Only two reviews? I suppose it's okay since I added the first two chapters both at once. Now we're getting to where the real story starts. And to answer your question, Tera Earth, that wild Croagunk isn't a mean Pokémon...not unless you annoy him enough. Which David did.

Chapter 3 – What I Want Is…

"Professor Cedar! Professor Cedar!"

Caitlyn was the first to get to the door. She opened it immediately to see the three youngsters looking really frantic.

"What's all this about?" Caitlyn asked.

"I-It's David!" Mimi said. "He…he's…"

"What? What happened to David?!"

"He's…"

"He's back!" Jimmy chimed in.

Sure enough, there was David right at the edge of town, still unconscious. And Croagunk was sitting right beside him.

"DAVIIID!"

Prof. Cedar and Caitlyn ran as fast as they could to get to David and the Professor's heels actually screeched on the ground when she stopped next to him.

"David," Prof. Cedar said. "David, are you all right?"

No response. No movement. And Croagunk wasn't doing anything to help. The kids and their Pokémon watched in concern.

"David!" Prof. Cedar grabbed David by the collar. "David, say something! Anything!"

"NO!" David's fists suddenly shot into the air, scaring the ever-loving crap out of his mother and the other kids. "I'm gonna win this battle!"

"IT'S ALIVE!!" Jimmy said, clinging to Kimmy.

Everyone, even Croagunk, backed away as David stretched himself out and squinted. "Uh…what happened and why does everything look so blurry?"

Later, back at the Pokémon Research Lab…

"Wait. So…start over, but more slowly."

Everyone was inside the living room area of the lab, except for Croagunk who was sleeping outside. Prof. Cedar's pet Delcatty was resting its head on her lap and David had some bandages wrapped around his head and one on his left arm.

"Well, I was heading back from Lazuli Town and I was about to open that package about halfway there, when I heard this noise. And there was this Hoppip stuck in a tree. My first option was to leave it there, but I didn't see anyone else around who could get it down. So I had to climb up there and get it down myself."

"Wow," Kimmy said.

"Awesome," Jimmy said.

"That's so brave," Mimi said with a blush.

"And reckless," Prof. Cedar and Caitlyn both said.

"I was scared stiff," David continued. "Anyway, I made a huge mistake by actually crawling out on that branch so I could reach the Hoppip. I didn't think I could do it, but when I saw how scared it was, I stretched my arm a little more so I could touch it. I TOUCHED IT! That, unfortunately, was when the branch I was on started cracking. I quickly grabbed the Hoppip and fell to the ground. Then…I woke up here and everything's all blurry now."

"…Weird," Jimmy said.

"Did you hit your head when you fell?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yeah, I did," David said, rubbing the back of his head. "Is that why I can't see right?"

"Well, this is only a theory," Caitlyn said, rubbing her chin, "but I think that conk on your noggin might've affected your vision center. But like I said, that's just a theory. A guess. A speculation."

"Looks like you're going to need glasses, kiddo," Prof. Cedar said.

"Oh." David shrugged. "Whatever. Still…I can't believe that same Croagunk dragged me back here. That thing almost killed me before."

"Well, I didn't want to tell you when you were younger," Prof. Cedar said, "but that whole thing was your fault."

"WHAT?!"

"Let me teach you a little something," Prof. Cedar said, pushing up her glasses. "That particular Croagunk is usually very relaxed around humans. However, when a certain someone starts provoking it for no reason, things can get a little ugly. My favorite part was when you started squeezing its cheeks. Those puffy cheeks are where Croagunk makes its poison. When you squeezed them, its poison pumped much faster. The Poison Jab was only how it says 'Leave me alone'. I hate to say it, but you had that one coming."

David's jaw nearly crashed through the floor. What kind of mom talks like that?!

"That was a pretty stupid move," Kimmy said.

"Even I'm smarter than that, got it?" Jimmy said, folding his arms.

"Sorry, David," Mimi said quietly.

"We'll get you some glasses tomorrow morning," Cedar said. "Right now, it's time for dinner."

"Dinner?" David suddenly sprang to his feet… "CURRY!" …and bolted into the kitchen, causing Prof. Cedar and Caitlyn to sweatdrop.

"Well?" Prof. Cedar asked sweetly. "Do you kids want to join us?"

"Uh…" All three kids sweatdropped. Apparently, they don't have fireproof stomachs like David did.

"I-I've got some homework to do," Kimmy said, running out the door.

"I've got training to do!" Jimmy said, also running out.

"Thank you for having us, Professor," Mimi said, before walking out the door.

The good professor, however, couldn't help but smirk. Works every time.

During dinner, David did something strange: he didn't eat. He didn't even look at his food. He just picked up his spoon for a few seconds and put it down. This got the good professor really worried.

"David?" Prof. Cedar asked. "Is there…something on your mind?"

"Oh." David said, before picking up his spoon again. "I was thinking about my birthday coming up, y'know?"

"And?" Caitlyn rang in. "Do you know what you want?"

"Actually," David said through a mouthful of curry, "I've given it some thought and…"

"And what?"

"…And…I want to become a trainer."

A few moments of silence passed as David ate another spoonful of curry. Then Prof. Cedar and Caitlyn suddenly burst into laughter, causing David to actually choke on his food.

"What's so funny?!" David yelled. "I knew someone would laugh at me sooner or later, but not you two!"

"Oh…We're not laughing at you, David," Prof. Cedar said, wiping off her glasses. "We're laughing because we're happy."

"Huh?"

Prof. Cedar walked over to her son and put a hand on his shoulder. "Son, when you told me how you rescued the Hoppip from that tree, I was so proud of you. I only wish I could've seen it myself! It's been three years, but you've finally conquered your fears!" She then got her son into a rib-cracking hug. "I'm the proudest mom in the world!"

"No…I…haven't!"

Prof. Cedar slowly let go of her son. "What do you mean?"

"I…I'm just taking it a step at a time," David said. "Ever since that day three years ago, I just kept hating myself for being scared. Then, earlier today, the same Croagunk that nearly killed me saved my life…sort of. I've been thinking about it all afternoon and then I thought, not all Pokémon are scary."

"Of course not. You played with them all the time when you were little."

"I was just getting to that," David said in a blunt manner. "Like I said, I want to get over my fears a little at a time. And what better way than to become a trainer? I wanna be the kind of guy those kids can look up to, y'know?"

"I see," Prof. Cedar said with a smile. "Well, after we get you your glasses, I can give you a starter Pokémon for your birthday."

And David smiled back. "Thanks Mom. But right now, my curry's getting cold, so…" And without another word, David proceeded to scarf down the usually heartburn-inducing curry. He didn't even mind when his mother turned around and pumped her fist victoriously.

Two and a half days later, David's thirteenth birthday had arrived (A/N: At this point, David now wears a pair of thin rectangular glasses). Mimi's parents had planned a little birthday party for him and Mimi even helped bake him a cake (A/N: Awwwww). During the party, David shared some of his cake with Mimi and Buneary, he ran frantically around the lab trying to get away from Jimmy's Tyrogue, who had a knuckle sandwich with his name on it. And finally, everyone went outside to see just how high and how fast Kimmy's Starly could fly. He actually thought it disappeared for a second or two.

An hour or so later, the party had ended and the time had finally come for David to choose his starter. Everyone had come back into the lab to watch David choose. In front of the good professor was a turntable with three Poké balls rotating on it. Delcatty watched earnestly, its tail swishing in the air.

"All right, David," Prof. Cedar said. "As you know, each trainer who comes here is allowed one starter Pokémon. You have a choice of the grass-type, Chikorita, the fire-type, Cyndaquil, and the water-type, Totodile. But, to make things interesting, I'm not going to tell you which one is which."

David swallowed whatever was in his throat. Why does she have to keep making things interesting? Everyone watched with bated breath as David covered his eyes and reached for a Poké ball.

"I choose…this one!" As soon as he laid his hand on the ball, he opened it up and…

"Kyaaaaa!" Mimi's voice shouted. "It's so cute!"

"I want one!" Kimmy's voice rang in.

"Eh…it's all right," Jimmy said.

David lowered his hand from his eyes. Sitting on the table, smack in front of him, was a little black and yellow mouse-looking Pokémon with squinty eyes and a long nose, scratching its side with its foot. David couldn't help but blink at its behavior.

"I chose Cyndaquil?"

Cyndaquil looked up at David. A moment of silence passed between the two as a smile slowly uncurled on Cyndaquil's face. "Cynda! Cyndaquil!"

"It looks like that Cyndaquil really likes you," Prof. Cedar said with a smile.

"And it's a cutie, too," Caitlyn said. "What do you think, David?"

"It…is pretty nice," David said as he slowly reached to pet the Pokémon's head. "Okay! I'll go with Cyndaquil!"

"Cyndaaaa!" Cyndaquil immediately glomped David upon this proclamation, making the girls go "Awwww!"

"By the way, Mom," David said, "what did you want me to get from Lazuli Town? You never did tell me the other day."

"Oh!" Prof. Cedar suddenly put her hands together. "That would be your other birthday present."

"My other birthday present?"

"It's funny how things work," Prof. Cedar said, bringing down the little package and handing it to David. "Open it and you'll see what I mean."

David opened the package and took out a small red device that looked similar to a DS Lite. The kids looked at it in awe. "This is…"

"Your new Pokédex," Prof. Cedar finished. "Like I said, it's funny how things work. I sent you down to Lazuli Town, so you could at least try to conquer your fear. Turns out it worked pretty well. I didn't even expect you to want to become a trainer. I only ordered it so you could study Pokémon even further."

"So my decision was like an added bonus for you, right?" David asked, bluntly.

"You could say that," Prof. Cedar said, stroking her chin. "Go on. Give it a try."

"Uh…okay." David opened up his Pokédex and scanned each Pokémon one by one, including his own and a computerized male voice spoke up for each one.

"Cyndaquil – the Fire Mouse Pokémon. It has a timid nature. If it is startled, the flames on its back burn more vigorously."

"It suits you if you ask me," Kimmy said.

"Buneary – the Rabbit Pokémon. It slams foes by sharply uncoiling its rolled ears. It stings enough to make a grown-up cry in pain."

He scanned my Pokémon first, Mimi thought, blushing furiously. Actually, David scanned hers second.

"Tyrogue – the Scuffle Pokémon. It is famous for its eagerness to fight and always nurses injuries from challenging larger foes."

"I've never seen you do that," Jimmy said to his Tyrogue.

"Starly – the Starling Pokémon. They flock in great numbers. Though small, they flap their wings with great power."

"Sweet!" was all David could say. "I need to scan more stuff!"

"It doesn't work on other objects," Caitlyn said with a sweatdrop.

"All right. Then I need to find more Pokémon! Maybe that Croagunk's still outside! I'll be right back!" David quickly ran out of the lab with Cyndaquil on his shoulder and the kids followed right behind him. Prof. Cedar couldn't help but smile.

"Funny," she said, "how quickly a child's heart changes when they get a new toy."

Guess again, Professor.

From now on, I'll be keeping an updated list of the main characters' Pokémon, starting with...

David Cedar
- Cyndaquil (Male)

In the next chapter, David and Jimmy have a little practice battle. But at the same time, another rookie trainer comes to Amber Town. A trainer with very...big...um...

"I'm up here, pal."

AHEM! You'll see what I mean. Also, I'll be putting up David's picture on my Deviantart account later, so don't miss it!