Tabitha by @Chibi_Raichu
Genre: Adventure.
Chapters Reviewed: 10 Chapters, Complete.
Update Schedule: N/A.
Tabitha is a short story about what Tabitha's life was like before he joined Team Magma. He worked as hard as he can for the Devon Corporation, and takes care of a Skitty. Life seems to go well for him, until things start spiraling out of control.
The first detail that really stood out about this book was that in the beginning of the story, it's nearly impossible to see how this man would turn into a member of Team Magma. That's because the story shows growth in his character. When a majority of us think of what these villainous teams are made of, we tend to forget that these are people too. Are they really doing things for the wrong reason, or not?
That's a particular fight Tabitha faces. He views Team Aqua and Team Magma as a group of delinquents who only cause trouble. This book doesn't focus on that. In fact, Tabitha's number one priority is his beloved Skitty and his work at Devon Company. I loved that the writer decided to take this route when writing as it shows a softer side to Tabitha, making him a multi-dimensional character that isn't seen in most Pokéfics or in the games.
His relationship with Skitty is one that is my absolute favorite. I was a bit confused at first as to why Tabitha would ever have a Skitty, being that Skitty is a Normal-Type Pokémon, and members of Team Magma typically have Fire and Ground-Types. However, that confusion was quickly dismissed as Skitty acted more like a untamed house cat, causing mischief wherever she went. Being that Tabitha loves being organized, this can cause a bit of trouble. Regardless, he loves her, which is something that is true whenever people have pets of their own. This relationship was very entertaining and heartwarming to read.
Similar to that relationship, I loved Tabitha's relationship to Shelly. Shelly, as most of us all know, is an admin of Team Aqua, the enemy of Team Magma. This is something she keeps as a secret, and by doing so, she can become friends with Tabitha as they both work at the Devon Corporation.
Like Skitty, Shelly's personality really complements Tabitha's character very well. The entire story, she stays true to her character in the games/anime; however, when she's with Tabitha, she's trying to loosen him up. Tabitha has a way of getting from point A to point B without any detours. Shelly tries to shake him out of that habit and tries to get him to be more relaxed. This can cause some tension at times, but they still get along despite all that.
While I enjoyed all of that, there is only one thing I would fix. When given the request, I was told this would've been in the genre of adventure. Adventure—by definition—is "an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity" (dictionary.com). There is only one scene where the adventure category may fit into this book, but that's even stretching it a bit. This story takes place before Tabitha becomes a member of Team Magma, showing what his day to day life was like and how it spiraled into the events that made him join the organization. Because of this, I would almost label this book as miscellaneous or slice of life. If it was adventure, there would be more action, more life-risking moments.
That's the only complaint I have of this book because it was really well-written and very enjoyable to read. I really wish Wattpad would have more slice of life-like Pokéfics because when written well, they are very entertaining to read.
It's not just the reading that really stood out to me, but it was the graphics that were used in the book as well. This isn't the first book where I've noticed the writer has incorporated pictures, or multiple pictures, per chapter. Many books do this to help the reader visualize what's going on.
What separates Tabitha from any other book that uses pictures is that they're all drawn in a neat fashion that go well with the story. It's clear that the pictures were created by the same artist, and they are drawn very well. Each picture depicts what's going on during a scene of the story to help visualize it better. I absolutely loved that about these pictures.
Overall, this is by far one my favorite slice of life Pokéfics to read. It's well written, has a great storyline, and is accompanied by some amazing graphics.