vibechecker

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Kalo
Gender/Pronouns: Male/He/His
Age: 26
Title(s): "The All-Consuming Scourge," "You greasy fucker"
Height: 6'2" (1.82 cm)
Weight: 195 lbs. (88.45 kg)
Home Region: Tapu Village, Ula'Ula, Alola

Character History:
seriously just read that timeline it's easier

> Born in Tapu Village (Alola) to a father who worked at the Malie City chemical plant and an herbalist mother from Ecruteak (Johto). As soon as Kalo could walk, he started wandering around into places he shouldn't be. When he could talk, he'd start asking questions about everything. At age 9, Kalo and his parents survived Tapu Bulu's destruction of their village. Kalo was wandering and could've died, it was a traumatic experience for all of them. They moved to Ecruteak with his mother's side of the family, and Kalo's parents coped by becoming strict and overbearing

> Kalo's mother rebuilt her business, but his father bounced between Olivine and Goldenrod doing waste management and construction. Kalo didn't move on, and had to cope with Ecruteak's intense reverence for Legendary Pokemon. One tower burned down, killing Pokemon, and nobody cares. It's normal?! He was even related to some of the Ecruteak Kimono Girls, which made it worse. The anxiety bled into other interactions with any Pokemon he didn't already personally know, and then into all sorts of behavior problems.

> His parents, exasperated, sent him to spend a summer in Alola. Kalo was going to be forced to start the Island Challenge to get himself together, supported by his Alolan grandpa (and his gentle Flygon) and grandma (and her creepy, talking Slowking). They'd arranged for a Pokemon Professor to give him a starter Pokemon, but Kalo wandered off the day of, and came back with an Alolan Grimer and some masaladas. He turned down the Professor's starters, because the Professor's Pokemon deserve someone who can give them that same specialness of being a first Pokemon. And so his Island Challenge began! Except Kalo was too scared to leave the city limits, the entire summer.

> Kalo opened up to his grandparents about why, and their support extended beyond the summer. His parents got off his back and Smoosh was weird and fun and helped him turn classmates into friends when school started again. Non-Alolan Grimers smell, what?! He started paying attention in school, partially to learn about which Pokemon were dangerous, and he excelled. He even started to wander outside of town! That led to finding a Nidoran cornered by three hungry Growlithe. Kalo and Smoosh fended off the bullies, but the trainer got some minor burns from the dogs and poison from the Nidoran's spikes when he scooped the little guy up and ran back to town. There was some bedrest, but Kalo ignored that (ew, listening to his parents) and smuggled in some kaiser rolls for his new friend. Kaiser decided never to leave this kid's side, and Kalo started learning a bit about first aid and herbal remedies from his mother.

> For four years, he'd spend the school year in Johto and the summer in Alola. He got better at battling, learned to dance from his Kimono Girl cousins, picked up surfing, and generally took his time on the Island Challenge to have more Alolan summers to brag about. He picked up Cinnamon the Salandit by fending off a lovestruck horde of her male counterparts while she hid under his shirt. Kale the Skrelp was almost eaten by Smoosh (Grimer prefer waste, not seahorses) and he stuck around once he regained his composure. At 15, he completed all four Grand Trials and was tasked with the final trial at Mount Lanakila. That was through Tapu Village, which was very anxiety-provoking, so he balked at the idea.

> Instead, he spent the next summer on a globe-trotting engineering program, with stops like Kanto's Power Plant, Sinnoh's Valley Windworks, Kalos's Solar Plant, and Alola's own Geothermal Power Plant. It turned out he liked travelling as much as he liked wandering! At 17, he'd graduated high school, an adult in the eyes of non-Trainers, but not Alolans. That summer program produced an offer to do a work study in Orre, known for its arid deserts, sparse population, and lack of wild Pokemon. But exploration without risk of Legendary Pokemon plus work experience and travel, how could he say no to that?

> Kalo should've said NOPE to that. Easygoing, friendly Kalo is mugged at knifepoint and uses Pokemon Battles to raise funds to get to his worksite and get basic supplies. He learns he'd be working on basic power structures for a tower that would eventually house a Pokemon stadium. Downside, it was secretly a front for a crime syndicate that was turning Pokemon into ruthless, murderous psychopaths. One night Kalo wanders his way right into this information and has to fight his way out of his own workplace. The last person between him and a hasty retreat had a trump card, a Houndoom that was also one of those aforementioned psychopath Pokemon. Kalo uses his arms to deflect the flames it aims at him, but they're severely burned before his team can retaliate and end the battle. Kaiser, at this point a Nidoking, had to carry his wounded Trainer out of the facility and into the frigid, middle-of-the-night desert. Team Cipher didn't care to pursue, figuring he'd die overnight and they could pick up his Pokemon afterwards. Jeez.

> Kaiser carried a vaguely-conscious Kalo through the desert until he found Phenac City, built around an oasis. A clean and orderly town with a Pokemon Center, the medical staff quickly tended to the wounds of Trainer and Pokemon alike. It's said Houndoom's flames contain toxins that cause never-ending pain, but the wonders of Poke-Medicine and Chansey are numerous. He had to beg the staff to hide his medical records so the criminals who hurt him couldn't track him down. And he lied to his parents to keep them out of harm's way while getting a monthly allowance. He'd be home soon.

> For two years, Kalo went native. He started getting piercings, smoking, drinking, and doing drugs "to blend in," but really because he wasn't sure how to cope. Once such drug trip led to the idea for his wrist-to-shoulder Alolan Muk tattoos, though he was too poor to act on it. It was difficult to save money for a ticket home when he had to balance medical bills and cost-of-living against an income entirely from back-alley Pokemon battles and odd jobs. Dodging attention was of the utmost importance. Eventually, he got tired of hiding and powered through a local Pokemon tournament. The winnings meant he could afford a ticket and bribes for shady dockhands. Sure, some criminal goons might've wanted a piece of him, but Kalo and his team were ready to leave. And they did.

> Twenty-year-old Kalo returned to Ecruteak as a very different person, much to his parents' shock. So he kept lying to them. And they told him his grandfather, the supportive Alolan one with the Flygon, had died while he was gone. And the funeral was in just a few days.

> Oh.

> The funeral is bad, and Kalo copes with alcohol, waking up in his grandmother's house the next day. She gets him to open up, and then tells him to go to therapy and clean himself up. So he spends a year in Alola with her, in rehab for his arms and his mind. The burns on his arms were quickly masked with multicolored ink, indicative of progress. He goes all-in with therapy and decides to keep his parents at arm's reach. He's closer to who he used to be, but he's a bit more cynical about people now. Kalo might even agree with Legendary Pokemon to a point, but he realizes he'd rather keep them from needing to get involved in the first place.

> That summer, he runs into the old program from his school days, and that a volcanic eruption in Velkin had destabilized an energy plant. There were plans to build a nuclear reactor and Kalo, are you working? No? Wanna come work on this? Oh. Uh. Is it safe? Yeah? Wow. Sure! His grandmother loved the idea, but encouraged him to honor his grandfather's memory and finally finish the Island Challenge. So he does, flipping the bird to Tapu Bulu on the way up Mount Lanakila. As an Alola-verified adult, he was eager to make his way to Stirling City. And so was his grandmother! Yeah, she decided to come too, it's not like he'd be able to stop her.

> Compared to Orre, all of Velkin was like a gated community. He shared an apartment with his grandmother, and they were clever enough to come out on top if anything went wrong. But in fact, Kalo's intellect and rough-around-the-edges look made him a hit with both the outsider engineers and the Stirling natives who'd be affected by the reactor. A minor adventure into the nearby swamps gave him Nori the weird, regional purple Wooper. But work was fun, and life in Velkin was nice. At least until he learned about the brutal, underground Pokemon battles taking place in Stirling. Kalo couldn't do much about Cipher in Orre, but this was a smaller organization in a region with a lot more structure. He could get some catharsis from this.

> And so he did, quickly and brutally like venom through the building's bloodstream. The boss of the operation was one of the funnest fights he'd had in recent memory, far more than winning his Island Challenge. The authorities came, and word soon got out that this laid-back, green-haired guy out-of-towner with the tattoos just took down some hardened criminals. Community advocacy, Pokemon battling, commanding respect? That's what Gym Leaders do. People asked him to be a Velkin Gym Leader.

> Haha, what the fuck? Seriously, what the fuck?! He didn't ask for any of this! Why does being pretty good in a Pokemon battle carry so much societal weight?! But they asked him very nicely, and he can't just say no, no matter how much he wants to. And he really, really wants to.

> So Kalo's 22, he's all of those things, and an environmentalist! Accidentally. Turns out people really listen to "an ancient Pokemon destroyed my hometown, it sucked," especially from a Gym Leader. His grandmother is able to pull that sway to get him his own house, so an elderly woman doesn't have to share her space with sentient rainbow sludge. He lines up stable and respectable jobs at the reactor for unsavory sorts, and he gets to make sure they don't go back to crime. An adoption drive centered around Pokemon associated with the fighting ring connected Kalo with a Croagunk who protected some of the weaker Pokemon. He adopts her and names her Brie for her love of cheese, while his colleagues all adopt the Pokemon she protected. Staff meetings are sometimes also playdates. It's cute.

> After one too many news headlines, he started a Hazmat Squad because again, someone has to be willing to clean up people's messes so Legendaries don't have to. It also gets him out of town so he doesn't get stressed out by dealing with people and unprepared Gym challengers. Downside is he gets caught up in his hazmat work and will plunge his nerve-damaged arms into gross things to help people.

> For his twenty-fifth birthday, his grandmother got him a Pokemon egg. It hatched into Honeydew the Bulbasaur, who immediately concussed him with a headbutt. It turned out she loved to fight, despite being incredibly young and adventurous. Never a dull moment, unfortunately.

> Nowadays, he pretty much coasts through life and cohabitates with his Pokemon, which is only weird because one of them is toxic sludge. And since he doesn't have to be as hands-on with the reactor, and his gym and hazmat work are pretty variable, Kalo's definitely loving the free time to dote on his Pokemon... and harass his fellow Gym Leaders, naturally.

Personality:

> friendly, compassionate, supportive
Kalo's an upbeat guy whose driving force in life is to make the world better for everything that lives in it. He rescues Pokemon (he got most of his team by offering food and friendship!) and strongly opposes situations where they're in danger. When it comes to people, he knows what it's like to have people stick their nose into your life, so he always encourages people to follow their own path and do what's best for them... unless they think something dangerous is a good idea, oops.

> protective, selfless, generous
The guy took down a pit fighting operation and started a hazmat team pretty much on a whim, and most of his motivation comes from protecting people from the (sometimes earned) wrath of Legendary Pokemon. He excessively gives his time and energy to his Pokemon and his community, often to the detriment of himself. Kalo even managed to give jobs to minor criminals to help them get back on their feet! He's also the sort to show up at someone's house at 2am with weird tacos.

> lackadaisal, laid-back, nonchalant
Kalo lives to the beat of his own drum, and he wanders away from the crowd as soon as he gets bored. His Alolan lifestyle permeates his entire being. He only gets stressed about warning sirens because they're loud (and what if it's the cops?!) and he's the sort of guy who willingly wades into toxic sludge and makes jokes about it later.

> rebellious, irreverent, hedonistic
Due to his parents' looming and his time in Orre, Kalo has a vaguely-hidden disdain for authority. He'll thumb his nose up at The Man whenever possible, and one of his favorite hobbies is finding inventive ways to skirt the rules without actually breaking them. He believes that people should do what feels good and right to them, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else and that sometimes, you need to burn the social contract. Everyone needs to let loose every once in a while!

> smart, resourceful, observant
He doesn't act it, but Kalo is sharp as a knife. He's a naturally curious guy who did well in school, got into a special summer program, and learned how to medically care for his Pokemon. Beyond that, he was able to figure out how to blend in while in Orre, bridge the gaps in Stirling City, and even gather information on an organized crime operation.

> anxious, paranoid, guarded
Let's be clear, Kalo has a lot of fear and anxiety driving him. He was initially afraid of Pokemon, he didn't tell his parents about Orre because he thought they'd be in danger on the other side of the world, and a driving motivation is his overwhelming fear towards the power of Legendary Pokemon. Time spent in hiding and recovery have left him afraid to let his walls down, and the tattoos on his arms mean most people don't even know about his injuries. And telling those stories? Doubtful.

> aimless, hesitant, defeatist
Kalo tends to have his head either in the clouds or wrapped up in his own anxieties. He doesn't really make plans outside of Pokemon battles. He's grown to passively take whatever comes his way, to rarely make big decisions for himself. He rarely questions those decisions until he's already waist-deep in the consequences, when he can focus more on the bad. And when he does think about it, he often downplays the good that's come from his choices, leaning into the notion that his position and authority are from sheer dumb luck. He holds back, he worries, he catastrophizes, and when the going gets really tough, he assumes the worst and kind of shuts down.

> deceptive, relentless, sadistic
When it comes down to it, Kalo is still a Poison-type Trainer. He enjoys the pain and struggles of those who've crossed him or done wrong, and sometimes his light-hearted nature can lead to a mean joke or a remark intentionally gone too far. If he overcomes his internal struggles and decides to do something, he's unusually driven and decisive, and he may not realize when to let up. Or maybe that's all a joke, a lie, because he's someone who regularly lied to his parents, successfully blended into a land of scum and villainy, and casually went undercover into the criminal underworld. In battle, he's even issued commands in code to keep his opponents guessing. Where's the fun in being predictable, y'know?

Appearance:

Kalo's 6'2" but prone to slouching, partially because he's usually taller than everyone else and he doesn't want to be looking down on them. He's got dark, sun-tanned skin and a shaggy mess of chin-length, dark green hair. The hairstyle changes from day to day, depending on the whims of whichever Pokemon is styling him that morning. Sometimes it's a ponytail, sometimes it's a mess, and sometimes it's slick and drenched in poisonous sludge. He's got plug gauges in his ears, a piercing in his tongue, and a tattoo of the chemical composition of THC above his heart. From each wrist to his shoulder is a sleeve tattoo mirroring the pattern and coloration of the Alolan Muk. Beneath those tattoos, and noticeable to anyone who is in prolonged contact with his arms, is faded scarring from his shoulders down to his hands. Due to the nature of his work and desire to eat food whenever, Kalo is prone to wearing fingerless gloves to hide the damage to his hands. He has a goatee, but no mustache or greater beard to speak of. He also usually wears sunglasses, though they are sometimes swapped out for a pair of near-identical prescription glasses with transition lenses. His eyes are prone to looking a little red because he smokes weed with some regularity. Kalo's teeth, though a little yellow from years of smoking, are otherwise immaculate. Though Kalo eats like a garbage disposal, he's no stranger to physical activity, and he's got a slightly squishy swimmer's body due to a lot of surfing, dancing, running, swimming, and obviously lifting his Pokemon for hugs.

Kalo's appearance depends largely on the temperature he's in. A repercussion of his burns and nerve damage is that his body doesn't sweat as uniformly or as easily as other people's, so he has to be careful not to overheat. When it's cold outside (or when it's cold at work...) he'll usually wear a dark purple button down shirt, a red tie, gray slacks, a leather jacket, and combat boots. He has to be ready to run into a crisis situation at any time, after all. When he's dressing for warmer weather (or overheating a bit) he'll go simpler, with a sleeveless leather jacket over a simple tank top, lightweight pants, and the same combat boots. The leather jacket is mostly to keep people from staring at his chest (doubly so to keep kids from seeing his dank tattoo) and to have a stockpile of snacks just in case.

Pokemon:

Smoosh/Hamapua the Alolan Muk
Smoosh's mischievous and laid-back nature made him a natural at getting a younger, more anxious Kalo out of his shell. It helps that they both love food. The nickname Hamapua is code for when the trainer wants his Muk to get serious, devised in the wake of their mutual guilt over Kalo's injuries in Orre. Tries his best at styling Kalo's hair, but he's so bad at it.

Kaiser the Nidoking
After Kalo rescued Kaiser and nursed him back to health, he vowed to get stronger and to protect his Trainer with his life. Still recovering from feelings of helplessness and self-hatred from having to carry an injured Kalo through the wastes of Orre, he fights like a berserker and is prone to crying on defeat. Total tsundere, Cinnamon's fearless protector, sometimes cooks for Kalo after a long day.

Cinnamon the Salazzle
Conflict averse and easily startled, Cinnamon prefers quiet places devoid of strangers. Coaxed out of her anxieties by a once-neurotic Kalo, she tries to keep the world around him predictable and harmonious for them both. Clever and warm-hearted, she often accompanies Kalo on hazmat jobs where people are at risk. In battle her jittery nature makes her confident and aggressive, goading her foes and using scorched-earth tactics. Kalo's most-used stylist when she's not hiding in Kaiser's shadow.

Kale the Dragalge
A true Renaissance Mon, Kale is wise, composed, and powerful but terribly unlucky. He strives to keep the voracious Nori out of trouble while also monitoring his Trainer's affairs. While his trainer believes Kale hates battling, the hesitation is actually due to his Orre-based guilt as an ex-Water-type. Instead he devotes himself mainly to hazmat duties, to his trainer's disappointment. Kalo's surfing partner and Nori's cuddle buddy.

Nori the big fuggin +1 quagsire
Nori was originally an accident, a weird little dude that wouldn't stop begging Kalo for snacks while he was in nature. But the Wooper and his poison-covered existence endeared himself, and so he was caught. Kalo's no-strings affection and disregard for toxic substances spoiled him, and he quickly grew into a Quagsire, and soon even bigger. The friendly and laid-back Nori (and his stomach) have a healthy sense of adventure and an appetite to match. Has a great culinary sense, which Kalo readily calls upon.

Brie the Toxicroak
As a Pokemon who only knew life in an underground fighting ring, Brie found herself protecting weaker Pokemon until Kalo brought down the whole operation. And then he adopted her, giving her a chance to figure out who she is and what she cares about beyond fighting. But she knows she likes "normal" battles though. Safer. Brie thinks she likes parkour and adventure but is worried that's just combat training. Has no idea what she's doing, and tries way too hard to make everyone think so too.

Honeydew the Bulbasaur
A recently-hatched birthday present, Honeydew is a rambunctious and excited little sprout and Kalo spoils the crap out of her. He'd love if she stop trying to get involved with his Gym battles though. She's resourceful and tenacious, and can easily get many of the other Pokemon to help her train. Outside of battle, she loves to user her vines to cling to ceilings and then drop onto people. Kaiser and Cinnamon are her adopted Poke-parents and she'll listen to them. And Kalo. Sometimes.

Equipment:

> like three different packs of cigarettes, for the variety
> weed, obviously
> sunglasses, and a backup pair
> berry juices blended to the tastes of his Pokemon
> homemade cologne blending poisonous gases of alolan muk and salazzle. smells kind of like a fruity beer
> a switchblade because he lived in orre and just in case...

Character Meme Answers: (link here)

1. How does your character introduce themselves?
"'Sup. Kalo. You, uh... you don't need something, do you?"

6. What is their preferred way to start a fire?
"I mean, depending on the fire, maybe a match or a lighter... or I'll just drop a cigarette. Can't have something crazy happening..."

8. What does your character think about their own reputation?
"It's all just more bullshit pressure. Oh mister Gym Leader, save me...! I'm still just a normal guy..."

10. Who does your character respect enough to listen to even when they disagree?
Most people, if they're insistent and can back up their opinions. Being contrarian takes effort he doesn't usually want to spend. But if his grandmother tells him to do something, you better believe he'll do it, and not just because she'll kick his ass in a battle otherwise.

12. When tired, what do they picture as a comfortable place to rest?
His bedroom in his house, just as untouched by his Pokemon as always. After a nice hot shower, too.

15. What simple task does your character find overwhelming?
Answering the door. His Pokemon usually do it for him.

19. What secret burdens your character that they long to tell a close companion?
What his tattoos are covering, and how despite all the therapy he wishes he could've done more than run and hide like a coward. In a place like Orre, people always need help...

24. What do they see as the most important battle they lost?
Not prioritizing the Alolan Island Challenge due to his anxiety and apprehension. Kalo wishes he'd gotten that done with before his grandfather died, and he still feels bad.

27. What story did your character hear growing up that was foundational to their personality?
The Tapus of Alola, and by extension every Legendary Pokemon, intervenes in the lives of humans only to punish them for disrupting the natural order. It doesn't help that he saw it firsthand with the destruction of his hometown, Tapu Village.

29. How would your character prefer to die?
Outwardly: a crazy drug bender, a freak accident, on the toilet, and so on.
Inwardly: A heroic sacrifice that saves the lives of countless people and Pokemon. Something that only he can do.