AJ~

AJ~ (born August 30th 1993, also known as TMoF, Anthony, or A-John) is a well known spriter, and former owner of Spriters Laboratory, Spriters Cavern and Sonorous Sanctuary.

Pokemon Crater
AJ was introduced to Pokemon Crater in 2005 by his friend, Hayden Parsons. He played the game for two years until he joined the forums, under the username TMoF (which stands for The Master of Fire). He quickly got into spriting, originally using Paint's default colours and ripping colours off Pokemon such as Regice and Darkrai (all of these palletes are now either modified in his own shades (e.g. Darkness), replaced with a similar concept (e.g. Cold -&gt; Icy), or deleted completely). He was accepted into Metalcyndaquil X's shop, where he made friends with Pokefreak31.

TMoF and Pokefreak31 got together to create the Blood Stone Dex, which as of June 14th 2009, has over 500 sprites and one trophy (2008's Best Dex).

At the demise of Crater, AJ and Pokefreak31 moved to Spriters Laboratory for most of December 2007

Spriters Laboratory
On August 11th, 2007, Metalcyndaquil X, TMoF and Pokefreak31 co-founded Spriters Laboratory, a spriting forum created with invisionfreeboards. The trio heavily advertised the forum on Crater and MSN.

The site was a "refugee camp" after Crater was deleted. Prior deletion, Spriters Laboratory members all pitched in PMing many members on Crater to get them to join the site, peaking the member count up to 150. Due to the member count, a few people were appointed moderators, including [A]mythest, Aruseus Master and BuizelBoy.

On January 4th, 2008, Masterpoke rounded up a small group in an attempt to deal with co-founder TMoF, after the latter banned the former for spam, and evading a ban. This lead to an MSN mutiny against the admin, and the main admin, Metalcyndaquil X, to give his password to the member Masterpoke, under the assurance that he wouldn't do anything rashional. However, Masterpoke held the site hostage, banning significant members with the admin control panel, before deleting the forum. The only thing that remains in the sites chatbox. The link to the chatbox however is lost.

Spriters Laboratory is responsible for starting BuizelBoy's spriting career, to an extent.

Pokedox
After being persuaded by BuizelBoy, both Pokefreak31 and TMoF joined late December, as Llama Duck and TMoF respectively. In January, the duo restarted their Blood Stone Dex, which went on to win the 2008 Choice Awards for Best Dex. TMoF changed his username to AJ~ in September.

AJ started an important friendship with future girlfriend Allie~ at Dox, and later MSN.

AJ's fame on the site boosted as well as his spriting abilities. He excells in disguises and palletes, some people considering him a threat in some contests. He has performed well in contests, notably the Disguise Contest (hosted by Avenger), Aruseus Master's Contest and The Official Dox Contest, and has worked in popular shops, such as GlameowGal's and Gigaknight's shop, and started a few succesful shops with Allie~, and other experienced spriters on Dox. He hosted and judged both Ultimate Spriters Brawl's.

His sprite battles are impressive, only ever losing against three members out of 14 battles (Pokefreak31, Avenger and Ebil! Bunneh). He shares the honour of the first sprite battle which needed a third judge to decide the outcome with Allie~, as well as starting one of the first sprite battles with Pokefreak31. The round was to disguise Camerupt as Torkoal. TMoF defeated Pokefreak31 in this round, due to Pokefreak's sprite looking overweight. This resulted in an inside joke between the two. Pokefreak got his revenge early 2009, defeating AJ~ in a revamp battle (no inside joke was made however, due to AJ's entries being normal).

He is a part of Project Post, and was one of the five founders.

Spriters Cavern and Sonorous Sanctuary
The downfall of Spriters Laboratory promted the creation of Spriters Cavern. V1 was created using invisionfree on the 6th of January. V2 was created reluctantly with Eternal Shadow, on iPB boards, mid August. A week later, V2's server crashed and died. V3 was created a month later, once again reluctantly with Eternal Shadow. After a minor argument, Eternal Shadow temporary closed it. AJ created music forum Sonorous Sanctuary as a result of this closing. Eternal Shadow reopened Spriters Cavern V3 after persuasion from Allie~, and a discussion with AJ~. V3 is now closed after another argument between AJ~ and Eternal Shadow, while V1 is activity dead.

Spriting
AJ has been interested in spriting almost as soon as he signed up onto Crater. He started out making Trainer Cards, then moved onto fusions, simple recolours and other styles. AJ continued to branch out, originally trying to make the biggest worksheet on the site. He got rid of his big worksheets as soon as he discontinued some old palletes, which were ripped from other Pokemon's colours. While on Pokedox, AJ finally attempted disguises, which most members now consider his signature technique. AJ has completed complicated disguises somewhat brilliant, notably Quilava disguised as Pupitar, Poliwag as Electivire and Trapinch as Gyarados.

Current Palletes
These are the palletes that are featured on AJ's newest sprite worksheet.



Fiery Abyss: A Pokemon which has been charred by the flames that have once engulfed there body and survived. The Pokemon's skins have become immune to fire to protect it from the ongoing internal combustion, and the last flames still burning on random bits of there body. This is AJ's favourite of his palletes.

Galactic Stardust: Galactic Stardust Pokemon have evolved in outer space, to match with there surroundings.

Blood Stone: These were ordinary Pokemon that were incased in stones to prevent there deaths by blood loss after terrible injuries. After breaking free of the stone, they Pokemon became free again. However, due to errors in the process, these Pokemon will bleed forever, and match the colour of the stone they were placed in. AJ and Pokefreak31 have started a Pokedex to find and showcase these Pokemon, known as the Blood Stone Dex.



Cookie Frosting: These Pokemon were once victims of an obese dictator. He wanted to capture as many Pokemon as he could, and turn them into chocolate-chip biscuits covered in thick sprinkled cream using his custom-made machine. However, due to glitches in the programming, the Pokemon remained the same size and alive, and as a result, all of them fled from the scene. This is a tribute pallete to Pokefreak31's Doughnut's.

Icy: Pokemon that have been frozen solid so long that the ice covering them soon merged with there bodies. This is recently discovered, after an Icy Weezing was found and captured while floating around the warf of Snowpoint City.

Psychic Apocalypse: Creatures that have been morphed into a Psychic Apocalypse after feeding on the rare Psyberry. Little else is known.



Clay: A recently discovered species. These Pokemon were originally shaped from pure clay, then zapped with a special laser that brings them to life. Clay Pokemon are incredibly useless in battle, as they reshape easily.

Spiritual Wisp: The spritual remains of a deceased Pokemon. They are nearly impossible to find during the day due to there white bodies, while bits of them are floating off randomly as though carried by an invisible wind. They have dull red eyes, which some believe are due to their vengeful natures. They are mostly located in mansions or hotels, or even some common houses, haunting them until the day they get captured. This pallete was created for the Official Pokedox Contest.

Leaked: These are Pokemon whose bodies are completely water. No one knows how the water stays in shape, or even how these Pokemon came into existance. Scientists are currently doing some research on a Leaked Magmortar found in the wild.



Electric Explosion: Pokemon who have been involved in an explosion at various nuclear plants. The power stored from the plants found there way into the Pokemon, corrupting them. Scientists have discovered that this mutation can be spread to other Pokemon sexually.

Sprite Laboratory V1: Pokemon that adapted to the habitat of Sprite Laboratory, matching the forums skin. AJ~ gave these Pokemon away to the members of the forum.

Sprite Laboratory V2: Pokemon that adapted to the habitat of Spriters Cavern, matching the forums skin and stripes. AJ gave these Pokemon away to the members of the forum.



Decayed: Discovered by Allie~ and AJ~ together. These Pokemon are Pokemon living through the process of Decaying. This, as well as the green and black, is a result of Bidoofitis, a deadly disease which originated in Bidoof's. Once the Pokemon has finished rotting, then they will finally die. Some believe that Spiritual Wisp's are the ghosts of Bidoofitis victims.

Darkness: Pokemon cursed by the legendary Darkrai. These Pokemon have bright red eyes, due to there vengeful natures. They share similar colours to the posessor, Darkrai.

Robotic Glow: Robotic organisms created by the obese dictator to do his dirty work. They were released from captivity upon his arrest.



Cookie II: Created by the obese dictator after the catastrophic failure of Cookie Frostings. This time the Pokemon were paralyzed as soon as they were put into the machine, and they also shrunk to the size of a regular cookie. Just before sinking his teeth into a cookie Kyogre, he was arrested by Pokefreak31 and Metalcyndaquil X. After reversing the process, the two hired AJ~, and all three continue to replicate these cookies for sale without harming any Pokemon.

Shadow: Shadow Pokemon are Pokemon that have eaten the uncommon Shadeberry. Little else is known.

XMas: Regular Pokemon who have painted themselves for the holiday season. They were given out for free as a present from AJ~.

Personal Life
AJ often calls himself the anti-social type. He currently lives in Blenheim, New Zealand, and has been a victim of child abuse from his father, leading to a suicidal depressive behavoir.

At the age of one, AJ fell down two stairs, breaking his nose and getting long term red spots on his hands. The red spots have now disappeared after 14 years.

During 2001-2004, AJ was part of his school Hockey Team, until he moved to an intermediate school. He tried out for their Hockey team, but failed, and has never tried out for any sports since. AJ was a part of his primary school's choir for two years, as well as his intermediate school's choir after being encouraged to join by his friends Liana and Isaac.

In November 2006, AJ was involved in a group fight with his mates in the school grounds shortly before a High School entrants test. He was knocked over and landed awkwardly on his left wrist, breaking it. Trying to ignore the pain, he went to the entrants test, before giving up and heading to the sickbay after completing one question.

In August 2007, AJ once again broke his nose, from rolling out of bed and smashing his nose on a bike helmet of the floor. He went to school the next day, but went home after Period 3 from pains.

AJ lost his temper with his parents in early March, and angrily punched a door in an attempt to open it. However, he missed the wooden bit between two glass windows, and broke through three layers of glass. He significantly cut his elbow, and also cut his thumb and wrist. He also recieved minor injuries from flecks of glass on his chin and knee. He was rushed to the hospital, where he got four stitches in his elbow. People can still see bits of glass stuck in his wrist by regrowed skin.

Allie~ has commonly reffered to AJ~ as the one who cheered her up after her Nan passed away, and the two eventually got together on the 29th of April which lasted a little more than a year, until the couple temporarily broke up.

The breakup compelely upset AJ, sending him into a mild depression. This lasted until the couple got back together on the 6th of June, agreeing to forget about the past month by pretending to be recovering from a coma. The couple broke up again after two weeks due to distance, but still share an incredibly close friendship. AJ isn't in a relationship, but says that he is "saving himself for someone."

In October, AJ grew a minor romantic interest in best friend Little.Miss.Random, causing cracks between AJ and Allie's already damaged relationship. These feelings soon died at the end of the month.