Alright, here is a look at the other side. The next chapters will pick up and the real war experiences will begin. This chapter and the previous ones have all been introduction.

Apples Who Dance With Oranges: I'm glad you think it's an interesting concept! It is the result of staying up too late reading fan theories… :)

Chapter Two- Unova's Camp

Preston

Matthew and I were always best friends. The two of us met in preschool when Mary Sanders refused to share her crayons with Matthew. I told him he could share mine. Together we drew a picture of a haxorus and dragonite locked in a ferocious battle. That's what we said it was, at least. The dragons were ovals and our classmates didn't recognize the pokemon. It was then we learned we lived three houses away from one another- a stroke of pure luck.

Matthew and I were also rivals. When we were seven we fought to see who would be the first one to get a kiss from Bethany Novak, a ten year old who lived on our block. We both wanted to be with her because for her tenth birthday her mom and dad gave her a pokemon. It hardly mattered what pokemon it was -we later learned it was a munna- it was a pokemon and it was something neither of us had, but both of us wanted.

When we turned ten, neither of us got pokemon. Our parents told us we had to prove we were responsible enough to have one. Neither of us got one until we were drafted into the war. When we told the recruiters neither of us had a pokemon they gave us one to fight with. There was a tray of pokeballs and we had to select one at random. When Matthew released his pokemon, and an axew came out, I was jealous. Axew evolved into haxorus, the pokemon we had both idolized our entire lives. I eagerly anticipated what pokemon would come out of the pokeball I drew.

A white light surrounded a pokemon and I felt anticipation in my chest; what pokemon would it be? It would certainly be strong if the army wanted us to use it. Disappointment crashed down on me when I saw the small, black, white and yellow form of the electric flying squirrel, emolga. I almost wanted to ask the recruiter if me receiving the rodent pokemon was a joke, but the way the little creature looked at me, hopefulness in it's eyes and eagerness for battle, I could not find it in my heart to give the creature up. I never regretted my choice.

When training for the new recruits began, Matthew and I were constantly competing, trying to out maneuver the other. Emolga, knowing she was not the most powerful pokemon, was constantly trying to prove herself. She would train much harder than the larger pokemon, trying to raise her attack constantly. Matthew struggled with his axew. Axew was lazy, knowing he was a dragon, and knowing once battle would start he could take down opponents.

"How do you do it, Preston?" I turned my head and looked over at my friend. Emolga, who I affectionately called Little Lolita, because she reminded me of my sister, Lola, sat on my shoulder, watching Matthew struggle to keep a hold on his axew.

"How do I do what?"

He gave a sigh and sat down on the hard dirt that made up the exterior of our camp. "How do you control your pokemon? Lolita respects you. She tries to work hard to prove to you she can be stronger. She wants to grow. Axew doesn't."

I shrug. "I don't know, Matt... Maybe it just comes down to their personality?" Matthew looked disappointed by my answer. He wanted a quick fix for the relationship between him and his axew. "Why don't we go on a walk? Just us two, Lolita and Axew?"

Matthew gave a sigh and stood up. Axew looked infuriated at the request, but a few words from Lolita, and he was doing as he was told.

We reached the outskirts of our camp. There were small trees growing by the tents where we slept. "Matthew," I began to ask, "why are you suddenly wanting to change the relationship between you and your axew?"

"Do you really have to ask that?" He gave a small sigh and looked up at the sky. The sun was almost done setting and the first stars were visible in the sky. The moon was a sliver and provided little light to see by. "We leave for battle any day now. What if Axew not listening to an order gets someone killed? What if it's my fault someone dies?" Matthew looked down at his shoes to distract himself, a habit he had since we were young. "I doubt I could have that on my conscious, Preston. What if you die because of me?"

"That won't happen." I let confidence build in my voice where I feel none. I felt nervous about joining the battle too, but I knew I could count on Lolita. "Matthew, the problem is that you never gave axew a reason to trust you. Lolita had several soilders refuse to take her before I did. I kept her and I won her trust. You assumed you would gain axew's by doing nothing."

The guilt in Matthew's eyes grew. He had a hard time accepting he made wrong decisions. "Why don't we battle? Remember when we were little and Bethany Novak and her munna would battle against her older brother and his rufflet? I know that helped both of them gain stronger bonds with their pokemon."

Matthew gave me a hesitant look. "Would the general mind?" The commander of our regiment of the army was a man in his forties and his partner was a eelektross he had since he was a kid. He told us stories of how he battled other pokemon trainers and that was the reason him and eelektross were so strong and they had such a close bond. I knew he wouldn't mind.

"Let's battle."

Lolita glided off my shoulder and landed in front of axew, sparks coming from her in anticipation. "Use spark!" Axew didn't even make an attempt to dodge. It stood there waiting for an order from Matthew. "Give your axew an order!"

Matthew looked unconfident as he looked at the small pokemon. "Use... dragon rage?"

The pokemon did as it was told and prepared a dragon rage. "Dodge, Lolita!"

She gracefully moved out of the way, running on the ground because of axew's ability suppressing her ability to glide. "Nuzzle, Lolita!"

"Dodge!" Matthew was getting the hang of battling and little by little, move by move, axew began to trust him.

I hop you guys liked the chapter! All the main characters have been revealed. I really like these characters and I hope you do too!

Question of the Chapter

What is your favorite pokemon?

Please answer the question in your reviews, and special thanks to my two followers! Your support is what keeps me writing!

With Love,

Juliet