Rhys Elena
From Dexnet
Contents |
Appearance
Rhys carries a wild, nearly feral look about him. His brow is perpetually furrowed, blue eyes always narrow while his red hair sits messily over his head, left to point in whatever direction it will. Much like his choice in clothing actually-- he puts on literally whatever he happens to snatch up first when getting dressed, though he does favor high collared or turtle-necked clothing. The boy is covered in bruises and scars, the most prominent being the rigid marks on his neck, and rarely smiles. He stands about six feet and has a solid frame to go with it that might be described as built. Overall it's certainly a rough image, but he has a boyish face that prevents him from looking fully intimidating.
- PB: Adell; Disgaea 2 / Self Drawn
Personality
Hot blooded, determined, and serious minded. Rhys is completely aphonic thanks to throat injuries. It hurts to laugh, so he suppresses the urge (not that you could hear it if he didn't). He makes up for this with exaggerated body language, but he's used to not being understood and won't usually strain to be. Instead Rhys is direct with action, doing exactly what it is he feels needs to be done without hesitation. Once he sets his mind to something, good luck trying to find a way to redirect his attention. He'll pretty much stop at nothing to make sure he sees his commitments through and pours himself wholeheartedly into his work. And Rhys loves his work! The more challenging, the better!
He's got a strong sense of empathy on him, though, and his rough way of living is contrasted by his gentle treatment of his Pokemon. Though Rhys avoids people, even going so far as to only visit Pokemon Centers at godawful hours when he does return to town, it's more out of shyness and guilt than dislike. He knows he comes off as standoffish and doesn't like putting others in the awkward position of trying to understand him. Praise actually makes him uncomfortable, too! He doesn't know at all what to do with spotlight attention. The kid hasn't got an insincere bone in his body and he's the kind of guy who has a lot of trouble understanding why people ever have ill intentions.
History
Rhys never knew his father. His dad was long gone before he was even born, and his mother rarely spoke of him, the subject only bringing up a mix of negative emotions. She absolutely had to hide the shame of the mistake that led to Rhys, never even telling her own family and claiming to be on a long journey. Though she tried to care for Rhys the best she was able, her son wasn't blind to the fact she was bitter. It was because of this he began thinking of his own Pokemon journey to free her of his burden, but the more he researched it, the more excited he became for himself.
As soon as he turned ten, Rhys went barreling into the nearest Pokemon Center get his trainer's license. They sent him home-- boys his age shouldn't be up at midnight. But the next morning! The next morning Rhys went inside and did not walk out until he had a PokeDex in his hands and a Cyndaquil at his side. In time, Rhys managed to catch new friends and earned all the badges from the Johto and Kanto regions. He showed fantastic promise as a trainer with a reputation for... "adventurous" strategies, and there were high hopes for him in the upcoming Indigo League.
But they didn't make it to the league before Rhys' accident. Long story short, he had an unfortunate encounter with an Arbok that put its fangs into Rhys' neck and removed them with an unpleasant tear. His vocal cords are trashed thanks to the physical damage, the poison, and surgery complications. He hasn't been able to utter a word since. Giving verbal commands in battle wasn't possible anymore. Rhys tried all he could think of in its place. Visual signals were too distracting and kept his companions from being able to pay full attention to their opponent. Sound signals ended up convoluted, not to mention completely incoherent in general training outside of the battles themselves. It was some time and a lot of futile struggling before Rhys even began to accept it: that was it. He was done. His Pokemon could barely understand him and grew more confused and distraught each day. The day of the Indigo Conference came, but Rhys never showed up. Anyone who knew him didn't hear from him again.
Before retreating into the wilds, Rhys released his Pokemon to find new lives. He was about to start a journey they hadn't been promised, and the previous battle would never be finished. Perhaps they would find new trainers to earn them that glory. Two of them hunted him down to remain with him in spite of his decision, and Rhys swore he would never let them down for anything in the world. They're not just partners or friends. They're family.
Rhys is now a Pokemon Researcher. He's the hands on type, traveling directly into the heart of danger to see Pokemon in their natural habitats, be it the forests of Viridian or ancient haunted mansions, and sometimes even tries to earn their trust to live among them to better understand their lifestyle. Most often, he works for other researchers by helping gather data they might need for their work, but are unable or unwilling to get themselves (busy, other priorities, not suited to field work, etc.). The world of research is far more fascinating to him than battles ever were, and he sees the accident as a blessing in disguise.
Rhys even managed to publish his first documentary recently! It's about the Zubat family and his attempt to bring a greater appreciation for the common line of Pokemon that's often misunderstood. He lived among them for several months to put the book together and still hasn't quite gotten used to sunlight again. Part of the reason he was able to get close enough for such a detailed study is because he often allowed them to drink his blood.
Misc
- Hometown: New Bark Town
- Current Residence: He's wherever he needs to be for his job.
- Occupation: Field Researcher
- Other: Rhys hates eating! Swallowing hurts and the state of his vocal cords makes it easy enough to choke on water, so it takes him forever to get a meal finished. His breathing is also occasionally compromised; don't ever ask him to play a PokeFlute. It can only end in misery. Or hilarity. -- Rhys' mother stopped contacting shortly after he left to be a trainer. She's followed her dreams and is trying to live without being held down by the past, and Rhys is living proof of a shameful mistake. Rhys is actually willing to pretend he was never a part of her life. She wasn't a perfect mom by a long shot, but she tried. He still thinks very highly of her and secretly wishes he could at least see her being truly happy.
- Player: Yoiko
- Journal: toowarmforwords
Pokémon
Spinel
- Type: Quilava
- How long owned: 9 years.
- Other: Rhys' first Pokemon! He's more familiar with Rhys' strategies and his unspoken commands (some mix of clapping, snapping, and whistling) and Rhys' best hope if a battle breaks out. Though he's adopted Rhys' serious, die-hard attitude, Spinel's afraid to be handled by other trainers and will attack in panic to get free from them. He could have evolved by now, but then he wouldn't be able to sit in Rhys' lap. And that would be terrible!
Quartz
- Type: Skarmory
- How long owned: 8 years.
- Other: The only Pokemon of Rhys' that decided to help Spinel hunt him down after they were released, which surprised Rhys as Quartz had always been sassy with him. They've grown much closer since Rhys lost his voice as Quartz feels she has to be the one to look out for him now. She doesn't understand his commands at all unless they're his riding commands, but considers herself more like a guardian figure that's supposed to keep HIM in line, not the other way around. Well, at least the best a Skarmory could take such role, anyway. Rhys appreciates the effort.
