A/N: Here's Ash's fifth gym battle! I've done a projection for this arc, and considering it's already chapter 38 and Ash is only getting his fifth badge, this arc will be longer than Kanto. It may have between 70 or 75 at this rate, but we'll see. Whether you consider that a good or a bad thing is up to you.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
Chapter Thirty Eight: Primeape's Prime Time
"How's Serena doing?" Professor Oak asked from his Pokegear.
Though Ash was used to talking to the elderly Professor from the video phone, Professor Oak was busy feeding the Pokemon in his ranch and therefore wasn't inside at the moment. Besides, Ash wasn't just having a casual conversation with Professor Oak. At least for the start of the conversation, he wasn't. The boy was just outside the Pokemon Center in Cianwood City.
"She's…still asleep," Ash muttered.
"Really? It's eleven in the morning," Professor Oak pointed out.
"I know. She's been sleeping a lot since yesterday," Ash replied.
"Have you thought about waking her?" Professor Oak asked.
"I was about to once I get off the phone. I just…I don't know. I'm a little worried," Ash sighed.
"What do you mean?" Professor Oak wondered.
"Well, she's not sick. I know that much. I would say it's her ESP, but it's never done this to her before. It's just really weird," Ash said.
"You know, Yellow used to be the same way when she was developing her psychic powers, too," Professor Oak commented.
"She did?" Ash questioned.
"Oh yes. When he was a teenager, she slept for almost twelve hours a day! You should've seen your father, Blue, and Rose trying to drag her out of bed every day," Professor Oak chuckled as he remembered the past generation's antics.
"Did she always have a headache, too?" Ash asked.
There was a pause on Professor Oak's end before he responded. "No. Why do you ask? Does Serena have one?"
"I'm not sure if she still does, but I know she had one all of yesterday," Ash replied.
"Hmm…while I learned from Yellow that sleepiness was common for someone developing their ESP, the headaches are not. It makes me wonder if something is out of balance," Professor Oak said and sounded in thought. "Wait, Muk! Don't swallow my hand, too! I was going to throw you the food…from a distance."
Ash ignored Professor Oak's last remark about his Muk and thought for a moment. Normally, he's amused to hear about Professor Oak's troubles with his Muk, but he was distracted now. The fact that Yellow never had a headache before made him frown. Granted, it probably just meant nothing for Serena was probably just stressed from yesterday which would've brought it on. For some reason, though, Ash didn't think that was case.
"I'll tell you what, Ash. Yellow's actually coming over to visit me today to help out since Tracy left this morning for an errand, and Daisy is still in Hoenn for schooling. Why don't I have her give you a call, or better yet, Serena? Maybe she would have more answers. As you said, we don't know exactly what's going on, but there's nothing wrong with exercising some caution." Professor Oak suggested.
"That sounds good, Professor. Just have her call me, though. I don't know how Serena would feel about this," Ash smiled.
Ash knew all too well by now that not letting anyone know something strange ahead of time always lead to disaster. There was no way he was going to make that mistake now. He didn't care if Serena wasn't worried, he was. Ash wasn't about to let her brush this off. If it was nothing, good. If it was something, then it's a good thing they found out sooner rather than later.
"Thanks for that, Professor," Ash said before he changed subjects. "I'm going to battle for my fifth badge today."
"Ah, yes. You're going against Chuck, and he trains fighting Pokemon," Professor Oak acknowledged.
"Some of the toughest," Ash smirked. "I think Pidgeot and Noctowl would be good choices against him."
"I believe so, too," Professor Oak agreed before he cried out in surprise.
"Professor?" Ash questioned in confusion.
It sounded like there was a bunch of struggling happening on the other end of the phone. Ash began to worry before he heard a bunch of grunting and yelling coming through the receiver now. The raven-haired boy smiled as he realized those noises could come from none other than his Primpeape.
"Hey, Primeape. How's it going?" Ash asked.
"Your Primeape practically ripped my hand off as it tried to snatch the receiver from me," Professor Oak yelled away from the Pokegear. It was clear Primeape was in possession of it now.
Ash heard more grunting and yelling coming from Primeape through the receiver. Ash gave a questioning look over to his Pikachu who was listening into the conversation. The raven-haired boy hadn't quite picked up on his Primeape's language yet.
Pikachu chuckled before it began charging up and punching around to translate for Ash what Primeape was saying. Ash nodded his head and turned back to the Pokegear.
"I get it. You want to hang with me again and battle, right?" Ash figured.
"Priiiiiime!" Primeape yelled in agreement.
"Your Primeape probably heard me mention fighting Pokemon. You know it can't ever back down from a challenge like that. I say you take it along…for both of our sakes!" Professor Oak almost pleaded.
Ash realized he hadn't battled with his Primeape since the Orange League. While he wanted to try to use his newer Pokemon as much as possible here in Johto, Ash did realize the importance of swapping for his older Pokemon, too, so they know they aren't forgotten. With that, Ash nodded his head even though he knew Primeape and Professor Oak couldn't see it.
"No problem! I'd love to battle with you again, Primeape!" Ash told it.
More grunting came from Primeape upon Ash's response. He would never do it, but Ash couldn't help but wonder what Primeape would've done to Professor Oak if he refused. It would probably twist his arm, his ankle, or his head. When Primeape was in a mood to fight, there was no stopping it. That issue probably went all the way back to its personality as a Mankey when it and Ash battled the other Primeape.
"Great, Ash! I'm almost done feeding the Pokemon out here! I'll have the transfer ready for you in just a second! Call me back on the video phone!" Professor Oak said, but Ash could tell he was relieved.
Ash heard more struggling coming from the phone before he heard a moan of pain from Professor Oak. Ash put on a look of confusion before Professor Oak continued to speak.
"I'll just let your Primeape hang on to my Pokegear until I get it transferred. It just punched me in the stomach when I tried to take it back," Professor Oak gasped.
"Heh. Sorry about that, Professor," Ash chuckled before another thought came to him. "Since I'm taking Primeape, why don't you send over Hitmonchan, too? I bet its elemental punches will be great against Chuck!"
"Will do, my boy. Just make sure you have the two Pokemon you wish to send back to me ready," Professor Oak said.
"Okay. I will. I'll head over to the video phone, now," Ash told him.
"Great. Talk to you in second," he heard Professor Oak say before the man addressed his Primeape. "No, Primeape! You press that button to turn it off! No! That one! No! I…okay! I'm sorry! You can leave it on as long as you want!"
Ash decided it was best that he end the call himself otherwise Professor Oak may never get his Pokegear back. The boy clicked the button and sighed down at Pikachu who was snickering. Apparently Primeape's stubbornness and persistence knew no bounds. It kind of reminded Ash of someone else…himself.
"Well, Pikachu. I guess I figured out two of the Pokemon I'm using against Chuck," Ash told it.
"Pika pi," Pikachu nodded in happiness that it would get to see Hitmonchan and Primeape again.
Ash headed back inside the Pokemon Center and saw Brock and Misty were in there along with Serena. Ash smiled that Serena had finally woken up until he was able to take a closer look. Serena was indeed out of bed, but she had her head down with her eyes closed and was breathing gently. Togetic was beside and her and shaking her gently, but she wasn't responding. Ash was a bit of sleepyhead himself but his was ridiculous!
"Hey, guys," Ash greeted to Brock and Misty before he glanced over at Serena. "Is she awake?"
"I…think so," Misty muttered. "She just kind of stumbled in here about five minutes ago before she sat down and has kind of been like this ever since."
Ash went over and shook Serena a little harder than Togetic was. The honey hair-colored girl cracked her eyes half open before she glanced up at Ash. Upon seeing him, she smiled.
"Good morning, Ash," she mumbled.
"Hardly. The morning's almost over," Ash frowned.
"Sorry. I was just really tired," Serena responded and yawned for emphasis.
"Well, I hope you aren't anymore considering you slept for almost fourteen hours," Ash stated.
"It was that long?" Serena asked in embarrassment.
"Yes," Ash confirmed before he added as an afterthought. "Are you hungry?"
"Umm…," Serena uttered as she thought about it.
The truth was Serena didn't feel hungry at all. Not to mention, she still had a headache. Despite this, Serena understood that her body still needed food despite what she was feeling. Besides, if she said she wasn't hungry, Ash, Brock, and Misty would only prod her with more questions which she didn't want. With that, Serena nodded her head.
"Yeah. I am a little bit," she lied.
Ash seemed relieved and smiled down at Serena before he lightly squeezed her shoulder. He then grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Serena wobbled once again upon standing up which made Ash have to steady her. He gave her a look of confusion, and Serena gave him a sheepish smile.
"Serena, you're sure you're okay, now?" he questioned.
"Yes. I am, Ash. Thank you," Serena smiled.
"Well, Ash is about to go to the gym to have his match with Chuck. We'll let you eat something before we head out," Brock told her.
"Okay. Thank you," Serena nodded.
"Let me just make a call to Professor Oak really quick," Ash said before he hurried over to the video phone.
The raven-haired boy quickly dialed Professor Oak's number and waited for it to ring. He hoped that the professor was able to convince Primeape to allow him to put it in its pokeball. After a few rings, Professor Oak's face appeared on the screen, and he appeared quite rough.
"Uh, hey again, Professor Oak. Did Primeape give you some trouble?" Ash asked sheepishly.
"Well, just a little bit," Professor Oak admitted with a nervous chuckle. "Nevertheless, it's still very excited to see you again. Hitmonchan, too."
"Great! Send them over!" Ash grinned.
"Ash, if it's not too much trouble, do you think could send me over your Chikorita and Totodile? I'd like to study the Johto starters a little more and I've already done so with Cyndaquil," Professor Oak requested.
"Uh…okay. Sure," Ash conceded as she fished out Totodile and Chikorita's pokeball to place on the transporter.
Likewise, Professor Oak showed Ash Primeape and Hitmonchan's pokeballs and placed them on his own transporter. The pokeballs were each transferred one at a time, and soon enough, each person had their respective pokeballs. Professor Oak showed Ash Totodile and Chikorita's pokeballs to show they were safely transported over.
"Received everything on this end, Ash," Professor Oak told him.
"Same here, Professor!" Ash smiled.
"Excellent! Good luck on your battle! I'll remember about the other thing, too!" Professor Oak said.
"Thanks, Professor Oak! Talk to you soon!" Ash grinned before he turned around and saw Serena standing behind him.
"What other thing was he talking about? Is everything okay?" she questioned.
"Yeah. Everything's fine Serena," Ash replied.
Ash didn't really want to tell Serena yet that Yellow would be calling. If he did, she might get defensive. It was best to wait until he actually talked to Yellow before he alarmed Serena about anything. He wasn't even sure if this had anything to do with her ESP yet or not. It might be something else entirely, and he was worrying over nothing. That's what he hoped it was anyway. It's just Serena was acting a little unusual. He was thankful when Serena didn't push it further.
"Okay, Ash. If you say so," she smiled sleepily. There were secrets between them both now, and they didn't even know it.
"It's okay, Serena," Ash nodded before he turned to his pokeballs and grinned. Seeing some old friends would definitely improve everyone's mood. "Come on out, you two!"
Hitmonchan appeared first and began to punch imaginary enemies. Primeape appeared next and appeared to be on some kind of rampage. It was stomping and grunting angrily, or at least, that's how it seemed. Ash's Primeape was always like that.
"Hey, you two! Long time, no see! Are you ready to win a fifth badge for me?" Ash grinned.
Hitmonchan nodded and shook Ash's hand with its gloved one.
Primeape punched Ash in the gut.
Meanwhile, at Professor Oak's lab, the Pokemon professor was now ready to release Chikorita and Totodile from their pokeballs. He smiled that he was finally going to be able to study them a bit. If they were at least more behaved than Ash's Primeape and Hitmonchan, then he should be fine.
Chikorita and Totodile appeared from their pokeballs and looked around. They didn't see Ash but instead saw Professor Oak. Totodile appeared neutral while Chikorita put on a look of confusion. Professor Oak knelt down to the two.
"Hello there. This is the first time you've met me. How are you doing?" Professor Oak asked them.
At that, Chikorita's eyes welled up with tears, and it began to cry a river. Totodile immediately began to pat Chikorita comfortingly. Professor Oak gasped and looked rather confused. Was it something he said?
"Wait! Ash is still your trainer! He just sent you both to the lab for a little bit!" he said frantically.
That only made Chikorita cry harder. The leaf Pokemon's tears were starting to accumulate on the ground enough for Totodile to swim in. Totodile then hugged Chikorita and began to soothe it that everything was okay and they would be back with Ash soon. Chikorita hiccupped before it accepted Totodile's embrace and hugged it back.
Professor Oak watched the strange scene for a moment before he smiled. Apparently, these two got along really well. It was great they came in a pair otherwise Chikorita would've been extremely hard to deal with. Thinking it was safe, Professor Oak reached down to rub Chikorita's head. The leaf Pokemon saw Professor Oak reaching for it, and it promptly tackled him to the ground.
As Professor Oak lay on the floor, he couldn't help but wonder why a lot of Ash's Pokemon were so eager to give him a hard time.
It was noon, and now the group was at the Cianwood City Gym so Ash could win a Storm Badge. He was pumped up and ready to see how his Hitmonchan and Primeape had grown since he used them last. He knew they regularly sparred with Serena's Hitmonlee who was their opposite in every way imaginable. Though Hitmonlee had tried to teach the two discipline, it didn't work out so well. They just didn't have the patience to take things slowly.
The gym appeared to be an old-fashioned Japenese dojo. It actually didn't look too different from the fighting dojo back in Saffron City. As Ash approached the gym, he began to wonder what kind of man Chuck was since he trained fighting-type Pokemon, and furthermore, what were his Pokemon like? Were they dedicated black belts in martial arts? Were they tough as nails with hardened personalities? Were they disciplined and calm in judgment, or were they rowdy and liked to fight all the time? Of the possibilities Ash was thinking of, he wasn't prepared for what he opened the gym door to.
The group slid the doors open, and they were immediately met with crying. Actually, it was more like someone bawling their eyes out, and it was very loud and very deep. They glanced around and were met with the source in the middle of the room.
A middle-aged, muscular man with brown sideburns and no shirt on was there, and he had tears streaming down his face, but they were tears of joy. A Machoke was there, and it was crying, too. The group couldn't help but tilt their heads in confusion. This was certainly a strange scene. One didn't see a crying Machoke or a crying man who looked like a dojo master every day…
"That was beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Gorgeous, even!" the man bawled.
…or hear things like that from one, either.
"Uh, I hate to interrupt you, sir, but what's going on?" Ash asked awkwardly as he and the others stepped into the gym.
The man abruptly quit crying and turned to the group, apparently having just noticed them. He then put on a friendly smile and walked over to the group with the Machoke following.
"Hello there, sonny! Who might you be?" the man inquired.
"Well, I'm Ash Ketchum. That's Serena. That's Brock, and that's Misty. I'm here for a…," Ash began, but the man cut him off.
"Wait! Don't tell me! I can sense it!" the man said as he appeared deep in thought. "You're a Pokemon trainer, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah." Ash admitted.
"And you're looking for a gym battle with the gym leader, aren't you?" the man deduced,
"Yes," Ash agreed.
"Then you've come to the right place! I'm the gym leader, Chuck! Glad to meet you, sport!" Chuck laughed and gave a light, friendly punch to Ash's gut.
For Ash, though, it wasn't so light. The raven-haired boy coughed and clutched his stomach in pain. As if being socked earlier by Primeape wasn't bad enough. Serena, Brock, and Misty gave Ash a sympathetic look, but Chuck didn't seem to notice.
"I accept your challenge, Ash! Having a Pokemon battle always pumps me up!" Chuck stated.
"Great…," Ash squeaked.
"If you don't mind me asking, why were you crying earlier?" Misty asked as Brock and Serena looked curious, as well. Ash was still trying to recover.
At that, Chuck immediately began crying again. Misty began wishing she hadn't asked now. Did she bring up a painful memory? Then again, these tears were still ones of joy so something apparently excited Chuck greatly.
"You just missed it! My Machoke pulled off the most amazing Submission attack, ever! It was so beautiful, it moved me to tears!" Chuck wailed as his Machoke began to cry, too.
The trainer and Pokemon then threw their arms around each other in a brotherly hug while still crying their eyes out. The group looked on awkwardly at the love being shown. It was perfectly normal for a trainer to show love to their Pokemon, but with a guy like Chuck and a Pokemon like Machoke, it just appeared…out of place. That's when something got their attention, they didn't see another Pokemon out at the time they came in.
"Wait! Did Machoke actually perform the Submission on you?!" Brock exclaimed.
"It sure did! Machoke's a great training partner!" Chuck confirmed and clapped his hand on the superpower Pokemon's shoulder after they quit crying.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Serena asked.
"Of course it is! That's the only way for me to get stronger, though! My Pokemon and I practice all the time together and take each others' hits like real friends do!" Chuck stated.
"Umm…okay," Misty mumbled.
"Say, Ash! Before we have our gym battle, let's have some food! I'm starving after all that training!" Chuck requested.
"Uh..food?" Ash asked at the mention now that he finally got the breath back in his lungs.
"You bet! I always invite my challengers for a good, home-cooked meal made by my wife! Let's go, sport!" Chuck laughed and lightly punched Ash in the stomach again.
"Uhhhhn…," Ash moaned and felt like crying himself. Only they would be tears of pain.
About thirty minutes later, the group was sitting around a low table in a cross-legged position. A woman with auburn hair came out holding a massive bowl of what looked like mashed potatoes, but something was telling the group it wasn't. That wasn't to say it didn't look good, however. It really did.
Chuck even had three of his Pokemon out with him whom Ash assumed he would be using to battle. He had a Hitmontop, his Machoke from earlier, and his own Primeape. The trainer and his Pokemons' mouths watered as they saw the woman approach with the food on a tray.
"Wait until you taste Cheryl's cooking! It'll knock your socks off and get you even more excited for the battle!" Chuck told the group.
"I think I've been excited enough," Ash mumbled under his breath now as he recalled how he's already been punched in the gut three times today.
Cheryl served a heaping pile of whatever it was onto everyone's plate before she served some herself. There were also many fresh vegetables in the center of the table for everyone to help themselves with. After his wife sat down, Chuck, Machoke, Hitmontop, and Primeape immediately began to wolf down their food faster than Ash ever could.
"Eat everyone so you can be strong, fighting machines!" Chuck yelled between mouthfuls.
"Works for me when it comes to food," Ash shrugged as he began to eat as well as Misty and Brock.
"Eat some more, and chew some more! Then eat some again!" Chuck said more to himself than anyone else.
"Sweetie, are you not hungry?" Cheryl asked once she saw Serena wasn't eating anything.
"Oh. I hate to say it, but I just ate before I got here," Serena replied with an apologetic bow before she thought to herself. "I probably wouldn't be hungry even if I hadn't eaten."
"I say the more you eat, the stronger you become!" Chuck asserted.
"That's why you're getting flabby," Cheryl chuckled.
"Hey! Who are you calling flabby! I'm as fit as my Machoke! It's just that I love your cooking and can't get enough of it!" Chuck declared, but Cheryl just giggled in response.
"Well, this is really good, though. I think this is Pokemon power food," Brock commented.
"What's Pokemon power food?" Misty questioned.
"It's a highly nutritious meal that can strengthen a trainer and Pokemon's mind alike," Brock answered.
"That's right. Everything my husband eats is for his training. He just sometimes eats a little too much," Chuck's wife smiled.
"Then that just means I have to work twice as hard," Chuck responded as he helped himself to another bowlful of the food.
The group continued to enjoy their meal and made small talk with each other. Cheryl, Brock, and Misty each had one bowlful. Serena only had a couple of bites. Pikachu and Togetic had a tiny plate each. Ash had two plates while Chuck and his Pokemon had four. They were amazed that Chuck's stomach could hold that much considering how filling even one plateful of Pokemon power food was. Chuck then stood up and flexed his muscles.
"Ash, let's burn off these calories with a Pokemon battle! My Pokemon are ready to go! How about you?!" Chuck asked.
"You bet, Chuck!" Ash nodded.
"You shouldn't have any trouble beating my flabby husband, Ash," Cheryl told him.
"Oh, come on, Cheryl! It's not that bad!" Chuck protested and hit his stomach for emphasis. Ash silently breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't his own stomach that time.
"You know I'm just teasing you, dear. I love you just the way you are," Cheryl smiled.
"Hah! I had to go a little easy on that girl who came by yesterday, but I'll use full force against you considering he told me all he's done while we were eating!" Chuck said to Ash.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Chuck! My Pokemon are ready, too! They didn't have any of your power food, but they still had a good meal!" Ash replied.
"There you go! Eat right and keep your eyes on the prize! Let's go!" Chuck declared as he returned his Pokemon and walked out of the room with the group following.
Everyone was now in the battle room for Ash's gym match against Chuck. They found out that Chuck was also an instructor of karate. One of his students had volunteered to be the judge so they were all set. Ash and Pikachu stood on one side while Chuck stood on the other side. Serena, Misty, Brock, Cherly, Togetic, and a few other students were watching from a small set of seats against the wall.
Ash gripped the pokeball in his hand as he decided on his first Pokemon. He had decided to use Hitmonchan after a moment of brief thinking. The Pokemon's mastery of its elemental punches would do as a great surprise and allow for some unpredictability. He didn't really want to use Primeape just yet as that Pokemon relied on its brute force to win which wasn't a good way to start off a match. He had Noctowl for backup for type advantage in case things didn't go his way. Ash had to be prepared for any scenario against a gym leader.
"Let's go, Ash! You can do this!" Misty cheered.
"We're rooting for you!" Brock added.
"Mmmm…," Serena breathed as she felt herself nodding off.
"Thanks, guys!" Ash smiled as he turned to face them, but he then frowned when he saw Serena was trying to fall asleep again. "Serena, are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh. I'm fine, Ash. I'll stay awake," Serena muttered and shook her head a few times to bring a temporary sense of alertness.
Ash didn't look convinced, but he didn't press the matter. Both Brock and Misty were looking at Serena in concern while everyone else looked confused. They didn't know Serena or her typical behavior, but by the way her friends were talking about her, they could tell this wasn't normal.
Ash wasn't comfortable having a gym battle when his girlfriend was acting like this. On the other hand, there wasn't anything he could tell that was really wrong with her. She didn't have a fever of chills. She wasn't in any pain. She was just very sleepy…with a headache. Serena claimed she took an aspirin again this morning to alleviate the headache, and it seems to have worked, but she still shouldn't be having this many headaches. He would look more into this afterward. With that, he turned to the judge to signal he was ready as Chuck already had.
The student nodded back before he raised his flags into the air. "This will be an official gym match between the gym leader, Chuck, and Ash of Pallet Town. Each trainer will use three Pokemon. The challenger may make substitutions while the gym leader may not. Whomever defeats their opponents three Pokemon first will be declared the winner! A Storm Badge is at stake! The gym leader will choose his Pokemon first!"
"Alright, Ash! Let's start this battle off by turning it on its head!" Chuck declared before he threw his pokeball. "Go, Hitmontop!"
The Pokemon Ash was unfamiliar with at Chuck's table appeared from the pokeballs. It was a vaguely humanoid-looking Pokemon with two legs and a spike on its head. It had spherical hands, and it was mostly brown in color, and the tail it had resembled a third leg and foot. Ash used this opportunity to take out his national dex and scan it. Serena shook her head again and pulled out her national dex so she could get data on Hitmontop, also.
"Hitmontop, the handstand Pokemon. Hitmontop can spin on its head at high speeds while kicking. This presents great offense and defense for this Pokemon, and it moves faster spinning than walking," the national dexes informed.
"This sounds like a tricky Pokemon. Luckily, Hitmonchan can be unpredictable, too," Ash thought to himself before he called it out. "Go, Hitmonchan!"
Hitmonchan appeared from its pokeball and hopped back and forth on one foot to pump itself up. It was ready to battle again after so long. It then slammed its gloved fists together as a show of its power, but Hitmontop just merely watched back as it crouched low, probably in preparation to spin.
"Okay. The match will start now!" the judge declared.
"Hitmontop! Use Triple Kick!" Chuck hollered.
Ash couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he saw Hitmontop actually jump onto its head using only the spike for balance and begin spinning towards Hitmonchan. That clearly showed where the Pokemon got its name from. Ash then shook his head so he could focus away from that and get his head in the game.
"Use Bullet Punch!" Ash hollered, wanting to get the one up.
"Quick Guard!" Chuck countered.
Hitmonchan shot towards Hitmontop and prepared to deliver a solid punch to stop those kicks, but a sudden barrier encased around Hitmontop. Hitmonchan's fist bounced right off the shield. Then it was met with three kicks to its face before it was knocked backwards.
Ash frowned once he saw that. He could put two and two together. It seemed that this was a move that was similar to Protect only it focused on priority attacks. That would mean Bullet Punch and Mach Punch would be useless against a Pokemon like Hitmontop. Hitmonchan still had its elemental punches, though.
"What a beautiful Triple Kick that was, Hitmontop!" Chuck cried before he called out his next attack. "Use Quick Attack!"
"I've got it!" Ash though before he issued his next command. "Use Ice Punch on the ground!"
As Hitmontop began spinning very quickly towards Hitmonchan, the punchy Pokemon slammed its gloved fist on the ground and emitted frost from it. A small area of the floor around Hitmonchan was frozen. It was soon stuck by the Quick Attack, but the ice Hitmontop spun over caused it lose balance. It wobbled as it tried to regain its heading but ended up crashing into the wall.
"Use Sky Uppercut!" Ash ordered to take advantage of Hitmontop's daze.
"Spin away, Hitmontop!" Chuck told it.
Hitmonchan charged up its fist and made a dash towards Hitmontop, but it ended up spinning away before Hitmonchan could land the blow. As Ash watched Hitmontop spin, he had another idea that could possibly work. If he could get Hitmonchan to get underneath Hitmontop's legs, it could put him at an advantage.
"Use Triple Kick again!" Chuck ordered.
Hitmontop did made an arc as it turned towards Hitmonchan again. This time, Ash was ready.
"Get underneath it, and use Sky Uppercut!" Ash yelled.
"Hah! That won't work, Ash!" Chuck replied with a confident smile before he turned to Hitmontop. "On your side, Hitmontop!"
Hitmonchan charged towards Hitmontop again. It then crouched down to get underneath its kicks. At the moment, though, Hitmontop tilted which caused it to now spin on its side. Hitmonchan's eyes widened as it tried to get out of there, but it was met with three successive kicks to the face once more. This time they were coming from a downward angle. The punchy Pokemon gasped as it was knocked to the floor and was literally cartwheeled over by Hitmontop.
"That was amazing, Hitmontop! Thank you for a such a great display of skill!" Chuck cried before he turned to Ash. "As a gym leader, I have to think of several ways to counter my Pokemons' weaknesses. That's why I taught Hitmontop to spin on something other than its head."
Ash had his mouth open as he watched Hitmontop come in for another round of kicks. This was bad. He really couldn't have Hitmonchan use Ice Punch as a surprise attack right now. Fire Punch and Thunder Punch wouldn't be enough to stop Hitmontop, either. Hitmontop wasn't moving fast enough. It would just simply go around it. Hitmontop's legs were a powerful force to be reckoned with. The only way he could beat them is if he used an equally powerful force from Hitmonchan's fist.
"Okay, Hitmochan, I know this is hard for you, but I need you to stay calm and focus," Ash told it.
Hitmonchan tiredly picked itself off the ground. It had to always be moving and hated being still and calm. It always liked to rush into things. Still, its rival, Serena's Hitmonlee, always seemed to meditate which Hitmonchan couldn't stand. That did, however, seem to give it the advantage when it needed to. Hitmonchan grit its teeth as it tried to relax its mind the best it could and focus.
"I don't know what you're planning, Ash, but it won't be enough to stop Hitmontop!" Chuck told him. "Let's finish this with Close Combat!"
Hitmontop began spinning towards Hitmonchan once more with the intent to give a series of kicks and punches, mostly kicks, though. Hitmonchan could hear Hitmontop coming and wanted to rush in so badly with its own Close Combat, but it trusted what Ash was planning.
Hitmontop was getting ever closer, but Ash still didn't have Hitmonchan move. Ash's friends were starting to get a little nervous, as well as Hitmonchan, but it forced itself to remain calm. Then just before Hitmontop reached Hitmonchan, Ash made his move.
"Use Focus Punch!" Ash told it.
Hitmonchan's eyes shot open as it immediately thrust its right fist outward. Hitmonchan soon found out how more powerful this punch felt compared to all its others. Did stopping to focus its mind really have this kind of effect on its attack?
While its fists would normally be stopped by Hitmontop's legs, the opposite happened this time. Hitmonchan's Focus Punch squashed Hitmontop's attempt at Close Combat, and the handstand Pokemon soon found itself knocked the other direction. It spun the other way for just second before it fell down and skidded to a stop.
"What's this?!" Chuck cried.
"Use Sky Uppercut!" Ash yelled.
Hitmonchan ran forward and delivered a solid punch to Hitmontop upward. The handstand Pokemon was knocked into the air. It soared through before the air landed on the ground a short distanced away. Hitmontop then struggled to get up but its arms gave way, and it fell in defeat.
"Hitmontop is unable to battle!" the student hollered.
"We did it, Hitmonchan! Way to focus!" Ash cheered.
"Chaaaan," Hitmonchan agreed as it held its chest and panted. That was a tough battle. Who would've thought that the only way I could win was to do what its rival did? Maybe it should try meditating more often.
"Thank you for an amazing battle Hitmontop! Take a good rest, my friend!" Chuck bawled as he returned Hitmontop. Ash and the others couldn't help but think it was still a strange sight to see Chuck cry like this.
"That was quite a close one for Hitmonchan, wasn't it, Serena?" Brock asked as he turned to her, only to find her asleep! "Serena!"
"Wha..?!" Serena cried as her eyes shot open before they went back to being droopy. "What is it, Brock?"
"How are you falling asleep during Ash's gym match?" Brock questioned in concern. "You're usually the one who's into it the most."
"I-I'm sorry," Serena muttered as she discovered Misty was looking at her, too, as well as a few of Chuck's students.
Serena then turned to Ash, but he was too busy cheering with Pikachu and congratulating Hitmonchan to notice. Togetic got up on her lap and looked concerned, as well. Serena's head hurt again as she couldn't believe she actually fell asleep during Ash's battles. What was wrong with her?
"We need to figure out what's going on with you and get you to a doctor. This isn't like you," Brock told her with a frown.
"I'm fine, Brock, really," Serena told him before she thought to herself. "Besides, this doesn't sound like something a doctor could fix."
"Alright, Ash! Prepare for my second friend, Machoke!" Chuck told him before he released the superpower Pokemon.
Chuck's Machoke appeared and briefly flexed its muscles before it turned to Chuck. The gym leader then held out his stomach and flexed his own muscles. The group then gasped when they saw Machoke charge forward and begin to punch Chuck in the stomach and chest.
"That's it, Machoke! Get pumped up for this fight! Focus your energy!" Chuck told it.
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Serena watched in amazement as he took all of Machoke's attacks. How was he able to withstand this? Ash then turned to his Hitmonchan. If Chuck could do this, so could he. Hitmonchan appeared to be tired and could use a nice pump up before its battle.
"Alright! Let's do that, too, Hitmonchan! Let me have it!" Ash declared as he held out his chest and stomach.
"Machan…," Hitmonchan uttered as it sweat dropped. Was its trainer serious?
"Ash, I don't think this is a good idea," Misty told him.
"I'll be fine. Hitmonchan knows not to hurt me," Ash reassured before he turned back to Hitmonchan. "Let's do it."
Hitmonchan shrugged as it complied with its trainer and ran forward before delivering a solid punch to Ash's gut. Unlike with Chuck, Ash didn't take it so well and immediately keeled over while clutching his stomach in pain.
"Dang it. Not again," Ash croaked as the wind was knocked out of him.
That was the fourth time he'd been punched the stomach today, but this one was more his own fault. Hitmonchan grimaced an apology while Pikachu snickered. Hitmonchan didn't even use half its strength on that punch. Ash seemed to forget that he wasn't a bodybuilder like Chuck and couldn't endure attacks like that.
"Are you okay, Ash?" Serena asked from the side as she, Brock, and Misty looked on in worry.
"I'll make it," Ash whispered. Yeah. He learned pretty quick not to have Hitmonchan hit him in the stomach again.
"Well, Ash, we're good to go! How about you?!" Chuck asked as Machoke went over to the center of the room and prepared the battle.
"Yeah. I think so," Ash gasped as his breath finally returned to him.
He then took a few amazing gulps of air as Hitmonchan went over to the center of the field, also. It couldn't say it had the same rush of adrenaline like Chuck and Machoke had, but it was still ready to fight.
"Alright! Machoke versus Hitmonchan! Begin!" the judge declared.
"Let's go Machoke! I want to you Cross Chop!" Chuck hollered.
Machoke raised its arms in an X shape and ran towards Hitmonchan. Ash nodded his head as most Machoke were pretty slow so all he needed to do was have Hitmonchan dodge it. Then it could get behind Machoke to get the advantage.
"Run towards it, too," Hitmonchan!" Ash told it.
Hitmonchan took off in a sprint to Machoke, and both Pokemon were now a collision course with each other. Machoke had its arms raised while Hitmonchan had its fists raised. Just before they ran into each other, Ash gave the attack.
"Dodge it, and use Ice Punch!" Ash yelled.
Hitmonchan jumped into the air over Machoke's awaiting chop, and Machoke ran underneath it. Hitmonchan spun around in midair in order to deliver a frosty punch to Machoke, but its eyes widened when Machoke turned quicker than one would expect and hit it anyway. Hitmonchan gasped as it was knocked backwards through the air before it hit the gym wall. It then slumped into the ground in defeat.
"Hitmonchan is unable to battle! Machoke wins!" the student declared.
"But...how?" Ash questioned as he looked at his defeated Hitmonchan.
"My Machoke has a special ability called No Guard," Chuck explained. "It causes any attack my Machoke uses to hit without fail. The trade off is no attack will miss it, either."
Ash's mouth was open at that. No Guard had to be some ability, especially on a Pokemon like Machoke. Ash returned Hitmonchan as he thought about who his next Pokemon could be. Noctowl would be useful with its psychic attack and keeping away from Machoke. However, because of Machoke's No Guard ability, that was hardly an advantage. He wasn't exactly sure how that worked out, but he didn't want to take his chances. The only way he was going to stop a brute force like Machoke was to fight fire with fire. Ash then made his decision.
"Primeape, I choose you!" Ash hollered and threw the pokeball forward.
The pig monkey soon appeared from the Pokemon and began to grunt in excitement that it would get to battle again. Primeape then saw its opponent was a Machoke, and it crouch low in anticipation. A Machoke would be a worthy opponent. It hadn't battled in a while and had some fight to get out of its system.
"Primeape versus Machoke! Begin!" yelled the judge.
"Alright, Machoke! Use Dynamic Punch!" Chuck called.
Ash's eyes widened at that. Chuck was already starting off with a very powerful attack to get the upper hand. Because of No Guard, Dynamic Punch would hit no matter what which would cause Primeape to get confused. A confused Primeape would be very bad for more reasons than one. His only option was to try to counter it.
"Use Cross Chop!" Ash yelled
Primpeape leaped at Machoke with its arms crossed as Machoke wound up to do the attack. The pig monkey Pokemon slammed into Machoke's chest which caused the superpower Pokemon to cry out in pain. Nevertheless, Machoke pushed through the powerful attack and swung its fist right into Primeape's face.
Primeape was knocked backwards and hit the wall of the gym just like Hitmonchan did before it. Ash looked on in worry as Primeape stood up, and he gasped when he saw Primeape began thrashing around. It was running in circles and continuously slamming its fists on the ground. It had become confused!
"Come on, Primeape! Snap out of it!" Ash yelled.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out, as well.
"Does Primeape have anything that can help cure its confusion?" Misty asked Brock from the side.
"Well, it can punch itself in the face a few times, but something like that isn't as easy as just simply using a water attack to wake it up like it did in the past," Brock replied.
"Mmmm," Serena uttered sleepily from the side before she shook her head to stay awake.
Primeape continued to flail about and was constantly even running into the walls in its confusion. Chuck smiled in satisfaction once he saw Primeape was virtually helpless now. The burly man then nodded to his Machoke.
"Well done, Machoke! That was a great attack, my friend! Now use that Submission that you've shown me so well!" Chuck ordered.
Ash ignored the fact that Machoke had used Submission on Chuck before and instead focused on Primeape. Submission was a potentially lethal move after getting hit with a powerful attack like Dynamic Punch. He then turned back to Primeape, but it still looked dizzy and didn't appear to see the Machoke heading straight for it.
Ash knew telling Primeape to punch itself in the face wouldn't work as Primeape couldn't really hear him right now. This Submission could be it for Primeape if something didn't happen fast. Then he would have to rely on Noctowl, and despite being clever, Noctowl was still fragile and would have to take out two of Chuck's fighting Pokemon which would be rather difficult for it. Noctowl would have a flight advantage, but No Guard would virtually eliminate that. The boy still couldn't help but wonder how that ability worked, though. Ash then shook his head to focus back on the task at hand.
"Look out, Primeape!" Ash called out, but it was in vain.
Machoke grabbed Primeape before leaping into the air and delivering a lethal tackle to the ground. Primeape grunted in pain before Machoke let it go, and Primeape skidded along the ground for a moment.
"Primeape!" Ash yelled in worry.
"Let's finish this with another Dynamic Punch, Machoke!" Chuck commanded and flexed his muscles.
Machoke charged towards Primeape, but the pig monkey Pokemon was breathing heavily on the ground and not getting up. Machoke began to wind its fist a second time in preparation to use the attack. Meanwhile, Primeape lifted itself up from the ground and glared at Machoke. It came here to battle today for a lot longer than this Machoke was trying to give it. The pig monkey Pokemon had a lot of pent up fight to use, and if it didn't get to take it out on its opponent, it would have to take it out on Ash which it didn't want. Ash noticed Primeape's look and knew it must've been cured from its confusion when Machoke used Submission.
"Primeape, use Low Kick!" Ash called quickly.
Primeape rolled towards Machoke and swept its feet against Machoke's leg just as it was about to punch Primeape. As a result, Machoke lost its balance and fell to the ground with a resounding thud, effectively canceling the Dynamic Punch. Ash smiled when he realized that while No Guard did prevent attacks from missing, it did nothing if the attack was canceled like that. Since no attacks would miss, Ash knew he would have to have Primeape use a flurry of attacks to keep Machoke from hitting it.
"Use Close Combat!" Ash yelled.
Primeape leaped on top of the downed Machoke and gave a taunting grunt before it began to pummel Machoke as hard as it could. It wasn't about to let this Machoke get it out of the game this soon! It still wanted to fight, and it was going to make sure this Machoke knew it, too! Machoke continued to cry out in pain with each punch Primeape gave it until Primeape gave an extra hard punch which knocked Machoke off the ground and into the air before it landed on the ground again.
"Choooooke," Machoke uttered in pain as it struggled to get up. As the superpower Pokemon looked up, it saw Primeape looming over it in domination. It knew it was in for it.
"Use Cross Chop!" Ash hollered.
"Use your Cross Chop, Machoke!" Chuck tried to counter.
Due to Primeape being a lot quicker, it already had its arms crossed and used the attack before Machoke even had a chance to. It slammed its arms into Machoke's face before giving a double chop, as well. Machoke's face jerked to the side from the force of the attack before it face planted on the ground again. It gave a weak groan before it went still, knocked out.
"Machoke is unable to battle!" the judge announced.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief at that. It was pretty close, but Primeape managed to come out on top. The pig monkey Pokemon pumped its arms into the air and let out a victory grunt over the downed Machoke. It then slammed its fists together in front of Chuck to show the burly man it was ready for any other fighting Pokemon that Chuck could use against it.
"That was a good battle, Machoke. You fought well so take a nice rest," Chuck told it before he looked at Primeape. "You're a feisty one, aren't you!?"
"Priiiiiiii!" Primeape yelled in agreement.
"I have just the Pokemon for you then!" Chuck answered before he took out his own pokeball.
Ash then remembered that Chuck's other Pokemon that was eating the power food earlier was a Primeape, too. So Chuck was about to use his own Primeape. Ash then grit his teeth as knew this wouldn't be good. Though Primeape listened to Ash's commands in battle, it was also a very competitive Pokemon. If it saw another Primeape, things could get out of hand. It still carried the scars of the Primeape who picked on it so long ago when it was still a Mankey.
"Primeape, I'll let you take a rest. I'll use Noctowl for this one," Ash told it as he hoped to return the pig monkey Pokemon before it saw who its opponent was.
"Kerplah!" Primeape spat at Ash before it turned back to Chuck. It still wanted to fight!"
"Primeape…," Ash trailed before he continued. "I just don't think you'll be pleased when you see who Chuck's going to use."
Primeape gave Ash a look like it thought he was crazy. Primeape didn't care who its opponent was as long as it got to battle. It then turned back to Chuck as the burly man threw his pokeball, and out popped the other Primeape. As soon as Ash's Primeape saw the other one, it narrowed its eyes and glared very hard at it.
In turn, Chuck's Primeape gave Ash's a glare of its own. It didn't like that look that its opponent was giving it. Granted, Chuck's Primeape seemed to have a lot more self-control than Ash's did. It knocked its fists together while Ash's did the same.
"You know the drill, Primeape! Prove you're the stronger one so let's get you pumped up!" Chuck told it.
Chuck's Primeape then hurried over to Chuck before it began to punch his chest repeatedly. Meanwhile, Ash simply watched. He had learned his lesson earlier that it wasn't a good idea to let his Pokemon attack him. Unfortunately, that was unless his Pokemon was Primeape. If the pig monkey saw its opponent do something that it thought would help, one can bet it would do the same thing.
Primeape then turned back to Ash and looked at the boy expectantly. Ash's eyes widened when he saw what Primeape was planning, and they widened even more when he saw Primeape charge at him.
"Wait, Primeape! Stop!" Ash cried as he held his hands in front of his face for protection.
That was a bad move. Primeape jumped up and socked Ash in the stomach again. The raven-haired boy coughed in pain and keeled over again. This time, he couldn't help but get in the fetal position.
"Ash!" Brock, Misty, and Serena cried out.
"I should've known to block my stomach this time," Ash squeaked before he added rhetorically. "When will the abuse stop?"
"You need some help up, Ash?" Chuck asked as he crossed the battle field and held his hand out to him.
"Please," Ash croaked and gingerly stuck out one of his arms for Chuck to take.
Once again, Ash didn't take into account Chuck's strength. The man grabbed Ash's hand and yanked him to his feet. He then went back to his side of the battlefield while Ash stood there in total shock. He slowly used his other arm to stroke his shoulder to make sure nothing was pulled out of its socket. Though it was extremely painful, everything appeared to be in place. Ash's friends gave him all a sympathetic look because of all the abuse he's had to endure today.
"Oh! Sorry about that, sport! I guess I keep forgetting my own strength!" Chuck called when he saw the grimace on Ash's face.
"Uhhhnn…," Ash uttered in pain.
"Poor Ash," Brock said with a nervous smile.
"He's going to need an aspirin the size of a pokeball after this," Misty sighed.
"Here, Ash. It's okay," Serena told him as she went over to him and rubbed his arm. "This just isn't your day, is it?"
"Yeah…," Ash trailed before he thought to himself. "What about you, though?"
Everyone then prepared for the battle of the two Primeapes. Both Pokemon prepared themselves and crouched low, though Ash's Primeape appeared angrier than the other. It would still prove it was the strongest Primeape.
"Primeape versus Primeape! Begin!" announced the judge.
"Let's do it Primeape! Show them your own Karate Chop!" Chuck hollered.
Chuck's Primeape gave a grunt before it leaped high into the air towards its opponent. Ash's Primeape held up its fists in preparation and waited for Ash's command to it.
"Wait until I say go, and then use Seismic Toss!" Ash yelled.
He was surprised when his Primeape leaped up into the air after its opponent rather than waiting. It then reached out to grab Chuck's Primeape, but the opponent quickly swung its hand at it, and Ash's Primeape was knocked to the ground.
"I needed you to wait, Primeape!" Ash scolded it.
"Bleaaah!" Primeape grunted as it stood up and puffed in aggravation.
"Your Primeape is powerful, Ash, but it needs some discipline," Chuck noted. "My Primeape will be happy to give it that discipline, too!"
"Kerplah!" Chuck's Primeape yelled in agreement as it prepared another attack.
"Bruh! Bruh! Priiiiiime!" Ash's Primeape yelled in anger.
"Their right, Primeape! I know you want to prove you're the strongest Primeape, but you can't act like this each time you see one. You have to have patience!" Ash told it.
"Bleeeah!" Primeape spat again, which caused Ash to furrow his eyebrows.
"Alright, Primeape! Let's use your Screech!" Chuck commanded.
Chuck's Primeape gave an earsplitting Screech that sounded throughout the room. Ash's Primeape yelled in annoyance as it covered its ears. It then fell to its knees as it tried to block out the sound.
"Hang in there, Primeape!" Ash encouraged.
"Use Cross Chop!" Chuck yelled.
Once more, Chuck's Primeape leaped into the air and crossed its arms in preparation to do the powerful fighting attack. Ash noticed that Chuck's Primeape preferred to leap in the air before attacking, and he would use that to his advantage.
"Wait this time, and then I'll let you know when to use Seismic Toss," Ash told it, but cried out in frustration when Primeape leaped after its opponent again. "Primeape! No!"
Just like last time, Chuck's Primeape slammed its arms into Ash's Primeape, and it was knocked to the ground again. It had now taken heavy damage and strained itself as it tried to get to its feet. It was panting and grunting in tiredness. It then glared at Chuck's Primeape who glared back.
"You can't keep rushing into attacks like this, Primeape!" Ash told it, which caused the pig monkey Pokemon to turn to him. "Chuck's Primeape is superior in the air while you are better in the ground. That's where you have to keep it for the advantage. If you rush at Chuck's Primeape, that's exactly what it wants you to do! You have to let it come to you!"
"Priiiii!" Primeape rebutted stubbornly to Ash and stamped the ground in anger.
"If you can't listen to me, Primeape, you're can't win this!" Ash told it firmly. "Remember how we beat that Primeape long ago when I first caught you? We beat it because you listened to me and we worked together! It's the same case here!"
Primeape then thought back to all that time ago. It and Ash met on bad terms when it was Mankey. It had punched him in the stomach and stolen his hat. It then ran off to find its rival who was already a Primeape. It was beaten badly, and Ash nursed it back to help much to its annoyance. It had then gone off to fight its rival again but was still losing. That's when Ash intervened and they beat the Primeape together after it evolved into a Primeape itself. They did it because it did everything Ash told it to. Though it hated waiting and was impatient, Ash's Primeape realized that this may be the only wat to win.
"We can do this, Primeape! Trust me!" Ash told it.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Ash! My Primeape and I need to win this, too! We'll then take out your third Pokemon together. Use Close Combat, my friend!" Ash told his Primeape.
Chuck's Primeape then leaped into the air and headed towards its opponent. Ash's Primeape instinctively went after it but stopped itself. Its fists shook as it waited for Ash to say something. It wanted to rush in and teach that Primeape a lesson so badly, but that had cost it in the past. Primeape's eyes seemed to bulge as it waited. Finally, just before Chuck's Primeape hit it, Ash made his move.
"Grab its arms, and use Seismic Toss!" Ash yelled.
Ash's Primeape reached out and grabbed its opponents arms just before Chuck's Primeape used the attack. Ash's Primeape then used the momentum of its opponent to swing it around and throw it. Chuck's Primeape went sailing through the air and slammed into the gym wall face first. Upon seeing this, Ash's Primeape jumped and grunted in excitement.
"Hmm…not bad, Ash," Chuck commented before he turned back to his Primeape. "It's alright, Primeape! Shake it off, and use Revenge!"
Chuck's Primeape picked itself up off the ground and grunted in annoyance. It then turned around leaped in the air after Ash's Primeape again. Once again, Ash's Primeape waited in patience for Ash to issue it a command. Just before Chuck's Primeape planned the powerful attack, Ash called out his own one.
"Use Reversal!" Ash hollered, knowing his Primeape had already taken heavy damage.
Chuck's Primeape slammed into its opponent, but Ash's Primeape held out its arms to absorb the attack before it thrust out with all its might. Chuck's Primeape was thrown backwards and skidded along the ground several feet before coming to a halt.
"Are you okay, Primeape!? Let's pick yourself up and keep going!" Chuck encouraged.
"See, Primeape! I told you it would work!" Ash smiled.
Primeape grunted in agreement and nodded its head. Maybe its trainer was right. This waiting thing wasn't so bad, after all.
"Well, I think we learned our lesson about that one. Go in for Close Combat, Primeape, but don't leap into the air this time!" Chuck encouraged.
Chuck's Primeape complied and dashed along the ground at a high speed towards Ash's Primpeape. This time, Ash wanted Primeape to go on the offense, as well.
"Go in, and use Close Combat, too!" Ash yelled.
Both Pokemon were now on a collision course with each other. Each determined to beat the other up. Just before they crashed into each other, Ash did the opposite of what Chuck expected.
"Jump up and surprise it!" Chuck yelled.
"Slide underneath it!" Ash countered.
Before Chuck's Primeape could leap, Ash Primeape slid on the ground. It then grabbed Chuck's Primeape by its feet and which caused Chuck's Primeape to turn to look at it in surprise. It was then met with a fist in its face courtesy of Ash's Primeape. The pig monkey began to pummel its opponent into a oblivion and not let up. Every time Chuck's Primeape tried to get up, it was knocked to the floor again. Ash's Primeape was just too fierce for it.
After a while, Chuck's Primeape couldn't take it anymore, and it soon went limp under its opponent's flurry of attacks. Ash's Primeape then pumped its fist into the air and began to grunt in excitement that it was still the strongest Primeape. It just defeated two of its opponents and was feeling very pleased with itself.
"Chuck's Primeape is unable to battle! The winner is Ash's Primeape! All three of Chuck's Pokemon have been defeated, and Ash is the winner!" the judge declared.
"Alright! Yes!" Ash cheered as he ran towards Primeape.
The pig monkey Pokemon stopped its celebration just in time. Ash knew better than to try and hug his Primeape so he merely held out his hand for Primeape to give him a high five. Primeape complied and gave Ash a high five before it continued its own cheering.
Misty and Brock were the first ones to reach Ash first this time followed by Serena and Togetic. They all congratulated him while Chuck picked up his fallen Primeape. It woke up and looked at its trainer.
"Primeape! You gave a great battle! This just means we have to train harder now! That Ash is tough stuff!" Chuck told it to which his Primeape agreed.
"See, dear? You are getting a little flabby," Cheryl smiled as she came up next to her husband.
"Hah. Maybe a little," Chuck finally admitted as he rubbed the back of his head and turned to his students. "Remember students! Any food you eat, make sure you work it off really well!"
"Yes, sir!" they all answered.
Chuck then went over to Ash before he reached into the side of his black belt to reveal a badge that was hiding behind it. He then presented it to Ash.
"Well done, Ash! That was some battle you gave me! You and your Pokemon show some great determination! I like that! Take this Storm Badge! You earned it!" Chuck told him.
"Thanks, Chuck!" Ash smiled and took a look at his new badge that was circular and looked like a fist.
"And remember!" Chuck added as he flexed his muscles. "Train hard! Eat right, and keep your eyes on the prize! Do that, and you'll go far in the Johto League!"
"You said it!" Ash agreed.
"You're over halfway to the Johto League now, Ash!" Brock commented.
"You'll be there in no time!" Misty agreed.
"Way to go, Ash," Serena smiled but yawned afterward.
"Still tired, Serena?" Ash asked.
"I guess," Serena mumbled.
"Serena, would you come with me for a moment? I can whip you up something that might help you. It's a special tea that I brew that's made from special leaves," Cheryl offered as she held out her hand for Serena to take.
"Thank you, ma'am," Serena smiled as she was led off by Chuck's wife.
Ash watched her go with worry on his face. He just couldn't understand why Serena was acting like this. He hoped that whatever it was Chuck's wife was going to give would help, but he was also hoping on a call from Yellow, soon. Brock placed his hand on Ash's shoulder in comfort.
"We're all worried about Serena, Ash. Of course, it's only natural that you are the most out of all of us. We'll figure it out," Brock encouraged.
"Yeah," Ash mumbled as Pikachu and Togetic sighed as they were worried, too.
Primeape then turned around and wanted another high five from Ash to which the raven-haired boy complied. Ash then offered it a smile.
"See, Primeape? What did I tell you? Sometimes waiting can be the best solution. Let the battle come to you and not be so eager to fight," Ash told it.
"Priiiii," Primeape nodded. It had its share of battle for today. It could listen to the advice Ash just gave it…for now anyway.
Ash was still at Chuck's gym a couple of hours later so they could relax and so they could watch Chuck train with his Pokemon and teach his students. Just like when they first met him, they were completely amazed that the man was able to endure his Pokemon's attacks like that. Now, Ash were calling Macy on his Pokegear to see how everything went. Brock and Misty were next to him.
"Hey, Macy. How're Ampharos and Jasmine?" Ash asked.
"They're doing great! Ampharos is a lot better so Macy had the local Nurse Joy come in, and she said it should be back to its lighthouse duty sometime next week!" Macy responded.
"That's great!" Ash nodded before he asked the next thing on his mind despite not really wanting to. "What about…him?"
Ash didn't really have to say a name for Macy, as well as his friends, to know who he was referring to. He was expecting Macy to say he pressed for information from Jasmine and Ampharos, but she didn't.
"Umm, whenever Jasmine gave Ampharos the antidote, that weird guy just nodded his head and left. He didn't ask for information or say anything. He just left," Macy replied.
"What?" Ash questioned in utter confusion.
Why did Silver just leave? He even admitted the only reason he was staying was so he could get information about Team Rocket. Instead, he just leaves? What was his deal? What was going on? Silver was just one huge puzzle. Did he decide that he actually cared about the Ampharos' well-being, after all?
"Jasmine did say he would meet with him on his way out, though," Macy spoke up. "She told him that once Sparkle was better, she would try to get information on Team Rocket as thanks for him being there. He said he'll be in Olivine City the next few days to hear what she has to say."
"Oh," Ash muttered, still confused, before he changed subjects. "What about the gym?"
"Jasmine is ready to battle anyone, now!" Macy replied with a clear smile even though Ash couldn't see it through the Pokegear. "That means you can come back to Olivine City anytime to battle her! I'll be doing mine tomorrow!"
"That's great!" Ash smiled at the thought of getting his sixth badge so soon. However, there was one thing he remembered.
"Still," Ash muttered. "I have no idea what we would do in Olivine City for so long. There won't be another Pokemon Showcase there for Serena for another two and a half weeks."
"That's right. Is she doing any better?" Macy asked.
"I…don't know," Ash said honestly. "She's been…tired and still won't eat anything."
"Man. I feel terrible for treating her the way I did at first. Now she's acting all weird," Macy sighed.
"It's okay, Macy. We've all forgiven you for it since then," Ash reassured. "Anyway, thanks for letting us know. We'll figure something out for the next couple of weeks."
He then clicked his Pokegear and looked to Brock and Misty for help to see if they had any ideas. Unfortunately, none came to their mind. There had to be something interesting they could do in the mean time. Granted, they weren't in a hurry anymore, but meandering around in the same city for a while would tend to get rather boring.
"Hey, Ash," Serena greeted as she came up to him along with Cheryl and Chuck.
"Hey, Serena," Ash responded. "Are you feeling any better?"
"I am, actually," Serena smiled.
"I'm no medical expert, but maybe she's been stressed the past few days. I gave her an herbal remedy that is said to help reduce stress. It may only give a temporary solution, but it seems to have worked for now," Cheryl spoke up.
"It did! Thank you!" Serena said brightly.
Ash, as well as the others, smiled once they saw Serena was a lot more energetic now. She was acting just like her old self which relieved them greatly. Ash had already received a call from Professor Oak who told him that Yellow would call him and Serena sometime tomorrow to ask for the details. At least now, everything appeared back to normal for the most part.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help but overhear you say that you were looking for something to do?" Cheryl asked.
"Oh? Yes ma'am," Ash confirmed.
"You should check out the Whirl Islands in that case. It's filled with great water Pokemon, and there's a water Pokemon tournament there in a few days. It's even said to house a great, mysterious Pokemon. Perhaps you kids will find it," Cheryl smiled with a wink.
"Water Pokemon tournament? Another one? We have to go!" Misty insisted.
"Sounds good to me. This mysterious Pokemon sounds interesting to me," Ash said as he adjusted his cap.
"Me, too," Brock agreed.
"I guess it's settled then," Serena smiled before she turned to Chuck and Cheryl and bowed respectively. "Thank you for everything."
"Hah! You bet! You kids work hard for you goals and I'll work hard on mine, too!" Chuck nodded.
"We will, Chuck!" Ash nodded as he turned to Serena. "At least now we can head to the Whirl Islands and have you be back to normal. We'll see some cool Pokemon and have a great time!"
"Pika!" Pikachu smiled in agreement, along with Togetic.
"I'll pack a few packets of the herbs for your journey," Cheryl smiled. "As long as Serena puts this in water and drinks one cup every day, it should alleviate her symptoms. Of course, it if it continues, please seek help."
"Definitely," Ash nodded as he was still expecting a call from Yellow.
"Right!" Serena agreed.
Yes. It was true that she was no longer feeling exhausted anymore. Still, Serena knew this was only holding back whatever it was that was going on with her. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with her. Besides, Cheryl's remedy didn't cure everything.
Serena still had a headache, and it still felt like she was forgetting something important.
Yeah. There's something still wrong with Serena. It makes you sort of wonder what needs to happen in order for her to be cured. Hopefully nothing BAD...
Anyway, the next chapter starts the Whirl Islands arc. Yellow will offer some insight for Serena during this arc. I hope you all have a good one, and the next chapter will be out in June!
Chapter Thirty Nine: The Land and the Sea