Name: Joseph Louis Grieve – Prefers to be called Joe.
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Hometown: Couriway Town, Kalos.
Appearance: The first thing people notice about Joseph is the mop of ginger hair atop his head. It refuses to co-operate and more often than not falls in front of brown eyes that dominate his otherwise plain face. His skin is pale and has a tendency to burn if he doesn't use the right protection.
His outfits tend towards practical and he takes some pride in wearing clean, presentable clothes. He opts for clean straightcut jeans and a t-shirt, which is often teamed with a woolly jumper when the cold begins to creep in. His shirts are always freshly worn and ironed, while his jeans are for the most part free of stains. Although, his favourite pair have a grass stain from that one time his brother pushed him down a hill.
Because his hair is such an eye catching colour, he feels his clothes need to be muted. He favours brown, navy and black… although never at the same time.
His signature piece of clothing is a black trench coat, which he turns up the collar of whenever it gets particularly windy.
He's neither tall, nor short (5'9) and isn't particularly strong either. Riding a bicycle around the terrain surrounding Corriway town has meant that he has accumulated some muscle however. He insists it is nothing to write home about, though.
Interests and goals: Joseph loves reading and as such has gained an interest in journeying the Kanto region after reading the travel logs of famous trainers before him. Until now, it had only been an adventure he could vicariously live through books.
His other interests come and go as he matures. Some of his more embarrassing obsessions involved Contest idols, a certain movie star named Diantha and Professor Sycamore, after he came to terms with the fact that he is bisexual.
He has taken to growing berries as of late in an effort to save money - as he no longer works at the pokemart, he can't take advantage of the 50% discount - and makes a point of documenting what happens when you plant two different breeds beside each other. He also keeps a log of how often certain breeds need watering, and what mulch they tend to favour.
In short, he rarely does things by halves.
His goal is to become good enough that he can sustain a lifestyle in which he can travel to other regions as well and write a travel log of his own, documenting his adventures. As most of the travel journals he adores have tackled the Pokemon league and triumphed over the elite 4, his intentions are to do the same. Why do something half heartedly after all?
Family: Joe is the oldest of four boys and has put off his own journey because of this. Only now that his youngest brother has turned 13 does he feel that he can leave his mother and father to pursue his own dream.
His sense of responsibility to his family stems from the fact that he had watched his mother and father go without as he and his brothers were given all that they could desire. He has worked in the local pokemart until now, using the majority of the money he has earned to support his family and take the pressure off of his father. Now that his brothers are old enough to embark on their own journeys however, his sense of responsibility has waned.
The rest of his money has gone towards buying a ticket to travel from Kalos to Kanto and while he feels a tinge of guilt about leaving for another country, there is little that can stop him now. With advances in technology and Pokegear, it is really not all that big of a change. He has been able to assuage his mother's worries by promising to call regularly and often.
Strengths: He is good at hiding his frustration with others, due to his experience in customer service. This has served him well at times, although it does leave a bitter taste in his mouth. He can often feel like a doormat.
He is fairly easy going however, and will go with the flow when he feels it suits him. This may change as he journeys throughout the region and realises that he wants to have his own journey and forge his own path in life.
When he feels comfortable he is difficult to shut up, and often blurts out sentences without thinking. It leads to comical moments that only his closest of friends are privy to.
He is good at writing, waking up early, cycling and photobombs.
Weaknesses: Joe is sensitive to teasing, having grown up with constant teasing about his hair colour. He internalises this sensitivity and tends to become quiet when he feels as though he is not welcome, or may be teased.
As such, he can come off as cold when he meets new people.
He is bad at Maths, cooking, staying up late, rollerblading and time keeping.
He also struggles to get along with his pokemon, concentrating much more on theory than on their actual relationship. He has yet to cotton on to the benefits of having a good relationship with his pokemon, although he does clumsily try to befriend them… if only so that they follow his commands. There is only so much a travel journal can tell you about the importance of looking after your travel companions, whether they are pokemon or human.
Starter pokémon:
Species: Pumpkaboo
Nickname: Pumpkin
Gender: Female
Level: 15
Moveset: Astonish, Confuse Ray, Trick or Treat and Trick
Second pokémon:
Species: Pikachu
Nickname: Charlie
Gender: Male
Level: 8
Moveset: Thundershock, Tailwhip, Growl, Play Nice.