Rio Pacheco

RIO PACHECO is Starlight Music’s number one road manager and sound technician. Rio is one of the most sought-after technical engineers in the state of California. He is the best there is at what he does, and seems to just have a passion and natural talent for his job. The best part for him is that he loves what he does. He and Jerrica Benton, owner of Starlight Music, grew up together, and they’d been inseparable until the mysterious Jem walked into his life. Rio loves and respects Jerrica, but didn’t know at first that Jem and Jerrica were the same person, and when he found out Jerrica had lied to him, it created a rift between them that hasn’t quite healed. After breaking up with Jerrica, Rio drifted away from Jem and the Holograms for a while. Now back with the group he's supported all this time, Rio finds himself still harboring feelings for Jem.

Canonical/Pre-MUX/Theme History:
At some point soon after the Jem cartoon ended, Rio found out that Jerrica Benton was Jem, and the fact that she'd lied to him caused a long-running rift in their friendship, although they continued to professionally work together occasionally. He has kept Jem's secret since the 80s.