How to Train Your Pokémon

A/N: Okay, I think this is the chapter where things start to get ugly. If any of you guys know HTTYD, you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, let's get on with Chapter 21. Roll it!

Bold italics- Pokémon speech

Chapter 21

Final Exam

The morning of the Final Exam finally came. Almost all of the Trainers in Pallet Town had arrived at the Arena to see what was expected to be a most amazing event. There was loud cheering and shouting ringing all throughout. Dawn was on a podium positioned outside the Arena, greeting the crowd.

"It's a good day to be here!" She started as the crowd's cheering started to die down so that she could speak. "If someone had told that in a few short weeks, Mari would go from being who she was to placing first in training, I wouldn't believe it! Not that I have faith in my daughter's abilities."

The crowd laughed at that comment before Dawn continued speaking. "And yet, here we are. And no one's more surprised or more proud than I am. Today, my daughter becomes a true Trainer. Today, she becomes one of us!"

The crowd resumed cheering as Dawn concluded her speech. Meanwhile, waiting at the Arena's entrance, the guest of honor felt her spirits sink rapidly at her mother's words. All she ever wanted was for her people to accept her, and now that she knows the truth, she realized that the adults knew that she would never live up to the false idea of a Trainer that was implanted in the brains of her generation. She really was too much like her father.

She looked down at the ceremonial brooch that adorned her chest. As the chosen recruit, one wears the symbol of their faction, as is tradition. The thin metal brooch showed a Poké Ball symbol on a shield seemed very heavy on her.

Just then, she heard movement behind her. She slightly turned around and saw the twins and Aiden approaching. "Be careful with Lucario." Aiden warned.

"It's not Lucario I'm worried about." Mari admitted, her eyes somewhere else. The boys followed her gaze and saw Dawn coming up to her seat.

"What are you going to do?" Luke asked his sister.

Mari had a solemn look on her face. "Put an end to this." She answered. "I have to try." She then turned to the boys behind her. "Guys, if something goes wrong, just make sure that they don't find Elysia."

The boys felt chills go up their spines by what she meant by that statement. However, they gave her their word.

"We will, sis." Evan said, hugging her tightly. She returned it just as tight. Luke joined in after a couple of seconds. After she released her brothers, Mari turned to Aiden, who nodded at her. But before she could turn back to the Arena, he grabbed her hand.

"Just please promise me it won't go wrong." He suggested, a worried look in his eyes.

Mari felt her stomach plummet at the sight of her old friend so concerned for her. "To be honest, I don't think I can make that promise." She admitted, swallowing a lump in her throat.

Aiden was about to say something else when Gary appeared, and he closed his jaw. "It's time, Mari." The older Trainer said. "Knock them dead."

Mari nodded at her mentor, and shared a sad look with her brothers and her friend. She slowly pulled her hand away from Aiden's gentle grip and entered the Arena without saying another word. The cheering started up again as she came in, and she could hear Aiden's sisters, Keira and Jenna among the many cheering voices. She went up to the weapons rack and chose her signature lance. She put on the shield watch and took a deep breath.

She nodded up at the Trainers who were holding the gates up that contained the Lucario. The crowd went silent as the bars were slowly lifted out of place.

A ball of powerful blue energy appeared, zooming out at high speeds, which Mari barely dodged. With a loud battle cry, the Lucario emerged from the cage. It was humanoid, since it stood on two legs, with blue fur over almost all of its entire body. The chest area had more shaggy beige fur with a metal spike. It also had a black marking over its red eyes, which in the back become tails of thick black fur.

The Lucario fired another Aura Sphere, which it aimed not at Mari, but at the spectators watching. It quickly faded into just a force of wind, so it didn't hurt anyone. Then it at last took a fighting stance in front of Mari.

Mari had watched the whole thing with bated breath. She could feel the anger that was emitting from the Fighting and Steel type. She couldn't sense Aura as well as Luke or her father, but she can tell that it was ready for a fight. Maybe even to the death.

However, Mari stuck to her plan, and slowly began to back away. The Lucario followed her, maintaining their distance, but also curious as to why this female Trainer wasn't attacking it. One by one, Mari dropped her lance and took off her shield watch.

Dawn was confused by her daughter's actions. "What is she doing?" She asked herself as murmurs began to rise from the spectating crowd. The guys were also viewing what was happening at the doors of the Arena, their breaths bated.

Mari began to try and coax the Lucario. "Hey, it's okay." She assured it. "It's okay." Then she took the brooch off her chest and looked up at her mother, who was watching her with concerned eyes. With a renewed sense of determination, she looked back at the Lucario.

"I'm not one of them." After she said those words, she tossed away the brooch, causing it to break when it hit the ground.

The crowd was shocked by her words, wondering what could have caused her to say something like that. "Stop the fight." Dawn ordered, slowly standing up, her eyes widened in horror.

"No!" Mari retorted back. "I need all of you to see this." She then slowly let out her hand, offering it to the Lucario.

The Fighting and Steel type looked at it curiously, then looked at its own paw. Hesitantly, it began to reach it out to make contact with Mari's hand. "They're not what we think they are. We don't have to fight them. Not anymore."

All of the adults eyes' widened in shock, while the younger generation looked at each other in confusion. Dawn then saw what her daughter was trying to do. "Mari, don't!" She shouted.

Apparently, that cry was a little too loud, for it surprised the Lucario greatly. Quickly retracting its paw, it seemed to have forgotten Mari's attempt to make peace and started to attack her. Mari dodged its Aura Sphere and made her way to her lance. However, she was instead greeted by a Bone Rush attack to her stomach, making her cry out in pain.

**********************************

Napping in the cave, Elysia's ears perked up when they heard a familiar voice scream, as if it was hurt.

"Mari?" She asked. 

***********************************

Back in the Arena, Mari barely got back up to her feet and jumped out of the way of another Aura Sphere. She then tried to make another attempt to reach her lance.

Dawn however, was trying to push her way through the crowd, her overprotective maternal instincts kicking in. "Let me through!" She commanded sharply.

"Mari!" Aiden shouted.

"Stand back, Aiden!" Luke ordered.

Once the Newton boy did what he was told, Luke double checked around him to make sure that no one else other his old friend and his twin brother were watching. Then he began conjuring up his own Aura Sphere and fired it at the gate, blasting a hole big enough for them to get in the Arena. One by one, the guys jumped through the hole, eager to get to Mari.

*************************************

Meanwhile, they weren't the only ones who were trying to get to Mari. Elysia had just left the cave and was sniffing the air and ground, trying to get a good scent as to where her Trainee was. Finally, she caught it and started to run at her top speed towards Pallet Town.

"Hang on, Mari." She said to herself.

*************************************

It wasn't getting any better in the Arena. After that harsh blow to her stomach, Mari was clutching it, knowing that she would get a bruise there. Also, she wasn't running as fast as her normal speed because of the swelling pain.

"Mari!" Aiden shouted again. He then caught sight of the weapons rack and saw his baton there. He grabbed it and extended to its staff length. With one swing, he blocked the Lucario's Bone Rush and swung it into its ribs.

After being knocked off-balance, the Lucario was now even more mad. It launched another Aura Sphere at close range, knowing that Aiden couldn't dodge it in time. Mari saw what the Lucario was going to do, and in a moment of worry, the pain in her stomach vanished as she made her hardest effort to reach her friend.

"Look out!" She shouted, pushing him and herself out of the way of the Aura Sphere. Luke then saw his chance as he blocked the Fighting and Steel type from following its targets.

"Okay." He said, grabbing his signature staff from the weapons rack. "I think you and I need to have a little chat."

Once Mari and Aiden were safe, they looked over at each other, and Mari's eyes widened. From where her hand was touching Aiden's chest, it was glowing a raspberry red color. It wasn't blood, yet Mari could feel a warmth coming from it. She pulled her hand back, and the glowing print of where it was remained. But after a couple of seconds, the print morphed itself into the shape of butterfly wings, then it at last vanished.

"What was that?" Aiden asked, but not loud enough for the spectators to hear.

"I don't know." Mari answered breathlessly. However, they had to focus on that later. Right now, they have bigger problems.

Luke was sparring fiercely with the Lucario, his staff against its Bone Rush. "Come on!" He exclaimed, trying to get close enough.

Finally, he pushed back, causing Lucario to slightly lose its balance. "Gotcha!" He swiftly reached out and brushed his fingers against its left arm, activating his Pokémon comprehension ability.

He had just enough time to retract his hand and brace himself as the Lucario regained its balance and was neck and neck with him again. "You fight well, for a male." It said.

Luke's eyes widened in surprise. "Hang on. You're a girl?" He asked.

The now female Lucario had her own eyes widened in shock. "How can you understand me?" She questioned back.

Suddenly, a chain wrapped around her waist and pulled her away from Luke. It was Mari with her lance. "You okay, bro?" She asked.

"I guess so." He answered, still a little shocked that the Lucario was a female.

The Lucario fired another Aura Sphere at Mari, who managed to dodge it in time. This time, Evan had fired his grappling gun, and the hook tied itself around the Lucario's feet. He tugged it away from his body, and the Fighting and Steel type was back on the ground. Luke and Aiden readied themselves with their staff and baton.

By now, Dawn had reached the gate. She was surprised to see it damaged, but she didn't question it right then. "Kids!" She called, getting their attention. "This way!" She ordered.

Knowing that they can't disobey right now, the teens retracted their weapons and started towards the gate. But the Lucario wasn't accepting their surrender. She summoned another Bone Rush and flung it towards Mari, which struck her in the back.

"Mari!" The guys shouted, desperate to help her. But the Lucario flung her Bone Rush attack at them, forcing them to back away.

The Ketchum girl was trying to get back on her feet and continue running, but the Lucario managed to pin her onto her back on the ground with her Bone Rush. Mari managed to briefly touch her ankle before her arms were rendered still.

"You're mine, now!" The Lucario said, forcing the Bone Rush on Mari, and despite how lithe she made it appear to be, it felt like a boulder on top of her.

Suddenly, there was a loud cry of anger coming from outside the Arena. Everyone, including the Trainers watching from the sidelines, saw Elysia jumping high above the building, performing multiple flips. A silver glow then appeared along with her, and when she stopped doing her flips, she revealed that her tail became solid iron, glowing with a silver sheen and energy,

"Get away from my friend!" She shouted at the Lucario, bringing her Iron Tail down at the iron barred ceiling. The force broke a few bars and she swung her tail down on the Lucario's head.

The Lucario released her pin on Mari and stumbled back from the blow, allowing Elysia to zoom in front of her friend, protecting her. Now everyone had a clear view of her.

"An Electric type!" Keira shrieked from the crowd.

"Step aside, rodent!" The Lucario demanded. "She challenged me, and it is of the highest dishonor to yield or seek help from others."

"Oh, to heck with dishonor!" Elysia retorted back, not moving from her spot. "We're in a freaking war! One that will end really soon, but not like this!" She then released electric sparks from her red cheeks. "Now get back in there for now, or else I will blast you sky-high, disadvantaged or not!"

The Lucario was surprised that this Pikachu was protecting a human, and just how fierce she sounded. Hesitantly, she made her Bone Rush vanish and sulk backwards into her cage.

Elysia made her sparks disappear and she turned to Mari. "You okay?" She asked her.

Mari only managed to nod before Trainers from the sidelines were beginning to come inside the Arena in an attempt to capture Elysia. "Ely, you gotta get out of here." She said, standing up and getting closer to her Pikachu.

"No way." She said firmly. "I'm tired of hiding."

Dawn squeezed her way through the hole in the gate to reach her daughter. Her sons tried to stop her, but she proved resilient.

"Mom, don't!" Luke shouted.

"Stop!" Evan added.

Mari then saw her mother rapidly coming towards her. Elysia got into a protective stance, just in case. "Wait, Mom! Mom, she won't hurt me!" She pleaded.

The other Trainers were getting closer. Mari took Elysia in her arms and held her tight. She started to feel pressured, worried about what they might do to her friend. The swelling emotion was building up inside of her, until finally, she let out one more desperate cry.

"STOP!" She screamed. Suddenly, an electrical wave of energy pulsed throughout the Arena, causing all of the Trainers to get blown back by the force. No one was zapped, though.

Mari was breathing heavily from the energy blast she released, and she looked around at all of the Trainers that were dazed and shocked by what had happened. Her eyes widened when she remembered that her mother was in the crowd, trying to reach her. She turned towards her and was met with a shocking sight.

Dawn was in the middle of a large light blue forcefield, her palm outstretched firmly. She let her hand down, and the barrier vanished. Her eyes were glowing with worry, yet her face was stoic as a stone. She calmly looked down at her daughter, who was clutching her Pikachu to her chest, her brown eyes full of fear.

Finally, she turned to Gary, who had appeared beside her. "Put the Electric type with the others." She ordered.

That statement suddenly ignited a burning rage inside of Mari. "Oh, cut the act, Mom!" She yelled. "I know very well that you know what kind of Pokémon she is!" She gestured down to Elysia in her arms, who was sparking her cheeks at Gary, who tried to get close to her, a black and white Poké Ball in his hand.

Dawn's eyes widened, but she put back on her stony gaze. She waved her hand to her daughter, and immediately, Mari found herself in a light blue bubble that felt like glass. She looked down into her arms and was shocked to see that Elysia wasn't in them. She frantically looked around her, and she saw Elysia on the ground beside her just in time before Gary trapped her in the capsule.

"No!" Mari screamed, her fists banging against the barrier she was trapped in. "Please, don't hurt her! Please!" Tears were beginning to stream down her face.

Dawn then began to walk out of the Arena, the bubble containing Mari levitating behind her, ignoring all of the confusion of the younger generation and all of the glares of the older ones that were being sent her daughter's way. As she walked past the twins and Aiden, she waved her hand again. This time, Luke and Evan found themselves in similar bubbles and floating beside their sister. They called out similar demands like Mari was doing; wanting to be released. Aiden could only watch them, feeling a dreadful sensation settling into his stomach.

A/N: I looked it up, and it showed that Lucario can be a female, it's just very rare. Besides, I like it when us girls show that we can kick butt. Shows that we're not always prissy and pretty.

But now, things will start to get worse. So prepare yourselves, for it is a chapter that will not be my favorite. Anyway, I hope you all liked the action in this dramatic chapter.

Until Chapter 22, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated.

Got to fly! ;)