• In Jubilife City, there is an impressive building on the west side of town called the GTS, which is short for "Global Trade Station". This place is very popular for Trainers like myself because it allows for Trainers to trade Pokemon with other people from all around the world! I have never actually used the Trade Station, but I was as eager as a young Trainer to find out how it works. Of course, I'm not really a young Trainer. I'm actually a teenager, but I'm a veteran Trainer, as are many others. I've beaten all of the Sinnoh Gym Leaders, and the Pokemon League as well, but that's not really anything to brag about, since others have done that too. But now that I have, I decided that maybe I should find another Pokemon to raise up again from the start. Now, as I stood in front of the trade station, I reconsidered my desire of training another Pokemon from square one. I remembered how difficult it was to train my fully trained yet unevolved Chimchar. Many people who I had battled and beaten would always ask, "Why didn't you evolve him? He'd be even more stronger than he is now!" I would always respond to this by counter arguing, "Pokemon are supposed to be strong, yes, but that doesn't always mean they have to be pushed to the fullest. Besides," and here, I would exchange grins with Chimchar, "We fooled you with Chimchar's appearance, didn't we?" And they would grudgingly nod, because they always battled me since I looked like a novice Trainer.
    Maybe I should get a Pokemon who is partially trained, I mused. It might have more benefits, especially if it's been trained by someone else. Looking down at Chimchar's Pokeball clipped snugly to my belt, I decided out loud, "Okay, half trained it is then. This will be interesting." I walked into the building, which was filled with the buzzing of many other Trainers like me. As I walked to the trading area, I would hear the occasional whoop of a Trainer who had gotten the Pokemon they had wanted, or a groan from someone who had not received their Pokemon.
    "Well, here goes nothing," I breathed, and headed towards the nearest trading machine. It booted up, and showed a screen with several options. I touched the deposit option, and the screen came up with Which Pokemon would you like to deposit?
    I thought about this thoroughly. Definitely not Chimchar. That would be worse than giving up a best friend. I finally choose to put in a Larvitar I had recently caught. He was friendly, but he seemed to like being around others of the same gender, besides Chimchar.
    Now came the decision of what Pokemon I wanted.
    "So many choices..." I tapped my chin thoughtfully. Then the choice came to me quickly: Why not a Lucario? They're wonderful Pokemon with a bevy of moves to use, moves that seemed quite bizarre for a Pokemon like its type to use. As for strength and speed, it was quite remarkable. "Lucario it is then," I decided. I typed in the name, for gender I put "any", and for level I also put any. "I just know someone will just give me a low level Pokemon, but what the heck." I pressed okay. "Up you go," I said, as the Pokeball descended to the sky on the screen. "Perhaps you'll find a male Trainer, like you want."
    After depositing Larvitar, I walked out to find a hotel room to stay in until the next morning, feeling excitement bubble within me.

    I jogged over to the Trade Station again the next morning, anticipating the arrival of a new Pokemon. Entering the same environment as yesterday, I stepped up to a trade machine, typed in my name, and the Pokemon I had deposited (and a temporary password for protection), then waited.
    After a long time, a Pokeball descended quickly from the sky onscreen, and then onto the pedestal next to the machine. The Lucario had arrived, finally! My hand was covering my mouth to keep me from whooping with joy like the other Trainers. Immediately I wanted to call out the Pokemon, but I figured I could do that once I was outside. It might scare him (The info said that he was a male Lucario) to be in a place full of people.
    I stepped outside into bright sunlight once more, where things were quieter. "Time to meet Lucario," I said, both nervous and excited. I threw up the Pokeball, where it spun dazzlingly above my head, and then a flash of white light in front of me. But before my eyes could recover from the entrance light's glare, I saw a blue blur rushing towards me. It leaped into the air, and then, spinning, part of it hit me square in my chest. The result of the impact sent me sprawling on my back against the concrete ground. It felt as though I had been hit with an aluminum bat. The sun was in my eyes before my vision was obscured by a face, and something was holding down my body. Two scarlet eyes burned hatefully into my eyes, but in a moment the look was replaced by a confused frustration. Suddenly, the pressure was lifted, and I sat up in time to see the distant retreating back of a Lucario, running away for all of his life's worth.
    The pain in my chest was astounding. I figured Lucario had used Iron Tail on me, which was why he had spun around when he leaped at me. As for why he had done it... well, I was still figuring that one out. People started coming over to see if I was all right, or to see what had happened.
    "What was that?"
    "You okay?"
    "That looked like it hurt!"
    "Gee, thanks," I mumbled. It wasn't their fault.
    "I think you should go to the hospital," one person said. "That was a nasty attack."
    "No thank you, I'm fine," I said. There was no point in making a big fuss about a bruise.
    "It could have broken something you know," the person insisted.
    "He didn't break anything, I assure you," I said. I got to my feet. "See? On my feet and not a problem. I promise you I'm fine."
    "If you say so..."
    I pushed my way through the group, ready to leave the city. I kept telling the other people by me that nothing was wrong, or broken. It was beginning to turn to evening, and so I walked on until I got to the forest that bordered Jubilife.
    It was then I fell, gasping and coughing for breath.
    I dragged myself to the nearest tree, and rested my back against it. Removing my Billabong sweatshirt, I pulled my T shirt collar down an inch to see that a nasty bruise had formed around my collarbone area. Breathing hard, I put my sweatshirt back on and said, "A perfect bull's eye... son of a gun..."

    Watching quietly in the trees above, the Lucario felt a pang of guilt at the pain he had inflicted upon the girl. He was looking for someone else, and had not stopped to see that she was not his original Trainer. She had not been his target. He linked this accident to being the fault of his original Trainer (for that had been his target), and he felt even more hateful towards him. Lucario would think of a way to increase his vengeance, but for now, it was time to mend his error.

    Right after I had said that, I heard a rustle in the trees above, and in a couple of moments, a figure had dropped down a few feet away from me.
    It was the Lucario.
    "Stay back! Stay back!" My panicky fingers tried to grab Chimchar's Pokeball, but I was too scared to secure it in my hand.
    The Lucario simply sat on the ground, at level with me.
    I finally managed to hold Chimchar's Pokeball, and I called him out. At seeing this new Pokemon, Chimchar looked questioningly from him to me. "Stay alert," I warned him. I didn't tell him to attack because Lucario's behavior had baffled me. Why wasn't he going after me?
    I didn't understand. Lucario sat down with one arm resting on his leg, and his face was hung in a shamed manner. He avoided my stare.
    It was hard to tell whether this was genuine guilt or a trap.
    "Stay where you are, Lucario, and look at me," I said, not moving at all. He met my eyes, and rolled something across the ground. I flinched away from it, but after a closer look, I saw it was his Pokeball.
    "Did you mean to attack me?" I asked, in a yes or no compatible question.
    He shook his head.
    "Did I do something wrong?" I questioned.
    Again he shook his head.
    I remembered when his eyes had searched my face, and it looked as though...
    "Did you think I was someone else?" I tried.
    This time, Lucario nodded.
    "I look like your old Trainer?"
    No.
    "But you thought I was them."
    Yes.
    "You are angry at them?"
    As Lucario nodded, he turned his head away and clenched his paw into a fist, his eyes burning with loathing.
    "Glad I got that sorted out," I sighed. I looked at Chimchar, who was doing a great job being alert. "At ease, soldier."
    Chimchar sensed that I had some trust in Lucario, and sat down.
    "Well, I could just disregard your story and not trust you at all, but you didn't finish the job back in Jubilife City, and you really do look sorry for your mistake."
    He nodded sincerely.
    "Now do you still want to travel with me? I could just set you free if you want."
    Lucario sighed, deep in thought. After a minute, I asked. "Freedom?"
    He shook his head.
    "You'll stay with us, then."
    He nodded, hopeful that I really might let him stay.
    "I can't say no to someone that eager. You can join us, then."
    For the first time, I saw Lucario smile. It wasn't much different from a human smiling, and we couldn't suppress our own smiles, not I nor Chimchar.
    "Then you're off to a fresh start. I'm sorry that your old Trainer treated you so bad."
    Lucario shrugged as if he were implying it wasn't my fault.
    All three of us went through the forest, a true team.