Two hours soon passed as Ash and Sabrina chatted. After arriving in Cianwood City, they headed straight for the Cianwood Gym. It was only around ten in the morning, still far from noon, so neither of them was in a hurry.
After asking a few passersby for directions, they quickly found the gym.
As soon as they entered, they saw numerous apprentices training alongside their Pokémon. Some were running, others were punching, and a few were focused on strength training. Almost every Pokémon present was a Fighting-type, and the entire place radiated a raw, physical intensity.
"Is the Gym Leader here? I am Ash from Pallet Town in Kanto. I came to challenge the Gym," Ash said to one of the apprentices after observing the scene.
"Welcome to the Cianwood Gym. Our master has gone out to train with his Pokémon and should be back soon. Please wait a moment. I will bring you some tea," the apprentice replied politely.
He led Ash and Sabrina to a resting area and served them tea along with some snacks.
After taking a sip of the hot tea, Sabrina glanced at the apprentices still training nonstop. "The trainees here all focus heavily on Fighting-type Pokémon. It is similar to Shirō's style, but more straightforward, more brute-force oriented."
"Yeah," Ash nodded. "The Gym Leader here is Chuck. He is known for his obsession with fighting techniques."
He paused briefly, watching the trainees carefully before continuing, "But there is a clear difference between him and Shirō. Shirō focuses on precision and technique, balancing offense and defense. This Gym, on the other hand, emphasizes overwhelming power and direct attacks, with little attention paid to evasion."
Even without prior information, the training methods alone made it obvious. Running, punching, and muscle conditioning were everywhere, but there was no sign of agility or dodging drills. The philosophy here was simple, overpower the opponent.
"You must be the challengers. My disciples told me about you. Welcome. If you wish to battle, follow me," a deep voice suddenly called out.
Ash and Sabrina turned to see a shirtless, muscular man approaching them.
"You are Chuck, the Cianwood Gym Leader, right? Your training is quite intense," Ash said as he looked the man over. His physique was comparable to a Machamp, every muscle clearly defined.
"Of course. My passion for fighting is not just talk," Chuck replied proudly, flexing his muscles.
Among trainers, very few chose this kind of path. While it required fewer external resources, the results were slow and demanded relentless discipline. The human body did not grow stronger overnight, and without years of consistent effort, there would be no results. On top of that, the training itself was harsh, enough to discourage most people from even attempting it.
The fact that Shirō had risen from nothing to become a king-level Fighting-style trainer was proof of both exceptional talent and unwavering perseverance.
Sabrina glanced at Chuck, her expression filled with quiet disdain. Then, for some reason, she suddenly thought of Ash's well-proportioned physique. A faint blush spread across her face as she lightly fanned her cheek, trying to cool herself down.
Ash noticed immediately. "What is wrong, Sabrina? Are you feeling unwell? Should we go to the Pokémon Center first?"
He stepped closer and placed his hand gently on her forehead to check her temperature.
The Pokémon Center was not only for treating Pokémon, it also functioned as a hospital for humans.
"I am fine," Sabrina said quickly, her face turning even redder. "Let us just start the Gym battle. I am just a little hungry."
"Hungry?" Ash raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. When they had set out earlier, she had said she was not hungry at all.
Still, he chose not to press the matter further.
Soon, Ash and Sabrina followed Chuck toward the battlefield of the Cianwood Gym, ready for the challenge ahead.
The Cianwood Gym was not particularly large. Aside from the main battlefield, there was little else of note. According to the information Ash had gathered, Chuck was not affiliated with any of the three major families in Johto. Instead, he was a trainer directly supported by the League.
In other words, Chuck was a member of the Johto League.
Thinking about it, Ash could not help but feel that someone like Chuck, straightforward and easy to manage, would naturally be favored by the League's higher-ups.
"The rules here are simple," Chuck said once both of them stood at their respective positions on the battlefield. "This will be a one-on-one match, and the challenger attacks first. Any objections?"
"No problem," Ash replied with a nod.
At the same time, he silently assessed Chuck's strength.
From the aura he sensed, Chuck's overall level was around the quasi-Elite Four tier. Among the six Pokémon he carried, only two had truly reached that level, while the rest were mostly in the upper mid to late stages of advanced strength. The weaker ones were likely there just to round out his team.
Even so, for a Fighting-type specialist, this was already quite impressive. After all, the Fighting-style path was notoriously difficult, especially when it came to raising Pokémon to higher levels.
(End of Chapter)
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