The Fighting Dojo. Renowned for training powerful Fighting-type Pokémon and their Trainers, it was once the Pokémon Gym in Saffron City, but lost its status years ago to the Psychic-type expert, Sabrina. Rarely do people visit it now.
However, unbeknownst to the public, one of the most skilled Trainers in the Kanto region got his start here.
The Karate Master sat in quiet meditation. Long had he taught at this old dojo. Despite his age, he was still quite spry and wise. Even so, he felt the creeping desire to retire and pass on his knowledge to another.
He knew many of his pupils would gladly take his place. Still, none of them could ever hope to compare to him. The one who took Kanto by storm shortly after completing his training, and was one of the first to be called to the position of Elite Four. The one who, after so many years away, was finally coming back to pay the old man a visit this very day.
"He alone is the best suited to be master of this dojo. If only he would be willing to do so…"
The master knew in his heart that his old friend was too proud of his position to leave. And who could blame him? He had truly earned the chance to battle the strongest Trainers around. Still, very few Trainers ever had the opportunity to battle him.
"All because of that psychic witch! She's so convinced that Fighting-types are powerless before her, yet she's never faced him before!"
She was the reason he had asked his former pupil to return, to defend his masters' honor, and maybe, if possible, convince him to stay.
"Master? Is something troubling you?"
Opening his eyes, the Karate Master saw one of his other brightest pupils, Bruce, staring at him with utmost concern.
The old teacher had been doubtful of Bruce and his brother Jackie since that day they had fallen out and left the dojo, but those feelings had left when the two men returned weeks ago with news of two Trainers learning their techniques and helping them end their feud. Jackie had since left again in search of more Trainers to teach, but Bruce stayed upon hearing of the return of the Elite.
"It's nothing for you to worry about," he said.
"Master, you needn't worry about Jackie and me any longer. Really!"
"It has nothing to do with you, young one. I just hope things will improve around here after our visitor has been here a few days."
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Master, it's him! He has arrived!" one of the Black Belts said.
"Let him enter!" the Master replied.
Two men opened the large doors. All of the students watched in awe as a burly man in tattered white pants stepped inside the building. Strangely, though, a Primeape followed him inside. Everyone there had full knowledge of the Elite Four member's entire team, and it did not include this furry newcomer. Whispers carried throughout the room, wondering if he had caught a new Pokémon on his way here.
Primeape scowled at them, offended that they would consider such a thing.
The muscular man bowed before the Master.
"It is truly an honor to meet with you once more, Sensei," he said humbly.
"The honor is all ours, my friend. Truly, you have earned the outmost respect of everyone here," the Master said with a smile.
Bruce stepped forward and shook the man's hand.
"I am Bruce. I have trained here for five years. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to meet you."
Primeape was surprised. Wasn't Bruce the one who taught him to use Mega Kick? Still, this revelation did not compare to his embarrassment for not knowing the other man's identity.
"Well then, mind introducing us to your friend?" the Master asked, gesturing at Primeape.
"I found him looking inside the Gym. Seems eager for a good challenge, so I invited him here."
Primeape nodded enthusiastically.
"Is that so? Well then, welcome to our humble Fighting Dojo, Primeape! I am Koichi, the Master of this place. The man who brought you here is Bruno, one of the Elite Four. Feel free to stay and train here as long as you—"
"PRIME?! PRIMEAPE PRIME APE?!" (WHAT?! DID YOU SAY 'ELITE FOUR?!') Primeape bellowed with excitement.
Immediately turning to face Bruno, Primeape began throwing punches in rapid succession. No wonder his fighting instincts went nuts when he saw the guy! At last, a chance to prove himself against one of the Trainers he had so longed to battle!
Koichi, Bruce and the other students were bewildered by the sudden outburst. However, Bruno remained stoic.
"You wish to battle me, furry one?"
"Primeape! Prime!" Primeape cried, falling to his knees and begging.
One of the students grew angry from this.
"How DARE you challenge Master Bruno in such a shameful manner!" he shouted at Primeape, who leered at him in annoyance.
"It's alright. I'll take his challenge. I feel… something different about this Pokémon," Bruno said. "Come. We shall battle outside!"
He walked over to a sliding door in the back and pulled it open, prompting everyone to follow him outside to an outdoor battlefield.
Primeape gleefully bounced up and down in celebration before calming down and bracing himself for combat.
Everyone backed away as Bruno and Primeape took their positions on the battle platform. Koichi looked on, mystified.
"Bruno accepted the Primeape's challenge? Interesting. He must sense potential within him. The question is, how well will our simian friend fare against the Elite Four's Fighting master?"
Bruno gazed intensely at Primeape, trying to gauge what the Pig Monkey Pokémon was capable of. Then, he threw a Poké Ball.
"OOOOOONIX!" the massive Pokémon roared.
Primeape recognized his opponent immediately.
An Onix!
The very same kind of Pokémon he had lost to in his first Gym battle with Brayden, months ago.
Undoubtedly this one was far stronger, but fortunately, so was Primeape. There was no Geodude to wear him down this time. His eyes glinted with confidence.
"Onix, Stone Edge!" Bruno ordered.
Roaring, Onix slammed its tail into the ground, and large stones fell from above. Primeape nimbly dodged each stone as they hit the ground, then jumped up to strike the Rock Snake's head with a Break Break.
As the two Pokémon continued exchanging blows, Bruce noted the skill with which Primeape fought.
"I don't believe it. This Primeape isn't just holding his own, he's actually beating Master Bruno's Onix! Something about him seems…familiar…"
"Iron Tail!" Bruno commanded.
Onix' tail became as hard as steel, and smacked Primeape away.
Getting up, Primeape decided to go for the winning blow. Steam shot from his nose, then he broke into a run, before hurtling himself through the air foot first, right for the top of the Rock Snake's head.
Everyone but Bruno gasped as Onix reeled backwards and collapsed.
"This match is over. Primeape… wins!" Koichi exclaimed in bewilderment.
"Primeape Primeape Primeape!" Primeape shouted with glee, jumping up and down. Even though it had been a relatively easy victory, he was satisfied with it. It was far better than all those brief tussles with that annoying Golduck, to be sure.
Bruce was stunned. Seeing Primeape unleash Mega Kick with such speed and precision made him flash back to the feisty little Mankey he had taught back in Vermilion City.
"Could it be…?" he thought.
After recalling his Onix, Bruno walked over to Primeape.
"You did quite well. However, I was merely testing you," he said.
Primeape stopped celebrating and looked at him, first shocked, then annoyed.
"Would you like to face me with my full might, furry one?" Bruno asked.
"Ape Ape Ape!
Koichi smiled.
"Always ready for another challenge, it seems. Good! Here, eat these Sitrus Berries. They'll help you recover your strength."
He handed two large berries to Primeape, who munched them down as greedily as a Snorlax, then waited feverishly for Bruno to walk back to the other side of the field.
Bruno and Primeape stared even more intensely at each other. Everyone had gone silent, so all the two combatants could hear was their own heartbeats.
"NOW! Let's begin!" Bruno shouted as he hurled his next Poké Ball through the air.
Filled with confidence after taking out Bruno's Onix, Primeape was certain that whatever came out of the ball would lose, no matter how strong it was.
The last thing he expected was another Pokémon he had battled before. Not just that, but the same species as the one responsible for what happened weeks ago.
"MACHAMP!" his opponent bellowed.
Its voice was much deeper than the one the Rocket guy had used, suggesting it was far older and more battle-hardened.
A bizarre mixture of fear and hatred came upon our furry friend. He wanted nothing more than complete and total victory to show up that brutish Machamp, but he knew full well what could happen if he let his Outrage go out of control again. What to do?
Seeing Primeape's faltering resolve, Koichi spoke up.
"What's the matter, furry one? Do you wish to withdraw from this match?"
'Give up?'
Never!
If he ran away from this challenge, Loki's Machamp would haunt him forever.
He would fight. And he would win without Outrage!
"Primeape!" Primeape bellowed as he beat his chest. He lunged for Machamp, raising his palm into the air to unleash Brick Break.
"Bullet Punch!" Bruno said.
All four of Machamp's fists glowed, and as Primeape closed in Machamp unleashed multiple rapid punches.
Primeape pushed himself away and, by punching the ground, used Rock Tomb, hurling rocks into the air that surrounded Machamp, trapping him.
Without hesitation, Primeape backed up and sprang forward with his Mega Kick, intending to smash through the rocks and deal heavy damage to Machamp.
At this moment, Bruce felt certain he knew this Primeape. Or rather, he had known it before it had evolved from a Mankey.
"The same strategy used against the Pikachu who studied with my brother. And an intense love for battle and training. It must be the same Pokémon. But why is he here without his Trainer…?"
Bruno grunted.
"Machamp, break free of your bonds! Bulk Up!"
Almost immediately, the Rock Tomb shattered, revealing a flexing Machamp covered in a crimson aura that had boosted his attack and defense power.
"Now, Bullet Punch!" Bruno commanded.
Machamp swung his right fists forward, right into Primeape's kick, blocking the attack and blasting Primeape back to the floor with incredible force.
With great difficulty, the Pig Monkey Pokémon pushed himself up. He could feel the familiar intense fury building up inside. How he desperately wanted to unleash it and show his hero his full strength.
But how could he?
"Please don't use Rage!"
"Stop using Rage, it's almost never been a good thing!"
"AAAAAAAAUUGHHH!"
Brayden's words and cries of anguish whirled through his mind like a violent tornado, making him grasp the sides of his head from the internal torment.
Outrage had cost Primeape everything. He couldn't use it again.
This Dojo was his last chance at happiness. He couldn't mess this up too.
Then, a completely alien thought passed into Primeape's mind.
Perhaps… it would be better to accept simply accept defeat.
But his primal anger mixed with his own personal pride made him hesitate to do so.
"What's the matter? I don't believe that's the best you can do, furry one," he heard Bruno say.
Primeape's eyes snapped open.
"No…" Bruce muttered. It was NEVER a good idea to anger a Primeape. If it truly was Brayden's, angering him could be disastrous.
"We are using the full extent of our power against you, yet you are holding yourself back! There are few greater dishonors than not giving your opponent your best! Now come!"
"MACHAMP!" Machamp bellowed.
"Master Bruno, DON'T!" Bruce shouted.
Primeape's mind went blank. A fiery glow consumed him.
His vision turned red.
Moments later, everything went black.
Route 7…
"Where's Butterfree?" Brayden wondered.
Trace looked around, but there was no sign of the Butterfly Pokémon.
"Haven't seen him since we started eating. Where would he go?"
"Have any of you seen Butterfree?" Brayden asked all of the other Pokémon.
Most of them shook their heads (in Electrode's case, its whole body). But Wartortle pointed towards the northeastern trees.
Wartortle had seen Butterfree flutter off earlier in that direction while he was eating.
"That way, huh? Wonder what he's doing?" Trace wondered as they started walking.
As everyone walked through the trees, they heard the unmistakable sound of a Gust attack. As they followed the sound to its source, they finally spotted their Bug-type friend in a small clearing, staring at a large log on the ground.
Butterfree flapped his wings madly, stirring up another Gust and sending it into the log, but there was no movement of any sort.
He tried again, flapping his wings even harder. This time the wind looked different for just a moment, as though silvery particles were flying through it, but Butterfree did not notice this. Again, the log did not move.
The Butterfly Pokémon looked quite despondent as he landed and sat down on the log.
"Butterfree? Are you training by yourself?" Brayden asked as he stepped out of the trees, briefly startling the Bug- and Flying-type.
Butterfree turned away and said nothing.
"Maybe he's sad about how the Gym Battle went, so he wants to get stronger…" Trace suggested.
This was precisely the case, as tears began to fall from Butterfree's large compound eyes.
"Butterfree, please don't cry!" Brayden pleaded. "I'm not mad at you, honest!"
"Freeeeeeee…" Butterfree whimpered, shaking his head.
This suggested that that wasn't why Butterfree was trying to train by himself.
"You didn't think I was? Then why…"
Brayden thought of Primeape, and how anxious and irritable he became as Mankey when he went without battling for too long after the loss to Blue back In Cerulean City.
Butterfree was upset at his inability to be helpful to Brayden.
"Oh, Butterfree… it's okay. If you want to get stronger now, then that's what we're going to do! We're going to stay here for a while and train!" Brayden exclaimed.
The rest of the Pokémon all cheered.
"Heh. As much as I was looking forward to sleeping in a good bed tonight, I agree. We gotta get ready to protect Celadon City, so let's get to work!" Trace said.
Upon hearing this encouragement, Butterfree got up and hugged Brayden.
"Oh! Actually, Brayden… Butterfree might be about to learn a new move!" Trace remarked.
Brayden looked back at his friend, his face brightened with excitement.
"You mean that silvery Gust is a new attack?!"
"Free?" Butterfree cried.
"Yeah! I've heard of a move called Silver Wind before. It's a Bug-type move that can have a really powerful effect!"
"Awesome! Then let's get to training, Butterfree! You're going to learn Silver Wind!"
"Free! Butterfree!"
As they began the training, Pidgeotto heard something rustle in the bushes nearby for just a moment. His small eyes narrowed. Something was watching them…
Our heroes have made a brief stop on their journey to Celadon City to get some much needed training done, but what is lurking in the shadows? And back in Saffron City, Primeape has lost control of Outrage once again! Will Bruno be able to stop him before people get hurt? The answers lie in Chapter 27!