PENANCE, the "Handle-With-Care" Pokégirl

PENANCE, the "Handle-With-Care" Pokégirl

Type: Near Human
Element: Dark/Steel
Frequency: Very Rare (Not rare enough in some people's opinion)
Diet: Human-style, only eats with permission in a Harem
Role: Victim needing rehabilitation
Libido: Low
Strong Vs: Psychic, Flying, Normal, Dragon, Ice, Water, Magic, Steel
Weak Vs: Bug, Fighting, Fire
Attacks: Cry Wolf, Fury Swipes, Body Slam, Gut Punch, Sabre Claw, Slash, Harden, Light Drain, Power Break, Iron Wrap
Enhancements: Enhanced Durability (x20), Metamorph (limited), Camouflague (Shadow Blend), Natural Weapons (morphed blades)
Limitations: terrified of everything, cries at random intervals for no visible reason, totally incapable of speaking, skittish and hostile towards anyone they don't know
Evolves: Anima (further abuse), Mistress (Delta Bond + Psi Crystal)
Evolves From: Any Pokégirl (Long-term abuse)

Abused Pokégirls that are killed or commit suicide are the lucky ones. Those who don't, who stay with their abusive Tamers, accepting berating after berating, beating after beating, taking so much abuse that their very soul starts to wither away, become what is called a Penance. Their body changes, losing any animal, plant, or insectile features, becoming fully human again. Then their body starts to become denser and denser, a 'thick-skin' to protect against physical abuse, their skin and hair turning blood red and their eyes glowing blue. Their fingers and toes atrophy, morphing into bladelike claws, their hair becoming razor-edged strands. Any clothing they wear goes through a transformation as well, becoming form-fitting straps of leather. Their body hardens tremendously, a sign of their withdrawal from reality, and their personality degenerates into a frightened, skittish wreck. They will always run away from their original Tamer and hide in the wild. Any other Pokégirls that witness an evolution to a Penance becomes extremely angry and attacks the one responsible for creating the Penance, usually leading to severe injuries to the one they are attacking.

Finding a Penance is tricky enough, as they run from all contact. It's also uncertain how
many Penance may exist, as they're often so skittish that one could very well be sighted in multiple towns, fleeing from city to city. A greater challenge comes from trying to catch one. They have incredible defense with their super dense skin, and fight fiercely to get away. Once captured, the REAL challenge begins, trying to get a Penance to trust their Tamer. They won't run away once re-caught, but they will be very fearful, constantly shivering and crying until a Tamer can convinces the Penance that they can be trusted.

Because they have been so abused, they have to be treated with kindness, gentleness, and above all PATIENCE. They will obey without question, but Taming is impossible due to the dangers of the Penance's super dense body. Eventually, with consistent kind, loving treatment, a Penance's body will start to 'soften,' becoming more light to the touch. The Penance's appearance will not change, save for the hair, toes, and fingers de-atrophying and looking normal again, although the skin/hair color and glowing eyes will remain as before. The Penance, if well-treated enough, will regain part of the personality they had before they became a Penance. (Although they remain totally mute, and cannot change into another form, as Penance is a dead-end evolution.) Tamers who have managed to get their Penance acting like their old self again and not like a skittish, terrified young girl are regarded as saintly.

Once a Penance has been healed from the abuse they had suffered, they become excellent fighters for their Harem. They can manifest their ultra dense skin and bladed digits and hair at will, and shed them once the fight is over, fighting in a more coordinated fashion than before they had been 'softened' by their master's kind treatment.