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"Hyah! Ha!"
Sharp cries echoed through the trees, accompanied by the rhythmic crack of fists striking wooden posts.
Kael turned his head toward the noise. A group of humans in white martial uniforms was practicing, sweat glistening as they unleashed precise, powerful blows against their targets.
So the dojo didn't just train Pokémon. Just like the traditional Gyms of the old world, this one housed human disciples apprentices honing their physical skills alongside their Pokémon partners, building strength and spiritual discipline together.
It was a slower, more demanding path than the League's mass-production academies, but its results were undeniable.
Those who graduated from a dojo often beca so of the League's most formidable Trainers, their techniques and bonds with Pokémon refined to perfection.
Of course, the price of admission was high and not just financially.
Without family influence or connections inside the League, ordinary citizens could never hope to secure a place in such a prestigious institution.
As Kael passed by, a few of the apprentices noticed him and froze.
They had been here for years, long enough to recognize every Pokémon within the dojo's ranks.
But the black-skinned Machop walking calmly down the path? They'd never seen anything like him.
A shiny variant. Rare. Mysterious.
Their eyes lit up imdiately.
"Is he... new?" one whispered.
The Fighting Dojo wasn't just a place for Pokémon to train it was also a proving ground for human students hoping to earn a partner.
To win the trust of a powerful Pokémon ant stepping into a new world of potential.
And this strange, dark-colored Machop exuded an energy none of them could ignore.
If they could impress him... if he chose them...
Kael had no idea he'd just beco the center of their attention.
He rely assud the curious stares were because of his unique skin tone a side effect of his last reincarnation.
Ignoring the whispers, he followed his escort deeper into the dojo grounds.
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Soon, they reached a large traditional building.
Dark slate tiles lined the roof, their edges gleaming faintly under the midday sun.
The long eaves curved gracefully outward, casting soft shadows over the pristine white walls. Wooden windows, etched with delicate carvings, lent the structure an air of quiet elegance.
Tall bamboo stalks surrounded the building, rustling gently in the wind. The scene radiated calm but Kael felt sothing else stirring beneath it.
"The master's waiting for you inside," said the staffer. "I'll leave you here."
Kael nodded, his gaze never leaving the building.
"Sothing feels... off," he muttered.
It wasn't fear. Just a sense he kind that ca from a warrior's instinct.
Sothing inside was waiting for him.
"Well," he said, smirking slightly, "no point overthinking it."
With brisk steps, he climbed the stone stairs and pushed open the wooden doors.
The hinges groaned with a sharp, tallic scrape as the hall revealed itself.
---
It was vast.
Polished oak floors stretched from wall to wall, gleaming in the shafts of sunlight that poured through the windows. Everything was spotless, as if freshly cleaned.
No clutter. No distractions. Only space is open and disciplined.
On the far wall hung a single scroll.
Upon it, one bold character painted in sweeping black ink:
心臓 — Heart.
The brushstrokes were rough yet deliberate, full of reckless freedom and strength.
One word, yet it carried the weight of an entire philosophy.
Kael felt a strange calm wash over him, his mind clearing without effort.
But his focus shifted quickly to the two figures waiting inside.
One was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a sleeveless martial gi that exposed arms like carved stone. His muscles were knotted and powerful, veins pressing against skin hardened by decades of combat. His thick eyebrows frad eyes sharp and deep, radiating sheer force.
This was Haus, the master of the Fighting Dojo.
In Ignis City, his reputation carried weight even among elite Trainers.
Normally, a dojo master wouldn't bother welcoming a new Pokémon personally. But the news of "a conscious wild Machop" had spread fast — and Haus, never one to ignore a challenge, decided to see it for himself.
After all, wild Pokémon with clear minds were almost unheard of now.
And Haus loved anything rare and strong.
He had even dismissed his subordinates, choosing to greet Kael himself.
Traditionally, when a new Pokémon joined the dojo, the staff would test its temperant by pitting it against one of the senior Trainers' partners.
It was both a welco ritual and a warning a show of dominance to keep hot-headed fighters in check.
This ti, though, the welcoming committee wasn't a junior Trainer.
It was Haus himself.
And the Pokémon waiting beside him...
Kael's gaze fell on the dark-blue figure seated cross-legged at the center of the room.
A chill ran down his spine.
He'd seen this Pokémon before countless tis, in books, in broadcasts, even in the fantasies of young Fighters dreaming of strength.
But seeing one in person was sothing else entirely.
The sight froze him in place.
His heartbeat quickened.
For a mont, even Kael, felt an old, familiar awe stirring deep within.
"...No way," he breathed.
Because sitting before him, silent and composed, was a living legend.
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