Chapter 2: Champ in Making

Champ's lungs felt like they were about to explode. The lactic acid burned his muscles, the icey liquid surrounding him stung at his skin, but he had to keep moving. If he kept this up any longer, he would surely die...

"Ok Champ, that's good enough!"

Rick pulled on the thin nylon rope tied under Champ's arms. He lifted the Tyrogue out of the water, snapped off the weights attached to his limbs and waist, and set him on the ground. Champ just collapsed on his back, eyes shut, chest heaving. Champ looked more like how a Tyrogue should, his crest was tall and his build was lean and muscular. He was on the thin side though, his entire ribcage visible when he inhaled. Champ was wearing nothing at the moment, but still only wore the waist wrap regularly.

Earlier that morning, things started out normal. Rick and Champ trained at the punching bag (Champ making sure he didn't let his curious eyes wander), then they jogged through the forest path. Champ could hear the melodious chirps of wild Pidgey and rattling screeches of Nincada, yet he couldn't stop and explore or he'd have to answer to Rick's fist.

At the end of the jog, Rick and Champ reached their destination: a big beautiful blue lake. The sapphire surface sparkled and glimmered under the sun's light. Champ was amazed at the spectacular sight. He was so dazzled by the shimmering lake he didn't noticed Rick clipping weighted cuffs to his body. The next thing Champ knew he found himself hurtling through the air, smashing through the stinging surface of the water, slowly sinking, the cold water slithering down his throat...

"Looks like it might rain," Rick observed. "It's kinda grey real far off, but sunny here." He turned to Champ and nocticed him struggling to sit up. "Why haven't you evolved yet, huh? The P-1's only a month away, we can't enter you as a scrawny runt. Maybe that breeder scammed me..."

Rick paused. He stared out into the distance, glaring at nothing in particular. 'People,' he thought. 'I swear, you can't trust anyone nowadays. Everyone's always striving to be on top, scamming and killing eachother, just to be the best. I know the bastard who killed Wanda did it on purpose. They were both competing for executive positions...Wanda's Omni was crushed that night by that jerk's monster SUV...he acted remorseful, but look at him now, he's living the high life in Celadon...'

Rick sighed and looked over at Champ. He was sitting up now, still breathing hard. "Thank god I have you Champ," Rick said, Champ glancing at him from hearing his name. "You're the only thing in my life I can control right now...you trust and listen to me, you do as I say...I can determine your future." Rick then got up. "And I know you're gonna evolve! Now let's jog home, you've rested long enough! Come on, move it! Get up!"

Kick!

Evenings were tranquil. The house's interior was bathed in a gentle purple glow as the last few rays of sunlight were tucked away beneath the horizon. Rick and Rebecca were resting in the living room, listening to the radio, their only source of entertainment. Champ was curled comfortably in Rick's lap, half asleep. The soft jazz flowing from the old radio was suddenly rudely interrupted by the racuous announcement for the upcoming P-1 tournament. Champ felt a slight twinge of worry when the commercial's announcer spoke up:

"The P-1 tournament is almost here! If you've got a Pokemon that's ripped, rough, and ready to rumble, take yourself down to the Pokemon gym and enter now! The prize is ten thousand dollars, plus a free trip for a weekend vacation in downtown Celadon City! So get training, because it's only one, I repeat, one month away!"

The announcement ended with a brief recording of legal gibberish saying something about Psychic, Ghost, Poison and Flying types being prohibited.

As Rick started ranting to Rebecca (who was reading a Pokezoology book and not paying him any attention) about his hunch that the breeder scammed him, Champ hopped out of Rick's lap and made his way to Rebecca's bedroom to find peace. Every time the familiar music of that commercial started playing, Rick would become exciteable and start to pressure Champ about the victory he HAD to accomplish. The little Tyrogue sped up his pace as he reached his destination. In the room he would find Fae, Rebecca's Meowth. Being the only other Pokemon Champ could get into contact with, she taught him how to speak the universal Pokemon language and even took a maternal interest to Champ when he was first born. But now that he was larger than her, she thought that he could pose threat to her unborn kittens, so she had become more distant to him lately.

Champ jumped onto the side of the bed, gripping the quilt laying on top, then hoisted himself up. He groaned, his body aching from the training session earlier. He scrambled to Fae then settled down next to her. She shifted her position slightly to get further away, but Champ didn't notice. While the dark night, in addition to the beads of water droplets resting on the screened window from the earlier afternoon rain, obscured their view of the outside, they where able to listento the noises of the night; the tiny squeaks of Zubat, the screech of Hoothoot, the yelps and howls of distant Growlithe and Houndour packs, and cries of various nocturnal bugs.

It's so noisy out there whispered Champ. Yet I can't see anything outside other than bugs. Where are they all?

They're hiding Fae answered. They live in the forest.

Champ sighed. I wish I could be out there with them.

Fae snickered, her sharp ivory teeth showing. If you were out there, I don't know what would get you first, the hungry Growlithe or the poisonous Venomoth.

But since they are hiding, I'd be safe if I was just out in the yard, right?

Tell that to my past kittens who fell victim to those predators.

Champ was silent, not knowing how to respond. He lay down up againt Fae, who put her ears back but did not get up. Her soft warm fur and the rhythm of her heart made him feel relaxed. Champ sighed again and cringed slightly as he felt a strange aching inside him he had felt since that morning.

I don't feel very good. he said.

No wonder, Rick's been harder on you than usual. I'm surprised you lasted this long, he's so mean.

Champ became defensive. Rick is not mean!

How do you explain those daily bruises and scrapes?

He's only like that when I do something wrong. You don't understand, Rick's trying to make me better!

Better at what? Fae questioned.

I don't know...we're preparing for this P-1 thing.

Do you know what the P-1 is?

Silence.

I thought so said Fae. Why don't you rest now, you've had a hard day.

Champ nodded and closed his eyes. What exactly was the P1 anyway? Was it a special treat or a place? Was it something really great or terrible? Champ rolled over and cringed again from the pain. He didn't feel well, but it wasn't just from Rick's harsh training. He could feel it in his bones, his insides, some sort of unusual pain developing deep within him. After listening to the nocturnal sounds from beyond the screened window, he finally drifted to sleep.

The sunlight bathed the lush meadow in a golden brilliance. The long grass rippled in the wind. The leaves of the trees shimmered like millions of tiny emeralds as they were tossed by gentle breeze. The wind, scented with fresh plants and earth, blew puffy silver-white clouds through the cerulean sky over the majestic mountains in the distance.

"5:00, time to train!" Rick's booming voice announced. Champ awoke but didn't open his eyes just yet, trying to contain the special sensation of that wonderful dream. Once in awhile he'd have that same dream. Champ had never been in an actual field because Rick would never allow him to.

The pleasant memories of the dream disappeared in an instant as soon as Champ moved. Sharp pain shot through his entire body. Even when still, Champ squirmed in agony. It hurt just to breathe. When Rick realized Champ wasn't coming, he went into the kitchen where Rebecca put the sleeping Tyrogue the night before.

"Champ?" He questioned. He was scowling with anger at first, but when he saw Champ shaking, he was now very concerned. Rick poked Champ in the ribs gently to stir him, but that was a mistake. Champ started screeching his Pokemon-species name in agony. Rick jerked his hand away.

"Rebecca!" Rick called. "We're paying a certain blue-haired breeder a little visit!"

Later Rick and Rebecca got into Rick's old red truck. Rebecca had Champ in a blanket but she had to be careful, for the slightest amount of pressure made him cry out in pain again. She was lucky to have evaded the little Pokemon biting her.

"Why don't we go to the Pokemon Center?" Rebecca asked, putting her seatbelt on.

"Because Nurse Joy ain't the one who scammed me!" Rick growled as he started the truck.

Rebecca scowled. "Not everyone in the world is your enemy, Dad! This is the reason you can't get a real job!"

Rebecca immediately shut up when her father glared at her with that "I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that" look. Rick, despite the way he treated Champ, had never struck Rebecca. They used to be very close for Rick's wife, Wanda, worked and Rick stayed home to rear their daughter. Since Wanda died, they had become more distant with eachother, especially now that Rebecca was at what Rick called the the "Edgy Eleven" age.

Suddenly, a small fuzzy yellow and brown blur crossed the road. It was a Pikachu, and of course it paused right in front of the truck and sat on its haunches.

"Holy crap!" Rick cried out. The truck went to a screeching halt, spraying pebbles and flecks of mud. Luckily, the truck stopped in time, only a few centimeters away from the Pikachu. The foolish rodent just flicked its lightning bolt tail and bounded away.

"Holy crap!" Rick repeated. "Ugh, if I had hit that thing, I woulda had to pay one helluva fine! Are you ok, Rebecca? How's Champ?"

Rebecca was holding Champ up against her chest. When she realized what she was doing, she wondered why he wasn't crying in pain. Rebecca unraveled the blanket just enough to have a look, and she gasped.

"Oh my god..." she said.

"What now?!" Rick demanded, full of worry.

"Champ...he's glowing...he's getting ready to evolve!"