Shina's Diary [Gym Leader/Traveler]

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
My "what to do" training has started. Since most people have the idea that rich girls are helpless, I am being taught how to act helpless, weak, and scared if I am ever kidnapped. Tomas says that if my kidnappers think I am a fluff-head, they won't be as careful when they watch me. I'm also learning how to pick locks and get out of ropes. It's actually pretty fun, though it would be scary if it were for real.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Things have been going well lately. Growlithe is coming along well with his training, and Tomas says I am coming along well in my "what to do" training. Very busy, I'll write more later.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
I have turned eleven now. I know most children look forward to their birthdays, but I just dread the lavish parties I have to attend. All the preparation sends the house into chaos for weeks before, and this year I had the "privilege" of putting some of my ladies training to practical use and had to help plan and execute the party, with my tutor's help. It was an "absolutely lovely party" according to most guests. Of course, they would say that even if they hated it, so that doesn't really count for much.

On a rather amusing note, I am apparently becoming a lovely young lady, and I appear to be outgrowing much of my less charming behavior, at least according to the gossip both I and a number of the maids have heard. It seems that my standoffish/sullen/sharp/rebellious behavior in my younger years (read not always being able to hide how utterly boring, obnoxious and shallow I found my 'peers' to be) has apparently started to subside. The society ladies take this to mean that I am accepting my proper place in society. Tomas just laughed and praised my growing acting skills. Tomas has the right of it.

My "what to do" training covers physically escaping, and does so quite thoroughly. However, a very large part of my training is acting lessons. These go beyond my etiquette lessons, teaching not just the basic motions of creating an appropriate masks and formal gestures, but the art of actively deceiving someone and convincing them that you are exactly what you wish to appear to be. I've learned to play several roles, and I've found that it is easier to be convincing if I create a mental profile of each main style and act as if each were a different girl. I decided to treat the party like one of the hostage scenarios, one where I would be noticed missing soon and escape was deemed too dangerous. In that type of scenario, one option is to fool my captors until my absence is indeed noticed and I am rescued. Appearing harmless and endearing myself to my captors are major goals.

One of the main personas I am crafting is that of the stereotypical rich girl. Weak willed, empty-headed, overly reliant upon the protection and guidance of her betters, the delicate little thing is easily overwrought in a hostage situation, will quickly appear to trust anyone who makes even a token effort to comfort her, and is oh-so-delicate. Miss Butterfly is also thrilled to be a social butterfly. Innuendo and sly remarks go right over her head, and her (apparently) guileless responses often leave her conversational partners looking foolish for taunting such an innocent. Sweet and a little stupid, she adores listening to others prattle on about trivial nonsense for ages. Why wouldn't she enjoy being in the presence of such clever people? Yes, Miss Butterfly lays it on thick. Very thick. And yet, not one person from polite society realized they were being played. Honestly, I wonder how high society has managed to survive this long if they are so easily fooled by a half-trained eleven year old. On the other hand, treating the obligatory party as a hostage scenario made it much easier for me to tolerate the event.

Oh, I nearly forgot! As one of my presents this year, Papa commissioned a rather lovely portrait done. I have attached a photograph of the finished portrait. I do love the soft look of it, and somehow Papa's calico meowth ended up in it as well!  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Growlithe has completed his training, and has been sent to a more advanced training camp. He won't be coming back after, instead going to a new host family with training experience. I'll miss him, but I've known he would be leaving for a long time, and it really is for the best.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Ponyta and I placed first in a dressage competition! I've placed in a few other competitions, but this is the first time I've taken first place! Ponyta was wonderful, she didn't miss a single command, and we were perfectly in tune. I've decided to ask the stable master if I might try learning some trick riding.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
My sewing is getting very good. I'm actually learning both advanced embroidery and fancy stitching, and my plain sewing has gotten good enough that I'm allowed to begin attempting to make my own garments. The first few are likely to be unacceptable for public wear, but I'll get better as I get experience.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
My sewing is much improved. I am actually starting work on my outfit for my next birthday. My new riding lessons are challenging, and I now care for both my dressage Ponyta and my trick riding Ponyta. The two Ponyta have entirely different training, and I am still working on bonding with the new one.

My hostage training has changed. Before it was all about acting and escaping, and the situations were pretty basic. Not everyone will fall for the tricks I have been taught so far. It's scary, but one of the tactics I'm being taught now is to look harmless, but become increasingly obnoxious. Hopefully, my captors will feel sorry for me, but if not, they might get close enough to try to hit me to quiet me. If I can get enough mobility before they get close, I may be able to get the upper hand. If they are close enough to smack a supposedly helpless captive, and I have mobility, they are both off guard and close enough for me to attack. I might also get roughed up if I am being ransomed, as a show that the kidnappers are serious. I still need to be able to keep my head and remember my training. I'm also learning lots more dirty fighting tricks, and situational awareness.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Had awful nightmare last night. I think it was because of the new hostage training. I miss Growlithe, too. He made me feel safe, even if he did have a weak leg. Sometimes sleeping in a huge bedroom is scary, and lonely. I know some kids have already left home by my age, some even have gym badges by now and have traveled a lot, all on their own, but sometimes I just feel so young. I'm going to leave a small light on tonight, and hopefully I'll sleep better.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Another year, another party. Pretending the event is a hostage scenario (oddly appropriate, as it is an event I am forced to attend and cannot leave, where I must convince hostile people that my personality is radically different than my true temperament) really makes it much easier. I wore the kimono I had made. The society ladies couldn't seem to decide between admiring my obviously handmade (read expensive), high quality kimono, or being scandalized that I still hadn't outgrown my Kimono Girls stage and started wearing the frilly, pastel, and nearly identical dresses currently being favored. I looked as good, or better, than many of the other girls my age, and as I followed the latest Kimono Girls trends, I couldn't be considered unfashionable. I think I may start to make modifications to the basic kimono for some occasions. A 3/4 length kimono worn under hakama would mimic the look of a skirt and give me greater range of motion, while still looking lovely.

As this was my twelfth birthday, Papa finally let me get my Pokémon license. Unfortunately, I didn't get a Pokémon to go with it. Starter Pokémon from researcher centers are for trainers starting their Pokémon journeys. As I'm not going anywhere, I'm not eligible. Growlithe is gone, and wouldn't be happy as a pet or capable of protecting me besides, both the Ponyta I ride are stable breeds, or specifically trained Ponyta not meant for the world outside the show ring, and I don't particularly have my eye on any other easily obtainable Pokémon. What I would really like is an internship with the Eevee brothers, and a chance to earn an Eevee. It may take a while to convince Papa to allow such a thing, if I even can.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Hostage training is pretty much done with. I now carry lock picks hidden on myself at all times, and I'll still have refresher lessons on a regular basis, much like I do with my survival training. I know some basic first aid, human and Pokémon, but I'm going to start a more in depth study now.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
I have no time to myself! Anyone who thinks having tutors is great obviously has never had their primary education from said people. With only one student, there is never any slacking off, and any mistakes are the end of the world. You learn a lot faster due to the personal attention, but sometimes I just feel like my head is going to explode! Literature, history, math, bookkeeping, science, fine arts, dance, sewing, etiquette, riding, calligraphy, first aid, basic self defense, ladies household management, modern fashion awareness, refreshers on survival training, cooking, and hostage situations, and a number of other various lessons, plus social engagements, dressage competitions, and anything else that may come up. I never have time to play with the puppies anymore, or to read books my tutors haven't assigned. And no matter how busy I am, I mustn't lose my temper, or behave in a way unbecoming of a lady of my status. Sometimes I just want to scream! It wouldn't help though, I'd just get more etiquette lessons to teach me the error of my lapse in judgment.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Um, I sort of lost my temper and had a snit at Papa. I told him that I had too many obligations, and I felt like I was being overworked. Except not so politely. Papa told me that if I thought I had it hard, maybe I should see what is was like for someone who didn't come from a wealthy family. So for a week, I stayed with Mindy's family. Mindy's mother and father are employed by Papa, and Mindy is just three months younger than me. Mindy is in training as a maid, and works in the house. She works hard, getting up early, staying up late, and she has lots of tasks. I was a bit sore the first day, as I was doing tasks I wasn't used to, but the week wasn't as much of a punishment as Papa intended it to be.

Don't misunderstand, Mindy works very hard, and many of her tasks are very time intensive and require a good bit of effort. However, I've been mucking Ponyta's stall for ages, and nothing in the house ever gets close to that dirty. Repetitive, time-consuming, boring tasks that don't seem to do anything, but need to be done anyway and would be a problem if done improperly or left undone? Etiquette training and modern fashion awareness come to mind. Late to bed, early to rise? How does Papa think I get everything done in a day? Mindy actually wakes a little later than I do, though she eats and gets to work earlier. I have to deal with laying out my various changes of clothes for the day, and waste a ridiculous amount of time making myself presentable. Mindy does have lessons, but they are nowhere near as grueling as mine. Mindy does do more heavy lifting than I am used to, but it wasn't anything I couldn't get used to.

The biggest difference between Mindy's schedule and mine? Mindy gets scheduled time off, breaks, and regular social interaction with peers she actually likes. Granted, Mindy gets much more time off and quite a few more breaks than her mother does, but all the younger employees do. Quite a few of the children of the staff start working fairly young. If ten is old enough to leave home, what is wrong with spending a few hours a few days a week earning a little money? The lessons that come as part of their wages are of higher quality than they could otherwise get, at least without going to a boarding school away from their parents, and the early work experience is a major bonus if they decide to leave our staff. You know, it is interesting to think about the perception of who is a child and who is an adult. A wealthy twelve year old is a child. A nine year old from a trainer family is getting prepared to leave his home and travel the continent. An eleven year old from a service family is just getting started with her career, but is still a child to be supervised and given play time. I'm not sure just what Papa sees me as. I'm far more capable than most of my peers, but I'm still among the sheltered wealthy. Other than the estates of the other wealthy and my survival training final, I've rarely left the grounds, and I'm rather cut off from the rest of the world. Something to think on. I'll talk to Papa about my week tomorrow.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
Papa was rather surprised that I didn't learn the lesson he intended from my week with Mindy. He was expecting me to be humbled and shocked by the amount of work Mindy did, and grateful for my own less demanding schedule. He wasn't expecting me to calmly and politely enumerate the ways in which Mindy's responsibilities were less demanding than my own, or to point out the overscheduled nature of my own days as compared to Mindy's carefully assigned rest times, play times, and days off. He certainly didn't expect me to invite him to spend a day shadowing me during my regular schedule. It was apparently an eye opener for him.  

[Nanashi Kage Enjeru]

Dear Diary,
I'm so excited! For my thirteenth birthday I got (yet another) party, but that isn't the good part. Papa arranged for me to visit the Kimono Girls and study with them for an entire month! Best birthday ever! Have to go pack!