i wanna be the very best — private

[basorexia]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]”Be careful, Dmitry,” His mother’s voice rings in his ears, smiling to himself at the thought of her warm smile and comforting embrace as she and his father send him their goodbyes. ”Remember to have fun. Come home if you feel homesick!” The teenager continues on at a moderate jog, his lips stretching so far that his cheeks throbs from the strain, but he’s too excited to notice or even care. His first Pokémon. What would it be? A flying type? Or maybe an ice type? The possibilities are endless! He doesn’t have much of a preference on what type it may turn out to be—all he cares for is the journey they’ll have together in becoming stronger. Pokémon surrounded him while he was growing up; his parents both having Pokémon of their own that are like family to him. Sure, they can be pains in the ass, but he couldn’t have wished for better companions. Now, he’s on a road to destiny in finding his own battle-mate. Oh, boy is he-

”Ouch!”

Stumbling backward, Dmitry’s hand presses to his chin that now aches from the sudden collision. He furrows his eyebrows, staring at the shorter boy who doesn’t look all too happy to have been disturbed. He opens his mouth to apologize, rubbing his chin for a moment before stepping toward the boy to make sure he’s okay, hands stretching out to touch his shoulder.

[ [member=1397]snowhound[/member] ]

[BORZOI]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]It's strange how different a single day can go for two different people. While Dmitry is excited and on his way to get his first ever Pokémon, Oaklan is currently in what he would call a panic. He's running blindly down a cobbled path that winds into the forest toward the next town, his breathing coming quick as he hugs a bag close to his chest. Inside are stolen Pokéballs—well, stolen stolen Pokéballs. In other words, he's stolen these Pokémon back from the local thieves, better known as Team Rocket. It had all been quite the funny story. All he'd needed was a Pokédex from the professor, and then he would have been gone and on his merry way to start his very own Pokémon journey. However, things can never be that simple for him. They've always been so complicated, because the moment he walked into that lab and took that Pokédex, the doors slid open behind him, there was a cry for someone to use smokescreen, and suddenly he was grabbed and pushed behind the counter by Professor Aspen. He heard a scuffle, and then he heard Aspen shout at the woman who had come in to get out. He could feel his heart pounding. He didn't want to be in this situation, and he was frozen in his panic, staring off into the smoke blankly.

It was then that a bag hit the ground beside him, and a few Pokéballs rolled out—just three. Oaklan's eyes snapped to the side, his thoughts suddenly broken, and he quickly shoved them back inside, peering inside the bag through the smoke to see a Pokédex, a few potions, and then something interesting. There was a Team Rocket uniform inside, meaning this wasn't Professor Aspen's bag. He didn't know what he could do, but he did know that if the grunt didn't have her stolen Pokémon, then these Pokémon could live happy lives. So, without thinking, he'd taken the bag and he'd ran. Unfortunately, the grunt noticed, and now he was in this situation, and he knew that the grunt was still hot on his trail. So, when he suddenly ran straight into another boy, falling to the floor with a hiss of pain, he couldn't help but to get angry out of his sheer panic. "Idiot!" he hisses as the Pokémon tumble out once again. He glances over his shoulder—he can hear the woman's furious Arbok, and he bites his lip, shoving away Dmitry's hand before scooping the Pokémon up in his hands and thrusting them into the other teenager's arms. "Here, hurry. Pick one of them. You have to help me fight," he says, green eyes peering into the slightly younger boy's own blue ones. "There's someone from Team Rocket chasing me. I stole those from her. Just—just help, okay? Me and Rockruff can't do this alone."

[basorexia]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]”Idiot!” Dmitry flinches from the pure rage he can hear in his voice. There’s a red tint to his cheeks, his chest heaving from exertion—could he have been running from something? He swallows, taking a step backward while his hand retracts from the other teenager, his lips pressing into a thin line. He should really watch where he’s going. His eyes flicker across the Pokéballs that fell from the bag he had been clutching so tightly—three of them! How did he get them so quickly? His attention departs from Oaklan for a split second at the clamor of an Arbok nearing them both, but he sputters as he feels the balls being dumped into his arms. ”I-I...” Dmitry stares down at the three possible Pokémon he can choose from. He doesn’t have much time.

He picks one of the three, gripping it tightly in his hand as his body begins to shake. This is the moment he’s been waiting for. He looks up at Oaklan—blue locking with green, and he furrows his eyebrows. He nods, grunting softly and turning into the direction the Team Rocket grunt is approaching them in, standing beside the other teenager.

[BORZOI]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]Oaklan watches Dmitry intensely as he picks one of the three Pokémon, and as he pulls one into his hand, the brunette takes back the other two Pokéballs and minimizes them, sticking them into his pocket to turn into one of the officers later. This is it. If they can't fight off this grunt and her Arbok, then Rockruff and all these Pokémon are going to be stolen again. He bites his lip hard, and he turns to face the danger as it appears, his breathing slightly quick as the Arbok slithers into sight, hissing as it rears up to display the pattern on its throat, its trainer right behind it. Quickly, he pulls a Pokéball from the belt hanging around his waste. "Go, Rockruff!" he calls, sending out the small canine Pokémon that he'd gotten from his foster mother just a few days ago. It's not strong yet, and he knows that Arbok has to be stronger, but he's counting on his starter Pokémon.

Rockruff appears in a flash of light, and immediately he growls at the stronger Pokémon, lowering his body to the ground as he waits for a command, but Arbok's glare makes the little canine's heart beat fast, and he tucks his tail between his legs, whimpering as he takes a step back. "That must be its signature ability. Intimidate," Oaklan grunts to himself, squeezing one hand into a fist. Grinding his teeth, Oaklan decides to stall as he waits for Dmitry to throw out his own Pokémon. "Use sand attack!" he calls to Rockruff, and the puppy Pokémon obeys, turning and kicking dirt up into the air with his back legs. The Arbok hisses as the sand gets into its eyes, and the grunt behind it scoffs. "Bite," she says bluntly, and the Arbok lunges forward, but thankfully, it misses quite pitifully. The sand is making it hard for the serpent to see, and Oaklan smirks, looking toward Dmitry. "I'll try and lower its ability to battle. You focus on attacks."

---

TEAM ROCKET GRUNT'S ARBOK, LEVEL 22. MALE.
ABILITY :
Intimidate — The Pokémon makes an intimidating face at any Pokémon it's battling. This scares the target, reducing its attack stat.
MOVES :
1. Wrap — NORMAL. The user wraps is body around its target. Does 15 damage.
2. Leer — NORMAL/STATUS. The user glares at the opponent. This lowers the target's defense.
3. Poison Sting — POISON. The user fires multiple white venomous darts from its mouth at the opponent. This may poison the target. Does 15 damage.
4. Bite — DARK. The user bites the target with sharp fangs. This may also cause the target to flinch, making it incapable of action. Does 60 damage.

OAKLAN'S ROCKRUFF, LEVEL 5. MALE.
ABILITY :
Vital Spirit — The Pokémon is unable to be forced into sleep. It attacks and destroys moves that would put it to sleep.
MOVES :
1. Tackle — NORMAL. The user runs at the opponent and tackles it. Does 40 damage.
2. Sand Attack — NORMAL/STATUS. The user throws sand into its opponent's face. This lowers the target's accuracy.
3. Leer — NORMAL/STATUS. The user glares at the opponent. This lowers the target's defense.

[basorexia]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]Rockruff. A canine-like Pokémon that he hears can be cute but fairly powerful. Rock-types are usually quite menacing... But, the puppy Pokémon is far from such. He stiffens as Oaklan calls out, glancing down at the ball in his hand and exhaling. He sends out the mystery Pokémon, watching the white light appear in the shape of... Shinx! His eyes shine brilliantly, a smirk tugging at the edges of his lips. The cub Pokémon releases a cry, tail lashing behind it as it faces Arbok. Hissing, Shinx takes a step backward with its rounded ears folding against its head.

Intimidate. It’s interesting to see how the ability affects other Pokémon firsthand. Focus on attack’s. Got it. His eyes narrow at the Team Rocket grunt, lips pulling back to bare his teeth a little, jabbing at the air as he shouts, ”Shix, use tackle!” The small, yellow tinted Pokémon swiftly darts forward, ducking its head to knock directly into Arbok’s body. The serpent hisses fiercely, though it takes the damage—not enough, however.

---

DMITRY’S SHINX, LEVEL 5. MALE.
ABILITY:
Intimidate — The Pokémon makes an intimidating face at any Pokémon it's battling. This scares the target, reducing its attack stat.
MOVES:
1. Tackle — NORMAL. The user runs at the opponent and tackles it. Does 40 damage.
2. Leer — NORMAL/STATUS. The user glares at the opponent. This lowers the target's defense.

[BORZOI]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]Rockruff is anything but menacing, for now. The first evolutions of Pokémon are never too scary, after all—in fact, most of them are cute and small, and only the love, care and training of a human will ever bring out their true potential. However, for now, Oaklan isn't focused on how weak and cute Rockruff is. He's focused on winning, and this will take a long time to win, but he's determined. Rockruff is, too; it shows in the little puppy's face as he stares down his opponent. Oaklan has his own eyes focused on the Pokéball in Dmitry's hand. If this Pokémon is a good one, that could spell victory. But if it's something like a Magikarp or a Metapod... Well, they might as well just call it quits. He holds his breath as the other boy throws out the mystery Pokémon, and his heart just about leaps out of his chest. It's not the Pokémon that has shocked him, but rather its coloration. It sparkles in the light, a brilliant yellow hue where light blue is supposed to be, and Oak's jaw drops. "That's a shiny Pokémon!" he says breathlessly, looking at Dmitry, his eyebrows raised. "Those are super rare—"

"And that's why I stole it," the grunt suddenly cuts in, looking irritated to see the shiny lion cub standing before here, fighting for another trainer. "The big boss wants rare Pokémon, and that's one of them. You," she snarls, pointing a finger at Dmitry, "do not deserve it. You're not even a Pokémon trainer, are you? You have to fight with a Pokémon that's not even yours." She smirks, and Arbok's tongue flicks out as it releases a low hiss, as if agreeing with its trainer. Oaklan grimaces, clenching his fists and taking a step forward. "Leer!" he calls to Rockruff, ignoring what the grunt is saying. Rockruff glares at its opponent, its eyes glowing briefly, and Arbok lowers its head, hissing softly. It seems less wary—physical attacks should do more damage now. "Now, hit it with another sand attack—" Oak begins, but he's quickly cut off by the grunt.

"Hit the Shinx! Poison sting!" their opponent suddenly cries, and Arbok opens its jaws, firing multiple venomous darts at Shinx suddenly from its mouth. However, Rockruff has already thrown himself in front of his battling partner. The darts stab into the puppy's fur, and he releases a howl of pain, falling to the ground. He's damaged, but he doesn't look sick—he isn't poisoned, thankfully. "Are you okay, buddy?" Oaklan calls, and Rockruff stands, shaking out the darts and nodding, though he's panting a little. He then whips around and kicks up dirt once again, and the grunt scoffs a second time as her Arbok gets sand in its eyes. "Can't you do anything right, you stupid worm? It's sand!" she snaps at her Pokémon, and its focus is taken from battle as it dips its head repeatedly, trying to apologize. It may be a little underhanded, but it's an opening, and Oaklan looks to Dmitry. "Hit it hard," he whispers, elbowing his side gently. "It's distracted."

[basorexia]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]Usually the initial evolutions are weak and adorable—like babies. Hell, at that state, they are babies. Most are new to the world, following their mothers around to learn more about their surroundings until they’re abruptly taken from their homes. In a way, he and the Pokémon are one in the same. He’s new to the Pokémon trainer world, while the newly hatched Pokémon are viewing everything with fresh eyes. He’s far from being the best trainer, or even a decent trainer at this point but, if they win this battle they can be a few steps closer to becoming somewhat good. All they need is a win. Win. Win. Win.

A yellow Shinx. The rare coloration, that could only mean he has a shiny—something rare. Eyes widening, he sends a look toward Oaklan, awestruck by the fact that he picked something so unique. His shoulders square as the grunt’s irritating voice pipes up, head tilting upward to send the Team Rocket member a glare. ”I’ll wipe that smirk off your dumb face,” he snarls, clenching his fingers into a fist. Though, his hands relax for a moment as his jaw slackens, inhaling sharply at the cry of an attack from their opponent, bracing himself where he stands. That poison sting will definitely do some damage to Shinx. But...

Rockruff takes the hit for him. Dmitry releases a breath as the puppy confirms that he’s alright, proceeding the attack it’s trainer commanded. The sand attack is effective, to which Arbok’s owner begins verbally abusing it, giving an opening to him. The younger boy nods back at Oaklan, calling to the Shinx, ”Tackle!” His Shinx obeys, darting forward at a high speed to lunge itself at Arbok’s turned back, roughly impacting the serpent.

[BORZOI]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]Arbok is beginning to get weaker. The leer must have helped at least somewhat, because with this attack, the snake-like Pokémon actually lets out a pained hiss, flopping to the ground briefly from the force of Dmitry's Shinx's tackle. The Team Rocket grunt hisses through her teeth—which makes Oaklan snicker, considering she looked just like that Arbok of hers—but she snaps her head up to stare at him before she flicks her eyes over to Dmitry. "You two," she growls, furrowing her eyebrows, "shouldn't be allowed to have Pokémon. You don't run away with your tails between your legs like any rational child, and you should. Because you know what's funny about a Pokémon battle?" Oaklan furrows his eyebrows, narrowing his eyes slightly, his focus on his opponent. "What?" he asks after a moment of silence, since she seemed to be waiting for an answer. Her lips draw upward into a smirk, and Rockruff begins to growl, but he has no time to react before Arbok suddenly lunges forward without any prompt, coiling tightly around Oak's neck to begin to strangle him. He chokes, then stumbles backward, falling to the ground as he tries to force Arbok off of him, but it's no use. It's too strong, and even as Rockruff repeatedly tackles it, barking and making a fuss, the Pokémon won't dislodge itself. "You can always just cheat." the grunt then finishes, watching her Arbok contentedly as it strangles the young teenager, who is kicking at the ground, his mouth open in a silent cry for help. She then turns her gaze to Dmitry, holding out her hand expectantly, offering him a smug smile. "Now, honey. Give me the Pokémon back and your friend doesn't die, okay?"

[basorexia]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]A laugh escapes his parted lips as his attack hits, jabbing his fist into the air in celebration. They’re a perfect team—he and Shinx. The thought of them fighting side my side only makes the grin on his face widen. Though, his smile disappears as the grunt settles her venomous gaze on to them both, taking a step closer to Oaklan to take on a defensive stance. Dmitry’s back stiffens at the threat he can sense underlying her tone, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. There’s that stupid smirk again. Though, what comes next only brought a look of terror on to his face. Arbok wraps its thin body around Oak’s neck, suffocating him. He watches the grunt, his breathing heavy as he takes a stumbling step backward. He opens his mouth to yell for Shinx, chancing a glance toward the cub Pokémon.

”Aqua tail!”

The sloshing of water, and a hardy smack against the body of the Team Rocket grunt startled Dmitry. He stares in awe at the massive turtle Pokémon stands over the young woman, his piercing eyes glaring daggers at her. Her dark, monochrome outfit is soaking and she looks dazed from the attack. ”Carracosta—smack down on Arbok,” the thunderous voice commands again, stern and precise. The rocks in the surrounding area began to rise, shooting into the direction of Arbok. Professor Aspen—a tall, fair-skinned man—steps forward with his hands settling on to his hips, his white lab coat flaring behind him.

---

PROFESSOR ASPEN’S CARRACOSTA, LEVEL 50. MALE.
ABILITY:
Sturdy — The Pokémon will remain with 1 HP if it was going to be knocked out by a move when at full Hit Points, and it is immune to One Hit KO moves.
MOVES:
1. Smack Down — ROCK. The user throws a stone or similar projectile to attack an opponent. A flying Pokémon will fall to the ground when it's hit. Deals 50 Damage.
2. Aqua Tail — WATER. The user attacks by swinging its tail as if it were a vicious wave in a raging storm. Deals 90 Damage.
3. Rain Dance — WATER. The user summons a heavy rain that falls for five turns, powering up Water-type moves. It lowers the power of Fire-type moves.
4. Protect — NORMAL. Enables the user to evade all attacks. Its chance of failing rises if it is used in succession.

[BORZOI]

[align=center][div style="width: 514px; text-align: justify; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3; color: black;"]Oaklan doesn't know what to do. He's never been faced with anything like this. He only just got his Pokémon, and he's already being personally attacked by a Pokémon with full intent to kill him. His heart is beating so fast and so hard, and he's struggling, trying to breathe in anything that he can, but Arbok's constriction added onto his own panic is suffocating him. Ruckruff is trying his best to save his master, but it's no use. The brunette looks toward Dmitry—he needs him to do something. Anything, really, just to get this Arbok to loosen its hold just a little bit. He just needs to breathe. Meanwhile, the Team Rocket grunt is still waiting, one hand on her hip and the other still extended. She looks to be irritated that Dmitry isn't doing as she's said, and she opens her mouth to hiss at him to hurry up, but she's suddenly cut off. Carracosta's attack slams into her hard, and she falls to the ground, soaked and spluttering. "Oh..!" she squeaks as she sits up, stiffening as Carracosta glares at her, her whole body going rigid. "Time to get out of here." she thinks to herself as the huge turtle Pokémon lumbers over to attack her own Pokémon.

She scrambles to her feet as Aspen attacks her Arbok, fumbling for her Pokéball, because the moment the rocks pelt Arbok, it immediately is out cold. It slides off of Oaklan, and the young man wheezes, breathing inward as he rolls onto his side, coughing and breathing hard, taking in the precious air he'd been struggling so hard to get. Rockruff barks in joy, bounding over to his master's face to begin nuzzling against him before then bounding over to Carracosta afterward, yipping excitedly around his feet. The much larger Pokémon looks rather humbled, and groans out a soft, "Carra..." as he rubs at the back of his head with one large flipper, nodding softly. The Team Rocket grunt has already slipped away—they're surprisingly good at doing that sort of thing. Oaklan breathes in shakily, then looks up, staring at Professor Aspen, looking ashamed. "I'm... I'm sorry I tried to fight her, Professor. I didn't know how else to get her away from us," he mumbles, looking down at his lap as he sits up. Professor Aspen only shakes his head, the angered expression on his face shifting to one of calm and gentleness as he approaches Dmitry and Oaklan. He looks between them, then ruffles Dmitry's hair and offers him a smile before he then bends to inspect Oaklan's neck. Finding no injuries, he then straightens up again.

"You both were very brave to try and battle Team Rocket when you both just started out on your journeys," he says, lifting himself back up to his feet. He looks to Dmitry again, and he gives him an apologetic look as Oak looks away in embarrassment from the praise, silent and slightly flushed in the face. "And you, young man. You fought with a Pokémon even without my guidance. I'm very proud of you... But I'm afraid the starter Pokémon are too shaken up from this event to go with any trainers just yet." Furrowing his brows, he turns, pacing off to the side with his back turned to the boys, evidently thinking. He then chuckles, shaking his head as he bends down to attempt to pick up the Shinx that Dmitry had battled with, and if successful, he would hold the small Pokémon up to his face, offering it a bright smile. "You fought so well. You've already bonded with Dmitry, here—is that right? Would you like to go with him?"