Elijah Vail
Elijah Vail is a character in Pokemon: Seasons. He is one of the three 2020 Unova Starter trainers. Elijah is enthusiastic, headstrong, energetic, and has a heart that's bigger than his brain. A small town kid with big dreams, Elijah is somewhere between naive and idealistic with a bright spirit that doesn't seem to dampen no matter how hard the road gets.
Elijah was born in Virbank City but raised by his grandparents in Floccesy Town. His mother was an aspiring actress who moved to Virbank with the hope of getting signed with an agent with PokeStar Studios. Elijah was the result of his mother randomly hooking up with someone. His mother had no interest in having a child, and planned to give him up for adoption when he was born. However, her parents convinced her to let them raise the boy. He deserved to be with his family. She was fine with that, letting her grandparents take him in essentially from birth. She has stayed in Virbank City ever since, still chasing that dream of becoming an actress and is minimally involved with Elijah's life.
He grew up on a farm with about 400 acres. They raised crops--with corn being the most profitable, though hay, wheat, and oats were most common--and looked after numerous Pokemon that both helped with the chores and allowed them to make a little extra money; the Bouffalant and Noctowl helped with the farming, and the Miltank provided milk that they could then sell.
Elijah helped out with chores around the farm from a young age. Not because he had to, mind, but he wanted to pitch in. He got along especially well with the family Miltank; he had a special knack with them, and he was the only one could get one of the Miltank, named Betty, to produce milk at all.
While he had friends at school, he wasn't as popular as fellow classmate Benga. The grandson of Unova's Master Champion, Benga was confident, cool, and just...good at everything. Like, everything. He would always brag about the Pokemon his grandpa would show him when he came through town, and he always condescending toward Elijah. Elijah always saw Benga as a crude, arrogant, short-tempered, and aggressive person. Benga would often tease Elijah, calling him "Hayseed" or "Farmboy". Benga's confidence was earned however; he was determined, thirsty for victory, and very strong. Their antagonism began surprisingly early and never really settled down.
In quiet moments, Elijah liked to go for walks with his grandparents. Their favorite spot as Pledge Grove; a forested area not far from their farm. A lone, stony cliff rose up above the tree line there, with deep gouges along its face. which his grandpa Johnny would tell him was very important in Unova's history--for it was the place where an important alliance was made.
"See those marks in the stone? They were made by Pokemon." he'd say.
"Whoooa....what kinda Pokemon?"
"The Swords of Justice." said grandpa, "Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion. It was here that they battled one another to a standstill, which ended in them earning one another's mutual respect. They marked the stone here as a symbol of the friendship and alliance they made."
Grandpa Johnny always said that the Swords of Justice still kept an eye on the cliff. If ever a trainer should come that was worthy, they would show themselves to them. Elijah grinned and said that he was gonna be that trainer one day. Grandma Rhonda smiled.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it were, dear."
That instilled a desire in him to become a trainer, and as time passed, Elijah began to dream about it more and more. Benga would often tease and discourage him when he overheard Elijah talking about it.
"A trainer? You? What are you gonna do, Hayseed, start out with one of your Miltank? Gonna shoot some milk at the gym leaders until they feel sorry enough that they just give you the badge so you'll leave them alone?" he'd laugh, and the other kids would join in. But Elijah was never deterred--he'd be a trainer one day.
After Christmas break, Benga returned to school and announced that his grandpa had gifted him a Pokemon for his journey--a Larvesta!
"Yeah, it's not really a big deal," Benga would say, "I guess my grandpa started his own journey with one and wanted me to start with one, too. Sort of a family tradition, I guess."
Benga bragged about Larvesta a lot and everybody ate it up. Benga talked a big game about how he'd leave for his trainer's journey in the summer and he'd win the Vertress Conference the next year. It was 'basically inevitable', he said. Elijah, frustrated with the whole thing, vented to his grandparents.
"So why not do something about it?" asked his grandfather, "You're of age, too. Why not go on your journey this summer and show him a thing or two?"
"How am I supposed to do that? He's Alder's grandson--"
"Maybe, but you're my grandson. We can do anything we set our minds to!"
"But we can't really afford it, can we?"
"If you really want to do it, then we'll find the money somewhere." Grandma said with a warm smile, "It's been your dream since you were little, Elijah. We're here to help you if we can."
Elijah thought about it--and quickly decided 'fuck it' and went all in. Almost on a whim, he applied for the 2020 Starter Program. He didn't expect to get in and actually forgot about it not long after. When the letter came on April 10th, he was shocked. He got in?
He spent the next few weeks getting ready. His grandpa gave him a lot of advice and his grandma kept trying to teach him how to do things like sew so he could mend his own clothes, and how to cook. Elijah felt confident and excited.
"So. You got accepted as a Starter this year?" Benga asked on the last day of school. Elijah was a bit confused, as he hadn't told anybody, but he figured Benga must have somehow heard about it from Alder.
"Yeah."
"Don't waste your time doing the gym circuit." Benga said, "I'm taking the Champion title. I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of so many people."
"Huh. You know, you've got a big ego for someone so short." Elijah replied, "I'll see you at the League, Benga. We'll see then who's gonna embarrass who."
"Hmph. Yeah. Guess we will."
When the day finally came to leave, his grandparents drove him into Virbank City to catch a boat to Castelia City. He had written his mother in the hopes that she'd want to grab lunch or something, but he never heard back from her.
"Good fortune out there, Elijah," Grandpa said, "No matter what you face out there, don't forget about where you came from. You have a good heart--follow it, wherever it leads you."
"I will. I promise." Elijah said and after a goodbye hug, he boarded the boat set for Castelia City--where he'd board another boat, with the second ultimately bound for Nuvema Town itself.
Character
Elijah is a driven young man who dreams big and is willing to work hard to get there. He is dedicated and passionate about Pokemon, and always eager to see what lies over the next hill. He is remarkably optimistic, some might say naive, and is quick to see the best in everybody. He is easygoing and adaptable, willing to learn from both victory and defeat. He is an energetic person, always on the move and rarely willing to sit still or stay in one place for very long. He has a wanderer's heart, and constantly craves adventure and novelty. He has a tendency to complain about being bored. He has an unshakeable resolve and a bright inner flame that isn't easily extinguished. This can also translate to a sense of recklessness: Elijah rarely looks before he leaps and basically skips the part where he should decide whether an idea is good or practical if he decides he wants to do it. This can get him in trouble--and it has, on several occasions. While he can be a bit of an airhead, Elijah means well. He has a good heart and is both honest and genuine with everybody he meets. He's enthusiastic and eager to make new friends, and he treats those friends well and offers them a sense of trust unless they prove unworthy of that trust. He's been shown to love a good party, and has a country boy's constitution when it comes to drinking. Elijah has a strong sense of right and wrong. His morality was strongly influenced by his small town upbringing and the guidance of his grandparents. He is selfless, willing to go to extraordinary lengths to help others in times of need. He's the first to volunteer for something dangerous, if doing it will help someone somehow. As mentioned by Phoebe, he had apparently spent the better part of two weeks trying to find a way to get to Lentimas Town to help the people--and with the hope of being able to find Aerik and his friends when he heard they'd gone missing after the eruption. An influence on Elijah, perhaps, is an inferiority complex mixed with a strong sense of personal pride. He has a rivalry with another young trainer from back home named Benga--who is basically better at everything than Elijah, and often put the young farmhand down and gloated about the "inevitability" of his becoming champion at the 2021 Vertress Conference. That pride of what compels Elijah to succeed and carry on is his desire to defeat Benga, while simultaneously being the main roadblock in his own way. His stated dream is to defeat a legendary Pokemon in battle--a goal that seems impossible but he's determined to do it. While part of this is his own pride and perhaps his naive nature, but Elijah has a deeper reason for chasing such a dream--a reason he keeps close to the chest.Appearance
Elijah is tall and well-built; he grew up on a farm and played team sports, with the result being that he's both hardy and strong with an athletic build. Elijah has a tan from spending so much time outside, along with shaggy blonde hair along with light brown eyes that resemble the color of amber. He has a big, warm smile that he's happy to give to anybody willing to chat for a minute. Elijah dresses simply; he wears clothes that are durable, if not trendy. He favors plaid shirts or plain t-shirts and blue jeans, along with his worn work boots. He wears fingerless gloves, and wears a trainer's belt and has a heavy work jacket that are hand-me-downs from his grandpa. His favorite color is green, so that tends to show up in his clothes a lot.History
Pre-Series
Elijah was born in Virbank City but raised by his grandparents in Floccesy Town. His mother was an aspiring actress who moved to Virbank with the hope of getting signed with an agent with PokeStar Studios. Elijah was the result of his mother randomly hooking up with someone. His mother had no interest in having a child, and planned to give him up for adoption when he was born. However, her parents convinced her to let them raise the boy. He deserved to be with his family. She was fine with that, letting her grandparents take him in essentially from birth. She has stayed in Virbank City ever since, still chasing that dream of becoming an actress and is minimally involved with Elijah's life.
He grew up on a farm with about 400 acres. They raised crops--with corn being the most profitable, though hay, wheat, and oats were most common--and looked after numerous Pokemon that both helped with the chores and allowed them to make a little extra money; the Bouffalant and Noctowl helped with the farming, and the Miltank provided milk that they could then sell.
Elijah helped out with chores around the farm from a young age. Not because he had to, mind, but he wanted to pitch in. He got along especially well with the family Miltank; he had a special knack with them, and he was the only one could get one of the Miltank, named Betty, to produce milk at all.
While he had friends at school, he wasn't as popular as fellow classmate Benga. The grandson of Unova's Master Champion, Benga was confident, cool, and just...good at everything. Like, everything. He would always brag about the Pokemon his grandpa would show him when he came through town, and he always condescending toward Elijah. Elijah always saw Benga as a crude, arrogant, short-tempered, and aggressive person. Benga would often tease Elijah, calling him "Hayseed" or "Farmboy". Benga's confidence was earned however; he was determined, thirsty for victory, and very strong. Their antagonism began surprisingly early and never really settled down.
In quiet moments, Elijah liked to go for walks with his grandparents. Their favorite spot as Pledge Grove; a forested area not far from their farm. A lone, stony cliff rose up above the tree line there, with deep gouges along its face. which his grandpa Johnny would tell him was very important in Unova's history--for it was the place where an important alliance was made.
"See those marks in the stone? They were made by Pokemon." he'd say.
"Whoooa....what kinda Pokemon?"
"The Swords of Justice." said grandpa, "Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion. It was here that they battled one another to a standstill, which ended in them earning one another's mutual respect. They marked the stone here as a symbol of the friendship and alliance they made."
Grandpa Johnny always said that the Swords of Justice still kept an eye on the cliff. If ever a trainer should come that was worthy, they would show themselves to them. Elijah grinned and said that he was gonna be that trainer one day. Grandma Rhonda smiled.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it were, dear."
That instilled a desire in him to become a trainer, and as time passed, Elijah began to dream about it more and more. Benga would often tease and discourage him when he overheard Elijah talking about it.
"A trainer? You? What are you gonna do, Hayseed, start out with one of your Miltank? Gonna shoot some milk at the gym leaders until they feel sorry enough that they just give you the badge so you'll leave them alone?" he'd laugh, and the other kids would join in. But Elijah was never deterred--he'd be a trainer one day.
After Christmas break, Benga returned to school and announced that his grandpa had gifted him a Pokemon for his journey--a Larvesta!
"Yeah, it's not really a big deal," Benga would say, "I guess my grandpa started his own journey with one and wanted me to start with one, too. Sort of a family tradition, I guess."
Benga bragged about Larvesta a lot and everybody ate it up. Benga talked a big game about how he'd leave for his trainer's journey in the summer and he'd win the Vertress Conference the next year. It was 'basically inevitable', he said. Elijah, frustrated with the whole thing, vented to his grandparents.
"So why not do something about it?" asked his grandfather, "You're of age, too. Why not go on your journey this summer and show him a thing or two?"
"How am I supposed to do that? He's Alder's grandson--"
"Maybe, but you're my grandson. We can do anything we set our minds to!"
"But we can't really afford it, can we?"
"If you really want to do it, then we'll find the money somewhere." Grandma said with a warm smile, "It's been your dream since you were little, Elijah. We're here to help you if we can."
Elijah thought about it--and quickly decided 'fuck it' and went all in. Almost on a whim, he applied for the 2020 Starter Program. He didn't expect to get in and actually forgot about it not long after. When the letter came on April 10th, he was shocked. He got in?
He spent the next few weeks getting ready. His grandpa gave him a lot of advice and his grandma kept trying to teach him how to do things like sew so he could mend his own clothes, and how to cook. Elijah felt confident and excited.
"So. You got accepted as a Starter this year?" Benga asked on the last day of school. Elijah was a bit confused, as he hadn't told anybody, but he figured Benga must have somehow heard about it from Alder.
"Yeah."
"Don't waste your time doing the gym circuit." Benga said, "I'm taking the Champion title. I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of so many people."
"Huh. You know, you've got a big ego for someone so short." Elijah replied, "I'll see you at the League, Benga. We'll see then who's gonna embarrass who."
"Hmph. Yeah. Guess we will."
When the day finally came to leave, his grandparents drove him into Virbank City to catch a boat to Castelia City. He had written his mother in the hopes that she'd want to grab lunch or something, but he never heard back from her.
"Good fortune out there, Elijah," Grandpa said, "No matter what you face out there, don't forget about where you came from. You have a good heart--follow it, wherever it leads you."
"I will. I promise." Elijah said and after a goodbye hug, he boarded the boat set for Castelia City--where he'd board another boat, with the second ultimately bound for Nuvema Town itself.
Seasons
On the morning of June 1st, Elijah made his way to Professor Juniper's Lab. He got lost on the way, and then he got distracted by a Pidove fighting another Pidove over a bunch of fries, but he still made it on time. Barely, but you know. He made it! He enthusiastically introduced himself to the other starters, Kristoff and Phoebe (and Aerik, the unofficial fourth starter), and was generally met with polite smiles--though Kristoff was a bit stand-offish. He developed an immediate crush on Phoebe. Aerik seemed like a cool dude. Man, this was already so cool! He was impatient and distracted throughout Orientation classes. Not that he didn't care; he was just excited to get the show on the road. But he didn't complain (much). When it came time to pick starters, Elijah chose the laid-back and cuddly Oshawott. During the Orientation Battles, Elijah lost to Aerik and Phoebe but defeated Kristoff. After the class that day, Elijah suggested that they all go out for dinner together. The next morning, Elijah set out along Unova Route 01 with the other starters, Aerik, and Jenn Greene, one of Juniper's aides. Elijah was quite energetic, constantly running a bit ahead of the group and constantly chatting to Aerik or Phoebe. Along the way he unsuccessfully tried to capture a Deerling, a Lillipup, and a Wurmple. The day before arriving in Accumula Town, they stopped for the night at a lake. Elijah was eager to go swimming, just stripping down to his boxers and leaping in! He came to regret it, however, as he was quickly attacked by a Basculin. One bit into his leg, latching on real tight. Aerik would rush into the water after him; Aerik saved him by capturing the Basculin (and subsequently releasing it back into the lake). Elijah's leg was bleeding and it hurt real bad, but Phoebe knew some first aid apparently and helped him out. In Accumula Town, the group went their separate ways. Elijah suggested that they all meet again after getting their first badges and have a battle with each other before leaving Striaton City. Everyone ended up agreeing (though Kristoff took some convincing). The next day, Aerik invited Elijah to a party and Elijah ENTHUSIASTICALLY accepted. He drank hard, partied hard, and lost at beer pong. He had a blast, even if he only remembers like, 40% of the night. At some point between the party and leaving for Striaton City, he and Zelda Patrick decided to travel together. He would eventually arrive in Striaton City around the same time as the other starters. He'd go on to get his Trio Badge on his second attempt. He and Zelda were the first to leave Striaton City, bound for Nacrene City. He'd heard stories about rare ghost Pokemon in Wellspring Cave, which was along the route before they got to Luxuria Town. However, on the way there they ran into Aerik, Jenn, and some of their friends. They insisted that Elijah and Zelda not go there because of how dangerous it was. Elijah accepted the warning, and then joined up with Aerik and company the rest of the way Luxuria Town. They were in Luxuria Town during the Midsummer Festival. At one point, he was loudly cheering and singing in the beer tent with Zelda. His adventures after this are unknown, except that he eventually arrived in Nacrene City and was still there by the time the other starters arrived. When Reversal Mountain erupted, Elijah became worried after hearing from Tessa that Aerik and Jenn were up there when it happened. He apparently tried, unsuccessfully, to get to Reversal Mountain for the better part of a week and a half. His exact whereabouts as of SS009 are unknown, though it's implied that he is still around Nacrene City.Pokemon
On Hand
As revealed in A Midsummer Miracle (SS005), Elijah has earned his Trio Badge. This means that he owns at least three Pokemon, though it's not known which Pokemon these are or even how many he definitely has at the current time. |
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Achievements
- Selected as one of the three 2020 Unova Starters
- Competed in the first annual Bolkstoff Bash (Lost)
Badges
- Trio Badge
Appearances
Elijah has appeared in three of the eight current episodes of Pokemon: Seasons.- The Start of Something Big (SS001)
- The Accumula Fishing Spectacular (SS002)
- A Midsummer Miracle (SS005)
Trivia
- He met Rex once, and is a little afraid of him. The guy's super intense, dude.
- Elijah is a vegetarian, not eating any kind of meat. He'd be a vegan if he didn't like milk so damn much.
- Elijah's favorite musical styles are heavy metal and synth-pop, though he also has a love for "classic rock" thanks to his grandpa.
- Elijah is the youngest of the 2020 Starters, being younger than Kristoff by about a month and younger than Phoebe by about two years.
Elijah
Children
Nicknames: Hayseed, Farmboy (Benga)
Birthday: October 12, 2004 (aged 15)
Hometown: Floccesy Town, Unova
Eye Color: Amber
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 6'02"
Relatives: Unknown Father, Julia Vail (mother, estranged) | Johnny Vail (maternal grandfather), Rhonda Vail (grandmother)
Blood Type: A+
Occupation: Pokemon Trainer
First Appearance: The Start of Something Big (SS001)
Status: Alive
