Single post in The Becoming [A Pokémon Fanfiction] [PG-13] [COMPLETE]

[IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/c/2/riolu_top1_by_brookreed-d7si9i1.png[/IMG][background=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/7/2/riolu_middle1_by_brookreed-d7si9i6.png][css=padding-left:15px;padding-right:13px][color=lightgray][font=Times New Roman][center][size=11]♣ [b]Chapter 2[/b] ♣[/size][/center]I stand proudly, facing the others on the snowy plain. Nodi the Nidoqueen and Gallant the Gabite stand across from me. Beside them are Snark the Sneasel and Prior the Prinplup. They all live here, under Nodi’s guidance and instruction, training to become stronger. Today, a week after I arrived here, I am going to join them. “This is your initiation ceremony, Riolu,” Nodi says. “You will cast off your old name and your old identity, and receive a new identity to live for. Your old life is no more. Are you ready?” I ball my fists with determination. “I’m ready.” “Until your training is complete, you shall be known as Reason,” Nodi announces to the other three Pokémon trainees who stand near her. The Prinplup, named Prior, repeats the name as a chant in a friendly voice. [i]Reason...[/i] I turn the name over in my head. [i]I am Reason the Riolu...[/i] Nodi continues. “You will be expected to train with the others, and match their skill level.” “I will do it,” I respond firmly. Nodi gives a small smile. “My training is not easy. Many trainees have quit halfway through. Are you a quitter, Reason?” “Never!” I respond evenly. She has issued me a challenge. And I never back down from a challenge. She nods to herself. “Good. Then, your first exercise will be to participate in battle practice this afternoon. Now that we have four of you, you can pair up easily. Gallant, why don’t you be Reason’s partner for today?” The Gabite looks at Nodi, shocked. “Partner with [i]him?[/i]” “Yes.” “But he...he’s...inexperienced! And...young!” “That [i]is[/i] the point,” Nodi responds, still wearing a small smile. “But--” “No arguing, Gallant,” Nodi states. “Fine,” Gallant practically spits. She turns her yellow eyes on me. “But don't expect me to go easy on you, newbie.” I slide my feet through the snow into a defensive position, and crouch slightly, raising my balled fists in front of me and leveling my gaze to meet hers. “I would never expect you to. I want you to give it all you’ve got.” That is my challenge to her. She, too, crouches, moving her clawed arms in front of her. We begin to circle, feet stepping silently into the snow. As soon as I think I spot an opening, I lunge at her. “Idiot!” she cries. “Making the first move is the stupidest thing you could do in this situation!” As I swipe at the spot where she was just a moment before, she leaps up and over me, and I feel one of her wing sails slice into me from behind as I smash into the ground, falling face-first into the snow. “You aren’t even a challenge!” she says tauntingly from behind me. With a growl, I slide my paws back underneath me. “I’m not giving up yet,” I declare, pushing myself back on my feet to once again face her. “You’re even stupider than I thought. Alright, if you want more, here I come!” She lunges at me, eyes narrowed and glowering. Her blow slices across my front this time, sending me tumbling back into the snow. She says, “Don’t even try to get up. I’ll just beat you back down again.” “Fine by me,” I spit out angrily despite my aching front. I push myself up again. This pain feels good, unlike my injuries from before that have almost finished healing. “Will you stay down already?!” Gallant snaps, the snarl of hatred in her voice surprising me. This time she comes in raging, and I manage to dodge her blow. As she lands awkwardly, I let out a taunting laugh. “Ha! You missed!” “Why, you!” she screeches. Before I can react, her body takes on a strange, dark aura, and she comes barreling towards me, jaws open in a snarl. She lands the Dragon Rage attack, sending me flying across the ground until I smash into Snark and Prior who had been sparring nearby. It takes me a minute to clear the dizziness and pain from my head, but when I do I see Gallant storm past angrily. She turns to glare at me, and the anger and hatred in her eyes is clear. “Don't even bother fighting me again, newbie!” She storms off towards Nodi’s cave. Prior the Prinplup stands, rubbing his right wing and staring after Gallant. “Arceus, what’s her problem?” He glances briefly at me. “She went way harder on you than she did on me my first day.” “Good. I like a challenge.” The confidence in my voice surprises even me. Prior stops rubbing his wing and stares at me. “You really don’t quit, do you?” “I’m going to be the strongest Pokémon ever,” I say. “Really?” Prior says. “Me, too!” “Except you won’t, because I’ll get there first.” “Ah, but I’ve already got a head start!” “So I’ll just have to train twice as hard to surpass you,” I say, clenching a fist resolutely. “I’ll surpass everyone!” “Haha! I like your spirit, Reason!” Prior says. “We should train together sometime.” “How about now?” I ask, taking up a defensive position. My exhaustion begins to clear away, leaving me focused on Prior. “Nah, it’s time to head back to the cave. Maybe tomorrow.” He pulls the still-dazed-looking Snark to his feet. “Let’s go in and get some dinner.” Back inside Nodi’s cave, we find Nodi has placed a feast of berries on the table. Gallant has already begun to eat, and continues to do so without so much as a glance at us. Nodi greets each of us with a nod as we take our places around the small, flat rock that serves as a table. “I would like to remind everyone that the Snowpoint Temple just north of here is off-limits,” Nodi says once everyone has settled down. I reach for an Oran berry, nodding to acknowledge the comment. “You tell us that every week,” Snark says, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “Yes, because I want to make sure you remember. Snowpoint Temple is sacred ground. We are ordinary Pokémon and therefore are not allowed to set foot there without good reason.” “Yeah, whatever,” Snark mutters. “Reason, how was your training?” Nodi asks. “Great!” I say. “I can’t wait to do more.” Nodi chuckles. “Eager, are we? Well, I have some training exercises planned for tomorrow. Everyone needs to get a good night’s sleep, and do heed my word on that one.” [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] As I lay in bed that night, listening to the snores of the others, I can’t sleep. I feel as though I am already stronger despite having only fought for one day. This is what I wanted. Back with my trainer, my thirst for battle was never quenched. Here, though, I feel as though my thirst has been lessened, if only slightly. I’m too excited for what tomorrow will bring. I’m ready for whatever Nodi throws at us. “Hey, Reason,” comes Prior’s voice through the darkness, whispering. “Are you awake?” “Yeah,” I whisper back. “What is it?” “I can’t sleep. I’m too excited for whatever it is we’re doing tomorrow.” “Me, too,” I agree. “So, do you have any goals for your training?” “Goals?” “Yeah,” Prior says. “Like...mine is to get so strong that no one will ever notice my injured wing.” “Your wing is injured?” I say. “I never noticed.” I think back to earlier today. Was that the wing he had been rubbing as we talked? “That’s good, then,” Prior says with a quiet laugh. “Means I’m succeeding.” “What happened? To your wing, I mean,” I ask tentatively. “I was shipped to that Pokémon lab in the town the humans call Sandgem. The box I was in was overfilled and my wing was crushed during the trip. No one would take a crippled Piplup as their partner.” “Oh...” I say, trailing off uncomfortably as I am unsure how to respond. “Thankfully, Nodi found me after the trainer who was forced to take me abandoned me. She promised to train me, to help me grow so strong that no one would even care that I am crippled. But that's enough about me--what about you? Why are you here?” I pause before answering. Why [i]am[/i] I here? What made me join this place, other than the promise of hard work that might lessen my urge to fight? “I guess I just want to get stronger...I left my team because they were angry at me for wanting to fight all the time. I just wanted to make my trainer proud, but...” “Tried too hard, eh? I can understand that.” I change the topic, feeling uncomfortable talking about myself. “What about the others? Why are they here?” “Gallant joined us about three months ago. And Snark arrived a couple weeks before you. I know Snark was bullied by a lot of the Pokémon around here, but as for Gallant...I don’t know much about her.” “She seems to hate me,” I comment. “You bet she does," Prior says with another laugh. "You’ll have to earn her respect before she’ll even consider taking the sarcasm level down a notch.” Prior sighs. “Although, she [i]does[/i] seem to have a special level of hatred reserved for you.” I consider this. Her initial demeanor towards me didn’t concern me too much--it was a challenge, and I was ready to meet it. But now...it makes me wonder. How can I prove myself to her, and earn her respect? That is, if I even want her respect... “I guess we should probably get some sleep, like Nodi said,” Prior says. “Gotta be ready for that challenge tomorrow!” “Yeah,” I agree. “Night, Reason,” Prior says. “Night.”[hr][center][color=white]♣ [url=http://q.pokefarm.org/forum/post/355134][color=white][u]Go to next chapter[/u][/color][/url] ♣[/color][/center][/font][/color][/background][/css][IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/4/a/riolu_bottom1_by_brookreed-d7si9ib.png[/IMG]