rivalkidneypunch | relationships // INCOMPLETE

Green Team
	► Green Not just anyone could have made Char trust a human after Aiden's betrayal. Char certainly didn't make it easy on Green: he bit, he argued, he disobeyed, he ran... he did just about everything a Pokemon could possibly do to make their trainer resent them. It's very possible that Char's belief that hardship is the thing that builds unbreakable bonds stems from the hell he put Green through, because in spite of all that conflict, Char's devotion to Green is unshakable. Char's way of thinking clashes with most people's; he's not someone who's easy to empathize with, let alone understand. But Green... they don't even have to say a word. They just get each other. The struggles they've been through, the scars they carry from that, and the strength it lent to them are all so similar that you'd swear these two had been together all their lives. It's been a bumpy ride, but over the last two and a half years, the last vestiges of Char's hesitation have fallen away: he's Green's, wholeheartedly and completely. In a lot of ways, that simple fact is the catalyst that's pushed Char above what he used to be. The frantic need to prove himself, the lashing out and withdrawing, the fears of failure and the abandonment lurking in its wake: so many of the ugly things that cling to him are finally starting to fade, simply because of Green. He knows he's trusted, knows he's loved, and knows that there's no "but only if..." attached to that. More importantly, he knows that he doesn't have to be scared of loving someone so openly; he's tested Green time and time again, and his trainer has proved his trust can withstand the worst of it. Green made him better, not by demanding good behaviour, but simply by being Green. He's a kindred spirit, not a master, and Char is completely devoted to rewarding all the patience and faith that's been invested in him.
		► Bulba Char's relationship with Bulba is another perfect example to reinforce his belief that the hard times are what make bonds powerful: he's had more than a few of those with his little brother. Char hasn't quite been fair to Bulba for most of the time they've known each other: back in the beginning, he was little more than an annoying little pest for Char to vent his frustration on. Even when he began to warm up to Bulba, he still placed an unfair burden on the kid: Bulba was often the one caught in the middle of Char's instigating, or left feeling the sting of his avoidance and mistrust. Char's done his best to make up for what he used to be, but the mantle of "big brother" has been a bit of an awkward fit. The intent is there, always there -- he wants to protect Bulba, to be someone worthy of being relied on, to make him happy, confident, self-reliant. It doesn't always work out that way, though; Char's clumsy emotions have just worsened the situation instead of helping more often than not. In a lot of ways, the expectations that Char puts onto himself in Bulba's name range from unrealistic to outright impossible, and at times, the sheer weight of them makes him almost afraid of Bulba. The thought that he really is a bad influence, that he really does bring more harm than good... he can't laugh that off anymore. Still, the very fact that fear exists just proves how much he loves the kid. It's his turn to carry the weight, and he'll give whatever he's got to be strong enough to bear it. Bulba's constancy has been a lifeline through Char's stormy-hearted teenage years, the one bit of stability in a wilderness of self-doubt and uncertainty. He puts that pressure on himself because he wants to bring Bulba the same sense of comfort and security that Bulba brought to him.
		► Nyx Nobody is more surprised than Char that he's managed to stay in a relationship this long. He first met Nyx when she was a Gastly, and they've been together since. A lot of that is thanks to Nyx herself; Char would never be able to get along so smoothly with someone who didn't share his appetite for mischief. The fact that she doesn't sweat the small stuff makes her a wonderful counterbalance to Char's hair-trigger temper, but she still knows how to have a little fun. It's a liberating thing to be able to be completely and entirely yourself and still be loved, especially when "completely and entirely yourself" means "an unbearable jackass". For all his fears of never being good enough, it was surprisingly easy to put trust in Nyx; he can relax around her without a second's doubt, and that's a bit of a rarity for a hackles-up-back-against-the-wall guy like Char. She's absolutely a prize, and any misgivings that Char had about Green adding Nyx to the team proved to be entirely short-lived. Whatever vague little dreams Char has for the future, Nyx is a part of them; the idea of living his days out in Green's gym with her is a reason to look forward, not a reason to panic. It's for her sake and hers alone that Char has resolved to keep burning even after it's time for that tail-flame to be snuffed out; even if there is a heaven, he'd rather never even glimpse it than leave her alone for the rest of eternity.
		► Rhys Rhys kinda puzzles Char in a lot of ways. The two of them have so much in common, and yet are so utterly and completely different. Char hasn't exactly won a lot of battles against that explosive temper of his, so it's difficult for him to understand exactly how Rhys can be so in control of himself all the time. There's still a sense of competition, at least on Char's end -- maybe because of Rhys' nonjudgmental composure, though, it's not nearly as fierce as it is with Blast. It almost borders on playful: Char sees Rhys as a challenge. He wants to see the dude let loose now and then. And he certainly wouldn't mind persuading Rhys into a fight or two, either: the idea of holding your own against somebody with such a big advantage is a thrilling one.

Bumblefuck Brigade
	► Red Can go eat approximately 5000 unwashed dicks. Char hates Red, plain and simple. He was always shuffling in after Green, snatching away every accomplishment Green managed to get. Swiping the title of Champion right out of his hands then tossing it aside like it was a toy that had lost its novelty was the last straw for Char: it spawned a grudge that he still can't shake off. Red wisely chooses to avoid getting anywhere near Char whenever possible, so he hasn't had as much of a chance to cool down around the guy as he has for most of Red Team. More importantly, Char knows in the back of his mind that hurting Red would be the easiest way to set his team off. There is maybe a teensy, barely-there thread of reason somewhere in Char's head that suspects that Green doesn't actually resent Red and is no longer sore over the loss of the Championship, admittedly, but Charizards aren't known for being particularly forgiving. If Green ever gave the order, then Char would back off. But since it's never come down to that? He intends very much to stick with this "antagonize Red whenever the chance presents itself" strategy.
		► Vinnie Uh Vinnie can probably go fuck himself. There used to be a point when Char thought the two of them were maybe kind of alike -- he never admitted as much aloud, but he did begrudgingly respect the fact that Vinnie knew what it was to work for everything you had. He didn't like Vinnie -- probably never will -- but he didn't actually hate Vinnie, either; his taunting and provoking had more to do with trying to rustle up a fight with a rival than hitting where it hurt. If there's one thing everyone who knows Char can attest to, though, it's how fragile your standing with him is until he's ready to call you his. The weirdass dad lecture phase was just enough of a push to topple the respect that Char had for Vinnie. He wasn't different after all. He was just like the rest of his team: so smugly confident that his way was the right way, telling Char to scrap his pride like he knew best. That condescending speech plus the utter disinterest in fighting it out with his rival just sent one message to Char: I'm above you now. A fact that he's becoming uncomfortably aware of, lately. Despite Vinnie's year-long handicap, Char just can't come away with a clear victory -- the best he's done this whole time is a tie. It's not just a matter of strength, either: he sees just how close Bulba and Vinnie are. That, tied in with Vinnie's whole "you're a failure as a brother" lecture, are starting to convince Char that he's being replaced as Bulba's big brother. No matter how he looks at it, Kerosene's fallen short in every way, and is once again being left behind. It may sound hard to believe, but with his pride still shattered by Max's branding, he's dangerously close to giving up here.
		► Sasha Ohh, Sasha. Here we go. Simply by virtue of being a Charizard and therefore setting those competitive instincts all abuzz, Sasha was always the easiest target for Char back in his Charmeleon days. He still seems to carry a hell of a lot of resentment toward her even now; he hasn't forgotten a coddled, sheltered girl telling him he doesn't know what it's like to suffer... and he definitely hasn't forgotten her alternate self striking down a little Charmander by the name of Kerosene. Truth be told, while evolution did dial down Char's aggression, it also put a weird skew on his relationship with Sasha. Char takes what he is very seriously; maybe it's harder to live in such a warlike way and put such a high price on his trust, but being a Charizard means not comprimising your pride. Char can live with the stigma this approach earns him for that reason. But Sasha... to him, it seems like she's immune to all those instincts that Char cares so much about. If a human or a Venusaur can't understand it, that's just how it goes. But when the only other Charizard around doesn't understand the things that matter so much to him, it's... well, it's a strangely isolating, painful thing. A lot of his picking on her has centered almost entirely around that feeling of betrayal, really. Still... she is, by pokedex definition, a Charizard. Don't expect him to ever say as much, but after they liberated those enslaved Charizards and taught them how to cope in the wild, a seed of respect has slowly been sprouting somewhere in the back of Char's head. They may argue (a lot) and their approaches may be polar opposites, but Char can still notice when someone's making the effort to be a little self-sufficient.
		► Sonny Moe Char actually gets along pretty well with Sonny Moe; they can hold a perfectly civil conversation every now and then. Ask Char if he hated Sonny Moe, he'd probably just look annoyed and give a halfassed shrug. And yet, the contradiction: Char may feel that it's his personal duty to make each member of Red Team feel the same despair they brought Green when they took the Champion title from him, but the malicious part of him is especially going to enjoy breaking Sonny Moe. Nobody has a right to be that happy all the time, as far as he's concerned.
		► Marie Unlikable self-pitying pantywaisted sobbing manbaby. Punt into stratosphere on sight.
		► ~~Kojiro~~ Dungeons & Dragons and going to the library. The only way to get any more uncool is to borrow Marie's Team Edward shirt.
		► Chika

All the rest
	► Naoto ~~Genny but 90% whiter.~~ Eh. Alright, I guess.
		► Samus No human will ever reach quite the same level of open, unafraid trust that Char has for Green, but Biomech comes pretty close. It's hard to say exactly how that came to be; in the beginning, she wasn't much more than a pair of bomb-ass tittays to make smartassed remarks at. Starting with the Enchanted Ballerina incident (don't ask), that began to change. Piece by piece, Char's been granted a few glimpses into Samus' life, and the two of them have even combined forces on a few very unlikely bounty bounty missions in the past. Char's not going to pretend that he understands everything there is to know about Biomech, nor does he expect that she'll eventually tell him everything; it wouldn't be quite right to call them buddies, and the two of them definitely have their boundaries. Even so, Char trusts Samus. It's unspoken, and it's weirdly indirect and roundabout -- but that's just the way things end up with such wary, distant souls. Still, it's undeniably there; Char has allowed her things that nobody other than Green is allowed. She was the one that desperate Charmeleon went to for help, in his usual avoidant, destructive way. He fought for her in the Port Town fighting ring -- and actually obeyed her. He shared soul-flames with her when she was a Charizard. As jealously as Char guards his true name, she can use it as she pleases. He allowed her on his back when his wings carried them both to Sinnoh. In Char's eyes, Samus is deserving of the title "dragonhearted": Char understands that her trust is something to be earned, not given away, and under the smirking come-ons and avoidant silence... he really does treasure those little glimpses she offers.
		► Alex Ultrabro until he finds out about electrocuting Green.
		► Max Max has always been a bro to Green Team, starting from the time he helped Char run for student council way back in his Charmeleon days. They did weight training with him, they served on the football team under his leadership, he took in the Slowpoke that Char had once known in his feral days, and he's always had a way of getting involved during troubled times, for better or for worse. After three or four years of hanging out together, Char was okay with calling Max a friend. SO MUCH FOR THAT. Lonely nature means you take that much longer to trust people, and lonely nature means that it stings twice as hard when someone you do trust hurts you. And in Char's eyes, Maxizard forcing that Orange Star tattoo onto him was one hell of a betrayal. Char has spent his entire life haunted by the idea that he'll always be inferior, incapable. That was what kept that tiny little runt from being picked as a starter for so long. That was why Aiden left him behind. That was what kept him from trusting Green for so many years. That's the fuel behind his bitter disdain for Red Team's I-know-better superiority. That's the voice that whispers that he'll never be a worthy brother. And now? Now there's a mark of shame on him, unavoidable proof that yes, he is too weak to keep up. The two things holding Char together, keeping that bitter, self-loathing Charmeleon he used to be at bay, were his pride as a Charizard and the fact he belonged to Green. Max took both of those away, and made it clear that no, Char isn't capable of protecting those all-too-important things. After four tumultuous years of trying to conquer that fear that he just couldn't be good enough, he'd started thinking that maybe he was okay now, that he could put all that thorny-hearted Charmeleon bullshit to rest. So thanks, Max. For proving that he really hasn't changed at all. For proving that he really isn't good enough. For proving that all his talk about Charizards and pride is meaningless when his own pride can be broken that easily. To put it simply: this friendship is over, as far as Char's concerned.
		► Coach Falcon hit on coach's girlfriend get an A in physics
		► Ganondorf Might actually be an Emboar??? Knew there was a reason they got along so well.
		► Daisy Is much smarter than Peach for hanging out with a dragon that doesn't do princess abductions.
		► Knuckles Let us all take a moment to appreciate the nicest guy in school getting along with the biggest douchebag.

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