Lola; An Underdog Story

~+~+IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ+~+~

Hello hello, and welcome! The following fanfic is my pride and joy, and not only is it one of the best things I have ever written, it is also the longest. Not including the Prologue and the Character Sheet, this fanfic has a whopping 114 chapters, each of which consist of 2k-4k words on average, with some chapters being even longer. As such, I would appreciate it if you did not post in this thread until the Character Sheet has been posted, which signifies the final chapter. Also, the chapters I will post are going to be in their raw, unedited format which I will systematically work on as I post them. Alternatively, you can read the entire story in its original, edited form by following this link: https://www.fanficti...-Underdog-Story

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Dragonite. Big, fierce, and very cute. Dragonite is said to be able to circle the globe in just 16 hours with it's relatively tiny wings. It can wield attacks from many types, making it a formidable foe.

Tyranitar. A Pokémon whose ferocity matches it's frightening demeanor. Its power is so mighty and its bloodthirst so great, you will know it wants to fight by the never-ending sandstorm that accompanies it into battle.

Salamance. An even bigger, badder creature than even the cuddly Dragonite, even fiercer than the mighty Tyranitar. Salamance is the embodiment of what you can do when you believe in yourself and your dreams, and will aid all who share it's destiny of pressing seemingly impossible dreams.

Metagross. When Science and Fantasy come together, Metagross is the child they bear. A living super-computer, this large Pokémon has no need to stand tall, for its incredible Psychic powers carry it through the heavens.

Garchomp. A Pokémon that looks like it belongs in the sea, this mighty titan is the favorite among trainers who wish to be great. Its power is matched only by its massive speed and its silent devotion, utterly confident in its worthy trainer's skills.

5 great Pokémon, whose powers are so vast, there are those who declare these Pokémon as partial legendary Pokémon. But even these 5 Pokémon will dip their heads in respect when the last of the mightiest makes the scene.

Hydreigon's armory makes Dragonite's look like a mere chest of toys in a child's room. It's vicious looks and demeanor make even the mighty Tyranitar cry out. It has overcome far more obstacles in its journey to greatness than Salamance will ever overcome in its lifetime. Its power makes Metagross an outdated calculator, and its speed would shame Garchomp back to the dark depths of the oceans from whence it came. Unlike its siblings, Hydreigon can overpower the strongest of foes before they have the chance to attack its weak points.

And unlike its siblings, Hydreigon had to go through much more than all five combined.

This is the story of one such Hydreigon. With her unrelenting determination and support from me, Lola and her gang of fellow misfits continue the legacy of the Pokémon who are worthy of the title "Legendary Pokémon".

Chapter 1

Our story begins with me, Vixen. I won't try to take up too much time with my life before I started my journey, but let's just say I`m not the most popular gal in Aspertia. Almost everyone liked Cory more, and he knew it. I just sat in the shadows and watched while he bathed in the spotlight. I was perfectly fine on my own, I actually prefer it since the alternative is not that great. The alternative is being told I`d be worth nothing, and should just stay out of the way. I am quite soft spoken since I am, well small, but I would show them. I would show them all just how worthless I am! I wanted my own Pokémon so that I could start a journey and show everyone just what this small fox was capable of!

On my fifteenth birthday, after a small, but wonderful celebration with my mom, I packed my bag. Taking my mothers advice, I packed light. I put in a potion, two changes of clothes, and a container filled with some of my birthday cake. I was all set to go and almost left, but stopped short at my desk. I stared at the top drawer with a thoughtful silence before I opened it, pulling out an old, dusty Pokéball. I smiled as I cleaned it up, allowing it's beautiful colors to shine.

Most standard pokeballs were red with a white bottom. But this one was special. The top of the Pokéball was a deep, royal purple while the bottom of it bathed in silver, the two halves separated by a sapphire line and a ruby button. My mom gave this to me on my third birthday. She said that when she was a trainer, she had gotten this Pokéball for her dearest friend, her beloved Dunsparce. Arrow was the first Pokémon my mother caught, and was her best. They took on many challenges and enjoyed every one, even if they didn't always win. They loved each other as much as two best friends could, which made it both painful and satisfying when, just a year after my birth, Arrow passed away from old age. Having lived a full life and knowing her trainer would always love her and always be safe, Arrow decided it was her time to go.

When Mom gave me the Pokéball, she told me that even though Arrow was a Dunsparce, a Pokémon many people do not like or care about, she was strong in her own way. She might not have been able to fly like a Dragonite, nor burrow like an Excadrill, but her determination and willpower made her a force to be reckoned with, and this custom Pokéball was Mom's way of showing she believed in her friend. And though I am small and weak now, she believes in me too.

So I now inherit the will of a dead Dunsparce, and I am freaking proud of it. I smiled and packed away the special Pokéball, leaving for the gym. Cheren was good friends with Professor Juniper's Assistant, so I suggested we all meet at the gym so that he could see his friend. Being the main educator AND leader of the School/Gym meant Cheren couldn't get out much. Poor guy.

Fueled by the excitement of my journey, I sprinted towards the gym, a grin plastered onto my face. Finally, after years of ridicule, I`d be free to make my OWN decisions, free to decide who I would be and where I would go on my own. I got closer to the gym and saw Cheren and a woman in the front. My joy was about ready to burst forth from me at seeing them, but as I got closer, I noticed they looked sad. Why were they sad?

And just like that, all my hopes and dreams come crashing down with just a few words.

"I`m sorry, but they were all taken."

Cheren had put his hand on my shoulder while Bianca, his friend, looked absolutely miserable for not bringing more Pokémon. I wanted to cry myself, and couldn't help it when I leaned into Cheren, clinging to the gym leaders uniform and quietly sobbing. It would be a whole year before more starters would be given to Juniper for distribution.

After releasing all of my emotions on the Aspertia Gym Leader, I let go and slowly stepped back to calm myself while the two of them looked at me with regret oozing out of them.

"Look at it this way, Vixen, one of the Pokémon was taken by Cory. That means he won't be around to bother you anymore. If you want, you can help me teach at the gym and take care of the Pokémon until next year." Cheren suggested, trying to cheer me up. He was always nice like that, trying to keep me in high spirits while Cory put me down.

"Oh gosh I am sooo so sorry. If I had known there would be more than three trainers, I would have brought more. My Stoutland's eggs just hatched, a baby Lillipup would have been a perfect starter for you!" Bianca said, still feeling horrible about the situation. I shook my head with a smile.

"It's okay I don't blame you in the slightest." I told her. I don't know if she believed me but it was the truth. It really wasn't the poor woman's fault, if anything it was Cory's. Anytime I tried to stand up for myself and make something out of myself, he always did everything he could to make sure I failed. I`m sure that even if Bianca DID have the power and means to bring a Lillipup as a registered starter here, he would have found a way to keep me from it too.

One thing people don't understand about me, I bounce back from disappointment pretty quickly, and so right now Cheren and Bianca were the only ones still sulking about MYsetback. It was touching to know that I did have SOME friends who cared who weren't my mother, but it wasn't fair of me to let them suffer when I was the one who had been wronged. So I decided to cheer them up.

"Oh, Fezzy!!!!!" I yelled. Cheren's Unfezant rushed out of the trees and barreled into the Gym Leader, having caught him off-guard. Bianca and I both laughed and decided Cheren shouldn't have all the fun, so we put our stuff down and joined in. For the next hour or so, we romped around with Cheren and Bianca's senior Pokémon, having good, old fashioned, Unovan fun.

But it couldn't last. School was about to start and Cheren didn't want to keep the munchkins waiting. He went inside the gym to prepare for his classes, and Bianca decided to explore Aspertia a bit. I would have gone with her, but I wanted to be alone. I made my way to the gate to route 20, assuring the guard that I was just going to sit on the path and watch the wild Pokémon.

I did just as I told the guard and sat down on the path, well away from the tall grass to watch the wild Pokémon. After all, liars are dirty and icky and need to be beaten by a Rhyperior.

Anyway, it was like any other day of watching Purrloin spar with each other, occasionally looking at me as if I had something they wanted. I was so happy and relaxed, I barely noticed when the Purrloin suddenly fled. Mildly curious but not totally concerned, I cracked an eye open just as a black and blue blur rushed out at me, screaming like a banshee. I stood up to try and run, but it was faster as it barreled into me, as if not knowing where it was going. I fell to the ground with a thud, feeling my teeth clack together painfully as my eyes squeezed shut to protect themselves from harm. I pushed myself up, dizzy from the experience, and looked to find what had hit me. Behind me, tangled in my legs, was a strange Pokémon I had never seen before. Its head, neck and shoulders were covered in a black, fluffy down with some purple streaks, it's blue scaled body sprawled out under it. I untangled myself from it and moved closer to the dinosaur-like creature, checking for wounds.

"You really should watch where you're go----" I started, but then noticed something odd. I could see from the way it was tilting its head that the Pokémon was clearly blind, and so could not have seen me in its way. It was obvious that if it had known I was in the path, it would have been more careful. The Pokémon stirred slightly and sat up, its face pointing towards me. It stayed perfectly still and so did I. Call it convoluted, but this was a staring contest if ever there were one. I reached out and gently touched the Pokémon's nose, and it responded by opening its mouth and carefully bringing my hand into it, biting softly but not hard enough to hurt. I smiled even as I heard a keening whine from the Pokémon.

"You hurt sweetie? Don't worry, I`ll help you. Glad I brought my bag." I told it, reaching into the bag and taking out the potion I had packed. I pet the Pokémon softly while I gently pushed it down, amazed as it lifted a leg to reveal a painful looking burn mark on its belly. A quick glance near its lower half revealed the Pokémon as female, and I cooed comforting words at the Pokémon while I sprayed the medicine, rubbing it in as she hissed, more out of pain than apprehension. Slowly, the wound went away, but I could tell that the poor creature would bear this scar for a long time to come. At least it looked pretty though, almost like a checkmark or an L. I sat back while the Pokémon slowly got up, giving me a toothy smile as if saying 'I`m okay!' I gave it a smile myself and reached into my bag again, pulling out the cake I brought with me.

"Are you hungry? You can share this with me if you want. I was going to save it for my journey, but I....have other plans." I said with a slightly saddened tone. The Pokémon tilted it's head at me and stuck its neck out until it was face to face with me, biting my nose and nuzzling my cheeks in an attempt to make me feel better. I laughed and gave her a pat on the head, feeling her large, fluffy horn before pushing her away. I opened the container and took out two squares of cake, a small piece for me and a larger one for her. We both ate relatively quickly and just enjoyed each others company, chewing our cake.

After we finished eating, I packed up my bag again and was getting ready to leave when I heard a growling sound, and it wasn't from my stomach. The Pokémon whimpered as she bumped her head roughly against my legs. I looked up and saw more Pokémon like my friend slowly stomp out of the tall grass. I could tell that they were no friends of the Pokémon behind me and quickly gathered that they were the ones who had hurt her, and glared at them, even though they probably could see me. One of the Pokémon snorted as though amused, and quickly rushed forward, knocking me out of the way and pinning me down while the others closed in on my frightened friend.

"No!" She cried, which had confused me for a minute until I remembered that she was in trouble. I had to do something to help her. Reaching into my pack awkwardly, for it was on my back and the heavy Pokémon was on my chest, I pulled out the container with the cake inside, flipping the lid off. It seemed to get the attention of my captor, who sniffed the air before getting off me to investigate the smell of the cake. It chowed down while I got up and ran back to my friend, sticking out my arms and firmly planting my feet into the ground.

"If you want her, you`ll have to go through me first!" I yelled. The Pokémon did not hesitate to meet my demand, all rushing towards me. They all crashed into me one after another, pummeling me with everything they had, but I was not going to let them hurt my new friend. I could do nothing but hope that she would take the time to run away as slowly, I went down. When I hit the floor completely, I curled up into a ball to protect myself as best as I could while the beating continued, bodies throwing themselves against mine while small, knife-like teeth ripped through my clothes and into my flesh. I could feel the tears welling up as I came to terms with my nearing death, but then I heard it.

"DEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!" A voice called, and suddenly I felt my attackers leave me one by one. With a small spurt of bravery, I opened my eyes and saw my friend standing in front of me protectively, the bullies scattered in front of us with various burns on their bodies. They groaned in pain as my friend snorted at them, still growling. I let out a small moan myself, drawing my friend's attention as she bent down to sniff me, poking her tongue out at my various cuts and bruises. Suddenly the Pokémon that had held me down before realized the trick I had played, and charged forward to avenge its comrades. My friend snapped her head up and roared as a bluish-purple flame erupted from her open maw, engulfing the Pokémon and throwing him back. I marveled at my friend's power and put a hand to her soft neck, exhaustion wracking my body. The Pokémon rubbed its head against mine to keep me awake, but it was no use. I was just too tired. I remember feeling her tongue on my face as my world went dark.

When I woke up, I was still on the road, and the sun was starting to set. Through my fuzzy vision I saw two shapes that slowly but surely made themselves take form. One was my friend, who I could tell was very worried even though she didn't have much of a face to make expressions. The other one was an Audino. I felt a warm, happy feeling well up in my body, and I knew from watching the ones in the Pokémon center that it was using Heal Pulse on me. Seeing me awake, Audino smiled at me and gave me a pat on the belly as it finished its move. I felt really good, and sat up, much to my friends delight, who promptly tackled me right back down, licking my face until I was almost drowning in her spit. The Audino gave her a light smack on the back of the head and scolded her, probably about being so rough with one of its recovering patients. Doing a final checkover, the Audino nodded in approval and gave me an oran berry, saying something that I could only guess was a wish to be careful as it wandered off. I looked around, and saw all the Pokémon were gone except for my friend. I soon realized that this little Pokémon fought them all off and chased them away, and then sought out an Audino, all for me. I sniffed slightly from the overwhelming emotion as I looked back at her, standing up. I gave her a warm smile and petted her head.

"Thanks so much for saving me from those Pokémon, and for finding me a doctor. I had a lot of fun with you. I think it's time for me to go home though, okay? I hope to see you again soon." I said with one last stroke of her horn. I grabbed my bag and picked up the now empty container that held my life-saving cake, and I made my way back to the gate. I greeted the worrying guard with a smile, telling her that I was merely sleeping and forgot the time to alleviate her worries, and started to head out as she snickered. I was curious, but not overly so, as I went to the gym to see how Cheren and his class were doing. I could see that he and Bianca were outside of the gym, talking about something when they noticed me. I smiled and waved at them, running up to meet them. I furrowed my brow though as they held a curious look on their faces.

"You're being followed." Cheren said as he pointed behind me. I looked to where he was pointing and saw my friend happily trotting over to me, sitting down abruptly when she got close. I started petting her head happily while Cheren and Bianca looked in wonder.

"I met her on Route 20 earlier and we made friends with each other." I explained. Bianca quickly took out a tablet and started tapping it with her stylus.

"But, that's weird, Deino haven't been seen in the wild for a long time. And that one is really small." Bianca said, perking my interest.

"Deino huh? So that's what she is." I said as I smiled and leaned down to get a closer look at her, when I realized there was something shining in her mouth. I frowned a bit out of confusion and touched her mouth gently, and she promptly lifted her head and wiggled it until my hand was cupping the front of her mouth, and she dropped something into my palm. I gasped as she moved away, revealing my mother's Pokéball. I must have dropped it while I was being attacked! But how did she find it? I looked up at her and felt a sort of connection, and both Cheren and Bianca grinned at each other in a knowing way. Pulling out her X-Transceiver, Bianca walked away to make a phone call while Cheren kneeled next to us.

"It look like you two really like each other." He said with a smile. I looked at him and nodded slowly as I reached out to Deino. She slowly extended her neck out to me, and I put my palm on her nose, rubbing it gently while Bianca came speeding back.

"Are you ready to go Vixen?" She asked, startling me. I looked up at her with eyes wide as saucers and blinked several times.

"What?" I asked her. She smiled and handed me her tablet, and I took it to study the screen. On it was a Pokémon Trainer Registration form, with all of my info filled out except for the starter. I looked at Deino and stared at her for a long, long time before I looked at the Pokéball in my hand. With a smile, I gave Bianca her tablet back and sat cross-legged in front of Deino.

"Say Deino, I know we just met and everything, but do you want to come with me? See, I was supposed to start my journey today, but all of the Pokémon got taken before I could. I have to wait a year before there are more. If you come with me as my starter Pokémon, we can be strong together! I saw what you did, and it was amazing! I would love to see that again. What do you say? Want to be my partner?" I asked her. Deino looked like she was thinking it over before giving me a toothy grin, bobbing her head up and down in her version of a nod. I beamed and promptly threw myself on the little blue dragon, hugging her tightly while she craned her neck to return the hug. I heard Bianca giggle while Cheren simply grinned, and I pulled away from Deino, still high from the happiness.

"You`ll need to catch her in a Pokéball before you officially start your journey though. Hang on, I think I have one." Cheren said as he began searching through his pockets. I tilted my head for a moment before looking at the colorful ball in my hand, smiling.

"No need, I have one." I said as I expanded the ball. Deino looked at me with her stubby tail wagging while I stood up, and Cheren looked on curiously.

"Deino!" Said my new partner. I smiled as I tilted my head once more in thought before I saw the scar on her side and smiled.

"You`ll need a name, something that only you have and no other Pokémon, not even other Deino. How do you like Lola?" I asked. Deino yipped happily and butted her head against my stomach, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright then. Here we go! Thanks so much Lola! Up!" I yelled as I threw the Pokéball to the sky. Lola leapt up after it and hit the crimson button with her nose, the Pokéball opening up and drawing her inside with a snap. The Pokéball landed on the ground with a soft click, and it shook very quickly three times before it rang with success. My journey with Lola had begun, and Lola had started on the path to success.

Chapter 2

Soon after I had captured Lola, I had to sit through the perfunctory "welcome to the world of Pokémon" speech that every starter distributor coughs up to annoy beginning trainers. I wasn't officially left alone until Bianca and Cheren had walked me out to Route 20 to show me how to catch a Pokémon, even though they SAW ME throw a Pokéball to catch Lola. Bianca said that she had to still do it though because technically Lola went with me willingly, and most Pokémon won't give up their independence that easily. I still think it was annoying though. Unless you live an incredibly sheltered life and are ignorant of Pokémon in general, then it should be fairly obvious that you have to weaken them before you catch them.

Luckily I did get something out of it though. After she got through catching a Purrloin she gave me 10 pokeballs for free. That was pretty fun, though I doubt I'd use them all. I mean, I respect the Pokédex project but I have something to prove first, and my quest won't get done if I tried to fill an encyclopedia first.

Wishing me good luck, Bianca and Cheren went back to Aspertia, leaving me all alone on route 20 again. Well, not totally alone, I had Lola with me. I stared at her Pokéball, which felt heavier with my friend inside, and smiled as I raised it up.

"Okay Lola. Let the training begin!" I said as it opened up, Lola the Deino leaping out of it. She landed gracefully in front of me, well, as graceful as a lanky, blind dragon can, and gave me a huge smile when she turned around. I furrowed my brows at her as I lifted a hand in front of her face, slowly waving it around while she followed its movements. What the heck? Wasn't she blind?

"How are you doing that? I thought you can't see?" I asked her. Lola sat down and thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain it to me despite the language barrier. I could feel something poking into my thoughts, and I smiled as i petted her.

"Well, maybe you aren't totally blind. Let's give it a try and get some training done! If you are going to be strong, then you'll need to practice. Let's find an opponent." I said while she jumped up excitedly. I put my hand on her head, both to help guide her and to somewhat reassure myself, as we both wandered through the grass, searching for Pokémon. We heard a growling and Lola tensed up, moving in front of me to protect me as the Deino from earlier returned. They were not happy about Lola beating them, and returned with their friends. I smirked as I gripped Lola's Pokéball tightly, looking down at the Deino.

"Perfect. What do you say Lola? Up for round 2?" I asked. Lola snorted and stamped her foot angrily.

"Deino!" She said defiantly. I laughed and stepped backwards to give her more room.

"Let's boogie! Lola, use Dragon Rage!" I commanded. Lola roared as she obeyed, releasing the same purple-blue fire from before. It was certainly a powerful attack, for her level, and it engulfed many of the surrounding Deino, knocking them all out with one hit.

"Yeah! Go Lola! Teach them not to mess with the little guy!" I yelled, pleased with her progress. But I celebrated too soon. Her attack couldn't last forever, and she ran out of breath. With the flames gone, Lola panted softly, trying to catch her breath again. There were a lot more Deino this time though, and they would not give her the chance to beat them again as they all ran forward, tackling Lola over and over and in some cases, biting her. Lola yelped in pain as each blow connected, and it was all I could do to not rush over and rescue her from them. Maybe if I could call her back into her Pokéball, I could run away quickly and get back to the gate. Surely the guards and their Arcanine partners were strong enough to fight off all of these Pokémon. Gritting my teeth, I held Lola's Pokéball up towards her.

"Lola! Return! I`ll get us away!" I cried. The Pokéball emitted a red beam of light that shot out, and Lola leapt up to meet it, allowing the beam to hit her scar and pull her into the ball, much to the attacking Deino's anger as they then turned on me. I grinned wickedly at them and turned around.

"Catch me if you can, asshats!" I yelled, sprinting for the gates while the standing Deino ran after me. The one good thing about being small is that I`m fast and very agile. I can dart around pretty quickly as long as I don't have to run far. Luckily the gate wasn't that far. I ran through the doors and smirked as the Arcanine leapt over the counter and charged in front of me, snarling and barking at the now-stopping Deino. They both let loose powerful roars the sent the Deino scurrying for their lives. I couldn't help but giggle at the entire situation as I walked over to the Arcanine, giving them both a tight hug and smiling at their trainer.

"Thanks you guys. Lola and I bit off a bit more than we could handle." I said as the Arcanine licked my hands while the guard nodded.

"It happens, just go on to the Pokémon center and get your Pokémon healed. Don't worry, we'll make sure those Pokémon stay out." She said cheerfully while her Arcanine barked in agreement. I smiled at them as I made my way back into Aspertia.

As I stood at the counter, waiting while Nurse Joy used her Machine to emulate a stronger version of Heal Pulse over Lola's Pokéball, I started to think about what went wrong with me and Lola back on Route 20. Clearly she was very powerful, but she didn't have the mindset to limit it. I opened the Pokédex and opened up the entry for Deino.

"Deino, the Irate Pokémon. Because they cannot see, Deino bite and tackle everything that surrounds them. These aggressive Pokémon are usually covered in scars as a result." The mechanical voice stated. I frowned at the info because Lola never did any of that. I mean yeah she took my hand into her mouth when we first met, and tends to nose me a little, but she's been very gentle and calm to me overall.

Maybe that's why the other Deino don't like her. Maybe she's too soft and timid to actually stand up for herself. Suddenly I felt myself growing angry. In a way, Lola and I weren't all that different from each other. I am a small girl who has been told I would never be worth anything by all except a few. Lola too, has paid dearly for being just a bit smaller and less confident than everyone else. Well, that won't happen to her anymore! Not if I have anything to say about it! As soon as Lola comes off that machine, we're going to do some serious training.

I puffed out my chest, my confidence soaring with my solidified resolve, as Nurse Joy brought back my Pokéball, giving me an odd and amused look.

"Here you are. Your Deino is feeling just fine now. You can go back to training, but I suggest you be careful not to get too far ahead of yourselves." She said warmly. I smiled and thanked the Pokémon doctor, letting Lola out of her Pokéball. The poor thing looked absolutely miserable, as if she had kicked her favorite puppy while trying to crush a cockroach. I put the Pokéball back on my belt and picked up Lola, hugging her tightly.

"Don't worry Lola, we'll get better. I promise that last beating you took will be your last. Come on, let's go get some special training in and then we'll go show those Deino once and for all what a powerful Pokémon you are!" I said, running out of the center with Lola in my arms. Although smaller than normal Deino, she was still pretty bulky, and running with her was kind of awkward, but at that moment I didn't care. I was going to reassure my friend that everything was okay and that I would help her any way I could.

Running until we got to the outlook, I set Lola down and panted, the wind being sucked out of me from my run with a 30 pound dragon. Lola poked her nose into my chest with a soft whine, as though asking me if I was alright, and I couldn't help but grin as I shot upright and threw my arm at Lola, pointing at her.

"I know what went wrong in that last battle, and why those Deino were so pissed at you to begin with. You aren't like other Deino are you? You're small, cuddly, and you don't have a mean bone in your body. Those are all very good things, but some people and Pokémon don't think so. They tell you that because of those qualities you are beyond useless and worthless, and that the only way you could contribute to society is by staying out of the way." I declared, making Lola silent and melancholy. I hit the nail on the head. I smiled as I kneeled down to stare at her face.

"Believe me I`ve been there Lola. All of my classmates and neighbors have told me I would never amount to anything. Except for the Gym Leader, Nurse Joy, my mom and the afternoon shift Guard, no one believes I will be anything more than a runt who got lucky to be born. But you know what? I do. I know that if just given the chance, I can be more than what everyone tells me I can be." I continued. I cupped Lola's face with my hands and touched my forehead to her nose, trusting her not to bite me.

"Do you want to know why I believe that? My mom told me something special once. Do you remember the Pokéball you brought back to me? That Pokéball once held my mom's favorite Pokémon. Arrow was a dunsparce that she absolutely adored, and it wasn't because Arrow was strong or pretty or rare. Arrow believed in herself and in her trainer, and no matter what happened she would always take on any challenge. It didn't matter how many people hated her, because my mom loved her unconditionally and she loved her back. That was enough for my mom and Arrow. Arrow showed mom she loved her with her constant willingness to fight for her beliefs, and Mom showed her loyalty to Arrow by buying her a special Pokéball that cost her a fortune to get." I petted Lola as I brought the Pokéball between us

"The people who make us feel bad for who we are, they don't do it because we are doing anything wrong. They hate looking at others who are what they are afraid to be, and so are determined to bring them down to their level until everyone is miserable. They want you to believe that you are worthless. But look at this Pokéball Lola." I said, bringing the ball close enough for her to mouth and sniff it before I continued.

"Look at it and know that you are NOT worthless. You are NOT a loser. When you go into battle, I want you to remember this Pokéball and know that you are strong, and that I believe in you. I know you are a peaceful Pokémon, but when it is time to fight, I want you to fight with everything you've got so that you can show the world what you are made of." I put the Pokéball back on my belt and stood up, looking at the land of Unova sprawled out beyond the railing.

"Let me hear it Lola! Hey Unova! My name is Vixen and this is my partner Lola! We are the going to be the best team that ever walked on the planet, and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop us!" I yelled proudly as Lola reared up and put her front paws on the railing.

"DEINO!!!!" She screamed with me, her inner fire lit up by my little speech. I smiled as I looked to the right, seeing the shadow of a big tree branch looming over.

"Come on Lola! Let's not have a bark bigger than our bite! Bite that tree branch that dares to muzzle us with it's shadows!" I declared as Lola ran, leaping up and snapping her jaws on the thick branch until it shattered. The severed limb landed with a thud in front of me while Lola stood on it, declaring her dominance over the fallen wood. I smiled and held out my arms as Lola leapt up to me and we hugged each other tightly, ready to take on our journey for real, and this time, nothing would stop us.

Chapter 3

After our high from my little speech wore off, me and Lola got down to some serious training. She had to learn when to hold back and when to go all out, since that was her main problem. She really didn't want to hurt anyone. Lola needed to understand that giving your all in a battle doesn't mean hurting your opponent. Sometimes yes, Pokémon do get hurt, in some cases badly, during battles. But at the same time, you learn to get a feel for each other's power.

"Do it Lola! Bite!" I yelled. She charged forward and latched onto the tree in front of her, shattering the branch. I smiled as I walked up to her, giving her a stroke on the neck. She perked her head up and beamed at me.

"Deino!" She said excitedly. I couldn't help but lean down and hug her tightly. Standing up, I began to walk away from our little training ground and started towards the gate.

"Let's go, we're ready." I told her. Lola obediently followed behind me with a spring in her step. We had spent the last couple of hours ripping branches off trees with her Bite attack and then setting them on fire with Dragon Rage. In the process, she had also perfected her Tackle and learned to use her horn in a deadly manner of Headbutt. Slowly but surely, we learned how to control her power and unleash it at will. But there was only one way to determine if we were really ready to use it.

"Listen Lola, I know you have a Docile nature, and you don't want to seriously hurt anyone, but as long as you control your power the way you showed me you can, you won't hurt anyone that bad. The worst you will do to anyone if knock them unconscious, which is what you are supposed to do. Understand?" I asked her. Lola silently nodded as we walked through the gate, ignoring the jeers from the night guard.

Yes, it was starting to get dark and the afternoon lady headed home, but I wasn't going to let something like that deter me from my journey. I love my mom but I am not going to spend one more night in the shelter of home when there was so much ahead of me. Camping out is all apart of the experience right? Besides, if anything went wrong I knew the Luxray of the Night Shift would protect me. Regardless of their trainers feelings for me they actually liked me, and would make sure Lola and I were safe even if he tried to tell them not to. The thought of being attacked by the Deino again wasn't what was bothering me right now though. It was something else entirely.

Dusk always made me slightly unsettled. I had never actually been outside of my house after the sun had set and the thought of being out after dark frightened me. It really did. But Lola would protect me. I know she would because she did even before she became my Pokémon. She took on a gang of Deino and came out on top for the sake of my safety and mine alone, for she was too afraid to do anything until my well-being was at stake. That didn't make me feel 100% better about being out in the darkness though, but it did give me confidence to do it. I knew all the wild Pokémon on route 20 very well, and the only one who would attack me are the Deino that showed up with Lola. But we would be okay. The wild Pokémon would help protect me from them and even if they failed, this time Lola and I were ready. We started on the path and made our way through the grass, greeting all the Purrloin and Patrat who wished us luck even as darkness fell.

I decided that after a long day, Lola and I should get ready for bed. I yawned and opened my bag to pull out dinner. I stopped by the market earlier in the day to get some food for me and Lola for later, and I had a feeling she would like this. I knew I would. To celebrate the first day of our journey, I ponied up all my savings and bought three, good-sized steaks. I took the packages of meat out of my bag and set them out and carefully opened them, looking at a family of Purrloin who stared at the meat with hungry eyes.

"If you guys get firewood and something to stick these on, you can have one." I told them with a smile. It was why I had bought the third steak. All the times I had been out here the Purrloin never once stole from me, even though they had a penchant for doing so. I wanted to thank them for their decency and for entertaining me so much growing up, this was the least I could do. They scurried in different directions while Lola nosed at the raw meat, and I had to bat her away while the Purrloin returned one by one. Two carried some large logs that would make a great fire, and one brought back these skewers it had obviously stolen from someone who must have picnicked here without knowing the wildlife better. The third one brought an armful of goodies it had also stolen from people, and the four of them set their items in front of me. I smiled at them and thanked each Purrloin, especially the one who was willing to share its own food with me even though it really wasn't obligated to. I had set up the wood in a sort of pyramid, and I gave Lola a pat while the Purrloin loaded the skewers with the steaks.

"Okay Lola, let'er rip. Dragon Rage, but only a little bit okay?" I asked her. Lola nodded as she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as blue and purple tongues lapped at the wood. She continued to blow slowly as the Dragon Rage took its sweet time to ignite the wood. After awhile though, the flames started to turn orange as the fire lit, and I put a hand on Lola's head to let her know she could stop. She closed her mouth and slowly sighed, pleased with herself on a job well done. The Purrloin handed me the loaded skewers as I stared at the three steaks to decide who should get what. I handed the biggest steak to the four Purrloin, since there were more of them, while I stuck the handle of the next biggest one into Lola's mouth. We did a sort of toast by joining the tips of the skewers together, me, Lola, and the leader Purrloin, before we held them close to the fire, watching with hungry eyes and empty tummies as the meat slowly cooked. I am very glad Mom let me help her in the kitchen and taught me some of her recipes.

Dinner went by with relative ease as the 6 of us ate in peace. I had opened some of the goodies the Purrloin shared with us and we feasted on steaks and chips, finishing with a bag of fruit gummies. With fat tummies and warmth from the fire, we huddled up together for warmth, as I hadn't thought to bring a tent or a sleeping bag with me. Slowly, we all fell asleep with me clinging to Lola and the four Purrloin sprawled out on top of us, warmth being shared all around as the fire slowly died. This was a moment I was going to treasure forever, and I snuggled closer to Lola as slowly, for the second time that day, sleep overtook me.

The next morning, Lola and I woke up to four pairs of shining eyes. I looked at the Purrloin as they pushed my bag to me. I looked inside and found it filled with bags of chips and gummies, as well as a can of Pokémon food that was loved by dark types. Turning to the Purrloin the dark cats gave me grateful smiles and each patted my knee before running off to forage and spar for the day. I smiled at their generosity and quickly put my pack back on, grabbing Lola's multicolored Pokéball before standing with a stretch.

"Ready to go Lola?" I asked her. The little dragon smiled at me and started forward and I laughed, following her. As we walked, I saw the morning Pokémon go about their days, and I felt freer than I ever had. With Lola by my side, I felt like I could take on the world, and I was ready to prove it when I heard a familiar growl. This time, we weren't going to run away. One by one, the Deino pack stalked toward us, but Lola and I had our wits about us. We stayed calm and collected while the Deino approached, and my eye twitched as I rested my hand on Lola's head.

"We're ready for you this time. If you guys don't want to get hurt, get out of our way. We're going to Floccesy, and you won't stop us." I said with the sort of calmness one would describe as deadly. The Deino scoffed as they each ran at Lola, but neither she nor I were going to run. Not this time. I stepped back and narrowed my eyes while Lola got into a fighting stance.

"Let's dance Lola! Headbutt and Bite, go!" I told her. Lola snarled and ran forward to meet her attackers, executing her moves in what could very easily be described as a dance. She bobbed and weaved to avoid taking damage, slamming her skull into her foes over and over. When one tried to do the same to her, she caught its horn in her mouth and clamped on tight, lifting her head and whirling to slam the foe into the rest of its team. Letting go of it, the Deino went flying into its comrades, knocking them down. The rest of the Deino were unsure, this was not the same little Pokémon they had tormented relentlessly before. This one was actually fighting back, hard. Lola snorted as she returned to my side, snorting in a dominant way at them. They continued to growl, and they took one step forward in a list-ditch effort to intimidate us, but Lola and I were not going to be stopped.

"Dragon Rage Lola!" I called. Lola took a deep breath and released the blue-purple flames, roar withheld, moving her head in a way that would make the attack catch all of her opponent who cried out in pain. Those who survived the attack without falling unconscious stayed put, frozen in fear of Lola and her power. With one last snort, Lola butted me forward, walking with pride behind me as we strutted past our foes, our heads high. Those Deino would no longer torment my little Lola anymore, and she would not be intimated that easily again. As Floccesy came into view, I bent down and picked up Lola, spinning in a circle and hugging her tightly as the two of us celebrated our first win against powerful rivals.

Chapter 4

We made our way to Floccesy town, still running off the pride of our win. Suddenly...

"AH OH MY GOD I`M ON FIRE!" Was my exact quote as I heard a voice call out to me and saw something big and fiery jump down in front of us, scaring the crap out of me and startling Lola to the point where she yelped and released Dragon Rage. The figure ducked as her purple-blue flames shot past it, and the creature ran to me and gripped my shoulders in alarm.

"WOAH take it easy! I`m terribly sorry I didn't mean to scare you guys like that." Said a male voice. I looked up and saw that it was NOT a fiery monster from the depths of the Distortion World that came to eat me for my hypocrisy, but instead the fiery-headed former champion of Unova. I sighed in relief and quickly calmed down my panicking Deino. After everyone got themselves together, Alder and I shared a good laugh over the whole ordeal.

"I`m just glad Lola didn't roast you. That would be a tough one to explain to Officer Jenny." I said with a giggle as I petted Lola. Alder chuckled as he held a hand up.

"Not as tough as you'd think. Anyway, I saw what you and your Deino did and I've gotta say, I'm really impressed. Your Deino looks really good." He said as Lola preened. I rolled my eyes at the pair and shook my head. Looking up at Alder, I found myself curious.

"So uh, what can I help you with?" I asked him. He gave me a warm smile as he started walking towards Floccesy town.

"You're a new trainer right? Come with me." He asked. I shrugged and, not knowing what else to do, followed him with Lola padding beside me. We followed Alder into town where the most soothing music was playing from a small band in the square. I couldn't help but sway to the song as Lola and I followed Alder, drunk from the relaxed music. He led us through the streets and up a flight of stairs until an old, homey building rose up in front of us. Clearly it was his home, and he led us inside.

The inside of the building looked just as warm and inviting as the outside had. There were many tables and cushions lined in the room and in the back, a few steps rose up, covered by a carpet not unlike what Alder himself wore. Boxes were scattered on the sides and on a shelf in the very back were 3 pokeballs. For a moment, I thought he was a distributor, but as he asked me to sit down and then disappeared into a door next to the shelf, I suddenly had a queasy feeling well up inside me. I whimpered a little and shrunk in on myself, unsure of this feeling, while Lola headbutted me gently to try and comfort me. Why was I feeling so unsettled?

"So where is this promising new trainer you want me to battle?" A familiar voice said, making my skin crawl and my eyes widen. No. No anyone but him. I looked up as the door opened again and Alder came out, followed by the last person I wanted to see. Cory. Cory and I stared at each other for what seemed like ages, and Lola and Alder were both confused, though Lola moved to step in front of me to protect me. Suddenly Cory sneered at me and then turned to Alder as the older man spoke.

"This is who I want you to battle. She and her Pokémon are quite something." He said, completely oblivious to the hostile air that began to fill the room. Cory burst out laughing as though what Alder said was the most hilarious thing he ever heard, and I could feel myself growing annoyed.

"You're joking right? Don't you know who she is? That's itty bitty Vixy, my runt classmate from trainer school. And she ain't a trainer, let alone "quite something". Now seriously, where is the trainer you wanted me to fight?" He asked, and I felt myself go over the boiling point as I stood up abruptly and slammed my fist on the table in front of me.

"I AM the trainer he wanted you to fight Cory! Despite your best efforts, you didn't prevent me from becoming a trainer. Come on you slimy little wurmple! You think you are so much better than me? Why don't you prove it by battling me and Lola? Unless you're a Torchic! Chic chic chic!" I said with venom in my voice. Lola echoed my challenge with a stomp of her foot, and Alder just watched in silence as Cory stared at me with pure rage in his eyes. No one had EVER spoken to him like that, and for the first one to do so being the runt that he picked on since the day he was born seemed to fill him with rage. He grabbed a Pokéball off his belt and looked at me as though he could kill me just by glaring.

"How dare you?! Fine, I accept your challenge runt. We'll put you in your place for good. Wotter, let's go!" He said, throwing the Pokéball as though it had poop on it. The Pokémon burst out of the Pokéball and looked at me with an air of friendliness. It was kinda cute actually. And it seemed nice enough, though I had a point to prove, and that Oshawott needed to go down to do it. Lola padded in front of me and faced the Oshawott, growling in my defense, and the Oshawott grabbed its scalchop.

"Wotter? Seriously? What did you do that so you could remember it was a water type and not a rock Pokémon?" I said, baiting Cory. He fumed as he bared his teeth at me.

"Shut up! It's better than Lola! Seriously what kind of retarded name is that? Wotter! Use water gun!" He commanded. Wotter gave me an apologetic look as it obeyed, releasing a small torrent of water towards Lola. Looking at the type compatibility chart in her head for a moment, she smirked before turning to Lola.

"Stand your ground Lola! Then use Headbutt!" I commanded. Lola lowered her head to take on the attack and then charged forward, slamming into Wotter's stomach. Cory growled at the retaliation as Wotter flew at his feet.

"Get up Wotter! What happened? Why didn't my attack do anything?!" He growled. I smirked at his ignorance as Lola trotted back to me.

"You should have paid attention in school when they were teaching us about types. Don't you know Water type attacks can't do serious damage on Dragon Pokémon unless there was a massive difference in level?" I teased. Seeing Cory squirm was great, and once again I had Lola to thank for this. Cory was beyond pissed as he glared at his Oshawott.

"Get up Wotter! Don't let this runt beat me! Get up and tackle that overgrown lizard!" He commanded. Wotter clearly had a hard time getting up, considering the massive hit that Lola had dealt it, and seeing it struggle snapped me out of my rage and made me feel sorry for it.

"Hey Cory, I think we should stop. Wotter looks too tired and hurt." I said as the Pokémon finally stood.

"Shut up! I know more about my Pokémon than you do! You just don't want me to win! I ALWAYS win, runt! And I ALWAYS beat you! Wotter! Tackle!" He commanded, Wotter stood up and ran at Lola with full speed. Clearly it was giving everything it had, and as Lola braced herself to bounce it back again, I found I didn't have it in me to let her do it. I wanted to win, and beat Cory, but not like this. I sighed as I knew what I had to do.

"Lola!" I yelled. She nodded as she seemed to catch on what I wanted her to do, and she began running at Wotter in a Tackle of her own, though she "tripped" halfway through and fell down, exposing her scar as Wotter slammed into her, sending her across the room as I ran to intercept, wheezing as I caught her and softened the impact with my body while we crashed into the wall. While I sucked in as much air back into my lungs as I could, Lola licking my neck to help stimulate the muscles, I could hear Cory whooping and hollering and praising his injured Oshawott.

"Haha yeah! I told you Vixen! I ALWAYS win. See you later loser! I`m off to get my first badge!" He said as he proudly carried his tired Oshawott out of the house.

Having caught my breath, I encircled Lola's neck and held her tightly and began to cry and apologize to her over and over, burying my face in her fluffy down and gripping it in my fingers as she nuzzled me tenderly, muttering her name in my ear as though saying sweet nothings to comfort me. The sobs wracked my body and soon I felt a warm hand on my back. Looking up from the neck of my Deino, I saw Alder look at me with a sort of warmth and pride one would see in their beloved grandfather.

"What you did was very brave, and very noble. And the best part was the you communicated it to your Pokémon without words. As far as I am concerned, YOU won that battle. I have something for you." He said as he stood up, walking to the back of the room where the pokeballs laid on the shelf. He picked one up and wandered back over to me, holding the Pokéball in front of me. I sniffled as I took the offered Pokéball and stared at the button.

"What is this?" I asked, my voice thick with crying. Lola poked the Pokéball with her nose curiously as Alder smiled at us.

"After I left the Pokémon league, I decided to help with the starter Pokémon breeding program. Don't tell anyone, but I have a secret breeding ground behind my house where I help breed Pokémon suitable for beginning trainers. That one is one of the more exotic starters, and I was going to keep it for a little while longer because it still needs some guidance. But I can't quite teach it the right kinds of values it needs because I`m old and I don't get around as much as I used to. I think YOU are better suited to raising this Pokémon than I am. Take it as my thanks for showing me such a mature, well-thought out battle." He told me. Forgetting my sadness, I stared at the Pokéball in wonder, unsure of if I truly deserved such an honor. Lola bumped me with her nose and gave me a warm smile that seemed to say 'What are you waiting for? Open it! ' I smiled back at her as I tapped the button, turning the Pokéball around as it burst open and the small Pokémon emerged from inside.

It. Was. ADORABLE. From its squinty eyes to the yellow belly to the magnificent green fur with four red spots, this Pokémon was basically cute on steroids. It looked up at me and stuck its tongue out in an adorable way. If one could die from cuteness, I would have dropped down right there.

"Quil!" It said, leaping into my chest. I giggled as I hugged the Pokémon tightly, lifting it away from me and turning it over until I could identify its gender.

"You're a boy! You are really cute, and you remind me of this hilarious and adorable character in a book I read once. So from this day on your name is Sorrel. Do you like it?" I asked. The cyndaquil giggled and rubbed his nose against my wrist, clearly happy with my choice. I smiled and hugged Sorrel again, looking up at a beaming Alder.

"How could I possibly thank you for this?" I asked him. Alder laughed as he put a hand on my head, rubbing my dirty blonde hair.

"Never give up. A dream is a wonderful thing, so you can best repay me by continuing to chase yours. Don't let people like Cory get to you. And remember to have fun! There's nothing more fun than a journey with Pokémon! My advice to you: take on the gyms. Cory might feel better about battling and losing to you if you take part in the Pokémon league. Only the serious trainers pursue that destiny." He said. I held Sorrel in my arms as I silently considered Alder's proposal, looking at Lola for her input. She simply smiled and touched my cheek with her nose, and I knew that no matter what I chose, she'd support me all the way.

"Alright I`ll do it. But, where do I start?" I wondered, looking at Alder. He hummed in consideration as he thought of where my first badge should be.

"You're from Aspertia right? Why don't you go back and challenge your gym there? I`m sure you know of the gym leader, and I`m definitely sure Cheren would love to see how far you have come." He replied. I smiled as I realized he was right. Challenging Cheren would surely show that I was ready to be on my own, and that I would be just fine. I stood up, tightening my grip on Sorrel to keep him from falling while a fire lit inside of me.

"Then Aspertia city it is. Look out Cheren, we're coming for your badge!" I declared, smiling as though I could already taste victory. With our new friend Sorrel, the Pokémon League didn't stand a chance against me and Lola

Chapter 5

After thanking Alder for the millionth time, I left his home to begin training. I decided that while Lola was strong now, Sorrel, who rode on her back while she loyally followed behind me, would need some practice. So the best way to get him trained was to start at the beginning. I made my way back to Route 19 and I overlooked the grassland off the small hill I stood on. Though it was cold, much colder than normal, it was still a relatively nice day. I smiled and made my way down the hill to find someone willing to train with me and Sorrel, and I heard a familiar growl. I moaned in exasperation as Lola and I turned to the brush from which multiple Deino emerged.

"Don't you guys ever give up? Come on, Lola won 2 out of 3." I said while shaking my head, but something was off about the Deino. They didn't seem to be as aggressive as before. They calmly walked up to us, and Lola tensed herself in case she had to defend us. However that proved to be unneeded as the Deino laid down one by one and rolled over, exposing their soft bellies to us. Oh, so NOW they wanted to be friends? Go figure. But then, this was good, because I had an idea.

"Say guys, you wanna help us out? We want to challenge the gym in Aspertia, and I'd appreciate it if you helped us get ready." I asked them. The Deino barked as they rolled back onto their feet, smiling at us as they reared up, eager to make it up to us. Maybe they weren't such bad Pokémon after all.

And so I spent the entire morning coaching Sorrel and Lola. The Deino took turns fighting Lola and Sorrel. Though I could easily have done a double battle format, it was important for Sorrel to get one on one experience and not have to depend on Lola for strength. And he didn't need to. Though he was a goofy little thing, Sorrel was a strong little Cyndaquil. I mean yeah, I knew what the Deino were capable of and that they were holding back quite a bit for Sorrel's sake, but they were still fighting seriously and so was he. That tiny little fire mouse gave them everything he had, and after awhile, his back erupted into flames while he cried out, firing little flames out at his current opponent. Lola and her opponent stopped sparring as, shortly after executing his newly learned Ember attack, Sorrel began to glow, and it wasn't from the flames on his back.

His tiny ball of a body grew long and slightly pudgy. His once thin nose becoming rounder while his limbs got more pronounced. As the glowing faded, Sorrel sat on his back legs, his arms hanging against his body. Sorrel opened his eyes to reveal crimson orbs, and he fell onto his forelegs as he let out a roar, flames erupting from his head and rump. I smiled as I hopped up and down in glee, having witnessed my first evolution.

"Look at you Sorrel! You evolved!" I shouted. Sorrel looked at me with his tongue poking out as he ran to me, barreling into my chest.

"Quilava!" He cried. I hugged him tightly, relieved that even though he wasn't a tiny Cyndaquil anymore, he was still the same adorable, Quirky little ball of fire and fur that Alder gave to me. I put him down and smiled as Lola joined us, and we looked at the Deino we had spent the morning with.

"Thanks so much you guys. We're ready. Wish us luck!" I said as I turned away, walking towards the Aspertia gate with Sorrel and Lola walking on either side of me. I couldn't help but smile as I heard the other Deino calling out to us, saying good bye and wishing us good will as we left the grass. Upon entering the gate, I greeted the Afternoon Guard and her two Arcanine, telling them of my intentions before leaving for the city itself.

Aspertia seemed strange to me now, even though it had only been a day since I left for my journey. With a shrug, I continued on the familiar roads until I got to the gym, and I realized that now was probably not the best time to bother Cheren, since he was most likely teaching right now. Looking at Sorrel and Lola, I smiled and began walking towards the gym anyway. Who said I need to challenge Cheren now? My Pokémon were sweet and gentle enough, I`ll let the kids play with them while I tell Cheren about my adventure so far. I walked into the building and made my way towards the classroom, where Cheren was talking about battle ailments.

"Poisoning, Burns, Paralysis, Freezing and Sleep are the 5 main afflictions Pokémon can get in battle. There is also Confusion, but it is not considered an affliction since Pokémon can have it and one of the other 5 as well. They are all temporary though, and go away when your Pokémon falls unconscious, or you take it to a Pokémon center." I heard Cheren say as I stood in the doorway. He clearly saw me, and smiled, but carried on with his lesson knowing I wouldn't interfere.

"Now then, all of the conditions, even confusion, can be prevented by the Pokémon themselves. Either by their type or ability. Your homework tonight is to figure out how each affliction, even confusion, can be prevented. Now then, I`ll be back in 5 minutes. Be nice." He said as he walked towards me while the classroom erupted into chatter. I stepped back so he could leave the classroom and close the door. Cheren gave me a warm smile as he observed Lola and Sorrel, and I couldn't help but return the toothy grin.

"I was gonna challenge you to a gym battle, but then I took an arrow to the knee." I said, causing Cheren to chuckle and shake his head in exasperation.

"The wasn't funny when I heard that from Cory, why would it be funny from you?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eye. I could tell he was just playing, so it was just fine.

"Because the joke is in the random timing in which it was told?" I offered. Cheren looked like he was thinking before nodding.

"Very true. Anyway I accept your challenge." He said, sticking his head back into the classroom.

"Gym Battle everyone." He said, causing the children to break out in delightful screams. I was floored for a moment, having had my challenge accepted even during class. The children ran out of the room and formed a single file line while Cheren stood next to me in the back, with a smile, he directed the girl in the front of the line to lead us to the field. We all walked through the halls until we reached the back of the gym, going through a door that led to the gyms dusty battlefield. With a snap of his fingers, Cheren's class ran to the bleachers and found seats while he took his place on the high rise on one side of the field. I stood on my side of the field, and couldn't help the nervous and excited at the same time. After all, it was my first battle. Clyde showed up behind me and took his place in the middle of the field on the sidelines.

"This will be a two on two single-style gym battle. When both Pokémon on one side are unable to continue the battle will end. Only the challenger may make substitutions. Begin when ready." He said in a professional tone. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at Sorrel.

"You're up first buddy, let's show Cheren was you can do." I told him. Sorrel gave me his trademark smile with his tongue sticking out, and padded to the center of my side of the field. Cheren gave a nod of approval as he pulled out a Pokéball.

"Alright then. Here I come Vixen. Show me how far you've come." He said, throwing his Pokéball. A patriot emerged from it, and I was slightly disappointed. He was going to use the official gym Pokémon instead of his own. That was a bummer. Oh well, at least I was still fighting Cheren. He would give me a good fight even if the Pokémon he used weren't his Pokémon. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, opening them with determination.

"Sorrel, start off with Quick Attack!" I commanded. Sorrel began to run at Patrat with lightning fast speed. Cheren was unfazed though, and he crossed his arms.

"Patrat, do it." He commanded. Patrat nodded and stayed perfectly still even as Sorrel slammed into it. That was odd, why wasn't it dodging or counter-attacking? Cheren wasn't one to throw a fight. What was he up to? I didn't have time to dwell on it though, I wanted to finish this quickly.

"Sorrel, now use Ember! And don't stop until it goes down!" I told him. Sorrel backed away from it and lit his head and tail flames, howling as he spit his small flames at the Patrat. The Scout Pokémon winced in pain, but still stayed strong as Cheren closed his eyes. When it started to glow, Cheren opened his eyes abruptly.

"Let it go Patrat!" He commanded. Patrat suddenly squawked as it brought its paws together, even while Sorrel's Ember burned it, and a ball of energy formed in the center of its paws. Thrusting its arms forward, Patrat unleashed a massive beam of energy at Sorrel, hitting him dead-on in the center of his chest and throwing him at my feet. Oops.

"Bide. I should have known. I`m sorry Cheren. Sorry Sorrel." I said, bending down to pick up the Quilava.

"Quilava is unable to battle, Patrat wins." Clyde said as Sorrel gave me an apologetic smile. I smiled back at him and shook my head, hugging him tight.

"It's okay buddy, you did great. Now take a good, long rest." I told him, recalling him back into his Pokéball. Standing up, I gave Cheren a defiant smile.

"Wanna keep going?" He asked. I nodded as Lola trotted in front of me. She snorted and stamped her foot, obviously ready to go. Though I didn't spend as much time coaching her through the training with the Deino as I did with Sorrel, I knew she was independent and smart enough to have gotten what she needed from them. She was ready for this fight.

"You're in trouble Cheren. Lola and I have come a long way since you last saw us." I told him as Lola chuffed in agreement. Cheren smiled at us as he uncrossed his arms. He was going to take us seriously now.

"We'll see about that. Patrat, Bite!" He commanded. Patrat ran forward and leapt up, latching onto Lola's horn with its big teeth. Lola roared as she threw her head, trying to get it off. I gritted my teeth at the move, and tried to think quickly. Wait a second, the stand! The high rise Cheren stood on looked very sturdy. I grinned as I got an idea.

"Lola! Use Headbutt on the high rise in front of you!" I yelled. Lola reared up and charged forward, lowering her head as she made contact with one of the support beams on the high rise Cheren stood on. But she herself didn't back contact. The Patrat that clung to her horn gasped as the wind was knocked out of it from being squished between her hard head and the beam which supported its trainer. Lola pulled away and made her way back to me, shaking the dizziness off her head as Patrat fell to the ground, rolling over in dizziness.

"Patrat is unable to battle! Deino wins!" Clyde said as Cheren recalled his Pokémon. He gave me a small smile as he brought out another Pokéball.

"Very clever of you, using the field to your advantage. I was surprised by your recklessness during the start of the battle but it looks like you snapped out of it. Now the real battle begins." He said, throwing the Pokéball. A lillipup burst out of the ball and ran around the field excitedly, and for a moment I was filled with the desire to play with it. But then Cheren snapped his fingers, and suddenly Lillipup calm down, staring at me and growling. I smiled as Lola got into a fighting stance, and the battle began.

"Lola, Tackle!"

"Lillipup, Tackle!" Cheren and I cried. The two Pokémon charged at each other, connecting blows over and over, with neither side giving an inch. I could hear the children of Cheren's class shouting encouragements, some for Lillipup and some for Lola. I couldn't help but smile as I realized, this was fun! Alder was right, there was nothing like a good battle. It didn't matter what the outcome would be, I was still having fun. That said, I really wanted to win.

"Lola, use Bite to get it away from you and then follow up with Dragon Rage!" I commanded. Lola grabbed one of Lillipup's ears and tossed it back, then she opened her mouth and released Dragon Rage. The blue and purple flames shot out towards Lillipup, but it was fast. Lillipup quickly ran out of the way of the Dragon Rage, barreling towards Lola and slamming into her side.

"You`ll have to do better than that if you want your first badge. Lillipup, Tackle again!" Cheren called. Lillipup barked as it charged at Lola, constantly dodging every move she made, much to her frustration. I wasn't too happy myself. How was I supposed to be a Pokémon that could move so much faster? I growled softly as Lola kept trying. I could hear her whimpers as she desperately tried to connect her attack so as not to disappoint me. I kept thinking, but I could not find a way to slow down that Lillipup.

"Keep trying Lola! Keep up the Dragon Rage!" I commanded. Lola screeched as she carried out my command, spitting fireball after fireball at the speeding Lillipup. Okay this was getting stupid. I could feel my left leg twitch in irritation in sync with my eye, and anyone who didn't know better would think I was having a heart attack, but this was pissing me off. I looked down at Lola's Pokéball and clenched my fist, I couldn't give up, I wouldn't. And neither would Lola. I looked back at the battle and saw something strange. Her flames were changing color. Dragon Rage always produced a fire that had a blue-and-purple hue to it. But with each attack her fires grew more purple, and then turned into a reddish purple, and it was getting more and more red. I opened my Pokédex and scanned her, then smiling at the data it told me. This attack, if I timed it right we might just slow that Lillipup down.

"Lola! Stop attacking and use Headbutt!" I commanded. Lola closed her mouth and charged at Lillipup, who easily dodged while Cheren scoffed.

"What are you doing? That won't work. Lillipup, finish this with Tackle!" He commanded. Perfect. As Lillipup charged at Lola, I smirked. it was just what I had been waiting for. As though she knew what I was planning, Lola stayed still like a good girl as the Lillipup got closer and closer. With another toothy grin, I threw my fist out.

"Now Lola! Use DragonBreath!" I commanded.

"What!?" Cheren cried as Lola tilted her head back, throwing it forward as a stream of pink fire erupted from her mouth. Lillipup was too close to try and dodge, and felt the full fury of Lola's DragonBreath. I couldn't help but cheer as her attack completely engulfed Lillipup, and I was still very happy even when her attack puttered out and the Lillipup remained standing. I was happy because even though Lillipup was still up, I could see yellow streaks crackling on its body. Lillipup was paralyzed.

"Okay Lola, let's finish this with Headbutt!" I commanded. Lola roared as she charged at Lillipup, who was unable to move when she collided with it. With all her power, Lola threw Lillipup all the way across the field, crashing into the support beam of the high rise Cheren stood on and slowly slide down. Lola panted in exhaustion as Lillipup struggled to stand. Damn! How much could this thing take? Lola can't keep up forever! But then Lillipup went down with a soft whimper, and Clyde raised his flags.

"Lillipup is unable to battle, Deino wins! The victory goes to the challenger Vixen!" He said as the kids reacted. Some cried out in joy at seeing Lola win, while others were disappointed that Lillipup lost. I myself was proud as I ran onto the field, tackling my tired little Deino and hugging her tightly.

"We did it we did it we did it! Thanks so much Lola! It's all thanks to you! We won our first badge!" I cried. Lola herself was happy as she licked my cheek. She won two battles in a row and learned a brand new attack in the process. Cheren seemed happy as well as he recalled Lillipup and strode over to us, clapping slowly.

"Well done, Vixen and Lola. You two really HAVE come a long way since I last saw you. You two have grown so much in such a short time, and so it is with great pleasure that I present to you the Balance Badge." He said as he held out the badge. It looked like the spine of a book. Fitting for a teacher. I grabbed the maroon pendent and stared at it with pride while Lola nosed my hand, wanting to see it too. I smiled as I grabbed Sorrel's Pokéball with my other hand, letting him out of it. He was still tired, but conscious.

"Look Sorrel, Lola. Our first badge, and I couldn't have done it without either of you. Even you helped Sorrel. Bide only works if the Pokémon takes damage, and since it took enough damage to take you out it was easy for Lola to take it down and bring out the next one." I said, reassuring my Quilava. He gave a small sigh as though he were still upset with himself about losing, but like me he forgot his sorrow quickly as I lowered the badge until he could see it. Sorrel plucked the little pendent out of my hand with his paws as he held it closer, as though reading some sort of secret on it. Sorrel then smiled as he handed it off to Lola, who nosed the badge and then gently took it into her mouth. As the bottom half of the badge stuck out of her mouth Lola smiled softly, feeling the weight of her accomplishment as she stuck her neck out, dropping the badge back into my hand with a soft chirp. I smiled and petted them both as I stuck the badge in my pocket. I`d have to find a better place to put it. Cheren smiled at me and put his hand on my shoulder while the kids gathered around us.

"You're all done here Vixen. You don't need me or your mother or Aspertia anymore. You need to leave, for good this time. You have proven to me that you are smart enough and strong enough to be on your own, and your bond with Lola is so incredible, we can rest easy knowing that you will be safe. Virbank city is the next closest gym. I think you can handle Roxie, but be careful, she uses poison types." He said as a little girl approached us. She tugged on my coat and I looked at her curiously as she held out pink berries.

"I was doing my homework during the start of the battle, because I didn't think you could win against Mister Teacher. I stopped when your Deino beat Patrat. She's really cool! I`m sorry for not believing in you. Take these as my apowogy. They are Pecha Berries. They make Pokémon all better when they get poisoned." She said as she kept her hands extended. I smiled as I took the berries, putting them in my bag. I put my hand on the little girl's head and chuckled at her.

"Thanks so much! These will really come in handy." I told her. She beamed at me as she rejoined her class, and with one last smile Cheren nodded at me and walked to the children. There was nothing more to be said. Looking down at Lola and Sorrel, I grinned at them and recalled them back into their pokeballs, making my way out of the gym and to the Pokémon center.