The next day. Battle City.
After leaving the Secret Kingdom of the Sky, Ethan rode Charizard and headed straight to this place.
"It truly lives up to its name as Battle City. The martial atmosphere here is incredibly thriving."
As he walked through the city, Ethan could see many Fighting-type Pokémon moving through the streets.
From time to time, he even saw people dressed in martial arts uniforms physically training alongside Fighting-type Pokémon.
"I finally found it, the martial dojo for Pokémon that are not Fighting-type."
Very soon, Ethan arrived at the destination of his trip.
In Battle City, many martial dojos were designated exclusively for training Fighting-type Pokémon; some even only accepted specific species.
And the dojo before him truly lived up to its name: it was a place specialized in training non–Fighting-type Pokémon in close-quarters combat.
Boom, boom, boom!
As soon as Ethan crossed the entrance of the dojo, he heard a series of loud explosions coming from inside.
Looking over, he saw a Feraligatr and an Ursaring engaged in a fierce battle.
From the development of the fight, it was clear that both Pokémon were using exclusively Fighting-type moves. Although they did not benefit from their original type bonus, both Feraligatr and Ursaring possessed exceptional strength and constitution, so the power of their attacks was still impressive.
Boom!
With another final crash,
the fists of Feraligatr and Ursaring collided, and the battle came to an end.
It was obvious that the two were only exchanging blows as practice, with no real intention of deciding a winner.
"Hello, excuse me, is the dojo leader, Mr. Harper, here?"
Ethan politely addressed the two after the battle ended.
"Oh, oh, you're Ethan, right?"
"I've already seen your application to join as a student of the dojo. Welcome to the Multitype Martial Dojo."
One of the female students spoke after recognizing him.
"Yes, that's me. Excuse me, are you...?"
Ethan looked a little confused; according to his information, the dojo leader should have been an elderly man.
"That's my father. He went to attend a meeting of the League's Martial Arts Tournament. Before he returns, I'll be in charge of evaluating you as an applicant. By the way, my name is Maya Harper. Nice to meet you."
Maya smiled and extended her hand, shaking hands with Ethan.
"Alright, then I'll trouble you greatly, Miss Harper."
Ethan nodded; first, he had to pass the evaluation to become an official student of the dojo.
Once the test was confirmed, Ethan and Maya headed to the battle field to begin the trial.
At the same time, the students training in the dojo learned of the arrival of a new applicant and gathered around.
"Alright, let's begin the evaluation. The rules will be the same as those of the Martial Arts Tournament: both Pokémon may only use Fighting-type moves throughout the entire battle. If one of the Pokémon loses the ability to fight, the duel ends."
"Any problems with that?"
Maya looked at Ethan.
"No problem."
Ethan nodded; he was very familiar with the rules of the Martial Arts Tournament.
The Martial Arts Tournament was one of the major events held every year in Battle City.
Unlike the tournament exclusive to Fighting-type Pokémon, this competition did not impose type restrictions on the participants.
However, all Pokémon had to battle using only Fighting-type moves.
By using this type of move, the battle resembled a martial duel, where one relied on physical condition, combat techniques, and close-quarters fighting ability, which demanded a very high level of close combat.
Of course, due to this restriction, most of the participants were usually Fighting-type Pokémon, as they had the advantage of their main type.
Even so, other Pokémon skilled in close combat also participated occasionally. For example, the leader Harper of this dojo had once won the championship of the Martial Arts Tournament using a Feraligatr.
The fact that Ethan had arrived in Battle City at this time was also related to his intention to try to obtain the right to participate in the tournament.
Allowing Cacturne to engage in more battles would help it grow faster, and the restriction of using only Fighting-type moves represented an excellent challenge.
"Very well, then let's begin the battle. My Pokémon will be this one. Go, Feraligatr!"
Maya nodded and threw her Poké Ball. The same Feraligatr that Ethan had seen before appeared once again on the field.
"Feraligatr... a Pokémon that possesses terrifying strength innately. Without a doubt, it's ideal for the Martial Arts Tournament."
Ethan nodded slightly and also threw his Poké Ball. Cacturne's figure appeared in front of Feraligatr.
"Cacturne?"
Upon seeing the Pokémon Ethan had sent out, Maya frowned.
Pokémon like Cacturne, which did not stand out in either size or strength, were extremely rare in the Martial Arts Tournament.
"I was just wondering what kind of opponent it would be this time, and it turns out he brought a Pokémon of this level. He looks like an ordinary trainer, not someone who's going to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament."
The other students also shook their heads, somewhat disappointed. Most of them were fans of combat, and they clearly did not consider Cacturne a serious opponent.
"The battle begins. You attack first."
After hearing Maya, Ethan nodded.
"Cacturne, spines!"
Cacturne's gaze sharpened. It brought both fists together in front of its body and, as it tensed its strength, all the spines on its body extended at once, completely covering it, like a hedgehog full of spikes.
"Is that the Grass-type move Needle Arm?" one student frowned upon seeing it.
"No, they're just ordinary spines."
Another student shook his head, watching Cacturne with growing interest.
Although the tournament stipulated that only Fighting-type moves could be used, that did not include the use of the Pokémon's own physical characteristics as a means of attack.
These characteristics included special body structures, innate abilities, or unique physical capabilities.
For example, Hitmonlee has spring-like arm and leg parts that are highly elastic and extendable. That is a special body structure permitted in the Martial Arts Tournament.
Likewise, Pokémon such as Feraligatr can use their tails and claws as attacking weapons.
Therefore, Cacturne could also use its spines as an offensive means; that was part of its special body structure.
(End of chapter)