AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. This one mixes things up, as it is more of a rwby chapter than a Pokemon chapter. The battling a bit and is more about the character interaction and what they led to. Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave a review with your comments and questions, and have a nice day.
See the most recent Save State Chapter for Cover Art details.
Chapter 23 – Dojo Showdown
"Who are you," the red-haired boy asked Yang, "You got something you want to ask?"
"The name's Yang, and yeah, I got a question." The blond brawler said, taking out a Pokeball, "You remember him?" She said while tossing the Pokeball, causing Hitmonlee to emerge. The kicking Pokemon locked eyes with the red-haired boy, each glaring at the other.
"So, you did evolve." The red-haired boy said to Hitmonlee, who remained focused. However, he turned and walked away from the kicking Pokemon, causing Hitmonlee to slightly gasped. Before the red-haired boy could get a few steps away, he was stopped as someone grabbed his right shoulder, "What do you think you're doing?" he said to Yang.
"That's all you have to say to the Pokemon you abandoned?" Yang asked him, her anger boiling, "No apology."
"What do I have to be sorry for?" the red-haired boy responded, "In this world, you either abandon the weak, or you get abandoned." He said before looking back to the blond brawler, "And I can tell which one you are?"
"You bastard," Yang said as her left-handed tightened on the shoulder and her right fist clenched.
However, the old man from before walked between the two, "Now, now." He spoke in a calm voice, "We are all tired from a long day." He said before looking to Yang, "You must be one of the new students that just arrived." The old man said before bowing, "My name is Mustard, I am the Dojo Master here."
"Oh, uh, hi." Yang responded, relaxing her hands, "I'm Yang," She said before her two other companions walked up, "Those two are Leaf and Neo."
"A pleasure to meet all of you," Mustard said before seeing the red-haired boy walk over to a backpack, picking it up, and heading to the door, "You're leaving now Silver?"
"Yes, I don't need this type of training," Silver responded, "I'll get stronger on my own before the Pokemon World League." He said before opening the door and walking out.
"…" Neo looked on before quickly writing a message, showing it to Yang, "You're just letting him leave?"
"It's not like I can knock his block off right here," Yang softly spoke to the mute girl, then turned to Hitmonlee, "Besides, this does we can beat him on the big stage." She said with a smile, causing the kicking Pokemon to nod back.
"I see, so he's your competition then." Leaf commented.
Yang then turned to Mustard, "That boy that just left, Silver. How many badged did have already."
"Oh, he had the needed four," Mustard responded, "Even if you battled him now, I doubt you would have won."
"Hey!" Yang responded with a scowl, "Don't underestimate me or my Pokemon like that." She then pointed at Mustard, "We'll take you on and win!" She said with Hitmonlee standing by her side.
"Really?" Mustard responded, "Let's see how you fare with a little sparring." He said before walking over to the mat at the center of the dojo.
"You're on, Gramps," Yang said while following, Hitmonlee right beside her. As the two trainers stood at opposite sides, the kicking Pokemon walked up as the blond brawler's pick. However, Mustard still had his hands behind his back, "So, you want to send out something?"
"Oh, you must have misunderstood." Mustard responded, "I wanted a sparring match with you, not your Pokemon." He said with a smile, "It's important to give them a rest from battling all the time and let the trainer show their skills."
"I see, fine then." Yang said before looking to Hitmonlee, "Just sit back and watch me do my magic." She said with a wink, causing the kicking Pokemon to respond with a bow.
Leaf and Neo walked over, "Yang, are you sure about this?"
"Come on, this guy is ancient." Yang responded, "I'll win in like two minutes if he doesn't pull his back or something."
"…" Neo had a look of slight worry.
"Just watch me," Yang said before looking back to Mustard, who responded with a simple smile, "So, whoever lands their opponent on their back first wins."
"Alright," Mustard responded, a grin forming, "Come at me," Yang smirked before rushing in, reeling back for a right hook. However, the punch missed entirely as Mustard dashed to his left. The blond brawler slightly gasped at his speed, while the old man smiled, "What? You think I'm just gonna stand there take it?"
"Grrr," Yang responded before unleashing a flurry of hits: jabs, crosses, hooks, and even an uppercut. All were dodged by the old man, who had his hands behind his back, "Just let me hit you!" She said while continuing to miss all her attacks.
"Hmmm, no." Mustard said as he continued to dodge. Yang then unleashed a full-powered punch, but it was dodged again, causing her fist to collide with one of the matted corner pillars. A small shockwave was created as the other students felt the power behind the hit. "My, that would hurt if it hit me." Mustard commented, "Your hand-to-hand combat is impressive, you must have a talented teacher."
"That's my dad," Yang responded before hitting her fist together, "He always said I had a fire inside me." She said before rushing in again for another barrage of punches.
"Yes, I can see it too," Mustard responded with a smile, closing his eyes. Yang saw this as the moment she waited for, reeling back for a knockout blow, "Still," Mustard said while dodging the punch at the last second, then opening his eyes with a look of focus, "A flame burns the brightest right before it goes out." The dojo masters said before holding his right hand one inch away from Yang's stomach, then instantly punching her with it. The blond brawler felt the force of the impact reverberate throughout her whole body.
Yang gasped for air as she stumbled back, then put up her fists, "Damnit, I wouldn't be losing if I had my semblance or aura." She thought while looking back at Mustard, who remained calm, "I have to catch him off guard and-" suddenly, the dojo master rushed Yang now, unleashing a succession of quick strikes to the blond brawler's body. Yang could barely block each blow, her stance wobbling. Mustard landed an upper palm strike to her lower jaw, sending her a couple of feet into the air before she landed on her back.
"What just happened?" Leaf asked.
"…" Neo shrugged, not know herself the speed she witnessed.
"I could tell what you were thinking," Mustard responded, "It was, 'If I had this I would be winning' or something close to that." The old man said with a sigh, "So, there was no reason to continue the fight, as you already admitted to losing."
"N-no, I didn't!" Yang said as she pushed herself up, "Come on, best two out of three."
"Hmmm, no." Mustard responded, "You need a bit more practice in staying calm on the battlefield."
"I'm perfectly calm!" Yang shouted, then slightly recoiled at what she did, seeing all the other students look at her in fear, even her Hitmonlee, "I…"
"I imagine your father taught you that tactic, to use that rage to your advantage." Mustard responded, "But I think he would want you to know, that you cannot use rage to win all your battles." He said with Yang remaining speechless for a second, looking down in slight disarray Mustard then smiled before looking to the mute girl, "What's say you try your hand against me?"
"…" Neo pointed at herself, causing Mustard to nod. The mute girl then smirked as she walked onto the mat.
"Hey, watch out." Yang said as she passed by Neo, "This guy is old, but skilled." She said with the mute girl nodding back.
"Let's keep the same rules, shall we?" Mustard said, his hands behind his back.
"…" Neo did not say a word but bowed.
Mustard smiled before doing to same, then rushed in like before. He unleashed flurry quick stirks, but the mute girl was the one dodging them this time. The dojo master then sneered as he managed to grab Neo's left arm, then attempted to toss the mute girl onto her back.
However, Neo redirects the momentum, dashing towards Mustard before grabbing his left arm. She then flipped over his body, reaching behind the back of his neck, and tossed him into the ceiling. The old man bounced off it before landing flat on his face on the mats, "…" Neo smirked as she turned back to see him.
"Yikes," Yang commented, "Think you went a little overboard?" she said before seeing Mustard was unmoving, "Is he-"
Suddenly, Mustard jumped back to his feet. The old man moved his neck from side to side, causing a small crack to be heard, "Guess, I'm getting a little rusty." He said as he turned back to Neo, his hands behind his back. "That move hurt, but not as much as you think."
"…" Neo responded with her arms crossed.
"Oh, you think you already won?" Mustard said before rubbing his chin, "Well, I did say the person needed to be on their back, didn't I?"
"…" Neo rolled her eyes before resuming a fighting stance.
"Now, let's continue." Mustard said before rushing in again. This time, his strikes proved more difficult for the mute girl to dodge. A line of sweat ran down Neo's face as she saw each fist get close to her body.
"…" Suddenly, Neo smirked as she reached into her right sleeve. As Mustard was about to land a blow, the canopy of an umbrella opened into his face. The dojo master was pushed back now seeing Neo reposing with an umbrella.
"Hey," one of the students called out, "That's my umbrella!"
"She must have snatched it before the match." Another student called out.
"That's stealing and cheating!" a third student responded.
"Well, I never said you had to only use hand-to-hand combat." Mustard responded, rubbing his chin, "And Pokemon can equip some items for battle as well." He said with the three students going silent, but the one still mad about his umbrella.
"…" Neo smirked as she reposed with her umbrella.
"Okay, let's continue." Mustard said before dashing towards Neo, but the mute girl swung her umbrella to prevent the dojo master from lining up a punch, "Hm, self-taught, yet I sense you take inspiration from someone special to you." He said with Neo grinning, attempting an overhead swing.
However, Mustard dodged while dashing behind her, "…!" Neo gasped as she realized her opponent had a fist already reeled back. In response, the mute girl closed the umbrella, then bashed the handle end into Mustard's face. The dojo master was stunned for a second, causing Neo to see an opportunity. She quickly swept the legs of her opponent, causing the old man to fall backwards.
As others gasped at the match about to end, Honey simply smiled. She watched as Mustard caught his fall with his palms, then positioned for a handstand. Neo gasped as the dojo master then started to unleash a barrage of backwards kicks towards the mute girl.
"…!" Neo blocked as best she could with her umbrella but was getting pushed back. She then gritted her teeth before attempting a spin kick into her opponent's back, but Mustard raised his right hand to catch her leg. "…!" Neo felt her balance falter more, causing her to aim her umbrella at Mustard. In opening it, the sudden expansion caused his grip to loosen. While Neo was freed, Mustard jumped back onto his feet, his hands behind his back again.
"You are agile but seem to lack damage output." Mustard responded as Neo was panting, "Unless you find an opening, you'll tire yourself out." He said as Neo gritted her teeth, closing the umbrella again, "And too bad for, because I have found yours."
"…?" Neo had a look of confusion before Mustard rushed her head-on. She plunged her umbrella towards his face, but the dojo master caught it with his right hand. While grasping the middle section, she realized her weapon could not open. Mustard then pulled the umbrella inward while performing a left shoulder tackle into Neo. The mute girl wobbled back in a stunning state before her vision focused, "…!" Neo gasped as Mustard dropkicked her into one of the matted pillars. Neo's body bounced off it before she hobbled forward, she Mustard smirking at her. "…!" Neo then gritted her teeth as she went for a wild right punch, but the dojo master dodged with ease. He then used the handle of the umbrella, hooking Neo's left ankle, and lifting it upwards. The mute girl was swept off her feet, her balance broken as she fell onto her back with a thud.
"And that ends our matches." Mustard said before tossing the umbrella back to a student who owned it. He then looked over to Yang and Leaf helping up Neo, "If you wish to continue your Pokemon training, you will improve your fighting styles first." Mustard said before walking away, his hands behind his back.
"…" Neo looked down in slight remorse at her defeat. Then looked over to the students looking at her, overhearing their whispers.
"That girl is a maniac, she was trying to stab him with that umbrella." One student said.
"Going for such cheap shots, it's disrespecting." Another commented.
"The dojo master could have gotten seriously hurt because of this mute girl." A student added on. ""
"If she stole my umbrella, what else did she take." Another student spoke.
"…!" Neo gritted her teeth, then felt Yang's hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, I know how you feel," Yang responded.
"…" Neo looked back at her before both turned to Leaf.
"Ignore them, they don't matter." Leaf responded, "Let's just call it a day." She offered with Neo and Yang nodding. The mute girl got up as the blond brawler recalled Hitmonlee to his Pokeball.
A short while later.
Honey led Yang and Neo down a hall, "These are where our occupants sleep." The sweet lady said before stopping and opening one door, "Sadly, this is our last room available." She said as Yang and Neo entered, "Sleep tight." Honey said with a smile before closing the door behind them.
"Well, a bit of a downgrade from the cruise cabin." Yang commented on the smaller space, then looked over to the solo bed in the room, "Of course," She said with a sigh before walking over to it, "I'm too tired, let's just keep the same boundaries." The blond brawler said before getting in the bed, "Night."
"…" Neo yawned before joining, resting on her side.
While the mute girl quickly fell asleep, the blond brawler's eyes were still open for a few more seconds. While the loss was taxing on her mind, she slowly started to push that out. However, the words of Silver rang in her dreams, "In this world, you either abandon the weak, or you get abandoned." The words echoed, but the blond brawler wondered how they applied to her own world. Slowly, Yang's eyes closed.
However, Yang's eyes soon opened with her discovering she was not where she was before. It was a black void with a purple fog at her knees, "W-where am I" she said before scanning the area for something or someone. Suddenly, she gasped at who she saw, the three members of her team walking away in the distance, "Hey, I found you!" Yang said with a smile, run towards them, "Wait up, it's me, Yan-"
"I'm so glad we got rid of your sister." Weiss spoke to Ruby, "She was such a liability for us on every mission. Only being a brute and meathead, no real talent for anything other than being a nuisance."
Yang then stopped, "Weiss?"
"You mean half-sister," Ruby responded, "I never thought of her as family." She said before crossing her arms, "Just the leftovers of my dad's first marriage. I wished we could have thrown her away."
"Ruby, why would you-" Yang spoke, tears forming in her eyes.
"I'll need to find a placement partner," Blake added on, then signed, "But honestly, anyone is better than her. Always trying to mess with others business she has no right to interfere in. The textbook definition of insensitive."
"Blake, not you too?" Yang spoke, "But, I'm your fri-"
"Not like she ever read a textbook," Weiss spoke with a laugh, "She was just a troublemaking,"
"Bad influence," Ruby added on.
"Useless teammate." Blake concluded.
"I'm glad she's gone." All three spoke at the same time, then continued to walk away into the fog.
Yang fell to her knees, tears pouring down her face as she held her head with both hands, "T-this is just a bad dream, only a bad dream." She said to herself, "They would never say those things, they're your friends and little sister." The blond brawler pleaded with herself, "Nobody abandoned you. Nobody abandoned you. Nobody-" she said until hearing someone approach. Yang looked up but gasped at the sight. A woman in red and black attire, whose face matched that of the blond brawler, "M-mom," Yang spoke, but the person she was looking at did not say a word, instead of drawing her sword, "W-why?"
"…" the person did not say a word until she raised the sword over her head, "I never wanted you to begin with." She said before bringing down the sword into the blond brawler's skull.
Suddenly, Yang awoke from her nightmare in a cold sweat. Her breathing heavy as she placed her right hand on her forehead. While she gritted her teeth, tears started to pour down her face.
Sometime later.
In the middle of the night, Neo rolled her sleep. However, her eyes opened as she realized she was alone in the bed, "…?" the mute girl looked around in confusion, not finding Yang anyways. She then glanced out the nearby window, looking out to see the blond brawler near a tree by a cliff.
Neo quickly put on her clothes before sneaking out the window. Upon getting closer, she discovered the blond brawler boxing towards the tree. The mute girl then cleared her throat, slightly starting Yang as she turned, "Oh, hey." Yang responded, "I uh…couldn't sleep." She then turned back to the tree, "Training like this helps clear my head." she said before resuming her shadow boxing, "I'll be fine, you can head back to bed."
"…" Neo looked on in slight worry but turned back to the dojo.
Yang landed one punch on the tree, then recalled Leaf's words to her, "…Hey, Neo?" She said with the mute girl stopping, looking back to the blond brawler, "You said before how Roman was all you had." Yang said as she looked back to Neo, "So, you don't know your mother or father?"
"…" Neo shook her head, then held up her left index finger.
"One Thing, right." Yang commented, slightly looking down, "So, do you think they abandoned you?"
"…" Neo did not move her head right away but did eventually nod in confirmation.
"I uh, I'm sorry." Yang responded the sighed, "My biological mom left me when I was little. It was the first time I felt lost in the world." Yang rubbed her face, hiding the just formed tears, "I just… I need to find her and ask…why?" she then looked back to Neo, "Do you, feel the same about your parents?"
"…" Neo shook her head from side to side.
"Y-you don't," Yang said in shock, "Why?"
"…" Neo smiled as she extended her finger again.
Yang had a look of confusion before she realized, "Because you had Roman." She said with Neo nodding, "Yeah, I guess I understand that. I still had my dad, my uncle, my stepmom, and Ruby. And that was all before I went to Beacon. They all helped me become who I am." She said with a smile forming on her face, then looked back to Neo, "And the same happened with you. I mean you practicality dressed like Roman." The blond brawler said with a giggle, to which Neo responded in kind. Slowly, Yang stopped her laughter, "If he was a Hunter, and the rest of my family were crooks. We would probably be the reverse sides right now." She then sighed, "Yet still on opposite ones." The blond brawler said before another smiled formed, "But, maybe we can use this situation to our advantage."
"…?" Neo looked at Yang in confusion.
"Well, we're all the other's got right now from Remnant," Yang responded, "And if we're working together, we might as well pick up the other's tricks in battle." She said before smirking, "You teach me, and I'll teach you."
"…?" Neo still looked confused, then looked at the ground. She then picked up a fallen leaf, showing it to the blond brawler while pointing at it.
"I know about Leaf, but I don't think she has a lot of advice related to hand-to-hand fights like we do." Yang responded, "Look, I can hit hard, and you can dodge. But, neither of us could beat that old man." The blond brawler said, cracking her knuckles, "So, let's play a little training game." She said with Neo raising an eyebrow, "I get a point for each hit I dodge, you get a point for each hit you land. That still keeps up my promise to you." Yang said before smirking, "What say we do first to five wins? And the winner gets to be the teacher first, deal?"
"…" Neo smirked as she nodded.
The two then moved to stand a few feet apart, then slightly bowed. Suddenly, Neo rushed with a wild punch to the head. Yang bobbed out of the way with a smile, "That one for me," she said before seeing another punch incoming, moving out of the way, "And that's two, so you need to get a bit," Yang was about to taunt before Neo quickly spin kicked her in the stomach. The blond brawler skidded back for a few feet before stopping, "…Okay, that's one for you." Yang said before Neo smirked, then rushed in again.
The mute girl then went for another kick, which Yang avoided the full force of, but still collided with her side, giving each of them two points totals now. The mute girl then pulled her leg back before going for a leg sweep, but Yang jumped to gain her third point. However, Neo continued her spin to stirk her hip with her the back of her right hand. Now, tied at three points each, Yang jumped back as Neo continued the pressure. The mute girl tried to go for the right hook, but the blond brawler moved her head out the way at the last second. However, a quick left hook nicked Yang on the cheek, still counting as her fourth point as well.
Knowing then the next move would decide the winner, each planned their next move. As Neo rushed in, Yang instinctively clenched her fists, but they moved out of the way of the charge, "Ha, I w-" Yang was saying until she saw Neo had run towards the tree, then jumped off it to punch Yang. The blond brawler held up her fist in a blocking stance, intercepting the punch. However, she gasped as Neo smirked, "Uh."
Neo reached behind her back for something, but found nothing, "…" She sighed while realizing she left her whiteboard back in the room, so she walked over to the sand near the tree. Yang looked over to witness the mute girl write her message in the sand, "Blocking is not dodging."
"Yeah, you're right." Yang said before she sighed as well, "I'm guessing that's your first lesson?" She said with Neo smirked again.
A couple of hours later.
While nighttime was coming to an end, Yang and Neo continued to train. The mute girl unleashed a barrage of punches, but the blond brawler was moving out of the way of each one, "Heh, I think I get it now." Yang said as she dodged, a smile on her face, "Anticipate the opponent's moves, wait for their attacks to slow down," Yang said before dashing in, "Then go in for your strike." She went in for the punch, but her fist stopped just before Neo's face, who did not flinch at the sight, "Told you." The blond brawler said with a smirk, "I'll keep that promise."
"…" Neo smirked before trying a running kick, but Yang moved out of the way.
"And I when they miss, the get off that's another opening for me to-," Yang said before seeing Neo stubble near the cliff.
"…!" Neo gasped as she could not catch her footing quick enough, causing her to slip over the edge.
"Neo!" Yang said as she reached out her hand, grabbing Neo's right arm before she could fall into the water. The blond brawler then pulled the mute girl from the cliff, causing both to sit down, "Yikes, that was close." Yang said with her heart raising.
"…" Neo nodded. Then smiled as she wrote something in the sand, "Watch your surroundings." The message read, "Even I forget that one."
"Yeah," Yang responded with a laugh, then a yawn. However, she looked over to see the sun start to raise, "We should head back and see if we can get a little sleep."
"…" Neo nodded back.
"Okay, let's go," Yang said before turning around to walk away, but then felt Neo tug at her arm, "Hm?" she looked back to see the mute girl pointing down at another message she wrote.
"Thank you." It read as Neo smile.
"Oh," Yang said in slight shook, "Uh yeah, don't mention it." She said before smiling back, "Come on, let's go before the others get up." Neo followed the blond brawler as they made their way back to the dojo. However, unknown to the two girls, Mustard sat on the roof of the dojo, a smile on his face towards the two new students.
AN: There you go, Yang is warming up more and more to Neo. While Silver is only just a tease here, you learn that he is already set for the tournament. Which means, you will see him again. Yang was going to challenge him here, but Mustard stepped in with for friendly fist fight. I do like to think that he is as skilled a martial artist as he is a Pokemon trainer. He puts Yang and then Neo in their place, but not before the students catch a glimpse of how these girl's fight. We also see Yang's struggle with her abandonment issues, but also trying to get closer to Neo. This conversation between the two was my favorite this chapter, and the game they played was fun. Next time, we will go back to a more Pokemon feel as the two continue training and possibly expand their teams. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.