Chapter 5: Let's Get Ready to Rumble!
It's finally the day of the big fight! At the Thorndyke mansion, Chris finishes his breakfast slowly, understandably nervous about fighting Jake soon. Sonic sits across from Chris, seeing him barely touch his food.
"Anxious about the fight, huh?" Sonic finally asks him.
"Yeah. I know I trained hard. And I'm ready as I'll ever be. But what if I slip up? I make a mistake and I could be down on the canvas. Before it even begins." Chris explains.
"You got this, Chris. I saw you training with your all. And you're tougher than you think. I've seen that plenty of times. You can beat him!" Sonic encourages Chris, and gives him a thumbs up.
"You're right. I'll just have to go in that ring and fight Jake with my best!" Chris replies, returning the gesture.
"That's the spirit!" Sonic pats him on the back.
As they finish breakfast, Chris checks the time. There's two hours until the fight. Time to get ready for the battle ahead. He leaves the kitchen and on the way to his room, he sees Cream and Cheese
"Mr Chris! Is it true you're going to be in a fight?" Cream asks Chris.
"Um yeah. In a couple hours or so." Chris confirms.
"Hm. I'm not too sure about this, but if you're going through with it, then Cheese and I will be cheering for you!" Cream says he has their support.
"Chao chao!" Cheese exclaims and tosses a few punches in the air, basically telling Chris to 'Go get him!'
"Thanks you two!" Chris waves back at them as he heads down the hall.
As he walks toward his room, Amy and Knuckles approach him. They wave Chris over, and Knuckles seems to be hiding something behind his back.
"Chris! We were just looking for you!" Amy says.
"We got something for you. Here you go!" Knuckles hands Chris a wrapped bundle.
"What's this?" Chris immediately opens the package.
Inside the wrappings is a shiny Sonic blue boxing robe! It had a Sonic profile logo on the back too, with a 'Team Chris' title at the bottom.
"Figured you could use it to make your entrance into the ring. Tanaka stayed up late to get it done in time!" Amy tells Chris, happy that he likes the robe.
"It's good to make a big impression before a fight." Knuckles nods, being the type to announce his presence often.
"It's perfect! Thanks, you guys!" Chris says, grateful for the present.
Tails is walking by from the direction of the back yard, and he nods as he sees Chris, Amy, and Knuckles in the corridor.
"The boxing ring is good to go. Chuck and I added some extra features around it too. He said something about making it a show." Tails tells them of some last minute additions.
"What does that mean?" Chris asks, confused.
"You'll see! So! Ready for the fight?" Tails asks him.
"Yep! I even got this new robe I can wear on the way to the ring. I know I got this with you guys behind me!" Chris answers with a confident smile.
"Good! Give him the old one two!" Tails tells Chris.
"I will!" Chris assures him.
Across town at Kyrogk's gym, Jake is nervously pacing a bit around the space. Kyrogk comes up to him and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Pre fight nerves, eh? I know how you feel. But you put in some extra training and made real good progress. You've got this, Jake!" Kyrogk tells Jake.
"I know. Just. This is the first real fight I've been in. Don't want to let you, or myself down. Or Chris. I want to fight him with everything I have. If I drop my guard, he could get some good hits on me and then-" Jake starts go on.
"Nobody knows how it'll go. Just fight with your all like you said, don't hold back. And remember your training. All you can do is fight your best." Kyrogk remarks.
"Yeah!" Jake grins and looks up at Kyrogk.
"Speaking of the fight, here's something for you." Kyrogk reaches behind some equipment and pulls out a box.
"What's this?" Jake asks as he opens the package.
Inside he sees a blue robe with yellow trim. On the back of the robe is a logo of Kyrogk's face in profile with a 'Team Jake' title at the bottom.
"Awesome! Thank you!" he hugs Kyrogk in thanks.
"Heh! Now you can make a proper entrance to the fight." Kyrogk adds, happy Jake is thrilled with the robe.
"You bet!" Jake grins, looking forward to wearing it.
The next two hours fly by pretty quickly. A small crowd has gathered around the ring in the Thorndyke mansion yard. Tails, Amy, Sonic, Cream, Cheese, Mr Tanaka, Danny, Helen, Frances, and Chuck are all seated on some makeshift bleachers at ringside.
"The additions are ready to go on your signal." Tails says to Chuck.
"Good. Should be a nice surprise." He nods to the young genius next to him.
Inside the mansion, Chris has changed into his boxing gear: The Sonic blue boxing shorts, his usual sneakers, and no shirt. He also has a matching Sonic blue mouth guard.
"All right. Let me see your hands. I'll help you get your boxing gloves on." Knuckles says as he offers to help.
"Right!" Chris says, his heart racing with anticipation for the fight ahead. This is it!
"Okay. And now the robe." Knuckles ties off the robe. He gives Chris a pat on the back.
"Let's do this!" Chris bops his gloves together.
Sonic comes zipping in at high speed.
"We're here for you, Chris! Go get'em!" Sonic gives Chris one last word for good luck.
"Thanks!" Chris grins at the encouragement.
Chris and Knuckles head out the door, and head toward the ring.
In a guest chambers across the mansion, Jake and Kyrogk make final preparations for the fight. Jake has likewise changed into his own attire: the blue and white boxing shorts with the glove logo, blue sneakers with the white circles, and no shirt. He has a blue mouth guard as well.
"Okay!" Jake bounces from one foot to the other, as if to shake off some pre-fight nerves.
"Heh! Settle down for a bit. Let me see your hands." Kyrogk offers.
Jake extends his hands and Kyrogk puts the blue boxing gloves on them. Jake takes a deep breath to relax a bit, the gloves a stark reminder he'll be in a tough fight with Chris shortly. One of them will be going down and he's determined it won't be him.
"And the robe!" Kyrogk ties off the robe on Jake, making sure it's secure.
"Here we go." Jake tosses a few punches in the air. He puts on a serious look and then hears toward the exit, on the way to the ring.
"Right behind. You. All the way!" Kyrogk tells Jake.
The two make their way down the hall and to the ring outside. Jake stares ahead, completely focused on the fight
Back at ringside, Tails gets a signal that Chris and Jake are on the way toward the ring. It's showtime!
"They're coming." Tails says.
Vector the Crocodile, the surprise announcer for the battle nods and climbs into the ring. He pulls a mic put and clears his throat.
"Ahem! Looks like they're about get here, so let's get this show on the road!" Vector says.
"All right!" Chuck gives the okay sign.
Chuck hits a button on his wristwatch, and two glowing walking paths emerge from the ground, leading to the ring at Chris and Jake's corners respectively. A large rises just behind the ring as well, displaying the angles Chris and Jake will enter from. Spotlights shine in the directions too.
"What the?!" Chris looks wide eyed as he sees all the equipment from a distance, and the spotlight shining toward him.
"They went all put. Nice!" Knuckles gives an approving smirk.
Vector then begins the introductions.
"For the past three weeks, Chris and Jake have trained hard. Now it's time for them to put that experience to the test as they fight it out in this ring in a boxing battle! Only one can win! So without further ado, let's introduce them! Making his way to the ring, Chris Thondyke, fighting in the Sonic blue gloves and shorts!" Vector says with a flourish.
Chris gulps then walks toward the ring, the spotlight keeping pace with him. The big screen shows a close up as he walks toward the ring.
"They really went all out." Chris whispers.
"Chuck's idea." Knuckles tells him.
When they make it to ringside, Chris turns and waves his gloved hands at everyone in the crowd.
"Go Chris!" Sonic cheers.
"You can do it!" Amy shouts.
"Come on, Chris!" Tails joins the cheering.
"Mr Chris!" Cream and Cheese shout.
"Knock him out, Chris!" Danny calls put.
"Yeah! Show him how it's done!" Frances agrees.
"Good luck!" Helen adds.
"Give him the Thondyke punch!" Chuck calls to him.
"Show him one for, master Chris!" Mr Tanaka shouts, caught up in the cheering.
"Thanks!" Chris says with a smile, he blushes a bit at all the attention. But it lifts his spirits. He's ready to fight!
Knuckles holds the ropes open, and Chris climbs through. Then he helps Chris take the robe off. Chris stands in the ring in his boxing gloves, shorts, and sneakers, ready for battle. He throws a few punches in the air, the screen zooming in on him. It takes a pic of Chris with his gloves up, and it goes on the left side of a split screen with a big VS symbol in the middle, the other half blank for Jake.
In the other direction, the spotlight now focuses on Jake.
"And now making his way to the ring, the newcomer in town, Jake, fighting in the blue and white shorts and blue gloves!" Vector gestures toward him with another flourish.
"Here goes!" Jake gulps then walks down the lighted path, the spotlight keeping pace with him. Like Chris, the screen zooms in on him from above.
Chris looks toward Jake making his way to the ring. He has a serious expression on his face, knowing each step Jake takes brings them closer to trading punches.
Jake makes his way to ringside. Once there he looks up to Kyrogk, who gives him a nod of confidence.
"Ready?" Kyrogk asks.
"You know it!" Jake says with a smile.
Kyrogk holds the ropes open for Jake as he climbs into the ring. Jake then turns around and looks at Chris across the ring. The two boys lock eyes and the tension builds. Kyrogk helps Jake remove the robe, and Jake is seen in his boxing outfit: the blue gloves, blue and white shorts, and blue sneakers. Jake bounces up and down a bit, then brings his gloves up to toss a couple jabs in the air. The screen takes a pic of Jake with his gloves up. Now there's a split screen with pics of Chris and Jake side by side with a big VS between them.
"Who's the referee?" Knuckles wonders aloud over in Chris' corner.
"I am." Espio appears, wearing a classic black and white referee outfit.
"Right. Then let's get ready to rumble!" Vector shouts before leaving the room and gesturing to Espio.
Espio walks towards the inside of the ring and waves Chris and Jake to approach.
"Chris, Jake. Come to the center of the ring." Espio instructs.
Chris and Jake both nod and walk to the middle of the ring, to either side of Espio. They maintain eye contact with serious expressions the whole time.
"Listen up. This is a no holds barred fight to the finish. No time limit. You fight until one of you is the last one standing. Don't pull any punches. There will be breaks for breathers every seven minutes. Understood?" Espio tells Chris and Jake.
"Yeah!" Chris gulps and nods.
"Yep!" Jake likewise gulps then nods
"Touch gloves." Espio tells them.
BOP!
Chris and Jake touch gloves as instructed.
"I'm gonna win this, Jake!" Chris says to Jake.
"We'll see about that! You're going down, Chris!" Jake responds.
"Go to your corners, and come out fighting at the sound of the bell." Espio states.
The boys walk back toward their corners. They get some last minute pep talks from their trainers.
In Chris' corner, Knuckles leans in and talks to Chris.
"All right. Keep your guard up. Hit him low, then high. Don't let up. Give it all you got." Knuckles tells Chris.
"Got it!" Chris nods.
Over in Jake's corner, Kyrogk also speaks to Jake.
"Remember to keep your gloves up. You see an opening, hit him hard! Show him what you're made of!" Kyrogk says to Jake.
"Yeah!" Jake answers.
The makeshift outdoor arena is silent for a few moments. And then, the bell rings. Kyrogk and Knuckles both give Jake and Chris a shove as they run into the ring! They get their gloves up and slow down as they approach each other. Chris and Jake circle around a bit, gloves up and maintaining eye contact. The tension builds and one could hear a pin drop. Until…
Jake suddenly shoots his right glove out!
BOP!
"Wh- uuuhhh!" Chris shouts as Jake's gloves hits him in the face, knocking his head back. He was caught off guard!
The first punch has landed and it's a fight now! Chris sees stars for a bit. Jake comes at Chris again, this time with a punch aimed at Chris' side.
WHACK!
But Chris blocks the blow, catching it on his glove. Chris sees Jake's guard open and throws a solid right straight at Jake's chest.
WHAM!
"Uunngh!" Jake shouts as he's hit on the sternum. He gets his gloves back in. He dashes at Chris head on.
Chris meets Jake's charge, shouting.
"Yaaahhh!" The two shout, like a battle cry. Chris throws a left jab at Jake's face.
WHACK!
But Jake blocks the hit! Jake quickly returns the favor by throwing a left hook down at Chris' midsection.
WHUMP!
Chris takes the hit, the air knocked out of him for a moment.
"Oof!" Chris says as he takes the impact.
He looks to see Jake coming at him with a right cross. Unfortunately, Chris isn't fast enough to get his glove up, and Jake's glove hits him on the cheek.
POW!
"Ugh!" Chris cries as he's once again hit in the face.
Jake decides to press the attack, coming at Chris with a left straight aimed at the body. But this time, Chris is ready and blocks the hit with his glove. He quickly snaps a left jab at Jake, the glove hitting Jake right in the face!
"Gah!" Jake manages to say as his head is knocked back from the punch.
At ringside, the crowd watches Chris and Jake fight, landing and blocking hits.
"They're really going at it!" Sonic remarks.
"A regular slugfest!" Tails agrees.
Back in Chris' corner, Knuckles shouts words of encouragement.
"That's the way! Keep it up!" Knuckles cheers Chris on.
And in Jake's corner, Kyrogk also shouts advice.
"Keep those gloves up, kid! You got him with a couple good hits!" Kyrogk says, reminding Jake to be aware.
Back in the ring, the fight continues. Jake's coming at Chris, and Chris blocks low, thinking the punch will be down at the stomach. Jake sees Chris' guard too low. Jake then throws a hard right cross at Chris' chest.
WHAM!
"Uungh!" Chris shouts as he's hit, Jake returning the favor from earlier.
Jake decides to press the attack with an overhand left up at the face. This time, Chris barely manages to block the blow. Seeing an opening with Jake overextended, Chris throws two quick jabs at Jake's body. Both hits land rapidly, hitting him on the chest and midsection.
POW!
POW!
"Aaagh! Uuuhh!" Jake shouts as Chris' two punch combo hits him.
Jake gets his gloves in and readies to throw another punch. But then a bell rings once. Time for a break! Chris and Jake walk back toward their corners and sit on the stools there.
In Chris' corner, Knuckles gives him some water.
"Okay! You got some good hits on him! But remember to keep your gloves in position more!" Knuckles tells Chris.
"Got it…" Chris says between breaths.
Over in Jake's corner, Kyrogk is giving Jake some water with words of advice.
"You hit him hard. Good! But you overextended a bit too. Keep those gloves in! He tagged you too!" Kyrogk tells Jake.
"Yeah…" Jake says between breaths, and nods.
And they came out swinging! Chris and Jake are fighting with all their might! Who will be the last one standing in this boxing battle?
To be continued…