Robert Amaranth

Robert's story began on a cold early morning in the middle of winter in Castelia City. He was born into the well-to-do Amaranth family and had a rather comfortable childhood, and his acquired taste of finer things being a direct result of that. From the very beginning, Robert was groomed to become a star Pokemon trainer, just like the long line of ancestors before him. He frequented top tournaments all over the world, observing and studying each and every Pokemon battle he could. When he wasn't studying, the young Amaranth was often shadowing the Castelia City Gym Leader or volunteering at a Pokemon Daycare and providing care for the young Pokemon. In this period of development, an appreciation for new experiences and meeting new people was fostered. Robert learned the stories of the places and people he visited, planting the seed for his love of various folklores as well as cultivating his capacity for compassion.

It wasn't long until Robert finally reached the age of 10, officially ushering in his career as a Pokemon trainer. This was much younger than most children in the Unova region. But Robert was considered a child prodigy, and great things were expected from him due to his heritage. His family provided him with a roster of powerful Pokemon that had been raised by renowned breeders from all over. He was also given a Latios, one that was meant to be his "signature" Pokemon. These were Pokemon Robert had never met before, but they were the type of Pokemon an Amaranth was expected to have.

As if by design, Robert rose to the status of a child star. He took part in special tournaments and exhibition matches all over Unova. He couldn't participate in a gym challenge in official capacity because of his age, but the spectacle created a whirlwind in the competitive scene. Robert received sponsors and licensing deals, including his own line of "designer" berry products for pokemon care and nutrition. The success and attention that came with it brought both pride and pressure. Robert bought into the Amaranth hype and believed he was destined for greatness.

Despite these early victories, Robert was unable to use Latios in battles. The Eon Pokemon was always agitated, inconsolable, and unwilling to heed commands. No matter what angle of approach Robert took to control Latios, no method really seemed to be effective. The Pokemon refused to open up to him.

Galar became to stage for Robert's gym challenge. He had been visiting family at the time, when it was suggested by Amaranth elders that he compete in Galar's gym challenge against his Galarian cousins. The Amaranths swept through the challenge, but it wasn't until the semi-finals of the Champion Cup that Robert experienced his first failure. Here, he was handedly defeated by his Galarian cousin. For many Amaranths, this loss signaled a shift of prominence and favor towards the Galarian Amaranths. The Unovan Amaranths were no longer considered the face of the family. For Robert, the spectacle was gone, and the rising star soon faded into obscurity.

Humbled, Robert took time to reflect. His family still loved him, but that wasn't to say he wasn't a disappointment in their eyes. Stardom had abandoned him. It was in this time that he had an epiphany. He just wasn't what his family had made him out to be. But that path, which had been laid out before him brick by brick by the privilege of his heritage, wasn't the only road to take.

With a newfound resolve, Robert chose to move beyond his loss. He found new loving homes for the Pokemon that had been previously gifted to him by his family. Wanderlust soon took over and the young trainer took his adventure to other regions. He spent most of his teenage years exploring the world and meeting its people and Pokemon. It was a time for finding himself, for himself. He felt liberated from the sorts of expectations everyone had placed on him. Through his travels, Robert met new people and Pokemon alike. An appreciation for new experiences and meeting new people was fostered. Robert learned the stories of the places and people he visited, growing his capacity for compassion. He found that he could do good works for others not by being the best there was, but by doing the best he could. He may have not have been the prospected trainer others wanted him to be, but he knew he wasn't weak, that he had to the strength to do some good.

With adulthood came more responsibility. At the age of 18, Robert was abroad when he was called home to assume a responsibility passed down the Unovan Amaranth line. The protection of Liberty Garden and its secret now rested in his hands. Robert had grown to appreciate the landmark for the symbol that it was for the whole world to see. He also joined a global historical society and work in close tandem with the Nacrene Museum for various projects.

Now-a-days, Robert lives in a penthouse apartment in Castelia City, which serves as his base of operations. Here, he takes care of his family affairs and manages his own interests. He also used some of his family's wealth along with residuals from his designer berry products to acquire the product line and transform it into a philanthropic organization with a mission to help feed hungry people and Pokemon around the world. Robert is often travelling around the world to visit family or take part in anthropological expeditions.

Robert was hard to read, at least at first. Certainly, he was friendly towards strangers, but he wasn't as outward going as some. He normally had to be engaged by others before he'd insert himself into a social situation. Silence is golden, and Robert treasured his quiet alone time. It meant he didn't need to perform socially. He could just be. Robert really only opened up further with those he held particularly close. Those who knew him well enough would tell you about a thoughtful man with a good, sometimes silly, sense of humor.

Even as an introvert, he was very interested in people. He liked to watch them, wondering what their experiences and stories were like. Some might call him a bleeding heart; always able to sympathize with others. For this reason, Robert made for a good listener, an emotional support, and a friend. Listening, not speaking. He was patient with people, too. Robert understood the fallibility of humanity on a deep level. He also believed that most conflicts can be solved with diplomacy leading to understanding by all parties involved. It could be said that he has a naive hope in humanity. Quite often, this sense of hope leads to disappointment and frustration.

Robert had a prominent immature streak. He could easily be described as a "man-child." There were no shortage of eccentricities among his repertoire of behavior. These served as a further contrarian rebellion against his upbringing. He had a sweet tooth, enjoyed cartoons, and played video games, to name a few. He was also quite prone to hyper fixating on a topic. All of these stemmed from what Robert was denied as a child. Indeed, his childhood had caused an arrested development in him.

Despite his good nature, Robert could be pushed to anger. He will attempt to be amicable toward just about anyone. When dealing with someone who might be unruly, he might become flustered in his efforts to be neighborly toward them. After a certain point, dealing with someone who he considered to be toxic could set him over the tipping point. Robert's anger was cold and manifested as a quiet righteous intensity that smoldered under the surface. This was reserved for those who were particularly cruel. Though he doesn't like to hold a grudge, he can sometimes be left bitter. As an aside, Robert also has a tendency to get irritable when hungry or tired. He could also become pouty when things didn't go his way.

Robert loved to learn. Since a young age, he had wanted to know everything there was to know about everything. As a kid, he was a know-it-all that got on the nerves of his peers and even some adults. Nowadays, this aspect has been reined in, though he is quite the bag of seemingly trivial information. He quenches his thirst for knowledge with books, blogs, articles, and podcasts. It is because of this thirst that he is especially excited by something that he finds bewildering. It was a chance to learn, after all! And he loved a good mystery. Robert's natural curiosity, intuition, and strong sense of morality has gotten him into many of his predicaments. When something peeks his interest or doesn't sit well with him, a gut feeling might lead to some sleuthing. Sometimes the trail of "clues" can lead to some dangerous dilemmas and nefarious plots.

Robert was vain in a sense. Not wanting to be seen as someone who imposes on others too often, he never asked for favors. He also took pride in his appearance; he was well groomed and dressed and enjoyed looking his best. However, Robert also struggled with self-doubt and anxiety. With his sense of duty came an ever-present pressure for him to constantly live up to standards that have been imposed upon him since a very young age. It was constantly enforced in him to be the face of his family for a new generation. A stinging sense of doubt, a questioning of whether or not his actions were his own choosing or if they were simply just his doing what was expected of him, lingered in the back of his mind. This pressure sometimes becomes overwhelming and leads to insomnia and attempts to preoccupy his worrisome mind.

Depression also reared its head in Robert's life, and it often fostered episodes of reclusion. A sure sign of a depressive episode could be found in the state of his study; if it was left with books and items strewn about messily with no care to placing things in their original space, this was a sign of a dreary mood.

Robert had an eye for a particular style and detail that he sought to reflect throughout his life. From this, he developed a distinct visual style that he expressed through the music he enjoyed, the clothes he wore and his lifestyle. In this regard, he was a perfectionist. Anachronism was a favorite tool of his to invoke a sense of nostalgia. In fact, he found personal and cultural nostalgia to have a certain charm. In his eyes, objects, places, and stories with a strong connection with the past were beautiful. Even if they were forgotten and neglected, his admiration remained.

However, Robert was trained from a young age in stuffy and antiquated practices of etiquette, which he came to resent. In his adulthood he conducted himself in a more modern sense. He rejected the dated social norms of the Unovan aristocracy and found they weren't conductive for interacting with people outside of that circle. Robert's behavior was often viewed as unbecoming in the eyes of his peers. He could be crass at times, too. He found that certain language had a better effect of conveying meaning and feeling. That sort of language wasn't often featured in the vocabulary of his fellow aristocrats. Despite this, he was willing to put on a cultivated facade if it suited his needs.

Robert had an intense fascination with folklore, mythology and history, to the point that he keeps a collection of interesting curios and books in his library that he acquires in his travels. Robert was prone to pulling all-nighters studying and cataloging his collection until he passes out. It was a bit of a hobby of his that lead to his joining a historical society that has him working with folks from all over the world with similar interests.