SHIELDMAIDEN, the Defensive Pokégirl

SHIELDMAIDEN, the Defensive Pokégirl
Type: Very Near Human
Element: Psychic
Frequency: Uncommon to Very Rare
Diet: human style food, with the exception of red meat
Role: bodyguards
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Fighting, Poison, Psychic
Weak Vs: Bug, Dark, Ghost
Attacks: Reflect, Harden, Foresight, Telekinesis, Armor, Shield, Tackle, Bellyflop
Enhancements: Psychic abilities, armored skin
Evolves: Barriermaiden (Cunnydew nectar)
Evolves From: Ingenue (Psi Crystal)

Shieldmaidens looks like ordinary girls with an exception. They have a strange tattoo that appears on their forehead. It's exact design can vary from concentric ovals to four triangular shapes in a diamond pattern (each triangle pointing in one of four directions, up, down, left or right). Shieldmaidens differ on whether or not to cover it up, but those who do cover this tattoo generally do so with a bandanna.

The first strange thing most people notice about a Shieldmaiden (tattoo aside) is what is known as the "Sparkly" effect. When a Shieldmaiden finds herself attracted to another person, they subconsciously create a minor barrier that traps and condenses moisture in the surrounding air, creating a small rainbows and sparkles of light. Unless she is in a low humidity area (such as a desert region), this is quite noticeable.

A Shieldmaiden is a very useful Pokégirl to have around when it comes to preventing accidents, as her ability to produce force fields can prevent some rather serious damage. Unfortunately, they don't have many attacks at all, even at higher levels, so they can be frustrating to use in combat, even if they are inherently better than the Damsel when it comes to fighting. In fact, they're so bad at attacking physically that if they attempt to use Tackle (one of their only attacks until much later), there's a 15-30% chance that they'll end up using Bellyflop by accident.

Many Shieldmaidens, startlingly enough, like travel and exploration. Some researchers see this as a counter-intuitive nature, believing that Shieldmaidens, as a defensive Pokégirl, would want to stay in one place. However, their assumptions do not change the fact that many Shieldmaidens still like traveling.

One common trait that does make sense, most researchers state, is that the Shieldmaiden is often quite possessive of her lovers. While this is not as strict as a Neo-Iczel, she will become quite furious if her chosen lover happens to be a Pokégirl her tamer just traded away. In most cases, the tamer will relent and get their lover back, but those that don't will usually find that the Shieldmaiden may go "missing"... permanently.

Some Shieldmaidens take to carrying actual metal shields to amplify their Shield technique. The size may vary depending on her confidence or need. Most who carry shields will carry medium-sized kite or oval shields, some will carry tower shields, and very few will carry a buckler. Where they get these shields can vary. Those with poor tamers may salvage metal and use their telekinesis to forge a crude shield, while those with richer tamers will have them made.