Timid

Marshie is very shy, and struggles a lot with social anxiety. He frequently stutters and stumbles over his words when speaking to someone he doesn’t know, and finds it difficult to participate in a conversation, let alone start one. Since socializing doesn’t come naturally to him, he relies on copying other Pokémon to figure out what to do or say. He hates being the center of attention, but his status as a Legendary makes staying out of the spotlight pretty challenging, so he prefers to avoid social situations altogether by hiding in the shadows.

Kind

Marshie tries to see the good in everyone, and treats others with the utmost compassion and respect, regardless of whether the gesture is reciprocated or not. He could never bring himself to be rude to someone, even when he’s angry or upset with them.

Empathetic

Marshie is highly perceptive of other people’s feelings, allowing him to understand and connect with them on an emotional level. Because he thinks with his heart, he prioritizes both his own feelings and the feelings of others when making a decision. His fear of disappointing or hurting anyone often results in him being a pretty big pushover.

Courageous

Though he thinks of himself as a coward, Marshie is actually a lot braver than he realizes. His fierce determination and dedication to helping other Pokémon grants him enough courage to overcome any of his fears or doubts. When someone is in trouble, he’ll run to their side without a second thought, willing to endure any amount of danger in order to help them. Should the need to battle arise, he rarely backs down from a fight, even when the odds aren’t in his favor.

Determined

Marshie is an incredibly hard worker. When he’s passionate about something, he gives it 100% of his effort. He never gives up on his goals, no matter how difficult or discouraging they may be.

Anxious

Marshie has always struggled with pretty bad anxiety. He’s prone to overthinking and blowing things out of proportion, and tends to assume the worst-case scenario in any given situation. Activities that might be easy for other Pokémon, like going to a shop or attending a local event, can be incredibly stress-inducing to him. Once he starts feeling anxious about something, it’s nearly impossible for him to relax.

Insecure

Marshie doesn’t have much confidence in himself, and has developed very low self-esteem as a result. He frequently compares himself to other Pokémon, especially other Legendaries, and holds himself to impossibly high standards that he’s never able to meet. While he finds it easy to pick out his flaws, it’s much harder for him to acknowledge his strengths; because of this, he has trouble accepting himself for who he is.

Prologue

Marshie was born to become the Guardian Deity of Zenith Isle, a small isle neighboring the Solar Archipelago. He was adopted shortly before he hatched by another Legendary named Ho-Oh, who took him under his wing to raise as his own. Ho-Oh and his three older sons, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, began working together to mentor the young marshadow, teaching him all about the world and his role as a Guardian.

Marshie had always been enamored by tales of heroic Legendary Pokémon, and knew he wanted to be just like them. He dedicated each day to his training, eager to learn all sorts of new skills. After years of hard work, his efforts started to pay off as he gained more strength, endurance, and agility. But despite everything he’d mastered, one crucial ability remained stagnant: Z-Energy. Creating Z-Energy was something that came naturally to other marshadow, but Marshie couldn’t get the hang of it no matter how much he tried.

As time continued to pass without any progress, Marshie became increasingly worried. He knew he’d never be able to complete his training if he couldn’t use Z-Energy, and didn’t know why it was so much harder for him than every other marshadow. He began to feel like something was wrong with him; as a result, his self-esteem plummeted. The fact that he was never allowed to join his father and brothers on their missions only made him feel worse. Even though he knew they were just following the rules, he couldn’t help feeling left out every time they left him home alone.

Despite Marshie’s discouragement, his determination never faltered. He continued to work harder than he ever had before, putting nothing short of his best efforts into his training. Even when he wanted to give up, his passion and dedication to his future role as a Guardian Deity always prevented him from losing heart for too long.

One night, while searching for something his father had lost, Marshie accidentally bumped into a rowlet. This chance encounter led him on a journey across Paradise Island with three new friends, opening up a whole world of possibilities that he’d never imagined before…

Stay tuned to RLP for more of Marshie's upcoming story!

• Marshie was created on October 10th, 2017.
• “Marshie” was originally a pet name his family gave him when he was younger, but it ended up sticking and became his actual nickname.
• He introduces himself as Marshadow, but allows people he knows well to call him Marshie.
• He’s a sunlight variant of marshadow. Since he was born in a location exposed to strong sunlight, his wisps are lighter and more vibrant in his Zenith Form.
• His eyes are sensitive to light, so he doesn’t like going out in broad daylight unless there’s some shade nearby.
• He and his family live on Mt. Tensei, the highest point on Paradise Island.
• He gets startled at the drop of a hat, so it’s really easy to scare him.
• His favorite food is iceberg lettuce.
• He really enjoys gardening. He has a small garden that surrounds his cave on Mt. Tensei, where he grows all sorts of flowers and berries (and lettuce).
• Eye contact makes him uncomfortable. When he talks to someone, he secretly looks at their mouth or forehead instead of their eyes.
• His bandana was a gift from Team RLP. He wears it when he goes on adventures.