Standing at a tiny 5'1 and not growing much more, Zaria can look a little young for her age. Her thick, unruly, wavy black hair is typically pulled back or down or in a braid–– whatever she's feeling for the day. Her skin is always at an even light brown tan year round, so she sticks to bright colors that complement her season. She's a fan of anything loose or easy to move around in, having a fondness for athletic skirts, dresses, and anything that's sporty and chic. Her footwear is always some form of comfy shoes; so boots or a hardy pair of sneakers are usually what she walks around in.

Born and raised in the ––at times–– painfully sleepy, albeit quaint town of New Bark in Johto, Zaria was always yearning for more. The flowers were beautiful, the breeze was constant, and the town was idyllic. Nothing bad ever happened in New Bark, but that was just it–– nothing ever happened. Her house was large and beautiful, her parents were affluent, she should have been grateful.

All the same, home was where her parents resented each other deeply; their feelings manifested as shouting matches and thunderous arguments nearly every day. Usually it was her father raining insults on her mother because he was an ill-tempered and nasty man, but sometimes her Mama would be able to stick up for herself. While Zaria loved her mom, their relationship was complicated; strained specifically by her father's abusive tendencies. Suffice it to say, Zaria found herself spending most of her time in her room or outside–– alone.

School was difficult too. It wasn't that she didn't want friends or wasn't friendly–– her parents were strict to the extent she was hardly allowed to play with friends. They wanted their daughter to focus and 'friends' were a distraction. She was going to be just like her father, a doctor for people. Why, the money was stable and it was a respectable, prestigious profession.

As for her, she had no idea what she wanted to do truthfully, but she knew that pokemon interested her, painfully so. She'd longingly look at the glimpses of Pidgey and Swablu out her window, maybe a Caterpie or Weedle munching on a mulberry leaf outside. Friends would have been wonderful too, lots of friends to surround her. At some point, she did secretly buy a smartphone, and a whole new world opened up from there.

Still, it wasn't necessarily a straightforward path from that point either. It all felt like a pipe dream, and it very much was because her parents didn't support her aspirations. But there were a few things she could do: figure out the admissions process, work with what she had, and just apply. PMA required stellar grades, fantastic test scores, and showy extracurriculars. Her grades were quite good, her test scores grazed the cut off between good and average, but her extracurriculars were where she shone. A few friends she made online encouraged her, motivating her for her future.

Her parents did allow her to volunteer at the local ranger association when she was 12, if only because Zaria convinced them it was more about environmental clean up than what it really was. But even to her surprise, it actually exceeded her expectations. Getting to use a capture styler had not been part of the plan. Getting to go on patrols had not been part of the plan. Zaria found herself a junior ranger at times, shocked and grateful for her luck. It was a defining moment for her personally, and she found herself getting into everything ranger related.

One day, out on patrol, Zaria was attacked by a (by no fault of their own) rampaging Liepard. The whole thing is now a blur, most of the bad memories having vanished with her dreams, but she still remembers how helpless and terrified she felt that day. No physical scars mar her body, as she was knocked back by the scythe like tail without being cut, but her spirit certainly felt shaken. Being a pokemon ranger was not all the casual patrols she'd thought it would be. Dangerously close to giving up on her rangering dreams, Zaria instead reassured herself and swore she'd get a strong team to never fall under those circumstances again. If her team was full of strong pokemon, then she'd always be able to take anything on, right?

The application process was rigorous as PMA was and still is incredibly difficult to get into. Zaria applied three times before finally getting in on her fourth try. Her essay and commitment to community service was what prompted the admissions to call her, interview her, and offer her a proposal letter. On full scholarship, she went to the school against her father's wishes.

This was a new start, the future Zaria dreamed of. She was going to be different. She was going to be great. She'd win over her parents, make tons of friends, and become known throughout the region. Right?

Right?

Zaria means well, but she can be a handful. Her rigorously strict upbringing, combined with being an only child, has manifested as several negative traits: she doesn't take criticism well from her peers, cries far too easily, and lacks discipline. She has big dreams, but naively underestimates what it takes to get to them. Also indecisive and sheltered, as she's never truly made her own decisions before. Her parents used to decide everything for her after all, so suffice it say they were incredibly overbearing. As such, she thinks of herself as not good enough to make her own decisions, and she's naive about the world to boot. (To be honest, ever since coming to PMA, she feels crushed by the expectations put upon her, not that she tries to ever let it show.)

Her typical mannerisms on a daily basis involve her being quite the upbeat and friendly- if occasionally absent-minded- dreamer. Zaria's mind is almost always drifting somewhere else constantly, and it often feeds into her blunt speech. Though eager and gregarious, she can also come off as really annoying or just plain rude because she's loud and has a tendency to speak without a filter. It's only natural, not having a great understanding of being conscientious. (But it doesn't stop her from trying to make friends.)

Brimming with energy, she finds it difficult to focus and stay disciplined since she feels like she's been cooped up her entire life. All too often she's asking people for their assignments or homework just because she procrastinates constantly and loathes homework of any kind. Being on her own, she'll need to be able discipline herself, a lengthy and trying learning process for sure.

When dealing with personal conflict or confrontation, Zaria is sure to apologize quickly if she upsets someone. She doesn't like conflict, but her attempts at assuaging can come off as dismissive, because she'll often try to just pacify or lighten up the mood. Often times, she's just trying to run away from the situation.

Hypercritical of herself, Zaria knows she's inadequate compared to everyone at PMA. She wants to be this cool, popular, all star but she's coming up pretty short and she feels terrible about it. Constantly comparing herself to others can lead to her having a really skewed sense of worth. To compensate, she always tries to make herself known and seen, which doesn't always work out well either.

All that said, Zaria hates feeling inferior or threatened. Wanting to be the best ranger ever, instead of trying to be the best person she can be, can be exhausting and disappointing though. As she tries to become this impossible, idealized version of herself, she feels the need to suppress her natural self. For instance, she's fascinated with pokemon contests, but feels like they're the complete opposite of rangering. How can someone who's a real hero engage in that sort of silly frippery? Feeling guilty for liking contests eventually turned into her telling herself she hated them. Nevertheless, she secretly yearns.

Finally, she has an 'interesting' view on pokemon. Picturing herself as a strong, proud hero has made Zaria obsessed with strong and cool looking pokemon. She needs to have a strong team in order to succeed, or so she's convinced herself. (No, she doesn't quite realize that a crap trainer won't do well even with a strong team yet). She's scared of being unable to fight back in a bad situation, but lacks the self-awareness to understand how to truly cope. Not to mention, the cycle of her parents having had sky-high, unfair expectations of her, has rubbed off on Zaria, and she has unrealistic expectations for her pokemon. Though she would save any creature if they needed help, she isn't willing to lend a spot on her team otherwise. In other words, Zaria doesn't understand that the pokemon she wants may not be the pokemon she needs. And she's in for a sore awakening when she realized that big pokemon up close are actually pretty scary...

I'd like for Zaria to organically grow into a better version of herself. In the the beginning, she's going to be kind of uncertain, have really low confidence, and struggle a lot. She'll suffer from fear of failure and sabotage herself. But she'll also start rangering/ saving pokemon more, participating in contests, etc. This would all amount to her building up her confidence and eventually becoming a great trainer. I'd also like for Zaria to meet a legendary like cosmog or mew, and even possibly battle the leader of some organization.

She needs to understand that she can't keep being this idolized version of a ranger. She needs to be herself.

She needs to understand that just because a pokemon looks cute or maybe isn't the strongest, doesn't mean that they're worthless on her team.

She's actually more scarred for him incident with the Liepard than she realizes, and is actually pretty afraid of large pokemon.

At 5'5", Antoinetta isn't particularly tall, but her presence makes up for this. She has a carefully cultivated air of sophistication about her, with her neat and stylish clothes, and her confident stride. She dresses more practically for travelling, but still has a put-together appearance. Her golden-brown eyes would be warm looking, if not for the expression of self-assuredness bordering on smugness she usually has. Most of the time, she wears her bright green hair in one or two braids, whether hanging down or coiled up. No matter how she styles her hair, thin antenna-like wisps stick up from it, to her annoyance.

Antoinetta was born in Sinnoh's Eterna City to an entomologist couple, and shared their love of Bug types. Growing up, she'd accompany them and other researchers to Eterna Forest and Floaroma Meadow, running around, climbing trees, getting dirty, and observing bugs in their natural habitat.

It was a shame few of her peers thought highly of the type. Oh, some trainers favoured Bug types if only to challenge Grass gym leader Gardenia, but many found they lacked the impressiveness of Fire, Flying and Ice types, or simply viewed them as pests that ruined their plants. This made Antoinetta the subject of taunts, with people calling her "creepy-crawly" and "a nerd like her parents". Some people would pretend to film her and comment as if they were running a nature documentary: "The wild freak curls up in a defensive gesture after being pushed onto its back."

She was all too glad when the family moved to the Marvalo region to study its vast range of wildlife. While she did have a few friends in Sinnoh - her closest being a female Combee she'd bring honey to in Floaroma - she decided it was time to reinvent herself like a butterfly leaving its cocoon, and make many more. The Combee never left her side, even allowing Antoinetta to catch her and bring her to Marvalo, but even so, the teen presented a "queen bee" persona of confidence and sophistication at her new school. It worked, the kinds of crowds that had rejected her before now accepting her, yet she still felt the need to prove herself. And what better way than by changing schools once again, to the glamourous and prestigious PMA?

Applying shouldn't have been as nerve-wracking as it was - surely she could do this with no problem? - but she hid it well enough in the video she recorded of herself and her Combee. The speech she gave, and the impressive petal flurry from Combee's Gust, helped her get through the recruitment process.

Some would describe Antoinetta as outgoing and sure of herself. Others would simply describe her as a showy, stuck-up snob. She likes attention (as long as it's positive), and is quick to get into situations she's unprepared for out of sheer overconfidence - or rather, the need to prove herself. The more successes to brag about, the better.

Those who get past this will find she's in fact far from the airhead she seems; she's highly studious and determined, with good problem-solving and practical skills. Her experiences have taught her basic outdoor skills, such as berry foraging, repairs and navigation. She also cares a great deal about her friends and Pokemon - it isn't just herself she wants to prove, but her bugs, an "underrated" type, through battles and contests. That assured front hides the constant fear that her loved ones secretly dislike her, or will abandon her.

I'd like emphasis on the competitive side of the academy, with her struggle for recognition, and the mistakes she makes along the path to success. A situation where she has to choose between a big event that would showcase her and her Pokemon's skills, and helping with a greater cause, would be interesting - maybe this subplot would have something to do with Genesect?

As for her goals, her main one is to be a coordinator. The gym leader route is a possibility she'd at least consider though, since she's a type specialist, and would likely know about Ghost leader/coordinator Fantina.

Troy's serious glare pierces through all, as if seeing right through everyone and everything, looking straight towards a future outside of the perspective of anyone except maybe himself. His eyes seem to glow with a golden shine, standing out from his dull gray-black hair and almost entirely monochrome wardrobe. Although he isn't gargantuan, his above-average height coupled with his excessively serious demeanor is enough to give off an imposing presence to some of his peers, not that his perpetually disapproving frown does anything to allay such misgivings.

Troy was born and raised in Unova's Nimbasa city, though once he graduated from elementary school, he never stayed in one place for long, traveling the world alongside his parents. The Caecilius family owns one of the largest multinational power corporations in the world, making extensive use of pokemon to meet electricity demands. Though legally sound, some activists believe this to be exploitative, so Troy's father is often busy managing the company. This is why, throughout the first decade of his life, Troy was primarily raised by his mother, sometimes not seeing his father for months at a time. It could be said that Troy hardly knew his father, which is why it was so jarring having him around when he turned 10 and became a pokemon trainer. His father insisted that he be the one to teach Troy how to raise his pokemon "properly".

Troy was offered a selection of pokemon by his father, mainly consisting of the species used in the power plants of their company, each recently hatched from an egg. The first pokemon Troy ever owned was a Shinx, which Troy wanted to name Sparkles, but the name was promptly vetoed. Troy's father insisted he shouldn't give his pokemon nicknames. After that, he subjected Troy and his Shinx to rigorous training against his own, far stronger pokemon. They were to do their best, then afterwards Troy would be educated on all the areas he went wrong, while Shinx would be healed up and expected to keep going without rest, only stopping for food and bathroom breaks. Troy had his father's knowledge drilled into him thoroughly, but at the end of the day, his Shinx still took a beating without making any progress in battle. The gap between his young Shinx and the highly trained pokemon of his father was just too wide, and Troy felt there was nothing he could do. When Troy asked his father to tone down the training, his father acquiesced by stopping training altogether. He explained that it was no longer needed, once Troy got down the basics. The training was mainly for Troy anyway, since Shinx would be useless, no matter what. When Troy asked him what he meant, his father simply pointed out his Shinx's innate qualities and what it would take to improve them. Frankly, it would be easier to start over from scratch with a Shinx more suitable for a Luxray's role in battles, able to take advantage of stronger abilities and see better results from battles due to a more suitable personality, without the need for expensive supplements, years of battle experience or intensive training from a specialist. His father said that, if he continued to use his current Shinx, he would be at a disadvantage against almost any other Shinx, even if the amount of training they received were equal.

While Troy was pondering this, his father brought out another Shinx and offered it to Troy. It was also recently hatched from an egg and even younger than Troy's Shinx, and was described as being trained in a similar manner. In spite of this, his father touted it as superior to his Shinx in every way. Troy rejected the offer, so his father challenged him to a pokemon battle, Shinx against Shinx. Not only did Troy lose, he was crushed. It was the same feeling of helplessness that he got from trying to fight his father's typical, highly-trained pokemon team.

Troy couldn't accept it at first, so he came up with excuses for himself. "Sparkles was just tired after the training." "I must have made a mistake." "Maybe I need to consider Sparkles' morale." He approached the problem from various angles and rematched his father repeatedly over several weeks. Although he came close several times, even his moments of success seemed to taunt him. Here and there, the two Shinx would employ the exact same strategies or attacks. Here and there, his Shinx would gain the upper hand, and yet his Shinx, who arguably underwent more training, always struggled to compete or produce the same results, even when his father praised his execution as flawless.

During an eventual drought of challenges, Troy went to check up on his Shinx and play with it. To his shame, it took him almost an hour to realize that the Shinx he was petting and playing with wasn't Sparkles. It was the same Shinx he wasn't able to beat, obliviously ignorant as it lied on Troy's lap.

He pushed it off.

Troy stormed towards his father and demanded an explanation. His father calmly replied that he had put the Shinx unsuited for battle to work in one of their nearby power plants. Troy demanded Sparkles back, so his father took him to the plant in question and told Troy of its identification number. Troy ran ahead, and after searching, finally came to find the Shinx pen, where they were kept while not working. He called out to Sparkles, but none of the Shinx responded, seeming to ignore him while playing with each other. He checked with a staff member and confirmed that his Shinx was in the pen, so he resolved to check each of their collars one by one until he could find the identification number he was looking for. About ten minutes in, his father came in, leaned up against the wall and silently watched him. By the time Troy found Sparkles, it had been almost an hour. The reason it was taking so long, Troy realized, is because Sparkles was avoiding him. When he found him, it was in one of the conjoined rest areas, almost hiding from Troy. It was obvious at this point, but Troy asked anyway, because he needed to hear it directly. "Sparkles, will you join me? I want to be a pokemon trainer, and I know my dad's training is tough, but we can train differently, and I'd be there for you every step of the way. Please?"

Sparkles refused.

Sparkles hated battling. Comparatively, it much preferred to work at the power plant with the other Shinx. As soon as Troy understood that, it left Troy behind and blended in with the other Shinx. Troy doesn't know he long he sat there, staring at nothing, but it felt like hours. Eventually Troy's father dragged him out of there as they went back home, not even saying goodbye to Sparkles.

Troy rejected his father's Shinx, but ultimately could not deny his father's lessons. Not every pokemon is cut out for battle. Nicknames? Friendship? It's better for everyone in the end if pokemon are treated like tools.

Troy's father taught Troy to identify what makes a pokemon better than its peers, and as time passed, Troy eventually chose more pokemon for himself, staying away from pokemon his father offered but getting his father's approval of those he chose all the same. He had been doing intermediary schooling and his freshman year of high school at home, though that changed when his father decided to enroll him in the PMA. Troy and his mother settled down once more in the Marvalo region, and the distance between Troy and his father returned, just like during Troy's childhood.

Troy, initially, seems cold and calculating. He's a perfectionist to a neurotic degree and believes the best way to raise pokemon is to treat them like tools. He screens all of his pokemon to ensure they have high potential, and refuses to raise pokemon otherwise, for fear of a repeat of his first pokemon. He will adamantly refuse to nickname pokemon, and will even reject rare and powerful pokemon if they don't meet his standards. Despite all of that, he spends a lot of time carrying his pokemon around or snuggling with them, and has a huge bias towards cute pokemon. Troy subscribes to the idea that pokemon trainers should try to win with their favorites, and while he's not opposed to using other pokemon, he isn't satisfied winning with them.

He might seem egotistical to a degree, but he's quick to admit his failures. His specificity with his pokemon causes him to believe that any failures in battle are either all his fault, or caused by a gap in training, which would be due to not having enough time to train, and still partially his fault for not making enough time.

Socially speaking, Troy is excessively serious and speaks bluntly, but he's a pretty relaxed person most of the time. He's not the type to approach others without a reason, but once he gets to know someone he will seek out their company all the same. He seldom smiles, though he isn't without a sense of humor, and his face will light up if you get him to talk about his pokemon.

There's the obvious point of grinding Troy's ideology against that of other characters, though I would not like Troy to lose against a less experienced trainer due to a dice roll, since that will lead Troy to the conclusion that he hasn't been training enough, that he's an incompetent trainer, or that the battle had little to do with skill. Those outcomes are fine under extenuating circumstances (which I can put him under) or if the character in question takes battles somewhat seriously, but no Ash Ketchum syndrome please. What I want him to lose against are trainers who would qualify for affection bonuses, while still training a somewhat similar amount to him, (which will vary depending on the RP) slowly teaching him that friendship with pokemon matters.

On the topic of grinding Troy's ideology against that of others, it also goes both ways, since he doesn't just train the "strongest" pokemon species. Meeting those who reject his choice in pokemon anyway or those that group him with those people could lead to interesting character interactions and development. I would like to avoid Troy ending up as an antisocial lone-wolf type.

Beyond that, I think it would be hilarious for Troy to meet and maybe catch a legendary or even legendaries, (mainly less powerful ones) test them out, then reject them when he realizes they have flaws. He could also do the same with a cute mythical pokemon and struggle to reject it because of its cuteness, though this scenario is more suited for actually keeping it. I think Jirachi goes best with Troy.

Tim is noticeably short for a young man his age. It's not something he likes people bringing up. Despite seeming weak and fragile based on his personality, he is actually stronger than he looks. He has a slender, but still toned build and is physically fit due to having spent a lot of time running around outside chasing his Rockruff. He spends a good amount of time in the sun so his skin is lightly tanned as a result, not pale but not bronzed either. He has a mop of black hair on top of his head, and his bangs go to his eyebrows. He has big brown eyes, a small nose, and a round "Babyface", which give him a youthful appearance. His face is clean-shaven, and his upper body is free of any hair except the top of his head and eyebrows. A lot of people consider him cute, but Tim finds getting that kind of attention embarrassing.

Tim prefers to dress simply and casually. He doesn't want to have to fuss with his clothes, or worry about ruining them, as well as being comfortable in them. His usual outfit usually consists of a T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. His favorite shirt is a loose-fitting light blue T-shirt with a white silhouette of a bird on it. He wears a pair of white cargo shorts on the bottom that are held up by a black leather belt. His footwear of choice are a pair of comfortable blue and white sneakers and short white socks. He also wears a light blue knit hat on top of his head that his mom knitted for him. He carries a blue backpack to store whatever essential items he might need to have at the moment.

Tim was born in Olivine City. His parents had a hard time concieving a child, and when Tim's mother did finally get pregnant, the pregnancy was very difficult on her. When they finally had their son, he was their miracle baby. Tim's parents weren't rich, but they did all they could to give their son a good life, and give him every advantage. While they expressed having high hopes for their son's success, they tried not to put too much pressure on the boy. For the most part, his life was normal. Tim was often a target of bullying because of his shyness, tendency to get scared easily, and because he was clumsy. No matter what he did to get them to stop it, it always failed or they found something else to give him crap about. It gave him self-esteem issues, resulting in him becoming even more timid. As a result, he had very few friends growing up. He didn't tell anyone about the bullying, lest it become worse. He saw other kids get beaten up much worse after they snitched, and he didn't want that to happen. So he kept it all inside and let his resentment build.

From an early age, he always had a special talent for caring for Pokemon. His mother was a Pokemon doctor, while his father was a professional Pokemon Breeder, Tim often volunteered taking care of the Pokemon at his mother's office, or his dad would bring home some of the Pokemon he was looking after, so he practically grew up around Pokemon. They seem to be fond of him due to his softspoken nature. He often finds sick, or injured Pokemon and cares for, plays with, and feeds them when no one else will. Around Pokemon, Tim felt much more like himself. He found relief from the stresses of life, and he's found they are the best friends he could ask for. He always knew he wanted to do something with Pokemon when he gets older. He just wasn't sure what.

Tim was very excited when he received a Pokemon Egg on his tenth birthday, and more excited when it hatched into a Rockruff. Life continued as normal for the boy. The bullying he went through still had an effect on him, which is why he doesn’t talk to others all that much. After he finished school, Tim knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to raise and care for Pokemon just like his parents do.

Knowing this, his parents enrolled him at the Pokemon Masters Academy. It was a school mostly known for battling, but they did have plenty of programs dedicated to the care of Pokemon. Tim demonstrated a knack for the subject and got in, but he is very nervous about starting at a new school. Mainly about having to interact with new people, and possibly get bullied again.

Tim is a shy and quiet individual by nature. He was always this way, and being bullied as a kid didn't help. He is very sensitive and emotional, and has an easy time showing empathy and compassion for others. He can easily be driven to tears when he's sad. He fears being bullied. He usually speaks with a quiet voice, and occasionally a stutter when he's nervous. He also becomes very apologetic when someone shows any hint of being upset. He likes Pokemon of all kinds. From the cute ones to the not so cute ones, he can find something to love about every species. He usually prefers being with Pokemon than with people. Pokemon will listen without judgement, and only expect a little kindness in return. He is gentle and softspoken, which seems to be the reason why he has such an easy time with Pokémon. He gets scared easily, his worst phobia being stage fright. He gets really nervous when there are a lot of people watching him do anything. He's scared that he'll mess up, and that he'll be laughed at. He has self confidence issues, and he dislikes being the center of attention, in a good or bad way. He really wants to be brave, but it's harder than it looks.

Despite being shy, he is by no means antisocial. If you talk to him, you'll find he's quite friendly, and polite. He can laugh and make jokes like any other kid. He is always happy to have to new friends, because his shyness makes it difficult to make them. He is very affectionate and loyal to those he likes. He hates it when people are angry around him, so he tries his best to keep the peace. In conversations, he is usually more of a listener than a talker, and he has no problems being a sounding board when someone wants to vent (As long as they don't hurt him.) Tim is very kind to others, often to a fault. He is very trusting of people, and is willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Tim is usually very difficult to anger, and is very quick to forgive someone when he does get mad. He is more likely to start crying when he is upset. He doesn't want to burden others with his problems, and he fears being made fun of, so he keeps them to himself. This causes him personal frustration, and he occasionally acts passive agressive towards those he disagrees with. When it gets to be too much, he'll lash out at the target, and let out his pent up rage. He dislikes bullying (towards himself or others,) as well as people being needlessly cruel to Pokemon. Doing one of those things is the best way to get him upset.

Tim is very careful and calculating. He always thinks before he speaks, and prefers not to wrecklessly jump into danger. However, due to his insecurity he is often uncertain if the choices he makes are the right ones. He can easily be convinced to change his mind. This leaves him with some anger when the plan fails and he knew his original idea would have worked. He also doesn't like violence all that much, having been a victim of it. He will participate in Pokemon battles, but only because his Pokemon want to participate.

Although he doesn't look like it, Tim has a big appetite. He likes eating many different kinds of foods, and has the cooking skills to match. That being said, he is a vegetarian. (He'll eat dairy and eggs, but no meat.)

Character development for Tim first and foremost. He is like Fluttershy from MLP. He's very shy and timid, and over time he will learn to be brave and stand up for himself. He'll also proably gain some self esteem over time, and learn that he is not weak and lame. Encountering a legendary would be cool, but not really a requirement.

Tim isn't much of a fan of battling. He thinks Pokemon Contests are cool, but he's too shy to perform in one. His personal goal is to raise and care for a ton of Pokemon.

Asa is pretty average height for his age, topping off around 5 feet 8 inches. His light brown hair is peppered with strands of premature gray that make him look older and more sinister than he actually is. (He estimates he'll have a full head of gray at 20, which he's not too pleased to think about.) His gray-green eyes look a little sunken in and tired from the gray purple rings that only add to his skin pallor. He's usually wearing a surgical mask of some kind, because not only does it help prevent other people's germs from getting to him, but it also gives a sense of anonymity that he appreciates having. The easier it is to blend into the crowd and not be noticed, the better. His choice of clothing is pretty basic so he's usually in scrubs or just jeans, tshirts, and hoodies. His favorite colors are black, pink, and gray, but he feels like pink would attract—mostly likely negative— attention to him, so he stays away from it.

Asa was born to a pair of medical pokemon researchers in Mossdeep City, the technological hub of the Hoenn Region. Suffice it to say that from an early age Asa was usually tagging along to the biotechnology lab, which heavily influenced the interests he has today. Sometimes he got to see his parents work, mystified by the way they moved bottles and beakers under fume hoods, pipetting mysterious chemicals into petri dishes. Eventually the gentle whirring and humming of machines became preferable to the raucous laughter of other kids, who also teased him mercilessly about his graying hair. Not to mention by default Asa was painfully shy, so it was easier for him to bury his nose into a book rather than try to talk to people.

Around age 10, he was allowed to start helping his parents with their work. It was only small tasks a first, like washing beakers can wiping down tables. But eventually he was able to observe and work his way up to becoming quite proficient in hypothesizing and executing studies of his own. And this eventual knowledge made him realize that his parents experimented on pokemon. In hindsight, it should have been obvious. Why else had he seen empty cages that were the size of Rattata? And he'd seen anatomy posters of them as well. Meowth, Sentret, and Patrat were other pokemon he saw occasionally around the lab too.

It was a shocking revelation that tugged at his conscience. Pokemon would never want to be experimented on, but how else was medical science supposed to advance without testing? And even though he knew the painful truth, he still dreamed of one day uncovering breakthrough discoveries of his own. Maybe it's selfish, stepping over the lives of experimented pokemon to chase knowledge... He's just not sure. But he knows that he ultimately wants to help pokemon, to make up for the hurt that humans, including himself, cause them.

Asa didn't want to go to PMA, he didn't want to be a trainer. But since his mother started working there as a professor, and since the school had such high accolades, it was a no brainer that he was going. Additionally to be a pokemon doctor, pokemon medical schools are competitive and require much of their applicants. This includes being a well rounded student not just in academics, but extracurriculars too. And for many top poke-medical schools, being a trainer is an excellent experience to add to an applicant's resume. So grudgingly, Asa accepted his first pokemon and passed the exam for his trainer license about a month prior to starting school.

Though PMA has an abundance of research opportunities and he wants to be grateful for being there, it's difficult being a faculty member's kid. When students found out, many just assumed that he had been granted admission based on nepotism. Knowing that he's going to have to work even harder, Asa isn't looking forward to all the challenges the school year has to bring.

Quiet, logical, and pessimistic, Asa is usually a glass half empty type of person. On a typical day, he's quiet, kind of gloomy, and he hates anything having to do with physical exertion. He's a homebody, and he's not one for exploring the wonderful world of Pokemon unless a research grant has his name on it. That said, once his curiosity is piqued, Asa will stop at nothing to solve a problem or find some kind of scientifically sound answer.

Clinical and logical, he can seem blunt and unfeeling. He's aware that he can sound rude, that he doesn't have a lot of patience for people, so he just tries to get away with making as little conversation as possible. That said, as someone who prefers to listen, Asa enjoys helping people with their problems and figuring out solutions. As long as they don't require too much. He enjoys his sleep as much as he enjoys his studies.

Asa wonders if he can truly say he loves pokemon. He's had plenty of people tell him otherwise, calling him cold and cruel. His guilt makes him feel ashamed, that maybe he is a monster, and he doesn't deserve to love pokemon since he experiments on them. As such, he treats his pokemon more like tools or subjects than actual companions, trying to maintain a cold distance from them. Nicknames are also out of the question. Perhaps when he is a practicing pokemon doctor and has made some astounding medical discoveries, he will be able to say he does truly care about them.

Asa's insecure about his hair, but that's just a part of a bigger picture. As a confused and uncertain teen, he's insecure about a lot of things. As such, he at least tries to come off as certain and knowledgeable as he can, which can backfire and make him just seem more like a know it all. He can even be a little haughty about this, as he likes to feel like the smartest person in the room, and can be harsh when someone doesn't get something. At times, he'll brush people off just thinking that they can't offer him new perspectives or solutions because he's thought of them all. He really enjoys being correct, honestly, and sometimes that gets the better of him.

Despite him being stubborn, caustic at times, Asa wants to understand, and be understood by people. It's just that opening up is difficult.

I like the idea of Asa growing in a few ways during this RP. I'd like to address him being a faculty member's kid, and having to prove to some other students/ rival that he's worthy of being at PMA. Eventually, he'll realize that trying to prove things to people who don't accept him doesn't matter. I'd also like for him to come to terms with being a researcher and someone that truly loves pokemon. Find some kind of acceptance of who he is, that he's not a bad person. I also envision Asa maturing into someone who doesn't need to be right all the time.
I think a good legendary for Asa to meet might be Magearna, since it seems like a pokemon that is man-made and has some kind of background that could relate to pokemon being experimented on. Mew is another good fit, since it's often the target or being experimented on by humans as well. Not sure what other legendaries would be fitting for Asa to meet, but I'd like him to meet gentler/playful pokemon. I'm flexible though & it doesn't matter too much to me honestly.