Chapter 23 - The secret gym
Now that Christy was staying with us for the rest of the journey, I walked along happily, with Kash, Jock and Christy following behind me.
'Which way is it to Vermilion City?' Kash kept asking.
'It could be a while before we get there,' said Jock. 'And there are a lot of other things that would be worth seeing along the way. Like the lighthouse where Bill lives.'
'Bill?' Kash asked. 'Who's that?'
'Don't you know anything, Kash?' Christy sighed. 'Bill is world famous as being a pokemaniac! He studies the ways of rare pokemon like kabuto and dragonite!'
'Wow, we'd better visit him then!' said Kash. 'There's probably lots of rare pokemon around the lighthouse for me to capture!'
'Speaking of capturing pokemon..' said Christy. 'You still only have three. You should probably think about catching some more soon...'
'I'll catch some more when I'm ready!' said Kash. I sighed. Kash and Christy were going to get into another argument, I could tell. Suddenly, I heard something in the distance. I couldn't quite tell what it was, so I pricked up my ears, trying to listen harder.
'What is it, Pikachu?' Kash asked. I realised that what I could hear was a pokemon, so I turned and ran in the direction the sound came from. 'Wait, Pikachu! Where are you going?'
I ran through some trees and bushes and eventually found what looked like some kind of huge tent with a small stadium outside.
'Wow,' I breathed. 'What is this place?'
Kash, Christy and Jock came running up behind me.
'Wow, it's a pokemon gym!' said Kash excitedly.
'Don't get too excited,' said Jock. 'It looks like it's deserted.'
'Well if it's deserted, no one will mind that we have a look inside!' said Kash, and hurried towards the tent.
'Wait Kash!' called Christy. 'You can't just go in there!'
'Why not?' Kash asked. He pulled open the door to the tent and peered inside. I hurried over to him and looked in, too. I gasped as I saw a pool of water, surrounded by lots of strange-looking objects I had never seen before.
'Is this some kind of gym?' Jock exclaimed. 'Look at all the weights and things!'
'This looks more like a human gym than a pokemon gym!' said Jock.
'It must be a pokemon gym,' said Christy. 'That was definitely a pokemon stadium outside.'
Jock nodded. 'I guess you're right. But what kind of trainer would make their pokemon train with weights?'
'Any sensible trainer!' said an angry voice. We all jumped with shock and turned around. A teenage boy with dark green hair was standing at the entrance to the tent.
'Who are you?' Kash asked him.
'My name's AJ,' said the boy. 'What do you think you're doing inside my gym!?'
'Er...' said Kash.
'This is your gym?' Jock asked.
'Yeah, this is my gym,' said AJ. 'It's not licensed by the pokemon league, so it's not an official gym. But now that I've finished competing in the Indigeou League, I'm ready for more challengers!'
'Challengers?' Kash asked. AJ nodded.
'Just like any other pokemon gym, trainers can come here and battle me,' he said. 'I first started my gym when I wanted to get stronger as preparation for competing for badges. That was years ago. I grew tired of travelling around, competing in all the different leagues.. so I've come back to accept challengers again!'
'I wouldn't fight him if I were you,' Christy whispered to Kash. 'If he's already been through the Indigo League, he's probably pretty tough. You're not ready for someone like him..'
'I'm ready for anything!' said Kash. AJ raised his eyebrows.
'So you want to challenge me,' he said. 'How many badges do you have, eh?'
'I have two badges, and on my way to three!' said Kash. AJ laughed.
'I think it's best I don't embarrass you by beating you in a battle,' he said. Kash narrowed his eyes.
'You're just scared that I'll beat you and everyone will see how good you really are!' said Kash.
'Fine, I'll fight you,' said AJ. 'But you're going to regret it!'
'You'll be the one that regrets it!' said Kash.
'We'll see,' said AJ. He walked out to where the small stadium was waiting. He took his place at one end as Kash and I walked to the other end. Christy and Jock stood at the side to watch.
'I'll show you who's the better trainer!' said AJ. He took out a pokeball and got ready to release his pokemon.
(-o-) PiKACHU (-o-)
Now that Christy was staying with us for the rest of the journey, I walked along happily, with Kash, Jock and Christy following behind me.
'Which way is it to Vermilion City?' Kash kept asking.
'It could be a while before we get there,' said Jock. 'And there are a lot of other things that would be worth seeing along the way. Like the lighthouse where Bill lives.'
'Bill?' Kash asked. 'Who's that?'
'Don't you know anything, Kash?' Christy sighed. 'Bill is world famous as being a pokemaniac! He studies the ways of rare pokemon like kabuto and dragonite!'
'Wow, we'd better visit him then!' said Kash. 'There's probably lots of rare pokemon around the lighthouse for me to capture!'
'Speaking of capturing pokemon..' said Christy. 'You still only have three. You should probably think about catching some more soon...'
'I'll catch some more when I'm ready!' said Kash. I sighed. Kash and Christy were going to get into another argument, I could tell. Suddenly, I heard something in the distance. I couldn't quite tell what it was, so I pricked up my ears, trying to listen harder.
'What is it, Pikachu?' Kash asked. I realised that what I could hear was a pokemon, so I turned and ran in the direction the sound came from. 'Wait, Pikachu! Where are you going?'
I ran through some trees and bushes and eventually found what looked like some kind of huge tent with a small stadium outside.
'Wow,' I breathed. 'What is this place?'
Kash, Christy and Jock came running up behind me.
'Wow, it's a pokemon gym!' said Kash excitedly.
'Don't get too excited,' said Jock. 'It looks like it's deserted.'
'Well if it's deserted, no one will mind that we have a look inside!' said Kash, and hurried towards the tent.
'Wait Kash!' called Christy. 'You can't just go in there!'
'Why not?' Kash asked. He pulled open the door to the tent and peered inside. I hurried over to him and looked in, too. I gasped as I saw a pool of water, surrounded by lots of strange-looking objects I had never seen before.
'Is this some kind of gym?' Jock exclaimed. 'Look at all the weights and things!'
'This looks more like a human gym than a pokemon gym!' said Jock.
'It must be a pokemon gym,' said Christy. 'That was definitely a pokemon stadium outside.'
Jock nodded. 'I guess you're right. But what kind of trainer would make their pokemon train with weights?'
'Any sensible trainer!' said an angry voice. We all jumped with shock and turned around. A teenage boy with dark green hair was standing at the entrance to the tent.
'Who are you?' Kash asked him.
'My name's AJ,' said the boy. 'What do you think you're doing inside my gym!?'
'Er...' said Kash.
'This is your gym?' Jock asked.
'Yeah, this is my gym,' said AJ. 'It's not licensed by the pokemon league, so it's not an official gym. But now that I've finished competing in the Indigeou League, I'm ready for more challengers!'
'Challengers?' Kash asked. AJ nodded.
'Just like any other pokemon gym, trainers can come here and battle me,' he said. 'I first started my gym when I wanted to get stronger as preparation for competing for badges. That was years ago. I grew tired of travelling around, competing in all the different leagues.. so I've come back to accept challengers again!'
'I wouldn't fight him if I were you,' Christy whispered to Kash. 'If he's already been through the Indigo League, he's probably pretty tough. You're not ready for someone like him..'
'I'm ready for anything!' said Kash. AJ raised his eyebrows.
'So you want to challenge me,' he said. 'How many badges do you have, eh?'
'I have two badges, and on my way to three!' said Kash. AJ laughed.
'I think it's best I don't embarrass you by beating you in a battle,' he said. Kash narrowed his eyes.
'You're just scared that I'll beat you and everyone will see how good you really are!' said Kash.
'Fine, I'll fight you,' said AJ. 'But you're going to regret it!'
'You'll be the one that regrets it!' said Kash.
'We'll see,' said AJ. He walked out to where the small stadium was waiting. He took his place at one end as Kash and I walked to the other end. Christy and Jock stood at the side to watch.
'I'll show you who's the better trainer!' said AJ. He took out a pokeball and got ready to release his pokemon.
(-o-) PiKACHU (-o-)
