Daelin Gabriel
From Dexnet
Contents |
Appearance
Daelin is a rather handsome man, but it's doubtful that you'd ever get him to lay claim to such. He's rather tall, around 6'1", and pretty thin; not what you'd call rugged by any means. Appearances can be a little deceiving, though - this man's been around the continent and back again multiple times, and knows better than quite a few how to survive off of nothing but what you can carry on your back. There's muscle there somewhere - but where is just a little bit of a mystery. His hair's been a striking white colour as long as he can remember - his parents (both brunettes) used to tell him it got that way from him being terrified by a Misdreavus as a wee child. He wears it fairly long, and although he ties most of it back at the nape of his neck, some of it still manages to wander off to its own devices. He's got blue eyes and fairly pale skin, too, but he's really not an albino, he swears. The pale effect isn't helped much by Dae's usual wardrobe choices - blacks and browns, mostly, with the occasional white or grey highlights. The odd time he does wear a colour, it's usually something pale - blue, perhaps, or maybe the odd green. He lets his Pokémon serve as his splash of colour, for the most part.
- PB: Leon from Sugar Beans
Personality
Most people who meet Daelin - even after just receiving a whooping from him in a battle - come away saying something similar to "Wow, he's a really Nice Guy." And he is, indeed! Daelin is a kind and gentle sort of person, one who treats most everyone with respect and a smile, who always has a warm laugh to share over a good joke or story. Chivalrous, too, to the swooning of some women and the ire of others - he really had those manners drilled into him when he was a kid, he did. A little awkward in his youth, perhaps, but he's since grown out of that. His passion is admirable; he throws himself wholeheartedly into the activities that he pursues.
His Pokémon receive the same care and attention that he directs towards everyone, but of course are expected to return the favour. He's definitely a proponent of the 'treat them well, and they'll fight for you 'til their end' training style. He's something of a perfectionist, but only kicks at himself a little if things don't go as they're supposed to - taking it out on other people or his Pokémon wouldn't be proper, oh no.
Of course, the above only applies if the people he's interacting with are regular, law-abiding sorts - Arceus help you if he figures out that you're an abuser, a thief, or a member of one of those notorious gangs, such as Team Rocket. Especially Team Rocket. Coldness and outright contempt are the only thing to be served to people such as those; he's been known to run noted do-badders straight out of whatever town they might inhabit. Such is his zeal that he sometimes attempts to deal with the problem as swiftly as possible, regardless of what that might mean for the surroundings or other inhabitants - even his friends know to get the hell out of the way whenever he gets into one of his 'moods'. Perhaps he still has some growing up to do, yet...
History
Daelin grew up with his folks and siblings (he was the third of four) in Cereulean City. They were not really all that well-off - his dad had been laid off from his police force job (damn Jennies and their damn discrimination) when he was just a toddler, and was unable to find anything much after that to work in. His mom, thus, supported the family off of her secretary's wages, while his daddy took care of the four kids. It wasn't really that bad, all told - the family was pretty close-knit, and even when money was tight, they still had each other, and always found a way to get by.
From a young age, Daelin held a deep interest and affection for Pokémon. He played with his dad's Growlithe, Max, from the time that he was a wee tot, and was infinitely interested in any and all specimens that he came across, prodding and petting and attempting to make friends. It was pretty clear that he would end up with his license just as soon as he could get one - but, alas, he ended up having to delay getting it for a year. Money was just too tight and his parents really couldn't help him out much with supplies for a journey, and thus the kiddo faithfully worked odd-jobs and delivered papers and pretty much scraped and scrounged until he had enough cash for modest outfittings. Thus, away he set on his journey - but not before getting his license and stopping in at the Cerulean PokéCenter for his starter. He met up with another young trainer-to-be on the way there - a girl a little younger than himself - and although she was a bit spoiled and rather naive, they hit it off pretty well. Surprises further abounded when they each were awarded an Eevee as their starters, upon reaching the Center - a special promotion had been going on, and the lucky kids were the right people to walk through the door.
He and the girl - Lynea - formed a sort of team after that; she was nigh-useless in the ways of roughing it, but at least she was eager to learn. He really didn't mind helping her out. A solid friendship built up between them, along with a bit of friendly rivalry - they became the star players of a small group of similarly-young trainers, each determined to conquer the Pokémon League and be world-famous! They all worked together over the next few years, challenging gyms, winning badges, and eventually even participating in the Indigo Conference. Daelin often placed the highest out of their group, with Lynea right in the position behind him. He wouldn't actually place first until the age of sixteen, but his reputation cemented early as a solid up-and-coming trainer, the sort who advocated mutual respect and affection in his training style, rather than strictness or distance. He even managed to pass three out of the four Elites in the challenge that followed that tournament; not bad for a first-time challenger. Life was good, and even with hints of romance - although they were too silly and awkward to do much about it, there was certainly something between Dae and Lynea, and everyone thought it was just a matter of time before those two actually hooked up.
Unfortunately, Lynea suffered a horrific injury when she was seventeen, and lost her left hand to one of her Pokémon during a training exercise. While Daelin, shocked and panicked, managed to get the beast under control, it was no use - the damage was done, her hand not able to be saved, and she wound up with a mechanical replacement. Although he did his damned best to keep her spirits up after that incident, to protect her from further injury, nothing quite worked - Lynea eventually slipped away from him, both emotionally and in actuality. While they did meet again, to his great happiness, it ended... not particularly under good circumstances. She had changed, greatly, from the cheerful girl he'd once known... And pulled a stunt that utterly broke his heart.
Angered and hurt beyond belief from the betrayal she had weaved, Daelin retreated to the wilds of Kanto, losing himself and his direction for quite some time. Apparently, though, he did not spend the years in vain - when he returned to the scene of battling, his faithful Pokémon were stronger than they'd ever been, and there was a new fire in him, a passion to stop those who did so much wrong to Pokémon and people - namely, Team Rocket, first and foremost.
At his next challenge of the Indigo Conference, soon after he reappeared, he easily won it, and proceeded to soundly trump the Elite Four. He turned down his chance at the Championship, however - he already knew he was one of the strongest trainers in the country. There was no need to prove himself further than that, and further, Champion was not a position in which he would find either security or lasting power - both things would be needed to be any use in stomping out the terrible gangs pervading the country. He returned to Cerulean to take on a position as a teacher (really, a coach of sorts) of children starting out on their own journeys. There he stayed until, at the age of twenty-four, word came down the pipeline that Bruno was retiring from the Indigo Elite Four.
Perfect.
He cast his application in, amongst the ex-champions and other League heavyweights. His credentials were very good, his demeanour what they needed - young, kind, and passionate about his Pokémon and training - and his battling skills more than a match; in the trials against his major competitors, he and his Pokémon nearly swept the field, pulling off successful and surprising maneuvers, even in battles that should have been disadvantageous for them. Thus, it came to be that Daelin Gabriel took his place among the hallowed halls of the Elite.
Since his appointment six years ago, he's spent his time inundated in the paperwork and business of the League, as well as taking on the challenges of those would-be Pokémon Masters. When he has not been busy with such duties or training his companions, he has taken it upon himself to stop the spread and influence of Team Rocket, one step at a time - delivering lectures, distributing anti-Rocket information, speaking to young schoolkids about the dangers of them, and the follies of joining them, that kind of thing. He's known to challenge visible members to battles on sight, and run those members out of the cities in which they prowl. He's recently started petitioning the government to introduce anti-gang legislation and tighten the grip on the black market, at the hopes of running them both out of their funding and grasps at legitimacy.
Of course, he's just one man against many. But something has to start somewhere, and it seems he's made it his personal mission to ensure that the Team gets what's coming to them... Their just desserts for corrupting and twisting that beautiful girl, all those years ago.
Misc
- Hometown: Cerulean City
- Current Residence: Back and forth between Viridian City and the Indigo Plateau, depending on the time of year. He also does quite a lot of traveling throughout the two regions, both as part of his duties and personal projects.
- Occupation: Indigo League Elite Four member; second rank.
- Other: He has quite the stash of Pokémon, most collected either during his childhood adventures or time out away from the world. Quite a few are grass-types, of course, but he's got a pretty varied collection all told.
- Player: Dragonfire
- Journal: inmynature
Pokémon
Helios
- Type: Umbreon
- How long owned: 19 years.
- Other: Helios was actually Dae's starter way back when - he and a certain other person both received Eevees as their starters when they became the winners of a Pokéenter special promotion. He'd actually wanted him to evolve into an Espeon - but alas, life didn't quite work out that way, and the dark Pokémon now has something of an unfitting name. Oh well! Still, he loves Helios probably more than any of his other partners, and the Umbreon returns that affection in kind; he can always be counted to pull the team out of a tough spot when those occur!
Alina
- Type: Bellossom
- How long owned: 18 years.
- Other: Daelin caught Alina as an Oddish back during the first years of his Pokémon journey. She stayed as a Gloom for quite some time, as he couldn't really afford the proper tools to evolve her further for a few years after that, but eventually acquired a Sun Stone to use upon her. Alina's a spritely little thing, ever graceful on her feet - she's taken down Pokémon much larger than herself, who never expected that something so small could ever unleash a leaf storm that powerful...
Murphy
- Type: Exeggutor
- How long owned: 18 years.
- Other: Caught within the deeps of the Safari Zone, Murphy was always a mischievous and rather rebellious group of eggthings. He didn't really pay much attention to Daelin until the boy shoved him out of the way of a wild Tauros's charge almost a year later, taking the blow himself. Since then, Murphy's been quite a lot more attentive, and although quieter than some of Daelin's team, pulls his own weight around nicely (especially with his well-developed psychic powers).
Valleeca
- Type: Ninetales
- How long owned: 16 years.
- Other: Valleeca was something of a surprise for Daelin to keep; he'd never admired fire Pokémon as much as some other types, and had stayed away from catching other varieties of them previously. The wild Vallee, however, was inadvertently injured by his father's Growlithe one day in an impulsive foxhound chase, and Dae, being the only trainer in the family at the time, took her in to see to her injuries and nurse her back to health. She was quite grateful for the treatment, and elected to stay with him, becoming one of his best battlers.
Trent
- Type: Tropius
- How long owned: 10 years.
- Other: It is theorized that when Daelin disappeared from the public eye, he traveled to the far-off regions, maybe Hoenn or Sinnoh. This seems likely, as when he reappeared, he had collected a few Pokémon that only came from those areas - Trent was one among them. Trent is one of the heavier Pokémon that appears on Daelin's team, and certainly knows how to throw his weight around. Don't misjudge him based on size, though - let him get into the air, and there's little that can touch him.
Zephyranth
- Type: Roserade
- How long owned: 10 years.
- Other: Zephyranth was another of the Pokémon that Daelin had acquired elsewhere, although she was only a Roselia at the time; he didn't evolve her until he'd been with the Elite Four for a couple of years - the councils exchanged gifts every now and then, and a Shiny Stone had been part of the Sinnoh council's package one year. Zephyranth is a tenacious fighter, stubborn almost to a fault; it is not above her to take advantage of the weather or surroundings to trip up an opponent of hers.
