Chapter 6: Fighting as His Equal

Machoke sat alone, meditating around the remains of his master's cave. No other Pokémon would disturb him here. Machoke's only companions were the howling winds that blew against its body, and the blazing sun. This was his normal. Suddenly, the meditating Pokémon heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

"Hey! Machoke!" Machoke didn't turn his head, for he immediately recognized the human's voice. It was the one by the name of Lucia.

"I'm here because we need a change in strategy for my upcoming gym battle! Rustboro's Gym leader uses Rock-Type Pokemon! So, this time you're getting in my Pokeball and joining my team, and I'm not taking no as an answer!"

Machoke's eyes shot open. The fighting type slowly brought himself to his feet, then turned around to see Lucia standing alone.

"Surprised?" Lucia asked. "Shelgon isn't with me right now. It's just you and me." Lucia cracked her knuckles as she began approaching Machoke. "I wanna fight you alone, so when- not if, when I catch you, we'll have an idea of each other's fighting style."

Machoke flashed a smile. As he walked toward Lucia, the Pokémon heard his master's words echo in his mind: "Only allow yourself to be caught when a trainer defeats you one-on-one with their own fists,"

If Lucia was the one to beat him in an honest fight, then, and only then, will he allow himself to be caught.

Machoke and Lucia continued to walk toward each other silently. It was so quiet that each and every step they took could be heard. They finally stopped dead in their tracks once the two were within punching distance.

Slowly, the two assumed battle stances. For a while, neither of them moved. The howling wind dragged Lucia's hair wildly. Even after the gust passed, neither of them moved.

Machoke moved first- swinging his leg at Lucia's face. Lucia blocked it with her arm and shoved it away before closing in to throw a punch. Machoke swatted her fist away, then unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks. Lucia was like a feather, ducking and weaving away from Machoke's every punch and kick. Machoke bellowed a battle-cry as he sent a Karate Chop Lucia's way. Lucia backstepped to avoid the attack, grabbed Machoke's shoulders, then leapt over him. After landing, Lucia slammed her foot onto Machoke's back, sending him to the ground.

The trainer pointed down at him with bated breath.

"I learned that attack from a girl who beat me!" Lucia said. Machoke grit his teeth as he began to stand up. "I haven't won a single battle ever since I beat you, but I learned from those losses! Every battle, win or lose, I'll learn from them, and become even stronger than before!" Machoke stood up and turned around again. Lucia beckoned him with her hand. "C'mon! I know this isn't your best, Machoke! I trained with you for an entire day! Fight me with everything you've got! I meant it when I said I'd beat you!"

Machoke grinned widely. Lucia had indeed become stronger- so Machoke had to respond in kind. He nodded in agreement.

It was time to use the move that his master taught him: Superpower.

Shards of rock rose around the fighting type as he slowly crossed his arms. An intense orange aura began to rise around the Pokemon like a raging flame. Winds blasted with such intensity that Lucia had to shield her eyes with her hands. Machoke then started to let out a battle cry that was loud enough to eclipse the sound of the raging earthquake.

"This-.. This pressure..!" Lucia cried. She started to laugh. "It's- it's incredible! You're more powerful than any Pokémon I've ever seen!"

Machoke's skin started to turn crimson red. His eyes shined in the same crimson red. The robe that Machoke wore began to rip apart as the muscles in his body began to expand. The top half of his robe ripped into shreds, revealing the several scars on his powerfully built body. The bottom half of his robe ripped a bit, but it remained intact. This move, Superpower, was usually used as an attack. But his master taught him how to use it as a transformation of sorts. Every Machoke has a golden belt around its waist, and it serves as a limiter of sorts. By using superpower and storing all the power within himself instead of attacking, he would gain enough power to temporarily overload the limiter around his waist, allowing him to reach his full power.

"You're absolutely incredible!" Lucia roared. "You'll definitely have to teach me how to do that… after I beat you!"

This trainer was confident, even in the face of Machoke's strength. It brought a smile to his face. That smile disappeared once Lucia charged after the Fighting type. Machoke swung his fist down onto the ground with so much force that the ground exploded.

Large shards of earth flew wildly into the air along with Lucia, who spiraled out of control. Machoke leapt after Lucia, landing a superman punch before zipping by her and landing on a rock that floated directly above her. Using that rock as leverage, Machoke leapt after Lucia once again to strike her and zip by to land onto another rock. Machoke continued to jump from rock to rock, striking Lucia on his way from one platform to the next. Machoke then leapt onto another rock directly above Lucia and dove foot first onto the helpless trainer. His foot landed directly on the purple-haired girl's back as the two came flying down to the ground like a meteor. A red explosion raged when they crashed onto the floor. Dust and gravel flew about like thunder had struck. As the dust was settling, Machoke grabbed the dazed and battered trainer's face and pulled them up. Machoke pulled his free hand, ready to punch the trainer. Lucia's eyes were closed. Machoke stared at Lucia, wondering if she was unconscious. Machoke stared at Lucia's near-lifeless body for a while, then frowned. He tossed her to the ground.

"You..." Lucia groaned. Machoke's eyes widened as Lucia slowly began to stand up. "Do you really think... it's over!?" Lucia roared, finally standing up. "Every single punch you threw…!" Lucia staggered, nearly falling to the ground. "was devastating..!" Lucia fell on on her butt. Machoke watched the girl's chest rise and fall with each passing second. The trainer slowly went back up to her feet once more. "Any normal person…! Would have gone unconscious..!" Lucia grit her teeth, as though she focused all of her strength to stay on her feet. "But I'm not just any normal person..! I'm.. Lucia...! The girl... who will surpass her father!" Lucia clenched both of her fists and raised them. "I'm not going to lose!" Lucia charged after Machoke and threw a punch straight onto his chest.

It was completely ineffective. Machoke looked down at Lucia in dissapointment.

Lucia screamed louder as she punched Machoke again and again. It was like punching a wall.

It was just like when she fought her mother and Beatrice.. Her punches were always ineffective against people with invoker armor because she was simply a human. Lucia screamed even louder in defiance of this fact. She was sick of her punches being ineffective. She was sick of being looked down on because she had no armor on.

She was sick of being weak.

The rage boiling within the trainer's body raged and erupted inside of her. Machoke's body began to be pushed back against the trainer's onslaught, and it surprised him. Her punches grew faster by the second. Nothing was going to change the fact that she was only human- but didn't mean she didn't stand a chance! Suddenly, Machoke had to raise his fists to defend against Lucia's punches.

"I'm not here as your student! I'm here as your equal! NOW FIGHT ME!" Lucia demanded. Machoke met Lucia's oncoming punch with a punch of his own. Their knuckles crashed into one another with enough force to make a shockwave. Machoke and Lucia released a flurry of punches at one another. Their fists clashed with every punch thrown. They were moving like machines. Machoke was surprised that Lucia was able to match him blow for blow- and started to let out a furious battle roar. Lucia started shouting as well- the fury of the girl's punches was finally matching the Pokémon's. The earth around the two began to shatter with every punch that collided. Shards of earth rose around the two. It was like watching the Gods fight.

One of Machoke's punches slipped past and struck Lucia in the face- Lucia's head hung back from the blow. After immediately recovering, Lucia responded in kind with a punch aimed at Machoke's stomach. The punch connected and Machoke felt a sharp pain. His breath leapt from his mouth as he reeled in pain. The Pokémon recovered immediately and swatted Lucia's oncoming second punch and threw a punch of their own. Lucia and Machoke's fists clashed once again. Every muscle in Machoke's body burned as his knuckles pushed against Lucia's. It was amazing. A human of all people was able to fight him as his equal.

Slowly, Machoke's fist began weakening under Lucia's strength. The Pokémon's feet began pushing back against the human's tremendous force. Lucia opened her hand and grabbed Machoke's closed hand. Struggling to pull his hand free, Machoke threw swung with his other fist, only for it to be grabbed by Lucia. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free of Lucia's grip. Lucia reared her head back, and then slammed it onto the fighting type's head with all of her might. Machoke fell and tumbled onto his back. Steam expelled from his body as the fighting type's muscles slowly began to shrink back to normal. Machoke's skin slowly turned back into its regular purple color.

Lucia looked down at her fallen opponent, breathing heavily, and barely able to even raise her hands. Lucia fell to her knees.

"Heh...My mom landed a headbutt like that on me, too..." Lucia chuckled lightly before falling to the ground next to Machoke. "You went down first... so that means I won, right?" Lucia said with a chuckle. Machoke smiled and nodded.

"Heh...Good." Lucia said.

For a while, the two of them just stared at the blue sky. They were breathing in sync.

Machoke's master always told him, the trainer who would beat him would become his new trainer. This girl, Lucia, would be his new trainer, his new master. Machoke couldn't stop smiling. The person who he taught finally surpassed him. He hoped that his master was watching from heaven with a smile on his face.

"Can I..." Lucia suddenly spoke. Machoke turned his head to Lucia. "Can I say something...?" Machoke nodded. "I- uh..." Lucia coughed. "You know how I... act really, really confident? Like, cocky, almost? Yeah... that's an act. I act cocky when I'm scared. When I saw your power just... explode like that, Machoke, I was absolutely terrified. I'm surrpised you didn't see my feet shaking." Lucia chuckled lightly. "But... that false confidence helped me... Even if I thought that I couldn't do it... I managed to do it. So that means something, right? It's something I should be proud of... beating you, I mean."

Machoke nodded in agreement.

"It's funny..." Lucia said. "Mom always said that... she was afraid that if I fought... I'd be too tired to move... to get to the Pokécenter... or even take out my Pokéball. I told her not to worry and said that wouldn't happen... but look at me now. I can't even move my arms." Lucia turned to face Machoke. "I'm... gonna take a nap... I'll... I'll catch you after I wake up..." Lucia closed her eyes, and almost immediately, she began snoring. Machoke just stared at her.

This was someone who was worthy of being his trainer. His master. His grin never faded, even when he closed his eyes to take a nap. He knew that the two of them would be safe. No other Pokémon ever came to his master's cave after all.