Well, today was a real nightmare for me (I really need to get myself some therapy), so in going to postpone my own post.
No joke, I know that feel. Hope you're feeling better. I probably won't be able to post soon since some other outside life things caught up with me. I promise this is my first priority once all that gets sorted out
I'm planning to post tonight but if you wanna post before that I won't mind. I'm still not entirely sure how I'm going to start so... I might be a while
I'll post tonight or tomorrow. I do have a question though. How's the map scale looking. Opening post says Verdanturf is close enough to Maryville to talk to in one night if I understand correctly. Are we gonna try and keep it scaled for distances or just kinda see what the plot demands?
Son of a relatively successful businessman and a notable gym leader, Diego had a comfortable childhood in Unova. His family lived in Nimbasa City, his mother making the short trip to her gym in the desert to the south every day. Nimbasa City, with its array of amusements, was something of a paradise for Diego and his older brother Marco. Diego and Marco spent every moment they could watching battles at Gear Station, attending shows at the theater, running wild at the amusement park, and getting into trouble as most kids their age do. The attraction that really caught Diego's attention, however, was Nimbasa's sports complex.
An active young boy, Diego was fascinated by the large complex. It was a crowded mess of courts and fields that hosted games from children's leagues all the way to professional sports. While he did enjoy watching the professional matches and did some basketball and swimming himself, Diego found himself increasingly drawn to the section of fields unofficially reserved for Pokemon competitions. While there were plenty of spots around the city sanctioned for Pokemon battling, this was the only place to come see them compete in other ways. The spectacle of the city was enough to make a boy like him lose track of everything else in his life. And he likely would have, if not for Cecilia.
Dominic and Adela loved their children very much. However, they had no business having them in the first place. Despite their love for their children, they were unable to put aside their love of their own success in order to be proper parents. Thus it fell on Cecilia's shoulder to raise her younger brothers and keep them out of trouble. Cecilia was the ideal role model: independent, responsible, intelligent, and one of the best Pokemon trainers in the city. Her influence and steady hand was largely responsible for any sense of responsibility or ambition in the boys. It's an unspoken idea that without Cecilia, Diego and Marcos would probably have lived a semi-comfortable life, never leaving Nimbasa. Ever the dutiful one, Cecilia postponed her own Pokemon journey for years until she felt Diego was old enough to travel with her. Shortly after Diego's twelfth birthday, the three siblings began their own adventure.
It was a long slow journey. Being the patient selfless sister, Cecilia made the journey as much about her brothers' growth as her own. Away from all the distractions of Nimbasa, the two got to know themselves a lot better. Marcos found his place outside the city, among nature and the Pokemon. He looked forward to the nights they spent outdoors and was perfectly content to wander and observe the wild Pokemon while his brother and sister trained their Pokemon.
While Diego found their adventures in the wild fun, the distance from the cities of Unova didn't bring him the same peace as it brought Marcos. Diego was drawn to the energy of Unova's cities and settlements and bridges. He loved to be where there were people. It meant new friends and their Pokemon, it meant battles, it meant competition, it meant comfort, and he could come to see it also meant girls. Though they weren't too official or organized, Diego found himself increasingly interested by the less conventional Pokemon competitions. There were a number of competitions he came across that put he and his Pokemon's non-battling skills to the test. In particular, he enjoyed the athletic events. It wasn't long before this became his focus in training instead of battling. Cecilia only expressed relief that at least no he wouldn't go around challenging trainers way out of his league.
In total they spent roughly two and a half years on their adventure through the region. For Cecilia, who could have stormed the eighteen gyms in about a year, this was significantly longer than expected. She had patiently waited an extra day or two in a city so Diego and Marcos could have more time with new friends and gladly sat and quietly watched a herd of Blitzle with Marcos. While she sacrificed her time for them, she had come to appreciate the slower pace they forced on her. It gave her time to enjoy more of her life, time that she hadn't had back home taking care of their household's needs. In the end, Cecilia and Marcos both made it into the tournament while Diego had forgone five of the gym challenges and only had thirteen badges. He happily cheered Cecilia and Marcos on as they took first and seventh place.
After a full month of celebration back in Nimbasa City, it was time to move on to new adventures. Cecilia was off for the Kanto region, while Marcos had his sights set on Sinnoh. Diego decided to tag along with Cecilia. Their experience, age, and the smaller group meant that the trip through Kanto was noticeably quicker. While Cecilia grew in skill and claimed the region's battles, Diego followed. He would challenge the gyms that interested him, but his focus still remained on training his Pokemon's skills. Through that year, he and his growing team of Pokemon entered dozens of obstacle courses, races, wrestling matches, and various other skill competitions. As he grew closer to his Pokemon and they got to know each other better, he began to learn how to bring out the best in them.
Cecilia competed in the Championship and came in second, bringing their second journey to an end. At this point, Diego parted ways with his sister, as she returned to Unova to begin the process of becoming a gym leader. He, meanwhile, had heard of the Pokeathlon in the next region over. He caught the train in Saffron City to Goldenrod City and began the next page of his life.
The Pokeathlon Dome was everything Diego could have asked for. It wasn't just the organized competition that made the experience. It was being surrounded by so many like-minded individuals. People and Pokemon who trained not just for battle, but to bring out the best in each other. Of course, he found the competition much harder here than he had in any of the variety of contests he'd found in Unova and Kanto.
Despite his confidence, he was outmatched. Where he once thought his Pokemon some of the best trained, he learned they had so much more work to do. Undaunted, Diego rededicated himself, using all the time and the new resources available to him to get better. He settled well into this new life. He felt right at home in the hustle and bustle of Goldenrod City, making his usual trips to the Pokeathlon complex daily. Rent and use of the training facilities were not cheap, however, and he had to spend and unfortunate amount of time working various jobs at the complex, only having time to train after work. This only motivated him further to climb up the ranks to the point where he could get paid. Over the course of his first two years, he trained, competed in Pokeathlon and other events, made friends and enemies, established himself as a constant presence, and became part of a community.
It was a difficult but rewarding way of life, and it eventually paid off when Diego managed to break through the rookie tiers of the Pokeathlon into "The Big Leagues." Once competing in front of big crowds, Diego found the work to have only begun. He and his Pokemon had to push themselves further than ever before to keep up. By this point there was no extra time to really work. Not only did he have to increase his team's training, it also became necessary to promote himself. Still he didn't find it as difficult playing to the crowd as some others did. Diego slowly picked up the sponsorship game, and as a natural at working with his growing following on social media, he eventually managed to make his living off training, competing, and sharing his experiences.
Still even the best training routine can get stale. In order to keep his training fresh, Diego has taken to travelling and training in the outdoors. He'll occasionally take off for a few weeks to train on Mt. Silver, foot of Tohjo Falls, the Seafoam Islands and other areas around the continent. He's a spoiled city boy, however, so he generally returns refreshed but also exhausted. When that isn't enough, he's taken a few trips to other regions, including a few months on the Pokeathlon's exhibition tour of Kalos. In his six years training at the Dome and around the world, he has gained respect and a steady following from his peers and from fans of the Pokeathlon or similar competitions. Recently hitting another plateau in his training, Diego has decided to visit Hoenn and train in the warmer climate.
- Joltik (M, Sister helped catch)
Joltik [Compound Eyes] Bug/Electric 0'4"| .9 lbs. Joltik was Diego's first Pokemon and friend. Cecilia helped her little brother catch this Pokemon shortly before they took off on their first journey. It was scurrying around some of the amusement park lights, feeding off the electricity. Joltik is carefree and friendly. Always excited to meet new people and Pokemon he often startles them by jumping off his resting place in Diego's hair.
Joltik's main strength lies in his webs. A skilled shot, he and Diego take pride in both the accuracy of his web shots as well as the strength of the web itself. A well placed mess of string and web has been the main factor in Diego catching many of his Pokemon. Despite his skill, Joltik's small size is a hindrance. He can move quickly, but it takes a lot more effort for him to move around quickly. Joltik and Diego are both happy with Joltik's current form, however. In battle, Joltik tends to focus on slowing the opponent down, evading attacks as best he can until he can get close, cling to his opponent and attack from there. Field Moves: Cut | Rock Climb | Spider Web | Electroweb | Flash Default Moves: String Shot | Spider Web | Electroweb | Bug Bite | Agility | Discharge Standard Moves: Leech Life | Thunder Wave | Bug Buzz | Charge Beam | Volt Switch Occasional Moves: Screech | Fury Cutter | Electro Ball | Signal Beam
- Sawsbuck (F, Caught in wild as Deerling)
Sawsbuck [Chlorophyll] Normal/Grass 5'9"| 187.5 lbs. Diego's second Pokemon, and the first he and Joltik caught themselves. After a series of failures, they finally managed to chase a Derrling into a well-placed Electroweb. Quick and competitive, Deerling's enthusiasm added fuel to the spark that started Diego on his path. Though they didn't perform well in the first few races Deerling took part in, they eventually began to understand the importance of training.
In competition, she shows of her speed and endurance, really getting into the zone. In battle she tends to rush in and try to overwhelm the opponent. Field Moves: Tackle | Camouflage | Rock Smash | Cut | Aromatherapy Default Moves: Growl | Take Down | Horn Leech | Double Edge | Agility | Headbutt | Quick Attack | Stomp Standard Moves: Energy Ball | Nature Power Occasional Moves: Leech Seed | Sunny Day | Seed Bomb Sacrificial Moves: Solar Beam
- Conkeldurr (M, Caught in wild as Timburr)
Conkeldurr [Guts] Fighting 5'4"| 220.5 lbs. Another of Diego's early catches, Conkeldurr has always been very dedicated to his training. To him, there's no better feeling than becoming stronger than the day before. As Timburr, he often challenged any other vaguely human-shaped Pokemon or Diego himself to friendly wrestling matches. When the two entered a Pokemon and trainer strength competition, Timburr destroyed the competition while Diego failed to keep up. From there he learned that training his own body could only help him in his Pokemon training.
In battle, Conkeldurr gets a lot of use from his concrete pillars. He enjoys grapples and throws, tossing the concrete around, as well as his opponent. Field Moves: Strength | Rock Smash | Brick Break | Rock Climb Default Moves: Low Sweep | Circle Throw | Seismic Toss | Storm Throw | Submission | Vital Throw | Rock Throw* | Smack Down* Standard Moves: Pound | Low Kick | Dynamic Punch | Hammer Arm | Superpower | Counter | Body Slam Occasional Moves: Brick Break
- Emolga (M, Caught in wild)
Emolga [Motor Drive] Electric/Flying 1'5"| 11.8 lbs. Another Pokemon from the early days. Emolga is carefree and honestly not too interested in training. Because he's of a similar temperament to Joltik, the two small electric Pokemon developed a kinship long ago and remain the best of friends. The least disciplined of Diego's Pokemon, Emolga occasionally tries to wander off during training usually to be held back by Joltik. Still, Diego keeps him around as he is a force to be reckoned with.
Quick and agile, Emolga zips through the air in competition and battle, never staying in one spot for long. He's acrobatically talented and can navigate the worst of obstacles, though an extra strong gust of wind can knock him off course. In battle, he zip around and evades attacks. He tries keep a distance from his opponent, attacking from afar and occasionaly coming in for a well placed Acrobatics. When working together, he and Joltik can wreak havoc with their Volt Switch.
- Scyther (F, Caught in wild during Kanto journey)
Scyther [Technician] Bug/Flying 4'9"| 120 lbs. The first Pokemon Diego caught on his second journey, Scyther holds a place on the team as special as any other Pokemon. Scyther takes great pride in her abilities. She brings everything to her training and can become irritated when the others try to take it too easy. In competition she can be a bit of a show-off. When not focused on training or competing, Scyther is easily the biggest sweetheart on the team, showing great affection and care for everyone.
In competition her agility and precision make her shine, and she revels in it. In battle she relies on flying around, keeping constant motion and misdirection. She then waits for the perfect opening and strikes. Field Moves: Fly | Cut | Rock Smash | Defog Default Moves: Quick Attack | Agility | Aerial Ace | Double Team | Substitute | X-Scissor | Slash | Feint Standard Moves: U-Turn | Air Slash | Wing Attack | Substitute | Fury Cutter Occasional Moves: Bug Buzz | Silver Wind | Tail Wind | Bug Bite | Swift
- Poliwrath (M, caught in wild as Poliwhirl)
Poliwrath [Swift Swim] Water/Fighting 4'6"| 126 lbs. Caught fighting the currents and a storm in Vermillion Harbor, Poliwrath has an indomitable will. Probably the least social of Diego's Pokemon, Poliwrath can come across as standoffish and makes little effort to make friends. Still he has grown close to the team, and welcomes all new additions in his own way. He cares very much for them and can be fiercely protective when he has to be.
Poliwrath takes pride in his will and spirit. He's all about endurance. He swims without tiring, takes hits like a champ, and can hold a sustained stream of water for longer than many. He enjoys a challenge and is always ready to push himself. He has a friendly rivalry with Azumarill. In battle he tries to wear his opponent out. He's actually rather slow on land, but he can swim with the best of them. Field Moves: Surf | Waterfall | Dive | Whirlpool | Soak | Strength | Rock Smash Default Moves: Water Pulse | Water Gun | Body Slam | Counter | Focus Punch | Seismic Toss | Endure Standard Moves: Hypnosis | Dynamic Punch | Rain Dance | Hydro Pump | Dynamic Punch | Aqua Jet Occasional Moves: Circle Throw | Bubblebeam | Belly Drum
- Honchkrow (M, caught in wild as Murkrow after moving to Johto)
Honchkrow [Super Luck] Dark/Flying 3'2"| 65 lbs. Confident, conniving, and playful, Honchkrow likes to mess with people. He steals things, tries to plot mischief with any Pokemon he meets, and often gets into trouble. Like the others, he is still devoted to training and competition.
Where Scyther and Emolga zip around in the air trying to evade attacks, Honchkrow soars and owns its piece of the sky. With its mass and powerful wings, Honchkrow takes it own approach to airborne competition. In battle, Honchkrow lets his opponent come to him then attacks without mercy. Field Moves: Fly | Defog | Thief | Gust Default Moves: Taunt | Torment | Night Slash | Dark Pulse | Wing Attack | Pluck | Air Cutter Standard Moves: Nasty Plot | Foul Play | Pursuit | Brave Bird | Sucker Punch | Whirlwind | Tailwind Occasional Moves: Feather Dance | Feint Attack | Roost | Assurance
- Azumarill (F, traded from brother)
Azumarill [Huge Power] Water/Fairy 2'8"| 74.7 lbs. A trade from Marcos. Diego's brother had found himself with a Marill who was active, competitive, but a little overzealous. Failing to control =its power, Marill often went into battle and hurt its opponents more than necessary. It didn't work well with MArcos approach to battling, and he traded the Pokemon to his little brother and received a Flaaffy. With Diego, Azumarill found an outlet in which to channel her power, and energy. She is very competitive and strives to be the best. A gracious winner, but a sore loser, Azumarill is hard to be around after a loss. She has a "friendly" rivalry with Poliwrath.
Azumarill's strength serves her well in many competitions and she's a strong swimmer. Despite her progress, when it comes to battle she has trouble controlling her power. Diego only sends her into battle against strong opponents.
Field Moves: Default Moves: Standard Moves: Occasional Moves: Sacrificial Moves:
- Darmanitan (M, traded from sister)
Darmanitan [Zen Mode] Fire - Psychic/Fire 3'7"| 175 lbs. A trade from Cecilia, it's still unclear whether the trade was meant to be a trick or a challenge or a lesson or a joke. Diego believed he was trading his Phantump for an unstoppable force, he got this Darmanitan. Diego has never seen a Pokemon as timid as Darmanitan. In the beginning the poor Pokemon would go into zen mode at the slightest disturbance. Diego and his team have worked hard in the past few years to help him overcome it. While he was intimidated by the team at first, Darmanitan has grown comfortable around them and now gladly works out alongside them. In addition, Diego now has some experience in training areas other than physical work.
Darmanitan is powerful but he lacks the confidence to use it. He has not competed to this day, as the audience instantly makes him retreat. In battle, he does better. He manages to get in about three good hits before going to zen mode. He then continues the battle with his psychic attacks. Darmanitan is the biggest challenge Diego's training abilites have ever faced, but he believes that down the line Darmanitan with training of both Darmanitan's physical prowess as well as Psychic abilities, he can become that unstoppable force Diego thought he was trading for. Field Moves: Tackle | Rock Smash | Strength Default Moves: Headbutt | Fire Fang | Strength Standard Moves: Incinerate | Thrash | Flare Blitz
Zen Mode Field Moves: Telekinesis Default Moves: Calm Mind | Light Screen | Reflect | Psychic | Heat Wave | Will-o-wisp Standard Moves: Psystrike | Telekinesis | Flamethrower Occasional Moves: Fire Spin | Mind Reader | Inferno Sacrificial Moves: Overheat
- Sneasel (F, newest Pokemon, caught on most recent trip to Mt. Silver)
Sneasel [Tough Claws] Dark/Ice 2'10"|59.8 lbs. The rookie. The most recent addition to the trip, Sneasel was caught the last time Diego went on a training retreat at Mt. Silver. She is eager to prove herself and is a natural at athletic events. She often bites off more than she can chew, however, and its occasionally up to the rest of the team to get her out of trouble.
She's shaping up to be a contender. Looking to be get to Scyther's level she is agile and unforgiving in her attacks. However she does best in quick bursts, and her stamina is lacking. Field Moves: Rock Smash | Cut | Strength Default Moves: Quick Attack | Agility | Feint Attack | Hone Claws | Pursuit | Fake Out | Slash | Ice Punch Standard Moves: Icy Wind | Beat Up | Double Team | Payback | Dark Pulse | Crush Claw Occasional Moves: Hail
It sounds good. I think it'll work just fine, and we can always adjust the system if necessary, right? So you want each of us to make our own opening post then. I can try and get that written up. I'm going to be busy this week so I'd rather write it now and have it ready to copy and paste when we get the IC going.
On another note: It's up to us just how much interaction we want our characters to have with each other, so what are y'all thinking? You wanna aim for starting in the same area and maybe meet up or just scatter them individually and see where that goes? Diego has no particular reason to prefer one part of Hoenn to another.
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