Guilty by Design (tweaks aglore, rated M for MATURE *rhyme*)

Top 5 complaints I get about this fics: 1- not enough description. 2- pacing is too fast. 3- ending to chapter one was abrupt. 4- typos I can never find but other people do. 5- chapters are too short. But this fic is overall liked. Short backstory, I've had the concept idea for it since 2000 and began writing it in spring of 2003. So this story is very close to my heart. I've tried my best re-writing and improving upon scenes, yet mistakes are always pinpointed by my readers. So I am aware that I'm not the best writer. But it's the thought behind this that counts. One more thing, this is very loosely based on the Pokemon episode, "The Punchy Pokemon", but seeing the episode is not required. Heck, last time I saw it was 4 years ago. I re-named Anthony and called him Rick because I forgot his name at the time I began writing and was too lazy to change it.

One more thing: this was fanficiton of the week before, so I'd rather it not be fic of the week again, to be fair.


GUILTY BY DESIGN

By Katelyn, aka Iveechan


Chapter one: Blank Slate


He watched the small, modest house with intense golden eyes. His claws dug into the cold earth, his muscles tensed, his heart pounded angrily. In that house was the man who ruined his life. The latch on the door began to twist. Now was his chance for revenge...

Five years prior...

"Remember when it hatches, let it see you first. That way it will become more attached."

"Yes, I know."

The breeder, a young man with pleasant blue hair, led a tall thirty something year old man with short, earthen hair named Rick and his young braided daughter, Rebecca, to the spacious incubation room. It housed rows upon rows of pink, geletanious Ditto eggs. The eggs contained some of the rarest Pokemon known to man, including ones yet to be named. The breeder picked one of the eggs up.

"Here it is," he said in a voice low enough as not to disturb the egg's occupant. "This egg contains a Tyrogue. The father was a powerful Hitmonlee, a champion fighter. This one has good blood."

The breeder handed Rick the egg. The surface was warm and soft. "When will it hatch?" Rick questioned.

"Any day now," said the breeder. "Just keep it under a heat lamp in a quiet room, rotating it every few hours, and it'll be fine...and you have to be in the newborn's presence when it hatches. You have no idea how many Pokemon came out traumatized when there was no caretaker in site at the time of their birth."

"No problem!" Rick beamed. The breeder handed Rick the egg in a special box that would prevent it from rolling around. Rick wrote out the check...$2,973.95.

Rebecca sighed. 'There goes my college education,' she thought.

***

Almost a week had passed. In the darkness of the kitchen and under a weak beam of light flowing from an old, overhanging lamp, Rebecca was seated at the table with the pink egg was set snugly in a bed of towels in the center. She yawned as she adjusted the red-lighted heat lamp and gently turned the egg over.

"It should've hatched by now!" she heard Rick yell from another room. "That da-mn breeder, I should demand my money back!" The egg flinched - a reaction to outside commotion.

"I'm sure it will be tonight!" said Rebecca, a bit annoyed by her father's impatience. She stoked the egg's smooth surface. 'Please let it be tonight...we depend on you,' she thought.

About a year ago, Rebecca's mother, the sole breadwinner of the family, was killed in a car accident. Rick had been deeply depressed and near suicidal ever since the tragic incident. He was too upset to even hold a decent job. One day, as if a beacon of hope had shined on him, Rick saw a sign for the P-1 Grand Prix, a Pokemon tournament specializing in Fighting types that was held every four years. The winner recieved a rather large cash prize, among other things. With only six months to go until the next tournament, Rick decided that he had to get himself a good Pokemon quickly, so he invested his life savings into the egg he hoped would get his family out of their rut.

Suddenly, Rebecca noticed a jerk of movement out of the corner of her eye. She gasped as she realized the egg was beginning to hatch. A tear appeared across the surface and translucent pink liquid poured out. Rebecca shot up. "Daddy, it's hatching, come quick!"

Rick raced into the room, almost tripping. "Don't let it see you, don't let it see you!"

Rebecca moved out of the way. They watched the egg intently. A short face began to make its way out, and in a blink of an eye, the rest of the Tyrogue slipped out, laying huddled in a curled position. Rick was so overjoyed, he picked the little humanoid up in one hand and held it to the light to get a better look at it. The soaked Tyrogue squirmed in his strong grip. Unlike the more reconizeable fighter, the hatchling had almost no crest definition, was more of a dust rose tone with paler coloration on the belly, and its proportions resembled that of a newborn monkey. It had a short lizard-like tail and its feet looked almost like a small dinosaurs', the four clawed toes were shorter on the outside and longer on the inside. A bit of fluid streamed from the mouth as the newborn gasped for air.

"Look at him, Rebecca," said Rick. "He may look like a scrawny runt now, but one day he will make us rich! I think I'll name him Champ... does that sound good?"

"He'll be dead if you don't let me clean him off!" Rebecca said. She was quite knowledgable about Pokemon births, thanks to her free-roaming pet Meowth who presented her with a fresh litter of kittens every few months.

Rick waited a few moments. "Ok, he opened his eyes, so he should be imprinted on me now! Here you go, be careful."

Rebecca gathered the Tyrogue up in a thick towel and vigorously rubbed off the liquid. Then, making sure her grip was secure, gave one quick shake to get the remaining fluid out of the Tyrogue's lungs. He cried out, his shrill squeal sounding like a bird's chirp.

"Oi...kinda earpiercing, huh?" Rick laughed. He looked at the clock. "Wow, it sure is late. Let's go to bed, I should wake up early to start training Champ."

"Training so soon?" Rebecca questioned. "But he won't even be a full day old!"

"The sooner the better!" said Rick. He took the towel wrapped Tyrogue from his daughter, scowling a bit at the gentle appearance of his drowsy form. "You better be worth what I payed for, Champ. Good night, Becca!"

"Good night Daddy!" Rebecca has never seen her father so happy and hopeful before. She hoped it would last...

The next morning, eager to see the baby Tyrogue, Rebecca galloped down the steps, sounding more like a Tauros stampede than a young girl. As she entered the cheery kitchen, she was surprised to see her father grizzled and unshaven and clad in an aged robe. 'I guess daddy decided not to train early afterall,' Rebecca observed in her mind. She then smiled when she noticed the little Tyrogue, Champ, perched in Rick's lap, eating a peach. He would bite down firmly, pull his head back until a good sized chunk was yanked out, then swallow it whole. Rebecca noticed Champ had a cloth wrap around his waist, a old custom which stemmed from the belief that the center of the body is the most important and should always be kept warm.

"So did you decide not to train him yet afterall?" Rebecca asked as she streched her fingers out to stroke Champ. He yelped and flinched at her touch as though she were poison. Rebecca was a bit offended by the reaction, yet her father paid no mind.

"Huh? Oh, no, thanks for the reminder!" He abruptly stood up, causing Champ to grip onto his robe for dear life. The Tyrogue slid down and hit the floor with a soft thud.

"Be careful!" said Rebecca. She scrambled to help Champ, but he leered at her as he clutched Rick's pants leg possesively. Rebecca understood that Champ trusted only Rick since he recognized the human as his parent, but it still upset Rebecca a tad that the Tyrogue seemed to dislike her.

"Hey Rebecca, watch this!" said Rick. He took a few steps and paused. Champ quickly followed Rick and stopped right next to him, looking up with anticipation. "This imprinting really works! Ok, buddy, time to train!"

After Rick quickly got dressed, he and Champ entered the back yard. Champ froze the moment he reached the back porch. The bright, natural sunlight was a stark contrast to the more appealing dullness of the old house's interior. He blinked a bit until he noticed Rick a good distance away, then leapt down off the porch, eager to catch up. Champ suddenly leapt back the moment his soft bare feet touched the grass. The prickly sensation startled him, but now he was a bit fascinated. Champ got down to his knees and cautiosly touched a bright green blade, watching it gently sway. Before the young Tyrogue could investigate further, Rick had doubled back to pick Champ up and made his way to their short destination. Champ, feeling secure in his trainer's grip, nuzzled into his shirt. The chirping of the bird Pokemon were a bit frightening compared to the house's relative silence, but as long as he was with Rick, Champ felt safe. Eventually, they arrived in a roomy shed nestled in the trees of the yard's border, and Rick set Champ down in front of a large punching bag that was hung from the ceiling.

"Ok, Champ, see this thing?" Rick said to the little Pokemon. Champ was mesmerized by the tiny dust particles gently floating in the sunlight. They were so interesting...where did they come from?

"Champ? Hello! Good, got your attention. Now, this thing...Champ!"

Champ clumsily wandered to the ray of light just barely shining through a dusty window. The dust particles continued to dance in their clear yellow ballroom. Champ reached for them...

"Dammit," Rick said quiety under his breath. He swiftly stormed over to Champ and grabbed him around the waist, his fingers pressing into Champ's belly, then angrily dropped him infront of the bag. Champ blinked and looked around, surprised and confused by that sudden swift action.

"Ok, good," said Rick. "Now, do as I do. First you stand with your arms like this, then..."

Champ suddenly noticed an interesting tear in the bag. A long piece of dark string was dangling from it. Champ touched the string, pulling at it with his short fingers.

Suddenly, WHACK! Something struck Champ on the side of his head. The force caused him to collide painfully against the hard concrete floor. Champ looked up and cowered when he saw how's Rick's normally placid face had distorted into anger, his sharp eyes glaring, teeth tightly clenched.

"Look, stupid, do as I say or I'll hit you again!" Rick snarled.

"Ty?" Champ questioned.

Rick yanked Champ up by the arm and set him in front of the bag again. Rick took a fighting stance, his fists near his face, and then gave the bag a punch so strong, it swung wildly and a cloud of dust flew out. He looked at Champ, who had forgotten about the slight sting of having his arm pulled. "Now, you do the same."

Champ imitated Rick exactly. After he punched the bag also, he looked at his trainer for approval. Rick seemed pleased. Champ bounced in glee as the warmth of pleasing his trainer erased his shock of fearing the man.

"Good! Now do it again. Good, good, now do it with more power. No, I said more power. More power I say!"

WHACK!

Later that evening, Rick and Champ returned to the house. Rebecca was in the kitchen sitting on a stool near the stove, waiting for the pot of water to boil. She smiled when she saw her father enter.

"I'm glad you're finally back! You must be famished, you were out there all day! How's Champ doing?"

Rebecca jumped down, ran up to the Tyrogue, and knelt to his level. She gasped in surprise. He was covered in dirt, scrapes decorated on his body, and a dark greenish purple bruise was forming around his eye. Champ backed away from Rebecca, pressed himself against Rick's leg and growled.

"He doesn't listen half the time," said Rick. "This runt was a waste of money."

"He's only a day old!" protested Rebecca. "Give him time, he'll get better! You can't expect him to become a champion over night!"

"He better be a da-mn good fighter by the tournament," said Rick as he scooted Champ away with his foot. "I'll have to train him harder tomorrow!"

POST 1000!!!

Ok, I'll fix that butchered sentence later. Now is onto chapter 2. My chapters tend to be short, but that's because I have a super short attention span :D. But just because it has a length issue doesn't mean it can't have a decent amount of substance. Some people don't like the way I do the dream sequence. I promise Frosty (the only one who's reading this), things pick up in the next chapter where there is more action.


Chapter 2: Champ in Making


Champ's lungs felt like they were about to explode. The lactic acid burned his muscles, the icey liquid surrounding him stung at his skin, but he had to keep moving. If he kept this up any longer, he would surely die...

"Ok Champ, that's good enough!"

Rick pulled on the thin nylon rope tied under Champ's arms. He lifted the Tyrogue out of the water, snapped off the weights attached to his limbs and waist, and set him on the ground. Champ just collapsed on his back, eyes shut, chest heaving. Champ looked more like how a Tyrogue should, his crest was tall and his build was lean and muscular. He was on the thin side though, his entire ribcage visible when he inhaled. Champ was wearing nothing at the moment, but still only wore the waist wrap regularly.

Earlier that morning, things started out normal. Rick and Champ trained at the punching bag (Champ making sure he didn't let his curious eyes wander), then they jogged through the forest path. Champ could hear the melodious chirps of wild Pidgey and rattling screeches of Nincada, yet he couldn't stop and explore or he'd have to answer to Rick's fist.

At the end of the jog, Rick and Champ reached their destination: a big beautiful blue lake. The sapphire surface sparkled and glimmered under the sun's light. Champ was amazed at the spectacular sight. He was so dazzled by the shimmering lake he didn't noticed Rick clipping weighted cuffs to his body. The next thing Champ knew he found himself hurtling through the air, smashing through the stinging surface of the water, slowly sinking, the cold water slithering down his throat...

"Looks like it might rain," Rick observed. "It's kinda grey real far off, but sunny here." He turned to Champ and nocticed him struggling to sit up. "Why haven't you evolved yet, huh? The P-1's only a month away, we can't enter you as a scrawny runt. Maybe that breeder scammed me..."

Rick paused. He stared out into the distance, glaring at nothing in particular. 'People,' he thought. 'I swear, you can't trust anyone nowadays. Everyone's always striving to be on top, scamming and killing eachother, just to be the best. I know the bastard who killed Wanda did it on purpose. They were both competing for executive positions...Wanda's Omni was crushed that night by that jerk's monster SUV...he acted remorseful, but look at him now, he's living the high life in Celadon...'

Rick sighed and looked over at Champ. He was sitting up now, still breathing hard. "Thank god I have you Champ," Rick said, Champ glancing at him from hearing his name. "You're the only thing in my life I can control right now...you trust and listen to me, you do as I say...I can determine your future." Rick then got up. "And I know you're gonna evolve! Now let's jog home, you've rested long enough! Come on, move it! Get up!"

Kick!

Evenings were tranquil. The house's interior was bathed in a gentle purple glow as the last few rays of sunlight were tucked away beneath the horizon. Rick and Rebecca were resting in the living room, listening to the radio, their only source of entertainment. Champ was curled comfortably in Rick's lap, half asleep. The soft jazz flowing from the old radio was suddenly rudely interrupted by the racuous announcement for the upcoming P-1 tournament. Champ felt a slight twinge of worry when the commercial's announcer spoke up:

"The P-1 tournament is almost here! If you've got a Pokemon that's ripped, rough, and ready to rumble, take yourself down to the Pokemon gym and enter now! The prize is ten thousand dollars, plus a free trip for a weekend vacation in downtown Celadon City! So get training, because it's only one, I repeat, one month away!"

The announcement ended with a brief recording of legal gibberish saying something about Psychic, Ghost, Poison and Flying types being prohibited.

As Rick started ranting to Rebecca (who was reading a Pokezoology book and not paying him any attention) about his hunch that the breeder scammed him, Champ hopped out of Rick's lap and made his way to Rebecca's bedroom to find peace. Every time the familiar music of that commercial started playing, Rick would become exciteable and start to pressure Champ about the victory he HAD to accomplish. The little Tyrogue sped up his pace as he reached his destination. In the room he would find Fae, Rebecca's Meowth. Being the only other Pokemon Champ could get into contact with, she taught him how to speak the universal Pokemon language and even took a maternal interest to Champ when he was first born. But now that he was larger than her, she thought that he could pose threat to her unborn kittens, so she had become more distant to him lately.

Champ jumped onto the side of the bed, gripping the quilt laying on top, then hoisted himself up. He groaned, his body aching from the training session earlier. He scrambled to Fae then settled down next to her. She shifted her position slightly to get further away, but Champ didn't notice. While the dark night, and beads of water droplets resting on the screened window from the earlier afternoon rain, obscured their view of the outside, they where able to listen to the noises of the night; the tiny squeaks of Zubat, the screech of Hoothoot, the yelps and howls of distant Growlithe and Houndour packs, and cries of various nocturnal bugs.

<It's so noisy out there> whispered Champ. <Yet I can't see anything outside other than bugs. Where are they all?>

<They're hiding> Fae answered. <They live in the forest.>

Champ sighed. <I wish I could be out there with them.>

Fae snickered, her sharp ivory teeth showing. <If you were out there, I don't know what would get you first, the hungry Growlithe or the poisonous Venomoth.>

<But since they are hiding, I'd be safe if I was just out in the yard, right?>

<Tell that to my past kittens who fell victim to those predators.>

Champ was silent, not knowing how to respond. He lay down up againt Fae, who put her ears back but did not get up. Her soft warm fur and the rhythm of her heart made him feel relaxed. Champ sighed again and cringed slightly as he felt a strange aching inside him he had felt since that morning.

<I don't feel very good.> he said.

<No wonder, Rick's been harder on you than usual. I'm surprised you lasted this long, he's so mean.>

Champ became defensive. <Rick is not mean!>

<How do you explain those daily bruises and scrapes?>

<He's only like that when I do something wrong. You don't understand, Rick's trying to make me better!>

<Better at what?> Fae questioned.

<I don't know...we're preparing for this P-1 thing.>

<Do you know what the P-1 is?>

Silence.

<I thought so> said Fae. <Why don't you rest now, you've had a hard day.>

Champ nodded and closed his eyes. What exactly was the P1 anyway? Was it a special treat or a place? Was it something really great or terrible? Champ rolled over and cringed again from the pain. He didn't feel well, but it wasn't just from Rick's harsh training. He could feel it in his bones, his insides, some sort of unusual pain developing deep within him. After listening to the nocturnal sounds from beyond the screened window, he finally drifted to sleep.

***

The sunlight bathed the lush meadow in a golden brilliance. The long grass rippled in the wind. The leaves of the trees shimmered like millions of tiny emeralds as they were tossed by gentle breeze. The wind, scented with fresh plants and earth, blew puffy silver-white clouds through the cerulean sky over the majestic mountains in the distance.

***

"5:00, time to train!" Rick's booming voice announced. Champ awoke but didn't open his eyes just yet, trying to contain the special sensation of that wonderful dream. Once in awhile he'd have that same dream. Champ had never been in an actual field because Rick would never allow him to.

The pleasant memories of the dream disappeared in an instant as soon as Champ moved. Sharp pain shot through his entire body. Even when still, Champ squirmed in agony. It hurt just to breathe. When Rick realized Champ wasn't coming, he went into the kitchen where Rebecca put the sleeping Tyrogue the night before.

"Champ?" He questioned. He was scowling with anger at first, but when he saw Champ shaking, he was now very concerned. Rick poked Champ in the ribs gently to stir him, but that was a mistake. Champ started screeching his Pokemon-species name in agony. Rick jerked his hand away.

"Rebecca!" Rick called. "We're paying a certain blue-haired breeder a little visit!"

Later Rick and Rebecca got into Rick's old red truck. Rebecca had Champ in a blanket but she had to be careful, for the slightest amount of pressure made him cry out in pain again. She was lucky to have evaded the little Pokemon biting her.

"Why don't we go to the Pokemon Center?" Rebecca asked, putting her seatbelt on.

"Because Nurse Joy ain't the one who scammed me!" Rick growled as he started the truck.

Rebecca scowled. "Not everyone in the world is your enemy, Dad! This is the reason you can't get a real job!"

Rebecca immediately shut up when her father glared at her with that "I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that" look. Rick, despite the way he treated Champ, had never struck Rebecca. They used to be very close for Rick's wife, Wanda, worked and Rick stayed home to rear their daughter. Since Wanda died, they had become more distant with eachother, especially now that Rebecca was at what Rick called the the "Edgy Eleven" age.

Suddenly, a small fuzzy yellow and brown blur crossed the road. It was a Pikachu, and of course it paused right in front of the truck and sat on its haunches.

"Holy crap!" Rick cried out. The truck went to a screeching halt, spraying pebbles and flecks of mud. Luckily, the truck stopped in time, only a few centimeters away from the Pikachu. The foolish rodent just flicked its lightning bolt tail and bounded away.

"Holy crap!" Rick repeated. "Ugh, if I had hit that thing, I woulda had to pay one helluva fine! Are you ok, Rebecca? How's Champ?"

Rebecca was holding Champ up against her chest. When she realized what she was doing, she wondered why he wasn't crying in pain. Rebecca unraveled the blanket just enough to have a look, and she gasped.

"Oh my god..." she said.

"What now?!" Rick demanded, full of worry.

"Champ...he's glowing...he's getting ready to evolve!"

OK, well, actually, the chaps were a bit longer than I expected.

OK, to the first details. The typos were hard for me to see (but it's Saturday morning so that may have something to do with it), and the grammar/spelling was almost perfect except for a few spacing typos.

Your vocab (bar the awful profanity, but I guess it's realistic and rated M, something I didn't notice so I won't read much more in case the old folks catch me) was commendable, something you rarely find in stories, and the description used a few alliterations (e.g. big, beautiful blue lake - you needed that comma because it was an adjectival phrase - I think?). I liked the way you used cliffhanger end of the chapter.

Rick is definitely a villain. I don't like him. Rebecca's, however, a bit of a Mary Sue. a) She's struggling, a half-orphan, got an awful dad, she's so talented... That nipped me a bit.

Nevertheless, a great story and title - I'm surprised Tyrogue isn't OU because it's awesome, but it's actually an original Pokemon to pop in your story -, and keep 'em comin'.

(See - you got a review. Domino the Lone Absol isn't the only reviewed fic, lol.)

Believe me, Rebecca is NOT a Mary Sue.

I've read this before I believe . . . Never did finish it heh. ^_^;

Anyways, a fantastic fic Iveechan, wonderful description and an interesting plot and characters to match. Though, I do think Champ is evolving quite too early but maybe then again, you do have long chapters and maybe I missed something . . .

Let's see . . . conventions are fine so I don't need to really comment on that along with sentence variation and structure.

Character development/personality, brilliant I must say, Rick, possibly the most interesting with all of his personalities and Rebecca is also a wonderfully developed character as well. Champ, I await to see what he evolves into . . .

Mood, very dark and intense when Rick is being abusive . . . I love it! =D

So overall, fantastic like I said. ^^

(Meh, sorry, not my best review, I would do better but then I realize I better get some sleep since I almost forgot how to spell character and a few of my sentences are run-ons -_-)

LaTeR dAyZ!

Now that I look at it, Rebecca is a bit of a Mary Sue. If she weren't in the anime episode, she wouldn't even be present in the story, heh. Thanks, Breezy. Now for chapter three.


*Note: Any made-up Pokemon you see are my property. No stealy.*



Chapter 3: Shock of Reality



"Name of entry?" The lady at the front desk asked Rick.

"Champ," He answered.

"How original....Age?"

"Six months."

"Height and weight?"

"Um, 4'3" and 82 lbs."

The lady swiveled her chair some to get a better look at Champ. "Huh," she said. "Pretty small for a Hitmonchan."

Rick frowned. "He's young."

"I see," the lady replied. "Well you can't enter Champ in the P-1, he has no gloves."

"Erm..." Rick mumbled. "Gloves?"

Suddenly what felt like a big hunk of meat slapped Rick in the back. He nearly jumped out of his skin, even Champ shot up in surprise. The human and Pokemon spun around and were face to face with a bulky bearded fellow who looked like he could eat an Onix for breakfast. Despite his intimidating stature, the man had a kind and jovial expression.

"Ho hah, I can help ya with that!" The man bellowed in a thunderous voice. "I don't mind losing my place in line, come with me, buddy!"

The large man put his arm around Rick's shoulders and started leading him to a plain door. Rick squirmed with discomfort. He looked back and saw Champ just standing there, wide-eyed with astonishment. That man was the largest creature Champ had ever seen.

"Come on Champ, hurry up!" Rick snarled. Champ snapped back to reality and darted after his trainer and that big, hairy monster. Before following the two men, Champ halted and stared at the long metal door knob. Its height was just under his chin. The day that Champ evolved a month prior was the most bizarre experience. One minute he was twisting in pain, and after a brief blackout, he found himself in an adult's body. In a heartbeat his stubby, thin limbs had formed into powerful, lean appendages. He could cover a greater distance in just a few steps and training with a stronger body and Rick, who was closer to his size, became easier and more enjoyable. Champ puffed up in self admiration. He was ready for anything. Or so he thought.

As Champ entered the equipment room with Rick and the bearded man (who introduced himself as Boscoe), a metallic glint caught his eye. He approached the opposite wall and was greeted by a display of unusual training devices; leather belts lined with steel spikes, massive weights, and long rods with knotted ends among other things. They seemed like objects that would be fitted in some machine, not tools. A teenage trainer, whistling to himself and ignoring Champ, strolled up to the wall, took a belt down, and knelt down in front of a small, grey Pokemon with crimson eyes and crests lining its head who looked to be a humanoid dinosaurian, a Machop. Champ watched on in curiosity. The Machop's red eyes glanced at Champ for a moment and then darted to the floor again as its trainer fitted the belt around its waist. The device looked so huge and awkward on the little grey fighter... would Rick ever use that on Champ? Before he could ponder about the contraption any further, Champ felt Boscoe grab one his hands.

"You see these boney caps on the knuckles and finger joints?" Boscoe pointed out to Rick the red, yellow, and pale blue orbs buried into Champ's hand bones. "These are the source of a Hitmonchan's power. They contain the elements of fire, electricity, and ice. Have you ever seen your Hitmonchan demonstrate any unusual powers when training him?"

"No, I've never seen Champ do anything like that," Rick answered. "He's only been a Hitmonchan for a month."

"Wow, he is young!" Boscoe said. "Well anyway, this ability makes Hitmonchan very deadly in combat and it can't enter any legal tournament without special gloves to help contain its power. Let's go pick out something in your price range."

Rick sighed when he heard "price range". As he followed the helpful Boscoe, Champ remained where he was. He looked at his hands and touched the smooth orbs, swirls of varying hues twisting like smoke inside each one. He never knew they had any important function other than acting as shock absorbers for punching. Suddenly, Champ felt something yank his short lizard tail. The Hitmonchan cried out, the unfamiliar sensation sending a jolt up his spine, and spun around. By reflex, he tried to swipe at whatever was behind him, but the nimble tail-yanker just hopped out of the way. Champ grew hot. <What was that for?!> He demanded. The creature just laughed with a feminine air to its voice.

The Pokemon looked similar to a large Tyrogue, but its skin was a greyish-brown taupe color. The three large crests on its head were flexible and flopped forward, indicating it was made of cartilage and not bone. The Bayleef-like eyes were dark blue. Its body had the curves of a teenage female, minus breasts, but the height and head-body ratio of a six year old child. She had unusual diamond shaped cartilage protrusions on her hips and was wearing spring green legwarmers, wrist cuffs, coverings on the chest (similar to Nidoqueen) and what looked like purple stretch pants. The clothed Pokemon seemed amused at Champ, for he was only wearing the waist wrap as usual.

<It was to wish you luck, newbie!> the female Pokemon smiled. <I see you're a Hitmonchan, a close cousin of my kind. What's your name? I'm Aya.>

Champ was silent for a moment. <What are you?>

<A Hitmonchik. I'm not surprised you've never heard of us, we're pretty rare.>

<Oh> said Champ, rubbing his hands in a bashful manner. <Um, yeah, my name's Champ.>

<No. That won't do.>

<Huh?>

<That name> Aya answered. <It's so common. Nearly every male Pokemon here is named Champ. I'll show you...YO, CHAMP IN MAKING!>

There were several trainers with their Pokemon on the other end of the equipment room with Machops, Machokes, and some Rock types. Only three of the Pokemon didn't turn their heads and looked to see who called their names.

Aya snickered. <See? It's too confusing. I want to call you something different.> Aya looked Champ up and down.

<I like my name> said Champ, putting his arms in front of his white chest nervously. He was never modest about his body before, yet having this Hitmonchik eyeing on him made him feel uncomfortable (a Hitmon's reproductive organs are internal in both sexes, so there is nothing physically "questionable").

<Wow, you sure are thin> Aya observed. She then clasped her hands together. <I got it! I'll call you String Bean!>

Champ gave Aya a weird look. She snickered. <Hey, here come our trainers, String Bean.>

Boscoe marched up to the two Hitmon. Aya excitedly jumped on Boscoe's arm and scrambled up to his shoulder. "Hey there darlin'!" Boscoe greeted the Hitmonchik. The two sure were an odd pair, one huge and hulking, the other tiny and delicate. Champ enjoyed the pleasant site, they seemed so happy together.

"Dammit," Rick cursed quiety under his breath. Champ glanced over at his trainer. In one hand he was holding a pair of shiny red boxing gloves, in the other, an empty wallet. He glared at Champ. "Why couldn't you evolve into something that didn't have specific needs?"

Champ just sighed and stood still as Rick shoved those constricting gloves on his hands. He shifted his weight slightly. "Don't move!" Rick hissed. "Mmm... there, that should do. Now listen to me, Champ. I spent my last dime on these gloves, so you HAVE to win this thing. If you don't...well you know what."

Rick got up, gazing intently into Champ's worried eyes. Champ gulped... there was now extra pressure put on him to win this tournament. But what was it really like to fight other Pokemon? Rick and Champ headed to the main room where the battles took place.

"Here we are, Champ!" Rick said. "The point of no return! Now let's go and win us a tournament!"

Rick swung the doors open and he and Champ excitedly ran through. The two slowed their pace and looked around in awe. The colosseum was spacious and dark with several glaring lights illuminating the boxing ring in the middle. The audience surrounding the arena was filled to the max, filling the stadium with chattering commotion. Champ was petrified from both fear and astonishment of the overwhelming activity. Suddenly, a small shot of blood splattered onto the ground in front of Rick and Champ's feet. They faced the ring. It was being occupied by the shaggy swine-monkey Primeape and a beast who looked like a gorilla with a tiger tail and a striped yellow pelt, an Electabuzz. The Electabuzz was leaning against the rope bordering the ring, rubbing the side of its face, scarlette fluid trickling down its mouth. The Primeape was on the other end of the ring panting, its fist out for it had just delivered a powerful blow to the Electabuzz. The Primape's white fur was stained pinkish from the blood of both its opponent and itself.

The Electabuzz snarled. It got down on its hands and feet, swishing its tail angrily. The Primeape took a step back then shot towards the opponent. Electricity flowed over the Electabuzz's body for a moment before it made a surprising leap into the air causing the Primeape to miss its target. The Electabuzz landed on all fours, then took another leap and landed on the Primeape's back. The angry monkey Pokemon screeched as the Electabuzz bit into it. The gorilla- tiger kept letting go and biting, trying to find the Primeape's neck in that mass of thick fur. It snorted in frustration, then started pounding on the wild monkey with its powerful fists.

A red towel flew up from nowhere as a voice called out, "I forfeit!"

A young male trainer climbed over the rope and ran to his Primeape's side. The Electabuzz's trainer, a woman in her mid twenties, congratulated her Pokemon, then held out her hand to the boy. The boy reluctantly shook hands with the victor.

As the announcer claimed "Blitz the Electabuzz" as winner of the match, Rick's mouth was agape in disbelief. He had sparred with Champ, but he'd never taught him to fight like this! While Rick was nervous, Champ was downright terrified. Is this what Rick was expecting him to do?

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer shouted, "for the ultimate battle of the sexes! The kicking feind, Bruce the Hitmonlee, and the rarely seen Hitmonchik, Aya! This'll be a great match folks!"

Boscoe let Aya out of his arms and she eagerly headed for the ring. "Go get 'em girl!" After seeing what happened in that Primeape and Electabuzz match, Champ felt uneasy. He didn't want to see Aya get hurt.

Aya bounded to the ring with enthusiasm and hopped in. The Hitmonlee slithered into the ring through the border rope with a cat-like flexibilty to his body. As the Hitmonlee got into its fighting stance, Aya started cracking her knuckles and pulling out her fingers one by one so they made a sickening popping sound. She then ran her hand through her crests like it were hair. Aya was just bursting with calm self-confidence.

The bell sounded. The Hitmonlee pulled one leg back, swung it in a circle, then snapped it out. The lithe tendons that connected the cartilage rings in the legs stretched, causing the leg to quickly grow in length, and it rocketed towards Aya's head. She just calmly side-stepped and continued popping her fingers. It was an effortless evade.

<Nice shot, Potato-Boy, was it your intention to miss?> Aya smirked, not even looking up.

The Hitmonlee's eyes narrowed. His leg retracted, then it shot out again, aiming for Aya's stomach. She quickly hopped up. The Hitmonlee's leg then flipped upwards, but Aya dodged in midair. <I think I felt a draft> she said when she landed, brushing off non existant dust.

The Hitmonlee was really frustrated now. He ran to Aya, forcing her into a corner, then started rapidly kicking at her. Every time the Hitmonlee kicked, Aya dodged the attack, flipping, rolling, hopping, and even crouching down and running between the Hitmonlee's legs almost on all fours. She was like a swift piece of paper dodging the deadly jabs of a pair of scissors. With each successful miss, Aya shouted out another insult. <Good one, Spud!> < Almost got me that time, dummy!> <I could do this all day!> <Ho hum, boooring!>

Suddenly, the Hitmonlee jumped up, curled both of his spingy legs against his body, then snapped his deadly limbs right into Aya's side. The impact on her light frame made her fly back and she hit the border ropes hard, landing in a heap. The Hitmonlee watched intensely as Aya struggled up. Her indigo eyes shimmered and tears were beginning to bubble in the corners. The Hitmonlee relaxed his body and approached Aya with concern.

"Finish it, Bruce!" the Hitmonlee's trainer shouted.

Aya looked so weak and pathetic. A stream of tears poured down her face, her small body quivered. The Hitmonlee couldn't help but take pity on her, so he knelt down to her level, one arm outstretched. <You ok?> he questioned.

Like a bullet, Aya smiled, shot up, and punched the Hitmonlee in the face. Before he could regain his composure, she flipped over his head and performed a quick roundhouse kick in his back. Now the fight was serious. Aya, no longer the graceful evader, was now the powerful aggressor. Even her movements were jerky and erratic, dodging and attacking in unpredictable zigzags. She was a headache to watch. The Hitmonlee managed to get a few kicks in, but Aya always recovered in a bounce and struck back.

Just then, the Hitmonlee aimed his left leg at Aya's feet in an attempt to trip her. She evaded, but didn't predict the Hitmonlee's right leg to swing up over her and smash her in the back. Aya fell into the ground, and the Hitmonlee stomped on her. She curled up. She was in real pain now.

"Aya, remember your training!" Boscoe shouted. Champ held his breath.

Aya, still curled up, started to glow bright red. She quickly folded her legs beneath her body, then pushed up and slammed into the Hitmonlee. The red aura surrounding Aya had now engulfed the Hitmonlee. His eyes bugged out, his body shivered, then he collapsed. Aya stuggled up to her feet and looked down at her opponent. She had used Pain Split.

"YAAAAY, WHOOOOP, ALL RIGHT AYA!" Boscoe hollored right next to Rick's head. He covered his ringing ears. Champ was just as excited as Boscoe, jumping up and shouting, "Hiiiitmonchan!"

Aya happily bounded to Boscoe and he hugged her, his huge arms nearly swallowing her up. When she was finally released, Champ approached her.

<Wow, Aya, that was amazing! You're an excellent fighter!>

Aya was indifferent to Champ. <Yeah, I guess. Heh, you're up next, String Bean.>

<Huh?!> Champ gulped...he wasn't ready yet! He needed more time!

"Next up," said the announcer, "we have Champ the Hitmonchan, progeny of past champion Dharmanyo the Hitmonlee, up against Atlas the Poliwrath! Both are newcomers to the P-1, so I guarentee ya'll are about to witness one exciting match!"

Rick started leading Champ to the ring. The Hitmonchan's apple-green eyes darted from the blood-lined ring, to the limping Hitmonlee Aya defeated, to the army of staring eyes watching the ring with anticipation, and focused on his opponent, a massive Poliwrath whose dark blue amphibian skin was oozing with a thin layer of filmy slime. Something about its round eyes and mouthless face sent cold chills down Champ's spine. He dug his heels into the ground as Rick pushed him forward.

"Come on Champ, don't be a sis," Rick said to him quietly through clenched teeth.

Suddenly, the Poliwrath's body expanded, and it let out a deep, vibrating croak. That did it for Champ. Scared, he twirled sharply around and buried his face into Rick's stomach, shaking. Rick was both surprised and disgusted by Champ's pathetic attempt to hide himself. It didn't help much that a few members of the audience were snickering, and one lady exclaimed, "Oh look, the dear thing is frightened! How sweet!"

Rick tried to peel Champ off his body. "Come on, go up there, you're making me look like an ass!" Champ didn't budge. "Ok, we can turn back and go home if you like, but boy, I'll give you such a whallop..."

Rick didn't need to finish his threat. Champ backed away and turned around to face the ring. He inhaled deeply and then proceded forward with hesitant steps, the Poliwrath's bulging oculars watching his every move. Even though Champ only walked a few feet to reach the ring, it felt like the green mile. His heart thumped wildly as he and the Poliwrath got into their fighting stances, waiting for the bell to sound the start of the match.

Ding!

Champ's mind went completely blank. The Poliwrath's massive form rushed towards him, its froggish eyes narrowed. It struck Champ in the face leaving a gooey imprint. Champ was thrown back and his head slammed against one of the poles supporting the plastic-covered rope bordering the ring. Hot, sweet fluid filled his mouth...blood. The taste sickened Champ, but a new feeling was rising up inside him. Rage. Rick's training suddenly flashed back to his mind. Champ growled deep in his throat.

He shot up and glared at the Poliwrath, bouncing back and forth in place. He was ready for anything now. As the Poliwrath shot towards Champ ready to slap him again, he dodged to the left, making it miss. The Poliwrath made a sharp turn, almost slipping in its own slime, and attempted a Karate Chop to Champ's throat. Champ dodged again, feinted to the left, then bounced to the right and struck the Poliwrath right between those round eyes he hated so much.

As the Poliwrath pulled back in pain, what felt like a current of electricity shot through Champ's spine, traveled through his nervous system, and burned in his knuckles. Electric sparks danced across his gloves. Champ quickly rushed to the Poliwrath before it could have a chance to recover and took a swing. The electricity of the Thunder Punch connected to the Poliwrath's moist skin. The smell of amphibian flesh being fried filled the air as the electricity pulsated throughout the Poliwrath's body and its eyes bulged. It then collapsed onto the ground with a liquidy thud. Champ took a step back and watched the Poliwrath's twitching body. Then he looked as his gloves, the burning sensation still pulsing in his knuckles. What the heck did he just do? He looked out into the audience to find Rick, as if he'd have the answer.

"Champ, look out!" he heard Rick's voice call out. Champ spun around, but there was no opponent...only a slimey Poliwrath shaped imprint on the ground. He noticed his shadow rapidly expanding. Champ looked up and saw the Poliwrath plummeting towards him from the air. Before he could react, he felt himself crushed by the mega-tadpole's heavy body. The wind knocked out of him, Champ gasped desperately for air. The Poliwrath's damp body reeked of swamps and sweat. It then got up and slammed down again. It repeated again and again, crushing Champ into submission with its damp, bone-shattering mass.

Finally, the Poliwrath ceased. Champ lay there in a slime soaked heap, trying to recover from that deadly Body Slam attack. He could taste a mixture of marshy sweat from the Poliwrath's skin and his own blood. Champ then felt someone scoop him up. It was Rick. He brought Champ close to his body.

"Chaaan..." Champ whimpered. He looked into Rick's disappointed and angry eyes before losing consciousness.

***

The sunlight bathed the lush meadow in a golden brilliance. The long grass rippled in the wind. The leaves of the trees shimmered like millions of tiny emeralds as they were tossed by the gentle breeze. The wind, scented with fresh plants and earth, blew puffy silver-white clouds through the cerulean sky over the majestic mountains in the distance.

***

Champ awoke with a jolt. It was that magnificent dream again. He felt good until he realized he lost the match. Not just any match, his first match. All of those months of training and preparation, all of those harsh beatings he had to endure...what was going to become of him now?

Judging by the vibrations and the crunching of the asphalt, Champ knew he was in the back of Rick's truck on the way home. He sat up and peered over the side, the wind making his eyes water. They were driving past the fields, now golden under the orange evening sky. A flock of plump Pidgey glided across the grass and floated onto the telephone wires to sleep for the night. Two Growlithe puppies playfully wrestled with one another under the watchful eyes of their mother. They reminded Champ of Fae.

A few nights before, feeling anxious and nervous about the upcoming P-1, Champ entered Rebecca's bedroom (she always kept her door ajar)to find Fae. He really wanted to hear her comforting words tell him how he was going to do just fine and not to worry. It seemed like ever since he evolved, Fae had been avoiding him. Champ discovered why. Laying under the window sill and bathed in moonlight was Fae...with tiny, white, fuzz balls mewing and nursing on her. Champ stepped back. What were those things? He gave Fae a questioning look, but she only replied with a cruel hiss. Champ took one last look at the tiny kittens before turning away and leaving the room. He had no one to turn to now. He was alone.

All alone.

There was the old tree stump with yellow fungus growing on it. Just one more turn and they'd be home. The truck stopped and the ignition turned off. A door slammed. Footsteps crunched on the road. Champ's heartbeat accelerated.

"Champ, come here."

Champ obeyed. He had to. Rick was his trainer and today Champ let him down. He approached Rick with both shame and acceptance. He paused in front of Rick, never looking him in the eyes. Rick sighed.

"Why did I name you Champ anyway? I know for a fact you sure as hell ain't one."

WHACK!

I like this story its pretty good

Wait...wait..Rebecca from that episode and the Hitmochan...It's coming back now, no wonder it sounded vaguely familiar. o.o; I must have bad memory, but original indeed.

So sue me. *stickies*

This is my least favorite chapter. I feel it's too forced and the ending, as well as other parts, sounf awkward and forced. In this rare moment, I am actually looking forward to an honest review. It was also written six months after chapter three, so I had lost some of the feeling for the fic. Anywho, it's short, but that's because the next chapter acts like "part two" to this one.



Chapter Four: Desensitized



"I feel kind of strange doing this," Rebecca thought, "But I have to do what Devin says."

The young girl held her hand out to the Rhyhorn calf. The rock Pokemon took one step towards her and sniffed the abrasive cloth she was holding. It snorted and began to lick at the cloth. Rebecca smiled. She started rubbing the touch fabric first on the Rhyhorn's face, then its side. With a loud thud, the calf flopped over on its side, and saliva began to trickle out of his mouth. The creature was in bliss.

"I see the baby Rhyhorn likes his 'massage'," Rebecca heard her boss, Devin, call. He was the same blue-haired breeder who sold Champ's egg to her father. The man looked like he was doing some sort of odd dance. Rebecca was confused until she saw a pair of Pichu shoot out of his shirt. One of the rodents climbed up Rebecca's arm and perched on her shoulder, stuck its snout in her ear, sneezed, then zoomed into her shirt. The other Pichu skidaddled up her back and settled in her hair, making a nest. Rebecca laughed as she tried to get a hold on the hyper critters.

"These baby pokemon are great!" she giggled. "This has to be the best job in the world! Is Fae alright?"

"Just fine. She's still recovering from the anestesia. I'm glad you finally brought her to be spayed, domestic Pokemon overpopulation is a major problem."

"Yeah. So, um, how much do I owe you?"

Devin laughed. "Rebecca, I know your family is having financial problems. The operation was free. Plus, having an extra pair of hands around here helping me out is more than enough thanks anyway. The kitten is doing fine too, though it's due to be bottlefed soon. Odd how Fae only had the one."

Rebecca suddenly became still as a statue at the mention of Fae's kitten. She nervously put her head down as she struggled with the Pichu in her shirt. "She's old", Rebecca said quickly, as if wanting to change the subject.

"Makes sense," Devin nodded. "Let's go and tend to the kitten now."

Rebecca just swiftly rose up and followed her boss without a word. As they passed the window, she stopped and glumly looked outside it at the forested mountains. Autumn was approaching, the green leaves of the trees were tipped with bright red and the air had a crisp nip to it. Rebecca sighed. She was thinking about her real reason she wanted Fae to be spayed. And why there was only one kitten. And why she took the job at the breeder's other than earning extra money. She wanted to avoid her father. And Champ.

Days prior, shortly after the P-1...

Champ can fight, Rick thought. Champ can fight damn well. But he is lacking something.

As he was walking though the house on his way to Champ's quarters, Rick suddenly felt something slippery and wet through his socks. He nearly tripped, but caught himself on a table. "What the... HOLY SHIT, THOSE DAMN MEOWTH!"

Apparently, one of Fae's older offspring had left a tiny gift in clear view on the floor. Although not technically family pets, the lanky adolescent Meowth could come into the house quite easily through the screen windows. Rick cursed under his breath until an idea popped in his head.

"Champ!" Rick called. Several yards down the hall and formally sleeping in his quarters, the Hitmonchan, upon hearing his trainer's voice, nearly jumped out of skin. Since he lost the P-1, he had been fearful of Rick. Champ rubbed the side of his face and cringed... the bruise was tender now, a grotesque blackish purple against his otherwise cinnamon brown skin. A painful reminder of his failure to carry out his trainer's wishes. He shuddered as he forced himself up, dreading what sort of punishment Rick had in store for him.

Rick slapped his hand onto Champ's shoulder, a friendly gesture which had the opposite effect. Champ flinched, but Rick didn't seem to notice this. "Come on buddy, we've got training to do!" Champ relaxed a bit... he was so relieved Rick had a happy tone to his voice. Something good was to come, he could feel it.

When the two reached the shed they always trained in, Rick said, "You wait here and warm up, I'll be right back." The Hitmonchan nodded, and when his trainer left, started punching at the bag. Champ was happiest when allowed to train without supervision. It showed that he could be trusted, that he could do something right. Plus, he could be alone with his thoughts as he trained, and didn't need to make constant eye contact. Champ was working on automatic now, deep in his thoughts.

"I'm back!"

"Hit chan!" Champ greeted back. He noticed Rick carrying a cardboard box. There must be a new training device inside. Champ was excited and a bit nervous at the same time. His curiosity heightened when he heard an odd mewing sound coming from inside the box.

Rick reached inside and took out a tiny white kitten... one from Fae's recent litter. Its miniature ears were flopped down and the eyes were closed, its short, thin legs stretched out causing its tiny retractable claws to peek out from its paws. It was the first time Champ had ever gotten a good look at a Meowth kitten. He was mesmerized by its alien cuteness and innocent cries.

Rick set the kitten on a sawhorse which was propped up against a wall. It was now about level to Champ's chest. "Ok Champ," Rick said. "This is what I want you to do. I need you to give this little sucker a good, hard punch."

Champ looked at his trainer with a puzzled expression. Did Rick just say what Champ thought he heard?

"Come on Champ, do it just like we trained. Like this." Rick made a fist with his left hand and made his other one flat, than punched into his right hand real hard, simulating what Champ was supposed to do. Rick was smiling.

Champ faced the kitten. He gulped, a hard lump beginning to form in his throat. The kitten's little head wobbled as it let out another mew. Champ started to shake.

"Come on," Rick said, lifting up Champ's wrists. "You can do this. There. Now, just strike forward, real fast like."

Champ took in a shuddering breath. He made a quivering fist. The kitten cried, louder this time. It must be calling for Fae. Champ's heart started thumping so hard, he could almost hear it. His swallowed, then started lowering his fist.

Rick nudged Champ, but the Hitmonchan remained petrified. His shaking body and unsteady breathing were the only visible signs of life. Rick sighed heavily, and walked off a bit somewhere. Champ's eyes were locked on the kitten. It was trying to crawl, its short tail was vibrating. It was all Champ could do to keep his moist eyes from shedding any tears.

WHACK!

Without warning, something hard and tough suddenly struck Champ between the shoulders, sending him hard on his knees. Champ clenched his sharp teeth as the pain throbbed and stung.

"What's wrong with you?!" Rick demanded, a thick, neon orange cord in hand. "How do you ever expect to win anything if you can't even sock this little hairball? Now get up!"

Champ quickly got to his feet. Despite what Rick wanted, Champ could not bring himself to put any harm on the kitten. He was fixated on the little pink mouth letting out the sad mews. He put his fist forward, then pulled back. Why couldn't he accomplish this one simple task?

WHACK!

The impact of the second beating made Champ almost lose his balance. He was whipped right where the first strike was hit. His thick, hot blood starting to trickle down his back. Champ closed his eyes as he cringed in agony.

"I knew you were a waste of money!"

WHACK!

"You can't do anything right! Just when I have a faith in you, you let me down!"

WHACK!

"HITMONCHAN!" Champ roared. His eyes still shut, his struck his fist forward, and slammed into something warm and soft. What felt like fragile twigs underneath snapped from the impact, and a weird, short choking sound was heard. Champ opened his eyes slowly. He did it. He had hit his target. The Meowth kitten was limp now. Crimson splatters now stained the top of the sawhorse. Champ could feel his knees weaken and his stomach became queasy.

"Alright, great job!" Rick said. "I knew you could do it!"

Champ lowered into a crouching position and hung his head, trying to get the sick feeling to go away. He couldn't believe it. He could feel the soft fur, the delicate bones, everything. But Rick was happy. Champ opened his eyes. Had he done good?

"Good thing there's a lot more where that came from." Champ looked up and saw Rick removed the dead kitten and place a live one on the sawhorse. Champ stood up and put his head back, glancing at the cobwebs on the ceiling, then put his head back down and faced the kitten. This was going to be a long afternoon...

Meanwhile...

Rebecca had just gotten home from school. She was just about to go inside the house when she heard Fae meowing. It was coming from the back yard. Curious, Rebecca quickly tossed her books on the front steps and walked around the side of the house to the yard. She was a bit surprised to see her Meowth sitting at the closed door to the shed that Rick and Champ always trained in. She was even more surprised to see Fae pawing at the door and meowing. The cat sat down quickly when she saw her caretaker and her tail whipped around. She let out a musical "Puree?"

"Hey there Fae, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your babies?" Rebecca questioned. She held out her hand and Fae rubbed her face against it. It was then that Rebecca heard the high-pitched kitten-like mews coming from the inside of the shed. Why would a kitten be in there?

Rebecca opened the door slowly and Fae burst through. The girl saw Rick and Champ with their backs to her, Rick giving the Hitmonchan some sort of command. Fae trotted to a small pile of what looked like white fur and started sniffing at it. It took Rebecca a moment to process the horrid sight into her brain... Fae's kittens.

"Ok Champ, this is the last one... Fae, what are you... oh jeez." The two turned around. Rebecca was staring at them. Her face was pale, her eyes were wide as dinner plates. Champ, who had gotten used to his current training, suddenly felt a terrible, sinking feeling.

"What the... you... OH MY GOD!" Rebecca cried. She shoved Champ out of the way and grabbed up the uninjured kitten. It was the last one. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Jeez, calm down," Rick said to his hysterical daughter. "Fae has kittens all the time, these won't be missed."

"Did you have to kill my Meowth?! Oh my god..." And with that, Rebecca quickly gathered Fae up in her free arm and rushed out of the shed, the impact of her running sending up clouds of dust. Champ hung his head low. He didn't even think about how Rebecca would feel about this, but what's worse, Fae looked him right in the eye before she was out of sight.

"Ignore her," Rick said. "She's just trying to disrupt our training. But you did great Champ today, I'm real proud of you. Now, let's go... we have to see if that training has paid off or not."

Champ straightened up. He kept trying to tell himself that he had done a good job. Rick was happy for him. But Champ realized there was more in store for him. And no matter what, he couldn't let Rick down again. He was very tired though, for in a few hours was the time Champ usually goes to sleep. But he could tell by Rick's excited energy that they were going to do something else that night. What?

*crickets chirp* Let's play a game! Find the Mary Sue and the Mortal Kombat movie reference!



Chapter 4 (continuted): A Blazing Battle


"BUUUULL!!!"

"CHAAAAAAN!!!"

With bruises over both of its eyes, the robust Granbull rushed towards Champ, massive jaws agape. Champ, covered in dirt and scrapes himself from the bipedal canine's attacks, was about to dodge, then suddenly had another idea. He stayed in place and closed his eyes. Sparks of electricity formed what looked like glowing veins on his gloveless hands. The Granbull saw the beginning of the Thunder Punch attack, but couldn't stop in time. Champ coiled his legs beneath himself and took off in a spring, his fist bursting with lightning energy. The electric attack struck the Granbull right in its moist mouth. The large purple dog was shocked inside and out, its eyes bugging out and its body appearing to be in a seizure. Champ let off and the Granbull collasped onto its side.

"I forfeit!"

The Granbull's trainer picked the fainted dog up with some difficulty, then carried it off. Champ was slightly hunched over, panting heavily. His recent match took place in a dirt covered, makeshift ring. It was indoors with chicken wire and high boards lining the ring perimeter, giving it a caged in look. It was rather large though, more than 20 square feet in diamter. The interior of the building they were in itself was worn down and filthy, and the few lights inside did a poor job of illuminating the place. The small audience around the ring were elevated, giving the ring a lowered down feel.

Champ had just participated in a series of underground Pokemon fights. Unlike an organized Pokemon League approved match, these had no particular rules and death was a possibility... so far, every trainer Champ has beaten had claimed forfeit before any such tragedy could occur. Champ did not want to cost another Pokemon its life. His shivered as he pictured the dead Meowth kitten in his mind. Trying to rid the gruesome mental image, Champ looked at his trainer. The Granbull's trainer thumbed through his wad of cash before handing his wager over to Rick. He looked so happy. Champ was beginning to feel better. He knew that he had accomplished his goal of pleasing Rick. Rick approached Champ and knelt down beside him.

"Champ... wow," Rick beamed. "I just can't believe... well, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, huh? You did amazing for your first time. Let's call it a night, eh buddy?"

"Impressive," a voice was heard. Rick and Champ looked up. To Rick's surprise, they were being addressed to by a young woman in her twenties. She had short, red-dyed hair, round rim glasses, and a rather neat, black outfit consisting of a simple shirt and slacks. She seemed familiar somehow to Rick, but Champ had never seen her before.

"Didn't I see you at the P-1?" Rick questioned.

The woman flipped her hair and laughed. "You silly Psyduck... I won it."

Rick was dumbfounded. Of course! He left the tournament right after Champ was k-o'd by the Poliwrath. He never stayed to see who the winner was. He felt slightly embarrassed. "I had to leave early to tend to my Hitmonchan."

The lady snickered. "Oh yeah! I remember you now! Your Hitmonchan was flopped around like a ragdoll by that Poliwrath! He's so scrawny, I thought he'd have been a goner by now. Let me see him..."

Before Rick could protest, the woman knelt down to Champ's level and looked him straight in the eyes. Nervous, Champ tried to look away, but the lady cupped her fingers under his chin and looked deeply into his eyes. "Hmm... kinda dull. His skin tone too. You shouldn't be able to see the socket definition like that, he's too thin." Champ sort of "eeked" in surprise when the lady felt his sides and waist. He squirmed and pulled in discomfort. The trainer continued her analysis. "Hs muscle tone is excellent, but everything else is... so-so. He's almost a year old, he should be bigger than this."

Rick fumed. "Who died and made you the queen of Hitmonchan standards? Just because you won some tournament doesn't make you an expert."

"Oh I think it does," the woman said, winking. She stepped back from Champ and reached for a single red and white Pokeball on her belt. She swiftly grasped the ball, spun it in her fingers, then tossed it down. "Go, Cyclone!"

As a white light and a cloud of smoke formed, Champ leapt back in astonishment. He had never seen a Pokeball open before. His fright turned to curiosity as the light took a familiar shape. He was stunned... it was another Hitmonchan! This Hitmonchan was nearly a foot taller than Champ and had a much more impressive build. His body was teaming with lean muscle, his eyes glimmered like freshly polished emeralds, and his skin was a healthy deep reddish tone. There was something else unusual about the Hitmonchan named Cyclone... he was wearing a loose, purple tunic with a tight black belt on the waist, and plain purple shoes on the feet. He also had fingerless black gloves, but the knuckles were cut out exposing the blue, yellow, and red orbs.

<Um...> Champ said, avoiding the larger Hitmonchan's eyes. He really wanted to converse with this creature who was the same species as he, but Champ had to remember that he had a fight to win... this was business. Just when he was about to question the garments, Champ heard Rick's voice ask about the purple attire. The Hitmonchan's owner said that it was to show how good a fighter the Pokemon was. It was a symbol of a champion fighter's excellent reputation. The trainers left the ring, ready to give orders for the upcoming match.

<Naked are we?> Cyclone laughed quietly. <Good, that means you'll be able to feel the burn better> The Hitmonchan's knuckle orbs suddenly glowed bright red. Champ put his fists to his face and got into a fighting stance... this was going to be a tough opponent.

"Alright, last match of the night," the unofficial ref announced. "This is a one on one, no time limit, anything goes... only one survivor unless one trainer forfeits. Ready, GO!"

Champ had just barely took a single step forward when suddenly he saw a flash of red, then black nothingness as a surge of fire struck him hard in the face. Champ could smell the singe of his own flesh as he hit the ground. His own tears blinding him, Champ bounced back up and tried to seek Cyclone out. He was just about to try to strike back when a wave of warmth was felt, followed by a strong, agonizing punch to the head. Champ quickly recovered despite the severity of the blow. He quickly figured that he could sense Cyclone by feeling the heat from the Hitmonchan's Fire Punch.

Easier said than done. No matter how hard Champ tried, Cyclone always struck first and hard. Champ's vision was still impaired and now his body was covered in burns and scrapes from hitting the ground. Champ suddenly heard a slight scuff behind him. There was Cyclone... so close. Champ quickly twirled around and bounded towards his opponent, the small sparks of his developing Thunder Punch forming. Just when Champ made contact, he cried out in pain and pulled back. Impossible! Cyclone's body was so terribly hot, he couldn't be touched. Now what?

"Cyclone!" the pyromaniac Hitmonchan's trainer called. "Show this little waif the meaning behind your name!"

"Champ, try another Thunder Punch!" Rick called out in desperation.

Champ wiped the tears from his eyes yet saw only the hellish red of Cyclone's flames. Swift footsteps surrounded the singed Hitmonchan and intense heat formed around him. Cyclone was using a combination of an Agility and Fire Punch to entrap Champ in a deadly ring of flame. Champ couldn't move, couldn't breath. The heat was overwhelming. He could barely make out the muffed calls of Rick. Champ realized that he was going to die. He was going to fail the one person he cared so deeply for. Rick depended heavily on Champ winning, so what is going to become of the human if his prize Pokemon perished?

An odd coolness suddenly washed over Champ, soothing and healing his burn wounds. Champ could now see clearly. He noticed puffs of steam coming from his mouth as he breathed and small crystals flowing around his body. Instead of marveling at the unusual phenamonon, Champ instead clenched his fists and boldly charged through the flames. They didn't harm him at all. Everyone grew silent as the young Hitmonchan landed on the other side, even Cyclone stopped his fire twister and stared in surprise. Champ's body was surrounded in a pale blue aura, and his knuckle orbs glowed bright cerulean. Champ rose to his feet and faced his opponent. The two Fighting types, one flaming red, the other glowing icey blue, glared at eachother for a tense moment. Cyclone, his knuckle orbs pulsing with crimson energy, bounded towards Champ, who remained still, ice crystals danced around his fists. Just when the fiery fighter was about to strike, Champ thrust forward and made contact with Cyclone's chest.

Crackle.

An ear-slplitting crash was heard as Cycloned turned a ghostly icey blue in a split second and then shattered as Champ broke through his frozen form. Pieces of Cyclone broke into even more shards as they hit the ground. As the ice lifted from Champ, he stared wide-eyed at his opponent's remains surrounding him. He trembled from the repulsive sight and his own freezing cold body.

"Champ!"

That was Rick. He ran up to Champ and embraced the cold Hitmonchan. Cyclone's trainer slowly walked out to the middle of the ring and glanced at her prized Pokemon's now thawing remains on the floor. Her eyes watered. She then scowled, cursed, and tossed Cyclone's no longer functioning Pokeball on the ground and started pacing angrily. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"I think you owe me something?" Rick said in a conceited tone.

The woman took in a shuddering breath as she reached into her pocket and removed the cash prize in her clenched fist. "Here!" she spat as she slapped the money into Rick's hand. That was the last thing she ever said as she stormed away, pushing herself through the crowd of people.

Many of the audience members suddenly rushed to Rick and started congratulating him. He relished in the attention and began gloating about how well he trained Champ. As the commotion went on, Champ, with one arm around his trainer's waist, eyed the arena where Cyclone's pieces remained. He lowered his brow and a small smile formed arcoss his lips as the signifigance of this victory began to sink in.

He felt no remorse.

Ah, this chapter. As I've said before, I love how it shows Champ's change from an innocent, childlike creature to a brutal fighter. The last line underlines this very well. The battle was great too.