Author's Note: Okay, I got the second chapter up. This is one of the longest chapters I have made. It's also a way to make up for the last chapter, though, as it was slightly short. I like to keep my chapters to a 2,000 word average.
Light's Adventures
Chapter 2: Winning a New Friend
"Okay, Blaze, I need you to help me here, seeing as you were once an Eevee," Nick said.
Light crouched down and waggled his rear, ready to pounce. It had been a week since Light had been born. Nick had finally brought them to the local park to teach Light how to battle.
As Nick talked to Blaze, Light imagined a mysterious enemy in front of him and pounced. He landed where he had thought of the opponent and started to swipe at the air. He imagined the enemy taking a swipe at him and rolled over. He crouched down, preparing to pounce once more.
Suddenly, a paw pressed down on his back and his attention came back to Earth. "Huh, what?" Light started. Light looked back and saw Blaze had been the one to stop him.
"Did you hear me?" he asked.
A blush rose on Light's cheeks and he lowered his head in embarrassment. "N-no."
Blaze sighed and took his paw off of Light. "Well listen this time. Nick wants me to help teach you Tackle. Technically, you should already know it, but you still need to learn how to use it. Now first, we need to take advantage of instinct," Blaze started.
"And how do we do that?" Light asked. He noticed Nick went over and sat down on the bench of the fountain and pulled out a Pop-Tart package.
"That's easy. Now, I want you to do the first thing that pops into your head. Aim for that tree there," Blaze said, pointing toward a nearby oak tree. "Okay, get ready. Tackle!"
Something triggered in Light's head and his mind wanted to do something. As Blaze had instructed, Light did it. He lowered down for a second and then burst forward. He ran right at the tree and rammed into it. He bounced off with the impact, but didn't feel too much pain.
"Good, good. Your instinct for that move was good. Now, the second part is form. Get into the position right before you started forward," Blaze said.
Light tried to remember how he had done it and got into the position. He crouched down and paused in the position.
"Here, let me help. You should keep your rear lower, so your back legs will have a more forceful push. Also, keep your tail straight behind you, if your able to keep the wind from hitting your as much and slowing you down," Blaze said, pushing him down some.
Light took the advice and repositioned himself. When he saw a nod from Blaze, he shot out again and hit the tree. This time, he was a few seconds faster, but he also hit the tree harder. He gave a yelp as he hit the tree.
"Okay, time for lesson three: impact. When you hit your opponent, you have to hit right, or you also receive pain from the impact, as you just did," Blaze said.
"Well I think that should have been my first lesson," Light muttered.
"Okay, when you come at the foe, you need to push your weight into him if you weigh more. That will unbalance them and make them take most of the damage, though it will be rare for you," he said, referring to Light's size. "Whether you weigh more or not, though, you need to . . . how do I put this? You need to let your body finish the move. When you hit the tree, let your body react and follow through." Blaze sighed, his explanation sketchy.
Concentrating on what he said, Light got into position and charged at the tree again. As he hit the tree, he felt a strange tug to put his back paws down and then his front paws. Thinking this was what blaze meant, he did. He was surprised to see he didn't bounce off and he didn't receive any pain.
"Good, you got my meaning. Now one thing to note, the reaction may differ significantly, so you need to always be ready. Don't worry; it becomes a habit quickly," Blaze said.
"So am I finished?" Light asked.
"Well with that move. It's called Tackle. You need to remember the name as that's what Nick will call it when telling you what to do," Blaze said.
"Why would Nick tell us what to do? Wouldn't we know what to do in a fight?" Light said.
Blaze looked at him incredulously. "Of course Nick tells us what to do. He's the trainer, plus, he has the strategy," Blaze said sternly.
Light sighed, "Fine, but what's the next move?"
Blaze's expression lightened a little. "Okay, next is Sand-Attack. Okay, like before, we need you to trust on instinct the first time," Blaze said. Light crouched and nodded. "Get ready. Sand-Attack!"
Light followed his instinct again and he turned around and kicked dirt up into the air at the tree. The dirt drifted for a second before dropping back to the ground. "Is that all?" Light asked, disappointed in the weak attack.
"Pretty much, now on to form. When you kick out, take your claws and rake the dirt instead of kicking it out of the ground. This will create a longer lasting, smaller particle Sand-Attack. Also, as the name implies, this attack works best with sand," Blaze said.
"But wait. Why am I learning such a weak move? What's the point of this attack?" Light asked.
Blaze sighed. "The attack is meant to blind the opponent temporarily and gain you some time. Also, a well-aimed Sand-Attack will weaken a foe's sight for the whole battle," he explained.
Light thought about the explanation, but still thought a swift back kick would be better. But for now, Light got into position and did a Sand-Attack. He racked his claws over the dirt instead of his paws and was glad to see a fine spray go out.
"Very good. As for impact, if there is wind blowing toward you, don't use it and instead position yourself opposite the wind. Now onto Tail Whip," Blaze said.
Light didn't wait for him to continue and instead acted right then. He jumped at the tree and turned around, whacking the tree with his tail. However, instead of making impact, his tail rather slid around the tree.
"Well that was pretty good, but stop getting ahead of me. Now-" Blaze started.
"But I didn't make impact, my tail just slid around the tree," Light injected.
Blaze sighed again before continuing, "It's supposed to. The move lowers the opponent's defense. When the defense lowers, you can then do more damage with your attacks."
Light wanted to scream into his head. Another pointless move. Instead of lowering the defense a little, he could hit the opponent with a full on attack. "But doesn't also lower your defense when you turn your back to the enemy? That would leave wide open for an attack," Light pointed out.
"Look, I didn't make these moves up. Their just the ones you already have learned from birth," Blaze retorted. "Now, as for form, try to do it without hesitation so you're not open for a counter attack for long. And for impact, make sure you follow through like before."
Light nodded and asked, "Anymore?"
"Nope. That's the last of them." He turned and jumped up onto the bench.
Nick saw Blaze was done and got up. He came over to Light and said, "Okay, let's try these moves out. First, Sand-Attack!" Nick pointed dramatically at the tree.
Light jumped a little closer and spun around. He raked his claws over the dirt and sent up a good Sand-Attack. The spray of loose dirt hit the tree and some clung to the bark.
"Okay, now Tail Whip!" Nick cried out, once again pointing.
Light obliged and hit the tree with his tail. Once again it slipped around it and Light landed perfectly next to the tree. He walked back over to Nick.
"Now finish it up with Tackle!" Nick yelled. For a third time, he pointed at the tree.
I don't need assistance on what to attack, Light thought. He crouched and sprang quickly. He hit the tree and followed through, landing unhurt on all fours. He came back up to Nick.
Nick leaned down and scratched Light between the ears. Light let out a purr. "Good job, Light. Do you want to go practice? I finally saved enough for another Pokeball. Man those are expensive. I was almost broke after buying yours. So I'll test you and catch another Pokemon all in one," Nick said.
Light nodded and followed Nick. Blaze leapt off the bench and also followed. Nick took them out of the park and they ended in the woods. They followed a small path. Nick kept looking around.
Soon, Nick gave a shout as he saw a small brown and white feathered bird roosting on a branch. The bird, awoken from its slumber, opened one eye lazily, not really caring about the trainer.
Light leaned over to Blaze and whispered, not wanting to alert the Pokemon anymore, "What's that?"
Blaze stared at the Pidgey, his focus entirely on it. "It's a Pidgey. Careful, they can summon large gusts of wind easily called a Gust attack. It also knows Sand-Attack and Growl," he whispered back.
Light snorted at the attacks Blaze listed. Some wind, dirt, and noise wouldn't stop Light.
"Hey, Pidgey, I challenge you to a battle," Nick shouted at it. So much for being quiet.
The Pidgey opened both eyes now and tilted its head a little, before nodding a little. It could do with a little competition today. The Pidgey stretched a little and batted its wings a few times.
Nick smiled. "Okay, Light, you're up," he said.
Light eagerly jumped in front of Nick, ready for his first battle. The Pidgey chirped a few times and Light was sure it was laughter. "Come on, or are you too scared to fight?" he taunted.
The Pidgey chirped again and launched off the limb and flew down closer to Light. Light saw his chance and launched up toward the Pidgey a second before Nick hollered, "Tackle!"
Light berated Nick silently for giving his attack away. The Pidgey quickly opened its beak and let out a loud 'GEY' right before Light hit him. Light was startled at the sudden cry and only hit Pidgey at half power. He also was a little too distracted and landed poorly. A little pain shot through his right hind leg as he landed on it, but it wasn't too much to continue.
He shook his head as he mentally slapped himself. He couldn't believe he had fallen for such a simple trick. He looked back up and saw the Pidgey soaring over, preparing for a second pass. He thought of his moves and an idea formed. He got ready to spin.
Soon, the Pidgey came soaring down at him. When it got close enough, he spun to use Sand-Attack. But once again, Nick yelled out, "Sand-Attack!"
Light continued through with the attack, wishing Nick would be quiet and let him battle. The Pidgey, once again alerted to his intentions, slowed and then suddenly flapped its wings at him. Light had just thrown up the dirt and was spinning back around, when the wind from its flapping hit him. He was pushed back a little, the wind ripping at his fur. Also, all the thrown dirt rushed at him, getting into his eyes.
Light shook his head to try and get the sand out of his eyes. His opinion about the effectiveness of Sand-Attack was changing. He had finally got it out when the Pidgey once again used its Gust attack. Unprepared, he flew through the air a little. He slid to a stop next to the tree the Pidgey had roosted on.
He looked and saw the Pidgey going up to circle him once more. He needed to get the Pidgey out of the sky. Then it would almost be powerless. He came up with an idea and clawed his way up the tree quickly. He sprang onto the lowest branch as the Pidgey started to come down again. He saw Nick's confused expression out of the corner of his eye, but ignored it.
The Pidgey was looking at the ground for him, having not seen him climb the tree. The Pidgey was going to fall for this one, hook, line, and sinker. The Pidgey flew under his branch and Light launched himself at it. He landed squarely on the Pidgey's back.
The Pidgey gave a startled cry as the sudden weight sent the Pidgey crashing to the ground. Once back on the ground, Light pinned the Pidgey. Once he was sure he made squashed it flat for a little, Light jumped in the opposite direction of the tree. As the Pidgey tried to get up, he crouched for his next move.
As if on cue, Nick said, "Tackle it!" Light sprung forward, not wanting to lose his chance.
Luckily, the Pidgey hadn't got up in time to react to Nick's command. Light was able to land a direct hit. The Pidgey fell back against the tree. It slumped down to the ground, defeated. Light breathed in, slowing his rapid heartbeat.
Nick cheered at the victory and threw the Pokeball. It hit the Pidgey and it was covered in a red light, before disappearing inside it. The ball fell to the ground and started to shake at regular intervals. After a little, Light heard a 'ding' and he knew the Pidgey was captured.
Nick cheered once more. "Yes, I captured a Pidgey!" He jumped up into the air and then quickly rushed over to the Pokeball.
You caught the Pidgey? Light thought, I thought I was the one doing all the work.
Nick picked up the ball and threw it, saying, "Go, Pidgey." The ball released the Pidgey into the air in a flash of red light. It circled once and then landed on Nick's shoulder. "Hey, little guy, are you okay?"
The Pidgey looked slightly hurt, but it nodded anyway.
"Good, well time for introductions. I am Nick. This is Light, and this is Blaze," he said, pointing to us respectively. "Now we need a name for you."
"You better not give me some silly name," Pidgey said.
"That's something I've always wanted to be able to do: understand Pokemon. Oh, well, now your name will be . . . Ace. How is that?" Nick asked.
Pidgey tilted its head, considering the name a little before nodding. "I guess that will do."
"Good, now let's get back to Cerulean City and train a little more before dark," Nick said. He headed back down the path the way they had come. Ace stayed on his shoulder while Light and Blaze hurried to catch up.
They got back to the city quickly, and went back to the park. Once there, Nick pulled out some kind of red device. He pointed it at Pidgey and it said in a static like voice, "Pidgey. Normal and Flying type Pokemon. Known moves: Gust, Sand-Attack, and Growl."
Nick put the device away and sat down, thinking for a second. Light finally turned to Blaze, seeing Nick would be busy for a little.
"That battle would have been easier if Nick hadn't shouted everything I did. Ace always knew what I wanted to do," Light grumbled.
"I was actually surprised you won. That Pidgey is about three levels ahead of you," Blaze said.
Before Light could reply, Nick stood up and shouted, "Ah, hah." Blaze and Light turned to look at him. "I'll teach you two," he pointed at Light and Ace, "how to use Quick Attack. You're both about at the level to use it and it will help us greatly in the gym battle."
"What's Quick Attack?" Light asked Blaze.
"It's like a super speed Tackle," Blaze answered.
"Okay, now I want you both to . . . oh great, how am I supposed to teach you guys?" Nick said.
"I'll do it," Blaze said. "Okay Ace, come off Nick's shoulder and I'll try to teach you two how to do the move."
Ace flew off Nick's shoulder and landed on the lowest branch of their oak tree. Light sat down near the tree. He was glad to actually learn another power move, instead of whipping someone with a tail.
"Now I want you both to charge at the tree repeatedly, trying to go faster than your fastest," Blaze ordered.
Light and Ace nodded. Light started to charge at the tree like he did with Tackle. He pushed himself to go faster and faster. He simply hit the tree, though and he came back to his starting position. He saw Ace came flying overhead and fly at the tree. Light was surprised at the speed he summoned, but Ace didn't seem to have reached the goal yet. Ace pulled out of the collision course with the tree at the last second.
Light continued to charge at the tree. On the fifth pass, he felt himself shoot forward and he rammed into the tree painfully. "Ow, that hurt," he said.
"That's it, Light. You did it," Nick shouted. Did Nick have to shout everything?
Blaze approached Light, "Now do it two more times to make sure you know it. Your form is the same with Tackle and you should react at the end like normal."
Light nodded and once again charged at the tree. He sped up again and barely reacted in time to avoid injury. As he landed on his feet, he saw Ace suddenly shoot past him and ram into the tree. He saw Ace react like Blaze had taught him and Ace came away unharmed.
"Good, Ace. You've got it. Now practice a few more times to get it down," Blaze ordered.
Light and Ace practiced a few more times, before Nick called it a day, and they started back to their room in the Pokemon Center. Ace turned his head to Light and said, "You're a pretty good battler, Light."
"Thanks. You were a pretty good battler, too," Light replied.
"I think I'm starting to have fun as a captured Pokemon. Nick seems nice, too," Ace stated.
"Yeah, he's a great trainer. So you're not mad I got you captured?" Light asked.
"Nah, I knew I would probably be captured one day, but I'm glad I was caught by a good trainer and not one of those snobs," Ace said.
Light laughed, "So, is that a truce, friend?"
"In a roundabout way, yes," Ace said.
"Good," Light said. He inwardly cheered at gaining a new friend.