Eseka Legends: Winter's Heart

[Alter Ego]

There are many regions in the world of pokémon, many vast and mysterious countries full of rare pokémon, exciting scenery, great cities, magnificent gyms and skilled trainers, evil teams seeking world domination...there are regions that have everything a budding trainer could ask for and much more.

And then...there are the regions that don't. Small, discreet backwaters with little more than pokémon centers and the occassional piece of obscure folklore or rumoured sightings of rare pokémon to their name. Boring, mundane places which no self-respecting evil organisation would even dream of overtaking for the simple reason that nobody would notice them even if they did.

Among these regions, these veritable blank spots on the world map, one has distinguished itself from amongst the rest: Eseka. This region - one of the larger 'unknown' regions of the world, located far north of the main trio of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn - has actually managed to attract a decent amount of attention during the last few years.

Little more than the occasional groups of skiing enthusiaists and ice pokémon specialists have been known to visit Eseka. It's no wonder, considering Eseka's harsh climate, featuring short, intense summers and long, frigid winters. Its cities, although modern, are nothing to write home about, and most tourists don't see the point in braving the weather with its notoriously fierce gales to get to them.

This being the case, it obviously isn't a great level of education or a marvelous climate drawing people in. No, what has really appealed to the populace is the cultural heritage of the place. Their traditions of celebrating Christmas, to be precise. With many of the southern regions seeing little or no snowfall during winter time, and with most northern regions being uncomfortably distant - usually with even worse climates than Eseka's - the region in general has recently become a popular traveling destination for tourists, the curious, and just about anyone wishing to spend the holidays surrounded by the kind of 'genuine' winter landscape that so many songs praise.

The center of this new trend is Alvene, a rather small town handily nestled in a small valley at the crossing of two tall mountain ranges. Despite the fact that these mountains seem so intent on sealing something away from the rest of the world rather than inviting anyone in, they do provide the town - supposedly one of the oldest settlements in the region - with cover from the worst of the fierce gales which give the region's winters a bad name, making the town's climate a lot more pleasant to live in.

Not all the residents of the town are pleased with this development, however. An old Esekan tale claims that countless years ago, the region and the world as a whole came under assault by a creature from a distant realm, a terrible giant of ice who brought with him eternal darkness and winter, extinguishing all life in his wake. According to the tale, Eseka was the place in which the giant settled and from whence he then sought to spread cold and darkness across the world, and it was also in Eseka, on the very spot on which the town of Alvene was founded, where a battle of epic proportions supposedly took place between the giant and a powerful spirit of fire who had come to the aid of the humans. For three days and nights the battle raged, or so the tale goes, but eventually the fire spirit was victorious, driving back the malicious giant and sealing him deep within the earth.

The giant remains there to this day, the legend concludes, the fierce gales of winter being a sign of his struggle against the seal, and the more religiously inclined citizens of Alvene still see the yearly lighting of a giant bonfire as a ritual, a sacred duty to keep the evil locked away. They do not take kindly to having seeing this vigil cheapened for the sake of crass commercialism.

Times change, however, and most citizens have toned down their devotion to the old ways in favour of seeing the town prosper, realizing that a small - if respected - trainer school and a handful of smaller businesses aren't going to be enough to keep their beloved town on the map. Visitors are not only expected but welcomed, and with advertisements of beautiful scenery and unforgettable experiences floating about, predictions claim that the visitor count for this year will be higher than ever, despite troubling news of record low temperatures in the region.

Concerning the start-up and signing up

All characters will be expected to arrive at (or wake up in) the town of Alvene. Why they have chosen to arrive is up to you, and a short explanation will be expected in the 'History' part of the sign-up. I hope that stating the following is unnecessary, but just in case: this RP doesn't start until I have written first IC, and once it has started, further applicants will not be accepted without a compelling reason and an extaordinarily good sign-up. Such sign-ups should be PMed to me, so do not post a profile here once the RP has started. Violating this will lead to your sign-up being failed immediately and permanently. Reservations will not be given unless I know that you are a good RPer, and even if I do grant you one, I will expect you to complete your sign-up before the starting date. I hope that the sheer amount of bolding I did on this paragraph shows how important it is that you follow this rule.

Rules

1. Follow all standard RP section rules.

2. No powerplaying, godmodding, or character control of any kind will be tolerated. I can't stress enough how much I hate character control. Unless the controller of the character has explicitly informed both you and me that you have permission to control his/her character then you aren't allowed to. Failure to comply with this rule may result in an immediate ban from the RP or a demand to edit the offending post(s) depending on the severity of the offense.

3. If you aren't literate, don't bother. I'll be expecting a bare minimum of four lines of legible English for every IC post. If you can't manage that then click the 'previous' button on your browser right now. Don't whine about English not being your first language, it's not mine either, not being born to a language is no excuse for not learning it properly.

4. No fourth generation. That is no 4th gen. moves, no 4th gen. damage system and certainly no 4th gen. pokémon. I swear, if I see a lame, unconfirmed pokémon name like 'Glacia' on your sheet I'm going to fail you right away. <.< As far as this RP is concerned, the 4th generation hasn't come around yet. Live with it.

Sign-up sheet

Name: (Please don't put any stupid anime rip-off like 'Edward Elric' here, I think that's about the only way to fail this one)
Age: (Early teenage and up, please. I won't have any 7-year old trainer prodigies thank you very much)
Gender:
Personality: (Please write this in proper detail. Four lines is a very bare minimum, so unless you have amazing abilities of information compressing I'll be expecting a lot more than that. Gary-Stus and Mary-Sues will be shot on sight)
Appearance: (Believe it or not, I want some detail here too. Again, four lines' minimum. Supporting pictures are allowed only if they are original art (meaning no stealing from AnimeNation) and all characteristics must be described in writing. Just as reminder: Eseka is cold, seriously cold. So put something warm on your character unless you're prepared to RP them freezing their posterior off for most of the RP.)
Pokémon: (Please note rule number four. Also, no legendaries, fakemon or fully evolved competitive-class teams. Experienced trainers are allowed, but no friggen' trainer gods, elite fours, gym leaders, league champions or other ridiculous stuff. Also, I'll be expecting at least four lines of personality and history for each pokémon. Drone pokémon will not be tolerated.)
History: (Again, put some effort into it. You don't need to go into detail, but at the very least give a brief overview of your character's life and a word or two about how and why they ended up in Alvene. Also, please make it clear from this field whether your character is a local or not.)
Other: (Anything about the character that you need to get of your chest? Here's where you do it, but no ridiculous stuff like superhuman powers.)
RP Sample: (And just when you thought the worst was over...this is the most important field in the whole sign-up so give it your best. Samples from your earlier RPing are accepted, but please take them from a pokémon-related RP if you do, otherwise it will be difficult for me to judge if your skills are suitable. Fresh samples involving the character you're signing up are strongly encouraged and can compensate for lacks in the other fields, so think about it. ^^)

And there you have it. Many thanks to Random Plushie and the good people of the Discussion Thread who took the time out of their lives to read and comment on the plot so that I could actually improve it. ^^ I will post my own profile a bit later, as I have yet to type it out thanks to all the last-minute schoolwork I had to attend to.

~Sign-ups are now closed~​

Accepted Members (By order of acceptance)
Random Plushie
ybur_angel
Alter Ego (Duh)
Kogenta
Raposa Dalua
Nigma
Light Azumarill
Mika-chan

Dropped members
Miss Kaeldra (Voluntary)
Charon (Voluntary)
YoshiRiRu (Voluntary)

EDITNESS: Okay, I've hit my maximum as far as RPers are concerned (Actually, strike that, I've even exceeded it o.O). So unless someone drops off, I won't be accepting any more entries. Sorry, but I don't think I could handle a larger crowd than this. If someone does leave and you have a plan for getting your character smoothly worked in mid-plot, feel free to PM both plan and sign-up to me. If you do, both must be well thought out, however. Regardless...

~Sign-ups are now closed~​

 

[Random Plushie]

{ Yay! 'Tis finally up~! ^o^

Hello, Alter. Sorry if it's confusing, but the History in this next profile is going to kind of blend in with my RP Sample. Hope that's okay. =3 }




Name // Nonkitori Unjo
Age // 13
Gender // Male


Personality //

Thoughtful, observant, and somewhat socially awkward, Tori has the heart of a child, and often comes across as one who thinks like a child, too. He is very philosophical, and likes to observe everything; from the way people act to the way the wind blows. He thinks very deeply about everything he sees, and often writes down his observations and musings in his notebook. He never shows his notebook to anyone, though, so most people never find out how thoughtful and intelligent Tori really is.

However, because his mind is so vast, Tori is unable to comprehend the simplest of problems. Basically, he has no common sense. This is his biggest downfall, and it often leads people to believe that Tori is dim-witted, especially since he speaks slowly and thinks over everything he says. On top of that, having never really been exposed to the 'real world', Tori is years behind on the latest talk of the town, and doesn't find socializing very easy. One's conversation would have to be quite interesting to get Tori's attention.

Not that he would care what anybody had to say about him, though--aside from being very observant and philosophical, Tori is very carefree and passive. He's more likely to get slightly irritated than get really angry. And when something really does anger him, he tends to get depressed rather than take action. If anything, Tori is one to take indirect action.


Appearance //

Just an ordinary kid at first glance, Tori has short, blonde hair that ends a bit above his shoulders. His eyes are very droopy, and are bright green in color. His eyes are also tinted with blue, although it is barely noticeable. As for clothing, Tori is usually seen wearing a Zigzagoon-patterned long-sleeved shirt, as well as long pants that are dark green in color. No doubt he has several more layers under that. He also wears what appears to be a sweatband around his head, which bears the same pattern as that of his shirt, as well as a pair of old, white mittens.

The only other thing one may notice is that Tori carries a beige pouch bag, which he uses to carry everything he owns. Oddly enough, it somewhat resembles a mailbag. It is barely big enough to carry his largest possession, which is in fact a red composition notebook.


Pokemon //

Hoshi { Male Natu } & Kita { Female Natu }

These two little birdies happen to be identical twins, Hoshi being slightly younger than Kita. The only difference between the two when it comes to appearance is that Kita is just a tad bigger than Hoshi. You can also tell them apart by their favorite perches--Hoshi is usually seen perched on Tori's left shoulder, while Kita likes to sit on his right.

Hoshi, the younger brother, is a rather apathetic little guy. He only hangs around Tori because his sister does, and also because Tori is the one who feeds him. He is very pessimistic, and hardly ever has anything nice to say. That being said, he puts things very bluntly, although he usually speaks the truth. Or tries to, anyway. As for Hoshi's Psychic side, his powers are very unrefined, because he has never seen battle. However, he often has visions of the future, however short, which usually involve good fortune in the lives of people surrounding Tori.

Kita, the older sister, is very light-hearted, much like Tori. She is also very curious, and often comments on anything she finds interest in, without considering the fact that the subjects of her conversation can hear her. Yes, she hardly ever seems like an older sister. Compared to Hoshi, Kita also seems much more attached to Tori, and often defends him during arguments. As for her Psychic prowess, she too is very inexperienced. However, like Hoshi, she has brief, yet frequent visions of the future, which are always predictions of bad luck in the lives of others.

Tori is rarely seen without Hoshi and Kita by his side. It's been that way for a very long time, and isn't likely to end soon.


History //

Tori had never been much of a social butterfly. Anyone from Mossdeep City could tell you that. As a child, he was never interested in interacting with other children, instead choosing to occupy himself with his surroundings. Rather than partaking in the latest town gossip, Tori would watch the waves roll in by the shore, or gaze at the clouds on a windy day. That is, whenever he was free of his mother's home-schooling.

Instead of socializing, Tori's outlet from everyday life was watching nature. Watching it, and then writing about what he saw. It wasn't like anybody minded. No one ever interrupted him while he watched the sunset in his free time. He just wasn't one to talk, and the other children were free to go on with their chatter.

Living with his mother in their lonely cottage by the sea, studying, and then exploring the island.. This was what Tori's life was like until his thirteenth birthday. It was on this day that he received the eggs that contained Hoshi and Kita under very unusual circumstances. When the eggs hatched a few days later to reveal the two Natu, Tori was thrilled at the prospect of having Pokemon. Now, instead of writing and going through school, Tori actually had something to do with his life: train Pokemon.

But his mother would not permit it. She forbade him from having Hoshi and Kita as anything more than friends, insisting that she was putting him through school so that he could earn a good living. She would not have him throw away his grand future for a mediocre life of Pokemon training.

And so Tori's dream was short-lived, nipped in the bud. He went back into his simple lifestyle, the only difference being that he had found himself some company in the form of two small Psychic-types. It was some time after Tori had been caring for the two Natu that he discovered--although he did not train them--that Hoshi and Kita's raw Psychic powers enabled them to see into the future for short bursts of time. They would never be able to actually do anything in battle, but nonetheless, Tori was in high spirits.

Eventually, after Tori's spirits had been lifted by the Psychic prowess of his Pokemon, he proposed to his mother that he become a writer. He had abandoned his spur-of-the-moment dream of becoming a Trainer, but there was still another dream he could live. But again, his mother refused, telling him that his education could get him much farther than a life of writing.

Of course, this obviously wasn't very good for Tori's relationship with his mother. She was shooting down every one of his dreams, and he didn't appreciate it very much. On top of that, she was pushing him more and more to do better with his studies, even though it meant pushing him beyond his limit. Months and weeks went by, and mother and son grew further and further apart. Eventually, it got so bad that Tori was getting thoughts of running away..


RP Sample //

( Edited Version )


It was a serene, windless night. The stars above couldn't have been more breathtaking than they always were, and yet somehow they were so much more glorious on that night than on any other night that Tori had ever spent on Mossdeep Island. Sublime, yet ironic. The sound of nocturnal Pokemon waking drifted through the window on the far side of the room, their late-night cries making known the presence of a power far greater than one can describe with words. But Tori knew. He knew that this power was everywhere, not just in the cries of Pokemon. It was everywhere, and yet so many are blind to it. Blind to things that are merely on the other side of a window. Tori could see the ocean through his window. Peaceful, undisturbed. Living and not living at the same time. A different world in itself. A whole world, with all the pieces in place.

So different from the world he was living in right now.

He did not see the point in turning the light on. From within, there was no motivation to do such a thing. Looking back, Tori would later say that he did not have the strength to do much more than breath, let alone turn on a lamp. His strength had been drained on that night, and even he realized that he was still trying to figure out what to do about it. And so the room remained dark, lit only by the light of the full moon. That being said, the only thing in the room he could actually see was his desk--the object closest to the window and the moonlight. Everything else was hidden in the shadows.

Dark, so dark. Everything was dark on the inside.

There was light, too. But he could not see it. Not now.

"Hoshi. Kita."

He called to them, and they showed themselves. Two Natu, each one looking exactly like the other. Linked to each other forever by blood and soul, and yet miles apart in another way. When he looked at them then, Tori saw how much they reminded him of evergreen trees. Living proof that life can endure even in the darkest of times. He watched as they hopped onto the desk, one after the other, the moon bathing them in its light. So small, so fragile. Each one a thousand times more important than they seemed. They both looked at him then, with those big, innocent eyes. Their gaze was as intense as always. For a moment, Tori was afraid that they could see through his calm demeanor. Afraid that they could see his concealed sorrow, which he did not want them to see.

{How'd it go?}

That was Kita. Her voice was so much lighter than Hoshi's. Full of life. Sometimes it was only she who could properly represent such a being as an evergreen tree. Tori knew this in his heart, even though he had never seen a real evergreen tree. He had seen only the fake ones that his mother sometimes put up in December. Tori did not like looking at the fake trees. They reminded him too much of things he would rather forget. He did not answer Kita's question, only watched as her brother rolled his eyes. He could see Hoshi's feathers ruffle in annoyance, before he even spoke.

{How do you think it went?} Harsh. Cold. Hoshi's voice. {Look at his eyes. Practically dead.}

Tori shivered, then. It was not a feeling on the outside that made him shiver. No gust of cold wind, no ruthless air conditioning. It was a feeling from the inside that made him shiver—but even he could not properly explain it. His eyes--droopy, miserable eyes--suddenly seemed to hurt a bit as he saw the spark of conflict between the two Natu. There was no reason for them to argue. He did not want to become a reason for them to argue. He moved forward, walking toward the desk as they turned their gaze away from him, so they could glare at each other. Anger. Such anger in their eyes, over one bird's comment. Anger, darkness. Different words, so alike.

"Don't fight. It's nothing." Tori said, simply. Even something as small as a senseless quarrel could escalate, and have dire, painful consequences. Tori knew this directly from experience, and it was something, like many of his other observations, that he wished he could forget. But a wish—a wish to forget--could not do anything on its own.

Regaining his calm state of mind, Tori sat down as he arrived at his desk. It was a plain, wooden desk. Average. Not much bigger than the window above them, the very window that allowed the moonlight to shine down upon them. Hoshi and Kita turned to face him again, still seeming irritated with one another. It seemed that they had heard what Tori had said, but had decided to ignore it. Tori did not care, so long as they did not fight. As Tori reached into the desk to grab something, Kita spoke up again.

{Okay, so what exactly did she say?}

Tori paused in his search of the desk, looking at Kita with tired eyes. He could not find the right words to say. There wasn't much that could not be said without Tori's opinion getting in the way. So he said nothing at first, going back to rummaging in his desk until he found what he was looking for: a map of the world. Old, wrinkled, smelling of seawater. He took it from its spot in the desk, and placed it before Hoshi and Kita. They instinctively moved back, and then stepped to the side so that the moonlight would reach the map. He watched while they turned all of their attention on the illustrations of the world's regions. Curious, so curious.

"She said the same thing as always." Tori said, after some thought. Reaching one hand forward, he traced the outline of Mossdeep Island on the map with his pointer finger. "..she will not let me do anything that does not please her." He sighed, then balled his hand into a fist, blotting out Mossdeep Island. "Mother.. she was so.. indifferent.." And it was then, as he was sitting there, his fist on the map of the world, that Tori realized just how much words could hurt. Even if he knew that it was not the end of the world—even if he knew that someday the pain would go away—it would not take away the wound that had been delivered.

{So why don't you just deal with it?} Hoshi asked, stepping onto the map by accident as he approached Tori. {She's your mother, isn't she?} Tori's thoughts were interrupted, and the boy turned his attention toward both Hoshi and Kita, the latter seeming uncomfortable with the situation, while the former never faltered from his stoic appearance.

At first, Tori didn't even seem to acknowledge that Hoshi had spoken. Instead, he thought of what his mother had said, and he subsequently thought of how much the words had hurt him. And it was then that Tori realized that it was the only thing he could think of—it was distracting him from everything else. It was practically dominating his thoughts. And it was all happening unbeknownst to his Natu, who were both awaiting his response while he sat there, thinking. Just thinking.

Tori looked at Hoshi and Kita again. Sure enough, they were just sitting there, waiting for him to say something. They were.. unburdened. Tori's eyes widened. And I want them to remain unburdened. Indeed, pain was the greatest burden one could carry. Especially if it came in the form of a wound to the heart. To live with such a thing, even among dear friends, was a fate that Tori did not wish upon his two most precious people.

{Hello? Are you going to answer me?} Hoshi complained, narrowing his eyes. {What are you going to do? Are you going to accept your mother's guidance like I want you to?}

This time, Tori snapped out of his thoughts, and registered what Hoshi had said.

He doesn't understand. Hoshi sees only through his eyes.

"..I can't." Tori paused, gathering his thoughts before speaking again. "I have asked Mother many things. I can safely conclude that she does not want me to write because it will not bring in a sufficient profit. For her." He paused again, and Hoshi waited for him to continue. Staring. "If I stay here, I will be trapped in her ideals. For as long as she lives."

Kita's eyes widened even further than usual. She began hopping up and down on the desk, making quite a racket when her growing talons scraped against the wood.

{You mean you're not staying?} Kita exclaimed, seeming quite childish. {That is not delightful, Tori, no it is not! You're not just going to run away for real, are you?} Hoshi hopped away from her, apparently displeased with all the noise she was making. She was so loud, so resounding.

Tori closed his eyes. He did not open them again until Kita had stopped jumping up and down, and the only sound he heard was the sound of the waves breaking on the shore outside. It was not for a few solid moments that Kita realized that he was waiting for her, and proceeded to calm down. The peace was restored. And Tori wished he could say the same thing about the harmony. A deep breath, a brief shiver, and Tori was talking again.

"I know.." He began, his voice not much louder than a whisper, "I know it doesn't seem like a good idea to you. But mother has become so forceful and uncaring. I am afraid that she will not change back into the mother I used to know. And I do not want to be molded into what she wants me to become. I will leave, and maybe come back someday, far into the future.." He said his words slowly, with care. The two Natu in front of him listened with wide eyes, and tilted their heads as he continued. "..there is enough food to take from the pantry that will get me started, and it will not be a problem for mother. I know where she keeps extra money, that I can use for transportation, to get off this island." He closed his eyes again.

"..but I do not know where to go."

For a second, Tori did not hear anything from either Hoshi or Kita. And it was then that he feared they were criticizing him, or worse; pitying him, when he did not deserve anyone's pity. He did not want to make anyone feel sorry. He opened his eyes, and what he saw made them widen slightly, so they did not seem so droopy as usual. His listless, emerald eyes seemed to regain their life as he watched his Natu.

They were both having visions. Nothing seemed completely out of the ordinary, except for the fact that their pupils appeared to have vanished, giving them a 'hypnotized' look. If anyone were watching, it would appear to the observer that Hoshi and Kita were merely daydreaming, staring off into space. What was strange, though, was that they were both seeing something at the same time. Good fortune and bad luck.

Darkness, light. He could see them both. Equal, close, in each bird.

{Tori..} Kita spoke. Her pupils were coming back now. She blinked several times, while Hoshi ruffled his feathers, a sign that his vision was over as well. They had both had the same vision? Not separate?

{Go here, Tori.} Hoshi said, voice free of its earlier sting. He hopped around the map until he found the area he was looking for, pointing at it with one foot. His eyes were like stone, free of lies. Tori leaned forward, so he could clearly see what Hoshi was looking at. He had brought out the map to find a destination in the first place, but he had not expected anyone to have a vision about a specific location.

"E..se..ka?" Tori said, pronouncing the name slowly. It was the name of the rather small region Hoshi was pointing to, far to the north. Tori had never heard of it before, even in his studies. This was new to him.

"Why this place?"

Hoshi took his foot off of the small illustration, and for the first time in a very long while, Tori saw no difference between the look in Hoshi and Kita's eyes. Their gaze was one and the same. Innocent, pure. For a moment, they were truly and simply identical twins, and they spoke as one.

{The roots of your future will be there.}

And then they were individual again. Separate. Kita's gaze regained life, and Hoshi's eyes regained dread. Elsewhere, in the sky, to be precise, a lone cloud drifted in front of the moon, cutting off its light. Tori took a last look at Hoshi, Kita, and the map of the world before the room was left in complete darkness.




{ And there you go. Jeezum, it looked a lot smaller in size 10 font. xD }

 

[Alter Ego]

@Random Plushie: Yeah, it took a while for this thread to come around, eh? ^^ Anyways, your sign-up is top quality as usual, and even though the reason should formally have been expressed in the 'History' field, you did it in such a darn good way with your RP Sample that I don't mind. xD For the rest of ya', take example of this sign-up here. xO ~Accepted~ (Was there any doubt? ^^)

My own profile will probably be up tomorrow, since there's all kinds of preparations to be done today. (Christmas eve's the big day of Christmas around here you know)

 

[Kogenta]

EDIT: I believe I have finished my character. ^-^;; Hopefully I have not forgotten anything.

Name: Reith Yamata
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Personality: However others may view him, Reith has endured a number of trials in his life that allow him to retain a level head in almost any situation. He also has a strong tendency to be kind or even chivalrous toward females. Relaxed in their presence and treating them with an easy friendliness, Reith has a desire to make girls happy and may do things to reach this goal that would have otherwise been unneccessary. While most will misinterpret this as flirtatiousness, those who better know Reith and are familiar with his history theorize that these actions arrive from the early loss of his twin sister and his mother's current condition--both of which have left a certain emptiness within him as well as a sense of helplessness and inability to help others. In most situations, Reith will avoid arguing if he can and, even if he must contradict others, will do so as objectively as possible. Oddly, though, Reith always seems ready to argue with his Dragonair, Tsurara. Most of his Pokemon view these arguments as habit--or perhaps, by now, tradition.

After being lost in a snowstorm, dragged into a freezing lake, fighting wild Pokemon, and facing innumberable natural obstacles, Reith fears rather little and is the type of person who would readily help those in need. One fear Reith does have, however, is being weak and thus unable grant others aid, or worse, causing them trouble by burdening them and forcing them to help him. And while he has no aversion to being alone, he can as easily adapt to situations that require socializing or teamwork.

Despite being generally passive, accepting, and forgiving, Reith is surprisingly cold toward those he dislikes or decides should receive punishment. Whether by treating the individual with the same constantly emotionless dismissal his Glalie employs, ignoring their existence entirely, or granting them a merciless thrashing, Reith acts by what he believes should be done, often regardless of general opinion. Although Reith is willing to befriend most anyone who would ask for it, he is discerning enough--by both instinct and experience--not to be a complete fool. Reith's disablity (see Other) has allowed him to read the subtleties of people's tones and movements, enabling him to perceive much about a person. This, combined with an open mind and simple desire to understand others, causes him to comprehend considerably more than he reveals. Even if he doubts or distrusts another individual, he is not likely to give an indication of such and will rather act normally while observing the person carefully.

While slow to firmly set his mind upon any course, Reith can be unwaveringly driven and stubborn once he makes a decision. Though he may apologize and attempt to appease, he will rarely turn from the path he has chosen--even if he must tread it alone.

Appearance: Reith's unusual name ("Reith"/"Wraith") was given to him due to his unusual appearance. Since birth, his hair has been a stark white as pure as the winter snow. Now parted at one side, his bangs gradually lengthen as they near the edges of his face, almost constantly leaving at least a few strands before his unusually bright, icy blue eyes. Beneath the dark blue baseball cap that sits atop his head, forward-turned as it should be, Reith's medium-length hair is layered and combed with relative neatness, though it may not always remain completely so due to harsh winds. Over a white, hooded sweater, Reith wears a light grey sweater jacket with a grey-blue scarf hanging loosely beneath his shoulders. A thick, black belt is bound firmly over the trainer's sweater under his jacket, while from beneath the sweater emerges a pair of dark blue snowboarding pants. Reith's boots are the same black as his belt, with rough soles made for harsh terrain. Beneath his sleeves on his right wrist, Reith wears a wide, black, leather band with a silver bracelet of mid-sized chain links over it. The centerpiece of the bracelet is a charm made in the likeness of Articuno, passed down to Reith through his mother's family. According to tradition, the charm will protect its wearer so long as they remain within a region cold enough to be considered Articuno's domain. Reith also keeps his Pokeballs attached to this bracelet, allowing him to easily slip one into his hand should it be needed. On the bottom of each of these Pokeballs is etched a small mark to signify the Pokeball belongs to Reith. A backpack is kept slung over one of Reith's shoulders to store any materials he might need during his travels, while a wallet rests in Reith's pocket, attached to one his beltloops with a thin chain to prevent anyone from stealing it.

Though it is usually covered by his sleeves or the bandage tied beneath them, a series of black marks is found on Reith's left forearm--scars of frostbite that occurred when Reith was seven. When in particularly cold surroundings, these marks may ache, grow numb, or occasionally release bursts of pain. Usually, however, Reith feels no noticeable difference between them and his normal flesh.

Pokémon:

Glalie
Nickname - Korr
Gender - Male
Nature - Hardy
Pokeball - Heavy Ball
About - One evening when Reith was seven, he and his twin sister were playing near the family's house and gradually began to stray farther and farther from the home. By nightfall, the beginnings of a snowstorm were evident, and the siblings realized they were utterly lost. After several hours of wandering forlornly about, and finding themselves gradually freezing to death, the pair saw a triangular shadow waddling through the frozen curtain of white with an apparent lack of concern. It was a Snorunt. After conveying their situation to the Pokemon, Reith and his sister followed the Pokemon to the entrance of a series of tunnels. The brother and sister made their way suitably deeply into the network before falling asleep in a dark, yet sheltered, cave. The next morning, the Snorunt guided them through safe paths over the icy landscape until Reith and his sister were able to find their way home. The Snorunt has lived with Reith and his family since then, and evolved into a Glalie when Reith was nine.

While he was a Snorunt, Korr was a relatively cheerful and outgoing Pokemon. After evolving, however, Korr changed and became far more serious and distant, responding to most people with an indifferent dismissal that he seems to deem a mercy. Because he was Reith's first Pokemon and the only one who met his sister, Korr is the Pokemon closest to Reith and the one who best understands him. Korr's apparently automatic and unquestioning obedience to his trainer has saved some from the Glalie's naturally savage and carnivorous nature, while it has condemned others who were attacked and frozen with neither hesitation nor remorse. Of all Reith's Pokemon, Korr is one of the most fierce and the only one Tsurara appears to respect. One trait Korr retained after evolving is his bond to Reith and desire to grant him aid. Even now, Reith seems to be able to elicit a good-natured smile from the Pokemon that none other can, while the ice-type is the only one able to draw forth certain aspects from Reith as well.

Castform
Nickname - Sirrus
Gender - Female
Nature - Quirky
Pokeball - Premier Ball
About - Sirrus was a gift to Reith from one of his father's friends, a present for the boy's tenth birthday. Due to the cold environment, Sirrus usually remains in the corresponding form and maintains the matching personality. Serious, calm, and thoughtful, Sirrus will only maintain this persona as long as she remains in the wintery weather. Under different conditions, her personality will swiftly alter and may range between extreme depression, energetic optimism, unreasonable irritability, and anything in between. Sirrus acts as Reith's primary "weather control" Pokemon. While able to withstand extreme temperatures easily, Sirrus can also alter the conditions if necessary to protect her trainer and his other Pokemon.

In her "icy" form, Sirrus is less harsh than Korr and is likely one of Reith's most mature Pokemon--willing to look outside herself and consider others. Even when her personality changes, Sirrus maintains a certain degree of maturity, and may try to stop Reith if she disgrees with his actions.

Dragonair
Nickname - Tsurara (icicle, ice pillar)
Gender - Male
Nature - Rash
Pokeball - Timer Ball
About - As with most Dratini, Tsurara had massive amounts of energy stored within his body from birth that increased with the passing of each day. While most Dratini shed excess energy when they shed their skin, however, Tsurara was unable to do this. Consequently, he became quick-tempered, aggressive, and volatile. Whether unintentionally or as a reaction to a nonexistent offense, the Dratini readily released his energy and his wrath upon any who drew near. This was Tsurara's state when Reith came upon him near a waterfall at the center of a mountain. Though Reith was only twelve, his father had brought him to the mountain to help him conduct his research. Finding himself with a little extra time, Reith had begun to explore the mountain's tunnels and came upon the lone dragon Pokemon that had shunned its colony and now dwelt alone. Reith approached the Dratini cautiously, but not cautiously enough. As he was wont to do, the dragon immediately launched an attack against Reith as he came within range. The young trainer reacted instantly, releasing his Castform and beginning the Pokemon battle. Time passed, with the Dratini's raw, uncontrolled power slowly beginning to overwhelm Sirrus. Though the wild Pokemon eventually prevailed, Reith had become determined to catch his foe and sent out Korr to finish what Sirrus had begun. Already weakened by the previous battle and at a type disadvantage, the Dratini fell after a few ice attacks and was captured in a Timer Ball.

Soon after he caught Tsurara, Reith learned of his condition and trained intensely with the Dratini every day to help him burn his excess energy. Because of this, though most Dratini do not evolve for a considerable amount of time, Tsurara evolved only a year later. After evolving, Tsurara learned to better control his energy and thus no longer requires a daily training as extensive as it once was. He has, however, retain his ill temper and regularly argues with his trainer. Partially due to Tsurara's considerable power, and partially because he can better synchronize with his Pokemon when in that state of mind, Reith will often use Tsurara if he has been infuriated. Tsurara also acts as a secondary weather control Pokemon for Reith due to a Dragonair's ability to manipulate its surroundings.

Despite their frequent quarrels, Reith and Tsurara share a deep bond and absolute trust in one another that surfaces when it is needed most.

Dewgong
Nickname - Dive
Gender - Male
Nature - Jolly
Pokeball - Net Ball
About - Reith met Seel while he was on a lone excursion through Eseka. Having come upon a frozen lake, Reith stopped by its edge and cut a hole in the ice to access the water below. Upon reaching through the opening, the trainer suddenly found himself dragged down through the frozen layer into the water. Knowing that drowning and hypothermia had both become distinct possibilities for his future, Reith immediately released Tsurara who shattered the ice above and deposited his trainer at the lakeside. Once he had recovered himself, Reith became aware that the culprit of his near-death experience was still clinging to him, even after he had been carried out of the water. It was a Seel, laughing cheerfully at the soaked trainer and apparently unaware of the danger of his actions. Though Reith attempted to explain the situation to the Seel, it remained blissfully ignorant and only asked to continue playing.

After drying himself off, Reith again tried to explain that the Seel's games were perilous for humans, before suddenly finding himself being dragged to the water's edge again. Scarcely able to prevent himself from falling into the lake, Reith finally asked the Seel if he would agree to not being played with for the moment if Reith brought him with him. Since both seemed equal cures for boredom, the Seel agreed. Three years later, when Reith was seventeen, the Seel evolved into a Dewgong.

Dive is a generally happy and easy-going type of Pokemon who enjoys playing games and collecting objects underwater. Very little seems able to dampen this Pokemon's spirit, and while he may not always consider the consequences of his actions, rarely would he wish ill upon anyone.


Ponyta
Nickname - Kasen (fire arrow), "Fire Princess" (see About)
Gender - Female
Nature - Naive
Pokeball - Luxury Ball
About - Kasen is the youngest of Reith's Pokemon team, and was a gift from his father. A year after his father left home, Reith received a Luxury Ball with a note attached to it. The Luxury Ball contained an infant Ponyta, while the note contained the last message Reith would have from his father. For the first months of its life, the Ponyta was almost constantly kept outside its Pokeball, allowing it to stumble after Reith during his explorations and learn to walk properly. Realizing, however, that the flame horse could not reach its full potential following a human, Reith began to release Tsurara while directing Kasen to follow the flying dragon. Tsurara considered this a considerable indignity, making this a possible cause for his continued particular hostility toward the Ponyta.

Kasen is extremely attached to Reith, even becoming jealous of him if she feels he is giving too much attention to anyone else--whether human or Pokemon. Fortunately, she is usually willing to tolerate strangers for Reith's sake, even if she perceives that they pose some form of personal "threat". As Sirrus, Tsurara, and Dive have noted, the Ponyta's jealousy is most often directed toward other females. Still, Kasen does not enjoy bearing any malice toward others and is naturally rather loving and affectionate, and would willingly carry someone beyond the earth's end once she accepts them. At this point, however, Kasen has accepted very few aside from Reith, and Reith has always remained first in her regard.

Because Tsurara rarely suffers any to sit upon his back, Kasen often acts as Reith's ride. As with most Ponyta, she is rather swift and can leap great distances. Though at times she lacks confidence in her abilities, she is ready to try most anything given her trainer's reassurance. "Fire Princess" is a "second name" Reith has given her that he may use to comfort the Ponyta or coax her to perform some task.

History: Reith's mother was a local to Alvene, and his father a weather researcher who came to study the region's climate. Though born in Alvene, Reith's family moved to another town in Eseka before he was a year old, leaving him with no memories of his place of birth. Most of Reith's early years were spent with his twin sister, playing in or about the family house. Despite being twins, the siblings' appearances differed greatly from one another. In a direct opposite to Reith's white hair, his sister, Kendra, had the same black hair their mother had. And in equal contrast to Reith's wintery blue eyes, hers were a warm brown. Still, the twins were, as might be expected, extremely close to one another. And while their father's work caused him to travel often, he was home enough for the family to remain whole and happy.

Then, when Reith was seven, his world changed. He and his sister were playing a short distance from their home one evening, and unconsciously began to stray farther and farther from the house. Upon nightfall, the pair realized they were lost, and were soon caught in a snowstorm. Eventually led to safety by a Snorunt, the twins spend the night in a cave and found their way home the next day. Unfortunately, Kendra soon grew ill due to her long exposure to the freezing temperatures. And after several months of suffering, she died a week before the birthday she shared with her brother. At first numb, confused, and broken with sorrow, Reith soon saw the pain his parents endured from his sister's death and turned his efforts toward easing their grief.

For a time Reith continued to live his life, learning meteorology from his father, hearing tales of Alvene from his mother, and learning Pokemon training himself. A little after Reith became fourteen, his father left the household to embark upon one of his research trips. This, in itself, was a rather normal event, and Reith and mother gave it only the usual thought as they watched him leave. For a year, Reith's father contact the family every Friday as he habitually did. Then, one Friday when Reith was fifteen, his father explained in a call that he would be entering an area of high interference and would not be able to contact his family for a month. During that month, Reith was called to the local Pokemon Center to receive a Luxury Ball that had arrived for him. Attached to it was a note from his father, stating that the Pokemon was for him. Reith's father also wrote that he planned to travel to Alvene to complete some studies, and would be able to call his family upon arrival. Reaching Alvene would only require another week's journeying, and therefore he would be able to speak to Reith soon.

A week passed, then another week, and Reith's father never called. Though Reith and his mother contacted his father's acquaintances, the institute for which he worked, and Alvene itself, no one knew where his father was. Despite her efforts to remain strong, Reith's mother fell ill a few months later--the tragedy of her husband vanishing combining with her daughter's early death to drain her both physically and emotionally. During this time Reith cared for his mother, often sending his Seel, Dive, into local bodies of water to obtain an herbal plant that his town's doctors used to make his mother's medicine. As time passed and his mother's condition worsened, however, Reith himself fell into a darker state of mind and began to draw himself away from other people and while burying himself in the pursuits of his earlier years--folklore, weather studies, and Pokemon training.

No one fully knows how Reith drew himself out of his depression. But, some time after Reith turned seventeen, he asked the people of the town to care for his mother while he left to find his father. The return of his father, Reith seemed convinced, was the key to the return of his mother's health. And even if he brought back his father too late for a recovery, his mother at least deserved to see her husband before she died. The townspeople had watched Reith and his mother suffer for the past year and readily agreed to the plan, sending out Reith with wishes for his safe return.

Since then, Reith has been retracing his father's footsteps and has now come to Alvene in search of clues relating to his father's disappearance.

Other: Reith has a rare condition that prevents him from being able to remember others' faces. Because of this, he has learned to memorize the sound of people's voices, their speech patterns, their mannerisms, etc. Still, he keeps photographs of his family in his wallet to remind himself of their appearances. These photographs are several of the trainer's most valuable possessions, and he is likely to at least consider causing serious injury to any who destroy or steal them. Reith also has a digital camera that he may use to take a picture of someone if he desires to remember them.

Because he was born and raised in Eseka, Reith has a high tolerance toward cold temperatures.
RP Sample:
"Tsurara, would it kill you to not be so arrogant and selfish for once!"

"Me, selfish?!" The snake-like dragon arched his neck in indignation, eyes blazing as he snapped, "That's a laugh! Especially when you're the one asking to ride my back. Why don't you carry me for once? You're fully aware of how much I hate dragging extra baggage around." As he spoke, the Dragonair continued to fly, keeping pace with the Ponyta his trainer rode.

"Tch. I doubt you'd ever let me forget. And because of that, don't you think I wouldn't ask you to do this unless I had a good reason?" Reith's eye twitched in frustration as he struggled to keep his tone level and patient.

"Oh, a good reason?" Tsurara echoed incredulously. "And just what poor excuse would you label as that?"

"Hm, I don't know," the trainer replied sarcastically. "Maybe it's the fact that Kasen is almost completely exhausted. Or maybe . . . " He suddenly swung his torso about, pointing behind himself with an outstretched arm as he shouted, "Maybe it's the AVALANCHE that's chasing us!"

Unruffled by Reith's outburst, the dragon type merely smirked as he replied, "And how is that my problem?"

After casting a momentary glance back at the wall of white rolling down the mountainside, Reith turned toward Tsurara, returning with equal malice, "It's your problem because, if you don't get us out of here, you're going straight back into your Pokeball to get crushed with us."

For a passing moment the Dragonair said nothing. Then, angered by the threat he burst out with new vigor, "It's pretty pathetic when a trainer has to threaten his Pokemon! All it does is show your dependence on us."

"Dependence?" Reith's expression, first half-surprised, swiftly altered to show his increasing irritation.

Tsurara's gleeful satisfaction was clear as he smoothly continued, "Exactly. I bet you couldn't do a thing without us."

"Hah, the way you're acting right now, you'd be more useful to me if you flew off to rot on some mountaintop," came the trainer's reply as he turned emphatically to view the path ahead.

"Then maybe I'll do just that!" the Dragonair snarled.

"Go ahead!"

"I will!"

"So do it!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Raising her head into the air, Kasen gasped, "Reith, I can't keep this up much longer! I really can't!"

Instantly, Reith's manner changed. Every movement, word, and note in his voice indicated concern as he leaned forward and assured the swiftly-tiring Ponyta, "Don't worry, you've done great, Fire Princess. Tsurara will take over in just a moment. I'm sorry we're taking so long." The young trainer lightly stroked the side of the flame horse's face before turning toward his Dragonair. "Well, Tsurara?"

The distaste evident on his expression, Tsurara avoided Reith's eyes as he grudgingly answered, "Fine . . . Just don't get used to it. Keep asking for these favors, and one day I just might toss you into a ravine." Having said his piece, the dragon's extensive tail coiled about Reith's body, lifting him effortlessly into the air as the trainer returned the still-running Kasen to her Luxury Ball.

Suddenly amiable and good-natured, Reith faced Tsurara with an untroubled smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

 

[Miss Kaeldra]

[(EDIT:Finally done. ^^ )]

[(Hmm...this sounds interesting. Something new! I like the way you have this set up--only those who are dedicated enough to completing the form will stand a chance. ^^ Sorry, I'm a bit rusty...it has been a while.)]

Name: Megra Davids
Age: 17
Gender: Female

Personality: Cheerful, observant, kind and gentle, Megra is one who seems to shine as the sun does. But under those layers is a mature and silent person, whom she has shunned aside since she was a small child. A wad of challenge waiting to be smoothed out, she hardly sees anything as impossible and strives forward, even when the road ahead may be too trecherous to walk upon. Her outward kindness is easily shed upon anyone who wants it, or needs it.

When the sky is grey and the going difficult, it seems to be nothing but a smear of dirt on her cheek--unnoticable until she decides to notice. Rather optimistic and uprising, there always seems to be a smile upon Megra's lips. It would be unwise to view this girl as uncanny, innocent and bold--she can think things through and almost always come up with a solution or two.

Megra loves people. As in who they are, what they can do--and if she can get along with them. Being alone is something Megra does not like. Lock her up in a room with little light, no company nor friends, no nothing...and this glorious flower starts to wilt. People are her 'energizers', her source to keeping her head up high. Not just for herself, but for them.

As odd as it would seem, or all-out understandable, Megra can be quite shy at first. But it doesn't take much to open her up and become piped up. All in all, Megra's personality can be easy to get along with.


Appearance: Megra's looks can easily go with her personality. Wavy blond and dark-blond hair descends to the middle of her back, natural highlights of different blondes giving it an almost shiney look. Her eyes, big bright and blue, work in her favor and could possibly dazzle passerby. Her figure is slim (comes with traveling so much), but is full.

Upon her being is tan-colored boots that come up to her knees, made of a warm but water proof material to keep snow from oozing in. Adorning her hips and covering her boots is a tight-ish pair of black pants, and over those, casual baggy blue jeans. Settling on the upper-area is a black, long-sleeved shirt covered by a thick white and light blue sweater that sported a hood.

A white and light blue cap sat snugged on her head, that had flaps that came down to cover her ears. A blue scarf was wrapped about her neck, and blue gloves upon her hands. See what I mean?


Pokémon: Aron, Jolteon, Milotic, Makuhita(Maku) (Names are how they normally are, besides Makuhita. ^^)

Maku's first and formost love is food--in particular, rice balls. His second, sleep. His third, Megra. That sure made her feel special. But Maku would do just about anything for a rice ball, or two, or three, or Megra's whole stash. Maku is extremely lazy, and can usually only be roused with the promise of food. His interests also revolve around food. Out of all her pokemon, Maku was the one who managed to make her money dissapear within the short expanse of a week. But he is a valuable addition to the team, and makes his mark.

Aron, that little hyper bullet. He couldn't stay still even if he were frozen! ...Okay, maybe then. When his green eyes begin to sparkle in 'innocence', you know something is up. Either that, or you had better get away as soon as you can. This little Pokemon is always a handful for Megra, but there are days when you would not be able to pry them apart.

Milotic, the sensible one. On the rare occasion that Megra makes a rash decision or flail in the wrong direction, Milotic will point out her faults and lead her back to the right path again. Quiet and considerate, Milotic is the true peacemaker of the small, traveling group.


Jolteon is closer to Megra than the other Pokemon--nothing could ever break the friendship that they had. Jolteon sticks by Megra's side through rain, fire and snow, protects her and is there to always help Megra out of a snag or out of danger. But due to a past injury to her front right leg, Jolteon always walks with a slight limp. But that never gets her down.


Jolteon, traditionaly, stays out of her PokeBall while the other two go in them. This makes her feel very special, plus...she doesn't like small spaces.


History: Megra was born into the Pokemon world like most other children--with the dream to go out into the world and capture Pokemon. Oh, how she wished she could be a Pokemon Master! But that dream changed when she was but thirteen years old, when she stumbled upon a Team Rocket thug who was tormenting an Eevee, because it was not doing what it was suppose to do. That's when her heart saw a dark side to her fantasy. She had to remember that not all things were shiny and glorified just for her. Having no Pokemon of her own, she resorted to throwing rocks at the thug, then quickly dashing in and snatching the poor Eevee. But then, she was all on her own. The thug never strayed from her trial, never stopped sending his Pokemon after her. For a night and a day Megra tried to lose her persuerand his Pokemon, getting injuries and no sleep, but finally ended up going back to her home town. There she was defended, and the thug sent away.

After that event, Megra began to think more seriously about her future. Her friends began to think Megra had lost her mind, because she was always silent and too thoughtful for comfort. They drifted away, expanding in their own fantasies and forgetting about Megra completley. Her parents became concerned, but did not know what to do. Megra, after two years of her silent solitude, took the world by surprise when she began to train Eevee. Even though the Eevee had a permanent injury to her right leg, she made it up with complete enthusiasm and cunning moves. And that's when Megra decided--she didn't want to become a Pokemon Master. She just wanted to travel, to gain friends, to help defend Pokemon from the cruelties of, well, cruel people. She wanted to expand her understanding of the Pokemon world. After traveling for two years, she finally gained a people-personality and evolved Eevee into a Jolteon with an aquired Thunder Stone.

And now, her eyes were on Eseka. The name was briefly, if not boredly, spoken in a conversation between two woman at a store. What was there? What was it like? Curiousity is what drives her around the region, and leads her to new experiences.

Other: None


RP Sample: It was thick, it was brown, and it tasted like tofu. And it was slimy. Closing her eyes and trying to keep a pleasent face, Megra took another spoonful. Her stomach seemed to quiver.

"V-very nice, Miss Cedar. Thank you," Megra planted on a convicing smile. She was staying over night with a kind woman who lived on the outskirts of a forest she had been traveling through. Usually, Megra would have just camped outside--but a swarm of Scyther had not made it possible. Maku, who clung to her leg, looked longingly at Megra's bowl. When Cedar walked back to the kitchen, Megra offered the bowl to Maku. It was gone in a second, the bowl licked clean. Megra sighed and put the bowl back on the table. Maybe if he ate enough here, he wouldn't bother her for a couple of hours tomorrow.

Jolteon looked perplexed, and turned her head away from Maku, her tongue sticking out. Aron just tilted his head, curious, but surprisingly still and calm for the moment. Megra looked down to her friends, and offered a convincing smile.

"Hopefully that swarm of Scyther will be gone tomorrow!"

As it turned out, they weren't.

(Actual role play sample part?)

"Gah! They're after us! Again!" And indeed, they were. Both Megra and Jolteon began to run as fast as they could, skimming around trees and jumping over thickets to try and loose their persuers. But the swarm of Scyther had come up with an ambush idea. Darting into a clearing, Jolteon and Megra were forced to skid to a stop as they came toward them at all sides. Jolteon bared her teeth, fur bristling in warning as the mass of Scyther surged around them. Megra put a hand to her belt, ready to grab a Poke Ball, for Jolteon wouldn't be able to do this alone.

Hmm, maybe I can Ice Beam my way out of here with Melotic...

That passing fancy was barely done playing itself when a single Scyther departed from the group, and sliced down at her. Megra covered her head, but there was a loud ripping noise as the bottom of her bag was torn. Out tumbled her map, book, other things...and the rice balls Megra made especially for Maku. There was a silence above the hum of all the Scythers' wings. Megra slowly put her arms down from her head, and looked to the swarm. Their eyes were focused on the scattering of rice balls.

Slowly, Megra bent down and picked up her belongings, and backed away from the rice balls. Now the swarm didn't seem to know she and Jolteon exsisted. They were swarming down and over the small pile of rice balls. Megra blinked, and stared. They wanted...her rice balls? That's it? Oh boy, Maku would have a fit...

Maku's poke ball wingled at her waist, and in a brilliant flash of red light Maku formed running at high speed toward the pile of Scyther. Both Megra and Jolteon watched, amazed and mouths hung open, as Scyther after Scyther was punched, kicked, stomped on, and thrown away into the forest or high into the sky, Team Rocket style. In a mere minute, Maku had defeated the whole swarm with just his wrath. And in the now less-crowded clearing, lay a single rice ball that hadn't been touched yet. Megra could imagine hearts popping about his head as Maku sat down and cuddled the rice ball. Then Megra and Jolteon glanced at eachother.

That day had started out very...odd.

 

[Ibuberu]

I made the foolish mistake of sleeping at 1am, geez, should have waited till 2. Next time, I shall heed Plushie and her words on Insomnia. Yes, I will. XD


Name – Rina Cast

Age – 15

Gender – Female


Appearance –

Rina is a simple girl with coal black eyes and short, rusty blonde hair that falls to her shoulders, she stands a wee bit taller than most girls her age, never giving it much of a thought whether she was considered tall or short. The girl usually identifiable from other trainers by the amount of green covering her. A trench coat of that very colour falls to her knees, wearing a long sleeved turtleneck of a dark red colour underneath. And beneath that, a few more layers of clothing, most being plain white shirts that one rarely gets to see. The black coloured belt of the coat also doubles as a somewhere to attach the girl's Pokeballs.

On the lower half of her body, the girl makes do with the cold by sporting a pair of comfy, warm looking black trousers. A white cap usually perches atop her head, blocking any bright lights from blinding her, a single flower which looks like a daisy is sewn on it, this being its only form decoration. The trainer doesn't like hanging out in the open sun too much, hence the reason for her pale skin, though it has never come close to the shade of ghostly white. Rina is thankful for the fact that she doesn't need to go and buy an extra hat, for her current one is large enough to pull over her ears, just barely though. The girl is seen walking around in a pair of sandals most of the time, though, since venturing into the region of Eseka, she's been spotted wearing black rubber boots that reach up to a slightly higher height then her ankles.

Rina is not oblivious to the cold, no, she carries three hooded jackets in her bag to be prepared for the harsh environment in the new region. One of which is a gray apparel that falls to knee length, while the other two are identical green jackets that reach till her hips, as well as checkered scarf and a pair of thick black gloves. To carry her possessions in, the trainer slings the strap of a brown knapsack over her left shoulder whenever she sets out for a long journey. Lastly, the first thing most people notice about Rina would be the large pair of golden hoop earrings she wears. A gift from her mother.



Personality -

What makes Rina different from most others is her incredibly lax nature. The girl despises being in a rush and doesn't like being hurried about. Because of this, she usually tries to come prepared for anything unexpected- Even if it means wasting precious time that could be spent sleeping or reading a book. She is also known to be absent-minded from time to time because of her laid back nature. The girl relies on her gut feeling as to when would be the right time to start or to stop something. She has faith in her intuition and has always believed that slow and steady would win and conquer in the end, taking her time to run errands or perhaps, even calmly suggest for everyone to relax in a dire situation. The girl has yet to face a point where her gut feeling fails her miserably, but that doesn't mean it won't happen sooner or later.

Due to her slow behaviour(though she refers to it as easy going), most people find Rina lazy or even boring on first meeting her. In fact, she even gives off the image of being near emotionless sometimes. Though this may be true to some point, she actually possesses a hardworking personality. However, this only happens on occasion, when she becomes engrossed in something, she can throw away hours and hours of time to work out said problem or question. But the girl never sees a need to be competitive, usually yawning at the mention of a dare, bet or competition of any sort. The trainer rarely judges on first glance, wanting to get to know a person better before making any false and quick accusations or judgments. She leads herself around the theory that everyone should get the benefit of the doubt and that everyone should be given a second chance.

Because of this, Rina is also quite gullible and is often taken advantage because of that. Lending money that was never repaid, borrowed books that were never returned, giving help and advice that was never replied with a 'Thank you'. You get the idea. Her temper is usually kept under control because of her calm and easy nature, as she hardly angers easily. Still, the girl never makes an effort to quell any rage that has formed. The only reason for her to raise her voice is when someone commands her, disliking it when people order her around, knowing that she would be the master of her own decisions. Though only stubborn to a certain extent. She doesn't mind listening to another's idea, usually going along with them when she feels she needn't waste her brain power to figure out a plan or course of action on her own.

Never really optimistic, neither is she a pessimist, Rina doesn't comment on anything she feels that doesn't need a second opinion. Not the chatty type, nor is she all that quiet, the girl takes all the time she needs in the world, having a simplistic want to just enjoy her life to the fullest, relaxing at any given chance, failing to realise that some of the most important events have passed by without her noticing.


Pokemon -


Parasect: Male [Dot]


Dot was Rina's first friend, both meeting each other at equally young ages. She found the small Mushroom Pokemon nestled under the leaves of a small bush when she and her family went for a night walk through Ilex forest to spot and record plants and Pokemon that would only reveal themselves at night. The mushroom creature shook from head to toe as Rina grabbed onto him and pulled him out from beneath the fallen leaves despite the fact that he was struggling ferociously in her hands, eyes fixed at the ground in a feeble attempt to escape. The Pokemon sniffled in the young child's arms, eyes shooting left and right as the girl's brothers approached him and started poking him in uncomfortable places, including the mushrooms growing on his back. The Paras squeaked with fright, deciding that the boys were much scarier than the girl as he buried into Rina's arms.

They have been inseparable ever since, refusing to go anywhere without the other, getting into trouble and out of it. Constantly reminding one another what good friends they were and how they longed for complete fun, happiness and relaxation. They were teased by Rina's brothers along with the boys' Plusle and Minun once in awhile, but they enjoyed getting back at them. Winding up in trouble once when Dot accidentally unleashed Stun Spore on them when they thought that it was wise to startle him and Rina by jumping out from behind a corner and saying 'Boo!'.

When the trainer and her Pokemon set out for their journey, never did they know that they would get entangled in more crazy situations, battling others and making new friends. The Paras proudly evolving into a Parasect two years after they left the town of Azalea, in a gym battle with Misty of Cerulean City. With his new sized pincers, he took down the girl's Starmie with a powerful Slash attack, receiving a congratulatory hug from his delighted trainer soon after .

Ever since he was a small Paras, Dot has always had a knack for getting frightened by the littlest of things. He jolts in surprise at any sudden movement and shivers in fear of the night. Though he may act cowardly, Dot makes up for it by being a strong player in Rina's team. His claws are sharp and tough, the spores from the mushroom on his back able to put most opponents to sleep. He can be calm and level-headed when dire consequences arise, but only if Rina is there by his side to encourage him and assure him. Other than that, Dot can scream in fright and withdraw under his oversized mushroom at any given point of time when he suddenly becomes insecure. Two of the other Pokemon Rina own like to take this part of his nature and have fun. Flax and Thyme like to scare him by telling him ghost stories of hordes of Gastly and Gengar stealing souls of unsuspecting Parasect at night.

Even after going through evolution, nothing much about him has changed, especially his ability to land and save both him and his trainer from trouble. He knows what makes Rina tick, her insides and outsides, making a promise with Rina to stay with her no matter what and to work with her to find the thing which brings the most happiness.


Slugma: Female [Iris]

Everyone calls her Rissy or Riss due to Flax, though the fire type has always preferred to be addressed by her proper name. This Slugma and trainer met about two weeks after Rina left her hometown. Iris had strayed from her family, being a small hatchling at the time, forced to shiver in fear in the darkness of the strange cave she had gotten lost in. If not for Rina and Dot reading the map wrongly and travelling the opposite direction to Union Cave, who knows what could have happened to the Slugma.

The girl's Paras spotted a small amount of what seemed like a burning fire in the veil of black, calling out with joy before running over to investigate the cause. He was surprised to find a baby Slugma chewing on a piece of hard rock. Without her parents there to tell her what to do, Iris could only unleash a weak smog attack. Dot won the battle in a flash despite the type advantage and the fact that he and his trainer were more or less new to battling. Throwing a Pokeball she had bought from the store a day earlier, Rina successfully encased the Lava Pokemon in the device, this being the girl's first ever capture.

Since meeting Rina and Dot three years ago, Iris has grown into an independent and strong Pokemon. She has a no-nonsense personality, much like that of a strict teacher or parent. She never disobeys her trainer, not even to play a practical joke or to just set random items into flames like most other Fire types would try at least once. Being the most mature of the group, she gave herself the role of keeping everyone in check, much like a protective mother. Iris doesn't warm up to strangers quickly, usually watching on silently, looking out for anything that would seem out of the ordinary. The Slugma also has a fear of the dark because of the incident she landed herself into not too many years back. Other than that however, Iris is rarely intimidated by anything else. Known to stand her ground when facing any opponent regardless of the size or power. However, she can be temperamental, it usually being Flax who angers her with his crazy antics and comments.

She can be hard headed and treats opinions she doesn't ask for like dust in the wind. But ever since she was captured by the girl and her Parasect, she holds utmost respect for both human and Pokemon, two of them being to only person and bug who she doesn't mind listening to. For they were the ones who saved her from the darkness.


Krabby: Male [Thyme]

The Krabby was the second Pokemon Rina managed to capture, they met along the sandy beach of Olvine City, somewhere near the towering lighthouse located in the city. It seemed that Thyme had gotten himself into a tussle with a larger Krabby, both squabbling over their rightful territory. The larger river crab lunged at the smaller one, breaking one of Thyme's pincers in the process. Rina and her partners couldn't bear to leave the little crab alone to fend for himself, the Paras and Slugma approaching the two fighting Krabby to break up the fight.

Even though the Krabby looked bigger and tougher than Thyme, the Mushroom and Lava Pokemon facing him were considerably larger. The Krabby fled in fear, scurrying back into the sea as Thyme tried his best to balance with one pincer. His attempts to get up were fruitless, leading to Rina wanting to help him up, resulting in the girl receiving a sharp pinch on her finger. {Don't be touchin' me! This ain't non of yer' business! }Thyme's fifth try to get onto his feet ended in failure once again, as he continued rambling on about how he'd feed them to the Sharpedo. Too caught up with himself, he didn't take note of the trainer with a now sore finger taking out a Lure Ball from her backpack.

After capturing the weakened Krabby, Rina brought him to the Olvine Pokemon Center to recuperate, his left pincer growing back within a couple of days under the nurse's care. From then on, Thyme has been a member of Rina's team, somewhat grateful to her for healing him(and the nurse too). Though he still hopes to settle the score with that other Krabby one day.

This water type has the accent of what seems like a thug, trying to act tough and in charge most of the time. Despite putting up many brave fronts and his like for rough fights, Thyme is actually quite a young Krabby who picked up his speech patterns from his Kingler of a Grandpa. He can be naive and rash, charging head on into any battle without giving a second thought or coming up with a plan. The river crab tends to sink into a fight so much, that sometimes he can barely notice that the match has already ended. And that he was indeed, just jumping up and down on a fainted opponent.

Aggressive and territorial like most Krabby are, he can get jealous and envious when someone else snatches Rina's attention away from him. This is another example of what a child he still is at heart. Though Thyme may act like a rude brute most of the time, most soon realise that this is just a facade to hide the fear of losing the battle in a small Krabby's heart. Because of this, and of course, Thyme's small size, Flax gave him the nickname of a nickname- Tiny.


Ekans, Male [Flax]

Flax is a recent addition to Rina's team, though he's fitting in very well. The girl caught him just a few months back, upon reaching the region of Kanto. She and her Pokemon had settled themselves down in the shade of a tree for lunch somewhere around the outskirts of Vermilion City. The sneaky Ekans was hanging asleep from the one of the branches of the tree, rousing from his slumber at the smell of sandwiches. Taking note that they, along with the tasty looking bag of marshmallows were obviously better than Pidgey and Spearow eggs. So, he decided to try his luck. The snake silently slithered down the tree, hiding among the tall grass as he awaited his chance to grab food when the human and her Pokemon weren't looking.

The Poison type saw an opening as the human got up and said she was about to go and refill a bottle with water before starting to walk off, although she had to stop for a few seconds to pry the claws of her Paras off her pant leg, ordering him to stay and watch over the Pokemon that was called Thyme. {And thusss! My time to ssstrike hass arrived! Fear me foolisssh legged onesss!}the Ekans called out boldly once he was sure the human was out of ear shot, lashing out of his hiding spot and surging towards the laden bread on the small mat. He ignored the surprised Slugma, Paras and Krabby, what harm could they do without their trainer around to give out orders?

The snake however, was poorly mistaken. While Dot held back a very excited Thyme as Iris took the chance to deliver a few balls of ember, charring the mat and forcing the poison type to perform complicated maneuvers just so he could dodge the flames. One caused him to perform a perfect right angled turn, this movement releasing pain coursing through certain muscles of his body, making him stiffen and writhe with discomfort. The timid Paras then taking this chance to let his Stun Spore settle on the intruder, allowing the young Krabby beside him to give the Ekans a few blows with his pincers. The Poison type slumped on the ground in defeat, the river crab's hits becoming more annoying than painful as his vision blurred, the last thing he saw being a tall figure running towards the group, taking out a spherical object from one pocket.

Flax has a tendency to call most everyone he meets a certain short nickname if he finds their name hard to work past his snake tongue and accent. His accent tends to be stranger than most, not only dragging the letter 's', but dragging any other letter now and again.

The Poison type can be sneaky if need be, but most of the time he concentrates on his social skills. He can strike a conversation with almost anybody he wants to, but the only catch is whether they stand out enough to catch his attention. Flax's eyes are sharp and fast, but they have a habit of only picking up interesting things and shutting away the boring looking potted plants or dull painted walls. He may not be all that alert to everything taking place in his surroundings because of this. Sarcasm and dry wit just drips from his tongue when he becomes irritated or agitated. He likes to exaggerate and use bombastic language most of the time, whether it is to show off or in his nature, most don't really try to find out.

Not being the type who can sit around for too long, the Ekans likes to move around and explore. Smart and agile, the Poison type can never resist playing a pratical joke or two. Flax likes to team up with Thyme and concoct plans as well as create stories to tease Dot and irritate Iris, the Krabby looking up to him as a role model of sorts much to Iris' dislike. Flax likes to call his trainer 'Ri'.


:History -

The single white flower design on the Rina's cap is but a small piece of her past. The trainer's hometown being Azalea Town, originating from a family of florists, their shop small and well managed. Ever since she was a young child, the girl has always liked flowers. She was never much of a nature conserver though, just admiring the small plants in their many different shades and patterns. In fact, most of Rina's Pokemon are named after flowers.

Growing up in a family as the youngest daughter with two older siblings, the girl learned that when one rushes through things, one would no doubt have a chance to make a mistake and end up with a nasty cut in the end. That was what always happened when her brothers(who were twins) ran down the stairs together. The girl's first planted flower was a daisy, the small white petals of the flower were dainty and soft to the touch. The flower strong, standing proud and tall with a sturdy stem. Rina became fascinated with the beautiful plant , asking her mother to sow a picture of the daisy onto the over sized cap Grandpa Cast gave her for her sixth birthday. Mrs Cast couldn't object to her daughter's huge, pleading eyes, picking up the needle and thread within a few moments before seating herself to start work on the cap. Soon after, the girl began to observe more flowers, take care of more plants and learn their language.

A few years passed and the six year old grew, along with her faithful Paras that she found hiding in a bush when she and family dared venture into the nearby forest in search of new plant life to sketch and study. Soon, Rina found herself as a twelve year old, realising that her brothers were going to start their Pokemon trainer quests . The two boys chuckled at the thought of their little sister accompanying them, telling her that she wouldn't last a day without Mummy's warm cup of hot chocolate or Daddy's guiding hands.

The girl ignored their words, not wanting to do anything brash just because she was being teased.

"But, still.."the young child walked towards the window of her room, drawing back the yellow curtains to gaze at the horizon. Where there was just a dusty dirt road leading out of Ilex forest into a far away town. She couldn't help but wonder if there was anything more beyond the trees of the forest, something more rewarding then seeing a daisy in full bloom or a cute Paras to cuddle close. The feeling of joy, more happiness then one could ever imagine somewhere out there in the world.

It was decided.

Rina left before the boys did, in the early morning of the following day, the large cap atop her head and bag on her shoulder. She was not worried on whether she had brought enough money or packed enough clothes and food. She just wanted to have fun, to get more enjoyment and happiness out of this new journey, walking at a slow pace as she smelt the pleasant morning air and watched the sun rise, chasing away the darkness. Her inquisitive Paras skipping along beside her. Both failed to notice that they had left at such an early hour, they had forgotten to say goodbye to their family and friends.

Time passed once again, the girl's reflection in the mirror was now that of a fifteen year old, she had grown into her hat. But that wasn't the only thing that changed, she had caught a few Pokemon since the start of her journey three years ago, her small bug from before, now a sizable Parasect, even collected some badges from the many gyms when wandering around the Kanto and Johto regions. Though she never showed interest in wanting to participate in the League. The next destination for her was initially the Hoenn region, but, it was nearing Christmas and upon hearing that there was one particular region with snow.. Rina couldn't resist changing course. The girl had never seen snow before.

The girl would take the ship to the town of Alvene in Eseka, it did after all, seem like the likely place to start, all the tourists were stopping by there first. Rina wanted to see the white perfection they called snow. She wanted to touch and feel a snowball with her gloved hands. Build a snowman. Perhaps it'd hold the happiness she desired. But most importantly, she wanted to have a good long holiday where she needn't bother about Pokemon battles or anything else.

Just a well deserved rest.



:Other -

Well, Rina knows only a little of the flower language, she took her time in reading and remembering only a few terms before actually starting out on her trainer journey so she never got to finish learning. Oh, and the girl and her parents exchange letters now and again(She takes very long to think up of what to write to Mum and Dad and she can never seem to be bothered to call them using the payphones in Pokemon Centers). And a random fact that I never got to mention in the history is that Rina's brothers are two years older than her. XD


:RP Sample -



{C'mon Dot! We just needa' small peek!}


{Yesss, we are inquisstive and curiousss iss all.}


{Um.. I-I don't know guys, I mean, e-even I don't know what's under here...}the Parasect explained, holding his claws up to show that he didn't want his friends to come any closer than they already were. The Krabby and Ekans however, did not slow their advance towards him. {Who knowss... there could be ghossstly Gasstly hiding underneath that mussshroom of yourss. We had better insspect it, don't you think ssso...?}Flax grinned as his words reached the Parasect, causing the bug to wince at the thought of spirits roaming around and inhabiting within his shell.

{N-No.. really, i-it's okay..}the snake and the river crab shook their heads at the Mushroom Pokemon, exchanging cheeky smiles with one another before proceeded to tackle the rather distressed bug onto the ground. The three wrestled each other like newborn Poochyena, Dot trying his hardest to struggle against their grip on his large mushroom.

{Would you two behave yourselves for once?}a fourth voice joined the other three, it's owner being a very stern looking Slugma.

Iris produced a tired sigh as the two pretended to ignore her, continuing their playful tickling and poking of the Parasect. The Lava Pokemon knew that the two wouldn't even bother listening to her half the time, deciding to leave matters to a higher authority as she crawled across the room to her trainer's bedside. {Rina, Thyme and Flax are at it again. And, I must say they're irritating me as well,}the Slugma complained, craning her neck to see if she could spot any movement on the bed.

The girl who went by the name Rina opened one lazy eye upon hearing Iris, tucking her hands behind her head for comfort, even though she was already resting a soft pillow. The trainer refused to budge from her position, "Ah well, have fun then. Don't overdo it like last time though, I don't feel like getting up to break up any fights, or help you find out what's under Dot's shell."she was directing the statement to the three Pokemon on the other side of the room, closing her eye as soon as she heard two {Aye-aye, Ri!}s coming from a smallish Krabby and smiling Ekans. The pair stopped trying to separate the Parasect from his shell, as they abandoned the mission to lie on the carpeted floor, much to Dot's relief. The Bug type got onto his feet as quickly as his large size would allow him to, scurrying over to the bed so as to thank Iris properly.

{How ssshall we... entertainn oursselvess now, Tiny?}Flax posed the question to the tiny Water type beside him,

{How abou' we find out how long it takes ta' bug Rissy till' she sets something 'n fire?}the crab clapped his pincers together at the idea.

The Ekans patted the Krabby with the yellow tip of his tail, {Marvellousss, excellent, sssuperb, idea of the yearr, Tiny,}he complimented the Water type, sly words and statements taking form in his mind. The snake waited for a few more moments before slithering over to the Lava slug's side, the river crab in tow.

The Slugma raised an eyebrow(providing she had one) at their actions, deciding not to ask them their intentions for her own good, though she couldn't help but shift in discomfort.

{Ssssooo...}Flax dragged the word much longer than his snake accent required, as he nudged the Parasect and Slugma to command their attention.

".. Ahh, yes."Dot latched onto the Ekans in surprise as their trainer interjected, "- 'Need some shut eye, guys. Play on the other bed or something."Rina rolled over so that her gaze left the ceiling to face all the Pokemon excluding Thyme. The Krabby had to climb onto Flax's head before being able to be noticed. The Pokemon nodded in unison, leaving the girl's bedside to clamber onto the neighbouring bed. At least, that was what Flax and Thyme did, as soon as the Mushroom Pokemon deemed it safe to stop hugging the Ekans. Iris and Dot weren't build for such, settling a fair distance away from their trainer on the floor. The rooms the Pokemon Center offered trainers never really was spacious, but the prices never really were expensive either. The four walls were painted a dreary white color, two beds taking up most of the area on the green carpeted floor, a great deal of the remaining space occupied by a small, wooden desk and chair.

{M-Maybe I'll g-ge-get some sleep too... M-Might claim me down.}Dot spoke in his usual timid fashion, his claws fidgeting as he scanned the room with his eyes, just to assure himself that nothing would or could sneak up on him while he was asleep.

{Are you sssure thatss a good idea? The Dusskull could possessss you in sssleep, you knoww..}

The Parasect shuddered at the thought, {D-Do you really think they could?}he clasped his pincers in front of his face, looking up to the Ekans on the bed. The Mushroom Pokemon's eyes seemed to widen in fear as the Poison type nodded his head very convincingly. The Slugma beside him tilting her chin, {You know he's just stretching the truth, Dot.}the Fire type rolled her eyes at the bug's gullibility, receiving a snort from the snake, mumbling something about a joy-killer under his breath, though just barely audible enough for his teammate to hear. The flames that encircled Iris' bright yellow eyes seemed to flare up in response, a thin line replacing the Slugma's mouth as she fought with the urge to just kabob the annoying snake right then and there.

Flax couldn't resist the temptation to continue pushing the Lava slug's buttons, {Risssssy, Rissssy, Risssy..}he repeated a name in a sing-song manner, earning him a ferocious glare from the Slugma.{How radiant thy eyesss are,}the snake was now going into song, waving his body in tempo,{-ssso bright they burn everything to a crissspy bar.}it was obvious that Flax was making up the lyrics on spot. {How orangery thou lava body be, sssoo beautiful everyone saysss 'Whee!'}the rhymes would have sounded much better with not for the sarcastic tone wafting around.

{How humongousss her temper iss, and what? I see she likes ssscorching an innocent'sss bu-bu-}the snake was cut off in the middle of song, he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, falling back in as he laughed so hard, it seemed that toxic would spurt out of his mouth. This sound doubled as the Krabby joined in, one pincer over the Ekans like a buddy gripping his pal by the shoulder. Even Dot couldn't help but stiffle a few giggles, turning away so that he didn't have to meet Iris' eyes.

The Slugma took deep breaths of air, trying to calm the fire building in her throat. How rewarding it would be, to just let it all out at that very second. These thoughts took form in her mind, how to do it? Set him on fire? Burn him to a crisp on the spot?

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold on,"Iris swallowed the flaming embers back down as a human hand obscured her view.

Rina yawned, deciding to leave the nap she intended for a later time(who could fall asleep with these rowdy Pokemon, anyway?), opening her coal black eyes and sitting up from her bed, nearly startling Dot out of his shell.

" 'Said have fun, also said don't overdo it,"there was no particular anger in her voice, it was like she was just explaining something simply as she gestured to the Ekans. Flax shrugged, hissing in a monotonous voice, {One never passess up an opportune... Essspecially one of my... pertnesss.}the snake of course, meant the last word in a good way, healthy, springy and bold. Unlike the boring Slugma, no, the most interesting thing he had never seen her perform would have to be a Flamethrower and nothing more. Other than of course, becoming steamed. Oh how the Ekans loved that part of her as well, snickering as these thoughts crossed his mind.

"Chill Ris', you know better than to let ol' Flax get to you,"the trainer chuckled at his words as she patted her Slugma on the head before playfully punching the Ekans off the side bed.

{You need not worry, Rina. I've better things to accomplish then waste my breath on a snake.}the Fire type narrowed her eyes as the dazed Flax regained his bearings, contented with his surprised look to manage a small hint of a smile. {Wahaha, Ri' got ya' good, Flax, she got ya' real good!}Thyme had the ability to laugh at anything, it seemed, as the Ekans frowned, using his tail to sweep the Krabby off the bed as well. The river crab landed with a painful 'thud', accompanied by a high pitched 'OW!'

"Ahh well, we'd better get going guys, still need'a buy the tickets and all that."the girl spoke once she was sure her Pokemon were done bickering, glancing out the window of the room as her feet touched the floor. Walking over to grab her green trench coat and white cap from the desk, the girl decided to leave her coat unbuckled for the moment, the turtleneck she was wearing already making it hard for her to avoid sweating. Rina knocked on Dot's shell twice for no apparent reason while crossing the room to take a hold of the strap of her backpack on the bedside table. The Parasect just smiled at this, getting up from his sitting position, glad that his trainer had broken up the fight before anything got out of hand. He helped the immobile Thyme onto his many little feet, receiving a gruff, {'Tanks}.

The Vermilion port was situated right in front of the Pokemon Center, at most, a mere three minute walk. It was still in the early morning, but something in the girl's gut told her that it was about time to depart. "Out, out, out guys."she opened the door, allowing her four Pokemon to file out of the room, inspecting the space once more before slowly closing the door behind her. She couldn't afford to leave anything behind since she didn't know when exactly she would be coming back. "No wait, actually... 'never did care much about material stuffs."the girl had a hand on her chin as the thought struck her, strolling down the corridor and out the exit of the Pokemon Center, her Pokemon closely behind her, the particular Slugma and Ekans exchanging a frown and a smirk.

Rina looked over a shoulder and produced another yawn before speaking,

"Got a feeling guys.. This's gonna be a long holiday."



--


I fell in love with her Pokemon, I did. ^^;

 

[Alter Ego]

@Kogenta: Excellent profile, but until you provide an RP sample I can't accept it. I know it's just a formality, but I'm afraid I'll still have to stick to it, so either post a fresh sample or just link this to AD and you're all set. ^^ Until then this sign-up is... ~Pending~

@Miss Kaeldra: Thanks. I do try to discourage the lazy folks from joining. It only takes one bad RPer to ruin the experience for all the good ones, you know. Anyhow, you profile looks nice enough this far, so I'll be waiting to see how it turns out. Oh, and you might want to flesh out on the fields just a bit because...how should I say...the other profiles are quite large, wouldn't want yours to be dwarfed in comparison, would we? ^^ Until you finish off, I'll just jot you down as ~Reserved~

@ybur_angel: Wow, you really outdid yourself on this one. Awesome sign-up, I can definitely see you put your heart into this character. This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the fact that Plushie had you pwned in sign-ups last time, would it? Well, if it does then you sure got even now. You are ~Accepted~ with the extra-sized font of quality. Congratulations. ^^

Own profile will be edited into this post right after I type this. ^^

EDITNESS: And here it is. Should all be there except for the RP sample, although I typed this in a hurry so I might still make some corrections to the other fields.

DOUBLE EDITNESS: Okay, I fixed the histories of both Mira and Serenade so that they don't suck so bad. I also made some corrections to personality and added a few things that were missing from Appearance. So yeah. Fresh sample coming when/if I come up with a nice subject for it.

Name: Mira Tanglebrook

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Personality: Utterly fascinated with all things rare and valuable, Mira - or mi-chan as she likes to be called - is usually not one to make a good first impression. When she catches the scent of something valuable on the horizon, she's prone to being reckless and pushy in her efforts in obtaining that something, and the fact that she's not beyond engaging in a bit of harmless scheeming to get what she wants has left her with very few friends. On a normal day, she can be quite nice though, and even though it usually doesn't show, she's really a caring person at heart, and does stick with her friends (the few ones she has) when it really matters. The problem is that her greedy and manipulative ways tend to alienate people before they get to know her better.

If one is willing to look past this self-appointed treasure hunter's weakness for rarities - and her morning grumpiness - she is actually not a bad person to be around, however, as she's generally cheerful, skilled in persuasion (Although she rarely manages the trick in repeat), and quick thinker, as well as knowledgable in a wide variety of subjects and quite willing to use these traits for the benefit of her friends. Well, at least if these friends are willing to return the favour.

Mira does have a tendency to be over-dramatic about certain things and likes to joke about just about anything (As long as that anything isn't rare or valuable), which tends to annoy certain people and she simply can't stand others brooding endlessly on the past. As far as Mira is concerned, you should focus on what you can do rather than what should have been done. She can also be extremely stubborn, and on the occasions she feels that she just has to get things done her way she's not beyond using virtually any trick available to do so.

Appearance: Slightly below the average height of Esekan girls, Mira's mixed heritage gives her an appearance rather different from most residents of Alvene. Her skin pigment is distinctly darker than the Esekan one (Although by southern standards it would still be light) and her long, usually somewhat messy, pitch-black hair - quite strikingly similar to her mother's and reaching a fair bit below her shoulders - does stand out from the prefered short, well-kept, and usually brown or blonde that most citizens of Alvene tend to prefer. Her eyes are dark brown, much to her distaste as she would far have prefered them to be green. Constant excursions to the nearby wilderness have also kept Mira's body well in shape, although - through the wonder of genetics - she doesn't really have that much in the way of feminine curves, not that she minds, seeing as how she's got far more important things to do than conforming to the stereotypical male view of feminine beauty.

In terms of clothes, Mira tends to prefer practicality over appearance, usually wearing a thick, purple sweater, underneath which an old t-shirt (Usually white, sporting the more-or-less faded name and picture of a band like the Franticshippers) and a warm pair of greyish-coloured trousers. When temperatures get real low she may even pull on a long overcoat - tan in colour - and her much-cherished scarf - a white one with smiling little Chimechos on it that her mother made her for her fifth Christmas - which she keeps with her for sentimental reasons, despite knowing that it makes her look somewhat silly, especially since it's a bit on the smallish side. She also wears a pair of black boots, long-shafted to keep the snow out and fur-liend inside to make them warm, and carries a pair of grey mittens in the pockets of whatever she's currently chosen to wear. No matter how cold it gets, however, Mira bluntly refuses to cover her hair, and is equally reluctant to tell anyone why, most say that it's just a matter of vanity, though, as her hair is just about the only thing about her that blatantly screams 'female', and many people - Serenade included - have told her that she's going to end up catching her death in a cold one day. For carrying items, Mira always comes prepared. Not only has she had concealed pockets sewn into virtually every piece of clothing she wears; she also carries a sizeable backpack - blueish grey in colour - with her whenever there's even a slim chance of finding something worthwhile, and since something worthwhile can be something as simple as an oddly shaped rock she's nearly always carrying her backpack. As a final measure, she also wears a black utility belt around her waist with multiple places for depositing whatever treasures she happens to come across.

Pokémon:

Kirlia "Serenade" (Male)

Mira's first pokémon, and presumably older than his trainer, Mira first met Serenade at the age of six, on the very day that her mother - who already had a history of bad colds - passed away. Mira's father was currently on a bussiness trip, and her grandmother - the only other person around - had no chance to keep the griefstruck child from rushing out into the cold, winter night. This venture could very well have ended in disaster, were it not for the fact that the girl had, by chance, stumbled upon a Kirlia out of all things. Sensing the child's sorrow, Serenade immediately took a liking to Mira and did his best to comfort her, eventually calming her down and calling others for help. Whether it was out of caring, a sense of duty, or reasons unknown, the Kirlia took it upon himself to act as Mira's guardian on that day, quickly earning the nickname of Serenade for the song with which he had calmed Mira down that day.

Quiet, calm, and thoughtful, Serenade shows little of the cheerful and emotional behaviour commonly associated with his species. Unlike his trainer, he is rational and level-headed, always thinking things through and making his decisions based on reason. Serenade is also always very formal and carefully polite in his speech, which makes him come off as somewhat cold and emotionally distanced. He also seems reluctant of attachment, and it usually takes time for him to warm up to others. He has a very strong sense of duty, however, and will protect anyone he cares about to the last.

For reasons unkown even to his trainer, this Kirlia considers himself to be Mira's guardian and moral conscience and often scolds her for her selfish behaviour. As a result, the two spend a lot of time arguing, and to outsiders it would seem that the two just don't get along. This is not the case, however, as - despite their differences - the two have been together for the better part of Mira's life, from her childhood years and her adolescent temper tantrums all the way to her entrance into puberty, and they are, for all practical reasons, insepparable.

Swinub "Genki" (Male)

Mira's first and - thus far - only catch. At first Genki seems - much in contrast to his name - to be a very apathic individual, spending most of his time asleep either in his pokéball or somewhere amongst his trainer's belongings. He likes to take his time with...well, practically anything, and refuses to be rushed, seemingly regardless of circumstances.

Mira originally caught this little pokémon when exploring one of the many caves surrounding Alvene (One which was supposed to contain a small concentration of the rare and valuable material known as Nevermeltice). The Swinub was peacefully enjoying his afternoon snooze when he suddenly became aware of something round and colorful approaching from above...fast. Never one to rush or panic, however, Genki merely waited, not even bothering to try moving out of the trajectory of his trainer-to-be's pokéball as it struck him square on the forehead.

To this day, it is arguable wether or not Genki has even fully recognized the change in his daily routine, and if he has then he certainly hasn't expressed any of the usual objections that new catches tend to have, quite patiently listening to whatever his trainer, or just about anyone else for that matter, has to say while making little or no response or even acknowledgement of having heard. There is one exception to Genki's seemingly constant calm, however, and that exception is food: when this relaxed little pig smells something nice, there is very little that can stop him from getting to it. The only thing more suicidal than trying to get between Genki and his food is trying to take it from him, and those who have tried usually to end up with chewed fingers and a nasty case of frostbite...if they're lucky.

The little pig has also come to appreciate Mira, at least to a certain degree, as a good feeder, and will certainly try to protect his main food source if necessary. Fortunately, he is quick to calm and forgive, however, and it is truly hard to earn any permanent ire from Genki.

This Swinub also has an extaordinarily keen sense of smell, something which Mira has made considerable use of over the years. He is also far smarter and more perceptive than most people give him credit for, and if anyone where to actually bother asking for Genki's take on a situation - for he doesn't bother to announce it on his own - they would most likely be surprised.

History: A local of Alvene, Mira came to be as a result of the ambitions of her father, an entrepeneur from Kanto who had originally arrived in Eseka to start up a small-scale chain of pokémarts, realizing that there was a tidy profit to be earned there with little risk of competition from the big companies or interference from criminal organisations. His grand master plan soon came to change, however, as he ended up falling in love with a local woman in Alvene. One thing led to another and the brilliant profiting scheme eventually got replaced with the running of a local convenience store, a small, ambitionless, but fairly solid bussiness, and soon grew to be accepted into community by the other townspeople, and a few years later their first child - named Mira, which was supposedly an old Esekan word for new snow - was born and spent a few, happy, idyllic years in the sheltered environment of Alvene, knowing virtually nothing of all the things happening in the outside world.

Overall, these first few years would have seemed like a nice place to place a contented 'happily ever after', but unfortunately the world was no story book, and soon the fairytale facade that was Mira's life began cracking at the seams: with the increasing expense that comes with raising a growing child and taking care of his wife (who was spending more and more time bed-ridden with fever), her father became more and more stretched to make ends meet with the family bussiness, embarking on longer and longer bussiness trips in the hopes of striking rich and earning himself enough money to properly settle down with his family and live a nice life.

During these trips, Mira was left in the care of her mother and - as the woman's health began weakening - her grandmother Dahlia, one of the oldest living people in Alvene and, indeed, all of Eseka. Now Dahlia Tanglebrook certainly wasn't what anyone would call a modern visionary; in fact, quite the contrary.Born and raised in an environment where the old traditions were a sacred duty more important than life itself and all outsiders were regarded with feelings ranging from suspicion to open hostility, she had quite set views on a number of things, particularly on the subject of foreigners in general and her new son-in-law - or son-of-shame, as she persistently calls him - in particular. As a result, she never really saw eye-to-eye with Mira's father. Most people just laughed this off with comments like 'That's what in-laws are for', however, and tensions within the family were relatively low.

The old woman also immediately took a shine to Mira, most likely because of certain similarities in their appearance, and was quick to tutor the child in the old ways, teaching her the old songs and tales of the town and the legendary battle that was supposedly waged there while at the same time making sure to put in a bad word or two about 'that foreigner' at regular intervals.

Although Mira's father was worried about this, it turned out to be rather unnecessary, as the girl never seemed to take the tales as more than funny stories, listening to her grandmother's long-winded preaches with a certain degree of amusement and striking down the criticism with all the innocent belief of a child who had never been acquainted with the darker realities of life, utterly convinced that her daddy was just doing what daddies were supposed to do.

This frail state of harmony didn't last long, however, as Mira's mother soon suffered a particularly nasty period of cold during one of her husband's many extended bussiness trips and, after several weeks of slow detoriation, passed away. Blinded by grief, Mira - only a child of six at the time - struggled away from her grandmother's grip and rushed out into the cold, winter night. Healthy though she was, Dahlia Tanglebrook wasn't exactly a sprinter anymore, nor was her eyesight the best, so were it not for an incredible bit of good luck, Mira would probably have suffered a poetically tragic death right there and then. As fate would have it, however, she was not the only one out roaming on that night. As the child had reached the point at which she no longer had the energy to run, a peculiar sound caught her ears. A soft, hauntingly beautiful melody that calmed her and eventually lulled her to sleep. When she awoke, she was at home in her own bed, watched over by what turned out to be the owner of the voice she had heard: an old Kirlia who had stubbornly settled down at the foot of her bed, refusing to budge no matter how hard anyone tried to move him. The emotion pokémon had, it later turned out, not only calmed Mira down but also called out to the other townspeople for help, standing guard over the child and for the whole length of her unconsciousness.

While the Kirlia's true motives for this behaviour remain something of a mystery even today, the pokémon had clearly taken Mira under his care that day, and never left since. Mira's grandmother immediately declared that the pokémon was a guardian spirit, a protector sent to watch over her blessed grandchild, and for a few days the girl got her first taste of what it feels like to be the topic of every discussion in town. The talk soon died down however, as such things tend to do, the psychic pokémon becoming viewed as little more than any other trainer's partner.

To Mira, Serenade - so called because of the beautiful songs he could produce - was a lot more than that, however. Angry at her father and grandmother for not being able to prevent her mother's death, she spent several years making virtually no contact with her family, often making longer excursions into the surrounding nature with her new companion, while her father - having decided that the girl needed her space - did his best to fix up the family bussiness, a surprisingly simple feat now that expensive medical bills were no longer around to be paid. During this time, Serenade was the only real friend that the girl had, and the only one she fully trusted.

With time, the family relations healed somewhat, and a new harmony settled in the Tanglebrook household, of which Mira's grandmother had now become a more or less permanent part. As a further gesture of peace, Mira's father began taking her with him on his bussiness trips abroad - something which sparked a huge uproar from her grandmother. It was during these trips that Mira got her first glimpses of all the wonders outside of her cloistered little home town, and it was presumably also during this trip that her current interest for rarities was first sparked.

Other: Being a self-appointed seeker of rarities, Mira has been known to carry around the most bizarre of items at times. The one thing that never leaves her side, however, is her trusty itemfinder.

RP Sample: Gonna' point at Ancient Dynasty for now, because I can. ^^

 

[YoshiRiRu]

If at ALL possible, could you save me a spot, Alter? I've got some Christmas Eve stuff going on, and I might not be able to get my sign up out until later on the day. If you can't, don't sweat it. Just wondering. ^^;

EDIT: ZOMFG. Wow. I got so swamped yesterday, I didn't have ANY chance to write yesterday. I'll have it up within an hour, kk Alter?

DOUBLE EDIT: Okay, I just realized that I won't be around for most of the day. I really feel bad about holding up the RP for so long, so I'm going to put up an old (but good!) character of mine, of course with tweaks to match the RP setting. If I can finish my new character, then I will, but until then, assume that this is my entry.

Name: Artemis Consel

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Personality: Artemis is usually a happy, laid back, carefree kind of guy.. However,he's easily startled, and he can be very reserved towards people who don't give him the right "vibe." While not exactly a psychic ability, he posseses a certain instinct, a "sixth sense" if you will. This allows him to tell when something is about to go wrong, or is going wrong, or vice versa. He can be quite bipolar at times, and depending on such trivial things as the weather, or hearing something on the news can shift his mood from bouncy and bubbly to reserved and lonely. He loves to play little tricks on people, provided he's in the mood, and he can be rather flirtatious. (again, when the mood suits.)

Appearance: When you look at Artemis, the first vibe you'd get is "unorganized." More often than not, his sand-colored hair is ruffled and his clothes are... less than "classy." However, take a bit of a closer look, and you'll find quite a handsome young lad.. when he's cleaned up, that is. Underneath a scruffy exterior is a boy of nearly 6 feet. His hair is long enough to not be short, but not quite long enough to be long, reaching about the bottom of his nose at the shortest, and the base of his neck at the longest. It's usually over one eye, although this is unintentional, and is more of an annoyance than a "cool" factor. Underneath that scruff of hair are a pair of deep blue eyes, which reflect light like a pool in the moonlight. People always say that they "change colors," but Artemis has never witnessed this phenomenon personally. Outside of his eyes, there's nothing too special about Artemis' face, or the rest of him for that matter. He's of average build and weight, although a tad more athletic than the average teenage boy of his age, due to his history of team sports.

His cold tolerance is pretty high, but when in Alvene, his apparel is appropriate. Most of the time, he wears 3 visible layers. On top, he almost always wears a dark grey jacket. The jacket, like most of his external clothing, is frayed, and tattered about the wrists. On the breast pocket, the insignia of the High School he attends is embroidered. Although not thick, the jacket serves it's purpose. Under that is a white collared shirt with some slogan on it, that even Leon didn't know. He just bought it because it looked cool. Under that, to top it all off, a thick blue undershirt with a checkered pattern. He sports beige cargo pants, which sag slightly, and a belt, which holds his pokeballs, along with his pants. Although he despises the feeling of rubber boots, he wears a pair of large black rubber boots when out in the snow. His pack is black, and.. you guessed it; tattered. However, miraculously, it holds everything that Artemis needs held without much trouble. Atop his head, he wears a snow cap, the fluffy sides held to the side of the hat by a pair of goggles, which he keeps on him in case of snow.

Although not huge on accessories, there are a few things you might notice while taking a close look at Artemis. On his left hand, he wears a simple digital watch. Higher up on the other arm is a sash with a small embroidery on it, part of home that he took with him on his trip.

Pokemon:

Girafarig - "Melody." Female.

Melody is the type of girl who always cares about her appearance. She is very vain, and very proper. She can't stand to be dirty in any way. If someone around her is acting foolish or un-dignified in any way, she becomes very embarrased. As a girafarig, she has two sides to every issue, but usually the back end handles any altercations or battles. However, she drops all of her dignity when she is battling. She fights very hard, and fights to win. Sometimes, her competetive nature intimidates Artemis.

Swellow - "Robin." Female.

Robin is very protective of her team, almost like a mother figure. She manages to be able to patch them up after a battle, no matter how bad the injury. In battle herself, she is fearless and deadly, striking weak points, and making sure no harm comes to her family. However, it rarely comes to this, and Robin will only fight if it's the very last resort.

Smoochum -"Smoochum." Female.

Smoochum is one of the three elemental triplets that was given to Artemis as a 15th birthday present, given to him by the Goldenrod breeders. Smoochum herself is very sisterly and dependant of the other 2, and is always with them, even in battle. They all three share a bit of telekinetic link with each other, and find themselves completing each other sentences often.

Elekid "Elekid." Male.

Elekid is one of the three elemental triplets that was given to Artemis as a 15th birthday present, given to him by the Goldenrod breeders. Elekid can be spontaneous, but is always supportive of his siblings, helping them with whatever they need. They all three share a bit of telekinetic link with each other, and find themselves completing each other sentences often.

Magby - "Magby" Male .

Magby is one of the three elemental triplets that was given to Artemis as a 15th birthday present, given to him by the Goldenrod breeders. Magby is the "cool" one of the three, intellectual, calm, and possesing a good amount of leadership. He's often considered to be the leader of the triplets. They all three share a bit of telekinetic link with each other, and find themselves completing each other sentences often.

History:Born and raised in Ecruteak City, both his parents lived and worked in an age old, family owned inn, which Artemis has lived all his life. Ever since the time he could walk, he loved to sneak out of his bed and listen to the old tales told by travelers and mariners alike who frequented the tavern. Being the nature of the city as well, many monks would barge in and yell about a various spirit that was going to haunt them all. (At this, just to be funny, Artemis would flick the lights on and off a few times, just to freak everyone out.) All sorts of people came and went through the inn. (Some of his favorites included a man named Ignov, who was a big beefy man from some foreign country who married his Jynx, and a skinny man named Horace who insisted every time that he came into the bar that he was turning into a Bellsprout ever since the guards at the tower had thrown him out the window.) So, naturally, Artemis became very familiar with the surrounding regions, along with any tall tales that accompanied them. He dreamed of being an explorer one day, and finding out if any of those tales were true.

Luckily, he would get the chance. As it neared Christmas time, Artemis' father recieved a letter from his brother, who lived in Eseka. Artemis' uncle had moved there from the city almost 10 years prior, and all memories of him had been basically washed from his memory.

"Come and see the festivities, David! Bring your boy along, too! I'm sure he'd love a good bit away from home!" the letter had said.

Next thing Artemis knew, he was in his room, packing, grumbling. He really had no "freezing" weather clothes - the temperature in Ecruteak tended to be very mild, and almost never cold, even in winter time. So, packing up the last of his warmest clothes, he found himself on the road towards Olivine City, on which he would ride a boat to Alvene, where his uncle owned a small inn.


Other: Artemis has a Pokegear, which can be used to contact him.

RP Sample: Slateport - a massive staple of Hoenn's power and money. As Julian stepped out of Earl's Pokemon Academy, (which happened to look exactly like the Goldenrod branch, complete with the horribly done neon sign of the spinning fat man, and broken window on the 2nd floor.) he realized that he had never, ever, been to Hoenn at all, let alone Slateport. Suddenly, he felt very afraid and insignificant. Suddenly, an odd, high pitched voice sounded out behind him.

"Hallo!! You look lost, yes?!" Julian wheeled around, and found himself face to face with a large man.. and he seemed to be spinning. Julian was taken aback for a second, but looking up at the neon sign, he made a few assumptions.

"Um.. I guess... are you Earl?" The fat man shook his massive face in an enthusiastic nod. "Why, yes! Have heard of me you?" Earl queried, almost psychotically. Julian took a step back.

"Um, I guess so.." The man named Earl took a step forward and made a grab for Julian. "I help you with pokemon, yes!?" Julian yelped, and took several steps back. He started to panic a little. "Uh.. no. I need.. um, directions to Rustboro city.. if you please." Earl threw his chubby arms in the air, and spun around twice in rapid succession. "YES! Exploration, always excellent! To for get to Rustboro city..."

Earl drew a large piece of paper from his pocket (How he managed to fit it in there, Julian wasn't exactly sure.) and also extracted a vibrant purple crayon, and began to draw a crude map of the surrounding area. "Well, my young friend, if take you this road, and go into cave, you make to Rustboro soon!" Earl handed the boy the map with a monstrous smile, but when he opened his eye to extend his hand in farewell, Julian had already bolted away from the huge man that he was sure had intentions to eat him.

"Huff... Puff..." Julian panted as he leaned against the wall. He took out his PokeGear to check the time, but as he did, it began to buzz and flash. [NEW EMAIL!] is what it proclaimed. Julian opened the message, and it went something like this..

"To All Team Trainer Members,

For the past few days, we have encountered a massive world problem known only as the virus. It has transformed many people, and some Trainer members, into hybrids, a combination of humans and pokemon. Although the hybrids seem to have retained their essential humanity, many people in this world still fear them and wish to kill them. We cannot allow that...

...All Trainer members who have not been infected and are stationed outside the Kanto and Johto regions are asked to report your status to Trainer Headquarters at Rustboro City. All traveling members of Trainer should also report to Rustboro City personally for further orders. Any members already on missions do not need to report in...

...We will get through this and we will succeed as a team. The world is depending on us and I am sure we will not let it down. Let's fight for freedom, fight for glory, and fight to win!

- Directory Harry Kim

"Harry Kim..." Julian mused. "I remember hearing about him. He was really high up in the progression, but I don't remember exactly what position he held." He closed his Pokegear, and headed north through Slateport.

It was a lot bigger than he thought it was. It wasn't like Saffron, there weren't busses or trams that ran through the streets like in his home city. "Well, let's see." He reached for his belt, grabbed Asura's pokeball, and tossed it into the street. The girafarig emerged from the blinding light. <Yeah, what?> the pokemon grumbled crossly. <I was trying to fix the bow in my hair.>

"You can do that when we get to Rustboro." Julian responded simply. "I need transportation, alright? Willing?"

<Yeah, I guess so. But if you mess up my hair..> Julian laughed before she could finish, and hopped on her back. Girafarigs are surprisingly strong and fast. Before he knew it, he was galloping through the city. In about 20 minutes time, he was in the open field again. He stopped for a minute to let his steed rest.

"Team Trainer.. Harry Kim.. the virus.. what is this all about, anyway? Why am I so drawn to Team Trainer? He barely told me anything about it, and the next thing I know, I'm in a different country. I don't have anything to rely on except some crazy fat guy's crude map (which was basically purple lines. You had to use your imagination.) and this email from this 'Kim' guy. This is so crazy.." he thought to himself.

"What do you think of it, Asura?" The pokemon did not reply, too entranced with it's own reflection in the water. "Then again," he thought, "I know exactly what she'd say;"

<You're just crazy, Julian.>

"Maybe she's right." he thought. "Maybe I AM crazy"

 

[Alter Ego]

@YoshiRiRu: Heh, no worries. I know that you've got the RP skills, you actually bothered to comment on my plot and besides, it's the season of giving, so... ~Resereved~

 

[Nigma]

@alter: I don´t know if i am good enough to join. I am writing currently on a sign-up, but if you think i shouldn´t join, just tell me. Otherwise, please save me a spot, ok? Thanks

 

[Alter Ego]

@Nigma: Well, I'd feel terribly bad allowing reservations for others but not for you, and what I've seen of your writing this far seems good enough, so...yeah, you're also ~Reserved~

 

[Raposa Dalua]

((Oooh, this sounds fun. [edit] Heh. =3[/edit] ))

Name: Hakira Cymbalis (Hah-kee-rah Cheem-bah-leehs)
Age: 17
Gender: Female

Personality: If you wanted a one word description of Hakira from her peers, it would most likely be "Oh God, don't even get me started...!" She does her best to live up to this too. She's wisecracking, smart-alecky, sarcastic, and her first impression towards people tends to make them either strongly dislike her or just be untrusting in general. She enjoys taunting her enemies and just generally mocking others in a friendly manner. Arguing is like a hobby to her; she'll keep debating for as long as she can. She just seems to enjoy it, and often never really takes her squabbles seriously. Her outlook on life is very negative, and she will often be the first to make the comment "'We're doomed" should she get herself into a situation where the outcome looks grim. Despite her overall rude mannerisms, she does have some traces of morality within her (though if you asked, she'd definitely tell you otherwise).

One has to wonder how she befriended her Pokemon in the first place.

Hakira is also the down-and-dirty sort, she is not afraid to get messy and actually has a pretty hard time understanding those who wish to remain clean all the time. Whether it be swimming in what could possibly be a contaminated creek, to chasing after her Pokemon because they stole some food from her, she always seems to be getting messy in some form or another. But it's all in good fun, right?

Appearance: Hakira is rather short for a seventeen year old girl, standing at a mere four foot eleven, and has often been confused with being younger than she really is. She has rich, dark brown skin that has the overall rough, calloused feeling of those who spend a great deal of time outside. Her short, mid-cheek length hair is silvery white in color, and when hit with the right light its sheen can be comparable to that of snow. She has violent, hot pink eyes that shimmer with mischief and trickery; they are usually accompanied by a "yer darn right I'm up to something" kind of smile. Tattooed onto her face are three light blue stripes, two on the right and one on the left. They streak diagonally downwards from her eyes. She has let the nails on her fingers grow out a bit; they're not easily breakable and are quite sharp. She can usually be seen keeping her nails to size by filing them on nearby rocks.

She would usually opt for lighter, easier to move in clothing, but an area like this obviously calls for much a much heavier form of attire. To start off, she wears several layers of clothing, the first being entirely white. These pants and the long sleeved shirt are made entirely out of a cotton-like material designed to trap body heat and keep it intact. The next layer contains more normal looking clothes- a pair of dark blue jeans and a black sweater with a white snowflake design stitched on the front. When preparing for outdoor travel, she dons a long, pale pink coat that hangs down to her knees; the coat itself has two layers: a softer, outside layer and a water resistant, insulated inside layer. The hood, cuffs, and bottom of the winter coat are lined with white synthetic fur. Her jeans are tucked into a pair of thick, off white boots that reach halfway up to her knees; the insides are lined with, you guessed it, white synthetic fur. Within these boots are feet covered in about three separate pairs of socks. She also has matching off white gloves (which, consequently, look like they were designed for males to wear). Lastly, when traveling outdoors, she always makes sure to have a consistent supply of hand warmers, foot warmers, and even those big chain-linked warmers that hang around your waist, just in case.

History: Hakira's life isn't anything that one would consider eventful or significant; she was born in Azalea, had two loving parents (a stay-at-home dad and a nurse mom who traveled to Goldenrod everyday for work), and had the obligatory family Slowpoke. She had the average life of one who lived in a small town, went to a small school, had a small group of friends, and lived for a small amount of time before she realized she was sick of everything being so darn... small!

Age thirteen was the time she departed from her small life and traveled into a very big life: the large, grand life of a Pokemon Trainer. She didn't capture Pokemon and train them to beat gyms or participate in contests though, oh no. She simply wanted companions, a form of protection necessary in order to travel the world and discover all it held without the need of trains, planes, and other unnecessary automobiles. For the last four years of her life she crawled over every nook and cranny of this planet on which she lived, always in search of places few people had been to before, or places that were unheard of. For this purpose she always carried her own set of maps with her. She considered it her job, and hers alone, to find amazing, undiscovered places and mark them on the map herself. She was an explorer of the uncharted.

Why go to Eseka, then? To explore, of course! It's places like Alvene, with the traditions and the old urban legends that fascinate her the most.

Other: Hakira has a fairly accurate knowledge of which plants have what effect; she knows which plants are good to eat, which ones have almost curative attributes, and which ones will leave someone clinging to the toilet for a week (a personal experience, not something she'd recommend to anyone else unless they really annoyed her).

Pokémon:

Name: Kushin
Species: Totodile
Gender: Male

Personality: Kushin is first and foremost a troublemaker, prone to moodiness and just being an overall grump. It takes him a looooonngg time to warm up to anyone regardless of how kind they are to him, and will more often than not continue to dislike that person for all eternity. He is not one for making friends; more often than not he would rather fight, and considers fighting to be the only way to settle a conflict. He has no trifles with hitting anyone, regardless of their gender or age, and tends to consider those who do not like fighting to be weak. He has a grudging respect for those that are stronger than he is, but can't seem to comprehend the fact that if someone is stronger than him, then he shouldn't fight.

He is completely serious at all times; his sarcasm, wit, and generally angry attitude are all other creatures ever get out of him. Overall, he's a very bitter and untrusting creature. And yet, it should be noted that despite his extremely unlikable attitude, he does have some traces of good attributes in him, which is probably what drew Hakira to him in the first place. Once gained, his loyalty is unwavering, and he is incredibly stubborn. Once he has his mind set on something, it's quite impossible to make him waver from it. A battle is only lost when he is either unconscious or dead.

History: Kushin was bred in a Pokemon Lab along with his fellow Pokemon, Chikorita and Cyndaquil, and was every bit as grumpy then as he is now. He desired to be powerful right from the get go, and would often opt for all out fighting over the silly little games Chika and Cynda wanted to play. Still, the two put up with him, always managing to keep a smile on, and to this day they're probably the only creatures he would consider to be his "friends" (and even then, he would only admit this to himself, within his own thoughts). The small group became the three misfits of the lab, happily causing trouble wherever they pleased and generally giving poor Elm and his assistants a pretty hard time. To them though, it was all in good fun.

It couldn't last forever, though. And when the time rolled around for them to be chosen by their soon-to-be trainers, they realized they didn't really want to say goodbye. So the three of them made a pact that, no matter what, they'd all end up on the same team together. To this day, Kushin is still searching for the people that separated him from his companions, and will most likely attempt to leave Hakira's team should he discover one or both of them.

Name: Cecil
Species: Misdreavus
Gender: Male

Personality: Cecil is the happy-go-lucky sort of creature, preferring to flow through his life (or lack thereof) like a river. Though he is a bit obnoxious and annoying, he has his heart in the right place. He's friendly towards most, if not all creatures he meets, though his trustworthiness has more often than not gotten him into trouble. He loves to romp and play; even in battle he will try to enjoy himself as much as he can. Life is a big game, and the only way to complete it thoroughly is to play your way through it. It takes a lot to tick this ghosty off; most of the time he will laugh along with those who insult him. He can be a little sarcastic at times, and if anybody he is loyal to is threatened he would be more than happy to get rid of whatever is stopping him from moving forward.

History: Both Cecil and Caroline happened upon Hakira during her travels through Silver Cave. Their intentions at first were to simply play a few harmless pranks; they pulled her hair, wailed unceremoniously, and caused her to trip over things in the rocky path that just weren't there before. They followed her throughout the cave the entire time she was there, doing their best to mess with her. The young girl took an odd sort of pity on them, seeing them as simply ghosts who were attached to this world by something and were thus unable to rest, so she played along with their games and tried not to get too annoyed. This went on the entire time for the few weeks she spent there; the two mischievous ghosts only gave her reprieve when she became too exhausted for them to influence her anymore.

Kushin was also a great source of amusement for these two, as he was especially easy to annoy and enrage. With him, though, their pranks were a little more on the violent side. These pranks consisted of, but were not limited to: surprise attacks from behind, temporary possession, tripping, poking, poking with a stick, rock throwing, poking with a broomstick, and so on. To say that these two really ticked him off would be an understatement. So, you can imagine his utter dismay when, on the day Hakira decided it was time to depart from Silver Cave, the two Misdreavus continued to follow her far past the entrance and even to the edge of the mountain. You see, by this point both Cecil and Caroline had discovered that they were not exactly capable of leaving Hakira's side. So she (reluctantly) agreed to let them travel with her until they discovered what it is they needed to do that involved her. She hoped that perhaps it would help them move on.

Name: Caroline
Species: Misdreavus
Gender: Female

Personality: Caroline is one of those creatures that, at no matter what age, you could imagine her as the silly little thing that says "Oooh, what does this button do?" and consequently blows up half of Europe. Now, this isn't to say that she is stupid, she's just overly curious, and has a tendency to not think before she acts. She's got this crazy sort of happiness that would probably annoy people who can see life for what it really is. She tends to be overly optimistic about everything, and her naivety seems to override any fears she might have. For example, if she caught a burglar snooping around her home, the first thing she'd do is offer said burglar some tea. And cookies. In any case, her happy way of thinking and bright, simplistic outlook on life can make her appear to be very childish, though on occasion she will spurt out random words of wisdom that make people wonder just what exactly she's thinking in that strange mind of hers.

It should be noted that Cecil and Caroline look completely identical, down to the last wavy wisp of their flowing purple and pink highlighted hair (can it really be called "hair"?). The only one who can tell them apart, is, oddly enough, Kushin.

RP Sample: ((Yeah, so, this sample is from an RPG at Serebii's and not PC, so sue me. Actually, don't sue me. I've got about five bucks to my name right now, and that won't pay for the lawyer you'd have to hire to do it. XP))

Hakira let out a soft, exasperated sigh as she tramped through the forest. Her hands were folded behind her head with her elbows sticking out in the air, and her tired looking eyes were half closed. It appeared as though she wasn't paying attention to anything that was going on around her, that she was slowly drifting away from everything. This notion is absolutely correct. Hakira was bored as heck. It was so darn quiet, except for the two trainers that looked to be family talking behind her. Everyone else? They were silent. Boringly silent. And it was driving her crazy.

Her hot pink eyes flitted this way and that, observing the other trainers that had also tagged along on this journey. There were very few that looked even remotely interesting or worth talking to. The problem with this motley group was that it seemed like everybody's personalities clashed with each other. There were people who looked like they'd rather chop someone's head off as opposed to socializing, others who probably wouldn't know what a joke was if it slapped them in the face, and others still who looked way too full of themselves, like they were better than everyone else there. Overall, the entire group appeared to be made of a bunch of anti-social misfits. And that just wouldn't do at all. Not on a trip where cooperation was probably going to be needed sooner or later.

Her Sandslash didn't look like she was enjoying herself either. The crimson spined creature cast her cute little blue eyes left and right, looking a little more aware of herself than she normally was. It was as though she sensed something just beyond the odd feeling of being watched that the humans around her felt. Saritsu saw that most of the other Pokemon had noticed this as well. She twiddled her claws nervously, spinning them around each other in small circles as she walked. Neither human nor Pokemon enjoyed the general unhappy atmosphere that surrounded them. It was so... so... stupid! If only somebody would break the silence...

Her pink eyes flashed forward as a gurgling noise escaped from somewhere in front of her. Looking quickly, she noticed the stomach of a boy a good foot taller than she was had grumbled from lack of food. His strange black hair poked out from under a cap she noticed on several other trainers before, but she couldn't quite place where it was from or what exactly it was. In any case, she watched with a little smile as he pulled his hat forward and lowered his head in embarrassment. A few seconds passed, and Hakira suddenly burst into short fits of laughter. The atmosphere around them had just become so silly, that she couldn't help it. Her laughter was only redoubled when, surprisingly, one of the more anti-social looking of the bunch asked if the boy was hungry. Saritsu nudged her, an indication that she should definitely stop making the boy feel worse, and she calmed herself down. Mentally, she thanked him for disrupting the odd silence that had settled in.

Feral Forest: Celebi's Wrath

 

[Nigma]

Well, i just finished. That´s the Character. I will refine it if i have more time. I hope that meets your expectations. ^^

Name: Amarezoth Azamir

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Personality: Unlike other trainer, Amarezoth is a silent guy who seems to need nothing exept himself. A confident, clever and mysterious guy with a flair for combat. For everybody he plays the cool and never losing smart trainer who always knows a way out of any situation. In the inside he is very sensitive and also he has many feelings, but he is afraid of showing this emotions. His father was a trainer-hero and never tolerates weakness, so Amarezoth just learned how to act tough. He thinks about every person he meets and shares his thoughts with his Pokémon. Since he is back from his hiding, his emotions are much stronger than before, but he always tries to ignore them.

Amarezoth is the kind of trainer who helps others in his own way, and these ways sometimes are very aggressive. Sometimes he shows a cold side of himself like in combat situations or if he has his "silent moments". One of his weak points is his not existing conscience. His acting was also controlled of Team Rocket, where he was a member for a short time, but he changed his mind about this evil company and listened to his Pokémon. For about 1 year he was missed, and rumors told that he had found his residence in a near wood. But now he is back, acting cooler and stronger than before, and he thinks always with a smile at this time he was missed if somebody wants to know. He has accepted his feelings now and he is ready for showing himself to everyone who thinks emotions are weak.

He can´t accept that even he makes failures. He will never surrender to another trainer and fights until his last Pokémon can´t stand. If you know him well, you can look behind his acting and see a trainer which loves his Pokémon and protect his friends with everything needed, because in his life, it seems he didn´t have had much friends. So friends and his Pokémon are most important for him.

Appearance:

Amarezoth is a black haired huge guy with an Egypt touch. His muscles are proof of his training and his Cm height isn´t small. His haircut is normal and he seems to be immobile with body. But the apparent deceives. His strength and his versatilely are very impressive and his always black clothing styles makes him look dangerous. Robust Boots, trousers and gloves are always been seen. Sometimes he wears a vest or a jacket. He has cold purple eyes and a red marking in the face and he always wears sunglasses. If there is an event he want to go to, he changes his clothing in black with many red tribals on his clothing. He likes to wear visor-caps and on his left arm we wears a red blanket which is tied on the upper arm part.

If Amarezoth smiles or looks at a person without his sunglasses, it isn´t rarely that this person gets excited and even his own Pokémon fear this look of him. His cloths seem to fuse with each darkness or shadow he walks through so his appearance is very mysterious, and the look on his face is most like arrogant. Even he has this cold purple eyes, his look is eerie and fascinating simultaneous. If one of his friends or Pokémon are in danger, he moves himself in front of the enemy like impregnably guardian.

History:

The red blanket on his left arm has a history with his owner. Everything begun in a small village near Slate-port City. Amarezoth was forced to be a courageously boy, to follow his fathers history one day, but the boy never wanted a future like that. He didn´t like Pokémon and this stuff so he ran away from home. He got lost in the big woods near the city and found himself lonely and in folds with endangerments, such as wild Pokémon. He got to an old power station where he tried to sleep. What he didn´t know was the fact that there was a Pokémon living there. The Pichu saw the lonely and weeping boy and used it´s electricity to bustle a heater near the boy. Amarezoth noticed that and changed mind of Pokémon. On the next day he tried to find home with his new friend and got to Slate-port City. In the streets of the city he met a women who was attacked by thief. He and his Pichu attacked the thief and banished him. To thank Amarezoth and his Pichu the women´s gift was the red blanket Amarezoth wears today.

Because of his bad experience he made while he was a Pokémon trainer, he catched up the thought that only persons who have power can be a good Pokémon trainer. So he saw the easy way of Team Rocket which assurances an easy way to get great power. Amarezoth went joined this evil corporation and did many missions where he got his cold eyes and his emotion where hidden more than before. He continued until his Pokémon refused faith in him so he left Team Rocket with his friends, Pichu which had gained the name Thunder and Sphinx. Thunder had already evolved into a Pikachu and then into a Raichu, and Sphinx was a black Persian which he had gained from Team Rocket after a very dangerous mission.

One day as he as he was beaten by a trainer who had much courage and a good feeling for Justice told Amarezoth that he was on the wrong way to be a good trainer. In this moment he remembered the meaning of his red blanket on his left arm and left everything behind. He was missed for about a year as he was seen in the near of the town of Alvene. He had accepted his fore time and was ready for the future. Nobody could stop him, he would bring peace to the world and fight criminals wherever he could. The new, strong and clever Amarezoth was born. He will never again be deceived by a wrong thought or a bad feeling. His career of a good trainer starts now!

Pokémon:

Raichu
Nickname: Thunder
Gender: Male
Info: Thunder is a strong and fast Raichu and his defense his only weak point. He knows good about his abilities and likes fair fights. He is a clever but short tempered Pokémon and he will never allow anyone to get near to his Trainer and best friend. He likes to argue with Sphinx and always thinks about Party and Techno, his favorite Music style. He doesn´t like waiting and like Sphinx he doesn´t like if Amarezoth looks coldly. His trained combat skills and razor sharp teeth and claws are dangerous for every Pokémon and his long tail has its own spirit.
Appearance: Like a normal Raichu but he has a much longer tail and razor sharp claws and teeth. And because of their trainer, he has egyptian ornaments in his face.

Persian
Nickname: Sphinx
Gender: Male
Info: Sphinx is unlike Thunder a pensive and reserved Pokémon. He is intelligent and thinks about 10 or more steps in the future before acting. He likes sleeping and cuddling but don´t underestimate Sphinx! His defense and speed is advantageous even if his attacks aren't the strongest. Sphinx likes his Trainer and owner very much and ignores that Amarezoth doesn´t like when Sphinx and Thunder are arguing, because it´s one of Sphinx´s hobby's. He doesn´t like haste or extremeness, and he fears like Thunder the cold look of their trainer.
Appearance: A black beautiful Persian and even a bit bigger. And because of their trainer, he has egyptian ornaments in his face.

RP-Sample: Century War

 

[Charon]

{Tweakin' done. I edited nearly everything just a little.}

Name: Maud Ryder
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Personality: Generally, Maud is a mature, caring girl; she has a lot of responsibility at home, and this reflects in the often matriarchal role she chooses to take outside it. If someone's in trouble, this girl is often the first to act. She is a genuine mother hen, and openly offers her comfort and love to people around her. However, Maud can often be bossy, and has fine ideas of fairness and the 'right' way do things. She hates being proved wrong. For this reason, Maud's personality can be quite frictional, as she has a sharp temper and a lot of pride. Never the less, she is willing to accept she's wrong – after a suitable amount of argument, however.

Despite all these bad points, Maud isn't entirely repulsive; she isn't deaf to the ideas of other people – though she may not like to accept them - and she isn't totally overbearing, even if she pretends to be. She is a deeply loving person, and very forgiving. She is passionate about doing what's right, but often does more harm than good. She also has a has an odd paranoia about being left behind, which can be a major hindrance.

Appearance: Maud is not uncommonly pretty; she is quite plain, with a heart-shaped face, a high forehead and deep-set, warm grey eyes. She has an intelligent, quiet look about her, something which is emphasised when she wears her glasses to read. Her hair is a dark brown and falls in large, untidy waves underneath a lapelled woolly hat. This is decorated with fire balls. Maud is rarely seen without it.

Maud dresses in pretty standard ski-wear; grey boots, baggy blue trousers, and a blue-grey ski-jacket. This is normally worn undone, to reveal a marl-grey hoodie with the words 'Newqauy Coastguard' on in navy letters. She has a relatively ordinary figure; she isn't skinny, but neither is she fat. She has all the required curves and contours of an attractive human girl, but nothing spectacular. Maud isn't at the peak of fitness, but she's used to walking and the general activity that comes with owning both pokemon and little siblings. She's average height for a girl of her age, too. All in all, Maud's appearence is very...ordinary.

Pokémon:
Hermione, or Ermy;
Quilava, Female
She is a lean, runty looking animal, with a slim, light frame and a foxy face. She is both nimble and strong in terms of fire, but her physical strength leaves something to be desired.
Hermione, or Ermy, as she is often fondly nick-named, has a temper not dissimilar to her trainer. She appears meek, almost shy, and takes comfort in both the company of her trainer and her other pokemon off the field. However, like Maud, Hermione possesses an awesome temper, and is quick to anger. She is a good battler, but leagues away from Maud's other pokemon. She is determined to protect her trainer no matter what, but dislikes being in the limelight. Hermione was Maud's starter, and the pair remain as thick as thieves.

Lysander;
Arcanine, Male
Lysander is the same age as Hermione, and the pair are best friends, almost like siblings. Lysander frequently refers to Hermione as 'sister' for this reason.
Lysander is a dignified looking beast; he is a massive, kindly giant to his friends. He has a fantastic, shaggy coat, rich in colour, and large, doe-like eyes. He is a good deal stronger than Hermione, both physically and mentally. He does not back down as easily as her, nor is he as prone to shyness. Lysander is generally far more ruthless and far less reasonable. He would much rather fight first and ask questions later if he finds a situation threatening, and would do anything to protect Hermione or his trainer. He is the best battler out of the pair, but combined, they are nearly unstoppable.
Lysander was captured soon after Hermione was given to Maud. The inexperienced trainer caught him by sheer luck; he was staggering around weakly, having already had half his health depleted by another trainer. Maud jumped at the chance, and the growllithe vanished within a poke ball.

History: Maud's childhood was an uproar; her parents split when she was ten and her father walked out, leaving her to take care of her little sisters while her mother, who had no one to help her out, worked day and night.
For a while, Maud did everything she could; walking her little sisters to school, helping them with home work and did the majority of the housework. Her grades slipped, and Maud became relatively inclusive. She became awfully afraid that one day her mother would walk out too, for the long hours she worked caused her to become very distant. She would leave the house just as Maud was waking up and come in just as she was going to sleep.
Of course, Maud's mother soon remarried. Unlike Maud, her motherwas startlingly pretty, and she soon found another lover. Maud, her sister and mother got to play happy families again; the new man in Mrs. Ryder's life had a well paid job, so she could stay home. Maud never really liked her step-Dad, but he made her mother happy and provided for her little sisters; she lived in relative contentment since. Her step-Dad even got her a cyndaquil, whom she named Hermione. At age twelve, she obviously named it after the famous children's book character; at sixteen, Maud claims she named it after the character from Shakespeare's 'a winter's tale'.

She is in Alvene for a mere ski holiday. However, Maud has no real love of throwing herself down a mountainside with wood strapped to her feet, so she's going on an adventure while her family 'enjoy themselves'. She wants to train Lysander and Hermione up to competing level - right now they are companion pokemon - and thinks Eseka is the perfect place to do this.

Other: none

RP Sample:
Showgan RP

 

[Alter Ego]

Oh my...is it just me or have we suddenly discovered an upsurge of duplicate pokémon? I count three pairs of same-species pokémon (Each of said pairs having a shared team). Oh well, I'll go with the assumption that it's all just one freaky coincidence. ^-^

@Kogenta: Well, I notice an RP sample here. What's more, I notice that it's a good one at that, although you could of course have done me the courtesy of saying that your profile was ready. ^^ Still, no harm done. This one's a clear ~Accepted~

@Raposa Dalua: Heh, my bad about the region name. Aseka was one of my older tentative names for it before I settled on this one and it looks like I typoed it in now and again. Weird how none of my proofreaders spotted it, though. o.O Well, it's fixed now. As for your sign-up...love it. You're in. ^^ ~Accepted~

@Nigma: Well, you've got a bit of grammar issues there, but that's to be expected and the meaning is still completely clear. In terms of length and content, you've got it right, so you are...~Accepted~

@Charon: Heh, just gave in to temptation one day after your brave and selfless statement, eh? xD Well, welcome aboard, but I know you've got the skills to do way better than what I see here *Pokes RP Sample*, so yish...until you've made these edits you mentioned you shall be...~Pending~



Okay folks, this is going just great thus far. (And I haven't even had to fail anyone yet =D) I'll still be giving Charon some time to brush up on her sign-up and YoshiRiRu and Miss Kaeldra time to complete theirs, so I'll start this RP up tomorrow (That's about 24 hours from the time of this post, whatever that is on your sides of this ball of mud), so whoever has something left to add had best do it now. ^^

 

[Charon]

{ooc| Darn! I'm not in the habit of reading other people's sign-ups before I write mine, I admit... I thought I was being unique, having a brother-and-sister duo. xPP I've been wanting to play these guys for a while... Pooey. I'll edit Maudy's pokemon now. No worries!
Other than that, my sign-up is complete.

Edit: Changed the pokemon, just for a bit of variety. I filched names from Shakespeare for the pokemon... mwahahaha. *cough* I hate English Lit classes. This is what they make me do.}

 

[Miss Kaeldra]

I finally edited mine, Alter. ^^ I hope you look for more quality than quantity...this shouldn't be a contest to see who has the bigger sign-up, right? I certiantly hope not. ^^

Thank you for giving me the chance to finish it. ^_^

 

[Random Plushie]

..so whoever has something left to add had best do it now. ^^

Does that include unnecessary edits? xD

I wanted to add a bit more to my RP Sample because.. well, I was actually going for the simplistic approach on that one, but it turned out a bit too simple for my liking, especially when Yibber posted her pwnage sign-up xP (Although you reallllly did do an excellent job, Yibber). So yes, expect an edited version to pop up any day now. As in, before the RP starts.


Editness: Okay, all finished. It doesn't have that much of a difference.. just has more.. depth. Yes, that's the word. xD

 

[Ibuberu]

Heh, thankies Plushie. =D Seriously, the lengthy-ness was mostly cause' I had nothing to do during my holidays, so, bah. XD

And I like extra sized blue words. ^^ As for me, I looked through my random notes yesterday and realised that Rina was supposed to be 15, hm, her personality's way too complex(XD) for that of a 14 year old.. Besides, everyone's all old compared to Tori and Rina. XD Other than that, no corrections made to the sign up sheet. ^^

 

[Alter Ego]

@YoshiRiru: You could have just made a post to tell me that this was done, you know. No need to be bashful, people: I don't bite...unless you go godmodding or make a post that isn't even vaguely related to the sign-ups or this RP in general in any way, then I'll chew off your head and glue it back on the wrong way. :O

Anyhow, although the team is bordering on overly strong (Would really appreciate it if you could maybe drop one of the pokes to create some balance) it does look like good quality over all. Allright, this sign-up is...~Accepted~

@Random Plushie: Heh, yes, unecessary edits are allowed. Do I sense a bit of rivalry here? xD Do recall that you've already got extra pwnage points for helping me with the plot and naming. Regardless, the improved RP Sample is...well, improved. Good on you for making it. ^_^ You remain ~Accepted~ with a total of three pwnage points (That more or less amounts to the value of a pwnage sign-up). Rejoice.

@Miss Kaeldra: Of course it's quality over quantity, and you seem to have a good amount of both. The contest is only between Yibber and Plushie, as you can see. xD The RP sample has a sort of random transition in the middle of it, but still, you're...~Accepted~

@Charon: I see edits, yes, but I also see that you're still refering to the original nicknames in the 'History' field. Very sloppy. Still, your profile fits the requirements, so you are...~Accepted~

@Mika-chan: A thousand pardons, but you did miss it. I've already got nine RPers, even though I set off with an original maximum of eight. Sorry, but there's just no room. You ought to have made a reservation, you know, or arrived a bit earlier. .____. Meh, if you've got an extaordinarily, mind-bogglingly marvelous character which just has to get in then I might be, against my better judgement, convinced to stretch out the limit further for you. Meh, PM me the profile and we'll see, okay?

As far as this thread is concerned, however...

~Sign-ups are now closed~​

I said we'd start today and I'll stick to that. My introductory IC should be up in about an hour or so and will be edited into this post. Patience, my dear RPers, patience. I have a feeling that this first post shall be rather lengthy. xD

IC:

A winter morning in the beautiful mountain town of Alvene, so the travel brochure states, is an unforgettable experience, a moment of utter tranquility and beauty, of a pale, clear blue sky and vast expanses of white snow glittering in the light of the rising sun, a moment of complete silence and harmony between nature and civilization.

A certain Mira Tanglebrook knew very little of this tranquility, however, as the infernally annoying tune of her pokégear phone suddenly set off, mercilessly tearing her out of her well-deserved sleep.

The girl groaned, fumbling around in the dark for a moment until she managed to reach the light switch and flip it on, grasping the pokégear with her remaining hand and staring dumbly at it for a second as she waited for her mind to catch up, after which she finally had the sense to flip it open. On the screen, handily self-illuminated, the name and number of the caller glared back at her, but that wasn't what she was really focused on at the moment. No, she was focusing on the little box above it which held the current time. Mira's eyes narrowed at the sight, the girl clicking the 'reply' button with far more force than necessary.

"Isa..." she said in as leveled a tone as she could muster, "...do you realize that it's 8 o'clock ON A SUNDAY MORNING?!" the last bit she screamed into the phone with all the righteous fury she could muster, the sound of her voice easily penetrating the window and sending an unsuspecting Murkrow who had been asleep on the roof off with a series of annoyed squawks.

"Yes I do." came a kind, somewhat rattled, and decidedly apologetic male voice from the other side, "Look, I know you don't like early mornings but-"

"This had better be important." the girl interrupted, gritting her teeth in an attempt to keep some of the more colorful expressions in her mind from slipping out. Isa was a friend, after all, a good friend. And even though his naivité and saintly aspirations for always helping out everyone in need - usually managing to drag her into it in the process - had annoyed the girl more than once, she still didn't have the heart to be overly mean to him. Still, he really ought to have known better than to bug her at this hour. "You've got ten seconds to convince me not to hang up and go back to bed. Ten."

"Well, you see..." the boy began, "...there's this voluntary work I'm doing, you know...for the upcoming festival."

"Nine."

"...I'm supposed to show the visitors around, tell them about the background of the town. You know, our traditions and that kind of thing?"

"Eight."

"Well one of old Hendrick's Piloswines got a leg hurt and we're really short on people here at the center right now, especially with the healing machine broken down, so..."

"Seven."

"...I was just thinking that maybe you could fill in for me? Just this once, I would really appreciate it if-"

The girl gave a jaded sigh. Leave it to her to make friends with a good samaritan who had to do both volunteer work and play nurse at the pokemon center. Well, if he thought that she was going to stand around in the cold pointing out buildings to a bunch of gaping, idiot tourists just because he couldn't be bothered to keep a managable schedule then he had another thing coming to him. "Six."

"Mira, please. I don't have anyone else I could turn to, and practically no-one around here knows the tales as well as you do. You don't have to do that much, just give them a brief tour. You might even like it."

The girl shook her head, trying to dislodge the mental image of the boy's face and his sad, pleading puppy-dog eyes. She had always been soft like that, but not to day, she would not be dragged out of bed at sunrise on a holiday, not without a substantial reward "I'm not even dressed yet, let alone awake. Five."

"There's still some time." Isa persisted, "Come on, Mira...Mi-chan, just consider it. One little favour for a friend? I've always helped you out, you know."

"I-" Mira felt like hitting herself. On one hand, she wanted nothing more than to put down the phone and go back to sleep, but on the other...

"Mira?" the voice inquired, "Are you still there? Look, okay. If it's such a big issue for you I'll ask someone else, maybe someone will fill in for me here instead."

"No." the girl could not have frustrated herself anymore. Why did she have to go and open her big mouth now? Just a few more seconds and the boy would have quit pestering her. Well, it was too late to retract that statement now, "I'll do it." she replied grumpily.

"Really?" there was a distinct rush of gratitude in the voice, "Thank you. But Mira, you really don't have to. I mean-"

"I said I'll do it." Mira growled, "Stop being so bloody flexible. So where do I go for this lovely morning activity you've arranged for me?"

"Town entrance." the boy replied, "I'll meet up with you in the square and lead you to the right place. Oh, and Mira?"

"What?"

"I appreciate this. I really do."

"Whatever..." the girl replied jadedly, "Just remember that you owe me, boy. I'll be there in about half an hour."

"Allright." the boy said, "See you. Oh, and merry Christmas."

Mira didn't even bother replying, decisively shutting the pokegear as she opened the curtains to let in some proper light, casting a tired glare over the town. Her room was on the second floor, and since the store was taller than most buildings, this gave her a fairly good view of the town, well, the town square at least. Even though it was inhumanely early by Mira's standards, the good people of Alvene didn't seem to view time the same way as she did. Already the girl could see a small group of people wandering about in the town square, setting up stalls, fussing over the bonfire - currently little more than a large pile of wood and debris stacked in the very center - or just generally acting busy, some people rushing back and forth between the bulidings set along the edges of the square, although in truth they seemed to form more of a circle. Right opposite to the store, the pokemon center was in full operation - apparently busy with the Piloswine incident. As for the rest, the local inn - for truly, calling anything in a town this size a hotel would probably be an overstatement - also seemed to be in preparation, but besides that, the town seemed pretty desolate, with most shokeepers having decided to keep bussiness out in the cold this day, despite the fact that it was obviously freezing cold out there.

The smart ones went to Johto, the brave ones went to Hoenn, the wise ones went to Kanto...and the nutters went to Eseka. That was a proverb Mira vaguely recalled hearing, and things like this made her realize that there was probably some truth to it. Beyond the square, she could vaguely make out the colorful roofs and walls of the various living houses, and - just barely - a glimpse of the cottage on the mountain slope. Old man Hendricks, the Piloswine herder, lived there, supposedly carving out a good living on exporting Piloswine fur, although most said that he was just in the bussiness to avoid people, as few things smelled as nasty as freshly cured Piloswine fur.

"Can't imagine anyone needing a guide for this..." the girl muttered for herself, truding over to the closet and pulling on the first batch of clothes she could find. She briefly contemplated taking a shower - something which the unruly angle that her hair was in agreed with - but came to realize that that would mean her having to walk around with frozen hair for the rest of the day, another one of the benefits of living in the beautiful winter landscape of Eseka.

After a good fifteen-minute struggle between the insubordinate locks and a hairbrush, Mira's mirror image finally looked at least sort of human. A few strands still pointed in weird angles, but she would be darned if she wasted another minute on that. Groaning once more, just for the sake of it, as she ran down the stairs with her sweater tucked underneath her arm, while simultaneously clipping the utility belt holding her pokeballs into place. The girl cast a glance at a clock as she rushed by. 8:23, great, she didn't even have time for a proper breakfast. Feeling, if possible, even more grumpy than before, she moved through the family living room, quickly steering herself past the tempting entrance of the kitchen and heading instead through the door that led to the shop-side of the buidling, grabbing her overcoat from the coathanger located on the side as she went.

"Why good morning Mira, didn't expect to see you up this early." Mira's father, - a tall, somewhat gangly man in his early forties with moderately short, chestnut brown hair - gave her a friendly, if somewhat surprised smile, "Oh, you're planning to get to the fair early, are you?". Even at this inhumane hour, he already looked completely awake and energetic, the dark brown sweater and black trousers looking annoyingly well-washed and his light blue eyes practically bursting with the kind of energy that Mira really didn't have the patience for this early in the morning. He was standing on a ladder with a precariously large box of wares tucked beneath one arm while carefully placing another on the top shelf.

"Yeah..." Mira mumbled, not wanting to be dragged into the bother of explaining the situation as she strode past both the precarious ladder and the counter, "Something like that."

"Whoa, what's the rush?" his dad inquired, "The fair doesn't start before nine and you haven't even eaten anything yet."

"I've got bussiness to take care of..." she replied, her stomach churning at the memory of food, "...and I'm really in a hurry so-" she nodded towards the door.

"Well, okay..." her father replied, noticing the morning grumpiness when he saw it and wisely deciding not to make a big deal of it, "But put a coat on, it's cold today."

'Put on a coat...' Mira echoed in her mind as she grabbed her overcoat and pulled it on, as if any force in the world could have made her go out without it. Even with the coat, she could already feel a shiver before the door had even been opened, and the blast of frigid, northern air that struck her face as soon as she opened the door confirmed her suspicions. This was turning out to be one bad day.

OOC: Gah, even after heartlessly skewering out a lot of details this post is turning out insanely long. I'll just be following this up in the next one, so yeah. Everyone please navigate your characters to the edge of town, or have them wake up in the inn or pokemon center (If they came in the night before) and then I'll try to get this rolling.