[ REFERENCE ]: Survey
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
By no means is he "tall", but Paul's not a shortstack, either. Still, given his father's relatively short height, chances are he'll never experience much of a growth spurt. He's always been stick-thin, however, due to being sick most of his life. From his years of traveling he has developed muscles through that alone, but he'll always rely on baggy clothes to cover up that skinny frame of his.
2. How old is he?
13, due to be 14 in less than a month as of this writing. In TLH, he's 16 going on 17.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Paul always makes the effort to have good posture unless he's fatigued.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Since he was born, Paul was terminally ill with the same disease that killed his mother several years ago. Mun's been too lazy to elaborate on what the disease actually is (he's also afflicted with it in the fanfic he's adapted from), but it comes with devastating physical setbacks that makes Paul's immune system weak and only allows the bare minimum of physical competence that can only be maintained by consistent exercise. By that virtue alone, Paul can be considered "fit", but still physically frail. This also affects his speed and stamina, though he has an extraordinary tolerance to pain as his condition forced him to adapt to varying levels of it throughout his life. Additionally, as a Sinnoh native, Paul is intolerant of hot and humid weather and is prone to heatstroke.
As of September in pokedressing, Paul has been cured of the disease via Jirachi. It was accidentally transferred to Coza, the shiny Ho-oh and later Silver, but as of January the disease has been completely eliminated through the efforts of Entei. He'll still retain the disease in other RP canons (as well as the fic). Since he's been cured, Paul is now considerably stronger and more agile, but the damage done to his body will still prevent him from being a competent fighter in his own right.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
He's fluid, but also very tense and cautious. In spite of his setbacks, Paul's a well-coordinated guy.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Paul's an acquired taste, to say the least. His giant eyebrows usually offset anything that's positive about his appearance, but characters like Silver can make that work out. Others have mocked the eyebrows and the purple hair. Paul takes no pride in how he appears at all because of how much he resembles his father. He's long since accepted that this is just another instance where he got the short end of the stick in genetic inheritance, seeing as his brother Reggie turned out to be much more handsome. Paul's not a vain guy, so he prefers to not bother with his appearance as much as possible. He is self-conscious of how thin and meek his body structure is, though, which is why he'll go out of his way to compensate for that by wearing loose-fitting clothing and is very stubborn about having to take any of it off in public.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He bears a medium complexion; nowhere near the intensity of Ash Ketchum, but is far from being fair-skinned. In the summer, he tends to develop a significant tan.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Purple in color; debatable shade, though it is much lighter than his brother's. Somewhere in the lilac/mauve/royal purple hue. His hair is thick but rough as he never spends much time to properly wash it. Paul only spends minimal time with hair maintenance, rarely even brushing it, hence there's not much of a style to it, though it does have a tendency to curve inward. It only goes slightly past his chin as far as length is concerned, but there seems to be a minimal bit of layering in the front. His ears are almost always completely covered up by his hair.
9. What color are his eyes?
Black, with the slightest hint of purple if one scrutinizes him.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Mainly the distracting purple hair, giant eyebrows, and the almost-constant scowl on his face that tends to put others on edge.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Eyes, mouth, and hands. Eyes most notably; most often they're either wide open and focused or closed in a relaxed way. Under moments of stress, he will lose focus and wrinkles form around his eyes. When trying to control his unbridled emotions, Paul will squint frequently but try to appear merely annoyed while doing so. Aspects like this are primarily why Paul sucks at lying; when things don't go his way, it strikes him hard. Any instance of Paul bearing his teeth usually indicates great fear or intense rage. Paul will instinctively ball his hands up into fists whenever he's faced with direct confrontation, whether it's a pitiful attempt to control his emotions or him getting ready to go on the attack.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Always casual; Paul usually has to be forced to wear anything otherwise. He prefers dark and neutral colors with a clear preference towards blue and navy. He almost always wears a blue jacket (with various navy accents), even in the summer. Under that is a dark teal turtleneck that is either long-sleeved or short-sleeved depending on the season. He always wears dark gray pants and blue gym shoes. Since the summer, Paul has consistently worn a Shell Bell necklace (received from Silver) but always keeps it under his shirt.
At most, he will only tie his jacket around his waist if the heat is unbearable.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
His clothes are generally loose-fitting, not only for the sake of comfort but for the sake of covering up his frail, thin body frame. Paul's perfectly comfortable in his wardrobe unless it's exceptionally hot outside.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Essentially the same, yes.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxers. Blue ones.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Very deep, to the point where some believe Paul is much older than he really is. Puberty got him early on, clearly.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He has a very harsh, clear tone whenever he speaks, though it softens considerably around certain people. Paul makes the effort to keep an even tone regardless, only faltering when backed into a corner. Either way, it's usually unpleasant, as he almost always sounds indignant, accusatory, etc. Even with his friends.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
No notable accent or dialect, but Paul does have a tendency to be unusually terse, often speaking in fragmented sentences or one-word responses.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Just fluent English, nothing special.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Paul always speaks his mind. Though he prefers to convey his input by facial expressions, he won't hesitate to blurt out his thoughts.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Usually Paul keeps his words stiff and brief. In certain situations, though, he can rant with the best of them. He holds in a lot of rage, after all.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Mainly book-smart. He did grow up in one of the largest cities of Sinnoh and therefore had to acquire some sense of street-smarts, but it seems to have faded since his early childhood (where he was much more aggressive than he is in the present). Paul often reads during his free time and combined with the many years of traveling (with Reggie during his journey plus his own), he's very knowledgeable. But he always seems to have trouble grasping the concept of common sense.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Paul, headstrong as he is, almost always thinks on his feet. He prides himself on being able to make decisions quickly and feels that a wrong decision is better than being indecisive, so he tries to avoid situations where he has to think things over.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Very logical, to the point where Paul is blind to most Pokemons' emotional states, as shown when he nearly killed a baby Larvitar with intense training and was completely unaware of what he was actually doing to Larvitar. Likewise, Paul has abandoned the concept of blind faith and all forms of idealistic thought when Reggie gave everything up after losing to Brandon, so he's a practical guy.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
Whatever general education young children get in the anime Pokemon world, though Paul traveled with Reggie after their mother passed away, and Paul was only 5 then. So really, he's had very little formal education. He's mostly self-taught influenced by Reggie's guidance.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Paul has an eye for pinpointing a Pokemon's weak point and is very adept in building strategies for battle. And though his personal fighting skills leave a lot to be desired, Paul is capable of taking hits and managing to survive, even with the most grotesque of injuries. Above all else, Paul wants to learn how to become stronger in any way, shape or form.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Very introverted.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
He tries to keep himself even, but life on the island has brought about plenty of mood swings that have had him in situations he never once imagined himself being in before. Paul's generally a very negative-minded young man but remains very driven to achieve the goals he set for himself no matter how much he fails.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Always suspicious; Paul's trust is very hard to earn and he isn't fond of people to begin with. Paul prefers to sit back and let the new person prove their worth to him before he gives them the time of day, and if any pose to be a threat, Paul won't hesitate to assume to take them out himself. This generally applies to new situations as well, but certain variations can actually take Paul off-guard and render him very insecure and nervous if he doesn't immediately know how to handle it.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Definitely act. He's usually the one who stirs up the shit in the first place.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Always fight; Paul sees any other option as cowardly, and given his inclination towards violence, Paul won't hesitate to take on any challenge regardless of the odds.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Paul's sense of humor only exists in the form of cruelty at someone else's expense, usually in situations that normally aren't funny at all. And Paul saves that for misfortune befalling the ones he despises, such as Ash or Giovanni or Gold. Pretty much all other forms of comedy are trash in Paul's eyes.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
As screwed up as Paul is, there's got to be something wrong with his head, but nothing's really been diagnosed as of this writing. At most, it can be said for sure that he's almost as masochistic as he is sadistic, and throwing himself headfirst into danger is a good way for Paul to get his fill of both.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
His mother's death, first and foremost, the circumstances being so severe that it marked the point in Paul's life where he became much more reserved with his thoughts and feelings than he was previously. The day Reggie lost to Brandon and retired as a trainer shattered Paul's entire world and made him unwilling to ever mess with blind faith and hope again, as well as reinforce Paul's belief that he needed to become his own person and not let outside influence taint him, no matter how wrong he himself ended up being. When Paul learned of his terminal illness and lost to Brandon himself, he became aware of the limitations he was faced with and accepted his fate without trying to deny it any further; it was that point that Paul truly wished to do something to benefit the people in his life, knowing that for the grief he would give them for leaving the world too early on that he would have to make up for it by modifying his goals for their benefit before it would be too late, which finally made him significantly less self-centered (though he was ashamed to admit to changing his ways, thereby admitting his flawed judgment before).
In RP canon, additionally, he has been further humbled by meeting Silver and realizing firsthand how much worse his life could have been, which spurred on Paul secretly having a low opinion of himself. In TLH, the equivalent of this is being comforted by Ash after becoming a rape victim, as that not only made Paul aware of his own crippling limitations, but made him realize how strong a person Ash really was to be there for him and not take advantage of the situation like he most likely would have if the roles were reversed. There, he became aware of his own human needs and consequently softened up with modesty, though in TLH he usually only made that apparent around Ash.
In PD, many events made Paul break down and show the good intentions he so desperately tried to hide from the public, fearing he would be seen as weak. Most importantly, things like inadvertently saving Torterra's life, losing to Ash in battle, meeting little Silver and becoming attached to him, and falling prey to his own mental breakdown after resisting it for so long forced Paul to forgo his pride, that he always put before anything else, to admit that he needed to change his ways in order to achieve the goals he set out for himself. This is something he still struggles to fully accept presently and tries to make it up to himself by acting on his own during dire situations so he can resolve everything and take the spotlight for himself (such as pretending to be a Masked Child under Pryce). After being lost in time for almost two weeks, however, with no one to accompany him, Paul (mostly) came to his senses and realized where he was needed, forfeiting his chance to return to his world in order to be with the people he became attached with on Awesome Island. By doing that, Paul has been able to start learning how to set aside the pride that controlled him for so long.
14. What does he fear?
Weakness, one of which is actually fear itself. In various ways, this particular fear of his has since become a reality, which has resulted in him doing many stupid things since then to "redeem" himself.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He wishes to become the Champion of Sinnoh, ultimately, after defeating his father and doing everything he failed to do in his heyday. By doing this, Paul can assure himself that he has truly surpassed his father, and by doing so, he can free himself of that bond and write his father out of his life forever while still carrying on his legacy. Since he was made aware of his disease, Paul additionally wished to accomplish this much before his death in order to inspire Reggie to follow his example and make it easier for him to accept his status as the "true" successor to the Pyramid King's legacy.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
There are several things Paul has tried to hide from the public and even his brother, but in PD, he's been pretty much exposed due to circumstances beyond his control. Simply put, if there's any good-natured intent behind any of Paul's questionable actions (that otherwise makes him out to be the heartless jerk he wants people to see him as), Paul will do anything to make sure no one finds out about it. Even something as simple as, to give a recent example, breaking someone's wrist in order to retrieve a friend's stolen Pokemon.
One thing he's terrified of admitting is the fact that he doesn't really know why he's a Pokemon trainer, as he's primarily driven by revenge against his father and little else.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Paul's mother succumbed to her terminal disease when Paul was only 5, so he presently does not remember much of anything about her. Truthfully, before that event, Paul was very attached to his mother. The nature of her death traumatized Paul to the point where was forced to completely wall her off from his memories in order to keep pressing forward in his life, and as he grew older, the memories faded away naturally. Due to this, Paul is actually hesitant to learn about his mother as he is aware of how much Reggie still mopes over it in the present day and felt that he would suffer some kind of consequence that would render him irreparably broken if he were to learn the truth. Over time, he has felt a small connection with his mother due to finding out that he inherited her disease, which in PD led to him becoming genuinely curious about her. Still, the topic of mom isn't something Paul likes to think about very much. He's spent the majority of his life without one and feels awkward thinking about how different things might have been for his family if he had never lost her.
Brandon, Paul's father, is a much more bitter topic. Like his mother, Paul was actually very fond of his father in his early years; since the two had more in common, Brandon often played favorites and chose Paul over Reggie most of the time. However, Paul was too young to understand the circumstances behind Brandon becoming a distant figure in his life after his mother's death and was heartbroken when he saw firsthand how cold Brandon was to both him and Reggie when they finally reunited four years later when Brandon defeated Reggie at the Battle Pyramid, to the point where he would not even address his sons by name. Paul vowed to put him in his place one day and rub it in by eventually achieving the goals that Brandon himself once strove for and failed to reach. However much Paul despises Brandon for being a bad father, he can't deny how powerful Brandon really is and will hesitantly admit that he is easily one of the best around and a standard any decent trainer should strive to become. Though Paul will complain about Brandon's tendency to "cheat" (by using the Regis or using mind games during the battle to throw off a trainer), deep down he knows that his father is a genuine threat who won't bother with a trainer that isn't in his league, and rightfully so. Still, Paul generally sees Brandon as one of the world's best trainers, but also one of the world's worst fathers.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Reggie, his older brother by 5 years. Paul is both close and distant with Reggie at the same time. Reggie is actually the one who took responsibility for raising Paul after their mother's death and father's departure for Kanto, so however Paul feels, he knows that he is forever indebted to his brother for keeping him alive and relatively well. However, Paul and Reggie are polar opposites of each other in terms of personality, which makes Paul struggle to truly connect with Reggie on any level. Paul once looked up to Reggie and lived by his example until he was defeated by Brandon and consequently gave up, inadvertently breaking his promise to Paul that they would together one day show their father how strong they truly are by defeating him in battle. Seeing Reggie fall shattered Paul's entire world and forever changed him, so much that Paul then vowed to never become anything like Reggie from that point on. His respect for his big brother faded away into contempt, especially when Paul was always aware of how strong Reggie truly was. Reggie was born gifted with natural strength, agility, and everything Paul always wanted to possess but never could due to his illness. So really, Paul is extremely jealous of Reggie (who presently remains to be the superior brother, both in physical skills and Pokemon battling) and hates that his brother doesn't properly utilize his strengths. Still, Reggie always takes the high road in these situations and chooses to blame himself rather than call Paul out on being judgmental and selfish, so they rarely fight, much as Paul gives him hell over everything. Much like his good intentions, Paul doesn't like making it obvious that he truly does love his brother in spite of everything, be it to anyone who sees the two interact or Reggie himself.
In PD, an event made the two have a breakthrough that allows them both to be much more honest with each other. Though Paul still gives Reggie a hard time, he makes an effort to let Reggie know he isn't the complete failure he makes himself out to be. Paul realizes that Reggie suffers a few mental issues of his own due to the harsh way both he and Brandon treated him, so in an effort to not further contribute to the problem and become exactly like his father, Paul eases up these days and tries to make their relationship a little less dysfunctional.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
No one else, really. In PD (and much later on in the fanfic), Paul eventually learns that his paternal grandparents are still alive. Brandon hated his parents and ran away from them when he was still a child, never once looking back. Fearing what effects their old-school upbringing would have on his kids and not willing to face them after a 30-year absence, Brandon never told either of his kids about them, letting Paul and Reggie believe them to be dead. While this revelation infuriates Reggie, Paul is not nearly as offended after getting to know them. Learning that they were narrow-minded farming folk makes Paul come to the same conclusion as Brandon: that they wouldn't have been worth getting to know.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Only in PD:
Little Silver is very close with Paul and thinks of him as a big brother. While Paul is much more used to being the little brother, he's been very protective of little Silver from the start, almost on a parental level (much as he tries to deny that).
The Silver he's dating is someone he's sort of informally welcomed into his family, as Silver seems determined to never leave him. Sort of an inevitable future spouse, though even Paul knows it's way to early to be thinking of it like that (it's usually through Silver's insistence). By extension, he's also accepted the fate that his father-in-law will one day be Giovanni, head of Team Rocket. And like a typical in-law, Paul despises Giovanni and everything he stands for; after all, one thing that helped Paul and Silver connect was the fact that both of them have daddy issues. Also related along this line is one of the Golds, specifically the game/ficverse variety who is also with Silver. For a short time, Paul and Gold also had a relationship, but ultimately broke it off. What drew Paul close to this particular Gold, however, was the fact that his personality is very similar to Reggie's. So it's easy for Paul to see Gold like another brother, in a way.
Yellow has vaguely been a mother-like figure in Paul's life, having been the one to make Paul realize how close he actually was to his Pokemon by saving Torterra's life. Yellow's abilities allow her to read and understand Paul easily in a way that almost comforts him, and as Paul lacks a positive female figure in his life, he does value Yellow to a degree (to the point where he will go out of his way to help her if he feels the need). Though it isn't exactly mutual, Blue has been subtly developing a big-sister relationship with Paul over time, especially after she became acquainted with Reggie and started "dating" him. If anything ever develops between them, and Paul fears that to be a distinct possibility, he feels that eventually he'll have to one day accept Blue as a genuine sister-in-law.
With Torterra, Paul's starter Pokemon, there is some sort of familial relationship that isn't yet well-defined. Even as a Turtwig, Torterra only had Paul's best interests in mind and remained loyal to him no matter how cruel Paul was to him over the years. He has always seemed assured that Paul cares about him, even when he openly denies it. In his youth, Paul would tease Torterra after evolving and losing his speed and having his range of mobility severely limited. But once Torterra was fully evolved, he felt he could properly protect Paul from any threat that came their way. It isn't a father-son relationship, nor is it exactly brotherly, but it is a unique sort of partnership that has made Paul realize that Torterra does mean a lot to him.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
In the fic, the closest thing Paul has to a best friend is probably Conway. They met as participants in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Tournament in the anime where Paul and Conway were partnered with Ash and Dawn respectively. They faced off in the finals with Paul and Ash winning and had very minimal canon contact then, though Conway was present when Paul explained to Brock and the rest of the main cast about how he met Chimchar.
In PD, his best friend is easily Silver, who happened to be the first person Paul met on Awesome Island. They became close surprisingly fast after realizing how much they had in common, battling each other and finding one another to be a worthy competitor. This also rather quickly segued into Paul and Silver becoming attracted to one another, but the bond formed between them has created a strong friendship in addition to their adoration for one another.
6. Does he have other close friends?
In the fic... no, not really.
In PD, there is the aforementioned Gold, little Silver, and Yellow. There's also Cynthia, whom he both respects and has a tiny crush on. Then there's Soiahkra, a female Ghost-type shape-shifting Arceus who shares many of the same opinions as Paul and was a temporary party member in the tournament when he faced off against Gold. And though they aren't exactly close, Paul does hold a great amount of respect for a few Reds he met on the island, and unlike most people he meets there, he keeps a steady and consistent line of positive interaction with them.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
He has a very hard time getting along with people. It's hard enough just to agree with the guy, but Paul's aggressive and confrontational nature makes it all the more difficult to really tolerate him, much less become his mutual friend. Even then, he doesn't like making that public knowledge.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Hard to say since Paul only tolerates his brother as far as family goes, and... he's a pretty shitty friend, too. It really comes down to who we're talking about, because it's easier to say that Reggie and Silver are the most important people in his life.
In the fic, it's a little easier to say his priorities lie within his family.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Well, uh, he's barely a teenager, so three of the four don't really apply to him at all. He's very much single in the fic, but has been steadily dating Silver for over half a year in PD. In TLH, it's been almost half a year since Paul started up a formal relationship with Ash.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Yeah, since he's a kid, we can't really call Silver or Ash spouses, now can we? He's been with people other than them over time in both TLH and PD, but not really ever on "that" level unless you count Gold in PD, and even then, that was relatively brief and in conjunction with Silver.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Cynthia was his first crush no matter what canon he's in. In TLH, I'd say possibly Dawn. In PD... toss-up between Yellow and Ash, though he's really not seriously "crushed" on someone since he hooked up with Silver. In the fic, it doesn't apply since Paul's love life is pretty nonexistent.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Someone who understands his ways and respects that while managing to be strong both physically and mentally in their own right. Preferably, someone just like him. Which is why Silver fits the bill so well.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
Nope in all canons. And he feels the same way about the matter of kids no matter where he is: he doesn't want them. Little Silver aside, Paul doesn't really have the patience for children and has long since decided that Reggie would be the one who handles the matter of offspring since he's a natural at taking care of kids.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Paul makes enemies on a daily basis; there are far too many to count. As far as rivals, go, it's obviously easy to point to Ash, his canon rival on the show, though until recently Paul really hasn't given a damn about Ash either way and rarely takes the guy seriously. In the RPs, Ash is either one of his greatest adversaries or an important loved one in his life. One might also count Barry, though that one isn't felt mutually by Paul on the show or in the RP as of yet. Paul has expressed an interest in becoming rivals with Silver, gameverse Gold, and Red, but all three are way out of his league and he's come to understand that now. Specialverse Gold is building himself up to be a rival more on Paul's level, at least, and the two have already duked it out a couple of times during the raid on Pryce and the Dark Signers War.
Speaking of, Pryce is probably the closest thing to a "real" enemy (as in an actual villain) of Paul's; to a lesser degree, Chermaine falls under this as well. Possibly Giovanni as well, but the current active Giovanni that Paul interacts with is the one from Specialverse, who is probably the least-antagonistic version of the guy.
In the fic, one might say Mars/Team Galactic as a whole, but they're much more Conway's adversaries than they are Paul's. Brandon could count as a rival, but he's under the Red/Silver/Gold pipe dream clause.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Practically asexual in the fic. In TLH and PD, the closest that matches his actions is a 4: he isn't at all picky about gender (though he's got a bit of a misogynistic streak in him), but in all cases he ends up being the closest with men, so while he's essentially bisexual, he does lean towards men more often than not.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Well, he certainly didn't expect to be experiencing it this early on in his life, but it's a testament to how little Paul really knows himself. In TLH it's a little weird to talk about since that's pretty much the way of life over there, though Paul has been able to tell the difference between "sex" and "making love" in that canon and therefore greatly values it with Ash much more than anyone else. He was able to get into the swing of it quickly, actually, once Paul learned that the matter of the mushy stuff is totally an option rather than a requirement. It's a big thing with him and Ash since it's an unavoidable matter in TLH, but at this point they've become close enough to where I think Paul would be able to love Ash without it (though they're both getting so used to it at this point that they actually want to stay at that hellhole just to be able to keep doing it whenever they want).
For PD... well, it was a sudden rush for Paul, but also something that was new and exciting for him, and since it felt good, of course he indulged just like any teenage boy would. He still hates talking about it at length and is often embarrassed by it, but Paul can't say with a straight face that he utterly despises it. Even he knows he'd just be lying to himself. Now that he's had time to get adjusted to it, Paul doesn't really feel an urgent need to do it as often as he used to (which is something that presently irritates Silver). That's not to say he's bored with it, but it's obviously not something that's an absolute essential to him at this point (at least not on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis).
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Paul secretly enjoys being the submissive one. Though he complains about it in PD, he's just as compliant in the role as he is in TLH with Ash. More recently it turns out that he's a bit of a masochist and therefore gets turned on with scratching, biting, and generally rough play. Haven't really thought much about what turns him off, though arguments during the sex would easily be the biggest pet peeve, though that generally only happens in TLH whenever he's with a woman who won't hesitate to backtalk him. Though he likes being on the bottom, Paul's not big on humiliation, either. That just makes him self-conscious and ruins his mood. As far as weird bedroom habits... um, not sure if it counts, but he tends to be outright mushy and emotional whenever he's with guys whereas he usually talks to women like they're dogs.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Paul's an Aries in my fic/RP canon, which I think suits him adequately. A fire sign matches well with his headstrong righteousness, bravery, confidence, the will to fight, goal-oriented, aggressive, very strong feelings about winning and losing, determined, consumed with revenge, easy to anger, provocative, confrontational, unafraid to hurt others to prove a point or otherwise... all of that fits Paul to a tee.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
He's neither and generally it holds no importance to his life at all, especially since he's abandoned the key elements to religion and spirituality (hope, faith).
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Twisted as it may be, Paul does follow his own specific moral code. That was spurred on, like many things, by Paul's resolve to not be anything like his brother after he gave up on being a trainer. So the core idea there was to be everything Reggie wasn't. Paul won't do much to compromise it other than something extreme like saving someone's life. Which... in PD, happens more often than you'd think.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Generally indifferent, but he's very intolerant of people like Ash who he believes is trying to convert him (which for the most part is true). He's also intolerant of Reggie's beliefs, but I've already brought him up enough by now so that exception should be obvious to figure out.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Paul's prejudiced against the weak, which should speak for itself by now. He does seem a bit prejudiced against girls in general, but people like Cynthia proves to him that they can be worthy competitors just like his fellow men. Paul just hasn't seen nearly as many of them, and women in general just make him awkward since Paul grew up without a mother.
He's actually a bit prejudiced against people who have relatively normal, loving families. Though there's obviously more to it than that, Paul's always been judgmental of Ash, who happens to be very close to his mother. A better example is Barry in PD, who Paul's given a hard time since he learned that Barry is also the son of a Frontier Brain, but unlike Brandon, Palmer's a rather competent father and his mother's still alive. In the fic, if his treatment of Conway is indicative of anything, Paul doesn't much care for rich people and automatically assumes all of them are spoiled. That'll be better explained just a bit further down.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Paul's family is at best lower-middle class. Financial issues are the reason Brandon took up a job at Kanto's Battle Frontier. While it's a well-paying job, I imagine it's a bit pricey living in Veilstone City and it was probably a much more comfortable situation back when there were two parents making an income. While Reggie's gone to work since then, he doesn't nearly make the kind of money his mother used to make, so it's been a delicate situation at best.
None of this is terribly relevant in any RP since things are provided for free in any of those places.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
To people in The Know, Paul became rather well-known amongst trainers not for his skills, but for being the Pyramid King's son (or if we want to use Specialverse Gold's term, the "Pyramid Prince"). Just by looking so much like Brandon, it's pretty easy for a trainer to make the connection if they know anything about the Battle Frontier. This is not something Paul has ever prided himself on, as he hates to be associated with his father but knows he can't deny it. This has been pretty steady ever since Brandon became a Frontier Brain.
In PD, he is generally unpopular, rightfully so as he's so nasty to just about everybody, but I have a feeling he probably prefers that to being admired just for being Brandon's son.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
In the anime and fic, Paul lives in a modest house that doubles as a breeding/daycare center where Reggie works. Since becoming a trainer, it's really just his place to crash as he's rarely home like most trainers who go on journeys. Condition's probably fine; not perfect, but not about to fall into pieces, either. His whole family used to live there, but since his mother's passing and his father relocating, the only real occupant of the house is Reggie these days.
In the RPs, I don't think I bothered going into much detail. Homes/rooms are provided as needed, just like in most DRs.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Not much. Maybe books, but since Paul can't cook to save his life, he usually spends all of his money eating out anyways.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
Can we call being a Pokemon trainer a real occupation? He's very good at it, as he's been doing it for many years at this point. If he'd rather be doing something else, I imagine he'd already be doing it. But he's not the kind of guy who really enjoys himself, anyway. This is all merely his stepping stone to his real goal, which is becoming champion.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Dude needs more hobbies. He spends his free time reading, and really that's it. Paul's a guy who's devoted to his work, so he isn't exactly fond of having to do something unproductive just for the sake of doing so. But for a guy who's so inclined to competing and fighting, I guess Pokemon training/battling suits him quite well as a hobby. Even if he doesn't really know why he does it.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
In the RPs he probably has healthier eating habits since he's not sick there, but in the fic and early in the PD era, he would skip meals. Paul often doesn't have much of an appetite and his diet is just godawful.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Blue.
2. Smell? Ocean Breeze.
3. Time of day? Night.
4. Season? Winter.
5. Book? Mun needs to actually read books again to even begin to figure that out.
6. Music? Hard Rock variety.
7. Place? Veilstone City. Hey, it's home.
8. Substance? Er.
9. Plant? Willow trees (they count, right?).
10. Animal? Turtle. lol.
END
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