Keerah's Story
Some quick author notes:
Keerah is not your average beginner trainer. She goes to school before she can get a license. She gets her first Pokémon there. Her parents see things differently than most. And they want different things. But her life's an adventure, a "serinepil", as the Islanders say. Who are the Islanders? The residents of Koloi Island. Koloi means center in Islander, the language of the Islanders, who also call themselves Kreholidenry, or "people of the island". Her only true friend is a young girl who works in the local Pokémon Center. Her name is Dari, and she's different from most other people too. I feel their story needs to be told, and I'm going to tell it. So hold on to something, guys, cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride!
Oh, and one more thing: This story is told from the POV of more than one person, so I'll let you know who's telling it.
Disclaimer: Here's what I own: I made up Islander all by myself. HA! Keerah, Dari, their friends, family, the Islanders, nicknames, Evol. Island, and the adventure Islands, they're mine, too. I don't own anything else.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-Keerah-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
"So, what's you get for number five on the homework?" asked Jamie. Figures I thought. She NEVER does the homework.
"I'm not gonna tell you this time, you gotta do this yourself. And besides, I almost never get the right answers in egg group class anyway. Too much to keep straight. Lapras is in the group with Ampharos, anything can breed with a Ditto, oy, all the different names just start spinning round and round in my head!" I sighed. That was a typical response from Lora.
"Hey, Keer, did YOU get number five?" asked Jamie expectantly. I nodded, but shoved my notebook into my backpack so she couldn't grab it.
"Face it, Jay, you're eventually going to have to do your own homework," said an annoyed Mandy as she struggled to brush down her forest of green curls. She was the only one in the trainer grade with green hair, but who was I to talk: mine was purple. Jamie's was purple, also, but darker, with a little red mixed in. Lora's hair was bright orange.
"I did the homework, I just couldn't get question five, FYI. Plus, YOU try living up to your parents' expectations of you AND do your homework. It's murder!" This was Jamie's last and most-used excuse, so we all knew how to react to it.
"All of us make out ok," we all said at the same time. Jamie groaned.
"BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!! BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!!" The early bell was ringing. Not wanting to stick around for the end of the argument, I went into the building. I grabbed my stuff, and headed to my first class, which was Evolutions. Easy class, I was the best, but it was required for everyone in trainer grade.
"You're early today, Keerah. Ready to get to work?" asked the teacher, Mrs. Birch, who happened to be Mandy's aunt. I smiled and sat down in a desk in the front row. One advantage of being early was the great choice of seats.
After a few minutes, Holly showed up. She was usually the first one in class, so she was surprised to see me. She took the seat nearest the window, in the very back, perfect for 'escaping' out of during the boring parts of class.
I took out my homework just to make sure I had everything right. The hardest question would have made my little brother, Jay, laugh at its simplicity, and he was only six: How many times does a Dunsparce evolve? The answer, of course, was none.
By the time the final bell rang, the class was full, except for Bobby, who'd been so good at all his subjects that he'd graduated at the half-year. His twin brother, Tracey, was a few nuts short of an insane asylum, if you get the picture.
"Ok, class, a special surprise today. Forget the homework and textbooks, we're going to the auditorium for an assembly." I instantly came out of my thoughts at this new one. An assembly? Maybe it's Pokémon Day!!
Pokémon Day was the day when all kids in trainer grade got their first Pokémon. And it was done as fair as possible. Each kid who'd so far passed all his or her subjects went up on stage and picked a Pokémon out of a giant bag. Then everyone went outside into the big fields and started to train their Pokémon. This event was known as Trainer Week, for we all got a week off of classes to train and capture Pokémon. Then, we held battles in the gymnasium/practice ring with each other. Whoever came out on top instantly graduated, as did the rest of the top eight. Or, if they wanted, they could stay in school and take classes in the gym leader or elite trainer grade.
"It's gotta be Pokémon Day, there's no other choice, right?" Jamie asked excitedly. I nodded hopefully, then rushed to get a good seat in the auditorium.
------------------Dari------------------
"Ort uet Pokémon yitun, Akeero-porok?" asked Tania. It took me a minute to understand, but that was only because I wasn't used to Islander, even though I'd lived here since I was ten and had my license.
"Are your Pokémon ready? Yup, coming right up!" I said, and, on a second thought, switched my answer to Islander. "Kenira okipa-ilt satorbordo xu, Terania!" I said, using her island name, which meant 'small star in the heavens'. My own island name, Akeero-porok, meant 'ghost-spirit', though I don't know why they called me that. Maybe it had to do with the Pokémon Center thing, I don't know.
I gave Tania back her three pokéballs, which contained an Onix, a Sunflora, and a Noctowl. I was good at Pokémon names. Not so good at Islander. But I was better than I had been three years ago, when I first came here.
"Dari!" called Nurse Joy. "I need you to check the lights in the supply closets, please!" Ugh. I was her slave, even though I wasn't supposed to be, and it was either listen or find a new job.
"No prob, NJ!" I called, and ran through the 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' doors and straight to the 'supply hall', or the only hallway with supply closets.
All the lights worked except in supply closet 4, so I ran to sc3 to grab some light bulbs.
"Hey, Dari, can you man the counter for a while? I need to go pick something up at the harbor!" called NJ. I shuddered at the thought of me being alone here and something really going wrong. But I had a better idea.
"How 'bout I head down to the harbor and grab your stuff and YOU stay here and man the counter?" I said, and didn't wait for an answer before I was out the door.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-Keerah-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Turns out it WAS Pokémon Day. I was celebrating in my head, doing a little dance with my fingers, when I realized what this meant. I was going to get a Pokémon. Today. In, like, five minutes!
"Ok, students, if you would please come up when I call your name and choose your Pokémon," said the principal, and THAT'S when I remembered that you had to be passing all your classes to get a Pokémon. And I didn't think I was doing so hot in either Egg Groups or Pokémath (a math class revolving around damage multipliers and hp and pp amounts).
The principal began reading a list of names, starting with "Jamie Adams." Jamie jumped out of her seat and ran up on stage, and reached WAY down into the bag before choosing a pokéball.
Soon enough, I heard "Mandy Birch" and "Lora Cranberry". And, to my surprise, "Tracey Keel". It seemed like forever before the principal said "Keerah Plum," and I didn't quite realize it when he did, until Holly nudged me and whispered, "GO!"
I looked at the giant bag of pokéballs in front of me. It seemed that one in particular, the one right there on top, called to me. I know it sounds weird, but that's what it felt like. So I grabbed it, and quickly left the stage and sat down.
After the assembly, everyone ran outside to see what Pokémon they got. I ran off into the forest and began the path to my secret spot. Not many people even knew about it, let alone wanted to go there, because you had to climb through the trees. But I made it, just like I had been doing for two years. And only when I was in my clearing did I finally open my pokéball.
A bright white light appeared from inside the pokéball. It slowly formed itself into the shape of a Pokémon, then solidified into the actual Pokémon. I smiled at my good luck at getting this particular Pokémon, which happened to be my favorite. Better still, it was female.
"Hello, Chikorita," I said. "Looks like you're my new Pokémon." I picked her up and she jumped onto my head.
"Chiko!" she cried, and she jumped from my head into a tree nearby. I grabbed my backpack and rummaged around for the items I knew I still had in there from Potions And Pokéballs class. I found them: three potions, one full heal, and five pokéballs.
"We're gonna catch something today!" I said confidently, not knowing how true that was. How true just about anything I said would be in a matter of days.
Then I heard a rustling in the bushes. I whirled around in time to see a Pikachu emerge. I smiled almost evilly as I thought of what a catch this would be.
"It's Pokémon time! Chikorita, let's battle!" I called, and Chikorita jumped in front of me to face the Pikachu.
------------------Dari------------------
"Hi, I'm here for a package for the Pokémon Center," I said to the man on the dock.
"Numit (What)?" he asked. Oh, great, another person who spoke only Islander.
"Um...onei. Sii tre keser ino ayn enefit ino lir Pokémon Koloi."
"Hoi fubakin Denruy-pri sono, Akeero-porok (You speak Islander well, Ghost-spirit)," said the man, and he handed me two different boxes, one long and thin, one square in shape. I put them in the basket of my bike (it was actually the Center's bike, not mine) and turned it around to head back.
"Litki! Litki (Wait! Wait)!" called a small voice behind me. I turned again to see a small boy holding a pokéball.
"Numit (What)?" I asked, and he gave the pokéball to me.
"Pokémon Koloi (Pokémon Center)!" he cried, and somehow I instantly understood.
"Kenira, sii opetin (Yes, I understand)," I said, and pedaled even faster than I'd planned to get back to the Center.
As soon as I did, I gave the pokéball and packages to NJ and ran through the back doors to the large garden in back of the Center. My only Pokémon, a female Scyther, was lazing in the sun, a blessing now, in the rainy season. The rainy season on Koloi was like winter everywhere else. Just not cold.
"Onei, Cuireda (Hello, Treasure)," said another girl to a Sentret that was scurrying around on a tree. I recognized her as one of the few Islanders who also spoke English.
"Hi, Sehini-rhio," I said, using her Island name which meant 'Gold-light'.
"Hello, Akeero-porok. Or can I just call you Dari?" she said.
"If I can call you Shara," I said, using her real name.
"Sure. Do you know where my Pineco is? I've been looking for him the whole time I've been here."
"Sii exta-I mean, I'm not the one to ask. That's NJ's job, to know, not mine. My job is to be a slave and keep an eye on anything in the garden."
"Mm-hmm. I would have though Pineco WOULD be in the garden by now, unless something's wrong." She gave me a look like I should know. Did I mention that I didn't LIKE this particular girl?
"Look, Shara, all I ever really do is run errands and clean out the supply closets. And change the occasional light bulb in closet 4. Ok? I know NOTHING about anything else that goes on in there, except how to use the computer. I DEFINITELY can use the computer." At that, Shara stuck her nose in the air and walked defiantly into the Center.
"Scyther scy?" said Scyther, who had come over to listen.
"No, Scyther, I DON'T like Shara. And I AM glad that you understand English, or I'd be insane by now."
"Scyther," agreed Scyther, and she went over to a tall rock to practice her speed moves.
-_-_-
Ok, here's the question you answer in your reviews: Should I post this as several fics, or just one big chaptered fic?? I know this isn't much of a cliffhanger, but I have chapters 2 and 3 written, but I need an answer before I can post them.-pkchampion
Some quick author notes:
Keerah is not your average beginner trainer. She goes to school before she can get a license. She gets her first Pokémon there. Her parents see things differently than most. And they want different things. But her life's an adventure, a "serinepil", as the Islanders say. Who are the Islanders? The residents of Koloi Island. Koloi means center in Islander, the language of the Islanders, who also call themselves Kreholidenry, or "people of the island". Her only true friend is a young girl who works in the local Pokémon Center. Her name is Dari, and she's different from most other people too. I feel their story needs to be told, and I'm going to tell it. So hold on to something, guys, cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride!
Oh, and one more thing: This story is told from the POV of more than one person, so I'll let you know who's telling it.
Disclaimer: Here's what I own: I made up Islander all by myself. HA! Keerah, Dari, their friends, family, the Islanders, nicknames, Evol. Island, and the adventure Islands, they're mine, too. I don't own anything else.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-Keerah-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
"So, what's you get for number five on the homework?" asked Jamie. Figures I thought. She NEVER does the homework.
"I'm not gonna tell you this time, you gotta do this yourself. And besides, I almost never get the right answers in egg group class anyway. Too much to keep straight. Lapras is in the group with Ampharos, anything can breed with a Ditto, oy, all the different names just start spinning round and round in my head!" I sighed. That was a typical response from Lora.
"Hey, Keer, did YOU get number five?" asked Jamie expectantly. I nodded, but shoved my notebook into my backpack so she couldn't grab it.
"Face it, Jay, you're eventually going to have to do your own homework," said an annoyed Mandy as she struggled to brush down her forest of green curls. She was the only one in the trainer grade with green hair, but who was I to talk: mine was purple. Jamie's was purple, also, but darker, with a little red mixed in. Lora's hair was bright orange.
"I did the homework, I just couldn't get question five, FYI. Plus, YOU try living up to your parents' expectations of you AND do your homework. It's murder!" This was Jamie's last and most-used excuse, so we all knew how to react to it.
"All of us make out ok," we all said at the same time. Jamie groaned.
"BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!! BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!!" The early bell was ringing. Not wanting to stick around for the end of the argument, I went into the building. I grabbed my stuff, and headed to my first class, which was Evolutions. Easy class, I was the best, but it was required for everyone in trainer grade.
"You're early today, Keerah. Ready to get to work?" asked the teacher, Mrs. Birch, who happened to be Mandy's aunt. I smiled and sat down in a desk in the front row. One advantage of being early was the great choice of seats.
After a few minutes, Holly showed up. She was usually the first one in class, so she was surprised to see me. She took the seat nearest the window, in the very back, perfect for 'escaping' out of during the boring parts of class.
I took out my homework just to make sure I had everything right. The hardest question would have made my little brother, Jay, laugh at its simplicity, and he was only six: How many times does a Dunsparce evolve? The answer, of course, was none.
By the time the final bell rang, the class was full, except for Bobby, who'd been so good at all his subjects that he'd graduated at the half-year. His twin brother, Tracey, was a few nuts short of an insane asylum, if you get the picture.
"Ok, class, a special surprise today. Forget the homework and textbooks, we're going to the auditorium for an assembly." I instantly came out of my thoughts at this new one. An assembly? Maybe it's Pokémon Day!!
Pokémon Day was the day when all kids in trainer grade got their first Pokémon. And it was done as fair as possible. Each kid who'd so far passed all his or her subjects went up on stage and picked a Pokémon out of a giant bag. Then everyone went outside into the big fields and started to train their Pokémon. This event was known as Trainer Week, for we all got a week off of classes to train and capture Pokémon. Then, we held battles in the gymnasium/practice ring with each other. Whoever came out on top instantly graduated, as did the rest of the top eight. Or, if they wanted, they could stay in school and take classes in the gym leader or elite trainer grade.
"It's gotta be Pokémon Day, there's no other choice, right?" Jamie asked excitedly. I nodded hopefully, then rushed to get a good seat in the auditorium.
------------------Dari------------------
"Ort uet Pokémon yitun, Akeero-porok?" asked Tania. It took me a minute to understand, but that was only because I wasn't used to Islander, even though I'd lived here since I was ten and had my license.
"Are your Pokémon ready? Yup, coming right up!" I said, and, on a second thought, switched my answer to Islander. "Kenira okipa-ilt satorbordo xu, Terania!" I said, using her island name, which meant 'small star in the heavens'. My own island name, Akeero-porok, meant 'ghost-spirit', though I don't know why they called me that. Maybe it had to do with the Pokémon Center thing, I don't know.
I gave Tania back her three pokéballs, which contained an Onix, a Sunflora, and a Noctowl. I was good at Pokémon names. Not so good at Islander. But I was better than I had been three years ago, when I first came here.
"Dari!" called Nurse Joy. "I need you to check the lights in the supply closets, please!" Ugh. I was her slave, even though I wasn't supposed to be, and it was either listen or find a new job.
"No prob, NJ!" I called, and ran through the 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' doors and straight to the 'supply hall', or the only hallway with supply closets.
All the lights worked except in supply closet 4, so I ran to sc3 to grab some light bulbs.
"Hey, Dari, can you man the counter for a while? I need to go pick something up at the harbor!" called NJ. I shuddered at the thought of me being alone here and something really going wrong. But I had a better idea.
"How 'bout I head down to the harbor and grab your stuff and YOU stay here and man the counter?" I said, and didn't wait for an answer before I was out the door.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-Keerah-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Turns out it WAS Pokémon Day. I was celebrating in my head, doing a little dance with my fingers, when I realized what this meant. I was going to get a Pokémon. Today. In, like, five minutes!
"Ok, students, if you would please come up when I call your name and choose your Pokémon," said the principal, and THAT'S when I remembered that you had to be passing all your classes to get a Pokémon. And I didn't think I was doing so hot in either Egg Groups or Pokémath (a math class revolving around damage multipliers and hp and pp amounts).
The principal began reading a list of names, starting with "Jamie Adams." Jamie jumped out of her seat and ran up on stage, and reached WAY down into the bag before choosing a pokéball.
Soon enough, I heard "Mandy Birch" and "Lora Cranberry". And, to my surprise, "Tracey Keel". It seemed like forever before the principal said "Keerah Plum," and I didn't quite realize it when he did, until Holly nudged me and whispered, "GO!"
I looked at the giant bag of pokéballs in front of me. It seemed that one in particular, the one right there on top, called to me. I know it sounds weird, but that's what it felt like. So I grabbed it, and quickly left the stage and sat down.
After the assembly, everyone ran outside to see what Pokémon they got. I ran off into the forest and began the path to my secret spot. Not many people even knew about it, let alone wanted to go there, because you had to climb through the trees. But I made it, just like I had been doing for two years. And only when I was in my clearing did I finally open my pokéball.
A bright white light appeared from inside the pokéball. It slowly formed itself into the shape of a Pokémon, then solidified into the actual Pokémon. I smiled at my good luck at getting this particular Pokémon, which happened to be my favorite. Better still, it was female.
"Hello, Chikorita," I said. "Looks like you're my new Pokémon." I picked her up and she jumped onto my head.
"Chiko!" she cried, and she jumped from my head into a tree nearby. I grabbed my backpack and rummaged around for the items I knew I still had in there from Potions And Pokéballs class. I found them: three potions, one full heal, and five pokéballs.
"We're gonna catch something today!" I said confidently, not knowing how true that was. How true just about anything I said would be in a matter of days.
Then I heard a rustling in the bushes. I whirled around in time to see a Pikachu emerge. I smiled almost evilly as I thought of what a catch this would be.
"It's Pokémon time! Chikorita, let's battle!" I called, and Chikorita jumped in front of me to face the Pikachu.
------------------Dari------------------
"Hi, I'm here for a package for the Pokémon Center," I said to the man on the dock.
"Numit (What)?" he asked. Oh, great, another person who spoke only Islander.
"Um...onei. Sii tre keser ino ayn enefit ino lir Pokémon Koloi."
"Hoi fubakin Denruy-pri sono, Akeero-porok (You speak Islander well, Ghost-spirit)," said the man, and he handed me two different boxes, one long and thin, one square in shape. I put them in the basket of my bike (it was actually the Center's bike, not mine) and turned it around to head back.
"Litki! Litki (Wait! Wait)!" called a small voice behind me. I turned again to see a small boy holding a pokéball.
"Numit (What)?" I asked, and he gave the pokéball to me.
"Pokémon Koloi (Pokémon Center)!" he cried, and somehow I instantly understood.
"Kenira, sii opetin (Yes, I understand)," I said, and pedaled even faster than I'd planned to get back to the Center.
As soon as I did, I gave the pokéball and packages to NJ and ran through the back doors to the large garden in back of the Center. My only Pokémon, a female Scyther, was lazing in the sun, a blessing now, in the rainy season. The rainy season on Koloi was like winter everywhere else. Just not cold.
"Onei, Cuireda (Hello, Treasure)," said another girl to a Sentret that was scurrying around on a tree. I recognized her as one of the few Islanders who also spoke English.
"Hi, Sehini-rhio," I said, using her Island name which meant 'Gold-light'.
"Hello, Akeero-porok. Or can I just call you Dari?" she said.
"If I can call you Shara," I said, using her real name.
"Sure. Do you know where my Pineco is? I've been looking for him the whole time I've been here."
"Sii exta-I mean, I'm not the one to ask. That's NJ's job, to know, not mine. My job is to be a slave and keep an eye on anything in the garden."
"Mm-hmm. I would have though Pineco WOULD be in the garden by now, unless something's wrong." She gave me a look like I should know. Did I mention that I didn't LIKE this particular girl?
"Look, Shara, all I ever really do is run errands and clean out the supply closets. And change the occasional light bulb in closet 4. Ok? I know NOTHING about anything else that goes on in there, except how to use the computer. I DEFINITELY can use the computer." At that, Shara stuck her nose in the air and walked defiantly into the Center.
"Scyther scy?" said Scyther, who had come over to listen.
"No, Scyther, I DON'T like Shara. And I AM glad that you understand English, or I'd be insane by now."
"Scyther," agreed Scyther, and she went over to a tall rock to practice her speed moves.
-_-_-
Ok, here's the question you answer in your reviews: Should I post this as several fics, or just one big chaptered fic?? I know this isn't much of a cliffhanger, but I have chapters 2 and 3 written, but I need an answer before I can post them.-pkchampion