Hi there, I just had a question. I want to make a character whose thesis involves Pokemon Moves. Would it be okay if my character had multiple Pokemon that he could use as assistants and for his sample size?
He's going to to parent all them. He will try not to parent any of them because they are all adults and what-not, but he won't be able to help himself. Lancer has had to be a parent since he was 9. It's not an easy set of habits to break. So he and Sylvie will have to find some middle ground. What that middle ground is, I have to clue. But finding out is half the fun.
Hello! Here is my application. I spent a few hours on it, trying to organize my thoughts since this is a character I've owned for two years now! I could just NOT pass up on the opportunity for a type of roleplay themed on the professors of the Pokémon world! I hope it manages to make the cut. :)
𝙲𝚢𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗
“𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑!“
Age: 26 Years Old
Year at the Institute: First Year
Favorite Color: Pink!
Thesis Subject: The Paleontology of Prehistoric Pokémon & The Eco-evolutionary Impact of Legendaries
Appearance: Cypress is a youthful adult in his mid 20's with a formidable height often a head or so above most other people. He has a relatively athletic figure concealed by his rather baggy, loose kind-of clothes. Cypress typically brushes his wavy hair into a stylish side-swept fringe to partially cover his forehead, resorting to hairspray to stiffen it. With a penchant for comfortable yet presentable oufits, his wardrobe incorporates fashionable garments in vibrant hues.
Personality: A mild-mannered, run-of-the-mill trainer and lighthearted fellow with a brilliant mind and a heart brighter than gold. His interest lay in the common wellness of everybody, and he longs to be able to assists others in any meaningful way to the best of his ability. Naturally kind-hearted, Cypress believes conflict should be the last solution to a problem and that peace should be the ideal mean to resolve it. However, if push does come to shove, especially when a loved one or the defenseless are involved, the young man won't hesitate to cast aside his worldviews to right a wrong.
He's a hammy, kind of cooky individual, joyfully passionate about his hobbies and the world around him, even if his personality tends towards introversion and is moderately hindered by social anxiety. He may be bogged down by self-doubt on occasion, or speak critically of himself whenever a personal project crashes and burns in his face. But undoubtedly so, his resilience and determination in the face of struggle keeps him afloat.
Bio: A native to Akala Island on Alola, Cypress was a precocious boy with grand ideas and a strong-willed sense of culture that perdured onwards till present day. His passion for history was borne from the once infant's many visits to the ruins scattered across the islands, and the fabled stories he'd read through at least a couple dozen times that told the legends of their Island Guardians.
As he grew up, however, along intrafamiliar issues he faced at home with an absentee mother that could only do so much shouldering the financial responsibility by herself and caring for her paraplegic husband, and a judgmental father figure who belittled his son for excelling in the fields he cared not for, Cypress rapidly spiraled into a depressive cycle.
Yet in spite of these hardships, Cypress triumphed over his obstacles and fought for the life he truly desired; a wish to discover the world for what it really was and document its history to share his findings with others. Later down the line, Cypress became fascinated with fossil Pokémon and began to ponder a question: Where have the legendaries from eons past gone off to? How had their presence impacted the current modern-day lives of myriads of people and Pokémon alike?
Meanwhile, while still not on the path to redirect his efforts towards a certification in proper Pokémon studies, he operated as a history teacher for a couple of years until a colleague recommended he applied to the institution for his marked interest in Pokémon paleontology. Initially, Cypress disregarded the idea since he knew the college had its reservations with applicants and only the most notable entered it. Given enough time to reconsider, though, in the end the professor submitted a petition along his sizable career portfolio not quite prepared for it to come through!
Now... He could only look towards the future through new lenses-- other than the ones needed for his prescription, that is!
Ribs, The Overprotective Obstinate
Although technically not Cypress' first Pokémon, if asked, the young man would consider him his longest-standing partner, and among one of the greatest friends he could ever have. Cypress became acquainted with Ribs after the latter rescued him in his youth from a group of Salandits attacking a defenseless Cubone in the rocky hills of Wela Volcano Park. Ever since then, the two have been inseparable. With time, Ribs grew up to become extremely protective of his trainer, a proclivity justified by the man's incline into depression, self-despicable tendencies, and frail emotional state.
» Cypress is pathologically terrified of Ghost-type Pokémon and Paranormality. His phasmophobia stems from a brutal attack during his childhood when the Totem Mimikyu during his Island Challenge Trial on Ula'Ula Island relentlessly attempted to harm him for mistaking him with a Pikachu given the Pikachu-themed sweatshirt the boy wore. Promptly, Cypress renounced from his Island Challenge after the incident.
» Cypress doesn't know how to swim. He never learned to after he developed Thalassophobia from almost drowning in the coast as a child.
» Cypress gets chilly extremely easily given his Alolan-origin. Outside of warm or temperate climates, he'll be seen in clothes with thicker layers than what is locally the norm.
» Aside from a marked care for history and paleontology, Cypress is a talented digital artist with plenty of years of self-taught experience in the field with a decent following online, regardless of his preference to remain underground outside the network.
"The light picked him up like... like he was just an action figure or something."
Full Name: Tofu / ‘Cedar’
Age: 24
Year at the Institute: First
Favorite Color: Orange
Thesis Subject: The Existence of Extra-Terrestrial Pokemon Communication Methods of Mouthless Pokemon
Appearance: • Tofu has a large backpack that contains audio and visual recording equipment as well as radio transmitters and receivers.
Personality: "I'm your host, UFO Tofu - annnd today-ay we're discussing Staryu transmissions and their potential eXtRa-PlAnEtArY receivers..."
Tofu secretly hosts a podcast in his spare time under the name, 'UFO Tofu'. He's gained a modest following that he's proud of and likes to think his personality has grown alongside the show. Tofu covers topics that aren't mainstream therefore he'll never garner an audience on par with Professor Oak but Tofu is content with that, in fact, being an underground radio pirate makes him feel pretty cool.
UFO Tofu is a sizable chunk of his identity yet it's something he doesn't disclose to his classmates. It's likely he believes if they knew, it would discredit him as a scientist. Any friend might listen and hear what an enthusiastic researcher he is or how excellently his audio essays are argued - but what if his peers just thought he was crazy? It's best to keep it quiet.
Tofu speaks like a satirical depiction of a typical radio presenter, bouncy words that are potentially obnoxious in certain scenarios. He hasn't learned how to lower the volume on his charisma yet, could he be sending the wrong signals? Authenticity is a lesson he hasn't aced.
Bio:
10 Years Ago - Viridian City Police Department
The validity of the following statement is questionable.
The witness was questioned in the presence of a guardian.
"We were playing on the mountain but it got so - it got all... it got foggy so quick - I couldn't see where he was, I could only hear him. I was shouting, 'I can't see, I can't see anything!' And he was like, 'get over here, come quick!' - but, y'know, it kinda sounded like he was - all around me. I didn't know which way to go. So... then a green light lit up the mountain and I saw him. The light picked him up like... like he was just an action figure or something."
Tofu grew up in Viridian City as the notorious 'UFO Kid'. The trajectory of his life was decided forever after an incident that made national news resulted in the disappearance of his childhood friend. Tofu wholeheartedly believes what he saw that night was his friend levitated by an otherworldly tractor beam and abducted in an alien spacecraft.
Tofu's alien obsession has become a covert mission now that he has a reputation as a scientist to uphold. He's savvy enough within the academic circle to realise that the title of 'UFO Guy' will only detract from his credibility. One day, he'll prove the truth - that his friend really was abducted by aliens... all those years ago...
"get over here! come quick!"
Tofu went to university in Unova where he majored in the study of Pokemon and specialized in Pokemon Linguistics.
Pokémon:
Porygon
Porygon was Tofu's first pokemon. It lives inside his laptop, rather than a pokeball.
Staryu
It's said that Staryu are connected to celestial bodies in space. Tofu has studied their nighttime transmissions extensively although he's unable to decode their language. This specific specimen took a liking to him.
Elgyem
Tofu is particularly fascinated by the Elgyem family of pokemon. He's certain they hold the key to his research.
Lunatone
Tofu participated in a student exchange program with a university in Sinnoh and caught Lunatone during his year there.
Quirks: • Tofu goes by the pseudonym, ‘Cedar’ at the Laventon Institute.
• His fake thesis exists to disguise his true research at the Laventon Institute.
Thesis Subject: How Pokemon learn attacks, how attacks work, and if new ones could be created.
Appearance: Isaiha is a young, tall, and very fit young man with tanned skin and always untidy hair. He typically wears some form of a floral Alolan shirt under his perpetually unbuttoned lab coat and a t-shirt and jeans with sneakers. On warmer days he wears shorts and sandals. Isaiha is never seen without a pair of sunglasses and or without his Z- Power Ring on his wrist.
Personlity: Isaiha is almost exactly what anyone would expect; an easy-going guy that lives his life doing whatever he pleases without taking anything seriously. He is the life of the party in any social setting and often times gives others the impression that he was a lifelong friend of someone even though he met them only moments ago. Friendly and sociable are just his default settings, but in a sunny extrovert way that is blinding to most introverts. He's the kind of guy that would actually be late to class because he was helping an elderly person carry their groceries home.
Isaiha is someone that lives with the motto, "A healthy body is a healthy mind." He frequents the gym for weightlifting and wakes up at the crack of dawn to go for runs. However, his healthy habits are probably connected to the fact that he is an adrenaline junkie. Isahia is someone that needs intense amounts of stimulation or else he will go absolutely insane. Exercise helps, but what really gets him going are his two greatest loves: surfing and Pokemon Battles. He frequently makes time to visit Sandgem Town's beach so he can catch some waves and Pokemon Battles reveal an intensely competitive, strategic nature that one would not expect from his laidback demeanor. Don't ask him to choose between surfing or Pokemon Battles. He would rather die.
New experiences are always valuable, and he is game to try new things. Isaiha is very open minded though that may be an excuse because he has a very hard time saying no. He's afraid of upsetting or offending others, so there are times he agrees to things when he really shouldn't. Combine this with a personality that makes him come across as unintentionally flirty and you get trouble.
Of course, like many others accepted by Laventon Institute he is an intelligent, inquisitive young man, but at heart he is truly a trainer, not an academic. His school of life was filled with battles, catching Pokemon, training them to be the best, and exploring the world so at times he feels a bit disconnected with the other students who didn't really have that experience. It's hard to be both a trainer and professor when it feels like he has to choose between them. It's not like he would say that to anyone or say anything about any problems he has for that matter.
Bio: Isaiha is native from Hau'oli City on Melemele Island of the Alola Regions. His parents were professional surfboarders that met during international competitions. His father was from Galar, and his mother was a native to Melemele Island that fell madly in love though they did not necessarily plan to have Isaiha as early as they did. The young couple settled in Hau'oli City and opened a surfboard shop/ surf lessons and surf tours around the island. When he was little Isaiha frequently joined his parents when they gave surf lessons and their island surf tours. His parents often joked that he learned how to surf before he could even walk.
There was not much else that a kid like him could ask for. He had great parents that loved, friends at school, and waves that he could surf on. It was simple, but for him it was all he needed. That was until he met someone that changed the course of his life. Once again, he surfed on the waves of Hau'oli City's beach he noticed that something kept following him, a Horsea. The Pokemon just wanted to play and of course, he obliged and the two rode the waves until the sun began to set below the horizon. And it happened again, and again, and again. It had gotten to the point that the Horsea would wait every day in the same spot for Isaiha and like clockwork he would arrive to play with the water-type. Eventually, they refused to be separated and his parents had to give him to a begging child with tears and snot running down his face.
This ignited the spark that so many young children had when they received their first pokemon; the desire to become the very best trainer. There was only so much that a little kid could actually do besides battle other kids in what was tantamount to playground skirmishes, but when he turned eleven, he was unleased upon the world. Isaiha was given the choice to take the Island Challenge and again, like most children, went headfirst into the challenge. The Island Challenge only made his love of Pokemon and adventure grow as he met so many different kinds of people and Pokemon along with his love of battling. He would eventually become an Island Challenge Champion before the tradition was retired some years later when its Pokemon League was established.
Over the years he would take part in Pokemon and surfing tournaments, even in other regions. However, whenever he travelled through another region it would always have to be during the off months of school. Eventually he wanted to try and go pro, but his parents told him to go to college first because it would have been a waste of his smarts not to. Turned out all of his endeavors counted as extracurricular activities that could be used for his applications, go figure. Anyway, he did go to university majoring in some Pokemon Sciences in Unova and had an internship with Professor Juniper.
Eventually he graduated and true to his word he tried to make a career out of surfing and battling and for a while it worked. Isaiha was getting sponsors and he sent money to his parents to help support them and fix up their shop. Over time though, he started to feel... weird. He was doing what he wanted to do so he should have been happy. So why did he feel so empty inside? Every victory and every loss started to mean less and less to him. It didn't matter anyway because it always had to same result; the ever-growing pressure to be better. No matter what he did it was never enough to satisfy the sponsors. It was suffocating. One day it came to a head where he was scheduled to appear in a match, and he just didn't show. Isaiha hopped a plane back to Melemele Island and ran away from the issue. He burned out.
Something like that does not leave your mind unscathed. Isaiha was depressed and barely left his parents' home at weeks at a time. His passions were non-existant. There was guilt from his friends and family. They should have seen it, but they did not. They should have asked if he was okay, but he hid it too damn well. Eventually, however, they finally got him to see a therapist to talk through what happened. It was slow to help, but eventually did open up and became receptive to what she was trying to do. One thing that stuck out though was this. "You didn't fail, you got out of a bad situation. You can always try again, but why not see what else the world has to offer?" All he knew was battling and surfing. Sure, he had his degree, but he was not cutout to be a scientist or professor. He had focused on this one goal for so long that he really did not know what else to do. However, that all changed with a single random thought that snowballed; Pokemon attacks are weird.
The layman would think that attacks were simply the product of evolution and adaptation for survival, and to a degree it's correct except it falls apart when anyone puts more thought into it. Of course, there are Pokemon the evolved to use moves that are unique to them, but that could not overshadow the oddities. Why can a Slobro know Fire Blast? Why can a Zoroark learn Flamethrower or why can an Infernape use Thunder Punch? Last he checked they did not have any biological functions that allowed them to breathe fire or discharge electricity. Why was the strongest dragon-type move, Draco Meteor, a move that had to be taught by a person? Why can they learn so many moves from TMs and tutors, but not in nature? Were attacks they learned overtime just the process of learning techniques that had been passed down genetically through generations? Were attacks not just biological function, but of natural energies that Pokemon could manipulate? Z-Moves were essentially just techniques amplified by Z-Power to pull off moves that would be impossible otherwise. Why did normal types learn every type of move under the sun? If Pokemon could manipulate these energies and they were just techniques instead of purely adaptation, then was it possible to teach Pokemon moves that they couldn't learn? Could you make new moves?
Isaiha got back in contact with Professor Juniper or, well, she actually did. She had heard what happened from his mother. It turned out when his parents visited Unova to see him, his mother and her actually became friends after he introduced them. They caught up and when he presented his ideas about Pokemon Moves, he received a surprise. Professor Juniper suggested to write that as his thesis and send it to the Laventon Institute. She would review whatever he wrote and offered to write a letter of recommendation. It was a good deal and currently he is a second-year student hoping to make progress on his thesis though that is far easier said than done. He quickly realized that he could not perform his research with a team of already strong Pokemon so he would have to start from scratch and is looking to increase the sample size of his research.
Pokémon:
Name: Riptide Species: Kingdra Ability: Swift Swim Bio: Isaiha's first Pokemon, his ace in battle, his surfing companion, and his best friend. After spending so many years with him, it pretty much as the same personality as him. Even though Isaiha is raising new Pokemon for his thesis, he could not bear to be separated from his partner for any amount of time.
Name: Cinder Species: Chimchar Ability: Iron Fist Bio: When Isaiha realized that he would have to start a new team from scratch for the sake of research, he was put in contact with Professor Rowan who gave him a starter to help, and he happened to take a liking to the Chimchar. Cinder is a very stubborn fire chimp with a love for pranks and is frequently the source of many troubles. It hates being in a Pokeball so it typically by his side or clinging to him.
Name: Jaws Species: Tyrunt Ability: Strong Jaw Bio: This was hard to get his hands on. He wanted to see if Pokemon moves differed from ancient times versus modern times, so he had to physically go out and mine for a fossil during one of his. Jaws the Tyrunt was the result. Many chew toys were destroyed by this weirdly cuddly dinosaur. It absolutely hates playing nice with other Pokemon that vies for his trainer's attention.
Name: Junji Species: Sinistcha Ability: Hospitality Bio: Isaiha wanted to study a Pokemon that had a signature move that no other Pokemon could learn due to a unique biological function, so he went to Kitakami to catch a Poltchageist, which he then evolved into a Sinistcha. A creepy little bastard that enjoys scaring anything that moves.
Name: Jackie Species: Alolan Vulpix Ability: Snow Warning Bio: During the last academic break, Isaiha returned home to Alola and went on a brief hike around Mt. Lanakila where he caught this little cutie. Jackie is a bit of a showoff that's eager to please, but she is also very clumsy.
Name: Vibes Species: Whismur Ability: Soundproof Bio: The latest edition to Isaiha's study, Vibes the Whismur was caught because he wanted to study why normal-type Pokemon were so versatile. A timid little guy that is frequently the target of Cinder and Junji's mischief.
This is a space delegated to Pokemon he would use for his research or as he calls them, "Junior Assistants". Currently hasn't caught enough Pokemon to warrant this yet.
These are some of his notable Pokemon from his time as a trainer, but not all of them. They are there to help with teaching and raising the little ones that Isaiha picked up for his research though depending on the situation he may bring a few of them for field work. Isaiha had to get special permission to get them an enclosure on campus and has an allowance to cover expenses such as food, but should he go over then it has to come out of his own pocket.
Name: Highness Species: Serperior Ability: Contrary Bio: When Isaiha became an intern for Professor Juniper, he was given a choice of one of the three Unova starters as a welcoming gift and to help him become adjusted to the lab. He picked the smugleaf with a haughty disposition that he aptly named Highness. She acts arrogant but is very quick to embarrass with praise.
Name: Love Species: Pelipper Ability: Drizzle Bio: The first Pokemon that he ever caught was Love the Pelipper when it was still a little Wingull. It is a laidback bird that loves to take plenty of siestas. The world could be ending, and he still would be deeply sleeping.
Name: Cotton Species: Ampharos Ability: Static Bio: A gentle Ampharos that Isaiha caught during his adventure in the Alola region. It's a sweet, rather docile Pokemon at times though he is always reliable in battle. He is typically the favorite of the junior assistants.
Name: Xena Species: Scizor Ability: Technician Bio: The cool, silent stoic of the team. Isaiha caught Xena when she was a Scyther in the Poni Planes when he took the Island Challenge. In a way, Titania has become the mom of Isaiha's team. When there are conflicts between team members, she is quick to resolve them though sometimes it requires a smack to the back of the head with her big metal claws.
Name: Bella Species: Kommo-o Ability: Bulletproof Bio: The absolute juggernaut of his team, Bella the Kommo-o. A prideful dragon that he met during his first journey around Alola as a Jangmo-o. She is a jolly, hardy Pokemon that can't help but to make a lot of noise, which kind of scares the little ones.
Quirks: -He has a surfboard that he named Lola. Besides his Pokemon it is his baby and treats it as such. Do not ask him to choose between you or the surfboard. You will lose. -Has taken up baking and drawing as a hobby as a new way to destress as recommended by his therapist. He still sees her via online sessions. -Isahia gets incredibly defensive when someone brings up the remarkable similarities between Professor Kukui and him. -His creator has to look up surfer lingo for whenever Isahia speaks.
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to withdraw my participation in this RP. Which, fortunately, shouldn't cause any trouble as it hasn't started yet, but still. I felt I should at least let all of you know.
@anothered It’s an interesting concept, but I have a hard time believing he can hide his background from the school staff. I’m certain they would know about his UFO thing.
The Clefairy line are canonically rumored to be alien in origin.
Pokedex entries about Staryu read that they're made of stardust..
This is Deoxys' pokedex entry: "A POKéMON that mutated from an extraterrestrial virus exposed to a laser beam. Its body is configured for superior agility and speed."
In Unova, there's a location based on Area 51 - this is Elgyem's pokedex entry from Black2/White2: "Rumors of its origin are linked to a UFO crash site in the desert 50 years ago."
There's an entire wiki page dedicated to extra-terrestrial pokemon here.
Why do you think the staff would care about a strange kid with a small radio hobby? Why would they be thinking about a minor news story from a decade ago?
Nothing about the character is random. His name, Ufo Tofu is a palindrome. Radio is a popular medium in Kanto. The Lavender and Goldenrod Radio Towers are significant landmarks. Professor Oak hosts a radio show called Professor Oak's Pokemon Talk. Cedar is the name of a tree that rhymes with radar, bit of a stretch but it was the best I could come up with.
The point of Tofu was to learn that children exaggerate things and UFOs may not be real but certain Pokemon definitely do originate from space. His thesis would have developed alongside his character developing.
Anyway, I think it's a pity to block SETI in a roleplay based on science but it was your call!
@anothered NO NO NO. That wasn’t my intention. I was just asking questions! I don’t know every piece of lore off the top of my head so I was trying to get more sense of the character. I’m not “blocking” anyone
@Crimson Flame can attest that I rarely block anyone from taking part in an RP I’m running.