The man sitting across the restaurant seems to exude cool confidence, even from a distance. You get the strange feeling that you recognize his face from somewhere.
Allen "Al" Miller is a Team Rocket special operative, who works under the direct orders of the CEO, Knox. A relatively quiet man, he has never been very good with words, especially when action will do the trick. He is strong in nearly every sense of the word, fiercely dedicated to his company, and supremely confident in his abilities...which mostly involve breaking things, whether they're doors, computer security, or knees.
Al is thirty years young, and has spent 17 of those years working for the Rockets in different faculties; he has never been arrested in all of this time, but has been seen by more then enough security cameras and eye-witnesses to place him on the most wanted lists of the Lemon, Lime and League Police. While his service record more then qualifies him for a managerial position within Team Rocket, he prefers active field work, as it keeps him healthy, lets him travel and he believes that his skills better serve the company in action. His hatred of paperwork and fundamental love of chaos help too.
History[]
Al was born fourth of five children to a couple living in Kumquat Town. His parents raised him and his siblings with strict principles, especially regarding the value of hard work; they refused to allow any of their children to get early trainer licenses, as they felt that too many people fritter their time away on the sport, and let themselves become lazy and complacent while their pokemon do their work for them.
Rebellious, reckless and violent, the young Al fell in with a local street gang of Rockets at the age of only 13. Despite not having any pokemon, he quickly proved himself to be a talented thug. By the age of 15, he was approached by the inner eschelon of Team Rocket, who offered to sponsor him as a full member of the Procurement Division, providing room, board and nominal pay in exchange for full-time employment. He readily accepted, leaving home with no word to his family.
Al spent years working full-time for Procurement in Lime City, gleefully sewing chaos and acquiring all manner of "goods" for Team Rocket. As he matured, his violent edge curbed and his mind calmed, making him all the more effective. He eventually purchased his own apartment, moving out of the Rocket barracks. At the age of 24, he realized that his skills had a decidedly single focus, so he took classes and recieved not only high school equivalency, but a diploma in computer programming and hardware design. This knowledge, combined with his prowess as a thief and strongman, made him useful in an entirely new way, quickly making him a favourite agent of the department. His record in the field, combined with his repeated denials of managerial promotion, eventually got him selected to be a member of the CEO's personal task force.
Pokemon[]
Kipster (Mudkip)[]
Al's first pokemon, given to him by Team Rocket upon his promotion to full member of Procurement. No one remembered how Kipster was acquired by the Rockets, only that he had been around for some time; his scarred face, missing eye and sour, uncontrollable demeanor made him impossible to sell on the black market, and most members couldn't handle him on delicate missions, so he was relegated to only the most brazen or lackluster tasks. He was originally given to Al for a single mission, but whether due to some blossoming respect, invisible bond or maybe just a mutually-shared disrespect for other people's property, Al clicked with the resentful pokemon, and since no one particularly cared, he took it as a permanent partner.
Kipster is somewhat militant, and has a domineering, unpleasant personality. He demands respect and obedience from Al's other pokemon, and is undoubtedly the leader when Al isn't around. Despite his obvious dislike of people, he respects and listens to Al with the obedience of a soldier. On missions, his main responsibility is usually providing cover.
Zangoose[]
Zangoose is a powerful, quiet pokemon who strives to increase his strength, focus and combat ability, and who joined Al out of recognition of the human's own personal might in combat. The most mild of Al's pokemon, he doesn't particularly enjoy inflicting harm, but he relishes any opportunity to test his abilities. He is usually the rear-guard, but is also used for obstacle removal and, in a pinch, fast getaways using Teleport.
Toxicroak[]
Toxicroak is what many might consider a tad psychotic; he gets maniacal joy out of violence, especially against humans. Unruly at the best of times, he has a tendancy to go overboard and it takes a firm hand from Al or Kipster to keep him in line, though he dares not legitimately defy either of them. He is Al's main offensive pokemon, and his climbing abilities are not overlooked.
Zigzagoon[]
The most recent addition to Al's team, Zigzagoon was acquired in order to provide support through innocuous distraction and surveillance. He is a joyful, innocent creature who doesn't quite grasp the meaning of his teammates' actions, but like a puppy, he loyally carries out any task he is given...to the extent that he understands it, at any rate.
Torchic Family[]
While on a mission in the forests of Mt. Tamarind, Al came across a small, orange bird who attacked him when he approached its tree. Defeating and capturing it with the intent to sell it to the black market, he discovered that it was aggressive because it was protecting an egg. Feeling that abandoning it would be negligent, he took the egg as well, which hatched several days later. As he met and nurtured the tiny chick, he felt a responsibility towards it and so took it home to his apartment. He kept the mother as well, as he wants the best for the little bird, and so the two torchic roam freely in his home. The mother is scornful and distrustful of Al, but the chick is affectionate, when it isn't begging for food. He has no intention of bringing either pokemon into his work life.
Trivia[]
- Due to the early start to his life of crime, Al has never been registered with the Pokemon League. He provides Rocket-issue forgeries when he needs to use League services.
- Al was a frequent smoker in his young adult life. He hasn't lit up in nearly 4 years, but he still has to seriously resist cheating, especially if others are smoking.
- Al has two tattoos: a broken chain on the back of his neck and shoulders, and a flame on his arm that covers what used to be the Team Rocket symbol. If anyone asks why he has them, he rolls his eyes and says that he was an idiot when he was a kid.