Pokemon: Mind and Soul (Retry) [OOC / PG / Probably Not Accepting / Co-Hosted by Skaia]

[LordCowCow 841]

And so it begins anew once again

The Korova Region. A more untamed region than most in the world; it was always a place of great interest to strong trainers. With its vast wilderness and general lack of contact with the other regions it was perfect for trainers to grow and learn about themselves. However in the recent years it has grown more restless. The Champion had vanished without a trace and a group of criminals, Team Phoenix, have become more active. The Pokemon League decided that they needed a new Champion to help bring peace of mind to the people of the region. Thus they sent out invitations far and wide to try and gather trainers, and bring them to the region free of charge, to take on their Pokemon League challenge.

You are one of a group who, for one reason or another, decided to come to this land for the great opportunity of becoming the region's new Champion. Some goals may differ but one thing is certain: the trainers who come to Korova are destined to change it forever.

 

Interest Check Stuff

Spoiler

 

So uh, yeah. I decided that now is the time to try once again. A while ago I made a Pokemon adventure RP which I had a lot planned for and it, well, fell through. People left, people joined, people left. It was rough. But I always wanted to try again and so here we are.

I started this as just an Interest Check because, for one, I don't have time to make it full OOC atm. But also because whoever is interested I'll probably be messaging to check some things because I want to be sure that this one will actually keep going.

A few things to note is that despite the "invitations" it's not that it was sent to elite trainers it was just sent out far and wide to reach anyone so you will be starting out low level.

Also the RP is basically geared to working with 3 or 6 characters. Which a slot could be filled by me but basically that means at most will accept 6 players because I don't think I would be able to make it a good experience for more than that.

Also tbh most of the OOC will be copied from the previous one so if you're curious you can always find that.

 

Rules

Spoiler

1. Site rules apply

2. Limited Acceptance. At maximum there will be six players, possibly including me as I have several ideas. If we have more than 3 will aim for 6 because two teams of 3 is ideal.

3. Unless you are holding the group up there will be some leniency in posting time but will aim for at least every couple weeks.

4. I will let you know when you can write out a capture, battle, etc without input. If I do not and you aren't sure you can ask but often if its not a named character or special encounter I'll leave it up to you.

Setting

Spoiler

The Korova region is a vast and almost unusually varied land. The inner parts of the land is covered in such deep wilderness that walls are up to keep trainers from wandering too far into it due to risk.

Map

More information will be provided in a google doc in the Discord chat as we go along (but can be sent if for some reason you cannot or do not wish to access Discord)

Note: I made a chasm in the middle of the region before it was cool.

Application

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(Feel free to play around with this, this is just general idea)

Name (self explanatory)

Gender (Male, Female, Otherwise)

Age (Anywhere from 13 to 20 unless good reason can be provided for younger/older)

Hometown (Where you're from. Anywhere within reason not on Korova)

Appearance (Image and/or written description, height and weight appreciated)

Personality (A few sentences at least)*

Biography (A few sentences at least, make sure to explain why they're going to Korova)

Starting Pokemon (You may have a level 5 Pokemon either of your choice of one of the three custom starters found in below spoiler. Include level, ability, nature, nickname, starting moves, brief personality and how trainer got them, in any order. If unsure if you can use a Pokemon ask.)

Team (List the Pokemon, nickname, level, ability, nature, moves. Keep this up to date but keep a note of what level they were when caught)**

Other (Anything else you wish to add not in the above)

*Make sure I know you know what your character's deal is please minimum requirements are a bit old hat so gonna try and trust people if I need more I'll say.
**A chart will likely be provided to keep track easier once the characters are made and accepted.

Custom Starters

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Fire

Spoiler

Name: Lepash
Species: Soot Pokemon
Type: Fire
Height: 1‘4“
Weight: 12lbs
Ability: Blaze
Appearance: This Pokemon resembles a run of the mill bunny. However it's entirely black, with small flames coming from its paws and the top of its ears, and there’s small amount of soot covering its fur. In place of a tail it has a wispy, sphere-shaped, bit of smoke.
Pokedex Entry: A quiet Pokemon that tends to hide behind larger people and Pokemon, it releases trails of soot behind it when moving quickly.
Evolution: Evolves at level 16
Stats: 35 HP | 40 Attack | 40 Defense | 55 Special Attack | 70 Special Defense | 65 Speed

Water

Spoiler

Name: Bearble
Species: Sea Cub Pokemon
Type: Water
Height: 1‘8“
Weight: 18lbs
Ability: Torrent
Appearance: Resembling a small bear cub with dark blue fur that has a mossy look to it. It walks on all fours but more often is seen sitting on its hind legs. In place of paws it has flippers with small claws at the end to fend off predators. Instead of mammalian ears, it has a pair of fins on its head.
Pokedex Entry: A playful Pokemon, they are protected fiercely by its parents in the wild due to its curious and friendly nature.
Evolution: Evolves at level 16
Stats: 50 HP | 55 Attack | 40 Defense | 55 Special Attack | 40 Special Defense | 65 Speed

Grass

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Name: Poamoo
Species: Grazing Pokemon
Type: Grass
Height/Length: 2‘6“
Weight: 20lbs
Ability: Overgrow
Appearance: A cow-like Pokemon with a large, round, head. It has green fur and brown spots over its body. Each of Poamoo’s four hooves is covered a coat of grass-like fur. It has two small twigs coming from its head in the place of horns and its tail ends in a shape resembling a pine-tree.
Pokedex Entry: A gentle Pokemon which takes grass in its mouth only to absorb the moisture and is careful to leave the grass unharmed.
Evolution: Evolves at level 16
Stats: 65 HP | 55 Attack | 60 Defense | 40 Special Attack | 45 Special Defense | 35 Speed

 

Accepted Apps/Teams

Spoiler

Belle - Sethera
Quinn - radio414
Nathan - Cheshire Toon

Jacklyn - Skaia
Anima - Tiamat's Circus
Anneliese - LordCowCow

 

[Sethera 290]

All the interest!

NEET do-over

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"Being outside is overrated. Why am I here again?"

---

Name: Belladonna "Belle" Morgane
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Hometown: Saffron City

Appearance

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Source: hishiuma

Height: 5'0"
Weight: 175 lbs
Since she has an appetite but doesn't like to go outside, Belle has gotten to be overweight for her size.

Personality

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If there were a word for Belle, it’d be “sloth.” Apathetic and sedentary, she is a hedonist, only caring for indulging her whims, which include eating, sleeping, and surfing the internet. She is a person who will spend hours wrapped up in a blanket watching Slowpoke videos while eating potato chips. Belle prides herself on having eaten every kind of potato chip in the world. She also prides herself on knowing useless facts gained from the internet, such as “Zubat always turn left when exiting a cave,” or “Everybody has a unique tongue print.”

Belle despises normal outdoor things like bright sunlight and talking to people. She will wince in pain when the sun is out and glare at strangers who get too close to her. She has zero interest in dealing with people and would prefer to remain an outcast shut-in for the rest of her life, thank you very much. However, she is secretly curious about the world and the people in it. She just wishes she could experience it from her bed.

Belle is more intelligent than people give her credit for. However, she rarely showcases that intelligence unless solving puzzles “because I’m an expert at video games.” While Belle is fine using her intellectual or psychic abilities by herself or around family members, she avoids that around everybody else. Belle doesn’t want to deal with the inevitable hassle of explaining herself and being treated differently from then on.

Biography

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Belle was born to a family of infamous psychics in Saffron City. Most notably, her older cousin, Sabrina, who was both admired and feared not only for her psychic genius, but for her battling prowess. As a child, the other children shunned Belle, fearful that she would become just like her cousin. As a reaction, Belle lost all desire to hone her psychic powers aside from the bare minimum: telekinesis. With her powers, she can lift a can of soda less than a foot from her and guide it to her mouth, all without moving a limb. This led to her current condition of hating to move at all, and letting her powers do the work for her. Unfortunately, she cannot move human or even Pokémon-sized objects. As she’s discovering to her detriment now that she actually has to walk around herself.

Hurt and angry by how people treated her, Belle vowed to become a shut-in. She sequestered herself away in her room, much to the dismay of her parents, with only books, games, and a computer for company. Belle became addicted to that lifestyle, inadvertently learning about Pokémon along the way as she played video game after video game. She especially became fascinated by Slowpoke after watching a music video on them, declaring them her spirit Pokémon.

When Belle turned sixteen, her fed up parents kicked her out of the house so that she could become “at least somewhat normal.” Lost and confused, she went to her cousin Sabrina, who took her in for a time. There, she would do odd jobs like clean up the Saffron Gym. After Belle accidentally wrecked the place for the tenth time, Sabrina informed her about this amazing contest. All you had to do was sign your name to enter, with money as the prize. Taken in by the idea of having enough money to go back to her old lifestyle, Belle signed the contract, was promptly teleported to a strange port, and dumped there. “You can’t back out now,” Sabrina cackled as she left.

With no choice, Belle was forced to accept a Pokémon and start the journey. Eventually choosing the grass cow because it looked “easy to raise,” she boarded the boat. Belle dreaded the upcoming year, or however long this would take, with all her heart.

Starting Pokémon

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Name: Moo
Species: Poamoo
Gender: Male
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Docile
Characteristic: Capable of taking hits
Obtained: Prior to Belle getting to Korova proper.
Personality: Moo is a docile bull who is still somehow more ambitious than his owner. Not yet sure what he thinks of her, but willing to follow her instructions anyway.

Other

Spoiler

• Theme: The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars
• Obsessed with Slowpoke.
• Third time e-sports champion of the game Munchlax's Cookie.
• Top player ranking for League of Legendaries and Pokémon Unite.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Sethera

[Cheshire Toon 141]

This may (not) shock you, but interested.

Nathan Keitsu

Edited June 21, 2023 by Cheshire Toon

[Skaia 578]

Hi.

[Tiamat's Circus 117]

Spoiler

Name: Anima Edwards

Pronouns: ‍Uses She/Her

Age: 20

Hometown: Hulbury

Appearance:

Spoiler

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 260 lbs.

Source: Commissioned from Venomgaia, the chad

Personality:

Spoiler

It would not be inaccurate to describe Anima as a careful individual, and though she wasn’t always as careful as she is now, she seems to put a good deal of thought into everything she does. For this reason, then, she often appears indecisive at times; never truly wanting to commit to one decision or the other, as she endlessly frets over what-if’s and potential outcomes internally… As long as she’s making the decision herself. Anima has, as such, become more than comfortable with the idea of letting others make decisions for her, often going from group to group and letting them set the pace and objective of her life for the time-being. In a way, it’s a comforting thought for her, and one that she’s taken to with alacrity; as then, it’s out of her hands, and if it turns sour, it was never her decision to begin with.

This isn’t to say then, that she’ll just go along with anything either. In fact, she has a fairly strong moral compass, or code; she’s just the sort to suffer in silence as long as everyone else is happy, and as long as no one gets hurt. Confrontation has never been something she has been prepared for; but when push comes to shove, she will do everything in her power to speak up and point out an injustice, or when someone is being mistreated… So long as it isn’t her.

As for how Anima carries herself, and how she goes about life in general, the best way to describe it would be carefully, slowly, and steadily; an impression that’s backed up by the dark circles under her eyes, ever-present from long nights agonizing over minute decisions. Even the manner in which she speaks seems to back this up; as she seems dead-set on keeping a calm tone to her voice, sounding almost asleep when she speaks. For this reason then, it should be no surprise that she speaks rarely; only when she thinks she truly should be heard, for she has no qualms being the one spoken to rather than the one speaking. In fact, it seems almost as if she at her happiest when others are speaking to her, telling her stories or recounting their days, as it grants her the opportunity to listen and live vicariously through them without having to speak much herself.

Of course, one can't live their entire life waiting for others to get involved; and this comes to light the most when Anima sees something that piques her curiosity. Be it something that looks out of place, such as a door being ajar or an object seemingly in one location where it shouldn't be, she's liable to at least look into it as much as she can. Of course, however much that is depends heavily; and she's very unlikely to try and get others involved, regardless of what she finds, as she'd rather not bother them. She just... Doesn't like having loose ends, or not knowing something when she can so clearly see something is amiss.
 

Biography

Spoiler

For most of her childhood, Anima was a normal, albeit quiet, child; one who grew up in Hulbury, in the Galar region. It was the seafaring nature of the town, and constant trips to the beach which granted her an affinity for water; and so when she was twelve, nothing seemed amiss when her parents had trouble finding her one afternoon. She was always the adventurous type, so for her to go swimming or fishing with a group of her friends, it was normal enough that they didn’t think of it when they didn’t see her for an hour or two.

…They received a call from the hospital that night.

She had gone on a small fishing boat with some of her friends. She had been standing, trying to reel in a particularly rambunctious fish, when another Pokemon surfaced; the waves crashing into the boat without warning, and causing her to lose her balance. She went overboard, and in the waves, her friends said they saw her go under the boat at first, and heard… Banging, from base of the boat. The oldest one there, a seventeen year-old who was chaperoning the whole trip, said he thought she must have gotten pinned by her life-vest against the bottom of the boat.

They said a minute or two must have passed before they heard from her again, except it wasn’t her voice that they heard-- But her arms, being draped over the side of the boat. The other children swore they saw white pieces of coral stuck into her vest to have shredded it, to ruin its buoyancy-- And that they saw faint wisps of smoke coming off of her as they pulled her up into the boat, but didn’t see whatever it was that could have helped her.

It was a few days later, when she finally woke up-- She was humming. It was a soft song, and a somber song; one that she claimed to have heard someone singing when she had first started her dream. It was one that she kept to herself, under her breath for most of the day after she woke up, and the nights thereafter, and…

It was the song she sang herself, when next she returned to the beach against her parents wishes, so as to find her savior; and it was the returned hum of the song from the ocean, which heralded her first proper-meeting with the Pokemon that saved her life.

Though it has taken her many years to push herself out of her comfort zone again, now, eight years later, she looks towards her journey with cautious optimism. She has no idea what the Korova region could hold for her, but… As long as Corsola stands by her side, she’s willing to once again face the future, and take a step forward in her life.
 

Starting Pokemon 

Spoiler

Name: Confi

Species: Galarian Corsola

Gender: Female

Ability: Cursed Body

Moves: 

• Tackle
• Harden
• Astonish

Acquisition: A Fateful Meeting at the Beach

Personality: With a Quiet nature, Confi rarely makes noise unless directly spoken to; or if she thinks she has something important to show.

Team

Spoiler

• Confi (Caught at level 5, currently Level 7)

Other

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I've Almost Got a Third Song Composed for this Character. Not finished an appropriate one for where she is in the story yet, though. Maybe one for a late-game battle, though...

 

oooh spooky

Edited March 5 by Tiamat's Circus

[LordCowCow 841]

And we're now a full OOC! Characters pls.

Should mention that teams will be decided after acceptance and will likely be based on how the characters fit in together.

Skaia is co-host again cause, well, he already knows the majority of the plot and information. But I won't set it so we must be in opposite teams (If I have a character) it'll depend on the characters themselves.

OH and edit: If you want in to the chat lemme know I can give link

[Skaia 578]

Adventure! 

Spoiler

 

Name: Jacklyn Violet 

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Hometown: Castelia City, Unova

Appearance 

Spoiler

 

5'7", 160 lbs. 

Art by mizutaku

 

 

Personality 

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Bubbly and full of life, if there was one word to describe Jacklyn it would be "adventure." She is a girl who seems to be a bottomless pit of energy, not seeming to care about what time of day it might be and sleeping entirely because it is necessary. A girl that fears little, Jacklyn isn't afraid to get dirty, literally, and only sees roadblocks and obstacles as necessities to adventure. Jacklyn is a friendly enough girl and has a fondness for groups, knowing most adventures take place in groups. And while she thinks herself sociable enough, she tends to always act like she's in charge, leading her to being a bit bossy and pushy at times. Though a typically driven individual Jacklyn can also be very stubborn and not particularly self-reflective making improving or accepting blame for something particularly difficult. 

Biography 

Spoiler

 

With two parents that often time worked full time at a café they owned, Jacklyn was left alone most of the time with her older sister. The young girl looked up to her older sister who herself had always dreamed of being a pokemon league champion. Often fantasizing about what the rest of Unova was like, the two often played games and went exploring around the city, pretending that they were on a journey. Then, one day, after getting her first pokemon Jacklyn's sister had decided to make her dream a reality. By herself now, Jacklyn decided to continue playing at being an explorer, having been infatuated with it. Liking find new nooks and crannies of her home city every time she went out, whether it be high rooftops or deep into the sewers to just an alleyway she hadn't known about previously Jacklyn was always active and making her rounds around the city.

Then, one day when her journey was over her sister returned, telling her all about the wonders of going on a pokemon league journey and trying to convince her sister to make such a pilgrimage. As the girl was hyping herself up and getting ready to look for a way to get her own pokemon, fate came a knocking. With the invite originally being addressed to her sister, the older girl both didn't want to start all over again on a journey and figured it would be better for Jacklyn herself and so passed off the invitation to Korova to her. 

 

Starting Pokemon: 
 

Spoiler

 

Species: Lepash

Nickname: Rus 
Gender: Male
Ability: Blaze 
Nature: Serious

Moves:

• Tackle
• Leer 
• Ember

Obtained: Two weeks ago, prior to her getting to Korova proper. 

Personality: Rus is a bunny with no shortage on pride, puts its best foot forward in all it does. It however, has a rather tulmutuous relationship with its owner both due to the former not meshing with their new trainer's over exuberance, and the latter not really having any idea how to act with pokemon. 

 

 

 

[radio414 909]

“There is something strange about me? What do you mean? We all die, do we not?”

[LordCowCow 841]

Aight since got 5 and no one hopped on to show interest I shall lock it in now that the above 5 are accepted and will be in and I shall make a character.

If someone wants to make an app they still can but know that it's only in case something happens with one of the players.

I'll put up the app and decide the teams probably Monday and try and get the IC up before next weekend.

[LordCowCow 841]

The teams are now set

One team being

@Sethera with Belle
@radio414 with Quinn
@Cheshire Toon with Nathan

and the other...

@Skaia with Jacklyn
@Tiamat's Circus with Anima
@LordCowCow with Anneliese (app will be up before Tuesday at least)

[LordCowCow 841]

Well it's before Tuesday

Spoiler

Basic Info

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Name: Anneliese Faraday

Age: 15

Gender: Female

Hometown: Sunnyshore City, Sinnoh

Appearance

Spoiler

Art by flask_beaker

5'3" 112 lbs

Cat not included.

Personality

Spoiler

Anneliese doesn't know much about the outside world. Somewhat sheltered and incredibly naive she at times has accidentally spoken down to others without realizing it. She's polite and friendly enough that this hasn't gotten her into trouble yet. Though this is in part due to other factors and more aggressive folk may not take so kindly.

She's well spoken and isn't entirely unintelligent yet at the same time struggles with rather simple concepts and doesn't do well with applying knowledge. This makes her come to rather unusual conclusions such as thinking that cars and boats are vehicles that automatically move on their own. A gullible girl, Anneliese tends to take things at face value and is also highly curious. Which means that she'll ask many questions and usually accepts whatever answer she's given.

A sunny and hardworking girl who truly doesn't know what is going on most of the time but is always excited to learn more.

Biography

Spoiler

Anneliese's parents have a lot of money. Supposedly they are somewhat important in Sinnoh but she doesn't actually know much about what they do. All she knows for sure is that they're often busy and that she always was well taken care of. Living in a large house atop a hill she never got out much and when she did it was usually with an entourage. Her occasional visits to other cities was with her parents on some sort of business trip.

Anneliese has always been curious about the world and wants to see much more of it than she has been privy to before. Once she overheard a conversation about an invitation to a different region to take part in an incredible adventure she knew she had to go for it. Thinking her parents wouldn't approve she sneaked out of the house and to a boat that just happened to be waiting for her. What she doesn't realize is that her parents were the ones who had the information leak as to allow the girl to go out into the world while believing it was something she decided on her own. They did this in order to make sure their daughter got some experience in the real world before she became an adult.

Starting Pokemon

Spoiler

Species: Shinx
Name: Leopold
Level: 5
Ability: Rivalry
Nature: Hasty
Moves: Leer. Tackle. Thunder Shock.

Obtained by: Given as a gift at a young age.
Personality: Leopold thinks himself a great guardian and warrior and is always eager to prove it. By diving, literally, headfirst into everything
Notes: Has a red scarf that Anneliese got him after a year of being together.

Other

Spoiler

-Afraid of the dark, unused to being places without plenty of light, and struggles to sleep without a nightlight.
-Doesn't like sweets much.
-Leopold refuses to admit he loves sweets.

 

 

 

[yui 576]

Nerd

Spoiler

"I'd take notes if I was you. No quiz later or anyfin', it's just good to write stuff down."

Name: Bridget
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Hometown: Spikemuth, Galar

Appearance:

Spoiler

made using Picrew #1649970
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 132lbs

Bridget is very fond of jewelry, and the piercings that adorn her face - as well as other accessories - may sometimes change based on her finding something new or simply taking a renewed interest in a piece she'd put away for a bit.

Since taking off from Galar, Bridget's carried a rather large backpack with her, containing all matter of supplies and equipment to keep her prepared for a journey through a region she knows nothing about.

Frequent wearer of rain boots, especially on her Korova journey, owing to their durability and usefulness in a variety of terrains.
"A smart girl is always finkin' ahead, and I'm quite a smart girl."

Biography:

Spoiler

"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young witch looked upon a beautiful castle from her dungeon, seething with envy. The castle could make her dreams come true, and let her live the life she was meant for, but she was trapped in her dungeon."

Bridget was born a child of Spikemuth's dark alleys. It didn't take long for those around her, including herself, to see that she had potential, and lots of it. Bridget never showed much promise as a trainer, but where she shined was book smarts. By the time she was seven, Bridget could tell you more about certain species of pokemon than experienced breeders, and could piece together even more with what she already knew. It was her dream to become a Pokémon Professor, and further the bonds between humans and the creatures they shared this world with through knowledge and discovery. Spikemuth, however, was fully unequipped to properly prepare any would-be Professors, and without the finances to sign up for a nicer school elsewhere, Bridget's dream seemed tragically out of reach. So it was that Bridget was doomed to glare on from the darkness of Spikemuth, the target of her ire being nearby Hammerlocke, a city where the best schools in Galar could be found.

"One day, the witch's familiars signed a fiendish pact, so that she could escape the dungeon, and fly away to the castle."

Bridget's family was one that could make ends meet consistently, albeit just barely. As far as she knew, the idea of ever making her dream come true was just that: A dream. And so, one could scarce imagine her reaction when she learned her parents had taken out a substantial loan, and used all of the money therein to apply her to a high-end school in Hammerlocke that specialized in teaching ambitious children exactly what they needed to know if they wanted to become Pokémon Professors themselves one day. With the obstacle of finance torn down, the only thing between Bridget and admittance was an application test. From the moment she walked in the testing room, she could tell the other kids were questioning just what she was doing here, but she paid them no mind. Bridget got the highest score on that test, securing her spot and laying down the first brick of the road ahead.

"The castle was everything the witch dreamed of. And yet, all she knew was her dark dungeon, so the brightness of the castle was blinding to her. She lived in the castle among its knights, angry because she believed they all looked down on her, and lost in the gleaming world she had cast herself into."

Adjusting to life in a wildly different environment wasn't easy for Bridget. Things that were acceptable or normal in Spikemuth were not so in Hammerlocke, and vice versa. Only making it harder was the constant feeling of eyes on her; eyes that she believed were judging her simply for being from somewhere else, even though she had worked just as hard as anyone else to get herself here. While it's true that they were on her for being from Spikemuth, with the gift of hindsight, Bridget has since realized that the perceived discrimination she got for it was nothing more than her getting in her own head. Others were simply curious about her, but she had already assumed the worst and let it paint her interactions with others.

"The knights had never seen a witch before, and wished to know more about her. But the witch believed they were plotting against her, and she began to cast spells on the knights, one by one. In so doing, however, the hatred she was afraid they felt for her quickly became a reality, instead of a haunting what-if. Before long, the king of the castle had intervened, and demanded that the witch throw away her spellbook, or she would be dragged back to her dungeon. In the end, the witch was left defenseless, and surrounded by knights who were just as afraid of her as she was of them."

Where others simply wanted to get to know Bridget, as it was rare for children from Spikemuth to enter such prestigious schools as the one she found herself in at her age, she believed they were less interested in "Bridget, the child from Spikemuth" and more in "Bridget, the peasant who must be taught her place." While this was true for a few individuals, most of the time, it couldn't be further from the truth, but this preconception made it hard for her to get along with others. Bridget would make excuses, push others away, and after some time, developed a sharp tongue and demeanor to make sure they stayed away. So it was that Bridget came to be known by some as the witch of Hammerlocke; a girl who came from a place of darkness, and seemed to know everything, but was best avoided.

Such an attitude and reputation, however, is bound to attract trouble, some of which was caused by Bridget herself. This was where the roots of her witch-like reputation blossomed. While typically content to just be left alone by her peers, Bridget was vicious if faced with actual hostility, in ways Hammerlocke children - children though they still were - simply couldn't accomplish. It wasn't long at all before this new behavior saw her face-to-face with her junior high school's headmaster, one misstep away from being sent straight home. Bridget once again made excuses and blamed others, though one in particular seemed to really get the headmaster's ire.

"They hate me because I'm different from them."

So it was that Bridget received a long, harsh lecture. Nobody hated her for being different, he said; they hated her because of how she treated them. And even if they did, her behavior in response was unacceptable for both where she was, and what she wanted to become. Academically, Bridget was one of the best in her grade, and it was for that reason alone she was being given a second chance, he warned.

"You don't have to make up with the other children, but if you cause one more incident like this, you will be expelled immediately."

With that and some additional punishment, Bridget was sent on her way. While she found it in her best interests to try and make amends with others, these efforts naturally didn't always hit home so soon after all the trouble she'd caused others over what was ultimately her own imagination. But, unwilling to blow her one shot at becoming the Professor she dreamed of being, she cleaned up her act in no time flat. She made new efforts to avoid the kids she knew for certain hated her, and when confronted, didn't do anything to escalate a situation. This was by far the hardest chapter of her life, surrounded by more enemies than friends, teetering on the brink of ruining everything she and her parents had worked for.

"With enough time, some knights were willing to let bygones be bygones, but not all of them. And when she finally talked to them as equals, instead of getting caught up in how much she didn't like the knights and their lives, or how much she thought they didn't like her, she learned the most important lesson of them all. The knights weren't their castle, or their shiny armor, just like how the witch wasn't her dungeon or her dirty old robes."

"Then, the witch thought, I don't have to be a witch, if I don't want to. I can become whatever I want, if I'm willing to put in the effort to change. And so she put away her spellbook forever, and hung up her robes one last time, so she could start becoming the girl she always wanted to be."

With time came change, and with that change came a realization. Bridget had been doing precisely the thing she was afraid of others doing the entire time. Just as she didn't want others to assume they were better than her over something like birthplace, she had assumed they were making that assumption for the very same reason. Over the next few years, her peers finally got to know the Bridget they were curious about when she first came into town, and her life was vastly better for it. Aside from her academic success, the next several years of her life from that point on were remarkably normal, which was a welcome relief to her. Made friends, lost some, fell in love, didn't quite follow through with it, fell in love again, it didn't work out, typical high school girl stuff. A chapter of her life that Bridget would describe as incredibly happy and just as unremarkable.

"And she lived happily ever after."

Of course, there were still unresolved matters to finish up in Bridget's life. She still wasn't a Professor for one, and once she made that dream come true, she wanted to do whatever she could to give back to her family and hometown. One day, on a university campus in Hammerlocke, something exciting had come to her attention. The university she was attending had received a small handful of invitations for all-expense-paid trips to the Korova region, a place that Bridget had heard of, but couldn't find much information on. And those tickets were being handed out to lucky raffle winners. Bridget - sorely lacking in any experience out in the field - saw this as a perfect opportunity to both study a new topic and get some field work under her belt. So she signed up for the raffle, and as luck would have it, she was among the winners!

Armed with some funding from the university, Bridget bought some supplies for the trip, packed her bags, and prepared to take the first step into an exciting new chapter along the road to becoming a certified Professor.

Personality:

Spoiler

Bridget is someone who has seen the best in herself, and confronted the worst of herself, earlier in life than most people would. Which is to say, she possesses an emotional maturity and adult-like composure that makes her seem older than she really is. This, and an active concern for the well-being of others, can often land her in a "team mom" position, and although she'll insist that she'd rather be "the team's big sister", this is one of the few lies Bridget will tell without hesitation. She's actually not too picky about the exact terminology, and is always nothing short of thrilled when others turn to her for help. Being a girl who prides herself on academic success, she likes to try and put her knowledge to good use by helping others in any way she can manage.

While some who like to help others might shy away from asking help in return, this is very much not the case for Bridget. In fact, she'll turn to others without a second thought if she finds herself in a sticky situation, not because she doubts she can do it herself, but because why would she bother with that when it's even easier with some backup? Sadly, Bridget is historically a poor judge of character, and although she's aware of this weakness, it's not something she's been able to fix. This means that she can easily be taken advantage of, or mistrust someone who means well, but Bridget has been trying to keep her cards close to her chest when she's unsure. Trying, at least.

Another thing she can't help is that she just loves talking with others. Bridget has a naturally positive, talkative nature, and could easily talk for hours on end if one let her. As someone who wants to be a Pokémon Professor, she puts great value on knowledge, and is always more than happy to share hers with others or receive new insights from them.

Starting Pokémon:

Spoiler

Nickname: Arthur

Gender: Male

Nature: Jolly. Often dozes off. Essentially a bright orange puppy that loves to play, then nap, then eat, then play, rinse and repeat. If he could speak, Arthur would tell others all the cool facts Bridget taught him, then claim he discovered them himself in a bid to impress others.

Ability: Arena Trap

Moves:

1. Sand Attack
2. Astonish
3. Laser Focus
4. Bite

Provided to Bridget as part of her university's Korova raffle. Winners who did not have a Pokémon of their own were provided a Trapinch to get them started on their Pokémon adventure. Some excited rumors claimed that these Trapinches were offspring of local gym leader Raihan's Flygon, but these were quickly debunked, much to the disappointment of one Raihan superfan who had been among the raffle winners. While they were hatched from eggs of a local trainer's Flygon, the trainer in question was just a teacher at the university.

Misc.

Spoiler

Character theme: Tom Cardy - H.S

Proud owner of a League Card autographed by Spikemuth's gym leader, Marnie. By Bridget's account, it's the first one of its kind, outside of any that may have been given to Marnie's family or personal friends.

Although she spent much of her life living in school dormitories in Hammerlocke, Bridget still made regular trips back to Spikemuth whenever time allowed. As a result, the dialects and accents associated with the latter have stuck with her to this day.

Frequently takes notes about her observations on Korova, with the intent to submit a full exploration report upon returning to Galar. It's her hope that doing this can add some much-needed documentation on the region to her university's library.

 

 

Edited March 5 by yui