The new Cinnabar Pokémon Gym was a big building, looking like a traditional Japanese Fighting Dojo... but made from stone.
Ash and Ami entered the big main hall. "Hello?" Ash shouted, his voice echoing down the hall.
Just then, a young woman dressed in some sort of fighting outfit, entered from one of the side doors. A Hitmonlee was accompanying her. "Hi there! Are you here to challenge Ryu?"
"Um, actually, I'm looking for my friends... I've been told they would be staying here."
"Ah, so you're a friend of Brock and Misty, huh? Okay, follow me, I'll show you where the guest rooms are."
While they were walking, she introduced herself. "My name is Chun Li... I'm not really from this gym, but the gym leader and I are good friends."
"It's not usual for a gym to have guest rooms, is it?" Ami asked.
"No, but Ryu has them mainly for his students... You know, he's not only Pokémon Gym leader, but also a martial arts instructor, and he has two students right now. He also has rooms for more people as there are many other people who like to study his arts. But only two persons have been able to pass his entrance test."
"Does he have strong Pokémon?" Ash asked.
Chun Li nodded. "Oh yes! As you would guess, he mainly trains Fighting-type Pokémon. He trains them not only to learn their normal attacks, but also the attacks of his own fighting style. That makes them more powerful than most Fighting Pokémon. I think only Bruno of the Elite Four has been able to defeat him yet."
Ash whistled. "Amazing..."
They reached a long hall. "Well, here we are..." She opened a door. "Hey, guys, guess who's here?"
"ASH!" Ash instantly got crushed in a massive hug from his female friend and travel companion, Misty from Cerulean. "Oh Ash, where have you been? You know how long we have been searching for you? I searched the whole sea route with my water Pokémon, and Brock used Zubat..."
"It's okay, Misty, it's okay! See, I'm fine!"
Brock came out as well, the squinty-eyed gym leader from Pewter smiled as he saw his friend. "Man, what a relief. You know, I was already starting to give up hope."
"Sorry to have you all worried!"
"PIKA! PIKACHU!"
"Hey there, buddy!" Ash chuckled as his yellow-furred friend Pikachu jumped into his arms. "Good to see you! Man, I missed you all..." He hugged Pikachu. "Are my other Pokémon fine?"
"Never better," Misty said. "Brock took good care of them, and Ryu made sure they would stay in good shape."
"Ah, yes, that Ryu guy... you think I would have a chance of beating him?"
Brock chuckled. "That's typical, Ash... You just came back and already think of winning your next badge. Well, he's very powerful... but if you'd use Pokémon with a type advantage, you might have a chance..."
Ami coughed to get everyone's attention.
Embarrassed, Ash scratched his head. "Um, yeah, sorry... Guys, this is Ami. She lives at Seafoam Islands and helped me when I was washed up there by the storm. She had to take care of some... wounds I had. That's why I couldn't return right away."
"You live on Seafoam Island?" Misty asked. "Are you a hermit or something like that?"
Ami giggled. "Yeah, something like that... You're Misty, right? Nice to meet you! Ash has told me so much about you! And you're... Brock... um... excuse me?"
Brock was staring at Ami with hearts in his eyes. "Hello my dear, my name is Brock, but you can call me honey... ouch!"
"Could you just stop that?" Misty angrily asked as she dragged Brock away by his ear.
Then Ash realized that there were two other people in the room from which Misty and Brock had came, a girl and a boy.
"Hi there!" the girl said and waved. The boy just nodded in greeting, then went back to his meditation, together with the Machop that was sitting next to him.
"Those are Sakura Kasugano and Mamoru Chiba, Ryu's students," Chun Li introduced them. "Ryu is Sakura's big idol, and she hopes to be as good as he is some day. As for Mamoru... he mainly asked Ryu to train his Pokémon, but then Ryu convinced him that he could train his Pokémon more easily if he was a good fighter himself."
Ash raised a hand to greet them. Sakura waved him inside. "Come on in, a friend of our friends is our friend as well, right, Hitmontop?"
"Hitmon!" her Pokémon agreed.
----
They were sitting together for a while, talking, laughing, remembering old adventures. Sakura had similar tales to tell her new friends, while Ami and Mamoru stayed silent most of the time. Chun Li excused herself, she had no time to stay. Ash also let out his Pokémon to let them know that he was back and safe.
Some time later, the door opened again and a tall man was entering the room.
An aura of power and confidence surrounded him, and Ash instantly felt as if those piercing eyes would look directly into his soul. He was dressed in a white battle gi, together with a black belt and a red headband.
He then gave Ash the hint of a smile. "So you must be Ash, huh? Good to see you made it... I'm Ryu. Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island!"
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:50)
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