Nick

He is a major character in *Aftermath*. He and his wife Ruby kidnap Zita to keep her as a house cat and become her owners for a time.

## Relations

### Other(s)

Rose (mother-in-law), Zita (pet; briefly and unwillingly), Owen (pet)

## **Physical Appearance**

He is a light-skinned, obese man of average height with brown hair and hazel eyes. He wears a red plaid button-down t-shirt, gray pants, and black loafers. He has somewhat thick arms and stocky legs. He wears a black bracelet with a Keystone, showing he has a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve.

## **History**

Not much is known about his past, but Zita overheard that he loved binging junk food in his youth, thus leading to his obesity. He currently lives in a blue house in the Alolan suburbs with his wife Ruby and his pet Houndoom Owen.

## ***Aftermath***

### **Chapter 15: Catnapped**

Nick and Ruby arrive at the House Cats' home, where they know Zita is staying. Zita, seeing them through the window after packing her things, wonders who they are and what they want. Jocelyn opens the door for the couple and curtly asks what they're doing here. Nick backs away, surprised that she can speak human language, leaving Ruby to explain that they're Zita's owners and they've come to take her home. Zita, knowing they're lying, tries to sneak away, but Nick sees her and calls her to come in a light tone. The House Cats force her to approach the couple; the moment she's within a foot of them, Nick grabs her by the scruff of the neck and drags her away with him, leaving Ruby to thank Jocelyn. Zita tries to free herself, but Ruby takes out a sedative syringe and a move-proof net, warning her not to try anything. Realizing that they're kidnapping her, a despondent Zita complies. Nick takes a yellow collar and fastens it around Zita's neck before putting her on a leash. She gets into their car with them at Nick's command and helplessly watches as he drives off.

When they arrive at their house, Nick and Ruby walk Zita in and introduce her to Owen, who is indifferent at first, but soon realizes Zita is a powerful Pokémon. After Nick goes into the living room to watch TV, Zita gets into a fight with Owen when he attacks her and startles her, prompting her to lash out and bite Owen's foreleg with Thunder Fang. Owen's pained howl attracts Nick's attention, and he sees Zita pinning Owen to the floor with a paw on his throat. Nick immediately rushes over and scares Zita away, causing her to hide under the dining room table. Zita sees Ruby hurrying over and hears her ask what happened. Nick reports what he saw, prompting Ruby to look for Zita to punish her. Zita, still hiding, sees Nick grab Owen in his arms and leave the house with him, presumably to go to a Pokémon center.

### **Chapter 16: Unjust Punishment**

Nick returns a while later with Owen, who now has a bandaged leg and a cone on his neck, while Ruby is trying to subdue Zita. Angry with Zita, Nick is about to rush over to pin her down when Owen uses Mudshot on the Zeraora. Zita is almost knocked unconscious by the move and Nick is pleased with Owen for his quick thinking. Nick and his wife then restrain Zita's limbs with ropes. He holds Zita down while Ruby lifts her tail and spanks her hard as punishment for injuring Owen. After that, Nick picks up Zita and carries her to the upstairs bathroom so Ruby can wash the mud off her fur. He then turns his back on Zita after giving her a cold stare, which she returns, and leaves as Ruby enters the bathroom. After Zita's bath, Nick watches in satisfaction as Ruby takes the wet ropes off Zita, ties her up again with large nylon bands, and locks her up in a cage.

## **Relationships**

**Ruby:** Nick, being Ruby's husband, loves her unconditionally, and the two get along splendidly most of the time.

**Owen:** Nick adopted Owen when he was a Houndour and showered him with love and affection. They eventually developed a bond strong enough for Owen to be able to Mega Evolve. He loves Owen as much as he loves Ruby. Seeing that Owen was lonely due to being the only Pokémon in the house, Nick abducted Zita for him to play with.

**Zita:** Nick, not caring about Zita's feelings, kidnapped her and forced her to live in a confined space so he and Ruby could watch over her, leading to her resenting them. Initially, he was kind to her, but after she wounded Owen, he started treating her differently and viewed her as more of a nuisance, much to Zita's displeasure. This led to Zita's escape from the household.

## **Personality**

Nick is usually lazy, appearing to sit around the house watching TV most of the time. He enjoys eating, especially when it comes to unhealthy foods. He is also picky, greedy, unintelligent, and sometimes careless, often making rash decisions without considering the potential consequences. He also holds a grudge against those who wrong him or his family, such as when he developed a rivalry with Zita after she wounded Owen in self-defense, which is he unaware of. He also spoils Owen sometimes.