Pokemon: Skybound

----

The Cianwood Gym was the official and only Gym in Cianwood City, specializing in Fighting-type Pokémon. Anyone who defeated the Gym Leader, Chuck, would earn the Storm Badge.

When Kai finally arrived, Chuck was already standing at the front entrance, now fully dressed, waiting for him.

Seeing that Kai had paced himself instead of recklessly burning all his stamina just to keep up, Chuck gave a nod of approval.

"Not bad," Chuck said with a grin. "Unlike those muscle-headed rookies who sprint without thinking, you knew to conserve your strength and keep your pace. And no shortcuts, either, you're smart and disciplined. That's the mark of a true Trainer."

Though complimented, Kai wasn't exactly thrilled.

Still catching his breath, he straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, glancing up at Chuck.

Chuck looked strong, sure, but with his slightly bulging belly, Kai had assumed that, despite being a martial arts master, he probably wasn't great at running. Clearly, that was a misjudgment. Chuck's stamina outmatched his own.

If I hadn't wasted time figuring out the route and wasn't drained from last night's… "exercise," I wouldn't have arrived so late, Kai thought, wincing inwardly.

"Mr. Chuck, are we ready to begin the Gym battle?"

Chuck nodded and motioned for Kai to follow him inside.

What Kai didn't know, however, was that Chuck had only just arrived himself.

Despite his usual bravado, Chuck had been struggling too. His recent sweet tooth had gotten the better of him, and his body fat had started to creep up. The run from the beach had left him sweating and wobbly-legged.

He'd barely reached the Gym in time to change into a clean outfit before Kai showed up pure image maintenance.

Had Kai known the route, he might've beaten Chuck there!

Once inside, a group of kids immediately ran over and respectfully bowed.

"Welcome back, Sensei!"

They ranged from around seven to sixteen years old, all dressed in martial arts uniforms, clearly Chuck's students.

Several Fighting-type Pokémon [Mankey], [Machop], [Hitmontop] stood nearby. No doubt, they were the students' partners.

Chuck marched through the group confidently.

"Have you all been training hard while I was out?"

"Yes, Sensei!" the students responded in unison.

"Of course! We never slack off!"

Their enthusiastic voices and trusting expressions made it clear that Chuck was genuinely respected. The atmosphere in the Gym felt disciplined but warm.

After exchanging greetings, the students finally noticed the young man standing behind their teacher. All eyes turned to Kai with excitement.

They didn't need anyone to explain that this was obviously a challenge. And a Gym battle was always more thrilling than routine training.

At Chuck's signal, the students quickly cleared the battlefield, sitting on both sides of the arena, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Kai had experienced this kind of attention before. It didn't faze him.

He stepped into the challenger's box, facing Chuck, while one of the older students took the referee position at the center of the battlefield.

"This is a standard three-on-three match!" the referee announced. "The Gym Leader will send out the first Pokémon. The challenger must defeat all three of the Leader's Pokémon to win the match!"

Just before the battle began, the door swung open. Erika entered the gym and gave Kai a nod before quietly taking a seat behind him.

Some of the younger boys immediately shifted in their seats, visibly flustered. Erika's gentle demeanor and striking looks clearly left an impression. She had that calming "big sister" energy that made adolescent hearts race.

On the field, Chuck turned to Kai and declared with booming pride, "Let me properly introduce myself. I am Chuck Master of Fighting Pokémon and Gym Leader of Cianwood City!"

Without waiting, he threw out his first Poké Ball.

A burst of blue light revealed a snarling Primeape.

[Primeape] fierce and wild. Compared to its pre-evolved form [Mankey], its muscular build, bulging forehead vein, and furious eyes gave it an even more intimidating edge. A fan favorite among Fighting-type enthusiasts.

Kai didn't hesitate. He pulled out his own Poké Ball and tossed it onto the field.

Out came his Dragonair.

"A Dragonair?!"

"Whoa! I've never seen one in person before!"

Gasps came from the students Dragonair was elegant, rare, and far from what they expected in a Fighting-type Gym.

Chuck frowned. "You came to a Fighting-type Gym. Why not meet me head-on with a Fighting-type of your own?"

"To be honest…" Kai shrugged, "I don't have any Fighting-types yet."

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "You're not a fan of Fighting-types?"

"Not at all," Kai said calmly. "I just haven't met one I really clicked with yet."

Chuck burst out laughing. "You're missing out! Machoke, Primeape, Hitmontop they're all lovable in their own rugged way. You should catch a few!"

Kai smiled politely but didn't respond. It wasn't that he disliked Fighting-types he simply didn't have the time or space to raise too many Pokémon at once. He only bonded with the ones he felt a real connection with.

Thankfully, Chuck wasn't one to force ideals on others. He dropped the subject.

With both Pokémon ready, the air grew tense. Chuck raised his hand, and with a loud shout, the battle began.

"Primeape—charge!"

The Fighting-type roared and rushed toward Dragonair like a missile.

----

Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!💎💎💎

For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon.

P@treon/iamxeno

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!