Fireworks Armor and Ribbons
Part Two
Time for Ichigo's Gym Battle against Gym Leader Kenpachi Zaraki!
Ichigo strolled into Rokungai Town after three days hiking westward through the forest from Seretei Town, just as the sun was starting to set. As planned, his first stop was Pokemon Center. The only exciting things that had happened during his trip, were that his Feebas, Helena, evolved into Milotic and that Mirabel learned Attract after seeing a wild Rattata use it on an unsuspecting Bidoof that was eating berries out of a bush, even though he had the TM for it. The battles were alright, but the offers of trading Pokemon because some trainers wanted to get their hands on Mirabel got annoying.
After his four Pokemon were done with their check up, Ichigo got a room and dropped his backpack in there. Then he head out to get something to eat.
"With so many places to eat, it hard to make up my mind," Ichigo said to himself as Mirabel and Black kept close.
After twenty minutes of thinking about it, he decided on ramen. Luckily for him, Black had already eaten more than his fair share of Poke-chow, way more, so the Poochyena was still full. So he returned him to his Pokeball. Entering a ramen stand, he could smell the aromas in the air. He and Mirabel took two empty stool and they waited for the cook to take their order.
"You're new here," the cook said after serving another customer. "Now what would you like?"
"I'll have two miso ramen," Ichigo ordered.
"Alright," the man nodded before proceeded to start cooking. "So, what brings you to Rokungai Town?"
"I'm on my Pokemon journey," Ichigo said while smiling at Mirabel's antics as she waited for the food. "I'm here for my second gym badge and my first contest ribbon."
"What gym did you just beat?"
"The Seretei Town gym," he replied. "I was able to beat the gym leader thanks to Mirabel here."
"Impressive," the ramen cook said, placing two bowls in front of Ichigo and Mirabel. "By the way kid, what's your name?"
"My name's Ichigo Kurosaki," he answered.
"Well Ichigo, good luck with your gym match," the man said before going to take orders for other costumers.
An hour, and three bowls each, later, Ichigo and Mirabel were full. He paid the bill and they left. Ichigo decided to walk it off for a while. With his Mawile at his side, he headed for the plaza. Once there, they took in the sights of the up coming night life of Rokungai Town's plaza. He spotted an ice cream stand that the owner was closing down for the day. He managed to buy two cones filled with single scoop of vanilla ice cream each, before the stand was completely closed. They took a seat on a bench in the middle of the plaza near gazebo.
While they were enjoying their frozen treats, Ichigo started to notice the people around him. There were people just getting out of work. It also seemed that the plaza brought out all the criminals at night. But with four Pokemon at his side, Ichigo wasn't worried at all. There were bikers in leather vests, pants and boots, Yakuza punks, and drunks wondering around.
"Yo, kid with the orange hair," somebody called him out. Ichigo turned to face whoever it was and saw a man in sunglasses and a black leather jumpsuit and with a green Mohawk and piercings, riding a red and white mountain bike. "That's a nice Mawile you've got there. Now hand it over."
"There's no way I'm giving you Mirabel," Ichigo shook his head. "Now leave me alone before I call the cops."
"How 'bout a battle," the punk offered with a smile. "If I win, you give me that crazy colored Mawile of yours."
"And what if I win?" Ichigo countered, grinning.
"Um…" The guy hadn't thought ahead, then he looked down. "I'll give you… my bike."
"Deal," Ichigo accepted, shocking Mirabel. "But this will be a double battle."
"Alright," the man said, overconfidently.
As if the crowd had heard them, they cleared out, making room for a battle. Ichigo got up and took his spot on one side. His opponent rode his bike to the other side.
"Slick! Savage! Time for battle!" The green-haired man unleashed his Pokemon.
With help from his Pokedex, Ichigo was able to identify his challenger's Pokemon as a poison-type Muk and a normal-type Vigoroth. After putting away his Pokedex, he sighed and plucked a Pokeball from his belt.
"C'mon Mirabel, you're up," he said to the shiny Mawile, then released his other choice. "Let's go, Helena!"
In a flash of light, the Milotic appeared on the field beside Mirabel. The women in the audience started going gaga over Helena's extreme beauty.
"I guess I'll go first. Slick, use Sludge Bomb on that Milotic! Savage, pound tha Mawile with Brick Break!" the man on the bike ordered.
The Muk launched a barrage of ball of poisonous sludge from its mouth and the Vigoroth rushed in with its paws glowing.
"Mirabel, get in front of Helena and block that Sludge Bomb, then use Iron Defense! Helena, send that Vigoroth flying with Water Pulse!" Ichigo commanded.
Mirabel got in front of her teammate and took the poisonous attack, not being affected at all, and Helena charged a ball of high-pressured water and shot it at the incoming Vigoroth. I made contact and sent the normal-type colliding with the Muk.
"Get up you two!" the punk roared.
They did, but the Water Pulse had somehow managed to confuse them both.
"Double Attract!" Mirabel and Helena launched beams of pink hearts, causing their opponents to fall in love with them. "Mirabel, hit the Vigoroth with your own Brick Break! Helena, Tackle that Muk!"
The shiny Deceiver whacked the Vigoroth over the head with her glowing hand and Helena charged in head first towards the Muk. And in a flash, the battle was over. Both of the punk's Pokemon were unconscious on the floor. The battle was over. The spectators were silent for a while, not believing what they have just witnessed, then they roared into a cheer.
"You'll pay for this!" The punk returned his immobile Pokemon and ran off, leaving his bike behind.
Mirabel was angry with her trainer for making that bet, but the feeling of victory made her forget about it. Ichigo walked to the bike and got on it. He returned his Pokemon and rode his new bike back to the Pokemon Center.
'Tonight was just plain weird…'
Leaving the bike at the Pokemon Center and with only his Pokemon on his belt, Ichigo set out the next morning in search of the gym. After about an hour with no luck, he started asking for directions. Everybody he asked told him to look for the scrap yard, so he started asking where that was. Soon he was standing in front of the scrap yard's entrance on the southern edge of town. He waited until he had grabbed some lunch from the diner across the street, before he went in.
Through his walk in the scrap yard, he found a big muscular man with bell-tipped, spiky black hair and an eye patch, giving out orders to the other workers. The top half of his welder's jumpsuit was hanging from his waist and scars decorated his torso. And a little girl with short pink hair and light brown eyes, that looked to be around three years old, was clinging to his left leg.
"Um… sir?" Ichigo asked with a trembling voice.
The man turned his head and looked down at him. "What do you want kid? This ain't no playground."
"I'm looking for the Rokungai Town Gym," the boy said. "Everyone I asked told me to come here."
"You're looking to challenge the gym leader for the badge, huh?" Ichigo nodded his response. "Well, you're in the right place. I'm the gym leader, Kenpachi Zaraki."
"Okay…" Ichigo said unbelievingly. "Who's the girl?"
"This is my adopted daughter, Yachiru Kusajishi."
"Where's the gym?"
"It's behind that scarp pile," the gym leader motioned with his thumb to a large pile of metallic pieces. "But you'll have to prove yourself to me before I can accept your challenge."
"How do I prove myself then?" Ichigo crossed his arms.
"Just give me five hours of backbreaking work here in the scrap yard today, without complaining, and I'll battle you tomorrow." Kenpachi explained his condition, holding out his hand. "Deal?"
"Deal!" Ichigo took his hand and shook it.
The little girl started giggling.
"By the way, what's your name and where're your from?" Gym Leader Kenpachi asked.
"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, and I'm from Karakura Town," he replied.
"How many badges have you acquired as of yet?"
"Only one. This will be my second badge."
"Which one?"
"The Pyro Badge."
"So you actually beat that bitch, Kukaku." Kenpachi dragged a hand down his face, smiling. Then he noticed a large truck pulling into the yard backwards. "Ichinose!"
"Yes, boss?" A man with black hair and a welding mask covering his face appeared.
"The truck from the melting facility is here," Kenpachi said. "Gather some men and fill it up!"
"Right away, sir," the man said before running to do as ordered. "Chelute! Ayon! Get the bulldozers. We've got a job to do."
"Yo! Lucky!" Kenpachi called out for somebody. "I gotta go clear the way and the gym. One of my workers will show you the ropes around here. Alright?"
"Yep!" Ichigo gave a confident nod.
"Good." The gym leader grinned, showing his sharp teeth, then he saw a worker walking toward them. "Ah, Lucky's here."
"You called for me, boss?" the man asked.
"This boy here, Ichigo Kurosaki, challenged me, so he must prove himself worthy for me to accept it," Gym Leader Kenpachi patted the boy's shoulder. "Show him the ropes around here."
"Five hours?" Kenpachi nodded as he started walking off. With a sigh, Lucky turned to the boy. "C'mon Ichigo, let's go. If you want, you can have your Pokemon help you out."
With that, Lucky showed him how to do the work. Lucky had spiky black hair in a low-lying ponytail. His sunglasses covered his eyes and a Raticate was at his side constantly. Ichigo only brought out Mirabel to help. The other workers acted like they didn't notice the shiny Mawile, but Ichigo heard their impressed whistles. Within the first hour, six other trucks came in for scrap metal. During the second hour, Ichigo learned why everybody called his guide Lucky. Apparently, he survived an accident a few years ago. He got so used to his nickname, that he completely forgot his real name.
But on the third hour, all hell broke loose. Static electricity caused a fire near the fuel tanks for the heavy machinery. Soon, one of the three thirty-thousand gallon tanks to explode.
"Somebody, call the fire department!" a worker yelled.
"We need the Blastoise Fire Squad!" another said.
"No!" Ichigo yelled running towards the blaze. "I'll handle this!"
"Don't be reckless, kid!" Kenpachi roared.
Ichigo ignored him and called out his Milotic. "Helena! Use Water Pulse in a barrage and try to extinguish that fire!"
Helena did as told and sent one ball of pressurized water after another. It was having little effect on the fire. And after twenty minutes of this, Helena was starting to show signs of exhaustion.
"Don't give up, Helena! I know you can do it!" he tried to motivate her. "Please! Try once more!"
Using her last bit of strength, Helena charged up. But instead of launching a ball of water, it was a large stream of water. Helena had learned to use Hydro Pump. And it seemed to be working.
"YEAH!" Ichigo jumped for joy. "Alright, Helena! You learned Hydro Pump!"
After five minutes, the fire was out.
"Well, well, well," Kenpachi chuckled. "The brat actually did it."
Ichigo ran to catch the tired collapsing Milotic.
"Sir." Lucky stood at Kenpachi's side. "I suggest you let the kid get back to the Pokemon Center, and just accept his challenge. He and his Pokemon need some serious rest."
"I guess you're right," Kenpachi grumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "ICHIGO!"
"Huh?" The boy looked up at the gym leader.
"Go back to the Pokemon Center and heal your Milotic and come back tomorrow for your gym battle against me. But if you lose to me, you'll have to do a week's worth of work here to receive my gym badge."
"Got it!" Ichigo returned Mirabel and Helena and ran out of the scrap yard and ran directly for the Pokemon Center.
"You've gone soft boss… Ow!"
Ichigo stood at the front of the scrap yard the next morning. With a hefty sigh, he walked in. The big pile that blocked the way to the gym had been cleared up. The yard was deserted. Lucky was waiting at the gym's front door. The man led him through the building's hallway. After a while, they enter a big room, which turned out to be the battlefield.
Lucky went to stand in the referee's spot, leaving Ichigo in the challenger's box. Kenpachi was already waiting on his side of the field. The bleachers were packed full with the yard's workers.
"Alright kid, here are the rules," Kenpachi said. "I only own one Pokemon, you can use your entire team if you'd like. And you are allowed to substitute."
"Don't worry," Ichigo grinned. "I only need two."
"The battle between the Rokungai Town gym leader, Kenpachi Zaraki, and the challenger, Ichigo Kurosaki from Karakura Town, is about commence!" Lucky told the audience.
"Battle on! Ken-chan!" the gym leader unleashed big Pokemon Ichigo quickly identified as an Aggron.
Ichigo started snickering, getting ready to burst out laughing. "What kind of name is that?"
"Yachiru named him," the man replied with a twitching eyebrow. "Not me."
"Sorry, I was just wondering." Ichigo got control over himself. "Let's go, Mirabel!"
In a flash of white light, the pink and yellow Mawile appeared on the field. And immediately, the Aggron took a few steps back, due to Mirabel's Intimidate.
"I've been wondering kid, where did you get that Pokemon?" Kenpachi asked. "And what's with the bow?"
"I caught Mirabel in the forest behind my house. She's also my starter and my first Pokemon ever," Ichigo explained his tale. "And my little sister was the one that put that bow there."
"Battle begin!" Lucky called out.
"I'll let you have the first move," Kenpachi offered.
"Alright. Let's start with Thunderbolt!" Ichigo ordered. "Then follow up with Iron Defense!"
The Deceiver charged up and launched a blast of electricity at the Aggron. It made contact, causing it a considerable amount of damage. But the big Pokemon looked like it barely felt it. Then her body shined as it hardened.
Kenpachi scoffed. "Nice try, kid. Now try this on for size. Flamethrower!
"Dodge it and use Thunderbolt one more time, Mirabel! Then use Fake Tears!"
The Aggron spat out a stream of fire and the Mawile jumped out of the way. She charged up again and launched another blast of electricity. The Aggron got it again and she started crying, drastically lowering her opponent's Special Defense.
"HAMMERARM!" Kenpachi roared.
The Aggron's arm started glowing and rushed in to give Mirabel a clothesline.
"Dodge, Thunderbolt again and use Attract!" Ichigo commanded
Mirabel managed to duck down to avoid the Hammerarm and electrocuted the big steel/rock-type Pokemon. When she got back onto her feet, Mirabel wink at him and shot a beam of pink hearts, which encircled Ken-chan, before they closed in. Big pink hearts appeared in his eyes.
"Damn it! Ken-chan, snap out of it!" Gym Leader Kenpachi ordered.
"BRICK BREAK!" now Ichigo roared.
Mirabel jumped into the air and slammed a glowing fist onto the Aggron's head, hard. Ken-chan collapsed onto ground causing dirt to fly into the air. Ichigo noticed that his Pokemon was breathing hard. He was lucky that his starter hadn't gotten hit. Not willing to risk letting her get knocked out, he switched Mirabel out.
"Mirabel, return!" A red beam absorbed her back into her Premier Ball. Ichigo placed the ball back onto his belt and grabbed another one. "Let's go, Helena!"
The substitution canceled the Attract. The Aggron got back onto its feet, shaking its horned head. And boy was it pissed.
Kenpachi laughed manically. "Bad choice of Pokemon! Ken-chan, Thunderpunch! This is the most fun battle I've had in a long time!"
The Iron Armor Pokemon's fist started crackling with electricity. Then swung it at the Milotic. Without an order, Helena gracefully dodged the incoming Pokemon.
"Metal Claw! Then Double-Edge!" the man told his Pokemon.
Again, Helena dodge it with grace and finesse. Every attack that Ken-chan used, Helena dodge. The Milotic kept teasing the now infuriated Aggron.
"Helena, wrap around it and go with a point-blank Hydro Pump!"
The beautiful water serpent speedily slithered up to the metallic reptile and wrapped its body around it, immobilizing it. When her head was next to Ken-chan's, she spat out the powerfully brutal stream of water. The Aggron started roaring in pain. Within a few seconds, Ken-chan collapsed again and Helena slithered back near her trainer. This time the Aggron didn't get back up.
"Ken-chan is unable to battle!" Lucky yelled out. "The victory goes to Ichigo of Karakura Town.!"
The crowd went wild as Kenpachi returned his Aggron. Ichigo ran and hugged his Milotic.
"You did it, girl." He was smiling. "You did it!"
"Damn, kid! Your Pokemon were fast," Kenpachi complimented. "Ken-chan couldn't get a hit, but I still enjoyed myself."
"Thanks…" Ichigo said.
"As proof of your victory in my gym, I present to you the Warrior Badge." Kenpachi handed him the badge, which looked like a silver shield with a gold sword crossed diagonally behind it.
"Cool." Ichigo took the badge and placed it in his badge case. "Now for my ribbon."
Two days later, Ichigo stood on a podium accepting the Rokungai Ribbon, which was blue, looking snazzy in his three-piece all-white tuxedo. He had used Hanako for the appeals round, and Helena for the battle round. As he stood there, holding the ribbon, the crowd was roaring with excitement. The ribbon was presented to him the Rokungai Town's Nurse Joy. Holding the ribbon up, Ichigo, Helena and Hanako had their picture taken.
After his appeal and while he waited for the results, he met Kenpachi and Yachiru backstage and a woman that Kenpachi introduced as his girlfriend, Retsu Unohana. The trio had front row seats and cheered for Ichigo. Outside the contest hall, Ichigo was talking to Kenpachi. Before the contest, Ichigo had managed to attach a basket to the handlebars and some sort of patted flat surface over the rear tire, making it a seat for Mirabel.
"So, where are you heading now?" Kenpachi asked with Yachiru riding his shoulders.
"Don't know yet," Ichigo shrugged.
"You should head to Red Forest City, which is a bit north from here," the gym leader suggested.
"Who is the gym leader there?" Ichigo wondered.
"His name is Sajin Komamura," the man said. "He's always wearing a helmet that looks like a Ninetales' head and heavy samurai armor."
"I guess I'll check it out," Ichigo replied as he climbed onto the bike. "Why's it called Red Forest City?"
"You'll know when you get there." That was all Kenpachi said before walking off.
"I guess Red Forest City it is."
Ichigo rode off with Mirabel in her seat and Hanako in the basket.
'Two badges in less than a week. Not bad at all…'
Sorry I didn't put the details of the contest. I'm not used to it, but I will be. I just hope that it's soon. Please vote on what should hatch from the Pokemon egg that Ichigo will get in my poll. Also, don't forget to review.
SEE YA!