Chapter no.48 : Fighting Dojo
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As Austin walked down the bustling streets of Saffron City, the sun beat down mercilessly on the pavement, causing the air to shimmer with heat. Pikachu and Lucario walked alongside him, their death glares directed at each other as they remembered the dance-off from earlier that day. Yellow, on the other hand, seemed unfazed as she happily munched on her mochi, which Austin had been forced to pay for after she emerged victorious in the dance-off, or as Lucario preferred to call it, "swaying." Pikachu, still bitter about his loss, shot Austin a pleading look, hoping for a small treat in the form of an ice cream cone with evaporated milk as a topping, but his trainer paid him no mind.
"Ash, are we going to war with Team Rocket?" Yellow curiously asked, her mouth still full of mochi.
"Why do you say that?" Ash replied, his eyes scanning the crowded street.
"Because you're always up at night making some kind of plans in that weird dictionary of yours," Yellow explained.
"Well, I was creating a plan where we're not in immediate danger," Ash replied, a hint of determination in his voice.
"Well, that's good," Yellow said, her tone relieved.
"Yes, that is good," Ash agreed.
"So, war," Yellow said, a hint of excitement creeping into her voice.
"Yes, Yellow, war," Ash said, his expression serious.
"To the war!" Yellow exclaimed, her cheer echoing off the tall buildings that surrounded them. But before they could set off, Austin interjected, "Technically, the war is that way. But first we've got to go THIS way..." he said as he pointed towards an old dojo in the distance. The sound of their steps echoed off the pavement as they made their way towards their destination.
...
Saffron City was once a proud Fighting city, renowned for its combination of roughness and elegance. The citizens could hold their heads high when thinking about the worldwide influence of Silph Co., headquartered in their grand city, as well as the tough gym located at the north end of town. The leader of the gym, a Karate master named Anthony, wore his black belt with honor as he and his followers set a high standard for any trainers seeking to earn the badge necessary to enter the Indigo Plateau and the Kanto branch of the Pokemon League. For a long time, it seemed as though things would never change.
But then, Sabrina Marvil arrived. She walked up to the infamous Fighting-type gym, challenged Anthony to a battle with the future of the gym at stake. If Anthony was able to defeat her, she would relinquish her own position as Elite Four member. However, if she won, Anthony would have to shut down his gym permanently.
The battle lasted only three minutes. Three minutes was all it took to completely humiliate the Fighting-type gym leader, as Sabrina emerged victorious, and claimed the position of the new Saffron City gym leader. The once powerful Fighting-type gym was now reduced to a mere dojo, as Sabrina settled in as the new psychic-type gym leader of Saffron City.
Many students left the gym for various reasons, as the once-proud dojo that had produced geniuses like Bruno of the Elite Four, was now ridiculed and mocked in their own home. But the few trainers who remained at the dojo couldn't care less about what others thought of them. They had grown up in this place and would remain loyal to it until their last breath. But loyalty alone wouldn't put food on the table. The students of the dojo would work as bouncers, security guards, and more, to make ends meet and keep their beloved dojo from being repossessed by the League, as they couldn't afford the payments for the lease of the dojo. The sound of fists hitting pads and grunts of effort could be heard echoing in the halls of the dojo as they trained hard to make a living and keep their beloved gym alive.
...
[ Fighting Dojo - Outside ]
[ 12: 05 PM ]
It was a sweltering summer day in Saffron City, the sun beating down mercilessly on the pavement. The streets were bustling with people going about their business, the sound of chatter and traffic filling the air. Amidst the hustle and bustle stood an old, run-down building that had once been a proud Fighting dojo. The sign above the entrance had seen better days, the paint chipped and faded, the wood creaking in the wind.
"Yo, Paulie!" A voice called out from the roof of the building. Troddie, the son of the dojo master, was perched atop the building, surveying the area below. He had grown up in the city, and like his father, he had inherited a love for Fighting and the old traditions of the dojo.
Below him, a pudgy old man scowled as he pulled away another piece of broken glass. "Takin' its sweet ol' time, Troddie!" Paulie shouted back, his voice loud and gruff. Paulie was a native of Saffron, and had developed a pronounced twang in his accent. He had grown up in the city, worked at the factory plant of Silph Co., married his high school sweetheart Bettie, put two daughters through college from his assembly-line job, grown old with his wife in their cozy two-bedroom house. But as he grew older, he became restless and began to resent the changes that had come to the city. He had always been a fighter who believed in old fashions and traditions and hated the way Sabrina had brought a detached and hyper-clean attitude to the city. "It's like the place is colder, like a permafrost!" He had complained to his ever-patient wife one evening. She encouraged him to find something to do if he was so upset, to find a way to make a difference.
So, he tried running for city council. Despite being beloved in his neighborhood as that curmudgeonly grandfather-type with a heart of gold, he was not a good public speaker or campaigner. He swept his district of the city near-unanimously, but outside of his rather blue-collar neighborhood, he was rolled up and tossed aside in favor of someone "more in touch with the rest of the community."
The first time he'd met Troddie, he had scrunched his eyes up behind his thick glasses before asking incredulously "What the hell kinda name is Trodaire? Forget that, I'm just callin' yas Troddie!" Troddie had laughed, but did not object. He needed help with fixing the old dojo since all his brothers were on their day jobs and the chance occurrence with Paulie was too good an opportunity to pass up as the old man had tried coaching youth sports. He had been a boxer in his youth, and the principal of Saffron High was an old classmate of his who knew his ability to connect with kids. And it worked. Again, he was well-liked by the parents and beloved by the players. For three years, he worked the Saffron High Men's Boxing Team to a competitive edge that looked to challenge for the regional championship, and he had even helped get a Woman's team off of the ground too. When asked why he went through the trouble, he shrugged and said "Women oughta have the right to beat their men up. It'll get every morose slacker in the city in high gear!"
In the end, however, he was again cut out from underneath. Budget cuts to local schools meant auxillary programs needed to be cut, and it was unfortunate that boxing was first on the chopping block. Desperate, Paulie begged the school board and the city council to keep the program running if only to give troubled and at-risk students a healthy outlet. The Council relented, and they kept the program on one condition: They'd have to save money from somewhere, and Paulie agreed to resign. They'd been paying him peanuts, but now they brought in a clueless and spineless graduate student who they could pay even less. Paulie knew that the program was not going to be the same. He'd remembered seeing Sabrina in the crowd during his hearing, and again spite her.
As Paulie continued to sweep up the broken glass, the sound of shattering glass and the scrape of the broom against the pavement filled the air. The dojo had seen better days, but Paulie and Troddie were determined to bring it back to its former glory. They worked tirelessly, the sound of hammers and saws echoing throughout the building as they made repairs and renovations.
Despite the challenges they faced, Paulie and Troddie were determined to keep the dojo alive. They knew that it was more than just a building, it was a symbol of the city's Fighting spirit, a reminder of the old traditions and values that they held dear. They would not let it die, no matter what obstacles stood in their way.
As they worked, the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the city. The streets were quieter now, the bustle of the day subsiding. But inside the dojo, the sound of progress and determination filled the air, a beacon of hope for the future.
That was a year ago. He and Bettie were living fine under his retirement benefits and her part-time work as a secretary for Silph Co. (Paulie had grumbled that at least they hadn't stolen his pension away from him), but both of them knew he was getting restless in retirement. Paulie needed to do something for the city he'd put so much of himself into, and he needed to do it soon and that is when Trodaire came in.
Even with all the help from the old generation and his brothers in all but blood, Trodaire was desperate with the looming threat of repossession getting bigger and the league didn't see much benefit in the fighting dojo.
Trodaire had called up Bruno for help and the league was able to extend the deadline but they still needed money if they didn't want to see the dojo gone and his actions of calling Bruno for help had caused a fight to breakout between father and son.
Even the Trodaire wanted to get help from Bruno but everyone disagreed with him as their pride wouldn't allow them to ask someone like Bruno for help.
Trodaire had shouted at everyone that they didn't have any other choice but no one was willing to beg.
They'd rather die then destroy the only thing that they had.
Trodaire out of desperation had begun to put up posters about a challenge all over Saffron City. A Battle royal in which a trainer will have to beat the students of the Fighting Dojo with the prize of a Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee.
Some trainers came and were easily defeated with the dojo earning a little money but the amount they needed was so much more.
Trodaire gritted his teeth as he wacked the nail infront of him.
Why couldn't his father see that they were going to lose their home ?
As the sun was beating down mercilessly on Trodaire while he had been working on repairs when his senses, honed from years of training with Pokemon, suddenly screamed out a warning of danger. Gritting his teeth, Trodaire turned around, expecting to find an enemy behind him, only to find the sky empty.
"Hey!" A girl's voice shouted out from below, causing Trodaire to look down and see Austin, Yellow, Lucario, and Pikachu. Trodaire couldn't help but feel a sense of embarrassment for forgetting that he was on the roof, but he couldn't shake off the suffocating presence he felt from the group. To his senses, Yellow felt like the cold abyss, Austin felt like a never-ending sea, Pikachu felt like a thunderstorm while Lucario felt like an alien-like entity, something that one had to run from, never fight.
With a gulp, Trodaire asked, "What is it?"
"Is this the Fighting Dojo?" Yellow's question filled Trodaire with a sense of dread. What did they want with the dojo?
"No," Trodaire answered, causing Austin to jerk back in surprise. Yellow, however, was reading a poster in her hand. Seeing the poster, Trodaire asked, "Are you here for the challenge?"
"Yes!" Yellow's answer caused Trodaire to take a deep breath. These two were the only trainers that had come to the dojo in these last few days. Even if there was danger involved, Trodaire needed the money desperately, so with a gulp, he said, "Sorry, today's heat got to me, but this is the Fighting Dojo."
"Oh, do you need some water?" Yellow asked, causing Trodaire to frown. Was this girl putting up an act or something? The sound of the group's footsteps could be heard as they came closer to the dojo. Trodaire couldn't shake off the sense of unease as he let them into the dojo. They were young, and their eyes were filled with excitement and determination, but Trodaire couldn't shake off the feeling of danger that surrounded them. He couldn't help but wonder what their true intentions were for coming to the dojo.
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Trodaire led Austin and Yellow through the entrance of the dojo, a small, dilapidated building nestled in the heart of the city. As they stepped inside, the duo was immediately struck by the state of disrepair that greeted them. The floors were littered with debris, and the carpets had been gnawed on by Raticate, leaving behind frayed edges and moldy corners. The walls were peeling, and the equipment looked as though it hadn't been replaced in decades.
Yellow couldn't help but voice her shock, "Is this a dojo?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
As if in answer to her question, an old, gravelly voice called out, "Yes, it is, young lady." The duo turned to see an elderly man, his body burly and aged, walking towards them. He was accompanied by a small group of students, all dressed in worn and tattered karate gis. Despite the shabby state of their attire, each student carried themselves with an aura of confidence and discipline.
The Old Karate Master stepped up to speak. " As you probably know but we do it a little differently here: tourney style! One of you has gotta fight the gauntlet before we give you the badge, no swap-outs, no Z moves, you go until you have been beaten! You with us so far?"
' Z moves?' Yellow and Austin wondered
"Yup, totally," Austin said, nodding while Yellow looked at the students nervously. The look of absolute focus on their faces was a little intimidating.
The Old Karate Master looked at Yellow before exclaiming harshly.
"We do not accept cowardice at the fighting dojo! If you want to challenge us, we need to see courage and determination."
Trodaire in the back almost facepalmed. Why was his father like this? These were the only two trainers to come to the dojo in the last few days and now he was doing something like that after the duo agreed to pay upfront 2000 pokedollars.
Austin almost stepped forward wanting to shut this old man up.
Maybe it was his overprotectiveness after Raticate's death or maybe he didn't want someone speaking to his friend in such a tone but Lucario was quick to stop the transmigrator.
Yellow took a deep breath and stepped forward. "My name is Yellow, and this is Ash Ketchum. We have come to challenge the Karate Master!" she declared with confidence.
"Yes! This young lass has shown the traits we look for." The Old Master smiled before stating
" Since there are two of you challenging us, you will each face three of my black belts before facing me!"
"Yes sir!" Yellow said with Austin nodding
"Who shall go first?" the Karate Master asked.
"I will!" Yellow said.
"Very well! You will face Hideki first! Step up to the center of the dojo!"
Yellow did so as well as Hideki. They stood in front of each other and bowed.
"I should have you know that I have trained with the master a long time! I won't be beaten easily!" Hideki said.
"Fine with me!" Yellow smiled confidently. "Go, Tenty."
The Tentacool appeared and struck a pose eerily similar to Steve the Omanyte causing Austin and Lucario to look at each other before nodding.
They had to talk with the Prehistoric Pokémon.
"You are using a Tentacool against me? I hope this experience gives me knowledge for future battles" Hideki said calmly as he sent out a Machoke.
The Machoke loomed over Tenty menacingly while Tenty glared back.
He will spread the name of the great Lord Helix by defeating this heathen.
"You may begin!" Trodaire shouted.
"Tenty, use Poison Jab."
Tenty turned and shot out his tentacle towards Machoke which glowed with a purplish ooze.
"Get ready to catch it!" Hideki ordered.
Machoke held its ground as it outstretched its hands, ready for it but it wasn't expecting Tenty's tentacle to shoot forward like a bullet, through his guard. It sailed between Machoke's hands and straight into its chest. Machoke was sent back with pain visible on his face.
"Now use Battering Ram, Tenty," Yellow giggled causing Tenty to wiggle his tentacles as a greenish barrier formed between its tentacles as it used that barrier as a weapon on Machoke which sent it back onto the ground again.
Machoke gritted his teeth as it caught Tenty's tentacle and pulled it towards itself.
Tenty began struggling to break out of the superpower Pokemon's hands. This time it was Machoke who smirked at Tenty. For the first time in a while, Yellow had a scared look on its face before an idea came to her.
" Use Poison Jab!" Yellow commanded causing the other students to break out in whispers.
Should they stop the battle as they didn't want Machoke to get poisoned? If it did get poisoned then they would have to spend money to send it to the pokemon center since unlike league trainers, healthcare for pokemon wasn't free for civilians.
"Use Seismic Toss, and send that thing flying!" Hideki yelled.
Machoke then began to swing Tenty around and around to build momentum. With as hard as Machoke could throw, Tentacool would probably be knocked out once the attack was finished. Yellow was trying hard to think of what to do. Since status changes and special moves weren't allowed in the dojo, she would have to rely on Tenty's will to outdo Machoke's.
" Wrapping Lock!" Yellow called.
Tenty then began to spin quickly inside Machoke's strong grip. This was making it difficult for the superpower Pokemon to hold on to it. Its grip was slipping, and it soon had to stop swinging Tenty just to hold onto it. Finally, Tenty was able to build enough momentum to shoot out of Machoke's hands and right into its face before wrapping its glowing poison-oozing tentacles around the superpower Pokemon's neck.
The next few minutes were a struggle as Machoke's body was filled with poisonous toxins and with a lack of oxygen due to the tentacles wrapped around its neck, Machoke fell backward onto the wooden floor where it didn't get back up.
" That was amazing." Hideki praised but it would seem that the loss had truly left a mark on Hideki who clenched his fists.
Did I not put my heart and soul into it?
Why did I lose to such a little girl?
"That's right, Tenty and I were a team that time, weren't we Tenty ?!" Yellow smiled.
Tenty turned around and nodded at its trainer.
"You may now take a rest if you wish to let the young man challenge one of us!" the Karate Master offered meanwhile Trodaire looked at Machoke in concern.
It was poisoned.
" Hey." A voice called out to Trodaire causing him to look up as he saw a poison heal thrown towards him.
Trodaire blinked as he glanced at the poison heal before looking at Austin who was gritting his teeth while sweat dripped down from his face.
What was wrong with him?
Trodaire thought before asking," Is this a poison heal ?"
" Yes," Austin replied as he tried to calm his heart down as his mind flashed to Raticate's poisoning.
" Thank you," Trodaire said as he went to his brother meanwhile Yellow ran up to Austin to try to help.
" A, Ash."
Yellow asked in concern as Austin just closed his eyes trying to calm himself down.
It felt like he couldn't breathe.
Yellow placed her palm on his head before whispering," It's ok, It's ok ..."
Lucario and Pikachu meanwhile patted the boy's back.
" Young man, are you alright?" The Old Master asked, his voice deep and commanding.
Austin stood at the edge of the dojo, his breath steady and controlled.
With a deep breath, Austin answered," Yes, I am alright."
Austin then stepped to the center of the dojo. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the room, the only noise aside from the steady breathing of the other students.
"Very well! Your opponent will be Trodaire!" The Old Master determined, his voice booming through the dojo.
Trodaire stepped up to the center of the fighting dojo, as well. He wore a karate gi, but his was black with red trim. His hair was short and spiky, and his eyes were filled with a fierce determination. He and Austin both bowed to one another before pulling out a respective pokeball.
"I'm going to use a dual-type against you to give me an advantage!" Trodaire stated. "Go Poilwrath!"
A large tadpole-like Pokemon that looked like a buffed up version of Poliwhirl appeared from the pokeball. It was a Poliwrath. It flexed its arms and looked very prepared for battle.
"A Poliwrath, huh?" Yellow mumbled as zhe pulled out her pokedex.
"Poliwrath, the tadpole Pokemon and the evolved form of Poliwhirl..."
Ignoring the Pokedex, Austin open his PokeBall infront of him revealing a purple blob like pokemon.
" Ditto?"
A confused voice came from the pokemon as it looked at its trainer.
" Are you ready for the battle ?" Austin asked causing Ditto to vigorously shake his head.
With a sigh, Austin went down and patted the transform pokemon as he said," Ditto, we have been training for this moment. I know it's scary to think of losing but it's ok to lose because that's a part of life. There is no shame in losing but there is shame in not even trying." He pause for a moment, then added " Someone famous onced said 'It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.' We've trained for this moment, now it's time to show everyone what we're made of. Are you ready to give it your all?"
Austin could see the little guy's quivering mouth but the determination in it's eyes spoke volumes of how he wanted to change his cowardly and shy nature.
Ditto puffed his chest out as he moved towards the battlefield.
"You may now begin!" the judge shouted.
As Ditto looked back at his trainer, it nodded its head in determination. Pikachu couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the sight of Austin pulling out a stick from his pocket and striking a pose as Austin stood tall with his feet firmly planted on the ground, his arms stretched out in front of him with one hand gripping the stick tightly and the other hand extended outwards with the fingers spread wide. The stick was held parallel to the ground and pointed towards Ditto. His back was straight, and his head was held high, his gaze fixed on Ditto.
Ditto mimicked the pose, its body taking on the same position as Austin's.
" Yaaa !" Yellow exclaimed while clapping her hands while Lucario was doing his best not to comment on it.
" Xenomorph!"
Austin yelled as he threw the stick towards Ditto and as soon as it made contact with Ditto's body, it began to transform. The transformation was sudden, and it was as if the Pokemon's body was melting away. The purple jelly-like mass expanded rapidly, engulfing the entire dojo in a bright light.
As the light cleared, a Xenomorph emerged. The creature stood at least seven feet tall, and its body was covered in a sleek black exoskeleton that glistened in the dim light of the dojo. Its head was elongated and tapered, and a set of razor-sharp teeth were visible even from a distance. Its eyes glowed red, giving it a menacing appearance. The creature's body was muscular, and its arms ended in sharp claws that looked capable of slicing through metal. Its tail was elongated, writhing continuously, ready to strike at any moment. The Xenomorph's body was covered in a thick layer of black exoskeleton that seemed almost impenetrable. It was a formidable opponent, and its appearance was nothing short of terrifying.
What stood infront of everyone was the result of Austin's training with Ditto ? He had successfully made ditto transform into a Xenomorph.
Shock rang throughout the dojo as they saw the alien like creature.
Yellow and Pikachu hide behind Lucario as they looked at Diito's transformation with stars in their eyes while Lucario wondered what unholy creature had ditto transformed into.
" Brick Break on it, Poliwrath!" Trodaire yelled as Poliwrath charged towards the Xenomorph.
Ditto opened his mouth causing the Xenomorph to show another mouth extend out genuinely scaring Poliwrath.
The Xenomorph's tail shot towards Poliwrath as Ditto's brick break slammed right into it.
" Catch it !' Trodaire yelled out as Poliwrath tried to catch the Xenomorph's tail with suddenly spiked up causing the water and fighting type to have second thoughts.
" Mega Punch" Austin called while holding the Pokedex in his hand as while Ditto's appearance was that of a Xenomorph, he still had copied Poliwrath's stats and moveset with transform.
"Use your Mega Punch as well, Poliwrath!" Trodaire ordered.
The Xenomorph suddenly ran on all fours towards Poliwrath. Seeing the Xenomorph's better mobility, Trodaire called," Poliwrath, patience"
Poliwrath suddenly took a horse stance as the Xenomorph came closer.
Poliwrath timed his Mega Punch perfectly but it didn't take one thing into account.
A few seconds before Poliwrath lashed out with Mega Punch, the Xenomorph jumped up using his tail to launch himself up.
Twisting mid air, the Xenomorph's tail glowed with Mega Punch before it landed cleanly on Poliwrath's head.
"Cross Chop." Austin causally said as the Xenomorph still mid air crossed his arms which glowed with purplish fighting type energy.
"Use Submission, Poliwrath!" Todaire countered.
As the Xenomorph got close enough to attack, Poliwrath reached out and grabbed Ditto before it could complete the Cross Chop. It then put into a submission hold which caused Ditto to yell in pain.
"Oh, no." Yellow called worriedly
"Use Seismic Toss!" Trodaire ordered.
Poliwrath then picked up the Xenomorph and tried to swing it around like Machoke did to Tenty before it. Unfortunately, the Xenomorph's tail hit Poliwrath's ankle causing it to grunt in pain.
" Use Superpower!" Trodaire commanded.
Austin sighed.
That was a bad play.
As Austin shouted "Hell's Nightmare," the Xenomorph began to writhe and contort, its body wracked with spasms as it began to molt. The process was grotesque, and the sight of it caused Poliwrath to freeze in fear, its attack coming to a halt. As the final layer of exoskeleton fell away, a new creature emerged from within. It was a monstrosity, a twisted and deformed version of the Xenomorph that stood before them. Its body was twisted, its limbs elongated, and its eyes glowed with an unearthly light.
"Dempsey's Edge!" Austin shouted as the creature charged towards the fear-frozen Poliwrath. Trodaire shouted for his Pokemon to snap out of it, but it was too late. The Xenomorph performed a Dempsey's roll, its body tumbling towards the Poliwrath with incredible speed and force. As it reached its target, it unleashed a devastating move, "Double Edge," that sent Poliwrath crashing to the wooden floor of the dojo with swirls in its eyes.
The battle was over, and Ditto emerged victorious. The Pokemon transformed back to its original form and stood over the defeated Poliwrath, striking a victorious pose. But as it looked around, it saw the horrified expressions on the faces of the other trainers, and it quickly became embarrassed, lowering its head.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! The winner is Ditto!" the judge said.
"Awesome job!" Austin congratulated his Pokemon as he ran up to hug it.
"Diiii"
Ditto stealthily transformed and took Austin's hat from his head before transforming into a small coffee mug as it hide beneath the hat.
" Looks like some things never change." Austin said causing Pikachu to answer.
" Pika.
"You have both defeated your first opponents. Well done! However, you have a while to go before you face me!" The Old Master told them.
Austin nodded but the next two fights were a curb stomp as he used Dragonaire and Rhyhorn to effortlessly destroy the other students.
Yellow meanwhile used Dody and Kitty to overwhelm her opponents.
The only one they had left to challenge was the Karate Master, himself. It didn't appear they were going to be challenging him by what he said next.
"Well done to both of you! You have bested the black belts of this dojo and only have me to face. I don't think I would be any match for you as I have stopped being a pokemon trainer ever since my fated battle with Sabrina ," The Old man told them with a little pain in his voice.
Yellow looked at the old man sympathetically while Austin said," Excuse me, Master ..."
" Anthony."
" Master Anthony, I would like to propose something that will greatly help you and this dojo."
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The old dojo was a place of history and tradition, the wooden floors creaked under the weight of years and the smell of sweat and determination hung heavy in the air. Trodaire, the master of the dojo, stood tall and proud, dressed in his traditional Karate Gi, the white fabric adorned with intricate designs and symbols. He stood before Austin and with a stern voice, he instructed him on how to properly wear the Gi.
On the side of the dojo, a group of students stood huddled together, murmurs of discontent could be heard amongst them. "Master, is this necessary?" one student questioned. "Yeah, that brat doesn't even know how to wear a Gi, how is he supposed to fight us?" another chimed in. The Old Master listened to their complaints, his wise eyes taking in the scene before him.
"That brat has offered to pay us 10,000 pokedollars if we spar with him." The Old Master's words caused a sudden silence to fall upon the dojo. The students' eyes widened at the mention of such a large sum of money, it was enough to pay off the dojo's lease for a few months.
...
The old dojo was a place of history and tradition, the wooden floors creaked under the weight of years and the smell of sweat and determination hung heavy in the air. Trodaire, stood tall and proud, dressed in his traditional Karate Gi, the white fabric adorned with intricate designs and symbols. The students of the dojo, dressed in their Gis, watched as Trodaire prepared to begin the match between Austin and Hideki. Yellow stood to the side, her eyes filled with worry as she hugged Pikachu tightly.
"Lucario, isn't Ash going to get hurt?" Yellow asked, her voice filled with concern. Lucario replied with confidence. "In terms of physical strength, no one in this dojo should match up to Austin, and in terms of fighting prowess, that will soon become a non-factor." His words, while reassuring, confused Yellow.
"Are both fighters ready?" Trodaire announced, causing Austin and Hideki to bow. "Let the fight begin!" As Trodaire called for the fight to begin, Hideki said while taking a stance, "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you." Austin just smiled in response as he tried to take a boxer's stance, but everyone could see multiple flaws in the boy's stance.
Hideki, who was an experienced martial artist, took a defensive stance, his legs shoulder-width apart, his left foot behind his right, and his hands in front of his face, ready to defend or attack. Austin, on the other hand, looked uncoordinated as he tried to mimic a boxer's stance, his feet were not parallel, his back foot was not pointed forward, and his hands were not in front of his face.
Seeing Hideki on the defense, Austin took the opportunity to charge forward as he lashed out with a punch. Hideki simply parried Austin's punch with his palm before gripping the transmigrator's gi and judo flipping him onto the mat. ( ~ Argh ~ ) Austin grunted as his back was slammed into the old mat, while Hideki clasped both sides of Austin's gi before crossing them as he performed a Gi choke on the transmigrator.
Austin's tattoos glowed before he grasped Hideki's hands and forcefully made him break the choke. Hideki jumped back as he looked at his wrists that had Austin's palmprint on them. "How was this kid so physically strong?" Hideki thought before turning his attention back to Austin who got up and, suddenly, under everyone's eyes, Austin replicated Hideki's stance without any imperfections.
The Old Master and all the other students looked at Austin's identical stance, it was as if they were seeing a mirror version of Hideki.
Hideki, meanwhile, was the most shocked at Austin's mirroring of his stance. He immediately charged to attack and leaped up and spun through the air, aiming a powerful kick at Austin's head. He had planned to play it safe at first but after witnessing Austin's freakish strength and his weird mirroring, Hideki had enough and just wanted to finish the battle.
( ~ Whoosh ~ )
( ~ Boom ~ )
Lucario smirked at Austin's unconventional use of mirror move while Yellow was mesmerized as Austin parried the roundhouse kick with his palms. To the eyes of the Old Master, he could see that Austin's parry was exactly one-to-one to that of Hideki's previous parry. "Mirror Move!" he exclaimed.
Austin's eyes glowed for a second before he spun on the heel of his foot and landed a devastating roundhouse kick on Hideki's face. ( ~ Thud ~ )
Hideki landed on the mat out cold.
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted out in excitement as Austin stood over the downed Hideki. "No, that has to be a mistake," another one of the students said as he stepped into the ring with Austin and, unlike Hideki, he took on a Jujitsu stance.
Austin smiled and mirrored his opponent's stance to a tee. This was the reason why he had come to this dojo. Not because he wanted the Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan, but rather because he wanted to fight these martial art experts and steal their moves into his own with mirror move. Unlike Pokemon, who forget the specifics, human bodies retain muscle memory and coordination with mirror moves. He just needed to see a physical action being performed and he could copy it perfectly.
The Old Master watched in horror as Austin fought off the other students, each one falling to his unmatched strength and precise mirroring of their moves. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
This boy wasn't some kind of prodigy, no; he was a freak.
People said money can't buy one's experience and hard work but on this day the dojo saw the skills they developed through years of blood, sweat, and tears get stolen in exchange for money.
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[ A Week Ago - Sinnoh ]
[ Pokemon League ]
The large conference room was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the large projector screen at the front of the room. Cynthia, the champion of the Sinnoh region's Pokemon League, sat at the head of the table, her Elite Four by her side. They all sat in silence as they gazed upon the scientist from Johto, Spencer Hale, as he began his presentation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today I bring to you some exciting news," Spencer began, his voice filled with excitement. "As you all know, we have been studying the ancient ruins of Celestic Town and the artifacts found there. Our research has led us to some intriguing findings, particularly in regards to the fluctuations we have found between the artifacts and the pillars of Creation."
The Elite Four leaned in, their attention fully on Spencer as he continued his presentation. He displayed graphs and charts on the screen, detailing the fluctuations and their findings. "As you can see here," Spencer said, pointing to a graph on the screen, "we have found that there is a direct correlation between the artifacts from Celestic Town and the pillars of Creation."
The Elite Four asked a few questions, their curiosity piqued by Spencer's findings. Cynthia, however, sat back in her chair, her arms crossed as she observed the presentation. She had seen many presentations like this in her time as a champion and as a student, and she couldn't help but wonder what the purpose of this entire meeting was.
"Spencer, what is the purpose of this entire meeting?" Cynthia asked, her voice calm and collected. Spencer turned to her, a smile on his face.
"The purpose of this meeting, Cynthia, is to reveal that we have found a way to activate the Azure Flute." Spencer's words caused a stir amongst the Elite Four, their eyes widening in surprise.
"The Azure Flute? That's impossible!" Flint, one of the Elite Four exclaimed.
"Not impossible," Spencer replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "We have found a way to activate the Azure Flute, and with it, we will be able to access the hidden chambers of the pillars of creation."
Cynthia leaned forward, her interest piqued. The Azure Flute was a legendary instrument, said to have the power to summon the legendary Pokemon of time and space, Dialga and Palkia. If Spencer's findings were true, they could change the entire course of their research.
"Spencer, this is groundbreaking," Cynthia said, her voice filled with admiration. "But how do you plan to activate the Azure Flute? And what do you hope to achieve by accessing the hidden chambers or if there are any ?"
Spencer took a deep breath before he began his explanation "We have found a set of specific notes and melody that when played on the Azure flute, will activate it and allow us to access the hidden chambers. As for what we hope to achieve, we hope to uncover the secrets of the ancient civilization and hopefully unlock the true power of the Azure Flute."
The Elite Four sat in silence, their minds racing with the possibilities that Spencer's findings could bring. Cynthia sat back in her chair, a small smile on her face. She knew that this meeting would be the beginning of a new chapter in their research and she couldn't wait to see where it would lead them.
The meeting ended with Spencer and Cynthia discussing further steps and plans, the Elite 4 and other scientists were left in awe at the thought of unlocking the secrets of the ancient civilization and discovering the true power of the Azure Flute.
[ A Week Later ]
[ Sinnoh - Celestic Town ]
' I wonder what Austin's doing right now.'
Cynthia thought while stepping onto the stage. The roaring chatter of the assembled reporters died down as the Champion of Sinnoh made her presence known.
Everyone had seen the video, by this point. They saw her play an old runic flute at Spear Pillar, and they saw the things that answered her call.
While they weren't the Legendary God of Time and Space, the glimpse of the plane between the four realities had left the entire world shocked especially the scientific community.
The four Realities were real and pokemon existed in between the worlds.
Cynthia's phone had been ringing off the hook for several days. The government told her, politely but forcefully, that it was time for a public statement. She supposed, in hindsight, that she really should have expected something like this would happen when she had used the old flute.
"Thank you for coming here today," she began. "First, and most importantly, I want to assure everyone there is no cause for alarm. The unknown pokemon have left and the azure flute has been relocated to a secure location."
All the reporters jumped up at once. "Representing the Sinnoh Gazette –" one shouted louder than the others, jabbing a microphone forward. "Does this prove the superiority of the Trinity?"
Cynthia blinked twice, briefly confused. "Well," she said slowly, "pokemon that didn't match the descriptions of Dialga and Palkia, didn't appear –"
"Yes, but what about those unknown creatures, were they the avatars of the Trinity," the reporter explained. There was an unnerving glint in his eye, the look of a man who has had his world turned upside-down and is now finding a way to explain how it is still right-side-up. "They appeared to protect you from the wrath of the true God, opposing the false creator. Is that correct?" The other reporters gave him looks of varying contempt and bafflement.
Cynthia blinked again. She did not recall learning that particular fact in church, not that she ever tried to attend that place. "I am… not certain if that is wholly correct," she said carefully. "The pokemon that appeared was only for a short time, but they did not appear to be communicating with one another. But on that topic, I wish to urge everyone –" She raised a hand as the hubbub rose again. "– I wish to urge everyone not to jump to conclusions. We have not only confirmed that the four realities exist, but have also gained the understanding that a new type of pokemon resembling the human alphabetical language appears to reside in the plane between the four realities, but the possibility of Palkia and Dialga still is up in the air; it's been longstanding academic consensus that they did exist in some form. That does not necessarily mean the ancients were correct in their beliefs surrounding these pokemon –"
She was drowned out by shouting, and another reporter jumped up. "People are arguing that this proves they are the creators of the universe, disproving the superiority of the Trinity and all other religions. Do you have any comment on –the"
"That proves nothing!" the Sinnoh Gazette reporter exclaimed. "The Trinity could still have come first. Surely, higher thought and emotion would have to come before the creation of base physical aspects. As Champion Cynthia says, there is no need to jump to conclusions."
"Calm yourselves," a reporter called from the back, her Kalosian accent giving her words a nasal air. "Let us look at this rationally, please. The ancients may have been bedeviled by their power, but we need not be. They are only pokemon."
Cynthia had to stifle a sigh of relief. Finally, someone sensible.
"And no pokemon could have created the universe. After all, God made us in his image."
There was a brief moment of complete silence. Then, "Well," the Sinnoh Gazette reporter said tightly, "well, that is certainly one opinion, but the Trinity of the Lakes –"
A reporter across the room stood up. "Kanto Times here," she said sharply, "could these pokemon fit in a lake?"
Cynthia stared at her blankly, feeling like she was rapidly losing track of her press conference. "…Yes?"
"Okay, then." The Kanto reporter snapped at the bickering Sinnohans, "There you have it. They're your lake gods. Now, onto an important question," she said, turning back to Cynthia, "how do we know these unknown pokemon will not attack again? You claim they 'left', but do you have any evidence for this?"
Cynthia relaxed. This was an easier territory. "I am quite certain that if they were still anywhere on the globe, we would know. A new organization is currently being built to monitor and study these unknown pokemon and the mystery relating to the four realities. They have returned to wherever they were before."
"But that doesn't mean they'll stay there," the reporter insisted, staring her down. "What if they are only preparing for their next move? If they can manipulate space and time, could they not appear at any moment? Will they retaliate against your attack? Have you doomed us all, Champion?"
"Indeed," a thin voice said before Cynthia could respond. She looked for the source and found it came from a small group in one corner, all wearing the same strange outfit: a jacket studded with Giratina's golden ribs, and a tall hat jutting out with Dialga's crest. "How best may we appease the new gods? Tell us precisely what happened."
The strange man and his entourage were, briefly, more interesting to the reporters than Cynthia herself, and she was grateful for the moment to compose her answer. "Truthfully," she said as the attention turned back to her, "I am not sure if they want anything at all."
The room rose to a clamor again.
"But if you angered the creator –"
"The False God attacked the creator, should we be concerned about potential conflict –"
This time she held up her hands for silence. "Please," she said firmly, "let me explain what happened. After I played the summoning melody, those unknown pokemon appeared. I am aware there is a popular belief that my actions may have enraged the creator, but nothing happened to me."
She paused, trying to think of how to describe that indescribable moment. She settled on, "...things got weird. I would not say the unknown pokemon protected me, but nor do I believe they were trying to attack us. It was an unpleasant experience, but no one was harmed.
" Those pokemon to me felt like they were asleep and my, use of the flute may have woken them up and those unknown pokemon. vanished a moment later, again not paying us any mind."
A skittering sound came to her attention, and her eyes were drawn to the strange group. As one, they had pulled out notepads and were scribbling notes furiously. She stopped for a moment to stare at them. "Honestly," she managed after realizing the silence had stretched out for too long, "I think they just want to be left alone."
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" That was so awesome, you were like this..." Yellow said while doing a punch," Then you were like this."
Yellow tried to kick up but ended up falling if it wasn't for Austin catching her on time.
A bright blush erupted on Yellow's face as she shyly said," You were awesome."
Hearing Yellow's compliment, Austin couldn't help but smile.
He would be lying if Yellow's words didn't stroke his ego.
"When are we going back?" Lucario said as he finished cleaning his claws, while Pikachu tried to touch his bushy tail. "Try it rat and see what happens," Lucario warned, causing Pikachu to gulp and look at Austin. Austin conveyed with his eyes that he wasn't the least bit affected by Pikachu's puppy dog eyes, but Yellow was another story. "Lucario, don't be mean to Pikachu," Yellow scolded, causing Lucario to glance at Yellow before turning to Pikachu.
" You're gonna regret this the rest of your life. Both seconds of it."
Pikachu gulped meanwhile Yellow gasped and glared at Lucario who just ignored her meanwhile Austin sighed.
While Austin and the others were talking, a silence enveloped the other side where Trodaire looked at his brothers in sadness.
Each of them was looking at the floor in shock and shame.
The moves and techniques that they practiced for years were instantly copied by Austin and with his aura-enhanced body, he easily outperformed the students who were left in despair.
They knew they weren't some kind of geniuses but to see someone else do what they had trained for in years. What did all of those blood, sweat, and tears meant?
Nothing!
If someone else could surpass them in such a short period of time.
Was there hard work meaningless?
Such thoughts swirled through the student's heads meanwhile Paulie looked at the Old Master who remained silent.
The Old Master stood in the training grounds, his eyes fixed on Austin's back as he thought to himself. 'Is this level of talent even possible?' He remembered how it took Bruno, a once-in-a-millennium genius, a month or so to learn his techniques. Then, what did that make Austin, who had learned the same techniques with just a glance? The master couldn't help but wonder.
As the group fell into silence, Trodaire, the large dragon-like creature, walked up to Paulie and snatched the water bottle from his hand. He then proceeded to dump the contents on his head as he declared, "I am next." The sound of water splashing echoed through the training grounds as Trodaire stepped into the ring. The eyes of his brothers, friends, and master were all on his back as he prepared to begin his battle.
Austin frowned as he sensed the anger radiating from Trodaire who immediately threw the upper part of his Gi revealing a warrior's physique honed through years of dedication and hard work.
Trodaire immediately jumped up and somersaulted midair before delivering a devastating drop kick that Austin effortlessly dodged but Trodaire's kick tore through the matt below them causing Austin to blink in disbelief before his eyes glowed red.
Mirror Move!
Trodaire's devastating kick was instantly copied by Austin whose aura-enhanced boy was much faster than Trodaire's, Austin landed the kick right onto Trodaire's scapula shattering it on impact yet Trodaire didn't even yell out in pain rather he tried to take Austin's heel into a lock.
At the same time, Austin pushed off Trodaire's broken shoulder and landed on the mat, and immediately went towards Trodaire's legs which countered with a downward slam.
Austin smiled as he performed a perfect heel hook onto Trodaire.
" Give up." Austin calmly ordered as he twisted the heel to show that he wasn't kidding.
Gritting his teeth, Trodaire yelled back," You think I'll give after what you did to my brothers!"
" If it makes you feel any better, I had my reasons to do so," Austin answered back. It wasn't like he could tell them that he was using this dojo to increase his fighting prowess against humans just in case he needs it. Team Rocket isn't going to play fair at all and he didn't have any desire to play fair with them either so he will stack all the cards in his favor until that day they attack Silph Co.
" You think, I will give up just because you have your reasons !"
" Genuinely, no but if you don't want me to break your leg then tap out," Austin said causing Trodaire's fury to rise even more as he suddenly did a backroll with Austin's entire body weight on his leg.
Trodaire's actions caused Austin to let go as he immediately stood in a Roman wrestling stance.
Trodaire gritted his teeth as Austin performed a triple kick that landed directly onto his body Austin hit directly on the liver causing extremely excruciating pain to shoot through Trodaire's body.
Austin was immediately followed by a capoeira's compact half-moon kick that shattered Trodaire's nose.
Trodaire slammed onto the mat while bleeding from his mouth and nose.
Austin nodded and turned back to walk away before suddenly stopping.
"Are you going to show me your big finisher?" Trodaire, spat a mouthful of blood to the side before responding with a smirk, "Why don't you come and find out?"
With a nod, Austin performed a one-inch punch towards Trodaire, who simply outstretched his leg, intercepting Austin's punch before using it as a pivot point to send all the force back onto Austin's face with a vertical tornado kick as a loud thud sound echoed throughout the whole dojo. Austin was thrown back onto the mat, causing Trodaire to smile in triumph, thinking he had defeated his opponent. But the smile on Trodaire's face quickly vanished as Austin stood up with a mere bruise on his cheek.
"What are you?" Trodaire asked in a scared tone, as Austin replied with a hint of confusion in his voice, "I don't even know anymore."
Trodaire took a step back as Austin took a step forward before the Old Master chopped Trodaire's neck, knocking him out.
The dimly lit dojo was filled with tension as the Old Master, dressed in his traditional Gi, shouted at Austin, who stood calmly in front of him. "The fight is done, give us the money and leave!" Austin replied coolly, "No." The Old Master's face contorted in anger as he exclaimed, "What?! We held up our end of the bargain and now you should too!"
Austin's gaze was unwavering as he corrected the Old Master, "Let me correct you there, boomer. I said when everyone in this dojo spars with me, and that includes you." The Old Master's breathing grew heavy as Austin's words hit home. He removed his Gi, revealing a sight.
The Old Master's body was toned, with every muscle defined and sculpted from years of training and discipline. His skin was rough and weathered, giving the impression of someone who has spent a lifetime honing their skills. The Old Master's chest and arms were covered in a maze of scars, each one telling a story of battles fought and wars won
The Old Master's voice was filled with determination as he said, "I'll show you the meaning of respecting your elders, brat!" The sound of the Old Master's breathing and the rustling of the Gi were the only sounds in the dojo as the two prepared to spar.
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The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed throughout the old dojo, causing Trodaire to stir as he opened his eyes. The dojo was dimly lit, with the only light coming from the moonlight filtering through the large, wooden windows. The wooden floors creaked under the weight of the fighters as they battled.
Trodaire's suddenly stirred awakened.
"I'll get ya a glass," Paulie said as Trodaire looked around at his brothers, who were all focused on the fight taking place in the center of the dojo. Trodaire's head was still groggy from being knocked out, and he couldn't quite make out what was happening.
"You awake, Trodaire," Hideki said, noticing that his brother was stirring.
"Huh, what happened?" Trodaire asked, still trying to make sense of what was going on.
"Go get yourself a popcorn," Hideki said, gesturing for Trodaire to come closer and watch the fight.
Trodaire made his way to the front of the dojo and saw that the Old Master was in the middle of a fight with Austin.
The Old Master performed a 360° tornado kick, but Austin was quick enough to catch it. "Is he fighting dad right now?" Trodaire whispered to himself as he watched the two fighters battle.
"What? Did that guy's beating cause some damage to your eyes?" Hideki asked before saying, "That guy is going toe to toe with the master, what a beast?" Hideki's words caused everyone to nod in agreement.
"But how is that possible? Dad's body has been trained by an Alpha Machomp, even most pokemon can't even hurt him yet..." Trodaire's words were cut off as the Old Master's fist embedded itself into Austin's arm, who was quick enough to defend by crossing his arms.
"He is fucking strong," Austin thought as he flinched from the pain in his bones. "You know, it helps to know cliches of anime," Austin said, causing the Old Master to frown as he clenched his core while taking a kick to his solar plexus. The sound of the Old Master's grunts and Austin's groans filled the dojo as the fight continued, each strike and block creating a new sound effect that added to the intensity of the battle.
" Don't even think that I will go easy on you"
The Old Master let out a fierce battle cry as he lunged forward, aiming for Austin's chest. With lightning-fast reflexes, Austin sidestepped the attack and intercepted the Old Master's foot with his own. "Oh, really...right back at you," Austin said with a smirk. He twisted his body, using his foot as a pivot to lash out with a kick directly at the Old Master's face.
But before Austin's kick could connect, the Old Master's hand came crashing down on Austin's back, slamming him into the ground. Austin quickly used the bounce of his body to launch a headbutt at the Old Master, but the elder warrior easily dodged it. The Old Master frowned, impressed by Austin's physical prowess. It was like watching a Pokemon in action.
This momentary distraction was all that Austin needed. He dug his shin into the Old Master's stomach, causing the elder warrior to let out a pained gasp. Austin's knee kick sent the Old Master flying backward, but he quickly regained his footing. "Don't worry, I held back my punch," Austin said, causing an eyebrow to raise from the Old Master.
Lucario, the blue-skinned Pokemon, watched from the sidelines. He couldn't understand why Austin was stalling the fight. But before he could ponder further, the Old Master was back on his feet with little to no signs of damage. Austin's tattoos began to glow as he jumped high into the air and landed a devastating heel drop towards the Old Man who dodged in time. "Looks like you are starting to take this seriously," the Old Master said with a smirk.
The room was filled with gasps as Austin's leg emerged from the shattered floor, his foot and leg were covered in the debris of the torn floor mat. Austin didn't even bother replying as he channeled aura throughout his body, the tattoos on his body began to glow with a bright light.
The Old Man lunged forward with an overhand hook before Austin seemingly disappeared and reappeared to the side while an attack had grazed past the old man's cheek.
( ~ Drip ~ )
Blood flowed down from the laceration on the old man's face as Austin said," Still planning on not taking me seriously."
" I don't kill." The Old Man replied with Austin answering," Then don't think of seeing the end of this day."
Austin's words ended with extremely high pressure oppressing everyone.
The Old Man truly felt that Austin's words weren't a bluff.
The old man stood before Austin, his life hanging in the balance as he felt Austin's monstrous presence. Sweat dripped down his wrinkled face as he faced the monstrous aura of his opponent. At that moment, the old man didn't think of the dojo he had built, the students he had trained, or the money he would earn through this battle.
All he could think of was survival.
Suddenly, steam began to emit from the old man's body, causing Austin to sigh. "Of course, why did I expect anything less from this world?" he thought to himself.
Just as Austin prepared to strike the final blow, the sound of drums echoed through the dojo. Everyone, including Austin, looked around in confusion, trying to locate the source of the strange noise. "First Kata: Flame!" the old man shouted, his voice filled with determination.
With a red streak, the old man appeared in front of Austin, his veins bulging and his body reddened with exertion. He charged forward, attempting to bulldoze Austin with his shoulder, but Austin effortlessly dodged and appeared above the old man, holding onto the top of his head. "That's dangerous," Austin said, before bringing his heel down onto the old man's back with a powerful dropkick.
The old man kipped up but was met with a one-inch punch to the face. At that moment, the old man felt death's hand clamp around his neck. The sound of drums increased as the old man's heart contracted and every muscle fiber in his body strained to counter Austin's punch.
In the back of the dojo, Lucario quickly erected a barrier that protected everyone as the old man's all-out attack created a column of wind that moved from Austin's back, destroying his shirt entirely while embedding a fist mark onto Lucario's barrier.
"Did he win?" Trodaire, asked as Austin lay on the floor, seemingly unconscious. "Ash!" Yellow, screamed out as her eyes glowed cyan before Lucario knocked her out.
( ~ Arggh ~ )
Austin kipped up with a grunt before a red streak went through all of his tattoos that were out for everyone to see. Suddenly, the sound of drums began to play in the dojo as the old man looked at Austin in shock. He was performing the secret kata after seeing it only once. It took him 50 years just to make his body capable of performing the technique yet this kid was doing it after seeing it once.
In his mind, the old master thought that if his most hated student who had once tried to steal this kata through the ancient scrolls from him, if Bruno ever met this monster, who would win?
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the dojo, causing everyone present to freeze in shock and awe. The roof of the dojo was blasted by a column of air, as if a bomb had gone off, sending debris flying everywhere. The old master of the dojo, a wizened man with a long white beard, stood frozen in fear, expecting the worst. But to his surprise, the attack missed him. He fell to the floor, his body trembling with shock and relief.
Austin stood with a cold expression on his face.
Austin looked down at the old master and said, "Thanks, it was fun." With those words, he turned and walked away, his companion, Lucario, threw the knocked-out yellow toward Austin. The dojo was enveloped in absolute silence, as the other students and instructors looked on in disbelief.
As Austin walked out of the dojo, Paulie, a short, stocky man with a thick mustache, walked in. "Did I miss something?" he asked, looking around at the destruction and the stunned faces of those present.
...
Outside of the dojo as Austin and Lucario walked. Lucario turned to Austin as he saw Pikachu trying to use the transmigrator's long hair as a swing.
" Why did you do that ?"
" The money thing or the prize thing."
" Both."
" Eh, I didn't want to take those two. You could sense the desperation they felt when we defeated Trodaire. The Dojo is their home and I didn't want to take them away."
" Hmm, you're better than I thought."
" Huh, what do you expect I was ?"
" A psychotic coffee addict."
" Hey, I don't drink that much."
" Sure, sure but what about the money ?"
" I was getting to it unlike you, I don't have dementia."
Lucario stopped himself from hitting Austin as he gestured for him to continue.
Why did he give that dojo that much money?
" Just because."
" Huh ?"
" I felt like it." Austin didn't bother with Lucario's shocked expression as he remembered his father's words.
...
[ 8 Years Ago ]
[ Earth - Honolulu ]
The sun beat down on the bustling streets of Honolulu as a young boy, no more than seven years old, made his way through a narrow alleyway. The buildings on either side of him were a mix of old and new, with faded paint peeling from their exteriors and the occasional flash of brightly colored graffiti. The air was thick with the scent of tropical flowers and the sounds of chatter and laughter from the vendors and shoppers who lined the alley.
As the boy walked, he couldn't help but notice a commotion up ahead. As he got closer, he saw a group of tourists surrounding a small stall, their voices raised in anger. The stall belonged to an older Hawaiian couple, their weathered faces creased with worry as they tried to defend themselves against the tourists' accusations.
"This is ridiculous!" one of the tourists exclaimed. "You're charging way too much for this stuff!"
"We're not overcharging," the old man replied calmly. "These are fair prices for an authentic Kapa."
"I don't believe you," the tourist sneered. "I'm going to talk to the authorities about this."
The boy watched in horror as the situation escalated, his heart pounding with fear and anger. But just as he was about to turn and run, he saw his father making his way toward the stall. His father was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a kind face, and as he approached the stall and picked up
"Excuse me, how much for this beautiful Kapa? ," his father said.
The tourists were caught off guard by his presence.
" It's 700 dollars."
" Oh, wow, I didn't expect such a beautiful Kapa to be sold at such a cheap price."
Maybe it was due to his father's presence or something else but the nagging tourists began to back down, and soon they were turning and leaving the alleyway, their voices fading into the distance.
The boy's father turned to the old couple, who were still looking shaken.
"Thank you so much," the old woman said to the boy's father. "We were so scared, we didn't know what to do."
"It's no problem," the boy's father replied. "I'm glad I could help."
" You can take the Kapa for free if you'd like."
" No, thank you; I couldn't accept such a gift."
The boy watched back and forth between his father and the old couple eventually settling with his father buying the Kapa for 100 dollars.
" Dad, you were so cool." The boy exclaimed as his father rubbed his head.
" Well, maybe I should charge people for my coolness in this summer heat." John Kevin joked.
" Cringe."
" It was a good joke, Austin."
" Cringe."
" Ha, I missed the little boy who would laugh at his old man's jokes."
" Sorry."
" No, No, I was joking there."
" Really."
" Yes."
As the young Austin and his father walked through the streets.
Austin curiously asked," Dad, why did you help those two old people ?"
" Why not? I had the power to do something to help someone in their time of need."
" you're like spiderman."
" I guess I am, haha, but remember kiddo; you don't have to be a superhero to help someone in need."
" Nah, I am going to be a superhero and help others."
" Hahaha."
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