MoM App

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〈 PLAYER INFO 〉
NAME: Fenix
AGE: Over 25
JOURNAL: dark_fenix
IM / EMAIL: n/a
PLURK: Dark_fenix
RETURNING: Yes - re-app

〈 CHARACTER INFO 〉
CHARACTER NAME: Nikolai. 'Silver' for the superhero name.
CHARACTER AGE: 15ish.
CANON ORIGIN: Pokemon Gold Silver Crystal games, using Crystal to be exact.
CHRONOLOGY: Post-canon!
CLASS: Rival Let's go with (Anti-)Hero.
HOUSING: Indivual.

BACKGROUND: WIKI LINK.
- It's implied he saw the final battle between Red and Giovanni, and that he grew up around Team Rocket.
- His rival is the Crystal FemProtag, refered to as That Girl (even though he knows her name.)
- He took the totodile.
- Based on some early dialogue in the games, he won the first battle (you progress either way.)

MoM history + personality
In a very big nutshell, Nikolai's time can be described as Niko arrives and is himself and pisses people off, consequences (sometimes dire, sometimes not) happen, and Niko stews - and whines about it- for a while before it happens all over again. He's basically been a kid who's been dumped into a world so alien from his own and discovered that what he thinks of as 'The Rules' don't seem to function the same way here, and while he's learning to not be as much of an arsehole, the bellcurve is a very steep climb, one he's still only just started. At times, this has led to him ending up traumatised by various events - including two of his own making because he pushed too far - but far be it for him to show it. He's 'not weak'.

It's been an incredibly bumpy journey - and there has been Drama involved - his pokemon being stolen, for instance, or Red's arrival, or those in the cast learning who his father is- and seen him punch people a few times, and throw tantrums because his actions had consequences he didn't like/didn't want to accept. It's also been a time when Niko's discovered things about himself, though he's tended to choose to remain in Denial Land. In his time in MoM, he also adopted a dog, named her Mutt, and treated her decently - all because he wanted to Win A Bet Against Blue. He didn't, simply because no matter how motivated he was, he lacked the experience.

It should be said, however, that his time in Mask or Menace for good and ill has seen him slowly learn that not everything is going to go his way and it's been a bitter pill to swallow. It's seen him forge some form of bonds, albeit somewhat unwillingly on his part and at a pace that would make a snail think it was the fastest thing on the planet. He still thinks that he can do things on his own, that he doesn't need support or anyone else, yet he's not about to 'pass up free shit' his CR gives him.

It's also seen him come into contact with the idea of Non-Pokémon worlds - a Very Dumb Idea if you ask him- and come face to face with alternate versions of his own world. Which he'd rather not think about, because Reasons. It's also seen him traumatised and he's dealt with that by Denial and Avoidance (as best he can), pick fights with people he really shouldn't to varying results, learn about things, own a dog that he treated decently simply because he wanted to win. It's seen him, above all, start the process of learning to be a better person towards pokemon/animals. It's not been an easy thing and a large part of it's due to the job he was first given when he arrived - Part-time Animal Shelter Volunteer, a job he hated, and 'still hates', though he made no move to stop or leave, even if he hated it. The dog he eventually ended up with due to a bet came from the shelter he worked at.

But, as stated below, Nikolai still has a lot of growing pains - he's stolen and will continue to steal as much as he can get away with-, and he's coming back in with a mentality that what he's achieved he's done on his own, which coupled with everything else he's been through in MoM means he's going both at once want help and push it away.

PERSONALITY:
To say this guy is easily the darkest of Rivals isn't a lie. He's far from your friend, and that is made clear from the get-go, along with the fact he has no qualms about theft or belittling/insulting the FemProtag, or literally shoving her aside a few times, implying he's a physical bully. At the same time, he is a complicated mess of contradictions that's seemingly fuelled entirely by hate, anger, spite, and contempt for the world at large, coming across as an arrogant jerk who cares little for others, and appears to lack any and all empathy.

The truth is a lot more complicated.

Nikolai is heavily implied to have father (and or trust issues) issues; according to him, after his final loss to Red, Giovanni was a coward. He disbanded Team Rocket and fled, only thinking of himself. When Nikolai followed him, he told the youth that one day he'd understand the reasons for doing so. Nikolai doesn't - and won't understand for a while - the whole notion of the exchange alien to his mind. Should his father ever turn up, Nikolai will be cold, bratty, and possibly pitch a giant fit over it because let's face it: Nikolai blames his father for leaving him to face whatever came after it.

That being said, Nikolai did at one stage love, respect and clearly looked up to Giovanni as some sort of idol and the number one in the world. It can be assumed that Nikolai's relation with his father prior to this was a bit distant, but loving. Distant as his father was Head of Team Rocket/a businessman and a Gym Leader so he was pretty busy. Not that Nikolai minded - he had the best dad in the world who was number one. It can also be assumed that Nikolai was (probably) raised as befitted a Gym Leader's child. However, that blind hero worship is in the past, and Nikolai's done a very good job at burying all of that and only focusing on the negative side of things. He can and will hold a grudge complete with Salt, as shown when Lance curbstomped him, and presumably, holds a very big one against Red for 'ruining his life'. The grudge against Giovanni goes without speaking.

Nikolai's selfish, willing to do what he wants to get what he wants, and he's not afraid to break the laws, be it stealing two pokemon, or otherwise. He's coldly abrasive and outright dismissive at points towards those he perceives to be weaker than him, brushing off any and all advice that's offered his way, and is shown to be furious at the thought of losing to a 'bleeding heart'. His arrogance comes with a giant serving of entitlement that he should have what he wants, just because he wants it. He's also rude, not mincing his words, and calling it as he sees it; a spade's a spade, and his own words, the weak are a waste of time, effort, and not worth much. He's a person who judges a book by the cover, and takes a long time to warm up to anyone, to the point that even by the end of the game, he's still not your friend, though there seems to be a hint of respect towards FemProtag.

In his own words, he'll be the greatest trainer in the world, an ambitious goal that he never once gives up on. He will be at the top and be the greatest trainer ever, come hell or high water. However, his ambitions can be used against him: Give him a goal to work towards, and he'll do his best to master it, even if it's something he thinks Stupid. He's not a person who knows the meaning of quit, and this can be both a hindrance and a boon for him.

Noticeably in the games is his constant derision and condescending treatment of FemProtag, going so far as to physically shove her aside once or twice and tell her constantly that she's not good enough because [insert reason #68665 here]. It's also noted that he's like this with other trainers, if not worse. Again, there's that sense of entitlement to what he wants. To be fair, he has earned it; his win streak is implied to be near or equal that of a Protags, and it can be assumed that he's a talented battler.

Despite how much of a hellspawn jerk who's stewing in negative emotions in general he is, Nikolai is capable of love, trust and all manner of happy emotions, including friendship. Yet these are not traits that he allows to show often, and he ruthlessly suppresses them as best he can. The last person he loved and trusted ended up abandoning him and now he keeps people at arms length. It doesn't hurt as much because they can't get close enough to betray him, or so he fools himself into thinking, which is honestly escapism, and being something of a coward himself.

Ironic, given he's explicitly stated he doesn't want to be one like his dad, yet here he is, too cowardly to allow people close, or to face up to facts. The same can be said about being a tyrant, actually, because when things don't go his way, he blames everyone but himself, and the way he treats those around him is not unlike a tyrant. Defeat is so not an option for him, and if he loses it's because his pokemon were weak. He's not the one at fault.

Nikolai's feelings on Team Rocket are not as clear-cut as they seem. Yes, he hates them, but in light of his father's disbanding them and then they show up again, it can be taken that he's taking that as a betrayal against his father, and it's unlikely Nikolai deals well with that. He sees it as his duty - his right almost - to be the one to put a stop to them, until such a time (if ever) his father re-groups them. That said, Nikolai could also just hate them for 'going around pretending to be strong when they are weak alone.' Again, this stems from how he's viewed his father's actions. So in essence, Nikolai is ignoring a hell of a lot to fit his worldview. On that note is that Nikolai's actually done little to distance himself from his upbringing. If he really hated them as he claims, he would have done his best to turn his back completely on his upbringing and Team Rocket Inspired Views. He didn't, so take that as you will.

Nikolai's views on Pokemon are - complicated is the best word to use. On one hand, he and his team have been through A Lot, and he has a crobat, which one doesn't get without friendship. Yet this friendship is unconventional and has been forged through trial and error as Yes, Nikolai still believes that, by and large, pokemon are things that exist to battle . He has the strongest team possible and they are his team- he does try and think more about them because he's trying to be better towards them. Yet that doesn't change the implied abuse his team has suffered, or that he still pushes them to be the best. Sure, he's trying to be better, yet... it's not the way a typical pokemon trainer would treat the team.

His battle style is still harsh, going all out for the win in what is supposed to be a friendly sport. This is noted to be a stark contrast to a lot of people in the pokemon world. It's easier the devil you know and growing up surrounded by those views is not something one shakes off without effort and a desire to change. Just because he says he's going to be the greatest trainer ever doesn't mean he actually understands what it takes. He's started, yet the path is still a rocky, rocky road he has to climb.

In a nutshell, Nikolai is a jerk of a bully that doesn't seem to possess an ounce of empathy on a dark path. However, he is trying to change for the better - he has a crobat, and one doesn't get that without some form of empathy, love, care and friendship, even if it's unconventional. It will take time and effort on all parts to draw him away from the path he still seems to be barrelling down, and there will be more than a few backslides into what he knows. Change isn't easy, but Nikolai can be kicked down that path - or tricked down it if one knows how to motivate him.

POWER: Pokemon - comes with a team of four, as seen in this post. They can also grow in levels and learn moves that they'd logically get in either gen two or gen one, either by level up or TM/HM. As for the levels, up to three a month, non-stacking, so he can only ever grow three levels a month, full stop. Levelling up is strictly contingent on him actually working with his castmates to train said pokemon. He can't just walk off into the wilds. If he does that, he'll find all his progress STOPS.

That said, he can't evolve/mega-evolve any of his pokemon, no matter how much he wants to.

Themesong - Literally only his theme song, and it plays when you battle him, encounter him in person, or his pokemon are out. He'll be able to learn to control it, mute it, or amp up the volume to insane noise levels.

Barbed dart manifestation - Given how much of an arse Nikolai can be, it seems fitting that he can manifest darts no longer than a foot and half long with a simliar barb at one end, all sharp enough to draw blood or pierce someone.
wood - Soft or hard, impossible to tell if it's ash or pine or yew etc.
metal - Silvery-coloured and impossible to tell what kind it is.
stone - Impossible to tell what kind of stone it is. The hardest to form 'max size'.

Sadly, he can't control them with his mind, so he has to actually practice his aim or be holding onto them to use them. They come with no extra effects and vanish about 24hrs after made.