Project Pokémon - Character Introductions
Today I’d like to introduce you to the characters in the story I’m currently writing (as of Feb. 2025). This is a story that’s been in the background for more than 10 years, so it’s definitely a heart project and something I’m glad is finally ready to get into written form. 💙
Before I begin the character introductions, a little background on this story—dubbed “Project Pokémon” until closer to when these books release (yes, multiple books). Many years ago, while playing through the Pokémon Black & White games, I found inspiration in the world, storyline, and characters. My favorite character by far was N, an antagonist. Overall, though, this storyline captured me far more than any other in the Pokémon franchise. I was so inspired, I started writing a fan fiction (unpublished) from it in 2012, where I wrote somewhere between 45,000 and 60,000 words.
In writing this as a fan fiction, I began to realize how original I’d made the characters, and the plot began to evolve as well. Over the next few years, I spent time crafting the world these characters inhabited, sure to keep certain elements—the journey, of course, along with a sort of animal companion similar to Pokémon, and the adventurous spirit of the storyline. Many aspects of the world evolved, as as they did, the plot and characters continued to evolve as well. I tried working with the new changes and writing it again in 2018, but didn’t get very far. So it got shelved again, until I knew I was ready to write the whole thing.
During the intervening time, it continued to evolve as I got new ideas, discovered characters’ backstories, brainstormed with a friend, and it percolated in the back of my mind. Now here I am, once again tackling the task of translating this story from images in my mind to words on the page—a monumental task, to be sure, as it’s a sweeping story, but one I’m increasingly excited about. I love these characters and this world a lot, and I’ve wanted to share this story for a long, long time. Now I’m another step closer to that goal. 💙
So today, as I embark on the task of writing down their story, I thought I’d introduce some of the major characters in Project Pokémon to you. Some characters I drew images for back when I started making this my own story, and some I haven’t gotten around to yet. Some of the colors have changed for the Kaeletz, Pokémon-esque creatures, so these images may not accurately reflect the final version of the story. 🙂
Reiza Milen - Human
Female
Hair: Long, dark navy blue
Eyes: Spice brown with gold undertones
Age: 18
Raised by her mother, Reiza has always longed to travel with a Kaeletz companion, if only to escape the memories scattered around town. She has an uncanny ability to understand Kaeletz in a way no one else can by reading their actions and gaining their trust. This “ability” is a source of frustration for her, as she cannot accurately describe it or its effects to others; or how it impacted her life and family. Yet her convictions and beliefs run deep, and she’s not one to sit back and wait if she can do something to help.
Aileen - Terrestrian Kaeletz
**Please note this image no longer accurately portrays Aileen in coloring—but the overall shape and size are the same. She no longer has the “feathers” coming from her back over her head. The tail is fairly accurate.
Eyes: Golden yellow
Fur: Teal with a multicolored tail made up of tiny feathers in long rows.
Female
Aileen is Reiza’s Kaeletz companion throughout her journey. She is very timid in temperament, especially around strangers, and dislikes large crowds. Until choosing Reiza as a companion, she spent her time in the Research Yard, often rejected by other would-be travelers due to her timid nature.
Eliden Dosman - Human
Male
Hair: Long, apple red
Eyes: Eggplant & Lavender
Age: 19
Raised by his father after his mother’s death, Eliden has only ever wanted his father’s love. He has the ability to intimately understand the Kaeletz’s speech, something his father deems a “defect” that sets Eliden apart from everyone else. Isolated with only a nursemaid and Kaeletz wounded by humans as friends, Eliden relishes the freedom that comes with travel, although he believes no human will ever accept him for who he is. He is cautious and unwilling to step into situations that might get his friends hurt.
Zheyl - Terrestrian Kaeletz
Eyes: Golden yellow
Fur: Multicolored, bright, yet able to blend into dark spaces well; his five tails have the same coloring.
Male
Zheyl is Eliden’s Kaeletz companion, though Eliden is Zheyl’s second companion. He reveals little of himself and his time with his previous companion, yet he is wise and cares deeply for Eliden. His distrust of others runs so deep he hides constantly, and few who know Eliden are aware of Zheyl.
Camon Elmut - Human
(No image yet)
Male
Hair: cropped short, dark plum
Eyes: sage-gray
Age: 18
Camon puts his faith in the books he reads and the facts within. He struggles to accurately express his feelings to others, preferring instead to ignore them altogether. He has been friends with Reiza and Kaita his entire life, living on the same street as them in their hometown. He is stubborn and opinionated, turning to the facts he knows from his books first and, often, trusting his friends’ intuitions second.
Voyth - Terrestrian Kaeletz
Eyes: Golden yellow
Fur: Pear green, with a mottled blue appendage and blue spikes along the tail.
Male
Voyth is Camon’s Kaeletz companion, with a similar streak of stubbornness and pride similar to Camon’s.
Kaita Salvay - Human
(No image yet)
Female
Hair: Mint green in a bob
Eyes: Cerulean Blue
Age: 18
Kaita relishes the idea of a journey and breaking away from her father’s overprotective nature. She’s positive and bubbly, masking the darker aspects of her life behind smiles. She’s been friends with Reiza and Camon forever, and is very protective of those she cares about, though she lacks belief in her own strength and ability to do so.
Elara - Terrestrian Kaeletz
(No image yet)
Eyes: Golden yellow
Fur: Swirls in a kaleidoscope of color all across the body, with some swaths curling up over the back and into a tail.
Female
Kaita’s Kaeletz companion, who also has a positive and bubbly personality, and a lot of resilience.
Talon Cevelt - Human
Male
Hair: Medium length, emerald green
Eyes: Apricot
Age: 19
Raised by his grandfather, Talon is from a family of Researchers and often questions aspects of the world and Kaeletz around him to find facts and decode secrets. His kind nature and natural inclination for humor hide the tragedies of his past well enough that even his friends don’t know of them. He’s good at spotting details, and is quick to help a friend in need, offering whatever support they need.
Layana - Terrestrian Kaeletz
Eyes: Golden yellow
Female
Talon’s Kaeletz companion, who has a streak of kindness and perception to mirror Talon’s.
These are some of the main characters of the story, with all of them appearing in the first book. (Don’t ask me how many books there are—I have a guess, but never know for sure until the story’s on the page. 😂) Some I know fewer details about, because they’ve been in fewer written scenes than others.
Reiza and Eliden, however, are the main two characters in this story, and you will get chapters from each of their points of view—as they interact with the world around them, each other, and the challenges facing them.
Hopefully, by the time this story is ready to be in your hands, I’ll have portraits of each character. As I get those done, I’ll share them over on my Instagram, so keep an eye out there! It’s also where I’ll update writing progress and share some snippets. For really big updates (like publishing details), I’ll share those with newsletter subscribers first!
Which character do you want to see an image of next? Or what more would you like me to share about this story?