokemon now perched on his shoulder. How had he managed to get the worst of them all, when he deserved the best of everything?
Pokemon
Breed: Poochyena
Nickname: Shetani (meaning she-demon)
Gender: Female
Description: The difference between Shetani and others of her kind is that her eyes are blue where others are red. The blue color is a result of a slight deficiency in her eyes, making it so that she can't see terribly far away, or right in front of her. Her tail is slightly longer as well. The lowest part of her black socks reaches the joints of her legs.
Personality: Shetani is extremely courageous, as many Poochyena are. When facing a foe she will not back down until they are cowering at her feet. At the same time she has a crippling fear of ghost Pokemon, despite the fact that she stands a fair chance against them, due to her type advantage. She tends to be sassy, often letting Dante know when she does not like something he is doing with a growl or nip.
Moveset: Tackle, Howl
