rivalkidneypunch | MASSIVE INFODUMP (Reply)

Timeline
Birthdate: Nov. 3/1991

1991: Born

Was this the year Sasha’s group of Charmanders/eggs were stolen? Verify with Pix.

1992: 1
1993: 2
1994: 3
1995: 4
1996: 5
1997: 6
1998: 7

Chosen by Aiden, left Pallet.
Left at Daycare?
- ...Six months, Green. I was with him for six months.

1999: 8
2000: 9

2 years, 3 months, 1 day after daycare drop-off: escapes daycare
Finds Aiden ditched him, dumps his Kerosene dogtag by riverbank
Moves to Route 10
Sucks at hunting, malnutrition is totally awesome. Scavenging, desperately trying shit like moss off rocks, pinecones, tipping trashcans. FERALITY: ULTRA GLAMOROUS
Meets Max’s Slowpoke
Can see the Charizard/Charmeleon tails on the mountain on the opposite side of river at this point. Attempt crossing, don’t make it past the shallows.
Evolves to Charmeleon fighting a trainer with a Sandslash for food (Could theoretically have been a Charizard at this point too)

2001: 10

Tail lights on opposite mountain no longer present – miners have evolved their stolen Charmanders and driven the wild population off
Minimal success at hunting, still not skillful enough to meet needs. Almost exclusively obtaining food by beating up passing trainers’ teams and swiping their meals.
Picking fights for sport

2002: 11

Tentatively gonna say this was when Green captured Char? (“It had taken six years to find out Char’s birthday. Seven to find out his name. Maybe in another decade or two, it would be safe to say they knew him.” – Prompt meme, flocked on personal LJ)
- 2009: Seven years together
Night of the capture: the world’s slowest log (Incomplete)

2003: 12
2004: 13
2005: 14
2006: 15
2007: 16 (Somewhere in this big empty span, Green's Pokemon journey happened. Char almost burnt down Erika's gym being a disobedient shit. Started obeying roughly around Fuchsia/Seafoam Islands.)
2008: 17

June 22: Arrived at SBG
July 2: Fight with Green, met Nyx
July 27: Rasputin is born, spider spit to the eye causes brief eyepatch phase
August 6: Become An Item with Nyx
August 11: Roomies with Genny
September 15: Wins his first fight
September 20: Bulba birthday
September 27: Fought Blast, broke tail
November 3: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU’RE 17. Also your birthday is now a known thing.

2009: 18

January 1: First tells Nyx he loves her, first IC use of his name (though still not known to anyone else)
February 19: First contact with Aiden, pre-Aparoid picture spree
March 19: Aparoid War is over, angsting begins
March 21: Heartswap with Genny, more freaking out
March 20: Char reads Aiden’s reply, angsts more
April 1: Testing the waters
- Bulba oh my goddd
- WELL. M-maybe I'm sick of you ba! All you do is get in to fights and make people angry anyway! So maybe you should just go anyway ba! I can take care of myself just fine, I don't need you. And I'll take care of Rasputin and I'll let him know just how stupid his dad was ba! That way he can't feel sad and miss you.
  - So whatever! Go do.. whatever.
    - I don't know who'd miss you anyway!
      - ... C-cause I wouldn't!
        ... n-not even a little ba.
April 27: FINALLY OUTTA HERE
- HNNGNHGHG BULBAAA
  - No, you quit the bullshit, Char! I'm not about to forget my family over night just because you think it'd be convenient bul! I don't care if you're trouble, I'm still going to care even if you don't! I'm not giving up just because you are.
    - You've annoyed the piss outta me since day one. You're nothin' but a clingy little brat who don't wanna grow the hell up, and I'm sick of havin' you attached to my ankles. And while I'm bein' honest? you're way too old to be crawlin' into anyone's bed because big scary nightmares. It's creepy. Next time, do the world a favour and stay in your own room.
      - SO MUCH REGREEEEET
June 15: whoops back lol
- Well... even if you forgot, I'm just sayin'. You're gonna grow up eventually, but... hell. I don't mind you leanin' on me along the way.
July 21: Shotamanderrrr
July 25: Shota nightmare
August 23: Letter to Aiden/Growth summary
September 20: Bulba birthday
November 3: Turned 18. Neglected to post, making it that much harder for me to keep track of birthdays three years later.
November 4: Letter to Aiden/post Shadow Nyx and Missingo ZombieBulba angst
November 4: The Enchanted Ballerina

2010: 19

April 22: Green is going, bawwhawww
April 28: Buddycops buddycops
May 14: Charmeleon is evolving! AND PUNCHING EVERYONE.
- THE MOMENT ITSELF, 10:30 PM
May 20: Post-Shadow wakeups, OH FUCK I AM A CHAYZARD
May something??: Biomech is cuties
June 15: lol evolution makes you clumsy
August 13: BULBA EVOLVES
September 20: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BULBA WE SINNOH NOW
October 17: Red team arrives, fihtg me viny
- He was determined to beat the guy fair and square one day, no matter how stupid or impossible the idea was.
- AHAHAHAHA ALL VINNIE HAS DONE IS BEAT CHAR
- Should probably note Char’s record because this is something he would be VERY MUCH KEEPING TRACK OF
  - This: loss
  - First one-on-one fight: tie
  - Dad lectures: world’s most humiliating loss
  - Upcoming Venoshock surprise: gonna be the biggest loss ever
  - GOOD JOB CHAR YOU CONTINUE TO SUCK AT LIFE
October 26: Red team is here, better angst
November 3: 19 years old, avoided a birthday post again
December 8: Buddycops 2: Buddycop Harder (Incomplete)
December 25: MERRY CHRISTMAS. This is the year Green got the Charizard Scale.

2011: 20

January 8: Maybe someday you’ll know what it’s like to suffer
January 17: Bulba’s gay and I’m a failure at handling anything, BETTER LEAVE
February 20: Growth summary with convenient links to:
- Rescuing exploited Charizards with Sasha
- Sasha is too scared of 15 lonely neckbeardzards to teach them ways of the wild
- Char gets shot
- Char wakes up in hospital to Green and is very sappy
- That post also contains Vinnie explaining his lack of leaves and ~sharing flames~ with Sasha
- Bulba comes out of the closet
- Green gets mad at Char for being a tit
- Max punches Char a bunch of times
- Bulba and Char fight then make up
March 10: AU week
March 17: AU!Kerosene dies
March 18: Bulba nightmares and ineffectual broters
May 27: Happy birthday Biomech, hey I’m a graduate now
October 14: Snap is a Failure
November 3: Continuing proud traditions of pretending his birthday doesn’t exist
- Rhys: Char's held a stick of incense Ho-oh Ember, a simple holder for it, and a book about meditation leading to peace.
- Bulba: you got… the usual song and dance aka chocolate almonds out the wazoo. There are two packs this time though, one smaller than the other! Trying something new this time. Let me know if they are gross? He was getting bold and adventurous with some of the spice from Nyx's cookies. There is also another note. Sorry, Char, you won't escape his sap, even if it is significantly shorter this time. And (probably) confusing, because Char wouldn't remember the other one right? YEAH…
  - Hey--
  - … Everything from last year still counts, you know. Happy birthday!
December 25:
- From Green: some new sweater vests and a pair of non- prescription glasses because he is an educated man now. Also chocolate almonds because duh. Spicy Poffins, Pokeblocks, and Aprijuice.
- From Max: More graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars. A tank top with a charizard on it (red). A box of protein bars (vanilla almond).
- From Red Team: Poffins + scarf from Koji (EAT A DICK), groupfood from Sonny

2012: 21

Week of March 11: Entire Max is Charizards
March 20:
- Max is sorry for branding Chayzards
- Talking with Green about new tattoo
- Armed Weaponry class with Biomech
March 23: Beat Marie up for Bulba, Vinnie Toxicstomps Char's ass with a little inspiration from Bulba.

Charizard Species Headcanon
NERDY CHARMELEON STUFF: here
Established experts on the Char line: Professor Oak (Charmander breeding program), Professor Ironwood, Mathilda Beech (Charizard Whisperer)

Body Language

Anxiety
- Tail smacking the ground
- Temperature may increase but no change in flame size
- May also be present with symptoms of aggression, as the two tend to go hand in hand
“This is my territory”
- Roar
- Vomit flames skyward
- This behaviour is mirrored by the other Charizard if they intend to challenge for that territory
Assertion of authority
- Pinning by the horns
- Seriously keep your hands/mouth away from the horns the Chayzard will flip all the shits
- This is super humiliating
- The horns themselves are just bone, so they aren’t especially sensitive
- The area around the base of the horn is prime chayzard-petting real estate though
WATCH YOSELF PUNK
- Tail up
- Flame grows
- Wings flared to appear bigger
- May include growls, bared teeth, other generally obviously-threatening-behaviour
Submission
- “Sad posture” seen in Charmeleons
- Head down, presenting horns
- Tail flat against ground
- Wings folded
- May involve bowing in extreme cases
Happiness/Affection
- Tail wagging
- The flame itself flickering and dancing can also be indicative of a playful mood
- Licking
- Not so much their version of kissies as it is a protective measure – their saliva is fireproof, they’re trying to put it on you
- Headbutting/nosing/nuzzling
- Gestures of affection are far less common than in Charmanders, but more frequent than in Charmeleons
Sharing tail flames
- Mothers frequently help out newly-hatched Charmanders in the ignition of their own flames this way
- Common between sibling Charmanders in packs, especially if a member becomes ill or injured
- Basically never seen in Charmeleons, Charizards tend to usually only do it to mates (or mothers doing it to their newborns), but will occasionally still help their kin out if injured or sick

Courtship

Males will fight each other for females
Males present female with game they’ve killed
- Display of their strength and competence as hunters
- Also proof they will be able to provide food while female is building nest and incubating eggs
Lots of showing off wingspans and tail flames
~~Incredibly silly mating dance~~
Males tend not to stick around after mating is done
Wild populations have not been studied enough for human professors to make note of this (especially because Chayzards are pretty much twice as dangerous come mating season), but occasionally a female will develop a “preference” and select the one same male from her suitors year after year
- In these pairs, the male will occasionally visit after the Charmanders have left the nest
- Ancient northern Kanto mythology mentions that pairs like these will rarely be seen doing an aerial “dance”
- These lovers’ dances are almost entirely a lost art; wild populations are simply too small for females to devote themselves to the same male year after year, and said males tend not to be around too long with increased competition for space and targeting from trainers.

Family Groups and Territory

Charmanders
- Leave the nest 1-2 weeks after hatching
- Live in packs with their siblings, have been known to “adopt” other Charmanders into their packs
- As evolution approaches, Charmanders begin to compete for “dominance” – mostly the right to first access to their kills
Charmeleons
- Charmander pack dissolves once they begin evolving, they move to higher altitudes to seek their own territory
- Most vulnerable phase of the Charline life, and therefore their most aggressive
- Extremely territorial, Really Not Social At All
Charizards
- Still territorial, still not social creatures, but not to the hypervigilant level seen in their previous stage
- Will claim out a place as their “home” territory, but are quasi-nomadic – may travel great distances to seek prey, strong opponents, or gather for mating season
- May live either as a solitary Charizard or in very loose groups
  - This is becoming increasingly common as their habitat shrinks, which has the unfortunate side effect of greater pressure on the prey populations
  - Less of a closely bonded pack and more a cluster of solitary creatures that tolerate one another’s company
  - Generally, there will be a “top” male who is regarded as the one ruling over that territory – spars and competition for this spot are extremely common, and the top male may change frequently
  - It has been noted that these are less vicious than the territory scuffles between Charizards that live in isolated turf – injuries are less serious, and death as a result of a scuffle is much more rare

History and Wild Population

Charizards continue to grow for much of their lifespan
- Consult with Pix re: average lifespan and maximum height
- Female lizards are usually larger than males – maybe this applies here too?
Wild phenotype tends to differ from tame phenotype as a side result of the breeding program’s efforts to produce Charmanders with their line’s aggression and authority issues bred out of them.
Wild specimens tend to be larger, as a whole
Narrow, slitted pupils more common in wild ones – domestic stock tends to inherit the dominant genes for full pupils from the Blastoise/Venusaur fathers in the gene pool
Some wild Charmanders and Charmeleons will have a few back spikes – this is a trait dating back to ancient times, though domestic stock tends to select against this trait for a less aggressive-looking Charmander
Longer tails also inherent in wild stock – the average Charizard tail is long enough that the tail flame can be held slightly higher than the top of the head

Ancient Charizard phenotype

Larger than modern Charizard
Bigger wingspan
Large, hooked toeclaw like ...Utahraptors? (I forget which species of raptor has the bigass claw, google this or ask Pix)
Dark maroon or brown stripes on body
Lighter eyes
Trail of flame running down length of body along spine (this was very quickly bred out as domestication of Charizards began, for the sake of riders who did not want their bits roasted)
Males had an additional “mane” of flame, as protection for the horns

Domestication

Began in northern/western Kanto, in mountainous tribes
Some evidence for Charizard taming in Cinnabar Island, too – Charizards would have been an easy way to travel to mainland to engage in trading, warfare, etc, without passing through perilous Seafoam Islands, considered taboo as it was widely believed to be the dwelling place of Articuno
A long and difficult process – often the young humans would begin by offering food to Charmander packs
Speaking to the packs from a distance or observing to get them used to your presence also common
Process would continue as both human and Charmander aged, though usually very much from afar
The Charmeleon period was typically very dangerous – tended to involve heading into the wilderness to find your chosen Charmeleon’s territory, and walking a delicate tightrope between being present and avoiding being regarded as a threat
More peaceful tribes in the western end preferred a process of acclimation; get the Charmeleon adjusted to your presence, stay quiet enough to not appear as a threat
The warrior tribes more common in the north were more attuned to the Charizard way of thought: young warriors were taught to gain their Charmeleon’s respect by proving a worthwhile adversary in a fight
Burns, bite marks, and claw scars were considered something to be worn with pride
Took many years of growing up parallel to one another for a human to be trusted
Dragons were typically into Charizardhood before human was permitted to touch them beyond in-battle contact
When dragon trusted human enough to initiate hand-to-horn contact, humans would bestow their Charizard with a name, Charizard would in turn give human one of their scales to mark their partnership
Not to be confused with ownership – Charizards lived in their own territory, not in human settlements; they permitted the human to call on them, but were still very much free
Charizards would only bond with one human, and one alone; if their human died, there was no recorded evidence of anyone ever being able to approach that Charizard, let alone tame them
Currently, archaeologists suspect Charizards may have brought their humans to their own territory
This is based on writings and cave paintings in Charizard territory, though not enough is known of this language to translate the writings – oddly enough, there is no trace of it to be found on ancient northern Kanto artifacts; their lore seems to have been entirely an oral tradition until the introduction of the Unown-based alphabet. The current theory is that the Charizard cave writings were a sacred script known only to the holy men
- Really, it’s got nothing to do with humans – this is Charizard script. After the era of Arceus bestowing Pokemon with the knowledge to turn human came to an end, it’s now common for modern humans in non-FDC regions to underestimate the intellect of most non-psychic Pokemon; thus, the researchers found it far more plausible that this was a top-secret human script than that Charizards had a written language.
- Many of the writings are, in fact, of a religious nature, though – Charizard lore centers largely around the worship of the sun, with Ho-oh in particular being a favoured deity.

MASSIVE INFODUMP

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