"... huh? You're still here...? Time to get this over with, I guess..."
MAIN PROFILE
Name:
Basil Constantine
Age:
28
Gender:
Male
Birthplace:
Spikemuth
Appearance Information:
Basil probably stands at the tallest amongst his peers-- 6'4" and 210 lbs, he quite obviously bears an imposing appearance alongside the dull-eyed glare that's constantly on his face. His silky, black hair is dyed an ashy silver near its tips, and he keeps it all bunched up together in a messy half-ponytail. Basil's choice in hairstyle is complemented by his olive skin tone, which he has undoubtedly gained from many days working under the sun. Faint scars run over the bridge of his nose and down his left eye, though it is unlikely he will ever tell anyone how he got them. No matter how much sleep he seemingly gets, he always seems tired and drained, sluggish in his movements and speech patterns.
One often finds Basil dressed in simple attire. A pair of shorts and a T-shirt for summer, slacks and a coat for winter. He cares little for style and brand-name fashion. Ironically, he can be seen smoking a cigarette wherever he goes.
Personality:
Many call Basil a simple man. He's quiet, timid, passive, and somewhat detached from most of the world. Partial to a large variety of things, he gets along better with his Pokemon than with people. It takes a lot for someone to approach him, especially when he constantly bears an expression that teeters between solemn and uninterested, and when they do they're met with a short phrase or two. He prefers to remain alone and shies away from large groups of people; it can even be said that he actively avoids people and interactions overall, choosing to do his grocery shopping during the early hours or, if necessary, opting to text someone rather than call them. When not on the job, he spends most of his time sleeping, tending to his garden, or interacting with his Pokemon.
Basil holds an abundant, almost never-ending amount of patience. Many don't know if this is because he would rather avoid conflict or if things simply don't bother him enough for him to raise a ruckus. Shy and extremely lax, he frequently states what people want to hear, possibly to maintain peace or curry favor with people so he can carry on with his day. Though, there comes a time when even this endless well of fortitude runs dry and he finds himself riled up. Even then, his voice rarely strays from his monotonous rumbling... yet, the look in his steely gray eyes may prove that there is a spark in there, after all.
Short Biography:
Not many people know Basil's history due to his refusal to give up anything more than scraps of information to people that he likes. The truth is that he was born with a bright future ahead of him. His parents, both office workers, adored their only child and gave him the world. He excelled in school, taking well to complicated subjects such as math and science, and by the time he was eight he swore he wanted to be a scientist. Unfortunately for him, such dreams were shattered when both of his parents died in a horrible car accident when he was ten. Having no other family, he was put into an orphanage that housed many other children his age. A deep depression had overtaken him which in turn fettered both his studies and social life. He hid under his bunk when the other children searched for him to ask if he wanted to play, tore up his homework, and became extremely rebellious towards his caretakers. Even though the orphanage's staff saw that he was clearly troubled, they did little to help and often spoke ill of him to potential adopters. Basil felt like an eternity had passed before he turned eighteen-- and when he did, the orphanage promptly kicked him out onto the streets.
Basil spent the next four months living in the alleyways of Spikemuth and rummaging through trash bins in search of food. It was during one of such escapades that he ran into an old friend from his high school days. Whether that friend truly pitied him or simply saw him as a usable piece of meat, Basil would never be able to tell. What mattered then was that such a friend offered an invitation to stay with him as long as he helped him with work. At that point in time, eighteen year old Basil didn't care about what kind of work it was. After all, he was in desperate need for room and board. He took to his friend's suggestion, gathered whatever few things he had with him, and moved in with him.
Thus began Basil's ultimate decline. It turned out that his friend was a prominent member of a local gang that dealt with drugs and dabbled in both petty and heinous crimes. Basil's job was to deliver suspicious packages both within the confines of Spikemuth and even to major cities such as Wyndon and Hammerlocke. Due to his involvement with narcotics and the fog settling ever heavier on his mind, he soon began to take drugs himself, which made him completely codependent on his roommate. By the time he was 21, he was hooked on several narcotics and just as dangerous as other members of the gang he was involved with. When he was 23, he was widely regarded as one of its kingpins. Money was pouring in from all fronts and Basil found himself with the ability to get what he wanted and when he wanted it.
It was during a very cold winter night that Basil's life changed forever. Having been sent to deliver a package to a client in the Wild Area near Hammerlocke, he expected to head back home with a pocket full of money. Instead, he was attacked by members of his own gang, his own roommate leading them in their assault. They left him mortally wounded in a grove of long grass, bleeding to death under the cold moon. As his vision grew foggy and he felt himself slipping away into a deep sleep, something green moved within a patch of yellow, dried fronds. It was a wild Bellossom that had emerged from its hiding spot and approached him with a only smidgeon of hesitation. Basil was too weak to defend himself from the wild Pokemon and passed out before it had even neared him. By some blessing, he awoke the next morning in a puddle of his dried blood. Several Growlithe had cuddled close to him and kept him warm during the night, having been guided by the Bellosom that had healed his wounds and saved his life. Still weak and tired from the previous night's excursion, he tried to get up so he could thank the Grass-type in some way. But as soon as he made any sort of movement, all of the Pokemon skittered away deeper into the grove. Once again, he was alone.
Luckily for him, a good samaritan came across Basil in his struggle to get to Hammerlocke. He was promptly hospitalized, though the police soon became involved with his in-patient stay. They knew who he was and Basil anticipated their questions. Once he was deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital, the officers arrested him and charged him with a variety of crimes. He was faced with multiple years in jail and an ultimatum at the same time. Either he would rat out his ex-gangmates or he would stay in prison until his late thirties. The choice was obvious and led to the arrests of a majority of the gang members, which in turn, dissolved the gang itself. Due to his compliance, Basil was faced with six months of jail time and a year of parole.
Time passed slowly for Basil, though not painfully. Being imprisoned meant that he had to quit cold turkey and by some miracle he was able to survive withdrawal. Parole was, at most, tedious. Getting a job as a Pokemon daycare worker was difficult, as he had to convince its owner that he was a changed man. Reporting to his parole officer was even worse, since she always used to nag him about smoking cigarettes and doing something more for himself. "Take the Gym Challenge or something," she had told him. "That'll actually get you somewhere."
At first, he ignored her. But as his year of parole winded down and he had successfully proved himself worthy of a suitable position at the daycare, he had an itch to spread his wings. Two years later, he brought the idea up to his boss, who was extremely supportive of the idea. He was able to sponsor him so he was able to get into the Major League Gym Challenge just in time for that year's registration. To his own surprise, Basil did rather well; specializing in Grass-types was easy enough for him, even in the face of disadvantageous type match-ups. He saw himself actually making a name for himself at the end of this long, strenuous path of his.
Until he lost in the first round of the Championship.
He built himself up just to be crushed under the weight of a fiery contender. With his tail between his legs, Basil returned to working at the daycare. Not long after, though, Chairman Hyacinth reached out to him. He stated that he was impressed with his progress as a young man both on and off the battlefield and extended an invitation to work as a Minor League gym leader. Though he didn't show it outright, Basil was elated. He was placed very low on the ranking ladder, but he felt like he finally had a purpose in life. Besides, he was getting good pay and laying low. What else could he want?
Still never got around to quitting smoking, though.
Likes:
- Being alone
- His Pokemon
- Gardening
- Naps
- Children
- Video games
- Romance movies
- Fine wine and dining
Dislikes:
- Loud, ignorant, and arrogant people
- Large groups of people, such as paparazzi
- Bullies
- People imposing themselves or their beliefs on him
- Police officers
- Wild Areas
Quirks:
- No matter where he goes or what he does, Basil is always seen smoking whether it be indoors or outdoors.
- A strict carnivore, Basil is sincerely bothered by the idea of eating greens. Some may call it a phobia.
- His low, monotonous voice is known to make some people drowsy. His Pokemon seem to love it, though.
- He's an astonishingly good listener and an adept keeper of secrets.
- He isn't a believer of G-Maxing, Dynamaxing, or even Mega-Evolving. Basil feels like this tortures Pokemon in some way or form, so he actively steers away from doing such things.
- Basil works very well with children. Perhaps this is the reason why Hyacinth is very happy keeping him low in the ranks-- he's an amazing introductory gym leader, no matter how old his challengers are or where they come from.
LEAGUE PROFILE
Type Specialty:
Grass
League Ranking:
Minor
League Placement:
1st
Gym Location:
Turffield
Gym Description:
Basil doesn't actually have a physical gym; he holds his battle in a grassy area not far from Turffield. In order to challenge him, one must carry out menial tasks for him like doing groceries, getting him coffee, and so forth. Little do any new challengers know is that the people of Turffield are very much accustomed to Basil's strategy. Trainers will often come up to confront them and test their mettle in order to see if they're ready to face Basil overall.
POKEMON
Sesame [Bulbasaur ♂]: Tarragon's son, Sesame is a level-headed Bulbasaur. He works hard to please his trainer and teach little ones a lesson, though he's sweet enough to serve as a lap Pokemon. He loves napping with Basil.
Chive [Deerling ♀]: A sassy little thing that likes to rush headlong into battle. Her strength surprises some trainers. She's a bit fluffier than other Deerling.
Chive [Deerling ♀]: A sassy little thing that likes to rush headlong into battle. Her strength surprises some trainers. She's a bit fluffier than other Deerling.
Anise [Leafeon ♀]: Anise is a pompous Leafeon that needs to be in the mood to battle in order to perform well. It seems like she enjoys giving Basil a hard time. Her fur leans more towards white than other Leafeon.
Tarragon [Venusaur ♀]: Motherly and tends to Basil as if he were her own child. She lifts him out of bed when he oversleeps and lays on him when he overworks. Tarragon bears a very protective instinct not only over her trainer but other members of his team.
Fennel [Tropius ♂]: Fennel is perhaps the kindest of Basil's team. He loves making others happy and avoids internal conflict between his teammates. When the day is too hot, he provides Basil with shade using his large, leafy wings.
Burnet [Breloom ♂]: The fiercest battler on the team. Burnet hates being pushed around and is actively seeking to prove himself. He frequently looks upset over some thing or another.
Sorrel [Whimsicott ♂]: Sorrel is the mediator of the team; when Anise and Burnet or Coriander and Cicely bicker, he's the first one on the scene to try and calm them down. He helps Basil with smaller tasks around his humble abode.
Coriander [Lurantis ♂]: When not battling, Coriander's past time consists of causing mischief within the upper ranks of his team. He loves teasing Burnet and instigating fights between the Breloom and Anise. When confronted over such matters, he covers his smirk with his forelegs and plays innocent.
Tarragon [Venusaur ♀]: Motherly and tends to Basil as if he were her own child. She lifts him out of bed when he oversleeps and lays on him when he overworks. Tarragon bears a very protective instinct not only over her trainer but other members of his team.
Fennel [Tropius ♂]: Fennel is perhaps the kindest of Basil's team. He loves making others happy and avoids internal conflict between his teammates. When the day is too hot, he provides Basil with shade using his large, leafy wings.
Burnet [Breloom ♂]: The fiercest battler on the team. Burnet hates being pushed around and is actively seeking to prove himself. He frequently looks upset over some thing or another.
Sorrel [Whimsicott ♂]: Sorrel is the mediator of the team; when Anise and Burnet or Coriander and Cicely bicker, he's the first one on the scene to try and calm them down. He helps Basil with smaller tasks around his humble abode.
Coriander [Lurantis ♂]: When not battling, Coriander's past time consists of causing mischief within the upper ranks of his team. He loves teasing Burnet and instigating fights between the Breloom and Anise. When confronted over such matters, he covers his smirk with his forelegs and plays innocent.
Cicely [Leavanny ♀]: Almost as much of a hard worker as Sorrel, she's often seen helping the Whimsicott with cleaning and sometimes even cooking. She has an intense rivalry with Coriander and the two always vie for a spot on Basil's main team when it's time to battle.
Clove [Sawsbuck ♂]: A no-nonsense Pokemon, Clove is adept at battling a variety of teams. His hide is covered with little scars here and there and his left horn is half-broken. Basil doesn't know why, but he always switches his forms a little ahead of the changes of seasons.
Clove [Sawsbuck ♂]: A no-nonsense Pokemon, Clove is adept at battling a variety of teams. His hide is covered with little scars here and there and his left horn is half-broken. Basil doesn't know why, but he always switches his forms a little ahead of the changes of seasons.
RELATIONS