#010 - Power to Burn
(Pokémon and related elements ™,©1995-99 Creatures/GAME FREAK/Nintendo.)
Storyline, art by Robert H. Magnusson

In one of the many back rooms at Champ's gym, Chue was busy skipping rope to practice for the upcoming match. At length, Champ himself looked away from the speed bag and put a single glove on top of Chue's head.

"Well, kid, this is your hour! You ready?"

"Need you even ASK, Champ?" Champ just smiled. Something about the kid reminded him of himself when he was that level...

"LADIES... AND... GENTLEMEN! It is now TIME for the main event at Thu... Champ's Gym!" Ray and Jiggs stood in the middle of the ring as seemingly every Pokémon from the city watched in anticipation. "Tonight, the lightweight champion will be decided... once and for all! Tonight's contestants are entering the gym now!..."

"IN THIS CORNER, CHUE... RATON! Pokémon City's mightiest Pikachu, with a record of 16 wins, seven losses and one draw in the past three years!"

"AND HIS CHALLENGER! Direct from the Ochre Woods... CHARLIE... BLAZER! This Charmander's career spans seven years with an unprecedented twenty-four wins and NO LOSSES!"

The silence just before the first bell, when Jiggs held up the Round 1 card, was palpable, and was shattered immediately as Chue threw the first punch. It was hard to follow exactly what happened, except that within a few moments Chue was thrown hard onto his back. As Ray began to count out, reaching three, Chue quickly got up, put out a small fire on his ear, and rushed back into battle. Somewhere in the crowd, a beeper went off...

"Excuse me, I've got a CALL to make..."

Later in the lobby, Sandy Burroughs had just stepped into one of the private phone booths. "Ah... hello?"

"SCHANDY! You'll never guesch who THISCH is!"

Sandy looked over in disbelief at Percy, in a booth across the room, quickly looking back. "PERCY?! I thought the boss said you weren't FIT to wear Team Rocket's UNIFORM!"

"Scho he changed his mind... after I told him the girl we're after hatesch being called Pikablu!"

"PIKABLU?! What a STUPID... no WONDER! So are we ready?"

"WE? You mean you and I are teaming up?"

"NO, you idiot! I wouldn't team up with YOU if we got orders to do so direct from Celadon CITY! I meant the boss's BET."

"Yep, the Pikachu WILL win in the third round... do you think the Marril isch in the crowd, Schandy?"

"Trust me, Percy, EVERYONE'S in the crowd tonight... so don't try to get her this time..."

Epona was looking away. "I can't WATCH! He's really giving Chue a POUNDING!"

"Still, he's really holding in there..." Even Marrilyn had to worry...

The second round ended with the bell, and Chue, his shirt burned away, sat panting at his corner, sparks flying from his cheeks. "GASP... That's... it... Ray... I'm.... almost... out... <koff>... out... of... energy!"

"Don't give up yet - he's got to be just as tired!" The Round 3 bell sounded, and the fighters staggered into the ring. At least Chue staggered - Charlie was tired, all right, but clearly had a lot of fight left.

Just as Charlie blocked a weak punch from Chue, he turned to see someone in the audience - a Persian - pantomime a slash across his throat. Charlie gulped hard...

...and ducked Chue's desperate punch, which clearly showed how tired his opponent had become. As he continued his ducking motion, he collapsed onto the canvas, much to Chue's surprise...

1! 2! 3!...

Chue just staggered back... what was going on...?

"...8! 9! 10!! THE WINNER AND STILL LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP! CHUUUUUUE RATONNN!!"

Even as Jiggs held up his paw, he protested, staring at his opponent. "But... I didn't... I didn't even...."

Chue saw a tear form in Charlie's eye, moments before the Charmander got up and rushed out of the ring and out the gym.

"Wait! Come... BACK!" Chue broke loose from Jiggs' victory hold and began to rush after Charlie...

and collapsed onto the mat.