Hello everyone.
This chapter will show you all the way that I write. It's about rising up and overcoming the odds to defeat the opponenet. Some of the main characters will be introduced and they will be further developed in later chapters. Also included is a short battle showcasing some Pokemon. I hope you enjoy it!
~bigwilly

The Pokemon crashed into the dusty ground of the school courtyard, fainted from the Shadow Sneak delivered its opponent. It was hot day at St. Marcellin's College as the Australian sun beat down on the Brisbane high school. White shirts were wet with sweat and gold ties had long been loosened as the students celebrated the end of the school term with Pokemon battles.

"Hot damn, I thought I had that one," said 15-year-old Jack Perry, who had just recently lost. He recalled his Pokemon back into its Poke ball and trudged over to the bench where his friends sat. He slumped down onto the bench and took a sip of water from his water bottle, his straight blonde hair dripping with sweat. Jack had attracted a lot of girls with that blonde hair. He was one of many Grade 10 students at St. Marcellin's College but was one of the less talented battlers. He stood at 5'7" and had a lean body from years of cross country running. His girlfriend Claire Baker sat beside him, her long black hair in stark contrast with his. She was 5'3" and had perfect facial features, just like Jack.

"Don't worry about it Jack, Mark has always been the strongest battler at the school," she said, comforting Jack after his loss.

Said battler, Mark, stood at one end of the yard surrounded by his crew of mates, not trying to hide the smug grin he had on his face. Mark was a very large young man, at least 6 feet tall with a strong physique. He was an impressive battler and the worst part about it was that he knew it, often flaunting his skills arrogantly by beating other students. Mark was your typical school bully, not too bright but always competent when it came to beating some poor kid, either with fists or with Pokemon. He called out across that yard, "Any other losers want to battle the king?"

"You shouldn't have taught your Haunter Shadow Punch," came a voice from Jack's left. Jack turned to his best friend.

"And why not?" replied Jack, a little annoyed that his companion could criticize him when he had just sat there the whole duration of the battle. "You said it yourself; moves that are the same type as the Pokemon gain an attack bonus so Shadow Punch should've knocked out his Bannette."

The boy smiled. "That's true, I did say that. But you have to play to your Pokemon's strengths. Haunter's attack power is shit, you should've used Shadow Ball."

Jack sighed. "Shut up Will. You couldn't have beaten him."

Claire sensed an argument brewing and put herself between the two boys. "Let's just calm down here. Jack battled well! Anyone who stands up to that arrogant dickhead should be congratulated."

Will leaned forward. "He annoys you that much?"

"Yes! He constantly bullied me and my friends back in primary school. Look, he's doing it now."

Jack and Will looked over to where Claire was pointing and noticed Mark and his friends looming over a group of younger students. It was clear by the look on the young boy's faces that they were getting a hard time.

Jack stood up. "I'll take care of this."

"Jack, no!" Claire reached out but Jack had already stridden off towards Mark.

Jack walked up to the Grade 12 students, trying to act confident in front of the rest of the students grouped in the courtyard. "HEY!" he shouted. Mark turned around to face Jack and it was only then that Jack realised just how enormous Mark really was. He could see the muscles bulging beneath his shirt and a fresh layer of sweat broke out on his forehead. Not to mention he was backed up by five of his mates.

"You want something, retard?" Mark asked in his snide voice.

Jack mustered up all his courage as he replied, "Yeah mate, leave those kids alone!"

A moment passed as Mark and his friends stared at Jack. It felt like hours. And then they started to laugh. "Are you serious? How old are you 14? Piss off."

Jack was determined to put a stop to the bullying and pressed on indignantly. "Stop being a faggot to everyone! Seriously, your macho act doesn't impress anyone."

A few meters away, Claire looked worryingly at Will. "He's going to get hurt!"

Will said nothing and continued to watch the encounter with a concentrated look on his face.

Mark took a step closer to Jack, angry now that the boy had insulted him. "What the fuck did you just say to me? You just insult me? This guy insulted me." He turned to his friends who just nodded and glared at Jack. Jack was seriously starting to regret challenging Mark.

"L-Look, just stop being such a jerk to everyone, okay?" Jack managed to say.

Mark smirked. "Jesus mate I hope your fighting skills aren't as bad at your battling skills." And he threw his fist right into Jack's face.

Jack threw himself out of the way but he wasn't fast enough. Mark's fist bounced off the side of his head and Jack was thrown to the ground. He scrambled up, eager now to let out his anger at Mark. He responded with a punch of his own but Mark just grabbed his arm with his meaty fist and shoved Jack back on the ground. The rest of Mark's friends joined in and soon Jack was getting kicked from all sides. The rest of the students in the courtyard had noticed the brawl going on and were watching from a distance.

Claire shouted out something that was inaudible to the pair, the fight taking over their senses. Will's hands balled up into fists at watching his friend getting hurt and he jumped up off the bench.

"Hey dipshit!"

Mark and Jack stopped fighting and fifty pairs of eyes swiveled quickly in their sockets to look at who had called out. Mark backed off and stared. Jack got up, his lip cut and dirt covering his white school shirt. He appeared unharmed except for a small bruise on his face and walked over to stand by Claire who proceeded to clean him up.

"Are you talking to me?" asked Mark.

"Yeah mate, I'm talking to you."

Mark scoffed at the fact that someone could call him names after he had just beaten the last person to do the same thing. He pointed a thick finger threateningly at Will. "Buddy, you better watch your tongue or you're going to end up like your friend over there."

Will ignored him. "Mark, I've had enough of your cocky bullshit and I'm sure everyone here has as well." He gestured at the rest of the students around him. "We're all having a good time and you're really starting to piss me off so I have a deal for you."

Mark's eyes narrowed. "I'm listening."

"You think you're so top shit at battling? I'll battle you."

Immediately whispers broke out around the courtyard. Some were excited, some were doubtful. Will ignored them and kept his eyes locked with Mark's, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Dude, wrong move! I'm the best there is in this school and you're what, the Grade 10 nerd who hasn't battled in his life. You've got to be joking!"

"No joke, I'm challenging you. The loser has to leave the school for the rest of the afternoon." Will smiled. "And be embarrassed in front of everyone."

Mark shook his head in wonder. "Alright buddy, if you say so. Just don't get your hopes up. I still have to bash you for insulting me."

The two broke eye contact and retreated to prepare for the battle. The rest of the students scrambled eagerly for the best seats for which to watch the upcoming show. Will walked back to where Claire and Jack were standing. They stared at him. Jack opened his mouth and a moment passed before he said anything.

"You're insane."

"How?"

"You just challenged Mark to a Pokemon battle! You've hardly ever battled!"

Will just laughed. "Guess you're in for a surprise then."

"No seriously Will, all of Mark's Pokemon are strong. You've only got one Pokemon."

"One Pokemon is all I need."

Claire grabbed Will's arm, not wanting to see her friend humiliate himself. She knew enough about Pokemon to know when someone was outmatched.

"Will, Jack's right. The last time you battled was almost a year ago and everyone has seen how good Mark is. Please don't make a fool of yourself."

"Just chill out guys. Okay so maybe my last battle was a while ago, but that doesn't mean I stopped training! And trust me, I train well. I just don't show off." He gave them a wink and walked over to the edge of the courtyard to face Mark, who was at the other end.

Mark still had the smug grin on his face. Will wondered how it would look after the battle was over. Mark called out, "One on one sound good?"

Will nodded. "All good."

"Actually, I'm starting to feel a little sorry for you, so you know what? I'll let you choose your Pokemon after I've chosen mine. It won't make much of a difference but it'll just make it even more hilarious when I beat you to a pulp."

Will just shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

"Then let's do this you loser!"

Mark's battle cry came out loud and clear and the rest of the students ceased talking and waited for the two trainers to call out their Pokemon. It was in these moments before the battle that William Lee could truly appreciate the atmosphere of a Pokemon battle. The 15 year old stood casually at his end of the courtyard, his tie fluttering softly in the summer breeze that had appeared, which was a welcome comfort seeing as he'd had to wear trousers all day. He was 5'4" and had the body of a rugby player; well-built with strong muscles and a lean figure. His brown hair swayed in the breeze and his green eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He had seen how Mark battled and was confident he could win this.

Mark was the first to throw the Poke ball. It burst open in midair and a white light exploded from it, contorting into the shape of Mark's Pokemon. The light faded and in its place was a blue bat-like Pokemon. Its wing membranes and ear insides were purple. It had a large mouth with four fangs, and a large red tongue. A short pair of legs was attached to the bottom of its torso and only possessed one toe each. The Golbat cried out in a screeching tone while Mark still grinned cockily. Around the courtyard students had begun talking about the scary yet impressive Pokemon that had been summoned. Mark strode out onto the battlefield and picked up the now empty Poke ball that lay at Golbat's feet.

Jack's face immediately dropped when he saw what Will was going to face. "This isn't good. Will's Pokemon isn't going to win this." Claire just looked more worried than she did before.

Will, however, just smiled that casual smile again and drew a small Poke ball from his pocket. It was about three centimetres in diameter and shone in the sunlight. Will pressed the even smaller button at its centre and it expanded to the size of a baseball. He didn't throw the ball, merely held it aloft in his hand. A moment passed before the same white light exploded from the Poke ball. It flew over to the battlefield and materialised into Will's only Pokemon, a small, blue, dog-like Pokemon. Its legs and torso were coloured black and it wore a yellow band around its neck. Rounded bumps were present on the back of its forepaws. It had a strip of black across its face, resembling a mask, and its eyes were a bright red hue. It stood calmly on its back legs and waited.

Again, the crowd began to talk about the choice of Pokemon. Many of the spectators were puzzled at why Will had chosen a Riolu to battle a Golbat. Didn't he know Fighting was weak to Flying? Claire and Jack continued watching, growing increasingly anxious and dreading the end of the battle.

At the other end of the field, Mark burst out laughing. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I let you know what Pokemon I was battling with and you chose a Pokemon weak to it? My God, you must be the worst trainer in the whole school!

Will didn't acknowledge the vile taunts coming from his opponent and called out to Riolu, "Hey Riolu!" The Pokemon turned and look at Will. "Good luck mate!"

Riolu smiled at his friend and gave a small wave. He turned back to face Golbat and immediately resumed his calm and focused appearance.

Just as Will had assumed, Mark didn't hesitate in beginning the battle. "Golbat, use Wing Attack!" he cried.

Golbat's wings began to glow a dull white colour as it poured its energy into the attack. It soared into the air and flew straight for Riolu. Mark was grinning again.

Will stood still, resembling the demeanour of his Pokemon, and waited a moment before softly saying "Ice Punch."

Riolu's fist began to glow an icy blue colour yet he remained still, unfazed by Golbat charging directly at him. A second before Golbat's wing smashed into it, Riolu tensed his legs and jumped, just high enough to dodge Golbat's attack. It angled downwards and smashed his fist into Golbat's back, pummelling it into the ground with the icy blue force. A giant dust cloud erupted around the confrontation and everyone went silent, even Mark. The crowd waited in eager anticipation to see the final result.

The dust cleared and the results of the short but exciting battle were revealed. Golbat lay on the ground face down, unmoving, a blue bruise on its back. Riolu had returned to his position of standing still, calm and focused. A blue aura still lingered around his deadly paw. Everyone in the courtyard had stopped muttering and was completely and utterly shocked at how such a turn of events could occur. Mark was as still as a statue, a blank look smothering his smug attitude. Will just smiled his casual smile as Riolu walked back to Will's side. Will had won.

Jack was the first one to clap. The sound echoed throughout the vicinity and one by one more people joined in. It was a ripple effect, as one single clap built up into a tumultuous roar. Students were cheering and rushing over to where Will was standing and they completely enveloped him. There were people patting him on the back that he had never even talked to before. A person who had defeated Mark was legendary throughout the school.

Across the yard, Mark was on his knees, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He shakily raised his arm and pressed the button on his Poke ball. Still with that same blank look on his face he pointed it at Golbat. A red beam of energy shot out from the Poke ball and enveloped the Pokemon, transferring it into the capsule. And he just sat there on his haunches.

Will noticed this and strode over to him with Riolu sitting on his shoulder, the crowd separating at his command. He reached Mark and, with everyone watching, extended his hand. Mark's head turned very slowly and he stared at Will. A moment passed, two. Finally, Mark moved. His fists curled into balls, his brow furrowed and his eyes became clouded with fury. His reputation ruined, his pride destroyed, Mark was extremely furious that he had been beaten by a mere boy. Will noticed all of this, his perception and observation a key trait in his battling skills. He retracted his hand and took a step sideways as Mark lunged upwards, his fist flying everywhere desperately trying to connect with something. Mark turned and his eyes locked with Wills. He lunged forward, his anger contorting his facial figures. Will made no attempt to stop him, merely whispering two words. Riolu, however, leaped from his shoulder and slammed his palm into Mark's chest. A single shockwave rippled outwards at the point of contact and Mark fell backwards onto the ground, dazed and confused from the Force Palm attack. His friends cursed and ran over to help him. Will simply strode off. All this happened in less than a minute.

The crowd once again surrounded Will but now that the fever of the battle had faded there was a calmer atmosphere of praise.

"Nice work."

"Congratulations Will!"

"That was amazing!"

Will smiled modestly upon hearing those words and walked over to Jack and Claire who were both grinning from ear to ear. Jack embraced Will.

"That was amazing, Will. Sorry I doubted you. Sorry we doubted you." Claire smiled apologetically at her friend.

The three of them sat down on the nearby bench. Will suddenly noticed that he was quite tired, and just by looking at Riolu sitting in his lap he could tell his Pokemon was sharing the same feeling.

Several moments passed while the three just sat there, the afternoon sun now just a warm influence on the temperature. Finally Will spoke "Well that was fun."

Jack burst out laughing "Was it ever! That was one of the most amazing battles I've ever seen! How did Riolu get so strong?"

"And how did it get so fast?" Claire added "That battle was over in seconds!"

"Dad knows a lot about training Pokemon," replied Will "He passed on his techniques to me when I first caught Riolu. So what I did was train Riolu's already high attack and speed."

Jack nodded "That explains why Mark lost. He never took the time to improve his Pokemon's stats."

"Exactly."

The trio sat on the bench, chatting to each other and enjoying each other's company while Riolu slept on Will's lap. Slowly, the other students drifted to their own homes until eventually, in the beautiful pink glow of the setting sun, they were the last ones left. And then they went home.