def__init__(self): Ishikawa, Kaito ; Male, 30 ; Sinnoh
Appearance:
In terms of appearance, there's not much to Kaito. Black hair and a pair of grey eyes: those are all features that Kaito inherited from his parents. Nothing special, really. Though, maybe that's just his humility talking. 5'9 is how Kaito stacks up height-wise, which is neither short nor tall. With his father being 6'1 and mother being 5'1, it seems like he got the average of the two. As per family tradition, Kaito is also on the skinny side. And he stays there, no matter what he does. A direct result of his ectomorphic genes, for sure.
Being the minimalist that he is, Kaito doesn't give a lot of thought to the clothes he wears. And it definitely shows in his sense of fashion. This man does not like to accessorize, nor does he wear clothing for the sake of brand alone. You'll only find Kaito wearing something if it ticks the following boxes: it's cheap, it fits the occasion, and it's comfortable. Otherwise, it's a no-go. "No need to make life complicated" is what Kaito has to say about dressing up.
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A semi-unique trait of Kaito's is his enthusiasm for the veterinary sciences, particularly relating to Pokémon. He's interned with a bunch of experts in the field, after all, so some enthusiasm for the subject matter is to be expected. Still, the problem with Kaito is that it isn't just some enthusiasm – it's a lot. Get him talking about Pokémon fun facts, and you'll end up listening to his voice for hours on end whether you like it or not. He's a huge nerd, Kaito, and while others might begrudge a nickname like that, it's a moniker he wears with pride.
As far as general disposition goes, Kaito is a mixed bag: someone you'd call an "ambivert." He's a definitely sociable guy under the right circumstances, and he's not afraid to randomly strike conversations with strangers. But, at the same time, he also likes having time to himself. Moreover, when he's in large groups, Kaito tends to fade in the background unless there's a situation that warrants his participation. He takes a lot more initiative in one-on-one scenarios, though – partly because he can't rely on someone else to carry the conversation.
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Kaito's early years were especially rough, though things started looking up for the guy later down the line. Kaito was born to 2 teenage parents who were wholly unprepared for him. A moment's fling turned into a lifetime commitment as soon as 9 months passed. For one, at least. Kaito's mother had walked out on him before he could remember anything. So, as far as he knew, his only guardians were his father and a Gallade named "Razor."
Due to the circumstances, Papa Kaito had to put schooling on hold for a part-time job. At times, he would even work multiple jobs if he weren't earning enough to make ends meet. In the midst, Kaito felt bad hogging all of his father's hard work without giving anything in return. Papa Kaito never really had any complaints about this, though. In fact, Papa Kaito frequently encouraged him to play with friends and have fun – activities which Papa Kaito considered to be an essential part of growing up. Still, being the stubborn bull that Kaito was, he started looking for work when he became of age.
The timing couldn't have been better. Papa Kaito had fallen ill then, which rendered him unable to hold down the fort as the breadwinner of the family. For a brief period, their savings were able to spare them from homelessness. But, eventually, the funds ran dry and they were forced to roam Veilstone City's streets. To make matters worse, Kaito had yet to land a job. No one was biting the line he had cast. As much as Kaito cared for his father, there was no chance he would get better without help.
Things were seeming grim until a chance encounter with a certain blonde-haired physician who would later take Kaito in as his own after Papa Kaito's untimely passing. The man had – by accident, if Kaito were to guess – wandered into a sketchy part of Veilstone City. Kaito observed him on a whim – and he was right to. Sensing an opportunity, one of the local thugs approached the man. He was friendly at first, offering to escort the lost man to his destination. Instead, the lost man was forced into an alleyway.
Things would have gone smoothly for the thug had Kaito chosen to ignore the entire affair. But he didn't. Razor subdued the guy before the situation could escalate further. Soon after, Kaito reported him to the proper authorities.
What Kaito didn't know then was that the man he'd just helped was looking for aides. With his clinic understaffed, he was hoping to hire some extra hands.
Mr. Flynn, the man in question, opened up many opportunities for Kaito. For one, Mr. Flynn's connections allowed Kaito to enter an internship with Professor Rowan. Coincidentally, this internship was what fostered Kaito's passion for Pokémon and Pokémon battles. It was also during this internship that Kaito received his second Pokémon, a male Chimchar which Kaito named "Inferno." Since Professor Rowan specialized in the study of Pokémon evolution, Kaito's task was a simple one: to raise Inferno to his final form. In fulfilling Professor Rowan's request, Kaito decided to challenge Gyms all around Sinnoh. Eventually, he managed to collect enough badges to qualify for the Sinnoh League. Though qualify he did, he didn't get very far, losing in the third round. But it was fun nonetheless. There, he made a name for himself as the "Ralts Trainer."
After finishing an internship with Professor Rowan, Kaito flew to Hoenn to work for Professor Birch, and then to Kalos to work for Professor Sycamore on Processor Birch's recommendation. In the time before the start of his fellowship with Professor Sycamore, Kaito gave the Pokémon League another shot – this time in Hoenn. Despite losing a close match in the semi-finals, Kaito didn't seem all that defeated. In fact, he felt the opposite; after all, this was the farthest he had ever gotten. "Maybe becoming Champion isn't completely off the table," he thought at the time. Thus, Kaito also made an attempt in Kalos, his final attempt at Champion before retiring from the trainer scene and pursuing a full-time career as a professor-in-training. I guess "retiring" is too strong of a word, since he would still occasionally participate in some small-scale tournaments here and there. However, following the period after his Kalos attempt, Kaito never did anything as grand as compete in the Pokémon League again.
Until five years later, that is. As expected, the trainer life was just too good to abandon completely. And so the Ralts Trainer found himself standing atop a grand stage once more – just like the old days.
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Razor the (Mega) Gallade, Luciela the Gardevoir, Inferno the Infernape, Sturm the Swampert, Chester the Chesnaught, Polly the Scolipede, Breezy the Whimsicott, Picasso the Smeargle.
Razor | Male : Kaito's first Pokémon, originally belonging to Papa Kaito. The strong-but-silent type who is generally receptive to others. Considered by the rest of Kaito's team as the leader. Forms a subunit with Luciela during double battles. Though Kaito loathes to speak it into existence, his favorite Pokémon is Razor. Razor is also Kaito's primary physical attacker.
Luciela | Female : The female counterpart to Razor. Also one of the Pokémon responsible for Kaito earning the title "Ralts Trainer." Overly kind and maternal. Luciela takes on a supportive role during double battles and a special-attacker role during single battles. She is also the Pokémon Kaito has worked with the most. Has many "special moves" under her belt, thanks to Kaito's training.
Inferno | Male : Kaito's second Pokémon, given by Professor Rowan. Initially a timid Chimchar, the years have seen him change into a confident but at times prideful Infernape. Has a one-sided rivalry with Razor.
Sturm | Male : A gift from Professor Birch, as thanks for Kaito's contributions to his research. Contrary to his name, Sturm is actually the most easy-going Pokémon of the bunch.
Chester | Male : Originally belonging to Professor Sycamore. Kaito met him when he was just a Chespin. Chester is fiercely loyal to Kaito. Although he can be a bit air-headed, you can count on him when the chips are down. He's the friendliest Pokémon in Kaito's team, with Sturm taking second place.
Polly | Female : One of Kaito's Pokémon from Unova. He received Polly from a trade with a tourist visiting Hoenn. The troublemaker of the group, though Kaito can usually keep her in check.
Breezy | Female : Kaito won Breezy after placing first in a tournament in Sinnoh. She's rather shy, but she's quick to warm up to others. Forms the "support" quadfecta along with Luciela, Polly, and Picasso.
Picasso | Male : One of Kaito's newer Pokémon, though Kaito's had him since before he retired from the trainer scene. More of a lover than a fighter. Closest to Kaito in terms of personality. He's also a fast-learner, which explains why he knows the most moves in Kaito's team.
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The Sunnyshore City Gym was just as Kaito remembered: a death trap for all who enter it. As the doors to the place swung open, a wave of nostalgia swept over Kaito. The spinning gears for platforms? Still there. Kaito could see familiar strips of railing resting atop them, which he held on to for dear life once or twice in the past. Still unsafe as ever, Kaito observed. Not to mention, those so-called "lamps" Volkner liked to scatter around, which sometimes shot out electricity if Volkner ever felt in the mood for it… They were still there as well. What did Volkner call them again? Kaito was having a brain fart. For that matter, what sort of "lamp" shoots out electricity anyway? He'd have to ask Volkner again for an explanation.
At the moment, the Sunnyshore Gym was quiet and empty, except for the intermittent buzzing from one of Volkner's "lamps." Kaito had made plans to meet him here, Volkner. At 9 A.M., to be precise. The guy was usually punctual, so this turn of events struck Kaito as strange. Maybe he was still cooped up in one of Sunnyshore's powerplant facilities… For now, Kaito was left to his own devices, playing games on his phone to pass the time.
…
A loud beep from the intercoms let Kaito know someone had come in. "Sorry for the wait, Kaito." Lo and behold, it was Volkner, grease on his jacket. "Had to, uh, do some engineer things." And Volkner left it at that.
"No worries," Kaito responded, rebuffing the apology. Setting it aside, today, he and Volkner had hoped to do some catching up. See how the other person was doing. Even eat out at a restaurant while they were at it. That sort of stuff. It had been a while since the pair last hung out, what with work and other commitments getting in their way. Luckily, after weeks of coordination, they managed to settle on a date that both of their schedules permitted.
Volkner didn't come alone, apparently; he'd brought someone else with him. Shortly after Volkner's arrival, the intercoms beeped for a second time, indicating another newcomer. Kaito knew from the tufts of orange sticking out from the person's head exactly who it was.
"Yo, yo, yo!" Yup, it was Flint, still as exuberant as ever. Before Kaito could react, the guy had already sprinted over and put him in a headlock. With a tap on Kaito's head, Flint brought that up. "Getting back into it, ain'tcha?" Volkner must've told him, Kaito thought.
Kaito felt the need to explain himself in more detail. But, first, he had to squirm out of Flint's clutches. Fortunately, he was let off after a couple of seconds. "I miss it, battling in high-stakes matches," Kaito began, sounding a little wistful. "So I messaged Volkner about possibly registering for the Pokémon World Championships."
Despite the conditional nature of the statement, Flint looked particularly happy about the latter part.
"Well, you are qualified for it," he interjected. "It'd be a loss for everyone if you skimped out."
Kaito turned sheepish at the compliments. "I wouldn't go that far…" Though he'd never admit to it out loud, Kaito felt encouraged hearing Flint's excitement for his comeback.
"He's already registered, by the way," Volkner added matter-of-factly, thumb pointing towards Kaito. He was likely anticipating Flint's next outburst.
Kaito expected as much from them, considering they had been close since childhood, Volkner and Flint. Being around someone for that long essentially grants you a telepathic connection with them. Or so superstitions say.
Now aware of Kaito's registration status, Flint nodded a satisfied nod.
There was something else in the orange's mind, however. This prompted another question. "I'm guessing you haven't had a battle yet, right?"
It was a valid inquiry. Flint probably wasn't sure if Kaito had started climbing the ranks.
Kaito shook his head. "Nope."
Following his response, he noticed a smirk form on Flint's face. Uh-oh. "Why?" Kaito asked.
"That means Volkner and I can be your first." Ah, so that was what the smirk was about.
Kaito shot him a thumbs-up. "You got it, boss man."
As expected of old friends, the talking didn't stop there. Although their feet hurt from standing for an extended period of time, the three couldn't help but linger, probing at each other's personal lives and occasionally poking fun at each other's misfortunes. As friends naturally would. Before Kaito knew it, they'd talked for so long that even he forgot the reason why they met up in the first place. And he was the one who made plans. For the moment, he was fully engrossed in their conversation.
Whatever. This was necessary for them.
That said, Kaito's reservation at Sunnyshore Bistro was still going to cost him… So much for being frugal.
