After getting the Stone Badge and new Pokétalk translation devices in Rustboro City, Summer and Weldon traveled to Dewford Town by surfing on their Pokémon. The travel was smooth for most of the way, but they were intercepted by the cloaked stranger known as Hamsetrin. Summer had to battle his Starmie underwater. Kitakaze and Sandā, two of the Legendary Beasts, were able to protect her with the help of another mysterious Pokémon. Summer then was rescued by Trinity, a woman who's interested in Weldon. Our heroine finally makes it to Dewford Town and reunites with Weldon. But when she begins her training for the next Gym, she runs into a friendly face and a challenge for one of her Pokémon. Who is this familiar person, and which Pokémon will undergo this difficult task?
Chapter 12- Fierce Fists
Mr. Briney's boat, the S.S. Wingull, began its docking on a pier along Dewford Town. I disembarked, now completely dry, and turned to the genial old man tying the boat to the dock.
"Thanks again for picking me up, Mr. Briney," I said.
He looked at me and grinned. "Not at all, Summer. After what you've been through, it's the least I can do."
His Wingull, Peeko, landed on her owner's head. "Are you feeling better, Summer?"
"Yeah, thanks, Peeko. Are you going to stay a while, Mr. Briney?"
"Oh, just for a few more hours. Then, we'll head back home and wait for that Trainer's call to transport him to Slateport. Without me, he'll be stuck on Dewford Island forever!"
We laughed just as Weldon ran over. "Summer! Thank Arceus you're all right."
I gave my travel partner a welcoming smile. "You too, Weldon! Mr. Briney told me what happened. I'm glad she helped you out."
He raised an eyebrow. "She?"
"Uhh…it's nothing. Anyway, let's head to the Pokémon Center. I need to heal Aurora; she took quite a beating."
"I'd imagine. My Pokémon are resting there as well." He looked at the retired sailor. "See you, Mr. Briney."
I nodded. "Bye, Mr. Briney."
"Good bye, kids!"
We left the pier and headed into Dewford Town. It was a quaint seaside village with blue-roofed buildings. A wide stone path was the main street that led to the few restaurants and stores in the small downtown area. We walked for a few minutes on the main road until we reached the red-roofed building at the easternmost edge of town. The nurse, a slightly muscular woman with tanned skin, looked up from her desk and smiled. She had a long dark braid streaked with light blue, dark green eyes, and a Meditite pin on her nurse cap.
"Welcome to Dewford Town, Summer," she greeted with a jovial tone. "I'm Nurse Mura. After Weldon came in and told me what transpired, I've been expecting you."
Breathing in a fresh scent of juniper around the room, I replied. "Thanks, Nurse."
After handing her my Poké Balls, she said, "Weldon requested separate rooms, but unfortunately, we are pretty full. Do you mind sharing the room with him?"
"Uh…" I stuttered.
Weldon sensed my hesitation. "If you're uncomfortable with it, Summer, I can stay at a nearby hostel."
"Oh, no," I replied, frantically waving my hands. "I'm fine with it. It was just, I wasn't expecting that kind of response."
"That's understandable," Nurse Mura reassured. "It's a double room, so you would each have your own bed."
I nodded. "That sounds good."
After giving us our Poké Balls and room keys, she said, "I hope you find the room enjoyable. Enjoy your time on Dewford Island."
We thanked her and headed to our room towards the back of the building. Once inside, Weldon collapsed on the west bed.
He let out a long sigh. "Man, this has been a rough day."
"I'd say. What happened to Hamsetrin?"
"Hamsetrin? Oh, you mean that cloaked stranger." He sat up and explained, "We battled in the rain. And it was pretty rough. But I was saved by a Mega Charizard Y who defeated Hanetrin's Mega Manectric."
"Mega Charizard Y? There's another Charizard mega?"
He stroked his chin. "Yeah. Unlike the black one most people know of, this one specializes in sun-based strategies and special attacks. I don't know where he came from, and he didn't really talk to me."
I leaned on my bed. Was that Munin, Trinity's Charizard? I wonder…
He noticed my pensive look. "Do you know that Charizard's Trainer?"
I glanced at the floor and rubbed the back of my neck. "No, I don't." I could tell he didn't buy my story, so I quickly said, "I'm just happy Mr. Briney found you. I was worried you wouldn't be able to find your way here without my help."
He nodded. "He's a very nice person. I do want to ask what happened to you, but maybe we should shower and have an early dinner first."
My stomach growled. "Yeah, you're right."
"You can go first, Summer. I need to check on something."
"Oh, okay. Thanks."
I rummaged into my backpack and found my backup pair of clothes: a blue tie-dye T-shirt and olive green shorts. After a nice hot shower, I spent the rest of my day at the Pokémon Center with Weldon.
Later that night…
I stood in my regular clothes amongst white, blank scenery. It was quiet, almost unnerving. "Huh. Now I know this is a dream. But why am I here?"
Voices rang out, but I couldn't tell where they were coming from.
A young male voice shouted. "People, stop! Why are you doing this to our protectors?"
An older male voice sternly replied, "These 'protectors' almost destroyed our village! We must seal them before they wreak havoc past our borders!"
A small crowd of people cheered behind those words.
The younger voice protested, "NO! I won't let you do this!"
"Stand aside, Susumu! You have been relieved of your duties. If you side with the protectors, we will destroy you as well!"
Startled, I ran around, trying to find the source of the quarrel, but the background never changed. I stopped to catch my breath, but when I did, the floor caved beneath my feet. I screamed as I fell into a dark hole surrounded by large stone walls. I slammed into the stone floor, and my whole body jolted.
I bolted up, panting. Wiping the cold beads of sweat from my forehead, I pondered my unusual dream.
This dream... It felt too real to be imagined. Who are these 'protectors', and who is Susumu? Could all of this have happened in the past? And how did I get this dream anyway?
My breathing slowly returned to normal, and I saw the sunlight peeking through our room.
"Summer?" Weldon looked at me as he lay on his left side. "Everything okay?"
After taking a deep breath, I replied, "Yeah. Just had a crazy dream, that's all."
I was about to lie back down when he said, "What are you doing? If you're up, you better stay up."
I looked at my Pokégear and mumbled, "It's 6:45."
He got out of bed. "Perfect. It's almost time for breakfast. We need an early start before your training, remember?"
I sighed. "Fine... You can go to the bathroom first."
He nodded, took his clean clothes and toiletries, then left. As I slid out of my sheets and put on my slippers, Lightning stirred.
"Five more minutes…" she murmured.
I stroked her head. "Fine, but only five. Weldon will kill us if we're late for training."
She repositioned herself on the bed and continued her slumber.
I opened the smallest pocket of my backpack to get a tissue, and a small glint of grey flashed in the sunlight. Curious, I took the item out. It was a pair of heavy steel cufflinks with hexagonal faces and crystal-shaped backings. They looked really old, but the faces had a light outline of a square.
How did these get in my bag? I don't remember seeing these cufflinks before. And they appear to be missing something.
Weldon walked in with his freshly washed clothes. He noticed the accessory in my hands. "What's that?"
To my surprise, the cufflinks vibrated on my hand, as if they wanted to go to him.
"They're steel cufflinks. I found them in my bag, but I don't remember seeing them before now."
I gave them to Weldon, albeit with some difficulty. But he was able to easily lift them up to examine them.
"Strange. I've never seen them either. It also looks like the gems they were carrying fell off. Mind if I hold onto them?"
"Sure. They seemed like they wanted you to have them too."
He raised an eyebrow, but he just put it in his bag. After I got ready, we headed to the cafeteria. Lightning, though groggy, was hungry enough for breakfast. We got our meals, scrambled Chansey eggs, whole wheat toast, and porridge, and found a table with a view of the town.
As we ate, I noticed two people walk into the cafeteria. One was a young man with short brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. He also had a muscular build, which was better defined by his dark blue tank top and dark brown crew shorts. Next to him was a slightly tanned girl with a thin frame wearing a matching light pink midriff crop top and shorts. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and her dark brown eyes scanned the tables.
Huh. That guy looks really familiar. Where have I seen him before? Wait, it can't be…
I stood up and called, "Jayden?"
The man turned on our direction, and he grinned. "Summer!" He talked to the girl briefly then ran over to our table. "Long time no see!"
You too, Jayden." I motioned to the other person at the table. "Jayden, this is my traveling partner, Weldon."
The Kantonian nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Weldon. And this must be Lightning, right? I can't believe she's a Raichu now."
She waved to the familiar face. "Hi, Jayden."
"How do you two know each other?" Weldon asked.
Jayden chuckled. "To make a long story short, Summer visited one of mentors at the Saffron City Dojo, we battled for a bit, and then Blaze trained with us for a while."
Weldon looked at the older teen's muscles and forced a smile. "That...makes sense."
I sensed a strong anxiety from his voice, so I changed the subject. "So, Jayden. Did you finish your training?"
"Not exactly. I'm just taking a break before starting advanced studies at the dojo, so I'm just helping Master Brawly with some chores at the Gym."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot you used to train under him."
Weldon got up, surprising me. "Summer, is it okay if I go check out the beach for training first?"
"Uh...yeah. Sure."
My rival nodded to Jayden before leaving.
I bit my lip. Weldon…
The Fighting type user brushed his hair back. "Sorry, Summer. I didn't mean to intrude."
I shook my head. "It's not your fault. Weldon's...going some stuff right now."
"I see. So, how's Blaze doing?"
I rubbed my arm. "He's doing well...but I'm struggling to keep up with him."
This caught his attention. "Hm… Do you mind if I tag along to your training session?"
"I'd like that, but I don't know how Weldon will feel."
Jayden softly smiled. "You care about him, don't you?"
My face flushed. "I do, as a friend… And he is my coach after all."
"Don't worry, I'll talk to him to make sure he's okay with it," he replied with a wink. "And if not, that's okay too. After meeting with Master Brawly, my sister and I will be training on the beach anyways."
"Thanks, Jayden. I'll see you later."
He nodded and waved goodbye before joining up with his companion.
As we finished breakfast, Lightning asked, "Did Weldon seem off to you, Summer?"
I sighed, playing with my fork. "Yeah. He seemed really uncomfortable around Jayden."
"I did see him flinch whenever Jayden talked about Fighting types or the Fighting Dojo. Maybe it has something to do with that."
"Now that I think about it, he also focused on Jayden's physique while he was talking. But Weldon wasn't afraid when he talked to Blaze. I'll talk to him later before Jayden asks him to join us."
Once we finished, we left the Pokémon Center and headed north to the beach on Route 106. It was a nice day, sun shining and a slightly warm breeze coming from the ocean. To my surprise, Weldon was sitting by the edge of the beach, staring at the waves rolling onto the sand.
Lightning ran over to him, causing him to turn around. "Oh, there you are, Summer. I thought... I thought you were going to talk to Jayden longer."
I sat next to him, trying to figure out how to respond. "Actually, Jayden asked if he can come over later and help with my training. B-But if you don't want him here, that's fine too!"
Weldon took a deep breath before turning his head back to the sea. "I'm fine with you training with Jayden, Summer. After all, I'm not the best at working with Fighting types; it's good that you have someone who specializes in them to help you."
Rubbing the back of my head, I composed my next response carefully. "Weldon… Do you-?"
My body tensed up; there was something dangerous approaching us. I looked at the entrance to the town and saw a Blaziken sprint towards us with hatred in his eyes. Lightning readied herself to defend us, but Blaze appeared from his Poké Ball and stood in front of the Electric type. The two Fire types exchanged punches before the aggressor retreated slightly.
The strange Blaziken wiped his beak with his right hand, displaying a black armband around each of his upper arms. "Not bad...for a weakling," he growled, his voice deeper than Blaze's.
My Blaziken angrily replied, "What are you doing here, Saenchai?"
"Blaze?" I asked. "You know this Blaziken? And why did you attack us?!"
"Saenchai!" a girl about our age screamed as she ran over. Though she was angry, her voice had a hint of calmness.
"It's the same girl Jayden's with," I mused.
Saenchai crossed his arms and looked away. "Thought I got rid of you."
She scolded, "You don't just run away from the Gym and ignore our training!"
"You mean, 'your training'?"
"Ugh, I don't know why I have to put up with you…" She turned to us and gasped. "Oh my gosh! Y-You're Summer Scorcher and Weldon Leland!"
I sheepishly grinned. "Yeah, that's us."
"It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Marisa. My brother, Jayden, told me so much about you, Summer." She paused. "Oh. I guess that's why Saenchai escaped."
Jayden joined us, slightly panting. "Th-There you two are…" After he took a deep breath, he noticed me and Weldon. "Oh. No wonder why."
I rubbed the back of my head. "Um… I know this is a weird question, but why did Saenchai attack us?"
"He wasn't trying to hurt you, Summer. He was after Blaze."
"Blaze?"
Jayden turned to his sister. "Marisa, can you make sure Saenchai doesn't do anything rash?"
"Sure, Jayden."
She kept a close eye on the rogue Blaziken as Jayden motioned us to sit on some nearby rocks. Weldon and I did, but my Pokémon kept their guard up.
The teen slicked his hair back and explained, "Saenchai's a Blaziken whose been training with us at the Saffron City Dojo. Master Kiyo found him when he was a Combusken on a trip to Hoenn five years ago. Though Saenchai is very unruly, he does have natural fighting abilities. Master Kiyo thought he could help control his wild instincts by taking him under his wing. Though he was able to listen to us at first, when he evolved, he refused to work with any of us. Then, when Blaze joined us, Saenchai antagonized him more than any other Pokémon there. It got to a point where every time they ran into each other, Saenchai kept insisting on a sparring match. But we were able to keep him at bay before that happened. After Blaze left, Saenchai was eager to find Blaze and beat him. Master Kiyo thought Marisa would be able to help him become less impulsive since she's a wushu specialist, but...it's not going so well."
Blaze glanced at us before returning his gaze onto his rival. "So he wants to fight me, huh?"
I got up, sensing what he wanted to do. "Blaze, are you sure about this?"
Jayden asked, "Sure about what?"
"Blaze wants to battle Saenchai," Weldon translated.
The martial artist was shocked. "Blaze… You do know he's not going to hold back at all. You could get seriously hurt."
The Blaze Pokémon turned to me, his eyes focused. "Summer, I want to fight Saenchai."
I bit my lip. "After seeing what Saenchai's capable of, Jayden's right. But, I trust you, Blaze. Maybe this is the best way for me to learn from you. But if you get too hurt, I will stop the match, all right?"
He nodded and we returned Marisa and her Pokémon. Saenchai's eyes brightened as Blaze agreed to their long-awaited fight.
"Finally! Now to show you why I'm the better Blaziken."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Saenchai. The match hasn't even started yet."
The older Blaziken scoffed, "We'll see about that."
The Blaziken took a few steps back, creating a slight gap in between them. Marisa, Weldon, Lightning and I sat a ways back on the sand as Jayden explained the rules.
"All right. This will be a first-to-three knockdown match. You cannot use any special attack or status moves, only physical attack moves..."
"So it's like the rules at the Saffron City Dojo," I speculated as he continued talking.
"That's right," Marisa replied. "In this case, it'll fully display the Muay Thai fighting style that the Blaziken species are most well known for."
"I see." I looked at Lightning, who was very worried.
"Summer… I'm not so sure about this."
I rubbed her head. "Me either, but we have to support Blaze the best we can."
She pouted, "Well, okay. You did promise to stop the match if it comes to it, right?!"
"Yes, I did. I'm keeping my eye out for him."
"So will I," Weldon added.
"Are you sure, Weldon?"
He gave me a firm look. "Positive."
Reassured, I turned back to the three, where Jayden was finishing the instructions.
"Any questions?"
Blaze shook his head while Saenchai sneered. The former ignored the aggressor's taunt and shook out his arms and legs. Both Blaziken hopped up and down, mentally preparing themselves. When Jayden waved his arms forward, Saenchai lunged at Blaze with a fiery right hand. Blaze easily blocked the Fire Punch and threw one of his own. Saenchai ducked under it and pushed his rival back. Now with some breathing room, Saenchai's left claws glowed white and he jumped forward in a slashing motion. Blaze countered with a right Blaze Kick, parrying the Slash attack. Saenchai spun around, but my Pokémon just prepared for a counter attack. His intuition was correct as the older Blaziken lifted his left leg to strike Blaze's body. Blaze blocked the first one, but as the second one hit his right side, he struck Saenchai with a left hook Fire Punch. Both Pokémon stepped back and prepared their next strategies.
I watched them with intrigue and disappointment. He was fighting so hard, yet I couldn't match his power, speed, and intensity. Was I holding him back again?
"That's an impressive Blaziken," Weldon analyzed, interrupting my thoughts. "Fire Punch, Slash, and Double Kick. Very good for close-range combat."
Marisa grinned. "You have a good eye, Weldon. Saenchai's last move is Bulk Up, so he can only use those three in this fight. But I gotta say, Blaze is doing really well. He's got Fire Punch too, and he also knows Blaze Kick. What are his other moves, Summer?"
"Oh, Sky Uppercut and Flamethrower."
She mused, "That's a powerful Fighting type move. Blaze must be saving that Sky Uppercut for the right time." Her face then became serious. "But against an opponent like Saenchai, he really has to be careful."
I returned my focus to the match and was worried to see Blaze getting hit from a Fire Punch-Double Kick combination. My Pokémon winced in pain, but he was able to strike Saenchai with a left roundhouse Blaze Kick. Shocked at his opponent's tenacity, Saenchai grabbed Blaze's leg and punched him in the face. Seeing Blaze's weakened state, he let go and allowed Blaze to hit the sand.
"First down, Saenchai!" Jayden shouted.
Saenchai stood proudly over the hurt Blaziken. "Looks like you haven't improved at all, Blaze."
My Blaziken slowly got up and brushed the sand off his arms. "Neither have you."
This enraged his rival, but he remained still as Jayden motioned them to begin fighting again. Saenchai ignited both of his fists and charged at Blaze. My Pokémon did the same, and the two engaged in a close range boxing match. They exchanged hits to the head and body as well as counters. But after a few minutes, Saenchai landed a hard straight Fire Punch to Blaze's face, knocking him down for a second time.
"Second down, Saenchai!" Jayden yelled.
Blaze rose again, though he was panting pretty hard. Seeing the struggle on Blaze's face, Saenchai gleefully bounced up and down, ready to finish the fight. Jayden became more cautious of Blaze's physical wellbeing, but he motioned them to continue.
Unlike the first two rounds, Saenchai feinted a left hook before launching a left-right Double Kick. Blaze blocked the attacks, but they did sap some of his energy. He backed away, allowing Saenchai to come forward and throw flashy Fire Punches. Blaze struggled to defend himself and counter, fueling Saenchai's thirst for victory.
I struggled to keep watching. It reminded me too much of our last Silver League match. And how I failed him.
Lightning shouted, "Don't give up, Blaze! You can do it!"
I was shocked. Lightning…you're not giving up on him, are you?
The encouraging words appeared to give her teammate some newfound strength. As Saenchai lunged in for an overhand Fire Punch, Blaze leaned back and dug his feet into the sand. He then threw a right Sky Uppercut to Saenchai's chin. This knocked Saenchai into the air, and he slammed onto the beach.
Jayden was stunned, but he shouted, "F-First down, Blaze!"
Marisa was equally shocked. "I-I can't believe it… This is the first time I've seen Saenchai knocked down in all of his matches."
The Raichu beamed. "Yeah! Go Blaze!"
Saenchai glared at Lightning, and after he got up, he angrily approached her. "Keep your yap shut, rodent!"
"Rodent?!" she protested.
Marisa got up. "Saenchai, go back to Jayden."
His furious eyes turned to his Trainer. "Why should I listen to you?! You're nothing but a hippie fighter."
I rose to my feet. "Listen to Marisa, Saenchai."
He turned his focus onto me, and I flinched slightly.
He chuckled. "You're just as weak as Blaze." Saenchai grinned when my eyes grew wide from his words. "Looks like our match is postponed."
Lightning tried to stop him. "L-Leave Summer alone!"
But he jumped behind her and kicked her in the back, sending her towards the ocean. Blaze quickly caught his crush, and after he put her down, he ran to my defense.
"Leave Summer alone, Saenchai!" he roared, a tone I've never heard from him before.
To my surprise, I felt a strong wave of jealousy from Saenchai.
The older Blaziken laughed. "Make me."
Jayden saw the atmosphere changing and took out a Poké Ball. "Saenchai, return!"
But he leapt over the red beam and kicked Blaze's chest. The latter gasped in pain before blocking the second kick.
Frantic, I took out Blaze's Poké Ball. "Blaze, return!"
But Saenchai stood in the beam's way, canceling the command. "Sorry, Scorcher. But Blaze's beating isn't over yet." He pushed Blaze to the ground and stomped onto his body.
I gritted my teeth as Blaze's cries of pain echoed across the beach. Saenchai's out of control! I have to find a way to stop him from hurting Blaze anymore!
Then, a crazy thought rushed into my head. I ran towards the two Blaziken.
"Summer, don't!" Weldon warned, and he ran after me.
"I need to stop them somehow!" I argued.
Saenchai saw me coming and threw a backwards kick. Thanks to my training, I rolled past his leg and reached Blaze's right side. He was breathing hard, but he was still conscious.
I tried to lift Blaze up, but Saenchai pulled me away. I tumbled on the sand and felt it cling to my skin, but I didn't care. My main concern was protecting Blaze. Suddenly, a large orange hand pushed Saenchai onto the sand. The Blaziken growled and tried to get up, but sparks appeared on his fur and limited his movement.
A spiky blue-haired man in his early thirties and his Hariyama ran over. His skin was slightly tanned, and he wore an orange shirt, blue pants, orange and black wetshoes, and a black wetsuit under his clothes.
"Blaze!" I cried as I ran back to him.
The man's Hariyama helped me regain his footing before carrying him into town.
"I got your call, Jayden," the stranger said with a mellow voice. "Looks like Surge and I made it just in time." He looked at the paralyzed Blaziken and sighed. "Guess we gotta work with you some more, Saenchai."
Saenchai looked away, trying to manage the sparks on his body.
After returning the rebellious Blaziken, Jayden bowed. "Thank you, Master Brawly. I'm sorry I couldn't stop this sooner."
"The most important thing is that you let me know before it got any worse." He turned to me, his face filled with sadness. "You're Summer, right? I'm sorry you and Blaze had to endure Saenchai's rage. Surge's takin' Blaze to the Pokémon Center. You should meet up with them."
"Thanks. Come on, Lightning." I ran towards the buildings with Lightning in tow. Despite being calm earlier, I fought back tears. I couldn't let him keep getting this badly beaten; he didn't deserve that.
Summer's Pokémon:
Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut
Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Air Slash
Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Aqua Ring
Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch
Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail
Olive (Treecko, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Pound, Growl, Absorb
Weldon's Pokémon:
Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Solarbeam, Body Slam, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip
Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Drill Peck, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace
Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge
Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall
Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast
Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Mega Kick, Thunder Punch, Shock Wave
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think of Summer's dream?
How did the cufflinks get into Summer's bag?
What do you think of Jayden and Marisa?
What do you think of Saenchai and the match?
