This is a list of characters in Mokepon, all of them happily ready to deconstruct the source material.
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Trainers
Atticus
Atticus Brent
"And this adventure's supposed to be for little kids..."
Our protagonist. An apathetic young man, Atticus is kicked out of his house by his mum at the start of the story, claiming he needs to go on a Pokémon adventure. Due to having been somewhat of a shut-in, Atticus knows next to nothing about Pokémon and is very disconnected from the world he's living in. After being beaten by a childhood friend (sorta), he sets out to take revenge. Along the way, he meets various people, most insane, some slightly less so, and seems to be, dare we say it, softening up. At least towards Dragonthing, his starter.
Known Pokémon: Charmeleon, Pikachu, Magikarp, Gloom
- Anti-Hero: He really doesn't give a damn about the world around him, and is pretty mean to Dragonthing initially. By the time he reaches Pewter City his attitude sees a marked improvement, though he's still generally apathetic to people like George. Seeing as he's only just gotten his first badge, one can only wonder what Atty'll be like by the time he's got all of them.
- Berserk Button: Messing with his personal belongings definitely is one. He makes a pretty pissed off
face when he finds George snooping in his backpack.Atticus: What made you think you could ever go through my bag. - Blood-Splattered Warrior: Poor Atty gets splattered by the remains of a Pidgey that was too ditzy to get out of the way of an incoming lawnmower.
- Butt-Monkey: Most of the time he deserves it (especially in the comic's earlier chapters), but he's really put through the wringer in Chapter 10, to the point that you actually feel sorry for him.
- Character Development: While he's still easily put-off by the weird mentalities of the people he meets, he's decidedly less antagonistic or rude to the ones he respects. One can see a clear evolution in his treatment of Dragonthing, whom he at first handled like she was an inanimate object (and a pretty worthless one at that), but now shows genuine signs of affection.
- Creepy Monotone: Implied; the author said that the reason there isn't a question mark at the end of his questions is because his inflection rarely changes.
- Deadpan Snarker: Atticus is pretty snarky most of the time, being a teenager and the Only Sane Man.
- Death Glare: He's quite proficient with these.
- Distressed Dude: Due to being physically unfit and having little understanding of the outside world he ends up as this quite a lot.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The nicknames he gave to both Dragonthing (Charmander), Rat (Pikachu) and Fish (Magikarp) pretty much describe what they look like.
- Heroic BSoD: He suffers from one after nearly getting shot by Thaddeus, though he recovers fairly quickly.
- Hey, You!: While he does give his Pokemon nicknames and refers to them using them, the nicknames he gives are generally based around basic observations of what the Pokemon looks like, rather than anything similar to an actual name. He nicknamed his Charmander "Dragonthing" for instance, and his Pikachu, "Rat".
- Hidden Depths: He's actually a talented artist who would much rather be sketching Pokemon than training them.
- Ineffectual Loner: He's not really one for friendships, hence his continued attempts to ditch George. She sticks to him like glue though.
- Jerkass: Starts out as this, but Character Development gradually shifts him towards:
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Especially evident towards Dragonthing, after he softens up. Even towards George, he seems to be becoming less abbrasive (although that might just be because he's resigned himself to the fact that she won't leave).
- Laser-Guided Karma: His burning down of Viridian Forest catches up to him when he meets Thaddeus and Trixabelle again in Mount Moon. Downplayed, since destroying was an accident, and the only way for him to avoid death.
- Last-Name Basis: When George asks for his name, he randomly gives her his last instead of his first name. The reason isn't made explicit, but the fact that he initially thinks of her as a stalker might have something to do with it... She learns his actual first name later on.
- Minion with an F in Evil: He joins Team Rocket only to later realize he sucks at stealing. His conscience gets in the way.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His attempt to stop the swarm of Bug Pokémon didn't end very well.
- Nobody Calls Me "Chicken"!: At the beginning of the story, Kahn proposes they battle for the remaining Bulbasaur, but Atticus dismisses him. He's goaded into the battle anyways when Kahn suggests he's afraid to lose, something which Atticus' pride won't stand for.
- Non-Action Guy: Not that he's expected to be action-orientated given that he's a Pokémon Trainer, but it's made glaringly obvious due to the amount of dangerous situations he ends up in.
- Not So Stoic: He spends most of the comic with very few breaks in his bemused, cynical attitude. Until Chapter 10, where he's soundly beaten, mocked, and humiliated by two Gym Leaders and one of the Elite Four in front of a whole audience. Atticus quietly retreats to an unused part of the deck and breaks down in tears.
- Not What I Signed on For: He's been reluctant to go on an adventure since day one, but it's not until Mount Moon that it causes him to snap.Atticus: "Exploding fairies... forest fires... giant alligators... being trapped underground... I've had it. I did not sign up for this. Someone said something about happy adventures and friendships, did not say anything about nearly breaking your neck."
- Only Sane Man: Compared to some of the people that live in the world of Pokémon, yes.
- Smoking Is Cool: And apparently eating cigarettes is too.
- Spell My Name With An S: Some people spell his name with a 'k' rather than a 'c'.
- Stoic Spectacles: He rarely puts them on though. So far, we've only seen him with them while he was drawing, so perhaps he's longsighted.
- Waking Up Elsewhere:
- A humorous example; after knocking himself out with his own Pokéball, Atticus wakes up at Kahn's house, with Kahn's sister and several Pokémon right up his face, staring worryingly. Understandably, the guy freaks out.
- Happens again after his defeat at the hands of Stein, this time in a Pokécentre surrounded by even more pokémon.
Kahn
Kahn Miles
"Because some of us may need to take our opportunities for friendship wherever we can find them."
Atticus' neighbour, who coincidentally starts his journey on the same day that Atticus is forced to start his. Kahn is a kind of rival to Atticus, being more successful at the Pokémon Trainer thing, but he would probably prefer if they just got along. He also has a twin sister, whom he gave the remaining starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur (it would've gone to waste disposal otherwise).
Known Pokémon: Wartortle, Nidoran (male), Nidoran (female)
- Ambiguously Brown: He's of Turkish descent, apparently.
- Beware the Nice Ones: See Big Brother Instinct. He was also pretty brutal to Dragonthing in his first battle with Atty.
- Big Brother Instinct:
- Stealing the aforementioned Bulbasaur and giving it to his sister to cheer her up. Technically he and Atticus agreed to battle for it, as it would otherwise have gone to waste disposal.
- When Atticus returns a letter from Mana to Kahn, Kahn asks him if he read it and tells him it's okay to be curious. Atticus denies it, saying there's nothing to curious about (btw, he did read it and jacked the Super Potion that was attached). Kahn defends his sister saying that while his own letters would be uninteresting, hers ARE. The way he phrases it, though, implies something else about Atticus and his sister...
- Big Damn Heroes: He arrived just in time to stop Atticus from falling off a cliff.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Kahn definitely has shades of this. Atticus even calls him out on it later, while he's being saved by Kahn. Kahn manages to turn the insult back on Atticus though, by suggesting that that would make Atticus the princess. Then there's also this gem, from just a bit earlier:Atticus: Time's thin and Kahn's probably halfway to Pewter City by now. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up to him while he keeps stopping to better the lives of innocent bystanders-
- Combat Pragmatist: Kahn doesn't really waste any time trouncing Atticus in their first battle, despite the fact that it's pretty clear that both Atticus and Dragonthing have absolutely no idea what to do. He does call it quits after a few attacks though, suggesting they continue "some other time".
- Half-Identical Twins: With his sister, Mana.
- Laser-Guided Karma: During Atticus and Kahn's first battle, Kahn showed no qualms in giving his all even when it became clear that his opponents had no idea what they were doing. During their second battle, Atticus unwittingly won through a similar tactic- challenging Kahn when his whole team was near exhaustion. This could be another reason why Kahn took his "defeat" with such grace.
- Nice Guy: Probably the most well-intentioned, genuinely nice character in the main cast.
- The Rival: Atticus definitely considers him this, though Kahn would probably prefer just being friends.
- The Scrappy: In-Universe, though he might not know it. Everyone that we've seen (besides Gabe and his family) seem to hate him. Atticus is a jerk to him and all his friends seem happy that he's leaving and not coming back. One of them even says, "And good riddance" behind his back.
- Unwanted Assistance: Kahn ended up being defeated by Atticus in a Single-Stroke Battle... because it just happened that he and his Pokemon had just finished a hard day's training and were headed to the Pokemon Center. Kahn was perfectly happy to get on with his day without so much as explaining the situation, because Atticus had wanted the win so badly. But then Gabe showed up and took it upon himself to deal Atticus a Curbstomp Battle in revenge. Kahn made it clear from the start that he thought it was creepy that Gabe had been watching the first battle from hiding, spent the second putting his full support behind Atticus, and generally tried to hurry Gabe along before he seriously injured Dragonthing. All in all, it's safe to say that he didn't appreciate Gabe's "help."
Mana
Mana Miles
"Oh good, you're awake. I thought maybe you'd died."
Kahn's twin sister. Like her brother, Mana has an easy-going, sweet disposition and seems naturally inclined to help people (even Atticus doesn't faze her, which is saying something). Still residing in Pallet Town with her parents, Mana stays in touch with her brother via letters.
Known Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Rattata
- Alliterative Name: Mana Miles.
- Ambiguously Brown: She's of Turkish descent, apparently.
- Half-Identical Twins: With her brother, Kahn.
- In the Hood: Since the artist wanted to incorporate some kind of wardrobe change for the character (that wasn't too fanservice-y), Mana gets to wear a Growlithe-themed hoodie in her second appearance. There's a bit of Author Appeal going on there as well.
- Nice Girl: She helpfully smacks an embarrassing band-aid on the bruise on Atty's forehead.
Gabe
Gabe
"You've been training hard all day. On top of that, you've caught a few new pokémon. Your whole team's on one health, you're just about to go to the Pokémon Centre, and who should turn up? Gary. Fucking. Oak... Well. Or your rival of choice..."
A highly experienced trainer that Atticus and Kahn meet on Route 22. He calls Atticus out on battling Kahn while his Pokémon were already weakened (though in Atticus' defense he didn't know that) and proceeds to easily defeat Atticus in a Pokémon battle. He's known for wearing a mask, which is apparently popular enough to be sold as merchandise. George later explains that he's the newest member of the Elite Four.
Known Pokémon: Feraligatr
- Bully Hunter: He gives off this vibe. He appears to reprimand Atticus for facing Kahn when the latter's pokemon were too tired from training to fight properly, and also teases Laika for battling Atticus when his pokemon were clearly outmatched.
- Cool Mask: Kinda looks like a Pokéball.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Subjects Atticus to one.
- Expy: Looks quite a bit like Tobi.
- Hate at First Sight: The Cast page explicitly calls Gabe out on this. He first saw Atticus during his and Kahn's second battle, and formed an atrocious first impression of the "hero" for ambushing his rival when his team was exhausted. Even though Kahn was willing to let Atticus think he won fairly, and Atticus demanded a fair rematch as soon as he learned what had happened, Gabe insisted on playing Bully Hunter... by mowing down a novice Charmander with an Elite Four-level Feraligatr. And he doesn’t improve over time; the next time the two meet, Gabe gleefully rubs salt into the Humiliation Conga that Atticus is already suffering.
- Hopeless Boss Fight: He's basically what would happen if you really did fight a member of the Elite Four while just starting out.
- Jerkass: Reveals himself to be this in Chapter 10 when he shows up to first needle Laika and then absolutely mock Atticus for his defeat.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives a brief one to Atticus, pointing him out as being a
Gary MOTHERFUCKING Oak.
George
George
"After all, making friends is what Pokémon is all about!"
A relentlessly cheerful, female trainer that Atticus meets in Viridian Forest. Intrigued by his unconventional methods, George proceeds to follow him around and has shown to be very difficult to deter. With her blind optimism, slight naivete and boundless knowledge on Pokémon, George is Atticus' polar opposite. More often than not, it is she that forcefully moves the plot along, due to her companion's generally passive personality. After Atticus acquires his first badge, he makes it explicitly clear to her he doesn't want to travel with her anymore, leaving her beind in Pewter City. But it's not long until they reunite north of Cerulean City, and since then George has been a fairly consistent travel companion for Atticus.
Known Pokémon: Pidgey, Weedle, Bellsprout, Rattata, Drowzee, Sandshrew, Farfetch'd, countless others
- Bag of Holding: Can contain at least two sleeping bags, some sandwiches, a mask, a nintendo DS and probably some potions. The author lampshades this in the Alt Text by claiming George could've fit up to 99 sleeping bags (a reference to the item limit in the games) in her backpack, but not a single one more.George: ... It's a big bag.
- Curse Cut Short: When Mordecai finds what is most likely the last Pikachu in the burnt-down Viridian Forest.
- Damsel in Distress: She briefly becomes this when Atticus shakes her off his bag, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground, while the swarm of Bug Pokémon is about to catch up to them. Atticus turns around and goes to save his bag, which George had pulled off by accident, before dragging her along as well.
- The Ditz: She has shades of this; Atticus manages to temporarily get rid of her by suggesting they take alternate routes through Viridian Forest and see who's the fastest. Atticus' face (the last panel) at her falling for it is absolutely priceless.
- Foil: Her character seems to be almost deliberately designed to offset Atticus. First and foremost, she has the idealistic "Pokémon" mentality, she knows a great deal about Pokémon and the way her world functions and she is near-perpetually cheerful. By contrast, Atticus is a typical grouch that is usually at a loss of what to do in the Pokémon world, which makes little sense to him.
- Gender-Blender Name: This and her appearance threw some readers for a loop when she first appeared.
- Gotta Catch Them All: She doesn't seem all that interested in the league challenge, preferring to collect Pokémon. She does take the philosophy to its most disturbing conclusion... catch all of the Pokémon in the world. By the time Atticus sends all of her Pokémon to Team Rocket, George has somehow managed to capture more than twenty-six thousand Pokémon. It isn't specified whether this includes trainer Pokemon or not, but with George, who can tell...
- Hypocritical Humor:George: Golly, he was annoying, wasn't he. I thought he was never going to shut up! He just went on and on and on, and couldn't understand that you just weren't interested!
- Idiot Ball: She gets handed this during Atticus' rematch with Stein, when Atticus asks her what Bide does. While she is correct in saying that the user doesn't "attack for a bit", she neglects to mention that the user will pay back the damage it took during the waiting period. Commenters obviously weren't pleased when she mentions said tidbit after Dragonthing gets hit.
- In the Hood: Combines this with her Signature Headgear, until Chapter 10, when she ditches the oversized hoodie for an oversized hawaiian shirt.
- Ms. Exposition: Falls into this role fairly often since Atticus is not quite up to speed with a lot of the Pokémon world's ways. Some of what she says should definitely be taken with a grain of salt though.
- The Power of Friendship: A firm believer in this, though she has yet to convert Atticus.
- Put on a Bus: Atty rejects her proposal of continuing to travel together and leaves her behind in Pewter City.
- The Bus Came Back: ...And as of Chapter 8, she is back in full force.
- Say My Name: As she's being chased by the enraged swarm of Bug Pokémon:George: BREEENTTT!! BRENT!! WAIT FOR ME!! BREEENT!! Brent! Brent! Brent! Brent—
- Signature Headgear: She might be trying to mimic Ash or one of the Pokémon protagonists. Hers even has a Watchmen pin on it.
- Stalker with a Crush: Atticus already thinks of her as a stalker. The crush part is yet to be decided, though there are little hints here and there that George feels attracted to him (e.g. her subtle way at prodding if he has a girlfriend and subsequent frustration when he expresses his boredom at their midnight adventure through Pewter City).
- Tomboy: Appearance-wise, which lead to Viewer Gender Confusion for many, at least initially. Her personality, not so much.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: Although it's usually obscured by her hood.
- What the Hell, Hero?: She, rather surprisingly, is very pissed off at Atticus for accidentally burning Viridian Forest down. Also when he uses, Rat to take the brunt of a full powered Bide to keep DT healthy in battle.
- Never My Fault: On the other hand, if he hadn't had to go back to save her, the whole situation would probably not have happened. She seems to realize the necessity later on.
- You Didn't Ask: Happens more often than Atticus would like.
The Vent Siblings
Thaddeus and Trixabelle Vent
"To protect the world from devastation!!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!!"
A pair of oddly dressed, shady criminals first seen spying on George's attempt to catch a Pikachu. Apparently, they're part of Team Rocket, and have been on surveillance for quite some time, until Thaddeus decides to stir up some trouble. The two often quarrel, with the more childish Thad bringing out Trix's worst side, despite her attempts to stay above it.
Known Pokémon: Butterfree (multiple), Raticate (belonging to Thaddeus)
- Affably Evil: Trixabelle's "Have a nice day!" comments cements her as this. Her brother, not so much.
- Berserk Button: Referring to Thad's short stature.
- Cluster F-Bomb: Thaddeus is fond of these.
- Darker and Edgier: They're a much darker version of Team Rocket than the anime and even the games, what with their constant swearing and Thaddeus averting Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him? by pulling a gun out on Atticus. They also don't seem to mind burning down an entire forest, incidentally killing any trainers that were also present, for as of yet unknown purposes.
- Deadpan Snarker: Both of them, usually at each other, which is made more obvious in the "Ask Atty Anything" extra:Thaddeus: (when asked about his missing arm) What about it. Look I dropped it somewhere, okay?
...
Trixabelle: (To Thaddeus) Oh and I suppose I was the one who copied you when it came to wearing eyeliner.
Thaddeus: Tch, you're jus jealous cuz I can do it better than you.
Trixabelle: That you can wear makeup better than your sister is something no man should be bragging about, Thaddeus. - Evil Brit: Thaddeus uses quite a few British slang words, and has been confirmed British by the author.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: Along with their unique clothing, Thaddeus only has one arm.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Thaddeus is quite quick to anger.
- Sidekick: They're shown arguing about who's the sidekick to who in Mount Moon.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Almost a Verbal Tic with Thaddeus.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Averted for once in Pokemon! Thaddeus came close to just shooting Atticus simply for annoying him, but Trixabelle talked him out of it. The same thing happens again in Mount Moon, with a scientist stopping Thaddeus this time rather than Trixabelle.
Ricardo
Ricardo
"The battle's still burning! Come at me!!"
A typical Bug Catcher that Atticus encounters in Viridian Forest. Ricardo challenges an unwilling Atticus to a battle, emboldened by the latter's lack of knowledge and careless training methods. His Pokémon don't put up much of a fight however, and Atticus swiftly aborts the battle, finding it much too tedious. Dejected, Ricardo later resolves to broaden his horizons by raising more than just Bug Pokémon, but unfortunately, strays in the path of an angry swarm of Bug Pokémon before being able to act on said resolve. It's unclear whether he survived the encounter.
Known Pokémon: Caterpie, Metapod (five)
- Poor, Predictable Rock: Played straight, later explicitly called into question by Ricardo himself, after which he resolves to avert the trope.
- Talking Is a Free Action: Averted, Dragonthing takes out Ricardo's Caterpie in one hit, while the Bug Catcher is busy monologue-ing about the unbreakable bond of friendship he and his Pokémon share.
Ellenora
Ellenora
"We didn't burn down the forest yet, did we?"
Ellenora, or Elle, as she's more commonly referred to, is a trainer working at the Pewter Gym. Atticus battles and defeats her, thinking she's the Gym Leader, but only succeeds in earning the wrath of the actual Gym Leader, her boyfriend. While good-natured, Elle is shown to be somewhat simple-minded and doesn't always seem to consider the consequences of her actions.
Known Pokémon: Diglett, Sandslash
- Badass Cape: She's briefly seen with one when Atticus meets her (possibly to reinforce the belief that she is the Gym Leader, since the author likes to trick her readers), though she soon sheds it.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Like her boyfriend, she is quite a capable trainer, but also a bit eccentric. For example, she up and forgets about Atticus within the span of a day, the trainer whose jumper she practically stole.
- Defeat Means Friendship: This trope comes into effect when the newly-evolved Dragonthing bursts into the gym and she mistakes it for a wild Pokémon. Instead of sending out a Pokémon of her own, she sends out her boyfriend to defeat it, so she can catch it.
- Department of Redundancy Department: Does this when introducing her first Pokémon:Elle Rip his guts out! Gutripper!
- Dishing Out Dirt: Both her pokemon are Ground-type. Strange, given she works at a Rock-type Pokemon Gym.
- Dumb Blonde: She's not outright dumb, just a bit simple-minded.
- Expy: She bears some resemblance to Mello. Lampshaded by the author.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Yup, she and her Gym Leader are
in a relationship. - Minor Injury Overreaction: Both she and Serialslasher freak out when Dragonthing burns his paw.
- Ocular Gushers: Has a pretty minor version of this when Serialslasher gets his paw burnt.
Jeremy
Jeremy Stein
"You're a man. Act like one and face up to what you started."
The Gym Leader of Pewter Gym, Stein is an intimidating giant of a man that suffers from bad eyesight. This does not deter his battling skills though; he easily crushes Atticus in their first match. It's later revealed that his severity was because Atticus had made Elle cry. While good-natured, Stein is shown to be somewhat simple-minded and doesn't always seem to consider the consequences of his actions.
Known Pokémon: Onix
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: While he's a capable Gym Leader and looks very tough, he's also rather simple-minded. He crashes through the ceiling of his own gym without a thought, and later abandons his post to go on a vacation with his girlfriend.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Hands one to Atticus.
- To be fair, Dragonthing, the only Pokemon that could even hurt Stein's Onix, was already weakened.
- Dishing Out Dirt: If his Onix is anything to go by, he uses the Rock-type Pokemon expected of Pewter Gym, unlike Elle.
- Gentle Giant: Despite his intimidating build, he's a genuinely nice person. As long as you don't make his girlfriend cry. All bets are off then.
- Handicapped Badass: He has very bad eyesight, though he's not outright blind. His sense of smell sort of makes up for it.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Yup, he and Elle are in a relationship.
- I Let You Win: Concedes victory to Atticus after Bob falls, even though he had at least one other Pokemon.
- Meaningful Name: "Stein" is German for "stone".
- Raised by Wolves: There's a rumor that he was abandoned as a child and raised by a pack of Arcanine.
- Wake-Up Call Boss: He hands a smashing defeat to Atticus, prompting the boy to re-evaluate his training strategy.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Is this very much, likely to hint at the fact that he was raised by Arcanine in the wild.
Mordecai
Mordecai
"... I know you're in there. And I bet you know exactly what happened here."
An implied Gym Leader, nicknamed Cap'n, who acts like a boss to Elle and Stein. He's investigating the cause of the fire that burned down Viridian Forest, with Atticus and George barely escaping his suspicion.
Known Pokémon: Pikachu
- Handsome Lech: Hits on Pewter Jenny believing her to be one of the other Jenny's he has plans with, realises his mistake, then asks her out anyway.
- In-Series Nickname: Called 'Cap'n' by Elle and Stein.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Compared to people like Prof. Oak and Stein, definitely. His skirt-chasing activities aside, Mordecai looks to be one of the most reasonable, well-balanced adults in the comic yet.
Estelle
Estelle Nostrand
"Friendship and happiness... They never quite explain how to achieve that. Just a vague notion that they assume everyone can fit into. And they never let you know there's an alternative."
An executive of Team Rocket, Estelle is an unflappable young woman that Atticus comes across during his trek through Mt. Moon. After they manage to escape the cave's crazy Clefairy, she convinces a disillusioned Atty to join her organization.
- Affably Evil: Despite being part of Team Rocket, she comes across as one of the most reasonable and well-adjusted people in the cast; this likely played a part in Atty actually taking her up on her offer.
- Disappointed in You: A mild example, but she expresses her disappointment in Trix's progress with her Mt. Moon assignment.
- Meaningful Name: Her name is Estelle, which derives from the Latin stella (star), and she is interested in Clefairy, who are star-shaped and come from outer space.
- Nerves of Steel: Appears perfectly calm at all times; even when she and her subordinates were trapped by a horde of Clefairy that had a penchant for exploding, she calmly and quickly formulated a plan to clear a path to the exit.
- Pet the Dog: Offers to write Atty a cheque for unwittingly helping her in her mission.
- The Power of Friendship: Explicitly rejects this, as the quote above shows.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Does this in Chapter 10, vanishing in an instant once her conversation with Atty is finished. She was quickly dubbed Zubatman for it by one of the commenters.
Artemis
Artemis Rubens
"I will not battle you. Now go have fun running about and making too much noise like you children tend to do."
The Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym, Artemis loathes her job and would rather read a book than accept challenges from trainers. However, when Dragonthing provokes her temper, she proves more than willing to put Atticus and his Pokémon in their places. Artemis ends up losing the battle, but realizes Atticus is a member of Team Rocket and alerts the authorities. However, a misunderstanding ensues when Officer Jenny arrives, causing Artemis herself to be arrested.
Known Pokémon: Golduck, Seel
- Berserk Button: Dragonthing burning up the book she was reading did not improve her mood. Understandable, to be fair.
- Child Hater: A mild example. She disdainfully refers to the challengers she's had in the past as "snot-nosed little brats".
- Foil: To Atticus, as both are jerks in their own rights; while Atty is more generally apathetic and seems to have a heart buried under the layers of snark, Artemis has been shown as cold and callous in her treatment of others. Then again, Atty does have the benefit of having far more screentime.
- Graceful Loser: Played straight, then subverted. Despite her determination to beat Atticus, she quite readily admits her defeat when Niobe loses to Venus and hands over the Cascade badge. However, upon realizing he's a member of Team Rocket, she invites him into her office with the express purpose of taking back the badge so she wouldn't lose face for having lost to a criminal.
- Jerkass: To be fair, she did claim to be having a headache before Dragonthing destroyed the book she was reading, but she seems uninterested in doing her job and calmly mocks potential opponents, the customers at her gym, and her fellow Gym Leaders.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: If she hadn't been so adamant about getting the badge back, Fish wouldn't have swallowed it by accident and she wouldn't have been assumed to be the criminal and gotten herself arrested. Though Officer Jenny's Insane Troll Logic certainly had something to do with that as well.
- Smug Snake: Insults Atticus as one of the worst trainers she's seen, despite the fact that Dragonthing manages to hold her own against Artemis' Golduck, Niobe, who has both a type and arena advantage.
- Underestimating Badassery: Challenges Atticus to a 3-on-1 match (in his favor) due to his possession of a Charmeleon. While his starter does have a type disadvantage against Niobe, Artemis has no idea of his complete roster, which happens to include a Pikachu and an Oddish.
Allie
Allie Anderson
"A couple of wet blankets lose their eyebrows and suddenly they take away our right to stick our heads into exploding trashcans!"
The Gym Leader of the Vermillion Gym and the daughter of Lt. Surge, Allie is an energetic young woman who decides to forego the Gym Leaders' luxurious holiday on the SS Anne and excitedly accepts when Atticus challenges her to a battle.
Known Pokémon: Voltorb, Raichu, Jolteon
- Action Girl: Certainly has the looks of one, being dressed in practical gear with a bandolier slung around her shoulders.
- Alliterative Name: Allie Anderson.
- Eagle Land: Type 1, in full force. Apparently her gym is "approved US territory".
- Genki Girl: Her enthusiasm is beyond infectious, managing to get even Atticus hyped about the battle.Allie: Make this a mighty battle that will go down in history books! You got this!!Atticus: ... Yeah. Yeah, I do!
- Hurricane of Puns: While she's talking about the gym:Allie: I am committed to turning your Ma-chump into a Machamp! And your Mankey into a Man-key! And your Jigglypuff into a-George: ... Jiggly... tough?Atticus: ... Jigglybuff.Allie: Nah, a Dragonair!! That was a weird day.
- Large Ham: Not evident at first, but this trait becomes really apparent during the gym battle.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: She is first seen trying to convince her boyfriend to ditch the Gym Leader party for some "alone time". When we see her next, Allie and her boyfriend are emerging from a stall in the men's bathroom.
- Military Brat: As the daughter of Lt. Surge and she definitely seems to have followed in her father's footsteps.
- Shock and Awe: Is an Electric-type specialist, but also seems to wield some control over electricity herself, as her bracers can be seen sparking whenever she gets agitated.
- Sleeves Are for Wimps: Much like Lt. Surge, Allie seems to like showing off her toned arms. She does work in an actual gym.
Pokemon
Dragonthing
Dragonthing
Species: Charmander => Charmeleon
Trainer: Atticus
Trainer: Atticus
Atticus' first Pokemon, she was pretty much picked at random by her trainer. She's ever eager to serve, but unfortunately bound to a trainer who doesn't really care and is, intially, treated poorly. Like other Pokémon, Dragonthing didn't know how to attack without the help of a trainer, but being bound to Atticus seems to have had an effect on her. She later evolved into a Charmeleon during an all-night grinding session.
- Action Girl: Being a female Pokemon that engages in battle, this kinda goes without saying.
- Butt-Monkey: Was this at the beginning of the series, due to Atticus' treatment, but has grown out of it.
- Combat Pragmatist: Atticus' teachings seem to be slowly getting through to her.
- Determinator: Dragonthing will not give up easily, as mentioned below in I Can Still Fight!.
- The Four Loves: Of the friendship variety. She just wants her Trainer to love her, the poor girl.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man:
- After seeing the swarm of Bug Pokémon heading their way, Dragonthing bites Atticus to knock him out of his horror-induced paralysis.
- After the trip through Mt. Moon caused Atticus to snap, Dragonthing simply licks his cheek, bringing his sanity back.
- Kill It with Fire: Being a Fire Pokemon and all. Though she doesn't actually use any fire attacks until late into the fourth chapter.
- I Can Still Fight!: Dragonthing can be incredibly stubborn about continuing a fight despite being on a clear losing side.
- Level Grinding: She does this overnight, evolving into Charmeleon as a result.
- Mundane Utility: Atticus uses her tail as an impromptu lighter on occasion.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Though George claims she won't be this after she evolves.
- Samus Is a Girl: The comment section for the page revealing Dragonthing's gender was full of surprised reactions, most likely because the author also continually referred to Dragonthing as a 'he', to keep up the illusion. Atticus was likewise surprised.
- Single-Stroke Battle: Against Kahn's pokemon in their second fight, most notably Squirtle.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: George claimed that she would do this if she became a Charmeleon, but she turned out to be wrong about it.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: She successfully manages to take down Kahn's entire party. Turns out they were already sufficiently weakened from training beforehand and couldn't put up much of a fight.
Merric
Merric
Species: Squirtle => Watortle
Trainer: Khan
Trainer: Khan
Khan's starter pokemon. It's first seen dishing out a Curb-Stomp Battle to Dragonthing, whom Atticus didn't know how to command at the time. His rematch with her was decidedly less one-sided, as he was tired out from training. Merric later evolves into a Watortle.
- Combat Pragmatist: Doesn't hold back against Dragonthing during their first encounter, despite the fact that she can't even fight back due to Atticus not knowing how to command her.
- Making a Splash: Presumably has some due to his being a water type, but we've yet to see him actually use any water-type moves.
- Worf Had the Flu: His rematch with Dragonthing ends with his defeat due to being tired from training.
Rat
Rat
Species: Pikachu
Trainer: Atticus
Trainer: Atticus
Atticus' second pokemon. Rat is caught more or less at random in Viridian Forest and doesn't reappear until Pewter Gym, where he undergoes a crushing defeat (twice!). Although he's been treated quite terribly by Atticus, Rat seems to determined to prove himself and win his trainer's affection.
- A Twinkle in the Sky: It's both hilarious and kinda sad.
- Butt-Monkey: Seems to have taken the place of Dragonthing as the comic's primary chew toy.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Is on the receiving end of one these. Twice. Poor, poor Rat...
- Heroic Sacrifice: Hilariously subverted - Atticus forces Rat to take the Bide attack meant for Dragonthing!
- Made of Iron: Doesn't just survive the Bide attack, but gets up almost immediately after to wander off in the direction of its trainer.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Comes with the territory of being a Pikachu, though the author likes to draw Rat with a haunted look in his eyes a lot of the time.
- Series Mascot: It's a freaking Pikachu, for Christ's sake. Additionally, Ash is revered as a (long-dead) champion in the comic, so every trainer today wants a Pikachu for themselves.
- Shock and Awe: Rat is an Electric-type and seems to at least know Thundershock.
- The Cavalry Arrives Late: Goes in to save Atticus and Dragonthing from Niobe, only for his thunder to be stolen by Venus. Justified, as it appears Rat wouldn't have made it to Atty and DT anyway given how far he was when Niobe was just a step away from attacking.
- Undying Loyalty: In his first reappearance after being caught, the poor thing is forced to take on a giant Onix and is subsequently crushed. In the rematch, he gets smacked right out of the Pewter City Gym by the same Onix and crash-lands at George's feet later in the day. The first thing he does? Get up and immediately follow after his trainer, who hasn't exactly treated him with much affection since he caught him.
Gutripper
Gutripper
Species: Diglett
Trainer: Elle
Trainer: Elle
Elle's first seen Pokémon, Gutripper looks largely harmless and is therefore immediately underestimated by Atticus, who calls it "a thumb sticking out of the ground". Its high speed coupled with its ability to pop in and out of the ground allow Gutripper to evade Dragonthing's initial attacks, but it eventually falls after two Ember attacks.
- A Handful for an Eye: Its Sand-Attack, which blinds Dragonthing for the remainder of their battle.
- Deathbringer the Adorable: Gutripper certainly isn't the name one would expect for a cute little Diglett.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Since it's a Ground-type Pokémon.
- Fragile Speedster: It's incredibly fast, scratching Dragonthing within the blink of an eye (probably because the author didn't want to step out of canon by drawing a visible claw or something similar) and easily dodging the first counterattacks. It goes down after it's hit twice by an Ember attack though.
- Killer Rabbit: To people like Atticus, who only have Pokémon with a type disadvantage, Gutripper can be a big threat.
- Worm Sign: When it uses its Dig attack, which allows Atticus to warn Dragonthing ahead of time. He orders her to use Ember at the ground just as Gutripper surfaces, defeating it.
Serialslasher
Serialslasher
Species: Sandslash
Trainer: Elle
Trainer: Elle
Elle's second Pokémon, Serialslasher looks a lot more intimidating than its teammate, but is also a lot more of a wimp. Even though it has the upper hand for practically the entire battle, it technically forfeits (Elle recalls it from the battle) when Dragonthing burns its paw.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Since it's a Ground-type Pokémon.
- High-Class Glass: It's shown wearing one in Elle's fantasy.
- Minor Injury Overreaction: As mentioned above, Serialslasher and Elle start bawling because of a slight burn.
- Spectacular Spinning: For Sand-Attack, as well as the more offensive-oriented Rollout.
Bob
Bob
Species: Onix
Trainer: Stein
Trainer: Stein
Stein's only known Pokémon, though he claims to have others, Bob is a force to be reckoned with. He manages to take out both Dragonthing, who had just been healed up by a Super Potion, and Rat, who admittedly had had no training yet, in one hit in their first battle. Even when Dragonthing has evolved, Bob proves to be a difficult opponent, but he is eventually defeated by an onslaught of Ember attacks.
- Counter-Attack: His Bide attack, which Atticus initially has some trouble with.
- Gentle Giant: While he's certainly not gentle in battle, Bob looks decidely less intimidating while enjoying a sandwich. Yes, the author managed to make an Onix look cute.
- High-Class Glass: It's shown wearing one in Elle's fantasy.
- Mundane Utility: Stein uses him as a form of transportation when going to the grocery.
- One-Hit Kill: As mentioned in the blurb, Bob literally crushes both of Atty's Pokémon in a single hit.
- Taking You with Me: Does a failed attempt at this in the rematch. The evolved Dragonthing (as well as Atty and George, who were also in the path of the attack) manages to dodge Bob's last-ditch move, in which he attempts to collapse on top of her.
Fish
Fish
Species: Magikarp
Trainer: Atticus
Trainer: Atticus
Sold to Atticus by Russel the shady salesman, it has proven about as useful as you'd expect from a Magikarp. It was used by Team Rocket executive Estelle to clear a path through a large group of explosion-happy Clefairy, preventing Estelle and Atticus from being trapped inside Mount Moon, so there's that at least.
- Butt-Monkey: Seems to be a running theme with Brent's Pokemon; although it escapes a beating by an Onix, it later gets thrown into a horde of twitchy Clefairy that all use Metronome to Self-destruct... the resulting explosion causes a massive cave-in.
- The Load: A literal Fish out of Water, there's not much this poor fish can actually do until it evolves, even when its finally allowed to swim. If it ever evolves, as Atty's seems very disinterested in raising it.
- Made of Iron: Survives a horde of exploding Clefairy and the resulting cave-in.
- Oh, Crap!: When tossed at the Clefairy horde.
- Super Drowning Skills: even when put into a swimming pool in the Water Gym, Fish just begins to freak out and use splash.
Venus
Venus
Species: Oddish => Gloom
Trainer: Khan (formerly); Atticus (currently)
Trainer: Khan (formerly); Atticus (currently)
A happy-go-lucky Pokemon, Venus was caught by Kahn at some point and subsequently given to Atty as a gift. She has mostly been seen hopping about energetically, unaffected by Atty's apathy. She later evolved into Gloom during a grinding session in preparation for the Vermillion Gym.
- Big Damn Heroes: After having spent most of her screentime simply dancing unperturbed, she pulls off one of these when she saves Atticus and Dragonthing from Niobe with an Absorb attack.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Compared to the other Pokemon. While most of them have been shown to have at least some degree of human-like understanding, Venus took a while before she acknowledged her new trainer. Even her Big Damn Heroes moment is silly and random, though it could be a sign that she's not nearly as mindless as she looks.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Destroys every opponent on Route 11 without breaking a sweat.
- Genki Girl: Her smile hasn't faltered since her first appearance and neither has her energy.
- Green Thumb: As a Grass-type, making her very useful to Atty in both the Cerulean and Vermillion Gyms.
- Life Drain: Her Absorb attack.
- Made of Iron: Survives a point-blank Explosion from Allie's Voltorb.
- Perpetual Smiler: Atticus' dry attitude does little to deter her cheerfulness. She stays this even as a Gloom, who are traditionally Perpetual Frowners.
- Poisonous Person: Sticks to Absorb most of the time, but when faced with Allie's Raichu, who has a lot more health left, she unleashes a last-ditch Poison Powder to swing the battle back in her favor. She still ends up going down though.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Being an Oddish, and one who smiles all the time at that (though said smile can sometimes veer into creepy territory).
- Victory Pose: Does one atop a pile of defeated Pokémon during the grinding session. Yes, it's kind of morbid.
- Waddling Head: As Oddish, but loses this upon becoming a Gloom.
Niobe
Niobe
Species: Golduck
Trainer: Artemis
Trainer: Artemis
Artemis' Golduck, Niobe is a powerful opponent that shares her trainer's ill temper. However, this eventually becomes her undoing when she disobeys Artemis' commands to satisfy her vendetta against Dragonthing, giving Venus the time to drain away the last of her health with Absorb.
- Determinator: Even when she's being attacked by Venus, Niobe directly goes against her trainer's orders to switch opponents and continues to go after Atticus and Dragonthing.
- Foil: Towards Dragonthing; They are both female, have a somewhat similar body structure, are of opposing types, are pragmatic in their fighting, and while Dragonthing is usually sweet and calm, Niobe is violent and cold. Even their designs contrast each other, as Dragonthing is softer in look than Niobe's more angled structure.
- Kick Them While They Are Down: Niobe doesn't hesitate to charge Dragonthing again despite Atticus having just barely fished her seemingly-unconscious body from the pool they were fighting in.
- Jerkass: Much like her trainer.
- Making a Splash: She is a water type, using both Water Gun and Bubblebeam to give Dragonthing a hard time.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The beating she gives Dragonthing is little short of savage.
- Psychic Powers: She demonstrates some, despite not being a psychic-type.
