Jack (Multiverse)

"This article refers to the humanized Haunter. For information on the masoca slave named Jacob, see The Golden Twins"Jacob Spencer--better known as Jack--is a reoccurring character in the KoY Multiverse.

Unlike most of the folk in his world(s), Jack is just a normal sort of guy, if not a little...weird. Why people find him off-putting is entirely beyond him. It might have something to do with the distorted shape of his hands, or perhaps his habit of appearing where he has no business being. It could also be the sheer number of teeth that he shows when he smiles.

To be honest, he may be a demon. Nobody knows--and that suits Jack just fine.

Jekyll
When Fred broke the Multiverse, his actions created ripples that would shape the subsequent worlds that formed. As a result, a transplanted Vischias Sei'Dist--now fourteen--came to exist for a time in the Pokemon World. Now known as Creepykid V, a ghost trainer, he busied himself collecting things that frightened people. It was in this way that V met Jekyll.

The Haunter was noticeably odd from the start. Though a member of a genus known for mischief, Jekyll was strangely disinterested in jokes, unless they were of a cruel or dangerous nature. Its silent malevolence and penchant for violence endeared it to V right away. That it seemed intent on eating him failed to dissuade him; in fact, he openly challenged the monster to do so. Whether his compliance put it off or it simply grew to like him, Jekyll settled to follow the strange boy on his adventures instead.

Jekyll was visually distinct, its figure skeletal and eyes nearly black, with the right struck in a permanent squint. The spikes on its form were distinctly curved upward, like horns, its teeth far more numerous. It wasn't until Jekyll revealed an unusual gift of telepathy that V learned the reason for its strangeness: experimentation, done in the interest of eliminating Type weaknesses. The result was a psychic-hybrid with human intelligence and a deep hatred of people. In that, they were the same; V knew all too well the trouble that humans invited. Bound by dysfunction and mutual hate, the two became close, each laden with troubles that others found inconvenient.

V's empathy for Jekyll, combined with his growing knowledge of the dysfunctions his other creatures suffered from, led him to seek help for their troubles. The result was a falling out that caused the weird Haunter to abandon him, forcing V to seek it out alone. Angry and hurt with the thought of being imprisoned, the monster that so reflected him was left to watch from the shadows as his fate unfolded, unaware that the boy's death was looming on the horizon.

Though the world was reset before the damage could be done, Jekyll would never forget that it failed to protect its only friend.

Akuryo
The bond that formed between the beast and its master was so strong that, when Heroverse formed, it was adapted into the world alongside him.

Features that defined it as a monster carried over into this new human form, its damaged eye presenting as simply lazy, digits melded in pairs to form claw-like fingers. Its attacks became superpowers, gifting him the ability to phase through walls and hazards both, to vanish at will, and to read thoughts. Jekyll had become Jack--a damaged person left in place of a damaged thing. Unwilling to be idle in this new form, Jack made quick work of becoming a terror, using his newfound powers to raise hell under the pseudonym Akuryo (evil spirit). He was captured soon after for the Titan Project.

However, there were consequences for the unplanned transition. The result of being adapted into a world it was not meant to exist in was a persistent form of psychosis: haunted by the sense that he did not belong, Jack became convinced that he was not human. He developed a dysmorphic aversion to the limbs he should not have had, settling to cloak his arms and legs when he could tolerate it, and resisting the urge to dismember himself when he couldn't.

Though his presence in the verse was due entirely to Victor's, Jack only crossed his path one time, when the two were prisoners of the Project. Sealed in a phase-proof sphere to prevent his escape, Jack's maddened ranting was overheard by Pace, whose clairvoyance allowed him to grasp the importance of his presence. As the Changeling aspects laid waste to the Titan Project facility, they sabotaged the power grid to the holding cells, freeing Jack and the few surviving prisoners able to escape.

Jack has yet to appear in Heroverse himself, but he knows full-well who let him out. And he has no plans of forgetting.

Jack
Due to the part he played fostering empathy in the pitiless Vischias, Jack was deemed by the Elders to be valuable enough to adapt into the world created by Fred's Wish. The true reasoning behind this choice is unknown. Regardless, this newest incarnation of Jack proves to be a more comfortable alternative for him than simple humanity, and one that promised him the chance to make amends for his original role.

A child of the widely-feared Dark King of Vore, "Jack Spectre" is an upperclassman at Axiom College, the primary boarding school in the royal city of Erotica. Reedy and grim, the boy is notorious around school for his eerie appearance and strange sense of humor, and the persistent rumor that he is a demon (as all Voracians clearly are). Jack never addresses these rumors, though he readily encourages in them, refusing to eat in front of witnesses in favor of making off-color remarks about eating his classmates. He is seldom seen without a smile. For the first time since he's had legs, Jekyll is having a good time--and now that V is around, he stands to have a better one.

What role he will play in the Endgame remains to be seen.

As a Haunter
Jekyll is unique in that it is disinterested in harmless mischief, usually a hallmark trait of its breed. Instead, it seems to embrace the wives tales that plague its kind, taking pleasure in tormenting people and other monsters as often as it is able. It shows a strange fixation with putting things in its mouth, with special focus paid to things that are alive. That it has no need to eat just makes this compulsion all the more unsettling. Jekyll with not hesitate to use its powers on human targets, showing an almost indignant lack of respect for rules and fair play, even in organized battle. Whether or not it is capable of eating a person is unknown, but it is always eager to try. Due to its long imprisonment at the hands of Team Rocket, Jekyll has a strong aversion to being locked up, and will readily escape if confined against its will.

The weirdness of its existence is not lost on the creature. Jekyll knows too well that it is different, to the point of despising the company of other Ghost-types, particularly Haunters. It shows an incredible dislike of Hyde, another victim of the experiments that left Jekyll maimed and bitter, and regularly scuffles with V's Misdreavus, Carmilla. It does not believe the things that are flawed about it can be fixed, nor that they should be--a sentiment V holds for himself. Despite this, it shows awareness of its trainer's mental issues, regularly encouraging him to address them when he's able. Jekyll often comes to V's aid without prompting, the telepathic link between them alerting it to whatever trouble the boy perceives.

Though capable of communicating telepathically, in snatches of words and broken sentences, Jekyll usually settles to express its opinions through acts of violence. Very few people know it can 'speak', and fewer still have heard it. It's a privilege afforded to almost no one, save for its master.

As a Human
Remains to be seen...

Creepykid V
Jekyll met a fourteen-year-old Victor at a bad time in both their lives, and the mutual distrust they held for others quickly forged a bond between them. Though reluctant to take orders from anyone, let alone an inexperienced Trainer, Jekyll eventually came around, showcasing a collection of skills and quirks that cemented it as part of V's main team. Over time, the Haunter developed a protective sort of concern for V, in whom it could sense a similar sort of darkness to its own. Jekyll's loyalty is such that it readily frees itself in his defense when he is in danger.

Fred
The Cubone Trainer and the weird Haunter have a strained relationship. Fred's constant efforts of stealing V's attention vex it to the point of actual anger, and several times, it considered simply eating him outright. Eventually, they came to a vague understanding over their shared affection for V. Jekyll calls Fred "Trouble", highly aware of the boy's penchant for finding it. The moody Haunter tolerates his presence--but only because V won't hear otherwise. This does not prevent Jekyll from trying to snack on his Cubones, however.

Hyde
Hyde is Jekyll's opposite, chaotic and unpredictable, with a mischievous bent that invites calamity. Whether due to being yet another Haunter in V's arsenal, or their apparent shared origin, Jekyll deeply dislikes the other creature, to the point of open hostility. The two are able to cooperate, but Jekyll's part in any plot is a reluctant one, viewing the other Haunter at best as an annoying little brother. That Hyde might be Jekyll's child is only somewhat surprising.

Wendy
A Happiny that wandered out of the woods and right onto V's nerves, Wendy endeared herself to the team through their leader. Entirely unafraid, Wendy holds a special affection for Jekyll, offering various rocks and little kisses when she can reach. In turn, Jekyll encourages V to "be nice" to her, under threat of disobedience. Whether Jekyll truly likes her or is simply Confused, Wendy's affection seems genuine. And it hasn't eaten her yet, either.

Snot
Of all the creatures Jekyll bullies, Snot gets the worst of it, suffering itself to be snatched and spirited away without so much as a warning. This would be a problem if Snot was ever awake for more than five minutes. The Ditto-in-Tiny-Cubone-Disguise hardly notices as its snatched and hurled through the air, stuffed in a gaping maw or simply worn like a hat as Jekyll flees chuckling from a furious Fred. This could be considered playing. Jekyll seems to enjoy it. But who knows what it's thinking?

Team Rocket
Though it is unlikely that the Haunter has ever crossed paths with Clay or Allison, just the sight of their uniforms sends it into an astonishing rage, often resulting in attacks leveled not on their creatures, but on them. If Jekyll's threats of devouring things were ever valid, it applies to the Rockets. Any Rockets. Especially the ones that keep menacing his kid.

Trivia

 * Both Jekyll and its fellow Haunter, Hyde, are named for the title characters in The Strange Case of Jr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde . The names, while also fitting with V's literary naming structure, are symbolic of their connection, with Jekyll being taciturn and Hyde being distinctly more troublesome.
 * His middle name--Lewis--is a nod to the author of that book, Robert Louis Stevenson.
 * The name Akuryo comes from Japanese mythology, in reference to violent or demonic spirits. Despite this, Jack in human form is Filipino. He appropriated the name for style reasons.
 * Jack's obsession with disconnecting his arms mirrors Victor's (and Vischias') cutting compulsion, which focuses largely around his lower bicep/upper forearm.
 * Jekyll starts and ends his existence with the same name, having been provided the name by V as a Haunter, and assigned at birth in Wishverse.
 * The name Jack, combined with the creature's original name, is an intentional reference to the Jackal, Victor's violent personality in HV. This is to draw attention to the parallels Jack shares with Victor in all worlds. While the Jackal is a symbol of the worst Vischias can achieve, Jekyll (and thereby, Jack) is ironically more true to his core, being damaged, but largely neutral.
 * On this same note, both Jekyll and the Jackal have dismembered arms, the former because Haunters come with them naturally, the latter because of Victor's lingering self-mutilation compulsion, and the unconscious knowledge of his original fate in-canon.
 * Jekyll as a Haunter is unable to say its name, as most Pokemon do. It's theorized that this caused by vocal-cord paralysis, due to extensive experimentation. This is also the reason for its strange, guttural laugh, and the growling that acts as its speech.
 * Due to his origin, Jack's character color is dark purple.