At this point, I'm going to start incorporating parts from the Pokémon games into the story and not just rely on the anime episodes.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 18: The Fighting Dojo

We had quite the adventure while heading to Saffron City. Ash got into trouble after trying to catch a Mankey which evolved into a Primeape during a rampage. However, thanks to my brother's Pokémon's help, he managed to catch it. For safety purposes, he decided to keep Primeape with him and not send him to Professor Oak's lab, fearing he would just break the whole place apart while having no control of himself, so he sent Pidgeotto to the lab.

Bruce also evolved into a Primeape at that time, but he was more in control with his anger than Primeape. We tried to train together, but Primeape refused to listen to any commands that Ash told him, so we made zero progress.

We made it to Saffron City in just five days. We were so tired that evening we skipped dinner and crashed on the beds. The next time, I took a pamphlet from the Pokémon Center which contained the map of the city. To be honest, I started collecting them since Pewter City because I wanted to keep them as souvenir from each city and town with the Gyms.

That meant I was the group's "guide" for the day as we walked down the busy streets.

"I'm so ready to challenge the Gym", Ash spoke up. "Haunter might be at disadvantage because he's part poison, but we've been working on the speed, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"The Gym Leader is said to be one of the top three strongest in Kanto, so be prepared you might lose, Ash", Misty reminded him.

"I know, but then I'll just practice more before a rematch", Ash said. "Will you challenge the Gym, Ashley?"

"I think I will pass", I replied as I looked up from the map to check which street we were currently on. "I feel like my Pokémon aren't ready to challenge the Gym."

"It's a good decision, Ashley", Brock agreed. "Half of your team is weak to psychic attacks, so you should try catching more Pokémon to get a balanced team."

"I will", I nodded as my eyes returned to the map. "I think we're close to the Gym. Just two blocks away."

"Alright! Let's hurry! I'm itching to battle!" Ash said excitedly.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.

Minutes later, we were standing outside of the Gym. It was a large building that had a mysterious appearance. Quite fitting for a psychic-type Gym.

"This should be it", I told my brother and friends before I noticed a sign on the front door. "Huh? The Gym is closed?"

"What?! Are you serious?!" Ash exclaimed in shock.

"Chaaa!" Pikachu reacted the same way as my brother.

"There must be a reason why it's closed", Misty commented.

"We could get some answers from Nurse Joy", Brock suggested. "The Gym Leaders in their located cities must always report their activities to the Pokémon Center, especially when they close the Gyms."

"If I remember right, Nurse Joy seemed to want to tell us before we left the Pokémon Center", Misty pointed out.

"How may I help you, Trainers?" a voice spoke up behind us.

I jumped slightly in surprise and turned around to see a young adult man. His mouth and nose was covered by a facemask, so he looked a little suspicious.

"Who are you?" Misty asked.

"I'm a Gym Trainer of this Gym", the man replied. "Now, how may I help you?"

"Do you know why the Gym is closed?" Ash asked.

"That's because the Gym Leader, Sabrina, is on a family trip with her parents", the Gym Trainer explained. "They left the city two days ago."

"When will they be back? I'd like to challenge the Gym", Ash said.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait for quite some time, young Trainer", the Gym Trainer responded. "Lady Sabrina will return to Saffron City in two months."

"Two months?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief.

"That's a very long family vacation", Brock pointed out.

"Yes, because Lady Sabrina is also visiting a psychic-type Gym overseas in Hoenn", the Gym Trainer nodded.

"Hoenn? That's one of the tropical regions known for its many lovely beaches and resorts!" Misty said excitedly.

I sighed softly and folded the pamphlet. "Then I guess we should move on to Celadon City."

"Yeah, I guess…", Ash nodded with a depressed aura.

"May I suggest you visit the Fighting Dojo before you leave the city?" the Gym Trainer said.

"The Fighting Dojo?" we repeated confusedly.

"Yes, it's a dojo founded by a black belt master trained under the Johto Gym Leader Chuck", the Gym Trainer explained. "They're not an official Gym, but many Trainers visit the dojo to train their fighting-type Pokémon."

"A dojo…", Ash mumbled. "Do you think they can help me with my out-of-control Primeape?"

"I believe so, yes", the Gym Trainer nodded. "But be prepared; the master is very strict and even make the Trainers practice martial arts."

"Martial arts… Like self-defense?" I asked.

"Hey, let's go and check it out!" Brock said excitedly. "We could learn some martial arts to protect ourselves…and I can use those skills to protect my precious girlfriend in the future!"

"Oh, Brock…", Misty sweat dropped.

I unfolded the pamphlet to check where this dojo was. "The dojo is only one block away from here."

"Then let's go", Ash nodded. "I want to train Primeape and make him listen to me and not try to smash my face every time I call him out."

"Pika pi…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Five minutes later, we were standing outside of a dojo that had the Johto-atmosphere. There was a sign above the door that said "Fighting Dojo", so this was definitely the place.

"This is the place", I nodded before I put away the pamphlet.

A tall man dressed in a white judo uniform stepped outside and spotted us. "Welcome, Trainers. Are you here to train with your fighting Pokémon?"

"Yes, I'm here because I want help with my Primeape", Ash explained before he picked up Primeape's Poké Ball. "He's not listening to me and is constantly in a rampage."

"Ah, yes, that's Primeape's nature, so very few manage to tame one", the man nodded. "Please, follow me inside, but take off your shoes."

We removed our shoes by the entrance before stepped inside the dojo. There were a few other men inside practicing martial arts with their fighting-type Pokémon. The majority of Pokémon were actually Mankey and Primeape, but they were all under control and even practiced together with their partners.

"Master Koichi, there are Trainers here who wish to see you!" our guide called.

A man in his late thirties walked up to us with a Hitmonlee and a Hitmonchan behind him. He had a black belt tied around his waist while also being dressed in a judo uniform.

"Welcome, Trainers! I'm the master of this dojo, Koichi!" the man introduced himself. "Are you here to practice with your Pokémon?"

"Yes", Ash nodded. "I have a Primeape who's out of control and I want to tame him somehow."

"Ah, another Primeape case", Koichi said. "Then you've come to the right place. Are your friends also here to practice?"

"I-I am…", I held my hand up as I looked at Koichi's shoulder and not straight in the eye. "I-I have a Primeape too…but he's okay. I just want…to learn some self-defense."

"And I'm obviously here to learn martial arts to protect my loved ones!" Brock said determinedly. "Please, Master, teach me the best parts!"

"I don't know if I should do this…", Misty mumbled.

Koichi laughed heartedly. "It warms my heart to see such motivated youngsters! You may practice here, but my training menu is very tough, so be prepared for it! Also, you'll have to change into our dojo uniform first."

XXXXXXXXXX

This was the first time I had ever worn a judo uniform. I felt weirdly comfortable with it. Because of certain privacy reasons, I wore a black tank top underneath. Misty decided to pass, so she was just going to watch from the side.

Ash was led away by Koichi for private training with Primeape while one of Koichi's pupils brought me to another part of the dojo to practice with Bruce. Brock was with a group of people that practiced martial arts without Pokémon partners.

First, I had to warm up with fifty push-ups and fifty sit-ups, which was already a pain in my backside. By the time I finished the warmup, I was already out of breath and sweating like crazy. Bruce got to practice shadow boxing as warmup, which looked way easier than my warmup.

"You're really out of shape, girl", the pupil, Hideki, stated. "This was just the female rookie warmup."

"R-R-Rookie…warmup…?" I panted harshly as I rested on my stomach.

"You can take five minutes break before we start the real training", Hideki said before walking away.

I released a tired sigh before pushing myself up on my knees with my numb arms. Misty walked to me with a glass of fresh water. "Here, drink some water, Ashley", she said.

"I… I can't feel my arms…", I sighed as I tried raising my hand up to grab the glass.

Misty gently pushed the glass against my lips and helped me take a few sips. I felt already better by the refreshment.

"Prime prime!" Bruce said as he walked to me.

I smiled at my partner and leant my head against his furry body. "I'm okay, Bruce. I've never worked out so much before."

"I'm amazed you actually wanted to do this training", Misty commented.

"I want to become physically stronger too in case I'm all by myself and ambushed", I explained. "And I want to get more in sync with Bruce and other fighting-type Pokémon in the future."

"Primeape!" Bruce nodded.

"How is it going for Ash?" I asked as I slowly got up on my bare feet.

"Well… Last time I saw him, he was dodging one of his Primeape's fists", Misty laughed sheepishly.

XXXXXXXXXX – Ash's POV

I was going nowhere with the training with Primeape. He constantly tried to attack me, but Koichi's Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan blocked his fists before he could hurt me. After half an hour with just trying to make Primeape listen to me, he just turned away with a grumpy huff.

"W-What's wrong with him?" I asked nervously as I shielded my face with my arms for just in case.

"Primeape has grown tired attacking you", Koichi explained. "This is the part Primeape's anger is slowly fading away. You might soon be able to make him listen to you."

"Really…?" I mumbled as I removed my arms.

"Chan!" Hitmonchan nodded.

"Monlee!" Hitmonlee rumbled.

"Just make sure to still be very cautious; Primeape can easily fall back into a rampage if triggered", Koichi warned.

"Got it", I nodded.

A bell was suddenly echoing in the dojo.

"Ah, it's time for a break", Koichi announced. "We'll continue in thirty minutes."

"Okay", I nodded before turning to Primeape. "Primeape, want to get some snacks before we continue training?"

"Prime!" Primeape snorted loudly and looked away.

I chuckled hesitantly at his response. He still didn't like me; that was certain.

I followed Koichi to the main room where his pupils had set up portable tables where snacks and drinks were waiting for us. Pikachu was already munching on a berry next to Ashley who lied on her back on the floor. Misty was helping serving tea to the pupils. Brock was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where's Brock?" I asked, looking around.

"Brock's fainted over there", Misty replied before pointing at a corner.

Brock was white in his face and looked soulless as he rested against the wall.

"What happened to him?" I cold sweated.

"His training was apparently too much for him…", Ashley said before sitting up with Bruce's help. "Just as mine…"

"Prime prime", Bruce nodded.

"Being a man…is tougher…than I thought…", Brock mumbled tiredly.

I laughed sheepishly before I sat down and grabbed a mug of hot tea. I took a sip, only to flinch back and stick my scalded tongue out.

"Ow! That's hot!" I exclaimed.

"Of course it's hot, Ash", Misty snorted. "It's freshly brewed."

"Then I better wait for it to cool down", I said before placing the mug down on the table.

I grabbed some rice crackers and walked to Primeape who sat away from the other Pokémon that were eating their snacks. I crouched down slowly and held out the rice crackers. "Hey, Primeape. Would you like some of these?"

"Prime…", Primeape glanced at my hand with the treat before looking away.

I sighed softly before placing the rice crackers next to him. "Okay. I'll leave them here if you want to eat them later."

I walked back to the others and snatched a rice cracker before taking a big bite of it. It was nice and crunchy and so tasty! I glanced over my shoulder and saw how Primeape grabbed one of the crackers I left for him and started eating it. I smiled in relief before turning my attention at Brock who finally made it to the table.

"You okay, Brock?" I asked.

"I'll live…", Brock replied tiredly while Misty placed a glass of water in front of him. "I never imagined…being a martial artist…is that tough."

"You'll get used to it the more you practice", Koichi told us. "Because you're on a journey, I suggest you warm up every morning with sit-ups and push-ups. That way, your muscles will get stronger and your endurance will get better. It will also help out with your travels on foot."

"Understood", Ashley nodded before she fed Bruce with a rice cracker.

The break was nice and silent, except the times we talked to the other pupils. Ashley was mostly quiet and focused on the food and drink. She wasn't a big talker and that was okay. Between the two of us, I got born with the big mouth.

All of the sudden, there was an explosion and smoke enveloped us. I quickly jumped up on my feet, but had to cover my mouth and nose. I tried fanning the smoke from my face while I heard Pokémon cries.

"H-Hey, what's going on?!" I coughed.

Three familiar laughter echoed as the smoke cleared up. It was Jessie, James, and Meowth again!

"Team Rocket?!" Misty exclaimed angrily.

"It's the twerps again!" Meowth exclaimed in disbelief.

"What are you three doing here?!" I growled.

"We're here 'cause we heard the fighting-type Pokémon training in this dojo are extremely powerful!" Jessie explained.

"So we decided to steal them and give them to our boss!" James added.

"Look!" Ashley called while pointing at something.

The dojo Pokémon were trapped inside a large net and struggled to get out. Koichi's Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee were among them. I quickly looked around and saw Pikachu was still by the table. Bruce stood next to Ashley and my Primeape had quickly run to a corner. He must have dodged Team Rocket's ambush.

"Release our Pokémon immediately!" Koichi demanded.

"Not now when we caught them!" Jessie giggled before throwing a Poké Ball. "Arbok, go!"

"Let's go, Weezing!" James threw a Poké Ball as well.

"Shaarbok!"

"Weezing weee!"

"Their Ekans and Koffing have evolved!" Brock exclaimed.

"That won't stop us!" I said. "Primeape, are you with me?"

"Primeape prime!" Primeape growled before dashing forward.

"Wait, Primeape!" I yelled in shock. "He's going into a rampage again!"

"PRRRRIIIIMEAAAAPE!"

"Weezing, use Tackle on that nuisance!" James shouted.

Weezing flew forward and tackled Primeape before he could land a punch. My Pokémon flew across the room so I ran to try catching him before he could crash on the floor.

"Primeape!" I yelled worriedly before I threw myself forward with my arms raised up.

Just before Primeape landed on the floor, I fell down first before he crashed on my back. I yelled out in pain when I felt the weight on top of me.

"Ash! Primeape!" Ashley shouted.

"Prime…?" Primeape made a noise before he got off of me.

I hissed in pain before I forced myself up on all four. "P-Primeape, are you okay?"

"Prime…", Primeape slowly nodded his head.

"Ash, are you out of your mind?! You could've been hurt!" Misty scolded me.

"I-I'm fine…", I grunted softly.

Primeape lowered one of his fists to me. "Prime prime!"

The look in his eyes shone with different emotions now than just anger. I smiled to him and placed my hand on his offered fist. He helped me stand up and smiled with his eyes. "Primeape!"

"Ash… I think Primeape is under control now!" Brock exclaimed in realization.

"Yes, he doesn't have an angry aura anymore!" Ashley added.

"It's the proof your Primeape trusts you now. And when a Primeape trusts his Trainer, he gets better control over his anger!" Koichi spoke up.

"Primeape… Do you trust me?" I asked.

"Primeape ape!" Primeape nodded.

I nodded in return before turning back to Team Rocket. "Alright, Primeape! Let's defeat Team Rocket together!"

"Prime prime!" Primeape hissed angrily and stood in front of me.

"We'll fight too, Bruce!" Ashley said.

"Prime!" Bruce joined Primeape.

Jessie laughed loudly. "Don't you know? Fighting-type moves aren't effective against poison-type Pokémon!"

"Maybe so, but we've got a backup plan!" I smirked softly. "Primeape…"

"Bruce…", Ashley began.

"Use Focus Energy and then Fury Swipes!" we yelled simultaneously.

Our Pokémon punched the air before getting pumped up and ran forward at Arbok and Weezing. Weezing was about to unleash some kind of smog, but our Pokémon were faster and repeatedly scratched the two poison-type Pokémon. Once they were done, they punched back Weezing and Arbok who landed on top of Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"OW!" Team Rocket yelped in pain.

"Let's end this, Pikachu!" I shouted. "Use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu ran forward and jumped in the air before releasing a powerful Thunderbolt. He zapped Team Rocket until there was an explosion and they were thrown out of the dojo.

"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

"That was new…", Misty commented in the background.

XXXXXXXXXX – Ashley's POV

We cut the net that Team Rocket used to catch the dojo Pokémon. No one got hurt, but the dojo was a whole mess. We couldn't practice with the broken walls and ceiling where Team Rocket broke in.

"Um… I'm sorry about the mess we caused", Ash apologized to Koichi.

"It's okay, Ash", Koichi shook his head. "The dojo's been through worse than this. We've had unruly fighting-type Pokémon that turned the dojo into a wreck."

"So… We don't have to pay for the damage?" I asked.

"No, not at all", Koichi replied. "You can repay by training one more day here before leaving for Celadon City."

"One more day?!" we exclaimed in disbelief.

"Just kidding!" Koichi laughed heartedly.

"Cha-hahahan!" Hitmonchan laughed.

"Lehehehe!" Hitmonlee joined in.

XXXXXXXXXX

Well, we did help out with the repairs of the dojo and left Saffron City the next day with more knowledge stored in our backpacks and a tamed Primeape in Ash's pocket. When Brock told us the Gym Leader in Celadon City used grass-type Pokémon, Ash switched Pokémon from Professor Oak's lab. He retrieved Beedrill and Pidgeotto and sent Squirtle and, to everyone's surprise, Pikachu. My brother had built a strong bond with Pikachu, but he wanted to concentrate on using different Pokémon that had the advantage against the different Gym types.

It was going to be weird not to have Pikachu around, but it is what it is. Mom was sure going to enjoy Pikachu's company just as much as we did.

XXXXXXXXXX

Just to make it clear; Ash and Ashley didn't receive Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan as new Pokémon partners. However, they will return to Saffron City and maybe then they'll revisit the dojo for some extra training.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:

Firered the Charmeleon (male)

Bruce the Primeape (male)

Luna the Clefairy (female)

Kobra the Arbok (male)

Wanda the Gyarados (female)

Oliver the Gloom (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's party:

Bulbasaur (male)

Charmeleon (male)

Haunter (male)

Primeape (male)

Beedrill (male)

Pidgeotto (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:

Squirtle x5 (males)

Krabby (male)

Pikachu (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Goldeen (female)

Staryu (genderless)

Starmie (genderless)

Horsea (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Zubat (male)