i wanna be the very best — private

[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?"