Initially comes off as a lonely, brooding type with misanthropic views, and though it may be half-true, she's really not all that bad. Takes care of the people around her in little ways, looking after those she cares for. Despite this, still has a lonesome attitude that leads her to refuse help from others, no matter how badly she may need it. Slowly learning that being independent doesn't mean having to shoulder all of one's burdens at once, but can't seem to kill the habit of taking things on by herself. Has a lot of big sister instincts, even for people that are probably older than she is. Gets along with teenagers and young adults better than others her own age, which leads some to believe she's immature. Often tends to be vulgar and though she tries to behave at work, she rarely shows a little bit of her unrefined side without realizing it.

Early Life

Born to Marguerette and Dwayne, she lived a peaceful life in Motostoke with her homemaker mother and train conductor father. Her younger brother Hans was born when she was 6 years old, and soon after her mother became ill. At the age of 7, Gretel was suddenly thrust into being a Pokemon Trainer, her father taking her to the Wild Area and teaching her the basics, then leaving her there to train. When she came home at the age of 8, she discovered her mother was even sicker than before, but her father wouldn't allow Gretel to see her mother until she had beaten the first 3 Gym Leaders.

Gretel knew it would be hopeless to continue the challenge after beating the 2nd Gym by the skin of her teeth, especially with the reputation it had for weeding out the weak. Desperate to get disqualified to see her dying mother, Gretel assaulted a member of the Pokemon League staff, and while she didn't do any serious damage, she got her wish and was permanently banned from participating in the League again.

Her father never spoke to her after that and barely ever acknowledged her presence ever again, from what Gretel assumed to be disgust with her actions. However, none of that mattered to her, and she managed to spend some valuable time with her mother before Marguerette passed away. Just years after her mother's death, her father remarried to a generous but pompous woman named Calanthe, who had a daughter just a month younger than Gretel named Yasmine. After being told that Yasmine was her half-sister, she realized her father had been unfaithful to her mother, which was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back. She needed to leave.

Adolescence

At age 13, after making sure her younger brother would be cared for properly, she spoke breifly to Calanthe about leaving. She was tired of her father's dishonesty, neglect, and selfishness. When Gretel was told she was old enough to know what she was doing, she left without a word to anybody but her stepmother and a note for her younger brother, promising to see him again. She made her way to Hammerlocke, where a chance encounter would lead to her being recruited by a man named Grinners who would teach her how to play the drums to become the drummer of his punk band, "Pearls in the Dark".

She lived in Spikemuth with the rest of the band in a tiny apartment, getting along just fine with her three bandmates and making friends with the owner of the bar they played in and the owner's family. Life was pretty good for a while, 16-year-old Gretel even believing she had a budding relationship with Grinners that would be a happy one. But then 3 years later, Grinners disappeared one day without a trace and never returned. The band members blamed Gretel for a multitude of reasons and abandoned her, leaving her all alone. The bar owner, a kind woman with a quiet husband and a young son, let her live with them for a short while while she got back on her feet by finding a job, in return for some favors such as helping with chores and babysitting her son. Soon, once she had the money, she spontaneously decided to live in Unova, and left Galar at the age of 19.

Adulthood

When she got to Unova, she had no idea what to do. Wandering around aimlessly, she got to talking to a janitor at the subway in Castelia and he mentioned that working as a Depot Agent would suit her. After a bit of research, she decided to live in Anville and study to become one, working as a convenience store clerk in the meantime. While working there, Gretel would meet a regular named Darrell, a Depot Agent who would often give her advice and tell her things they didn't put in the books. At the age of 21, she applied for a job as an ordinary station attendant and succeeded. Has been working at Gear Station ever since, using the Battle Subway to learn about competitive battling and to keep her Absol, Bisharp, and Pangoro in shape.