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Name: Benny Emmett
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Hometown: Vermilion City
Appearance: A tall young man with brown, messy hair and freckles dotting his nose, Benny would be described as plain by some, attractive by others, and "funny looking" by a select few girls that had teased him all throughout their school years. He had some muscle definition, but only from working the docks and restaurant at the harbor. He had a calm look about him usually, but under pressure, his tense gaze gave away every thought he had. Despite this, anyone who knew Benny would tell you his smile was his best feature and those same girls that called him "funny looking" were often seen trying to coax smiles out of him before giggling like they were still eleven.
Benny is never seen without his letterman jacket for VCU (Vermilion City University), a white on blue jacket he earned on the tennis team with his name embroidered on the back with his number, 24. Under his letterman rests a white t-shirt with the logo of the harbor restaurant he worked at during his university years. It was a place full of fond memories for Benny and he wore the shirt with pride, despite many friends mocking him for it.
His jeans looked fresh and recently bought below the jacket because they were. His last pair had been tattered and dirty from years of serving stinky and dirty fishermen at the restaurant and his mother simply couldn't let him venture out without a good, new pair. Worst of all, the old pair smelled like Fried Magikarp.
Yuck. Under those were new sneakers, blue on white, completing an outfit that screamed, "This guy's favorite color is blue!"
Benny's backpack was also new, but it was black and contained every possession left to him. His father's engraved Pokéball which held Benny's beloved Pokémon, Rillo, was attached and hanging on the outside of the bag. He had a second Pokéball attached to the clip, which held his first captured Pokémon, a young Lapras from the waters near his home. His grandfather had shown him how to capture a Pokémon before he left for Pewter City and this young Lapras was a result. He had yet to give it a nickname though. He needed to bond with it more.
In the bag also held a few changes of clothing, some snacks, a university textbook guide to identifying Pokémon and their weaknesses, and his wallet. He had a few other knick-knacks in the bag, but mostly packed light to ensure he had room for souvenirs along the journey.
Interests and goals: Benny loves the outdoors and could spend days hiking along trails and adventuring into the gorgeous caves around Kanto. Despite wanting to travel Kanto and fulfill his father's dying wish of collecting all eight of Kanto's gym badges, Benny intends to stop along any scenic location and spend some time soaking in the beauty of Kanto.
His love of monkey and turtle Pokémon is a motivating factor in his journey as he seeks to gather as many of both kinds as possible, though he expects he will need to negotiate with foreign trainers to fulfill his ultimate wish.
Family: Benny grew up with his father, mother, sister, and his grandparents. Growing up, his father expressed his lifelong dream of beating all of Kanto's gyms and perhaps attempting the Elite Four. His father expressed some disappointment at having lost that dream, but always ensured his children that his life was exactly as he wanted it: with them. A fisherman at the harbor, his father was swept to sea during an extremely violent storm and his Pokéball containing Rillo was all that remained of his father once the storm subsided.
Benny's mother held strong for her children and his grandparents took care of many household necessities to assist his widowed mother. She was a strong influence on Benny and encouraged him leaving on an adventure that he had skipped to attend school and find a career to support them all. His sister had left the house around age 11 to attempt a Pokémon adventure of her own, but over the years, her time traveling abroad limited what contact the family had with her. Last they had heard, she was exploring Kalos.
His grandmother had passed soon after his father, but her chronic illness was expected and the family took advantage of their time with her by taking a trip to Hoenn to see the sights with her. She always loved it there and the trip gave her the last bit of satisfaction she could have dreamed of in life. Benny's grandfather took it well and became the pillar of support for the family, despite losing the woman he loved.
Strengths: Benny is an intelligent young man. He graduated from university with honors and was a constant success in classes ranging from mathematics to Pokémon biology and evolution courses. Despite this, he is still down-to-Earth and friendly to all he meets, spending little time judging others and openly accepting people, faults and all.
Weaknesses: Benny is quick to embarrass, turning bright red at a moment's notice. He is easily flustered and when threatened or upset, his voice quivers from the adrenaline. He can't control it and it makes him look weaker than he is. It also causes him to become flustered during battles and prevents him from properly executing attack requests to his Pokémon.
Starter Pokémon:
Rillo (Aipom)
Female ♀
Fling | Thunder Wave | Thunder | Power-Up Punch
Second Pokémon:
Lapras (Lapras)
Female ♀
Water Pulse | Sing | Ice Beam | Giga Impact