Hoops

Hoops is a trainer from Ballonlea in the Galar region. They aim to become a champion in order to prove their own strength to the world, and to their father. They eventually enter a state of near death, becoming a half mummy.

Name:	Hoops
Nickname/Alias:	N/A
Gender:	Non-Binary
Sexuality:	Unknown
Age:	267
Height:	5'09
Ethnicity:	White
Birthday:	5th of September, 2003
Attribute:	N/A
Trainer ID:	N/A
Home:	Ballonlea, Galar
Pokéform:	Gyarados
Starter:	Kec (Kecleon)
Status:	Alive

Appearance

Hoops is a fairly androgynous young trainer with short blue and and purple hair and green eyes. They typically wear a version of the Galar gym uniform patterned to resemble Kecleon, with the number 352 on the back. After switching for a new team, they wear the basic challenger uniform with the same number. After their original team returns, they revert to their old outfit. They also wear bandages on their arms at all times. After their sleep within Cof, they become noticeably more pale, with their eyes especially appearing quite sunken. Their left arm is now made of bandages.

Personality

They are overall a good person, but struggle in social situations. This can make them come off as awkward, sullen, overly friendly, or somewhat clueless in various contexts. In battle they become a lot more serious, and have stated an inability to enjoy battling. When they begin to lose, they become increasingly distressed, and a loss can give them a short term depressive episode.

Later on, the lack of enjoyment of battles is toned down, as they begin to see battles as something to learn and grow from, not just something that must be won at all costs.

History

Backstory

Hoops grew up as an only child in Ballonlea under the care of their father. Their mother left them when they were only a few years old, and they believed for years that she had died.

Their father had once undertaken the gym challenge, and though he was fairly successful he was never able to become the champion like he had always wanted. When he had a child, he decided that Hoops should take on that struggle and began to raise them in order to be a strong trainer. This involved things such as leaving them in the Glimwood Tangle for several days to fend for themself, subjecting them to verbal (and occasionally physical) abuse when they lost battles, and cutting them off from the majority of social interaction.

The first pokemon Hoops used that wasn't a loan from their father was a Kecleon, who they named Kec. Kec cared deeply for his trainer and so stayed with him despite the fact that he would often have to bare the more dangerous physical aspects of the training that they went through. Hoops would later catch two more pokemon: the Ledyba named Led, who eventually evolved into Ledian, and the male Salandit named Sal. At one point Hoops tried to run away from home, but accidentally stumbled into a Dynamax den, where they were badly burned on their arms by a Gigantimax Centiskorch. Their father was angry about this and his treatment of them became a lot worse.

When they were fifteen, Hoops left home for real, and didn't return afterwards. They caught a shiny Sudowoodo named Sud and a Chatot named Tot, and received a gift of a Nickit from their father which they named Kit. Soon after they found out that their father had died due to heart problems.

In RP

Hoops was introduced exploring the Slumbering Weald, where they met other Galar League participants Ian, Evelyn, and Kim. They battled Ian but lost in a one on one battle, becoming briefly depressed until the others assured them that they had done well. They were then given the opportunity to transform into a pokémon, and they turned into a Magiekarp. This caused them to panic due to not being able to breathe, and Kec had to help them return to their normal form. This allowed them to speak to pokémon.

Hoops continued to challenge the Galar gym leaders until they reached Ballonlea, where they battled Bede but were quickly defeated. Returning to their old home, they found a message from their father telling them that he was disappointed in them and that they would never be able to win with their current team. Hoops believed the message and took the new team that their father had left for them, leaving their original team in the care of Kim. They used this new team to defeat Bede.

Later while battling Marnie in Spikemuth, Hoops realised that they had lost their way during their journey, and after winning that battle contacted their friends, attempting to reconcile with their team. Kec rebuffs them, and demands a battle with their right to be a trainer on the line. Hoops agrees and battles their old team, being commanded by Evelyn. They lose, but Kec allows them to continue as a trainer, and everyone except him rejoins the team.

During the battle against Raihan, Kec returns to the team and they win the battle. Hoops is then attacked by the schoolkid Vana, who they had previously aided, as well as the templars Ferrum and Nitrogen, who are able to apparently kill them despite the intervention of Ian and Evelyn. Once they retreat, Cof reveals that he can save Hoops by bringing them inside his body through a complex ritual. With the help of Kec and Evelyn, the ritual is completed and Cof and the other pokémon leave to wait for Hoops to be healed.

On Halloween night, Hoops awakes with their mind scrambled and rushes, hungry, to a nearby village. Though at first the people think their appearance is a costume, the bandages that now make up their right arm begin to attack those around them due to their fear and confusion, until Kec and the other pokémon can calm them down.

Several days later, Hoops invites Ian, Evelyn, and Kim to Wyndon so that they can battle them for their league championship, eventually defeating them. However, having learned that their desire to be recognised as strongest was only hurting themself, they decline to challenge Leon.

Later, Hoops travels to the Sinnoh region and meets Xaster, and quickly forms a mentor relationship with him that later becomes sexual, and eventually romantic. As Xaster grows stronger, Hoops leaves to travel around Alola and master Z-moves, defeating all of the trials and locating the other crystals.

Soon afterwards, they encounter Whitt, and battle thanks to Whitt having attacked Xaster. The battle ends in a draw, with both combatants coming close to killing the other. Cof then leaves to investigate his connection to Whitt's Banette, and does not return - it is later revealed that Morrigan trapped him in a realm for ghost types. This weakens Hoops' ghost abilities, giving them greater fatigue and slowing their regenerative capabilities.

Hoops later challenged Cynthia at the Battle Tree, but lost. They then witnessed Xaster defeat her at the Sinnoh League, and the two had a short battle with Hoops winning.

They travelled next to Paldea, and began challenging gyms. While in Artazon, they were incapacitated by Whitt's life-draining snow, causing them to be bedridden and unable to wake.

Abilities

Hoops has been shown to be a strong battler - starting off as roughly average, some time after joining the J-Team they are able to challenge Paldea gym leaders without suffering a single loss on their team.

After sleeping within Cof, they gain powers related to their status as a partial mummy: they no longer require food or sleep, though can still have both, and can control the bandages that wrap around their body. These bandages are able to replicate, giving them a great deal of utility, and are strong enough to restrain strong opponents. They grow stronger and more numerous the more volatile Hoops' emotions are, and take on something of a mind of their own - when Hoops faced Gabriel, they were able to overcome his control abilities because of this. They also have something as a healing factor - as their body is no longer fully alive, injuries that would kill most people have more of a stun effect, and fix themselves over time. Due to this Hoops has survived things that would kill most, like being impaled through the torso and having their neck broken.

Relationships

• Evelyn - a friend of Hoops, later revealed to be a girl from their childhood that comforted them when they and Kec were both injured due to their father. Hoops feels like they are in their debt for that, and holds feelings that they haven't worked out fully yet.
• Ian - a friend and rival to Hoops. The two first met and battled in Slumbering Weald, and though Hoops lost they consider one of the best battles they have had.
• Kim - one of Hoops' friends. They have never had a conclusive battle, but Hoops still considers her a rival. She was the first person Hoops told about their past.
• Vana - a schoolkid that Hoops met in the Wild Area and developed an older sibling affection for. Vana then later attempted to kill Hoops, though Hoops knew about the school and assured her they didn't blame her. Though angry at her after being revived, they eventually forgive her and mourn her when she passes away.
• Xaster - a trainer from Kalos who persuades Hoops to be his battling coach. They act as though they hate him, but quickly catch feelings and the two end up in a relationship.
• Whitt - a templar who comes to see Hoops as an enemy. They clash on several occasions and have similar levels of strength.
• Nitrogen and Ferrum - the templars who led the mission that killed Hoops. They haven't encountered one another since, but Hoops holds a grudge against them.

Achievements

• Met Arceus one time. Maybe. It was a weird day.
• Defended Orochi Plaza from Neo-Flare supporters.
• Defeated Malacostra when she tried to rob the Wyndon Natural History Museum.
• Earned all eight Galar gym badges.

Badges Earned

Galar

• Grass Badge
• Water Badge
• Fire Badge
• Fighting Badge
• Fairy Badge
• Rock Badge
• Dark Badge
• Dragon Badge

Paldea

• Electric Badge
• Ice Badge
• Grass Badge

Pokémon

On Hand

Kec

Led

Sal

Vul

Sud

Tot

Ray

Jas

Pol

Bis

Gon

Cof

Sno

Former Team Members

Api

Trivia

• All of Hoops' Pokémon are nicknamed with three consecutive letters from their name.
• In battle, Hoops frequently chooses Pokémon with a type disadvantage to their opponent. In their words, this is to make sure that the win is uncontestable. They stop doing this some time after they lost to Bede.
• Hoops' last name is Thorn, but they don't use it due to the connections with their abusive father.
• Hoops has a character that is meant to represent them in the J-Team television series. However, they feel that it is them in name only as the producers cast a woman (believing that it didn't matter as Hoops is non-binary), and made them goth. The actor from the series is also known for being extremely well-endowed in the chest area, something that Hoops is loathe to acknowledge.