A Rift in Time... [SUDS}

[VeloJello]

If anyone gets the reference in Opal's Pokemon names, I will give them one thousand dollars (untrue) and much respect (true).

Name: Opal Rouleau.

Age: 23.

Gender: Female.

Powers/Mutations: Has the ability to generate solid constructs made of what would seem to be hard light. The smaller they are and the closer they were to Opal when they were created, the stronger they are; the constructs are also bolstered when Opal is touching them.

Affiliation (and Position): Neutral. Opal likes to help people and have adventures, but she mostly wants to find her parents - and she’s seen too many sci-fi movies to trust the Task Force.

Appearance: Opal looks built for a wild life; already of good height at 5’7”, most of the muscles in her body are lightly toned from her constant activity. Her skin is light brown, broken up by a few scars - mostly about the arms, though she has one plainly visible on her chin as well - from less-than-pleasant wild encounters. She keeps her curly, dark brown hair cut short. Usually, she dresses simply in cargo shorts or pants, tee-shirts, and little-to-no makeup, though she also has a leather jacket and arm guards (like a falconer’s) that she sometimes wears when dealing with angry or rough-scaled Pokemon. She carries around a weatherbeaten leather satchel with her Legend badge displayed on the strap.

Personality: On the web, Opal presents herself as a knowledgeable, witty, slightly cocky person. Those who know her say that the only major difference is that she doesn’t have the advantage of being able to plan her jokes in advance in real life. They would also probably go on to add that she’s rather flighty, which is pretty true. While she tends to her responsibilities dutifully, she has a tendency to shirk work and avoid large-scale commitments. Furthermore, she’s also very impulsive and not particularly disciplined; she likes to jump from thing to new thing but tends to freeze when she feels that something actually important is riding on her shoulders. Opal is also an idealistic and passionate person. She’s deeply devoted to her work, and has high hopes of making a difference for the sake of the dragons she loves so much. She’s also quite cheerful and good-humored, although she can be rather out of touch when it comes to social situations. Furthermore, she’s very intelligent and quick on the draw; she knows a great deal about all sorts of Pokemon, especially dragons, and is good at staying levelheaded in immediate crises.

History: Born in Castelia City, Unova, Opal had an enjoyable childhood. Her father, as an ex-Trainer, emphasized the importance of bonding with and understanding Pokemon, which resulted in Opal being gifted with a Swablu companion at the age of twelve. At her mother’s encouragement, Opal began to do extracurricular research into Pokemon raising and handling techniques; through this research, Opal discovered a love of Dragon-types. She idolized Opelucid’s Gym Leader, Drayden, and trained both her Altaria and Gyarados in techniques just like the Opelucid masters. Much to her parents’ chagrin, rather than going to a university and nurturing her talent for research, she applied for a position as a Gym aide in Opelucid as soon as she graduated high school. Within a few months, she was testing Gym challengers as well as tutoring Dragon-type moves. Through this experience, Opal learned that even though a lot of people thought that Pokemon of the Dragon type or egg group were “cool”, many Trainers - herself included - didn’t fully understand their Pokemon and as a result often caused unnecessary destruction or distress. At the age of 20, she quit her position at the Gym in order to travel between regions, showcasing dragons of every sort and reaching out to teach people how to better appreciate the unique quirks that made dragons so difficult, but so rewarding, to raise.

Opal’s endeavor began in Unova, but she quickly began to move inter-regionally. She chronicled her journeys and dragon encounters in a video blog called “Tamer’s Travels”, which enjoyed moderate success. Between blog donations and winnings from battles and the occasional contest, she and her team didn't live in luxury, but they had enough to subsist on during their wanderings. Tamer’s Travels moved from region to region with little rhyme or reason. Usually, Opal was guided by rumors of active legends or news stories about powerful Trainers; when she heard that the Creation Duo was active, she took the excuse and went over to Sinnoh right away.

What she found was a bit different from what she’d gathered from hearsay. The Creation duo were every bit as inactive as ever, and the only people who were even talking about the two legends were a gang of LARPers called "Team Galaxy" or something. Despite this, Opal stuck around, and a few weeks after her arrival, she got a call from her mother. Her parents were looking to take a vacation, Sinnoh was close, and they wanted to meet up with their daughter again. She agreed.

Things turned pear-shaped very suddenly. In backwater Canalave, it was hard to get all of the details, but Opal understood a couple of important things. Number one, Sinnoh was now ridiculously dangerous. Number two, communications were borderline nonexistent, meaning that Opal had no idea whether her parents had gotten to Sinnoh, let alone whether they were alive. Paralyzed by indecision at first, she was eventually forced to reconsider her plan of waiting on her parents when her money began to run low. Before she could leave Canalave, however, she was caught in a mid-sized Ripple on the edge of town. She passed out as the wave hit her body but woke up a few seconds later feeling no worse for wear. She assumed that she was unscathed except by the fainting spell, until a paramedic startled her and she responded by throwing a ten foot wall of force between herself and the EMT. Confused and panicked, she fled the scene on Thomas’s back, and is now making the trek to Sunnyshore.

Pokemon Team:

Aaron/Altaria/M. As Opal’s first Pokemon, Aaron has always had a strong sense of loyalty and pride, even when he was just a child’s pet bird. Smart and a bit of a schemer, he likes to wait and watch for opportunities rather than rush into conflict. Despite his reticence in most situations, he will support Opal whenever he is needed. He's also noteworthy for being the group peacekeeper as well as a talented contest Pokemon.

Angelica/Gyarados/F. After evolving from a pathetic flopping fish that Opal had caught at the Castelia docks one day, Angelica was dedicated to becoming the most powerful Gyarados a Trainer could ask for. A quick-witted and independent Pokemon, she isn’t terribly fond of following orders, but will protect Opal or her teammates with her life.

Eliza/Hydreigon/F. Eliza was caught as a Deino after Opal was hired in Opelucid. The Opelucid Gym was full of Pokemon from the Deino line, presenting a very social environment that helped Eliza to become a bit calmer in temperament than the rest of her species. While she doesn’t mind fighting, she’s actually a surprisingly friendly Pokemon. She can often be seen cuddling with Alexander.

Thomas/Salamence/M. Caught while Opal was exploring Hoenn for signs of the Latis, Thomas was tough and show-offish when Opal caught him, and has become no less of a gloryhound over the years. He's not very fond of hard work, preferring to overwhelm opponents in a strong hit or to rather than permit a battle to drag on (ha). If Opal needs to fly long distances, Thomas is her go-to Pokemon.

Alexander/Charizard/M. While Opal was hunting rumors of an Aerodactyl nesting in the wilds near Pewter City, Kanto, she happened across a wild, free-roaming Charmeleon, which she caught. As far as Opal could ever figure out, Alexander had been released by his previous Trainer for being too difficult to train - yet another example, in her eyes, of why children shouldn’t be handling dragons without training. Rash, impetuous, and never knowing when to back down, Alexander has been only slightly mellowed out by time and tireless work with Opal. Likes to spend his time smooching Eliza.

Hercules/Gible/M. A bit of an unknown as yet; Opal caught him pretty recently. Hercules is perceptive and observant, and is always eager for a challenge. He tends to be a bit brash and loud, though not to Alexander’s extent.