Journey Through Johto |Discontinued|

Chapter 2.40: Brawling It Out At the Cianwood City Gym

Last time, Zia and her Pokémon, accompanied by Janina, boarded the ferry to Cianwood City. Zia, so she could challenge the gym, and Janina, to get the medicine for a sick Ampharos.

"Thank you for waiting. Here's the medicine you ordered." The owner of the pharmacy said as he handed the bottle to Janina. "Thank you, sir." Janina said. "You better get that back to Jasmine right away." Zia told her.

"If you leave right now, you can catch the express ferry. That goes straight to Olivine City. It'll have you there before nightfall." The pharmacy man informed her. "Be safe, Janina. I'll see you when I come back to battle Jasmine." Zia promised.

"Okay, good luck, Zia." The little girl smiled before she went to catch the ferry. Zia followed behind to the pier where she watched the ship sail back. "Ma-choke. Ma-choke." They heard a cry as they looked down towards the beach where a man and a Machoke were training with each other.

The Machoke was blocking punches the man threw at it with its arms. "You defended yourself well, Machoke." The man complimented as they put space between each other. "Now, let's try switching to offense." He said as the Pokémon ran at him, throwing its own punches as well as some kicks.

The man, only wearing tattered white pants with a black belt and bandages around his left arm, proceeded to block the attacks. "Come on, is that all you got?" The man asked tauntingly as he dodged the next set of moves. Finally, the Machoke landed a karate chop against the man's chest, knocking him back.

"That was a nice karate chop. Alright, now let's see you try a submission." The man called out another move. The Machoke charged at him before cartwheeling into a handstand where he caught its trainer's head between its legs. It then grabbed his trainer's ankles before rolling around, trapping the man in the fighting-type move.

It ended with the Machoke letting go at a point where it sent the man flying into the sand. Zia gasped in concern as she jumped down onto the beach, running over to him. "That was perfect." The man said as he stood back up, however, his legs gave out and he fell to his knees.

"Are you okay, sir? It's not the safest thing to be going head to head with a Machoke unprotected." She asked him. "I'm just... I'm just so proud of that Machoke." The man exclaimed as he started to cry, standing up.

"That submission attack was absolutely perfect. Do you hear me?" He looked at his Pokémon, that now also had tears in its eyes. "Choke." The Machoke nodded. "Perfect!" The man said as they ran to each other, giving one another a hug.

"I'm so pleased with your progress. You've come a long way, Machoke." The man encouraged, still bawling. "Machoke." The Pokémon cried. Zia, Sky, and Emmy all sweatdropped.

"Hey, little miss, with the blinding white hair." The man suddenly turned to Zia. "Me?" Zia asked, looking around like she'd find another person in the vicinity with 'blinding white hair'. Sky and Emmy sighed in exasperation.

"What's your name?" The man then asked her. "I'm Zia." She told him, a little off guard by the quick change in demeanor from a bawling, emotional man to this stoic, gruff sounding one.

He quirked a, rather thick, eyebrow at her. "What brings you to town, little miss?" He questioned her. "I'm looking for the Cianwood City Gym." She answered him, giving him a grin.

"Alright, let's go. March. Double time. Hup, two, three, four. Hup, two, three, four." The man began to march in place, his Machoke following along. "If you want a battle here in Cianwood City, start marchin'. Get those knees in the air." He commanded, shouting rather loudly.

"I don't have knees." Emmy muttered, looking down at herself. Zia was wide-eyed, not expecting that reaction to her words. She reluctantly also started to march in place. "Let's move them out." The man started to march away, his Machoke right behind.