Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
Holly is a somewhat stern woman with a no-nonsense approach to life. She does not laugh or joke terribly often, but that isn't to say she is humorless. She simply tends to keep such thoughts to herself or appreciate them quietly.
She is kind despite coming across as a little harsh and does deeply wish to see young trainers grow and learn and thrive.
She would generally rather be in the lab than doing field work, but occasionally does get an itch to get out and stretch her legs and see Pokemon in their natural habitats first-hand.
If one can get past her somewhat icy exterior, they will find a socially awkward nerd who just wants to do science and watches copious amounts of sci-fi in her free time. She has a terrible weakness for older campier sci-fi such as original Star Trek.
History
Holly was born the only child of a pair of researchers who tended to value their work over their family. Holly was well cared for, albeit by a nanny more than by her parents, and never went wanting for much other than perhaps a little attention.
As she got older, though, her parents did become very involved in her education. She could read fluently by the time she was 3, and at a time when most kids were playing with dolls and cars, her favorite pastime was browsing encyclopedias.
Unsurprisingly, she excelled in academics in school, even skipping a few grades over the years, but she was never especially prolific in the friend department, especially once she was several years younger than her classmates.
She started university a few weeks before turning 16, and found it a harrowing experience. The work load and scheduling was incredibly different than high school, and she soon found herself completely overwhelmed. After a grueling first semester, she took two years mostly off to rest at home and train Pokemon in her spare time, keeping one online course per semester just to technically stay in school.
Once she was 18 and a half, she felt ready to try actual university again, and was able to do much better this time. She even started making a few friends, now that she was the same age as other students again and started meeting people who shared her niche interests and academic ambitions.
She would continue through school past undergrad and go on to work on her PhD in Pokemon Biology and Evolution, with her thesis focusing on how habitats affected regional variants and the diversity of forms found in Arciel in particular. While struggling through this course, she met a girl who became a close friend, and whom she eventually fell head over heels for. They would go on to date for several years.
Upon graduation, Holly applied to be Arciel's regional professor, and was initially rejected, but came back with a better proposal a few months later and this time got the job.
Work was pretty routine up until the Ultra Beasts attacked when she was 32. While she and her lab made it out unharmed, her girlfriend had been in Plum and was terribly injured, being comatose for almost a month before she woke. The incident scared Holly so much that she decided she didn't want to live another day without her and proposed not long after her girlfriend awoke, but her girlfriend had had the opposite realization. She realized how little she'd really done in life between school and the domestic life she'd had these past years, and wanted to get out and see the world; the last thing she wanted was to be tied down. Holly suggested a long-distance relationship, but her girlfriend-- or rather, her now-ex-- declined, and they wound up breaking up.
Holly has been married to her job since then, a little guarded and hesitant to let people too close. But all the same, once she had sufficient time to grieve, she's happy with where she is in life, and while she's not opposed to making new friends or having another relationship if an opportunity comes knocking on her door, she isn't actively seeking to change anything about her current situation either. She's perfectly happy just being able to do her research and help new trainers out in beginning their very own journeys.
Other
She goes by "Professor Holly" rather than "Professor Hawke" in order to be seen as "more legitimate" in a world where somehow Professors have a plant-based name scheme worldwide, even though she finds this insufferable to think about.
Appearance
Height
5'07" / 170cm
Build
Thin, somewhat bony
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Hazel
Holly is naturally olive-skinned, ranging from semi-pale when she's been cooped up in the lab for a long time to fairly dark when she's been doing a lot of field work.
Her eyes are a hazel color that can look more blue, gray, or light grayish-brown depending on the lighting and colors around her.
She has something of a resting bitch face and light wrinkles, but when she does smile she looks very soft and kind.
Aura
Her aura is primarily bright blue, fading to green at the core and brown at the edges. It is a simple oval around her form, with nothing especially distinguishing about the shape or movement.
When Hiro sets his sights on something, he finds it easy enough to tune out other desires or distractions and focus until his objective is achieved. That said, it is also easy to forget things like unrelated deadlines, special dates, and his health during these stretches. He also doesn't tend to back down easily once he's set his mind on something.
Hiro is very well-learned and a pretty logic-driven person in most regards. This combined with his stubbornness can make him a force to be reckoned with in an argument. Certain things will grab and tug his heartstrings, but he can rationalize a lot and sometimes has trouble grasping the emotional value of things that don't click with him right away. Other times he may care a lot for something in theory but do a very poor job of demonstrating it in practice, knowing he should feel bad about that but just kind of dissociating from it instead.
He spent over six years working hard nearly exclusively in university, and now feels he's earned a right to play hard in turn. He might overcompensate a bit hard for this at times, especially where more flirtatious fun is concerned. He's pretty picky about someone to Actually Date as they have to get along with all his immediate family and also the idea of a serious relationship may sound vaguely intimidating, but more casual dalliances are all in good fun, right?
Hiro has a pretty sharp divide between Work Mode and Social Mode, but when he's in the latter he is very friendly and upbeat. He can sometimes be a little over the top, though, almost theatrical, in both positive and negative settings. He handles actual serious stress very well (or maybe more accurately, doesn't handle it at times), but minor offenses or certain buttons get!! UH!! SO!!! UH!!!! HUFF.
Hiro has a very strong sense of loyalty and gratitude toward his family, especially his mom, and a lot of pride in his family name. That said, while he can argue with them, he will often blindly defend them if he doesn't have a stake in either side, and if you insult his mom you will get punched. (What do you mean "mama's boy"? He resents that claim even if it is probably entirely true.) He is.. a bit more detached from his daughter on a personal level than he'd ever like to admit, but he does care about her well-being deeply and takes pride in being able to provide well for her and the rest of the family, even though his certainly isn't the only income.
Hiro is pretty light-hearted about most things at least most of the time. Also, so many... water and fish puns. So... so many.... Water you gonna do about it.
He has a tendency to ignore his problems. Everything is FineTM. Who's running? You're running. Running and ignoring are totally different.
History
Some kids are born to a well-prepared, financially stable pair of parents who are looking to start a family together. Hiro is not one of those kids. But when his mother Mizuki had him at only 17, she gave up all her other pursuits to focus on raising and providing for him. She did her best to depend on her parents as little as possible both it terms of time and finances, and Hiro was cared for by them pretty well only when she was working.
His grandparents were very supportive. His Uncle Takeki left for Alola not long after Hiro was born, and Uncle Yamato was often annoyed by a toddler Hiro; but by the time he got a little older-- old enough to talk and really have solid interests-- Takeki had come home and sometimes took him out to play or even watched him for the evening or the weekend, and Yamato decided he wasn't so bad (and might have taught him more than a few words that made Mom mad when Hiro repeated them).
All in all, he never felt unwanted or like he went without. Once in a blue moon he talked on the phone with a guy people called his dad, and even rarer he saw him in person for a day, but Hiro's feelings at that age were often, 'oh yeah, he exists'.
Once Hiro was old enough for school and would be occupied there much of the day, Mizuki had managed to get on her feet and started looking into going back to school herself. Hiro was ecstatic about this thought, pushing her to definitely do it so they could go to school together!! When she explained they wouldn't actually be in the same school, he was a bit more disappointed, but it was still good that they would both be learning! She stayed up a lot later studying than he did, and he sometimes worried that she wasn't getting enough sleep, but she seemed to be learning a lot and he was proud of her.
When mom got a girlfriend, he was a little hesitant, but she seemed pretty nice and her kids were okay and she seemed to make mom happy. Arceus knew dad was never gonna be part of their lives beyond the occasional visit or birthday present, and mom deserved someone who appreciated her.
Hiro made friends easily enough throughout school. He never would have called himself super "popular", though he was well-liked and may have fit the bill without realizing it. He didn't follow "popular kid" stereotypes, so it never really clicked in his head, but he tried to be friendly with most people and was often invited to events and to be part of groups. He dabbled in a wide variety of sports, and fell in love with surfing and swimming especially, though volleyball, soccer, baseball, and basketball were all greatly enjoyed as well, in order of most to least. Once he got older and taller, basketball may have overtaken baseball a bit, but there was more of a community around baseball in the area so it was hard to say for sure.
Of course, if one counted Pokemon training as a sport, he also enjoyed that, although he enjoyed participating in team battles much more than solos. This was admittedly probably influenced a good deal by his first Pokemon, an Alomomola he met when playing at the beach when he was 9. It wasn't uncommon for him to play with wild Pokemon for a while under appropriate supervision, but after several times hanging out with the same Alomomola, he felt like they were bonding and begged his mom to let him take him home, even if Hiro wasn't technically quite old enough to be a trainer yet. He named him Sunny because he was like a sunfish! Or, wait no Slappy because of his big mitten fins. No wait Slips because he was so soft and slippery. No wait-- Okay maybe he could just call him whatever he felt like that day.
At any rate, having a support-focused partner made him enjoy double battles a lot more than head-on singles. Hiro and Sunny would also sometimes comb the beaches and the shallows for injured or simply tired Pokemon to help out with a Heal Pulse, and as they grew Hiro's love for the sea did as well.
Hiro grew older, more fond of Pokemon and the sea, better at surfing and swimming. He "dated" a bit through middle school, mostly girls and about two or three guys (he was never super clear on one of them?? oh well), but had his first 'proper' girlfriend-- someone he actually kissed more than once or twice and dated for longer than a few weeks-- right after starting high school. While that still only lasted a few months, it ended on pretty amicable terms. His second real relationship, however, did not. He got his heart broken, and--
Mom had gotten engaged?? Well.. Well yeah she and her girlfriend had been together for-- shit, most of Hiro's life actually? But...? But their relationship was supposed to be something mom went and did or something that came and visited for a while. The norm at home was supposed to be him and mom, not.. all these other people that did not deserve her attention as much as he did?? Okay so maybe he was more upset about having to share her time with his new stepsiblings-to-be but... He was already going through a rough time and they could be annoying sometimes when he had to be around them so much and mom didn't seem like she had time to help him with his problems and seeing her So Happy and them planning for the wedding only exacerbated how upset he was about his breakup. Exactly once he sort of threw a fit about it, but mom looked so upset that he immediately apologized and decided he couldn't bother her even if he wanted to, so he just withdrew and then started acting out instead.
Since he couldn't stand being at home sometimes and couldn't stand to rain on anyone's parade either, he just started staying out late and finding any excuse he could to not be home. Some days this just meant staying on the beach all day. Others, it spiraled into-- ... okay so in full disclosure he'd gone to a few parties even before, but he accepted more invitations and used much less discretion/reservation in what or later who he'd do at them. And if someone threw a party on the beach??? Arceus. Later still it spiraled into some minor delinquent behavior that he probably definitely didn't pick up from Uncle Yamato or anything nope, though he did his best not to get caught. Mom got several concerned phone calls during this time, but rarely real proof.
He could tell how much it was starting to wear on her, and sometimes when she got really upset he'd tone things back just a little, for just a few weeks... but other times, he was vaguely 'satisfied'. At least she was paying attention to him. Maybe she'd realize their home life was better before she got married. Er.. not that he wanted to break them up now that they were together or anything?? But.. Ugh he didn't know what he wanted, he was just resentful okay?
Then came a school trip to Unova. Hiro was barely 17, and the class was traveling for a week to absorb some culture. They had musical tickets, tours scheduled of the Relic Castle and Undella Town, a private tour of the Nacrene Museum-- it was all set to be a fun and educational week. ...Except for the fact that Hiro snuck off the first night, met some local teens, and hooked up with a cute girl instead of going back to his hotel. He gave her his number in case she wanted to have some more fun while he was in town, and when he rejoined the class the following morning the chaperones were furious. He was threatened with being sent home alone (an empty threat, he knew; they wouldn't go through the trouble with flight costs), but he promised to be good.
He was not. The girl, Lydia, called him back, and he wound up ditching several straight days of the trip getting into mischief with her. The police were called. Teachers were debating whether to worry his mother. They weren't sure if something truly sinister had happened or if he was just being a little prick, but when he magically showed up at the start of the Undella Tour, they were assured it was the latter. He got to participate only to avoid causing a scene in public, especially once he was immediately such an actively engaged participant and all the tour guides loved him, to his teachers' chagrin. He immediately disappeared again after the tour to get into more trouble with Lydia and her friends.
Of course he was "grounded" when he got home, but... haha sure okay mom. Good luck with that.
Hiro hadn't really expected to keep in touch with Lydia after he got home. She was cool, but they both kind of understood that had been an exotic adventure fling sort of thing. They texted sparingly for a few weeks before going quiet, no big deal. The last thing he expected was for her to call, not text, two months later crying that she was pregnant????
Wh- BUT??? No but-?? Why did she even assume it was-- what did she mean he was the only guy she and her girlfriend had slept with?? Arceus, no but, fuck, but-- What was he even supposed to do??? They were both kids and... what would mom say? She was 17 herself when she had him! And he'd heard exactly this caution story all his life? She was going to be furious-- or heartbroken or!!! He just--!?!?
He kind of hung up the phone and turned it off and hid from the world for a few hours. Of course when he did turn it back on his inbox was flooded with screaming messages, and it didn't take two hours before it rang yet again. He debated blocking her but.... but as much as he didn't want to disappoint mom he also didn't want to be his dad....
So he talked to her and asked what she wanted, and she didn't know. She just wanted out. Her girlfriend was threatening to leave her, her parents were threatening to disown her, and her life was kind of falling apart. All she'd wanted was a fun little fling with a cute Kanto boy, she didn't sign up for a lifetime commitment or ruining the life she already had or--!?!?
Hiro was panicking himself, but did his best to calm her down and promise he'd talk to his mom and... he'd quit school to be a single parent like she had, if it came down to it, but wouldn't ask Lydia to. Mom's reaction was not exactly what he expected yet somehow at the same time everything he had feared, but she wound up being sympathetic (the waterfall of tears and ugly ugly sobbing from him probably didn't hurt) and...
Wh-... Mom? You what?? He didn't even know what to think at first when she insisted she and her wife could raise the baby. He almost wanted to argue with her that she'd more than done her share, but... But she was so determined not to see him live her life, to make sure he could pursue his dreams, and he just... Oh had he thought his crying before was probably an ugly mess?? Haha he'd have to rescind that statement.
After he'd been such a shit for so long and harboring resentment for such petty reasons, she was still putting him before anything, and the depth of that realization changed Hiro for life. He cut all the delinquency, focused on his grades, and got a job that filled most of his time after school. His paychecks were split between savings and sending money to Lydia both to help with clinic visits and just as a general apology for her troubles. Her parents were still being awful, but she and her girlfriend had made up at least, and they were looking into getting a place together when they graduated.
Two weeks before her due date, he used his savings to fly them both out to Kanto and... sort of tried to be friendly and make amends in person? But as much as he wanted to, it wound up being very awkward to even really look at each other, and he largely avoided her until she went into labor. Once the baby was born, she didn't want to hold her, or to see him. She just wanted to go home and pretend none of this ever happened, and Hiro couldn't really blame her.
He named his daughter Miyuna, and once he took her home, he... tried very hard to help his mom and stepmom with parenting duties, but they were both a lot more experienced and could do it so much more easily with better results and he may have.. sort of just... let them handle a lot. He also may have wound up feeling a lot more like a big brother than a "father"; the word felt weird and surreal, and he just... tried to ignore it. He also also may have picked up extra hours at work and taken on some extra projects and university prep work at school to have more excuses for not really being involved.
Almost a year passed, and Hiro graduated with remarkable grades. Hiro was very much doubting he was ever going to really feel this whole "dad" thing, but he knew how proud he was of mom for getting through med school and how much her income had improved his quality of life since she graduated, and he knew if he was going to be a distant dad he couldn't be distant and a deadbeat like his. So the obvious choice in his head was to become a doctor, too. Not a medical doctor like mom, but a doctor all the same. While ocean studies were always a thing he wanted to pursue, he'd never been sure what direction or level he wanted to take it to before Miyuna, and wanting to be someone she and mom could both be proud of inspired him to pursue a full doctorate.
The next six and a half years were hell. In his first semester, he took the maximum recommended number of courses, and found it pretty stressful keeping up while adjusting to university life. He ah, did move out to live on campus and only visited on the weekends, also, once mom assured him it would be fine to do so. So adjusting to living on his own was its own stress, but he'd sort of take it over stepsiblings and a crying baby. He managed A's and one high B that semester, though, so... clearly he needed to take more classes.
He pushed himself, devoting almost every moment to his studies in some way. He tried to take at least half a day each week for family, but often missed even that during cram weeks. Occasionally, he let himself take a few hours for a beach trip, but when he did he tried to take Miyuna (once she was old enough, and when he was in Kanto) or else tended to find himself doing field studies and/or tending local wildlife with Slips while he was there. He was so tense and anxious that it became difficult to let himself relax when he wanted to, as if he feared if he stopped being productive for even an hour he'd lose all his momentum.
In that time, he studied in Hoenn for two non-consecutive semesters, including a large project studying Sea Mauville. He spent another semester interning for the Aether Foundation in Alola, studying their environmental work as well as doing a paper on the Pokemon that kept their artificial island afloat. ..This was ah, before all their.. other work came to light, of course; Hiro was long gone by then. He loved both regions at least in as much as he saw of them, but that honestly wasn't a lot outside of work/school.
(Also Dad was kind of a thing in Alola? The most he'd seen of him in a while. Still not a lot, and Hiro found it hard to care. Even when he tried sharing stories of his long-gone days as a trial captain, Hiro just..? Ew, fire. Way to pick a type dad. He guessed Dad had slightly more of a life built for himself than Hiro always sort of pictured but not by much. They email occasionally but Hiro hasn't seen him in person since leaving Alola and doesn't especially care to.)
All his efforts would pay off, however, as he earned his four-year degree in only three, and his PhD in a little over three more. When he graduated, he didn't celebrate. He slept about 12 hours a day for a week straight, and vegetated most of the other 12. As cognitive function started to return, he realized he needed to be looking into a place to actually use this degree, huh? Ah... Soon.
He finally let himself go out and 'celebrate' properly when he heard of a large-ish party of sorts going on at the beach. He went and.. had fun??? Holy karp. He forgot how much fun he could actually have when he wasn't in a perpetual state of stress. There was a Mantine Surfing contest, the trend very recently having caught on from Alola, and the Winner got to keep the Mantine! Hiro blew the competition out of the water, pun very intended, and went home with a renewed vigor for life.
He learned mom had been looking into the Veria region after both his uncles moved out that way, and the more it became clear how heavily she was considering moving, the more he looked into it as well. He found they had a League-sponsored Professor position open, and wound up taking that job for several years.
Eventually, though, his funding ran out there, and he began looking into finding another job. When he found the Arciel region was looking for a Water-type expert to become a new Gym Leader, he was a little conflicted. It didn't pay quite as much as his previous position, but he'd be able to do some independent research in his spare time. Eventually, his family encouraged him to take the job, and they moved out to Arciel.
Other
Occasionally, Hiro's daughter Miyuna will show up at the Gym to cheer him on while he battles. She's 13 now.
Appearance
Height
6'01" / 185.5cm
Build
Lean and muscular
Hair Color
"Salmon"
Eye Color
Brown (purple contacts)
Hiro's complexion is fairly tanned even at his palest through the winters and can get quite dark when he gets a lot of sun. His eyes are dark brown and a bit farsighted. He alternates between glasses and contacts from day to day to correct this. Often the contacts are purple, and sometimes he'll wear both his purple contacts and useless glasses for double aesthetic.
He has rather long, unruly hair that he will insist is "salmon"-- not because he has a problem with it being pink, pink is great, but because fish puns though. His hair is often worn in a spiky, flared ponytail with loose bangs and frontal locks; but at times he will let it all down. Other times he might spike it, sometimes in a flare that could rival a Luxray if not a Pyroar. If asked why he would opt for such an outlandish style, he will enthusiastically reply, "I'M A LIONFISH."
He doesn't have particularly strong thoughts or tastes when it comes to fashion and will often grab whatever happened to catch his eye in a given mood. Jeans and cargo shorts/pants are common enough, but he doesn't mind khakis or slacks or whatever else either. He'd just as soon wear no shirt at all when he can get away with it, but is fine with pretty much anything when he needs one.
Although he has little care for the make of clothing, he does have a bit of eye for color and tries to coordinate most of the time, so if you ever catch him in bright loud clashy colors it was probably very much on purpose and just one of those moods.
He wears a bit of light jewelry from time to time-- more plastic beads or polished stones or braided leather bands or the like than metal and gems-- and goggles are a common accessory so that he's almost always good to dive right into the water. (What do you mean the goggles actually do something? What is this madness?) He has two piercings in each earlobe but doesn't tend to fill them all if any-- just one or two, either in the same ear or split between them, is more common, though none is probably a bit more common than that.
Aura
Hiro's aura is red, orange, and pink, like a vibrant sunset. It ripples faintly like water.
Sable is very much an extrovert, outgoing and upbeat with a deep love for being around people. Any people! Despite being raised rich, she is as likely to hang out in slums and sleezy taverns as she is at high society events and fancy restaurants.
She has never had to face very many consequences for her actions, and as such has quite a penchant for mischief. She and her Pokemon have been known to shoplift small items or join in graffiti art among other petty crimes, but never anything too big. She's doing it for fun, after all, not to hurt anyone!
She can be rather rowdy and loud, despite knowing perfectly well how to act like a refined young lady when she wants or rather cares to.
Despite her rough exterior and troublemaker reputation, she is actually very bright and excelled in school, graduating near the top of her very large class. She is fond of riddles and brain-teasers, and has a weakness for puzzle games.
History
Sable was born the youngest of four siblings and the daughter of Plum City's long-time mayor. As a result, she was always babied and spoiled growing up, and her actions were often excused as her "not knowing any better, she's just a baby" even well into early childhood. As she got too old for that excuse to work, her actions were still generally handwaved, everyone just sort of used to it by that point.
When she started school, teachers tended to have mixed reactions. On one hand, she did exceptionally well on her homework and tests. On the other, she often disrupted class by being loud or getting up out of her seat or interfering with other students in various ways. By third grade, she was pulled from public school and tutored privately in order to allow her to learn in whatever environment she wanted rather than needing to adhere to school regulations, and it only served to reinforce the idea she could do whatever she wanted if she was stubborn enough.
In her teen years, she started training Pokemon, and through this new hobby started meeting more kinds of people. Some were earnest young trainers just doing their best, but others were the wrong sort of crowd to get involved with, so of course get involved she did. She began picking up habits of small petty crimes, and developed a love for the sneaky tactics of Dark-type Pokemon. Several times she nearly got in big trouble, but her parents were always able to pull strings to get her out of it.
When she was 18, shortly after graduating, she took up the recently vacated seat of Plum Gym Leader and converted the Gym to focusing on Dark-types. She has calmed down a little in the crime department since getting this steady job to keep her occupied, but hasn't given it up completely.
Other
Her siblings are open to app; DM SG if interested.
Appearance
Height
5'02" / 157.5cm
Build
Lithe
Hair Color
Black with red tips
Eye Color
Silver
A bit on the short side and very petite, Sable looks a bit younger than she really is. She tends to wear a bright grin and a mischievous glint in her eye wherever she goes.
Her attire varies from high society dresses to gothic and lolita fashion to band t-shirts and sweatpants depending on her mood on a given day. For work at the gym, though, she tends to dress fancier and favors a lot of black in order to keep up the Dark-type aesthetic.
Aura
Sable's aura is a deep red flame with silver embers laced throughout. It is a bit bigger than she is and burns bright.
Cal is a rather withdrawn young man. Shy and socially awkward, he tries to be friendly to challengers, but often says little more than absolutely needed unless one puts particular effort into getting him interested in a topic. Topics he loves include Pokemon, music, metalworking, and a number of niche series he's into at the time.
He is quite humble, or perhaps it should rather be said that he has very low self-esteem, not thinking too much of himself in most regards. That said, he does acknowledge and take some very light pride in his prowess as a trainer and as a musician. He doesn't think the songs he writes are anything great, but they're not terrible, and he knows his voice is nice at least. His other artistic endeavors such as drawing and painting are more hobbies than things he'd ever show to others without significant coaxing though.
He can be rather pessimistic at times, despite trying his best to look on the bright side. At the very least, he is cynical, hoping for good but expecting and preparing for bad at the best of times. His low expectations and general social struggles make it hard for him to open up to and relate to people, but when he does come to consider someone a friend, he treasures them deeply and is incredibly loyal.
History
Cal was born to a pair of loving parents, their only child, but by the time he was two, things had become rather turbulent at home, and when he was three his dad left never to be heard from again. His mom did her best to raise him alone, but things were often rough.
When Cal was twelve, he began learning metalworking from a neighbor who was a local blacksmith. By the time he was fourteen, he was working in the smithy part-time after school to help pay the bills, albeit mostly as a clerk and assistant rather than actually working with metal himself at that age.
When the Ultra Beasts attacked back in 2014, Cal's mother was grievously injured and left unable to work. He was barely 16, but he quit school and started working full-time, caring for his mother when he wasn't working. This left little time for any kind of social life, and he drew increasingly withdrawn.
Eventually, shortly after he turned 18, his boss decided this was no life for such a young kid, and devised a plan to help him out. He had him start focusing on working with the Fire-type Pokemon they used around the forge, taking them out for exercise and battling with them to help them get stronger "so their flames can be hotter and more sustained", his boss said. Really, it was just a way to give Cal something fun and engaging to do under the pretense of still working and getting paid.
He fell in love with battling, though, and with the way trainers could easily talk to each other about Pokemon. After about a year of this, a local Gym Leader position came open, and his boss and mother both urged him to try for it. Cal didn't think he had a shot, but didn't want to disappoint them by not even trying, so he went for it, and to his surprise came out on top!
Since then, he has been avidly training his Fire-types and doing his best to be the best Gym Leader he can be. Recently, his mom and his boss even wound up getting married, so now that his new stepdad can help take care of her, he has more social time on his hands that he doesn't really know what to do with. Perhaps new friends are in order? But where to start...
Other
His name is pronounced "KAL-ehn kih-NADE".
Appearance
Height
5'10" / 178cm
Build
Lean
Hair Color
Red-orange
Eye Color
Orange
Other than being a bit on the thin side, Cal is pretty average in terms of height and build. His most distinguishing features are his messy cinnabar hair and his bright orange eyes. Occasionally, he wears cat-eye contacts around the Gym, just as a silly guilty pleasure. He likes to think of himself as being like a fire-breathing dragon.
He tends to dress casually and comfortably. He's used to high heat from working in a forge all his life and gets cold easily, so it's not uncommon to see him in long sleeves or even a jacket when others are in tank tops. In the winter he tends to become a veritable cocoon of warm layers.
Aura
Cal's aura is primarily a mix of various blues, albeit with a thin lining of dark gray along the edges. It is not as bright as one might expect from someone with a fire motif.
Belladonna is, at face value, an eloquent and refined woman who chooses her words carefully and loves to employ flattery to win over her conversation partners. She is clever and quick-witted, and perhaps just a little bit snarky, but it's all in good fun.
She can be very flirtatious toward men, and maybe the occasional woman if just the right one catches her eye. She loves trading compliments and witty banter, if she can find someone to match her wit.
She is more ambitious and ruthless than she lets on, playing the part of someone light-hearted and playful, but in a battle or a business deal she pulls no punches.
She enjoys a good drink, and if one can catch her drunk they will find her much louder, more boistrous, and more openly passionate than she usually acts.
History
Bella was born the younger of two children to a simple farming couple in Fuji Town. She spent her early years helping out on the farm, but while she never knew much else, she never cared much for the long hours or heavy lifting involved even at a young age, unlike her brother who thrived on the work.
When she was able to start school, she found that sort of work more suited to her tastes, especially since having homework tended to get her out of doing farm work. She quickly learned she could do whatever she wanted during school, then bring all her work home to have free time, just during the day instead of the evening like most kids. By the time she was 10 or 11, her parents had pretty much given up on trying to get her to be active around the farm, but she also decided once it was no longer an obligation that she didn't mind helping a little as long as it was with what and how much she wanted. Schoolwork started getting done actually at school, and her evenings became a more social time filled with extracurricular activities, along with the occasional chore around the farm.
When she started high school, she wound up dating a lot, but kept up her studies in full force all the same. She graduated with honors and got a business scholarship, moving to Ivy Town for a while to go to university.
Uni was a time. She'd been to parties back in high school, but nothing as extreme or frequent as she'd get into here. Miraculously, she kept up her studies even still, but how she did so even she isn't sure at this point. She developed a special love of alcohol that some might call an "addiction", but she swore she could quit whenever she wanted.
She would also meet the man she'd go on to marry though university, albeit surprisingly through one of her classes where she wasn't really looking rather than at a party where she was.
When she got her degree, she decided to turn her love of partying into a career option of sorts, and moved to Cork Town to get involved in running their nationally acclaimed winery. Her uni studies had taught her all about running a business, and her parents had taught her all about running a farm, so she was able to take over a few vineyards as well. Of course, all the actual work was delegated to others, with her just making the big decisions and running all the finances, so she was left with a lot of free time.
Eventually, her husband suggested she look into an open Gym Leader position in town. This was quite a number of years ago now, but Bella was able to take up the position with little trouble and has been Cork's local Poison expert ever since.
Other
She is openly polyamorous and tends to have several romantic partners aside from her marriage, which is quite happy and healthy. She has a 9-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter, both with her husband.
Her husband and brother are both open to app; DM SG if interested.
Appearance
Height
5'4" / 162.5cm
Build
Curvy
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Red
Belladonna is of pretty average height for a woman and has a curvaceous figure. She tends to wear a fair amount of makeup, though her features are still quite attractive and youthful even without it.
She tends to dress in semi-formal attire, fancy dresses, suit dresses, and sensible pant suits. She does wear a lot of purple specifically for the aesthetic, but black and gray and white are also common enough. Both ears are pierced once, and she tends to wear earrings that compliment her outfit or at least studs.
Aura
Bella has a bright deep red and pink aura, betraying how passionate she really is to those with aura sight. It moves erratically like a flame, and is a bit bigger than average.
Kiran does their best to remain cool and collected in the majority of situations. They can often be seen with a pleasant and gentle smile on their face, and the way they carry themself is very poised and fluid. Each motion seems thoughtful yet smooth, lending to an overall air of elegance. They communicate more through expressions and gestures than through speech, with the exception of close friends, and when they do speak to most people they are often soft-spoken.
They have a deep love for nature and plant life, as well as Grass and Fairy Pokemon, although the Pokemon outside these groups that they particularly like are significantly sparser. Then enjoy being surrounded by plants, tending to them and watching them grow, experimenting with breeding flower colors and patterns or fruit hybrids, and other fun ways of interacting with them. They are a vegetarian, and prefer to grow most of their own food, although they do like to indulge in fine dining sometimes.
Not all of their appreciation for plants is tied to aesthetic or usefulness, however. Plants are far more experienced at warfare than humans, and the number of ways they have invented to attack other plants fascinates them. As calm and pleasant as they appear, they sometimes enjoy watching other people's suffering, and would like to think of themself as being as enduring and merciless as plant life. Whether through threats or mental tactics (though the latter is far more common), they tend to do their best to get what they want without much regard for others.
As much as they love nature and are more apt to tolerate or use people than enjoy them, they are not entirely a child of the wilderness. They live in an apartment, for the time being, though they'd like a cute cottage in the woods someday; but for now, they are quite all right so long as they can use their Gym as a garden and make regular trips to the woods. They have perhaps an ironic interest in technology and especially sci-fi, although admittedly the latter probably derives from an interest in space, which they will defend is part of nature. When not feeding their whole 'one with nature' motif, they enjoy reading, a few mobile games, and a lot of series/cartoons/anime (especially those set in space).
They tend to keep people at arm's length, but with what good friends they do have or if engaging enough about one of the right interests, they can become rather outgoing and chatty, sometimes not realizing that they're rambling. They also tend to trip over themself in speaking once they get really going (which might secretly play a part in how quiet they usually are). They can also become more 'outgoing' when besting someone at something or otherwise feeding their ego, coming off as more than a bit arrogant and bordering on cruel at times. They are both a sore winner and a sore loser unless playing/competing with someone they care about, who they can be happy to see enjoying a win or more consolatory toward if Kiran wins.
All in all, they tend to mix a 'wise and world-worn' vibe with a very 'childlike' one, both in that they can seem innocent and enjoy a lot of things 'meant for kids', and that they can be very petty, selfish, and immature at times.
History
Kiran was born the fourth out of five children, and grew up feeling Middle Child Syndrome immensely. Not quite the baby, but so far down the line, they were often ignored and overshadowed, and it led to them becoming pretty reclusive at a young age.
While not quite impoverished, money was often tight especially before the oldest left home, and hand-me-downs were a regular thing. Kiran's taste in fashion often differed from their siblings', but they had to make due. After all, buying clothes for the oldest kids was a given; they physically couldn't wear the old ones anymore due to growing. Often, this extended to more than just clothes, however. Their older siblings often 'needed' things more than Kiran, so they accepted this as the way of the world, and perhaps that would have been fine... except that by the time something had worked its way through them, the youngest could often give a pair of Baby-Doll Eyes and whine about whatever thing being worn out now and get new things with few questions asked. The older siblings made them pragmatic; the younger made them bitter.
A more pleasant side effect of their social standing, however, was that the family did a lot of gardening to help offset their costs, and Kiran learned early on that they greatly enjoyed it. It was not only rewarding and engaging work, but gave them an excuse to get out of the loud house and enjoy some peaceful solitude. The family overall had something of a 'hippie' streak, as well, which rubbed off on Kiran and only fueled their love of nature and eating natural home-grown foods.
When Kiran began complaining about their vision, their parents were ecstatic to realize they had aura capabilities... just like dad and the second-oldest kid, so it still didn't make them 'special'. But at least training with them did provide some means of bonding more, even if constantly being the one struggling to catch up was frustrating. In time, they'd begin cultivating their skills on their own, as well, aiming to be different from the others and put their own spin on things.
When they got a bit older, they received their first Pokemon in the form of Freya the Comfey, and she became their helper around the gardens, helping the plants to go healthy and strong. Not long after, they got their first Grass-type in the form of Amalia the Bounsweet, and things went even better. Over the years, they'd continue to add to their numbers.
School was never great for Kiran. They had trouble speaking up, whether from feeling constantly overrun growing up at home or some natural inclination or both. As such, they were often either ignored or pegged as 'the weird kid' (the latter owing to all of their silence, some unusual mannerisms and hobbies, and their not fitting into the labels of either a 'boy' or a 'girl' even in their earliest school years; their parents for all that they were and weren't did at least get never forcing them right, but did often 'encourage' Kiran to 'just pick one already'). They never had many friends growing up, and what got close was mostly just the people willing to pity or tolerate them, usually not for more than a year or so. But at least they had their Pokemon, and occasionally not all the siblings were so bad either. They were often lonely, but thankfully not entirely isolated.
When Kiran discovered the internet, their world vastly improved. Speaking in text was so much easier than speaking aloud, and they could find people who shared their interests. The anonymity meant people didn't immediately see their gender or their quirks, and they could just open up and be themself with little fear.
When the subject of gender did come up, some accepted right away that Kiran wasn't a boy or a girl. Others assumed they just didn't feel comfortable sharing, and tended to defend that choice, so that also worked. Some did try to guess or seem a little too preoccupied with knowing, but even this worked out all right, as it began a running gag of "I am an ethereal being from the heavens, your human concepts mean nothing to me" and similar over-the-top responses. ...Except, in time, they grew very very attached to precisely that image, and began working to cultivate it. They even put efforts into reworking their aura projecting to be able to create visuals more suiting that idea.
Kiran eventually became very attached to some of their internet friends, and while in physical space they remained largely reclusive and bitter, they did greatly benefit from having somewhere they could escape that, unlike the gardens, still let them interact with people. It was through the internet that they'd meet their best friend, as well. Stardust x Comet BroTP best canon.
During those years after school, when not online they were often training Pokemon, they did a lot of alternating between settling down at a job long enough to save up some money and then traveling to focus on training until their funds were low again. Sometimes they got lucky and were able to work in local gardens. Sometimes they got stuck in a retail or fast food job for a few months. They always sort of liked the idea of Ranger work, as well, but were never nearly physically capable enough for the brunt of it.
Still they managed all right, and during their training stretches they managed to improve their aura skills in leaps and bounds.
Time sort of flew by, and what did you mean it had been 8 years since they first met Comet?? (This clearly the most obvious marker of time to use, ssh.) Kiran was suddenly hit hard by just how much time they'd spent doing so little. They were tired of drifting back and forth, and started looking for a more permanent line of work.
When it was finally brought to their attention that Veria hadn't had a Grass Gym Leader for a long time, and they had so many Grass-types that... Could they do this? They spent a bit of time thinking on it, testing some of their Pokemon, and planning, but eventually, they submitted their application to become a leader. Upon acceptance, they wound up working as a Gym Leader in Veria for several years, and thrived on the work.
Eventually, their desire to travel creeped back up again, however, and they decided the best way to do that while keeping the job they loved was to find a new region in need of a Grass Gym Leader. Upon finding Arciel, and hearing their opening was near something as mysterious and beautiful as the Sequoia Forest, they put in for their transfer and moved out to Arciel.
Other
Kiran is a master of aura and is willing to help others train their skills.
Their four siblings, one of whom is also an aura user, are open to app. DM SG if interested.
Appearance
Height
5'8" / 162.5cm
Build
Underweight
Hair Color
Pale green
Eye Color
Hazel
Kiran stands at 5'8" with a rather slender frame, borderline underweight. They have very little muscle definition, and are quite physically frail, needing Pokemon aid to do much "heavy" lifting.
Their thick green hair reaches down to roughly their knees, aside from bangs and a few shorter locks toward the front. Barring their bangs, their hair has never been cut. It grows in a deeper green, but gradually gets paler and slighlty more bleached the closer one gets to the ends from prolonged sun exposure.
Their eyes are a muddled hazel, and may appear anywhere between gray, green, and brownish-gold depending on context and lighting.
They often wear either very loose billowing clothing such as robes or very tight form-fitting clothes (or at times both) with things in between being rarer but not unheard of. They have a preference for white, black, and gold, as well as occasional earthy tones; and their designs tend to be either very plain and simple or very flashy and ornate. Their flashier designs often show off a good amount of skin, including their flat but soft midriff.
Kiran is nearly always barefoot, unless entering a business that strictly requires shoes or dressing up for a particular event. "How can you know your place in the world if you can't feel the earth beneath your feet?"
Aura
Their aura is primarily green with brown edges and a white center. It is simple in shape but exudes a powerful energy.
Upon first impression, Kaimana is likely to come off as either laid back and friendly, if something of a mess, or as firm, no-nonsense, and somewhat intimidating.
Life is too short to be serious 24/7, which is something he's learned well. He has a love of bad puns and light-hearted snark, and might try a little too hard to 'relate' to his younger co-workers, though he means well. He doesn't believe in leading from an office, and while his desk work is usually his main focus, he will be quick to volunteer for the front lines when he has time or a situation is dire enough. This is in part due to a desire to lead by example and impart his knowledge on the younger generation to see them grow as both agents and people, but partially just because he really misses field work and gets pretty bored inside.
He aims to be someone his subordinates can see as approachable and understanding, but at the same time his policy on mistakes is clear. First priority: fix it. If it can be fixed, then it's "no harm no foul" to a point, but he's definitely going to make sure you know what you did and won't do it again. If it can't be fixed, punishment will happen accordingly. There's no room for personal sympathy or anger involved; whatever needs to get done will get done.
In high-stress situation, his militant background shows through. He is calm but authoritative and commanding, and just sharp enough to inspire results. Should people around him prove less than cooperative, he will become gradually more intense until it works. The farther he gets into this, though, the harder it becomes for him to realize if he's crossed a line, and he's often said or done things he regretted later if no one called a shift in the situation to his attention. Of course, whether or not he'd admit he was in the wrong varies greatly.
In his downtime, he sometimes has trouble letting his guard down and relaxing, but does his best to force it or at least pretend when he can't. Smoking and drinking both help, though he's been trying for a few years to cut back now for his kids' sake, with very mixed results fluctuating between relapses, withdrawals, and attempts of varying lengths at moderation. Coming into work drunk is almost unheard of, but irritable and hungover in the mornings or chain smoking on break isn't too rare. He tends to be worse when his kids aren't staying with him.
He occasionally falls asleep in his office, either for a brief nap or to sleep for the night, and if called out will half-heartedly comment that he must be getting old. In reality, he feels safer at work than at home, so it's easier to relax for a while.
History
Once upon a time, an Alolan Ranger fell in love with a Kantonian peace officer, and after a few months of keeping in touch, he moved to Kanto permanently to be near her. They were eventually married, and the new Kaimana family had three children: Mizuki, Takeki, and Yamato.
Takeki never felt much of the effects of 'middle child syndrome', or else enjoyed the space offered by his siblings sometimes getting more attention. He was always close to his family, and began going by his surname-- or "Kai" for short-- almost as soon as he started school, answering to it more than his given name except at home.
His childhood was fairly uneventful. His parents both had 'exciting' jobs, but to him they always felt normal. Some friends worried their parents were 'boring' by comparison, but he never saw that either; all pieces of the puzzle were important, after all. People played whatever parts they played, simple as that.
At the age of 12 he received a Bulbasaur as a starter, a little older than some Kanto kids due to focusing on his schoolwork, but not by too much. He trained with other kids after school and did some traveling and occasional catching on breaks.
At the age of 16, he took a break from school and traveled to Alola. There, he got to know many relatives on dad's side of the family he'd only met briefly if ever before, and learned a lot about his heritage. He has a deep respect for Alola's culture, and some things in particular really resonated with him, though deep down he supposes he'll always ultimately be a Kanto boy at heart. (Pokemon with differing forms between Kanto and Alola will always have a special place for him, too, for combining the two.)
He also undertook the Island Challenge. Though it took several months, as some trials were more difficult than others, he and his Venusaur, along with the other Pokemon they'd caught, eventually passed all the trials and grand trials. In doing so, he earned his Z-Ring and the kahunas' blessing to use Z-Moves.
He would eventually return home to finish his schooling, then move on to military academy. Upon graduation from there, he'd fully join the Kanto armed forces as a ranking officer despite his youth, still in his early 20's.
Over the years, he'd see combat numerous times, serving in the Kanto War as well as a number of smaller conflicts and uprisings. All the while, his Pokemon and their ability to call upon Z-Power proved a considerable asset, and likely saved his life on at least a few occasions.
During peaceful times, he kept up a modest but active enough social life, going out with friends or participating in local trainers' events on a semi-regular basis and occasionally dating someone casually for a while.
Eventually, he met a girl who... honestly made a better friend than a girlfriend, but they tried anyway. Things didn't really work out, and that would have been the end of it, except for the part where she soon realized she was pregnant. Not one to walk out on a responsibility, he discussed terms with her for a while and eventually they moved in together as roommates and co-parents, even if they didn't really want to date again. ... Though, you know. Sometimes a combination of convenience and old habits came into play and oh hello there kid #2 whoops.
Despite things being... pretty weird and complicated with their mom, Kai really did love his kids and did his best to provide for them. As they got older, his daughter Nalani got interested in training Pokemon, while his son Keone was never into battles but loved taking care of them. Many of Kai's Pokemon were eventually passed on to them. The Pokemon themselves typically took pride in guarding his family when he was away on duty.
During one skirmish, things with much farther south than expected. He made it out, but his Z-Ring was destroyed and he and his Venusaur were both critically wounded. The latter never recovered, and while he lived another two years, he was never healthy enough to battle again after that. Kaimana made a more complete recovery, aside from the loss of his foot. It took a few months to get a permanent prosthetic and get used to walking on it, and while he was recovering he of course wasn't suited for duty.
When he did recover, the kids were worried about him getting hurt again, so when given the choice to try to return to duty or be medically discharged, he opted for the latter, and spent some time at home.
It didn't take long for him to get really restless, and he started working on police training, seeing that as a way he could continue public service on a smaller scale. While the kids were still worried, and Keone in particular was kind of upset for a while, he eventually convinced them this would be fine and much safer.
Over the next few years, he'd go from a local officer to a member of Interpol. Meanwhile, at home, the kids' mom had started seeing a nice guy. This wasn't a problem; they'd both dated other people off and on over the years and the kids had always known that mom and dad shared a house but weren't 'together'. But things got more serious with him than before, and eventually work would start piling up on Kaimana around the same time that she'd started thinking about moving in with her boyfriend instead. There was a rough couple of months, but eventually they both conceded it would be easier on everyone if she did, and they agreed to split custody of the kids.
Kai was amicable enough through the whole process, but remains hurt and bitter about it years later, as he felt like she chose a new romance over their fire-tested friendship, some rando over the father of her children, and her whims over their family life together.
At any rate, they began trading off the kids in months-long shifts. Honestly, as much as he loved the kids and even sort of missed having their mom around despite his hurt and anger, he had to admit it was nice to have some time to himself. When he wasn't focusing on work, he had time to get back into some old hobbies. He hadn't trained much outside of keeping up a few Pokemon he'd used for work in years, and had left most of his older companions with the kids. Down to a small handful of old vets and his late Venusaur's young daughter, he started picking up more Pokemon from time to time and training casually when he could.
He continued working hard, though, and rose through the ranks, and before he knew it he was one of the top members? When did that happen? When a slight power vacuum was opened, a few ranks were rearranged and Kaimana found himself assigned to oversee the happenings in the Veria region. He was worried how this would affect things with the kids, but it turned out they were thrilled to see a new region when they came see him and pretty happy about him being stuck doing mostly desk work, too. He didn't know what he'd expected, honestly.
Over the years he'd keep the Verian branch running smoothly enough. He trained more Pokemon, replaced his Z-Ring, and... may or may not have lowkey fallen in love with a coworker, who he never told because he was afraid it would ruin their friendship. In time, she'd develop feelings for a different coworker and mutual friend, and Kai slowly resolved to give up any thoughts he'd had that his own could ever be reciprocated. He did his best to remain friends with both of them, but found it hurt more than he expected. While he didn't go looking to transfer or anything, when an opportunity came up to take a case in Alola, he took it.
Kai would live in Alola for a few years, then Olida, and finally recently moved to Arciel. He's still doing what he does best, being an officer and trying to keep the peace. His daughter, Nalani, has since graduated high school and moved off to college, while his son, Keone, is semi-staying with Kai off and on while doing his last year of high school online and traveling the Arciel region. Kai worries about him being out on his own, but makes sure he always has a safe and warm place to come home to while he's on his journey.
Other
* = "Abrosexual" and "abroromantic" mean his orientation fluctuates rapidly. Sometimes he feels close to ace and/or aro, while other times he's pretty straight, while other times he's kind of bicurious, and it really just depends on the day.
Kaimana stands just shy of 6'00", such that he generally just hits the mark with shoes on. He keeps himself in excellent shape, doing his best to get in a workout every day or two whether he has time for the gym or just squeezes in a bit at home or the office. Numerous light scars stand out on his dark complexion, though he's largely stopped paying attention to them. (Was that one always there or is that new? -squints?-)
His eyes are dark brown and his features kind of sharp and weathered. His dark brown hair is noticeably graying in places. It's kept about as short as he can be bothered to keep up with, which is still long enough to be a bit scruffy. The same could be said for his beard, which he keeps moderately groomed but would find very annoying to trim daily.
His wardrobe consists of mostly comfortable casual pants (jeans, khakis, etc; not many shorts) and t-shirts or button-down shirts with subtle patterns or simple solid color. He owns a few more noticeable items and some dress clothes, but doesn't wear them as much. It isn't uncommon to see him wear the same clothes for a few days in a row or alternate between the same 2-3 sets for a while until he can be bothered to do laundry or dig out another outfit.
He has a tattoo of the Alolan sun symbol on his left hand and one of the Alolan moon symbol on his right ankle. His right ear is pierced, though he rarely wears anything in it anymore. His left foot is a prosthetic, his leg cut off a few inches above that ankle.
Aura
Kai's aura is a mix of dark and light blue with a brown core and base. It is pretty stable for the most part, but wavers more when he's been drinking or is emotionally compromised.
Endre is very laid back for the most part, and just wants to see the world, chill with friends casually, and nap wherever he pleases. He tends to be a little tired at all times and sleeps more than most people. It takes a lot to get him too worked up, though he can be a little stern toward blatant lawlessness.
He can come across as a little bit flat or even vaguely bored due to the perpetual tiredness, but he doesn't mean anything by it and tends to be quite easily engaged by conversations in actuality. He's not easily impressed, necessarily, he just finds hearing about people's lives lowkey interesting. He likes to listen more than talk, but doesn't mind talking if prompted either.
He is very friendly and enjoys being helpful. He rarely turns down a request so long as it is reasonably within his power and generally-open schedule, though he will not usually cancel prior commitments for spur-of-the-moment things or anything like that. He has been called "human construction equipment" for the way he can help with heavy lifting.
Endre absolutely does not do romance and finds the idea offputting, but when it comes to sharing physical affection he's pretty down for whatever with just about anyone, as long as they seem like a decent person and they're the one who asks or initiates. He rarely takes initiative on such matters.
History
Endre was born in Pyrite Town, a place known for its high crime rates. While many children growing up there would inevitably wind up joining gangs, Endre never did. His parents were very poor, and were robbed several times through Endre's childhood of what little they had, resulting in him developing a strong loathing for thieves and criminals. At the same time, he can't say he was never hungry enough to steal some food here or there, but he always tried to pick his targets well and not take more than he needed. As such, he is somewhat sympathetic to those on hard times, but still against the idea overall.
Aside from living in poverty in such a lawless town, and the fact that Orre was considerably lacking in wild Pokemon, Endre's childhood was otherwise pretty standard and uneventful. He went to school, made some casual friends that would drift apart after high school, etc.
As soon as he left high school, he joined the military, seeing it as a way to earn money while fulfilling his desire to help others and appeal to his sense of Goodness. Orre never went to war during that time, so he served a few years before retiring out. While the military did instill a stronger sense of duty in him, it also wore him out to a point. But more than that, traveling during his service awoke a desire in him to see more.
He had learned between his lean childhood and his pragmatic time serving that he could survive on very little, and decided to see how well he could support himself doing odd jobs while traveling. It turned out the answer was "pretty well".
It was only then as an adult that he would get his first Pokemon partner, his Pancham, and start becoming a trainer. Battling earned a little extra money on the side too, but he was never super into it. Instead, he just used his Pokemon to help him traverse wild terrains, making a few discoveries of some note in various caves and ruins around the world and even helping improve some maps here and there.
For nearly two decades he's been at this game, developing some amount of fame in the process. His most recent plans involve exploring all of Arciel, and he has joined their official Explorer's League in order to do that, becoming a prominent ranking member due to his fame within the Explorer community.
Other
"Endre" rhymes with "wander".
Appearance
Height
6'9" / 206cm
Build
Muscular, but with a gut
Hair Color
White
Eye Color
Silver
Endre is a veritable brick wall of a man, towering over most people he meets with a very broad frame as well. He is very muscular, although he's developed a layer of chub over it in the past decade or so. Make no mistake, his core is just as solid underneath that outer layer as it always was.
He tends to go shirtless when the weather permits, and often wears a long tattered brown cloak.
Aura
Endre's aura is primarily shades of brown with a white core. It burns like a gentle smoldering fire without many tongues of flame.
Sera is a very upbeat person as a general rule. A "ray of human sunshine", if you will. And like sunshine, she can brighten your day, dazzle you, be a little painful to be around for too long, and burn you just by existing.
Not just 'despite' but because of her inherent empathic abilities, she can be a little oblivious to the people around her at times, having learned to tune things out to keep herself from getting overwhelmed by the constant external input that comes with actually paying attention. She's very rarely purposefully mean or anything, but can come off as pretty abrasive if she's not careful, whether by seeming dismissive or arrogant or what-have-you. She can also just come off as very ditzy, spacey, or otherwise off in her own world, and her memory can be somewhat poor. (Rarely is this worse than when someone thinks she just "didn't care enough" to remember something important, when, no, she really just forgets easily.)
When she both bothers to focus and can actually manage to do so well, though, she really is a very sweet girl, or tries her best to be, although she finds it easier to get along with Pokemon than people longterm. She is very bright, with some notable skill in strategies and a lot of book knowledge.. that.. she doesn't always remember well enough to put into effect when under pressure. For instance, she can easily recite every Pokemon type match-up, but when actually in the midst of battle, slip-ups happen more than she'd care to admit (generally resulting in adamantly pretending that didn't happen or quietly beating herself up because she knew that, dammit).
She craves praise and attention, and enjoys giving the same to others as well. She can also be maybe a little pushy and overzealous about both. And she tends to be fiercely, impossibly stubborn. "Throw out logic and do the impossible", as a wise man once said. What do you mean that person doesn't want to be friends? That Pokemon is 'too hard' to find? That dream is too big to achieve? Nahhh. You've just gotta stay positive and keep trying!
When in a more serious mood, though "serious" is a relative term as she is always fairly mischievous, Sera can have a slightly mean streak to her, though this is primarily kept to light-hearted teasing and the like or reserved for people who have crossed her.
She is extremely flirtatious, when she finds someone attractive, and has very broad tastes. That said, while she enjoys indulging every random crush and sleeping with anyone willing, more serious romantic feelings are very rare, and her heart is largely filled by her boyfriend of the past several years.
History
Sera was born into a family that wasn't quite "rich", but rather well-off, thanks to her father's job as a researcher. That said, her parents liked to pass for higher class than they really were, and as such Sera was brought up to always be quiet, well-mannered, and largely out-of-the-way, such that she would reflect well on them and especially her father. Unfortunately, this was very difficult, as she was prone to high energy and longed for adventure. Whenever she could, she would spend her time with the family's pet Pokemon, who thanks to her selective telepathy made better conversation partners than people most of the time, or would escape to the woods near the house to explore and run wild.
Largely, her parents didn't care too much about these forms of escapism, so long as she didn't do anything publicly embarrassing, but in the rare event she would slip up or decide to risk intentionally breaking a rule, she was punished harshly by her father, whom she still fears on some level to this day.
Once she turned 18, though, she finally had a choice. Stay in her financially comfortable but socially suffocating and occasionally abusive childhood home, or be disowned by her father and cut off from any monetary help in exchange for her freedom. She didn't think twice as she hopped the first train out of town.
During the course of her travels, she'd have a number of interesting encounters, but none so fateful as the night she attended the Rose Gala with a friend. Halfway through the night, a Dragonite blew out the outer wall of the ballroom, and a boy wearing sunglasses at night danced into the room, boombox blaring 'Don't Stop Me Now' on his shoulder. He was followed by several masked criminals, and they split up the attendants at the ball into different rooms to hold as hostages while their boss, another masked woman, found and robbed a noblewoman in attendance.
Sera wound up in the boy with the boombox's room, and eventually other patrons recognized him as Niso Konto, one of the most wanted and dangerous criminals in the region despite his young age. Sera, however, did not really recognize the danger at first, and approached Niso directly to ask what was going on. He was surprisingly pleasant in response, though he soon turned vicious as people began trying to fight their way out of the room. Sera, noticing the change in behavior and being able to tell via her psychic empathy that his pleasantness was genuine before, quickly decided to do her best to keep engaging and distracting him, managed to get most of the others to stop attacking, and overall calmed the situation. When someone would try to make a move, she'd do her best to distract Niso from it, even ordering her Primarina to use Rain Dance and dragging him along to dance in the rain indoors with her.
Niso, it would happen, became very intrigued by this girl who reacted so differently from everyone else, who both treated him like a normal person and did such chaotic and unexpected things as the Rain Dance. Self-proclaimed "lord of chaos" himself, he became a little smitten. Eventually, Sera was able to convince him the most unexpected and therefore chaotic thing to do in his situation was let the hostages go unharmed, and he did, even helping them all outside before running off to find his colleagues.
It would not be the last she'd see of him, though. He began, shall we say, keeping tabs on her? No, no we shan't, he was just plain stalking her. Fortunately, Sera was only unnerved by it briefly at first before she decided he seemed harmless and became endeared by his dedication to spending time with her. Eventually, he broke into her best friend's apartment and took him hostage briefly to ask for dating advice. ... Yes, you read that right. Her friend was... not impressed, but eventually was allowed to speak to Sera about her actually knowing Niso to confirm his intentions were genuine, and was swayed to her way of thinking on the matter: it was better for him to be reformed and atone for his crimes, to start doing some good to counter all his past bad, than to just rot in prison and never fix anything. So he conceded and gave Niso some advice. Niso proceeded to wheel a piano out into the woods where Sera was camping (yes, really), and played a cheesy love song for her, which he promptly called a... Sera-nade. This actually worked because Sera is dumb and weak for puns, and when he asked her out just after she had two major conditions: it be an open relationship, and he couldn't kill anyone ever again. He agreed to both, and they've been together since.
Niso, as it happened, was loaded with stolen cash thanks to his colleague succeeding in robbing that noblewoman. Sera was able to use his funds to live comfortably and buy supplies to make new outfits and such while she started seriously pursuing her coordinating career.
Eventually, she'd become quite the sensation in Veria, with even a small to moderate amount of renown, depending on how deep one was into the contest scene, in other regions. She currently travels around both doing shows and hosting events as a celebrity emcee. She also has a pretty popular ChuTube channel where she posts videos of her Contest and Showcase entries, tips for younger coordinators, occasional streams of her practicing new techniques, and a lot of clothing and makeup tutorials for nailing the right look on stage.
Other
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Appearance
Height
5'5" / 165cm
Build
Semi-athletic
Hair Color
Pink
Eye Color
Cinnabar
Sera stands at 5'5" with a lean, fairly-strong build and moderate curves. She has a pale complexion and long, straight warm-pink hair that falls to the middle of her chest. She has a rather soft face with large cinnabar-pink eyes. Her body is covered with no less than a dozen scars of various types and sizes, none exceedingly prominent but all the results of various mischief or not knowing when to quit at a task.
In urban settings, her casual attire tends to be form-fitting and show at least a little skin, with low-cut tops, shorts or mini-skirts, and high stockings all being common. When traversing the wilderness, however, she covers up more for protection. She tends to favor black, white, pink, and most especially red, with maybe some gold or silver accents at times. She has a red-riding-hood-esque cloak she wears about as often as the setting and weather will permit, at least with casual attire.
Formal attire ranges from pretty simple to rather elaborate. She owns about half a dozen different fancy dresses and several more goth-lolita-styled outfits, and may occasionally find excuses to wear them that may or may not even be legitimate excuses when she gets in particular moods. If she wants to Feel Fancy, she really doesn't care how overdressed she ends up being for the occasion. She wears what she wants.
In any setting, flowers in her hair-- whether real ones or flower-shaped hair pins-- are not an uncommon sight, especially roses or cherry blossoms, or if seasonally appropriate poinsettias. These may or may not be accompanied by ribbons, lace, or the like.
Aura
Sera's aura has been described as "Skittles in a blender". A chaotic mass of colors and orbs swirls around her in a full rainbow. Due to her empathy, a color or two will often become a little more pronounced to mirror whoever she's spending time with, but it never expands to the bulk of her aura, which is always still rainbow.
Skills & Abilities
STANDARD SKILLS
Agility
20
Charisma
20
Cooking
0
Crime
10
Dexterity
20
Farming
0
Fishing
0
Gaming
0
Luck
10
Mining
0
Performance (Dancing)
40
Performance (Singing)
30
Profession
0
Stamina
15
Stealth
0
Strength
5
POWER SKILLS
Aura
0
Psychic
30
Abilities
Telepathy (Level 2) - (Selective) Sera's telepathy is stronger than the average psychic at Level 2, but only works with Pokemon, not humans.
Empathy (Level 2) At this level, Sera is capable of distinguishing specific people's emotions, but generally has to concentrate a good bit to do so in a crowd. She can get easily overwhelmed if she isn't concentrating or tuning out entirely.