Appearance:
Niamh's sense of fashion reflects her Snowbelle roots as she is often found to be wearing warm, knitted turtleneck sweaters, baggy waterproof trousers, ski boots and her favourite scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. Despite the change of climate in Orre, Niamh's style remains mostly unchanged, insisting that she simply feels at her most comfortable wearing more layers than the average person.
Name: Niamh Whitaker
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Biography: Niamh hails from the city of everlasting winter, Snowbelle City in the region of Kalos. She was an ordinary, everyday girl in her youth, with a comfortable group of friends and a peaceful, unassuming family life. One day, an individual with a rebellious streak integrated themselves into Niamh's friendship circle and persuaded them to play in the neighbouring forest, known as the Winding Woods. It was notorious for the dangerous Pokemon lurking within, and Niamh was at first very reluctant to join her friends in their foolish games. However, after some heavy persuasion (and a certain degree of peer pressure), Niamh gave in and tagged along and the adventure proved to be great fun- until Niamh suddenly lost sight of her friends. Calling out with abandon, it appeared as if her friends had left her behind and gone home without her, leaving her completely alone and desolate in the woods. Terrified, Niamh fled for her life from the wild Trevenant that closed in on her, hiding in the thickets as she prayed for someone to finally notice she was missing and come rescue her.
Her help suddenly came in the form of a tall, dark haired male; a man she had seen wandering around Snowbelle in the past, rumoured to be shrouded in mystery to all the townspeople. To her surprise, he silently beckoned for her to follow him, and despite her initial misgivings, the young girl decided to follow suit. Not a word was spoken between them and yet he dutifully led her back to the entrance to the city. Overwhelmed with joy, Niamh hugged the stranger in gratitude and it was then that Niamh discovered the male's true secret, as the feeling of warm, black fur brushed against her skin. The wild Zoroark recoiled from her embrace and bounded off into woods without a second glance, proving one important point that Niamh would never forget for the rest of her life.
It was not a human that saved her that day, but a Pokemon.
She never saw the Zoroark again, but her fascination with Pokemon surged, expressing an ardent desire to her parents of one day travelling with a Pokemon of her own, so that she could meet and learn about the many types that existed in the world. However, due to Niamh's fragile disposition (a trait that she had fostered after the betrayal of her friends), they were at first reluctant to allow her to leave Snowbelle. However, on her 15th birthday, she finally got her wish, as her father returned from a business trip with a very unique gift; a young Cubchoo cub that he had managed to catch from the Frost Cavern on his travels. Overjoyed, Niamh wasted little time in playing and interacting with the bear Pokemon that she nicknamed Nita, and soon the two became inseparable.
Her parents watched as their daughter grew in confidence the more she interacted with Nita, noting that the girl was gifted in interacting with Pokemon despite her reservations towards other people. However, Niamh was getting frustrated with the restrictions on her travelling, and in a spontaneous bid to prove to her parents that she was ready, she decided to challenge the Snowbelle Gym Leader, Wulfric. Predictably, with only Nita under her belt, and her complete inexperience, Niamh lost spectacularly; however, Wulfric noticed something special within the girl's battling style. He encouraged her to travel and take on the Gym Challenge across Kalos, and when she explained her predicament, the Gym Leader spoke to the girl's parents himself. Impressed by Niamh's show of courage and maturity, her parents finally allowed her to leave Snowbelle on her adventure, and both girl and Cubchoo were overjoyed.
Although showing little real interest in the Gyms at first, Niamh made it her mission to travel to every kind of Pokemon habitat she could find, and so she started travelling to the west, towards Santalune City where Wulfric had first suggested she visit. On the way, she encountered a Litleo, seemingly lost from his pride. Niamh laid pity on the young Pokemon, and decided to capture him, if only to give him a new home. Despite Nita's type disadvantage, the win was an easy one, and soon, Lyon joined the group.
Upon arriving in Santalune, Niamh took some time to sightsee before challenging the Gym Leader Viola. The battle was hard, and Niamh managed to win only scarcely, with a fainted Litleo and a beaten up Cubchoo. The fight was won, and Niamh received her badge with a heavy heart. Viola however, took note of Niamh's deep-rooted concern for her Pokemon and reassured her that her caring disposition was not a fault, but a strength. She encouraged the girl to continue her journey, and deciding that she needed to become stronger for the sake of her Pokemon, Niamh decided to set off on her journey again.
Along her travels, Niamh met another partner for her building team of Pokemon; a mischievous and somewhat curious Espurr that seemed to enjoy tormenting poor Lyon with its psychic powers. In a rare show of bravery, Lyon retaliated by challenging the wild Pokemon to a fight, and in order to save the feline Pokemon from further harm, Niamh quickly caught the male Espurr, and named it Trick.
Now with three, fairly balanced Pokemon under her belt, Niamh stayed in Lumiose City for a while, enjoying the sights of what was easily the biggest city in Kalos. She attempted a battle with the Gym Leader Clemont, but was promptly defeated before she even had a chance to build on her strategies. After the defeat, Niamh's confidence was knocked, and so she resolved to continue journeying and training her Pokemon, whilst putting the Gym Challenge on the back burner.
Eventually, after exploring half of Kalos with her Pokemon, and experiencing everything from the Laverre Nature Trail to the Frost Cavern, Niamh finally decided to head back home for a while. She felt somewhat ashamed to face Wulfric with only one badge to her name when he had held such belief in her, but rather than showing disappointment, Wulfric gave her a proposition that completely caught her off guard- he offered to take her under his wing and place her in the position of a Gym Trainer at his Gym. Completely floored by the prospect, Niamh immediately accepted; now would she not only have a good excuse to stay at home with her parents for a while, but she would be able to train her Pokemon under a very powerful Gym Leader.
The next few months, Niamh trained at the Snowbelle Gym, and she soared into the spot of Wulfric's most talented Gym Trainer, toting the highest record of wins against prospective challengers. It was at this point, coupled with the comments he heard from Viola, that Wulfric decided to apply for Niamh's place into GLU in Orre. At first, Niamh was apprehensive at the idea of leaving her beloved region and family behind for two years, but the urge to see more of the world proved to be stronger, along with a new, awakened purpose in her life. She wanted to become a Gym Leader that was worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with Wulfric in battle. Only then, would she be strong enough to stand on her own and help Pokemon and their Trainers. She would be a far cry from the little girl lost in the woods...
Personality: Niamh is sweet, mild mannered and just a tad shy, finding it difficult to approach and befriend other people immediately due to her troublesome habit of getting tongue-tied when speaking to those with loud and commanding personalities. Underneath her kind persona however, Niamh finds it difficult to truly trust the people she meets at face value, although she does not exhibit her reservations in an obvious way. When her trust is won however, she can be a very loyal and warmhearted individual.
Her self-confidence issues are a hurdle that she's struggled to overcome all her life, but she is a completely different person when she's in the presence of Pokemon. Utterly fascinated and beguiled by Pokemon of all kinds, Niamh is essentially a walking Pokedex from the fruits her travels; a somewhat malfunctioning Pokedex, it should be noted, as her information isn't always correct, but Niamh's thirst for knowledge proves to a be a force of its own.
During battle, Niamh can appear nervous and unsure of herself; however, she is merely worrying about the welfare of the Pokemon involved. Her actual skills in battle are both understated and effective, preferring techniques that dibilitate or handicap the opponent, if only to bring the battle to a swift end with minimal damage. After battle, it's not uncommon for Niamh to apologise for defeating her opponent, despite the insult to injury this causes for some.
Notable Possessions: The Pokeball embroidered scarf that she wears around her neck (knitted lovingly by her late grandmother), a simple silver locket hidden beneath her multiple layers, and a Poffin Case.
Battle Theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZLMDkzz-HEOther: Strangely enough, RageCandyBars are her favourite snacks, despite having to import them from Johto. She's also a dab hand at making Poffins, thanks to learning the craft from her ex-contest judge mother. She also becomes very uneasy when she has to travel through forests; a remnant of the time when she was lost in the Winding Woods.
Pokemon Species: Cubchoo (♀)
Nickname: Nita
Ability: Snow Cloak
Personality: Serious, focused and loyal, Nita is incredibly devoted towards the safety of her partner and would stop at nothing to keep her from harm. Her straight-laced nature can come across as a bit overbearing at times, but Niamh is intensely grateful for her all the same. Nita is easily Niamh's most experienced Pokemon, having led the fore during her time in Snowbelle Gym.
Signature Move: Ice Beam
Appearance:
Other:
*
Pokemon Species: Litleo (♂)
Nickname: Lyon
Ability: Moxie
Personality: Despite the typical nature of its species, Lyon shares Niamh's shy, introverted qualities, particularly finding fear in bigger, or fiercer looking Pokemon than himself. This similarity in personalities is often a double-edged sword, as at times, Niamh and Lyon can be on the same wavelength, and then on occasion Niamh lacks the confidence of commanding control over the situation and snapping Lyon out of his fearful state. Whilst not overly common, it has lead to a few defeats.
Signature Move: Noble Roar
Appearance:
Other:
*
Pokemon Species: Espurr (♂)
Nickname: Trick
Ability: Keen Eye
Personality: Living up to his name, Trick is playful, curious, and very, very feisty. He enjoys nothing more than to toy with his prey; both in and out of battle. Strangely however, the only person he chooses not to torment is Niamh. Perhaps he's just genuinely fond of her? Or perhaps his psychic abilities can sense something more troubling about her mentality? Either way, Trick is easily the life of the group, and Niamh finds it difficult not to smile at his antics.
Signature Move: Psyshock
Appearance:
Other: Close to evolving