Hey Vort, do you mind if I do a short writeup for the cubone like you've done for the other possible starters? Assuming that you don't mind, here's what I've written up.
Cubone Initially quadrupedal, these reptiles adapt to a bipedal stance not long after birth - usually three to four months. Natural tool-wielders, they are regarded uneasily by humans for their use of crude weapons and the skull-shaped calciferous growth that covers their head. Reaches full maturity in about seven years.
EDIT: I've been thinking of what I'd like to have on my team later on down the road, and in the interest of figuring that out as well as fleshing out the equivalent of a Pokedex for this project (if Vortigern wishes to use these, that is) I've come up with a few more species' definitions.
Meowth Fiercely territorial scavengers, these mammals are considered a nuisance in urban areas as they struggle to survive in competition with others of their kind. The iconic golden growth that grows above their eyes is used to distract enemies and attract prey; as they mature into their more leonine adult form, the growth shrinks into a circular, ruby-colored "third eye" that is accused by many humans as giving the species the gift of supernatural foresight. However, this is not true, but does have roots in fact - the long whiskers that grow out on either cheek are very sensitive to changes in air flow and pressure, allowing them to detect movement from surprisingly distances and giving them an edge in hunting and combat. Once fully matured at ten to fifteen years of age, the meowth is a dangerous, apex predator adept at holding its territory against trespassers and hunting down hapless prey with its excellent night-vision.
Aerodactyl Millions of years ago, when the world was largely covered by water but for rough stretches of craggy continents breaking the surface, this pokemon ruled the sky. Using its great, twenty-foot wingspan and lithe form, it was able to acrobatically maneuver through constant stormy weather, crashing waves and jutting spires of stone to reach the top of its foodchain. Primarily subsisting on the massive schools of fish that inhabitated the primordial sea, it also supplemented its diet with early crustaceans and sea mammals such as the dewgong before rampant climate change forced the aerodactyl into extinction. It is believed that it used a high-pitched scream to shock and subdue its prey before tearing them to pieces with its large fangs, though the lack of modern specimens means that this is purely conjecture; the only remaining evidence of its existence are old bones and samples of its DNA found within amber-sealed insects.
Kabuto Despite the appearance of fierce, glowing red eyes underneath its tough shell, it is actually blind. The two spots serve as a primitive bioluminescence, attracting prey directly to its mouth so that it can devour them while expending the least amount of energy. However, the light is captured directly beneath it and does not expose it to other predators thanks to the overhanging lip of its shell. Physiologically, its body - the legs and feeding claws, internal organs and other vitals - are kept coiled securely underneath its shell until its carapace becomes strong enough to support them. It feeds on krill, plankton, and others of its own kind with an equal lack of reservations; due to this, few of them reach adulthood. Its origins lie in the distant past - millions of them covered the ancient seafloor, but as landmasses shifted and changed and the seafloor shrunk, the population swiftly deflated until only a few hundred "living fossils" remain in the modern day. Of course, the upside to that is that there are ample sources of fossils and DNA samples with which to revive the species from the brink of extinction.
More coming, I have some good ideas for how the fossil pokemon can work.
Edited by mike_, 26 August 2011 - 03:20 AM.
