“Welcome to the Kyoto Fighting Style Dojo! Which venue would you like to visit?”
The Kyoto Fighting Style Dojo stood like a magnificent palace in the heart of the city. Its exterior design was ingenious, with smooth and grand lines, and its massive glass curtain walls shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
People streamed in and out of the main entrance in a continuous flow.
At the entrance of the Gym, a group of handsome men and beautiful women greeted guests with beaming smiles.
The men were all well-built, with defined muscles, exuding strength and vitality; the women were graceful and full of agility and youthful energy. They all looked like seasoned athletes, and their warm greetings and friendly smiles made everyone feel welcome.
It reminded Chen Kai of the coconut tree live streams on Earth, and before he could even take out the green card Ye Gai had given him, a beautiful woman came forward to greet him enthusiastically.
“Uh, does your Kyoto Fighting Style Dojo have several Gyms?” Chen Kai asked.
In the afternoon, Chen Kai continued his routine of visiting the 18 Gyms in Kyoto.
This time he went to the Fighting-type Gym, but Lu Yang, Bai Yuchun, and Sun Qian also came along.
Lu Yang wanted to understand the situation in advance for future Gym battles. As for the other two, they claimed they were helping their senior brother scout the enemy.
Fortunately, upon hearing it was a Fighting-type Gym, Ye Gai didn't stop them and gave them both the afternoon off.
A beautiful woman explained, “There are many venues. For these two ladies, I recommend considering the yoga studio and the fitness center, while for the two gentlemen, I suggest checking out the ball sports arena and the martial arts hall.
Of course, there are many other venues, and I can also take you there.”
Just as the four of them didn't know where to go, a familiar voice sounded from behind them: “Oh! Students, you’re all here!”
The four of them turned around and saw Ye Gai, wearing a white vest, greeting them.
“Huh! Teacher, you’re here too?” Chen Kai asked in surprise.
“Since you’re here, I’ll join you!” Ye Gai said with a smile as he walked into the Fighting-type Gym.
“These four are with me. I’ll take them in!”
“Alright, Mr. Ye.” The beautiful woman said with a smile.
As soon as Ye Gai stepped into the Fighting-type Gym, an announcement blared:
“Welcome, esteemed Diamond user, Mr. Ye Gai, to the Kyoto Public Sports Center!”
Chen Kai and Bai Yuchun didn't even know where to begin complaining.
Ye Gai smiled and waved: “Come on, let me introduce you.”
Chen Kai and the other three quickly followed.
“This area by the entrance is the wellness center; it’s mostly for older men and women,” Ye Gai said.
Chen Kai also noticed that there were indeed many elderly men and women inside the venue, practicing something with a few trainers.
“Over there is the yoga studio, where many girls like to exercise.”
Following Ye Gai’s guidance, Chen Kai saw several Medicham and Meditite leading a group of girls in stretching and meditating.
However, Chen Kai always felt something was off. Why was Ye Gai, who was clearly a Grass-type Gym Leader, introducing his students to a Fighting-type Gym now?
“Alright! I’ve arrived. Now you can follow Breloom inside to look around; he’s going to the Pokémon Boxing Arena.” Ye Gai said to his students, simultaneously releasing Breloom and Tangrowth from their Poké Balls.
Chen Kai and the others looked up: “Large Fitness Center.”
The venue inside was very spacious, with a few people and Pokémon scattered around, lifting weights.
Chen Kai curiously followed them inside to take a look. He was somewhat interested in this kind of weightlifting and muscle training, so he brought Xiao Mei along to see.
As for Chun Jie and the other two, they didn't know what they were thinking, but they directly followed Breloom further into the Gym.
Human weightlifting was normal enough, which Chen Kai could understand, but the Pokémon inside were a bit terrifying.
Chen Kai saw a Machamp, with each of its four arms holding a dumbbell the size of a refrigerator, exercising.
“Xiao Mei, do you want to try it?” Chen Kai asked with a smile.
Xiao Mei also seemed very interested:
“Rong…” (I can consider it…)
Ye Gai walked to the front desk and asked, “Has what I ordered arrived?”
A muscular man at the front desk greeted him with a wide smile: “Oh! Mr. Ye, you haven’t been here for a few days. Your barbell arrived early. Does your Tangrowth want to try it now?”
“Yes!” Ye Gai and Tangrowth both gave a thumbs-up.
The front desk attendant led Tangrowth to a pile of iron blocks. These iron blocks resembled the steel coils pulled by large trucks on the road—circular, with a hole in the middle, and several 1-meter-wide steel bars on the side.
Chen Kai couldn't help but think they looked like items from a factory construction site. Surely, Teacher Ye Gai and Tangrowth weren't here to move bricks and do manual labor, were they?
Tangrowth extended its Vine, which looked like an arm, and lifted a steel bar. Like stringing lamb skewers, it threaded the steel coils onto the bar, one on each side, stringing two coils. It easily lifted them and began to exercise.
So, it really was a barbell, just an exceptionally large one.
Ye Gai stared at it for a moment and said, “Hmm! It still feels a bit lacking. Tangrowth, string a few more steel coils.”
“Vine!” Tangrowth nodded and strung two more steel coils, only then feeling a bit strained.
Xiao Mei said weakly:
“Mei…” (I don’t know why, but I don’t really feel like lifting weights right now…)(´ - ι _- ｀)
Chen Kai also didn't know why he was watching Tangrowth string steel coils with steel bars. He suggested:
“How about we go find Falinks first?”
“Mei!” (Good idea!)
Chen Kai and Xiao Mei walked further inside. There were many other venues. As he passed by the boxing Gym, he saw Lu Yang and Breloom.
The boxing Gym was the most crowded place in the Kyoto Fighting Style Dojo.
Many people and Pokémon, even if they weren't participating, could watch matches here.
The rule here was that no moves or Pokémon elemental energy could be used; it was purely a collision of fists and bodies!
On the stage, Breloom and a Hitmonchan were currently facing off.
Breloom’s eyes were like torches, fixed on its opponent, its muscles tensed, accumulating power.
Suddenly, it threw a punch as swift as lightning. Even without using moves, just pure strength, that punch was so fast that Chen Kai could barely see it, only feeling a gust of wind whistle through the venue.
With a loud “bang,” Breloom’s punch struck its opponent with the force of a thunderbolt, hitting with extreme precision. Hitmonchan didn't even have time to react, losing its ability to resist, and stumbled backward, falling down.
“Oh!!!!! The winner is Breloom!” A host, who appeared out of nowhere, suddenly popped onto the stage and shouted loudly. His pace was quick; he didn't waste time and immediately announced the next contestant.
The next one to enter was a Sawk.
At this moment, Chen Kai leaned closer to Lu Yang and asked, “Senior Lu Yang, are you also planning to send your Pokémon to compete?”
Lu Yang seemed a bit excited, “Yes, my Poliwrath wants to try too!”
“What about Chun Jie and the others?”
“They went to try yoga.”
“Bang! Bang! Bang!…”
The sounds of punches landing on flesh echoed again in the arena!
Breloom and Sawk’s figures flickered rapidly on the boxing ring, sweat splattering. Each punch collision made a dull thud, like the drumbeats of battle, making the hearts of the audience below pound fiercely.
Chen Kai asked Xiao Mei, “Want to go up and try?”
Xiao Mei quickly waved her paw,
“Rong, Rong!” (Forget it, I’m doing quite well alive.)