Driemen

Driemen is the Gym Leader of Taismog. He appeared in Chapter 3 along with some of his Pokémon.

## Appearance

He has dark purple eyes and wavy hair of the same color that reaches his chin, styled in a side part with most of it combed to the right. Most of his long bangs cover his face, obscuring his right eye, with the left bangs tucked behind his ear to show the jewelry he wears; two piercings on the top of the ear that look like red Seviper fangs of about 3 cm each, and an earring that looks like an upside-down yellow heart surrounded by enough red and black to make it have a tear-like shape, like an Arbok's markings. He usually wears a bartender outfit, consisting of black pressed pants and monk shoes of the same color, a black vest with a lavender handkerchief poking out from the left breast pocket, a very light lavender pinstripe shirt under the vest, and a small black bow-tie. The sleeves of the shirt are rolled up to a little below the elbow, and he wears a black sleeve garter on each arm. Keeps his team’s Timer Balls on the front of his belt, three on each side.

## Role

Driemen first appeared in Chapter 3 after Cedric led some shifters to his bar. He gave the group information about the forest they wanted to head to, along with warning that a group of Ghost-types had taken over the place. Not wanting weak trainers to step inside, he challenged the group: if they could defeat his Gym, he'd grant them access. Allison and Jack and Sark took the challenge, with Cassandra participating in her Pokémon form, and emerged victorious.

## Pokémon

### Cedric the Seviper

Cedric is a male Seviper, and the strongest Pokémon Driemen owns due to being his starter. Also the reason Driemen is fond of snakes, which Cedric takes pride in. He's mostly a simple Pokémon, happy as long as he can eat his fill and sleep in peace, though he tends to regard strangers with suspicion (unless they feed him).

He got attached to Anhew after having to take care of her while Gogurt was battling the Gym and accompanied the group until they entered the forest, at which point he returned to the town.

## Gym

### Layout

The inside of the Gym is reminiscent of the kind of room one would find at a high-class home. The floor is hidden by dark red carpets, walls covered by matching wallpaper with intricate patterns and designs in warm colors. A stone fireplace resembling the antique ones is embed into the left wall, the fire casting a soft glow over the whole room and burning even during the day, when the main illumination comes from the tall, barred windows located close to the ceiling. The room always has a warm temperature, ideal for reptiles, and the faint smell of berries permeating it. Across the door, close to the wall, there's a wine-colored plush armchair where the Gym Leader usually greets the challengers, next to a table covered in a tablecloth of the same color.

### Official Pokémon

Levels 1-4: Ekans, Gulpin, Zubat, Salandit, Skrelp, Skorupi, Croagunk, Nidorina, Nidorino, Haunter, Qwilfish, Tentacruel, Skuntank, Drapion, Salazzle, Dragalge, Beedrill, Roserade, Nidoqueen, Venusaur

Level 5: Nidoking, Arbok, Seviper, Crobat, Toxicroak, Ariados

### Battle style

Driemen's style varies depending on the Pokémon he uses. While he'll be on the defensive with Pokémon born for that role, his preferred method is a combination of crippling moves and full offense. If the level of his opponents is inferior to his own, he can get overconfident and extend the match with status conditions and stalling tactics, watching how the other Pokémon get weaker and weaker every turn until they finally are allowed to faint.

## Badge

The Vermouth Badge looks like a martini glass with a drink umbrella, purple glass looking like liquid emanating a waft of smoke. The color of the umbrella (peach, red, green, blue, black) indicates the level it was won at.

## Trivia

* Driemen's name comes from a combination of the word 'drink' and a species of venomous snake, *Diemenia textilis*.
* He favors snake Pokémon, and his bar 'The Serpent's Fang' is named after them.
* He's married and has a 7-years-old daughter. Due to his wife's job, neither of them wear wedding rings.
* Allison and Jack and Sark won the Vermouth Badge at Level 2 on Chapter 3.