Chapter 5: Brock's debut
Me: Arcus, mind telling us what chapter this is?
Arcus: Uh...it's Brock's debut chapter? You just wrote it like two lines ago. What do I have to...oh...I see what you did there. It's the chapter before I hatch. Well, that's one accomplishment this story will have.
Me: *nods* Yep! And the poll's result for the first two Pokémon from Arcus's original team who will appear later is at the bottom of the chapter. So you guys can enjoy this chapter first and then see the results. But I would say that the results are expected. Anyway, on with the story! Disclaimer, please.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I do own Arcus and any other OCs in this story.
Response to Guest review:
THE CREATOR: Meh, I'll call it even for that. But at least that's off my back and of course, I'm sorry for this late chapter. Not a good excuse this might be but I got caught up with my Fairy Tail story...
"To protect the world from devastation..."
"To unite all people within our nation..."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love..."
"To extend our reach to the stars above..."
"Jessie."
"James."
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"And I just had have enough of you two!" Meowth cried out in annoyance as he swung the shovel in his paws at his two human partners, whacking them as hard as he could. "Tell me again, why am I the only one doing this? I thought it was supposed to be a group effort!"
The two humans blinked before they grabbed their own shovels. "Oh right, sorry Meowth. Come on, James, move it!"
"Right!"
As the trio continued their digging, Jessie spoke. "Come on, boys. We don't have much time. If they're going to Pewter City, they have to cross this way."
James grinned. "And they'll fall right into our little trap."
The trio soon got out of the hole and they begun setting down their planned trap as Meowth snickered. "We'll cover it up so well that they will never know that it's a trap."
Once their trap was set, the trio made their way to their hiding spot, a nearby bush. However, they soon realized a major flaw in their plan as James yelped in shock at the sudden realization. "The trap! Where is it?!"
His partners gasped as they emerged from their hiding spot.
"Where did we put it again?"
"I'm pretty sure we dug it over here."
"No way! It was over here."
"I'm positive that it's...AHHH!" As soon as the trio stepped on the well hidden trap, the ground gave way and they fell into the hole. "This was a terrible plan, Jessie."
Meanwhile:
Ash sneezed as he clenched his shivering body. "Oh man...the weather's pretty cold today."
Misty shrugged. "I don't feel anything. Are you alright, Ash?"
"I think someone was just talking about me. Probably my mom," Ash replied as he wiped his nose. Just then, he soon saw the end of the path and he smiled. "Look, Misty! There's the end of the path! Pewter City must be over there." Without another moment to lose, Ash scrambled towards the end of the path with Misty and Pikachu right behind him while Beedrill hovered just behind them, a clear distance away from Misty and Ash.
As soon as they reached the end of the path, Ash leapt onto the large rock in front of it, where he was able to get a full view of Pewter City. "We made it!"
Misty wiped away the sweat on her forehead and smiled to the boy. "Yep. That's Pewter City alright."
Ash let out a sigh of relief as he fell on his back from exhaustion. "And here I thought we would never get out of that forest or we'll be stuck in there forever. I'm just glad we found the way out.
"Pewter City is grey, the color of stone. This city has always been famous for its stone."
"Huh?" Ash turned his attention below him, where he saw a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on the ground and beside the man was a stand with rocks on it and all of the rocks had price tags on them. "Who's this guy? Do you know him, Misty?"
"Never seen him before," Misty replied.
The man sighed. "The name's Flint. And you're sitting on some of my merchandise, young man."
Realizing that, Ash quickly got off the rock and made his way down to the ground where he approached Flint. "Sorry about that. But you really do sell rocks?"
Flint nodded. "They're Pewter City souvenirs. Wanna buy some?"
"No thanks," Ash replied. "I'm traveling, trying to become a Pokémon Master!"
Flint mentally chuckled at Ash and turned his attention towards Pikachu, who was completely exhausted. "It looks like your Pokémon's worn out. Why don't you follow me. I'll show you the way to the Pokémon Center. By the way, that will be a two dollar charge for resting on my rock."
Ash flinched. "Oh...even resting cost me? Guess I'll have to pay you. And here I thought you were a nice guy."
Minutes later:
"Well, here we are," Flint said as they entered the Pokémon Center. "Why don't you head over to the counter to get your Pokémon healed up."
Ash nodded. "That's what I wanted to do in the first place. But thanks anyway, Flint!" The rock-selling man smiled as he headed off towards another direction while Ash made his way towards the counter where he picked up a tray and placed his Pokéballs and Pikachu on before placing them on the counter. "Excuse me, but could you please revitalize my Pokémon?"
"Certainly, Ash," replied the person behind the counter.
"Hey, aren't you Nurse Joy?" Ash questioned as he glanced at the nurse. "I thought you were in Viridian City."
Nurse Joy grinned. "That was my little sister, Ash. I've also heard a lot of nice things about you too, aside from your Pikachu blowing up the Viridian City's Pokémon Center, of course." Hearing that, Ash chuckled nervously as he scratched his chin. Nurse Joy giggled. "So, have you seen that poster over there?"
Turning to the direction that she was pointing at, Ash frowned when he was greeted by the back of Misty's head. "Misty, could you step aside?" The girl in question absentmindedly took a step to her left, allowing him to get a view of the poster Nurse Joy was talking about. "The Pokémon League Regional Championships, huh? That sounds fun."
Misty smirked. "Not so fast, Ash. To compete in the Regional Championships, you need to beat Gym Trainers from different towns and get their Badges as proof. Can you do that?"
"Of course I can!" Ash cried.
Just then, Flint appeared beside them, laughing. "Don't tell me you plan on challenging Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader."
Ash nodded. "Of course I am. As soon as my Pokémon are better, I'll have no problem. When I get them back from Nurse Joy, take me to Brock's Gym. I'll beat him."
Smiling, Flint spoke. "We'll have to see about that, Ash. I'll be waiting outside of the Pokémon Center. Come out once you're ready."
"Ugh! That Flint! Trying to make a fool out of me..." Ash grumbled as he scooped up a mouthful of his lunch and stuffing it into his mouth.
Misty sighed. "Do you really think you can win? Gym Leaders are different from normal Trainers because they're much more tougher. I'll tell you what, Ash. If you ask me really nicely, I'll help you out."
Ash lowered the bowl on his hand down and asked. "How?"
"My specialty is Water type Pokémon, Ash," Misty replied as she brought out her Goldeen's Pokéball. "Besides, your current Pokémon are all...well...weak to Rock type Pokémon. Pikachu's Electric attacks won't affect the Rock Pokémon in anyway. Pidgeotto's Flying type attacks is weaker and Butterfree and Beedrill's Bug type attacks are weak too. Basically, you are ill-equipped to battle Brock and his Rock type Pokémon."
"Wait, wait, wait," Ash stuttered. "Are you telling me that Brock's a Rock type Gym Leader?!"
Misty sweat dropped. "I thought you already knew. After all, this town is all about rocks."
"Still though," Ash continued. "Butterfree managed to beat Team Rocket all on its own when it was still a Caterpie."
"You're right about that," Misty nodded. "But that was because Bug type and Poison type are mutual. This time, you're up against Rock type Pokémon, which are twice as powerful as Bug type Pokémon. What you need is a Water type Pokémon to help give you an advantage."
As Ash finished his lunch, he placed the bowl back on the table and looked back at Misty. "But I still have no idea how Brock battles. I'm going to have to battle him first before I can decide."
Misty shrugged. "It's your battle strategy. I'll leave all that up to you. I'll be outside with Flint. Make sure you get Pikachu and the others before you come out." As she got up from her seat, Misty placed her Goldeen's Pokéball back in her bag while she made her way out of the cafeteria, only for Ash to realize that he was stuck with the bill.
"Hey! You can't leave me with the bill! Come back here!" Ash cried, but it was too late as Misty was already long gone. Ash sighed as he got up from is seat and made his way towards the lobby's counter, where he saw Beedrill hovering over Pikachu and his Pokéballs while Nurse Joy was typing on the computer.
Once Ash had reached the counter, Nurse Joy smiled. "There's no need to wait any longer, Ash. Your Pokémon are all well now."
"Alright! Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash said as he picked up his three Pokéballs while Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder.
"Oh! And before you go anywhere else, Professor Oak wants to speak to you, Ash," Nurse Joy continued. "Just head over to one of the video phones and call him."
Ash nodded. "Thanks for telling me, Nurse Joy." After thanking her, Ash made his way over to the closest video phone while Beedrill followed behind. Ash stopped and turned to the Poison Bee Pokémon. "Beedrill, why don't you take a break? I'm sure you're tired from flying all this time." Beedrill shook his head and Ash sighed. "Alright. I guess I could let you take care of the Egg for me. That's what you wanted to do in the first place, right?"
Receiving a nod from the Poison Bee Pokémon, Ash pulled out the Jewel of Life and set it down beside him as he dialed in the professor's number. After a while, the screen soon displayed Professor Oak. "Hi, professor!"
"Ah! Ash! Just the boy I was waiting for!" Professor Oak spoke. "So, how's your journey been so far?"
Ash smiled. "I've just made it to Pewter City, Professor Oak! I'm going to be challenging the Pewter City Gym Leader soon too!"
Professor Oak nodded. "Of course you are. But enough of that. Let's talk about the Egg. How has it been since our last chat?"
"It's fine," Ash replied, putting the Jewel of Life close to the screen for the professor to see. "But professor, something weird happened with it too."
"How weird?"
"The Egg glowed when it came close to this Beedrill..." Ash spoke, gesturing to Beedrill, who was hovering beside him with the Jewel of Life beneath him. "When it glowed, Beedrill glowed too and then it had this mark on its chest. Beedrill also said that it followed me just because of the Egg."
"Fascinating," Professor Oak grinned. "This has got to be an interesting event. Maybe we will know why Beedrill is following the Egg soon."
"How?"
"Why the PokéTranslator of course!" Professor Oak replied as he lifted up a small device which was smaller than his finger. "This is still a prototype that I'm testing out, of course. But once I've perfected it, we will soon be able to understand what Pokémon are saying. Think about it, Ash. With it, you might understand Beedrill's purpose of following the Egg you have!"
"That does sound interesting, professor," Ash smiled. "So when will it be done?"
The professor grinned at the question. "It won't be long, Ash. It will probably take a week or two. Possibly less if I don't get any distractions after we end our chat."
"Then I'll let you finish up that translator, professor," Ash replied.
Professor Oak nodded as he waved to the boy. "You take care now. Be sure to call me again so I can give it to you." With that, the professor cuts off, ending the call.
With that done, Ash let out a sigh as he smiled and turned to Beedrill, who was now holding onto the Jewel of Life with his stinger arms, somehow. Ash stretches out his hand and spoke to the Poison Bee Pokémon. "Alright, Beedrill. I think it's time that I keep the Egg save with me again. You might never know what kind of people will try and steal it when it's out in plain sight."
Beedrill hesitated. His purpose in life is to protect the son of the Alpha Pokémon and guide him when he grows. But he had no reason to argue with Ash at the moment. With Arceus's son still an Egg, Beedrill has the disadvantage if he were to protect him because he will be busy fighting off anyone or anything that threatens the life of Arceus's son and he also had to look out for anyone who'll try and steal the Jewel of Life while he was distracted.
The Poison Bee Pokémon had no choice. He gave Ash a nod and gently placed the Jewel of Life on the boy's hand. Ash smiled as he tucked the Jewel of Life into his vest's right pocket. "Don't worry, Beedrill. The Egg'll be safe." Beedrill narrowed his eyes at the boy, still uncertain of Ash's words, but he simply nodded again as he followed Ash out of the Pokémon Center.
As they did, Pikachu turned his head back to face Beedrill. "So why are you so protective of the Son of Arceus? What's your reason?"
"It's the same as all Pokémon, Pikachu," Beedrill replied. "I am here to help Arceus's Son grow stronger when he hatches. But my role is much more important because I am the one who will protect him and guide him in combat, for I am one of the Chosen Ones who will remain by his side till the end of time."
Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Jeez, you didn't have to be all dramatic about it. But I'm guessing that that mark of yours is the sign of the so called Chosen Ones."
Beedrill nodded. "That is correct, Pikachu. But it seems that you and Butterfree are the same. You two don't have the mark, nor does that Pidgeotto. But since you belong to this human, you are considered my comrade. Same goes for Butterfree and Pidgeotto."
"At least I know you don't mean us any harm," Pikachu replied, earning a nod from the Beedrill as they exited the Pokémon Center.
"So, are you ready for your Gym Battle with Brock?" Flint asked as he folded his arms while looking at the boy. "Let me warn you, Brock is no pushover just because he's the first Gym Leader that all new Trainers must battle."
Ash grinned and gave the man a thumbs up. "I'm sure I can handle Brock's Pokémon. After all, I got quite a few Pokémon to use against him. They might be weak against his Rock-type Pokémon, but I'm sure mine will be stronger!"
Flint laughed. "You honestly think your Pikachu stands a chance against a Rock-type Pokémon? Then I hope you survive. Now follow me, you two."
After some time later:
"So this is the Pewter City Gym, huh?" Ash asked as he stared at the building in front of him, which was mostly made from rocks, with a few wooden structures to help support the rock Gym.
Flint shrugged. "What did you expect? Some fancy-schmancy, colorful Gym? The Pewter City Gym is a Rock-type Pokémon based Gym so it's an obvious choice for the Gym and because of this city's fame for rocks. Now get going. Your friend and I will be waiting outside."
Nodding, Ash and Pikachu made their way towards the Gym's doors. As he enters the Gym, the two blinked in surprise at the darkness that the Gym had. They cautiously walked into the Gym as the doors closed. "Hello? Is anyone here? I'm here to challenge the Gym!"
"Who goes there?" A mysterious male voice asked as Ash and Pikachu turned to the direction it came from, only to see light shine down to reveal a tan-skinned man who donned an orange polo shirt with a green vest. Brown jeans could be seen on him and a belt on his waist. The man was also sitting cross-legged.
"I'm Ash Ketchum. I come from Pallet Town and I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader, Brock!" Ash cried as he looked at the man.
The man smirked. "Is that so? Then you're looking at him."
Ash's eyes widened in surprise as he took a step back while the man, who's identity is now revealed to be Brock, stood up and snapped his fingers, causing the entire Gym to shake. Then, the floor split, revealing a battlefield that was lower than the floor and where rocks could be seen everywhere. Brock stood at the end of the battlefield, opposite of Ash and spoke. "How long have you been a Trainer?"
"I just began not long ago, about a week, I guess?" Ash said, remembering the days he had spent with Pikachu.
Brock's eyes moved to Pikachu, who was standing next to the boy, with an adorable look on his face. Brock frowned. "Your Pikachu is still in its cutest stage. It won't last long." Hearing that, Pikachu fell on his face and his eyes twitched as Brock continued. "You do know that this is not like any other battles you have had, right? Of course you don't since this is your first Gym match. This is an official Pokémon battle which means you have to follow special rules set by the Pokémon League authorization."
"Special rules?" Ash asked
"We will use two Pokémon each, understood?" Brock replied. "But even if you just started, I have to accept every challenge for I am a Gym Leader." Brock reached for his belt and pulled out one of his Pokéballs. "Shall we begin this battle?"
Ash nodded back and turned to Pikachu. "Alright, Pikachu, I choose you!" Pikachu flinched at Ash's words. The Electric Mouse Pokémon shivered in fear for he knew that he and his Trainer have been warned that Brock uses Rock-type Pokémon. But nevertheless, Pikachu stepped into the battlefield.
"Onix, go!" Brock cried as he tossed his Pokéball, releasing a white glow which soon grew to an enormous height before fading away to reveal a giant worm-like Pokémon who's body was mainly made out of rocks, which glared down at Pikachu and released a roar that scared the Electric Mouse Pokémon.
"So that's an Onix, huh?" Ash muttered to himself as he pulled out his Pokédex.
"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. By twisting its large and powerful body, Onix can quickly bore through the ground at fifty miles per hour."
Pikachu took off back towards Ash but the boy stopped him. "What are you doing, Pikachu? You can't run away from the battle now. I already chose you." The Electric Mouse Pokémon was about to tear up when he was pushed back towards the giant Pokémon in front of him as Onix prepared itself for an attack.
"Tackle attack, Onix!" Brock cried.
Onix growled as it raised its head up and dove straight down at Pikachu, who was fortunate enough to dodge the attack while a small crater formed from the impact of the attack. Once Pikachu dodged the attack, he turned and ran towards one of the rocks. However, his path was soon blocked when Onix's tail appeared in front of him. Before he knew it, Onix's tail had surrounded Pikachu and he had no where to go.
"Onix, use Bind!" The Rock Snake Pokémon complied to Brock's command and its tail closed in on Pikachu, squeezing him before tightening its grip on Pikachu, causing the Electric-type Pokémon to squeal in pain.
Ash gritted his teeth. "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Pikachu complied, releasing a burst of electricity at Onix, which had no effect on the Rock Snake Pokémon. Then, Ash came to a realization that he had forgotten what Misty had said back at the Pokémon Center. Electric-type attacks won't work on Rock-type Pokémon. "How could I have forgotten that?!"
Pikachu squealed in pain once more as Onix's grip tightened. Ash panicked as his hands search all over his body before he pulled out a Pokéball and points it at his Pokémon. "Pikachu, return!" As the red light was released from the capsule, it faded away the moment it collided with Onix's body. Ash rubbed his eyes and looked at the Pokéball, only to find out that it wasn't Pikachu's Pokéball. "Where did I put it?!"
Brock raised an eyebrow as he watched Ash with an unamused look. "Having some trouble already? You know, as a fourth Pallet Town Trainer to challenge me, I thought you would be a much better Trainer than this. The other three had no problem beating me. I guess you're not as skilled as I thought Pallet Town Trainers are."
"Shut up!" Ash cried as he continued his search for Pikachu's Pokéball.
"Enough. I'm not going to entertain a weak Trainer like you," Brock replied. "Onix, toss it up into the air and use Tackle attack again!" The Rock Snake Pokémon did as it was told, tossing Pikachu into the air and launching itself towards the Electric Mouse Pokémon. Before Ash could say anything to Pikachu, the Electric Mouse Pokémon met the full force of Onix's attack, causing him to be sent crashing in front of Ash.
Ash's eyes went wide as he dropped to his knees with his hands reaching out to Pikachu's bruised body. "Pikachu...I'm sorry for making you fight...If only I hadn't forgotten about Misty's warning..."
"What are you waiting for?" Brock demanded. "Send out your next Pokémon."
Ash gritted his teeth again. All his Pokémon that he have at the moment are all weak to Rock-type. How was he going to win when he has nothing to help him? There was only two choice he was able to choose. Continue or surrender. And he made his choice. "I surrender..."
Brock sighed. "Of course you would. I told you, you're not ready. This battle is now over."
As Brock turned and left, Ash picked up his partner and held him close to his chest as he made his way towards the exit. When Ash and Pikachu had gotten out of the Gym, Misty approached them with a smile. "So, how did it go?" Ash didn't reply and looked away, holding Pikachu tighter, which Misty soon understand why as her smile fades away. "You lost, didn't you?"
"You were right, Misty," Ash mumbled. "I was ill-equipped. I wasn't ready to battle Brock."
"What about the strategy you were talking about?" Misty asked. "Didn't you say that you wanted to find a strategy to beat Brock? What happened to your confidence?"
Ash began tearing up. "How could I do anything when Pikachu was getting hurt?! That Onix of his was too strong!"
Flint approached the two and folded his arms as the two looked at him. Flint sighed. "Follow me."
The rock-selling man had brought the two over to the edge of Pewter City, where they rested in Flint's home. Pikachu was placed in a small bed provided by Flint while he served tea to Ash and Misty and Beedrill staying close to Pikachu.
"Everyone loses some times. You can't let that get you down," Flint spoke.
Ash gritted his teeth. "I know. But I didn't just lose, I stunk. Brock's a way better than me. I can never enter a League match if I can't beat him."
With a sip of his tea, Flint replied. "Brock is very good. His own talents can take him much further than simply being a local Gym Leader."
"But why hasn't he been in the regional championship himself?" Ash asked, looking up at Flint, who lowered his cup down.
"He has his reasons," Flint answered. "Come. I'll show you myself. Your friend here can take care of your Pokémon for you."
Ash turned back to Misty, who gave him a smile and a nod as she replied. "Don't worry about Pikachu. I'll take care of it so you can go." Ash smiled back and thanked her as he followed Flint out of the house and made their way into the city once more.
Minutes later, the duo had arrived at a house and they peeked over the fence of the house, only for Ash to gasp in surprise at what he saw. In the house were several children who were seated all over the place but one thing that stuck out the most was that they all had identical faces that resembles Brock's. Speaking of the Gym Leader, Ash soon spotted him just behind the children, wearing what seemed to be an apron while he washed the dishes.
Just then, one of the children ran up to Brock, clinging onto his leg. "Brock! I tore my skirt!"
Brock turned to the girl and smiled. "Alright, alright. I'll sew it up for you."
Ash turned to Flint with a surprised look and the boy was given the explanation he was waiting for. "Brock has ten little brothers and sisters to take care of. So he could never leave town for the regional championships."
"Doesn't he have a mom or a dad?" Ash asked.
Flint scoffed. "His good for nothing father left his family to become a Pokémon Master and they never heard from him again. Brock's heartbroken mother tried her best to hold things together but sadly, she moved on. Brock's the only his siblings have left."
"I had no idea Brock was like that," Ash sighed. "I'd better not listen to anymore sad stuff. Next time I have a match with Brock, I might not have the heart to beat him..."
Hearing that, Flint stopped in his tracks. "But...you said that you could never win a match with Brock if your Pokémon was hurt."
"But that is what a Pokémon match is all about, right?" Ash retorted. "Even if I disagree that Pokémon must be hurt, it's the only way to get a Badge. If I somehow beat Brock's Pokémon with my Pokémon, I might be able to win. But I still have to figure out a strategy."
"Then you might be up all night, won't you?" Flint grinned. "Would you want some advice?"
"Yes please!" Ash exclaimed.
Flint nodded. "Alright then. When we head back to my place, show me your Pokémon and I'll try to find a strategy for you."
The next day:
"I'm back!" Ash cried as entered the Gym once more, swinging the doors open.
Seeing this, Brock approached the boy and his Pikachu. "Haven't you learn your lesson yet?"
A grin formed on the 10-year-old boy as he approached Brock. "I'm here for a rematch, Brock. My Pokémon and I are ready. We've come up with a strategy to beat you and I'm sure that it'll work."
Brock scoffed. "Whatever. Let's get this over with." With a snap of his fingers, the Gym's floor began splitting, revealing the same battlefield from the previous day. Taking out a Pokéball, Brock narrowed his eyes onto Ash. "Remember, two Pokémon." Ash nodded back and Brock tossed his Pokéball, releasing the Pokémon inside of it. "Geodude, go!"
The Pokémon released from the capsule emerged from the white glow, falling heavily onto the ground with a thud. It didn't had much to describe itself. The Pokémon itself resembled a boulder with a pair of arms, eyes and a mouth. Ash immediately pulled out his Pokédex.
"Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. Geodude has incredibly high defensive power, making it virtually resistant to any physical attacks."
Ash smirked. "Luckily for me, Geodude won't affect my strategy." He reached for his waist and pulled out one of his Pokéballs before throwing it up into the air. "Butterfree, I choose you!" As the Butterfly Pokémon emerged from his Pokéball, it hovered closely to the edge of the battlefield while his capsule returned to Ash's hand.
"Geodude, use Tackle!" Geodude complied to its Trainer, crossing its arms as it charged forward at Butterfree. As it neared the Butterfly Pokémon, Geodude balled its hands into fists, outstretching them as it came closer to Butterfree.
Butterfree, who had memorized the strategy, dodged the attack by flying upwards. "Whirlwind!" Ash cried as Butterfree began flapping his wings, generating a strong gust of wind which knocked Geodude back down to the ground as it crashed against one of the rocks. Ash grinned. "Alright, Butterfree! Good work! Now use String Shot!"
This time, a white string was shot from the Butterfly Pokémon's mouth, tying up the Rock Pokémon.
"Huh?" Brock blinked in surprise. "Geodude, break free and use Dig!" The Rock Pokémon struggled within the cocoon-like trap it was in and ripped a hole through it where its hand reached out and tore the rest of the string.
"Butterfree, use Tackle before Geodude can get out!" Ash cried as the Butterfly Pokémon folded his wings against his back and dove straight down at Geodude. However, the Rock Pokémon was able to escape just in time as it dug into the ground, just in time to evade Butterfree's attack. Upon seeing this, Butterfree halted his attack and struggled to maintain his balance in the air.
Brock grinned. "Geodude, jump out and use Tackle!" Geodude did as it was told, leaping out of the ground behind Butterfree and lunging forward with its right fist out.
"Dodge it and use your own Tackle!" Ash called out. Butterfree gave his Trainer a nod as he flew higher, causing Geodude to charge past him. The Butterfly Pokémon smirked as he spun around, diving headfirst at Geodude's back. Butterfree's head collided with Geodude's back, causing the Rock Pokémon to crash into the ground, taking the dirt into its mouth and ending the first battle with Butterfree as the winner.
"What?" Brock stood there with his mouth agape. "I...I underestimated him...I was caught off guard by the type advantage I had that I forgotten that skill makes up for it. He's full of surprises." He muttered as he returned Geodude to its Pokéball and pulled out his second one.
Ash smiled proudly as Butterfree flew towards him. "You did it pal! I knew you could do it!" Butterfree squealed in delight as Ash hugged him. "Looks like Flint's idea worked!"
Flashback:
Flint rubbed his chin as he took a look at each of Ash's Pokémon. Once he was done, he turned to Ash. "I guess your friend was right when she told me that all of your Pokémon are at a disadvantage to Rock-type Pokémon. All you have are Bug-types, Flying-type and Electric-type, the three types out of a few others more that can be beaten by Rock-types."
"What's your point?" Ash asked, annoyed by the way Flint had described his Pokémon.
"My point is," Flint replied. "You'll have to rely on your Pokémon's skill to win your battle against Brock."
Ash raised one of his brow in confusion. "My Pokémon's skill? How would that help me win?"
Flint smiled. "Even Pokémon can win most of the time when they battle against another Pokémon with a type advantage. How do they win? The answer is skill. And I've just the strategy for you to win against Brock's Pokémon."
"Really?!" Ash exclaimed, eyes twinkling with hope and excitement.
The rock-selling man nodded. "First of all, Brock uses these two Pokémon for all his Gym Battles; Onix and Geodude. Of course, both Pokémon are Rock-types. I'll begin by telling you the strategy you need against Geodude."
"So what do I do when my Pokémon battle against it?" Ash asked.
"Your Beedrill is out of the question because its stingers might be damaged from Geodude's rock-hard body. Pikachu is definitely out because his Electric attacks won't work at all, unless he has Normal-type attacks like Quick Attack. So the only two Pokémon you can use against Geodude are Butterfree and Pidgeotto. For Pidgeotto, I would say that you can focus on using Gust and Quick Attack..."
"Why Gust?" Misty interrupted.
Flint turned to her and gave the answer. "With Pidgeotto in the air, Geodude will have to jump to attack. If Pidgeotto uses Gust, it might be able to knock Geodude back to the ground and it's Quick Attack might give it an advantage because of its speedy strikes. If I were Ash, I would have Pidgeotto try and get Geodude in the air as long as possible so that it could deal multiple hits on the Rock Pokémon."
"What about Butterfree?" Ash asked.
"Butterfree is much simpler," Flint replied. "If it has String Shot, it could slow down Geodude by trapping it. This will give Butterfree enough time to deal some damages on Geodude while it tries to free itself. Not only that, Butterfree could use Sleep Powder and cause Geodude to fall asleep while you knock it out. Just like Pidgeotto, you could use Butterfree to get Geodude in the air and its Tackle attack might work. But if you ask me, Butterfree's a better choice to use."
A sigh soon escaped Flint as he continued. "Now...let's discuss about the strategy against Onix..."
"Onix, go!" Brock cried as he tossed his second Pokéball, releasing Onix from it.
Ash grinned as Butterfree entered the battlefield once more.
The two Pokémon looked at each other, both not showing any signs of giving up, which pleased the two Trainers as Onix roared while Brock gave it a command. "Onix, use Rock Throw!" The Rock Snake Pokémon raised its tail and slammed it onto the ground, causing the ground to break apart as chunks of rocks were hurled towards Butterfree.
"Butterfree, dodge those rocks and use Sleep Powder!" Ash cried as the Butterfly Pokémon maneuvered himself over the rocks as he flaps his wings above the Rock Snake Pokémon, sprinkling blue, shining powder onto it as he flapped his wings.
"Onix, use Dig to escape!" Onix complied to Brock's command and dug into the ground, evading the Sleep Powder as Ash began remembering what Flint had told him.
Flashback:
"So how do I beat Onix?" Ash asked.
Flint sighed again as he folded his arms. "Well, Onix will be a tough opponent. Brock and Onix are practically inseparable since he was given Onix as a first Pokémon. He trained Onix to a great degree that Onix is his strongest Pokémon."
"How do you know so much about Brock?" Misty asked, causing Flint to flinch in surprise as sweat poured from the man's face while he scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"Uh...well...I...uh..." Flint stammered. "I just happened to have talked to his father before, that's why. Anyway, back to business. To beat Onix, it would take probably a few of your Pokémon to defeat. Your Butterfree and Pidgeotto might be the two you may need. If I remember correctly, Onix knows how to use Dig. So Sleep Powder would be out of the question. Your Pokémon still have the advantage of being in the air though."
"So what kind of attacks do I need to use against Onix?" Ash asked.
Flint replied. "Pikachu's still out of the question. But I would say Gust and Whirlwind would be useful to blind Onix for a few seconds. However, Onix is Brock's first Pokémon so it might be more tougher to deal with. I advice poisoning it first to weaken it. Beedrill's Twineedle attack might do the trick. You just have to be careful on where it aims. Onix's body is rock-hard just like Geodude. I'd suggest going for the head using it. Butterfree's String Shot might work too since Onix will take a longer time to get rid of the string."
"But how do I beat Onix after that?"
"After a while, the poison from the Twineedle attack will weaken Onix," Flint replied. "It will be weak to most attacks so I would say tire Onix out first before going in for any other attacks to prevent your own Pokémon from getting tired."
Just then, Onix burst out from the ground, landing perfectly on its body before roaring.
Ash grinned. "Butterfree, String Shot!" Once more, Butterfree shot out a white string from his mouth, blinding Onix as the string covered both of its eyes. "Alright, Butterfree, return!" As the Butterfly Pokémon was reabsorbed into the Pokéball, Ash pulled out another and tossed it into the air. "Beedrill, it's your turn!"
This time, Ash's Beedrill emerged from the capsule with its stingers raised, ready to battle. "Beedrill, use Twineedle!" The Poison Bee Pokémon lunged forward, continuously thrusting its two front stingers at Onix, who roared in pain as the stingers struck its face while its tail fell to the ground before it could remove Butterfree's string from its face.
"This is a strategy that I've never seen before!" Brock muttered to himself as he clenched his fists.
At the top of the Gym, where a balcony was placed, Misty and Beedrill watched the battle with smiles of satisfaction. However, Misty had left quite a big gap between her and Beedrill. "H-hey...Beedrill, looks like Ash is doing well with your friend." Beedrill only nodded, not bothering to look up at Misty. The girl only sighed as a thought ran through her mind. "I really do hate Bug-types..."
Meanwhile, back in the battle, Onix had crashed its face against the ground and rubbed its face on it. Once it raised its head up, Ash gritted his teeth. "The strings are gone. Onix removed them!"
"Onix, Rock Throw!" Again, the Rock Snake Pokémon slammed its tail onto the ground, hurling more chunks of rocks at Ash's Beedrill. However, Ash's Beedrill was quite agile as it dodged the rocks with ease as it flew towards another direction while Onix pursued it, hurling more rocks at it.
"You're Onix won't be able to stop my Beedrill now!" Ash cried out with a smirk.
Brock gritted his teeth. "What's his game? Why's he doing all this?"
Onix soon stopped, feeling a stinging pain all over its body. Ash chuckled. "Now, Beedrill, keep going with Twineedle and we'll win this match!" Beedrill complied to Ash's command and thrust its front stingers at Onix, causing the Rock Snake Pokémon to roar out in pain once more as Beedrill attacked it relentlessly. After a while, Onix collapsed, crashing onto the ground and fainting, ending the battle once and for all.
Seeing his partner collapse, Brock fell to his knees, shocked by the lost he had faced. "I can't believe it, I lost to you." Brock looked up at Ash, who was now celebrating his victory by embracing his Beedrill as Butterfree was brought out from his Pokéball as well and the three began cheering while Misty congratulated the boy as she made her way down from the balcony with Beedrill.
Brock sighed as he got back up and reached for his pocket, pulling out one of the Gym's Badge. "Hey, Ash!" Brock called out, earning the boy's attention as he approached him. Brock smiled as he placed the Gym Badge on Ash's hand. "Looks like you won it, Ash. You deserve it."
Ash smiled and nodded as he accepted the Badge and placed it on his vest. "Alright! I won my first Gym Badge!" As he did a victory pose, Pikachu, Beedrill and Butterfree all followed and did their own victory poses around him.
"Well, congratulation, Ash," Misty said as the two humans, Pikachu and Beedrill made their way to the outskirts of Pewter City as the sun sets. "Too bad you didn't actually use your own strategy to beat Brock. You used Flint's."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Hey, I still won. But I guess you're right. I couldn't have done it without Flint's help. I wonder what he's doing now? We never saw him after we left the Pewter City Gym."
"Hey, Ash! Wait up!" The group turned around, only to see Brock catching up to them. But there was a surprise for them. He was carrying a backpack!
"Brock! What are you doing here? And what's with the backpack?" Ash asked.
The Gym Leader grinned as he took a few deep breaths. "Isn't it obvious? I'm joining you on your journey!"
"Wait what?" Ash blinked and Misty placed a finger in her ear, digging out some earwax to make sure that she had heard it right as Ash asked. "But why? Aren't you the Pewter City Gym Leader?"
Brock shook his head. "Not anymore. My dad's the new Gym Leader now."
"Your dad?" Misty repeated.
"But didn't your dad left home?" Ash asked.
A smile appeared on Brock's face. "I'll tell you all about it on the way. Come on, let's go!" As he ran past them, the two looked at each other, confused at Brock's actions but shrugged them off as they chased after him while a recent memory came into Brock's mind.
Flashback:
Brock sighed as he watch the doors of the Gym close once Ash and his friend had left. He walked over to Onix and rested his hand on it. "Take a good rest, Onix. You deserve it." The Rock Snake Pokémon growled weakly as it was reabsorbed into its Pokéball.
"Looks like my strategy worked for him."
The Gym Leader turned around and gasped when he saw Flint standing at the end of the Gym. "It's you. You're the guy who sells rocks to people that visit Pewter City."
Flint nodded and approached Brock. "There's something I need to tell you Brock..." Flint reached for his beanie and beard before he removed them, only to reveal that he has almost the exact same face and hair as Brock.
"D-Dad?!" Brock exclaimed.
Flint nodded shamefully. "I know what you're going to ask. Why did I not come home? Well, I couldn't become a Pokémon Master like I wanted to and because I was such a failure, I was too embarrassed and ashamed to go back home."
"You said that your strategy worked. Did you mean that you helped Ash?"
Again, Flint nodded. "Yes. I see myself when I was younger in him. He didn't stand a chance against you so I helped him. But enough of that. It's time that I start taking care of my family again, Brock. You go follow your own dream. You wanted to become a Pokémon Breeder, right? Then go fulfill your dream."
"Before that, there're some things I want to say," Brock replied.
Flint sighed. "After all these years, I understand how you must feel about me so I want you to get everything of your chest...uh..." Before he could finish his sentence, Brock had handed him a sewing needle and thread and he sweat dropped.
"Suzie always rips her dress so you better learn how to sew," Brock started. "And Timmy only eats cold spaghetti for breakfast. Tommy likes cornflakes for dinner..."
"Slow down! Slow down!" Flint cried as he tried to write down everything Brock had said. "I can't write that fast!"
Me: And~ We're done! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and sorry for the delay!
Arcus: You know that a simple sorry won't help, right? They'll be here to murder you before you can wake up tomorrow.
Me: Wait, wasn't there a poll result that you're supposed to announce?
Arcus: Oh yeah. *Clears throat* And the two Pokémon to be back is...what do you know, it's Angel and Torch! Looks like we'll be getting the Hoenn duo back first! Followed by Lily, Kippy, Ace and Shelly. Wait a second...the poll result's the same as the order we gave them!
Me: I expected it anyway. Well, till next time, readers! Next chapter shall be the miracle of life, the birth of Arcus!
