EPISODE 8: The wisdom to strengthen

"I have to get stronger... I have to train harder!", I said to my mind while eating my lunch with Glade in the dining hall. I couldn't forget the fear I saw in Riolu's eyes when he battled Marley's Sceptile.

Pursuit, Leaf storm, Leaf blade? such a powerful moveset. I want to teach Marley that Pokemons are no slaves! Pokemons are buddies, they are our partners, they've been on Earth before us.

After lunch me, Glade, and Zhery all proposed a plan. A plan that would help Riolu become even stronger and to help Riolu learn a new move. We decided to train in Lake Wisdom, a lake just one kilometer away teeming with water and grass type Pokemon.

"Come on, we're all done eating, so lets go to the lake and train!" Zhery said with high confidence and determination.

We walked towards the west in order to go to lake Wisdom, there were a lot of rumors that surrounded lake wisdom. Some say that a Legendary Pokemon lives there, some say bathing in the lake can give you wisdom, while some like Scientists believe that lake Wisdom's water is the perfect water suited for all water type Pokemon.

"I usually visit the lake to train my Roselia! the ambiance in the lake is suited for trainers who want to train without anyone disrupting them." Zhery said as the three of us walked towards the lake.

"Oh that's right, I forgot to ask, but what moves does Roselia know?" I grew curious about Zhery's Roselia.

"Oh Roselia? well... Roselia knows Razor leaf, Leaf storm, Petal dance and Petal storm" Zhery answered.

"What about you Glade what moves does Shynx know?" I also grew curious about Glade's Shynx, I wonder what moveset it has?

"Well, my father trained Shynx to learn thunderbolt, thundershock, tackle and Volt tackle.

"What's volt tackle?" I asked.

"Volt tackle is a tackle mixed with electricity or volts, when it hits the foe, Shynx can sometimes receive recoil or backfire."

"What do you mean by recoil?" I asked as I grew more and more curious about Pokemon battling.

"Recoil is a damage dealt by your Pokemon to itself once it launches a powerful attack like Volt tackle or... brave bird!" Zhery answered.

"But why does it hurt itself?" I questioned.

"Just imagine running with maximum velocity and hitting your head on the wall, what would that feel?" Glade told me to imagine.

"Ummm... that would hurt very much" I said.

"Same with Pokemon, once a Pokemon hits another Pokemon to hard, it not just hurts the foe but also itself " Zhery added.

"Ohhhhhh now I understand!"

We arrived at the lakefront around 3am. Zhery is right, it sounds peaceful and relaxing.

"Alright Kalem, I challenge you to a battle!" Zhery challenged.

"M... Me? but I came here to train not to battle!" I answered.

"How can you become stronger and closer with your Pokemon if you don't battle?" Zhery questioned.

"Alright then... come on Riolu lets win this."

"And me and Shynx will be the referee!" Glade volunteered.

"Each trainer will use one Pokemon each, the battle ends when either Pokemon faints!"

"Come on out Roselia!"

"Riolu, do your best!"

*Both of them called out their Pokemon*

"Battle begin"

"I'll give you the first move Kalem, go ahead!"

"Alright if you say so! Riolu use Karate chop!"

"Roselia! dodge that move!"

*Roselia dodges the attack.*

"We're not giving up! Riolu use Karate Chop!"

"Hmmm... Riolu's only move is Karate chop, Roselia has four... this means that Zhery has an advantage!" Glade said to his mind while observing the battle.

"Roselia use petal storm!"

*Roselia countered Riolu's attack!*

"So that's how petal storm looks like " I said in my mind as I was in awe with the move!

"Now, Roselia use Leaf storm!"

"Riolu, dodge that leaf storm!"

*Riolu was unable to dodge! The attacked damaged Riolu badly *

"Come on Riolu I know you can do it!"

"Wonderful... The determination in Riolu's eyes I've never seen anything like that" Glade said to his conscience.

"Roselia finish this fight with razor leaf!"

"Riolu, I know you can do this! I know you can!"

*The attack landed on Riolu*

"And thats that! Riolu is unable to battle, the winner of this battle is Roselia and Zhery." Glade proclaimed.

I grabbed Riolu's fainted body, and Zhery was so kind to give me a super potion after that intense battle.

"Kalem, after that intense battle Riolu had, we can now identify what Riolu must improve." Zhery stated.

"Number 1, is Riolu only knows the move Karate Chop... in order to have a decent battle you've got to have at least two to four moves."

"What does that mean?" I was confused.

"What Zhery was trying to point out, is... Riolu needs to learn a new move aside from Karate Chop" Glade cleared my confusion.

"Number 2, Riolu is too slow to keep up, in order to dodge an attack... Riolu's speed must be high or else the attack would just hit Riolu." Zhery added.

"So that means me and Riolu must learn a new move and increase our speed?" I asked.

"Yup... and in order to learn a new move Riolu must train" Zhery explained.

"But what move should Riolu learn?" I asked.

"Kalem, I suggest that you teach Riolu the move Quick Attack!" Glade suggested.

"Quick attack? What move is that?" I asked again.

"A move which can help Riolu boost his speed and the same time it opens an opportunity for Riolu to learn other fast paced moves!" Zhery replied.

"So what do you say Riolu, do you want to learn Quick attack?" Glade asked Riolu.

"Riolu said he's eager to learn quick attack to defeat that Marley!" I translated what Riolu said for Glade's question.

"In order to learn quick attack Riolu must first increase its speed!" Zhery said.

"Alright then! Its training time!" I said as I was pumped up and eager to train Riolu Quick attack.

"First Kalem, ask Riolu to walk slowly, but as it walks, tell it to go faster." Glade said.

"Alright Riolu walk, then begin to walk faster!" I commanded.

*Riolu runs*

"Then what?" I asked Glade.

"Tell Riolu to run around the lake three laps!" Glade said.

"Umm three laps but this lake is so wide!" I complained.

"No pain... No gain..." Zhery quoted.

"Riolu, run around the lake for three times."

"No problem!" Riolu told me.

"Wow Kalem, Riolu is really a determined Pokemon!" Zhery complemented.

"Well Riolu was always determined, since it hatched from an egg" I said.

Riolu was getting tired but he never gave up, he ran and ran for three laps! but then he fainted.

"No, Riolu!" I shouted as I grabbed his body.

"Riolu must be so tired!" Glade said.

"But its almost five and Riolu haven't learned Quick attack." I said.

"We can't rush things Kalem, we must learn how to wait patiently." Zhery quoted.

"No... I don't want to rest! I want to learn! I want to train!" Riolu told me.

"But your tired Riolu, Zhery is right, you should rest... its getting late anyways."

I answered.

Riolu stood up, and forced himself to run

"I can do this!" Riolu shouted!

"Riolu don't force yourself to much!" I warned.

Then above our heads we heard a helicopter flying down towards us. It had a letter C on it, could it be? Could it be?

"Its team Chaos again!" Zhery said.

"What do they want now!" Glade uttered in anger.

The two grunts went down the helicopter and the first thing they saw was our eyes glaring at them!

"Those kids again!" grunt one said.

"They're here to stop our mission!" grunt two said.

"Team Chaos! What are you doing here in Lake wisdom!" I asked.

"That's none of your business kid! stay out or prepare to fight!" The grunts said.

"If that's what you want, then that's what I'll give!" I shouted.

"You'll just lose like last time!" grunt two said.

"We haven't even finished our battle back in Emerald woods!" I reminded them.

"Kalem! Riolu looks tired... Let me and Shynx fight!" Glade suggested.

"Then its a double battle then?" the grunts said.

"Wh.. what's a double battle?" I asked.

"A double battle is when two trainers team up to defeat a pair of trainers!" Zhery said.

"If its a double battle you want then we're fine with that!" Glade shouted.

"I'll be the referee!" Zhery volunteered.

"Go Shynx!" Glade commanded.

"Show them your determination!" I commanded Riolu.

"The name's Nate and here's my Koffing!" Grunt one or Nate commanded.

"And the name's Cyra of Team Chaos go and shine Ekans!" Ekans was sent out by Cyra.

"2 Pokemons for each pair! The battle will be over if either Pokemon of either pairs is defeated!"

"Match begin!" Zhery continued.

"Ekans use Poison needle!"

"Koffing use Smog!"

"Shynx use thundershock on Ekans"

"Riolu dodge the smog!"

*Thundershock countered Poison needle*

*Riolu was unable to dodge the smog*

"Oh no Riolu!"

"Careful Kalem! Smog can lessen the accuracy of your Pokemon!" Zhery warned.

"Your job is to be a referee and not a helping hand!" Nate said towards Zhery

"Thanks Zhery! Riolu run away from the smog!"

"Ekans use bite on Shynx!"

"Shynx! rush towards Ekans with Volt tackle!"

*Shynx countered Ekan's bite and dealt damage. But Shynx was hit with recoil!*

*Riolu tried to run fast, but the smog would catch up*

"Riolu keep running!"

"Koffing use sludge wave!"

"Now Shynx use thundershock and hit Ekans hard!"

"Ekans use bite once more!"

*Riolu was hit by sludge wave*

*Ekans was hit by thundershock*

"Come on Ekans! Get up!"

"Shynx, use thundershock one more time!"

"Riolu, please get up! Please, you can't lose right now!"

Riolu tried to stand up, he forced himself to stand and fight! He knew if he lost, all that hard work in training won't pay off!

"I can... I can... I can do this!!!" Riolu shouts towards Kalem.

"That's the spirit Riolu! Show team Chaos how strong you are!"

"Koffing finish Riolu with Sludge wave again!"

Riolu was sweating when he stood, he saw the attack coming towards him, and all that was in his mind was positivity! I could hear what Riolu was saying. "I will win! I will win!"

so Riolu ran towards the attack! he ran as fast as he could and beyond his limit!

Then a white beam followed behind him...

"C.. Could that be?" Zhery witnessed it.

Riolu hit Koffing so hard that it got knocked down in one blow.

"The match ends here! The winner is Glade and Kalem!"

"Grrr!!! who cares if we lost?! We're still going to do our plan! Milotic would be ours once and for all!" Nate said.

"Milotic the guardian of Lake Wisdom!? I won't allow that to happen!" Zhery said.

"There's nothing you can do kid!" Cyra said.

A net swooped down from the helicopter towards the water! And seconds later, Milotic was caught in the net!

"Let Milotic go team Chaos!" Zhery shouted.

Team Chaos went in their helicopter and began to leave, when all hope was lost...

"Shynx use thundershock to cut the rope!"

Glade's Shynx cut the rope from team Chaos's helicopter and Milotic fell back to the water.

"No!!! Those kids blew it up again!" Nate shouted.

"Let's just go, we'll deal with them next time" Cyra said with anger.

Just like that, team Chaos left the scene .

Zhery went close to the lake and said. "Milotic... Milotic are you alright?"

*Milotic smiles at Zhery then goes down the water*

"Why do you seem so concerned about Milotic, is Milotic your Pokemon?" I asked.

"No... Milotic is the guardian of Lake Wisdom, she saved me once when I was drowning while training. Roselia was a Budew that time." Zhery answered.

"So that's how you met Milotic" Glade figured.

"Yeah, and from that day one, me and Milotic became friends."

Meanwhile I rushed to Riolu's fainted body.

"Riolu are you fine?" I asked.

"Kalem! It seems to me that Riolu has been badly poisoned by that Koffing."

Zhery said.

"Poisoned?! will Riolu be alright?"

"Here, I brought an antidote in case of emergencies just like this one." Zhery gave me an antidote for Riolu's poison.

We waited for the antidote to take effect. And once Riolu woke up, I hugged him real tight!

"I've got to show you somethin' Kalem" Riolu told me.

"What do you want to show me?" I asked Riolu.

Riolu ran like when he was battling Koffing, a white beam followed Riolu from behind.

"R... Riolu" I started to have tears of joy.

"You've finally learned how to use Quick attack" I told Riolu and squeezed him hard.

"Well... Well... I guess Riolu is ready for a rematch against Marley!" Glade told me.

"Lets head back to the orphanage, its almost dinner time", Zhery said

After that thrilling adventure in Lake Wisdom, we went back to the orphanage where we were surprised by Sir Copper on the front door.

"How's training Kalem?"

"It was fun sir, Riolu learned a new move thanks to Glade and Zhery"

"How wonderful, so... are you going to rematch Marley tomorrow?" Sir Copper asked.

"Of course he is sir! Or else all his hard work and Riolu's effort will be wasted."

Zhery told sir Copper.

"If that's the case, you three go and prepare for dinner!" Sir Copper said.

"Are you ready to rematch Sceptile?" I asked Riolu in our room.

"Of course Kalem! I'll make you proud tomorrow!"

Then lets eat a lot tonight Riolu!

After dinner, Me and Riolu were about to sleep, until I remembered that the Pokemon egg was in my bag!

"Phew! That was a close one" I thought I lost the egg!

I placed the egg in a safer place, so that I wouldn't worry about it breaking in my bag.

I felt calm but excited for my rematch against Marley and Sceptile. Today has been a fun and thrilling day!