At the Vermillion City Pier…
A woman with long red hair and wearing a long white dress stood looking out at the sea. She appeared to be waiting for something.
"Any moment now…our target shall arrive, Arbok." she said to a very large snake Pokémon that lurked behind her.
Arbok was curled up, saving its strength for the mission. But something caused it to stir. It had heard the approach of another serpentine Pokémon.
Arbok hissed at the woman to get her attention. An Ekans was rapidly approaching them, looking quite distressed.
"If it isn't one of our little spies," the red-haired woman said nonchalantly as the Ekans reached her feet. "Have you something to report?"
Ekans hissed frantically and tried to convey what had happened through motions.
"So, you were watching two humans training their Pokémon, when one of them knocked over the tree you were hiding in?" the woman asked.
Ekans nodded in embarrassment.
In the next moment, the Poison-type was pinned down by the enormous Arbok's tail.
"YOU FOOL!" the woman screamed at the hapless Ekans. "Why did you come straight here after the fact?! You might've been followed and our cover would've been blown!"
Ekans cowered in fear as Arbok sank its teeth into the little serpent as punishment for angering their master.
A communicator on the woman's wrist went off, and a man wearing a black hat appeared on the screen.
"We've arrived outside the city limits and are ready to receive our orders, ma'am!" he said, grinning wickedly.
The woman's anger was immediately replaced with a smile of her own.
"Good. Once the ship docks… we strike."
Elsewhere in the city…
Alright, Trace, you and Pikachu ready? I'm warning you, Mankey got super strong during our training!" Brayden bragged.
Mankey hopped a few times, then beat his chest. "ManKEY!"
"I'm not scared, pal! Pikachu and I won't go down easy!" Trace replied.
"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as his cheeks crackled with electricity.
The Black Belts, Bruce and Jackie, watched from the sidelines. They would act as the Judges for this battle. Jackie glanced at Bruce, while the latter paid him no mind.
"At long last, brother, I will prove the futility of your inaccurate kicks!" Jackie said in his mind. "Once my brilliant pupils are through with yours, you will kneel before the precision of Mega Punch!"
"I have had enough of your punching tomfoolery, my younger sibling," Bruce thought solemnly. "My students have learned the mightiest Mega Kick, and you WILL respect it!"
"All right! Mankey and I will kick this off!" Brayden grinned.
Bruce and Hitmonlee laughed heartily while Jackie and Hitmonchan facepalmed. Nobody seemed to notice Mankey roll his eyes.
Pikachu was unamused, but Trace couldn't help but join in.
"Heh heh heh! Good one, Brayden!"
"Good to see you've got a sense of humor!" Brayden answered as he gave Trace a thumbs-up. "But we're still battling! Mankey, use Mega Kick!"
Mankey dashed ahead, then jumped straight at Pikachu with the flying kick.
"Okay, Pikachu, duck!" Trace commanded.
As told, Pikachu dropped to the ground as Mankey soared past him, forcing the latter to hastily drop to the ground.
"Good! Now use Quick Attack!" Trace instructed.
The Mouse Pokémon turned and darted towards Mankey. As he did so, jets of white energy shot out from his feet, and he charged into the Fighting-type with lightning speed.
"Follow up with Mega Punch!" Trace cried, confidence welling up inside him.
Without hesitation, Pikachu gave the Pig Monkey a mighty punch before the latter could scramble back to his feet.
"What do you think, guys? Pikachu really packs a punch, doesn't he?" Trace cracked with a wide grin.
Jackie and Hitmonlee chuckled, while their brothers simply sighed.
Brayden simply smiled.
"Not bad, Trace. But we're just getting started! Mankey, use Rock Tomb!"
Though angry, Mankey heeded Brayden's request, and dropped several large boulders around Pikachu.
"PIKA..?!" was Pikachu's muffled cry of shock.
"What?! Pikachu!" Trace shouted in hbewilderment. He had absolutely no idea what to do.
"Pikachu can't move now! Show 'em your Mega Kick, Mankey!" Brayden commanded.
Jackie was puzzled by this strategy.
"Do you really think Mankey can break through those rocks with a Normal-type move?"
"We're about to find out!" Brayden replied as Mankey revved up and launched himself through the air.
As the simian's energy-shrouded foot collided with the Rock Tomb, the boulders shattered instantly, allowing the kick to connect with Pikachu's astonished face. The Mouse Pokémon went flying through the air with the rubble from the rocks as Mankey brought himself to a stop.
"No way!" Trace and Jackie shouted together.
Bruce folded his arms and smiled.
"Not only did they use Rock Tomb to bind Pikachu in place, they also caused more damage by slamming its shards into Pikachu. A remarkable tactic. But the battle is not over until the enemy is defeated. Do not let your guard down."
Regaining his focus, Trace knew he had to strike back. "Pikachu, Thundershock!"
"Pika—CHU!"
As he reeled through the air, Pikachu unleashed an electric shock from his red cheeks. The jolt surged throughout Mankey's body, but though his eyes winced from the pain, he did not react. Pikachu finally touched back down as the attack stopped.
Trace saw that Mankey unfazed and felt discouraged, but as he glanced at Jackie he saw that the Black Belt was smiling encouragingly.
"We're still in this, Pikachu!" the boy shouted to the Mouse. "Let's try Agility!"
Pikachu again shot towards Mankey, but as he did so, he vanished, then reappeared. His speed stat had sharply increased!
Brayden braced himself. The next attack was about to come. He and Mankey would have to time their counter just right!
"Here it comes, pal!" he warned Mankey.
The Pig Monkey snorted as he raised his right paw.
Somehow, both Trainers called their attacks at the exact same time:
Brayden: "Karate Chop!"
Trace: "Mega Punch!"
Mankey hurled his paw downwards as Pikachu appeared in front of him and immediately responded with a left hook. As they struck one another, Pikachu collapsed to the ground with a thud as Mankey was thrown backwards several feet before also falling over. As they slowly got to their feet, they glared at each other while breathing hard.
"Looks like we better end this right now!" Brayden declared.
"Uh, okay!" Trace answered.
"The time has come! Settle our dispute once and for all!" the Black Belts thought in unison.
"Go for it, Mankey! Use Mega Kick and give it all you've got!" Brayden exclaimed.
Mankey, though exhausted, hurtled towards Pikachu at high speed.
"Okay, Pikachu! Let 'em have it! Mega Punch!" Trace said.
Pikachu drew back his fist and threw it as Mankey reached him. Both attacks clashed as each Pokémon pushed against one another, determined to get the win over the other.
"Wait a second…" Trace said as he noticed something off.
"How is Mankey maintaining his Mega Kick? He has no momentum to keep him in midair!"
Brayden flashed a grin.
The Black Belts spotted the cause immediately. Mankey's tail was planted firmly in the ground and was holding him up!
"Magnificent!" Bruce uttered. "Never have I seen a Mankey instinctively use their tail in such a way!"
"Keep it up, Mankey! You've got this!" Brayden cheered.
"Never give up, Pikachu! Show them your courage!" Trace encouraged.
"PIIIIIIII…"
MAAAAAANNNN…"
Neither Pokémon was prepared to lose. They continued to put more force into their punch and kick.
But then, the Normal-type energy overloaded, and with a booming explosion, the battle came to a close.
Who had won…?
Back at the docks…
The red-haired lady faintly heard the explosion come from the northern area of the city.
"Hmmm… now what could that be?"
She turned her gaze back down to the little Ekans who had nearly ruined the mission. Arbok had ceased Crunching it, but continued to keep it pinned down by the tail, while hissing menacingly.
Hearing a snap from the woman's fingers, Arbok released the now very likely traumatized Poison-type. Arbok was disappointed, as it enjoyed punishing those who failed, but it also knew better than to disobey its master.
"You," the woman said to Ekans with a glare, "Go over there and find out what made that explosion. And THIS time, make CERTAIN you aren't followed!"
Ekans, horrified, immediately slithered off and into the nearby trees, while thanking its lucky stars it had been given another chance.
Back to Brayden and Trace…
Once the smoke cleared, Brayden, Trace and the Black Belts saw exactly what the result of the battle was.
And neither of them were expecting it.
Mankey and Pikachu had both collapsed, their eyes dizzy swirls.
Bruce, Jackie, and the "Hitmons" gaped, unable to process what they were seeing.
Brayden scratched his head, then finally broke the silence.
"Well, I guess it's a tie, Trace. Good fight!" he said with a smile as he walked over to his dazed Pokémon.
Trace smiled, though he felt slightly embarrassed, and walked over to Pikachu.
As the two boys thanked their Pokémon for their efforts, Jackie's demeanor shifted completely.
"NO! I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS RESULT!" he shouted, outraged.
"Neither will I!" Bruce angrily agreed.
The young boys were very confused by this change in their masters' behavior.
"What's wrong with a tie?" Brayden asked inquisitively. "There was nothing on the line here. Or…was there ANOTHER reason you taught us these moves?" he added, his tone full of suspicion.
Bruce frowned sadly and looked away, as though he was ashamed of himself. Jackie, however, remained angry.
"This whole thing was about proving to my foolish brother once and for all that Mega Punch is a better move. This CAN'T be settled by a tie!" Jackie complained.
"W-what are you talking about?" Trace asked, confused.
Bruce sighed deeply.
"Alright then. You both deserve to know why we did this. You see, when we began our training at our masters' dojo, he entrusted Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan to us. We trained in tandem, seeking to master the art of kicks and punches, respectively. After five years of grueling labor, at last we mastered the moves. But it seems we both so proud of our hard work that we each thought our specific fighting style was superior. We began a petty argument, too blinded by our pride to see the merits of the other."
Jackie continued from Bruce. "Our master scorned us for our bickering, and proposed we battle to decide who was truly better. We battled with everything we had, making full use of the last five years' training. But in the end…" Jackie grit his teeth and shook with anger.
"The outcome was a tie." Bruce finished.
Brayden and Trace gasped.
"No way!" Brayden cried in disbelief. "Just like now!"
Bruce nodded regretfully.
"Our master tried to tell us that proved that neither of us was better, and that we should not let our pride stand in the way of brotherly love. But how could we believe him after all of that?! I immediately packed up my things and left, vowing to prove both the master and my brother wrong, even if Hitmonchan and I couldn't be the ones to show it!" Jackie stated furiously. Hitmonchan pounded his fists together in agreement.
"I did the same, but I told the master I would simply follow Jackie and talk some sense into him. I…didn't want to leave him in a negative light." Bruce admitted, truly ashamed. Hitmonlee buried his hands in his face, also ashamed.
"It's been three months since then," said Jackie. "We met up again here entirely by chance, saw you, and figured you could settle our feud for us. But you didn't!"
Now Brayden was angry too.
"You USED us to settle your own petty sibling rivalry?! I can't believe you! I thought martial artists were noble warriors who always fought fair, never using underhanded tactics! But you two are disgraces to your master!"
Jackie was about to shout at him, but then, Trace spoke up.
"Guys, look at Mankey and Pikachu!"
They did so, and another surprise greeted their sight. Pikachu and Mankey clasped hands tightly, and Pikachu grinned fiercely.
"Man…Mankey Man!"
"Pika! Pika Pikachu!"
(Translation: "You're very strong…let's fight again someday!"
"You too! I accept that request, tough guy!")
"I think they're so happy to have found a good rival that they don't mind that they tied!" Trace said.
The Black Belts and Hitmons watched this exchange, admiring the camaraderie of the two Pokémon. They remembered the time before all the training, before pride got in the way of their friendship. Their carefree days as youths in Saffron City, dreaming of becoming Karate Masters. The early days of their training when the four of them all got along well. They remembered how much they cared for each other in seconds.
Then, Bruce and Hitmonlee broke down into tears.
"My brother, forgive us for being so cruel to you and Hitmonchan! Your punches are surpassed only by your pupil and the master!" Bruce pleaded through his tears.
Jackie and Hitmonchan broke down after hearing this apology.
"My brother, that's all I've ever wanted to hear! Your kicks truly are amongst the best in all of Kanto!" Jackie sobbed hysterically.
Both brothers and their Pokémon embraced one another, continuing to sob.
Trace and Brayden looked on, feeling more than a little awkward.
"Should we give them some space or something?" Trace asked Brayden. The latter nodded.
"Yeah, they can thank us later. Let's go back to the Pokémon Center."
As two boys left the Black Belts, they had no idea they were being watched by a solitary Ekans.
Vermilion Pier…
"Finally, it's here," the red-haired woman smiled wickedly.
A very large luxury liner had appeared on the horizon.
"S.S. Anne, prepare to become the property of TEAM ROCKET!"
Up Next: An Electrifying Gym Battle with the Lightning Lieutenant Surge! As Brayden seeks his third badge, Team Rocket launches their next evil scheme!