Name: Gem
Race: Pokemon
Species: Milotic (shiny)
Ability: Marvel Scale
Gender: Male
Age: 27 mental years
Birthday: June 26
Height: + 7 meters
Weight: Unknown
Nature: Lonely
Temper: Somewhat vain
State: Wild & Befriended
IVs & EVs: Unknown
Battle Moves: Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Recover, Dragon Tail + Wrap as a trump card
Mother: Lily (Milotic – deceased), Joy (surrogate mother)
Father: Jazz (Greninja)
Sibling(s): Axel (shiny male Greninja)
Mate: Jewel (Dragonair)
Offpsinrgs: Violet (shiny female dragonair) + Ruby (female Milotic)
Trainer: None, but listens to Joy as though she were one
Birthland: Kanto
Other facts: He evolved into a Milotic on his own, bears an unsual shiny sprite, and has inherited his mother’s unique tailfins.

----Background----

One of the four Pokemon to have secretly survived the terrible ambush which sunk the Kalos-Kanto cruise ship, Gem hatched in Kanto, Viridian Forest, in the arms of his surrogate mother Nurse Joy. With his true mother nowhere to be seen and his father recovering from dire injuries, the pink Feebas imprinted on the woman, and came to form a close bond with her.

This same bond got even stronger thanks to the rejection and bullying of other water Pokemon, who all shrank back at his odd color scheme and repulsive ugliness. The human imprinting also had the downside of leaving Gem unable to recognize his own sire. Despite Jazz’ best attempts to bond with his son, Gem simply didn’t trust him, and only appeared whenever Joy approached his pond.

His life turned upside-down when he became the target of a Fearow. Feebas aren’t exactly known for their brightness, but Gem distinctly remembers the big bird who tried to kill him, and the blue frog who jumped in to save his tail. Having never experienced protection from another being beside Joy before, this memory followed him as he swam to safety, along with alot of fear and confusion. Unfortunately he had never gone outside his pond before, so he easily got lost, and the river’s current carried him to Viridian’s Great Bay.

Hungry and not knowing what to eat in this new environment since he’d always been hand-fed, Gem tried whatever looked comestible to his eyes, and ended up eating the outdated, mushy residues of several dry-sweet poffins, carried over by the waves from the downed ship. Since Joy had taken special care to groom and shower him with love so he’d know even ugly Pokemon deserved acceptance, the combination was enough to spur his stressed body into evolution.

Gem’s new form surprised everybody, especially his father, who’d come to know about the extremely rare, shiny colors of a Milotic through Lily. For a tiny moment there were doubts about Gem’s identity, but Jazz quickly recognized Lily’s tailfins on Gem’s tail when his son spotted Joy and rushed over to meet her with a relieved cry.

Gem’s lifestyle as a Milotic became hectic just a few days after his evolution. His unique appearance, not to mention his exotic colors, drew him alot of attention from the local ladies, and while he was happy to finally connect with other Pokemon and make friends, the males very soon made it clear they hated him for stealing the attention of the females. In no time Gem found himself fighting dominant male after dominant male in self-defense, and losing not only the battles, but also taking terrible hits to his confidence.

Rejected, beaten, bullied and relentlessly chased off by more males wherever he went, Gem disappeared from earth for a time, sinking deep into the ocean to take refuge in its blackened depths. There he nursed his wounds, scavenged the ocean floor for food, and thought about home; about Joy, who’d shown love and kindness to him, and Jazz, who’d done the same despite being a male and someone Gem hadn’t trusted as a Feebas. The big world was a harsh place ruled by the meanest Pokemon, but back home, it was safe and loving, just like a mother’s comforting presence.

Thus, when Gem felt he was recovered enough to scurry back to Viridian Forest, he stayed there, first to finish healing, then to reflect on the terrible social life he’d had so far. He ached for friends, for a gentler, safer place in which he could get along with both Pokemon genders, and for a mate which would love him not for what he was, but who he was. And maybe... Just maybe... if all went well, he’d be able to reconnect with the father he’d so cowardly tossed aside as a Feebas, and get to be less lonely in this hard world by starting his own family. But first he had to become a male strong enough to make his father proud and increase his chances of finding a suitable mate for his offsprings.

To this end, Gem got the help of an unusual and most unexpected ally: Memphis the Arbok. Shunned by Viridian Forest’s local population for his predatory diet, Memphis knew exactly what it felt like to search for a place to belong into, so he was quick to take Gem under his hood and help him train to get stronger. Gem thus learned to move with stealth, how to hunt for prey, how to use his body like a weapon, and how to use his own attitude to intimidate and unsettle others into making mistakes during battles. All of this, plus Gem’s natural grace and looks, made for a shiny male Milotic who carried himself with the cold demanor of an ice prince. He showed his true personality only to his family, their few friends and the females he encountered; the other Pokemon males, however, got the cold treatment.

Having never forgotten the Fearow attack on his person, and very much aware that the Spearow population was the cause for half the wounded Pokemon who ended up in Joy’s cottage for treatment, Gem set out to make Viridian Forest a better place by feeding almost exclusively on these birds. Not willing to have a mate or offspring until he was personally sure no Spearow or Fearow would ever dare to attack the pond which saw his birth, Gem became a relentless hunter, purposely targeting the dominant males of the flocks and their follow ups. Not only did he grow bigger at a faster rate by doing this, but he also lowered the agressivity of the Spearow population by leaving only the lower-ranked, gentler males for the females to breed with.

As he grew in size and strength, Gem started edging back towards the sea, eager for companionship and new territories. His new goal on top of getting stronger was to accumulate experience with the fairer sex, because he wanted to be ready to give his other half the courtship and love she deserved once he found her. He also wanted to start afresh with his father by bringing him his lost Pokeball as a surprise, having heard of the sunken ship which brought them all here.

Of course, his reappearance into the ocean was quickly noticed, and soon, the battles for the right to simply swim in the area started piling up. Bigger, stronger, faster, wiser and more battle-experienced, it wasn’t long before Gem made a place for himself and finally got left alone by the stronger sex... for the most part. He hit a wall with the biggest Gyarados of Viridian’s Great Bay, a red male twice his size with an attitude to match his terrible strength. This one Gem learnt to avoid very quickly lest he want to die, a task made harder by the fact this dominant male became his most persistent pursuer.

Between his searches for his father’s Pokeball, his run-ins with Stalker the red Gyarados, his hunt for Spearows and his journey to get stronger and find a mate, Gem passed little time at the cottage. Aching to reconnect with his family but wanting to protect them from Stalker – especially Jazz and Axel – the Milotic started elongating his stays into the sea, until eventually he followed a pod of Lapras to warmer waters during their fall migration. His winter stay within the pod gave him the opportunity he needed to focus on training undisturbed, get bigger still and gain the experience he wanted with the ladies.

Gem also learnt more about the heritage his mother left him while within the pod, accidentally releasing his species’ natural power to soothe spirits when a pair of juvenile Lapras started getting violent in their bickering. Not knowing what it was at first, he practised all winter to master this new side of himself, which contributed to the pod’s wellbeing and even saved a few lives by keeping rebellious spirits from challenging each other’s ranks. Incredibly grateful for the effort he put into keeping the pod a coherent unit despite having no obligation to do it, the leader, which also happened to be Ash Ketchum’s released Lapras, taught Gem the move Ice Beam to help him get stronger still.

Defending himself by soothing violent spirits once back in Kanto made life much easier for Gem, allowing him to pass back and forth between Vidirian Forest and its Great Bay undisturbed. The only black spot in the picture was still Stalker, who’d also grown stronger during the winter, so Gem laid low and focused on finding his father’s Pokeball. For three years he frequently journeyed to the bottom of the sea, passing days, even weeks, with the wreckage before coming back onland to feed and check on the wellbeing of his family. And after many efforts, he found it.

To say Gem was ecstatic at having recovered his father’s Pokeball was putting it lightly. He pretty much raced back to the cottage in his excitement, though he became a shy Milotic when the grand moment finally came. The surprise on Jazz’s face when he approached him, and the shock he saw there when he dropped the Pokeball into his lap, got engraved in his mind forever.

Of course, Gem learnt through his first real conversation with his father that he didn’t have to go to such lengths to be forgiven; his presence and affection were more than enough for Jazz to be happy with his son. So Gem stayed at the cottage, living in his pond which Joy had Machamp enlarge into a small lake while he was away to give him some room to swim, and for the first time in his life, he felt at peace.

Then he met the apple of his eye a few months later, a beautiful Dragonair lady, and his heart was caught just like she was caught in the fishing net he’d found her entangled in. Two poachers disguised as fishermen were trying to fish her out, so Gem followed the net up and downed the boat plus its passengers to set her free. Made aware of the new threat lurking over the Great Bay, Gem untangled his crush as best as he could and then hustled her towards the safety of the cottage, knowing she’d be in good hands there.

Not wanting to leave her alone even for a moment, Gem passed all his time by her side as she recovered from her wounds and traumatizing experience. He left only to bring her food, otherwise hanging around and making sure she was comfortable. His fussing brought smiles to the rest of the cottage inhabitants, especially Jazz, who saw a good mate for his son in the Dragonair lady, and Joy pretty much sealed the affair by officially naming her Jewel, with Machamp as a witness. Even Axel showed up to greet the newcomer, a surprising feat coming from the skittish Greninja.

Showered with kindness from all parts, Jewel came to warm up to the cottage inhabitants and decided to stay rather than go back to the Great Bay, much to Gem’s immense pleasure and relief. Not letting his opportunity slip by, he started courting his crush as soon as she was completely healed, and by mid-fall, they were a couple.

Gem’s life got even better when Jewel laid two eggs the following spring, one hatching into Violet the shiny Dratini, and the other into Ruby the Feebas. Two precious lives he was more than happy to present to the rest of his family, and their birth signalled the start of a great year for everyone. He’s been a happy father ever since.

----His Battle Moves and their Side-Effects----

- Hydro Pump : The power he puts behind it is terrifying. An opponent can get seriously hurt if caught by this attack, and it can be deadly for Pokemon who are weak to water attacks.

- Ice Beam : Taught by an Lapras during his time overseas, it has become Gem’s favorite move for catching Spearows mid-flight. Like Hydro Pump, the power he puts behind each Ice Beam is terrifying, and can be deadly to those weak against ice attacks.

- Dragon Tail : Gem vied to learn that move after getting a taste of it himself from Stalker through their unique battle, which he had to flee from lest the Gyarados kill him. It has become his main defense against jealous males who won’t settle down or leave him alone; one hit is enough to knock out an opponent, and usually make his friends think better than to mess with him.

- Recover : His most precious move, as it has proved particularly useful to heal from the terrible wounds Stalker inflicted on him.

- Wrap : Gem is in the process of learning this fifth move, after Memphis showed him how some snakes hunted their preys with their coils to make up for their lack of venom. Determined to protect Jazz, Joy, Axel, Jewel and his two daugthers from the rising menace that was Stalker, Gem has been training on the nearby trees, with the goal to crunch the sturdy trunks to the point they ultimately feel over. If this move doesn’t break through Stalker’s very tough hide the next time they clash, then nothing will defeat him.

----Does Gem have weaknesses?----

Grass and Electric types can hurt badly if they get a shot at him. However Gem is not the type to seek trouble, so nothing has happened to him yet.

Likes: Females (for their kindness and gentle ways), friendship, peaceful moments and new territories to explore. His favourite food is watermelons, and he is particularly fond any time he can pass with his father, who he holds in high respect. He also loves affection, especially if it comes from his mate, old and new family.

Dislikes: Black pepper (it messes with his sense of smell), poachers, the general male population for how they treat him, and seeing his family suffer in any kind of way. He also has a grudge against Spearows and Fearows.

Fears: That Stalker finds the cottage, insults his lineage by mocking his father and brother who are both preys to his eyes, then kills them, Machamp Memphis and finally Gem, razing the whole place to the ground in the process and ultimately taking his mate Jewel and their two daughters to add them to his harem of subdued females. It’s a bit of an irrational fear, Gem knows, but he also knows Stalker would be perfectly capable of doing it if he wanted to.

Other quirks : Even though he is very happy with Joy as a surrogate mother, Gem still aches for his real mother, who he wishes he could have met to learn more about her and his own kind. Despite knowing it being futile, to this day he still calls plaintively to the deep sea whenever he goes out to explore new territories, somehow hoping against all odds to bring her back from the dead and complete his family.

----QUOTES----

None so far.

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This ref sheet took forever to complete, oh my god. But it is done, and boy am I happy to shed light on one of my characters <3

(Pssh: Since Joy and Axel came toe to toe in the votes on which ref sheet to do first, I decided to do Gem's to break the mold. I hope you guys don't mind too much!)

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Jazz, Joy, Gem, Axel, Lily, Machamp (OC), Memphis, Jewel, Violet, Ruby, Stalker & Fanart © me
Greninja, Milotic, Feebas, Nurse Joy, Machamp, Arbok, Dratini, Dragonair & Gyarados © GameFreak