HeartTrace Pretty Cure

**HeartTrace Pretty Cure** (ハートレースプリキュア, *Hātorēsu Purikyua*?) is a magical girl/boy (fan)series made by toan (DENEBOON). Its main motifs are superheroes/tokusatsu and technology, while its sub-motifs are heartbeats and virtues/sins. The story's themes include ethics, fame vs infamy, loneliness, individuality, and predestination.

## Plot

It is the distant future. Alien invaders make themselves known to the people of Earth, prompting a long and futile conflict. After exhausting almost all of the world’s military resources, a saviour emerges- a hero bearing magical abilities is able to hold back the monsters with the help of technology provided by the mysterious **Fairy Society**. The Fairy Society takes root worldwide, leading to a new era where superheroes are commonplace.

These alien invaders have not disappeared- in fact, for centuries they have terrorized humans. The Fairy Society continues to scout people with the makings of heroes- a new gene called a **Trace** that grants normal people supernatural abilities when paired with the Fairy Society’s unique tech.

It is the even more distant future. Yukana Shuujin- a teen girl from Meiden City, Tokyo- is a bearer of the Trace gene. Inspired by generations of heroes before her, Yukana is chosen by an inexperienced fairy named Mee and accepts her new responsibility as a hero. With the **Heart Tracer**, Yukana can tap into her Trace and become her superhuman alter-ego, aptly named Cure Hero. Alongside Meiden City’s other active hero Neptune, Cure Hero works to end the torment they’ve faced for almost a millennium.

In a mostly stagnant society, new technology that allows Trace bearers to use their innate abilities for their own personal gain comes as a shock. Now in addition to the Invaders, heroes are faced with Trace wielding villains who can apparently control the monsters who have been a bane to humanity for so long. Neptune and Cure Hero face off against one of these villains- calling himself Adam the Vain- in a brutal battle. The defeat is crushing, and Yukana finds herself unable to activate the Heart Tracer. That battle would be her last as Cure Hero, and she learns later that she was lucky to escape with her life.

While Neptune chases down this mysterious attacker, Yukana resolves to find a new hero to take her place.

## Characters

### Pretty Cure

* **Ainosuke Higami** (氷上愛之助, *Higami Ainosuke*?) - A 2nd year at Stalwhite Academy. At a surface level, Ai is extremely plain and doesn’t stick out much. He has few outstanding skills and even fewer hobbies, but he makes an effort to lend a hand to anyone who needs one. Everything about him that isn’t his bland personality is hardly “normal”. He has a terrible memory, no sense of taste, an eccentric aesthetic eye, and apparently superhuman pain tolerance. His hero identity is **Cure Sterling** (キュアスターリング, *Kyua Sutāringu*?). The **Permafrost** trace gives him control over ice and snow. He can freeze anything he touches solid, but overuse leaves him susceptible to severe frostbite.
* **Mimi Shibata** (柴田美々, *Shibata Mimi*?) - A 2nd year at Stalwhite Academy. Where she lacks in basic intelligence and common sense, she makes up for in her sociability and positive attitude (although sometimes her temper runs thin). She has trouble sitting still, and always wants to do something more exciting. She is very passionate about heroes, and nothing beats seeing them up close and personal for her. She also enjoys fashion and is very conscious of her presentation. Her hero identity is -. The **Blast Zone** trace lets her produce powerful explosions from her hands. She still has to mind the recoil though-- too much power poured into one blast could break her body.
* **Izayoi Ondou** (音堂十六夜, *Ondō Izayoi*?) - A 2nd year at Stalwhite Academy. He would rather hole up in the robotics club room alone than socialize with his classmates, and long conversations put him right to sleep. He is very smart and perceptive, but doesn’t care enough to let his talents shine. While not what you’d describe as “camera shy”, Izayoi hates the press and doesn't like the pressure of having to maintain a public image. He is quite insecure about his height.
* **Chieri Ichigono** (苺野桜桃, *Ichigono Chieri*?) - A 1st year at Stalwhite Academy. She is a little bit socially awkward, but very gentle and compassionate, albeit prone to wildly overthinking just about everything. Though poor at making friends, she’s naturally a people-pleaser, and goes overboard when apologizing or expressing gratitude. Since becoming a cure, Chieri has become determined to act more self-assured, which leads her to forming a close friendship with Yuu.
* **Yuu Hiyori** (日和有羽, *Hiyori Yū*?) - A 1st year at Minenenji High School. She’s the youngest in the group, but is often mistaken for an older student due to her height and intimidating aura. She comes off as pretty abrasive, but she values her idea of justice more than anything and has a surprisingly polite manner of speech. She is the beloved leader of a small delinquent gang that doesn’t participate in much gang activity. Battle hypes her up, but she's not a big fan of hurting others.
* **Souji Sazanami** (薄波宗治, *Sazanami Sōji*?) - A 3rd year at Stalwhite Academy. An unassuming honour student who mostly keeps to himself. He is notoriously clumsy, and is incredibly ashamed of his own inelegance. Despite his timidness, he’s very calm and rational, which shines through as Neptune. Becoming Neptune somewhat allows him to shed his self-esteem issues, and he carries himself much differently as a hero. He and Cure Hero worked together often in the past, but she never deduced his identity.

### Mascots and Allies

* **Yukana Shuujin** (主人幸奏, *Shūjin Yukana*?) - A 3rd year at Stalwhite Academy. Yukana is lively and optimistic but a bit messy, and tends to leave a wake of destruction in her path. She worked as a hero for about two years before an abnormal encounter with the Invaders left her unable to transform. She is very headstrong and stubborn, and frequently jumps into action before thinking. She is currently unable to transform, and thus inactive.
* **Mee** (メー, *Mē*?) - The cures’ manager. A peppy but somewhat bumbling newbie, whose decisions sometimes defy logic but always work out in the end.
* **Ushino** (ウシノ, *Ushino*?) - Neptune’s manager, and later a co-manager of the cures. She is no nonsense, and incredibly fixated on Neptune’s public image (sometimes to the point of neglecting his well being).
* **Nod** (ノッド, *Noddo*?) - A small Invader drone that Izayoi and Fugumi turned into an ally. As he’s essentially a newborn, he doesn’t really understand how anything works.

### Villains (Akasha/Project Eve)

#### Test Subjects

* **Rekka the Ardent** (レッカ・ザ・ラスト, *Rekka za Rasuto*?, lit. Rekka the Lust) - A volatile young man blindly driven by impulse. Once he has his passion set on something he tends to get obsessive. The current subject of his obsession is Ainosuke, whom he claims to have history with. His real name is **Rekka Seiryuu** (青龍烈火, *Seiryū Rekka*?).
* **Furume the Furious** (フルメ・ザ・ラッス, *Furume za Rassu*?, lit. Furume the Wrath) - An irritable child with a violent temper. She doesn’t like opening up about her feelings, and she allows her anger to boil.
* **Magu the Covetous** (マグ・ザ・エンビー, *Magu za Enbī*?, lit. Magu the Envy) - A barrel-chested and intimidating man whose mild-mannered personality never falters. He seems more willing to negotiate than his peers.
* **Kuchia the Gluttonous** (クチア・ザ・グルトニー, *Kuchia za Gurutonī*?, lit. Kuchia the Gluttony) - An unhinged woman who seeks only to destroy and consume matter. Repeated cruel experiments made her the way she is today.
* **Ippin the Avaricious** (イッピン・ザ・グリード, *Ippin za Gurīdo*?, lit. Ippin the Greed) - A cheerful and obnoxious young man who doesn’t take much of anything seriously. He wants to be a hero badly, but he admits he’s motivated by fame.
* **Yukkuri the Listless** (ユックリ・ザ・スロス, *Yukkuri za Surosu*?, lit. Yukkuri the Sloth) - An emotionless young girl who tends to wander aimlessly. She rarely speaks, and when she does it’s mostly in short one or two word bursts.
* **Adam the Vain** (アダム・ザ・プライド, *Adamu za Puraido*?, lit. Adam the Pride) - The Director’s protege. He was tragically born without the Trace gene, and was rejected by the Fairy Society. The Director took him under his wing, and he agreed to be the main subject for his ultimate experiment- the creation of an omnipotent human.
* **Eve** (イブ, *Ibu*?) - An alien being who has the physical appearance of a young woman. She has been in isolation for centuries. Back when she was in her right mind, she provided the Fairy Society with nanotechnology from her home dimension, rebelling against her own kind who wished to invade Earth. Akasha has theorized that her arrival is what led to the mutation that created traces. Her real name is **Theeta** (ディータ, *Dīta*?).
* **Main Console** (メインコン, *Meinkon*?) - A female voice that provides directions to Project Eve’s operatives.
* **Director** (所長, *Shochō*?) - Akasha’s mysterious president. They wear a black helmet at all times (which is actually a Filament), and have a Trace that can “nullify” and “steal” Traces. Their aim is unknown.
* **Invaders** (インベーダー, *Inbēdā*?) - Strange alien beings that began showing up several generations ago. The job of superheroes is to fight off the invasion of the Kaibutsu. Somehow, humans who wear Filaments can control them. They are highly intelligent and seem to be able to communicate- although their language is incomprehensible to human beings.

### Supporting Cast

#### Other Heroes

* **Nuku Shibata** (柴田温, *Shibata Nuku*?) - A 2nd year at Stalwhite Academy, and Mimi’s twin brother. Like his sister, he’s not the sharpest, but he has a similarly friendly and carefree energy to make up for it. He’s an up-and-coming spotlight-stealing hero, who is already making records for neutralizing Invaders and turning in villains. His speeches during battle are very long winded and over-the-top.
* **Gozu** (ゴズ, *Gozu*?) - Nuku’s manager- a bull-like fairy. While he’s capable of acting professional, he’s also capable of being just as rowdy and boisterous as Nuku.
* **Lime Hachikado** (蜂角ライム, *Hachikado Raimu*?) - A 1st year transfer student. Lime is an incredibly popular hero in the Tokyo area, and is a rare hero whose civilian identity is public knowledge. She is never seen without a bodyguard or two because of this. Her on-camera persona is very bubbly and likeable, but in reality she’s rather selfish and unenthusiastic. Yukana used to consider Lime her rival because of their similar onscreen personalities. She has come to Meiden City to search for her older sister Meron- a hero who disappeared years ago.
* **Ramune** (ラムネ, *Ramune*?) - Lime’s manager- a sheep-like fairy. She is very airheaded, and doesn’t do a lot to keep Lime in check.

#### Fairy Society

* **Gonno** (ゴンノ, *Gon'no*?) - One of the Fairy Society’s top brass. He oversees many of Japan’s heroes, and provides them with specific missions when necessary. He is crotchety and old.
* **Fugumi Honda** (本多ふぐみ, *Honda Fugumi*?) - A human employee of the Fairy Society and one of their most talented researchers despite her young age. She is more interested in the cures’ Traces and gear than their hero business.

#### Family

* **Juuzou Higami** - Ainosuke's father. He is a stay-at-home father who was formerly a championship gymnast. He quit the sport due to an injury.
* **Keiya Higami** - Ainosuke's father. He's a secretary at a law-firm.
* **Naho Shibata** - Mimi's mother. She is a travel agent.
* **Kazuki Shibata** - Mimi's father. He is a chiropractor.
* **Miyoko Ondou** - Izayoi's mother. She is a waitress.
* **Shuuichi Ondou** - Izayoi's younger brother.
* **Chihiro Ichigono** - Chieri's father. He is a talented chef, and owns a bakery.
* **Chiaki Ichigono** - Chieri's younger brother.
* **Aya Hiyori** - Yuu's younger stepsister.
* **Sarasa Hiyori** - Yuu's mother. She is an illustrator.
* **Yurina Hiyori** - Yuu's stepmother. She is a teacher at Stalwhite.
* **Eiji Sazanami** - Souji's older brother. He's a businessman.
* **Takara Sazanami** - Souji's deceased mother. She worked at Akasha before she passed away suddenly due to illness.
* **Suguru Sazanami** - Souji's father. He works at Akasha.
* **Hikaru Shuujin** - Yukana’s mother and an ex-employee of Akasha who left to work with the Fairy Society. She knows more than she lets on about the shady practices of her former employers.

## Items

* **Heart Tracer** - A device used by Trace bearers to transform into heroes. It is a small, heart shaped pendant discreetly worn over the heart under clothing.
* **HeartTrace Armaments** - Weapons used by superheroes. They can be summoned separately from the rest of the owner’s gear.
	+ **Deep Freeze** - Sterling’s weapon- a sword.
	+ **Scarlet Rumble Pike** - Bombshell’s weapon- a lance.
	+ **Trance Noise** - Noise’s weapon- a rifle.
	+ **Asta di Fragola** - Fragaria’s weapon- a baton.
	+ **Coucouroux** - Rocket’s weapon- a yoyo.
	+ **Poseidon's Oar** - Neptune’s weapon- a staff.
	+ **Unbeatable Heroic Spirit** - Hero’s weapons- brass knuckles.
	+ **Meteorite** - Ryuusei Starshot’s weapons- gauntlets.
	+ **Sweet Bomby** - 88honey’s weapon- a club.

### Villain Items

* **Filaments** - Pieces of armour that, much like the Heart Tracers, let Trace bearers use their abilities. They were manufactured by humans, and tend to be much more clunky than the nanotechnology of the Fairy Society. Their power is also highly unstable and hard to control without extensive biological modification-- the only humans with such modifications are the Project Eve test subjects.
* **Eddinu** - The giant vessel that Eve arrived in. Its inner workings are too complex for humans to comprehend.
* **Thrones** - Vessels that carry Invaders. They tend to suddenly appear in an erratic and unpredictable manner.

## Locations

* **Meiden City** - A fictional area of Tokyo where the series takes place.
	+ **Stalwhite Academy** - A prestigious high school in Meiden City.
	+ **Minenenji High School** - A more mundane public high school in Meiden City. They have somewhat of a rivalry with Stalwhite.
* **Etherium** - An Akasha complex where test subjects/Project Eve operatives are raised. It is located just outside of Tokyo.
* **Anki** - A dimension where physical rules are much different. It is Eve’s home.