Chapter 3: Rising to the Challenge

Skylark huffed out as he ran around the block. Bulbasaur followed slowly behind as he yawned. The sun had just dawned, and the day had started. It had been about a month since Skylark found Bulbasaur, and since Bulbasaur's first win Skylark has been training him intensely. Just like now, Skylark was running in a t-shirt and some gym shorts and his shoes, which were now growing somewhat dirty. Bulbasaur didn't even seem to mind the training. She was happy enough to have Skylark.

"All…right…Bulba…saur…" Skylark gasped for air as he slowed down his running. "That's the first mile. Ready for the return?"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur barked out. Skylark was partially amazed at Bulbasaur's endurance. She wasn't even panting.

"Must be being made of a plant and plant cells creating oxygen from carbon dioxide…so she doesn't have to breathe as much." Skylark thought to himself. "And because of that, she can breathe and hold her breath and never have to breathe again, because it'll just keep on converting to oxygen for her cells. Dang, Science class did pay off." He softly chuckled but then ran on ahead.

Bulbasaur followed behind him as she normally did. Over the past month, through all the exercising, Bulbasaur had advanced in levels, and Skylark himself grew stronger. He started to build up a mass. Instead of a skinny little twig of a person, he was actually growing larger with muscles. But they weren't very noticeable when he wore his hoodie and jeans.

In fact, things were going very well for Skylark for the first time. He no longer went straight home and to sleep. He quit his long walks to nowhere. He actually had something to do, something to motivate him. Bulbasaur and him had grown closer than Skylark had with anyone else. He was finally dawning on happiness.

On the walk home, however, they were intruded. A Junior Pokémon Academy student wandered out from the bushes, a Pokéball in his hands. Skylark waved at him as he kept running, but soon realized something was up with this student. "Are you Skylark? With that Bulbasaur?"

Skylark slowed down and caught his breath. "Yeah, who are you?"

"I'm Tony." He replied. "I'm going to beat you." Skylark chuckled to himself, but soon realized the serious look ridden on Tony's face.

"Why?"

"People are saying that my Pokémon is too weak. But now, I'm going to show them how strong we are!" And before Skylark could even accept or decline it, Tony raised his Pokéball in the air. "Growlithe! Go!" From the Pokéball a canine Pokémon flew out and took its prideful stance.

"Growli!" It roared.

"Bulbasaur, let's finish this quickly. Go hit him with one of your Tackles!" Bulbasaur nodded and proceeded out to the new enemy. As Bulbasaur ran, it started to notice something at the mouth of the Growlithe forming.

"Growlithe, hit Bulbasaur with an Ember!" At the sound of the command, Growlithe shot out hundreds upon hundreds of large fire embers, all heading directly toward Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur's face grew grim, and Skylark gasped. Bulbasaur stopped, and the embers hit her directly in the side. Bulbasaur rolled over a few times, and then slowly stood up. Her HP had dropped down by half just from that one attack.

"Bulbasaur!..." Skylark thought for a minute. "Let's try to Tackle again!" Bulbasaur was hesitant, but agreed to it. She began to run again, and again Growlithe started charging up.

"Growlithe, let's knock it out with another Ember!" Bulbasaur grew worried again, but Skylark had a plan going on in his head. Quickly thinking, Skylark remembered back to his class at the academy.

"Remember," his teacher stated, "if you have a grass type Pokémon running toward a weak fire attack, do not command the Pokémon to stop. If it stops, the full effect of the fire attack will hit it and do its full damage. But, if the Pokémon continues to run and hit the fire attack head on, it will barely do any major damage. Sure, it will harm the Pokémon some, but because it's running into the fire it will come out of the fire quicker and make its attack. If it just stops, the fire will hit it and the Pokémon will suffer the ongoing fire."

Using this tactic, Skylark had Bulbasaur continue running. "Growlithe! Ember!" The Growlithe barked and shot out another Ember, equally as powerful. Bulbasaur began to slow down, but Skylark shouted out to it.

"Just keep running Bulbasaur! It'll hurt less!" Bulbasaur, seeing an opportunity to not be hurt, kept running. The embers smashed into Bulbasaur, but as soon as they hit they left her and burned out. Bulbasaur's speed was enough to completely jump through the oncoming fire unharmed. Tony's face grew stunned at the Bulbasaur who had managed to completely surpass Growlithe's strongest attack. "Let's hit it with a Tackle!"

Bulbasaur smashed into the face of Growlithe, delivering a critical hit. Growlithe's HP dropped nearly 75%, and it flinched. "Quickly, another Tackle!" Bulbasaur ran backwards for a minute, and then ran forward once more. Growlithe began to whimper as Bulbasaur smashed into its side, draining it of the rest of its HP.

"You're…you…you are…kidding." Tony's face grew red and he was angry. "How did my fire Pokémon lose to such a weak grass type!" He raised the Pokéball and called back Growlithe. He soon started to break down, and he broke into tears. "Why do I lose so much? Fire Pokémon are supposed to be the strongest!"

Skylark felt bad for him. He realized that they were in the same place. They were deemed the weakest and out-casted from people. Now that Skylark had started had started rising in popularity, Tony was hoping to do the same and beat Skylark. But sadly that just wasn't good enough. "How often do you train?"

"Train?"

"Yeah, like right now I'm training my Bulbasaur. We were out on a run until you came out." Tony looked confused.

"How do you train Pokémon?" And with that question, Skylark explained to him how to train Pokémon, the importance of it, and how to get stronger. Tony cheered up, and stared at his Pokéball. "So, I just need to train Growlithe, and he'll grow stronger?"

"That's exactly it! And who knows, maybe next time we meet you'll be able to beat me!" Tony and Skylark laughed, but soon Skylark realized that Bulbasaur had major burns on her side. "I have to go now, but remember to train daily!" Skylark picked up Bulbasaur and started to run down the road to a Pokémon center. Tony had changed inside. He was glad he tried to assault Skylark. Because of him, he learned how to train his Pokémon correctly.

"I'll grow stronger next time and beat you!" Tony yelled after him.

At the center…

Skylark was sitting in the waiting area, obviously waiting for Bulbasaur to come out from treatment. While he was waiting, he stared over at an announcement board and soon realized a flier sitting on it. He walked over and read the paper. "Beginning to train your Pokémon and want to show how well its training has come out? This Saturday night, the Pokémon Academy is hosting the Beginner Pokémon Tournament! Bring your Pokémon, sign up and immediately play. The winner wins free admission into the next tournament, plus 5000 Pokédollars (Must be a new trainer; if you have already done a Beginner Tournament, come and support the players, but you cannot play)! Hope to see you all there!"

Skylark read it over multiple times, and then smiled widely. "I know what I'm doing Saturday night."