"I assure you I'm very serious in my thesis, just like in every aspect of my life." Ethan Cypress
Age: 20
Year at the Institute: First
Favorite Color: Doesn't have one (
#839ADB)
Thesis Subject: Disputing the Origin of Pokémon: Life from Other Worlds;
Or, a Treatise on Extra-Terrestrial and Extra-Dimensional Organisms and Their Effects on Developing Life.
Appearance: A late bloomer. Ethan is tall and slim, and when taking the paleness of his brown skin into account, clearly more suited to office research than field work. Nevertheless, he finds himself having to venture out of the proverbial lab from time to time and always prepares appropriate clothes and gear for the task. When not doing outdoor data collecting he normally dresses professionally, although in casual settings he very much prefers comfort over anything else. Bags beneath his dark eyes are normal.
Personality: Ethan is every bit the nerd that he appears to be. He is studious and more on the serious side, and has been joked about before with the implication that he doesn't know how to have fun. However like many other professors-to-be, Ethan finds research itself to bring him enjoyment. He is straightforward and direct, and though its easy to think he does things by the book he often disregards past studies or warning signs for the sake of learning. He functions perfectly fine on his own with just his Pokémon companions, but he really doesn't mind being around other people. Then again, he has a hard time expressing his emotions and still sometimes doesn't know how to take a hint, coming off as awkward to those that don't know him well. When deep in thought he has a habit of staring blankly while taking notes, or mumbling if he doesn't have a notepad at hand, but he is rarely without one. Since childhood Ethan has been plagued by chronic headaches and less common minor memory lapses, so recording his thoughts is crucial.
Bio: Ethan grew up in Nimbasa City in Unova, though due to his parents springing for his admission into a private school he spent a lot of his youth traveling back and forth from home to Castelia City. That was the start of his independent streak, as he would navigate his way every day on his own. Sometimes, in the winter when it would already be dark on his way home, he would be late getting back due to stargazing. Although he was interested in Pokémon themselves he also didn't find much enjoyment in watching Pokémon battles, which made it more difficult to find common ground with peers his own age. Combined with always having his nose in a book, being the type that corrected teachers' work, and a habit of spacing out cemented him as a weird kid. Being 'apart' was a trend that would continue throughout his adolescence. He was just one of many that sometimes wondered if he really was the same as other kids.
He wouldn't say that he had a rough childhood or anything. His life at home was pleasant, he'd made one close friend in a wild Gothita that he eventually adopted as his starter Pokémon, and school normally went well. He skipped one or two grades, and the bullying was minimal. The worst instance of it would also lead to Ethan following the path of becoming a researcher. During a school trip to Mistralton City (a sleepaway event to see the airport, the gardens, the nearby chargestone cave, and various other interests in the area) a few troublesome students stole Gothita's pokeball. Maybe they were jealous of Ethan already having a partner, or they were just in the mood to cause trouble, or both. To get Gothita back Ethan chased the boys north from the city, until he caught up and one of them threw the pokeball into the Celestial Tower, forcing Ethan to enter in order to retrieve it.
Actually, it's hard to remember what exactly happened after that. He'd gone inside, found Gothita, had gotten the first and worst migraine of his young life, and then heard a lot of shouting and screaming from the other students that had followed him in. The next thing he knew they were all back in Mistralton, lethargic and missing memories. One boy ended up haunted with a Litwick attached to them. Ethan, however, had an actual alien stuck to his side. He transferred schools after that, but the Elgyem remained.
Ethan and Gothita had always been interested in stars and space, but after that point Ethan got more interested in all things "otherworldly." Pokemon that were stranger than others fascinated him from an early age, and since meeting Elgyem and seeing it up close, he had reason to believe it was a literal alien like so many people claimed. For example, the biology of "natural" Pokémon all worked differently from each other and ven within the same egg group or typing, the extreme differences between them were shocking. He'd been taught that all Pokémon had a common ancestor in the mythical Pokémon called Mew, but how could that really be true, though, when he had an extra-terrestrial Pokémon right next to him? And why stop at extra-terrestrial, when Ghost-types existed and some Pokemon came to life based on human interference, and in Alola there had even been reports of portals to other dimensions being studied?
With those thoughts on his mind he managed to get accepted as part of a work-study with Dr. Fennel post high school, who brought up the Laventon Institute to Ethan after seeing he was serious about becoming a professor. He then applied to the Laventon Institute with his outlandish thesis and no intent to change it. He has a list of locations and Pokémon to study, and plans to work intently for grants in order to go see these places and Pokémon first hand. Thankfully, the combination of a perfect GPA and a
modest donation from the Cypress parents secured Ethan a spot in the university when his his odd area of study might have otherwise got him passed over for another applicant.
Pokémon:Astraea -
Gothorita ♀
Met as a Gothita when Ethan ventured out of Nimbasa City to find a peaceful spot to read outdoors. During his reading he felt something staring at him, but since it didn't bother him he didn't do anything. Consecutive visits to the same spot saw the culprit steadily get closer and closer until she was sitting next to him and reading along. Ethan named her Astraea and she returned home with him after that. She is a quiet and thoughtful Pokémon that enjoys learning alongside her trainer. She also shares his interest in space, and loves charting constellations with him. She does not get along with Dalek and frequently fights with him behind Ethan's back. She evolved at the same time as him during one of these fights.
Dalek -
Beheeyem ♂
Met in the Celestial Tower one night as a kid, though the exact events around the meeting have been long forgotten. Since he was an Elgyem, Dalek always hovered close by Ethan when he is out of his Pokéball for reasons unknown. Ethan just assumes it took a liking to him for some reason. It might seem that Dalek is an unfeeling, uncaring type of researcher, but if one looks very closely he seems to like being praised. He does not get along with Astraea and frequently fights with her behind Ethan's back. He evolved at the same time as her during one of these fights.
Quirks:- Has a seemingly unending supply of spare glasses.
- He isn't great at capturing Pokémon, so he spends a great deal of money on all types of pokeballs, especially when he can't enlist others to help him catch new research specimens.
- Has quite a few magazine subscriptions, from Pokémon Researchers Monthly to Occulture. He submits articles to them from time to time with varying success at seeing them published.
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