PLAYER: Alex Davenport	CHARACTER: Alice!
PRONOUNS: she/her AGE: 26 ORIENTATION: Ace LOCATION: Denver, Colorado OCCUPATION: Commissions Specialist	GENDER: <F> AGE: Adult ENABLE PKMN SPEECH? Yes PAIN THRESHOLD: Realistic TRAINER CLASS: Gardener

OUT OF THE GAME Alexandra, who's always gone by Alex, was born and raised in Denver with her two older brothers and barely remembers the divorce that sent her and her siblings packing their bags weekly to switch from one parent's house to the other. Thankfully, their parents' divorce wasn't especially bitter - more like a relief for both of them, and it was easy for them to tolerate each other's company for things like birthdays, graduations, milestones, and other events that expected the presence of both parents. Life went on as normal. She grew up enjoying watching her brothers play video games and, as soon as she could manage it, she played their games too. Her first was Pokémon - simple, low-stakes, and full of cute creatures. Who could resist? Though in the beginning she frequently hopped between different games, dabbling in action-adventures, life sims, and platformers, she found herself returning to Pokémon over and over again. She loved its simple formula, and how well that simplicity masked a complexity deeper within the more time you invested in the games. She floated through middle and high school with mostly B's in her classes - high enough that her games couldn't be taken away while still getting away with putting in minimum effort so she could return as quickly as possible to her main focus, Pokémon. Her interest wasn't just limited to the core games, either - she played all the spin-offs, got into the trading card game, the mobile apps, everything. But the core games held her interest the most - she'd pour hundreds of hours into each one and even replay them over and over with the same level of intensity. She soon graduated and started college, only to drop out a year into it after finding it required more focus than high school did. She reluctantly entered the workforce, moving from one entry-level job to the next until eventually landing herself in a small business that did real adult-like work - insurance. It was boring, but it paid well - really well, for someone who didn't have a college degree. It was around this time another new Pokémon game came out and, like clockwork, she hurled herself into it. But this was a little different. It was noticeably easier this time around, and while she personally enjoyed the grind, she hadn't exactly minded the mandatory Exp. Share the last couple games. But the battling was way too easy in the new game, almost to the point where it felt impossible to lose. It was boring. But it was still Pokémon, and there were improvements to things like the breeding system that made it easier than ever to raise the ideal Pokémon. It was that boredom from too-easy battles that led Alex to the world of competitive battle. She was already familiar with it - she knew how to breed the perfect Pokémon so she could sweep through battle facilities to get the accolades necessary for her to feel she'd fully completed the game, and that required a pretty good grasp on competitive battle strategies. But after sweeping through the new game's battle facilities in the span of a single evening, she found herself looking for something a little more challenging. So, she started doing random battles online, which led to finding local tournaments in her area... it was a slippery slope from there. Nothing got her blood pumping or her mind racing like a battle against someone who actually knew what they were doing. She wasn't immediately good, but she wasn't bad either, and learned more with each battle. In the process, she got to know other people who were just as obsessed with Pokémon as she was, which was quite validating, and it kept pushing her to improve her strategy and knowledge. Before she knew it, she was battling in regional championships and after she had a few seasons' experience under her belt, she was ranking higher and higher. It was when she had to take time off work to travel to an international championship that her co-workers learned of her status as a high-ranking competitive player. Most of them were much older than her and were baffled that the girl who quietly made sure everyone in their company was paid accordingly was an internationally-ranked player in the most popular video game franchise in the world. It was to her surprise that they enthusiastically supported her and even went out of their way to take her out for drinks to celebrate when she was extended an invite to the world championships a few months later. It was perhaps the collision of her personal and work life that so unnerved her in the weeks that followed as she prepared for the championships. While battling had always supercharged her nerves, it had almost always aided in helping her focus even more in executing the best strategy for the matches she faced. But this time, her nerves were rattling her instead. Or maybe it was the simple fact the stakes were higher than ever - after all, she was flying to Japan to play. She couldn't fly ten hours to the other side of the world only to lose in the first round because she was nervous! But that was exactly what happened. Alex lost in the first round, and just like that her perspective on competitive battle began to sour. Because she didn't want to seem like a bitter loser, she still participated in the next season's regional championships, but her heart wasn't in it anymore. She soon dropped out and stopped playing the game entirely for the first time in years, choosing instead to float between relaxing life simulators and action-adventures for a few months. And then the new game was announced. The first VR Pokémon game, offering a fully-immersive experience. It was like an old friend calling out to her, but Alex was still hesitant, struggling to set apart her high stakes loss in the competitive battle scene from her love for the franchise. But of part of her always knew she'd go back to the games and dive just as deep as before. She just needed to make sure she actually enjoyed playing it - she needed to experience it, not as something to win but as something to love. This was Alex's goal when she created her in-game character, Alice (a name that sounded just like Alex, but softer). Alex wouldn't be able to resist playing the game as something to win, but Alice was there just to have fun with cute creatures. She was going to be the opposite of Alex in many ways - Alice would take the game slow, get to know every NPC and every player, spend more time thinking of the perfect name for her Pokémon rather than its ideal build and moveset. Alice would approach every situation with bubbly enthusiasm and eager support of anyone who needed it. Alice will love and embrace the game and everything it offered, and not let the game and reality collide again.

INSIDE THE GAME Alice is the person Alex wants to be. She's bubbly, friendly, and is very eager to help and support others in their Pokémon journey - to the point where she sets others' journeys before her own. It's almost like she's afraid to let herself move too far into the game and tries to avoid scenarios where Alice might turn into Alex, intent on turning everything into a strategy to win. Alice tries her best to insert herself into social situations when she can, interested in sharing her experience with others instead of isolating herself like she used to. She's avoided reading guides, theories, and other online resources regarding the game because she's intent on having an authentic experience. She tries to play as casually as she can for someone who spends every waking hour not at work playing the game. However, nothing can stop her from making sure she doesn't lose battles. That knowledge of strategic battle doesn't just go away, but Alice doesn't try as hard as Alex does. Alex would try to anticipate exactly how much damage her Pokémon could take and dish out against her opponent, but Alice isn't doing that mental math. She tries to approach each battle like any other player would, reminding herself it's okay to lose. Despite that, if she does feel she may not easily win a battle, she'd definitely fall back on her old strategies to make sure she doesn't lose. Deep down, she feels like she can't actually lose, because if she does... what if she stops playing again? What if it stops being fun again? She's devoted so much of her life to Pokémon she feels that can't afford to lose her love for it. So Alice plays the game lightheartedly, with relaxed ease, enjoying the experience of taking it all in slowly without rushing or playing super seriously. But she will fight like hell if she has to.

FACE CLAIMS Yor Forger from SPY x FAMILY Yae Miko from Genshin Impact

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