Hey everybody! Sorry for the wait. Hmm...I've decided that I won't post new chapters until three weeks have passed. But this is silly because I already wrote the next two chapters. XD So if you wanna read those, then please review if you have time on your hands. :3 I'm getting really excited about this story. I love writing it. X3 This is also a Cubone centered chapter.
Unofficial Dojo Gym
Joey and Zoey walked down the road to Lavender Town. The early morning light was now shining over the mountains as they reached the paved roads of the small city.
The two Trainers walked up to the Pokemon Center just as Nurse Joy opened the door from the inside.
"Well hello there!" she said. "Bright and early training?"
"You could say that," Joey told her. "May we use your phone?"
"Of course!"
Zoey looked at her friend. "First I wanna heal my Pokemon."
"That's a good idea. I think I should do that too."
Both Trainers gave Nurse Joy their Pokemon, including Pikachu and Eevee, and she instantly healed them inside her machine.
"There you go. All done!"
"Thanks!"
Pikachu continued to ride on Joey's shoulder while Eevee rested on top of Zoey's head. The two teens walked over to a phone. Joey let Zoey sit down as she dialed the number to the lab.
It ringed quite a few times before a sleepy Professor Gary answered. "Huh? Zoey?"
"Hello Professor!"
"You're up early…" He yawned.
"Yeah, Joey and I had been getting an early morning warm up if you will."
The professor blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, so you're traveling with Joey now?"
"No," replied the boy. "We just met up in Fuchsia. That's all."
"Oh ok. Did you guys get caught up in the storm?"
"Yes, but we found shelter in an abandoned Power Plant. We both slept there until the storm died down." Joey explained the rest of the story.
Professor Gary smiled. "You two seem to be very close now. Are you two together?"
The teens blushed deeply. "N-No!" Zoey defended. "W-We're just friends!"
The man laughed. "Ok ok. So, you caught a Jhoto Pokemon?"
"Yes, Elekid."
"Ah, the Baby form of Electabuzz. Interesting. Well, I guess you'll want me to hold on to one of your Pokemon. Which one will it be?"
Zoey thought. "I guess…Pidgeot…I mean, Charizard can already fly…and I want to keep my team balanced type wise…so I'll send you her."
"Alright. You know what to do."
Zoey walked over to the transporter and placed Pidgeot inside. She pressed the button and it disappeared. Joey looked at the screen and saw Pidgeot's Pokeball materialize in the back of the lab.
"Thanks Zoey. I'll make sure to keep her safe and comfortable. Well, I'm gonna get some more sleep…if I can…I'll talk to you some other time."
"Ok. Bye Professor!"
The screen turned off.
Nurse Joy walked over to them and asked "Would you kids like some breakfast?"
Zoey and Joey smiled at each other. "Ok!"
--
After breakfast, the two friends walked out of the Pokemon Center, thanking Nurse Joy for her hospitality.
"So, do you wanna head over to Saffron now Zoey?"
"I think that'd be a great idea."
"Is that you Zoey?" she heard two voices say.
The girl turned around to find Travis and Davis running towards her.
"We haven't seen you for a while!" said Travis.
"How's it going Firecracker?" asked Davis.
Zoey smiled at them. "It's been great. A lot of adventures."
"You need to tell us all about it!" they said simultaneously. They noticed Joey. "Huh? Who's this?"
"Oh, this is my good friend Joey."
Joey gave a friendly wave. "Hello."
The twins inspected him. "Hmm…you both have rhyming names…"
"Are you related?"
"Uh…no…we met a while back."
Soon the twins started bombarding him with questions.
"So where did you exactly meet Zoey?"
"How long have you been friends?"
"You're not her boyfriend right?"
"You two haven't done anything unmoral correct?"
"Have you ever kissed her before?"
"When's her birthday?"
Zoey stood in front of them, seeing Joey in much distress. "Guys, calm down! He's just a friend."
"Yeah, but you never know."
She sighed. "Anyway, I wanted to show you guys something." She took out her Pokeball and tossed it. "Elekid, I choose you!"
The little yellow creature popped out. "Bee!"
The twins looked amazed. "An Elekid!" exclaimed Travis. "That's a rare Pokemon around these parts!"
"Where did you find him?" asked Davis.
"At the Power Plant. He was the cause for the power outage in Saffron. I caught him, so now maybe your dad will be able to fix it."
Elekid looked at Zoey and at the other boys. He had never been in contact with humans before. But of course, him being a baby, he thought of Zoey as his mother, since he never really knew his real mom.
Elekid walked over to Zoey and hugged her leg as he smiled cutely. "Bee!"
"Hmm?"
Joey smiled. "Since Elekid is a Baby Pokemon, he probably thinks you're his mother."
Zoey squealed. "Oh! He's so cute!" She picked up Elekid and held him in her arms as she cuddled him. Elekid had a faint blush on his face, but continued to smile.
The twins were about to approach Zoey, when Elekid shocked them with electricity.
"Ow!" they both said.
"Looks like Elekid gets jealous too," Joey said with a laugh.
"So…" said Travis. "If Zoey's the mom…then can I be the dad?"
"How come you get to be the dad?!" Davis said.
"Because, I knew her first."
Soon the twins began to argue. Joey walked up cautiously to Zoey and held out his hand to pet Elekid. At first the baby looked at him, his eyes full of caution, and slowly Joey placed his hand on Elekid, and gently stroked his soft fur. The Pokemon smiled.
"Bee!"
"Aw, he likes you Joey!" said Zoey. She was beaming at him. "I think he accepts you as the daddy!"
The twins stopped their arguing and glared at Joey, who could feel holes burning through his back.
"Moving right along," said Travis trying to keep his cool. "We wanted to show you something too Zoey." He took out a Pokeball and tossed it. "Come on out and meet your master!"
Zoey handed Elekid to Joey and she began to run towards the soaring ball. She knew who would pop out of it.
"Oh Clefairy! I can't wait to see you!"
Once the Pokeball opened, something materialized and landed in front of Zoey, although she wasn't able to hold it in her arms again.
"Huh?"
Davis smiled. "You're Clefairy evolved while with Mr. Fuji. Zoey, meet Clefable."
The Pokemon was at least four feet tall now and her ears were bigger, not to mention her curly tail and wings.
"Clefable!" She ran to her master and hugged her.
"I missed you so much!" said Zoey. "Wow, look at you! You evolved!" She took out her Pokedex and it read:
"Clefable, the Fairy Pokemon. The evolved form of Clefairy. Its hearing is so acute it can hear a pin drop over half a mile away. It lives on quiet mountains."
"We've been helping Mr. Fuji train her," Travis informed Zoey. "She's really strong too! She knows Strength, Mega Punch, Metronome, and Cosmic Power."
"What does Cosmic Power do?"
"It heightens all of Clefable's defenses."
Zoey smiled at her Pokemon. "You've gotten so strong girl." She stroked her fur. "But I'm afraid I'm not ready to take you back yet…I'm still trying to train Cubone. But I'll come back for you, ok?"
Clefable, being one of those understanding types, nodded with a smile. "Fable!"
"Well, I guess we better get going," Joey told Zoey.
"Where are you guys going?" asked Davis.
"Oh we're heading towards Saffron to get our next badge."
"Can you stop by the Trainer Fanclub on your way? I wanna know who are the new Trainers that have fans."
"There's a fan club for trainers?" asked Zoey.
"Oh, I've heard about that." Joey turned to Zoey. "It's located in Saffron and multiple fans come far and wide from Kanto to cheer on and discuss the lives of popular Trainers. If you've been in a lot of battles, especially Gyms, then you're sure to have at least one fan."
"Maybe we should check it out when we get there."
"You can also try going to the dojo too," Travis added. "It was originally gonna be an official Gym, but Sabrina's Psychic Pokemon ended up winning the fight for the title. So now it's just a place to train."
"Thanks for the info guys!"
After saying goodbye to the twins and Clefable, Zoey returned Elekid and walked along with Joey to Saffron.
--
After about three hours of walking, they reached the gates of Saffron.
"It's still blocked…" Zoey groaned. "Hmm…but maybe I can get a flying Pokemon to go over it."
She took out her Pokeball and said "Come on out Charizard!"
The orange dragon emerged from the Pokeball. "Rrouw!"
"Can you fly us up over the city?"
Charizard nodded and bent down to allow the Trainers to get on her back. Joey helped Zoey up and then he himself climbed up to the Pokemon.
When she was sure the teens were on her back, Charizard began to fly in the air and soar over the gates to Saffron. Once she was overhead, she began to look for a place to land.
"You can land here Charizard," said Zoey as she patted her friend on the neck. The dragon descended down towards the ground and landed softly on the paved concrete.
Joey helped Zoey down from Charizard. The orange dragon smiled as she saw her Trainer blush, but smile with a 'Thank you' to Joey.
"Thanks Charizard," said Zoey as she returned her Pokemon.
"Well, Zoey, I'm gonna head to the Saffron Gym. What are you gonna do?"
"I'm gonna check out the dojo."
"Ok. I think it's right next door, so hopefully we'll get out at the same time and then we can switch."
"Ok."
The two Trainers began to walk towards the Gym, looking for directions or signs. Finally, when they saw the two large buildings in the distance, they knew that's where the gyms were.
"I'm guessing the building that is not made out of paneled wood floors and paper doors must be the Psychic Gym," Joey stated.
Zoey giggled. "Thank you Mr. Obvious. Well, I'll see you in a while."
"Same here. Good luck on…um…whatever you do in there."
The girl smiled. "And good luck on your Gym battle! I'm cheering for you!"
Zoey walked into the dojo, but not before making sure Joey went inside the Psychic Gym.
"Good luck Joey. You can do it."
--
Zoey walked inside the dojo and came up to a desk. The receptionist was a young girl with a martial arts outfit, most likely karate.
"Um…"
The girl looked up from the book she was reading. "You are?"
"I'm Zoey and I…wanted to check this place out…"
"It's not an official gym."
"I know…but I still wanted to try it out."
The girl smiled. She liked hearing things like this. "Very well. Excuse me for a moment." She got up and went into the back and opened a sliding door. Then she returned about a minute later.
"You can go inside now. The Dojo Master will be pleased to see you."
Zoey, with Eevee now clinging onto her shoulder, opened the paper door and walked into a room that was extremely large and filled with many guys. There were older men, about in their thirties, and young boys, probably ranging from ten to seventeen. But Zoey saw no girls in here, minus the receptionist she had seen seconds before.
The Trainer also noticed that these guys were practicing with Fighting-type Pokemon, mostly Machop and Mankey. Some of the older ones had Machoke and Primeapes.
"Ah, so you're the delicate cherry blossom my niece told me about," said a man who was seated at the far end in the center of the large room.
"Um…hello. My name is Zoey Ketchum. Uh…I came here to…perhaps train…?"
"So you want to be a martial artist?"
"Well…no…I came here to strengthen my Pokemon for my battle with the Psychic Gym."
The Dojo Master looked at her and the room became quiet. "I see…"
Zoey noticed the chill in the air. "I'm sorry…did I say something wrong?"
"No…just that Trainers are not really interested in strengthening their own physical skills. The best way to train your Pokemon is to train with them."
"But…I don't know how to do that…"
The man shot up. "My dear child! Then I must teach you! And this will be free of cost!"
They charge to come in here…? thought Zoey. Probably why it didn't turn into a Gym in the first place…or could be that Psychic can easily take out Fighting types…
"Oh, I forgot. I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I am Master Sentarou, the owner of this dojo. And these men you see here are my students, no matter what age."
He looked around the room and cleared his throat when he noticed no training was being done. "Um…well, as you can tell, some of the younger ones seem to not know what a girl looks like since they keep eyeing you like some sort of painting in a museum."
The younger ones blushed and continued on with their practices.
"Anyway," said Sentarou. "You said your name was Zoey right?"
"Yes."
"Well now! Let's get started shall we? Zoey-chan, please show me your Pokemon you have on hand."
Zoey took out all her Pokemon and Eevee jumped off her shoulder onto the floor. The girl released the remaining five Pokemon.
Still, the students in the room failed to follow instructions and looked at her Pokemon she sent out.
"Hmm…I see…" said Sentarou. "You have a Charizard, Nidoqueen, Vileplume, Elekid, Cubone, and Eevee. Pretty well balanced. Yes, you must have good strategy in combat. However! In order to bond more with your partners, you should try playing with them at least. Now, which one here needs more strength?"
"Um…well, even though he's shy at times, Cubone is very fiery when he's fighting. I think it has something to do with the vendetta he's got against Team Rocket…I think I should help him train since I haven't been doing much of that…"
"Very well then. You may return the rest of your Pokemon if you wish, or you could let them sit at the side over there."
Zoey motioned her Pokemon to sit on the side of the room, which they did. The other Pokemon that belonged to the students merely glanced at them.
"Good. Now…hmm…" he looked at her clothes. "Loose that frivolous outfit!"
"Huh?"
"Your colorful and revealing clothing! Not good for hand to hand combat!"
"B-but this fits me so comfortable!"
"It is a distraction to the opposite gender and it is not suited for fighting!"
"I just came here to train!"
"And train you shall! But first, put this on." He tossed her a small outfit like his. "There is a changing room in the back. Oh and, the hat has to be taken off too, as well as shoes and socks."
Zoey walked to the room in the back and quickly changed, leaving her clothes in her bag and handing it to Charizard who sat watching.
"Very good Zoey-chan. Now then, to make sure your Cubone can build enough speed, seeing as how Ground types don't usually have very much, I want you to charge at him."
"Um…ok…" Zoey began to run towards Cubone, and to some surprise, she was a fast runner. Cubone blinked in confusion and Zoey crashed into him on accident. He began to cry.
"Cuuuuuuu!"
"Ah! I'm so sorry Cubone!"
She embraced and cuddled him, planting kisses all over his face. "I'm sorry."
He wiped away some tears and smiled up at her, another light blush appearing on his face. "Cu!"
"Apparently this isn't going to work…" said Sentarou to himself. He sighed. "Alright. My direct approach isn't going to do wonders for you Zoey-chan. So I'm gonna try the villainous approach." Perhaps that will do some more good for Cubone since you said he dislikes Team Rocket.
"Huh? What's that?" Zoey put Cubone down and he stood next to her, one paw gripping her karate pants.
Sentarou took out a Pokeball from his black belt. "I'm gonna have one of my Pokemon attack you, and Cubone is gonna try and protect you."
"Huh?!"
"Train with me Hitmonlee!"
He tossed the Pokeball up in the air and out came a brown Pokemon with springy legs. He had two arms, with only three fingers, that same springy skin around his wrists. He had no mouth or nose; merely just eyes.
"Hitmonlee!"
Zoey heard Charizard rummage through her bag, taking out the Pokedex and pointing it at Hitmonlee. This dragon was very smart.
"Hitmonlee, the Kicking Pokemon. Its legs can stretch double. First-time foes are startled by its extensible reach."
"A Fighting type?"
"Yes. Now, I won't have my Hitmonlee attack you really, but Cubone is still gonna have to defend you. Let's see how much courage and strength he's got." Sentarou smiled. "Hitmonlee, get her!"
Hitmonlee began to charge at Zoey and she screamed, running away from the Pokemon. Charizard was about to intervene, but Sentarou held up a hand in her direction.
"Your master and your friend must learn to do this alone."
Cubone charged after Hitmonlee, and tried to slam the bone on his head, but the fighter Pokemon turned around and swung his leg at Cubone, who slammed onto the floor.
Zoey stopped to catch her breath. "Cubone!"
Hitmonlee charged at her again and she kept running. Cubone struggled to get up because that was a powerful kick. He was able to open one eye and he saw Hitmonlee grab Zoey. She screamed and the horror on her face fueled Cubone's anger.
He got up and charged at Hitmonlee so quickly, that he was able to throw his bone at the opponent who turned around to find him, and knock him to the side from his Headbutt attack.
Zoey still tried to catch her breath. "Cubone! You're ok!"
Cubone puffed out his chest and reclaimed his bone club. He twirled it around with both his paws, making him seem like a Pokemon marital artist. It was cute, but at the same time, Zoey was impressed.
"I see your Cubone finally got courage to defend you," said Sentarou. "Now Hitmonlee, attack Zoey-chan with Hi-Jump Kick!"
Hitmonlee soared into the air and dived down at Zoey, his foot ready to strike. Cubone growled and jumped up, using whichever move he wished for.
Cubone twirled the bone and threw it at Hitmonlee, who got hit in the leg, and then the bone came back a second time and hit him in the back of the head.
"Cubone's using Bonemerang…" said Zoey to herself.
"You can still hang in there Hitmonlee!" shouted Sentarou. "Now use Rolling Kick!"
Cubone got pummeled by the continuous twirling kicks Hitmonlee was giving him in the head. The small Pokemon was sent downwards and crashed onto the floor.
Hitmonlee stood before him. Cubone struggled to get up.
"Come on Cubone! You can do it!" cried Zoey. Hitmonlee glanced at her and she caught her breath. He charged at her again and she screamed.
Cubone had enough. His eyes twinkled deviously. He charged at Hitmonlee so fast, Zoey didn't even know he had that kind of speed.
The Pokemon raised the bone high over his head as he jumped up from behind the opponent, and slammed it down hard on Hitmonlee's head. It was a heavy and swift hit, that the fighting Pokemon became unconscious.
"Return Hitmonlee," said Sentarou. He watched as Zoey ran to Cubone and hugged him. He smiled triumphantly.
"It's not over yet Zoey-chan. That Pokemon was about power and foot work. But this one…this one is about speed…and defense." He took out the second Pokeball from his belt.
"Hitmonchan, train with me!"
The Pokeball was tossed high in the air, and out came another fighting Pokemon. He looked slightly more human-like than Hitmonlee, but he was still a Pokemon. He had boxing gloves on his hands, and it seemed like he had some weird hairdo the way his head was shaped. He had eyes and a mouth, but no nose.
"Hitmonchan!"
Charizard also pointed the Pokedex at Hitmonchan. She was trying to learn how to use Zoey's devices.
"Hitmonchan, the Punching Pokemon. The arm-twisting punches it throws pulverize even concrete. It rests after three minutes of fighting."
"This Pokemon," said Sentarou. "Is just as good as Hitmonlee, although Hitmonchan is better with defense, like Hitmonlee is better with offense. Do not take him lightly though."
Sentarou crossed his arms. "Hitmonchan, attack Zoey-chan."
The Pokemon began to run towards Zoey, who still looked horrified. Cubone got in the way and was about to slam the bone at Hitmonchan's head, when he blocked it with one of his gloves. Then he used the other hand to punch Cubone in the stomach. He was sent flying towards the ceiling and came crashing back down to the floor.
"Cubone!" cried Zoey.
"Continue, Hitmonchan."
Zoey got up and began to run. She tried to go around the arena and get to Cubone in the center, but Hitmonchan intercepted her path and she quickly ran the other way, almost slipping. She had never before been so afraid in her life. This was the first time she had been attacked by a Pokemon. But, Sentarou had good reason for training her like this.
Hitmonchan finally caught up to her and was about to punch her, but Zoey dodged out of the way and slid on the polished floor, crashing into a support beam.
She rubbed her head as she sat down on the floor. Hitmonchan loomed over her with a menacing face and she became frightened again. She looked up at him in horror, tears visible on the sides of her eyes. The girl's body was trembling all over just by being near this Pokemon. And she had thought Hitmonlee was scary.
Zoey's tears began to streak down the sides of her face and Hitmonchan's menacing expression went away. He noticed that Zoey was extremely afraid. She had covered her head with her arms, closing her eyes trying not to look at him, the tears still falling. He could hear her sobbing as well.
Hitmonchan looked at her with sympathy. Now he felt guilty for making her cry and become afraid. The only girl he had seen was Sentarou's niece, the receptionist, and her personality was quite different from other girls. Like Sentarou had said earlier to Zoey, she was a delicate cherry blossom who wouldn't be able to defend herself without the aid of her Pokemon.
Hitmonchan was about to reach out to her, when he felt a presence behind him. And just as he turned around, a bone whacked him in the face, sending him flying towards the wall.
Cubone saw Zoey crying and trembling. That is what caused him to get up, even though he took a hard hit. The girl stopped sobbing and opened her eyes, to see Cubone charging at Hitmonchan.
"Hitmonchan," said Sentarou. "Do not let Cubone get to the girl."
Cubone had just came from that direction and was about to head back, when his opponent began to run towards Zoey as well. Cubone was about to reach her until Sentarou said "Comet Punch!"
"Hitmonchan!" The Pokemon threw a flurry of extremely fast punches, that even Zoey had trouble seeing them. Cubone was hurting all over after being punched so many times at a high velocity.
He staggered when he was able to stand up from the ground.
"Hitmonchan, Dynamic Punch!"
The glove began to glow and he charged at Cubone, punching him square in the jaw. The Ground Pokemon was almost at his limit. To be honest, he had passed it a long time ago, and the only thing keeping him standing was the willpower to protect Zoey. She did take him in after all and treat him with kindness, as well as maternal love. He was also able to make friends with her other Pokemon.
"Finish him off with Sky Uppercut!"
Hitmonchan swung his fist under Cubone and sent him flying high into the air. The ceiling was pretty far up, but when he hit the top, he slammed right back down to the bottom.
Zoey looked at Cubone sprawled out on the ground. Her other Pokemon looked very worried. Elekid wanted to help, but Nidoqueen prevented him from doing so. Vileplume's expression was very visible.
"Cubone! No!"
Hitmonchan began to walk over to her. She became scared again and she tried to run, but he blocked every path she tried to take.
"Why are you doing this?!" she shouted at Sentarou.
"You must learn that answer yourself Zoey-chan."
She was still very scared and she trembled on the ground. Again, Hitmonchan felt guilty and the expression on his face was clearly visible to the students. He wanted to reach out to her again, but she gave a high-pitched scream, causing everyone in the room to jump.
Hitmonchan heard Cubone get up from the ground. The little Pokemon struggled to get to his feet, but when he managed to, he glared at Hitmonchan. Then, he began to glow in a bright light, the silhouette growing and shifting in form.
When the light cleared, a Marowak now stood in Cubone's place. He twirled his bone in one hand and shifted it to the other.
"Maro!"
Charizard pointed the Pokedex at Marowak. "Marowak, the Bone Keeper Pokemon. The evolved form of Cubone. From its birth, this savage Pokemon constantly holds bones. It is skilled in using them as weapons."
Zoey looked in awe at her newly evolved Pokemon. "Cubone…evolved…"
Sentarou smiled. "Hitmonchan, attack Marowak with Dynamic Punch!"
Hitmonchan charged at Marowak, his fist glowing. As soon as he threw the punch, Marowak blocked it with his bone and a twinkle shinned in his eye. He bashed his skull against Hitmonchan and then slammed his bone on his back.
"That's a powerful Bone Club," said Sentarou.
Marowak didn't give Hitmonchan a chance to get up. He charged at the opponent again and repeatedly attacked him.
"What…what's gotten into Marowak?" asked Zoey to nobody in particular.
"That Zoey-chan, is Marowak's Thrash attack. He attacks in a blind rage, but this usually leaves the user confused. Maybe Marowak has trained enough to not become confused."
Marowak attacked one more time, slugging his bone club at Hitmonchan's face, who was sent flying and crashed again another support beam. It was obvious he couldn't get up. Sentarou took out his Pokeball. "Return Hitmonchan."
Marowak stuck out the bone club triumphantly and basked in the glory and claps the audience was giving him. Then he walked over to Zoey. She smiled and hugged him tightly.
"You evolved…I'm so proud of you…now…we can be stronger if we're ever faced against the Rockets again…"
Marowak smiled and hugged his Trainer back. He was finally at a level where he could avenge his mother.
Zoey stood up and her Pokemon ran to her, all of them hugging her at once. Elekid hopped into her arms and she cuddled him.
"Now that Cubone evolved, I guess you really are the baby of this group now Elekid."
"Bee!"
"Maro!"
Sentarou walked up to her. "You did a very good job Zoey-chan."
"But I didn't do anything…and hey! Why were you and your Pokemon attacking me?!"
"You want to know why? They were helping your Cubone evolve."
"But I could have gotten hurt really badly!"
"They know, so they want to apologize if they scared you." He released Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. Their faces looked apologetic.
"But," continued Sentarou. "I did this because I want you to know how it feels like to be helpless."
"What?"
"You said Cubone had a vendetta against Team Rocket. Zoey-chan, that syndicate is not afraid of using Pokemon to hurt people. They are not afraid to scare them with Pokemon either. They are not afraid to continuously attack their opponent. I wanted you to realize that what you're meddling in is very dangerous."
"And how do you know this?"
"The Officer Jennys have told me a lot about you. I expected one day you'd come to Saffron and might want to try out this Gym. I decided to let you experience this kind of thing first hand so that there might be a slight chance you won't be as afraid if you are faced with a problem like this. Hopefully that time will never come."
"Well…thank you…um…may I change into my old clothes now?"
"Yes."
Charizard handed Zoey her bag and she went into the changing room, but not before the dragon plucked Elekid out of her arms. Even though he was a baby Pokemon, he was still a male. The little yellow creature crossed his arms and pouted cutely.
--
Zoey finished changing and was relieved that she was in her own clothes again. She missed wearing her skirt. When she got back to the arena, the students continued to practice and she returned her Pokemon inside their Pokeballs, leaving Eevee out to travel alongside her.
"Well, thank you Master Sentarou," said Zoey as she bowed in front of him. She heard him snap his fingers at a boy who had accidentally tried to look under her skirt when she bowed. The boy blushed and looked guilty, then went back to training.
"You're welcome Zoey-chan. My Pokemon would still like to apologize though."
Hitmonlee came up to her and held out his hand. She was still a little afraid, but she managed to grab hold of his hand and shake it. The Pokemon looked content and she smiled, hugging him afterwards. Hitmonlee hugged her back and was thankful for her forgiveness.
Hitmonchan felt more guilty than Hitmonlee since Zoey still looked a little afraid of Hitmonchan. He was holding something behind his back as he walked up to her. At first she thought he was gonna attack her or throw something at her, so Eevee was alert to defend her master. But all the Pokemon did was timidly hand her a flower as an apology.
Zoey blinked but then took it, smiling gently at Hitmonchan, who blushed and looked away. She walked up to him and he looked at her, that smile still plastered on her face. She embraced him and he only blushed more, afraid to hug her.
"Hit…mon…chan…"
Sentarou smiled as Hitmonchan finally relaxed and hugged the girl back.
"Thank you Hitmonchan. That was really sweet of you to give me a flower." She gave the Pokemon a kiss on the cheek and he blushed more, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Zoey-chan," said Sentarou.
"Yes?"
"I would like to give you Hitmonchan."
The room became quiet again.
"Really!?" Zoey said excitedly. Hitmonchan looked surprised.
"Yes. Hitmonchan is very good at physical combat and I believe he will be a great guardian for you if you ever need him."
"Oh but my party is already full…but I guess I can shift around my team a little bit."
"Understood." He handed Zoey Hitmonchan's Pokeball. "There you go. Now, you take good care of him."
"I will!"
Zoey with Eevee at her heals, and Hitmonchan at her side began to walk out the door. Eevee grew accustomed to Hitmonchan fairly easily and he was smiling within seconds at the young girl and her furry friend.
"Uncle…" began the young receptionist.
"Yes?"
"Do you suppose…it's possible for a Pokemon to fall in love with its Trainer?"
Sentarou closed his eyes and smiled. "Yes. Animals have proven it, and I have heard stories of Pokemon as well. It is very possible for Pokemon to actually have feelings for their Trainer. Now, the only sad part about this, is that they will never actually be able to have a relationship other than Trainer and Pokemon. I am also sure, that the human doesn't love the Pokemon like the Pokemon loves him or her. It could also be just a crush and not actual love, but you never know. Why?"
"It just seems like Hitmonchan would be one of those Pokemon."
"True. I can see that possibility. Well, it really is all up to the girl then."
--
Zoey exited the building and walked towards the actual Saffron Gym and found Joey exiting the building. He was looking at something in his hand and smiling.
"Joey!"
He looked up to see Zoey running towards him. He smiled even brighter. "Zoey!"
"Did you win at the gym?"
"Yup! Took a lot of luck and strategy though. Psychic Pokemon are among the strongest types…but my Pokemon and I were able to pull through it. You?"
"I was given some great advice, and—oh! I want you to meet my new friend." She held out a hand towards Hitmonchan. "The newest addition to my Pokemon family, Hitmonchan!"
"Wow, a Hitmonchan! You got it at the dojo?"
"Yup. It's a long story, so I'll tell you later."
"So which Pokemon are you gonna switch Hitmonchan with?"
"I'm not sure…I'll think about it once I get my next badge! That's first!"
Joey laughed. "Well alright. I'll see you in a bit then. Good luck. Oh and, I suggest not using your new Hitmonchan because Fighting types would do poorly against Psychic. Don't use Vileplume or Nidoqueen either because Poisons are also vulnerable to Psychics as well."
"Thanks for the info. Well, good luck to both of us!"
"Yup!"
The two Trainers went their separate ways, Joey walking into the dojo and Zoey walking into the Saffron Gym, but making sure to return Hitmonchan into his Pokeball and putting it in her bag.
From the shadows, a shady character talked into a communication device.
"I spotted the girl boss."
"I see…so she's here in Saffron?"
"Yes. She just went into the Gym."
"Hmm…no doubt about it, she'll run into us very soon. And when that time comes…well, let's just leave it at that."
"Yes sir."
"Now return to your post."
"Understood."
The shady character returned to wherever he had come from and continued doing the task he was assigned.
From a tall building in Saffron, a man looked out the large glass window.
"Zoey…Ketchum huh? I see you've finally made it here. Now I'll be able to see what exactly is so great about you. Heh heh." He fixed his tie, and then adjusted the badge on the top left corner of his suit.
It was a red R.
Oooh! Team Rocket is on the lookout! Oh no! Dx Hopefully nothing bad happens to Zoey...yeah right! I never write stories without making my character suffer. X8D Hmm...I just like giving them a hard time. Lol Oh and no, this isn't going to be one of those stories where the Pokemon has romantic feelings towards its Trainer and that it's centered on that idea. But I decided to just make Hitmonchan that way. XD There is only one person Zoey truly loves, but you won't find that out until way later. :3