Post by Zernebog Romanov on Jul 16, 2013 22:53:10 GMT -5
ZERNEBOG ROMANOV
NAME: Zernebog Dmitriyevich Romanov
ALIAS: Dima, Dimushka, Zee, Zerne, Ziggy
AGE: 21
GENDER: Male
ORIENTATION: Heterosexual
REGION: Sinnoh
CLASS: Trainer
OCCUPATION: Archaeologist | Battle Coach | Professional Battler
ALIAS: Dima, Dimushka, Zee, Zerne, Ziggy
AGE: 21
GENDER: Male
ORIENTATION: Heterosexual
REGION: Sinnoh
CLASS: Trainer
OCCUPATION: Archaeologist | Battle Coach | Professional Battler
APPEARANCE
Before, Zernebog was very fit but was only of average height. He’s still very fit now but he recently hit a growth spurt that allowed him to grow from his previous average height to slightly more intimidating 6’. His body has also become bulkier and more muscular, making him more akin to a bodybuilder, though he is still a bit slim. He still has a lot of scars on his body, which he wears as badges of honor.
His facial features are sharp and defined, often set in a neutral expression or a frown of some kind. His eyes are gold, piercing, and are said to hold an icy and yet slightly haunted expression in them at most times. When his facial features are combined with his eyes, he resembles a predator. Curiously enough though, there are red markings around his eyes, on his forehead and on random spots of his body, but they don’t seem to detract from his looks at all. In fact, they seem to add to the intimidation factor. No one knows when and where he got these red markings except for Zernebog himself, and he isn’t telling anyone anytime soon.
Zernebog was previously very well known for his outrageous hairstyle. After all, it wasn’t everyday that a person got to see someone with white hair and a red Mohawk and ponytail at the same time. As a part of his newest lifestyle change, he had dyed the red parts of his hair white and had it grow out into a more normal hairstyle. Granted, his ponytail is very long now, and the hair on top of his head has grown shaggy –though he was still vain enough to have it styled in a look that worked for him- enough to need a bandana or a headband to keep it out of his face.
Because of his massive growth spurt, he was forced to get new clothes. He used it as an opportunity to change his entire wardrobe as well. He has finally incorporated t-shirts and closed polo shirts into his wardrobe, having gotten sick of just displaying his body all of the time. There’s even the occasional sweater for the cold places if he absolutely needs it. Trench coats and jackets are still staples of his wardrobe though, since now he prefers a bit more layers than he used to.
He has exchanged his leather bracers for custom made black steel gauntlets that fit over his entire forearm. The right gauntlet has his Keystone set on the back of its hand, which is usually covered by bandages. For his lower half, he retains his preference for baggy pants made out of either silk or denim along with sandals or combat boots. He prefers a white and red color scheme on his clothes to match his hair, or a black and blue scheme to contrast it.
His facial features are sharp and defined, often set in a neutral expression or a frown of some kind. His eyes are gold, piercing, and are said to hold an icy and yet slightly haunted expression in them at most times. When his facial features are combined with his eyes, he resembles a predator. Curiously enough though, there are red markings around his eyes, on his forehead and on random spots of his body, but they don’t seem to detract from his looks at all. In fact, they seem to add to the intimidation factor. No one knows when and where he got these red markings except for Zernebog himself, and he isn’t telling anyone anytime soon.
Zernebog was previously very well known for his outrageous hairstyle. After all, it wasn’t everyday that a person got to see someone with white hair and a red Mohawk and ponytail at the same time. As a part of his newest lifestyle change, he had dyed the red parts of his hair white and had it grow out into a more normal hairstyle. Granted, his ponytail is very long now, and the hair on top of his head has grown shaggy –though he was still vain enough to have it styled in a look that worked for him- enough to need a bandana or a headband to keep it out of his face.
Because of his massive growth spurt, he was forced to get new clothes. He used it as an opportunity to change his entire wardrobe as well. He has finally incorporated t-shirts and closed polo shirts into his wardrobe, having gotten sick of just displaying his body all of the time. There’s even the occasional sweater for the cold places if he absolutely needs it. Trench coats and jackets are still staples of his wardrobe though, since now he prefers a bit more layers than he used to.
He has exchanged his leather bracers for custom made black steel gauntlets that fit over his entire forearm. The right gauntlet has his Keystone set on the back of its hand, which is usually covered by bandages. For his lower half, he retains his preference for baggy pants made out of either silk or denim along with sandals or combat boots. He prefers a white and red color scheme on his clothes to match his hair, or a black and blue scheme to contrast it.
PERSONALITY
Creative – Zernebog’s always had a flair for creativity, something that his parents capitalized on and fostered. He often thinks out of the box, so much that he actually has some problems thinking inside of one. This comes in handy during battles, but not so much during social situations. Some might even say that the life of a coordinator would have been more ideal for someone like him, but he prefers the adrenaline rush and general violence of a battle over just showing off what a pokemon can do in some stage.
Kind – Beneath this abrasive exterior is a golden heart, as evidenced by the presence and utmost loyalty of his Kirila. Most of the time he really does mean well, but his own lack of knowledge about social etiquette combined with his prideful and stubborn attitude often gives off a very different impression. He was taught to be good by his parents and it did stick but unfortunately the road to hell is paved with good intentions… a notion which hasn’t stopped him from trying to be nice even though he’s been burned by the consequences of his intentions quite a bit.
Competitive - Zernebog absolutely loves competition, especially competitions involving fighting. To him, competition is a great way to spice up anything that is getting boring just for the fun of it. With his stubbornness, his competitiveness can turn into downright obsession with winning and feeling good about it if the challenge is stimulating enough, especially if the odds are against him.
Intelligent – Despite Zernebog’s violent and fight-crazy nature, he’s actually very intelligent. He finds it very easy to comprehend objects and situations around him, and when combined with his creativity it allows him to think up of many possible solutions to most problems. He also loves learning about new things, which is the primary reason why he loves being an archaeologist so much.
Shrewd – He’s not just very intelligent, but quite shrewd as well. He’s a good judge of character and has made many a great judgment call, especially in missions. Part of being shrewd requires astuteness, which he has in spades. He does make mistakes though, and when he does the consequences are usually very heavy.
Prideful - His main defining trait is his complete and utter belief in himself and in his abilities, almost to the point of arrogance. This absolute confidence is so massive that it is like a force of nature all on its own, being almost impossible to bend or break to someone else’s will and mercy... or so people think. In truth, this arrogance is in fact a façade to hide his true insecurities deep inside himself, which was cultivated from learning the truth about the circumstances of his parents’ marriage and his birth. Unfortunately though, this pride also makes him reluctant to accept anyone’s help when he doesn’t think it’s necessary.
Vain - Despite drastically changing his appearance into something far less outrageous, he’s still as vain as ever. He just doesn’t advertise it as much these days. Despite that, he still definitely cares for his looks with the same meticulous zeal that he uses for competitions that he’s actually interested in, and will be offended by any grave insult towards his looks… or worse, any marring. The loss of the chicken-themed nicknames is only a plus.
Opportunistic – Over the years of travelling and fighting that he did, one of the most valuable things he learned on his journeys is how to seize an opportunity. Not just that, but also how to hunt them down and learn to break its doors down. This is because he’d realized that opportunity doesn’t come knocking at your door – you have to break its doors down and take it like a bold thief in the night. It’s the only way to get anything done.
Nosy – He’s still as nosy as ever and loves to peer into the affairs of others. If there’s something that piques his interest, then he’s going to check it out whether or not he’s allowed to. It’s part of why he took to being an archaeologist so well.
Vicious - There are many definitions of the word ‘vicious’. Of those definitions, there are three meanings which describe Zernebog quite aptly, which he knows all too well and even embraces them with all his heart. First of these is his disposition towards very violent and destructive behavior when he feels that it is necessary, with necessary defined by his current whims. The second is his often malicious tendencies when affronted, which usually gets him into trouble when used against other people. The third is the sheer intensity and severity of his fierce nature. This last trait makes him all the more volatile and dangerous.
Closet Romantic - Zernebog pretends to hate romance and all things romantic out of macho pride, but in truth he is actually a closet romantic. Despite saying otherwise due to cynicism from his past relationships, he actually still believes in the concept of true love. He’s curious to know what being in love really feels like or even just to know what romantic love really looks like, especially after finding out the truth about his parents.
Ambitions: Zernebog’s main ambition is to take the world by storm. Just exactly how he is going to do it is something he has yet to find out, so his second goal is to look for the best way he can take the world by storm and use his drive for something constructive. His current options are beating all of the gyms in the known regions and discovering something revolutionary in an archaeological exploration.
Kind – Beneath this abrasive exterior is a golden heart, as evidenced by the presence and utmost loyalty of his Kirila. Most of the time he really does mean well, but his own lack of knowledge about social etiquette combined with his prideful and stubborn attitude often gives off a very different impression. He was taught to be good by his parents and it did stick but unfortunately the road to hell is paved with good intentions… a notion which hasn’t stopped him from trying to be nice even though he’s been burned by the consequences of his intentions quite a bit.
Competitive - Zernebog absolutely loves competition, especially competitions involving fighting. To him, competition is a great way to spice up anything that is getting boring just for the fun of it. With his stubbornness, his competitiveness can turn into downright obsession with winning and feeling good about it if the challenge is stimulating enough, especially if the odds are against him.
Intelligent – Despite Zernebog’s violent and fight-crazy nature, he’s actually very intelligent. He finds it very easy to comprehend objects and situations around him, and when combined with his creativity it allows him to think up of many possible solutions to most problems. He also loves learning about new things, which is the primary reason why he loves being an archaeologist so much.
Shrewd – He’s not just very intelligent, but quite shrewd as well. He’s a good judge of character and has made many a great judgment call, especially in missions. Part of being shrewd requires astuteness, which he has in spades. He does make mistakes though, and when he does the consequences are usually very heavy.
Prideful - His main defining trait is his complete and utter belief in himself and in his abilities, almost to the point of arrogance. This absolute confidence is so massive that it is like a force of nature all on its own, being almost impossible to bend or break to someone else’s will and mercy... or so people think. In truth, this arrogance is in fact a façade to hide his true insecurities deep inside himself, which was cultivated from learning the truth about the circumstances of his parents’ marriage and his birth. Unfortunately though, this pride also makes him reluctant to accept anyone’s help when he doesn’t think it’s necessary.
Vain - Despite drastically changing his appearance into something far less outrageous, he’s still as vain as ever. He just doesn’t advertise it as much these days. Despite that, he still definitely cares for his looks with the same meticulous zeal that he uses for competitions that he’s actually interested in, and will be offended by any grave insult towards his looks… or worse, any marring. The loss of the chicken-themed nicknames is only a plus.
Opportunistic – Over the years of travelling and fighting that he did, one of the most valuable things he learned on his journeys is how to seize an opportunity. Not just that, but also how to hunt them down and learn to break its doors down. This is because he’d realized that opportunity doesn’t come knocking at your door – you have to break its doors down and take it like a bold thief in the night. It’s the only way to get anything done.
Nosy – He’s still as nosy as ever and loves to peer into the affairs of others. If there’s something that piques his interest, then he’s going to check it out whether or not he’s allowed to. It’s part of why he took to being an archaeologist so well.
Vicious - There are many definitions of the word ‘vicious’. Of those definitions, there are three meanings which describe Zernebog quite aptly, which he knows all too well and even embraces them with all his heart. First of these is his disposition towards very violent and destructive behavior when he feels that it is necessary, with necessary defined by his current whims. The second is his often malicious tendencies when affronted, which usually gets him into trouble when used against other people. The third is the sheer intensity and severity of his fierce nature. This last trait makes him all the more volatile and dangerous.
Closet Romantic - Zernebog pretends to hate romance and all things romantic out of macho pride, but in truth he is actually a closet romantic. Despite saying otherwise due to cynicism from his past relationships, he actually still believes in the concept of true love. He’s curious to know what being in love really feels like or even just to know what romantic love really looks like, especially after finding out the truth about his parents.
Ambitions: Zernebog’s main ambition is to take the world by storm. Just exactly how he is going to do it is something he has yet to find out, so his second goal is to look for the best way he can take the world by storm and use his drive for something constructive. His current options are beating all of the gyms in the known regions and discovering something revolutionary in an archaeological exploration.
POKEMON
ALIAS: Hyperion
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Blaze
MOVE SET: Inferno | Dragon Claw | Solar Beam | Air Slash | Flame Burst | Smokescreen
Pokedex Name: Kirila
ALIAS: Prometheus
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Trace
MOVE SET: Teleport | Magical Leaf | Imprison | Psychic | Shadow Sneak
Pokedex Name: Haunter
ALIAS: Erebus
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Levitate
MOVE SET: Dark Pulse | Shadow Ball | Hypnosis | Shadow Punch | Curse
Pokedex Name: Gyarados
ALIAS: Perses
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Intimidate
MOVE SET: Aqua Tail | Bounce | Dragon Dance | Earthquake | Ice Fang
Pokedex Name: Shelgon
ALIAS: Icarus
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Rock Head
MOVE SET: Crunch | Zen Headbutt | Dragon Claw | Double-edge | Protect
Pokedex Name: Lucario
ALIAS: Diomedes
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Steadfast
MOVE SET: Aura Sphere | Bone Rush | Close Combat | Agility | Iron Defense | Reversal
Pokedex Name: Rhyhorn
ALIAS: Kratos
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Rock Head
MOVE SET: Stealth Rock | Bulldoze | Chip Away | Rock Blast | Scary Face
Pokedex Name: Scyther
ALIAS: Kronos
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Technician
MOVE SET: Double Team | Steel Wing | Swords Dance | Vacuum Wave | X-Scissor
Pokedex Name: Dratini
ALIAS: Iris
GENDER: Female
ABILITY: Shed Skin
MOVE SET: Dragon Rush | Extremespeed | Thunder Wave | Twister
Pokedex Name: Togepi
ALIAS: Apollo
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Serene Grace
MOVE SET: Ancientpower | Metronome | Safeguard | Wish
[/ul][/div]
HISTORY
Fate and destiny don’t always go with your plans. In fact, they usually don’t because life’s like that. Those words never rang as true as it did for former hotshot trainer Ulrich Pendragon when he found out that one of the women he had seduced while on a trip to Sinnoh ended up with a bun in the oven. He had big dreams of becoming the resident Champion in Kanto amongst other things, but they were dashed when his conquest’s parents hunted him down and forced him into a shotgun wedding with her.
Of course, Maria Romanov wasn’t happy about being tied down to a drunken mistake either. She had dreams of her own and didn’t want to be stuck living out her life in Celestic Town. Her dissatisfaction only grew as her new husband didn’t change his womanizing ways even after Zernebog was born. She asked –begged even- for a divorce from him but her parents refused to budge on it, stating that she would have to live with the consequences of her mistake and figure out how to make the best of it.
Aware that she wouldn’t be able to ever control someone like Ulrich, she eventually decided to make a deal with him when Zernebog became three years old. All he had to do was to act like a father in front of his son and his in-laws until his son turned ten, and then she would personally make sure that he would be able to pursue his dream without any strings attached. It took a while, but he eventually agreed to those terms.
After the secret deal between Zernebog’s parents, his family life became normal for the next seven years. Well, as normal as a family of archaeologists –and token trainer- can be. While he had his family around him, it couldn’t be denied that the early years of his life were filled with some loneliness. He was rarely allowed to venture down Mt. Coronet, and whenever he did he was subtly ostracized by adults and kids alike for his appearance and attitude, the former of which his mother remedied by having his hair dyed black. While the hiding bothered him, he was content to stick with the dye as long as he’d get some friends out of the deal. Unfortunately, the infrequency of his visits down the mountain made it impossible for him to keep the interest of the others his age anyway, but he still kept trying.
In those seven years that his family was whole, Zernebog was taught a lot of things by his family since they were too far from a school. Since his grandparents wanted him to become an archaeologist just like them, they taught him about the legends, myths, and histories of all the known regions. He learned about pokemon and how they were their equals and not slaves or pets, despite what pokeballs and other things may imply. They also taught him how to fight and survive in harsh environments and situations on his own, knowing that the boy couldn’t always depend on his pokemon to bail him out of a harsh situation.
At the end of those seven years, Maria fulfilled her end of the bargain and divorced her husband in secret. While she had learned to like him as an annoying friend, she wasn’t in love with him so it didn’t hurt her much to fulfil the bargain. However Ulrich did fall in love with her and his new family life, but the temptation to finally pursue his dream was too hard to resist so he simply went along with the divorce and left. He gave his son and in-laws the excuse that he was going on a learning trip to Kanto, not telling them that he wouldn’t ever be coming back.
Before Ulrich left though, he gifted his son with his very first pokemon – a baby Charmander. While Zernebog was sad that his dad was leaving for what he thought was for a while, he was definitely overjoyed by finally being deemed responsible enough by his dad to take care of his very own pokemon. After finding out that his new pokemon was a guy, he decided to name it Hyperion from something he’d read in his grandpa’s library.
Zernebog had wanted to begin a journey throughout Sinnoh when he had gotten his pokemon like how his dad was going to be journeying in Kanto, but his family wouldn’t let him, especially with only a newly-hatched pokemon as a companion. So instead, they spent the next three years training him and his Charmander in the art of combat, and the former in the art of raising and training pokemon.
During those three years though, it soon became obvious that his father wasn’t coming back after he refused to answer the huge amount of letters that he sent him to his supposed address in Kanto. Whenever he or his grandparents asked about his dad, his mom became quiet and evasive every single time, opting to change the subject. Because of that, Zernebog wanted to do some investigating of his own, so after the three years were over he asked permission to start his own pokemon journey.
Unfortunately while his grandparents supported his decision, his mother absolutely refused even after Zernebog repeatedly buttered her up and begged her to let him go out. When that avenue failed, he asked his grandparents to help him sneak out of the place in the name of learning… which was technically true. They agreed to help him escape his mother’s grasp, deeming him ready to tackle the world now that he and his pokemon were ready enough.
Thus, his grandmother arranged an educational trip to Snowpoint Town for Zernebog and herself, which was accepted without any hint of suspicion. On the way there they encountered a lot of pokemon, but there was one that he was encouraged to catch – a strange colored female Ralts that kept following them around. He managed to catch it after beating and then befriending her several times, earning himself another friend for life. On the way there they encountered a lot of people as well, but since they were kind of in a rush they didn’t really interact with most of them beyond small talk and asking for directions.
When they were finally there, he stayed with his grandmother for a couple of weeks before he made himself vanish with her help. Knowing that Sinnoh and Kanto would be the first places his mother would look, Zernebog asked his grandparents to lay a false trail all over Sinnoh while promising them that he would write and send them stuff that he learned and found in the places that he would visit. While he felt bad that he was leading his mother on a wild goose chase, he wanted to keep his freedom and find out the truth about why his dad wouldn’t come back home. But first, he spent two years hiding out in Hoenn and trying to ask people from Kanto if any of them knew about his dad.
He finally found a couple of leads by the end of those two years. By that time though, he felt extremely guilty for pretty much running away from home without so as much as a goodbye. However, he couldn’t return without knowing the truth despite his grandparents’ letters asking him to come back some time soon, so he simply sent a letter to his mom detailing his apology and his adventures throughout the two years before setting off for Kanto to follow the leads he had gathered.
He spent a year of searching in Kanto before finally finding his father, getting into all sorts of trouble. Some of these troubles ended up with his Ralts accidentally changing gender and his Charmander evolving into Charmeleon, amongst other things. In the end, all of those experiences gave him a more cynical edge… though sadly he hadn’t learned much about people.
When he finally found his father, he was shocked to discover that he had another family and had seemingly forgotten all about his family in Sinnoh. Confronting his father made said father tell him the truth about his conception and the deal, which pretty much shattered Zernebog’s world view. In the ensuing guilt for pretty much telling his son that he was a mistake, he let him stay with them for a few months to get to know his new family. During that time, he continuously rebelled against his dad and step-mom –even taking on his present-day hairstyle as a form of protest to their idea of proper- before his father finally got fed up with the constant feuding and called his mother to take him back to Sinnoh when he couldn’t handle the constant hostility of his son and his new wife anymore.
Being fetched by his mom after having run away for three years in his dad’s new family’s home was the most awkward experience in Zernebog’s life. The most horrifying experience in his life, in turn, was the subsequent legendary tirade his mom gave him for running away and using his grandparents as accomplices before he was grounded for six months, and not anything he encountered on the road. Eventually though, he managed to somehow convince his mother to let him journey again by using his own form of guilt-tripping, promising her that he’ll write often.
Thus, he set off to a new unknown region upon his grandfather’s request to study its legends and wildlife… and actually start his own real pokemon journey there instead of looking for someone. Unfortunately, he got sidetracked with his primary goal when he fell in with a certain underground organization out of a combination of curiosity and a liking to what they stand for. While he still explored every inch of the new region and took notes on everything from their culture to their geography, he was far more immersed in his new role within the organization.
There were a lot of firsts for him in this region. While in that region, Zernebog finally caught himself more pokemon. A lot more pokemon, in fact. He also found actual ruins to explore and even managed to see one of the legendaries even though he wasn’t able to face it at all. He even went on a blind date once, but to this day he still isn’t sure if it went well with that Raquel girl. At least he was able to challenge and win against one gym in that area by using a Magikarp to his advantage, which was a definite ego-booster. However, he wasn’t able to challenge the other gyms.
However, all of those firsts were eclipsed by his duties within that underground organization. Despite his grandfather’s requests and his own promises to his mother, he soon became consumed with his work within said organization. His jobs within the organization became more heinous and criminal as the months passed, and as they did his morals also started to distort into that of a career mercenary instead of the trainer and archaeologist that he really was, to the point that he didn’t feel a thing when he slaughtered people and pokemon. Joining the organization had started to turn him into a true monster, a fact only encouraged by his Haunter Erebus.
Zernebog soon realized the extent of monstrosity he had sunk into during a botched mission that had cost the lives of several of his newer pokemon. The truth really sunk in when he realized that the remorse he was feeling wasn’t because of all the lives he had taken and had been taken from him, but because he could only feel apathy about it all. That was when Zernebog finally decided that it was time for him to change before he crossed the line of no return. With that decision, he quickly packed his bags and left the new region once and for all with only ten of his pokemon in tow, and returned to Celestic Town in Sinnoh.
His mother and grandparents welcomed him back with open arms. However, all of the things he had done still haunted him as bits and pieces of his suppressed conscience slowly came back to life. Compounding his problems was the fact that he had no idea what to do next. He forced himself to remain isolated as a form of self-punishment, despite his family trying to reach out to him to try and help him out of the strange funk he found himself in since coming back from that region.
Strangely enough, the push he needed to find the answer to his problems came in the form of an untimely growth spurt. This growth spurt forced him to change his entire wardrobe because none of his clothes fit anymore, which gave him the idea that he needed- change. And lots of it. In pursuit of this idea, he dyed the red parts of his hair white and changed his entire clothing style. He then took it a step further and found himself new goals to strive for that matched his new attitude and lease on life, which confused his family but pleased them all the same.
Once he had made all of those changes, Zernebog finally felt that he was ready to move on and take on the world by storm. One way or another, he was destined for greatness and he was going to do it without resulting to copious amounts of bloodshed and destruction… no matter what Perses or Erebus wanted.
Of course, Maria Romanov wasn’t happy about being tied down to a drunken mistake either. She had dreams of her own and didn’t want to be stuck living out her life in Celestic Town. Her dissatisfaction only grew as her new husband didn’t change his womanizing ways even after Zernebog was born. She asked –begged even- for a divorce from him but her parents refused to budge on it, stating that she would have to live with the consequences of her mistake and figure out how to make the best of it.
Aware that she wouldn’t be able to ever control someone like Ulrich, she eventually decided to make a deal with him when Zernebog became three years old. All he had to do was to act like a father in front of his son and his in-laws until his son turned ten, and then she would personally make sure that he would be able to pursue his dream without any strings attached. It took a while, but he eventually agreed to those terms.
After the secret deal between Zernebog’s parents, his family life became normal for the next seven years. Well, as normal as a family of archaeologists –and token trainer- can be. While he had his family around him, it couldn’t be denied that the early years of his life were filled with some loneliness. He was rarely allowed to venture down Mt. Coronet, and whenever he did he was subtly ostracized by adults and kids alike for his appearance and attitude, the former of which his mother remedied by having his hair dyed black. While the hiding bothered him, he was content to stick with the dye as long as he’d get some friends out of the deal. Unfortunately, the infrequency of his visits down the mountain made it impossible for him to keep the interest of the others his age anyway, but he still kept trying.
In those seven years that his family was whole, Zernebog was taught a lot of things by his family since they were too far from a school. Since his grandparents wanted him to become an archaeologist just like them, they taught him about the legends, myths, and histories of all the known regions. He learned about pokemon and how they were their equals and not slaves or pets, despite what pokeballs and other things may imply. They also taught him how to fight and survive in harsh environments and situations on his own, knowing that the boy couldn’t always depend on his pokemon to bail him out of a harsh situation.
At the end of those seven years, Maria fulfilled her end of the bargain and divorced her husband in secret. While she had learned to like him as an annoying friend, she wasn’t in love with him so it didn’t hurt her much to fulfil the bargain. However Ulrich did fall in love with her and his new family life, but the temptation to finally pursue his dream was too hard to resist so he simply went along with the divorce and left. He gave his son and in-laws the excuse that he was going on a learning trip to Kanto, not telling them that he wouldn’t ever be coming back.
Before Ulrich left though, he gifted his son with his very first pokemon – a baby Charmander. While Zernebog was sad that his dad was leaving for what he thought was for a while, he was definitely overjoyed by finally being deemed responsible enough by his dad to take care of his very own pokemon. After finding out that his new pokemon was a guy, he decided to name it Hyperion from something he’d read in his grandpa’s library.
Zernebog had wanted to begin a journey throughout Sinnoh when he had gotten his pokemon like how his dad was going to be journeying in Kanto, but his family wouldn’t let him, especially with only a newly-hatched pokemon as a companion. So instead, they spent the next three years training him and his Charmander in the art of combat, and the former in the art of raising and training pokemon.
During those three years though, it soon became obvious that his father wasn’t coming back after he refused to answer the huge amount of letters that he sent him to his supposed address in Kanto. Whenever he or his grandparents asked about his dad, his mom became quiet and evasive every single time, opting to change the subject. Because of that, Zernebog wanted to do some investigating of his own, so after the three years were over he asked permission to start his own pokemon journey.
Unfortunately while his grandparents supported his decision, his mother absolutely refused even after Zernebog repeatedly buttered her up and begged her to let him go out. When that avenue failed, he asked his grandparents to help him sneak out of the place in the name of learning… which was technically true. They agreed to help him escape his mother’s grasp, deeming him ready to tackle the world now that he and his pokemon were ready enough.
Thus, his grandmother arranged an educational trip to Snowpoint Town for Zernebog and herself, which was accepted without any hint of suspicion. On the way there they encountered a lot of pokemon, but there was one that he was encouraged to catch – a strange colored female Ralts that kept following them around. He managed to catch it after beating and then befriending her several times, earning himself another friend for life. On the way there they encountered a lot of people as well, but since they were kind of in a rush they didn’t really interact with most of them beyond small talk and asking for directions.
When they were finally there, he stayed with his grandmother for a couple of weeks before he made himself vanish with her help. Knowing that Sinnoh and Kanto would be the first places his mother would look, Zernebog asked his grandparents to lay a false trail all over Sinnoh while promising them that he would write and send them stuff that he learned and found in the places that he would visit. While he felt bad that he was leading his mother on a wild goose chase, he wanted to keep his freedom and find out the truth about why his dad wouldn’t come back home. But first, he spent two years hiding out in Hoenn and trying to ask people from Kanto if any of them knew about his dad.
He finally found a couple of leads by the end of those two years. By that time though, he felt extremely guilty for pretty much running away from home without so as much as a goodbye. However, he couldn’t return without knowing the truth despite his grandparents’ letters asking him to come back some time soon, so he simply sent a letter to his mom detailing his apology and his adventures throughout the two years before setting off for Kanto to follow the leads he had gathered.
He spent a year of searching in Kanto before finally finding his father, getting into all sorts of trouble. Some of these troubles ended up with his Ralts accidentally changing gender and his Charmander evolving into Charmeleon, amongst other things. In the end, all of those experiences gave him a more cynical edge… though sadly he hadn’t learned much about people.
When he finally found his father, he was shocked to discover that he had another family and had seemingly forgotten all about his family in Sinnoh. Confronting his father made said father tell him the truth about his conception and the deal, which pretty much shattered Zernebog’s world view. In the ensuing guilt for pretty much telling his son that he was a mistake, he let him stay with them for a few months to get to know his new family. During that time, he continuously rebelled against his dad and step-mom –even taking on his present-day hairstyle as a form of protest to their idea of proper- before his father finally got fed up with the constant feuding and called his mother to take him back to Sinnoh when he couldn’t handle the constant hostility of his son and his new wife anymore.
Being fetched by his mom after having run away for three years in his dad’s new family’s home was the most awkward experience in Zernebog’s life. The most horrifying experience in his life, in turn, was the subsequent legendary tirade his mom gave him for running away and using his grandparents as accomplices before he was grounded for six months, and not anything he encountered on the road. Eventually though, he managed to somehow convince his mother to let him journey again by using his own form of guilt-tripping, promising her that he’ll write often.
Thus, he set off to a new unknown region upon his grandfather’s request to study its legends and wildlife… and actually start his own real pokemon journey there instead of looking for someone. Unfortunately, he got sidetracked with his primary goal when he fell in with a certain underground organization out of a combination of curiosity and a liking to what they stand for. While he still explored every inch of the new region and took notes on everything from their culture to their geography, he was far more immersed in his new role within the organization.
There were a lot of firsts for him in this region. While in that region, Zernebog finally caught himself more pokemon. A lot more pokemon, in fact. He also found actual ruins to explore and even managed to see one of the legendaries even though he wasn’t able to face it at all. He even went on a blind date once, but to this day he still isn’t sure if it went well with that Raquel girl. At least he was able to challenge and win against one gym in that area by using a Magikarp to his advantage, which was a definite ego-booster. However, he wasn’t able to challenge the other gyms.
However, all of those firsts were eclipsed by his duties within that underground organization. Despite his grandfather’s requests and his own promises to his mother, he soon became consumed with his work within said organization. His jobs within the organization became more heinous and criminal as the months passed, and as they did his morals also started to distort into that of a career mercenary instead of the trainer and archaeologist that he really was, to the point that he didn’t feel a thing when he slaughtered people and pokemon. Joining the organization had started to turn him into a true monster, a fact only encouraged by his Haunter Erebus.
Zernebog soon realized the extent of monstrosity he had sunk into during a botched mission that had cost the lives of several of his newer pokemon. The truth really sunk in when he realized that the remorse he was feeling wasn’t because of all the lives he had taken and had been taken from him, but because he could only feel apathy about it all. That was when Zernebog finally decided that it was time for him to change before he crossed the line of no return. With that decision, he quickly packed his bags and left the new region once and for all with only ten of his pokemon in tow, and returned to Celestic Town in Sinnoh.
His mother and grandparents welcomed him back with open arms. However, all of the things he had done still haunted him as bits and pieces of his suppressed conscience slowly came back to life. Compounding his problems was the fact that he had no idea what to do next. He forced himself to remain isolated as a form of self-punishment, despite his family trying to reach out to him to try and help him out of the strange funk he found himself in since coming back from that region.
Strangely enough, the push he needed to find the answer to his problems came in the form of an untimely growth spurt. This growth spurt forced him to change his entire wardrobe because none of his clothes fit anymore, which gave him the idea that he needed- change. And lots of it. In pursuit of this idea, he dyed the red parts of his hair white and changed his entire clothing style. He then took it a step further and found himself new goals to strive for that matched his new attitude and lease on life, which confused his family but pleased them all the same.
Once he had made all of those changes, Zernebog finally felt that he was ready to move on and take on the world by storm. One way or another, he was destined for greatness and he was going to do it without resulting to copious amounts of bloodshed and destruction… no matter what Perses or Erebus wanted.
OOC INFORMATION
Directory Info: [size=3][b]EL TROUBADOUR[/b][/size]
[url=link to accepted application will be added by staff][b]Zernebog Romanov[/b][/url]
Face claim: [b]Okami[/b] - Gekigami, [i]Romanov Zernebog[/i]
Continuity: Import
Other Characters: Altair Stavros
Role play Sample:
Where did she pull that story from?
Zernebog’s face appeared completely relaxed and peaceful as he casually leaned against the wall with crossed arms and stared the pale and cowering Jimmy down. A small part of him was actually sickened by what he was about to do, but the larger and more ruthless part of him squashed that down. He had killed before, so what was one more?
“What?! Why would they have something against me?! I’ve done nothing but support them!“ Jimmy’s voice was raised as he glared at the woman who came out with that horrible bastard that started this entire mess.
”It’s simply business, Jimmy.” Zernebog looked at the grovelling owner with a pleasant smile. ”You no longer benefit our employers. You’re a smart businessman, Jimmy. You should know what happen when something or someone is no longer to your benefit.”
Jimmy’s face turned a dark purplish red as he prepared to scream and charge at the psychos who ruined his beloved establishment in a single night, only to freeze as something horribly cold and slimy suddenly wormed its way into his chest. His body broke out in violent shivers at the touch. It felt like he was being violated.
He didn’t know how or why, but he bet that the bastard and his little accomplice had something to do with it. “What the hell are you-?!” He suddenly choked off as he felt something ice-cold encircle his heart.
”Goodbye.” A sudden burning pain erupted from his chest as he felt a powerful tug, making him fall down to his knees. He coughed violently as something warm and sticky forced its way out of his mouth and throat even though he tried to stop it. His vision spun even as it began to slowly fade to black.
The last thing Jimmy ever saw were the cold blue irises of that nameless jerk, while the last thing he heard was distant cackling.
”Good job, Erebus.” Zernebog remarked once he was absolutely sure that the owner was as dead as can be. ”You can come out now.”
”Haunter….” The large purple ghost pokemon faded into view, gigging as he clutched his victim’s still-beating heart in his bloody disembodied hands.
Erebus raised the heart in the air and lolled out his tongue. ”Haunt?”
Zernebog was quiet for a few moments. ”…Go ahead. It’s yours. Just make it quick.”
With an exclamation of glee, Erebus ate the bloody heart. He only chewed it for a few moments before swallowing it in a loud gulp.
Once that was done, the stone-faced Zernebog uncrossed his arms and walked towards the corpse. Once he was beside it, he took out a lighter and a bottle of whisky he had palmed during the entire debacle.
”Hmph. What a waste of good liquor.” He muttered to himself as he poured out the contents of the bottle on the body while avoiding the pool of blood that was gathering around the head. Once that was done, he knelt down next to the body, placed his lighter next to it and set it ablaze.
Zernebog stood up and got some distance from the body even as it was consumed in flames. He watched the body burn for a few moments, his face still expressionless despite what he had just done. After those few moments, the sounds of sirens began to fill the air.
”…It’s time to go, my dear.” Zernebog idly commented as he turned away from the burning corpse. ”We need to be gone before the others arrive.”
With that said, he went back inside to retrieve his two pokemon quickly before the police and the fire-fighters could really get to the establishment.
[/div][url=link to accepted application will be added by staff][b]Zernebog Romanov[/b][/url]
Face claim: [b]Okami[/b] - Gekigami, [i]Romanov Zernebog[/i]
Continuity: Import
Other Characters: Altair Stavros
Role play Sample:
Where did she pull that story from?
Zernebog’s face appeared completely relaxed and peaceful as he casually leaned against the wall with crossed arms and stared the pale and cowering Jimmy down. A small part of him was actually sickened by what he was about to do, but the larger and more ruthless part of him squashed that down. He had killed before, so what was one more?
“What?! Why would they have something against me?! I’ve done nothing but support them!“ Jimmy’s voice was raised as he glared at the woman who came out with that horrible bastard that started this entire mess.
”It’s simply business, Jimmy.” Zernebog looked at the grovelling owner with a pleasant smile. ”You no longer benefit our employers. You’re a smart businessman, Jimmy. You should know what happen when something or someone is no longer to your benefit.”
Jimmy’s face turned a dark purplish red as he prepared to scream and charge at the psychos who ruined his beloved establishment in a single night, only to freeze as something horribly cold and slimy suddenly wormed its way into his chest. His body broke out in violent shivers at the touch. It felt like he was being violated.
He didn’t know how or why, but he bet that the bastard and his little accomplice had something to do with it. “What the hell are you-?!” He suddenly choked off as he felt something ice-cold encircle his heart.
”Goodbye.” A sudden burning pain erupted from his chest as he felt a powerful tug, making him fall down to his knees. He coughed violently as something warm and sticky forced its way out of his mouth and throat even though he tried to stop it. His vision spun even as it began to slowly fade to black.
The last thing Jimmy ever saw were the cold blue irises of that nameless jerk, while the last thing he heard was distant cackling.
”Good job, Erebus.” Zernebog remarked once he was absolutely sure that the owner was as dead as can be. ”You can come out now.”
”Haunter….” The large purple ghost pokemon faded into view, gigging as he clutched his victim’s still-beating heart in his bloody disembodied hands.
Erebus raised the heart in the air and lolled out his tongue. ”Haunt?”
Zernebog was quiet for a few moments. ”…Go ahead. It’s yours. Just make it quick.”
With an exclamation of glee, Erebus ate the bloody heart. He only chewed it for a few moments before swallowing it in a loud gulp.
Once that was done, the stone-faced Zernebog uncrossed his arms and walked towards the corpse. Once he was beside it, he took out a lighter and a bottle of whisky he had palmed during the entire debacle.
”Hmph. What a waste of good liquor.” He muttered to himself as he poured out the contents of the bottle on the body while avoiding the pool of blood that was gathering around the head. Once that was done, he knelt down next to the body, placed his lighter next to it and set it ablaze.
Zernebog stood up and got some distance from the body even as it was consumed in flames. He watched the body burn for a few moments, his face still expressionless despite what he had just done. After those few moments, the sounds of sirens began to fill the air.
”…It’s time to go, my dear.” Zernebog idly commented as he turned away from the burning corpse. ”We need to be gone before the others arrive.”
With that said, he went back inside to retrieve his two pokemon quickly before the police and the fire-fighters could really get to the establishment.
CODED BY SYLVIE
[/div]
{The Original Application}
[/font]Alias: Zerne, Dimushka
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Region: Sinnoh
Class: Trainer
Occupation: Archaeologist | Professional Battler
[/ul]
APPEARANCE
His facial features are sharp and defined, often set in a neutral expression or a frown of some kind. His eyes are gold, piercing, and are said to hold an icy and yet slightly haunted expression in them at most times. When his facial features are combined with his eyes, he resembles a predator. Curiously enough though, there are red markings around his eyes, on his forehead and on random spots of his body, but they don’t seem to detract from his looks at all. In fact, they seem to add to the intimidation factor. No one knows when and where he got these red markings except for Zernebog himself, and he isn’t telling anyone anytime soon.
Zernebog was previously very well known for his outrageous hairstyle. After all, it wasn’t everyday that a person got to see someone with white hair and a red Mohawk and ponytail at the same time. As a part of his newest lifestyle change, he had dyed the red parts of his hair white and had it grow out into a more normal hairstyle. Granted, his ponytail is very long now, and the hair on top of his head has grown shaggy –though he was still vain enough to have it styled in a look that worked for him- enough to need a bandana or a headband to keep it out of his face.
Because of his massive growth spurt, he was forced to get new clothes. He used it as an opportunity to change his entire wardrobe as well. He has finally incorporated t-shirts and closed polo shirts into his wardrobe, having gotten sick of just displaying his body all of the time. There’s even the occasional sweater for the cold places if he absolutely needs it. Trench coats and jackets are still staples of his wardrobe though, since now he prefers a bit more layers than he used to.
He now wears leather bracers, usually in black, gold, or white and red, along with black gloves. For his lower half, he retains his preference for baggy pants made out of either silk or denim along with sandals or combat boots. He prefers a white and red color scheme on his clothes to match his hair, or a black and blue scheme to contrast it. [/ul]
PERSONALITY
Creative – Zernebog’s always had a flair for creativity, something that his parents capitalized on and fostered. He often thinks out of the box, so much that he actually has some problems thinking inside of one. This comes in handy during battles, but not so much during social situations. Some might even say that the life of a coordinator would have been more ideal for someone like him, but he prefers the adrenaline rush and general violence of a battle over just showing off what a pokemon can do in some stage.
Kind – Beneath this abrasive exterior is a golden heart, as evidenced by the presence and utmost loyalty of his Kirila. Most of the time he really does mean well, but his own lack of knowledge about social etiquette combined with his prideful and stubborn attitude often gives off a very different impression. He was taught to be good by his parents and it did stick but unfortunately the road to hell is paved with good intentions… a notion which hasn’t stopped him from trying to be nice even though he’s been burned by the consequences of his intentions quite a bit.
Competitive - Zernebog absolutely loves competition, especially competitions involving fighting. To him, competition is a great way to spice up anything that is getting boring just for the fun of it. With his stubbornness, his competitiveness can turn into downright obsession with winning and feeling good about it if the challenge is stimulating enough, especially if the odds are against him.
Intelligent – Despite Zernebog’s violent and fight-crazy nature, he’s actually very intelligent. He finds it very easy to comprehend objects and situations around him, and when combined with his creativity it allows him to think up of many possible solutions to most problems. He also loves learning about new things, which is the primary reason why he loves being an archaeologist so much.
Shrewd – He’s not just very intelligent, but quite shrewd as well. He’s a good judge of character and has made many a great judgment call, especially in missions. Part of being shrewd requires astuteness, which he has in spades. He does make mistakes though, and when he does the consequences are usually very heavy.
Prideful - His main defining trait is his complete and utter belief in himself and in his abilities, almost to the point of arrogance. This absolute confidence is so massive that it is like a force of nature all on its own, being almost impossible to bend or break to someone else’s will and mercy... or so people think. In truth, this arrogance is in fact a façade to hide his true insecurities deep inside himself, which was cultivated from learning the truth about the circumstances of his parents’ marriage and his birth. Unfortunately though, this pride also makes him reluctant to accept anyone’s help when he doesn’t think it’s necessary.
Vain - Despite drastically changing his appearance into something far less outrageous, he’s still as vain as ever. He just doesn’t advertise it as much these days. Despite that, he still definitely cares for his looks with the same meticulous zeal that he uses for competitions that he’s actually interested in, and will be offended by any grave insult towards his looks… or worse, any marring. The loss of the chicken-themed nicknames is only a plus.
Opportunistic – Over the years of travelling and fighting that he did, one of the most valuable things he learned on his journeys is how to seize an opportunity. Not just that, but also how to hunt them down and learn to break its doors down. This is because he’d realized that opportunity doesn’t come knocking at your door – you have to break its doors down and take it like a bold thief in the night. It’s the only way to get anything done.
Nosy – He’s still as nosy as ever and loves to peer into the affairs of others. If there’s something that piques his interest, then he’s going to check it out whether or not he’s allowed to. It’s part of why he took to being an archaeologist so well.
Vicious - There are many definitions of the word ‘vicious’. Of those definitions, there are three meanings which describe Zernebog quite aptly, which he knows all too well and even embraces them with all his heart. First of these is his disposition towards very violent and destructive behavior when he feels that it is necessary, with necessary defined by his current whims. The second is his often malicious tendencies when affronted, which usually gets him into trouble when used against other people. The third is the sheer intensity and severity of his fierce nature. This last trait makes him all the more volatile and dangerous.
Closet Romantic - Zernebog pretends to hate romance and all things romantic out of macho pride, but in truth he is actually a closet romantic. Despite saying otherwise due to cynicism from his past relationships, he actually still believes in the concept of true love. He’s curious to know what being in love really feels like or even just to know what romantic love really looks like, especially after finding out the truth about his parents.
Ambitions: Zernebog’s main ambition is to take the world by storm. Just exactly how he is going to do it is something he has yet to find out, so his second goal is to look for the best way he can take the world by storm and use his drive for something constructive. His current options are beating all of the gyms in the known regions and discovering something revolutionary in an archaeological exploration.[/ul]
POKEMON
ALIAS: Hyperion
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Blaze
MOVE SET: Inferno | Dragon Claw | Solar Beam | Air Slash | Flame Burst | Smokescreen
Pokedex Name: Kirila
ALIAS: Prometheus
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Trace
MOVE SET: Teleport | Magical Leaf | Imprison | Psychic | Shadow Sneak
Pokedex Name: Haunter
ALIAS: Erebus
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Levitate
MOVE SET: Dark Pulse | Shadow Ball | Hypnosis | Shadow Punch | Curse
Pokedex Name: Gyarados
ALIAS: Perses
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Intimidate
MOVE SET: Aqua Tail | Bounce | Dragon Dance | Earthquake | Ice Fang
Pokedex Name: Shelgon
ALIAS: Icarus
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Rock Head
MOVE SET: Crunch | Zen Headbutt | Dragon Claw | Double-edge | Protect
Pokedex Name: Lucario
ALIAS: Diomedes
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Steadfast
MOVE SET: Aura Sphere | Bone Rush | Close Combat | Agility | Iron Defense | Reversal
Pokedex Name: Rhyhorn
ALIAS: Kratos
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Rock Head
MOVE SET: Stealth Rock | Bulldoze | Chip Away | Rock Blast | Scary Face
Pokedex Name: Scyther
ALIAS: Kronos
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Technician
MOVE SET: Double Team | Steel Wing | Swords Dance | Vacuum Wave | X-Scissor
Pokedex Name: Dratini
ALIAS: Iris
GENDER: Female
ABILITY: Shed Skin
MOVE SET: Dragon Rush | Extremespeed | Thunder Wave | Twister
Pokedex Name: Togepi
ALIAS: Apollo
GENDER: Male
ABILITY: Serene Grace
MOVE SET: Ancientpower | Metronome | Safeguard | Wish
[/ul]
HISTORY
Of course, Maria Romanov wasn’t happy about being tied down to a drunken mistake either. She had dreams of her own and didn’t want to be stuck living out her life in Celestic Town. Her dissatisfaction only grew as her new husband didn’t change his womanizing ways even after Zernebog was born. She asked –begged even- for a divorce from him but her parents refused to budge on it, stating that she would have to live with the consequences of her mistake and figure out how to make the best of it.
Aware that she wouldn’t be able to ever control someone like Ulrich, she eventually decided to make a deal with him when Zernebog became three years old. All he had to do was to act like a father in front of his son and his in-laws until his son turned ten, and then she would personally make sure that he would be able to pursue his dream without any strings attached. It took a while, but he eventually agreed to those terms.
After the secret deal between Zernebog’s parents, his family life became normal for the next seven years. Well, as normal as a family of archaeologists –and token trainer- can be. While he had his family around him, it couldn’t be denied that the early years of his life were filled with some loneliness. He was rarely allowed to venture down Mt. Coronet, and whenever he did he was subtly ostracized by adults and kids alike for his appearance and attitude, the former of which his mother remedied by having his hair dyed black. While the hiding bothered him, he was content to stick with the dye as long as he’d get some friends out of the deal. Unfortunately, the infrequency of his visits down the mountain made it impossible for him to keep the interest of the others his age anyway, but he still kept trying.
In those seven years that his family was whole, Zernebog was taught a lot of things by his family since they were too far from a school. Since his grandparents wanted him to become an archaeologist just like them, they taught him about the legends, myths, and histories of all the known regions. He learned about pokemon and how they were their equals and not slaves or pets, despite what pokeballs and other things may imply. They also taught him how to fight and survive in harsh environments and situations on his own, knowing that the boy couldn’t always depend on his pokemon to bail him out of a harsh situation.
At the end of those seven years, Maria fulfilled her end of the bargain and divorced her husband in secret. While she had learned to like him as an annoying friend, she wasn’t in love with him so it didn’t hurt her much to fulfil the bargain. However Ulrich did fall in love with her and his new family life, but the temptation to finally pursue his dream was too hard to resist so he simply went along with the divorce and left. He gave his son and in-laws the excuse that he was going on a learning trip to Kanto, not telling them that he wouldn’t ever be coming back.
Before Ulrich left though, he gifted his son with his very first pokemon – a baby Charmander. While Zernebog was sad that his dad was leaving for what he thought was for a while, he was definitely overjoyed by finally being deemed responsible enough by his dad to take care of his very own pokemon. After finding out that his new pokemon was a guy, he decided to name it Hyperion from something he’d read in his grandpa’s library.
Zernebog had wanted to begin a journey throughout Sinnoh when he had gotten his pokemon like how his dad was going to be journeying in Kanto, but his family wouldn’t let him, especially with only a newly-hatched pokemon as a companion. So instead, they spent the next three years training him and his Charmander in the art of combat, and the former in the art of raising and training pokemon.
During those three years though, it soon became obvious that his father wasn’t coming back after he refused to answer the huge amount of letters that he sent him to his supposed address in Kanto. Whenever he or his grandparents asked about his dad, his mom became quiet and evasive every single time, opting to change the subject. Because of that, Zernebog wanted to do some investigating of his own, so after the three years were over he asked permission to start his own pokemon journey.
Unfortunately while his grandparents supported his decision, his mother absolutely refused even after Zernebog repeatedly buttered her up and begged her to let him go out. When that avenue failed, he asked his grandparents to help him sneak out of the place in the name of learning… which was technically true. They agreed to help him escape his mother’s grasp, deeming him ready to tackle the world now that he and his pokemon were ready enough.
Thus, his grandmother arranged an educational trip to Snowpoint Town for Zernebog and herself, which was accepted without any hint of suspicion. On the way there they encountered a lot of pokemon, but there was one that he was encouraged to catch – a strange colored female Ralts that kept following them around. He managed to catch it after beating and then befriending her several times, earning himself another friend for life. On the way there they encountered a lot of people as well, but since they were kind of in a rush they didn’t really interact with most of them beyond small talk and asking for directions.
When they were finally there, he stayed with his grandmother for a couple of weeks before he made himself vanish with her help. Knowing that Sinnoh and Kanto would be the first places his mother would look, Zernebog asked his grandparents to lay a false trail all over Sinnoh while promising them that he would write and send them stuff that he learned and found in the places that he would visit. While he felt bad that he was leading his mother on a wild goose chase, he wanted to keep his freedom and find out the truth about why his dad wouldn’t come back home. But first, he spent two years hiding out in Hoenn and trying to ask people from Kanto if any of them knew about his dad.
He finally found a couple of leads by the end of those two years. By that time though, he felt extremely guilty for pretty much running away from home without so as much as a goodbye. However, he couldn’t return without knowing the truth despite his grandparents’ letters asking him to come back some time soon, so he simply sent a letter to his mom detailing his apology and his adventures throughout the two years before setting off for Kanto to follow the leads he had gathered.
He spent a year of searching in Kanto before finally finding his father, getting into all sorts of trouble. Some of these troubles ended up with his Ralts accidentally changing gender and his Charmander evolving into Charmeleon, amongst other things. In the end, all of those experiences gave him a more cynical edge… though sadly he hadn’t learned much about people.
When he finally found his father, he was shocked to discover that he had another family and had seemingly forgotten all about his family in Sinnoh. Confronting his father made said father tell him the truth about his conception and the deal, which pretty much shattered Zernebog’s world view. In the ensuing guilt for pretty much telling his son that he was a mistake, he let him stay with them for a few months to get to know his new family. During that time, he continuously rebelled against his dad and step-mom –even taking on his present-day hairstyle as a form of protest to their idea of proper- before his father finally got fed up with the constant feuding and called his mother to take him back to Sinnoh when he couldn’t handle the constant hostility of his son and his new wife anymore.
Being fetched by his mom after having run away for three years in his dad’s new family’s home was the most awkward experience in Zernebog’s life. The most horrifying experience in his life, in turn, was the subsequent legendary tirade his mom gave him for running away and using his grandparents as accomplices before he was grounded for six months, and not anything he encountered on the road. Eventually though, he managed to somehow convince his mother to let him journey again by using his own form of guilt-tripping, promising her that he’ll write often.
Thus, he set off to a new unknown region upon his grandfather’s request to study its legends and wildlife… and actually start his own real pokemon journey there instead of looking for someone. Unfortunately, he got sidetracked with his primary goal when he fell in with a certain underground organization out of a combination of curiosity and a liking to what they stand for. While he still explored every inch of the new region and took notes on everything from their culture to their geography, he was far more immersed in his new role within the organization.
There were a lot of firsts for him in this region. While in that region, Zernebog finally caught himself more pokemon. A lot more pokemon, in fact. He also found actual ruins to explore and even managed to see one of the legendaries even though he wasn’t able to face it at all. He even went on a blind date once, but to this day he still isn’t sure if it went well with that Raquel girl. At least he was able to challenge and win against one gym in that area by using a Magikarp to his advantage, which was a definite ego-booster. However, he wasn’t able to challenge the other gyms.
However, all of those firsts were eclipsed by his duties within that underground organization. Despite his grandfather’s requests and his own promises to his mother, he soon became consumed with his work within said organization. His jobs within the organization became more heinous and criminal as the months passed, and as they did his morals also started to distort into that of a career mercenary instead of the trainer and archaeologist that he really was, to the point that he didn’t feel a thing when he slaughtered people and pokemon. Joining the organization had started to turn him into a true monster, a fact only encouraged by his Haunter Erebus.
Zernebog soon realized the extent of monstrosity he had sunk into during a botched mission that had cost the lives of several of his newer pokemon. The truth really sunk in when he realized that the remorse he was feeling wasn’t because of all the lives he had taken and had been taken from him, but because he could only feel apathy about it all. That was when Zernebog finally decided that it was time for him to change before he crossed the line of no return. With that decision, he quickly packed his bags and left the new region once and for all with only ten of his pokemon in tow, and returned to Celestic Town in Sinnoh.
His mother and grandparents welcomed him back with open arms. However, all of the things he had done still haunted him as bits and pieces of his suppressed conscience slowly came back to life. Compounding his problems was the fact that he had no idea what to do next. He forced himself to remain isolated as a form of self-punishment, despite his family trying to reach out to him to try and help him out of the strange funk he found himself in since coming back from that region.
Strangely enough, the push he needed to find the answer to his problems came in the form of an untimely growth spurt. This growth spurt forced him to change his entire wardrobe because none of his clothes fit anymore, which gave him the idea that he needed- change. And lots of it. In pursuit of this idea, he dyed the red parts of his hair white and changed his entire clothing style. He then took it a step further and found himself new goals to strive for that matched his new attitude and lease on life, which confused his family but pleased them all the same.
Once he had made all of those changes, Zernebog finally felt that he was ready to move on and take on the world by storm. One way or another, he was destined for greatness and he was going to do it without resulting to copious amounts of bloodshed and destruction… no matter what Perses or Erebus wanted.
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OOC INFORMATION
[url=link to accepted application will be added by staff][b]Zernebog Romanov[/b][/url]
Face claim: [b]okami[/b] - gekigami, [i]romanov zernebog[/i]
Continuity: Import
Other Characters: N/A
Role play Sample:
Where did she pull that story from?
Zernebog’s face appeared completely relaxed and peaceful as he casually leaned against the wall with crossed arms and stared the pale and cowering Jimmy down. A small part of him was actually sickened by what he was about to do, but the larger and more ruthless part of him squashed that down. He had killed before, so what was one more?
“What?! Why would they have something against me?! I’ve done nothing but support them!“ Jimmy’s voice was raised as he glared at the woman who came out with that horrible bastard that started this entire mess.
”It’s simply business, Jimmy.” Zernebog looked at the grovelling owner with a pleasant smile. ”You no longer benefit our employers. You’re a smart businessman, Jimmy. You should know what happen when something or someone is no longer to your benefit.”
Jimmy’s face turned a dark purplish red as he prepared to scream and charge at the psychos who ruined his beloved establishment in a single night, only to freeze as something horribly cold and slimy suddenly wormed its way into his chest. His body broke out in violent shivers at the touch. It felt like he was being violated.
He didn’t know how or why, but he bet that the bastard and his little accomplice had something to do with it. “What the hell are you-?!” He suddenly choked off as he felt something ice-cold encircle his heart.
”Goodbye.” A sudden burning pain erupted from his chest as he felt a powerful tug, making him fall down to his knees. He coughed violently as something warm and sticky forced its way out of his mouth and throat even though he tried to stop it. His vision spun even as it began to slowly fade to black.
The last thing Jimmy ever saw were the cold blue irises of that nameless jerk, while the last thing he heard was distant cackling.
”Good job, Erebus.” Zernebog remarked once he was absolutely sure that the owner was as dead as can be. ”You can come out now.”
”Haunter….” The large purple ghost pokemon faded into view, gigging as he clutched his victim’s still-beating heart in his bloody disembodied hands.
Erebus raised the heart in the air and lolled out his tongue. ”Haunt?”
Zernebog was quiet for a few moments. ”…Go ahead. It’s yours. Just make it quick.”
With an exclamation of glee, Erebus ate the bloody heart. He only chewed it for a few moments before swallowing it in a loud gulp.
Once that was done, the stone-faced Zernebog uncrossed his arms and walked towards the corpse. Once he was beside it, he took out a lighter and a bottle of whisky he had palmed during the entire debacle.
”Hmph. What a waste of good liquor.” He muttered to himself as he poured out the contents of the bottle on the body while avoiding the pool of blood that was gathering around the head. Once that was done, he knelt down next to the body, placed his lighter next to it and set it ablaze.
Zernebog stood up and got some distance from the body even as it was consumed in flames. He watched the body burn for a few moments, his face still expressionless despite what he had just done. After those few moments, the sounds of sirens began to fill the air.
”…It’s time to go, my dear.” Zernebog idly commented as he turned away from the burning corpse. ”We need to be gone before the others arrive.”
With that said, he went back inside to retrieve his two pokemon quickly before the police and the fire-fighters could really get to the establishment.
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