CHAPTER FORTY FIVE
Amy checked out of her hotel, glad to have spent the night in proper accommodation. Being broke and sleeping badly came hand in hand, something she would never get used to, whatever her background. She frowned at the fur Growlithe had left on her woollen jumper, emerging out onto the side walk and wincing as she was nearly mowed down by a group of bankers, tight in discussion. Walking around with her arm in a sling in heavy pedestrian traffic proved worse for the wear, as idle civilians knocked into her.
Walking through the streets, Amy saw the Gym cramped between a PokeMart and a tea shop, surprised it had been given so little space. Was real estate here that expensive? Surely the Gym would get priority. Walking closer, her heart sunk as she read the sign 'Fighting Dojo'. It was for martial artists!
Amy was on the periphery of leaving, when the entrance door slid open and out stepped a man her age, veins pulsing in his forehead though his face remained stoic. He carried two Pokeballs on his belt.
"You're not going in, are you?" he glanced down at her. "There's no way you'll win if he defeated me."
"Wait, this is a Gym? A Pokemon Gym?" Amy retorted, ignoring his remark in surprise.
"Yeah," his eyes widened in surprise. "You're a Pokemon Trainer? You're in no condition to fight."
"You're in no condition to tell me anything, seeing as you lost," spoke Amy icily. "Excuse me."
She passed him by as she entered, closing the door shut behind her. Around the wooden floor stood muscled men with bulging biceps, white robes pulled tight with a cord over their firm bodies. All had at least one Pokeball on their belt. Glancing up, Amy could see a dais at the far end of the room where a remarkably tall man stood, adjusting an orchid vase below a tapestry.
"Is this a Gym?" asked Amy, her voice eerily echoing in the vast space.
"Heh!" spoke one of the black belts. "What business do you have here, girl?"
"If you fight with Pokemon, then I am a worthy challenger," Amy spoke haughtily, taken aback by the laughter which ricocheted around the room. Notably, the tall man upon the dais did not laugh. He glanced to Amy.
"If she wishes to fight, then we shall demonstrate our talents," the tall man flicked his wrist irritably in the direction of his black belts, and they moved to make room for a battlefield. "I am the Karate Master of this Gym."
"This isn't the Saffron Gym, is it?"
Many noises of dissent echoed around the room. Amy felt worried.
"No. This is definitely not the Saffron Gym," mused the Karate Master. "We challenged them for the right for our Gym to feature in the Pokemon League. In my first defeat ever, she won."
"She?" asked Amy. "The Saffron Gym Leader?"
"Pfft," the Karate Master shook his head. "Her magic tricks. Smoke and mirrors. Of course, her Pokemon are quite another force to be reckoned with."
The Karate Master picked up two Pokeballs from a concealed niche in the wall, turning back on the dais to Amy.
"I will warn you. This Dojo has seen its fair share of defeats. Here, we train our Pokemon to their limits."
"I don't push my Pokemon to their limits," said Amy, selecting a Pokeball. "I help them achieve their potential."
A smile spread over the Karate Master's face as he nodded. "Let us see if your Pokemon have mettle to succeed. Go, Hitmonchan!"
Hitmonchan resembled a humanoid appearance, wearing red boxing gloves and shifting from side to side on the battlefield, getting pumped. Cautiously, Amy threw her Pokeball into the fray.
"Go, Cubone!"
Cubone readied its stance, holding the bone club aloft and swinging it in both hands. The watching black belts laughed at the size comparison.
"Cubone, Bone Club!" cried Amy.
"Hitmonchan, Comet Punch!" shouted the Karate Master.
Cubone ran with its bone club raised, but Hitmonchan swerved out of Cubone's path, delivering several punches and knocking Cubone flat on its back with the final hit, as the black belts cheered for Hitmonchan. Struggling to stand, Cubone managed to get to its feet while Hitmonchan bounced from side to side.
"Cubone, Focus Energy!"
"Hitmonchan, Mega Punch!"
Cubone pumped its fists and collected stamina, but Hitmonchan ran forth and delivered an uppercut that sent Cubone flying across the field, sprawled at Amy's feet. Cubone was out.
"Oh!" Amy ran to her Ground-type Pokemon, who lay unresponsive. She returned him to his Pokeball and watched the Hitmonchan, like a blur on two feet.
"I warned you, my Pokemon are trained to their peak," spoke the Karate Master. "There is only victory for the black belts and myself."
"I will change that," said Amy, furiously. She had underestimated the humanoid Hitmonchan. Selecting her second Pokeball, she cried, "Go, Nidorina!"
Nidorina ran forth from the burst of red light, pawing the ground and looking Hitmonchan firmly in the eye. Hitmonchan was not intimidated.
"Nidorina, Poison Sting!"
"Hitmonchan, Agility!"
Hitmonchan disappeared into thin air as Nidorina fired her volley of poisonous barbs. Shifting into focus seconds at a time, Nidorina struggled to keep track of where Hitmonchan was -
"Fire Punch!" declared the Karate Master.
The blur that was Hitmonchan materialised as one of his flaming fists headed for Nidorina, who only just avoided the attack by leaping out of harm's way.
"Bite, Nidorina!"
Nidorina leapt upon Hitmonchan but missed, and in response Hitmonchan delivered a Mega Punch that sent her sprawling back several paces.
"Good work, Hitmonchan!" cried the Karate Master, as Nidorina got to her feet, growling angrily despite the injury.
"Nidorina, Double Kick!"
"Hitmonchan, Comet Punch!"
Nidorina tensed on her hindquarters, as Hitmonchan came near and launched herself at him, kicking at him with her back feet. Hitmonchan swerved to avoid the worst of it, but fell over under the weight of Nidorina's bulk and the two collapsed together.
"Bite, Nidorina!" cried Amy, hope flooding her face.
"Hitmonchan! Fire Punch!" demanded the Karate Master.
Nidorina managed to pin down Hitmonchan and deliver a Bite that made the black belts silent with fury. Hitmonchan wriggled out of Nidorina's grasp, but not before she released Poison Sting upon him, impaling the Fighting-type with several little barbs that poisoned him.
"Hitmonchan!" the Karate Master rallied his Pokemon, who winced as he suffered the effects of poison, watching Nidorina uneasily. "You've suffered worse than this! Finish this Nidorina off! Mega Punch!"
"Nidorina, Tackle!" shouted Amy, desperate.
Nidorina ran forth as Hitmonchan met her in the middle, drawing back his powerful fist only for the poison to cripple his movement and throw him off-guard, as Nidorina crashed on top of him and sent him flying to the ground.
"Hitmonchan! Stop this nonsense! Return to your fighting stance!"
Weakly, Hitmonchan closed his eyes and did not get up. The black belts stifled their gasp of surprise.
"Nice going, Nidorina!" cried Amy, as the Poison-type Pokemon ran into her arms, thick hide bruised with the impact of a punch.
Eyes closed as though to honour Hitmonchan's fallen spirit, the Karate Master held out his Pokeball and in a flash of red light, returned Hitmonchan inside.
"Your Nidorina has some strength," he managed, looking Amy in the eye. "I did not expect that."
"My Nidorina is strong," repeated Amy. "And she will continue to grow stronger, especially defeating a Pokemon as challenging as Hitmonchan."
Surprised at the compliment, the Karate Master merely grunted. He held out his second and final Pokeball, tossing it into the ring.
"Hitmonlee, avenge your fallen fighter!"
Hitmonlee appeared to be humanoid like Hitmonchan, though only eyes peered through its brown skin and its long legs were its powerful assets where Hitmonchan relied on its fists. Hitmonlee flexed its powerful legs while the black belts cheered on the sidelines. Nidorina eyed Hitmonlee warily.
"Hitmonlee, Mega Kick!" demanded the Karate Master.
"Nidorina, Poison Sting!" shouted Amy.
Hitmonlee ran forth and leapt to avoid the poison missiles launched by Nidorina, landing cleanly and delivered a powerful kick that sent Nidorina reeling backwards.
"Nidorina, are you OK?" Amy hesitated to leave her place, watching as Nidorina struggled to stand.
"Hitmonlee, Meditate!" shouted the Karate Master. Hitmonlee stopped moving, eyes closed and a faint glow surrounding its body as it drew inner strength.
Gritting her teeth, Nidorina managed to stand though both the Mega Punch and Kick had injured her greatly. Taking off at a run, she bowed her head for a Tackle -
"Hitmonlee, Rolling Kick!"
Hitmonlee's eyes snapped open and darted to avoid Nidorina's leap, striking at her hide with a kick that spun her mid-air so that she collapsed on the wooden floor. Though resistant to the Fighting-type move, Nidorina had suffered enough injury to fall into unconsciousness.
"No!" shouted Amy, as the black belts on all sides cheered, and the Karate Master looked on grimly. "Nidorina, return!"
Pausing to contemplate her next move, Amy held her remaining Pokeball as she looked the Karate Master in the eyes.
"I can see why you would be a Gym Leader. Your Pokemon are fast and very powerful."
Hesitantly, the Karate Master inclined his head, unused to flattery devoid of sycophancy. Slowly, Amy collected her fears and tossed them aside, as she did with the Pokeball she threw into the ring.
"Growlithe, let's win this fight once and for all!"
Materialising in the flash of red light, Growlithe barked at the agile Hitmonlee who stared back at the Fire-type, unafraid.
"Hitmonlee, Double Kick!" shouted the Karate Master.
"Growlithe, Roar!" cried Amy.
Growlithe let out a fearsome roar as Hitmonlee bounced forth, hesitating mid-leap with enough infinitesimal pause for Growlithe to leap upon the Fighting-type Pokemon.
"Bite!" shouted Amy.
"Hitmonlee!" cried the watching black belts.
Growlithe bit into the Hitmonlee, causing it to struggle and lash out with one of its powerful legs, delivering a Mega Kick that sent Growlithe reeling, several paces backwards. Hitmonlee danced off the injury, furious that it had been taken advantage of, while Growlithe whined and recovered from the fall.
"Growlithe, Take Down!" shouted Amy.
"Hitmonlee, Rolling Kick!" declared the Karate Master.
Growlithe ran forth in a speedy bout of energy, as Hitmonlee raised his leg to perform a powerful kick, but they both missed and Growlithe skidded to the ground, injured slightly by the recoil. Both turned to face each other, pumped with adrenaline from the near miss.
"Growlithe, Ember!"
"Hitmonlee, Mega Kick!"
Growlithe released a volley of flames, not all of which was evaded by Hitmonlee as he leapt down to deliver the Mega Kick and was subsequently burned.
"Now, Growlithe! Take Down!" shouted Amy.
Growlithe tackled the Hitmonlee full on, staggering it off balance as the two went tumbling down together, but only Growlithe landed on his feet, suffering slight recoil. The Hitmonlee managed to get to his feet, but the burns began to wear on his stamina. The Fighting-type grew dizzy trying to remain standing, to the black belts' shock.
"Hitmonlee! You will fight on," demanded the Karate Master, as Growlithe turned to face the Hitmonlee. "You will not give up!"
Growlithe released another volley of flames, but this time many of them made contact as Hitmonlee was too weakened to evade. Blasted backwards, Hitmonlee succumbed to his injuries and lay still, fainted.
"No way? I win!" cried Amy, rushing forth to hug Growlithe, nursing his fur where the Mega Kick had made contact.
Silently, the black belts watched as the Karate Master returned Hitmonlee to its Pokeball and slowly made his way down towards Amy. He eyed her balefully, watching the affection shared between Trainer and Pokemon.
"In front of my men, you have humbled me," spoke the Karate Master, defying Amy's willpower with the rigidity of his hurt pride. "I accept the defeat I have suffered today. You may have this prize money."
With a thrill, Amy released it was just under a thousand dollars. Pocketing it, she smiled up at the Karate Master and shook his hand, however reluctantly.
"I hope that one day you get your own Gym, so that we can meet again and I can battle you for a Badge." said Amy.
Grimly, the Karate Master nodded his assent. "Clearly there is a bond between you and your Pokemon. I will take that into consideration when I next train mine."
Amy exited the Fighting Dojo, feeling relieved. She crossed several blocks to get to the Pokemon Centre, waiting in the queue to heal her Pokemon. She cast her mind back to battling the Karate Master, how close she had come to losing when it wasn't too distant a memory that she had been defeated at the hands of Fuchsia Gym Leader, Koga.
I'll need to train my Pokemon hard, Amy thought to herself, handing over her tray of three Pokeballs to the nurse as she moved up in the queue. If the Karate Master is second-best, how powerful will the real Gym Leader be?