To Be the Very Best

[RyuHll]

Name: Leon

Age: 15

History: Leon was a quiet kid who tried to stay out of the way for most of his life. Despite this, he had an early encounter with Pokemon and has always grown to care and love for them. His dream had been to be a Pokemon trainer for as long as he could remember. He was always bullied through school, though. No one ever gave him a break. He was bullied day in and day out to the point of him not wanting to go to school or socialize with any of his peers. That was, until his friend intervened in the whole affair.

Rose came into his affairs one time when he was being bullied. She told off the bullies and sent them running before they could finish with Leon. Then, she did something he didn't expect anyone to do. She began talking to him. She was easily his first real friend and he stuck to her like glue. Admittedly, he grew quite fond of her, to the point of having a crush on her, despite his own confidence telling him he had no chance with her.

Either way, the two grew up having the same dreams. Bringing them to the present. They hatched an idea to each capture a Pokemon and begin their journey. The two of them would set off together to face the Pokemon League and anything else the world had out there for them.

Team

Nidoran (Female) [Nido]

Caterpie (Male) [Chrysalis]

Bulbasaur (Male) [Saur]

Box

Appearance: http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs24/f/20..._by_Selvix.png

[Ace of Jacks]

Name: Rose

Age: 16

History: Growing up with two older brothers created a young girl who could take a hit. Showing too much of her emotions only led to teasing and rough play; despite this, she could count on them to watch her back, even when she didn't seem to need it. Rose matured into a confident teenager, and popular among her peers.

Her interest in Pokemon didn't appear before she entered junior high. One of her brothers was studying to become a breeder, with Rose tagging along when he'd work. The abilities she observed these creatures to possess fascinated her. She longed to have one of her own to train and discover its capabilities together. Of course, being the youngest and only daughter, her parents wouldn't have that.

Soon, her friends began to bore her, her mind flooded with dreams of becoming a trainer. Nothing they had to say seemed important or interesting anyway. One random act of kindness changed that with Leon. She found herself getting to know this boy and found something interesting in him. The two formed a friendship over time and Leon gave her a sense of appreciation for the things she had in front of her.

On her 16th birthday, her parents came to her with important news: Rose was allowed to train.

Her journey can finally begin and her dreams accomplished, only now she doesn't have to do it alone.

Team
Oz, Nidoran (male)
Scythes, Scyther (male)

[RyuHll]

Leon straightened a bit as he heard a rustling in the grass. Damn it, he was too jumpy. It was probably just another Rattata. They seemed to plague the grassy areas around Viridian City. Reaching up, he ran a hand through his messy brown hair, trying to clear his thoughts for the time being. He was naturally nervous. He couldn't really help it. He was about to set out on an adventure, but he wasn't sure how it would turn out. Or if he could even start it.

Well, he figured it'd end up happening. Rose would make him either way. She wasn't about to set off by herself. He wouldn't let her either. It was dangerous out there. Not that he was much help in dangerous situations. She was more likely to save him than anything. He quickly smoothed out the black t-shirt he wore, adjusting the dark green jacket over it as he tried to make himself somewhat more presentable. He'd been there for a good ten minutes now and was quickly starting to grow bored with nothing to do. At the same time, he was on edge, being close to the tall grass that the Pokemon would reside.

And soon one of those Pokemon would be his. Despite his nervousness, the thought excited him. Now, he just had to wait for Rose to show up...where could she be?

[Ace of Jacks]

Rose quickened her pace, her hands hastily trying to tie up her hair. It was already an hour later than she promised. Rose and Leon had planned to meet at the edge of the tall grass just outside the city. The lost time had been spent stuffing her satchel with provisions. Eight poke-balls collided in the satchel as she raced towards Leon's location. Her brother had provided Rose with her first poke-balls prior to her birthday. Going out to see the world whilst training Pokemon would be pointless without them. She wasn't sure if Leon brought any of his own, in which case she would give him some. She just hoped that he wouldn't be upset for keeping him waiting so long. Not that he would be. It wasn't really in his character. Still, she felt guilty. Hopefully nothing has happened in her absence. Adrenaline rushed through her as she neared the edge of the tall grass. She could already make it out in the distance. Maybe she'll catch an Eevee or a Ponyta, at least she hoped she would...

She lost her train of thought for a moment. Her friend was waiting for her, and he'd probably waited long enough. They were going to start their journey, train and see all of Kanto together. And she couldn't wait.

The tall grass was welcoming. Unsuspecting Pokemon were just waiting to be caught. Even if they didn't know it. Still, she didn't just come here to ponder on the thought of catching her own Pokemon. She was finally here, amidst the Pokemon, but there was no sign of Leon. Rose called out to him, taking a moment and anticipating a reply.

[RyuHll]

Leon had been waiting for a good while. It did slightly annoy him to be kept waiting like this, but he kept it in check, occupying himself on his own for the time being. He had begun to have a small snack while he waited for Rose, a make-shift breakfast for having to leave so early. He figured she'd be late anyway. While he waited, though, Pokemon were attracted to the smell. He was wary at first, when a Nidoran showed herself. It was a small blue Pokemon with a slight, budding horn. He knew enough from studying that it was the female variant, not as ferocious looking as the males with their longer horn and deadly spines about the body. He might not be much of an outgoing individual, but he knew a lot about the different Pokemon that most wouldn't. It's what he got for being such a book worm as a kid.

It took him a moment, but he eventually gave in to it, digging in his bag briefly to retrieve a small pellet of Pokemon food. He offered it, letting it nibble on the treat before it cried out happily, devouring it quickly. It beamed up at Leon in thanks. "Nidoran!" it cried happily before scurrying back into the grass. It made the young boy look past the grass, towards the road that led off. That would be the way to the Indigo Plateau, where the Pokemon League was held every year.

While lost in thought, he heard Rose's shout. "I'm over here!" he replied, brushing himself off as he stood, stretching a bit from sitting for so long.

[Ace of Jacks]

Leon's voice emitted from within the grass. Rose immersed herself in the tall grass, toward the direction his voice originated. She discovered Leon not too far from where she was just at. A curl of her lips suggested her relief in seeing her friend. Her arms flew from her side and wrapped themselves around Leon in an apologetic gesture.

"I'm so sorry, Leon."

She released him and took a few steps back. He didn't seem upset. If he wasn't, there wasn't any sign of it. As Leon may have probably observed at this point in their friendship, Rose was never much of the punctual type, but she wasn't one to break promises either. Her hands moved down the side of her jacket, smoothing down the folds. She fixed her hair, sliding the hairband from her ponytail only to tie it back up. It was sunny out and she had done a rush job in tying it on her way to Leon.

"So what've you been doing while you were waiting for me?" she asked with a hint of laughter.

[RyuHll]

Leon's face grew hot as she wrapped her arms around him. He knew it was only in a friendly way. But his socially awkward self couldn't help it. Physical contact with anyone was weird for him. It took him time to get used to being around Rose as it was. Even so, he returned the gesture, smiling a bit in reply. "Don't worry about it. I've been keeping myself occupied," he said. He glanced back along the tall grass, searching for signs of disturbance, where a Pokemon may lay hiding. "I did meet a Nidoran not too long ago...It already ran away, though." He scratched the back of his head with a small smile.

He paused a moment as he looked over at her. "So...how are we going to go about catching a Pokemon anyway? Normally you'd have to battle it...but we don't have anything to fight one with," he said slowly. "Or...capture one for that matter."

[Ace of Jacks]

Rose shoved her hand into her satchel, fishing for something inside. Her hand retracted moments later, a round, empty pokeball in its grasp. She tossed it lighting in the air, catching it as it fell back to down. A smirk appeared on her face.

"Oh, I don't know... I just figured we throw one of these babies at em and hope for the best," she joshed.

Rose tossed the poke-ball toward Leon and dug into her satchel for another. She wasn't really sure how she'd catch her first Pokemon. She didn't even have a starter like most trainers starting out in her position. It wasn't like some random Pokemon was going to come up to her anytime soon and just let her throw entrapping objects at them. Now that she thought about it...catching Pokemon was as easy as she first thought. She observed her surroundings, trying to spot any sign of movement within the grass. There was no telling just how close she was to any Pokemon in the area. She returned her attention to Leon.

"What kind of Pokemon are around these parts?" she asked.

[RyuHll]

Leon caught the Pokeball haphazardly, the small orb bouncing into the air as he missed before he caught it again in both hands. He looked at it in wonder for a few moments, studying it. It was puzzling to think about such large Pokemon fitting into these tiny balls. Of course, there was more to the science of it than just stuffing large creatures and objects into these. It was beyond him to even think about it. He tapped the small white circle in the center, opening it up briefly to look into the empty ball before shutting it again and returning his attention to the grassy areas around them.

He watched out for them until Rose spoke up once more. "Mankey, Spearow, and both variants of Nidoran," he said instantly, almost without thinking. His studying actually comes in handy sometimes. Even without a Pokedex or anything to tell him about the regions or the Pokemon, he knew them as if it were common knowledge. "I'm sure Rattatas and Pidgeys are around here too, but they're more predominant in Route 1, between here and Pallet Town, or Route 2, between here and the forest."

[Ace of Jacks]

A soft chortle emitted from under her breath. Sometimes she forgot how well-read Leon could be. It was one of the qualities she liked about him. He wasn't afraid to be smart but seemed modest about it. She looked over her shoulder in the direction of Route 1. They could head over to Pallet Town and get their starters from the lab there. Still, there was a chance of being attacked by wild Pokemon on the way, in which case she would be stuck in the same position of how to catch it. Rose wasn't going to wimp out if one were to attack. The fact that it would would make her want it even more. She planned to take advantage of the first chance she got. Then again, she had to admit that she didn't know much about catching them.

Rose gave Leon a wary expression. "You wouldn't, by chance, have any ideas of your own on how we should do this?" He was most likely more informed on these matters. As excited as she was to become a trainer, Rose wasn't well studied on the subject. She jumped to rashly into becoming a trainer when the opportunity arose to her. And she definitely didn't want to ruin it by wasting a pokeball, as selfish as that may sound.