STARLIGHTXPRESS, the Cosmic Wayfarer Pokegirl

STARLIGHTXPRESS, the Cosmic Wayfarer Pokegirl

Type: Very Near Human - Not Very Near Human (Human or Animorph)
Element: Magic
Frequency: Very Rare
Diet: Solar Energy, Can handle Human Standard
Role: Satellite destruction, retrieval, and placement; Shipping, Interstellar travel
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Fighting, Poison, Psychic, Magic
Weak Vs: Bug, Dark, Ghost, Steel
Attacks: Dance (All), Aura of Cute, Burst, Force Bolt, Scratch, Teleport, Spike Cannon, Ultimate Shell Shield, Solar Beam, Heat Beam, Mega/Delta Master
Enhancements: Enhanced Senses (Hearing) (x4), Natural Weapons (Psychic Claws), Manifest (Psychic Ship), Flight (Wingless), Affinity (Psychic), Environmental Purification (Air only), Enhanced Speed (x3 Transport Only)(x7 Scout only), Enhanced Durability (x3 Scout only)(x5 Transport Only) Enhanced Strength (x2 Scout Only)(x10 Transport Only), Enhanced Agility (x7 Scout Only)
Evolves: None
Evolves From: None

It was a mystery why satellite communications died so quickly during the war, up until information was extracted from defectors about the StarlightXpress (also called Starlights or SLX). This pokegirl breed was used then to take out any working satellites and human structures in orbit that weren't Sukebe made. In modern times, the breed is a major player in satellite placement and repair. Capable of faster than light travel, this starship breed is often touted by researchers as the biggest leap of mankind that has been overlooked.

Individual Starlights are highly variable in their appearance, ranging from Very Near Human to Not Very Near Human body types and can look completely human or totally animorphic. Animorphic members can be based on any animal human sized or smaller. Height falls within human standard ranges, though rarely individuals may be up to a foot (30.5cm) taller or shorter than the standard deviation. The only universal constant in the breed is a gem embedded into the forehead, these gems can be of any color, but are usually red. Skin tones tend to be very pale, with hair colors ranging between white to brown (though the brown can be dark enough that it is almost black). The most anthropomorphic members of the breed have coats of fur with a range of colors several shades lighter than their hair. Furred individuals can be either plantigrade or digigrade, occasionally with a slightly altered gait to allow for bounding quadrupedal.

Consistently described as friendly, helpful, and calm; most of this space faring breed are typically seen overall as pleasant assistants in whatever tasks their tamer sets for them. While the breed takes up domestic tasks easily, most tamers do not have them working as such, the breed's ability to create psychic structures around themselves and fly as a ship make them useful for other purposes. The breed's projected ships can withstand the vacuum of space and also acts as an air recycling system, making the StarlightXpress capable of interstellar flight. Some attribute the Scout subtype as having a more impatient attitude than the Carrier subtype, though this is only marginally so.

The ships of an SLX are actually 'force field' structures created and maintained by the breed's psychic abilities and inherent magic and are much stronger than any mundane building material. The pokegirl must be inside of the structure she creates (indeed, the ship is always created around the individual pokegirl) or the structure simply fades away. The ship is extremely durable, able to withstand even micro-asteroids that impact the hull and cosmic radiation. Larger impacts can breach the hull and/or cause cracks, but unless the Starlight is exhausted they will be able to repair the damage with an exertion of will. The power to create and propel the ship is directly related to the amount of solar energy the pokegirl can absorb. In full sunlight on earth, the breed is capable of creating a one mile cubed interior ship of their own design within a matter of minutes. Designs are often disc, cigar, or spherical, though other types of designs (often far less aerodynamic) have been observed.

As stated previously, this breed is powered by the sun. When fully powered and not burdened by an atmosphere, individuals can enter into a faster than light travel state that is tentatively listed as FTL x1-10. This FTL state is a form of pocket dimensional travel, allowing the breed to slide through the universe at an extremely fast pace without worry for colliding into obstacles. Researcher M. Okuda of the Opal League devised a formula after running tests on volunteer StarlightXpresses. For FTL x1-9, v = w^10/3c, where c is the speed of light. This means that FTL x1 is the speed of light, FTL x2 is 10.08 times the speed of light, and so on. In the half-open interval between FTL x9 and FTL x10, the exponent of w increases toward infinity. This causes velocities approaching FTL x10 to do so asymptotically, and it is suspected that FTL x10 cannot be breached by the breed, even the naturally faster Scouts. Carrier Starlights typically reach a cap of FTL x5, though in extreme circumstances can travel up to FTL x7. If FTL x10 were to ever be breached, it would likely be by a Scout SLX.

The created ship is not without defenses as well, considering several (usually 8, though no more than a dozen have ever been seen on the tougher Carriers.) 'mock gems' that resemble the breed's forehead gem can be noted imbedded into their ship's design. From these hubs within the psychic projection, Solar Beam and Heat Beam can be fired, Ultimate Shell Shield can be conjured by three or more gems working in tandem, and Spike Cannon can be launched from almost any area of the structure by way of forming spears to launch at foes. A 'tracking light' can be issued from these gems, though this light is poor for actually tracking foes. It is used instead to teleport allies into the ship. These ships can also carry about 10 times the weight the individual pokegirl can, making even scout ships capable of carrying around a ton of persons or goods.

Unfortunately, the creation and maintenance of this psychic and magical construct results in a steady drain on an individual's energy. While insignificant for doing daily routines on earth, this is largely due to direct or indirect sunlight the breed receives from being close to the sun. Careful testing with the pokegirl eating, sleeping, and living in her ship in complete darkness (simulating deep space travel) proved that the breed could not consistently keep up even the smallest of structures (at about 4 meters cubed) indefinitely without solar energy. After 35-40 days the pokegirl would become exhausted and fail to keep the structure up; it would fade despite her best efforts (i.e. simulated threat of death to her and her tamer) to keep it up. If the breed is allowed to recharge, the time becomes infinite so long as at least some solar radiation is present. A complete recharge to continue for another 35-40 day period takes about three days with earth level solar radiation, less than that for more intense levels of radiation (though at least one day is needed) and more time for radiation levels less than that of Earth standard. The breed's teleportation capabilities are also quite impressive (at least compared to other pokegirls) at about 1 light day, or roughly double the length of the entire solar system.

While the psychic ship created by a StarlightXpress can seem formidable, most battling is done without the aid of the construct due to the drain it causes to the pokegirl as well as the increased target size. These cosmonaut pokegirls are capable of zipping about a battlefield, firing beams from their forehead gem or manifesting spikes to launch at foes. By instinct, Scout individuals will fall into hit and run tactics, utilizing their shield to cover themselves as they flee or to orient their shielding against hits. Carrier individuals will tend to wade into combat, using their enhanced strength to try and put a quick end to the fighting.

Notable among this magic breed is their fetish for being tamed within their ship creations, this usually amounts to being tamed either in the center of the ship or on the bridge/control room (depending on how an individual designs their ships). Other than this preference, other habits are hard to pin down, mostly amounting to molding their likes and dislikes their tamer. Not every Starlight enjoys taming in their ship, however, and some have definite lines between business and pleasure. As with humans, individuals may vary.

Wild members of the breed tend to fall into an odd pattern, as they seem to forget their powers and act like slightly herbivorous creatures. Forming small groups (usually familial), these pokegirls tend to be first tier consumers, mostly eating vegetation and fleeing from predators. Occasionally, small groups will attack plant type pokegirls, usually eating any vegetative portions of their anatomy. This behavior is bizarre, though current theories suggest that the feral state of the breed has a hard time converting solar energy into usable energy, which prompts the eating of chlorophyll rich plants and occasionally plant types. As the breed do not know how to teleport while feral, standard battling tactics utilizing pokegirls that exploit the Starlight's weaknesses are recommended.

Threshold directly into this ship manifesting breed is extremely rare, happening with strong magic ancestry that has the StarlightXpress as part of it. The first symptom of threshold tends to be migraine level headaches, as the appearance of the gem is the first change. Once the gem has erupted from the forehead, the transforming pokegirl creates a cocoon of psychic energy (the only time the psychic construct can get this small), just big enough for her to fit in. Further changes happen within this cocoon, and within three days the new pokegirl emerges. Highly coveted, most thresholders are quickly sold, with businesses and even Leagues getting into bidding wars over the pokegirl.