Figured I’d ramble a little about Niles’ big six. Natures, quirks, that sort of thing. yay self inserts
Arcanine, male. Serious nature. Unova native. Even compared to Lupita, Aiden is still easily the most intimidating of Niles’ six team members. That doesn’t stop her from babying her ‘giant floof muffin’ as she’s called him ever since he first evolved. He doesn’t seem to mind the pet name.
Granbull, female. Sassy nature. Kalos native. As a purebred Kalosian Snubbull, Betsy- short for Babette- was bred for contests despite still being a reasonable powerhouse. As such, she can be a little. Ah. High-strung. But what show dog isn’t? On a bad day, she can be a bit of a yappy handful, even for Niles. That doesn’t stop her from being a prized, spoiled lap pooch- despite her comparatively large size.
Houndoom, male. Jolly nature. Johto native. Niles traded for him, hence why he can be a little… Hard to handle. Fun fact, his original trainer had oh-so-creatively named him ‘Killer.’ Despite that, he’s the friendliest of the six. The only danger one is in when it comes to Lyall is drowning in puppy kisses.
Mightyena, male. Relaxed nature. Hoenn native. Aside from Aiden, he’s easily the most laid-back of the six. His placid behavior is almost disappointing compared to the more, to put it gently, unique personalities of his team mates. As such, he’s usually the one who sleeps at the foot of Niles’ bed (since Betsy usually commandeers their trainer’s pillow.)
Lucario, female. Brave nature. Unova native. As a Riolu, Lupita was Niles’ very first catch upon leaving home for the first time. Despite being her trainer’s ace and oldest partner on top of being capable of Mega Evolution, she is often kept as a second resort. After all, as a fighting type, Lupita is a hammer and a lot of problems look like nails.
Midnight form Lycanroc, female. Impish nature. Alola native. It should come as no surprise that Red is Niles’ latest catch. She, like Betsy and Lyall, is a handful. Granted, she was much worse as a Rockruff- combine an impish nature with endless puppyish energy, and you have a recipe for disaster. Gnawed furniture for miles around.
It may be no surprise, but one of Niles’ favorite pass times is taking her team for long walks. Usually, she rides Aiden’s back while Lupita walks next to him, with Betsy perched on her trainer’s lap (’walk’ is an exaggeration for the spoiled little thing) and the other three teammates on leashes. This is an absolute necessity for a high-energy ‘mon like Lyall and a mischievous one like Red.
… One time, she made the mistake of trying to walk the Houndoom while wearing roller skates. She doesn’t talk about what happened next.