Post by Affectionate Zombie on Aug 7, 2008 19:39:47 GMT -5
FULL NAME~
Kimberly Inga Janklin.NICKNAMES~
Kim and Kimmie are common ones, though some of her friends have fondly called her "Berry" to get her flustered.SEX~
Female.AGE~
Seventeen.DATE OF BIRTH~
August 2nd, 1992.PLACE OF BIRTH~
Olivine City, Johto Region.ETHNICITY~
Her mother is Japanese, and her father is a mutt -- he's about half British, with some Irish and French and a little Italian mixed in. She's kind of all over the place as a result.SEXUAL ORIENTATION~
She's still not terribly comfortable with her own sexuality, but she's pretty sure she likes girls. For this reason, she usually hangs out with boys, just because she gets all nervous and jittery (more than usual, that is) around pretty chicks -- that, and boys don't look at her funny when she says another girl is "sort of cute."FAMILY~
x Mother; Harriet Janklin, age forty.AMBITION~
x Father; Ken Janklin, age thirty-nine.
x Brother; Trevor Janklin, age twenty.
Coordinator. She likes the idea of creating beauty using Pokémon instead of forcing them to fight, which is why she chose to be a coordinator instead of a trainer. However, she's a bit nervous about getting up in front of a crowd and performing. ... More than "a bit", actually. She's ridiculously nervous about that.
APPEARANCE~
In truth, Kim does not appear all that interesting at a glance. Though she looks about as nervous as she is (very nervous, in other words), all trembling hands and darting pale-blue eyes and nails bitten short and jagged and chapped lips gnawed at until scars were left, she is otherwise no more than your typical teenager. She's pretty, yes, but her little upturned button-nose and round, soft-featured face are certainly not enough to make her supermodel-pretty -- far from it. Still, she's cute at the least. Freckles are plastered all over her body, coating her otherwise rosy skin that is both quick to flush with embarrassment and blanch with nervousness or fear. Her big blue eyes have an almond shape to them that works well with the rest of her features, and her lips, dry and torn up as they are, would be full and pink if she took better care of them.
Unfortunately, Kimmie can't quite see beauty in herself, and she hides what some might consider to be a very pretty face (though it is dotted with typical teen acne) beneath her hair, not terribly thick and only reaching to her shoulders, but parted at the side so that it can cover most of the left side of her face, while her side-bangs cover some of her right side. Her hair is well cared for and a nice strawberry-blonde color, mostly straight save for a slight curl at the ends, but the style doesn't quite suit Kim. On top of that, she's almost always seen wearing a hat of some kind, most typically a beanie; this is to hide the fact that she has rather large ears that tend to stick out.
Self-consciousness is something that Kim suffers badly with, and as one might imagine, her ears and acne are not her only embarrassing features. (Even if they were her only obvious ones, she would likely find something less visible to be ashamed of.) Kimmie is possibly most embarrassed by her weight. She's roughly five-foot six inches tall, and weighs almost 170 pounds. In other words, she's obviously overweight -- perhaps not enough to make her truly obese, but she's definitely chubby. The poor girl hates her pudgy body, and wears baggy and concealing clothes in an attempt to make it seem that it's the clothes making her look big. It's not a very successful illusion. Her everyday outfits tend to consist of too-huge hoodies (or tee-shirts, if it's so hot outside that a hoodie would be inappropriate) and too-huge jeans with a pair of Converses, as well as, of course, a hat. She doesn't so much try to look good as she tries to wear what's comfortable and what does not hug her, well, voluptuous curves. As a result, she doesn't appear to have very good fashion sense, though it's better than she lets on. She just doesn't wear the clothes she knows are pretty, because she doesn't think she could pull them off. The only "cute" things she allows herself to wear are hair clips; she's very fond of them and will clip them all over her head when she's in a particularly bold or cheerful mood.
Everything about her just screams "awkward! uncomfortable! anxious! insecure!", from her nervous habits (biting at her lips and nails, fidgeting, shifting her eyes constantly and in a paranoid manner, and always avoiding eye contact) to her posture to the way she walks. She carries herself as though she wishes to hide, to disappear, her shoulders slumped and head held low and back slouching, feet shuffling rather than picking up with each step. It's pathetic, really...
PERSONALITY~
Shy, meek and jittery, Kim is not the social or outgoing type, not even a little bit. She's paranoid, tends to be easily-flustered and easily-startled, and tries her absolute hardest to remain in the background and out of the spotlight. This is thanks to her not-so-mild fear of embarrassment and being judged. How better to avoid those things than to disappear into the background?
Yes, if Kim had her way, she'd be invisible. It's pretty obvious that she has low self-esteem; she's constantly down on herself and convinced that people will make fun of her and tear her apart if she presents herself to them. Quite worrying, really. In her case, the lack of self-confidence is nearly to the level in which it could be called a disorder. Luckily, she opens up around friends and those she feels comfortable with, becoming more friendly and cheery and joking.
Behind all of the shyness and the lack of confidence, she's your average girl, if not somewhat of a dork. She loves to giggle and gossip, loves to play a good video game when she has the time, and loves to hang out with her friends, enjoying herself. More than anything, though, she loves to paint. Art is important for her, and is an outlet for her emotions, be they happy or sad or bored or whatever. One thing that's notable about her artwork is that the subjects are always beautiful in some way, for beauty is something that she values highly and admires -- perhaps because she doesn't believe it's a quality she, herself, has.
She's a bit of a pessimist, but only because she feels that if she doesn't expect the worst and always think "realistically" (ergo, in a "glass is half-empty" sort of manner), she'll get too hopeful and optimistic, then be bitterly disappointed in the end. Her hopes are never set too high and she'll always be the first to answer the question "What could go wrong?" with astonishing negativity. Really, she wants to think like a romantic, with great expectations and dreams and hopes, but is afraid that she'll be let down. If you observe her behavior and analyze her enough, you realize that she's a coward and a doormat, afraid of being denied or disappointed so instead just going with the flow and hiding, always expecting the worst and letting the blame for things fall on other people.
Now that she's on her own and not around her friends, who served as her backbone, she's even more nervous and pathetic than normal, constantly trying -- and failing -- to hide in plain sight and avoid people whenever she can. In social situations, she doubts herself and second-guesses herself, wasting time thinking of escape routes instead of thinking of things to say or do that make her just look like she isn't ridiculously socially-awkward. It's obvious that what she really needs is a confidence boost, some reassurance, and maybe a humanoid companion. Pokémon are good and all, and she loves them, but they just can't be a substitute for people.
She might be afraid of social situations and might seem anti-social, but without realizing it, she is dependent on those friends she has managed to make. Either hiding and dodging people or talking on the phone with her friends, she just can't stop contradicting herself, and needs to work on becoming comfortable with herself and with others. It's not likely to happen anytime soon, unfortunately, but maybe the path of a coordinator will help her come out of her shell. Being in the spotlight and meeting other competitors is bound to help at least a little.
HISTORY~
Kimberly's life has never been anything special, and for that matter, neither has she. She grew up in a house by the water in Olivine City, raised by her happily-married parents and alongside her mischievous brother, older than her by only three years. Life was good and happy, and though she was a meek child and not very good with the other kids, she managed to make a few close friends that stuck with her as they got older.
Olivine City was a peaceful place, and the Sparkling Lighthouse was a fun location for the kids to hang out. The ocean close-by was of course great for swimming when it was hot out, and there were always boats coming and going. Kim liked to sit on the docks and watch ships go by, skipping stones into the salty blue water and eating ice cream -- vanilla-chocolate swirl, or maybe mint chocolate-chip on particularly sweltering summer days. Her friends were far different from her; they were always seeking adventure, never content to sit in one place and just enjoy the weather and the scenery, and tended to drag her off to look for wild Pokémon or trainers. She didn't mind. It was fun, and she hardly would have dared to do any of it on her own.
School wasn't tough for her, since she always had a couple of close friends to keep her from feeling alone and was smart, diligent to her schoolwork. The problem was that she had trouble branching out, and was so awkward with her classmates that teachers were concerned. Her parents tried to help her out, encourage her and reassure her. It worked for a bit, but as soon as they stopped paying attention, she went back to hiding in the background.
Time passed, and Kim grew. Her friends grew as well, and once they all started turning ten and eleven, they started having dreams of grandeur. "I wanna be a Pokémon master!" Reese would announce. "I'm gonna raise Pokémon and have a whole ranch full of them," Zane liked to say. Yasmin and Harry and Pete all had their own ideas of what they wanted to do when they were old enough. Each of them wanted to go out into the world and do great things, but Kimmie just wanted to stay in Olivine City and maybe help Jasmine, the Gym Leader, or to perhaps work in the Lighthouse. She was afraid to leave the home she'd known for so long.
Trevor, Kimberly's brother, left to train Pokémon when he turned fifteen. Only a year later, one of her closest friends (Yasmin) went off with her older sister to travel. One-by-one, her friends started to leave, until they were all around age fifteen and only two were left: Reese, whose mother was sick and needed to be watched after, and Zane, who was hesitant to leave his school and his home and his friends behind.
"Arceus, I wanna get outta here," Reese complained as he often did. The trio were sitting outside of the Lighthouse and watching people pass by.
"I don't know. I still like it here." Zane sighed. He didn't seem so sure.
"Man, I've been here for fifteen damn years. You know what?" The tall, stringy red-head spun to face Kim, who had been silent up until that point and blinked at him curiously, and Zane, who raised a mousy-brown eyebrow in question. "Remember when my family went to visit Ecruteak City? Do you know what the first thing I thought was when I got there? I thought, 'Damn, the air doesn't taste like salt.' I have been here that long." He finished his little story with a snarl, narrowing his eyes and ruffling his hair, then, slightly more calm, running a hand through the messy orange mop.
Zane looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded slowly, his long brown hair falling into his eyes. He brushed the strands away and behind his ears, and turned to face Kim. "Well, what about you? Do you want to leave?"
"I... no, not really. No. I don't think I do." She bit her lip and shrugged, trying not to fidget. Even though she was quite comfortable in the company of Zane and Reese, being the center of attention -- even for a moment -- made her nervous.
"Why's that?" The brunette was watching her, gaze unwavering, though he made sure not to meet her eyes. He knew that eye contact gave her the jitters, so his green-eyed stare focused on her forehead instead.
Kim seemed thoughtful. "Well... I like it here." She was afraid that things wouldn't be so nice outside of the city she knew and loved.
Reese glanced between the two of them, then sighed. "Guys, you have no sense of adventure. I wanna see the world and see snow for once and... and... I wanna get some Pokémon! I'd kick the asses of the Elite Four. They wouldn't see it comin'. Hah."
"Keep dreaming," Zane said, though he was smiling. He saw Reese's point. Kim didn't, and thought that Reese had no sense of caution or reality. Traveling would be so... dangerous. Of course he wouldn't care about that. He was fearless and young. She was young, too, but fearless... well, not quite. Not by a long shot.
Three months after the conversation, Reese and Zane left Olivine City together. Reese's mother had finally recovered and was alright to be on her own, and Zane tagged along with his red-headed friend, claiming that he had to make sure Reese wouldn't do anything stupid. It was obvious that he really just wanted to see the world, and more importantly, he wanted to see it with Reese.
Kim was alone, and afraid to branch out to make new friends. Her parents asked her if she was alright, if she wanted to go meet up with her brother, maybe, since they would be fine with it; she told them "no", and told them that she wanted to stay at home, with them.
The Lighthouse felt empty to Kim without her friends there, no matter how many tourists there always were, and regardless of the familiar faces everywhere. She realized that she had never seen what was across the ocean, and she had the sudden, overwhelming urge to see it. Her brother called regularly, and every time he would tell them stories about his adventures. He talked about how strong his Pokémon were getting, said that traveling was more fun than he'd imagined and that he missed everyone at home, of course, but that he didn't think he'd come back for a while, since he'd gotten a badge or two and he wanted to see a bit more of Johto before he came home to visit again.
One more call from Trevor came, and at last, Kim was convinced. Kim wanted to get out, to travel and train Pokémon. The question was, what did she want to do? Battling was too rough for her, so being a trainer didn't seem like a good idea. Breeding, maybe... Coordinating, perhaps? There were crowds and there was pressure, but Arceus, when she saw Contests on television... Beautiful.
"Mom, Dad," she said, on her sixteenth birthday.
"Yes?" Her mother smiled, clapping as the smoke from Kim's birthday cake candles danced.
"Wanna know what I wished for?" She was biting her bottom lip and inner cheek and fidgeting, and her father looked curious.
"Sure. What?"
"I... I wished that I could become a Pokémon Coordinator. Can I?"
Her mother and father were surprised, but told her that of course she could. "If that's what you want, then you absolutely can! But... you'll have to leave the Region... There aren't any Contests around here. Oh, you'll be so far away..." Kim's mother sighed, and her father shook his head, smiling.
"You'll do great, sweetie." He ruffled Kim's hair, and she smiled weakly. She was nervous, despite their encouragement, but there was no turning back. Her mind was made up.
Since her mother had been right, and there were no Contests in the Johto Region, Kim had to catch a ship to another Region. She chose Kairuu. She'd heard good things about it -- plus, Reese and Zane had gone there for their journey. Though she knew that being independent was a good thing, that she shouldn't have followed them, she couldn't help but hope she might meet up with them.
From the boat, it was on to the Lab, where Kim would get her first Pokémon. She felt sick to her stomach and was already missing her parents and her house and Olivine City, but she wasn't going to turn back. "Well, okay... Let's go."
Gulp. This wouldn't end well, she was sure of it.
SINCE THEN...
- Got her starter, a Skitty that she named Ene.
- Acquired a full team of Pokémon (Drifloon, Meditite, Tropius, Psyduck, and Ponyta) from various events, as well as from an adoption agency, in the case of the Meditite.
- Was befriended by Jirachi at the New Year's event, and gifted a Smeargle!
- More to come!
HOW'D YOU GET HERE?
>:T
