Chira reigned a ponyta to a stop on the crest of hill over looking a small green forest. She shifted the food laden backpack to a better position on her back. Bending some, she spoke into the ponyta's ear. "Alright, Cami, you know where we're going, so I'm leaving it up to you to get us there in one piece." She leaned back and tightened her grip on the fiery mane. Her knees tightened as she felt Cami's muscles tense. Chira effortlessly moved with the horse pokemon as she leapt forward into a gallop that took them both down the hill and into the forest at a blinding speed.
Trees whipped by in blurs of brown and green. Cami leapt over a fallen log, Chira effortlessly anticipating her movements. She could sense pokemon in the brush as they raced past. They even had to change directions several times to avoid hitting some.
Finally they reached a clearing beside a cliff that had a waterfall cascading down into a clear pool. Cami trotted over to a tree, and Chira dropped her pack down at the roots.
"Ready, Pal?" She asked, readjusting her position now that she had the cumbersome pack off. "Round the track!" Cami leapt forward and went even faster than before round a predetermined path, racing the clock. Several pokemon tried to join their race, but were unable to keep up for even three meters. Chira smiled. Cami was the fastest pokemon she knew, but not by luck.
Ever since Chira had received Cami for her twelfth birthday, they had worked hard to be the best, training whenever time would allow. It was Chira's ultimate dream to become a pokemon trainer, and that's what she meant to be. As soon as she turned eighteen, if her parents still hadn't let her get her trainer's license, she would get it and be off on great adventures. That's why she and Cami trained so hard. Her parents' always told her to do her best in everything she did and that's what she planned to do. It didn't matter if she didn't become a pokemon master as long as she knew she had done her best, she would have no regrets.
They got back to the clearing, and Chira slid off Cami. "Good job, Cami." Chira looked at the stopwatch in her hand. "You beat your last record by .9 seconds. We're still not where I want us to be, but you're definitely improving."
"Thank-you," she responded, humbly bobbing her head. Chira also had an advantage over other trainers. She could understand any pokemon word for word, and occasionally she could even speak their language. "Now I believe it is your turn?"
Chira nodded. "Sure is. How about taking a breather and running along with me?" Cami agreed, and they set off on another course. Chira didn't demand of Cami any more than she demanded of herself, therefore she trained just as hard. Of course, this course wasn't as long as Cami's, and she certainly didn't go as fast as her equestrian friend, but she still did her best, frequently increasing the length of her route.
This time they arrived back at the clearing with an entourage. Cami immediately engaged an arbok in a battle, and Chira wrestled with a mankey. The wild pokemon in this forest all knew Chira and Cami quite well, frequently initiating friendly tussles. Chira's father didn't approve of the friendship she kept with the pokemon, so let her come to the forest less and less.
They finally finished their different forms of training and ate their lunch, making sure to share with those who had helped. Chira snuck a little extra to the oddish who had helped Cami with target practice by using razor leaf. They relaxed after eating, and Chira fell asleep, using her much smaller pack as a pillow.
She woke sometime later and immediately felt the difference in the forest sounds. She sat up, looking around wildly for Cami.
"Someone has entered the forest," she heard from behind her. She turned to see the ponyta staring across the clearing, watching the bushes. Chira grabbed her bag and mussed up the bent grass where she had been sleeping with her foot. Before she could swing up onto Cami, though, a young man walked through the bushes.