[PKMN] Bernie Blake

The Trainer:

Bernadette Blake (AKA Bernie) is a Pokemon Stylist from sunny Driftveil city.  She runs a salon that caters to both Pokemon and their Trainers and is known for her keen eye for beauty and her kindly ways.  Any Pokemon or Trainer who graces her doorstep leaves lovely and loving themselves.  On the weekends she lends her services to the local Pokemon shelter, helping to pretty up shelter Pokemon to make them more appealing to potential Poke-Parents.  She also competes in Pokemon Beauty contests as a way of promoting herself and her services.  She has a collection of themed outfits to match her to her Pokemon and takes pride in showing her babies off to their best advantage.

Bernie does not compete in in Pokemon battles with her Pokemon, but that doesn’t mean that her Pokemon won’t fight for her.  Ne’er-do-wells would do well to steer clear of the tiniest of her crew, the territorial and vengeful Captain Tibbles.  

The Usual Suspects:

•  Moni: Good friends (and sometimes a bit more), Bernie loves to stop by Moni's hatchery and give some extra lovin' to all the baby Pokemon there, helping along the ones who evolve through Happiness or Friendship.  She is particularly attached to Moni's Ditto, Blob, and has taught him to mimic her form.  Rumor has it that she may have entered Blob into a beauty contest once, but Bernie's not telling.  (There may or may not be a Miss Johto award in Moni's hatchery, though.)  Bernie greatly respects her friend's skill and dedication as a breeder.  CS AU Pokemon Trainer Moni
• Kalli: Bernie's uncle on her mother's side, Kalli has been her mentor since childhood.  He first taught her the importance of loving your Pokemon before all else and is a large part of why she became a Pokemon groomer.  She visits him and his Pokemon often and accompanies him on his lecture tours when she can.  [C-S] Summer Task 17: Gotta Catch 'Em All!
•  Lan: Lan and Bernie are friends through Pokemon Breeder Moni and enjoy a bit of kicking back together from time to time.  Both are outgoing flirts, so they enjoy heading out for a beer and a bit of a prowl together.  When not kicking back, Bernie lends her skills as a Pokemon Stylist to Lan's Pokemon, giving even the gruffest of his team a bit of well-deserved TLC.  CS Pokemon AU - Trainer Lan
• Catori: Bernie met this sweetheart trainer when she came in to get her Slowpoke groomed in hopes of sparking its evolution.  She didn't have the heart to tell her that's not how it works with Slowpokes, but did give her a top-shelf bit of spa treatment for her and her Pokemon on the house.  Since then the two have become good friends, often taking the Pokemon out on little adventures together. CSST17: Pokemon Moxies
• Lynx: Bernie met this gifted Pokemon nurse through her uncle Kalli and has been taking some training from her in therapeutic techniques for Pokemon.  She knows she'll never get anywhere near Lynx's level, but she's glad to learn a new way to care for her Pokemon friends.  PokemonLynx
• Baegjo: Bernie thinks of this young trainer as a younger sister and does what she can to assist her.  Her uncle, Kalli, was involved for a while with Baegjo's sister Fendris, and the two got to know each other that way.  Bernie always has a spot made up for Baegjo should she need a place to stay while on her Pokemon adventure.  Seasonal Task 17: Gotta Catch 'Em All
• Ella: Bernie loves visiting with fellow Stylist Ella and swapping new tips and techniques with her.  She's always amazed by Ella's work with Pokemon and comes home from her visits inspired and invigorated.  She thinks that Ella's Ninetales is the prettiest thing and always wants to pet her.  Seasonal Task 17 - Gotta Catch 'Em All!
• Vega: Bernie knows Vega through her uncle, Kalli.  Vega is an elegant and seasoned Pokemon Contest participant with an eye-catching all-pink team.  Bernie's honored to style Vega and her team from time to time when Vega's contests bring her near Driftveil City.  Seasonal Task 17: Gotta Catch 'Em All (Vega ver.)
• V: Bernie has a bit of a girl crush on this energetic and stylish trainer and her door is always open when V needs patched up or is just looking for a bit of pampering.  Plus, how could Bernie say no to all those adorable cat Pokemon?  Answer: she cannot.  At all.  Poke V
  
  

The Crew:

Captain Tibbles (AKA Tibbles, Tibbs, Cheese Doodle, HEY, STOP THAT)

• Species: Espeon
• Personality: An asshole.  No one thought that a species that levels up through friendship could produce assholes (surely the assholes pick a different evolutionary path?) but here we are.
• History: Captain Tibbles belonged to Bernie's salon landlord as an Eevee, but the two never got on.  After months of Tibbles sneaking into the salon and stealing Bernie's lunch (and then sharing Bernie's lunch, and then getting her own lunch), Bernie's landlord decided that Tibbles had picked her forever home. Shortly after coming to live with Bernie full time, Tibbles evolved.  Bernie wishes she could say that it was during a heart-melting cuddle session, but no, Tibbles was just that stoked to have stolen some of Bernie's milk from her morning cereal.

Pteri (Pronounced "Terry")

• Species: Glameow
• Personality: Snuggle monster, too clever by half
• History: Pteri had been skulking around the backyard of Bernie’s apartment for months, never venturing close enough to be petted, but accepting offerings of kibble and water left at a distance from the building.  After a few weeks of this, Bernie found a small cache of attractive rocks and shards of evolutionary stones left by the emptied bowls.  Puzzled, she brought them inside.  There, Captain Tibbles took an intense interest in them before darting outside.  Later that night, when Captain Tibbles returned, the mysterious backyard visitor was in tow.  Since then, the two have been inseparable. Bernie named the scruffy Glameow Pteri and made only the vaguest attempts to find his home.  Pteri was clearly an expensive fighting Pokemon at one point, since his entire movepool consists of TMs and tutored moves.  Pteri shows no interest in fighting these days, unless faced with something yellow, in which case he flies into a howling rage.

Sheba (AKA Baby)

• Species: Bouffalant
• Personality: Maternal.  Sheba keeps a watchful eye over all of Bernie’s Pokemon and Bernie herself. Don’t get too uppity around her wards, unless you want to feel Sheba’s horns!
• History: Sheba was gifted to Bernie as an egg by a friend of hers with a Bouffalant ranch.  Bernie had helped her sell a prize bull Bouffalant for a hefty sum and was given the surplus egg as a thank you. Bernie loves Sheba and takes great prize in her luxurious hair.  Sheba, for her part, loves the attention and knows to put her hooves up on a table or desk to ask for a hooficure.  She can often be found with Tina, Bernie’s Mawile.

Tina (AKA Steel Claw)

• Species: Mawile
• Personality: Trickster
• History: Tina is one of the few Pokemon that Bernie caught in the wild.  On a nature hike with her then-girlfriend, Bernie encountered Tina in a cave and befriended her by letting her steal some hair ties out of her bag.  Tina delights in pranking Bernie, especially by hiding or stealing small, colorful objects like hair accessories, jewelry, or makeup.  She also loves to play dress-up and is Bernie’s mainstay in Pokemon Beauty contests.  When not stealing all the things, Tina can be found riding on Sheba.

Principe (AKA: Chichi)

• Species: Furfrou
• Personality: Diva
• History: Bernie adopted Principe from a shelter for abandoned Pokemon.  Principe is a show-quality Furfrou, but was seemingly given up by his previous owner for being too high maintenance.  He’s a bit of a diva and an attention-seeker, but Bernie works hard to make sure he feels like the star he is. Along with Tina, he’s Bernie’s secret weapon on Pokemon Beauty contests.  He has a love-hate relationship with Captain Tibbles—they both love to hate each other.  Even though they go at it like cats and dogs, Bernie has a few secret snapshots of the two snuggled up together snoozing.  Just don’t tell Captain Tibbles that.

Venus

• Speceis: Milotic
• Personality: Mellow
• History: Venus was caught as a Feebas by Bernie’s father on a fishing trip when Bernie was still a wee thing.  Her father wanted to throw the feeble fish back, but Bernie saw something in the flapping fish and insisted on keeping it.  She lavished love and care on the sad creature, dressing her in bows, gluing sequins to her tank, and even making little outfits for her.   It didn’t take long under Bernie’s care for the fish to feel the love, and soon Bernie was keeping Venus in a wading pool in the backyard and making special trips to the coast to take her for swims.  Venus is a sweet-natured Pokemon, despite her massive size.  In the evenings, she likes to gather her fellow Pokemon in her coils and tuck them in.  Bernie has been known to climb for a group cuddle on occasion too.