บท 129: Cianwood's Zimin
Saffron City's Magnet Train Station, connecting Kanto and Johto region, is an epic-level facility that spans the entire mainland.
A young boy slowly walked out of the station; his face looked determined, and as if exposed to the sun year-round, he looked slightly tanned. He was wearing a faded white coat, but beneath it, one can see layers of bandages wrapped around his body.
"I thought I'd die on the train; motion sickness is so uncomfortable," Zimin grimaced, lifting his luggage and looking in a certain direction.
"Let's go, after challenging the Fighting Gym, I'll head to Dewford Town in the Hoenn region to spar with the senior that the teacher always talks about."
...
...
Fighting Gym is located to the east of Saffron City. In addition to the Gym, there is also a Fighting Dojo established nearby. The dojo primarily teaches and accepts children and youngsters willing to learn martial arts or Fighting Pokemon who seek refuge with them.
"Teacher told me not to be careless as Mr. Kiyo is the runner-up of the recent martial arts tournament and shouldn't be underestimated."
However, Zimin, who had learned at Cianwood Gym in Johto, had unparalleled confidence.
Uh... No, wait. It seems like the other person is also a Gym Trainer.
"Hello, is this Saffron City's Fighting Gym?" Zimin walked up to the main entrance of the building, which was exuding a martial aura, and knocked forcefully before shouting.
Smack!
A mysterious slap landed on Zimin's shoulder, causing him to exclaim, "Whoa!" He quickly assumed a fighting stance and turned his head around.
"Who?"
"Huh?"
Upon closer inspection, it was just an ordinary boy, well….a slightly handsome one.
"Don't bother knocking. All the apprentices of this Gym have been dismissed, leaving only Gym Leader Kiyo. And this is his training time. No one knows where he is, so there won't be anyone receiving visitors right now," Terrance pointed to himself. "I arrived earlier than you and have been waiting for a while."
"What...No apprentices at all? And even visit is not allowed? What kind of Gym is this?" Zimin's eyes widened.
"..." Terrance.
"There have been some issues with this Fighting Gym recently..." Terrance was about to explain.
"Don't explain. I don't want to hear it. I'll wait," Zimin says.
"..." Terrance.
Fighting Gym was located in quite a good place, near Silph Co. Head Office. There are often various people passing by. In the past, the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City was quite popular. However, after losing to Sabrina once again, the Gym Leader decided to close the Gym and dismiss all staff, resulting in this deserted atmosphere.
So, Terrance and the unfamiliar young man endured the wait. At some point, a man in a karate gi entered their view.
"It's just you two challengers today?" Kiyo glanced at them and spoke.
"Are you the Gym Leader of the Fighting Gym? I'm Zimin from Cianwood Gym in the Johto region. Please fight me with your full strength!" Zimin declared.
"I heard rumors and came to challenge as a Trainer, intending to use a Dusk Stone as a wager for the Gym Battle," Terrance adds.
"Hahaha, interesting. Are you both sure about challenging me? I won't hold back," Kiyo turned to Zimin. "I hope Mr. Chuck is doing well. After I close the Gym, I plan to become a disciple of Mr. Chuck and strive to train myself as diligently as he does."
"Mr. Chuck is an incredible person. I wonder how much of his skills you'll be able to learn."
"Come in, the doors of the Fighting Gym are open for you!"
After closing the Gym, besides cash, he will be left with a significant amount of resources. His willingness to use these items as stakes in Gym Battles shows a considerable level of determination. It seems he wants to use each defeat as a motivation to drive his own improvement.
However, even with generous rewards, there weren't many challengers. If not deliberately throwing the battle, Professional Trainers as Gym Leaders are much stronger than ordinary Trainers. Skilled Trainers who can defeat them also don't lack these resources.
So, after making this decision, Kiyo has actually faced only a few genuine challengers. The defeats so far haven't depleted his resources, and a large portion of those battles had been against Trainers who had specifically chosen Pokémon that restrains fighting-type Pokémon.
Maybe Kiyo just wants to push himself further through these battles before leaving.
"A disciple of Cianwood Gym, I hope you won't disappoint me," Kiyo smiled, "I'll use all the strength I'm proud of to battle you."
"Thank you," Zimin said solemnly. The person in front of him, known as the "Karate King" among martial artists, must be a truly powerful individual to become the Gym Leader of a large city like Saffron City.
"Uh... you two, who will challenge first?" Kiyo stepped forward, his sharp gaze looking at the two of them.
"I'll go first." Terrance spoke, ready to step forward.
"No! I'll go first. I'm already fired up. Let me battle first. I think my darling is also eagerly waiting," Zimin insisted.
After saying that, he reached out and stopped Terrance, proceeding to step forward on his own.
Terrance shrugged helplessly.
"A very confident challenger. Come, show me your darling. Let me see if your darling is more formidable than mine!"
Saffron City's Fighting Gym battle arena, Zimin vs. Kiyo, the battle was about to begin.
"Perfect! Go, my darling, Slaking!" Zimin walked to the designated spot and took a deep breath. Then, he retrieved a Poké Ball from his waist, closed his eyes, gave the Poké Ball a kiss and threw it out.
"Hahaha... Impressive aura. Let me show you my darling. Go, Hitmonchan!"
"..." Terrance.
Paying no attention to how the initially serious duo became so weird, Terrance looked at Slaking in surprise. Wasn't the opponent from the Johto region's Gym? Why does he have a Pokémon like Slaking?
Moreover, Slaking, due to its innate "Truant" ability, often struggles to promptly comprehend a Trainer's commands, causing a lag in the battle rhythm. This makes it less favored by Trainers.
"Has he overcome Slaking's flaw?" Terrance wondered.
If it's a Slaking that has overcome its flaw, it's not something that can be achieved without years of continuous training. But which Trainer is willing to spend ten years training a Pokémon?
Slaking, once its flaws are truly overcome, ranks high in terms of overall physique in certain Breeder's academic records. Its physical strength surpasses that of large Pokémon like Nidoking and Ursaring.
"Let me act as the referee, then?" Terrance walked to the center of the arena.
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