Jess was the type who always seemed to leave a positive imprint on those who’s lives she touched, and she always looked on the bright side of things.
She was Diego’s wife and Basil’s mother, and loved them and the rest of her found family more than anything else.
She had worked in a dance troupe and always had a love of music, and it’s easy to see from her where Basil found her love for it, too.
Jess died in an unexpected accident during her family’s move to Johto, at age 35…
But with a god capable of revival on her daughter’s side, how much longer could that be the case?
Appearance
Jess was 6’0″, and had an average-curvy body type. She had black shoulder-length curly hair, which she often wore with a salmon pink headband. She had dark brown eyes.
She’s often depicted wearing a peachy-tan vacation shirt, salmon pink undershirt, and denim capris.
The extroverted performer
| Nicknames | Jess |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 35 (Deceased) |
| Birthday | July 14th |
| Occupation | Dance performer |
| Ethnicity | Alolan |
| Birthplace | Hau’oli city |
| Orientation | Bi |
| S/O | Diego (Widowed) |
| Legend affiliation | N/A |
| Theme |
Personality
Jess always made a point to be kind and optimistic, almost to a fault – almost. While she would always do her best to brighten somebody’s day or help someone out, she formed her opinions of others rather quickly and found it difficult to change them. If someone was rude to her or her friends, she’d usually be the first to defend against them.
She always brought lots of energy with her, and even when things seemed dreary, Jess would seem to just brighten it up by just showing up.
Story
Early life (0-21)
Jesminder was born to an average family in the suburbs of Hau’oli City. Her childhood was rather average as well, though she was always treated as lesser than her older sister, who was a model child. While her parents weren’t outright unkind, they were more ignorant and overly-pressuring than anything else, which resulted in a growing resentment from Jess. Nothing she did was ever enough for them, it seemed. Soon enough, Jess was 18, and she booked it to college as soon as she could to escape the household without support.
It was quickly evident to Jess that college wasn’t a great fit for her, but she continued on with her first year simply because she enjoyed the social aspect so much. She had always been an extrovert, but she felt like she was really able to shine socially in college. It was there she met Jennifer, who quickly became her close friend over their shared major in performance arts. The two shared a dorm together up until Jess decided to drop out – and after that, the two shared an apartment. Jess’s decision to drop out was simply due to the fact that aside from the social aspect, college stressed her out and she’d much prefer to work sooner.
By networking, Jen and Jess both joined an amateur dance troupe, and were quick to integrate into the well-knit group. While they almost exclusively worked as backup dancers, the troupe’s skill grew and ended up landing them more high-profile gigs, which meant more money. Jess was living comfortably doing what she loved to do, and there was a bit of an unexpected bonus of working as backup for famous musicians – coming in the form of afterparties. They were usually wild, which was exactly how Jess liked it. They reminded her of her more unrestrained college days, and she was low-key wanting to relive that moment – something that would come sooner than expected.
The party (21)
It was a usual day at the dance studio when Jess received a phone call from some old acquaintances she hadn’t seen since college. She remembered them to be partying buddies, so she picked up the phone and asked what was up. They explained they were having a graduation party and wanted Jess and Jen to come and join, ‘for old time’s sake’. Jess couldn’t say no.
Show more – Warnings for unplanned pregnancy
The party was held in a country house that was well-regarded as a ‘party house’ – Jess had actually been there back when she was in college. Jen had left her side pretty early on to watch a rather intense game of ping-pong, so Jess was all on her own. As she scoped the scene to look for people to talk to, her eyes met with a man who seemed like he didn’t want to be there. Jess approached him, and though he seemed hesitant, he went and conversed with her.
She was able to learn his name was Diego, and that some of his acquaintances invited him too – this was the first time he’d been to a party this big, so he was kind of nervous. Jess helped him feel a bit better about the situation, and the two talked for a good while – it was a lively conversation and Jess definitely enjoyed his company.
The two eventually spent the night together, and Jess left in the morning before he woke up. It only crossed her mind after leaving, but Jess had forgotten to give Diego her number. She felt bad, but ultimately let it go as a lost connection.
In the following weeks, Jess’s life returned to normal – though she had begun experiencing unexplained symptoms. She didn’t necessarily want to believe that it was what she thought it was, but with some pushing from Jen, Jess took a pregnancy test, and her suspicions were confirmed.
She was pregnant.
Diego (21-22)
Jess wasn’t entirely sure what to do. Because it had slipped her mind earlier, she felt as though she had no hope of contacting Diego. She didn’t necessarily know how to feel about the situation – it all felt a bit surreal.
Show more – Warnings for pregnancy
Jess didn’t announce her pregnancy to the rest of the troupe, and instead opted to keep it a secret between Jen and herself, for the moment. Weeks passed, and Jess was still unsure of how she wanted to handle it. One day, while thinking to herself at the dance studio, one of the troupe’s members called out to Jess from the front – someone was there to see her. Jess was curious as to who it was, and was rather surprised to see who it was – somehow Diego had found her.
He seemed a bit winded and nervous. Jess’s voice reflected how shocked she was to see him – it seemed his timing was impeccable. Diego told Jess that he’d been worrying since the night of the party, and asked around to try and find her – an investigation which led him to the dance studio. Jess was happy to see him, at the very least, and brought him outside to discuss the important matter at hand. Diego was shocked, and admitted that the idea of Jess being pregnant was the main thing that worried him. The two were at a bit of an awkward standstill, before Diego broke the silence, stating he’d do whatever he could to help Jess. While she was still unsure of what she wanted to do, she was glad she had Diego’s support.
They made sure to exchange phone numbers, as to keep in touch.
Though their relationship formed through an admittedly messy circumstance, Jess found herself becoming closer to Diego by the day. Diego had started to form a habit of stopping in on the dance studio every so often, and the two would text frequently. It was only after Jen brought it up that Jess began to think of it – were they dating? Officially, no – but Jess wasn’t entirely against the idea. She liked Diego a lot, and she was pretty sure the same could be said for his feelings towards her.
Their first date wasn’t particularly glamorous, but it was enough for Jess to truly realize her feelings. After that, their feelings for each other were as clear as day – they had truly fallen in love.
While she was still a bit unsure of the future, Jess decided she wanted to go through with the pregnancy. Diego backed her up in her decision, and while he was a bit anxious at the prospect of becoming a parent as well, he was confident that Jess and himself would get through it together. Jess later moved in with Diego, and the two grew ever closer.
On September 12th, Basil was born, and while both Jess and Diego were incredibly nervous, they were also filled with a sense of joy. This was their child, and they vowed to do their best to raise them as best they could.
Family life (22-35)
Nothing could have prepared Jess and Diego for what was parenthood – especially given the factors involved. They both worked full-time, had a small living space, and money was a bit tight, as Jess was the only source of income for the family. But Jess remained optimistic, and her friends were eager to help with anything she’d need.
Jess and Diego would take turns bringing Basil to work with them, and it seemed the dance troupe was content to coo over baby Basil instead of actually getting work done.
Things turned around slightly when Diego graduated from college and landed a job at Interpol – which led to the family finding themselves with a lot more money. They bought a house in inner Hau’oli, and moved there when Basil was around 1 year old. Shortly after, Diego and Jess held a low-key private wedding, which was attended to by Jess’s dance troupe and Diego’s grandparents. As a wedding gift, Jess received an eevee which she later evolved into a flareon.
As Basil grew, they’d often seek comfort in Jess, and in return, Jess would shower them in love. While she hadn’t initially planned on being a mom, she definitely felt a sense of fulfillment watching Basil grow. One of her favorite activities of lazy summer evenings was to play her guitar on the porch with Basil, who’d watch in awe. Jess ended up passing her love of performance and music to Basil, who’d play around the dance studio, pretending to be a famous performer.
The road to this point was rocky, but Jess couldn’t help but feel like the coincidences and mistakes that led her to this point were for the best – she was truly happy with herself and her family.
Death (35)
After a period of relatively intense meetings, it was decided by the higher-ups at Interpol that Diego was to relocate to Johto to help assist in the investigation of Team Rocket, as they had recently been going through a resurgence. Jess was torn about moving, but figured it’d only be temporary.
Jess and Diego suspected Basil would have trouble with airplanes, so they opted to go by boat instead.
The cruise liner the family chose to travel with was paid for by Interpol, so Jess spared no expense when it came to relaxing on what was essentially a floating vacation, as well as helping Basil perk up, as they were still a bit bummed about leaving Alola.
Then, disaster struck.
Show more – Warnings for death, disaster, and drowning (implied)
One night, Basil came into Jess and Diego’s suite room, complaining of a droning noise. Jess couldn’t hear anything, and Diego insisted it was the boat. Basil left to go back to their room, and Jess tried to fall back asleep. After some time, Jess heard the front door to the suite open and close, which instinctually caused her to run out of her room in her pajamas, calling after Basil – asking Diego to wait behind. Jess followed Basil through the dim hallways and out onto the top deck, where rain had become torrential.
Jess called out to Basil, who seemed transfixed on a monstrous figure in the distance obscured by rain. Waves began crashing high over the deck, and Jess felt she had no other choice to run out into the rain and grab Basil. But as she did, a massive wave swept the two overboard and into the water.
Postmortem
It took Jess a long time to cope with her death upon arriving in the upper spirit world. She didn’t want to leave her family – everything had been going so well. But once she accepted her death, she turned her attention to what Diego was doing. She felt pained that she couldn’t be there for him, but took special notice of a man named Yuuto kept by his side. She watched as life continued for her family – as Diego became closer with Yuuto, as Basil inexplicably got revived, as Diego worked with Haru to close the Giovanni case – she saw it all.
She wished she could be there so, so badly; but as she sits in the spirit world, Jess is happy that her family continues to find joy and keep moving forwards.
She’s particularly rooting for Basil to propose to Haru at the moment.
Skills
Dance:
- It was her job, of course, it was one of her main skills! She could hold a beat well and worked in-sync with the other members of her troupe, whom she had an almost familial connection with.
- Her troupe mostly worked under contracts for backup dancing in live performances.
Music:
- Ever since she was young, Jess always had a love of music and began playing guitar at a young age. She still had that guitar after all that time, and mostly just dabbled in playing random tunes and sheets.
- She also owned a synthesizer, which belonged to her sister, who gave it to Jess when she moved out. While less proficient in playing it, she still knows the ropes.
Relationships
Diego – Husband
Jess and Diego’s contrasting energies complimented each other perfect and brought out each other’s best, even when they weren’t around each other. She enjoyed teasing him about mundane things.
Basil – Daughter
Basil and Jess shared a love of music, and would often sing songs together out on the porch when Basil was younger. Jess wanted nothing more than to watch her daughter and her daughter’s skills blossom.
Trivia
- She’d likely get along well with Yuuto.
- She’d probably be an uchi villager.
- She had a flareon as a pet and companion who now lives as Diego’s pet.
- While Basil doesn’t use it quite as much as her old synthesizer, she still keeps her old guitar in her room.
- She has really good stamina, and can keep at something for a while before getting tired.
- Often claimed she’d ‘kick Giovanni’s ass herself’.
- Her spirit currently resides in the upper spirit realm, at least until Kaguya can do something about it.
