Jon Pokemon Arbuckle, or whatever I’m calling him in this one, walked to his cat Persian. “Persian! Wake up. I have a surprise for you.”
Persian stretched and yawned. “It had better be edible.”
“Now, I’ve noticed you’ve been a little out of shape lately,” Jon said.
“I’ve been in shape, it’s the shape I’m always in,” Persian said.
“So I’ve hired your own personal trainer!”
Persian looked out of bed, eyes wide. “It’s not a Pokemon Trainer, is it?”
“Uh, a fitness trainer, I mean.”
Persian jumped out of bed. “That’s even worse!” He ran away.
“Persian! Wait!” Jon ran after him.
Persian ran through the house. “Yeah, I know I’m running to avoid exercise, but it’s gotta be better than whatever a fitness trainer would put me through.” He crashed into something softer and blubbier than even himself.
“Persian!” Jon skidded to a stop. “Are you okay?” He pulled one blob off another. “Oh, I see you’ve met your new trainer.”
Persian looked at the trainer. “You’re a fitness trainer?”
“You bet, name’s Makuhita,” he said, shaking Persian’s paw. “Training people and Pokemon into shape’s what I do.
“No offense, but you’re as big as I am.”
Jon walked off. “Well, I’ll let you two get to it.”
“Are you ready to get started on my three-step program?” Makuhita asked, leading Persian into the other room.
“I’m ready to get started on returning to my naps,” Persian said, but his eyes nearly popped out of his face at the sight in the next room, a table almost buckling under a pile of food.
“Step one, eat lots of food! You need a lot of food for a lot of energy, so let’s chow down!”
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Pesrian jumped onto the table and gobbled up the food, Makuhita joining him. Soon the table was empty and the two were more bloated than usual.
“All right, step two of my three-step program is to get lots of sleep! You have to be rested to get fit!”
“I like these steps so far,” Persian said, and he immediately snored away.
Makuhita looked at Persian. “Wow, he falls asleep faster than a Snorlax.” No, that was the first Garfield joke we did. He’s a Persian now.
Persian dreamed long dreams where he also slept. In the dream sleep he dreamed of eating a never-ending sandwich. All this shattered with a loud clapping, and Persian screamed awake.
“All right, up and at ’em, it’s time for step three!” Makuhita said. “It’s time for some rigorous training!”
Persian groaned and turned over. “I think I’ll skip that step.”
“Come on, let’s go!” Makuhita dragged Persian outside by the tail. Persian gripped the floor with his claws but Makuhita pulled like he was a Caterpie.
“I need to go back and do the first two steps again,” Persian complained. Makuhita dropped him in front of a tree.
“Now, the style of training I usually do is to find a sturdy tree and hit it as as hard as you can repeatedly, like this.” Makuhita proceeded to smack the tree multiple times. “All right, give it a tree.” He looked around–Persian was gone. “Where’d you go?” He looked up. Persian lay in the tree.
“At least he can’t get me up here,” Persian said. The tree shook. He looked down at Makuhita.
“Good initiative, but not quite right,” Makuhita said. “Don’t worry, though, I’ll get you down!” Makuhita slapped the tree until the trunk broke and it crashed to the ground, Persian in it.
The big cat Pokemon wobbly emerged from the fallen tree branches, scraped and bruised. “I’ve gotta get rid of this trainer guy. And I think I know how to do it.”
Persian ran inside and got on the computer. He opened up a chat. “Need help, come over ASAP.” “Yes, I know it’s far from Abu Dhabi to here, but it’s an emergency!” “Thanks, I owe you one.” Persian hid until the next day then headed out, a new palm tree in the yard.
“There you are!” Makuhita said. “Are you ready to continue the training?”
“Oh, sure,” Persian said with a smile. “I think I need to see how it’s done again.”
“Not a problem!” Makuhita slapped the palm tree heavily.
“EXEGGUTOR”
“What?” Makuhita and Persian looked up. The palm tree bent down and all its coconut heads stared at Makuhita. “Oh, uh, sorry, I didn’t know you were–”
Exeggutor smacked Makuhita with its top and flung the fitness trainer far away.
“Thanks,” Persian said, waving to Exeggutor. “And say hi to Purrloin for me when you get back.”

-Odemon #296 Makuhita