Chapter 23
Celadon City had provided them many adventures, but now it was time to move on – both from the city and onto Ash's next Gym challenge. Or... so they thought.
On the outskirts of Celadon City, the massive city was to their back as the pair walked down a paved road. Surrounded on either side by wastelands and plateaus for miles and miles, the road before them was long and winding, and there wasn't a hint of movement in front of them.
That was, until they saw a humanoid jogging down the road from over the hill. "Who in their right mind would be jogging in this weather?" Brock asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. The sun beating down on them and hardly any trees or clouds to provide shade certainly made things quite humid. But as they kept going, the shadowy figure got closer and closer, and soon, they realized that though it was human-shaped, it wasn't a human at all, but a Pokémon.
"Wow, look at that!" Ash exclaimed, as they stopped in front of one of the few trees on the road and watched as the Pokémon stopped its jogging and jabbed at the air in front of it with its red boxing glove hands. "It's a wild Hitmonchan!"
"That one's a real fighter!" Brock commented as Ash retrieved Dexter from his pocket and opened the cover.
"Hitmonchan. A skilled Fighting Pokémon that packs an incredibly fast punch."
Ash put his hi-tech encyclopedia away when the Pokédex went back into sleep mode and gave a smirk of determination. Brock had captured two Pokémon since being in Celadon, and Ash wasn't about to let him outshine him – he was the one trying to become a Pokémon Master, after all. "All right, let's capture it." Drawing a Poké Ball from his belt, the Hitmonchan had yet to notice them as Ash threw the red and white sphere into the air. "Wartortle, I choose you!"
A burst of white glowing plasma spilled out of the ball, and gathered at Ash's feet. Within moments, his starter Pokémon appeared with a cry. "Wartortle!"
"Are you ready, Wartortle?" the Pallet Town native questioned the Water-type with his fists up as if he were getting ready for a fight. Wartortle's brow lowered into a smirk, but when it looked forward and saw Hitmonchan jabbing at the air, the Turtle Pokémon seemed to slink back slightly.
"War tor..."
"If you defeat Hitmonchan, you'll become the world champion Pokémon!" Ash said in an attempt to pep up his Pokémon. Wartortle put a finger to its lip in thought, but when its eyes wandered to Hitmonchan again, it quickly ducked behind the trunk of the tree beside them.
"Wartor..."
"You don't have to be afraid!" its Trainer assured it. "I'll teach you my secret punch, and nobody will be able to beat you." This proposition interested Wartortle, and it peeked out from the corner of the tree trunk with a cock of its head. Retreating out of hiding, Ash and Wartortle walked off to the side so they could start practicing quietly. "You've got to learn the basics first. Keep your left up and jab with your right..."
"Since when did Ash become such a boxing expert?" Brock murmured quietly to himself as he watched the pair facing each other with their fists up. Ash was instructing his Pokémon in a hushed tone so Brock couldn't hear, but every once in a while, he would jab or make a movement, and Wartortle would mimic it. Little did Brock know, Ash wasn't a boxer himself, but used to watch it on T.V. when he was home alone a lot. So he was a self-proclaimed expert.
Finally, after a few minutes went by, the crash course in boxing was over, and Ash took out a pair of boxing gloves from his backpack and handed them to Wartortle. The red mitts fit just right, and matched the Hitmonchan's, who was still jabbing the air in front of it. Patting its gloves together, Wartortle approached with a serious look on its face and its Trainer following close behind. For the first time since it stopped, Hitmonchan looked at the pair, and cocked its head for a brief moment before frowning at them for interrupting its workout.
"Okay, Hitmonchan; ready for a match?" Ash challenged.
"Chan?" The Fighting Pokémon looked down at Wartortle, who was punching the air in front of it as Hitmonchan had been doing just moments before. It seemed the gloves combined with its little training session with Ash had boosted its confidence.
Hitmonchan didn't seem to think it was impressive, however, and waved a glove dismissively and putting its nose in the air with a smirk. "Mon chan!"
"Hitmonchan, Wartortle's gonna teach you a lesson!" Ash promised, and looked down at his starter. "Wartortle, attack!"
"Wartortle, War! War Wartortle!" Wartortle waved a gloved arm in the air and charged forward, quickly closing the distance between it and its much taller opponent. It punched the air, jabbing twice and swiping its fist upward.
"That's it, Wartortle! Now jab, jab!" Ash encouraged. "Now give it the big uppercut!" But it was all for naught, as Hitmonchan was barely paying attention to the fight as he leaned to the side with its arm out and gloved fist pressing against Wartortle's head, keeping it far enough away that its stubby arms couldn't reach it. It soon got to the embarrassing point of Wartortle flailing its arms in an attempt to reach the Punching Pokémon. "Aaahhh!" Ash let out an exasperated cry of horror as he watched Hitmonchan switch positions without even looking at Wartortle, humiliating the Water-type further by keeping it at bay with its foot and placing its hands on its hips.
Knowing there was only one way to win, Ash gritted his teeth together and clenched a fist. "Wartortle, give it that special punch I just taught you!" Wartortle nodded, and jumped back and gave a smirk to Hitmonchan before holding its arms out at its sides.
"War tortle Warr..." The fire burning in Wartortle's eyes threw off Hitmonchan, and it flinched back and raised an eyebrow.
"Chan?!"
"Give it the Rocket Punch!"
"Wartortle War!" Wartortle's gloves seemed to shoot forward like a missile, and Brock let out an audible gasp at the sight, but soon the smoke shooting out of the gloves parted, and Wartortle was revealed to have just launched itself forward. But it was distraction enough, and Wartortle let out another cry as its boxing glove connected with Hitmonchan's face.
"We did it!" Ash cheered.
"They did?" Brock questioned in shock.
"Wartor... tle!" the Turtle Pokémon exulted with a glove high in the air as a sign of victory. But just ahead of it, Hitmonchan was rubbing its cheek and frowning down at its opponent. The attack seemed to have barely hurt it. "...war?"
"Chan!" the Fighting-type shot back, now putting its hands on its hips angrily at the dirty trick, and Wartortle flinched back with its ears down.
"So much for the great Rocket Punch," Brock commented. But then suddenly, a stranger appeared out of nowhere, glaring at the Hitmonchan.
"How many times do I have to tell 'ya; don't drop 'ya guard!" the male voice scolded in a thick New York accent. Hitmonchan responded with a nod, and the stranger, a stocky boxer himself, hunched himself with its fists up. "Keep 'yer gloves up, Hitmonchan, cause fightin' smart hurts less than fightin' stupid."
"Chan," the humanoid Pokémon agreed.
"Now, go knock 'dat pipsqueak out!" Ash, Brock and Wartortle all let out a collective gasp as Hitmonchan hunched down into a battle position. With its dark eyes locked directly on Wartortle, it suddenly disappeared. But, disappeared wasn't the right word. It was simply moving so fast that it looked as though it were teleporting. Dashing from foot to foot, it quickly moved in on Wartortle. The Water Pokémon barely had time to let out a cry and jumped into the air to try and dodge, but Hitmonchan rapidly struck it with lightning-fast jabs with one hand. The punches were so fast that Ash and Brock could barely see Hitmonchan's arm.
"Wartortle!" Ash cried with concern, and with one final uppercut, Hitmonchan knocked away Wartortle onto its back, where its shell clacked against the concrete. It rolled onto its stomach and slumped in defeat.
"War..." Quickly, Ash hurried up to his starter and scooped it into his arms.
"Wartortle, are you okay?" Wartortle only moaned in pain as swirls spun in its dazed eyes.
"I declare Hitmonchan 'da winner! Congratulations!" the older man called, and both him and the Hitmonchan raised their fists high into the sky at the same time. "One, two, three... Hooray!"
"Chaaaan!"
"I wonder who this guy is?" Ash muttered as he recalled his Wartortle back into its Poké Ball.
"I guess it wasn't wild," Brock deduced, noting from how similarly the two were synced.
"Daddy!" Another newcomer in the form of a young girl with her red hair tied into a braid on her shoulder appeared, coming out from behind some shrubs and stepping in front of the muscular man and his Pokémon. "Daddy, please come home!"
"Rebecca?" the man stated, and raised an eyebrow as she folded her fingers together.
"Daddy, please quit Pokémon training and come home with me!" she begged.
"I won't come home until I become champion in 'da P1 Grand Prix," he answered, but looked down at the ground as if he couldn't bear looking at his daughter's puppy dog eyes.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed, but he ignored her and gave a smirk to Ash.
"I'll be in 'da Gym takin' on challengers," he told him, and pointed the way that Ash and Brock had come from. "'Da Gym's 'dat way. I'll be waitin' for 'ya." And without another word, both him and his Hitmonchan went jogging off towards Celadon City, leaving his daughter without even a second glance as she stood with her eyes at her feet. They watched as he grew smaller and smaller, but turned back when the girl let out a sigh, and they looked to see that she was also watching while clutching her arm sadly.
"Oh well..."
Now that he could actually see her face, Brock quickly pushed Ash out of the way and jumped beside the young girl. "Can I be of any help, young lady?" he asked her with a blush rushing up his neck.
"I'm really sorry my father bothered you," she apologized with a bow of her head, and Brock waved his hand dismissively.
"No problem!"
"Can I ask a favor of you Pokémon Trainers? A really, really big favor?"
"Please feel free to ask! We'll be glad to help in any way possible!" Brock volunteered for them.
"Thank you," Rebecca replied, and once again put her hands together to follow her plea. "Please, I want you to defeat my father's Hitmonchan." Ash raised an eyebrow at the strange response, but Brock didn't skip a beat and grabbed the girl's hands in his own.
"We'll do it for 'ya!" he answered, and Ash let out a sigh and nervous chuckle.
o 0 o
As much progress as they had made leaving from Celadon City, it was just not their fate to leave it quite yet, and the day's encounter with Rebecca's father brought them right on the border of it to his Gym. However, it wasn't any Gym that Ash was expecting. It was called the Fighting Spirit Gym as per the sign that was hung in the back of the one room area, and the outside made the Pallet Town boy realize he didn't see it originally when they walked by. It simply looked like an abandoned gas station.
Inside, there wasn't an arena at all, but just some work-out equipment for training, including a weight-lifting bench and a sandbag hanging from the damaged ceiling. "This sure doesn't look like an ordinary Pokémon Gym..." Ash murmured as his eyes wandered around at the sweat-stained exercise equipment, but Brock's narrow eyes were looking at something else: a brightly-colored poster hung on the left wall. It featured a Hitmonchan punching another brown Pokémon with long legs off the page.
"What's the P1 Grand Prix?" Brock asked Rebecca after reading it over.
"P1 is short for the Pokémon Number One Grand Prix," she answered. "It's a tournament for Fighting Pokémon." She looked sadly at the dirty tile and folded her hands in front of her body. "Because my father wants to win the P1, he's training all the time and ignoring his family."
"So if we defeat that Hitmonchan, your dad will come to his senses and go back home."
"Right!" Rebecca replied, giving Brock an innocent smile and nod. This was enough to make another blush nestle on the Pokémon Breeder's cheeks, and he patted his chest reassuringly.
"Don't worry! Just leave it to us!"
"Leave it..." Ash repeated in surprise, but Brock urged him further.
"We'll take care of it! Ash, don't you have a Fighting Pokémon we can use?"
"What are you talking about?" the Pallet Town native questioned, but then it all clicked together. Brock was talking about Mankey! Eyebrows drawing together in determination now that he realized he did indeed have a Fighting Pokémon to use, he smirked. "Yeah! Mankey should be able to do the job!"
"And I've got Geodude," Brock added, retrieving his Pokémon's Poké Ball from his vest and holding it up. "We'll both enter the tournament and defeat that Hitmonchan!"
o 0 o
The stadium was to be held in the Celadon City Hall, located near the border of the city, and was much larger than the Gloom-shaped Grass Pokémon Gym that was run by Erika. The pair of Pokémon Trainers knew they were in the right place when they soon encountered a large crowd of folks holding tickets and waiting for their turn to enter the stadium. Apparently it was a big and popular competition for spectators to watch, according to Rebecca.
Since she had a family member participating, she was able to get in for free and without a ticket, so she left Ash and Brock to sign up for the tournament themselves. Luckily for them, there were still a couple of openings left, so with Ash signing up with his Mankey and Brock signing up with his Geodude, they made their way to the locker room.
Other Trainers had already arrived and were lining up single file where they would be brought up onto the arena one by one as they were introduced to the crowd. Rebecca's father seemed to get special treatment for some reason, so he hadn't even noticed them when they arrived. He was easy to spot however, being built like a brick wall and standing next to his Hitmonchan. In fact, Ash and Brock could only exchange looks of regrets, as the pair of scrawny teenagers stuck out like a sore thumb here.
All of the Trainers participating looked as though they had trained to compete themselves. Some of their arm muscles were as big as Ash's head, and they all towered over the two. If the Trainers looked like this, Ash could only imagine what kind of Pokémon they had entered with.
The workers started to usher the entrants to a dark room as the competition was beginning, and they could hear the announcer call out over the droning of the audience that filled the stands above them. "Ladies and gentlemen, our Fighting Pokémon Festival – the P1 Grand Prix – is about to begin!" Loud fanfare music began to play on the speakers, and one by one, the contestants were lifted up by a lift to the ring. "The contestants in the P1 Grand Prix are about to enter the ring! Introducing the number one contender Hitmonchan and its Trainer, Anthony!" The crowd went wild as Rebecca's father and his Hitmonchan presumably took the stage, and another lift was brought up, this time holding a man that, if Anthony was built like a brick wall, was built like a skyscraper. "And now, the challenger, the kicking fiend Hitmonlee along with its Trainer, Giant!"
The other six contestants were lifted up to the arena, and last was Ash and Brock who decided to go up together. Standing on the lift, the lights from the stadium blinded their eyes as they entered through a part in the ring, but they waved out to the cheering crowd without a fear of doubt in themselves. "Now ladies and gentlemen, two new Pokémon Trainers competing here in their P1 debut! Please welcome Ash and Brock!" Now that he could see his opponents fully, the Pallet Town Trainer's dark eyes scanned each one of them, and he silently wondered which one of the Trainers he could be paired up against.
The last person he looked at was Giant, who wore a brown trenchcoat that could have acted like a parachute for Ash. Beady eyes met Ash's own, and he smirked down at the young boy while his Hitmonlee had its arms crossed beside him. Ash recoiled upon the gaze, and Brock, sensing this, turned to his friend. "Hey Ash, what's the matter?"
"Uh, nothing, I guess..." the black-haired boy muttered in response.
With the opening ceremony over, the contestants cleared the arena, which much to Ash's excitement was built like a boxing ring, aside from Ash and his opponent Masahiro. The boy who was drawn against Ash wasn't too much older than he was, and probably the one who stood out among the competitors aside from himself and Brock.
Instead of standing on the ring itself like a Gym match, the Trainers would stand on one corner much like how a coach would stand and support the fighter on the ring. Masahiro had already brought out his Pokémon, a muscular blue Pokémon with golden ridges on its head. It stood confidently with its arms crossed, a smirk planted firmly on its face, and leaning against the post in its corner. "And now, it's time for the first match! Machop is ready for battle! What Pokémon will Ash use to challenge it?"
Pinching the brim of his hat, he dragged it around before selecting Mankey's Poké Ball and throwing it onto the ring. "I choose you! Mankey!" It bounced off the mat and opened, releasing the Pig Monkey Pokémon in a flash of light.
"Mankee!" the Fighting-type shrilled as it appeared, looking aggressive as ever as it looked around at its surroundings. Its red glare fell on Ash, and the Trainer attempted to swallow the fear that froze in his lungs, but Machop called out to its opponent.
"Machop!" it exclaimed, claiming Mankey's attention and making it twist around.
"Mankey!"
"Machop..." The pair of Fighting-type Pokémon locked eyes, and a silent rivalry soon ensued. Upon the ring of the bell signaling the start of the match, Machop shot forward, raising its arm and straightening its hand. The ring was small, so it only took a couple bounded steps before Machop began to repeatedly strike Mankey with the side of its open hand. Mankey wasn't as well trained, so it wasn't expecting the sudden attack and could only raise its hands to block its face from any painful blows. Seeing this, Machop smirked and added its other hand to the mix, repeatedly striking with a Karate Chop from both hands before sending Mankey back with a final blow. The small tan Pokémon flew backward and hit the post where Ash and Brock stood.
"Get up, Mankey!" Ash urged his Pokémon.
"It looks beat!" Brock commented as the crowd began to cheer.
"And it looks like Machop has the advantage in the battle with Mankey," the announcer commentated, and Mankey shook off the pain and pulled itself onto its feet before hunkering forward with its arms up in a battle-ready position. "Machop may be small, but it sure packs plenty of power!"
Without waiting for an order, Mankey leaped high into the air and flipped its body before diving down at its opponent with its leg out. But before the attack could connect, Machop put up both of its hands and stopped the attack in its track. Both Ash and Brock gasped, but Machop didn't stop there, and quickly wrapped its fingers around Mankey ankle before swinging its whole body around and around and spinning Mankey along with it. "Machop's mega-muscle power stopped Mankey's kick cold. And it looks like Machop's getting ready for its special attack!"
"Special attack?!" Ash parroted, watching the scene before taking out his Pokédex and scanning Machop.
"Machop. Its body is pure muscle. Its special attack is the Seismic Toss."
"Oh no! It's gonna toss Mankey!" Ash soon realized, and as he put away his Pokédex, Machop started to swing faster and faster before finally, with a loud cry, let go of the Fighting Pokémon's ankle. Dizzy and disoriented, Mankey flew through the air without any hope to recover, letting out a startled cry. Ash gasped and his eyes followed his Pokémon out of the arena, where he took off after it. "Mankey!"
"Mankeey!" the Pig Monkey Pokémon cried, and as Ash closed the distance between them as it descended, the Pokémon Trainer leaped out with his arms out to catch it. But he had jumped too early, and Mankey's fur just managed to brush against his fingertips as Ash plummeted to the ground. But it wasn't all in vain, as when Ash hit the concrete floor, Mankey landed on his back, cushioning the landing for the Fighting-type. The air was forced out of Ash's lungs, and his back had cracked where Mankey had landed on him, but he tried to pull himself up as Mankey jumped up and looked with concern at the Pokémon Trainer. Its paw reached out uncertainly, but it froze in hesitation as if not wanting to touch Ash. Nevertheless, the Pokémon Trainer gave his Pokémon a smile.
"Mankey, are you okay?" he asked it. The act of ignoring his own pain and instead asking for the well-being of his Pokémon brought tears to Mankey's eyes, and it seemed to look at Ash in a whole new light. Blinking away the tears, Mankey nodded and gave Ash a look of determination. "All right! Good! Now we're not gonna quit!"
"Mankee!" his Pokémon agreed as Ash stood up.
"Watch out for that Seismic Toss, and give it everything you've got!" he coached. Mankey concurred and hopped back onto the ring where Machop was waiting. "Mankey, Scratch attack!"
"Mankee Mank!" Much to Ash's surprise – though he tried not to show it – Mankey darted forward and swiped at Machop with one of its paws. This time, it was Machop who flinched back with its arm raised protectively across its face.
"Jump, Mankey!" Leaping back to create distance, Pokémon Trainer and Pokémon were now completely in sync, and Mankey used its powerful legs to jump high into the air. Machop followed its opponent, but Mankey had jumped purposefully above the stadium lights, and the Superpower Pokémon was blinded by the brightness, and it flinched once again, which was the opportunity that they had been waiting for. "Mega Kick, right now!" Using the same kick it had attempted earlier, Mankey flipped backward in midair and dove down at Machop, but with the light still blocking its vision, Machop couldn't see it this time to block it, and the attack connected with the side of its opponent's head. The Fighting-type flew backwards and landed on its back with its limbs sprawled out. "We did it!"
"And this match is over!" the announcer cried over the screams of the stadium's spectators. "Machop is down and out! Ash's Mankey wins the battle!" Ash's opponent recalled his Pokémon into its Poké Ball, and Mankey remained on stage with its arm up in victory, looking around with a blank look on its face at the cheering crowd around it. Soon, Ash joined it up on the stage, and waved out to the audience, enticing more cries.
The cheering finally stopped as Ash and Mankey exited the stadium, and the announcer called for the next challengers. "Our next match is between Hitmonlee and Geodude!" This, of course, meant that Brock was up fighting against Giant.
Standing beside Brock to support his friend, the former Gym Leader pulled out his Poké Ball from his belt. "Geodude, g-" he cried, reeling his arm back, but before he could throw the red and white orb in his hand, another flash of light shot out from his pocket and spilled out onto the stadium. A look of confusion passed between Ash and Brock as the light condensed and formed into Brock's Psyduck.
"Psyduck?" the Duck Pokémon uttered as it appeared, and the crowd went silent as they looked upon the yellow duck Pokémon.
"What's this? It seems that Brock has sent out a Psyduck instead of his Geodude, which is the Pokémon that he signed up with. But Psyduck is a Water Pokémon!"
"P-Psyduck?!" Brock exclaimed in panic. "What are you doing?!"
"Psyduck?" The yellow Pokémon turned and faced its Trainer while holding its head, and seeing the familiar face, the Water-type waved at him.
"Hey, is this some idea of a joke?" Giant yelled across the ring. Even without standing on the ring itself, he was able to see over the ropes of the boundaries. Hearing the voice, Psyduck turned and looked opposite of it, and saw Hitmonlee staring down at it. Its beady black eyes traveled up along its body and then back down to its long legs, and it stared blankly for a moment before letting out a sudden panicked cry and jumping off the arena and ducking behind Brock's leg.
Though unexpected, the audience laughed at Psyduck's antics while Ash and Brock's face burned with embarrassment. "Y-yup! Just a joke! Sorry, folks!" Brock said with a nervous laugh and rubbing the back of his head. Clearing his throat and sending one final glance at the cowering Psyduck at his leg, he continued his original tactic and released his Geodude
The Rock and Ground Pokémon planted itself against the mat of the ring as Hitmonlee stretched its legs onto the opposite side. The pair of Pokémon locked eyes as they waited for the MC to announce the start of the match. "Fans, Geodude is as hard as a rock; will Hitmonlee be able to crack Geodude?"
The bell sounded, and as the crowd cheered in excitement, Brock's eyes glanced behind him and he saw Rebecca amongst the audience just some feet away. Smiling at the beautiful girl, he waved an arm at her. "Rebecca! Don't worry! Everything's under control!" he assured her as, unknown to him, Hitmonlee bounded forward, bouncing from one foot to the next to give it better power behind its first attack, and swung its leg in a powerful roundhouse kick. The Rolling Kick connected with Geodude's side, which sent it flying backward.
"Brock, watch out behind you!" she screamed in warning.
"Psyduck Psyduck Psyduck!" his Pokémon also attempted to warn him while flailing around. Ash, who had already seen this coming, ducked under the ring, but as Brock wasn't looking forward, the living rock collided with the back of his head. The Pokémon Breeder gave a moan of pain before falling forward, and on the ring, Hitmonlee lowered its leg.
"Monlee..." the Kicking Pokémon muttered.
"Looks like my first opponent is a jokester," Giant commented as Brock peeled himself off the ground and rubbed the back of his throbbing head. Geodude floated up beside its Trainer and looked at him with concern.
"Ugh, Geodude..." he groaned, and then turned to his Pokémon. "Uh, this time, hit Hitmonlee!"
"Dude!" Geodude said with determination, and soared back onto the ring.
"Go, Hitmonlee!" Giant ordered with a clenched fist. Without any hesitation, Hitmonlee jumped forward again, and this time as Geodude approached, it repeatedly struck the Rock-type with a single foot with lightning-fast kicks. Geodude was able to cross its arms to block the attacks, but the relentless strikes were quickly wearing it down. Soon, Hitmonlee was striking so fast that its leg was barely visible, and it didn't show any sign of tiring out soon.
"Geodude's gonna get turned into gravel!" Ash commented with worry. When Brock didn't command anything, Ash's head turned to his friend. "Brock? Brock!" But the Pokémon Breeder seemed to be frozen and unsure what to do.
Just then, Anthony approached from the sidelines and extended out his arm to Brock. In his hand was the red towel that was usually hanging around the man's neck. "If you're a real man, you know when you have to admit defeat," he said to Brock with a gentle smile. "Time 'ta face facts! You can lose today and win tomorrah!" Brock looked at Anthony, then at the towel in his hand in thought.
"Right..." he finally said, gaining his own smile as he took the towel out of Anthony's hand and threw it high into the air onto the ring.
"Fans! Brock has thrown in the towel!" the announcer broadcast as the bell signaling the end of the match echoed loudly. As the towel flew harmlessly and landed on the mat, Hitmonlee lowered its leg and rolled its fists onto its hips. Meanwhile, Brock and Ash pulled themselves onto the arena and Brock rushed up to his Pokémon while Psyduck struggled to follow suit and only succeeded in landing on its backside underneath the ring.
"Geodude!" Bending down, the Pokémon Breeder scooped up his Pokémon and held it in his arms. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Geo..." it replied bashfully, and Brock lightened.
"You don't have to apologize. You gave it your best shot."
"Dude..."
"Don't worry," the Pokémon Breeder assured his Pokémon. "You'll be as solid as a rock again soon."
"Mankey and I will take care of things now, Brock," Ash promised with a confident hand on his chest.
"I'm counting on 'ya, Ash!"
"Right!"
o 0 o
The last of the preliminary matches went by pretty quickly. After Brock's match, a Poliwrath and Machoke entered the ring, and with a powerful Seismic Toss, Machoke was able to claim victory. The next match featured Anthony's Hitmonchan against a Machamp. Though the final evolved form of Machop had four arms that each were as muscular as ever, it didn't take long for Hitmonchan to get the better of it, and soon Anthony was moving onto the semi-finals.
The first of the semi-finals match had Giant's Hitmonlee going up against the Machoke who beat out the Poliwrath, and like before, Hitmonlee was able to kick its way to victory. All fired up from the battles ensuing, Ash had a fire burning in his stomach as his name was called.
"The next match of the semi-final match pits Ash and his Mankey against Randy and his Machamp!" Sharing his burning desire to battle, Mankey also stepped forth with its Trainer, and soon swung onto the stage with a monkey-like spin of the rope before landing and huffing. Across from it, Machamp expertly hoisted itself over the ring as its Trainer, Randy, looked on calmly wearing a red gi.
"It may have four arms, but we're still stronger than all of them put together!" Ash encouraged, and Mankey jumped from foot to foot in preparation. The wrestler's bell rang, and the match began. This time, it was Mankey who got the first strike, and leapt at Machamp with its foot extended. Much like how it went with Machop, Machamp raised two of its hands and blocked the attack while grabbing hold of Mankey's foot at the same time. "We were hoping you would do that! Mankey! Scratch attack!" Even though its leg was trapped, Mankey hoisted itself upward and bore its paws as its eyes dug deep into Machamp's. However, Machamp only smirked and snatched up each of Mankey's wrists in its powerful grip as well. The Pig Monkey tried to struggle out of its grip, but its strength was no match for the Superpower Pokémon.
"Ash thought he was one step ahead of his opponent, but it seemed like Randy was two steps ahead of him! Now Mankey's in a tight situation."
"Machamp, Submission!" Rolling forward, Machamp tucked its head in while still holding onto Mankey and pushed it into the mat before rolling onto its back. As it almost made a complete somersault, it was here that Machamp threw Mankey, finally releasing it from its grip but throwing it into the boundary line. The fierce power behind the throw made the rope stretch and bounce it back at Machamp, who was waiting with a powerful Karate Chop. Mankey's already beady eyes shrunk to pinpoints as the breath was knocked out of it from the powerful blow, and it clattered to the ground in a heap.
"Mankey!" Ash exclaimed, jumping up onto the arena but not going over the ropes. He had faith in his Pokémon and knew it could withstand a powerful attack like that.
"A powerful clothesline strike was waiting for Mankey. Can it recover from that devastating blow?" The crowd soon began to cheer, however, when the damaged monkey Pokémon slowly got onto its feet. It was bruised and battered from the pair of Fighting-type attacks, and it swayed back and forth determined not to lose, but it still stood nonetheless.
"Mankey, are you okay?! Are you sure you can still fight?" Ash called to his Pokémon. Mankey gave a grunt and turned back to its Trainer with a faint nod before raising its shaky arms in a battle position.
"Finish it, Machamp!" Ash heard Randy order through the cheering. Next thing he knew, Machamp was bounding toward Mankey. Mankey shook its head to try and disregard the pain in its body, and it launched itself at Machamp once again with its paws bared. Machamp threw a fist forward, and at first, Ash thought it was going to connect, but Mankey used its own technique against it and grabbed a hold of its wrist. Using the momentum of this, Mankey swung around Machamp's arm like a tree branch and got within inches of Machamp's face, who gasped in surprise.
"Yes! Great job, Mankey! Scratch attack!" Mankey raised its paws to slice at Machamp's face, but it only got that far before another one of Machamp's fist came forward and collided with Mankey's body. The attack connected hard, and Mankey flew backwards, being knocked into the post opposite Ash and slumped to the ground. "Mankey, no!" Seeing the swirls in its eyes, the judge rang the bell, and the crowd yelled excitedly.
"Mankey has been knocked out cold! Machamp wins! Just goes to show you, folks, that four arms are better than two!"
"Mankey! Mankey! Say something!" Ash cried to his Pokémon in his arms. Shaking it slightly, the Pig Monkey Pokémon blinked before looking up at Ash.
"Man?"
"It's over, Mankey. You did a great job." Mankey looked sadly at Ash before glancing over at Machamp, who was exiting the arena with its Trainer. "I'm proud of you. You fought well."
"Mankee..."
"Ash!" Brock called, and Ash turned to see Brock, who had been sitting with Rebecca since being knocked out of the tournament, came rushing up with the redhead in tow. "Is Mankey okay?"
"I think its pride is injured more than anything," the Pokémon Trainer responded, then frowned at Rebecca. "I'm sorry I couldn't beat your father's Hitmonchan." But the redhead just shook her head with a saddened smile.
"Don't worry about it. What matters is you both tried your best," she told him. The group cleared off the battlefield and the next challengers came out – one of which the aforementioned.
"Now, Randy's Machamp will advance to the final match, while the Fighting Spirit Gym's very own Hitmonchan – the number one contender at this tournament – takes on the legendary kicking fiend Hitmonlee for a chance at the championship." Both Fighting Pokémon took opposite corners of the ring, and while Hitmonlee leaned against the post with its arms up on the ropes, Hitmonchan was readying itself with its fists up. Anthony looked confident, but Giant wore a stern look on his face. Off to the side of the ring, Ash knew this match could go either way.
"Keep on movin'; keep on fightin'! Remember, you're a champion!" Anthony encouraged his Pokémon.
"Monchan," the Punching Pokémon replied with a nod. With the ring of the bell, Hitmonchan dashed forward with Agility, using the same tactic it did against Ash's Wartortle and disappearing and reappearing throughout the arena. Hitmonlee wasn't fazed by this at all, and simply leapt forward with a leg out. The two collided in the middle of the ring, boxing glove against foot. They could see they were even, and their eyes narrowed simultaneously.
"Gotta be smart; gotta be strong! Gotta keep moving!" Moving backward to make space between them, Hitmonlee leaned back and struck its leg out repeatedly, using the same move it had used on Brock's Geodude. Despite the fast strikes, Hitmonchan was able to see them, and weave back and forth between the blows and it didn't land a single hit.
"That Hitmonchan is fast," Giant grunted. "We need to switch up strategies, Hitmonlee!" Hitmonlee reacted quickly, and pulled back its leg before spinning around and jutting out its opposite limb. The quick change in strategy threw Hitmonchan off, and it gasped and attempted to jump back when it saw its opponent wasn't aiming for its upper body any longer, but for its leg. However, the Rolling Kick connected with a force that would topple over a tree, and Hitmonchan stumbled backward, its eye closed in pain. A hiss through bared teeth was expelled by the humanoid Fighting-type before taking a step forward. It stumbled forward as it stepped on the leg that had been struck by Hitmonlee's leg sweep. It looked like it had damaged it more than it thought.
Before Anthony even had time to react, Hitmonlee took the opportunity to strike again with the flurry of kicks, this time to Hitmonchan's face. Its speed down because of the leg injury, the attacks connected. Though it had its gloves up to try and defend the blows, Hitmonlee was so precise with its kicks that it was able to still damage it. "Hitmonchan's in trouble! Hitmonlee's Mega Kick is getting the best of Hitmonchan!"
"Hitmonchan!" Anthony yelled, slamming his fists on the mat.
"This is dangerous!" Brock called. "You should forfeit the match right now!" Anthony didn't respond, but his whole body was shaking as he weighed his options. All the while, Hitmonlee was pummeling Hitmonchan with its barrage of Mega Kicks.
"Finish it, Hitmonlee!" Giant commanded, and Hitmonlee gave a loud cry as it jumped backward, and then leapt forward with its leg extended.
"STOP IT!" Within a blink of an eye, Rebecca clamored on stage, and with a mighty leap, she threw herself in front of Hitmonchan with her arms open protectively. "Don't hurt my father's Pokémon!" Hitmonlee saw the girl dive in between the two, but the kick was already launched, and there was no way to stop it. Ash and Brock saw this, and as did Anthony, who let out a yell.
"Rebecca!" Even faster than Rebecca had, Anthony sidestepped both his Pokémon and daughter and stepped in front of her with his arm raised. The attack connected with the man's forearm, which sent him flying back off his feet. He let out a grunt as his back slammed against the guard rail, and he fell to the ground in a heap and shook in pain.
"Are you all right?!" Ash asked as him and Brock approached the ringside.
"I'm fine; don't worry 'bout me," Anthony answered shortly, and looked up at Rebecca as his daughter approached with tears in her deep blue eyes.
"Oh, Daddy..."
Anthony smiled, and pulled himself to his feet with the help of the ropes. "Are you hurt, Rebecca?"
"No, I'm fine."
"I'm glad." He smiled at her and let his gaze linger on her before taking the towel around his neck and throwing it onto the arena. "I give up!" The bell rang thrice, and Hitmonlee raised its hand in victory as Hitmonchan slumped to the ground. Now that the match was over, it was revealed that it had been using the last of its strength to stay standing.
"Anthony has thrown in the towel; Hitmonlee is the winner!"
"Eh, good work Hitmonchan," Anthony commended his Pokémon as he walked it off the ring. "Are you okay?"
"Monchan..." it responded, but kept its eyes low to the ground in disappointment.
"I'm sorry I worried you and 'yer mudder so much," he apologized to Rebecca, and the girl buried her face into his white shirt.
"Oh, Daddy..."
"'Dat's my girl."
"Isn't that great?" Ash asked as a warm smile spread on his face.
"The family's back together," Brock agreed.
"Even though she asked us for help, Rebecca was able to bring her father back all on her own."
"That's right."
The touching reunion over, the group of five moved off to the side as Randy and his Machamp joined Hitmonlee on the ring for the final match of the P1 Grand Prix. "And now for the final confrontation!" The bell rang, and Machamp bounded at Hitmonlee. "Machamp, who has entered for the third consecutive year in a row and battled its way to this last round with tremendous attacks faces the ferocious footwork of Hitmonlee, the kicking fiend!"
Taking a running start in an attempt to make the first attack didn't throw Hitmonlee off in the slightest, and it began to use its Mega Kick and repeatedly strike at the air in front of it. It seemed to be using its Mega Kick defensively, putting up a barrier so Machamp couldn't get close with its arms. The strategy worked, and Machamp skidded to a stop, but skidded directly into the flurry of kicks that it raised all of its arms to block. "Get ready fans for a match you'll never forget!"
"It can't just defend itself against Hitmonlee's attacks!" Ash commented.
"If it can't get inside Hitmonlee's kicks, it'll never win 'da battle," Anthony agreed.
"Machamp, dive in! Go!" Randy instructed. The Superpower Pokémon took a step back, and then in one fell swoop, ducked down without an ounce of fear. Now that it was past Hitmonlee's foot, it was able to shoot back up and unleash a flurry attack of its own in the form of a Mega Punch. The attacks repeatedly struck the Kicking Pokémon. While its legs were strong, its arms were useless, and it didn't even raise them to defend from the punches.
"Get back, Hitmonlee! We need to gain some distance!" Giant ordered. Bending at the knees, Hitmonlee leapt high into the air and backwards at the same time, not stopping until it landed on the post closest to its Trainer. The opposing Machamp frowned as it looked up at Hitmonlee, and the pair locked eyes.
"'Dis is it..." Anthony muttered, and Ash turned to look at the older man for just a second, but not wanting to take his eyes off the match.
"Hitmonlee, Hi Jump Kick!"
"Hitmon..." Using its powerful legs, Hitmonlee bounced high into the air, using all its strength in its legs to launch itself into the air like it had jumped from a springboard. It jumped so high that its head almost collided with the lights, and Machamp flinched back from the brightness of the spotlights as Hitmonlee began to descend. "LEE!" The Fighting Pokémon gave one last cry before sticking out its knee. Machamp realized what was happening, and took a step backward, but it was just a second too late, and soon the appendage collided with the Superpower Pokémon's forehead. The blow let out a rush that hushed the audience instantly, and as Hitmonlee landed on its feet, Machamp stood on its feet as if frozen by an Ice attack. No one even dared to breathe before finally, Machamp swayed on its feet and fell backward.
The audience was the first to come to life, and with the cheering, the sound of the bell ringing over and over again was barely heard. "And it's over! Hitmonlee defeats Machamp with a Hi Jump Kick! Giant's Hitmonlee wins by a knockout! Hitmonlee is the new P1 Pokémon Grand Prix Champion!"
The audience screamed wildly in a mixture of yells and applause, and even Ash and Brock found themselves cheering as the tournament officials came up and wrapped the black and gold belt around the Kicking Pokémon's waist as both Pokémon and Trainer raised their fists in victory and soaked up the glory.
o 0 o
Back on the outskirts of Celadon City where they had began the day, this time they were accompanied by Anthony and Rebecca as the pair set off with their backpacks on their backs. "Ash, your Mankey has a lot of natural talent," Anthony started with a smirk on its face. "It's hard ta' believe that it just started ta' obey ya' today."
"We may have lost today, but with some training, Mankey and I will be stronger than ever," the Pallet Town Trainer replied with a determined grin lowering his brow and raising the corners of his lips.
"'Den I will look forward ta' battling you two in the finals of the next P1."
"But I'll still make sure my father spends lots of time with his family," Rebecca interjected with a joking smile, and Ash nodded in agreement.
"It's a deal."
-end-
Ash:
Party:
Wartortle (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Dig, Water Gun, BubbleBeam
Pidgeotto (Poké Ball)
Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Wing Attack
Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf
Charmander (Poké Ball)
Moves: Flamethrower, Leer, Rage, Skull Bash
Krabby (Poké Ball)
Moves: ViceGrip
Mankey (Poké Ball)
Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch
Badges:
Boulder Badge
Cascade Badge
Thunder Badge
Marsh Badge
Rainbow Badge
Brock:
Party:
Onix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig
Geodude (Poké Ball)
Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle
Zubat (Poké Ball)
Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic
Psyduck (Poké Ball)
Moves:
Vulpix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Fire Spin
