AZ Appreciation

✿ He does not approve of anyone skipping meals, especially the Team MZ kids. He had to scavenge and scrounge for food during his 3,000 years of homelessness, and although he couldn’t die from starvation, the sensation was extremely unpleasant and forever stuck in his brain. He will not let anyone go through the same thing he did.

✿ Once he settled down in Hotel Z, he practiced cooking like there was no tomorrow. He’s actually pretty good at it. (He doesn’t think he is) And he’s familiar with countless dishes and cuisines from faraway regions as stated in-game.

✿ He could also clear out an entire buffet in like 5 minutes if you let him.

✿ If Floette does not like AZ’s attitude she will not hesitate to bap him with her Eternal Flower.

✿ While wandering, he learned to play the Grass Whistle. The sound reminded him of Floette, and he would play it for himself to calm down.

✿ It’s genuinely a miracle AZ isn’t concussed from how many times he’s bumped his noggin on pretty much everything over the past 3,000 years. He jokes it’s the Infinity Energy.

✿ AZ can and will fall asleep just about anywhere, no matter how uncomfortable it is. He was homeless for 3,000 years, he tolerates it. This leads to Team MZ finding him in really strange positions. Especially during floor time.

✿ Branching off of that, laying flat on the floor sometimes helps AZ’s back when it’s acting up. If he gets stuck and can’t pull himself up he usually ends up snoozing.

✿ You can’t tell me AZ doesn’t snore like an Ursaring. Though, he denies it.

✿ Also he strikes me as the kind of person to unironically wear slippers and a nightcap to bed.

✿ Even though he runs a hotel, he’s still very antisocial from his thousands of years in complete solitude. He usually does not speak unless spoken to first. If he’s at a gathering of some sort and nobody is talking to him, he will very likely pull his bangs over both eyes to give himself a little peace.

✿ He also isolates from Team MZ frequently. Sometimes he just wants his alone time, but most of the time he feels so guilty of what he’s done who he is that he feels like he doesn’t deserve the companionship. (Secret third reason, on particularly bad days for him he feels like he’s bothering them)

✿ AZ took the saying “hair holds memories” quite literally. He refuses to cut, let alone trim, his insanely long hair. If hair really does hold memories, he doesn’t want to let go of the memory of what he’s done, how long he spent searching for Floette, and everything he’s learned along the way.

✿ If he were to get a weighted blanket made for his size (good lord that’d be heavy) then he’d find out he actually enjoys it. It feels like a warm hug, something he hasn’t felt in thousands of years- and he didn’t realize how much he missed it. If he’s bundled up with it in bed to the point you can only see his hair, forget about waking him up.

✿ AZ occasionally gets hit with a case of cuteness aggression when it comes to Floette. He’s extra mindful to be careful with her. (Plot twist, she enjoys it)

✿ AZ is a Sap and he gets emotional easily. If you do something for him like cooking him one of his favorite meals or comfort foods for instance, he will cry his eyes out for like a good 5-10 minutes. (Good luck keeping him fed though, you’re gonna need it)

✿ AZ loves flowers of any kind. He will tend to flower gardens to the best of his ability. Though, I think it would be funny if he was allergic to certain flowers. (It’s Pokemon, it doesn’t have to make sense) So if Team MZ can’t find him and they hear the unmistakable Grandpa Sneeze from out back, they know where he’s at.

✿ Because of his immortality, he has eaten inedible things such as poisonous berries without noticing. Gives him one heck of a stomachache but that’s about it.

✿ He has to know where Floette is at all times. If she disappears and he doesn’t know where she’s at, he WILL panic and end up inconsolable until he finds her.

✿ He likes to occasionally go on walks to get some fresh air, and always takes Floette with him. One time a curious group of kids asked him how he got so tall, and AZ lied and told them he listened to his parents and ate his vegetables. Idk I just thought it was funny.

✿ AZ feels cold almost all of the time (blame Infinity Energy, even L bundles up) so Hotel Z will be kept at a warm temperature. To anyone else, AZ feels like a massive furnace (especially around the chest and tummy) but to him he’s absolutely freezing.

✿ His favorite color is green.

✿ I fully believe he singlehandedly started Bigfoot rumors in the Pokemon world.

✿ King AZ had very thick and coarse hair and during his wandering it only got worse as it got dirty and matted. Once he started caring for his hair properly after reuniting with Floette, it actually ended up soft and silky. It even ended up growing a few more inches over the years.

✿ Despite his calm demeanor, AZ heavily dislikes loud, sudden noises. It reminds him of the war, and he could never quite shake off the panic that would follow after being startled.

✿ AZ chews on things when he’s deep in thought (which is almost all the time) and it could literally be anything. Most of the time he bites his lip or gnaws on his knuckles until it leaves marks. He doesn’t like how hard Jawbreakers are and he refuses to entertain the idea of putting gum in his mouth. So as a result Team MZ is figuring out how to get him a custom made chew necklace. Also, while he was homeless, he would often chew on his scarf as well.

✿ He’ll eat just about anything he’s given without comment, making it difficult to guess what he actually likes and doesn’t prefer.

✿ AZ actually does have a Key Stone, he just prefers to hide it.

✿ AZ really enjoys soaking in a warm bubble bath when he’s stressed or his body aches more than usual. (Yes he gets a bathtub large enough for him because he deserves it) He always feels refreshed after cleaning off. It can help him feel sleepy too, if he’s having a hard time at night. Though, he often marinates in the water until he’s a giant raisin.

✿ AZ was the champion of wandering while searching for Floette, always taking time to admire his surroundings and explore. Even after settling into Hotel Z, he will still get that itch of wanderlust and will go on walks whenever his stamina allows. He gets very curious every time a new Wild Zone is built (he never goes in them, just chills around the outer perimeter) or any part of Lumiose changes.

✿ Going off of that, that means he sometimes accidentally wanders away from Team MZ when they’re all heading out. One second they’re waiting to cross the street and the next they’re bickering with each other because how does one possibly lose sight of the tallest man in Kalos.

✿ Bonus: they started holding on to AZ’s braid like a leash or his vest to keep him from wandering off or absentmindedly ambling into traffic when something catches his eye.

✿ AZ is a bit clumsy and is known for accidentally dropping objects onto the floor. Since he’s so tall, it’s a long way down to the floor, so reaching down to grab it with a bad back isn’t exactly pleasant. If any of the Team MZ kids realize he’s dropped something and is trying to pick it back up, they’ll swoop in and hand it back to him. Though, it leaves him rather embarrassed. Floette will also grab things for him but only when asked. She knows AZ doesn’t want to be seen as completely helpless.

✿ If he’s sick or hurt, someone’s Pokemon will have to drag him kicking and screaming (to the best of his ability) to see a doctor. He’s a grown immortal, yes, but he’s never had to see a doctor in modern times. Understandably, it makes him very uneasy. He wouldn’t outright admit that, though, but his body language says more than enough.