Last chapter, Brayden arrived in Vermilion City, and met a fellow rookie Trainer named Trace. When Brayden's Mankey clashed with Trace's Pikachu, two Black Belts appeared. Each offered to teach one of the two their secret moves, Mega Kick and Mega Punch. Now, we join our hero on Route 11 as he and Mankey begin training with Kick Master Bruce…
"To use Mega Kick, you must first attain aerial mobility!" Bruce began. "Have you any techniques that make use of Mankey's footwork?"
"Well, Mankey can use Body Slam, and he jumps high in the air when he does so. Does that work?" Brayden asked.
Bruce thought for a moment.
"Hmm…how high can Mankey jump, exactly? I want you to show me. Have Mankey use Body Slam on Hitmonlee!" the Black Belt commanded.
"Sounds good to me!" Brayden said with a determined smile. "Mankey, Body Slam!"
"Mankey!" Mankey cried as he launched himself into the air.
Bruce and Hitmonlee watched in awe. As the simian hurtled towards Hitmonlee, Bruce took action.
"Hitmonlee, Protect!"
"Lee!"
The Kicking Pokémon crossed his arms in front of his head, and an energy shield surrounded his body as Mankey crashed down. The Pig Monkey Pokémon bounced right off the barrier and fell to the ground. He scurried to his feet and stamped them in frustration as steam blew out of his ears.
"Ha Ha Ha Ha!" Bruce laughed heartily. "Quite spirited, aren't you, furry one?"
"Well, what do you think of Mankey's jumping prowess? Is it what we need to learn Mega Kick?" Brayden asked eagerly.
"Of course! In fact, I think those legs will make for the strongest Mega Kick the world has yet seen!" Bruce claimed.
"WOW! You mean it?!" Brayden asked excitedly.
"Absolutely! All we need to do is translate that vertical momentum to horizontal momentum." Bruce explained. "Now, let's begin honing your kick, Mankey!"
Meanwhile, at Route 6…
"Tell me, can your Pikachu use Thunder Punch? Or perhaps Rock Smash?" Jackie inquired.
Trace apologetically shook his head. "Sorry, sir. Pikachu hasn't really punched anything before. At least, he hasn't since we met."
"Pika, chu." Pikachu admitted.
Jackie simply smiled.
"That's alright. We'll just have to teach you the proper punching technique first. Then you'll be learning the move in no time."
The Black Belt faced a nearby rock. "First you must relax. Focus your mind, concentrate your power into your arm, then…"
Jackie closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, exhaled, then threw a full-force punch. Trace, Pikachu and Charmeleon were amazed to see the rock shoot across the ground and fall into the lake in the middle of the Route, leaving a trail of debris in its wake.
"You see?" Jackie asked calmly.
Trace was completely overcome with confusion and shock.
"You mean Pikachu will be able to do things like THAT once we're done?!" the young boy asked fearfully.
"Uuhhhh…" Jackie twitched, and Hitmonchan facepalmed.
"I overdid it again. My master warned me to never frighten pupils that are easily spooked, or they may struggle to learn! I must remedy the situation immediately!" Jackie thought tensely.
"Th-that's not necessarily what Mega Punch does. I was just showing what hard work can do for you!" Jackie said frantically, trying to save face.
Trace thought for a little while, then pounded his right fist into his left palm.
"I get it! As long as we never give up, we can conquer challenges as if they were that boulder! You're the coolest teacher I've ever met!" he shouted in admiration.
"Char! Charmeleon!" Charmeleon cried as he jumped for joy.
Pikachu wasn't convinced of Jackie's confidence, but he wasn't about to let that get in the way of his training. The Mouse Pokémon faced the lake, closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then threw a punch straight forward.
Jackie wiped the sweat from his brow and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," he thought. "The boy does not give up easily, as I'd hoped."
"All right then! Let the training commence! Pikachu, watch Hitmonchan carefully and try to match his punching rhythm!" The Black Belt instructed.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded.
Back at Route 11…
"There is one more thing that must be done before we teach you Mega Kick, young ones," Bruce continued. "Master the art of grounded kicks! Watch Hitmonlee's sweep, learn the correct amount of force to apply to your legs, then make the technique your own!"
"You heard him, Mankey! Follow Hitmonlee's lead!" Brayden instructed his high-strung friend.
Mankey stood near Hitmonlee's side and watched as the Kicking Pokémon performed a quick roundhouse kick, then another. Hitmonlee glanced at Mankey and asked if he understood.
"Monlee?"
Mankey said nothing as he stood back and attempted a roundhouse kick of his own, only to spin out of control and collapse to the ground.
"Are you ok—" Brayden began, but he was interrupted by Bruce.
"Silence," the Black Belt whispered. "Mankey needs silence to concentrate."
To Brayden's surprise, Mankey didn't go into another temper tantrum, despite looking frustrated. Instead, he got right back up and tried again. Hitmonlee nodded in approval as he joined in the practice.
"Wow," Brayden thought. "I've never seen Mankey so calm and focused before. He must really want to learn that move, not just to fulfill our dream, but to prove his worth to Trace's Pikachu, and maybe even to Blue. All I can do is believe that Mankey can do it!"
Back at Route 6…
"Piiiiiii—KA!" Pikachu cried as he punched the air with flawless speed.
"Oh, wow! That punch looked great, Pikachu!" Trace complimented the Electric-type.
Jackie crossed his arms and nodded. "Hm! Indeed! I think you're finally ready."
The Black Belt walked behind Hitmonchan.
"Now then, the secret to using Mega Punch is to concentrate all your energy into a single fist! Draw it back, throw your punch, and it should be enshrouded in Normal-type power! Watch carefully, now." Jackie instructed.
Hitmonchan concentrated intensely as he waited for his Trainer to give the command.
Finally, the command came.
"USE MEGA PUNCH!"
"Hitmon… CHAN!"
As the Punching Pokémon unleashed his attack, a glowing trail of white shot out of his fist, then fizzled out after the attack concluded.
"Woah…"
"Pika…"
"Char…"
Trace and his Pokémon were truly impressed. Now the boy was more determined than ever to see Pikachu master the move.
"Okay, Pikachu! Show 'em what you've learned! Use Mega Punch!" Trace called out eagerly.
The Mouse Pokémon drew back his fist, then shot it forward with all his might, but nothing happened.
"Don't be discouraged, my pupils! It took us five years of training with our master to learn this move! You're nearly there! Just keep trying!" Jackie encouraged.
Hitmonchan demonstrated Mega Punch for them once more, and Pikachu watched intently to make sure he didn't miss anything crucial.
"Do it! Mega Punch!" Trace exclaimed.
"Char, Charmeleon! Char!" Charmeleon cheered as he waved his arms enthusiastically.
Pikachu tried it again, and this time something did appear from his fist. However, the glow fizzled out as the punch was thrown.
"Pi…? PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed as he noticed.
"Wow! You almost had it!" Trace said. "Keep it up, Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu responded, more motivated than ever.
Jackie was truly astonished.
"Already they have managed to form the energy trail?" he thought.
As Pikachu continued his attempts to use Mega Punch, Jackie smiled proudly.
"I truly have found the ideal student. I cannot wait to tell you of this, master."
Route 11…
Brayden continued to watch silently as Mankey practiced his kicking with Hitmonlee. Patience had never been Brayden's strength, and though he truly wanted Mankey to learn Mega Kick, he didn't want to waste the rest of the day on this. Just as he was about to scream in frustration, Mankey unleashed a kick that seemed to disturb the very air around him.
"No way…" Brayden whispered. Could it really be possible for a kick to produce such a shockwave? Moreover, that kick had come from Mankey, whose legs were very thin compared to Hitmonlee's. Even Mankey seemed somewhat startled by his own kick.
Bruce stood up from where he had been meditating and clapped his hands three times. "It is time," he said solemnly. "Hitmonlee, come to my side."
The Kicking Pokémon had been staring thoughtfully at Mankey since that momentous kick, but did not hesitate to heed his partner's request. The two of them stepped back a few hundred yards before Bruce called out to Brayden again.
"Now, my students, watch as Hitmonlee demonstrates the fruits of our five-year labor. The move you seek."
Hitmonlee prepared himself mentally, visualizing the attack, and remembering the exact motions necessary to perform it.
"Hitmonlee, show them! USE MEGA KICK!" Bruce bellowed.
Hitmonlee broke into a run, then hurled himself forward into the air foot-first as the foot began to glow brightly.
Brayden, Mankey and Wartortle ducked as Hitmonlee soared over their heads and knocked over a nearby tree. Brayden worried that a Beedrill would come out and assault them, but all that emerged was a lone Ekans. The Poison-type took one look at Hitmonlee and slithered away in a panic.
"Uh— sorry about that, Ekans!" Bruce shouted hastily. Hitmonlee rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment before running back to Bruce.
Putting aside his teacher's humorous mistake, Brayden focused on finishing the training.
"Go on, Mankey! Mega Kick!"
Mankey dashed forward, then jumped. But this was not the correct jump. Mankey went straight up as if he was using Body Slam.
The Pig Monkey knew full well that he had messed up, and when he landed back on his feet, he right back ran back to Brayden and then tried again. This time the little Fighting-type successfully threw himself straight forward, but as he raised his foot he lost all his momentum and thudded to the ground.
This time, Mankey lost his temper and frantically slammed his fists repeatedly into the ground. "Man Man Man Man MANKEY!" he screamed in outrage.
"Mankey, it's too soon to give up! Don't forget about how awesome that kick was! I know you can do it!" Brayden encouraged.
Mankey did not respond, as he was too wrapped up in his frustrations. In the last few days, he had been useless against a swarm of Zubat, failed to defeat Blue's Fearow, and missed out on the last Gym battle. Now, he couldn't even learn the strongest kick. All these things fueled Mankey's tantrum. But then…
"CEASE THAT BAWLING!" Bruce shouted at Mankey.
Brayden and Wartortle were horrified. Mankey never tolerated being scolded or mocked. "What the heck did Bruce do THAT for?!" Brayden thought.
Mankey leered at Bruce from the ground, daring the Black Belt to scream at him again.
Bruce looked down imposingly at the furious Pokémon and said, "You will never accomplish your goals in life if you give in to your anger! Why don't you instead use that temper to empower your kick? Prove to me you are not weak!"
Mankey's eyes twitched, and his face grew red-hot with rage. Then, with the speed of a freight train, and steam blowing out of his snout and ears, Mankey zoomed back towards Brayden, and as the boy flinched from terror, the Fighting-type made an immediate turn and made a beeline for Hitmonlee, all the while shrieking at a volume that would make a Loudred jealous.
At that moment, Pikachu was also getting fed up with the lack of further results.
"C'mon, Pikachu, it's okay," Trace tried to console Pikachu. "Let's rest for a bit."
But Pikachu did not want to rest. The Mouse would put all his willpower into his next punch.
"PIIIIIIIII—" he began, pulling back his fist and aiming right at Hitmonchan.
As Pikachu did this, Mankey hurled himself at Hitmonlee and flung out his foot.
Pikachu's fist and Mankey's foot both began to glow intensely.
"Is that it? Has Pikachu figured it out?" Trace wondered.
"Wait. So the reason Bruce made Mankey so angry…" Brayden realized.
Both Trainer knew there was only one way to find out:
Trace: "MEGA PUNCH!"
Brayden: "MEGA KICK!"
Pikachu threw his punch, and this time the energy did not disperse as he struck Hitmonchan's fist, causing the Punching Pokémon to fall over.
Mankey's kick retained its energy and momentum as he struck Hitmonlee right in the face before Bruce could call for Protect again.
Route 6…
Jackie fell to his knees and embraced Hitmonchan.
"My friend…" he muttered.
Trace saw this and assumed he and Pikachu had done something wrong.
"Uh-oh! Did we overdo it? I'm so sorry!"
The Punch Master simply shook his head.
"No, my pupil. You have done so well. Far better than I ever could have dreamed."
Jackie and Hitmonchan got their feet. Then, Jackie hugged Trace tightly, and Hitmonchan did the same with the bewildered Pikachu.
"My boy, you and your Pikachu have mastered our move in record time! What took us five years to achieve with our master's expert guidance you have attained in merely an hour! Though as a fellow pupil I admit jealousy, as your master I am filled with pride! Thank you!"
Though Trace was not used to being hugged by people he barely knew, he returned Jackie's hug.
"I'm glad we could help you fulfill your dream!"
Pikachu might've electrocuted Hitmonchan to get out of the hug, but he was so happy to have learned Mega Punch that he decided to roll with it. "Pika, Pikachu." he said quietly.
Route 11…
Brayden and Bruce both ran over to Mankey and Hitmonlee. Mankey jumped off of Hitmonlee and stuck out his tongue at Bruce.
Brayden sighed. They had finally learned the new move, but not in the glorious way Brayden had hoped. He was about to apologize to his teacher, but Bruce cut him off.
"There is no need to apologize. I simply gave Mankey the opportunity he needed. A Pokémon with such ferocity and thirst to prove itself can learn more readily with the proper motivation. Even so, I fear that unless he is kept on the right path, Mankey may soon lose his way. Make certain to keep him focused, and you will be fine. Do you understand, Brayden?"
Brayden didn't like how ominous Bruce sounded, but he knew deep down that this was true.
"Yes, master. I will keep close watch on Mankey. I won't let your teachings go to waste!" Brayden promised with conviction.
Bruce nodded. "Very good. In truth, I am overjoyed that you have mastered this technique so soon." He smiled slowly. "Still, you now must meet the challenge of your friend. Let us return to Vermillion City!"
This was exactly what Brayden wanted to hear! "Right! Let's go! And after this battle is done, it's time to challenge the Vermilion Gym! Wartortle, Mankey, let's go!" he exclaimed as he, Hitmonlee and Bruce walked back to town.
"Wartortle! War!" Wartortle cheered as he followed.
Mankey stayed completely still for a moment, as he remembered what the Black Belt had said. Was he truly going astray, he wondered? No, that couldn't be. His anger had given him the power to learn the strongest kick in the world. And that power was what truly mattered to Mankey. As the Pig Monkey Pokémon followed his Trainer and fellow Pokémon, he vowed to defeat that foolish Pikachu and trample the Gym Leader, whether Brayden was capable of leading him or not.
Pikachu has mastered Mega Punch, and Mankey has mastered Mega Kick! Who will win their showdown, and will the Black Belts be able to accept the result regardless? And what will become of Mankey in the future? The answers to come, as Pokémon Brayden: FireRed Prologue continues!