Here's the next Chapter! We learn more about the fighting tournament and meet a few more people. What's Ash gotten himself into this time? Again, this fanfic is about Ash and other trainers fighting each other in the ring instead of their Pokémon. This Chapter's more of a character introduction Chapter of sorts, so there's not much action in it.
Chapter 2: Some New and Old Friends Appear
"Come again?!" Clemont asks Ash, confused as to what he just heard.
"You guys heard me! I'm gonna fight! Sounds like fun, so I'll give it a try!" Ash confidently answers.
Upon hearing this, Serena begins to have more doubts that Ash is in over his head once again. As he so often finds himself, charging through life.
"Are you sure? I mean it looks kind of well, painful. You'd probably get hurt." Serena.
"It's fighting. Of course it's going to hurt! But I can take it! I've been through worse before after all Ha ha!" Ash insists. Then he gives one of his trademark cocky laughs.
"Do you even know how to fight?" Bonnie asks, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Yeah I do! Um, sort of. I learned some boxing basics back in Pallet tow. I had a couple short practice matches with Gary. Didn't go too much further than that though. I know enough that I even taught Pikachu a special punch!" Ash thinks back to his boxing experience. (This actually happened WAY back in the first season of Pokemon, when Ash taught Pikachu a punch. The rest is stuff I made up.)
"Pika?! Pi!" Pikachu replies in a startled shriek, like 'Are you kidding me?! That HItmonchan knocked me out!'
"You're a boxing expert now?" Clemont comments.
"Basics huh? Nice! To be honest that's a good start. Not a whole lot of people have previous fighting experience. But that doesn't stop some of them from being pretty tough! Never underestimate an opponent. That goes for Pokemon battles and Trainer Fights too." Jason nods his approval.
"Still sounds kind of rough to me. But if you really want to do it, then I can probably help. I'm sure I could come up with a device to help you train, Ash!" Clemont offers to make another invention.
"Sure, knock yourself out. Gah! I mean, we're behind you Ash!" Serena stumbles a bit after some poor word choice.
"Thanks guys! Okay, so where is the Town again?" Ash asks Jason.
Jason works to help his opponent recover from the intense match, in a show of good sportsmanship. He gives him an ice pack and helps wake him up too.
"Be with you in just a sec! There you go." Jason helps his opponent on his feet.
"What… Who?" the boy in the green shorts asks as he warily comes back to his senses. He's also about Ash's size and age, lighter skinned and has longer blonde hair.
"Rhy!" the boy's Rhydon runs over to help his master get on his feet.
"Heh! I knocked you out. Helped you get back up." Jason explains, finally able to stand on his own.
"Ah! I lost! Darn! Looks like it's back to more training for me. Oh! We had an audience! Hello! My name's Jimmy!" Jimmy introduces himself when he sees Ash and company.
"HI! I'm Ash! This is Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie! This here is my good pal Pikachu!" Ash introduces them all.
"Hi! Guess you all saw me get knocked out. Heh! Can't win them all I guess. Was an awesome match though, Jason! See you later! And maybe I'll see you guys again too! Rydon return! Later!" Jimmy bids them farewell as he collects his things and leaves the ring, returning back to town.
With his opponent up and walking, Jason turns his attention back to Ash and friends. He puts his shirt and shoes back on and jumps out of the ring, landing beside Ash.
"Okay! Hitmonchan, return!" he recalls his faithful Pokemon.
"Chan!" the boxing Pokemon happily goes into its pokeball.
Ash once again pulls out his map to try and get an idea of where they are exactly. Of course there's the issue of Ash having already proven he can't decipher the map correctly. Seeing this, Jason shakes his head in wonder and then offers to take them back to town himself.
"You know, I can take you back to town myself. I'm heading back there now anyway. The Pokemon Center's right on the edge so I can drop you off there. It's right over the hill this way!" Jason motions them to follow him to a nearby road leading to Pugil Town.
Clemont, Serena, Bonnie, and even Pikachu all breathe a sigh of relief knowing they're at least with somebody who knows where he's going for a change. No more walking in circles in the forest! After a few minutes, the gang finally reach the top of the hill and see Pugil Town! It's a relatively large little town with a few skyscrapers, a residential area with houses, and shops. Not too far from their current location they see the Pokemon center too.
"Hey, what's that big building over there? The one in the middle of everything?" Bonnie notices a large open air stadium-like building.
"Oh that's the arena! It's used for Pokemon battles, and the latest Trainer Fight Grand Prix will be held there in the next few days too! It's where you'll be fighting if you sign up, Ash!" Jason explains.
"Neat! Looks pretty big so there'll be a good crowd too!" Ash nods his approval.
"Well, I have to get going. There's a kiosk in the Center where you can register to fight too! Later" Jason leaves them.
A few moments later, Ash and the others drop off their Pokemon for a much needed recovery in the Center, and Ash finds the sign up kiosk off to the left of the entrance. It's a computer console with a touchscreen where competitors can sign up and get their picture taken to print out a fighter card, the proof of entry into the Trainer Fight Grand Prix tournament. Ever the hyperactive and eager spirit, Ash runs toward the Kiosk to sign up, not noticing there's already a boy standing in front of the Kiosk. He's also about Ash's height, short brown hair, blue eyes, light skinned, wearing a red hoodie with blue shorts and sneakers.
"Hm… Sh-should I enter this year or not? I don't know. I always wanted to fight, but…" the boy nervously hovers his finger over the YES button to finalize his registration as a Fighter.
Ash doesn't see the kid until he's right on top of him, and by then it's too late to stop! Look out!
"Huh? Whoa! Look out! Aaah!" Ash yells!
"Pika!" Pikachu cries, leaping off Ash's shoulder to escape the collision!
CRASH!
"Gyah! Wh-NO!" the kid flails before falling forward and his hand lands on the YES button!
BEEP!
"Registration completed! " the kiosk announces, and prints out a Fighter card of the boy, along with an embarrassing picture of him falling down!
THUD!
The two finally land in a heap right in front of the kiosk.
"Ow… Sorry about that!" Ash says, rubbing his head.
"N-no! No! No! No! I-I'm registered now! *Gulp!*" the kid looks like he's about to panic.
"What's the matter?" Ash asks, perplexed at the reaction he's seeing.
"I was going to… *Sigh!* Never mind. No going back now…" the kid slumps his shoulders.
"Okay… Well, my name's Ash! I didn't hurt you or anything did I?" Ash introduces himself.
"No. I'm fine. And my name's Jake! Hello!" the boy says, dusting himself off.
"Cool! So you're entered in the tournament too. I'm about to register too!" Ash says, walking up and starting his own entry.
BEEP!
"Pika!" Pikachu chimes in at Ash's entry.
"There! All ready to go! Say Jake, maybe we'll fight each other! Fair warning, I have boxing experience and I hit pretty hard. You'd better say your prayers if you face me!" Ash announces, boasting about being tough despite not being in a Fight yet…
"*Gulp!* Y-yeah… Heh heh." Jake gulps nervously.
Over at the Center counter, nurse Joy returns the Pokemon to Clemont and Serena. They're also watching Ash talk to Jake on the other side of the room.
"Looks like Ash has made a friend already. In typical fashion too." Serena comments.
"Yeah. Or opponent if they end up in the ring." Clemont nods.
"Hm? Oh dear. He's finally been entered in the tournament!" Nurse Joy says, also watching the two.
"What?" Clemont asks.
"You're not from around here. Well, that boy over there is Jake. He's a regular around here. Sweet kid and pretty good trainer too. But he's also a really big fan of the Trainer Fight Grand Prix too. Ever since he was younger he's been talking about how awesome it is." Nurse Joy explains.
"Then he must be pretty stoked to compete!" Serena concludes.
"You'd think yes. It's pretty obvious that he's been really interested in fighting, but every year for a while now he's never completed a registration. He always ran out of the Center. He's just been too nervous to go ahead with it. I don't believe he's ever been in a fight either. It was tough watching him like that. But now by your friend running into him, he's finally entered. Maybe that'll give him the nudge to finally see it through." Nurse Joy continues.
"That sounds like Ash to unintentionally help someone like that." Clemont laughs.
"Yup!" Bonnie agrees.
Back at the Kiosk, Jake takes his leave, having inadvertently been set on the course to fulfill one of his goals from an accident by Ash.
"Hm. Well, thank you Ash! See you again Later!" Jake smiles and bids Ash farewell for the time being, having finally gotten the push (literally) he needed to enter the Trainer Fight!
"Thank me? For what? Weird." Ash tilts his head in wonder.
"Pika?" Pikachu is also confused.
After Jake leaves, Ash reunites with his comrades, ready to explore the rest of the Town.
"Hey guys! I'm all signed up and ready to go! Even ran into this weird kid who thanked me for something. All I did was run into him." Ash says.
"So we saw. And you did help him. Er, we'll explain it later." Clemont says.
Just then, someone else enters the Pokemon Center. A familiar face from Ash's past in fact…
"Okay! Finally found the Pokemon Center! Now to get you and everyone else all rested. And see about signing up for this Trainer Fight too!" the familiar boy in green clothes and green cap says to himself at the entrance.
"Pikachu!" says the Pikachu perched atop his shoulder.
"Wait a minute… Is that… HEY! Ritchie!" Ash runs over to his old friend.
"Hm? Ash!" Ritchie says, surprised to see him again after a while. (Long overdue reunion. )
TO BE CONTINUED…