[h3][color=LightSlateGray]Ardanata “Dana” Stamos[/color][/h3][hr][hr][i]France || Industrialized Sector || May 12th[/i] The ventures out to catch Pokemon were a chore in Dana’s eyes, but she accepted and completed them without complaint. However, it wasn’t until the group arrived in France and was given notice of their schedule that Dana finally felt that things were starting to move along at a decent pace. She wasted no time in plotting out her training plans for the next few days, and right after lecture and lunch she was en route to the city to track down her first round of targets: Togedemaru. [i]Combusken and Marshtomp, then Gothita or Mr. Mime with Scizor and Duskull,[/i] she thought as the driver pulled up in the city. She’d come with a group during the drive up, but she quickly broke from them, heading for the urban fringes where neighborhoods gave way to empty lots and factories. Once she’d reached the correct environment, finding the Pokemon wasn’t a challenge, and it didn’t take long before she started coming across a few tumbling out from behind buildings or fences. However, Dana had no interest in the first few she came across; they were apparently weak, young, scared, and easily startled. Most of them quickly scuttled away at the sound of Dana’s approach, and the ones who stayed for a glance disappeared quickly at the sight of her and her Marshtomp. After a while of walking, Dana’s Duskull drifted up to settle beside her, its red eyes glowing. [color=LightSlateGray]“Lead the way,”[/color] Dana said, following the Duskull towards a back lot. There, chewing on a pipe from the tarp-covered pile beside it, was a large Togedemaru that, upon noticing Dana and her Pokemon, whipped its tail aggressively, electricity sparking at its cheeks. [color=LightSlateGray]“Mud Bomb,”[/color] Dana said. Her Marshtomp complied, throwing out a ball of mud half the size of its target. Beside her, her Duskull settled in idly, red eyes drifting slowly between the battling Pokemon. [hider=Notes][h3] [/h3][u] Pokemon: [/u] [list][*]Duskull ♂ — Lv 34 [*]Ivysaur* ♀ — Lv 34 [*]Combusken ♂ — Lv 34 [*]Scizor ♂ — Lv 34 [*]Marshtomp ♂ — Lv 34 [*]Clefable ♀ — Lv 34[/list][h3] [/h3][/hider] [@Balthazar007] Togedemaru — Lvl 20 [h1] [/h1][hr][h3][color=Khaki]Camden Montero[/color][/h3][hr][hr][i]France || May 12th[/i] Camden fidgeted impatiently, trying and failing to take in anything the Professor was saying. Preoccupied was an understatement—Camden was couldn’t stop thinking about his lack of Pokemon. Sure he hadn’t expected himself to be the first or second to catch a Pokemon—though he hadn’t exactly thought impossible either—but to be one of the trailing tail of the group? One of the sparse handful that still lacked Pokemon? This he had never considered. [i]Russia was too barren,[/i] he thought angrily, flicking his pencil. After his failed attempt to capture the Stantler, he’d had no luck in finding another Pokemon. While others in the group caught Pokemon, he had nothing but empty Pokeballs and idle time. Professor Sycamore’s announcement the prior night promised another chance to catch Pokemon, but Camden was thoroughly irritated at the entire course of events. Sure, he’d thrown hundreds—maybe even thousands—of failed Pokeballs in his games, but in real life it felt different. Where ten Pokeballs in-game were dismissed with a few button presses and annoyed exhalations, his three very real, very present Pokeballs dredged up something Camden hadn’t felt in a while: failure. For the majority of his life, Camden had gotten what he’d wanted. His grades were decent, his social circles respectable, and his participation in extracurriculars passable. Though he’d never stood out above the rest of his peers, he’d averaged in the upper half for as long as he could remember. Now, though, his lack of Pokemon was physical testament to his inferiority in the group. He wasn’t even middling at this point; he was [i]falling behind.[/i] Disbelief didn’t even begin to cover it—Camden was [i]shocked.[/i] How had he come to be in the lower half, the trailing tail of the curve? How was it that his peers were succeeding where he failed? Had he been wrong in believing he could become a Pokemon trainer? That he could face the challenges and come up successful? Was he wrong to be confident in his own success, certain that he would always make the cut? [i]Ridiculous,[/i] Camden thought, dismissing the thought. It wasn’t like he’d truly fallen behind or anything; he still had time to catch up, and he was sure he’d do that and more once he finally caught a Pokemon. [i]This is just a minor mishap—a bump in the road,[/i] he thought as his eyes drifted to the clock. One hour left. [hr] During the bus ride to the park, Camden’s leg bounced impatiently—even nervously. [i]Not happening,[/i] he thought to himself as his eyes drifted over to the Pokemon world trainers in the van. [i]Asking them for help is admitting defeat, and I don’t go down that easily,[/i] he thought, dismissing the idea of asking the trainers to weaken a wild Pokemon for him once in for all. He’d rather fail a hundred times more than stoop to ask for help for something so simple. [i]I’ll catch a Pokemon on my own, or not at all,[/i] he thought, as the group exited the van. Conversation was the last thing on his mind at this point; everything could wait until after he caught his first Pokemon, and with this thought in mind, he made straight for the park’s bushes, intent on finding what he’d come for: a Cherubi. Sure the prospect of owning a cherry wasn’t super appealing, but Cherrim’s ability to unveil itself from its overcast form to its sunshine form was a show-stopping tactic that Camden just couldn’t let up. Luck appeared to be on his side today, for behind the first bush he peered behind was a dozing Cherubi. [i]C’mere, you overgrown cherry,[/i] he thought, retrieving a Pokeball from his pocket and throwing it at the Cherubi. Failure? Failure he’d seen, felt, and dealt with, so let it come at him again. He wasn’t scared of failing again—he’d pick up and throw the Pokeballs however many number of times was required. Let failure come at him, because a single success would cancel all of it. [hr][@Balthazar007] Cherubi — lvl 10, male