Harry and his friends were in the Pokemon Center. It was midnight but despite the exhausting day, Harry, Ash, Dawn and Brock were discussing Aura.
"So you have an Aura connection with Riolu?" asked Ash.
"Apparently," Harry said, "I mean Riolu and I are close but this was… a whole new level of close. It was like… we were almost the same being. Is that how you'd describe it Riolu?" he looked as Riolu who shrugged. It was hard to put that kind of connection into words. Harry turned back to Ash, "Riley said you can use Aura too. He felt it when he was protecting us from Lucario's Aura Sphere."
"Yeah," Ash confirmed, "I once used it to help another Lucario save the Tree of Beginning in the Kanto region." His expression saddened, "He died so that I wouldn't sacrifice myself to the tree."
"Riolu was willing to risk his life to help Riley and Lucario," Harry muttered, "I thought I was the reckless one but I'm not crazy enough to run towards a bunch of exploding bombs."
"No but you are crazy enough to try and take on Team Galactic without backup," Dawn said.
"I did have backup," Harry told her, "My Pokemon were with me."
"Riolu Lu," Riolu said and patted his chest reproachfully. Harry grimaced.
"I know Riolu," he said, "Can't you just let that go? Especially since you did something similar today." Riolu winced as he realized how hypocritical he was being. The trouble was it seemed Harry's own sense of justice had rubbed off on the Emanation Pokemon and along with that he had gained a bit of his trainer's recklessness too. "Have you ever considered becoming an Aura Guardian?" Harry asked Ash.
"Not really," Ash admitted, "I'm more interested in being a Pokemon Master to tell you the truth."
"So am I," Harry said, "But it was nice of Riley to let us stay in contact with him in case we change our minds."
The next day they went to the Canalave Gym and were met by a very muscular man who towered above all of them, even Brock.
"Hello," Harry said, "I'm here to challenge Byron. Ash is a challenger too but we agreed I'd go first."
"Sorry but Byron and his son are having a little… family drama at the moment," said the muscle man.
"We're friends of Roark," Ash said, "Maybe we can help."
"Unlikely," the man said but let them in anyway. They heard Roark and Byron yelling at each other from the battling room.
"I love fossils the most!" Roark yelled as the group entered the room.
"No way!" boomed Byron, "I've been digging up fossils longer than you've been alive!"
"Excuse me?" Harry said but they didn't seem to hear him at first. After waiting for two whole minutes, Harry lost patience and pulled out a Poke Ball, "Bronzor use Metal Sound!" His newest Pokemon appeared and sent powerful sound waves through the gym. Byron and Roark both stopped arguing and noticed the group for the first time.
"Oh, hey there," Roark said.
"I'm here for a battle with Byron," Harry said.
"Sorry," Roark said, "But I'm in the middle of a family matter here."
"You're just yelling at each other about fossils," Harry said, "No offence but that's a petty thing to be arguing about."
"Petty!" boomed Byron, "Without fossils I wouldn't have Bastiodon and Kabutops!"
"And I wouldn't have Rampardos and Omastar," Roark said, looking just as annoyed as his father.
"Okay sorry," Harry said, "But couldn't you argue about fossils some other time?"
"Well to be honest," Roark said, "I didn't actually come here to argue about fossils."
"Ha! I knew I loved them more than you!" boomed Byron.
"Not true dad!" roared Roark and they started arguing again until Bronzor shut them both up with another Metal Sound.
"Why are you here, Roark?" asked Ash once Bronzor's Metal Sound stopped.
"Because it'll be my mom and dad's anniversary in a few days," Roark said still looking at Byron as he spoke, "And dad's missed every anniversary for the last three years!"
"Son you know your mother and I don't have an easy marriage," Byron said.
"Which is exactly why you should get back together for your anniversary and reconnect," Roark retaliated.
"When you're older you'll understand marriage is not that simple!" bellowed Byron. The two of them glared at each other.
"You're so selfish!" Roark snarled.
"Hey I left because if I didn't, you'd never reach your true potential!" Byron snapped back, "You think it was easy for me to leave my only son behind? If I stayed on as Gym Leader in Oreburgh City you would have just been my apprentice!" Roark's anger faded as he looked at his father in surprise. Byron sighed, "Come with me. You lot can come too," he added to his visitors and they all left the battle room.
Byron unlocked a door in the corridor outside and led the others into a large room. Inside were numerous fossils on shelves, arranged neatly along the room. Roark looked impressed. At the back of the room was an Old Amber, a fossil that contained an Aerodactyl. Roark smirked when he saw it.
"You haven't revived it yet?" he said, "For your information I had an Aerodactyl flying around Oreburgh City."
"Yeah I saw that mess on the news," Byron grunted, "Didn't these kids help you out? Except him." He pointed at Harry rather rudely before going to the back of the room. Beside the Aerodactyl fossil was a small safe. Byron looked back at Roark and said, "This safe contains the most precious fossil in my collection." He unlocked it and took out a small box before returning to the others. He opened the box and showed Roark the fossil inside.
It didn't look like anything special but Roark recognized it instantly.
"Is that…?"
"The very first fossil you ever dug up?" Byron said, "Yep the very same. I was so proud that you were following in my footsteps so I've kept the fossil all these years. But when I realized you could also be a great Gym Leader I didn't want to take that away from you. Plus your mother was driving me nuts." Everyone sweat dropped when he said that, "But seriously Roark, if I'd stayed you would never have learned to become a great trainer on your own. You would have always been in my shadow."
Roark was looking very emotional right now, "So you do care about me?"
"Of course I do, kiddo," Byron said closing the box and putting a hand on his shoulder, "I love you and if you don't mind, I'd like to see with my own eyes how much you've developed as a trainer since I left." Roark glanced back at the others. Byron seemed to have completely forgotten they were there.
"You know what?" said Dawn, "It could be really interesting to see two Gym Leaders battle each other."
"And a father and son too," Brock said. Harry and Ash looked at each other, then shrugged.
"Okay," Harry said, "I think Ash and I can wait for our gym battles a little longer."
Byron and Roark faced each other in the battle room and the referee stood beside the rocky battlefield.
"Okay dad here's the deal," said Roark, "If I win you've gotta come back to Oreburgh City for your wedding anniversary."
"Deal," Byron said.
"Two on two?" Roark asked.
"You're on," Byron replied, "I love Kabutops!" the same deadly looking creature Byron had used on Iron Island appeared.
"Omastar let's go!" cried Roark and sent out a Pokemon that looked like an ammonite with spikes on its shell and tentacles appeared. Harry scanned the creature.
"Omastar the Spiral Pokemon and evolved form of Omanyte. Its tentacles serve as both its hands and feet. As soon as it ensnares prey, it bites with four sharp fangs."
"Let the battle begin!" cried the referee.
"Omastar use Hydro Pump!" ordered Roark and Omastar squirted a powerful blast of water from his mouth at Kabutops.
"Kabutops Protect!" bellowed Byron and Kabutops surrounded himself with a green sphere to block the Hydro Pump, "Now let's give 'em a taste of your Night Slash!" Kabutops terrifying claws glowed black as he lunged at Omastar. The Night Slash was powerful enough to send Omastar crashing into a rock but the Spiral Pokemon's shell provided decent protection against the attack.
"Omastar use Mud Shot!" ordered Roark and Omastar shot a stream of mud from his mouth which hit Kabutops in the belly.
"Kabutops let's give 'em another Night Slash!" bellowed Byron and Kabutops lunged once more but slightly slower than last time. Nonetheless he slashed Omastar with another powerful Night Slash sending him flying.
"Use Mud Shot!" yelled Roark and Omastar shot another Mud Shot at Kabutops.
"Protect!" bellowed Byron and Kabutops blocked the attack with a green barrier.
"Rock Blast go!" Roark ordered and Omastar formed and fired five large rocks in quick succession.
"Ha!" bellowed Byron, "Night Slash!" Kabutops' blades moved with quick and deadly precision. The black glow around his claws gave them enough power to slice through each rock before they could strike him. Roark gasped in shock, "Son, you should know I train all my Pokemon to have strong defences. Just because Kabutops specializes in attacking, doesn't mean Protect is his only defensive technique! Use Giga Drain!"
"Kabuuuu!" said Kabutops and Omastar glowed green before bellowing as the green energy around him connected to Kabutops and began draining his strength.
"Omastar!" cried Roark but when the Giga Drain was complete, Omastar was unconscious.
"Omastar is unable to battle, Kabutops wins!"
"Great work Kabutops!" bellowed Byron and Kabutops raised one of his scythes triumphantly.
"Great work Omastar," said Roark, "Alright Rampardos let's go!" The familiar Headbutt Pokemon appeared and grunted at Kabutops, "Use Earthquake!" Rampardos stomped hard on the ground and the battlefield shook violently. Kabutops lost his balance and crashed painfully into a rock.
"Kabutops Aqua Jet!" Byron yelled and Kabutops surrounded himself with water before lunging at Rampardos.
"Head Smash go!" Roark ordered and Rampardos lunged at Kabutops surrounding himself with blue energy. The two Pokemon collided but Head Smash was far too powerful for Aqua Jet, despite being a Rock type move, and Kabutops was sent flying into the wall behind Byron. Rampardos winced in pain as the recoil effect kicked in.
"Kabutops is unable to battle, Rampardos wins!"
"Not bad son," said Byron as he recalled Kabutops, "But your Rampardos won't be able to overcome my Bastiodon! Let's show 'em old buddy!" A four-legged Pokemon with a face that resembled a shield appeared. Dawn scanned it.
"Bastiodon the Shield Pokemon and the evolved form of Shieldon. When attacked, herds of Bastiodon would form a wall. Their steel-hard faces serve to protect them from the attacks."
"Rampardos use Zen Headbutt!" Roark ordered and Rampardos charged at Bastiodon.
"Iron Defense!" bellowed Byron and Bastiodon's face glowed blue and a white shine went down over it just before impact. Bastiodon just stood there as Rampardos' Rock hard head collided with his even harder Steel face, "Now Iron Head!" Bastiodon surrounded his entire body with a white glow before shoving Rampardos backwards. Fortunately for Roark, Bastiodon didn't have much momentum behind the attack, so Rampardos quickly recovered.
"Flamethrower!" both Gym Leaders ordered at the same time and both Pokemon fired streams of fire which exploded when they made contact.
"Alright Rampardos, Head Smash!" ordered Roark. Byron smirked as Rampardos surrounded himself with blue energy.
"Iron Head!" Byron yelled and Bastiodon became surrounded by white light once more and this time was able to build up momentum by charging at Rampardos. The two Pokemon collided and there was an explosion that knocked them both backwards before Rampardos winced again from the recoil damage, "Bastiodon use Ancient Power!" Bastiodon's body was surrounded by a white outline before white rocks appeared around him and solidified into real rocks.
"Bastio!" boomed Bastiodon and the rocks pummeled Rampardos who collapsed to the ground.
"Hang in there Rampardos!" yelled Roark and the Headbutt Pokemon heaved himself onto his feet, "Endeavour!"
"What's Endeavour?" Dawn asked Brock as Rampardos was surrounded by blue energy before slamming into Bastiodon and transferring the blue energy onto him. Suddenly Bastiodon looked just as tired as Rampardos.
"It's a move that enables a Pokemon to bring its opponent's energy down to the users current level of health," Brock explained, "Since Rampardos took a lot more damage than Bastiodon, Roark used Endeavour to make Bastiodon as tired as Rampardos was which means that they're still evenly matched."
"Well son, I see I made the right decision by leaving you in charge of the Oreburgh Gym!" Byron complimented, "But it's not over! Use Flamethrower!"
"You too Rampardos!" Roark countered and once again two Flamethrowers collided, "I'm afraid it is over dad. Use Earthquake!"
"Rampardos!" bellowed Rampardos and stomped hard on the ground causing the entire room to tremble. The violent shaking of the battlefield caused Bastiodon to topple sideways into a rock. Finally the attack stopped. Bastiodon didn't get up.
"Bastiodon!" cried Byron in shock.
"Bastiodon is unable to battle Rampardos wins!" cried the referee, "And that means Roark has defeated Byron!"
"Wow!" cried Dawn, "Roark beat his own dad!"
"Rampardos was awesome!" cried Ash. The Headbutt Pokemon looked worn out but was smiling triumphantly.
"What do you know?" said Byron in an unusually quiet voice, "My own son beat me," He smiled proudly and went to Bastiodon's side. The Shield Pokemon looked rather ashamed, "Hey buddy don't look so down. Being a Rock and Steel type has its disadvantages but you put up a great fight. Now you take a break," he recalled Bastiodon and looked up at his son, "Well Roark, you beat your old man. Congratulations. As agreed, I'll spend this year's anniversary with the family."
"Thanks dad," Roark said.
"But we still have a couple of days," Byron added, "And I wanna battle these whippersnappers first!"
"Okay," Roark said then looked at Harry and Ash, "Then I want to serve as referee for the battles. If that's okay with you," he added to the referee who shrugged.
"No problem," he said.
"Remember Ash," Harry said as the group left the gym so that Byron could get Bastiodon healed, "I'm going first."