AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! I know it's been awhile, but here is Chapter 36 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue through Kanto. Kiyo from the anime appears, but some game counterparts of him appear, too. This chapter is a little shorter than most, but I've been thinking of other events that will be coming up in this story. Shinji Miyazaki's musical arrangements from the anime and the main series games appear in this chapter. As always, please feel free to read and review, and remember, feedback of any kind is always welcome.

TEASER: Tristan and Hillary meet Kiyo, one of the masters of the Fighting Dojo, who challenges Tristan to a battle that's definitely worth fighting for! Who will emerge victorious?

Chapter 36: FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

As Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu prepare to leave Saffron City, they're trying to figure out where their next destination is going to be, so they've stopped at the Pokémon Center to try and get suggestions.

"Any news on the Viridian Gym, Nurse Joy?" asked Tristan.

"The Viridian Gym is still under construction, but it's getting very close to being finished," answered Nurse Joy.

"That's too bad," said Tristan.

"Are there any other Gyms that we could try?" asked Hillary.

"Well, there is another Gym that is worthy of note," replied Nurse Joy. "The Gym is located on Cinnabar Island, which is famous for its huge volcano."

"I've never seen a real volcano before," said Tristan, "but I sure wouldn't want it to erupt while we're there."

"I wouldn't worry about that at all, Tristan," assured Hillary. "Cinnabar Island is a perfectly safe place."

Tristan still felt uncertain, but at last, he said, "All right. If Cinnabar Island is where my next Gym is, then I will go there."

Pikachu eagerly agreed with him.


"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" said Tristan as he and Hillary walked through Saffron City some time later.

"What is it this time?" asked Hillary, who was seemingly uninterested.

"I found out that there's a Fighting Dojo somewhere in Saffron City," answered Tristan as he studied his map. "This is where we can see some Fighting Pokémon who can really fight and roll with the opponent's punches."

"Fighting Pokémon, huh?" said Hillary. "Well, if you're going to earn another badge, we might as well try to gain as much experience as we can get. Who knows? Maybe Cinnabar Island's Gym Leader uses Fighting Pokémon, or maybe Fire-types, just like a volcano."

"Let's check it out," replied Tristan as he, Hillary, and Pikachu raced off to try and find the Fighting Dojo.


Soon, they came to an old-fashioned wooden building. Strangely enough, it was right next to the Saffron Gym.

"This must be it," said Tristan to his friends. "Let's go in."

"I can't believe we were next door to the Fighting Dojo when we were at the Gym," remarked Hillary. "How could we have missed that one?"

They all walked in, and as they entered, they saw many different Fighting Pokémon training alongside their black belt trainers, who wore karate attire. Some were lifting weights while others punched bags.

"Wow," said Hillary. "I would not want to be one of those punching bags."

Just then, a black belt shouted as he burst onto the scene, showing off his fists and mighty footwork, much to Tristan and Hillary's surprise. He landed neatly on his feet as he showed off his muscles, which were as hard as steel. He also wore a white headband.

"Whoa! He's scary!" cringed Hillary.

"Scary?" said the black belt. "Scary?! I may be rough and tough, but definitely not scary!" He then smiled. "Actually, I'm really a nice guy. The name's Kiyo. I'm one of the masters of this Fighting Dojo."

"It's nice to meet you, Kiyo," said Tristan. "I'm Tristan, and this is my sister, Hillary, and my best friend, Pikachu."

Pikachu greeted Kiyo warmly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, too," replied Kiyo. "I've been training hard along with my Pokémon and students."

"What made you want to do some extra training, anyway, Kiyo?" asked Hillary.

"Well," replied Kiyo as he began his story. "It all started a few years ago...


"I was once known as the rough and tough martial arts Gym Leader of Saffron City. I had been training night and day to have opponents fight the good fight with me. I had won some battles and lost others, but was always honorable. Then one day, a trainer named Sabrina came to my Gym and challenged me to a battle for leadership of the Saffron City Gym, something that I never expected to happen. She seemed to be lonely and didn't have any emotions at the time.

"It turned out that Sabrina was training Psychic Pokémon. That, in turn, put my Fighting Pokémon at a huge disadvantage. My Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were no match for her Abra and its Psychic attacks. I'll never forget the words she said to me, and they were very hard to take, even for me."

"You could never defeat someone like me, especially with your Fighting Pokémon. From this day forward, this Gym is now a Psychic Gym, and I will be the Leader. This city needs real tough Trainers that don't just use their fists. They need to use their minds."


"I never suffered such an embarrassing defeat," said Kiyo. "Since then, I lost the license to be a Gym Leader. So I decided to put my defeat to good use and build this Dojo, which is where my students and I have been training for all this time while Sabrina reconstructed the Gym to better suit her purposes."

"That's an incredible story," replied Hillary. "I never knew you could challenge someone for leadership for a Gym."

"I read the news just the other day and found out that Sabrina is feeling much more comfortable around new people thanks to a party you two threw for her," added Kiyo.

"We did have some help," said Tristan. "Actually, Sabrina and her parents played a huge part in this successful party."

"I also heard that she had a Gym Battle with you, Tristan. How'd it go?"

"It went well. I won a Marsh Badge."

"That's great!"

"I've got an idea," suggested Hillary. "Why don't you two have a battle?"

"A battle against Kiyo?" asked Tristan. "What do you mean by that, sis?"

"I'm a little confused about that myself," added Kiyo.

"Think about it," said Hillary. "Kiyo likes to fight using his martial arts skills as well as his Pokémon. And Tristan uses his instincts, at least as best as he can. So maybe it would be a good idea to pit those two against one another to see who will be the winner."

"Well, what do you think, Tristan?" asked Kiyo.

Tristan eagerly stood up and said, "I accept."

"Now that's the attitude I like to hear," replied Kiyo. "There's a battlefield just over there."


Moments later, the stage was set. Tristan and Kiyo positioned themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield while Hillary and Kiyo's students watched.

"This may not be an official Gym battle, Tristan, but I'm still not going easy!" advised Kiyo.

"And neither am I!" replied Tristan.

"Would it be okay if we battled two-on-two?" asked Kiyo.

"That's fine with me, Kiyo," replied Tristan.

"Go, Hitmonlee!" shouted Kiyo as he threw his first Pokéball.

A brown humanoid Pokémon with an ovoid body materialized from the white light that shot out of the ball. It had almond shaped eyes, and it had no nose, mouth, neck, or head. It had cream colored segmented arms and legs.

"Let's see what Dexter says," said Tristan as he scanned Hitmonlee with his Pokédex.

"Hitmonlee: The Kicking Pokémon," identified Dexter. "This nimble Pokémon launches lethal kicks from almost any position."

"Wow, talk about kicking things off with a bang," remarked Hillary. "That Hitmonlee looks pretty powerful."

Kiyo's students agreed with her.

"Are you ready to go, Pikachu?" asked Tristan.

Pikachu nodded and eagerly jumped in front of Tristan, ready to face Hitmonlee.

"That's weird," thought Hillary. "Why would Tristan use a small Pokémon like Pikachu instead of using a big Pokémon like his Blastoise? He must want to challenge himself today.

"Don't let Hitmonlee's size scare you, Pikachu, because you have the heart and speed of a powerful Electric Pokémon," advised Tristan.

Pikachu nodded its response.

(Music Cue: Kanto Wild Pokémon Battle)

"Let's begin now! Hitmonlee, start off with a Rolling Kick attack!" commanded Kiyo.

Hitmonlee charged at Pikachu, ready to kick it round the house.

"Here we go, now, Pikachu, use your Quick Attack to dodge it!" instructed Tristan.

Pikachu nimbly avoided Hitmonlee's quick footwork as a white line trailed behind it.

"Keep on with your Rolling Kick, Hitmonlee!" encouraged Kiyo.

"Pikachu, keep up the Quick Attacks!" ordered Tristan.

Hitmonlee kept charging and kicking away at Pikachu, but Pikachu's Quick Attack was too fast for Hitmonlee's kicks to connect.

"That Pikachu really is fast," remarked Kiyo.

"Now, use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" commanded Tristan.

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" shouted Pikachu as a yellow stream of electricity shot out from its body at Hitmonlee.

"Okay, Hitmonlee, jump!" instructed Kiyo.

Hitmonlee used its strong legs to jump off the ground, dodging Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Both Pokémon landed neatly on the ground.

"That Hitmonlee's legs are really powerful," grunted Tristan. "Pikachu, jump and use Thunderbolt one more time!"

Pikachu jumped high into the air and shot another yellow bolt of electricity at Hitmonlee.

"I hope you're ready for this, my friend," said Kiyo to Tristan. "Hitmonlee, Double Kick!"

Using the power of its legs, Hitmonlee jumped off the ground and ascended much higher than Pikachu.

"Look out, Pikachu!" shouted Tristan.

But it was too late, for Hitmonlee used its feet and legs to deliver the most powerful kick it could, and successfully connected with Pikachu, giving it serious damage.

"Pikachu, use Thunder attack, quick!" shouted Tristan.

Pikachu charged up its electricity and zapped Hitmonlee at close range just before they crashed into the ground, causing a huge cloud of dust to form.

Everyone on the sidelines looked on in astonishment as they wondered who would emerge victorious.

When the dust cleared, both Pokémon appeared to be standing. Even though Hitmonlee had taken a lot of damage from Pikachu's Thunder attack, Pikachu succumbed to the damage from the impact of Double Kick and the crash landing. It fell backward and fainted.

"Pikachu!" cried Tristan.

"Well done, Hitmonlee," commended Kiyo.

Tristan carefully picked Pikachu up in his arms and carried it off the battlefield. "Thanks, Pikachu," he said. "I'm very proud of you. You deserve a nice rest."

Pikachu replied weakly.

Tristan walked over to Hillary, who was waiting.

"Great battling, Pikachu," smiled Hillary. She turned to Tristan. "I'll take care of Pikachu for you. Now get back in there and win!"

"Thanks, sis," replied Tristan. "I'll do my best." He walked back to his side of the battlefield. "Okay, Kiyo, this battle isn't over yet."

"Let's see which Pokémon you're going to use against my Hitmonlee.

Hitmonlee panted heavily as it struggled to stay on its feet.

Hitmonlee's really exhausted, thought Tristan. Now's the time to attack. "Ivysaur, I choose you!" he shouted as he threw a Pokéball.

Ivysaur materialized from the white light that shot out of the ball. Compared to Hitmonlee, Ivysaur was well-prepared for battle.

"Hitmonlee, try a Mega Kick!" commanded Kiyo.

Ivysaur, Tackle attack!" ordered Tristan.

Hitmonlee charged at Ivysaur, but the damage from the Thunder attack it carried from its last battle with Pikachu wore it out considerably. However, Ivysaur successfully rammed into an exhausted Hitmonlee, knocking it out instantly.

"No, Hitmonlee!" gasped Kiyo.

"Well done, Ivysaur," said Tristan.

Ivysaur nodded.

Even though Ivysaur had an easy win, Tristan knew Hitmonlee would have been tough to beat had it not been for the damage it sustained from Pikachu's Thunder attack. Even though there was nothing at stake, he still maintained his focus on the battle.

Kiyo returned Hitmonlee to its Pokéball and held it close. "You were great, Hitmonlee," he commended. He looked up and faced Tristan. "Your Pokémon have been trained exceptionally well, but there's no way I'll let you win that easily." He took out a Pokéball and threw it. "Go, Hitmonchan!"

A tan humanoid Pokémon materialized from the white light that shot out of its Pokéball. It wore a light purple tunic, kit, and boxing shoes while it had red boxing gloves.

Tristan scanned the new Pokémon with his Pokédex.

"Hitmonchan: The Punching Pokémon," identified Dexter. "This Pokémon fires punches in lightining-fast volleys that make them almost impossible to see."

"Talk about a one-two punch," remarked Hillary. "First, Hitmonlee, and now, Hitmonchan! There's no telling how strong that Pokémon is!"

"Hitmonchan, show them your Agility!" instructed Kiyo.

Hitmonchan dashed toward Ivysaur, briefly disappearing from one spot to another from side to side, taking it by surprise.

"That's fast!" gasped Hillary.

"Fire Punch now!" commanded Kiyo.

(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Beach Blank-Out Blastoise"))

Instantly, one of Hitmonchan's fists ignited with flames. Then, focusing the fiery energy, it thrust it toward an unsuspecting Ivysaur and struck it, thus giving it major damage.

"Ivysaur!" cried Tristan.

"Wow!" exclaimed Hillary. "That Fire Punch was red-hot! And it was an effective hit, too!"

Ivysaur slid backward, but was still in the battle.

That Hitmonchan's tough, thought Tristan. What power! I never expected it to know a Fire attack.

"I see my Hitmonchan's Fire Punch attack took you by surprise," remarked Kiyo. "Does that mean you're ready to admit defeat?"

"Not by a long shot, Kiyo!" replied Tristan. "We may be down, but we're far from out! Ivysaur, give Hitmonchan a Razor Leaf attack!"

Ivysaur shot a flurry of razor-sharp leaves from the bud on its back at Hitmonchan.

"Block those leaves with your fists, Hitmonchan!" instructed Kiyo.

Using the rapid movement of its fists, Hitmonchan successfully cut every one of Ivysaur's leaves down to size.

"Oh, no!" gasped Tristan.

"Now, Hitmonchan, fire a flurry of Mega Punches!" ordered Kiyo.

Hitmonchan charged at Ivysaur and readied itself to punch Ivysaur in quick succession.

"Ivysaur, block those punches with your Vine Whip!" shouted Tristan.

Ivysaur shot two vines from the bud on its back and proceeded to block Hitmonchan from moving in close. Time after time, Hitmonchan tried to get in a clean hit, but Ivysaur's Vine Whip was just too much of an obstacle to get close enough.

Kiyo's students were shocked at how Ivysaur's Vine Whip could be used for blocking attacks just like Hitmonchan's fists. To them, it was like watching a boxing match between two Fighting Pokémon. Hillary was just as surprised at this turn of events as they were.

Ivysaur and Hitmonchan continued to come at each other using their vines and fists, respectively.

"Looks like a stalemate," said Kiyo. "But not for long. Hitmonchan, give it a Fire Punch!"

Hitmonchan's fists ignited with flames once again.

Tristan knew he had to get Ivysaur away as quick as possible. He thought quickly and shouted, "Ivysaur, use your Vine Whip to jump!"

Ivysaur thrust its vines into the ground. Then, with all its might, it lifted itself up over Hitmonchan, much to Kiyo's surprise.

"Now, Ivysaur, hit Hitmonchan with your best full-strength Tackle attack!" commanded Tristan.

Ivysaur did a midair somersault and aimed its full body at Hitmonchan. The force of gravity helped Ivysaur score a huge direct hit, causing Hitmonchan to crash into the ground hard, creating a cloud of dust. When it cleared, Hitmonchan had a dazed expression in its eyes. It had been knocked out.

(Music Cue: Ending 1997-1998)

At first, Tristan was shocked, but his shock turned to excitement and joy. "Yes, we did it!" he shouted as he ran toward Ivysaur.

"He actually won," said Hillary in awe. She was shocked that Ivysaur overcame all sorts of troubles to emerge victorious against Hitmonchan.

Kiyo's students were shocked, too, but knew that Tristan had earned his victory.

Ivysaur and Tristan embraced one another.

"You were awesome, Ivysaur," said Tristan.

Ivysaur nodded approvingly, for now it had proven it could hold its own in battle, even against Pokémon who knew some Fire attacks.

Kiyo returned Hitmonchan to its Pokéball, which he held close. "Hitmonchan, you put up a great fight," he said. But I have to admit, he thought as he looked at Tristan and Ivysaur, they put up a better one.


Some time later, Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Kiyo stood outside the Fighting Dojo.

"You're leaving Saffron City?" asked Tristan. "But why?"

"Yeah, I thought you were happy to run the Dojo and teach your students the martial arts of a Pokémon battle," added Hillary.

"Well, let's just say that I still have a lot more to learn," replied Kiyo. "I think I'm going to start training at the Cianwood Gym. I'm hoping I can get into the Gym and learn some new techniques under the teachings of master Chuck. In the meantime, I'll have one of my students run the Dojo for me while I'm gone."

"We know you'll do well, Kiyo," said Hillary.

"So, where are you kids off to next?" asked Kiyo.

"I'm going to try and earn my seventh badge on Cinnabar Island," answered Tristan.

"Well it looks like you're going to have a hot time in that old town," said Kiyo.

Everyone laughed.


An experience of fighting the good fight has left Tristan and Kiyo with a better sense of understanding one another's battling styles. And so, with another fierce battle behind him, Tristan prepares to leave Saffron City for Cinnabar Island and his next Gym Battle.

TO BE CONTINUED...