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de-fright-ful · 3 months ago

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A M I T Y J O Y — F U L L A B O U T

🎃 I M P O R T A N T L I N K S

BLOG, RULES, VERSES. PUBLIC V PRIVATE INFO, POKEMON TEAM, HEADCANONS, WANTED DYN.

🎃 SYNOPSIS. Amity Joy (Japanese: ジョーイアミティ Ami Joy) is a trainer and Pokemon specialist who serves as the 6th Gym Leader of the Saijikaran region— representing the late summer & fall season and celebrations. Amity’s Gym, known as the ‘Old Joy Property’ or the ‘Fogweaver Estate,’ is located on the outskirts of Kiyose. She hands out the Kaika Badge to those who defeat her. While not EXCLUSIVELY a Ghost-Type Specialist, Amity is renowned for her expertise & talent with Ghost Pokemon & the Supernatural.

🎃 B A S I C S

NAME. AMITY DE-CLAIRE - JOY is only ever referred to as AMITY JOY*

NICKNAMES. Ami, Hyu~dorodoro (or Hyu) (from her father exclusively)

OCCUPATION. Gym Leader (Primary), Homecare Worker (Secondary) & later School Nurse (next-gen verse)

TITLE. Nurse (licensed & board certified), Gym Leader, 4-time Champion of independent competitions in the Region

AGE. 26 (primary verse),

35 (next gen verse)

BIRTHDAY. April 11th (rough birth year is 1998, but I have no idea how timelines work for Pokémon)

GENDER. Cis Female ( She / Her )

SEXUALITY. Bisexual, HEAVY fem preference (85/15 split roughly)

BIRTHPLACE. Tatewaku Village

CURRENT HOME. Old Joy Estate, Kiyose Outskirts

RACE. Mixed, Saijikaran-Unovan-Paldean, real-life equivalents are; Japanese (through her father), White and Latinx (through her mother)

REGION. Saijikara

LANGUAGE(S). Saihōka (native language of Saijikara, mother tongue; all of Amity's Pokémon answer exclusively to this language)

English (a common tongue of sorts across the Pokemon world, invaluable for travel, secondary)

Sinnoan (understood primarily because of proximity to the Sinnoh province, spoken with some difficulty on the accent)

🎃 P E R S O N A L I T Y

ZODIAC. Aries Sun, Cancer Moon and Virgo Rising

MBTI. ENFJ-T

ENNEAGRAM. 3x2 - The Enchanter

MORAL ALIGNMENT. Chaotic Good / Neutral Good-cusp

MAJOR ARCANA. THE PRIESTESS / THE HIEROPHANT / THE EMPRESS

MENTAL HEALTH. OH, IT'S NOT GOOD, CHIEF. Amity, while not OFFICIALLY diagnosed with anything. Is falling apart at the seams in most conceivable ways and emotionally spent beyond. Amity never went through the channels of grief she needed to for all of the loss she’s experienced since the birth of her youngest sisters.

In short succession, Amity lost her MOTHER, ALL POTENTIAL PEACE WITH HER OLDER SIBLINGS, THE LAST CLOSE PARENTAL FIGURE IN HER LIFE, HER DREAMS & CHANCES FOR ADULTHOOD, AND BEING JUST A SISTER TO HER SIBLINGS. And it’s only been sharp up-and-downs since then with little room to breathe. Amity is running from emotions and herself on momentum cause if she doesn’t? It’ll drown her.

In terms of a proper diagnosis, I would say Amity has UNDIAGNOSED DEPRESSION & ANXIETY

POSITIVE TRAITS. APPROACHABLE, BOLD, CALM, COMPASSIONATE, CONSIDERATE, CENTRED, EMOTIONALLY RESILIENT, HONOURABLE* (at least HER idea of honourable, for what that counts), PATIENT, PERCEPTIVE, RESPONSIBLE, MATURE, SENSITIVE,

NEUTRAL. EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTED, SARCASTIC, OPEN-MINDED, ALTRUISTIC, ADAPTABLE, PRACTICAL, FAMILY-ORIENTED

NEGATIVE. ANXIOUS, CUNNING, COMPETITIVE, DISHONEST (when she believes lies are the best method to achieve a ‘greater good’ that would excuse the lying), DISTRUSTING, DEFENSIVE, EMOTIONALLY DISTANT, INSECURE, INHIBITED (read as repressed emotionally and neglecting herself in all ways that aren’t socially noticeable), REPRESSED, SELF-ABASING, PASSIVE

FEARS. Losing what’s left of her little family. Death. Pregnancy & Childbirth. Deep Water (i.e the ocean), Clowns and Mimes & Human Hospitals (funnily enough)

🎃 F A M I L Y

*Of note: this family is INCREDIBLY dysfunctional. Keep this in mind when reading ahead.

FATHER. KIJA JOY † (1969 - 2011, 42 years old at death)

MOTHER. RHIANNON DE CLAIRE † (1973 - 2016, 43 years old at death)

MOTHER’S LOVERS / FORMER PARTNERS:

EIJI HAYASAKA— an affair partner of 6 years (unknown to everyone but Rhiannon and Kija), the bio-dad of Mira, born during their marriage. Kija accepted her as his own, and Eiji was never named father or even given the chance to meet Mira, but many suspected the truth.

MATEO FOURNIER † — boyfriend of 1 year, fiance of 2 months, father of Orin & a text-book gold-digger with a storied, royal name from the Kalos region.

He’d sought out Rhiannon following the De Claire name and hoping for access to riches left by Kija, only to find everything tied to Kija’s bio children and especially Amity, not Rhiannon.

He later left Rhiannon after it became clear there was no social climbing through her. Abandoning the Region and his son in the process. Mateo died in 2022, by what circumstances Amity and Orin have no clue. Orin feels conflicted about Mateo's death and his inheritance from Mateo. Due to his age, Amity safeguards Orin's inheritance for him with a dragon's fury.

TAKUMA SATAOI — Rhiannon's longest-running boyfriend, Yuhuza's father & involved in Yuhuza’s life w/ part custody.

Although Takuma came into Amity's life during a rough period for the family, the rocky waters quickly cleared, and Amity grew fond of him and Takuma, in turn, became paternal and fatherly to Amity & her siblings. When the relationship between Takuma and Rhiannon began falling apart with her mother’s growing instability and abusive temper. Amity begged Takuma to take care of himself and Yuhuza and leave.

Takuma ends up breaking off the relationship and going their separate ways from Rhiannon but continues to have a warm relationship with Amity & co-parents Yuhuza with her, allowing her contact and normalcy with her other siblings.

AXEL GRAVES †- Rhiannon’s last live-in boyfriend at her death and father, or rather sperm-donor to her twin daughters, Yvita and Yvona. Abusive and unpleasant are the two words that come to Amity's mind when describing him. Axel was no stable or parental figure by any stretch, and at barely 9 years older than her, Amity wasn't exactly warm when Rhiannon brought him home. Amity believes her mother chased after him because of his younger age and the thrill of being desirable to a younger man, regardless of his personality and what little he had to offer.

After Rhiannon's death, Amity attempted to bury the hatchet between them and, out of respect for Rhiannon's love of Axel, allowed him to continue residing in the palace. Still, there was no improvement between them, and without Rhiannon's tempering of his temper and solidifying his 'superior' status over Rhiannon's children, tensions grew greater and greater. Eventually, his ire moved beyond heated arguments between Amity and him and into cruelty towards Noriko and Orin; Amity threw him out of the home and willed to her & her full siblings. There was an altercation; he beat Amity savagely, threatened to take the twins & left, never to be seen again. (KILLED BY AMITY’S HAUNTER, MAGNUS)

FULL SIBLINGS. (KIJA & RHIANNON)

JUSTICE ‘JUST’ JOY (1994b, 30) is estranged from Amity and has an openly hostile, antagonistic relationship with her. They haven’t spoken in seven years after she bought him out of the family estate & Justice pressured Amity to give up their half-siblings to Foster Care rather than waste her time on ‘whore’s bastards,’

TEMPERANCE ‘PERRI’ JOY (1996b, 28) is estranged from Amity and has a non-existent relationship with her. Amity cut contact after she sided with Justice in a feud over Amity’s decisions with the property & her decision to keep her younger siblings. They haven’t spoken in years since & Temperance is not allowed on property after an altercation she had with Mira. She was bought out of the estate with minor hassle.

CHARITY JOY (1997b, 27) is in low contact with Amity but not estranged. Due to Charity’s open judgement of Amity, they have a cold, impersonal relationship. Worsened by the emotional distance between them. Charity visits the estate annually, though she has been legally bought out of the property and has a lukewarm relationship with her half-siblings.

PATIENCE JOY † (1997-1997, SIDS death), Charity’s twin sister, died before Amity was born. Charity never fully recovered from her death & holds her memory against Amity out of grief for losing her sister— her other half, meanwhile Amity, a mistake, unlike Patience was allowed to live longer than Patience was.

HALF SIBLINGS. (RHIANNON & LOVERS)

NORIKO 'NORI' JOY (2004b, 20) is Amity’s oldest half-sibling, treated like a full sibling. Amity had full custody of her until she became a legal adult. Amity and Nori have been inseparable since Nori's birth. Amity has always cared little that they didn’t share much physical resemblance and cared even less about the rumours about her parentage. Amity shielded her from their elder sibling's abuse and public judgment & regularly refuted any insistence she wasn’t Kija’s daughter, even as Noriko grew to resemble Amity less and less over time. Despite the age gap, Nori loves Amity and sees her as her twin sister; after all, they've always been as close as all of the twins she's seen in movies, even down to having a code unique to only them! While she'll never share it, Nori worries greatly about Amity and her lack of self-preservation in pursuit of finding stability for her siblings. Nori continues to live on the estate while studying at a local university, hoping to someday take to the medical field like her older sister before her and become a doctor like their father. She doesn’t want to leave the local area out of fear for her family, siblings, and oldest sister. She’s terrified that if she leaves, Amity will burn herself at both ends until she dies young like Kija did. Nori is often confused for her older sister by strangers and non-locals, a comparison she finds to be equally complimentary and hilarious, given she towers over her older sister and stands at 5'8. Nori favours her mother and her mother's side of the family in appearance, being thin, graceful and tall with light brown hair and dark eyes. She enjoys fortune telling and divination as a hobby and offers a service to determine an egg's stats, moves, and nature before it hatches. She will randomize all of them in exchange for Star Pieces.

ORIN FOURNIER (2012b, 14) is Amity’s second-oldest half-sibling. Amity has full custody of him until he becomes a legal adult. Orin is nonverbal and mute & can be considered a stern or solemn figure if a person doesn't know him well or takes his resting scowling expression at face value. In truth, Orin is shy and reserved but deeply warm in his own way. He is upbeat, loving hugs and high fives and making it a point to greet everyone each morning with a happy wave. He has a particular interest & affinity for Pokemon Breeding & is involved in rebreeding region-exclusive Saijikaran Pokemon that went extinct back into the wild.

YUHUZA SATAOI (2013b, 11) is Amity’s third-youngest half-sibling by Rhiannon and her most stable, long-time lover, Takuma. Yuhuza is a bright and upbeat little girl with little memory of the deep turmoil their broken family faced during the youngest years of her life, including the briefly abusive period between her birth father and mother and their explosive separation. Even after Takuma rightfully left Rhiannon, Amity kept maintaining her friendship with Takuma to keep a relationship with her younger sister. While Rhiannon was never given any custody time with Yuhuza in life. After Rhiannon's passing and a torturous time of fighting to prove her responsibility in Takuma's eyes. Amity was given partial, informal custody of Yuhuza with Takuma to allow her to grow up with her half-siblings in arm's reach. Despite some arguments between Amity and Takuma, Yuhuza begins her Pokemon Journey early, joining the main character of the Region, Comet, with the Third Starter, thanks to Amity's long-term friendship with Banyan, which allows her to squeeze in.

YVITA JOY and YVONA JOY (both born in 2016, 8) are Amity's two youngest twin sisters and Rhiannon's last children. Amity has exclusively raised both girls since their biological mother died during birth and their biological father failed to step in to care for them.

Despite not being biological members of the Joy Family, Amity gave both girls HER last name and their first names. Amity did this for manipulative but selfless reasons, worrying that if anything ever happened to her, the twins would be left without any family to care for them and hoping that by giving them the Joy Family name and the distant but devoted family structure to emotionally leverage her distant family into taking them in like they would for their own blood.

Because of the Joy last name and Amity's maternal role in caring for them, many believe the girls are Amity's biological children & refer to them as her 'daughters'. Amity is disconcerted by the assumption and is always quick to correct strangers when they make that assumption - but she can never bring herself to correct her sisters when they call her 'Mom' or 'Mama.'

Neither girl appears to have processed their parental loss; they don't grieve for parental figures who were never a part of their lives. How can one mourn a mother when their older sister has always filled that role and been exactly what a mom should be? And how can they miss a father when the man who should have been a dad is merely a shadow, defined by the empty space and tales of cruelty from older siblings? In truth, Amity worries a lot more for them than she should, and her concern is not borne by observing anything amiss about them; they're ordinary little girls, a bit quirky but average, but more by her guilt about the uneven hand dealt them by fate that SHE couldn't prevent.

Regarding their older sister, Yvita and Yvona IDOLIZE her. They put any fan club to shame with their love of her, and they've taken to Pokemon training, hoping to be elite trainers too, just like her, and someday live up to fill her shadow and take over the Joy Estate.

🎃 A P P E A R A N C E

HEIGHT. 4’8 in, or 142 cm

WEIGHT. 107 lbs or 48 kg

BUILD. PETITE & COMPACT, somewhat slender but best described as ‘sturdy,’ wide hips with softly rounded edges, long, solid legs and thicker ankles

SKIN TONE. PALE & FAIR, with warm undertones. There are few marks/blemishes other than scars and her tattoos.

HAIR. NATURALLY WHITE, after developing CANITIES SUBITA, was previously SALMON PINK.

FREQUENTLY dyes her hair bright colours (x, x, x, x, x) and styles beneath hats.

EYES. JADE GREEN, crescent-shaped with a particular softness about them. Often shaded by her hats (x, x, x, x, x, x)

FACECLAIM. Death of The Endless ( PRIMARY, illustrated ), Kero Kero Bonito / Sarah Midori Perry ( SECONDARY, person ), The Girl from Angel's Egg (TERTIARY, younger depictions of Amity)

VOICECLAIM. DayumDahlia ( X, X speaking | X, X singing )

PHYSICAL HEALTH. FINE, NOT GREAT. 20/70 vision, requiring glasses. Low mobility in the left arm, requiring an arm brace, and occasional muscle pain. Had asthma in her youth, but it has waned in intensity since she’s grown up.

TATTOOS. A COMPASS ROSE with flowers and a bird on her inner right wrist with the dates ‘12/07/1969’ on the top right edge and ‘06/11/2011’ on the lower left edge and the phrase ‘Wherever you go,’ in Saihōkan

A KAIKA SYMBOL on her left inner ankle stems from folklore in the area about the Kaika in the mountains around the Joy estate and is in reference to the badge given out by her gym.

TWO TRADITIONALLY STYLED CAMEILLA CONNECTED BY A SPIDERWEBS, AND A STYLIZED SPINIRAK on her sternum, along with the dates ‘11/19/2017 - 08/16/2019,’

A SIMPLE, WRAP-AROUND TATTOO OF FLOWERS AND LEAVES starting above her collarbone and wrapping from one shoulder to the other like a stole just above the cameilla and spiderweb tattoo.

A STYLIZED BAT WITH TWO FACES on her inner upper arm, a reference to Laverna, undoubtedly

TRADITIONALLY STYLED MIRRORED PEONY FLOWERS on both sides of her torso, stretching from her lower stomach to her waist

A DRIFBLIM WITH GUSTS OF WIND located on her right upper Ribcage

TWO FULL FRONTAL LEG SLEEVES PATCHWORKED FROM NUMEROUS INDIVIDUAL TATTOOS

A PLAYFUL GENGAR SURROUNDED BY SPIRIT FLAMES on the back of her left calf

PIERCINGS. BOTH EARLOBES ARE TRADITIONALLY PIERCED; Amity is incredibly fond of esoteric and outlandish dangling earrings and deeply dislikes stud-style earrings.

DUMBELL STYLE PIERCING ON THE BRIDGE OF HER NOSE

HORIZONTAL PIERCING THROUGH HER NASAL SEPTUM; often worn with a tight-fitting, silver, lace style hoop with a skull in its centre

VERTICAL LABRET STYLE PIERCING THROUGH HER LOWER LIP, which is often worn with a silver hoop

GIVEN THE MORE CONSERVATIVE ATTITUDES IN HER REGION & THE PERSISTENT BUT OUTDATED ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY ART AND CRIMINAL AFFILIATION. AMITY CHOOSES TO DRESS CONSERVATIVELY AND COVER THESE TATTOOS / TAKE OUT HER PIERCINGS DURING OFFICIAL APPEARANCES WITH THE LEAGUE. ON HER OWN, SHE WEARS THEM OPENLY AND PROUDLY

SCARS / MARKS.

Upper forearm, elbow and shoulder of her left arm are covered in thick, raised, third-degree burn scars. & Reconstructive plastic surgery scars from efforts to better salvage the arm.

Faded first and second-degree burn scars on her left chest

Three distinct gauging-type scars going from her last rib to her navel on the right side

Small faded scar under her lower lip, the result of a biking accident at 10

Several bite wounds across her body from taming and training her Pokemon

Missing the tip of her left ring finger, though it’s far less noticeable beneath the scars on that arm.

Noticeable, patchy bald patches the size of dimes and quarters on her scalp, the result of Alopecia Areata: Amity tends to try and style her hair to cover these spots or wear hats

A raised scar on her lower back, just below the dip of her hip that is shaped like a fishhook; she doesn’t enjoy talking about it.

🎃 B A C K G R O U N D

WARNING, this is Really Long and includes mentions of Childhood Bullying, Child Death, Parental Death, Death during Childbirth, the Child Protective Service, Sibling & Peer Bullying, Ghosts, Possession and Fugue / Derealized Mental States after Trauma. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED.

0 - 7 YEARS OLD

Born in the small community of Tatewaku, Saijikara, shortly after, the entire family (Kija, Rhiannon, Justice, Temperance, Charity & Patience) returned to the region after living in Unova for a decade prior.

Amity was an unplanned child born prematurely the year following her older sister, Patience’s death—such an unfortunate timing, in conjunction with being born prematurely & having higher needs, meant Amity’s older siblings were never able to bond with her.

It certainly didn’t help that she was the apple of her father’s eye.

Wherever Kija went, Amity was the silent shadow following after him with adoration and such rapt curiosity — it scared the crap out of him more often than once, earning her the nickname Hyu~dorodoro, like a ghost. But Kija adored the frights, no matter how many times he jumped out of his skin.

To Kija, Amity felt as though she wanted a level of love from her father that her older siblings reserved for their mother alone. Amity wished to follow him and be taught—to hear stories from the lab, learn about the family trade in medicine, and take the inspiration with a grin.

At 4, Amity and her family moved from the small family home in Tatewaku to the Old Joy Estate in Kiyose, ostensibly to help care for Amity’s Grandfather, Chikao, who had recently begun losing his mobility.

In reality, many (including her older siblings) suspected the move was made because of Rhiannon’s latest pregnancy and heavy suspicions that the child wasn’t Kija’s, which she wasn’t, ultimately.

At this time, Amity & the other siblings met many of the close family friends for the first time, including: Illumise Mikasa, Kazuya Mikasa; Junpei Eurya the late professor for the region.

The move was difficult for all involved & despite her young age, Amity was not spared the growing pains.

At 11 and 10, respectively, Amity’s older siblings levelled much of their grief onto their youngest sister. Blaming her for the move, taunting her to tears and eventually escalating into Amity’s first, but not final, unfortunate brush with bullying.

After the move, Amity found little respite in leaning on her father for acceptance and affection. The negative of the move meant her father had to travel 2 hours daily to work and often couldn’t return home at the end of the day. And efforts to lean into her mother were a moot, pointless endeavour, like trying to pull blood from a stone.

Amity found herself alone for the first time until Mira was born. Mira, Rhiannon’s 6th child and legally Kija’s, though in reality she was fathered by Rhiannon’s affair partner, was Amity’s best friend from birth and the one piece of the broken, broken family that fit beside Amity. Mira gave Amity strength and a kind of resolve that pushed her to finally distance herself emotionally from her older siblings.

Amity stopped chasing after love she wouldn’t get from her older siblings. Mira was affectionately known as ‘her baby’ given how often she was seen playing with and caring for the baby — pushing her pram, feeding her and reading her stories.

This was the origin point for the later parentification that would balloon to incredible lengths later in life.

For her 6th Birthday, Amity's grandfather gave her the gift of enrollment in a local School for Pokemon Trainers. Despite the family's reigning precedent of only employing personal tutors for previous generations of children, Chikao and Kija wanted Amity to have the chance to make friends beyond the family.

Despite this, getting Amity to explore beyond the home & staying with family friends did little when she was suffering under the circumstances at home. The results of the ongoing bullying from her siblings and emotional neglect from her parents were plain and present: Amity’s former jubilant personality of a happy little shadow always underfoot and wanting to be a part of everything was just… gone. Amity became evasive, furtive & fearful, and it hurt to watch. To see her shrink so far inside herself, become shy when that wasn’t her, and go numb to the mistreatment that had become so normalized at home.

At 7, Amity’s grandfather, Chikao, died, leaving his 4 household Pokemon to be passed down to his descendants. Kija, still deep in his grief and struggling with the loss of his father *who he had only begun rebuilding a relationship with*, couldn't bear to take the Pokémon on himself and instead passed them onto his children to distribute among themselves. But the cruelty and dysfunction of the relationship at play came to unfortunately rear its head through this matter, and the 3 older children (Justice, Temperance and Charity) took all 4 for themselves, arguing the fourth had to go to Charity, as it was only deserved by her deceased sister, Patience. Amity, who had a good relationship with her grandfather, was gutted by the decision and was despondent. By the rejection, insult of her siblings, and loss after loss. Illumise tried to interject on Amity’s behalf to bring the subject to her parents, but Kija didn’t have the strength for it, and Rhiannon saw no flaw in the logic and let it stand.

Illumise, however, was stubborn and grieving in her own way. Perhaps she saw herself in Amity, or maybe it was how she just seemed to accept that this was her reality and that fighting it would prove nothing. She couldn’t let it stand and brought Amity to her home to give her a Pokémon directly: a Trapinch, born from her Flygon, which Amity’s late grandfather had caught for her 40 years earlier. Illumise hoped she would accept the Trapinch and that it would ease her pain, make her feel powerful and valued and not forget the waysides of grieving. But, when presented with the offer, Amity bristled, terrified and misty-eyed. She rejected the Trapinch presented to her as politely as she could. She didn’t like Pokémon; she never wanted a Pokémon, and she couldn’t. She was sorry and scared of Pokémon, so she had to go. Illumise was at a loss, dumbfounded. Amity was terrified that much wasn’t a lie, but everything else? There wasn’t a thread of truth in any of it. Amity loved Pokémon and coveted one; she once made a ‘persuasive’ poster to convince her parents to let her adopt a Swablu. Hell! The first thing she always wanted to do when visiting Illumise was to check on her team. Where was this sudden change coming from? Short answer: it was her siblings.

Amity could be evasive from her siblings' wrath, slip away like a wimpod beneath the waves, but her younger sister, Mira, who was only a baby? She couldn’t learn to evade like Amity could at her age, and if their anger didn’t go to Amity, it would surely go to her. Amity WISHED she could be sure they wouldn’t pull a baby’s hair until she cried or pinched her until it bruised, but truthfully? She couldn’t be. It was better for her not to rock the boat and openly go against them for her safety and Mira’s.

So ashamed of herself for turning down Illumise’s gift to her, Amity couldn’t bring herself to visit her adoptive Aunt’s home for months. It broke Illumise’s heart — but Amity blamed herself, in her child’s mind, she’d committed an unforgivable crime. She WANTED that Trapinch, she WANTED to make Illumise happy, she WANTED that last bit of her grandfather, she wanted it, she wanted it so bad it made her chest ache, but it would make her siblings angry and if they’re angry and she isn’t around— she couldn’t. Amity successfully dodged Illumise for a month but broke down in tears and sobs when she finally asked directly.

That day marked a change for Amity and Illumise. Not only did they bridge the sudden gap, but came out stronger for it. But Illumise no longer felt right in her soul, leaving Mira and Amity under Rhiannon’s watch. From that day, subtly, Illumise would host Amity and her younger sister at her home, watching them as long as Rhiannon would let her, which at times was for full days at a time. Her home became theirs.

8 YEARS OLD

From this point in her memory, everything becomes a blur for Amity—a fog of colour, bleary faces, and the vaguest disembodied feeling of terror and distress—like listening to the shrieks of some B-movie star from the next room over.

One morning - September, she thinks. She'd just returned to school, and she had this- what was it, a cleffa backpack for school. Yes, that's it, that brings it back. It's embarrassing to admit, but it was a gift from her father, from the CITY, and that was a big deal back then - hell, many in Kiyose had never been so far. She was so proud of it; that morning she'd wanted to show it off to her friends.

Her friends, it's a thought that brings pause — knotting her throat, but her friends met with her that morning, bright and early before school at the gate of the property. She'd thought, she THOUGHT they were going to walk to school together, get there early to get started on making a club — but they sort of laughed - it was a mean sound, now that she thinks about it, but it seemed sweet back then. They had other plans.

They knew there were wild Pokemon on the Property—it's always been something of a reserve—and they knew she didn't get one when Chikao died. They felt so bad for her, especially since so many of them had their own. They—so considerately, she thought—were going to make up for it. They were going to take her to the back of the property and catch one for herself - they had the Pokeballs and everything, and with their team together, Amity. She felt safe, she was excited, she was so so appreciative.

They went back, to the pond — she'd thought they'd stopped there, where the frogs slept, but no — the main girl, ████ laughed, 'c'mon, you deserve better than a tadpole,' Amity paused, she remembers the burn of shame at the back of her throat and the start of something, she thought it was just embarrassment then — don't make yourself look MORE stupid - but it was her gut instinct that this was... off. But she took them at face level, and she WANTED to, deeper and deeper, she followed them.

They seemed to know where they were going, but Amity had never gone this far back—she remembers Chikao always warning her against it. The Pokemon were powerful and proud there. This land was a sacrifice to them. They won't back down, so steer clear. But they INSISTED - that's all the more reason, Amity, this is YOUR house, you shouldn't let them tell you where you can and can't go - you're like the boss, right? Amity wanted to disagree, but she didn't, she wouldn't, she didn't want them to think less of her. Then, they started to tell stories - some she'd already heard, but haunts, the tales of angry haunts, endless woods that change like mazes to trap you, and missing people.

By the time they'd taken her to the final destination—the Forgotten Minka—Amity's breathing was laboured with fear. She didn't need to stare at the building long, the splintered, aged wood choked by brambles and vines, while pieces of the finery had fallen away—it already seemed to glare at her with anger. She didn't care about the Pokemon anymore; she just wanted to go back, go home, and go to school.

But the girls looked at her with such - betrayal - she didn't know how else to put it— it makes some part of her boil when she thinks about it. Don't you trust us? She had, she did, she stopped. She tried to calm herself down: she dropped her cleffa bag into the dried leaves and tried to steady herself. Alright, I'm sorry, we can go, let's do this. Then, on cue - there was this sound, a pager; one of the other girls paused. 'Hey, hold on a minute, I think that's my dad,' a lie. 'I'll stay out here with you,' 'Oh, wait, Amity, here - you take the ball and go in ahead — we'll be right behind you. Promise!'

It's okay. I trust you. I trust you. Amity tried to steady herself and pulled herself over the step into the building. She heard the girls behind her, and she felt relieved. She opened the door and looked down the hallway, which was dusty and sun-bleached but... untouched. No Pokemon activity, or vermin or- something was really wrong - she turned around. 'I'm sorry, I ca—' Push, and she fell back hard. Her body hit the wooden beams with a thud as the door was yanked closed, and she heard giggling.

After that — well, she remembers screaming, pulling at the door the girls barred shut from the outside — she was crying; someone said something, 'feeding her to a Gengar,' but the exact sentence was lost in the details. She remembers feeling like she was choking, clawing at her throat —feeling warm run down her fingers to her wrist - then it went black.

Amity was missing—it wasn't noticed for the first several hours, even when her group of girls returned to classes without her by their side. It was not until her final-period teacher noticed she never showed up that the community took heed. Teachers talked to teachers, spoke to the principal, spoke to everyone. Kiyose & its outskirts were a tight-knit community—and soon enough, every phone line seemed to be jammed—call after call after call, panic gripped the status quo.

Amity's friends said they had last seen her at the gates of the family's estate, clad in her little pink cleffa backpack and in light fall clothing with a red patterned jacket and that she had told them she was heading to school and was excited for the Moon-Viewing Festival -- they never cared to mention all the details that followed, of the adventure into the wilds and the Forgotten Minka and their 'prank.'

Immediately, many feared the worst—and locals will say that Autumn Day was when time seemed to stop entirely in Kiyose. Local businesses shuttered for the day early, leaving to join in the search. Police from local districts journeyed down the beaten country roads, and even the local Pokemon Gym, Center, & Doctor's office were closed to aid in the search.

For the secret happenings of what happened to Amity in the Minka, see the end of this post here

Eventually, in the dead of night, Amity stumbled out of the Minka and slipped into the forest around it, her clothing torn into shreds and in what could only be described as a fugue state. Unfocused and entirely unaware of the danger of her surroundings, she enacted what Magnus would later describe as a death march. Stumbling and falling in the brush and growing sicker with every mile, she walked further and further away from her home into the wilds' depths.

She was easy prey—no, not even that suffices to describe how delicately her life hung in the balance and judgement of the wilds'. Amity's foot was firmly lodged in the spirit world, more dead than alive, and her light ever dimmed under her body's demand to keep moving, just keep moving.

But, for Whinnie the Drifloon, something about the sight of her — like the living dead — he couldn't leave her to die. She reminded him far too much of his former best friend and of the accident that took his life. Whinnie saw him in her, and he wouldn't — couldn't — let another child die because he couldn't protect them, and he sure as hell wouldn't let any other Pokemon hurt her. That was Whinnie's stance, and his stance gave him strength through grief and guilt that Magnus had never seen.

Magnus wanted to wash his hands of it at first — he and Whinnie were companions of convenience. They couldn't understand the trauma compelling him to stick himself out to protect the pitiful girl, nor could he understand endangering himself for the dying. But Whinnie's resolve inspired him, and despite himself, he followed suit.

So, they joined Amity — and she remembers that — a daze, a mantra in her head finally breaking when she saw the glimpse of the soothing purple in the brush and a soft 'woo' that seemed, afraid? Afraid of scaring her? It was a Drifloon, Whinnie, and their eyes were so... kind. She could never shake that — even years later and in the fog of that day.

Amity took Whinnie by the hands—despite every warning from every legend and folktale to exist—and rather than being shepherded to her doom, the pair guided Amity through the forest towards humanity, giving her berries (thankfully keeping her from dehydration) and watching her in her derealized state.

Two days passed, and it seemed the entire countryside had been checked over twice, but there was no sign of Amity or clue to her whereabouts.

It wasn't until the dawn of the second day that Amity resurfaced into humanity. The sun rose, and she stirred from the nest that had been created by Magnus for the trio. Looking at the clouds and hearing the distant chime of... school bells? Something clicked in her brain. School, I was supposed to go to school. It's my first day. I don't want to be late.

Amity stood and wandered away from the nest and onto the country road - dishevelled, blood and bruise covered, hair a mess and now a deathly white, and pupils the size of saucers. By the time Magnus and Whinnie noticed she had wandered away - it was too late - she had wandered back into humanity where they knew they couldn't stray.

When she entered the school, Amity didn't say a word—instead, she shambled to her first room, interrupted the class inside, wandered to a desk, sat, and emotionally shut down.

Amity has no memory of the chaos that followed. She only learned of the events through later news reports and was told what happened by her parents, siblings, and friends. Elaborated on at length here

In short, after returning to school, Amity was rushed to the hospital, given her dire state of health and held under medical supervision for weeks. Amity wasn't very responsive during this time - either due to her treatment or disassociation from the trauma. She was entirely mute, much to the bewilderment of the adults around her, and her family underwent intense and intrusive investigations by CPS to ensure the household was safe for Amity to return to.

The broken family drifted further apart, and sides began forming after Rhiannon blamed Amity's near-death experience on the older children for their tormenting of her. Amity refused to speak about the incident or explain how and why she went missing, and all that kept her going were the brave nightly visits of Whinnie and Magnus, who came to check on her and ensure she was healing well.

9 - 10 YEARS OLD

Quietly, Amity's time under the custody and supervision of Protective Services continued, even after she was released from the hospital, and there was this growing sense of - guilt? Guilt was the only way Amity knew to explain it.

Illumise was the font of stability during this period that Amity relied on the most heavily emotionally - if only because Illumise could contain her devastation - she could treat Amity like Amity - not a cracked porcelain doll, not a tragedy, just... herself.

Amity was home again, and though her homecoming was warm, her house wasn't, even with everyone buzzing around. It felt... wrong, even at the time. Like a puzzle with jagged pieces, they never fit together, regardless of how they were rotated. She was given smiles, but she knew they were hollow, as was the reassurance that 'everything is fine,' but they weren't; she wasn't fine, and things felt forced.

Well - except with her mother, Rhiannon had been cold since Amity had returned - but not the sort of disinterested, forgotten cold that had filled the space of their relationship before. Rhiannon seemed angry in a way Amity could never fix - like something about Amity's presence annoyed her - or something she did that was unforgivable. Amity... well, she tried apologizing for a while. Still, apologies did nothing - her mother, she felt, wanted nothing to do with her & Amity was fine (not fine but able to accept her reality) simply... leaving her be. From a glass child - seen through - to an annoyance. She'd manage.

Kija had cut down on his 'business overnights' and 'trips to the city' (were they ever required?) and set things 'exactly as they used to be,' Amity was his shadow again; he took her everywhere, but it wasn't by her choice.

It almost seemed to her like he couldn't relax if she wasn't always in his eyesight - that trust was gone, and all of her former freedom with it. It was frustrating with a burn of parental control friction, but it was layered with a sense of distance that couldn't be bridged. Everything Kija did, frustrating as it was, dripped with a level of guilt she could FEEL, and she wanted to apologize for worrying him, but... well, she couldn't.

She knew he used to cry at night after he'd thought she'd gone to bed. Amity was alive, but he felt he'd lost his little girl - and to that end, he wasn't exactly wrong - but Amity was still there, not the same, but still there, in front of him, his daughter, not a ghost.

Given Rhiannon's attitude - Amity leaned far more heavily on her father and Illumise during this time.

Amity was put into speech therapy with the hopes of returning her ability to speak and overcome the 'mental block' as was concisely put by the child psychologist - to no avail.

The smallest mercy of the period was that Amity was allowed to continue her friendship with the ghosts, Whinnie and Magnus, and at 10, presented them with Pokeballs, which they willingly entered, cementing the bond they had formed since the incident into tangible reality, which hit Amity like a hot blanket after marching through the snow. At that time, she truly needed them to warmly return her friendship, and they were there unflinchingly and without hesitation.

OF NOTE: AMITY DID NOT BEGIN THE TRADITIONAL GYM CIRCET AT THIS TIME. Amity simply had her friends and trained and grew alongside them on the property: her parents would never have entertained letting her walk away like that after almost losing her.

Per gentle persuasion by the counsellors that Kija splurged on in the efforts to treat Amity - she was subsequently signed up for extra-curricular and student clubs with the hopes of aiding in her 'return to form.'

These namely being:

Shogi Clubs

Ikebana / Traditional Flower Arranging Classes

Arts & Crafts Clubs (teaching her, among other things, Calligraphy, Mizuhiki / Artistic Knot Tying, Furoshiki / Artistic Giftwrapping & Origami)

& Dancing

Despite the mistaken assumption that Amity would ever return to the girl she was before the incident, the efforts DID help by giving her a positive social outlet without judgment, which gave her the space to heal her heart of the betrayal without closing herself off entirely.

On the subject of friends, Amity never spoke out about the truth of what happened that day—not only in her words but also in her actions. Close family, like Illumise, have always had suspicions, but nothing could be backed without evidence or word from Amity.

Amity, for her part, disconnected from those girls for a lack of better terms. Some part of her just stopped after the incident; she stopped wanting to ignore herself, her gut, and the past.

Before the incident, Amity thought it would be much worse to be alone than to only have them for friends. But it was wrong; they proved her so, so very wrong. They were worse friends than no friends, and she was tired of them and tired of being hurt for their entertainment. They tried to make amends in the hospital, and one by one, the families came with cut flowers and sweets and meaningless words: 'We went back, where were you?' 'it was a prank!' 'I'm sorry,' but it meant nothing to Amity then. She'd heard the excuses before; she was done, and she cut them off rather than fight.

11 - 13 YEARS OLD

Amity continues training Magnus and Whinnie, and their bond deepens intensely. While Magnus had previously been sucked into taking an interest in the girl by Whinnie and his resolve and agreed to the trainer bond out of personal respect formed for Amity, her strength and her transformation unfolding before Magnus' eyes. Magnus begins viewing Amity with much deeper fondness, which frankly taps into his previous life; she becomes like a granddaughter to him, and thus, they form a deeply protective, playful, nurturing dynamic.

This set the ground for Magnus's role as Amity's defender and Whinnie's role as her supporter, which continued into her adulthood and her team-building strategies.

Amity also meets her Shedinja, named Enjeru, while training with Whinnie after a gust blew it down from a tree at their feet. For some reason unknown to the rest of the waking world, Amity quickly becomes smitten with the humming, sentient exoskeleton (despite a lack of palpable life or personality that ANYONE else can determine) and, after begging to keep it, is allowed to keep it and adds it to her party. Where Enjeru became a mainstay for 7 years until it passed on to another life.

At 12, Amity began experimenting and participating in local youth Pokemon Tournaments held by her school and local community centers. Three events into the effort, she won her first gold, to much support from the friends she'd made, but most especially, Illumise, her most significant support and involved motherly figure.

Illumise mused that with golds and silvers beneath her belt, she should try for the traditional rites. And with that, her victory and seeing her friends all preparing to venture off on their own for the same. Amity emboldened her resolve, she threw out the idea of starting her journey and doing the traditional circuit around Saijikara—to no support from her parents. No, nope, not happening. What are you thinking about Amity? They'd given her some laxity, especially in keeping her Pokemon, but that was too far even for them.

Amity was GUTTED, but unfortunately, not surprised. All her older siblings had been allowed! Charity had been sent off as a gift for her 12th birthday! And it sparked a period of frustration for her little heart - Illumise tried to make the blow less crippling, letting her become a gym trainer beneath her - but it wasn't the same, and the pain lingered.

Though Amity didn't continue with ALL of the hobbies she had picked up in the aftermath of the incident, she continued with her dancing and flower arranging, going on to demonstrate in performances, display her flowers in local exhibitions, and earn a fair few ribbons and small medals for her efforts.

Just weeks after Amity's 13th birthday, Kija's father seemed to cut all contact with the family. There was no word, no calls, not a letter, postcard, or anything—nothing but the empty, aching place left by his absence. Rhiannon was furious, Just and Perri were non-fussed, Charity was confused, but Amity? She felt dread - like a pit of lead in her stomach—she knew, she KNEW—long before Interpol contacted the family to break the unfortunate news about his death.

But hearing your father is dead and suspecting your father is dead are two entirely different points of despair, and Amity broke. Worse than after the incident, worse than after the move, worse than any of it. Amity & Kija didn't have the perfect relationship, but she loved him deeply; he was her person, even when all she felt from him was guilt and pity.

Amity was never told the full details about what happened to him - only that it had been a 'work' accident and that he would be returned to them already cremated. It never made much sense to Amity, but she didn't have the heart to question it - she barely had it in her to attend the services in his memory.

Despite all of the turmoil and strife of those few years, Amity began finding her voice once again—slowly, mind you. By the tail end of 13, she had only begun having full sentences with close, trusted people like Nori and Illumise, but it was all an upward climb.

14 YEARS OLD (BRANCHING STUDY ABROAD VERSES BEGIN HERE)

Amity's clashes with her mother began to come to a head after Kija's passing. This manifested in one-sided screaming arguments, which Amity rebuffed with snarls and bared teeth as best as she could. Rhiannon wanted to run and forget that pain, anger, and truth by wiping the slate clean. No artifacts, no memories.

Rhiannon wanted an easy exit; she wanted to fall into the comforts of her past (dating around, being 'taken care of,' etc.) and look to a future without painful reminders, but Amity wanted, needed to remember. Memories were her comfort, her connection, and the last bits of her father she truly felt him through—Amity has always been that sentimental sort.

It began when Rhiannon began throwing away Kija's personal belongings—clothes were one thing; they didn't need the suits—but his degrees, the family photos, his journals, and the knickknacks and hobbies he'd collected over his life well lived. Not even the family shrine was safe, and Amity—Amity couldn't stand it.

She tried to save what she could—sweeping in like a Murkrow to pick through the garbage bags to salvage what she could from her mother's efforts—but Amity couldn't get everything, and several small items were lost, much to her regret and anger.

Once Amity's older siblings learned about this, the oldest of the group, Justice, who had already moved out and was living independently with roommates, opted to take in his two younger siblings, Temperance and Charity. Leaving Amity and Nori in Rhiannon's custody.

During this period, Rhiannon began reverting to her neglectful habits from before Amity's disappearance. Rhiannon spent most of her time away from home, leaving Amity there alone to care for Nori and herself. Amity welcomed her absence in a way, it made the house feel less hostile.

But it came with consequences. Amity had to drop out of some extracurriculars, such as her Ikebana, and cut down on others, like her dance.

Amity refused to cut down in her role as a gym trainer with Illumise, though that was an area she would not budge - because the gym and Illumise had become her escape from worry. Illumise was an observant woman, though - she noticed Amity's downturn and how tired and run down she had begun seeming - she had her suspicions, and when she offered to let Amity bring Nori along to the gym with her - Amity's visible relief explained it all and Illumise's stomach turned.

Amity became drastically more independent during this period than any girl her age should be. out of necessity of living, unfortunately - she's learned to cook for herself, manage the morning and evening routines, work out travel (walking) times for school both ways and budget for groceries with the 'allowance' left by her mother.

Then HE came into the picture - Mateo wasn't the WORST of Rhiannon's boyfriends; even years later, Amity couldn't damn the man with that scathing assessment, but he was far from a good man - in fact, Amity would describe him as a mediocre man with a royal name - but his introduction came at the worst of Amity's resentment towards her mother.

Amity hated Mateo because he was the enabling force that let her mother run away from them, and the responsibility grew greater and greater for Amity. & Amity would admit, at the time, she did want them to break up - if only for the foolish impression that maybe if he wasn't around, she'd step up. (she wouldn't)

For a time, Rhiannon debated boarding Amity off elsewhere—family, a school, anything—to get her away from her home and from ruining her life, but ultimately, Rhiannon didn't. Amity was too much of a needed help to throw away—and the inconvenient truth is that she, Nori, and her older siblings owned the home and property, NOT Rhiannon. If Amity was thrown out, she'd go to the streets with her.

So they played balancing the boat - the mutual animosity was palpable - but they dealt with it. They dealt with it. First names, no warmth, Amity was the caregiver to her sister, and the lovebirds lived almost separate lives, and time ticked forward.

Then Rhiannon became pregnant, creating waves that couldn't be calmed by time apart and silence alone. Amity didn't want a brother - she didn't want more responsibility - she didn't want to babysit another, and she didn't want to be put between her older siblings and her.

But Rhiannon didn't care; she didn't even care enough to make false promises about changing, 'you'll adapt,' she'd said, and Amity did - but her view of Rhiannon did as well.

When baby Orin was placed in Amity's arms, any respect for Rhiannon and the last of her rose-tinting left the world, and she knew - she'd be stepping up for this baby now; it would be her responsibility.

For the first months of Orin's life, Rhiannon maintained more of a presence at home - caring for Orin in some ways, the more convenient ones, Amity would point out - but still leaving much to Amity, such as the nighttime care - as Mateo seemed uninterested in the child.

The late nights took their toll on Amity. During the day, she became more and more zombie-like, dozing off during classes and finding it impossible to concentrate on her work. This led to her grades suffering despite Amity being capable of so much better.

A month before her 15th birthday, Amity had her final dance performance. She didn't know it at the time, but weeks later, she finally gave up the ghost and dropped the hobby entirely out of necessity. She simply didn't have the time or the energy. But the performance itself was more bitter than sweet—she stepped onto the stage and scanned the audience, and only Illumise and her sister were seated in the crowd—her mother absent.

Regarding her team during this time - Magnus evolved from a Ghastly to a Haunter, though Whinnie and Enjeru remain the same. Amity also adopts a small Spinarak, no bigger than her hand, and with a penchant for mischief, she names Trix.

15 - 16 YEARS OLD

Continuing her path upwards in Illumise's Gym, Amity becomes one of the two attendants / sub-bosses (essentially) directly beneath her.

Amity adds

Despite her troubles at home, she THRIVES in the position, less because of the battles - those are a bonus - but more in her position of helping the challengers and their Pokemon find their footing before facing their hardest challenge.

This is when Amity begins to find her passion in medicine, healing Pokemon and people, comforting, and teaching.

When Orin is 7 months old, Mateo leaves Rhiannon - to no one's surprise other than Rhiannon - it is just a matter of time until the lack of affluence and social climbing and piddling excitement of the country lifestyle drives him away. Amity predicted as much early into the relationship. Still, Rhiannon had perhaps deluded herself into believing she was different, that he'd change, or she'd just be inherently loveable enough to be the exception. She wasn't, though, and emotionally, she shut down for a time, putting the matter of Orin and Nori entirely on Amity.

Somehow, during this time, Rhiannon (through a single parent's support group) met Takuma and quickly began a short-lived and doomed relationship.

Amity was exhausted this time around. She didn't have the energy to resist her mother's push to forget her father and move on with a new 'father' to push down her throat. (Not that she would take him as a father, efforts or not.) But Takuma surprised her.

Takuma wasn't a cold shoulder or an iron fist attempting to crush her into submission. He showed interest but took things slowly and understood her distance; he allowed it and often stood in her defence before Rhiannon when she poked and prodded Amity.

Takuma wasn't only a positive presence for Amity; for a time, he had a familiar effect on Rhiannon. With him around, she seemed to take an interest in Orin and Nori - like she wanted to be a mom, if only to impress Takuma. It was cutting (she could do this for a man but not her own daughter?) but a relief nonetheless. Amity wasn't obligated to be a primary caregiver - not when Takuma was around, and Amity was too tired to not embrace the opportunity.

With Takuma now around, Amity made her stand and put down her foot: she would be doing the circuit and the challenge. Rhiannon tried to argue against it, but Amity was determined. She arranged approved leave from school: she WAS doing it, and she did—in record time, frankly.

Amity's role as an official Gym Attendant had already hardened her team against many of the challenges she'd faced thus far. Working the circuit, she only cemented the name she had made for herself in Illumise's gym and polished her team further.

On her way home from her journey, Amity received word from home that Rhiannon had once again gotten pregnant, this time by Takuma. Though, at least at this point, she felt some relief - with Takuma, things would have to be okay, right?

Amity's beliefs were dashed when she made it home, only to find the home a war zone again. Rhiannon was worse than Amity had ever seen her before—she couldn't explain it—she was just angry. She was always furious at everything and everyone, but she took it out on Takuma more than anything or anyone else.

It broke Amity's heart and scared her for him - he was a good man; he didn't deserve this, and Amity couldn't see this getting better. He toughed it out for the last end of the pregnancy, but after her younger sister was born - he took her and left. Amity couldn't blame him; in a way, she was glad, even though it meant she rolled back to the bottom of the hill.

Takuma leaving - her younger sister having a more stable home - and being left with Rhiannon and her worsening state with her siblings gave Amity a new fire beyond feeling sorry for herself and her circumstances. She was resolved, Amity wanted out, and she knew she COULD do it; she thrived during her Journey. She needed to stop asking for permission and waiting to be let onto a path - she had to barge through, no apology.

Amity knew what she wanted to do—she wanted to be a Pokemon Nurse, so she created her plan with unmatched fire.

Amity did an almost 180 on her schoolwork - from scraping just above passing grades to a solid B and A student. She officially filed the volunteer work she'd performed with the Pokemon League for the past 3 years. She collected all of her awards and efforts, and she prepared to

It certainly helped her resolve that the strained relationship between Amity and Rhiannon had worsened. Rhiannon frequently picked fights, accused Amity of 'being a traitor,' and sided with Takuma and helped him 'steal her baby.'

At this point, Amity finally started speaking at a degree that she had before the incident—not without strain—but she struggled with slipping into muteness during stress. Still, she was feeling confident in herself and her communication again.

Then Rhiannon met HIM, that bastard, that motherfucker, what a tool. Rhiannon brought Axel into the family home not even two months after Takuma had left. He made a bad impression on Amity quickly after that when she returned from school one day to Nori sobbing because she'd been moved out of her room to give Axel a 'man cave' close to his and Rhiannon's room (they live in an Actual Palace, there was space available he simply chose to flex his relationship and his perceived power.

17 YEARS OLD

Amity and Axel's animosity worsened as Axel attempted to assert more power over herself and her siblings.

Axel wanted to be the man of the house. Rhiannon was more than happy to give him that power, but Amity opposed it. Not out of pride—no, she couldn't care less about her mother's dating life anymore, her feelings mattered nothing to her mother—her opposition was only to protect her younger siblings from Axel's temper.

Axel was the sort of man who would create rules after you'd 'broken' them as an excuse to belittle you. The kind of man who'd throw china and glass to the floor to make you have to clean it up. The sort of man who refused to call you by your name: you were girl or boy to him. He was the sort of man who would've put his cigarettes out on you, if not for the fact he knew it'd leave a scar.

In truth, all that was achieved by that was putting Amity directly in the line of verbal abuse.

With the tension at home worsening, Amity began sending her siblings over to Illumise's more often, a favour she would never repay. To the point that 'visits with Aunty Mise,' became code for 'Axel is starting shit, I'll handle him, don't let the kids see it,' which Nori caught on to quickly.

In the meantime, Amity struggled to maintain her grade average and was forced to drop her volunteer work at Illumise's Gym, aware that she was running herself into the ground.

Somehow, someway, despite the hardship at home, Amity managed to secure herself a full-ride scholarship to the Poke RN nursing program in Saijikara's capital. Though terrified at the prospect of leaving her siblings, she wept out of joy. This was the way out - this was the way out.

After a particularly awful argument, with words flung about Amity's biological father, Amity had enough. Amity threatened to throw her mother and her mother's boyfriend out of her and her siblings' home. Axel was undeterred, but Rhiannon, knowing the truth of who owned the house and realizing just how far Amity had been taken, backed off and finally pushed back against Axel, too.

Axel never took Amity and her threats seriously, and on some level, he knew Amity didn't have it in her to throw her mother to the street. Still, at the time, Rhiannon did—and thus, she told Axel to leave the home during the day, which alone made him scarce enough for Amity and her siblings to breathe.

This pregnancy was different from Rhiannon's other pregnancies, though, and that became evident quickly. As time passed, she grew sicker and sicker, relying more and more on Amity. Yet, Amity, tired as she was, felt conflicted, resentful, and frustrated, and yet, this was the kindest Rhiannon had treated her in years. She almost seemed like a mom—maybe she knew in advance that this would be her last—or maybe it was manipulation. Amity had no idea.

When Rhiannon went into labour, Axel, per usual at that point, was missing in action, with no way to contact him and resting bile in the back of her throat about the thought of him even being there. It fell to Amity to bring her mother to the hospital and comfort her through the delivery.

Amity witnessed the life draining out of her mother; she heard screaming that would never wholly leave her mind and lurk at the back of nightmares, and when she bled to death on the table. Amity was there, disassociated but there.

With no one else around, Amity named her two newly born sisters, Yvita and Yvona, the first names that came to mind, the ones she'd earmarked to give to her own children one day.

Neither of the twins was strong enough to leave the hospital immediately, so, calling out of school for the first time since the incident, Amity remained by their side in the NICU for a week until they were discharged.

When she went to return home, she remembers distinctly the memory of her with the truck; she was so exhausted she could feel it in her bones; every step hurt and now, with both girls and no hands. She struggled to carry both car seats up into the home. She remembered that feeling of powerlessness and hopelessness, and then, Magnus and the others floated on over. Probably distracted from their playing in the gardens, they met her at the car. She remembers the sound of their joy, cooing and soft cries as they gathered around to see the tiny life. Their happiness was so infectious; it was like the horror of the last weeks was melting; then Magnus, the Haunter, sensing her fatigue, gingerly picked up one of the carriers for her and gave her this look, 'Let me help you,' and she could've cried out of joy.

With Magnus and Lamentation carrying the baby carriers, Amity walked in, feeling lighter in spite of her grief—only for her joy to turn ice cold when she saw Axel sitting in washitsu, eating a meal—utterly dispassionate, relaxed even. He turned to her, her ghosts, and the baby carriers and only barked, 'Where have you been?' without thinking to her mother, the children, or anyone besides himself.

Amity never felt hatred like she did in that moment, frozen, staring at him, unable to move because she couldn't be sure she wouldn't fly forward to strangle him.

She said nothing, instead walking deeper into the home - but that was the beginning of the end.

Amity was the one to break the news to her half-siblings - she'd called Illumise for support, to make it softer, but truthfully, SHE needed her more than her siblings did. They didn't cry, that hurt, they only seemed shocked and scared. 'What's going to happen to us?' Amity hated how her chest hitched; she wanted to say, 'Nothing, we'll be okay,' but she didn't know.

(following Rhiannon dying, Amity was appointed legal guardian of all but one of her half-siblings after she was the only one to step forward and both she and social services raised concerns about separating the siblings due to the vastly different parentage of all of them)

She was also the one to break the news to her full siblings—yet somehow, that call went harder. They seemed happy; they didn't ask about her or their half-siblings. They wanted to know about inheritance now that 'the bitch,' was dead & Amity was going to age into accessing the ones left by her grandparents on Kija's side.

After Rhiannon's death, Amity, in the immediate weeks, didn't have the emotional bandwidth to go through the inevitable drama of kicking Axel to the street - and with him seemingly bettering his act for a time, she was content to try and keep from rocking the boat.

This was until Amity broke the news that Axel would need to leave before her graduation from Senior High. This sparked a particularly violent fight, during which Axel raised his hands against Amity.

Amity was battered, and after the attack, and realizing what he'd done, Axel fled the house, yelling threats about taking 'his daughters' and that the matter wasn't finished with.

Amity didn't follow - hurting and stunned, she'd called Illumise instead, telling her to keep the kids as she 'sorted things' at the house (locked all the doors and treated her wounds,) but what neither realized was that Magnus, Amity's Haunter had heard the noise and followed them to find Amity hurting and Axel running.

Amity didn't follow, but Magnus did. He wouldn't let anyone raise a hand to his trainer or split apart his family—no, Magnus had seen enough, Magnus had let enough pass by for Amity, but this was too far. Magnus DEMANDED retribution for her, and Haunters aren't known for their mercy.

Axel disappeared that night—like he dropped off the face of existence. Neither he, his bike, or any trace of him was found after he'd gotten onto the roadway, though rumours persist. After Amity went into town with her bruises poorly covered in makeup, locals whispered that Axel didn't run away, and Amity's ghosts dragged him into the spirit world for hurting her.

Leaving Amity alone, with her siblings and an uncertain future (though Axel was far from a significant loss)

18 - 19 YEARS OLD

WIP (jot notes I'll expand on later)

Amity's Haunter, Magnus evolved into a Gengar. Her Murkrow, Verity, evolved into a Honchkrow & Amity gained her Noibat, Laverna through her work with sick and injured Pokemon.

Amity got access to the trust funds created for her by her grandparents and father; however, in the process, she learned that Rhiannon had been stealing and skimming money from both her and Nori's accounts for years.

Amity was able to make it with her full-ride scholarship, though unfortunately had to leave Nori and Orin under the partial care of Illumise (who Amity paid through her trust funds to keep them safe and check on the property)

Amity moved to Saijikara's capital with her two youngest siblings and cared for them while studying to become a Poke RN.

In the meantime, she performed odd, one-off jobs, such as voice acting, and participated with her team in local Pokemon tournaments for additional money & became something of a micro-celebrity in the area.

20 - 21 YEARS OLD

WIP (jot notes I'll expand on later)

Amity added Malik, the haunted blade, to her team after a family member who had heard of her gift with Ghost Pokemon (based on her team and micro-celebrity status) surrendered him to her care. Amity's Drifloon, Whinnie, evolved near the end of the year into a Drifblim.

Amity finished her studies and graduated with her bachelor's degree in Pokemon nursing. She continued to serve in that role for several months while becoming board-certified for the region.

After realizing Amity wouldn't be able to cleanly pick up her new career and skills and drop them into her home community on the Outskirts, she changed pace and took a lower-earning job as a Community and Pokemon Healthcare Nurse (after taking another, far shorter and more manageable, course)

Amity scraped by in this position while continuing to participate in Pokemon tournaments and competitions for the prize winnings until Illumise had enough.

At the time, a former Gym Leader had retired, and they needed a new, young spirit to take their place and Illumise saw no one she felt could serve the position better (and needed the money) more than Amity

She proposed the deal to Amity, and with some hesitation, Amity agreed and began the trials to become a gym leader and register the estate as a gym and challenge location.

Amity was QUICKLY brought on board with excitement by the League, despite hesitation in some of the Gym Leaders. With her expertise and the offer of access to her land to create a gym, it was their simplest, easiest, and cheapest option.

Amity became a new Gym Leader to much acclaim, if mainly for the energy and novel take she gave to the antiquated role. In the eyes of much of the public, Amity brought modern excitement and the draw of incorporating elements foreign to the region in the form of 'rough battling' to what had become seen as a dull and antiquated theatrical performance for old people and children alone. Of course, that came with controversy in itself.

A short time after taking over as a new Gym Leader and halfway through renovations on the property to install an internal battling arena, there was an accident that left Amity being caught on fire by a competitor's attack, leaving her left arm entirely covered in scar tissue. Whinnie, Amity's Drifloon, evolved during the stress of the incident.

Despite her injury, Amity refused to retire or take extended leave from her position and doubled down, continuing to battle and remain active in it.

At the end of 21, Professor Banyan and Professor Inox move to the Region, filling the vacant position of Pokemon Professor, and Amity quickly befriends them.

FOR HER LIFE AGES 22 - 26 PLEASE SEE HER VERSE PAGE AS THEY'LL BE EXPANDED ON AT LENGTH THERE

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bbjhfgjngdbliy-blog · 8 years ago

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Saihen of the Sound part 3 The Unseeing Gaze

He had spent weeks inside the cave mending his wounds. "Im no Kabuto but I still think I did and okay job" He spoke to the empty cave. No answer was given. He felt slightly confused as to why that disappointed him. "Ive been in this cave too long." He muttered to himself. "This is what I get for thinking I could take the raikage and his B. I was so stupid I thought myself smarter than the enemy. I underestimated my foe. Orochimaru would be so disappointed!" His throat tightened as he spoke this. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the musky smelling wall behind him. In his mind he saw a face silhouetted with no features except the eye of "that" clan. The voice echoed through his mind "Pathetic. If thats all you have then you are truly worthless to me. No wonder I had to give my life. It's becuase you couldn't help me think of a better way." The eye got closer and Saihen could feel the disdain coming from it. "IT'S YOUR FAULT I'M DEAD" Saihen jerked awake ignoring the wetness he could feel on his cheeks. It's just a dream At least thats how he tried to convince himself to calm down. The emotionally distraught shinobi stood up and grabbed the summoning scroll laying by his bedroll. Without this it would've been for nothing. The scroll and the absence of his custom arm is all the proof he has of his encounter. His wounds healed he sets off for the Village of the Leaf. Hoping to run into a old friend. The journey to the leaf was uneventful. The aide of a kind vender kept him from halving to walk the whole way. While riding on her cart the woman had offered him a lift saying the leaf was her destination. Saihen accepted of course it was a very long walk. As he climbed into cart he took a look at her. Her short red hair hair that fell past her ears. He took notes of the dark kimono she wore and her arm guards. She held out a hand to help him up. But what caught his attention most were the blue of her eyes. One was a dark blue like the sky before a storm but the other was a light blue like a still lake. Along the way they chatted about multiple things. The woman was actually delivering a shipment of medical supplies and rare tea leaves to a cafe ran by a woman named Kaika. "Really all types are allowed there she doesnt descriminate. She was a medical nin before the shop opened. Since then she rarely leaves." The woman smiles. "She offers asylum to any who need it no questions asked" Saihen smirks to himself What are the chances that he gets a ride to the exact place he was heading? Things might actually work this time. The woman stops talking with a confused look on her face "I am so sorry I dont believe I ever caught your name" Saihen started to lie but then decided the woman was no threat to his current goals. "You may call me Saihen" "You may call me Mai" She replied. After that they merely chatted about the weather and the state of the world. For two weeks they traveled together. The fact that no bandits or anything of the like attacked surprised Saihen. Multiple times along the trip he had thought they would be. He felt eyes watching and they passed through many perfect ambush spots. Yet Mai just kept on driving seemingly oblivious to the dangers. Maybe he was overreacting after all the war had changed things. Maybe bandits were no longer in these parts. "Maybe that new hokage brat actually has good security measures now" Saihen thought. "Well if bandits are no worries that merely leaves skirting the Anbu until I get what I need" As they approached the front gate of the village guards stopped them. One approached the cart. "Who are you and what is your business here" Mai reached into her kimono sleeve and withdrew a paper with the emblem of the leaf stamped on it "Im sure everything is in order." Saihen had never seen a guard look so surprised as he saw the paper "Yesyes of c-c-course go right in." Mai smiled "Why thank you" As the went through the gates Saihen was struck with the size of the village. It had grown so large since he was last here. The streets were packed with people runnings errands or just enjoying the weather. Skyscrapers dotted the skyline. The sky had airships coming and going. The mountain had more faces since he was last there. The stoic gaze of the new hokage gazed upon the village. Judging all those who traveled its streets. Turning to Mai he asked "How did you get through security so fast? They didnt even check us." Her eyebrows bunched together "Oh I must have forgot to mentio-" "My lord" Both Saihen and Mai heads turned to see a robed figure kneeling in front of them. Hood hiding its face "Any orders?" Mai looked down at him "At this time no. You did an excellent job go back to base with the others and rest up." The figure stood up and Saihen saw under the hood. His brain reeled from what he saw. " A ceramic mask! In the shape of a fox. Anbu.Lord?!!!!!!!!!?????? The bandits? Of course! That means.. Oh no" as the pieces fell into place. 'How did I not notice? Am I slipping this much?!" The thoughts raced in his head. He turned towords Mai and saw a slight smile on her lips. "Piece it together did we?" Saihen focused his chakra around himself ready to flare it out. "Release!" He fell to the ground agony racing up his arm. Yanking up his sleeve he saw a seal glowing on his forearm. "Of course why would anyone actually help me? Foolish" He looked up at her from the ground "So sorry about the ruse. But when the Raikage sent word that a one armed shinobi had attacked him and then I picked you up. It was just too much to resist. Didnt you find it strange i just happen to be going where you were planning on going? She laughed. "I assumed one as smart as you would figure it out but oh well. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mai, high lord of the Anbu, the strongest of the leaf and you, well you are my prisoner. " From the ground Saihen tried to focus his chakra again only to be met with the same searing pain on his arm. "That seal on your arm prevents chakra usage of any kind as well as disguising my face. A custom made seal specifically crafted to aid in prisoner transport." Saihen struggled to his feet. A crowd of people had formed around them. He was sure she had other Anbu watching. He could use no chakra while this seal was on his forearm. He couldnt fight without his puppet arm. He was truly and utterly out of options. "I give up. You win" Saihen stood shakily "I surrender" Mai strode up to him "As I thought. come with me the hokage wishes to see you personally." As she turned and started to walk four Anbu dropped down around Saihen completly surrounding him. The crowd parted to let them through. "My own personal funeral march with her leading the way." Desperately looking for any way out. As long as the seal was on he was helpless. The Anbu kunoichi lead the way through back streets. "Probably to keep me away from the civilians. No collateral damage. No witnesses" Passing by an alley he saw a small basin used by blacksmiths to cool hot metal. As they approached the smith came out holding a red hot hunk of metal inbetween a pair of tongs. "This is my chance." Saihen launched himself towords the smith and pressed his hand against the metal "What are you doing?!" The smith took a step back as the smell of Saihens burning flesh filled the air. "Come on come on" Gritting his teeth as the metal seared the skin on his hand. He pulled it back to see that the seal and been divided cleanly in half by the burning. Ignoring his pain he touched the inside of his sleeve sending a bit of chakra to release the summon he had there. Instantly dozens of smoke bombs fell out of his sleeve filling the air with enough smoke to almost be tangible. "GET HIM HE IS RIGHT HERE STILL!" Saihen jumped onto the roof only to find an Anbu waiting for him "Damn. perimeter guard" The Anbu started to reach up to touch his communicater. Saihen launched himself at the ninja, arm drawn back and glowing with chakra "HIRODURAA" The Anbu recognizing the attack vanished. Saihen landed where the anbu was and stopped the chakra flow "Heh,didnt think that would work. They really are jumpy" He heard the sound of multiple feet landing behind him. Not even turning around he took off. Focusing on his surroundings as he leaped roof to roof. Then he saw it,Kaikas cafe safe haven to all. Even the anbu need express Hokage permission to go in. He landed on the street, ignoring the people staring ran as hard he he could towords the doors. All he needed to do was get inside. The he would have a few hours while the went through the process of getting permission. "STOP HIM HE HIS RIGHT THERE! STOP UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE HOKAGE UZUMAKI NARUTO STOP" Mai's voice sounded out behind him. He was sure she had a small army behind him but he dared not look back. As he approached the doors and saw the guards out front he started yelling his own message "ASYLUM ASYLUM" The guards in front of the cafe spread apart and openend the door to let him pass. The second he touched the inside of the cafe the doors were shut behind him. He looked around the cafe finding the owner standing behind a bar serving the most exquisite meals he had seen in weeks. The room was brightly lit and packed with people eating.Barely any of them paid him any attention apparently used to this kind of thing he sat down at the bar. "My name is Kaika you can tell me your name or not however you wish. You are safe here until the hokage himself tells me otherwise. You may stay as long as you wish. Now are you hungry or require any medical aide? " The owner was standing over him looking mildly shy but also eager to help. "I do have a slight burn I would like some treatment for" he pulled up his sleeve for the first time seeing the damge he did to his arm. The skin from his knuckles to halfway up his form was simply melted off. He could see the fiborous muscle under neath. Kaika gasped "That looks pretty bad however." She placed her palm over his burn and Saihen watched in amazement as new skin crisscrossed across the wound stitching it closed. He gazed up at the owner "I..I don't know what to say. Thank you" She smiles "Its not a problem. Is there anything else youd like?" "Actually is there someplace private we can talk? I need your help finding someone who may not want her name being broadcasted everywhere." Kaika nodded and motionend for him to follow Saihen got up and followed her to a back room.she shut the door behind them. The room was small and filled with boxes fhat smelled VERY strongly of tea "So who is it you need to find?" Saihen pulled the scroll from his robes and unrolled it on the table between them. He unlocked the seal and in a puff of smoke Sammehada appeared on the table and promptly wrapped its hilt around Saihen's wrist enjoying the chakra. "Her name is Abunai. We used to travel in the same circle so to speak. I merely wish to find her and return this." Kaika's eyes widenend. Her voice came out out slightly above a whisper. "Is that..HIS sword?" "Yes" "The one that Killer B took?" "Yes" "So that makes you the shinobi that attacked him and his brother and stole it?" "Yes" She sat down on a box. "You are a VERY wanted shinobi. The entire alliance has people looking for you. The Hokage, once he finds out that you are in here he will come himself. He and B were quite close In the war." Saihen was shocked. "How close?" She looked up at him a sad look in her eyes. "They were like brothers. The hokage takes family quite seriously." Saihen sighed. "I will be out of here as soon as I can I dont wish to cause trouble for you. Do you k ow where I can find her?" Kaika pulls out a map and marks a place on the map. "She told me if anyone is ever looking for her to send them there. I hear the beach its on is quite beautiful." Saihen fills with dread "That is months away without an airship. There are no non alliance airships. I can't possibly get there." Kaika is lot in thought for a moment "I think I can help that actually. One moment." She walks to the door and pokes her head out and starts talking. A few moments later a petite girl with curly bown hair and glasses comes in and smiles at Saihen. "Oh I can work with this." She drops a case on the floor "Im a but of a master at appearing to be someone im not. I bet you think im a girl" "Arent you?" She giggles "wouldnt you like to know? My name is pidge by the way and im going to change how you look" Kaika walks out saying "have fun you two" Hours later Saihen walks out of the room. He had to admit pidge did amazing. He has a new puppet arm that does things he hadnt even thought of. He walked with a limp thanks to uneven shoes. His eyes were a light green thanks to contacts and his hair was now down to his waist and a dark black thanks to some chakra enhanced growth. She even gave him a chakra suppression device to hide his chakra. Pidge had said any time he needed help he was welcome to get ahold of her she was fascinated by his ideas for applications of chakra and machinery. He thanked both her and kaika profusely and walked out the front door. Right past Anbu waiting outside. They didnt even look at him twice. The ticket clerk paid him no attention as he bought a ticket and took his seat on the airship He had a new identity courtesy of Pidge and a full belly courtesy of Kaika. He wished he could stay. As he watched the village grow smaller on the horizon he actually felt sad to leave them behind. "Another day perhaps"

#naruto #oc #dontread #LookawayLookaway #darkness #and dismay #is actually garbage

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