Chapter 100: Cianwood City, A Fiery Battle

Chapter 100: Cianwood City, A Fiery Battle

"Cianwood City, a city surrounded by raging waves." Ruby read aloud from the signboard.

After finishing the battle at Olivine City's Gym, Ron and his friends rested briefly before immediately taking a boat to Cianwood City, just across the sea.

Seeing Ron itching to go, Rosa said worriedly, "Ron, challenging two Gyms in one day is a bit too much."

"It's fine," Ron said, flexing his arm muscles. "I'm full of fighting spirit. Besides, it's almost 4 p.m. Let's finish the Gym battle quickly so we can enjoy a seafood feast."

Just as he was about to head to the Cianwood Gym, Ron was suddenly bumped into by a middle-aged man rushing out from around the corner. Rubbing his aching forehead, Ron looked at the man. The greasy man was also rubbing his head. He was shirtless, wearing loose white training pants, with a Machoke beside him.

"Hey, you're Chuck, the Cianwood Gym Leader, right?" Ron asked.

"Oh, you know me?" Chuck straightened his back, though his sagging belly betrayed his middle age.

"Yeah. I'm Ron from Pallet Town. These are my travel partners, Ruby and Rosa. I'm here for a Gym challenge."

"Haha! Welcome! But before that, let's have a good meal. I can tell your muscles are complaining of exhaustion! Balancing work and rest is key!" Chuck laughed. Without giving Ron a chance to explain, he threw an arm around Ron's neck and dragged him toward his Gym.

Ruby and Rosa exchanged glances, sighed, and followed along.

At Cianwood Gym, Ron and his friends met Chuck's disciples and his wife. Chuck's wife served the food and said, "So you're the challenger this time? Do your best to beat my husband!"

The three of them were a bit confused but were soon captivated by the delicious aroma. Chuck served each of them a large bowl of rice, laughing heartily, "You're all still growing. Eat more, eat heartily!"

He started eating with big mouthfuls, finishing a big bowl quickly before starting another. Ron took a bite, his eyes lighting up — the food was delicious, as good as his own cooking.

The low-fat, high-protein meals were easy to digest and absorb, perfect for replenishing energy for both humans and Pokémon. However, eating too much could lead to weight gain — as Chuck clearly demonstrated.

After finishing three large bowls, Chuck wiped his mouth and said, "I'm full! Now let's have a digestion-aiding battle!" Ron and his friends also finished their meals, wiped their mouths, and nodded in agreement.

At the battle arena, one of Chuck's disciples acted as the referee. "The Gym challenge begins now. Each side may use two Pokémon. The battle ends when all Pokémon on one side lose their ability to fight."

"Alright, Ron. I'm using Poliwrath and this Machoke." Chuck released his Poliwrath and patted the Machoke beside him.

"Since you're a Fighting-type expert, I'll counter with my own Fighting-type." Ron smiled. "Mienshao, I'm counting on you again."

Mienshao entered the field, bowing respectfully to Poliwrath. Poliwrath returned the gesture with folded hands. Chuck laughed, "Your Pokémon is well-mannered. Now, show me your strength!"

"You won't be disappointed! Mienshao, use Throw!" Ron commanded.

Mienshao hurled a heavy black iron ball at Poliwrath. Poliwrath punched the ball aside, its impact echoing as it hit the ground. Dark-type moves don't deal much damage to Fighting-types, but Chuck noticed the weight of the ball and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Weighted training? Interesting."

"Force Palm! Show them your strength!" Ron shouted, opting for a fist-to-fist showdown instead of using moves.

"Interesting! Let's do it! Poliwrath, no fancy moves — use Brick Break!" Chuck laughed heartily.

Mienshao and Poliwrath's fists collided. Mienshao had the upper hand, forcing Poliwrath to retreat two steps while standing firm itself. Then Mienshao whipped its arm fur with rapid strikes, hitting Poliwrath repeatedly.

"Hit back with Double Slap!" Chuck called.

Poliwrath lunged forward, slapping at Mienshao. Mienshao ducked and countered with a punch, pushing Poliwrath back. With a burst of speed, it followed up with a flurry of punches.

Poliwrath endured the hits and retaliated. The intense, blow-for-blow match left Ruby, Rosa, and Chuck's disciples wide-eyed. "Is this a Pokémon battle or a boxing match?" one of them murmured.

Under the continuous assault, Poliwrath eventually collapsed, losing its ability to fight. Mienshao, breathing heavily, looked at Poliwrath with mutual respect.

"Haha, come back, Poliwrath. Go, Machoke! Use Karate Chop!" Chuck laughed as Machoke pounded his fists on his own chest, syncing with Chuck to become one.

Ron shook his head. I better not copy that. Even though I'm pretty strong, I wouldn't dare take a hit from a Pokémon. This showed Chuck must have been a formidable Fighting-type master in his youth.

"Come back, Mienshao. It's your turn, Pheromosa." Ron released his Pheromosa.

"My Pheromosa is very strong and incredibly fast. Be careful, Chuck." Ron said seriously.

"Haha! Bring it on!" Chuck laughed.

"Throw!" Ron started with the same tactic.

The black iron ball hurled towards Machoke. Narrowing its eyes, Machoke shattered the ball with a Dynamic Punch, then immediately used Cross Chop on Pheromosa.

Ron activated his bond with Pheromosa, achieving mental synchronization. Pheromosa sidestepped Machoke's Cross Chop and countered with a high kick, sending Machoke flying. Machoke adjusted its posture midair and launched Bullet Punch upon landing. Pheromosa, moving like a white blur, dodged the attack and struck Machoke from various angles, leaving no room for retaliation.

"What?! Such speed!" Chuck was shocked.

The white streak bounced off the walls, landing blow after blow. Machoke, overwhelmed, fainted and fell to the ground.

"Machoke is unable to battle! The winner is Challenger Ron!" Chuck's disciple announced, still in awe of Ron's powerful Pokémon.

After receiving the Storm Badge, Ron thanked Chuck.

Chuck didn't mind the loss; instead, he admitted he needed to train more and declared he would start an intense training regimen. Seeing it was getting late, he invited Ron and his friends to stay the night. They happily accepted.