"Dear reader- you are reading this guidebook with the intention of learning about the Waruimi Isles. Whether you're reading this because you're planning a vacation here, using this book as a resource for that traditional coming-of-age ritual most commonly called a 'pokémon journey,' writing a report for elementary school, or being held at gunpoint, you are here to learn about the smallest and most unofficial region in the known world. Waruimi, unlike Kanto, Sinnoh, Johto, Unova, and those scums in Hoenn, doesn't have an official Pokémon League (To learn more, skip to Chapter 3, entitled 'Why Kantoans Suck'). So you see, this guidebook, 'The Unofficial Guide to the Waruimi Isles,' is not unofficial- no, it can't be, seeing as how it's the only guidebook to Waruimi. It is more of a guide to the unofficial region of Waruimi- The alternative titles didn't have quite the same ring. But Waruimi, the smallest and most unofficial region in the known world, is one of the greatest and most fascinating, as you will find out." –Ishmael Banas, foreword, 'The Unofficial Guide to the Waruimi Isles'
When Natalia Fontaine picked up the mundane looking book at her local library she had not expected it to be so interesting.
Natalia realized that perhaps her home region wasn't as deliciously boring as she previously thought. By the fifth page, there were already mentions of the brave adventurers that had discovered her home region, as well as the invention of Berry Snap candies. Both were far too exciting. And yet Natalia couldn't put it down.
She finished the chapter, learning such horrifically wonderful and enthralling factoids such as how colorful the lights were in Maple City, how tall the buildings were in Magnolia City, and how beautiful the beaches were in Hickory Town. Natalia knew about the beaches; she regularly avoided them for that reason. She lived in Hickory Town, after all, the most humid, quiet, average town Natalia could imagine. And it was the only town Natalia could imagine, because it was the only town she had seen, or been in. And she liked it that way.
But Natalia never stopped reading. She read through the entire book, about Snowshoe Island, and why it was so mind-boggling-ly cold for an island in the tropics, and the adjacent island, Lavamos, and how volcanic eruptions occurred almost daily in some form. She even learned about her hometown, and how it was famed for its hunting, and even seen as the great pioneer town of Waruimi. People found the log cabins everyone lived in on the island exciting? It scared her. She read all about the types of pokémon and people that lived in the same vicinity as she did. She memorized it verbatim, cover-to-cover.
It was Natalia's greatest secret, and biggest shame. If she ever wanted to leave her tiny town before, she certainly did not want to now. But there was a nagging feeling that kept her up at night as she slept on top of her covers in her regular clothes, pajamas being too exciting and all. That she, just a little bit, wanted to explore the great and fantastical world past the tiny island she knew by heart. It was appalling.
For this reason The Unofficial Guide to the Waruimi Isles was hidden underneath her bed, both for easy access and to hide it from sight.
Heaven forbid her parents ever saw it. Who knows what they would think.
Is it time? Do you want to go? Oh, sweetie, that's incredible! I'll go pick you a pokémon from the professor right now! Let me think, what would be perfect for you…. Oh, I know, a dragon-type! Something giant and menacing and incredibly exciting!
Her father, of course, would already be out the door to buy supplies for her journey.
Her parents were incredibly exciting and adventurous people that could not understand why she never wanted a pokémon or didn't want to go on vacation or spent all her time in her room reading or wouldn't even eat pizza. They even had her tested. (Natalia was overwhelmed by the amount of tubes involved. Never again, she vowed.)
Her mother used to be a 'heavily decorated' pageant winner who had given Natalia her straight brown hair, her small button nose, and skinny and tall body.
Her father was an incredibly idolized adventurer/trainer who had beaten a Champion once and gave up the title, and even once encountered a legendary pokémon. From him, Natalia received her embarrassingly large ears and hazel eyes.
From herself, Natalia bought a large cap to cover her pretty hair and ugly ears, a plaid sweater to cover her skinny frame, and pants to cover her pretty legs. Besides, pants were rational. The beautiful dresses or cargo shorts her parents wore on the pictures on the mantel in the living room looked useless. All nonsense, for show. Natalia didn't want to reveal anything about herself that was remarkable. Not even her incredible mathematical skills. Well, sometimes there were times when she showed those off, just a little.
She did like her name, though. Another guilty pleasure to be shoved under the bed with the book.
"Call me Nat," she would monotonously say. No Natalia. That was her parent's given name, and no matter how pretty and no matter how much she loved it, she was not who her parents wanted her to be.
Nat was Natalia to Selene, though.
Selene was shorter than Nat, and not as skinny, but she knew how to work her curves that she had. Bubbly, energetic, and excitable, with the most odd light yellow-green colored hair that marked her as Hoennese, Selene was everything Natalia was not. She was rather good at writing and the subject that Natalia didn't dare venture in- boys. She was also related to Sophia, the local Gym Leader. She lived in the second nicest house in Hickory Town, on the tallest hill that took an hour and a half to access by foot from Natalia's house, which was located on the 'historic' part of town. To get to Selene's house, Natalia had to walk through the sparse town, and through the woods, then up a staircase embedded in the hill. More often than not, though, Natalia was at Selene's house than Selene was at Natalia's.
Their friendship was confusing, but so are all friendships. It's better to not question friendship.
Mr. and Mrs. Fontaine approved of their companionship. Selene was an exceptional girl who, they felt, would prove to be a good example for their 'emotionally stifled daughter.' She had social grace, enthusiasm, and a pokémon.
On her ninth birthday, Selene had received a young Shuckle. Selene, as girly and materialistic as she seemed to Natalia, was surprisingly in love with bug-type pokemon. She nicknamed it Penny. Penny and Selene got along well, and Natalia couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of Selene for it.
It used to be Selene's dream to be a bug-type pokémon trainer, but after Selene had reached the right age, she just… stopped. She no longer wanted to travel all over the region, meet new people, and, as it was so commonly portrayed on TV, 'kick butt.'
Natalia had determined that this was because she had come to her senses. And yet she was still curious as to why she had suddenly come to her senses.
One day she had asked Selene. They were lying together on the grass in the forest down the hill form Selene's grand house.
"It just doesn't sound as… fun, anymore," Selene had said, fiddling with her light green hair.
Natalia rolled over on her stomach, taking off her cap and letting her brown hair spill out. "I don't understand. Didn't you say that it was going to be the greatest thing ever?" Natalia wrinkled her nose at the thought. Even though she hated the idea of being a trainer- leaving everything constant and secure for an ever-changing life- she was civil enough to listen to Selene's hopes and dreams.
Selene smiled, and turned towards her. She pulled out a pokéball, shiny and still like new. "It's too much at once. Too much to learn, and too much to fail at," she sighed. Natalia lifted her head at Selene's uncharacteristically wise remark.
"What do you mean?"
Selene laughed softly, a beautiful ringing sound, something Natalia's rough and monotonous voice could never produce. "I have a little bug pokémon. Bug pokémon are diverse and change a lot and stuff- there's a lot of them, and they grow up fast, and… Well, I feel like a bug pokémon." Selene cackled at how ridiculous it sounded. "Bug pokémon are good in numbers. By themselves they're weak. I can't go alone, Natalia. If you're not with me, I'll fail."
Natalia paled. Selene, the one friend she had, was counting on her. She was pushing aside all her hopes and aspirations because of her. Natalia was holding Selene back from life.
Natalia realized two things in that moment- that she was a bad friend, that perhaps Selene deserved better than her, and also that she was too selfish to let Selene go.
Natalia was a girl cursed with the hatred of all things fun, born to two remarkable parents who did and would never understand her, and with a friend that she didn't deserve, in a town that was more incredible than she would ever admit. Even if it was a slow, hot, quiet town, it was exceptional enough to contain Selene.
Sometimes, Natalia would wonder if she was cursed. If there was something wrong with her, all because she didn't like change, or differences.
Her parents sure seemed to think so.
And sometimes she would remember the book, and the feeling that she got when she looked in its pages- that feeling that she needed to go adventure.
Perhaps 'Nat' was stifling Natalia like Natalia was stifling Selene.
And one day the guilt and the shame and the book all clashed together at one moment, in one place- Natalia.
Natalia Fontaine, our party pooper protagonist, was going to commit the most heinous and exciting crime that would solve all her problems (or so she felt).
Natalia would catch a pokémon.
Author's Note
This was beta'd by the lovely sushi4427. I recommend you check some of her stuff out, she's a really good writer!
Also, for the people who read the original prologue, this fit the tone of the story better. If you want the reference list PM me. I made an interactive map on scratch, and the link's on my bio, so there's also that.
And it probably goes without saying, but this is an original region OC adventure story. It also probably goes without saying that I don't own Pokémon!
Thank you for reading, please review!