Tommy Petersen
Thomas Andrew Petersen, known as Tommy and by his initials TAP, is an Unovan photojournalist with the Geographic Society. He mostly provides content for its news magazine, The Geographer Weekly, with his main claim to fame is taking pictures of Arachna-Guy, the Spinarak-themed crime-fighter who patrols the streets of Castelia City. He is the secondary PC of JG-Says-Things-And-Stuff.
Appearance
Tommy looks like he was cloned from a sarcastic Hollywood Nerd template, a seemingly lanky young brown-haired male with a athletic build typically hidden in layers of clothing and a friendly face that makes you think "how is this good-looking guy an unpopular nerd." At least up until he opens his mouth.
Personality
Awkward, adorkable, and annoying are the three words that describe little Tommy Petersen. Described as a good kid who's not quite dependable, the young lad often geeks out at the slightest provocation, quoting and referencing movies from the 80s like clockwork. He is the only photographer in The Geographer Weekly to consistently deliver clear (and incidentally very flattering) photos of the elusive superhero Arachna-Guy. He seems to be an Arachna-Guy fanboy and speaks praises of him constantly, which grates on a lot of people.
Part of his interest in Arachna-Guy may stem from his fondness for arachnid Pokemon. His starter is a Spinarak, Tobi, rescued from a Best Berry subsidiary laboratory involved in illegal experiments, and had worked alongside Professor Conroy Hawthorn in raising Kabutos in a facility at Castelia City University. He lives with his Aunt April in Castelia.
Personal History
Once upon a time, young orphan Tommy Petersen lived with his Aunt April and Uncle Ken after his father was killed by an ominous Team Rocket agent who was once tutored by his Uncle Ken. One day, when he was 15 and played hooky while on a field trip to a Best Berry facility, he discovered an elaborate and cruel Spinarak silk-harvesting scheme. Sensing "hey, free Pokemon," he stole an oddly colored Spinarak, which proceeded to bite him. This led to a contrived chain of events that would lead to Uncle Ken being killed by robbers who were watching a movie. As he lay dying, he told Tommy Petersen something he couldn't remember but involved responsibility and power somehow. He couldn't really tell because the Spinarak bite was acting up and Aunt April was crying, but what little he did remember was etched in his mind.
In grief, he buried himself in his chemistry textbooks and began reading his uncle's old comic books, becoming rather fixated with superheroes in the process. When the opportunity to get paid to take pictures of a mysterious vigilante came, he seized his chance. Also, he anonymously had the Spinarak ring busted.
And the he started sending hi-res images to Hank, who became fixated on finding the true motives of Castelia's new vigilante, thus beginning his career at the Geographic Society. He started as intern and later took on a part-time staff job at the Geographer Weekly. Shutter had been tasked with introducing him to the ropes of the publishing industry and ended up befriending him. The two get along well and treat each other as friends.
