Editing Rick Shades

{{Character_Template_1.0
|title1 = Toidei Gourami
|image1 = <gallery>
RickHighRes.png|Casual
Rick Shades Charmelon Form.png|Chameleon
Gargoyle Rick.png|Gargoyle
</gallery>
|gender = {{M}}
|voice_actor = Ray Chase
[[Jay Barrett]] <small>(in [[Winner Take All]])</small>
|first_appearance = [[Winner Take All]] <small>(post-credit scene)</small>
[[Prison of Plastic]] <small>(full)</small>
|age=20 <ref name="RPI">[https://twitter.com/EpithetErased/status/1600238399725928448 Rick Promotional Infocard for Prison of Plastic]</ref>
|epithet=Soulmates
|affiliation(s)=[[STEM]]
|friend(s)=[[Phoenica Fleecity XV]] <small>(Best Surface Friend)</small><br>[[Trixie Roughhouse]]<br>[[Giovanni Potage]]<br>[[Molly Blyndeff]]
|caption1=He can gain the abilities of his friends.
|stamina=★★★★ (4)<ref name="RPI"/>
|proficiency=?????<ref name="RPI"/>
|creativity=★★ (2)<ref name="RPI"/>
|alias=Rick Shades
Odi<br>Black Bear
|nickname(s)=Shades <small>([[Giovanni Potage|Giovanni]])</small>
Mr. Shades <small>([[Naven Nuknuk|Naven]])</small>}}
'''Toidei "Odi" Gourami''', also known as '''Rick Shades''', is a former [[Ocean Country]] wizard who escaped the [[Colosseum]] with the help of his fellow combatants and friends. After being found by [[Molly Blyndeff|The]] [[Phoenica Fleecity|Neo]] [[Trixie Roughhouse|Trio]] on the [[Sweet Jazz City]] beaches, he helped in the three's rescue of [[Naven Nuknuk]] from [[Lorelai Blyndeff|Lorelai Blyndeff's]] dream bubble. In return, Rick was given housing and work by Naven at the [[STEM Building]].

Rick's [[Epithet]], "'''Soulmates'''", allows him to copy the powers and abilities of anyone who becomes friends with him, including those of other Inscribed.

==Physical Appearance==
Rick Shades is a lanky man with a dusky complexion, a pointed nose, pointy ears and deep neon purple hair with bright red strands coming from the parting. He wears jet black sunglasses, a red scarf, and a dulled purple jacket with a red heart-shaped patch over his right breast (the wrong side) worn over a yellow shirt and black trousers. He also wears dull purple shoes and red finger-less gloves. When [[Molly Blyndeff|Molly]] finds him on a beach, he's covered in sea water and has some seaweed and a star fish on him. His eyes glow like a candle in the dark out of his shades. 

Because of his clothing and unkempt appearance, he is said to give off the appearance of a drifter, or some strange purple hobo who might travel by boxcar. 

He also has a great smile! But he doesn't blink. 

== Personality ==
Rick is very mysterious, but in a comedic way. He does casual stuff in a very formal, but off-putting, matter, like saying "The Pact Is Sealed!" when he becomes friends with [[Phoenica Fleecity]]. He also has a habit of cackling maniacally and screaming (though the latter is due to the fact that his default response to feeling an emotion is to scream). Despite these quirks, Rick seems to be very polite and friendly (albeit a bit too friendly). Because of his Epithet, he is obsessed with making friends and insists that he'll eventually become friends with [[Molly Blyndeff|Molly]] and [[Trixie Roughhouse|Trixie]] as well, the same way he became friends with Phoenica.

Being an ocean dweller, Rick is ignorant to concepts from the surface world, such as something as simple as "schoolwork", and tends to rely on his allies' powers and abilities via his Epithet to perform tasks which are related to said concepts. 

Often he seems to have some conceit in himself, but is overall delightfully incompetent.

== History ==
=== Past ===
Born in [[Ocean Country]], Toidei Gourami made many friends and became a powerful epithet user. This led to the supreme leader of Ocean Country, an ancient warlock named [[He Who Hungers Endlessly]], to take notice and harvest him at the age of 12. However, due to his epithet relying on friendship and not wanting to hurt his newly found friends, he became weaker as the [[Colosseum]] battles continued on. Eventually, he decided he would throw all his battles under the persona, "Rick Shades". This way, he would both regain his power and keep his friends. 

However, after years of his friends dying and, as a result, him becoming weaker, Rick realized that he would soon be disposed of. At the age of 20, he planned an escape with the help of his remaining friends and their epithets. After evading the Colosseum guards, breaking through the sea dome, and swimming away with the shared epithets, Rick successfully escaped from [[Ocean Country]]. But, after some time of navigating the ocean, Rick ran outside the range of his friends' soulmate bond and he passed out in the water.<ref name=":2" /> 

=== [[Prison of Plastic]] ===
{{Expand}}{{Rewrite}}
Three days later<ref name=":2" />, a little girl, named [[Molly Blyndeff]], finds Rick, who assumed his slumped over form to be a dead body. Her two other friends, [[Phoenica Fleecity|Phoenicia]] and [[Trixie Roughhouse|Trixie]] catches up to her and they argue about what to do. Before, he stands up and introduces himself. They scream before arguing about what he could be, before the Rick says he is a wizard. Phoenicia then introduces herself and explains she needs to assemble of group of magical girls to save the world, and asks if he would like to be one. This leads to an argument about if you need magic to be a magical girl between Trixie and Phoenicia. Molly, thinking Rick is likely dangerous, grabs her friends and attempts to drag them away from the strange man.

Rick manages to catch up to them and gets Phoenicia to shake his hand, forming a 'pact' by becoming friends, in a swarm of black lighting. Molly and Trixie attempts to get Phoenicia to flee but instead she stayed and he attempts to explain his epithet after some confusion. He says it's "Soulmates" and Phoenicia gets flustered by his name before he explains it simply means keeping his friends in his soul. And then, explaining by example by using Phoenicia's book-smarts on her homework. Phoenicia is then appalled because he used her knowledge to complete his homework, which is cheating, due to this she no longer considers him her friend, breaking the 'pact'.

After Rick shared his past and he apologized, Phoenicia forgave them , reforming their 'pact'. He then attempted to learn the other two's powers, and after failing, he simply declared that he ill befriend them eventually. He then recalls them discussing winning, and asks about it. Trixie explains, what he is talking about. He then explains he has not eaten in days, prompting the three to try and find some food, failing, only finding some lip balm. He goes to do the task to win. Molly explains what Lip balm is and gives it to him, before he eats it. Everyone panics looing for a solution, as lip balm is likely poisonous, as they also learned he had drank nothing but sea water for the last three days. Trixie finds a potion in her bag and Rick goes to eat it before they stop him. Rick confirmed that they were friends before he collapsed.<ref name=":0">[[Prison of Plastic]], Chapter 1: Fish Out of Water</ref>

== Relationships ==
''to be added  ):''

== Unique Abilities ==
'''[[Epithet]]: Soulmates:''' Rick's Epithet is Soulmates. Despite the implications, his power has nothing to do with romantic soulmates. Whenever he makes friends with someone, he can generate black electricity that can be spun together into a single string that spears his friend's heart and his own, allowing him to not only regain his own magic (said black electricity), but also gain the abilities of his friend (for example: [[Phoenica Fleecity|Phoenica]]'s book smarts). Strangely, if Rick is under the false impression that a soulmate has an ability, he is still able to preform said ability, even though it seems impossible, like how Rick can make potions because he thinks Trixie can make potions.<ref>[[Prison of Plastic]], Chapter 9: A Real Mess of Things</ref> His power works like a "switchboard", with each ability coming as a whole but he is able to turn each ability on and off separately.<ref>https://twitter.com/EpithetErased/status/1614575316655308800</ref> He'd also be able to have the upsides of an ability and not the downsides, if he is unaware of the downsides.<ref>https://twitter.com/EpithetErased/status/1614575417847066625</ref> If a friend decides they no longer are friends, the pact is broken.<ref name=":0" /> The pact is also broken if Rick moves too far away from a friend.<ref name=":2">[[Prison of Plastic]], Chapter 8: Bridging the Distance</ref>

== Trivia ==
* His last name may be a reference to his choice of eye wear, that being sunglasses, or otherwise known as shades.
* Rick appears as the protagonist under the name "Viafble", in his creator's randomizer of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.{{CitNeed}}
*Along with [[Phoenica Fleecity|Phoenica]], he appears as a player character in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XTbjyaDcWI&list=PLDxWRb1ZTlli3u4iQn_45F-BmxGlgMes8 Pokemon Tabletop Oneshot], played by [[Jay Barrett]], who played him in "[[Winner Take All]]".
*He is "Ocean Race" which, despite the name, do not have any fish abilities besides their hair looking like poisonous fish. Instead, they wield Dark Magic.{{CitNeed}}
*His height is 6'2".<ref name="RPI" />
*His birthday is June 6.<ref name="RPI" />
*His favorite animal is the anemone.<ref name="RPI" />
*His favorite food is Karmal<ref name="RPI" />
**"Karmal" is an undersea treat used by wizards to fuel their magic, It is not eaten and instead sacrificed for power.<ref name="RPI" />
*He likes friendship, arts & crafts, and nice socks.<ref name="RPI" />
*Rick once raised a shark as if it was a dog.<ref name=":1">[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5O-KmF5u6LA More Epithet Erased TOMORROW!]</ref>
**Sharks aren't kept as dogs in [[Ocean Country]], he was just being weird.<ref name=":1" />
*On Twitter, Jello made a tier list of how well liked in the fandom each character is, placing Rick in "Well-Liked (w/ Rare Exceptions)"<ref>[https://twitter.com/EpithetErased/status/1603935872428040192 Epithet Erased on Twitter - 12/20/22]</ref>
*On Twitter, Jello made a tier list of [https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Stardew_Valley_Wiki Stardew Valley] spouses, Rick being paired with [https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Abigail Abigail] because "[[Trixie Roughhouse|Trixie]] and Rick are here for the weird magic girl who likes ghosts."<ref>[https://twitter.com/EpithetErased/status/1602837006723137536 EpithetErased character Stardew Spouses - 12/13/2023 - Epithet Erased on Twitter]</ref>
*His favorite flavor is black licorice.
*On Twitter, Jello retweeted a promotion for "Rick Steeps", a chocolate chai pu-erh & watermelon cooler tea with Rick's likeness on the tin, after having been sent another Epithet Erased inspired tea collection from the same creator.<ref>https://twitter.com/EpithetErased/status/1241818221474430980</ref>. The tin's caption reads "The Only Thing Darker Than The Cocoa And Anise Mix Is The Deep!"<ref>https://twitter.com/mac_toons/status/1614068829281464320?s=20&t=4g9T4iL-u5nmq2y8zCc86g</ref>

=== Adaption from ''[[Anime Campaign]]'' === 
*In ''[[Prison of Plastic]]'', his epithet is "Soulmates." In ''[[Anime Campaign]]'', it is "Companion."{{CitNeed}}
*In ''[[Prison of Plastic]]'', he was found by [[Molly Blyndeff]], [[Phoenica Fleecity]], and [[Trixie Roughhouse]]. In ''[[Anime Campaign]]'', he was found by Stan Goldstein.{{CitNeed}}
*In ''[[Epithet Erased Franchise|Epithet Erased]]'', his original name was Toidei Gourami. In ''[[Anime Campaign]]'', his name was Oblivious Obsequious.{{CitNeed}}

== Gallery ==
=== Trivia ===
<gallery>
Rick Trivia KS V1.png
Rick Trivia KS V2.png
Rick Promo Infocard.png|Pormotional Infocard for [[Prison of Plastic]]
More Epithet Erased TOMORROW! -shorts
</gallery>

=== Promotional Artwork ===
<gallery>
Rick shades promo art.png
</gallery>

=== Screenshots ===
==== "[[Winner Take All]]" ====
<gallery>
All Screaming.png
</gallery>

==== [[Great at Cowboy]] ====
===== Outro =====
====== Cropped Screenshots ======
<gallery>
Rick WinnerTakeAll.jpg
</gallery>

=== Illustrations ===
<gallery>
Prison of Plastic.png|Cover
Feenie and Rick Become Friends.png|Chapter 1: Fish Out of Water
</gallery>

==== Cropped Illustrations ====
<gallery>
Trixie Offers a Candy Corn.png|Chapter 6: As the Crow Flies
Gargoyle Rick.png
</gallery>

===Portraits===
<gallery>
RickAnimeCampaignPortrait.png|Rick’s portrait in Anime Campaign.
</gallery>

===Sprites===
<gallery>
RickHighRes.png
Rick Shades Charmelon Form.png
</gallery>

===Concept Art===
<gallery>
Rick Concept Art.png
</gallery>
===Other===
<gallery>
Rick shades holiday art by rhea.jpg|Rick Shades holiday artwork by [[Rhea Burtram]]
Prison of plastic drawing by rhea.jpg|Artwork by [[Rhea Burtram]]
</gallery>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Adults]]
[[Category:Male]]
[[Category:Inscribed Characters]]
[[Category:Season 2 Characters]]
[[Category:Prison of Plastic Characters]]