Katherine Steele

Katherine "Kat" Steele

A HEART SO TRUE, OUR COURAGE WILL PULL US THROUGH

Katherine Steele was born twenty years ago in the Unova region, near the bustling rail yards of Anville Town. She was the sole child of Kenith Steele, her father and a rail worker for the nearby lines, and Cecily Steele, her mother and an herbalist who also worked as a part-time nurse for the local and somewhat isolated community.

Kat’s early life was spent quite peacefully, with the girl living a modest, but comfortable, lifestyle in a small house at the edge of town alongside her parents and her mother’s Herdier. When she became old enough to walk Kat quickly grew into a cheerful and fun-loving, albeit somewhat mischievous, girl, who’s days were spent chasing after her mother as she gathered herbs in the local forest, playing games with the other children of the town, and setting up good-natured pranks on her neighbors. Her absolute favorite thing to do though was visit her father in the rail yard. While Kenith was adamant that the girl stays as far away from the often dangerous area as possible, as she grew older Katherine became just sly enough to often sneak her way in past the workers. There she would spend hours upon hours sitting and watching the trains pass by on their daily treks and wondering what distant places awaited them.

But as idyllic as her life was to start with in her hometown, sadly it would not last forever. When Katherine was six years old disaster would strike Anville Town and the Steele family itself. Though rare, accidents were an occurrence at the rail yard, and it was during an otherwise normal workday when an incoming train derailed and ploughed into the rail yard, catching fire as the locomotive overturned. The accident quickly escalated out of control as the fire would soon spread to a nearby fuel depot, igniting tanks containing fuel for the trains and causing an explosion to rip through the station seconds later. The property and human damage was great. Though the explosion happened quickly it was just slow enough to allow many of the first responders and rail workers to reach the site of the crash and the wounded, and it was they who were hit hardest by the blast. And with her medical knowledge Cecily was among them.

The death of Cecily was a shock to a young Kat, but to her husband Kenith it was an unimaginable tragedy. The man had greatly loved and respected his wife, and as days turned to months it seemed as if no amount of consolation from friends and neighbors was enough to mend the hole her passing had created. Life would eventually return to normal for Anville Town following the event, and even Kat herself, young as she was, would come to accept her mother’s absence. But things were never the same for Kenith. Never quite able to let go of Cecily his work at the rail yard began to suffer with the tragic memories the place contained, and this in turn only brought more stress for the man as he tried to support both a young Kat and his own grieving. After some time it simply became too much to bear, and Kenith would turn to the last source of comfort he could find.

Alcohol.

What would begin as a few drinks here and a few sleepless nights there would spiral out of control as the years passed on. Finding solace in the bottle Kenith began to detest sobriety and the painful memories that came with it, and what moments he did not spend drinking he would spend cursing and shouting at the other rail workers, as drunkenness only seemed to bring out anger toward the people he began to blame for Cecily’s death. Naturally, Kenith would soon find himself without a job as a result, and he would soon spend all his time in the remnants of the family’s home, surviving only on the odd job and donations from those neighbors which pitied him. Once happy, Kenith would end up alone and without those he once held dear. Except for young Kat. The child was all that remained of Cecily, and she became a reminder to Kenith every day of the thing so dear to him that he had lost. And he began to hate it.

Even when older Kat could not quite tell when the abuse began. But as his state of mind worsened and his view of the world became even more warped, Kenith began to blame not only the rail station for his wife’s death, but even their own child, simply because of how similar they looked. At first this manifested as random outbursts, fiery scoldings, and unfair punishments, and though frightened, Kat would only try to cheer up her father in turn. But try as she might it only seemed to make things worse for her. In the end it was discovering Kat’s excursions into the rail yard that finally tipped Kenith over the edge, and finally justified in his fractured mind her fault, that it had been Kat’s presence in the rail station which in some way caused the accident or prevented his wife from escaping. That night was the first time the man laid hands on his daughter. However, it would certainly not be the last, and Kat’s life would slowly spiral from that moment into what she could only believe to be a nightmare. Those in Anville Town began to notice the sudden shift as well. Once bright and playful, Kat would grow to become quiet, reserved, and even frightened of those around her, even as she and her father explained away every new bruise and cut on her body. But most only shook their heads, and those few who tried found themselves unable to do anything against Kenith.

But though she became frightened of her father, a small portion of the same independence she once had, and a new found resilience and stubbornness as she grew older, remained, and one thing that Kat did not change as time wore on were her secret forays out of the house. Whenever her father became too drunk to stay awake or too tired from his ceaseless ramblings, she would sneak out and away from the Steele house like she had done so many times, even if she could scarcely call the place home any longer. She also no longer would head to the rail yard. Now a place which only reminded Kat of the mother and childhood she had lost, Kat instead began to head out into the forest where she and her mother once ran and played together. There the girl could become more of her old self as she basked in the memories of Cecily, even if only for a few hours a day, and she found some measure of solace and comfort underneath the familiar green boughs.

And she found something else.

It was after already visiting the forest several times that Kat began to notice that she was not always alone in her forays, and at the first the girl became afraid that someone, perhaps even her father, had once again discovered her secret. But that was not the case. Instead, she soon found herself approached by a wild Lillipup during one of her outings. The young Pokemon had grown curious after seeing the girl enter the forest so many times, and eventually worked up the courage to approach the new stranger. At first Kat herself was hesitant toward the new Pokemon, but remembering her mother’s own Herdier she soon returned the Pokemon’s own interest. So it would come to pass that as time wore on Kat would begin to share her secret excursions with the Lillipup. Both found a companion in the other, with the girl providing a playmate to the young Pokemon, and the Pokemon in turn providing comfort for her. The Lillipup would become Kat’s greatest friend and the only one she felt she could truly trust to be around, and the more time she spent with the Pokemon the more her old self returned. Her playfulness, her laughter, even her eye for mischief, it all came back around the Lillipup, and together Kat and the Pokemon would run through the woods in their many games and adventures. The townspeople noticed the change too, and many hoped that it was a sign that things were finally improving in the Steele house.

But unfortunately, this was not the case.

In fact, like the rest of Anville Town Kenith too noticed the subtle change in his daughter’s demeanor. With no obvious cause the man began to wonder why, and the more he wondered the more he began to notice subtle hints here and there that the girl was hiding something from him once again. So it was that one night the man feigned slumber, and was soon shocked and enraged to find his daughter not only disobeying him, but sneaking out in the same way she had done so on the day Cecily died. And so he followed her. Kat in her excitement did not notice the new presence lurking just out of sight behind her, and it was only when he spotted the girl reuniting with her Pokemon friend that he made himself known to her. In his anger Kenith not only threatened to punish his daughter severely, but also promised that he would not rest until he had chased the Lillipup down and killed it. Terrified for her own self, but even more terrified for the one friend she had left, Kat would turn toward the Lillipup in order to urge him to leave, as Kat prepared to hold off her father as long as she could to give the Pokemon time to escape.

But all Kat found herself doing was staring into the face of a Druddigon.

About to accept death right there and then, it did not take long for Kat to notice however that the dragon Pokemon was not in fact eyeing her, but was instead fixated solely on her father. Kenith however, whether lost in his anger or simply too drunk to notice the new Pokemon, would continue to move toward his daughter to restrain her. It was only when the Druddigon jumped in front of Kat, roaring and wreathed in dragon fire, that the man finally noticed it’s presence. Stumbling backwards in terror it only took a few seconds for Kenith to turn and run, screaming as he fled toward their house and away from his daughter, leaving her to whatever fate the Druddigon had in store for her. But it was a fate the man could never have guessed. Now safe the Pokemon would return to Kat, and it was before her very eyes that she saw the Druddigon transform back into a Lillipup, only to have it once more change form into that of a black and red fox. As a child Kat had only heard stories of Zorua and its illusions, and seeing one before her for a moment had brought fear toward the lone Pokemon back into her heart.

But despite the bedtime stories and legends what Kat found was, instead, still her best friend.

And it was her best friend who would ultimately change Kat’s life forever. For the Zorua had not only saved the girl’s life, but seeing her friend take on her father, the man she had feared for so long now, lit a spark of rebellion in her heart. With a curious Zorua in tow the girl would cautiously return to the Steele house, only to find her father already curled up and passed out in the corner in fright. Quickly gathering up what little belongings she owned, as well as a few items of her mother’s, Kat would then sneak out of the house one final time, as with her Pokemon friend beside her she gathered enough courage to once more enter the Anville Town rail yard. There Kat made the Zorua an offer. That together the girl and the Pokemon would travel away from her childhood home, leaving behind all the pain it contained, and instead explore the world she had always dreamed about as a kid. It only took a moment for the Zorua to accept the outstretched Poke Ball. And so together Kat and her new Pokemon would sneak onto an outbound train, hitching a ride out of Anville Town and away from her father, and out into an unknown world. Not all memories would be so easy to leave behind, however. Once at the next town Kat would be quick to disembark on foot, and it would remain the one and only time she ever boarded a train.

For the next several weeks Kat would travel across Unova, hopping from town to town and using her wit, and occasionally Zorua’s illusions, to survive off stolen food and keep out of danger. During that time the girl’s independent nature truly began to emerge and shine. Now free of her father’s control and with her newfound friend by her side, Kat faced the open road and all its hardship with determination, and even a budding eagerness to finally be the master of her own fate. As a result, the girl would eventually make her way to the coast and Castelia City. And promptly get lost. Finding herself confused by the sprawling city streets and towering buildings, which were a far cry from the small cottages she grew up with in Anville Town, Kat would eventually find herself in a rather unsavory part of town. Still being a quite young, and noticeably inexperienced, girl, once there Kat became the target of a small group of thugs intent on robbing her of what little she owned. At least until a “Bouffalant” chased the surprised group down the street.

Once again Zorua had protected Kat, but in doing so he would also change her path in life. The Pokemon’s actions were noticed by another group of people nearby, who would soon thereafter approach Kat and her Pokemon with a proposition. They were a smalltime local gang, known as the Vipers, and they became immediately interested in what Kat could contribute to the group. Or rather what her Pokemon and his abilities could contribute. Still, the gang offered the girl a place to live and protection in return for her membership. At first Kat hesitated. Since leaving Anville Town the girl had avoided people as best as she could, and what her father did, and what her neighbors didn’t do, were still fresh in her mind. But the gang insisted, and the more they told stories about working together on the streets and carving their own place in Castelia City, the more a young Kat became enthralled in the idea of becoming part of such a community. A community that truly respected and valued her.

And so Kat accepted.

So would begin Kat’s first venture into the criminal underworld. At first the Vipers were everything the girl had imagined, and became a new home to replace what Anville Town had once been. The Vipers offered her food and shelter, looked out for her, and at the end of it all they were a group of friends who made her feel welcome. They also taught Kat the way of the street. Through their guidance the young girl learned how to spot full wallets and the most susceptible places to steal, how to bluff her way out of situations, and the intricacies of black market trade, gang allegiance, and manipulating those around her. The once mischievous prankster became a full blown gang member, and together Kat and Zorua would take part in a number of schemes with the gang.

Over time, however, Kat would begin to realize the Vipers true nature. The more she worked with the other gang members the more her ideal view of the group began to fracture, and it became more and more painfully aware to the girl that the Vipers' considered her less a member, and more a tool. The welcoming smiles on their faces and the eager help which they offered Kat only continued so long as she and her Pokemon were useful, and it was after a small mistake of hers caused the failure of a large scheme that the Vipers began to consider her otherwise, and so they began to berate her for it. She was too childish and naïve. She cared too much for her Pokemon. She lacked the spine needed to be a criminal. All the community which Kat had found in the Vipers vanished almost in an instant, and it hurt deeply after she had put trust in the group despite her reservations. It would thus be the Vipers who would ultimately cause Kat to detach herself fully from those around her, and to trust no one other than her Pokemon.

But more so than that, it pissed Kat off. The Vipers’ anger and doubts were reminiscent to the girl of her father’s own attitude, and of the pain he brought to her, and in her stubbornness and bitterness the girl made a promise. That never again would she allow herself to be controlled or thrown aside by another. And so she would prove to the Vipers and anyone else who doubted her just what she was capable of doing. Shortly after she fell out of the gang’s grace the girl would thus leave Castelia City, sneaking onto a nearby cargo freighter docked in the harbor in the dead of night. But not before she got her revenge. It was during the same night that Kat would leave a box full of evidence at the local police station, full of anything she could gather which incriminated the Vipers in a number of petty crimes in the area, and even took the time to sketch out a map to all their hideouts. But for Kat that was not enough. In a personal attack of her own she would also use the very skills taught to her by the Vipers to steal their leader’s prized Pokemon, a Sneasel she had encountered several times earlier, and together the three of them would leave behind Unova entirely, and all the bitter memories it held.

After several days at sea Kat would eventually dock in Vermilion City in the Kanto region, and she would spend the next several months travelling from town to town, in much the same way she did after leaving Anville Town in Unova. However, this time she took things a step further. Rather than just steal to survive, Kat would now use what she was taught by the Vipers and her new found ambition to steal for her own gain, and over the course of her travels she would employ a number of successful scams and robberies alongside her Zorua. Aside from building up her bank account, this string of criminal activity would once more get her noticed, and not just by the cops. Instead, the criminal organization Team Rocket began to track her movements. So it was that after a few more thefts Kat would find an envelope for her in the next town she visited. In it was a letter inviting her for a meeting with a representative of the organization, and though skeptical at first, Kat knew enough about Team Rocket to be curious about their intentions. During the meeting the girl would be given an offer that was not dissimilar to the one she had been offered by the Vipers, and at first Kat declined it without hesitation, no longer having delusions of what such a group could offer.

But as the meeting progressed the girl became surprised. Rather than attempt to persuade her with offerings of comradery like the Vipers had, the Team Rocket representative was upfront, even blunt to the contrary. Kat joining Team Rocket would not be her joining a “family”. She would become a part of a business, an employee for the largest criminal organization in Kanto and Johto, and she would be rewarded for her services or fired for her inadequacies as they saw fit. And it appealed to her. Kat began to see Team Rocket as a means of rising herself up in the world in a way the Vipers could never offer, and even if the organization didn’t pretend to care for her, they also were willing to give her a chance.

So Kat actually took it.

Now a Team Rocket grunt, Kat would be first taken to the organization’s headquarters in Celadon City, where she was among other things gifted a Seviper as a means of welcome and to supplement her team. Then the real work began. Kat would spend the next two years working as a foot soldier for Team Rocket. Due to her talents and unique Pokemon most of this time was spent performing more covert and intricate schemes for the criminal syndicate, and the girl was largely successful in the tasks she was appointed. With success came recognition and eventually reward, and the longer Kat worked for Team Rocket the higher she rose up in the ranks, so that by the end of the two years she held a place as a senior operative. The girl also became stronger. Not only did her less-than-legal skills become honed, but Kat also became a more proficient trainer now that she had experience using and battling her Pokemon. During the two years her Zorua also evolved into a Zoroark, and her rare and increasingly powerful friend made the girl widely known and respected in Team Rocket. Success came at a price, however. The more Kat lived in the criminal world the more it influenced her, and as time wore on the once cheerful girl of Anville Town became colder and more arrogant. Kat would also gain an infamy for a sometimes sadistic and manipulative nature, and not all were keen on working alongside her.

These tended to be a minority though. For even though the Team Rocket representative at the start of her career warned Kat that she would find no family in the organization…she did just that. While the syndicate was a business, and while Kat herself still carried a cold shoulder from her experiences in Unova, the girl could not deny that she began to see Team Rocket as something more than just a job. She began to see it as somewhat of a home. Sure she had enemies and rivalries within the group, but she would also make a number of friends and allies, and as time wore on Kat found herself caring more and more about the group’s success. Team Rocket would thus become the closest thing the girl had for a legitimate family in years, and perhaps in both hope and fear at losing it, she became fiercely loyal. And this loyalty would only push her to succeed even more.

At the end of the two years however, things would take a surprising turn. Word would soon reach Kat that the leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni, had been defeated by a trainer from Pallet Town. Even more shocking, she would also learn that the man had announcement the disbanding of the syndicate as a result. But she refused to believe it. With her loyalty to the group Kat would be among those who refused to simply walk away from Team Rocket, and she would join them as they dispersed throughout Kanto until Giovanni returned. But as time wore on it became increasingly obvious that he might not do so. In light of this the remaining admins of Team Rocket would elect to take matters into their own hands, and while they would head to the Johto region to undertake their own plot to contact Giovanni, Kat would be tasked along with others in Kanto to begin operations to restore the group there. Despite some early success however, it would only be a few months later that Kat would again hear word from the admins in Johto, and the news she received only further shocked her. The admins had been defeated and their plot to contact Giovanni foiled, only this time by a trainer from New Bark Town.

Having faced defeat once more and with the admins and interim head of Team Rocket all but convinced that disbanding was all that was left, the syndicate practically fell apart. But there were a few who remained loyal even in the face of all that had happened. Among them was still Kat, and it was these loyalists who resolved to continue until Team Rocket could one day be re-established. For her continued loyalty, strength, and experience, Kat would be chosen by members of the Kanto branch to become one of the new admins of the syndicate. And she agreed.

Now one year later, Kat is still an admin for Team Rocket, and one of a select few members in Kanto who have remained loyal to Team Rocket despite the defeat of Giovanni and the other executives. Using her experience in the more covert aspects of the syndicate, in that time Kat has established a network of informants and operatives across the region and ensured the survival of what little remains of the group as best as she could. And little is a fair assessment. Though she still holds hope of one day finding their former leader, Kat now strives to find a way to bring back the Kanto branch to its former glory through her own efforts. For aside from her Pokemon, Team Rocket remains one the few things the admin truly cares about. And unlike her father and her childhood, and unlike the Vipers and her life in Castelia City, Kat is determined to prevent it from being taken away.


Nickname: N/A
Gender: Male
Rarity: Rare
Obtained: Starter (Befriended in Anville Town, Unova)

Nickname: N/A
Gender: Female
Rarity: Common
Obtained: Starter (Stole in Castelia City, Unova)


Nickname: N/A
Gender: Female
Rarity: Common
Obtained: Starter (Gifted in Celadon City, Kanto)

[b]AKAME GA KILL!, chelsea[/b] as @kat