Shiki Kurobane

A boy who showed much promise came from an aristocrat family. He was...startled by the rumours they spread for just one poor little girl- how can someone call her cursed, and just because she was born from some one night stand? She was only a kid. 
Despite what they did to him, the boy still has a strong sense of justice; he vowed to rescue the little girl himself. Unlike many, he looked at the little one with a level head and saw a plethora of potential. 
His disdain only grew as he watched the van take the little girl away the same night. That night, he made his final, heavy decision: If his townspeople won't see what he saw, he'll just have to take action. He just knew the girl would go far- and she will come back strong. 
Of course, there is another problem: After rescuing her, the bad guys would go after her to kill her, as they felt her escape was her defying them. One night, he was keeping watch, and saw one of them approaching their camp. The girl was peacefully asleep, which was why she did not notice. 
Letting out a quiet, steady breath, he took out his own sword, and quickly pointed it at the potential killer's throat, which caused him to jolt. From the classes he took on the art of sword wielding, he was able to gracefully slit his throat. The would-be killer hits the floor, all signs of life disappearing from his now limp body. Pleased with the results, the boy slipped back into the tent and climbed into the sleeping bag with the girl. He sleeps soundly, a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
He knew they would come for her again. But it didn't matter. Because no matter what, they would not emerge alive from the mission. He would make sure of it himself. 
== Brief Description ==
In PAL, Shiki was the male half of the Dragon Duo, and while Amethyst went for supportive and defensive moves, Shiki was all out offense, and it is safe to assume he does all the attacking when it comes to fights. 
Because of their completely different purposes of their abilities, they made the perfect pair, and their teamwork and performance together were said to be unrivaled. 
He was also the one who created the Elite Four alongside Amethyst, and they had a rule book they had written as they believe the Elite must have discipline as well if they wanted to be part of the higher ups in the PAL region (Elites do have a say in the running of the region, though the Prince and Princess has more power than the Elite members). Shiki, along with Amethyst, also founded the law firm Legend & Co. Law Offices. 
Shiki was also the one who usually oversees the contracts as part of the Dragon Duo's musical career and was considered one of PAL Region's hottest male music celebrities. He was also the previous host of the power of the Dragon Champion, where the powers tuned to the type he was most affiliated with, which unsurprisingly turned out to be Dragon. 
Shiki was known to be a certified genius who possess exceptional talent, and has worked hard to possess all of the qualities of a perfect leader, yet he was modest and friendly. There were rumors that his personality was a façade, and his true personality was hidden behind a perfect mask though the rumor or the reason was yet to be confirmed.
He was Amethyst's fiancé before he met his demise at the hands of Amethyst's biological family while taking a hit for her. 
== Appearance ==
Shiki Kurobane was around 184cm (height at the time of death), and he had purple eyes (it was stated as being beautiful by Amethyst) and messy black hair. He usually wore a pair of glasses, though he actually did not need them due to his enhanced eyesight. He was described as extremely handsome with pale skin. Ironically, Shiki does not bother much with his appearance. He usually wore a white shirt and a semi-casual black blazer with Black pants and semi-classy tan boots or sneakers. He wore his Mega Choker around his neck, which was something Amethyst started wearing as the Dragon Princess once he died.
Being good-looking, girls usually flocked to him. Amethyst mentioned that Shiki would have no trouble finding a wife because he's handsome, strong, and comes from an aristocrat family. The fact that he was chosen as heir to the ancient Dragon Clan would also attract even the gold diggers. She also stated he could have any girl he wanted due to the large number of female admirers he had, and was somewhat insecure as she might lose him.  
== Personality ==
Not much was known about Shiki's personality, as he was not actually seen in person in the story. However, based on the flashbacks, (and in the AV, by Amethyst's hallucinations caused by her schizophrenia) Shiki was apparently good-natured and having a somewhat carefree disposition.
He was apparently a very professionally-capable, friendly, righteous yet relaxed and selfless person. He was a composed and collected individual who is rather modest despite his outstanding achievements. He was generally quite easy-going in his outlook and his relaxed persona helped Amethyst calm down a little during the first day where she was rescued. It was also clear that he cared for Amethyst, as shown when he willingly took her under his wing after he had rescued her.
He was be extremely admirable and reliable; he was described as a person with a cheerful personality and overflowing talent, along with great strength of character. He dearly loved Amethyst and was fiercely protective of her, as proven when he killed a Team Rocket member who tried to assassinate Amethyst for escaping their clutches. He was implied to rather enjoy this task in a playful yet brutal manner and he maintained his cool even when up against opponents that proved to be somewhat difficult to take down. 
Shiki was also compassionate, raising and loving Amethyst with his life. He also cared deeply for her happiness and well being. Shiki has repeatedly shown himself to be a loyal friend, lover and lawyer who refuses to give up on anyone he believed in, allowing him to have a strong bond of trust with Amethyst. Amethyst returned these feelings, always supporting him in fights and deflecting attacks so he can go on and attack without the need of defending himself, and felt the need to make sure his wounds are all healed and he eats enough.
He also seemed sure of his decisions, refusing to back down once his mind is made up, as seen when he did not regret giving up his position as heir. As he believed that everyone have equal potential as children and it's only dependent on how they were raised, he did everything in his power to care and raise Amethyst to the point of sacrificing his own life to protect her.He was also appreciative of efforts made, as shown when he ate Amethyst's below-average homecooked food (which was not very tasty) with a smile.
Amethyst had mentioned him to be a great boyfriend, which implied that he was good at the romance stuff such as organizing dates. He can also be possessive of her, as in both versions, he was seen stating he would make a man suffer worse than death if he tried to take her from him. In the AV, Amethyst had hallucinated that he had reminded her not to love Ash as she already had him. He would usually give the most intense glare to anyone who so much as drop subtle hints of wanting a date with her.
Shiki also can be some what flippant, casually mouthing off to his opponents, and he usually taunted his adversaries, though it could be an attempt to cheer the then-always disconsolate Amethyst as she would usually hide and watch him protect her from the said adversaries. He also displayed a fearless, almost disinterested attitude towards incredibly dangerous situations, and only showed signs of panic if Amethyst was in danger. He was an expert at deception. 
He was also very gutsy when it comes to showing his dislike for his fellow hometown members, and he was not afraid to openly express his feelings about their rumor about the Cursed Child. He was also rebellious, defying the rules and went to visit a toddler Amethyst, although it led to the latter being punished when her mother caught her. Furthermore, he has somewhat of a sarcastic side that he usually keeps to himself, and only manifests itself when he is angry at something, or when someone opposes him.
He appeared to be a born leader, usually the one to dictate the Dragon Duo's actions (though the fact that Amethyst does not like leading would explain why he was the one that decides their moves) and being able to create and direct the Elite Four proves him to be a very capable strategist. He is also level-headed, usually being the one to think the situation through while the Dragon Duo is still active. Shiki comes across as an intelligent and charismatic person to many. He can also be resourceful, as Amethyst stated he had made a laser gun and the Idiot Gun with scrap material and he was implied to have a love for crafts, as some of his gifts to her were actually handmade.
Shiki is smart and supportive of Amethyst and would take the time to help her throughout, taking her away from the crowds, and letting her calm down, being her moral support in blunter terms. During his law career, he applied his attitude towards Amethyst, where he would never stop believing in his clients, even when they had stopped believing in themselves, and encouraged Amethyst to do the same. Shiki would also famously perform random good deeds around the PAL Region, especially for the elderly and children, which made him very popular and well-liked. During his career he had a consistently calm and collected demeanour, doing what he set out to do with efficiency and intelligence and tended to plan ahead greatly.
As a lawyer, Shiki was dedicated to defending and believing in his clients, as opposed to Amethyst who takes her clients with a pinch of salt. According to Amethyst, his often ended up risking his career and make use of his psychic powers just to find a way necessary to get the evidence and information that he needed to obtain control of his trials. However, he had a fatal flaw: Once his clients try to harm Amethyst or look at Amethyst the wrong way, he would immediately drop the case.
Shiki had demonstrated wisdom and was stubborn and persistent, looking out for those he cared about and holding out hope despite overwhelming long odds. He consistently put others before himself, and it is particularly evident in the form of him valuing Amethyst more than his own life, as he threw himself in front of a knife that was about to kill her, which took his life in the process. He didn't seem too bothered about his own death, as it was by his own choice that he went after her, and wouldn't be able to live with himself if Amethyst died. This openly devastated Amethyst, who later became a cold serial killer, believing if she had just killed, Shiki would not have died.
He had a confident side when it comes to his abilities, as he was wiling to take on the other three Elite members without any hesitation though he knew they were powerful aura users themselves, and openly mocked them when they were defeated in the FS. In the AV, he even fought Ash who was stopping him from taking Amethyst away. As Shiki was able to tell his own limits and can make accurate assessments when faced with a stronger, more powerful opponent and where he is lacking compared to the opponent as evidenced in the AV, this implied that he did not care if the opponent was more powerful than him and was willing to take them on if it meant Amethyst's well-being.
Despite his strong willpower being noted many times in the story, he did not seem to be able to overcome temptations such as drugs, as evidenced when he gave in to the drugs effects (his punch was spiked by his fangirls), and ended up targeting the first person he saw- which happened to be Amethyst, the newly-crowned Dragon Princess.
Shiki showed a darker and more sadistic side when drugged, laughing when Amethyst was cornered and when she screamed. He was shown to be seductive, suggesting Amethyst should let loose and have fun with him. He doesn't seem to be fazed by Amethyst trying to beg him to stop, an act which he thought was a turn-on, which made him want to go for her even more. He also showed a liking for things he considered a treasure while drugged, as he planned to keep Amethyst after he was done with her, instead of throwing her aside. Shiki also did not care that she was jailbait at that point, and cared more about the fun he was about to have with her.
Shiki was also revealed to have an extremely dark sense of humor, once remarking to Ash that it'd be better off if "he took her away instead" (implying, of course, that Amethyst's soul would leave her body, resulting in her death). He also quipped that if Ash couldn't forgive her, then he was being unfair as he still loved Cynthia despite all that she did to him and that she didn't really love him back, which gave him another reason to take her with him. He was apparently also willing to do whatever it took to make sure Amethyst did not suffer again, even going as far as to go against the vow that Amethyst would not die by his own hand and his own morals, despite being considered one of the most moral people in the story. 
When he was called out on it, however, he was able to counter Ash's arguments by pointing out that Amethyst risked everything to make sure he was able to travel through the regions without worrying on the fact that he was on the run, which eventually earned him the Champion position in the PAL Region, and that Amethyst's duty was already done.
Shiki can be sly as well, offering Ash a chance on saving her by issuing him a challenge. After Ash successfully completed it however, Shiki revealed (while laughing) that it all depended on Amethyst's willpower if he wants her back with him. When Ash accused him of lying to him, Shiki said he said he would give him a chance to save her, but he never said that he would help him bring her back to him. He even pointed out there is a difference, and that time is running out for Amethyst while smirking.
However, there was most likely more to his personality than meets the eye, as Amethyst had once stated there was "something wrong" with Shiki, even though she herself did not remember itPokemon: The Dark Chronicles, Chapter 21. Whether or not his entire personality is a facade still remains unknown. 
== Pokémon ==
Among the Pokémon the Dragon Duo owned, more than half belonged to him. He used Ice-types to deflect suspicion of his identity as the Dragon Prince outside of battling. 
(cover)
* Arctozolt
* Aurorus
* Castform (Only seen in Snowy form)
* Eiscue
* Froslass (shiny) 
* Frosmoth 
* Jynx
* Kyurem (sometimes in the form of White Kyurem)
* Lapras
* Ninetales (Alola Form)
* Vanilluxe
 As Dragon Prince: 
	
* Ampharos (Mega Evolve)
* Appletun
* Charizard (Mega Evolve)
* Dracovish
* Dracozolt
* Dragalge
* Dragapult
* Drampa
* Druddigon
* Eternatus
* Flygon
* Haxorus
* Garchomp (Mega Evolve) 
* Kommo-o 
* Kingdra 
* Kyurem 
* Latios (Mega Evolve)
* Rayquaza (Mega Evolve)
* Reshiram
* Sceptile (Mega Evolve)
* Tyrantrum	
* Chimecho
* Espeon
* Gallade (Mega Evolve)
* Indeedee (male)
* Jynx
* Lugia
* Malamar (FS only) 
* Meloetta (shiny) 
* Meowstic (female)
* Musharna
* Tapu Lele
* Victini (shiny)
== Legacy ==
Shiki had a profound influence on Amethyst's life. His death caused Amethyst to isolate herself from other people and avoid companionship for fear she would kill them like she did Shiki. When she realised that he was getting attached to the members of the Elite that she had taken in (namely Jude and Phillip), and in her perspective, going to kill them soon, she decided to protect them one last time and erased their memories, distancing herself from them. Shiki was also an inspiration for Amethyst to make her own mark in the world and disregard the society. It was his death that was the catalyst to her Start of Darkness, and hence, the second plot to the story.
Amethyst had always admire Shiki's personality and aimed to have the same traits. She also did not want to see PAL, the region Shiki sacrificed so much for, destroyed and therefore was picky at the members that she chose. She was disappointed at Rosaline, whom she considered a failure, and she felt Rosaline was ruining what she and Shiki had created, hence the reason why she hated her.
Shiki was a well-known name in the world of law up until his death. William commented that he was one of the greatest lawyers around the region. Amethyst would come to adopt his beliefs to great effect during her own law career alongside him, but eventually lost the belief she shared with him when he died, believing she was weak and unable to defend anyone.
Shiki's method of providing guidance to Amethyst was by trying to get her to solve things for herself by asking her questions and pointing out flaws in her case and asking how she could rebut the opponent who would use it to their own advantage. After death, he also let the other Elites know the path Amethyst took so that they would appreciate what they had more, though he was disappointed in Rosaline as well for being oblivious to everything that is going on around her and only cared about her own Elite status and proving herself to be the very best. Although he hoped she would one day understand the pain they been through, he had told Ash that from what he knows, only one can stay if he was to keep the Elites together and warned him to make his decision quickly before he makes the decision himself by taking Amethyst away, indicating his love for her.
He also left behind many things for Amethyst so she can continue to discover and learn as a Princess such as Z-Rings and Z-Crystals and even left Dust and Pakura Goldstein's book on making it.
== In other stories ==
Shiki was mentioned in the old version of PAL Academy as an ex-student of the school, and was a former President of the Student Council with a Special Star ranking. In this story, his name was instead Shiki Paradinight, and is Amethyst's oldest brother. Unlike his other cruel and abusive brothers, Shiki was shown to be kind and empathetic - especially towards his sister Amethyst. He was mentioned to be a member of the Zodiac and presumably a Hunter. To be able to become a Zodiac Member, one needs to be a Hunter to get in the Hunter's Association.
Category:PAL Leaders
Category:Member of Dragon Duo
Category:Deceased Characters
Category:Quarter Anniversary Winner
Category:Trainer's Tournament Winner