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unreinedPLAYER INFO
Name: Red
Contact Information:acornbox , redkunlive (AIM), Redkun (Plurk)
Time Zone: Europe/London (GMT+0)
Characters Played: None
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Absol ♀
Character Canon: Pokemon (OC)
History: http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Absol_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29
AU History: Absol was born in a mountain range far from the walls of Union into a clan of other Absol. As a wild Pokemon she was raised learning many of the skills needed to survive: hunting in tall grass, crossing all manner of terrain, honing her instincts and most importantly, how to fight. Like everyone in the world she was taught the tale of the Savior, but as she knows it, the true "heroes" of the story were the legendary Pokemon who saved the world from falling into ruin at the hands of humanity, and then found the grace to forgive the last of them.
As someone who took great pride in their Pokemon heritage and looked down upon humanity, it was a shock when Absol discovered that she was actually an Enlightened, and capable of taking on a human form. For a long time she was unsure to feel: the human form had several advantages and allowed her to perform feats that would be unthinkable in her original form, but at the same time she was afraid of losing touch with her Absol ancestry. It took two events for her to reach a decision: saving the life of a fellow Absol using her human form, and the discovery of a mural depicting the Savior as the ancestor of the Enlightened.
Seeking answers, Absol departed on a pilgrimage to the city of Union, former home of the Savior. Perhaps if she learns more about the Savior and how humanity is currently living in the world, then she can understand her place as an Enlightened.
Addition:
Absol was born as the seventh child into a small clan of Absol who held territory within a mountainous range far from Union. Like most wild Pokemon, the clan operated as a simple hunter-gatherer group, with the eldest bringing food back for the youngest, hunting skills being taught from a young age and fierce loyalty to one's own. The small size of the clan granted them a great deal of mobility, which allowed them to take full advantage of their ability to predict natural disasters. As a result, Absol has a great deal of wanderlust and feels uncomfortable staying in one location for too long.
While Absol was taught hunting by the strong and active members of the clan, it was the elders who taught her the lore and history of the world. The Pokemon world has a grand oral tradition, bolstered by numerous ruins that depict historial murals and events. Through this, Absol learned the story of the Savior (at least, from the Pokemon point of view) and some basic other "facts": the creation of the world (Pokemon did it), how the sun moves across the sky (Pokemon do it) and so forth.
There is one particular legend unique to the Absols, however: that of a legendary Absol hero who fought alongside the Pokemon who saved the world from humanity's follies. According to the myth, the hero was chosen by a mysterious stone for being "the strongest Absol" and used its power to evolve to a divine form. In truth, the legend (and particularly the "strongest Absol" part) has been embellished for generations as a way to inspire young hunters to hone their combat skills. Absol, however, has been enraptured by the story since she heard it as a child and uses it as a powerful source of inspiration.
When Absol awakened as an Enlightened, it was sudden and overnight. Waking up one morning to the suspicion and threatening eyes of her brothers and sisters, Absol quickly had to deal with a body that was alien to her; a body that had only ever been seen in abstract drawings on withered walls. The escalation was halted by one of the elders of her clan, who isolated her for her own safety. Though neither knew at first how Absol could change forms, they eventually managed to unlock a way after extensive mediation, and the return to her original form defused a lot of the initial hostility.
Yet Absol was encouraged to stay in her human form and learn to master it. The elders recognised the potential benefits that Absol's new form could bring to the clan, and spun a tale about how she had "reached the limits of her original self-" (false) "-and been blessed with a new challenge". Yet it was the distrustful eyes of her brothers and sisters that became the greatest source of motivation; Absol felt that she had to prove that she was a true "absol" regardless of what form she took, and so trained with a fervour that threatened to consume her. If the essence of being a true "absol" was being the strongest hunter, then Absol would not stop until none could defeat her in battle.
The discovery of the ancient mural that set Absol on her pilgrimage was no coincidence. Secretly fearing for her well-being (and the stability of the clan), the elders sent Absol's mother and father into the deepest depths of the ruins- into territory far too unstable for safe exploration- in search of something that could diffuse the situation. It was there that the mural was discovered, and with it, Absol was finally convinced to stop her self-destructive training regimen and journey to the city of Union. The elders hope that Absol's absence will allow the clan to settle back into normalcy, and allow Absol to return with the evidence and inner-strength that will finally lay rest any doubts about her heritage.
Canon Personality: Absol's personality can best be described as "untamed". Having been raised on tales of humanity's follies and how they would brainwash Pokemon into doing their bidding, Absol has a very skewed view of Trainers. Despite the claim that "bonding" is concentual and humane, Absol finds the idea of a device that links minds to be intrusive and worthy of suspicion. True friendship and mutual respect requires no mediums, or so she thinks. Of course, the fact that (as a Shifter) she sidesteps the major communication barrier between humans and Pokemon is something that she hasn't considered yet.
As a wild Pokemon, Absol loves to fight. Her love of combat has only grown since embracing the benefits of her human form, as it allows for her to plan and execute a far greater variety of strategies than before. The simple ability to use human-produced items (like Potions) has already proven to be an incredible boon. Wherever she is, Absol has a bad habit of challenging people to combat; in the wild this is a perfectly normal action, and she has yet to accept that Union has "rules" for where and how fights can be conducted. Though pragmatic and unforgiving, Absol does have a self-imposed code of honour: obeying any pre-determined rules to a fight, never killing, always accepting surrender and helping the seriously-wounded.
Absol has an "Adamant" Nature and can be incredibly thick-headed or stubborn. It will take a lot to convince her that humanity is worth seeing as an equal, never mind convincing her to accept a bond with a Trainer. At the very least, any potential "partner" would have to prove themselves by defeating her in combat first. Her Nature also lends itself to a love of spicy foods, and a dislike of dry or bland foods. Her favourite "snack food" are Oren Berries, which she appreciates for their taste and medicinal properties, and keeps a small pouch of them on her at all times. By far her favourite "guilty pleasure" is Red Juice; if she gets her hands on some, she'll keep it in a hip flask and make it last for as long as possible.
In social situations Absol comes off as nice if a bit condescending. She sees no reason to deliberately act like a jerk, but sometimes lacks the self-awareness to realise when she is being one. She is less comfortable in large social gatherings and will be a bit more prickly and standoffish. Never even mind the idea of dressing in a more fancy or inappropriate way: the mere idea would be like asking a Pokemon to wear a different fur coat. The idea of accessorising (and Pokemon Contests) is a foreign concept.
When interacting with other Pokemon, Absol is generally more open and forthright. She will be friendlier to weaker Pokemon, and more eager to challenge (or train against) stronger ones. She can't say that she understands or agrees with Pokemon who have "bonded" with humans... a sentiment that becomes stronger the more powerful the Pokemon is compared to the Trainer. Her feelings towards Shifters are mixed: she is aware that the majority of Shifters living in Union were humans first, and can't decide whether it is a good or bad thing that the barbaric humans are taking the forms of her people. As far as other Absols (and Absol Shifters) are concerned, she feels something akin to sibling rivalry to them.
Enlightened Abilities: Absol is a Shifter with the Dark type.
Statistics: Absol has a high Attack/Special Attack, which translates to physical strength. Although lean in figure, her entire body is packed with muscle and she has the power to shatter stone with a single punch. Her Speed is average, and in her human form she can match most Enlightened in feats of agility. Her Defence/Special Defence is low, a stat which is not helped by the fact she had shed almost all protective armour to reduce her weight and increase her Speed as much as possible. As such, she is not able to withstand many direct hits and usually relies on finishing off an opponent as quickly as possible.
Quick Attack: Absol moves faster than the eye can see and strikes with a technique similar to iaijutsu. Outside of combat, she can move at incredible speeds for short bursts.
Slash: Absol's primary attack: a straightforward and deadly slash with a high chance of causing critical damage.
Feint Attack: Absol is no stranger to pragmatic combat and doing whatever it takes to win as long as it doesn't violate her own code of honor. This cheap attack catches an opponent off-guard and will always hit.
Swords Dance: A graceful dance that greatly boosts Absol's attack power. The "dance" is actually composed of two elements: a series of exercises that loosen and tense key muscles in preparation for the next attack, and sharpening the edge of her blade with an improvised grindstone. In truth, Absol loves to dance (especially in her human form) but feels embarrassed by such public displays of elegance.
Danger Sense: Absol is intuitively keen to coming natural disasters, an ability derived from sensing minor disturbances in the surrounding environment.
Super Luck: Absol is unusually lucky, and her attacks have a higher chance of finding a weakness in her opponent's armour. However, this also extends outside of battle: good things tend to happen to her for no reason, and she has a habit of winning games of chance more often than not. Annoyingly, some people have taken to rubbing her hair "for good luck" (and even more annoyingly, it tends to work).
Survival: Having been born and raised in the wild, Absol is able to comfortably live in and navigate natural environments, including finding food and shelter. This skill is further improved in mountainous regions.
Enhanced Item (Horn Naginata): This polearm weapon, like her default clothing, manifests as a part of her human form. Absol treats it as an extension of her own body and uses it for the majority of her attacks. She is never seen without it, and it bears many scars (and improvised mendings) from the various battles she has been involved in.
As an Absol, she has no evolutions. However, she will continue to gain levels and learn new attacks like Night Slash, Psycho Cut or Double Team. I would also be interested in a plotline involving Mega Evolution: particularly the fact that she will need to bond with an actual Trainer to gain access to her Mega Form.
Starter Pokémon: Absol has no Starter Pokemon and no intention of becoming a Trainer.
SAMPLES
(NOTE: You may link a previous entry or thread, including testrun or musebox threads (but NOT Dear Mun), for one or both samples. However, we want to see the character in the setting of Brave New World and specifically in their AU for at least one sample.)
First-Person: Sample!
Third-Person:
-What do you feel your role in Union is?
Who says I need a role? I'll fight if you make it worth my while, but don't try to fit me into your little society.
-What do you seek for humanity’s future?
Why should I care about humanity's future? Humanity only had a "future" because of Pokemon.
-To what lengths would you go to rescue your allies if they were lost in the wilderness?
Anything. Those who abandon their clan to die are lower than dirt.
-What would you say the most important occupation is within Union?
Whatever you call your hunters. Without strong hunters, you can't protect anything or feed anyone.
-What does the story of the Savior mean to you?
It's a story about how humanity tried to use Pokemon to destroy the world, and how we defended ourselves. It's about mercy.
-What do you think your Pokémon respect most about you?
They'd better respect my strength. The loser defers to the winner, isn't that natural?
-The gods of old have returned. How would you be judged if you were chosen as a representative of humanity?
-A human has attacked a wild Pokémon who retaliates in defense. How do you respond and whom do you defend?
-What would you say is your greatest duty, and why?
My clan. I promised that I would find answers and return to them one day... I'm not gonna break that promise.
-What do you do to ensure we never again awaken the wrath of the gods upon humanity?
Make sure you humans aren't causing trouble? I dunno. Though I guess if it did happen then a lot of innocent Pokemon might get caught up in the battle...
-In your eyes, what is absolutely unforgivable.
Enslaving Pokemon. What, do you need an explanation why?
Name: Red
Contact Information:
acornbox , redkunlive (AIM), Redkun (Plurk)Time Zone: Europe/London (GMT+0)
Characters Played: None
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Absol ♀
Character Canon: Pokemon (OC)
History: http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Absol_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29
AU History: Absol was born in a mountain range far from the walls of Union into a clan of other Absol. As a wild Pokemon she was raised learning many of the skills needed to survive: hunting in tall grass, crossing all manner of terrain, honing her instincts and most importantly, how to fight. Like everyone in the world she was taught the tale of the Savior, but as she knows it, the true "heroes" of the story were the legendary Pokemon who saved the world from falling into ruin at the hands of humanity, and then found the grace to forgive the last of them.
As someone who took great pride in their Pokemon heritage and looked down upon humanity, it was a shock when Absol discovered that she was actually an Enlightened, and capable of taking on a human form. For a long time she was unsure to feel: the human form had several advantages and allowed her to perform feats that would be unthinkable in her original form, but at the same time she was afraid of losing touch with her Absol ancestry. It took two events for her to reach a decision: saving the life of a fellow Absol using her human form, and the discovery of a mural depicting the Savior as the ancestor of the Enlightened.
Seeking answers, Absol departed on a pilgrimage to the city of Union, former home of the Savior. Perhaps if she learns more about the Savior and how humanity is currently living in the world, then she can understand her place as an Enlightened.
Addition:
Absol was born as the seventh child into a small clan of Absol who held territory within a mountainous range far from Union. Like most wild Pokemon, the clan operated as a simple hunter-gatherer group, with the eldest bringing food back for the youngest, hunting skills being taught from a young age and fierce loyalty to one's own. The small size of the clan granted them a great deal of mobility, which allowed them to take full advantage of their ability to predict natural disasters. As a result, Absol has a great deal of wanderlust and feels uncomfortable staying in one location for too long.
While Absol was taught hunting by the strong and active members of the clan, it was the elders who taught her the lore and history of the world. The Pokemon world has a grand oral tradition, bolstered by numerous ruins that depict historial murals and events. Through this, Absol learned the story of the Savior (at least, from the Pokemon point of view) and some basic other "facts": the creation of the world (Pokemon did it), how the sun moves across the sky (Pokemon do it) and so forth.
There is one particular legend unique to the Absols, however: that of a legendary Absol hero who fought alongside the Pokemon who saved the world from humanity's follies. According to the myth, the hero was chosen by a mysterious stone for being "the strongest Absol" and used its power to evolve to a divine form. In truth, the legend (and particularly the "strongest Absol" part) has been embellished for generations as a way to inspire young hunters to hone their combat skills. Absol, however, has been enraptured by the story since she heard it as a child and uses it as a powerful source of inspiration.
When Absol awakened as an Enlightened, it was sudden and overnight. Waking up one morning to the suspicion and threatening eyes of her brothers and sisters, Absol quickly had to deal with a body that was alien to her; a body that had only ever been seen in abstract drawings on withered walls. The escalation was halted by one of the elders of her clan, who isolated her for her own safety. Though neither knew at first how Absol could change forms, they eventually managed to unlock a way after extensive mediation, and the return to her original form defused a lot of the initial hostility.
Yet Absol was encouraged to stay in her human form and learn to master it. The elders recognised the potential benefits that Absol's new form could bring to the clan, and spun a tale about how she had "reached the limits of her original self-" (false) "-and been blessed with a new challenge". Yet it was the distrustful eyes of her brothers and sisters that became the greatest source of motivation; Absol felt that she had to prove that she was a true "absol" regardless of what form she took, and so trained with a fervour that threatened to consume her. If the essence of being a true "absol" was being the strongest hunter, then Absol would not stop until none could defeat her in battle.
The discovery of the ancient mural that set Absol on her pilgrimage was no coincidence. Secretly fearing for her well-being (and the stability of the clan), the elders sent Absol's mother and father into the deepest depths of the ruins- into territory far too unstable for safe exploration- in search of something that could diffuse the situation. It was there that the mural was discovered, and with it, Absol was finally convinced to stop her self-destructive training regimen and journey to the city of Union. The elders hope that Absol's absence will allow the clan to settle back into normalcy, and allow Absol to return with the evidence and inner-strength that will finally lay rest any doubts about her heritage.
Canon Personality: Absol's personality can best be described as "untamed". Having been raised on tales of humanity's follies and how they would brainwash Pokemon into doing their bidding, Absol has a very skewed view of Trainers. Despite the claim that "bonding" is concentual and humane, Absol finds the idea of a device that links minds to be intrusive and worthy of suspicion. True friendship and mutual respect requires no mediums, or so she thinks. Of course, the fact that (as a Shifter) she sidesteps the major communication barrier between humans and Pokemon is something that she hasn't considered yet.
As a wild Pokemon, Absol loves to fight. Her love of combat has only grown since embracing the benefits of her human form, as it allows for her to plan and execute a far greater variety of strategies than before. The simple ability to use human-produced items (like Potions) has already proven to be an incredible boon. Wherever she is, Absol has a bad habit of challenging people to combat; in the wild this is a perfectly normal action, and she has yet to accept that Union has "rules" for where and how fights can be conducted. Though pragmatic and unforgiving, Absol does have a self-imposed code of honour: obeying any pre-determined rules to a fight, never killing, always accepting surrender and helping the seriously-wounded.
Absol has an "Adamant" Nature and can be incredibly thick-headed or stubborn. It will take a lot to convince her that humanity is worth seeing as an equal, never mind convincing her to accept a bond with a Trainer. At the very least, any potential "partner" would have to prove themselves by defeating her in combat first. Her Nature also lends itself to a love of spicy foods, and a dislike of dry or bland foods. Her favourite "snack food" are Oren Berries, which she appreciates for their taste and medicinal properties, and keeps a small pouch of them on her at all times. By far her favourite "guilty pleasure" is Red Juice; if she gets her hands on some, she'll keep it in a hip flask and make it last for as long as possible.
In social situations Absol comes off as nice if a bit condescending. She sees no reason to deliberately act like a jerk, but sometimes lacks the self-awareness to realise when she is being one. She is less comfortable in large social gatherings and will be a bit more prickly and standoffish. Never even mind the idea of dressing in a more fancy or inappropriate way: the mere idea would be like asking a Pokemon to wear a different fur coat. The idea of accessorising (and Pokemon Contests) is a foreign concept.
When interacting with other Pokemon, Absol is generally more open and forthright. She will be friendlier to weaker Pokemon, and more eager to challenge (or train against) stronger ones. She can't say that she understands or agrees with Pokemon who have "bonded" with humans... a sentiment that becomes stronger the more powerful the Pokemon is compared to the Trainer. Her feelings towards Shifters are mixed: she is aware that the majority of Shifters living in Union were humans first, and can't decide whether it is a good or bad thing that the barbaric humans are taking the forms of her people. As far as other Absols (and Absol Shifters) are concerned, she feels something akin to sibling rivalry to them.
Enlightened Abilities: Absol is a Shifter with the Dark type.
Statistics: Absol has a high Attack/Special Attack, which translates to physical strength. Although lean in figure, her entire body is packed with muscle and she has the power to shatter stone with a single punch. Her Speed is average, and in her human form she can match most Enlightened in feats of agility. Her Defence/Special Defence is low, a stat which is not helped by the fact she had shed almost all protective armour to reduce her weight and increase her Speed as much as possible. As such, she is not able to withstand many direct hits and usually relies on finishing off an opponent as quickly as possible.
Quick Attack: Absol moves faster than the eye can see and strikes with a technique similar to iaijutsu. Outside of combat, she can move at incredible speeds for short bursts.
Slash: Absol's primary attack: a straightforward and deadly slash with a high chance of causing critical damage.
Feint Attack: Absol is no stranger to pragmatic combat and doing whatever it takes to win as long as it doesn't violate her own code of honor. This cheap attack catches an opponent off-guard and will always hit.
Swords Dance: A graceful dance that greatly boosts Absol's attack power. The "dance" is actually composed of two elements: a series of exercises that loosen and tense key muscles in preparation for the next attack, and sharpening the edge of her blade with an improvised grindstone. In truth, Absol loves to dance (especially in her human form) but feels embarrassed by such public displays of elegance.
Danger Sense: Absol is intuitively keen to coming natural disasters, an ability derived from sensing minor disturbances in the surrounding environment.
Super Luck: Absol is unusually lucky, and her attacks have a higher chance of finding a weakness in her opponent's armour. However, this also extends outside of battle: good things tend to happen to her for no reason, and she has a habit of winning games of chance more often than not. Annoyingly, some people have taken to rubbing her hair "for good luck" (and even more annoyingly, it tends to work).
Survival: Having been born and raised in the wild, Absol is able to comfortably live in and navigate natural environments, including finding food and shelter. This skill is further improved in mountainous regions.
Enhanced Item (Horn Naginata): This polearm weapon, like her default clothing, manifests as a part of her human form. Absol treats it as an extension of her own body and uses it for the majority of her attacks. She is never seen without it, and it bears many scars (and improvised mendings) from the various battles she has been involved in.
As an Absol, she has no evolutions. However, she will continue to gain levels and learn new attacks like Night Slash, Psycho Cut or Double Team. I would also be interested in a plotline involving Mega Evolution: particularly the fact that she will need to bond with an actual Trainer to gain access to her Mega Form.
Starter Pokémon: Absol has no Starter Pokemon and no intention of becoming a Trainer.
SAMPLES
(NOTE: You may link a previous entry or thread, including testrun or musebox threads (but NOT Dear Mun), for one or both samples. However, we want to see the character in the setting of Brave New World and specifically in their AU for at least one sample.)
First-Person: Sample!
Third-Person:
-What do you feel your role in Union is?
Who says I need a role? I'll fight if you make it worth my while, but don't try to fit me into your little society.
-What do you seek for humanity’s future?
Why should I care about humanity's future? Humanity only had a "future" because of Pokemon.
-To what lengths would you go to rescue your allies if they were lost in the wilderness?
Anything. Those who abandon their clan to die are lower than dirt.
-What would you say the most important occupation is within Union?
Whatever you call your hunters. Without strong hunters, you can't protect anything or feed anyone.
-What does the story of the Savior mean to you?
It's a story about how humanity tried to use Pokemon to destroy the world, and how we defended ourselves. It's about mercy.
-What do you think your Pokémon respect most about you?
They'd better respect my strength. The loser defers to the winner, isn't that natural?
-The gods of old have returned. How would you be judged if you were chosen as a representative of humanity?
-A human has attacked a wild Pokémon who retaliates in defense. How do you respond and whom do you defend?
-What would you say is your greatest duty, and why?
My clan. I promised that I would find answers and return to them one day... I'm not gonna break that promise.
-What do you do to ensure we never again awaken the wrath of the gods upon humanity?
Make sure you humans aren't causing trouble? I dunno. Though I guess if it did happen then a lot of innocent Pokemon might get caught up in the battle...
-In your eyes, what is absolutely unforgivable.
Enslaving Pokemon. What, do you need an explanation why?
