Friendship And Rivalry

Chapter 2: Friendship And Rivalry

The sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting a warm glow inside the cave. Nathan slowly roused from his slumber and opened his eyes.

He heard a gentle whimper and looked down to see Growlithe, his new companion, stirring from his sleep as well. The puppy's tail wagged lazily as he yawned cutely and Nathan smiled.

Despite seeing it with his own eyes, he still couldn't believe he finally had his own Pokemon. Growlithe, who was laying down next to him, let out a whine, and then lifted its head to look up at him. Nathan nodded in understanding; the puppy was hungry and so did him.

He prepared their meals quickly; two egg sandwiches for himself and a hearty combination of eggs, meat, and berries for Growlithe. They each also had a glass of milk to wash it all down.

Nathan checked the time and scrambled to gather his belongings. He only had an hour to get to school. On his way back home, he passed the bustling market, where he sold the spoils from his recent dungeon run for a few coins. He also grabbed some snacks for Growlithe.

They soon arrived at the orphanage. Nathan gave the matron a quick wave before darting up to his room. After a quick wash and change, he and Growlithe — now in his pokeball — set off toward school which was five minutes walk away. They made it just in time before the gates closed.

Nathan made his way through the crowd of his peers, all talking animatedly and playing with their Pokemon. When he entered his class, he noticed that everyone, except for their teacher, had already settled in.

"Nathan!"

A small, slender girl with long honey hair waved toward him. Nathan returned her wave and made his way toward her.

"Good morn…" Her voice trailed off into silence and a look of dazed confusion slid over the girl's face.

"Something's off," she murmured. "Where's your egg?" This question appeared to bring the girl some excitement. "Did it hatch?"

"Morning, Serena," said Nathan. "Yes, the egg hatched yesterday. I'll show it to you later."

Serena was Nathan's childhood friend whom he first met during a summer camp hosted by Professor Oak. She had become lost in a forest and walked for hours until she became too exhausted to go on any further.

She was in tears when Nathan came across her in a disheveled state and piggybacked her out of there. They had been inseparable ever since then.

"That's fantastic! So now you can graduate! What are your plans for the future?" Serena asked with enthusiasm.

"I want to become a trainer and travel the world," Nathan answered, his eyes drifting away in thoughts of his own future.

His dream as a kid was to travel around the world. Only, he never thought that he would actually end up in the Pokemon world. What else would he do besides explore the world of his dream? He wanted to see and experience all the world had to offer.

"A trainer is a dangerous job. Are you sure about that?" Serena was aware of the dangers of becoming a Pokemon trainer - it came with huge risks and challenges that many people weren't prepared for.

She wrung her hands nervously and asked another question to try and sway his decision. "And what about money?"

"Don't worry," Nathan reassured her, running his fingers through his coal-black hair. "I have some money saved up, enough to last me a couple of years on the road."

His lips stretched into a hopeful smile, "Besides, if I can reach the upper level in the league's competitive ranking, I might be able to attract someone to sponsor me."

Serena was about to say something when a voice spoke from behind them.

"Hah! Do you really think that the Pokemon you just hatched can win the tournament?"

Serena's face fell. She recognized that voice. She let out a groan, "You're so annoying Gary!"

As they turned around, they saw Gary Oak, the grandson of the famous Professor Oak, standing behind them with crossed arms. His brown hair was cut clean and neat, highlighting his lanky figure draped in what appeared to be expensive clothing.

Gary shrugged nonchalantly at Serena's scolding, "While what I said hurt a little bit, it's the truth."

Serena could only glare at him without saying anything in return.

He suddenly smiled at Nathan, "However, my grandfather is very optimistic about you. He asked me to come here today and ask if you want to join him as his aide later."

Nathan was taken aback, lifting his eyebrows in surprise.

"My grandpa's very optimistic about you though," Gary went on, "and with his support, it'll be easy for you to do whatever you want in the future".

Gary wouldn't admit it, but he couldn't help feeling a little jealous of Nathan. He knew his grandfather favored the orphan because of his excellent grades.

"That's a generous offer," Nathan said thoughtfully. "But I already have my own plan. So I would have to respectfully decline Professor Oak's invitation."

Gary shrugged, "Suit yourself." But then his expression changed as a thought struck him.

He shifted his gaze to Nathan and said, "So, are you up for a battle? Let's use this battle to decide the outcome of our 300th match!"

Serena, standing next to Nathan, couldn't help the smirk that tugged at her lips when she heard this. She had been a witness to the confrontations between the two since they were young and knew all too well how they had always managed to get into a fight over the simplest things.

"Sure, why not?" Nathan said with a grin. He was looking forward to seeing how Gary would do against him. "How about next week?"

"Next week sounds great," Gary replied before raising his head confidently. "I'll win though."

When the bell rang, everyone quickly took their seats. The chatter died down as the teacher, a tall medium-built man with graying hair and a calm face, entered the classroom with practiced, unhurried steps.

"Good morning to you all," Mr. Hill said, walking over to his desk, then stopped five feet in front of the class and stroked his chin, looking at each one of them.

He perched on the edge of his desk and cleared his throat quietly before speaking on: "As you are aware, in a few days you will be graduating. As usual, the school will be organizing a tournament for the graduates."

The class was silent as they absorbed Mr. Hill's words. They all knew that the tournament meant one thing: lots of competition. This was good news for some, but not so good for others. Some kids were looking forward to proving themselves in front of the entire school, while others dreaded it.

"Professor Oak has been invited, so you can look forward to seeing him there. I hope you all will try your best in this tournament and represent our class."

Mr. Hill had spoken for five minutes about the rules of the contest and the valuable prizes before finally asking who was interested in participating.

More than half of the class raised their hands. Mr. Hill then asked everyone to line up to fill out their names. Everyone released their Pokemon out one by one. When it was Nathan's turn, everyone gasped and stared in amazement at his Growlithe.

Growlithe was a rare fire-type Pokemon. They were a popular Pokemon among members of law enforcement and were considered ideal guard dogs due to their loyalty and keen senses. All Growlithe were strictly monitored and allowed only to those with a special license from the League.

That was why everyone was shocked that Nathan owned a Growlithe. Even a seasoned trainer might not be able to get his hands on one. They were just that rare.

XXXXX

"Ring!"

"That's it for today, class." Mr. Hill packed his files into a leather satchel. "You may leave now."

As the students filtered out of the classroom, Serena accosted Nathan and dragged him into a corner. Her face was beaming with excitement.

"Your egg hatched a Growlithe?" She clapped her hands together and pulled him in for a hug. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah, I guess I'm pretty lucky," Nathan laughed and pulled away from her. "Your Pokemon is not bad either."

On cue, Serena's Pokemon, a Fennekin from the distant Kalos region, appeared before them along with a flash of light. Serena smiled and picked up the yellow fox. The Pokemon squirmed and wiggled, but let itself be held nonetheless.

"She's grown quite a bit lately," Nathan remarked, stroking his chin.

"Yes," Serena replied, and wrapped her arms around the Pokemon. "I've been training her since the day I got her."

They stood there for a while as Serena petted her Pokemon and the Fennekin closed its eyes and enjoyed the affection.

Nathan watched them in silence and used this chance to cast Observe on the fox.

Pokemon: Fennekin (Female)

Level: 9

Type: Fire

Ability: Blaze (Increases the power of fire-type moves)

"You sure did a great job training your Pokemon." He could determine the general strength of the students at the school. Their Pokemon were most likely on the same level as Serena's Fennekin.

"Did you hear that Fennekin? You're really amazing." Serena spun the Fennekin in a circle and the fox, in response, chirped in joy, small tendrils of fire shooting out from her mouth.

"But Serena, are you sure you don't want to participate in the competition? Professor Oak's going to be there too," Nathan asked.

Serena thought about it and decided she didn't want to compete.

"No, I think I'll skip out," she said. "I'd rather not put Fennekin through the stress just for a competition."

She then suggested, "Why don't you come over to my place? My mom has been asking me to invite you over for a while now."

Nathan mulled it over; he wanted to make the most of the week to give Growlithe the best possible training. However, it may not be a bad idea to hang out with Serena today and start the training the next day instead. He had plenty of time.

"Sure, I would love to," Nathan replied. "Also, how did the Rhyhorn Race Competition go? I heard you took part in it."

As soon as Nathan mentioned the competition, Serena made a face and said, "Sadly, I came in last. My mom was so let down; she wanted me to be a Rhyhorn racer, like her, but I didn't find it very enjoyable. I was much more into Pokemon Performer stuff."

Nathan gave her shoulder a comforting pat. "That's fine too. I'm sure your mom will understand."

"Thanks." Serena offered him a small smile before putting her Fennekin away. "Let's go, Nathan. Everyone has already left."

Soon, they were out of the school and on their way to Serena's home.

XXXXX

"Mom? I'm back," Serena called out as they both stepped into the spacious living room.

"Serena? Is that you?" A woman in his late thirties peered around the corner. "Oh, you're here too! Welcome, Nathan."

Nathan smiled and waved. "Good afternoon, Mrs. William."

Mrs. William waved back and gestured for them to come closer. "Please, call me Grace. Come, come. You two must be starving. I've made some sandwiches."

Serena and Nathan thanked her and followed her into the dining room.

"Here you go," Grace said, setting a plate down in front of each of them along with two glasses of lemonade. "I'm sorry I couldn't prepare something more special. It's been a while since we've had guests over."

"Don't worry about it Mrs. William; it looks delicious," Nathan said with a smile.

Serena also nodded in agreement before they both began to dig in. Grace excused herself back to the kitchen.

After they finished their meal, Serena proposed they take a stroll in the garden. Nathan agreed and later they were joined by Grace. As the trio stepped out into the warm evening air, Grace took the opportunity to ask a question.

"So, you'll both be graduating soon. Have you made plans?" The question was directed mostly at Nathan, and because she already knew what her daughter's answer would be.

"I plan to sign up for the league's competition," Nathan replied. "But I don't think I can catch up in time for this year. I guess there's always next year."

Grace nodded approvingly. "That's a good plan. It's the quickest way to improve your strength. You'll have plenty of opponents to face."

Serena had the same idea too and quickly spoke up. "I also want to travel with Nathan! Not as a trainer but as a performer!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.

Both Nathan and Grace were against this idea and were quick to express their opposition.

"I don't mind you coming along with me, Serena," Nathan said solemnly. "But not right now. I'm not strong enough yet to protect you out there."

Grace also voiced her opinion, saying that it was too dangerous for her to go on a journey even with Nathan accompanying her. Eventually, Serena gave in after being persuaded many times.

"Best to wait until your Pokemon has fully grown before setting out," Grace advised her daughter.

"Ok, Mom," Serena said with a reluctant pout.

"Considering how long you've had Fennekin, she should have evolved by now," Grace continued. "Plus, you still haven't caught a second Pokemon yet! When I was your age, I had already captured three Pokemon!"

While Grace was bragging about her past accomplishments, Nathan went into the lawn and released Growlithe. After giving him some treats, he examined the pup.

"Looks like you're ready for some training, boy," Nathan said, impressed. In fact, Growlithe was already as large as an adult dog despite being born just yesterday.

They spent the night at Serena's home. The next morning, Nathan stood on the doorstep, ready to leave. Everything he needed for training had already been placed in his bag the day before.

After saying goodbye to Serena and her mother, he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He started down the road, waving at them until he was out of sight.