Carmine_Everett
Another entry in
A large and heartfelt thanks to TrainerKit for illustrating not only Carmine, but his faithful Arcanine, Flashfire. <3
Carmine, a Short Examination
A man of few words, Carmine is as near to an enigma as one can get in the media age. Well-known competitor on the semi-professional tournament circuits, he's quite talented, taking home first or second place more often than not.
And yet, for the most part, he lives out of the limelight. Rarely seen but for his tournament appearances.
Carmine is 6'3, a lanky, tall sort of fella', as he calls himself. Typically clad in a beaten, all-weather duster that falls to just below his knees, as well as a pair of well-tended jeans and a dark red shirt. Obviously well-used leather gloves typically cover his hands, though they're sometimes seen stuck into his belt. His trademark items, however, are the leather cowboy hat that sits atop his short-cropped hair, and the boots, complete with spurs, on his feet. Dark-haired and well tanned from a life outdoors, he sports a trimmed beard, and is usually spotted with a cigar smoldering in hand or clenched in his teeth.
Prodigy Rookie Trainer Carmine stuns locals with a last-round victory in the Regional Cup. Growlithe shows up Onix!
Carmine Langston Everett. A name few had heard of before his victory. Born on a ranch, son of a former Ranger, he wasn't going to be your typical spoiled kid, with some Pokemon bought from a store or traded for because it was 'cute'. Responsibility was drilled into him from a young age, as he was expected to work on the ranch, just like everyone else. Luckily for him, work entailed learning lots and lots about Pokemon almost from the time he could walk. This translated, once he was old enough, with a Pokemon of his own, into a string of victories on the amateur circuit.
Of course, at least part of his success was owed to his Growlithe, Flashfire, who's tenure as herd-dog had certainly given it the strength it needed to stand out in amateur tournaments.
Ace Trainer Carmine's Arcanine defeats Flannery's Torkoal in the 3rd Annual Volcanic Cup!
Fast forward six years. Carmine's Pokemon journey was well underway. He'd faced gym leaders, often disappointed but never truly defeated, and had begun to compete on a semi-professional level, pitting his team against other trainers in well-known tournaments for prize money. During this time, Carmine proved knowledgeable and skilled enough to defeat Top Ace Jessup, and earn his own place as a coveted Ace Trainer. That title in hand, he proceeded to sweep not only the Rolling Plains Invitational, but the highly competitive Volcanic Cup, his team of his Arcanine, Flashfire, the Sandshrew, Coriolis, and the unexpected newcomer to the team, Tenebra, the Scraggy, even managing a surprise upset against Gym Leader Flannery for the title!
Ace Trainer Carmine gives up his title to become a Pokemon Ranger!
Today...
Failing in his childhood bid for the seat of Pokemon Champion, Carmine quietly hung up his title as an Ace Trainer, and moved on. The wilderness called to him, a soothing reminder of his youth, and he joined the Pokemon Rangers for the chance to travel, meet new and talented trainers, and find a few more Pokemon to round out his team. While he is, perhaps, not the typical image of a Pokemon Ranger, fussy and intrusive, proper and book-learned, Carmine is well-known for his skill, and the breadth of his experience with Pokemon in the wild. While he stopped his pursuit of Pokemon mastery, his enjoyment of testing his skills and those of his Pokemon against other trainers never diminished, and he became a regular fixture on many tournament circuits, staying in town only long enough to compete, win or lose, and move on.
By this time, of course, he'd gathered a few more Pokemon to add to his team, rounding out the first three, who'd grown rather more experienced in the interim themselves.
Battle Record in the Park- 1-0-0
First Match: PKMN Ranger Carmine vs. Gym Leader Kit!
Terms: Friendly battle, tournament rules. 3 Pokemon, No Switching, No Items
Stats: Flashfire K.O's Malesant after nearly being done in by Hidden Power. Flashfire one-hit K.O's Faiga, after dodging the opening attack. Flashfire K.O'd by Seilana's Draco Meteor. Tenebri sent out, Kit loses by withdrawl.
Flashfire, Arcanine (Male)
History: Flashfire was the first Pokemon that Carmine ever got. Bought from a neighbor's litter of Growlithes, he was given away as a deal, since he'd burned the pen down twice, even at a few weeks old! He's Carmine's best friend, and is typically out and about, rather than in a Pokeball. He's unbelievably fast, a bit hot-tempered, and competitive to the core. He lives for tough battles.
Nature: Brash
Ability: Flash Fire
Item: Ruby Collar
Crunch
Extreme Speed
Flamethrower
Flare Blitz
Coriolis, Sandslash (Female)
History: Originally, Coriolis was the second Pokemon that Carmine bonded with. He'd caught a few others, but none had really matched his own personality, so he'd traded them away, or let them go again. He found Coriolis taunting a trio of Staryu, as a Sandshrew, from a sandy beach, and was enamored of her immediately. They proved an adept pair, with her unending supply of stamina and patience a good contrast to Flashfire's impulsiveness.
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Sand Veil
Item: Soft Sand
Slash
Dig
Crush Claw
Magnitude
Tenebri, Scrafty (Male)
History: Caught as a young, and rather shy Scraggy, Tenebri is often reluctant to fight. He'd rather play around, or just enjoy a nice shady spot. Still, when the heat is on, and someone's really in need of a good whooping, he'll pull out all the stops. He's gotten a bit more temperamental, since his evolution, but is still mostly non-confrontation, although with a substantial temper, and a dislike for most Psychic-types after a bad run-in while Carmine was still an Ace Trainer.
Nature: Timid
Ability: Moxie
Item: Sunglasses
Crunch
Snarl
Hi Jump Kick
Head Smash
Dauntless, Braviary (Male)
History: Dauntless' capture was the beginning of a new day, for Carmine. The first of his 'second three', the one he went to first when he realized he couldn't be a serious trainer with only three Pokemon. From an ornery Rufflet, Dauntless proved his mettle on numerous occasions, speed and power used without hesitation. After his evolution to Braviary, Dauntless only became more focused and thoughtful. He never applies more force than he needs, and rarely kids around. Still, he's a valuable companion, and a good foil for Flashfire's impetuousness.
Nature: Serious
Ability: Sheer Force
Item: Sharp Beak
Brave Bird
Fly
Crush Claw
Shadow Claw
Arborealis, Abomasnow (Male)
History: The only Pokemon that Carmine's ever caught that was already evolved, he and the Abomasnow had quite a battle over a cave up north, during a blizzard. Flashfire was badly hurt, and Tenebri unconscious, after a fierce battle with a wild pack of Sneasels. The Abomasnow was obscenely powerful, sending onslaughts of snow and ice at the trainer. But Carmine refused to give up, and won the dual-type Pokemon's respect. To make up for his actions, the Abomasnow agreed to join Carmine's team.
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Snow Warning
Item: Frozen Rain
Giga Drain
Blizzard
Grasswhistle
Avalanche
Starflame, Altaria (Female)
History: The last Pokemon that Carmine's ever caught, was originally a cute little Swablue. He named her Starflame, after her tendency to light up the night with her song. She was a bit of a magpie in personality, tending to snatch up items that caught her eye, and hoard things for herself. Carmine caught her because she set her eyes on him as 'hers', and he was unable to dissuade her. As it turned out, she was loyal and, sometimes, hardworking. After her evolution the mighty Altaria, she's become something of a primadonna, thinking herself above the rest of the group, and certain that any day now, she'll replace Flashfire as Carmine's favorite.
Nature: Naughty
Ability: Natural Cure
Item: Sparkling Diamond
Perish Song
Dragon Pulse
Sky Attack
Steel Wing