Samantha Riley

22

Sinnoh

As far as traditional specialties go Samantha is mostly only interested in the battling side of training. Contests might be fun to watch but the amount of planning and precision that goes into being a coordinator does not mesh well with Samantha’s more impulsive battle style.

However Samantha is willing to try any kind of event once and loves to put her Pokémon’s skills to the test in more unusual competitions such as races, obstacle courses or sports. In her extensive worldly travels Samantha has visited every region that has a name worth knowing and more than a few that don’t. As such she has seen and taken part in a number of events that only exist in certain places; Alola and the Orange Island are particularly interesting in this way as they do not have Gyms like other regions do and instead challenge trainers in other ways.

While Samantha tries to make concessions to ensure that her team is somewhat balanced there is no denying that her battling strategy leans more towards the aggressive and unpredictable. Using the battle experience that she gained from competing against a wide variety of trainers Samantha likes to keep things at a fast pace, putting the pressure on her opponent to keep them on the back foot and unable to build up any momentum.

Though she hasn’t been a trainer for very long compared to others in just a short amount of time Samantha has made a name for herself all around the world, but not in the usual way. Some trainers are world renowned because of one great accomplishment that spreads around the world; Samantha is world renowned because she has made herself known everywhere. She has appeared in competitions the world over, from regional league finals to smaller, local events.

Samantha’s inclusion on the team is likely to only be until the end of the current competitive season; due to her wanderlust it is unlikely she will want to stay on the team long enough to compete the following year.

Lindsay Lee

20

Hoenn

Lindsay's specialty is that she just battles. Despite how dim-witted she may seem, she is an excellent battler, and will often figure out strategies to defeat her opponent in a matter of a few turns. She finds that the other disciplines don't suit her as well, but that doesn't mean she is necessarily a stranger to them.

A guilty pleasure of hers are contests, even though she isn't good at them. She looks to have a Pokemon that it contest suitable someday, but that day will not come for a while considering how much time she spends on training her Pokemon to be battle ready and to all be well-rounded enough to make up for natural deficiencies.

Lindsay... uh... doesn't really have any flair outside of battling. In battle, she's a spectacle to watch. Her style is defined by her unrelenting offense, pace, and pressure. Fuck your defense, fuck your special defense, and fuck your party. She doesn't care how high it is, she will come after your Pokemon like a dog starved for food.

However, outside the battle she literally has nothing to offer. Watching paint dry would be more interesting than interacting with Lindsay. It's not that she tries to be boring, she just is, much to everyone's dismay. She doesn't have many interests outside of Pokemon, and she sure as hell doesn't really think about things that are worth thinking about.

Lindsay's Bayleef is infatuated with Aya.
She doesn't like telling people her last name.

Dilan Torie

24

Hoenn

Dilan comes from a large household of professional Pokemon breeders, and as such he retains a wide array of knowledge regarding the proper raising of Pokemon such as diet and breeding habits. He was all but forced to become a trainer after a number of "his" Pokemon began eating the family out of business. That, combined with his own usual aversion to work, was enough to have his parents kick him out of the house to find his own way. That was roughly six years ago. Now, Dilan is the reigning Hoenn Regional Champion, and nobody rightly knows how.

If you were to ask Hanae Layton what the newest member of her team's greatest asset was, it'd be just how much of a mystery he is. If you didn't know any better, Dilan Torie may very well have come out of nowhere. According to the man himself, Dilan is just some guy who happens to train Pokemon for a living. To the vast majority of his fellow Hoenn competitors, he's a layabout who somehow managed to stumble his way to the top of the Region and who has no reason being there, let alone the World Tournament. Suffice to say that Dilan's reception has been mixed.

No one expects the Vigoroth Inquisition

Leo "Sully" Sullivan

23

Kanto

While many of the best trainers in the world operate a wide spread of pokemon types, Sully's preference is to run his favourite two types. His steel and dragon types are known throughout the entire Kanto battle scene after several high profile victories against some of the biggest names of the region. He hasn't entered any big name tournaments at the time of writing but that is because he seeks out the best battlers in the world to challenge them directly. Why waste time with tournaments and people who won't get past the first round when you can go right to the best? This is what singled him out to his new team.

Outside of battles Sully is a very approachable, caring and decent young man. He'd go out of his way to help an old lady cross the road or even go as far as trying to climb a tree to get a stuck cat out of it. During battles however he is all business. He is focussed, determined and efficient and this is reflected in his pokemon. While they battle, both trainer and pokemon work in unison to an almost savage efficiency that can sometimes even surpass typing issues. Much like Sully however, the pokemon are approachable and don't mind a picture or two.

Sully's fanbase is on the larger side given the popularity of his streaming channel. Primarily focussed showcasing his battles against some of the best trainers the world has to offer, it also features episodes about his pokemon, Q&A's and general tips for new trainers. He understands that by joining the team and making in roads into the tournament circuit that he will no longer be able to live stream his battles. Fortunately the league has given him special dispensation to allow him to post extended highlights once the battles have been televised.

Theme to come