AN: Um... this part is pretty dramatic lol. Enjoy? They're about 9 years old in this chapter.
It had been a typical day in the lives of Candela, Blanche, and Spark. But maybe you're wondering what it was like before? How did they meet, anyways? Well...
Years ago, Candela, Blanche and Spark were in grade school, like any other kid their age.
Spark never really fit in with the other kids. He wasn't very good at anything, even though he tried his best. Everyone around him thought he was too eccentric; and therefore dorky.
Spark's dream was to be a hero. Even though he was way too cowardly, he thought.
Spark was the kind of kid who would annoy people in attempts to make friends. He had good intentions, but didn't know exactly how to act with people.
Spark just wanted friends.
"Hey guys, do you wanna see me embarrass myself?" Spark said one day, in an attempt to get close to his classmates.
"No thanks, Spark." One of the other kids said.
"Yeah. You're embarrassing enough already!"
Both of the kids walked away laughing, leaving Spark in sadness. Still, he did not give up. He was persistent.
"Hey guys, do you want to see me fart from my nose?" Spark excitedly asked as someone turned the corner.
But it turned out that the person around the corner was Felix the bully.
"No." Felix said, "But I could make you bleed from your nose if you want."
"Ooh! How can you do that?" Spark asked. What a clueless kid!
Felix gave a ground-shaking, menacing laugh.
"Like this!" The giant jerk picked up the small-statured Spark, and threw him into the large garbage can.
"Heh. Next time I see you, I'll punch your nose off." Felix thundered away.
As his footsteps pounded the floor, Spark felt all of his usual spirit drain away.
Little Spark finally understood what was going on. He had failed to make friends. Even worse, he had succeeded in making an enemy. It happened so fast and he was in shock.
His eyes filled with tears. Spark was terrified. Worst of all, he thought it was all his fault. Filled with pain, he stepped out of the trashcan. Kids walking the hallways saw him, and laughed.
When they left, he burst into tears. Not only because he got bullied, but because nobody wanted to be his friend.
"Why…?" Spark asked himself, "Why does everyone hate me…?"
That night, Spark had a nightmare.
He dreamt that everyone wanted him gone forever. Even the teachers, whom Spark had trusted.
At the height of the nightmare, there was Felix. He had grown ten times his size overnight, like a monster.
He scooped up Spark with one hand and hurled him down the hallway. Everyone in Spark's life was watching him. They all began to cheer at his defeat.
The next morning, Spark wanted to skip school. He tried to fake being sick. His mother however found out that he was faking, and as a punishment, sent him to school.
He just couldn't tell her about Felix. Surely, he would start crying. Spark didn't want to cry in front of his own mother. He didn't want his mother to think he was weak.
So that day at school, Spark was stricken with nerves that slowly ate him alive. He didn't talk to anyone. The bubbly and cheerful Spark from before had been replaced with an anxious, broken-hearted mess.
Two students noticed that something was off about Spark that day. He wasn't being his usual self. They knew surely that something must've happened…
As Spark passed by Candela's seat, Candela was taken aback by how sad and desolate he looked.
"Spark hasn't been bugging anyone today." She whispered. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know… but it just doesn't feel the same today without it." Blanche agreed.
It was almost time to go home, and Spark wasn't sure if he could handle feeling like this every day from now on. The entire day had been horrible. He wasn't sure if he could take it anymore.
To cheer himself on after school, he sang a song to himself. It was all he could do…
"Don't you worry about the dark… I will light up the night with the love in my heart…"
As soon as Spark was about to cry from all the emotions, familiar heavy steps pounded from down the hall.
The noise alone triggered Spark's instincts. He had to run. Faster…
It turned out that he was running the wrong way. Before he knew what was going on, he ran right into Felix, knocking the giant jerk over.
"Aah!" Spark screamed, in shock at the situation. "I'm so sorry!" He began to run in the opposite direction. Before he could, Felix grabbed him and his heart stopped.
"You're gonna get it." Felix said. "Anyone who gets in my way goes DOWN."
Spark wanted to scream. He wanted to cry… But he didn't.
He decided to be brave.
"No, I'm… NOT going to go down!" Spark yelled. He stood up, but Felix pushed him down. He tumbled to the ground defeatedly. He still didn't want to back down… but it was so scary…
Suddenly…
"Hey! Stop it right there!"
There was a voice. Everything froze for a moment. Spark looked behind him and saw two of his classmates. Candela and Blanche.
"If you do anything to Spark, I'll make you regret it!"
"Ah…" Spark felt a huge relief. But still, he wasn't going to back down. They were going to unite together… Together!
"How about I just plow all three of you then?" Felix said in a violent tone.
"No!" Candela yelled and threw a shoe at him.
"You know, I'm going to beat you up!" Felix said to Candela.
"Spark, run away now." Blanche said. "We've got this."
"No." Spark said. "I won't let you do this alone!"
Blanche looked at Spark with wide eyes.
Candela looked back at Felix and gave a yell, trying to slap him.
"Ha, you're weak." Felix said.
"Call me weak again. I dare you!" Candela said.
"Weakling." Felix said.
Candela's rage grew to a dangerous amount. She yelled in fury as she punched Felix back.
Felix was distracted by Candela, and didn't notice Blanche pouring glue on the floor.
Felix stepped back into the glue and suddenly slipped.
"Whoa…" He did a silly-looking dance, trying to keep his balance. Everyone laughed. He fell bottom-first onto the pile of super-glue. When he tried to get back up, he couldn't. The glue had dried super quickly.
Felix was stuck on the ground, and he was humiliated.
"Sorry Felix." Blanche smirked. "If you want to get up again, you have to leave your pants behind on the floor."
A crowd of other students was forming, watching the scene. Everyone burst into laughter at what Blanche said. Nobody in the school liked Felix.
"Okay, what is going on?" The principal of the school entered the scene.
Suddenly, Spark, Candela and Blanche felt guilty. Were they going to get in trouble?
"Oh, I see Felix has finally learned a lesson." The principal said. "Spark, are you okay?" He asked.
"Yes…" Spark couldn't keep back his tears. "My friends… Candela and Blanche… they helped me stand up to him…"
Candela and Blanche smiled at Spark and began to hold his hand.
"Don't cry, Spark." Blanche said.
"We're your friends." Candela said. "Friends help each other!"
"Thank you so much…" Spark was overwhelmed by emotion.
The crowd of students began to cheer.
"Spark, that was cool! You didn't back down!"
"Hey Spark, gimme a high-five!"
"Spark, you're pretty cool! How about we hang out one day?"
What had been the worst day of Spark's life was finally turning into a great day worth remembering.
Felix got in big trouble. The principal took the three to the office to console them.
Later that day…
"Blanche and I noticed you weren't being yourself today, Spark." Candela said. "It didn't feel right without you… You always light up the class."
"Huh?" Spark said. "For real?"
Blanche nodded and smiled.
"I guess you could say… you have quite a 'spark' to your personality."
"Guys… thank you!" Spark said fondly. "And… I also have a new dream."
"What could that be?" The others asked.
"I want to be a good Pokemon trainer. The kind who helps people, the way you did to me."
"Oh, hey!" Candela said, "Blanche and I want to be trainers as well! We should all work together!"
"Ah, really?" Spark's eyes shone. "Then let's become the best trainers ever!"
That night, Spark was filled with happiness. He wrote in his journal about his new friends, expressing all his excitement he had about all becoming trainers together.
"Candela and Blanche are two of the most awesome people in the world! I can't wait to see them again and train with them. Life is going to be so amazing with them around!"
Spark had sweet dreams that night.
The next day after school, in a clearing by the forest, they met to help each other train.
"Hey, all of us have Eevees!" Spark exclaimed. "That's so cool! We're like Eevee triplets!"
Candela's Eevee was tackling the air. Blanche's Eevee was licking its paws. Spark's Eevee rolled around in the grass playfully.
"My Eevee may be small, but it's strong!" Candela said. "I'm going to evolve mine into Flareon!"
"Jolteon for me!" Spark said.
"I'm aiming for Vaporeon." Blanche said.
"So, can you guys teach me to train better? Eevee and I need to get stronger so we can battle." Spark said.
"Experience is good, but have you learned the basics?" Blanche asked.
"Well... water is super effective against fire, which is super effective against grass, which is super effective against water? And there's a lot more... Oh! Pokemon also have special abilities, such as Torrent or Own Tempo."
"Yes, that's great!" Candela said, "I think you're ready for a battle!"
"You two battle," Blanche said, "I'll be the referee."
"Alright everyone! Spark VS Candela, Eevee against Eevee! Spark's first battle will now start!" Blanche shouted.
"Yeah!" Candela cheered. "I'm pumped! You make a good referee, Blanche!"
"Alright Eevee!" Spark said, "Are you ready?"
"Eev!" The Eevee squeaked.
"Alright Eevee, start with a tackle!" Candela commanded.
"Ah! Dodge it!" Spark told his Eevee. The small creature cleanly dodged the impact of the other Pokemon.
"Yeah! Alright! Now Tail Whip!"
"Eevee! Bite its tail!" Candela ordered.
"Wait! No!" Spark cried out.
Candela's Eevee bit the tail of Spark's, which cried out in pain.
"You could've given it an order." Blanche said, "Yelling 'no' isn't going to do much."
"Ugh..." Spark groaned. "Um, Eevee, tackle!"
"Dodge it and use Quick Attack!" Candela ordered.
The Eevee did what it was told. A dynamic dodge was followed by a swift whole-body plunge onto the other Eevee...
"No!"
Spark's Eevee fainted.
"Spark's Eevee is unable to battle!" Blanche announced, "Candela's Eevee wins!"
"Aw man..." Spark scooped up his hurt Eevee and gave it a hug.
"I'm sorry, buddy..."
The weak Eevee gave Spark a lick on his cheek to reassure him.
"Sorry, Spark." Candela said.
Spark sighed.
"Eh, it's fine. I'm not a very good trainer anyway."
"I'm sure you are good!" Candela said, "You just haven't found your battle style yet. Once you do, it'd be great!"
"Actually", Blanche chimed in, "Spark's skill as a trainer has a lot to be desired."
Spark froze.
"Blanche!" Candela exclaimed, "That's mean! We're trying to cheer Spark up, not make him feel bad!"
"Guys. It's okay. Blanche is just telling the truth..." Spark said sadly.
"See!?" Candela yelled. "Because of you, Spark now thinks he's worthless!"
"He's going to work extra hard because of me." Blanche said, "He'll grow more doing so."
"He would also grow better if we motivated him on his way, rather than telling him he has a long way to go!"
"Sometimes the truth is necessary." Blanche said.
"You are cold." Candela said. "You are SO cold! I'm done with you!"
Candela stomped away.
"Candle, wait!" Spark chased after her.
"I appreciate what you're doing for me, but please don't fight with Blanche." Spark said. "I actually agree with her. She isn't saying anything wrong."
"You only agree with her because she's making you think bad of yourself." Candela said. "Let's leave her behind. Train with me. We don't need her!"
"Wait, no!" Spark said. "Um... Blanche?"
"If this is the case, I'm going home." Blanche said.
"Fine! Go home then!" Candela shouted.
"I will!" Blanche turned around briskly, her ponytail slapping the air behind her. She began to head back, walking fast.
"Candela, why?" Spark shouted. "You and Blanche are best friends!"
"We WERE best friends." Candela huffed angrily.
"But... you shouldn't let something like this come between your friendship." Spark said. "Blanche meant well... Maybe you didn't agree, but... don't split up because of this!"
"Spark..." Candela looked at the boy. He seemed very emotional over this, worried about his friends' friendship.
"You know what? I'm... I'm sorry." Candela said. "I... I shouldn't have told Blanche to go home. What was I thinking? My anger must've gotten the best of me..."
Suddenly, tears trickled into Candela's eyes.
"Now I don't even know if Blanche will forgive me or not..." She hiccuped. "If Blanche won't be my friend anymore, I don't know what I'll do..."
"Candela..." Spark pat her back. Candela refused to cry, and wiped her tears quickly.
"Candela, I'm sure Blanche will forgive you. She seems like a very understanding person." Spark said.
"I hope..." Candela sniffled.
"Maybe we should go to her house and apologize." Spark said, trying to cheer his friend up.
"Alright." Candela agreed.
"Blanche sure seems to live far away." Spark said.
The two were walking through a path cleared out in the midst of the forest. As they went deeper, it was as if the forest swallowed them. The atmosphere was rich with the scent of the earth, and the shade was deep and peaceful. It was if time stood still in this forest...
"Blanche lives in a very pretty place." Candela said, "I always thought it fit her perfectly. Faraway and mysterious, yet inviting..."
"Mhm..." Spark agreed. "Sounds like her. And it is pretty here."
Candela sighed.
"Blanche..." She said under her breath... "Please forgive me..."
"I'm sure she will." Spark said.
"You know... Before I became Blanche's friend, I really admired her. It turned out, once I talked to her about it, that she really admired me as well. Now I know that Blanche isn't perfect... but she's still amazing in my opinion. I'm lucky... to have a friend like her."
A few seconds passed.
"I'm lucky to have a friend like you too, Spark." Candela said. "You have a great heart. That's pretty rare."
"I... do?" Spark asked.
"Yeah." Candela nodded.
Blanche was walking to her house, still a long way from where she was. She let out a sigh, one that drifted through the still atmosphere and colored the still surroundings even more solemn.
"I shouldn't have said those things..." She thought. "Candela was right. I am cold. And I'm sorry..."
Right in front of her, a peculiar sun ray tumbled down from above like a spotlight. It was shining through the trees. Blanche reached out her hand to it.
"...Warm..." She thought. "I want to become warm. Someone like Candela... who may have a temper, but has a sincere heart..."
She closed her palm, as if she was taking some of the warmth of the sun ray in her hand.
"Will Candela forgive me...?"
Blanche strayed from the path.
She was going to go to her secret Pecha berry tree, a place where she could always calm down. She was also going to pick some berries, because she knew Candela loved them. She could apologize by giving her some of the berries... perhaps baked in a pie.
Anyways, Blanche felt like being alone in the solitude of her tree right now.
She walked through the clearing, when she heard some loud buzzing. She didn't mind it, and went up to her tree to pick a berry to eat. That was when...
"Scytherrrr!" A gigantic bug Pokemon suddenly leaped up in her vision, so fast it blurred. Blanche shrieked and turned around, and another one was there. She couldn't escape... They began to slash at her, enraged that their berries were being stolen.
"Aaaahhh!"
Candela and Spark, who weren't far away, heard Blanche's screams, along with the faint buzzing and cries of angry Pokemon.
"It's Blanche!" Candela said. "Oh no, she must be in trouble! But where is she?"
"It's coming from the left!" Spark said.
"If you can hear that, then it ought to be true!" Candela said. They followed the noises. The buzzing became louder.
"Please help me!" Blanche shouted again. Her Eevee, which she sent out to battle, had cuts all over it from the sharp scythes.
"Eevee..." Blanche clutched the Pokemon in her arms. The Scyther had slashed a cut on her cheek, and one on he back. She tried to run away and endure the pain, but the Scythers were faster.
"Ah! Look over there!" Spark began to panic. "Blanche, she's being attacked!"
Candela and Spark were peering from behind trees.
"We have to help her..."
"I'll do it." Candela leaped out. "I need to be the one to save Blanche. I got her into this."
"Eep! B-be careful!" Spark shouted loud enough for Candela to hear, but quiet enough to not attract attention.
"Eevee! Double-Edge with me!" Candela and her Eevee both ran up to the Scyther to attempt to knock them to the ground.
"Rraaaaah!" Candela gave a battle cry as she shot herself forward tumbled onto the Scyther, who collapsed.
It worked, until the Scyther got back up, ten times angrier than before.
"Scyther!" The Pokemon unleashed a cry and slashed across Candela's face. The young girl rolled back and screeched in pain.
"Candela!" Blanche shouted out and ran over to her.
Now there was a third Scyther, and it was even bigger than the other two. They were surrounded. If anyone were to move, the Scythers would give them a slash that would tear their flesh apart. Candela and Blanche held each other, too paralyzed with fear to move.
"Oh no! No, no, no..." Spark was watching the gut-wrenching scene in horror. "I... I have to do something. But I'm scared..."
Spark then forced himself to swallow his fear, to not be afraid. To just go out there and help them. He took a breath...
"Okay... I have to be brave. They're my friends." He told himself. "They helped me stand up to Felix. Now I have to help them..."
Spark sent out his Eevee.
"Eevee. Alright buddy. Let's do the same thing Candela did. We go out there and both take them down! Ready...?"
Spark unleashed a heroic battle cry as he rushed into the scene, fists clenched, teeth bared, and nothing holding him back.
"Leave my friends ALONE!" He yelled. He knocked a Scyther to the ground, slapped it's face, gave it a headbutt and bit it.
"Scytherrr!" It cried out. It slashed Spark's neck.
"Ooww!" Spark cried out, keeping back tears. "Quit it!" Spark stood up as fast as he could and stepped on the Pokemon's face with his shoe. The Scyther then was knocked unconscious.
"Eevee! Tackle it and bite it!" Spark told his Pokemon. By the time Eevee was finished its battle, the other Scyther fainted as well.
Now they had the biggest Scyther left to knock out.
Candela and Blanche had retreated behind the tree, holding their hands, choked with worry about Spark and his Eevee.
"Alright Eevee..." Spark said. "Tackle that Scyther as hard as you possibly can! Give it your all! I'll tackle it too!"
"Eev!" Eevee squealed.
"Ready! Aaaauuugh!"
"Eeeeev!"
The little Eevee hit the Scyther first, and the sheer impact of it's emotionally-charged tackle sent it flying. Spark missed his target, and instead tumbled on a rock, scraping his knees, the palms of his hands, and hitting his nose with a sharp impact on the hard, rough surface.
"Ooh..." Spark groaned. The Eevee went up to him and licked his face.
"Eevee... did you just...?" Spark asked. He looked up. The Scyther had fled.
"Eevee! Yes!" Spark jumped up and hugged his Pokemon, so happy that he forgot his nose was bleeding.
"Spark!" Candela and Blanche ran out to him from behind the tree.
"Oh my goodness Spark, that was incredible..." Candela said. "You saved us! You're... a true hero."
"Spark..." Blanche said. "I... I take back everything I said. You're a great trainer. You're brave, courageous, and you have a great heart. That's what being a trainer is truly about. I'm sorry."
"You didn't hurt my feelings..." Spark said. "But thanks."
"We're closest to my house, so let's get you fixed up there." Blanche said to Spark.
"But... you guys too." Spark said. "You got some painful-looking cuts on you..."
"We're all in bad shape." Said Candela, "But you know... I think what we just went through made us inseparable!"
Blanche nodded and smiled a warm smile.
"Candela, I am sorry I was so cold. I'm sorry for everything..." Blanche said, pouring it all out. "Please forgive me."
"Forgiven." Candela said. "I'm super sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten mad. I shouldn't have told you to go home. You mean so much to me... Our friendship won't ever be broken again, right?"
"Right." Blanche said. They put their hand in hand, and gazed at each other fondly.
Spark suddenly started crying loudly. Candela and Blanche noticed his sobs.
"Spark, what's wrong?" Candela said.
"I... I was so scared!" He cried. "A-and now... now everything is okay, and you're apologizing, and... I feel like a hero... I always wanted to be a hero..."
"Oh... Spark!" Candela couldn't stand to see him cry. "I... I was scared too... And... I'm just so glad everything is okay!" Candela began sobbing too and hugged Spark.
Blanche was feeling emotional too, and hid it up to this point. Suddenly she couldn't conceal it anymore. The tears dripped down her face as well and she hugged Candela and Spark, shaking and trembling.
"Friends forever... we'll be friends forever..." Spark said through his sobs.
They all went to Blanche's house, got medicine and patches on their injuries. They decided to become even stronger trainers so they could keep themselves safe, and maybe even help other people who were in bad situations. That was their goal.
From that day on, Candela, Blanche, and Spark were inseparable.
"Wait, don't cry, Professor Willow!" Candela said.
"But... that's such a beautiful story..." The professor blew his nose. "I'm so moved by it... I can't believe it really happened..."
"Well, it's the reason we're so inseparable." Blanche smiled.
"I'm crying too! Aaaugh!" Spark was wiping his eyes with his gloves.
"But still... I the part where you were all crying..." Willow said, "It just got to me..."
"Yeah... the magical part was... when we were crying, a rainbow shone through our tears." Spark said. "We knew right then that our bond was magical, and that our friendship was truly something special..."
Candela's fist suddenly landed on Spark's head.
"Silly. That cheesy scenario didn't happen! A rainbow didn't shine through our tears!" Candela said.
"Yes it did!" Spark said. "My mom told me so!"
Candela and Blanche looked at each other with blank faces.
"Probably when you told your mom, she decided to stretch the truth when telling the story back to you." Blanche said. "And then you remembered it that way."
"Aw, pooh." Spark said. Everyone began to laugh.
Through good times, and bad times, Candela, Blanche, and Spark were always there for each other. What kind of moments did they have in store for themselves next? Find out next time!
