Name: Mara Henning
Nickname(s): none
Age: 24
Gender: female
Appearance: Tall for a woman, Mara stands at five feet and nine inches. As such she can be a bit intimidating as she towers over those shorter than her. Her left eyebrow is pierced with a simple surgical steel open ball ring. That is actually the extent of her "tough" appearance. Mara is certainly pretty. Her hair is long, reaching down to her shoulder blades, and is an eye-catching shade of red. There isn't much wave to speak of in it. It's styled in a side-part on the left side so that her eyebrow piercing is easily visible. Her face is soft, gentle, and completely opposite her personality. Mara's lips are full and inviting, and often curved into an alluring smirk. Observant brown eyes peer at new people, Pokemon, and places. They are lined lightly to bring out the color and to make them appear softer. Her complexion is strangely fair for the amount of time she spends outside, but a slight pattern of freckles covers her nose and her cheekbones.
Mara is not voluptuous, but she is also not flat. There is the faintest hourglass shape to her body. Her breasts are small but proportionate, her legs are long and toned, and it is clear that she is in good shape. At the tips of her fingers are well manicured sharp nails.
She wears well fitting jeans most of the time, not too tight, not too loose. They allow her to showcase her body and ensnare male attention without getting in her way while she's out on the field. On her feet she wears thick soled boots to protect her soles from rough terrain. They're a bit worn as they're the same ones she wore in Johto, but they're still functional. Generally she wears form-fitting tees under a denim vest, on the inside of which she has her Pokeballs attached. It sports several patches and pins she's earned along her way, many of which are from the street gang she used to run with. She prizes that vest more than anything she owns.
On Mara's right hip, she's tattooed the symbol of her gang: three interlocking Pokeballs in a triangular pattern with a stylized skull in the middle. It's done in intricate color with excellent workmanship, but when questioned about it she changes the subject quickly.
Personality: Mara's personality has been described as harsh and egocentric in the past, and there is certainly truth to those allegations. She has been known to drive her Pokemon to the point of exhaustion, and even to force them to continue with life threatening injuries. Her battling style is harsh and perhaps just a bit illegal. However, she has escaped prosecution for it thus far, and it can't be said that it's ineffective. Her victories greatly outnumber her losses. Those who battle her tend to remember her because of the militant way she handles Pokemon battles, and it does not earn her many allies. Despite this, Mara is actually very charismatic and many people like her when they first meet her. However, as they realize her sociopathic tendencies, it drives people who would otherwise be friends away. Pokemon tend to recognize her as a threat immediately and she finds it difficult if not impossible to gain any Pokemon's trust. Even the Pokemon of other trainers show her fear and aggression.
For these reasons Mara seeks out younger, naive individuals for companionship. They're easier to manipulate into following her orders and accepting her ways. At times she even coerces them into giving her Pokemon she wants, their money, or their items. By most authority figures she's considered a bad influence and dangerous. Considering the fact that she doesn't care who she drags down with her, there's some truth to that.
Mara does not give her team nicknames, at least not in the traditional sense. They are referred to as letters from the Greek alphabet, from Alpha to Zeta. This is for a good reason; Mara is of course the commander. Alpha answers to her, and has the right to give orders to those below him. Beta answers to Mara and Alpha, and has the right to give orders to those below him. It goes on all the way down to Zeta. Any order given by a team member is immediately overriden if Mara gives a conflicting order. In this way they're like an efficient military unit. The only trouble is, Pokemon in her teams try desperately to stay as high up as they can, sometimes at the expense of other team members. Mara has been known to sacrifice lower ranking Pokemon to win a battle.
History: Mara was born in Goldenrod, Johto. To say her parents "raised" her is a bit of an exaggeration. They mostly kept her from starving to death as a young child. At the age of seven she started hanging out with a few rough kids who battled Pokemon in the street. Their methods were arguably cruel. Luckily for the Pokemon involved they were all weak and low level, so fatalities and grievous injuries were few and far between. However as the group grew older the Pokemon they caught were stronger, and the fights got rougher. Blood began to coat the pavement of the alley their fighting ring took place in. Mara was one of the best fighters, but also the most brutal. She pushed her Pokemon to their limits and sometimes when the battle was particularly emotional she wasn't afraid to throw herself into the fray. There was no question about it; when Mara turned sixteen she went to New Bark Town for a trainers' license. Beginning there, she captured as many Pokemon as she could. Her hard-headed battling strategy led to many fatalities on both sides. Often she was criticized for the way she treated her Pokemon. Never did she care.
Mara made it all the way to Blackthorn before anti-battling activists brought her training there to a screeching halt. They barred the way out of the city for trainers. They claimed that Pokemon battling is cruel and harsh on the Pokemon, and as an archaic pastime should be abolished. Trainers like Mara make their argument look good, but for the most part the group was considered obnoxious and in the way. Law enforcement there tried to dissipate the mob but not before they stole all of Mara's Pokemon and set them free. They weren't stupid; they weren't about to go back to their abusive trainer. They escaped into the wild and left Mara to return to Goldenrod, angry at the world. There wasn't much to do but move back in with her neglectful parents. She moped around Goldenrod for a while after that. Her old gang had gone off to do their own things, she didn't care to get a job, and even if she'd wanted to train under crybaby Whitney, which she didn't, she wouldn't allow Mara to join her gym. She remembered how Mara trained and disapproved greatly of it. For a while Mara believed she'd be living with her parents in Goldenrod forever. However, she finally decided that Pokemon training was her calling, was the only thing she liked to do, and was going to be her career.
So Mara began people watching. Weeks passed without anything of interest, until she saw a young trainer pass through with nothing but a scruffy Vulpix and a backpack. Though the Pokemon was being improperly cared for and poorly trained, she saw the potential in him. Quickly she packed and waited for the boy to stop for lunch. She entered the little diner after him and dropped a smoke bomb. In the chaos that followed she grabbed the Vulpix and took off on foot, weaving through the alleys she knew so well. As soon as there was no one watching she encapsulated the Vulpix in one of her own Pokeballs and took off.
This time no one would stop her. Training mercilessly, gaining power in her team at an alarming rate, Mara returned to Blackthorn and conquered Clair. The Elite Four came next, and they fell to her strategically built team. Feeling cocky and invincible, she then went to Kanto. The gym leaders fell like dominoes. Just before she could challenge the Elite Four there, she received an invitation to "The Ultimate Challenge." Never one to pass down an opportunity to show her team's skills, she read on through the letter and found that her interest was piqued. The Elite Four could wait until she'd come back. Unbeknownst to her, the militant way she handled her Pokemon team through the years made them excellent candidates for an army. Most of them would more than likely be willing to answer to a different commander if Mara were shown up, but showing up Mara isn't something that is easy to do. Nor is it something she takes pleasantly.
Team on arrival:
-Name: Alpha
-Species: Ninetales
-Gender: Male
-Personality: Tenacious, vicious, and proud, Alpha is a good fit for Mara. He does not take defeat well and he will do whatever it takes to win, even if it means breaking a few rules. He'll also break a few rules to ensure that he remains the Alpha. He's never been knocked down, not even to Beta, but he'd sooner kill his own team mate than take that.
-History: Alpha is the Vulpix Mara stole in Goldenrod. She has since evolved him and he is the best Pokemon in her team.
-Ability: Flash Fire
-Moveset: Swagger, Psych Up, Overheat, Sunny Day
-Name: Beta
-Species: Raichu
-Gender: Female
-Personality: Beta is content with her position and a good, obedient team member. She has to really make herself shine to stay on Mara's team, and she knows it. There are many far more powerful Electric Pokemon to choose from. However, she stands out by her speed, willingness to promptly and properly follow orders, and ruthlessness in battle.
-History: Beta was caught as a Pikachu in Viridian Forest. Never one to have unevolved Pokemon on her team, Mara made sure her moveset was what she wanted then evolved her at the soonest opportunity.
-Ability: Static
-Moveset: Thunder, Rain Dance, Double Team, Thunder Wave
-Name: Gamma
-Species: Nidoqueen
-Gender: Female
-Personality: Gamma is quiet and keeps to herself. She does not enjoy being Mara's pawn and would leave her if the opportunity arose. Affectionate and sweet at her base, she longs for companionship and trust.
-History: Caught as a Nidorina in the Safari Zone, Gamma was quickly evolved. She is third in command because despite her lack of speed, she is a powerhouse and is a good candidate for simply crushing the competition.
-Ability: Rivalry
-Moveset: Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Attract, Body Slam
-Name: Delta
-Species: Misdreavus
-Gender: Male
-Personality: As a Ghost Pokemon, Delta thrives off of the chaos he causes as Mara's Pokemon. He is a trickster, though he would never dare disrespect Mara like that, and is entirely unconcerned with his place in the team.
-History: Misdreavus was also stolen. Seeing his potential, Mara snatched him up from a girl who couldn't seem to use his abilities properly. He has since blossomed. He is doing so well that he and Gamma are close to switching positions.
-Ability: Levitate
-Moveset: Perish Song, Shadow Ball, Pain Split, Will-O-Wisp
-Name: Epsilon
-Species: Kingdra
-Gender: Male
-Personality: Epsilon's personality is not well known to Mara since he is a new addition. He is quiet and keeps to himself, and isn't really shining in battle despite his good stats.
-History: Epsilon was released into the wild after his owner determined she didn't need a Horsea on her team anymore. That has made him distrustful of humans. Mara has worsened it even more with her harsh methods. He doesn't feel the urge to make her proud, so he simply doesn't.
-Ability: Sniper
-Moveset: Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse, Focus Energy, Dragon Dance
-Name: Zeta
-Species: Vileplume
-Gender: Male
-Personality: Outgoing and social, Zeta has not yet got the message that utmost obedience and functionality is expected of him. He still tries to engage Mara in affection and fun, and is always unsuccessful. These attempts irritate Mara. That coupled with his inability to obey all of the orders make him entirely disposable, and the poor sod doesn't even know it yet.
-History: Zeta was caught legitimately, already a Vileplume.
-Ability: Chlorophyll
-Moveset: Sunny Day, SolarBeam, Petal Dance, Grass Knot
Brief summary of preparation day: Mara spent preparation day having quick physical examinations done on her team to make sure they would perform to the best of their abilities. She filled her bag with medicines, supplies, and provisions. Medical supplies bulge from most of the pockets.
Other Info: Although she no longer is technically in contact with the members of her gang, she feels a strong tie to them still and will be loyal to them until death, hence the tattoo.