A Study In Scarlet: Ten Truths About The Cast of Pedestal

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A Study In Charcoal

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I. Pedestal actually is not the oldest member of the team. Ike is older than he is, and only by a few weeks. Neither of them know this, and neither of them ever will, more likely than not.

II. Des usually isn't sure how he feels about his given name of Pedestal. At first, he resented it-but distantly. He's eventually come to terms with his name, and even if he prefers it when he is called Des over Pedestal, sometimes, sometimes when he's done something truly great that makes his trainer happy, he's glad that he's the one up on that pedestal.

III. Contrary to his trainer's belief, his favorite human food is not spaghetti. His favorite food is actually burnt carrots. He only ever had it once when his trainer tried to make a stew, and hasn't since.

IV. Also contrary to most others' belief about him, Des doesn't dislike any of the members of the team. Even when Zarek annoys him, even when Ike is mean, and even when Konstantin is creepy, he looks at them all as his family.

V. Des thought Carlita was pretty as a Shroomish. She hit him when he mentioned it, though, so he hasn't complimented her since.

VI. Isabella, on the other hand, was hardly more than an afterthought when he first met her. He wasn't taken with her until she evolved and became beautiful and stunning and yes, even icy. He once told her this and she didn't seem to mind; that's when he knew that he really, really liked her.

VII. Pedestal knew he stood no chance against the Scizor. But it was because Isabella was in danger that he tried anyway. He also likes to think that it was because she was in danger that he won.

VIII. Des never once was afraid of water. He just doesn't like it much.

IX. He knows he's a simple Pokemon, with simple thoughts and a simple personality and simple hopes and dreams. This doesn't bother him-but that might just be because he's simple. After all, a simple Pokemon won't bother his trainer nearly as much as a hyperactive one or an evil one.

X. Once upon a time, things would've turned out differently. Isabella never would have died. In fact, the worst thing that would ever happen to her is getting pregnant. Des would be a very proud father, having two little Eevee running around before he ever even evolved. He wouldn't evolve until the battle with the sixth Gym leader, and while, because of that, Konstantin leaves earlier, Des is just so ecstatic he has a tail he doesn't even notice the ghost's disappearance this time around.

Isabella and he would fight for the first time, though-over what they want their babies to evolve into. Isabella wants another Glaceon, and Des, naturally, wants at least one of them to evolve into a Flareon so he can teach him or her fire moves. He spends the better part of a month trying to steal one of his trainer's Fire Stones, and Isabella spends the better half of that time trying to coax her trainer to go back to Route 217.

In the future, things would still be different. His trainer would never leave her trainer, and romance would blossom there, too. The black-haired trainer would instead travel with his brother, and while the tragedy would not be averted completely, it would have changed its form. Because of this, his trainer would triumph against him during their first meeting; they would run into each other on the way to the Elite Four. The two little Eevee with the vastly different parents would have to watch both of those parents battle to protect them, but they would win. Des never would get a Flareon, and Isabella never would get a Glaceon; soon after that, instead, they received an Espeon and a Jolteon. Ike would warm up to them significantly after that, and reluctantly, they would allow him to teach their daughter electric moves. Konstantin, never one to miss out on the fun, would join in and secretly teach their son the Psychic moves he knows, since Isabella still doesn't like him and doesn't approve of it.

Des would die before Isabella, but only after seeing his son bring him a baby Buizel and declare it his grandson. He would be the second of his team to die, and both would be from old age; he would follow Alice to the grave, and both of them would be sorely missed. But that's okay, because in that life, they all would have been happy.

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A Study In Sage

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I. Carlita only has two memories of Celia. The first was when she was first captured in the Great Marsh. She simply remembered being captured, and then let out to behold a kind, smiling face. Her other memory was simply getting taken from her. If asked, she'll deny remembering it.

II. Carlita never actually forgot SolarBeam. She simply had enough sense to figure out that it freaked out her trainer, so she pretended to forget it and never used it again. She got to learn Iron Tail as well to boot.

III. Above all else, Carlita loves dancing. Even after evolving and getting used to a new body, she continued it and even incorporated it into her fighting style. Most other fighting Pokemon would scoff or point and laugh if they saw her moves, precisely for that reason. But it's for that reason that she will beat them every time. They have no idea how to block her.

IV. Carlita's first love, which she would never admit to anyone else on pain of death, was probably the brown-haired boy who rescued her from the thief and became her new trainer. She gradually got over that, but sometimes, she can't help but giggle at how cute he acts.

V. Though she got over it, sometimes she is so fiercely protective of her trainer she even scares herself.

VI. Carlita doesn't like Ike for the same reason she doesn't like Konstantin, or Alice, or Zarek (even if she's steadily gotten used to all of them). They replaced her as the new Pokemon on the team.

VII. Though she's weak to flying types, she's always wanted to try flying, at least once. She never is quite sure how to accomplish this, and has several grandiose plans, but has never gone through with any of them. As a plant, she wants to get away from her roots and fly. At least, that's her excuse. (It also seems fun.)

VIII. Carlita's last love was probably Arrojadoa the Cacturne, who she met in Johto. He was her last love because she never saw him again. She went back to Sinnoh, and he went back to Hoenn. She stopped believing in love after that and instead focused on her team. They were there for her, after all, and she wouldn't lose another trainer. It was why she tried so hard to keep them all together.

IX. Carlita dances because she can't sing. Sometimes, she thinks that Celia used to sing, which is why she started dancing, but she actually can't remember. She also sometimes wishes that her trainer would sing, just so she could see if the situation of having a trainer sing to her is familiar. She's never quite gotten up the courage to ask, though.

X. Once upon a time, things would've turned out differently. Carlita would have still been stolen from Celia, and still wind up with her current trainer from a stroke of coincidental luck. They would wind up with Ike almost immediately afterward, though, since they were already in the vicinity. Konstantin would arrive later, but they would run into him not because of the cruel mercenary, but because the black-haired human would want to explore Sendoff Spring.

Alice and Zarek would still arrive in ways unnervingly similar to how they already did. Zarek would be hatched, but her trainer would receive his egg before he caught Alice, so she isn't sure if the order is switched or not. And instead of a Noctowl, this time it's a Meditite, which she objects to because it reminds her too much of Kamala.

Carlita would be happy, too. For awhile, because of the messed-up timeline, she would be the strongest on the team and that would be completely fine with her. Instead of teaching her trainer how to fight, she would teach him how to dance. Alice would be the one to sing for them, and while it looked as if Des or Zarek might join in, it would always just be her and her trainer dancing. She would never meet Arrojadoa, and she would not be nearly as taken with Alexander, so her devotion was solely for her trainer.

She would be the one to take down the Champion's final Pokemon and secure the Championship for her trainer, and she would never forget that moment of sheer triumph for the rest of her life. Because she was the last one out, she would be the first to receive her ribbon, and she kept it on her until the fabric tore and her trainer told her to take it off so they could replace it. Her life would be perfect because as a Champion's Pokemon, all she gets to do is fight opponents and defend the title and be a part of her awesome team.

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A Study In Lightning

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I. Ike didn't always hate humans. He started hating humans after his mother was captured before his eyes and he was left, alone, young, starving, and relatively defenseless. After that, he became stronger, the strongest Pokemon in the area. He chased off trainers and their Pokemon effortlessly. He led the wild Shinx in the area. It wasn't until he had to face down a Kangaskhan and a Froslass and a very stupid trainer who happened to chuck an Ultra Ball at his head that he lost.

II. Ike has the most colorful vocabulary of all of the team, and he's proud of that fact, too. It only goes to show how superior he is to all of them.

III. Though he doesn't admit it even to himself, Ike might've become a tad bit attached to his team. His training gave him strength, strength he couldn't have dreamed of if he had stayed in his home forest. He's only using them, though. He knows that much. He just doesn't know if it's still true or not.

IV. His favorite member of the team would have to be Zarek. Ike, for starters, has an advantage on him. Size, age, experience, type… Ike is his superior in every way. But Zarek never is intimidated by him, and never backs down from him. The Luxray can respect that, and grudgingly comes to be almost fond of him. Alice, naturally, hates him for it.

V. Though he's now a trained Pokemon, Ike has never once kidded himself. He is a monster through and through. He relishes that truth and it keeps him sane and tame. He keeps telling himself he's only waiting for the day when he can rip his trainer's throat out, even if that day seems more and more distant with the passing time.

VI. Ike's father wasn't a Luxray. He doesn't know this, and it's unlikely he'll ever find it out. His father was an Arbok-a trainer's Pokemon. If he ever did find it out, he would probably die of shame.

VII. Ike has never been in love, and scoffs at the very idea of it. Unbeknownst to him, however, he is loved; Harlan the Smeargle harbored feelings for him ever since they met.

VIII. His least favorite human isn't his trainer, surprisingly. His trainer is probably his favorite human, in fact. Though since he hates all humans anyway, it's sort of a moot point.

IX. Ike has never forgiven Raikou for not letting him kill the Mareep. He does respect Raikou, though, which is probably why he's the only Pokemon to ever get him angry that he hasn't sworn bloody revenge upon.

X. Once upon a time, things would've turned out differently. Ike would have been the Abomasnow.

Eventually, after a near-capture with a different trainer, he would get it into his head that he couldn't become any stronger by staying in the same area with the same weak Pokemon. So he would leave his home and go traveling. The thought that he's mimicking trainers wouldn't even cross his mind. He would travel far and wide, and while he would be defeated several times, he would always become stronger and defeat his opponents on the second attempt.

Eventually, he would evolve.

Eventually, he would evolve twice and, hundreds or thousands of miles away from his home, he would become the Luxray his mother never got to become. He would become powerful, and it would be completely because of himself. It makes him aggressive and arrogant. He learns how to be truly vicious, to go for his enemies' weak spots and exploit them. He learns how to be truly merciless, and not stop attacking until someone stopped breathing.

He learns how to be truly strong. Or so he believes.

Ike would eventually get into a bit too much trouble when he takes down a trainer's Girafarig. The trainer would actually release a Camerupt, of all Pokemon, in a twist of fate meant to remind him of what could have been, and it would be the one to defeat him mercilessly with its ground moves. Even in another time, another place, he would still rely too much on his electricity.

Ike wouldn't be put out, however. It would be just a day later that he hunts down the trainer again and kills him. He doesn't release any of the Pokemon in the pokeballs, instead leaving them there to rot as revenge. It is his first human killing, and it makes him feel empowered. So he continues it.

Eventually, he would kill one too many trainers, and a very angry older brother would come and take his revenge with a Garchomp.

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A Study In Marrow

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I. Konstantin knows he's tormenting the trainer. But he just loves it too much to even try stopping. It's in his very DNA; ghosts exist to torment the living. He feels guilty for every giggle, for every single bit of pleasure he derives from it, though.

II. Konstantin had once been offered an apprenticeship under Katerina. He turned it down, however, because of the ruckus the brown-haired human caused when he fell into the Spring. He was too curious about the human to stay in the colony after that.

III. Prior to following his (though he hardly knew it at the time) trainer out of the Spring, Konstantin was never called 'Kostya' by anyone but Ivan. Now, he's called it by almost everyone.

IV. Konstantin, after officially becoming a trained Pokemon, makes a promise to himself that he will never, ever evolve. He's terrified that he'll be able to speak to his beloved comrade in his own language if he does.

V. Konstantin immediately takes to Alice, since they can both fly. She doesn't really like his sudden, if platonic, affection. When he takes to complimenting her, however, she rapidly warms up to him. He's never been happier than the first time they race each other.

VI. He was jealous of the Froslass, and never really got over that, although he concealed it well. He was jealous that she got to him first.

VII. After the first time he used Future Sight, he didn't like using it anymore. The things he saw frightened him too much. It was then that he understood why Katerina was blind; she must have done it to herself somehow in a vain effort to stop it. Even after using it just once, he still dreamt of the things he foresaw. He wished he had never learned the move.

VIII. Konstantin's favorite food is bone marrow. Once, he daydreamed about it when he was hungry, and somehow it culminated in imagining himself eating his trainer's bones. He hasn't eaten it since, and hopes he never will again. Unless, maybe, when his trainer finally dies…

IX. He hated Nick. Konstantin hated Nick like he never hated anyone before. He despised him for leaving his trainer behind.

X. Once upon a time, things would've turned out differently. Konstantin would've stayed at Sendoff Spring-at least, for a little while longer. Long enough to outlive Katerina and become the new seer for the colony, being allowed to learn Future Sight. He doesn't get that far, though, before a black-haired trainer looking for Giratina appears and captures him in a half-accident, half-attack.

He doesn't stay with the trainer for long, however, and is soon given to a younger trainer as a gift. He is the fourth to arrive on a team consisting of a Camerupt, Breloom, and Luxray, and he is jarred at the fact that he, the oracle of his colony, is the weakest member of this team. He doesn't hate the other Pokemon, though, oh no. Instead, he fights them with passive aggression and pretty little lies.

Eventually, the trainer gets so fed up with him that he punches him in the face, cracking his skull mask and nearly knocking him out.

Konstantin evolves after that. He evolves into a Dusclops, and after a brief explanation of how Dusclops evolve further, he agrees to be temporarily traded in order to become a Dusknoir.

He doesn't speak anymore after that. He takes a vow of silence, and no one ever figures out why, because naturally, he doesn't talk.

He willingly becomes mute, though, because he finds he can speak the human language. And that scares him. He doesn't want to think about eating his trainer, now that he's finally used to the idea of it. Konstantin willingly becomes mute because he doesn't want anyone else to ever find this out.

He does call his trainer "comrade" one last time, however, when he's on his death bed, decades later. He says it in the human language, just because his trainer deserved to know. And his trainer doesn't hate him for it. Instead, he just smiles and pulls on his Dusknoir's hand. "I've always liked it when you called me that, Kostya."

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A Study In Bleach

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I. Alice only cleans herself so often because she's a trained Pokemon now. Trained Pokemon don't need to be dirty like wild Pokemon, after all.

II. She never liked babies, or eggs, or even the thought of being a mother until she laid eyes on Zarek's egg. Then, she stole the egg and worked her best to hatch it herself. She didn't care if she didn't like the idea of any of what she was doing. She was doing it. Even after he hatched and she saw what he really looked like, nothing like herself, she still thought of him as her baby. She did hatch him, after all.

III. When Alice learned the circumstances behind her capture, she didn't get mad or depressed or feel put-out. Instead, she laughed. She believes in destiny, after all.

IV. Everyone seemed to expect Carlita and Alice to get along, probably because they were both female. Imagine their surprise when they bickered with each other almost constantly. It isn't until they battle each other, though, that the others eventually realize that they don't hate each other. You don't hate your sister, after all. You just don't (always) like her.

V. Once, her trainer told her the story of Alice in Wonderland. He sheepishly explained that she wasn't named after the Alice in the story, but she liked to think she was, anyway. It was after that that she started wearing a black ribbon around her neck and fancied herself the Pokemon version of the Alice in the story.

VI. Alice is the only one who's cared enough to find out the origin of all of the names of her teammates. Des offhandedly commented that he's known about them all, since he was there the whole time, but even he seemed surprised by a couple of their trainer's responses when she asked him about it.

VII. She thinks of herself as girly. Carlita usually agrees with this, but disagrees with the fact that Alice thinks she's girly, too. She still can't figure out why.

VIII. She's secretly relieved when she isn't the last one to evolve. She knows it's bad to be glad that Zarek was the one left in the dust, but she's glad all the same. She confesses this to him one time, but he brushes it off as nothing. It's after that, after what felt like a great weight was lifted from her heart, that she starts doting on him again.

IX. When her trainer remarks casually that she might be the only one to take down Chase, Alice can only stare at him in shock. It's hours later that the full impact of what he said really hits her. And she cries. Not from pride or sadness or worry. She cries because she thinks of how far she's come, and how glad she is that her trainer realized that before she had.

X. Once upon a time, things would've turned out differently. She would still be captured by the same person, in a funnily similar manner, but instead of being kept, she would be given away to a little blonde girl who spoke French. She would not become a trained Pokemon, but instead, a pet.

Eventually, after having a furious discussion with a Gallade named Jacques about what had happened to her, she ran away. Alice ends up with her initial trainer, if he could be called that, and stubbornly refuses to leave him again. He caught her first, after all, so he might as well take responsibility.

Of course, it only takes a couple months of bullying from a horribly mean Luxray before she runs away again. This time, she ends up with not an owner, not a trainer, but a breeder. He had a very handsome Pidgeotto who didn't have a name, but they fell in love regardless. Alice was happy-at least, until she got skittish and ran away again.

She spent the rest of her life running. Since she had no permanent home, no place ever felt like home to her. She tried several times to return to the area where she had been captured, but it wasn't the same place she'd left. Alice was the one who didn't end up happy.

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A Study In Oil

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I. Zarek, as the youngest and weakest and last on the team, learns from his predecessors. From Des, he takes a sense of nobility and dignity on and off the battlefield. From Carlita, he learns to have fun in battles (and how to dance, though he's not very good at it). He takes from Ike sheer strength of personality; don't back down, don't show weakness, fight anyone and everyone if that's what it takes to win. From Konstantin, he learns the value of discretion and thinking things through. Finally, from Alice, he learns how to fly.

II. Alice was his first hero. Ike was his second. His trainer was his third. Zarek loves them all for it, but in different ways. They're not comparable, so he's never done them the injustice of trying to.

III. Contrary to the common consensus, he never felt that he was at a disadvantage. This may just be because of how the type strengths and weaknesses in the team lay, or it may be because he was babied by Alice, protected by his trainer, and was the only one to really gain Ike's affection. He's never questioned it, because after all, it works in his favor most of the time.

IV. Zarek isn't sure where his name came from. He's never questioned that, either-unlike every other member of the team.

V. No matter who it is, he greets them with a pinch. His teammates and trainer are still getting use to it and the constant sore fingers, paws, tails, ears, and just about everything else he can get in his grasp.

VI. His teammates all have favorite moves. It disturbs him sometimes that he can't figure out what his favorite one is.

VII. Zarek's first memory is his trainer fighting with Alice over the cracking egg. As such, he remembers two pairs of eyes staring down at him: one black, one blue. He imprinted more on Alice, however, because she flew him around whenever he wanted.

VIII. Zarek is probably the Pokemon who cares the most evenly about the team. Or maybe he's the one who regards all of them with the most positive feelings. This worries him whenever he stops to think about it, but he's not completely sure why.

IX. Since he's the baby of the team, he's always, well, babied. This was all well and good until he evolved. Then he wouldn't put up with the crap anymore and promptly beat most of the team (and his trainer) into submission.

X. Once upon a time, things would've turned out differently. Zarek was hatched by the breeder who had once owned his parents. His parents were long gone-so the human took their place. He was kept, unlike most other Pokemon. His owner sold Pokemon frequently, so Zarek saw dozens come and go. It gave him a jaded personality. He saw the world at a distance, never bothering to get close to any of the other Pokemon, only staying with his human.

He evolved and became strong, given time. His personality only got worse, though. He would start being used to break other Pokemon, ones who were newly captured or traded. He was the strongest, after all.

It was a shiny Murkrow that finally managed to best him, perch on his head, and start pecking at his eyes. Her name was Tenny. She was Zarek's first friend, because she took the time to tease him and learn about him and care about him. She brought him gifts of silvery things.

Then, one day, she was sold. Zarek was heartbroken. His first and only friend was gone, and he was left alone again with a team of strangers and an owner who had little time for him anymore. And, eventually, he was sold, too. He was sold to a black-haired trainer who went on to become the Champion. Zarek discovered that the world of training held much more fun that he first would've thought, and slowly grew attached to his new life. The thing that made him the happiest was that he had a stable team, though.