From: "STEFFAN HEDD ALUN" <sha3@aber.ac.uk> Subject: [PW!] A Fighting Chance Date: Sunday, May 23, 2004 3:01 AM Mike Smith walked out of the Daycare Man's home, refreshed. He'd showered, had his clothes washed, had a good's night sleep and even been made a nice, filling meal. He also had two new Pokémon as part of the bargain. He wanted to try them out, but had to keep a low profile for the time being. He headed south, admiring the clear, cloudless sky. Even his Loudred, normally fond of making obscene amounts of noise, was quiet today. "Loud? Loud?" Arguably. PokéWars!: Mike Smith "A Fighting Chance" Stephan Allun (sp?) Mike felt more at home in the crowded streets of Saffron City than he had in the smaller cities of Pewter and Cerulean. He was used to the busy lifestyles led by people in larger cities, and he could easily lose himself in a large group. He was probably even safer here than he'd been in Mount Moon, since at least here he wasn't likely to run into Team Rocket scientists. He looked around for grassy areas as he reached around the outskirts of the city, but couldn't see any natural habitats in the large city. "Looks like it'll have to be a gym battle again," said Mike, who'd already earned a Cascade Badge when all he wanted was a simple badge. He made his way through the streets, trying to work out where a gym could be found in such an area. He spotted a young child examining a PokéDex. Excellent - a trainer. "Excuse me," said Mike. "Where might I find a gym in this town?" "Sabrina's place," replied the child. "She's gone, though. That's why I'm working on my Pokédex. For some reason, I can't get Golbat to evolve. It's tried to once or twice, but..." "Anywhere else I can battle in this city?" asked Mike, who was eager to battle better trainers now that he'd fought the infamous Misty. "The Fighting Dojo," said the child. "They're the only place for trainers to actually fight in this city now." Mike asked for directions, which the child willingly shared, and set off for the Dojo. He arrived and entered, the Loudred he wasn't allowed to keep in a Poké Ball close behind. Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the bulding like thunder... "I..." Mike flinched at the sound, although the noise didn't seem to affect Loudred. "HATE..." Mike felt his eye twitch... "SHOES!" A huge man lumbered into Mike's view, charging with all his might. He tore Mike's shoes away and threw them out of the building. He pushed Mike out of the way, left the bulding himself, and started jumping on the shoes. He released a Pokémon - a Hitmonchan - which was instructed to Thunderpunch, Ice Punch and Fire Punch the shoes, until there was barely a trace of them left. He shouted towards the building, "AND IF I EVER CATCH YOU WEARING SHOES AGAIN, I'M GONNA SIT ON YOU, YOU HEAR ME?!" He stumbled back towards Mike and pushed him to the ground. "DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU DON'T HEAR ME! I HATE SHOES! I HATE THEM! HATE THEM! SHOES ARE HATED! YES!" He left again, recalling Hitmonchan, presumably to restore his Pokémon's PP. Mike was at a loss for words. The Karate Master made his way over to Mike. "You must forgive my latest student," he said, bowing to Mike. "He is quite opposed to the idea of footwear in the Dojo." "He destroyed my shoes!" "I offer to compensate by battling you," said the Karate Master. "That doesn't sound like much compensation." "I will spare you the battles you would otherwise have to fight with my students," he explained. "I have taken you much closer to your reward. Of course, I cannot reward you fully unless you defeat me in battle." The gathered students seem disappointed, none more so than a pair of twins who'd been itching to battle, having assumed they'd have an easy time beating Mike. "He wuz'na gonna gets a win outta ME anywho," slurred a drunken man nearby. "We will battle now," said the Karate Master. "Two on two?" asked Mike. "No! We will have a full team battle!" "Your student detroyed my shoes." "Which is why this battle will be two on two." There was no hint in the Karate Master's voice that what he was saying was inconsistent with his earlier comment, but Mike merely cared about testing HIS two new Pokémon. "Hitmonlee, prepare for combat!" "Lee!" Mike had only ever seen a Hitmonlee on television before, and found the thing quite frightening in real life. It had no arms, but its legs seemed more than capable of compensating for this. "Go, Ugger," said Mike, releasing the first of his new Pokémon. "Let's see what you canWHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND PURE IS THAT?" He'd released a Pokémon only a mother could love. It looked like a stag of some sort, with some inexplicable purple balls in its horns. It had a snout that seemed to have been partly removed and a look of snide arrogance in its eyes, as though it believed it had the right to exist. The nearby students who weren't stunned silent laughed at the pathetic creature as it eyed down the Hitmonlee and stomped its hoof. "Stantler! Stant antler!" "Take it down," said Mike, wiping his brow. He'd gone quite pale. Fortunately, the creature knew the move Take Down. Unfortunately, it was utterly rubbish at using it. It ran into Hitmonlee full pelt. Hitmonlee didn't seem hurt by the attack. Ugger, on the other hand, was - it backed away in a daze. "Hitmonlee! Use your Hi Jump Kick attack!" commanded the Karate Master. Hitmonlee jumped into the air, its leg outstretched. As he did so, he caught the hideous stag on the side of its face, causing its cheekbone to dislocate with a sickening crack. It collapsed in a heap, clearly unconscious. Mike recalled it quickly, not wanting to look at it any longer. "That was poor," he said to himself. A murmur of agreement was heard among the students. He readied his second Poké Ball. This was his only hope. "Go, Janus!" Janus materialised. She held herself with much more grace than Ugger had, and had bright, innocent eyes... ...on her horned, yellow head and blank, dullset eyes on the exotic second head on her sleek black tail. She cantered softly towards Hitmonlee and lay down quietly. "Jirra! Jirra ra ra!" "A Girafarig?!" snorted one of the twins. "Of all the Psychic types he could have picked, he picked one with a type that negates its resistance to Fighting?" "Oh, it's Psychic?" noted Mike. "That's good news. Use a Psychic attack, Janus." "Jirra..." said Janus softly. "Jirra ji raji ji." "Well, do you know Confusion? Or Psybeam? Come on! Psychic? Maybe one of those weird ones... Future Sight?" "Ji. Raji." "Mega Kick, Hitmonlee!" Hitmonlee kicked the Girafarig, who was still lying on the floor. "JEE!" Janus squinted her eyes and stood up shakily. The shock of Hitmonlee's kick seemed to have upset her more than the actual damage caused. She opened her eyes. They were no longer bright and innocent, but blank and dullset like the tail's eyes. ...or at least, like the tail's eyes HAD been. The tail's eyes were now the same bright, innocent eyes that had originally been on Janus's front head. Mike was confused. "Far! Farig! Rig rig FAAAAAAR!" Janus's voice was deeper now, practically booming compared to her earlier meek voice. "Are you up for using your Psychic-" Mike had barely finished pronouncing the word when the whole room was distorted as a psychic blast issued from Janus, influencing the nearest trainers' perception. When they shook away their confusion, Hitmonlee was lying on the floor, one leg draped over its body like a hosepipe. "I have one more Pokémon to choose," said the sensei. He considered building it up further, but everyone already knew what he'd choose. "Go, Hitmonchan!" Hitmonchan was released, and he punched the air a few times. This Hitmonchan seemed speedier than the one that had destroyed Mike's shoes earlier, and Mike was sure that its strength would also be much higher. "Hitmonchan! Sky Uppercut!" Hitmonchan never had a chance, though. Throwing Mike a glance and a wink, Janus released a second Psychic blast. "FAAARGH!" Those far enough away not to be affected by the blast could see Hitmonchan holding up better than Hitmonlee had done, but he too had fallen unconscious long before Janus had finished her attack. There was silence for a moment. The Karate Master's Hitmonchan - one of the strongest of its species - hadn't managed a single attack! Someone in the back muttered something that sounded like "uber". "You have won, and deserve a prize," said the Karate Master. "You may choose a new Pokémon." "Wow," said Mike. "A whole new Pokémon? I've got a whole TEAM now!" "You may choose Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan." Mike considered this. He knew that one of the Pokémon being offered had high Defense and the other had high Special Defense. Hitmonchan must have the high Special Defense, thought Mike, as he resisted Janus's attack for longer. Still, Psychics were weak to Flying as well, which meant a good Defense would be useful as well. A thought struck him "You don't have a Hitmontop, do you?" The Karate Master's eyes and mouth widened in shock. "A HitmonTOP?! A HITMONTOP?! Of COURSE you can have a Hitmontop! Tom, get the man a Hitmontop!" A tall man with a blonde ponytail went to retrieve a Poké Ball. He came back and handed it to his sensei. It was dusty. "Not once has anyone ever requested a Hitmontop," explained the Karate Master. "I don't even use one myself! People believe their only purpose is to breed to create Tyrogues that can evolve into one of the others. But if you desire a Hitmontop, you will have a Hitmontop!" Mike took the Poké Ball. He also recalled Janus. "Thankyou, sensei," said Mike. "I must go and buy more shoes. Oh, and heal the stag, I suppose." With that, Mike left. He was one Pokémon richer and a whole room full of people closer to being turned over to the police. TBC?