Just Built That Way - Blog Posts

Name: Ivan Braginsky Specialty: Ice/Dark Place of Origin: Snowpoint, Sinnoh Team: Absol, Abomasnow, Kyurem, Beartic, Glalie, Mamoswine, Bewear, Mimikyu, Glastrier Not used for battle: N/A

Ivan had been training the moment his hands could hold a Pokeball, and had been perfecting his skills ever since. The moment he joined the Leagues, he rose up the ranks quite quickly, earning a formidable reputation for his chillingly efficient team. His strategy was to attack second and attack last, as it let him read the opponent's attack style before exploiting their weaknesses and leaving no opportunity for retaliation. He beat the Pokemon up quite badly—if they were still moving, then he hadn't won yet. With his meticulous study of opponents and ruthless tactics, Ivan becomes the most feared opponent in the Leagues and the one everyone is eyeing to beat.

Ivan's motivation is clear: he aims to become the strongest in the region to rescue his sisters from their father's grasp. Despite his reluctance to return to Sinnoh, he recognizes that winning the Pokémon League championship is his only way to achieve this goal. With no means to reach Sinnoh alone at fifteen, he sees the Pokémon League as his ticket back since the final match will take place in that region. Being raised by the stern Winter, Ivan adopted a serious and independent nature, thinking of others as nothing but weights dragging him down. However, after traveling with Alfred as partners for the League, he has learned that it's okay to depend on others.

Hailing all the way from snowy Sinnoh, Ivan's past is shrouded in tragedy and misery. Because of his weakness, he was kicked out of an infamous organization his family owned and chased out of Snowpoint. A mysterious dragon legendary picked him up and dropped him off in Alola, where a Gym Leader named Winter took him in and raised him as his own until he was fifteen. Having been chased out for weakness, Ivan became obsessed over strength and power, causing him to adopt brutal and merciless tactics in battles. His reputation as a fearsome opponent precedes him, with many competitors withdrawing upon seeing his name on the contestant list. Despite Alfred's objections to Ivan's harsh treatment of Pokémon, Ivan justifies his actions as necessary to achieve victory. But now, in his pursuit of strength, he had scared everyone away and was now alone. When Ivan noticed this, he felt even worse, and it made him bitter enough to start being cruel to others.