Lingshen, Chao

[That Bastard]

Name: Chao Lingshen
Nickname: The Timesnatcher
Age: 22 (December 1st)
Gender: Female
Birthplace: China
Family: Unknown

Trainer Orientation: Chaotic Neutral
Trainer Class: Scientist
Starter Pokémon: Ralts

Chao's Theme:
Aerosmith ~ Amazing (Get A Grip)

Chao, Resurgent:
BACK-ON ft. Lil'Fang ~ wimp (Gundam Build Fighters)

Ambition:
Nana Mizuki ~ Gimmick Game (Ultimate Diamond)

Hope:
Neil Davidge ~ Arrival (Halo 4 Original Soundtrack)

Big Damn Heroes:
Marty O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori ~ Sacred Icon Suite 2 (Halo Legends)

Battle:
Masashi Hamauzu ~ Defiers of Fate (Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack PLUS)

Kung-Fu Wizard:
Casey Lee Williams ~ I Burn (RWBY)

Forerunner:
Neil Davidge ~ Revival (Halo 4 Original Soundtrack)

Desperation:
Brian Tyler ~ Something to Fight For (Iron Man 3 Original Soundtrack)

Intense:
Nobuo Uematsu ~ J-E-N-O-V-A (Final Fantasy: Advent Children)

Unleashed:
The Black Mages ~ Maybe I'm a Lion (The Black Mages II: The Skies Above)

Savin [Male Magmortar]
The primary source of firepower in Chao's team, Magmortar is ornery and mean-spirited. Though loyal to the Chinese genius' goals and intentions--as even he is not so callous as to want to wipe out all life on the planet--he has a tendency to develop selective hearing whenever he's told to go light on the destruction, and as such is only employed when the fecal matter has truly struck the oscillating cooling device.
—Captured on Cinnabar Island.

Ability: Flame Body
Move Pool: Flame Burst, Fire Punch, Lava Plume, Fire Blast, Sunny Day, Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Flame Charge, Incinerate, Overheat

Phil [Male Arcanine]
Scout, soldier, spy, occasional fire response crew. Phil does practically anything that Chao needs him to, and this tendency is why he is named after the absurdly-popular secret agent from the Marvel cinematic universe. Eternally unflappable, Phil has the demeanor of one who has seen it all. And having been around for most of Chao's life and bearing witness to her experiments, he generally has.

Ability: Intimidate
Move Pool: Odor Sleuth, Extreme Speed, Safeguard, Facade, Hidden Power, Fire Fang, Overheat, Substitute, Retaliate, Attract

Maria [Female Houndoom]
Straightforward and no-nonsense, Maria works as part of a team with Phil. Maria is more the 'bad cop' to Phil's 'good cop' in their team, and typically is the first to engage in battle. She's also tenacious in a fight and only disengages when she's defeated her target.

Ability: Early Bird
Move Pool: Leer, Howl, Odor Sleuth, Crunch, Foul Play, Beat Up, Inferno, Fire Fang, Protect, Payback

Cassiopeia [Female Gardevoir]
The oldest of Chao's Pokémon, Cassiopeia has been with her since she was young, and has shared in every aspect of the Chinese genius' life. Aware of the future shown in Chao's nightmares, Cassiopeia is steadfast in doing what she can to help assure that future will not come to pass. To this end, she is fiercely protective of Chao, and will not let anyone near her without permission, even and especially to the point of violence.
—Starter Pokémon.

Ability: Synchronize
Move Pool: Teleport, Healing Wish, Future Sight, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Protect, Safeguard, Reflect, Stored Power, Ally Switch

Poyo [Female Axew]
Recently acquired, Chao received Poyo as a gift from a classmate when she left Kanto to as a technology researcher at the Republic of Seafoam. It is still a baby, and therefore is not technically suited for battle yet, but that hasn't stopped the little critter from trying, even though most of the time it sits on her shoulder and is obnoxiously cute.
—Received from Zazie Rainyday.

Ability: Mold Breaker
Move Pool: Scratch, Leer, Assurance, Dragon Rage

Standing at 5'7", Chao at first appears to be your average Chinese girl. She always keeps her shoulder-length black hair pulled into braids that she curls into a pair of hair buns with approximately an inch of the end braids hanging, covering the curled buns with a pair of stereotypical bao covers.

In combat, she wears a form-fitting bodysuit of black and white, on the chest of which is the phrase "CHAO BAO ZI" in both English and Mandarin. The armor covers everything but her head, and includes a short hip-cape for style. The right shoulder of her armor bears an unknown emblem.

Artwork by unknown (front), Shaft (top), Ken Akamatsu / ARMI (bottom).

Singularly-focused on protecting humanity and preventing its extinction at the hands of the coming darkness she has seen in her dreams, this goal drives every act Chao takes. Fully-aware of how poorly these visions might be received, she conceals her true goals behind the 'Genius Ditz/Mad Scientist' facade, though the fact that she personally owns a multimillion-yen successful business venture that she--secretly--used to fund her operation makes it rather obvious to anyone who pays attention that she's really The Ace and a Chessmaster. Outwardly mischievous and fun-loving, she prefers to remain in the background. She is friendly and well-mannered to anyone she meets, with the exception of occasionally trying to force or coerce them into participating in her latest experiment.

She is calculating, cold when necessary, but never cruel, and tailors her actions to seek minimum damage to the world around her. She is also absolutely willing to become a martyr, taking on the role of villain to ensure that her goals are successful and that humanity, ultimately, can be saved.

Originally hailing from China--or so she says--Chao has moved around quite a few times in her life. One constant has been her obsession with tinkering with machines and inventing advances in technology. During her early childhood, she was largely uninterested in Pokémon, and her interest in tinkering largely confined to things that amused her and offered no real value. One event changed this.

Just as she was entering her teen years, a dream came to her one night. Or more accurately, a nightmare. In this nightmare, she saw the fall of human civilization. The entire world engulfed in flames, every living thing ravaged by creatures, unfathomable abominations indistinguishable from the darkness that birthed them save for the malevolent red gazes from which there was no escape. Human and Pokémon alike were powerless against this force.

Unlike other night terrors she had experienced, this one profoundly moved her, and she knew without knowing how she knew that it was not merely the product of a hyperactive imagination and reading too much creepypasta before bed. Thorough searches of the internet proved that she wasn't alone in seeing what she had seen. That all but sealed the deal for her. She threw herself headlong into weapons research and other technology advances. To her, having investigated the backgrounds of those others who had experienced the visions, she came to realize that individuals were notable for having unique skillsets. Some were exceptional Pokémon trainers. Some were exceptional leaders. Some were prodigious psychics. Reasoning that each who had the visions had something unique to contribute, she threw herself headlong into advanced technology research and weapons development.

For many years, she lived in Celadon while she both advanced her research and created her own funding by the creation and running of the globally-renowned Chao Bao Zi ethnic Asian food chain. Her developments have run a wide gamut from non-linear weapon augmentations to personal armor developments to weaponizing commonly-available technology primarily intended for use by Pokémon trainers. She learned of the Seafoam project early in its inception, particularly the reasons behind the nation's development, and contributed not only funding but terraformation technology to the project.

During the course of the project, Chao met with William Blackmoore and the two discussed the vision they had seen, with the Chinese genius determining that the Republic was just the sort of place where she could put her contribution to the defense of mankind to full purpose. Once construction of the islands were complete, she moved her operations to Island Four and set up Misriah Industries, a nationalized defense manufacturer. She has since begun working overtime to make Seafoam ready for the coming dark times.

Regular Abilities______________________________________
└-Skills, professions, knowledge and talents.

Super Genius: Chao's most important asset is undoubtedly her mind. Chao is immensely knowledgeable in the mechanical and technical sciences, particularly in the field of robotics and weapons research. She also specializes in miniaturization of critical systems, but perhaps her most unique talent is her ability to see a hitherto-nonexistent technology in any form of media--best if from a visual media--and then figure out how to make it work.

│
├─Classification: Talent
├─Category: Knowledge
└─Power Level: Inherent

Martial Abilities______________________________________
└-Weapon specializations and fighting styles.

Kenpo: Chao possesses a high skill in the Chinese martial art kenpo. However, she does not demonstrate this often, preferring to fight an enemy at range if she can't outsmart them entirely. The exact extent of her skill is not fully known.

│
├─Classification: Physical
├─Category: Fighting Style
└─Power Level: Expert

Shundo: Also known by the names "ground contractor" or "instant movement", it is an ability that allows Chao to cover distances up to forty feet in a direct line from where she is facing in an instant. She can actually pass through space occupied by another person or creature without either being physically affected; only an individual specifically-trained in martial arts can react to her movement in this manner.

│
├─Classification: Talent
├─Category: Skill
└─Power Level: Journeyman

Elemental Abilities____________________________________
└-Powers from a Fire Plate.

Unlike most prospective Elemental users, a sort of mental block exists for Chao, due to encounters with her alternate dimension self, that prevents her from accessing her power except in thinking of them as spells. As such, she typically requires incanting to use most of her abilities.

Ardescat: The most basic of abilities, Ardescat, meaning literally "Burn," can barely be considered an offensive ability, and is intended to teach focus and concentration to the user. Ardescat causes a small flame to appear in close proximity to the user's extremities, either at the tip of a finger, in the palm of the hand, or on the end of an item held in the hand. The flame is centered half an inch above the surface it is projected over, and the concentration of the user is tested by maintaining the flame's relative position despite movement. Its actual attack power is laughably negligible, but there's a slight chance to burn the target.

│
├─Classification: Elemental
├─Category: Special
└─Power Level: Novice

Sagitta Magica Series Ignis (Fire Arrow): Enhancing what is normally a non-damaging attack, Sagitta Magica summons a number of Fire elemental bolts (always a prime number; three at novice level) that will independently and autonomously track a target. Their individual damage is negligible, but can add up, and any one hit will burn the target. Based on the move [Will o' Wisp].

│
├─Classification: Elemental
├─Category: Special, Status
└─Power Level: Novice

Ourania Phlogôsis (Blazing Heat in the Sky): An SS-class ability, Blazing Heat in the Sky is the highest tier of non-customized fire abilities, possessing an overwhelming attack power. A drawback is the drain on the user's stamina after casting, and its lengthy incantation, though one with enough skill to use this attack more than once and still be able to fight is more than skilled enough to avoid having their incantation interrupted. When cast, this attack generates a cone of fire that extends outward up to 500 feet from the caster and creates temperatures in excess of 30,000 degrees. Based on the move [Blast Burn].

│
├─Classification: Elemental
├─Category: Special
└─Power Level: Not Acquired

Calefaciens Exarmatio (Heatwave Disarmament): Taken a step further than the basic Pokémon move, Calefaciens Exarmatio will incinerate any equipment the target is carrying or wearing, to include clothing and armor. This is ineffective against objects and equipment imbued with Dragon, Rock, Ground, or Water typing. At the same time, fire resistance is applied to avoid direct damage to the target's actual body, as this is a nonlethal move. Based on the move [Incinerate].

│
├─Classification: Elemental
├─Category: Special
└─Power Level: Not Acquired

Sagitta Magica Convergentia Ignis (Fire Arrow - Searing Shot): Otherwise identical to the Series version of Sagitta Magica, this variant combines all of the elemental bolts into a single bolt that deals damage greater than the sum of its parts, but conversely is easier to avoid. Based on the move [Searing Shot].

│
├─Classification: Elemental
├─Category: Special, Status
└─Power Level: Not Acquired

Captus Flammeus (Fiery Captor - Fire Spin):

Flagrantia Rubicans (Red Blaze - Flamethrower):

Gladius Divinus Flammae Arden (Divine Sword of Blazing Conflagration - Lava Plume):

Incendium Gehennae (Hellfire Conflagration - Magma Storm):

Weapons_________________________________________________
└-Weapon and munitions.

Misriah Industries MI12D Magnum: The MI12D is a semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine-fed, large-bore handgun that is controllable even during rapid fire, although at the cost of accuracy. It fires M225 SAP-HE (Semi-Armor Piercing, High Explosive) rounds from a 12-round magazine. Operators can achieve an effective rate of fire of 3.5 rounds/sec or 210 rounds/min. The weapon is very accurate out to its maximum effective range. This accuracy allows incredibly precise target engagement at long range. It has rear sights but it does not have a forward sight blade, which is replaced by the smart-link scope. It features a KFA-2 2x optical, smart-linked scope. This scope links directly to a user's HUD or a Marine eye piece. Chao uses a modified version that is adapted to accept calibers other than the factory default 12.7mm.

Armor___________________________________________________
└-Armor, shielding, and wearables.

Chaobaozi Battle Armor Mk.I Prototype: The current iteration of Chao's personal powered body armor research, the Chaobaozi battle system is based upon the MJOLNIR armor worn by the SPARTANs of the Halo series of video games. In its current iteration, the armor is still cloth-based. The Tactile Sensory Awareness System installed on the armor replaces a helmet-dependent motion tracker, and functions in a similar manner by utilizing vertical rows of vibrating discs that vibrate in differing directions and intensity based on location and proximity of a threat. The armor system in this generation is bullet-resistant to most pistol-size calibers and is burn-proof.

"And if we increase the density of the field variation by another thirty percent, that will give us enough surface area to-"

All at once, the lights in her workcenter dimmed to near complete blackness, then flickered back to a functional state. Even still, the lighting level was not up to the same degree that it had been previously. The Chinese genius turned in her chair, looking around for the source of the disturbance. As she did so, she noted to her alarm that everything around her seemed to have frozen; status lights on machines across the room were not blinking, a stack of papers in the far corner of the room were frozen in the process of toppling over, and the hologram haze of Pheidippides' avatar on the desk beside her was motionless.

Turning toward the center of the room behind her, she felt as though she was looking in a mirror. There, in the center of the room, stood what appeared to be a slightly-older version of herself, wearing what looked like a more advanced version of her battle armor. "Ah, I was beginning to think I didn't exist in this dimension-ne."

Needless to say, it wasn't every day that one was visited by, well, themselves. "Can...I help you...?"

The older version of herself chuckled and walked over to her workstation, glancing over what she was working on. "Just sort of poking my head in and seeing what's going on. I'm a dimension traveler-yo. Travel the worlds, see the sights, occasionally help out the other versions of myself that I find on their inevitable quests to stave off some existential catastrophe." Without warning, she shoved a datachip into an open port in the younger girl's workstation. "Let's see what we're working with, eh?"

There was a moment's delay, and then Pheidippides' voice projected from the machine, "Apocalyptic prophecy of the end of all life on Earth in a wave of darkness. Seems to be an entirely terrestrial, or at most extra-dimensional, threat. No indications of Covenant activity."

"Hey!"

The AI's voice addressed her at her complaint. "My apologies, Lady Lingshen. I am not your model of Pheidippides, though it does amuse me to note that I exist in this dimension as well. I am quite beside myself."

Both versions of Chao winced at the horrible pun. The older girl removed the datachip and smiled apologetically at her doppelganger. "It was easier to do that way-ne." She sobered. "So. I don't know about any prophecy, but I know myself, and I know that I wouldn't put things into full swing unless it was serious. I directed Pheidippides to offload some schematics that you might find useful."

"So that's what you do-ne? You just travel from world to world and scare the crap out of yourself?"

"No, that got old pretty fast," the older Chao answered with a deadpan. "What I actually do is check for whatever existential threats are in the dimensions I appear in. If they're Covenant, I help throw everything at them. If not, I give some tips and move on. But now that we've met, we're linked, and I can keep an eye on your dimension more easily that way-yo. And if necessary, come back and help."

The younger girl's mouth twitched into a smile. "You're a walking deus ex machina."

"I prefer the term 'Timesnatcher'. Sounds cooler." She gestured with her free hand, and a glowing blue-black tear in space opened behind her. "Unfortunately, magic doesn't seem to exist in this dimension, at least not in any readily-apparent manner, so there's only so much I can do. Technical schematics is about it. But I know you'll manage somehow. I did."

And with that, the older Chao stepped backwards into the tear and vanished, the rip in reality sealing up behind her. The lights brightened once more, and the time that had been stopped resumed once more.

"Lady Lingshen?" Pheidippides queried. "Something the matter?"

She briefly debated telling the AI what had just happened, but decided against it. For now, the existence of The Timesnatcher was a curiosity, and not relevant to what she was planning. In the meantime, she needed to perfect this battle armor prototype. She had that meeting with the head of the Seafoam project coming up, after all.