I wrote this to try to explain why Harley acts the way he does, taking offense so easily, ect. It's not written from first person point of view, but it's still what Harley is thinking.
EDIT: Yay! I went back and fixed the errors I could find. If somebody finds one I missed, I'd like to know. Thanks. ^_^
The sapphire waters sparkled in the sun's glare, and the smell of slat drifted on the wind. Somewhere nearby a Wingull cried, while a Wailmer surfaced alongside the boat. Harley sighed. It was all good and well, but he wished the ship would get a move on. The salt air had begun to make him stiff after the first couple of days, and it was now coming up on two weeks since he had boarded the vessel.
He pushed off from the rail he had been leaning on, and looked around. The ship’s main deck was empty. With another sigh, Harley began to walk around the deck. He had run out of things to do after the fist week, and staring at the endless waters was tiring after too long. He wished there was a Pokemon strong enough to fly him to Johto. There was, he could think of three on the spot: Lugia, Ho-oh, and Rayquaza. But the likelihood of his ever catching one of them was slimer than the chance of him swimming to Johto.
He wouldnÂ’t have com on this Godforsaken journey if not for his losing the Grand Festival. Well, that, and if May wasnÂ’t going the same place. There was no way heÂ’d let her have all the fun. It was in Johto, he vowed, that he would defeat May. The blasted girl always seemed to win no matter how the odds were stacked against her.
Harley came to a stop outside his cabin. What entertainment would he find there? None. For a moment, he considered going to speak with the captain. But, he had been kicked out the last time for asking-again-how much longer they would be at sea. Shaking his head, Harley continued walking around the ship. He had too many rivals, he decided. He was quick to take offense, and had quite the long memory. His pride would not permit him to allow even the smallest incident to pass.
By then, Harley had reached the stern of the ship, and stood with his hands on the rail, watching a chain of islands slowly growing smaller on the horizon. He drummed his fingers absentmindedly against the polished metal. A barefooted sailor ran past him. His father was the reason he acted the way he did, Harley decided at last. His father had such high standards for him as a child. He had expected Harley to come home with straight A's at Trainer School. And he did, just barely. He had spent hours shut up in his room studying. There had been no time for anything else. Which might have been why his people skills werenÂ’t so hot. He had been so jealous of the kids whose parents where so openly proud of their children. Children who had lower grades than Harley.
His father would speak of his adventures nightly at the dinner table. He would tell stories of near impossible feats, and countless tales of near death experiences all over the world. Harley had wanted nothing more than to please his father. Then one day, his father died. It happened so suddenly. Harley had gone to school in the morning, as usual, worried about yet another up coming test. Then, heÂ’d come home in the evening to find his mother sitting at the table, her head in her hands. Strange people were around her, who became suddenly quiet as he entered the room. His mother had pulled him into a tearful embrace. Harley never found out what happened to his father. His mother had been unable to speak of him afterwards.
A second sailor ran past, jarring Harley, nearing knocking him over the rail. Scowling, he righted his hat, and began walking in the direction the sailors had run. The wind had changed course and was blowing wet air into his face. Angry clouds crouched on the horizon like so many sleeping Rhydon. Just thinking of the ship's tossing to come in the storm was enough to make him seasick.
Harley continued to bring home AÂ’s after his fathers death. But it had become harder than ever. Once he was old enough to train a Pokemon, he had decided to become a Coordinator. With his Catnea, he won every contest he entered. His mother had told him countless times how pound she was, but his father wasnÂ’t there to see it.
Sailors were busy on the deck, preparing for the storm. Harley hoped the old boat would survive. It wouldn’t do to be lost at sea. He looked up at the sky again. Would his father be proud of him now? He wasn’t even proud of himself. He wasn’t the best, he might never be. What would his father say? “Keep at it!” or “What’s wrong with you boy?! You can do better than this!”
Harley sighed. His father had been good at everything. From cooking to Pokemon, to you name it. Everything, accept being a good father.
“Oi, you!” A sailor shouted. Harley turned his gaze to the sea dog. “You’re in the way, move it!”
“Oh, stow it.” Harley muttered, turning and heading back the direction he’d come. The sailor's way of speaking was rubbing off on him. He entered his cabin and sat on the bed. The sooner he was off this boat, the better.
EDIT: Yay! I went back and fixed the errors I could find. If somebody finds one I missed, I'd like to know. Thanks. ^_^
The sapphire waters sparkled in the sun's glare, and the smell of slat drifted on the wind. Somewhere nearby a Wingull cried, while a Wailmer surfaced alongside the boat. Harley sighed. It was all good and well, but he wished the ship would get a move on. The salt air had begun to make him stiff after the first couple of days, and it was now coming up on two weeks since he had boarded the vessel.
He pushed off from the rail he had been leaning on, and looked around. The ship’s main deck was empty. With another sigh, Harley began to walk around the deck. He had run out of things to do after the fist week, and staring at the endless waters was tiring after too long. He wished there was a Pokemon strong enough to fly him to Johto. There was, he could think of three on the spot: Lugia, Ho-oh, and Rayquaza. But the likelihood of his ever catching one of them was slimer than the chance of him swimming to Johto.
He wouldnÂ’t have com on this Godforsaken journey if not for his losing the Grand Festival. Well, that, and if May wasnÂ’t going the same place. There was no way heÂ’d let her have all the fun. It was in Johto, he vowed, that he would defeat May. The blasted girl always seemed to win no matter how the odds were stacked against her.
Harley came to a stop outside his cabin. What entertainment would he find there? None. For a moment, he considered going to speak with the captain. But, he had been kicked out the last time for asking-again-how much longer they would be at sea. Shaking his head, Harley continued walking around the ship. He had too many rivals, he decided. He was quick to take offense, and had quite the long memory. His pride would not permit him to allow even the smallest incident to pass.
By then, Harley had reached the stern of the ship, and stood with his hands on the rail, watching a chain of islands slowly growing smaller on the horizon. He drummed his fingers absentmindedly against the polished metal. A barefooted sailor ran past him. His father was the reason he acted the way he did, Harley decided at last. His father had such high standards for him as a child. He had expected Harley to come home with straight A's at Trainer School. And he did, just barely. He had spent hours shut up in his room studying. There had been no time for anything else. Which might have been why his people skills werenÂ’t so hot. He had been so jealous of the kids whose parents where so openly proud of their children. Children who had lower grades than Harley.
His father would speak of his adventures nightly at the dinner table. He would tell stories of near impossible feats, and countless tales of near death experiences all over the world. Harley had wanted nothing more than to please his father. Then one day, his father died. It happened so suddenly. Harley had gone to school in the morning, as usual, worried about yet another up coming test. Then, heÂ’d come home in the evening to find his mother sitting at the table, her head in her hands. Strange people were around her, who became suddenly quiet as he entered the room. His mother had pulled him into a tearful embrace. Harley never found out what happened to his father. His mother had been unable to speak of him afterwards.
A second sailor ran past, jarring Harley, nearing knocking him over the rail. Scowling, he righted his hat, and began walking in the direction the sailors had run. The wind had changed course and was blowing wet air into his face. Angry clouds crouched on the horizon like so many sleeping Rhydon. Just thinking of the ship's tossing to come in the storm was enough to make him seasick.
Harley continued to bring home AÂ’s after his fathers death. But it had become harder than ever. Once he was old enough to train a Pokemon, he had decided to become a Coordinator. With his Catnea, he won every contest he entered. His mother had told him countless times how pound she was, but his father wasnÂ’t there to see it.
Sailors were busy on the deck, preparing for the storm. Harley hoped the old boat would survive. It wouldn’t do to be lost at sea. He looked up at the sky again. Would his father be proud of him now? He wasn’t even proud of himself. He wasn’t the best, he might never be. What would his father say? “Keep at it!” or “What’s wrong with you boy?! You can do better than this!”
Harley sighed. His father had been good at everything. From cooking to Pokemon, to you name it. Everything, accept being a good father.
“Oi, you!” A sailor shouted. Harley turned his gaze to the sea dog. “You’re in the way, move it!”
“Oh, stow it.” Harley muttered, turning and heading back the direction he’d come. The sailor's way of speaking was rubbing off on him. He entered his cabin and sat on the bed. The sooner he was off this boat, the better.