Trial with Fire, Chapter 1
#1 of Trial with Fire
The Fire Within
I woke up and knew today was going to be a good day. It was my birthday today, my tenth, so I could finally become a Pokémon Trainer. I got dressed quickly, knowing what to expect we I went downstairs. After the birthday party outside, I sat in a chair staring at my last present, the one my Mom had kept hidden until all the other presents were opened. My hands shook as I slowly removed the wrapping paper, and I almost couldn't get the latch on the small wooden box open. Inside, nestled on a plush pillow, were two PokéBalls that had been decorated with a fire motif. They were warm to the touch as I picked them up. I noticed the silence in the room and looked up to see everyone was watching me. I looked back at them, then at the PokéBalls.
"Come on out."
I threw both of them into the air. A flash of red light, and my first two Pokémon stood before me. I couldn't believe it, I was now the proud trainer of a Vulpix and a Ponyta! The Vulpix ran over and jumped into my arms, while the Ponyta walked over and nuzzled my neck. Everyone cheered as I hopped on Ponyta and rode around the yard with Vulpix on my shoulders. All the time I had a huge grin on my face.
"Hey Aidan, wanna battle?" My best friend Shane stepped forward, two PokéBalls already in his hands. His birthday had been last week, and he had told me he had already caught two more pokemon, but he wouldn't tell me what hey were. I knew why now, my Mom must have told him she was getting me two Pokémon and he had decided to be my first opponent. I didn't know if I was ready, but there was no way I was backing down. Adrenaline began to flow faintly through my body, and I knew the reason even though I had never felt this kind of energy before. It was my love of the battle in full swing, and it was at it's height after ten years of dormancy. I smiled and slide off Ponyta and Vulpix jumped off my shoulders. Both moved in front of me, and Shane tossed his PokéBalls high. Red light flashed as a Mankey and a Nidorino appeared in front of him, I made the first move.
"Ponyta, Vulpix! Use Ember on the Nidorino!" My smile grew bigger when I saw their jets of flame stream toward the Nidorino It shrank a bit when Ponyta missed, but I was forced to turn my attention to the Mankey It had managed to sneak around Vulpix and was now leaping at it. Before I could call out a warning, Vulpix was pinned. It let out another bout of fire, but the angle was wrong and the Mankey easily dodged it. It started to make a chattering sound, which I think was laughter, and I got mad.
"Ponyta, help Vulpix!" Have you ever seen a Ponyta or Rapidash kick something using it's hind hooves? It is quite a sight to see. And painful, if the Mankey's facial expression as it flew through the air to hit a tree and faint.
Now I only had Shane's Nidorino to worry about. From his grin, I had a feeling I should worry. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a strange dark stone and tossed it at his Nidorino. I heard someone gasp when he did this, and I thought I heard someone mutter it wasn't fair and they wanted to know where he found one. When the Nidorino began to glow and change shape and size, I knew what Shane had done, and it only made me happier. Somehow he had gotten a hold of a Moon Stone, and had decided to use it to evolve his Nidorino into the Nidoking that now stood before me.
"Are you going to give up Aidan? No one will hold it against you." I looked at him and saw the look in his eyes. He was so sure he was going to win.. I looked at my Pokémon. I knew how this was going to play out.
"Shane, I'm going to have to say no. Even if no one would hold it against me, I would hold it against myself. I would never be able to forgive myself if I gave up on my first battle, and I wouldn't expect Ponyta and Vulpix to either. Are we going to talk or are we going to battle?"
"Battle of course. Nidoking, Body Slam!" The Poison type charged Vulpix, planning to crush the small Fire type under it's weight. But Vulpix was fast, and it easily dodged the attack. Nidoking slammed into the ground with enough force to send a small tremor through my back yard.
"Vulpix, Ponyta! Hit it before it can stand, Ember!" From two angles the Nidoking felt the lick of flames, but still it got up. With a mighty swing of it's arms it wiped out the fire that had burned brightly moments before. With a roar, it charged Ponyta, it's claws gleaming wickedly. That's when I saw Vulpix dash in front of it. Nidoking tripped over the small fire fox and fell face first into Ponyta's Double Kick.. For a moment it held itself up using it's arms, then it collapsed. I ran forward, scooped up Vulpix, and pulled Ponyta into a hug. Shane put his Nidoking back in it's ball and walked over to clap me on the back.
"Not bad for your first battle."
That's when everyone else decided to come back to life. Cheers rang through the air, and everyone started congratulating me on my win. Some of the stronger kids lifted Shane and I up on their shoulders and carried us around the yard. This quickly turned into a play fight that ended when Ponyta and Vulpix came to help me. We all landed, laughing, in a pile. Not long after that, people started leaving and I was left alone with my pokemon, to enjoy the rest of the day.