Chapter 4

Thursday, November 23rd

Every morning for the past week, Brock would spend a few hours with Charles reviewing battle footage. Charles dug into what he called his 'vault.' A collection of some of the greatest battles that took place in the underground circuit.

One of the first battles they watched led to an interesting discussion, and it started with two faces that Brock was actually familiar with. One of these trainers he in a different video within Charles' office before he left Vermilion City in the summer.

Her battle tag was 'Matrix' but Brock remembered that both Flint and Volkner referred to her as Cynthia. The last time he saw her battle, she and her Gabite were vastly superior to her opponent and it led to a one-sided battle. However, the contest they watched this time was much closer. Cynthia's opponent was Koga and his Toxicroak.

After a dry run of the battle, Charles went back to the beginning and they discussed every aspect of the battle.

"Brock, have you ever read the research paper on Pokemon battles that I published on the PokeHub?" Charles inquired and Brock shook his head. Charles beamed at him despite his reply. "That's not a problem. But I would suggest preparing yourself mentally because there is an information dump incoming…"

Brock took his warning to heart and focused.

"Pokemon battles have two sides to them and once you are familiar with the two sides to a Pokemon battle, you can recognize a truly skilled trainer and Pokemon from an average pairing. I refer to them as macro and micro-elements. The macro elements are broad as you can fit almost every aspect of battle into four major categories. Those include types of damage, abilities, the style of battle, and the neutral game," Charles paused to let this settle into Brock's mind. "From each of these macro elements, you can then further break them down into what I call the micro elements. For example, damage. There are many different kinds of damage in battle, not only based on the type of move a Pokemon is using but how that damage affects their opponent. You can have sustained damage where you wear away at your opponent. Burst damage where you strike quickly and stuns to disable them."

Brock nodded his head as he looked to the screen that displayed Gabite and Toxicroak locked in combat.

"With that in mind, abilities can play a significant role in how damage can be applied to your opponent. Some moves are designed to protect Pokemon from damage, but many of them have natural ways to mitigate damage and some of them are impervious to certain forms of it," Charles stopped as he saw Brock studying their example.

"So Toxicroak was struggling because Gabite is naturally able to mitigate the type of damage he was using," Brock concluded and Charles gave a nod.

"It's like a game of rock paper scissors," Charles drew a comparison. "Where sustained damage may fail, burst damage will succeed. When burst damage is denied, a stun is required. When a stun is neutralized, you can fall back to sustained damage," Charles paused and studied Brock's expression. His brow was lowered and his nose wrinkled. "Any questions?"

"No, I think I understand damage pretty well," Brock replied.

"Is there something else you want to talk about?"

"Yeah, I've never heard someone mention 'neutral game' in a battle," Brock noted and Charles nodded.

"It's a fancy term I came up with," Charles said with a chuckle. "Simply put, the neutral game is what takes place between each move that is called. While in combat, Pokemon have a natural movement…or action to keep their opponent at bay while they work on a strategy. Think of it as a jab in boxing. It's basic, it's simple, and it's something you can use under almost any circumstance," Charles explained and Brock raised his brow. "And the best part about the neutral game is that it can be polished and turned into a flawless weapon."

"Okay, I think I see where you're going," Brock interjected. "This is like when I taught Ash's Pikachu Quick Attack and Double Team. They started to use that as their own neutral game."

"Exactly. And they perfected it to the point where it was a constant threat during a battle," Charles said as he grinned at Brock. "That is the perfect example of a strong neutral game…though I didn't know you were responsible for teaching them that."

"I only showed them how to use Pikachu's speed. I never imagined that they would turn it into what they used when they battled at the Hidden Cove," Brock said bashfully.

Charles invited him to ask any question that came to mind as they continued and Brock was in awe. This man could speak about every facet of Pokemon battles at length.

"You know, Mr. Goodshow," Brock said during a brief pause. "Since you're the commissioner of the circuit, I thought of you as more of an office guy. I didn't think you knew this much about Pokemon battles," Charles couldn't help but laugh. "I remember you've mentioned that you used to be a trainer. Is all of that from your personal experience?"

Charles pursed his lips as he looked to the Pokeball that rested off to the side of his desk, resting on a small stand to keep it in place.

"I was in my fair share of Pokemon battles," Charles remarked. "I was even in the Kalos Circuit at one point. But one thing led to another and…here I am today. I wouldn't credit everything to my own experience. I've met many fantastic trainers in my younger days and I did everything I could to learn how I could improve as a trainer. As I got older, I focused more on learning more about the Pokemon themselves and that gave me a greater perspective."

"Wow," Brock marveled with envy. "With everything that you've got stored away in your brain, I'm sure you'd still be a fantastic trainer, maybe even better than before! Have you thought about starting again?"

Charles' demeanor changed. He lowered his gaze and leaned back into his seat.

"I don't think so. The end of my career as a trainer serves as a reminder for me that…this world isn't perfect. But I want to do my part to help make the changes that are needed," Charles answered as he swiveled in his chair to turn away from Brock. "I have some regrets, but I would trade the life that I lived for another attempt to make different choices."

Brock nodded and he didn't push any further. It was no secret to him that a Pokemon journey came with challenges. It must have been a truly transformative experience…something that everyone needed to feel for themselves.

Charles showed Brock all of the greats that he could.

They viewed a recording of Charles' dear friend Hector Mendez, one of the greatest trainers to grace the Kalos Circuit. He and his Hariyama dominated that circuit for years until he retired to focus on his family when his youngest daughter was born.

Another highly touted trainer they watched was a red-haired young man garbed in a high collared cape. Brock stifled a laugh at the thought of someone wearing a cape, but that laugh died in his throat when his Pokemon was released onto the field. An enormous serpentine monster roared ferociously, and there were screams from the audience at the appearance of this Pokemon.

"That was the first time a Gyarados was seen at the Hidden Cove," Charles remarked with a laugh. "As you can tell, the crowd wasn't prepared for anything like that."

Gyarados' trainer was none other than Lance, who referred to himself as the 'Ryujin.' According to Charles, Lance hailed from a clan of dragon tamers that lived in the mountains around Blackthorn City.

"That's a dragon-type Pokemon?" Brock exclaimed.

Charles shook his head. "Gyarados is actually a water and flying type Pokemon, but they are extremely violent. You could classify them as dragons based on their temperament."

"Fascinating," Brock mumbled as he looked back to screen further study Gyarados' appearance. He couldn't imagine himself interacting with a Gyarados just yet. There were some mental hurdles he would have to overcome before he dared to approach such fierce-looking Pokemon. And that sense of fear was compounded as he saw Gyarados in action, using a combination of Rain Dance and Twister to create gale-force winds that ravaged his opponent.

The next trainer Charles showed him was perhaps Brock's favorite of the bunch. A hulking behemoth of a man that had no shame as he walked around with no shirt. As his body implied, he specialized in training fighting type Pokemon. Bruno, the 'Blue Swallow.'

"His nickname is actually in reference to his partner Pokemon," Charles explained as Bruno called out his most trusted Pokemon. It was a blue Pokemon that wore a gi. "Sawk."

Sawk was Bruno's signature Pokemon and after a few moments on the battlefield, it was clear to Brock why Sawk was held in such high regard. Everything about him was polished to the point of perfection. Sawk was quick, accurate, powerful, disciplined, intelligent, and courageous.

"Sawk could be considered the perfect Pokemon," Charles noted. "If you made one of those diamond charts that measure all of his attributes, his would be maxed out in every category," Brock made a face at the thought of a perfect Pokemon. "Although, Sawk lives under some special circumstances which have allowed him to refine himself to such a degree."

Of course, Brock's curiosity was piqued. "What kind of special circumstances?"

"You'll have to meet Bruno and ask him yourself," Charles replied with a wink.

As the lessons went on, Charles noticed that Brock lacked two things. One was obvious.

He did not have a Pokemon partner of his own.

The second was hard to spot and even harder to resolve.

Brock had yet to make a decision on what he wanted to be.

Friday, December 8th

They sat in Charles' office as always, although today Brock was invited to stay after his usual lesson time. Melissa was present, making the preparations for a virtual conference that Charles would be hosting in the afternoon.

"You've done excellent in the lessons about Pokemon battles," Charles noted as he looked at the young man. "However, since you lack a partner to practice with, I've decided that we will change the focus of your studies."

Brock wasn't going to question Charles' decision. The man was a savant, and Brock was prepared to absorb any and everything that he offered.

"Typically, in the afternoons, I work with Pokemon professors and researchers to continue updating the information that we're gathering on the PokeHub," Charles explained. "I want you to join us in this research project."

"Oh, my," Melissa muttered as she used the large television display on the far wall of the room. "They're already in the waiting room, Mr. Goodshow."

Charles stifled his laughter before he picked up the electronic tablet on his desk. He then motioned for Brock to join him in one of the seats by the display as Melissa opened their conference room.

"I'm sorry that you're not getting much of a warning," Charles remarked, though he grinned as he said this. He loved to throw people into the fire. "Try not to get too overwhelmed."

Those were Charles' last words to him before the mayhem began.

As each of these researchers entered the chatroom, Brock was able to read each of their names, some of which he recognized from their work on the PokeHub. Samuel Oak. Jason Birch. Sheldon Elm. Aurea and Cedric Juniper. Augustine Sycamore. There was barely any opportunity to greet each other before Jason triggered their first point of discussion.

"So last time we were discussing that research paper on Sawsbuck and how they adjust to their environment," Birch began.

"Not again," Rowan muttered with a groan.

"What do you mean? It's is a fascinating topic!" Birch protested, but there was a collective groan from the group.

"Jason, there are other far more important topics that we can consider," Rowan answered.

"Now wait a minute, Sawsbuck's ability to adapt to their environment and the changing seasons is a topic worth considering," Cedric Juniper cut in and he shot a smirk at his camera. "Or would you rather we get Samson back in here to lead the discussion on regional variants."

Rowan paled visibly and he coughed. "I would prefer if we stick to the participants that we have now."

Aurea and Cedric stifled their laughter.

"Speaking of Samson, where is he today, Samuel?" Charles inquired.

"I spoke with him last night actually," Samuel answered after he took a sip of his drink. "He mentioned that he would be busy today. Apparently, he had to hire a new battle instructor at his school, and a young woman from Kanto was recommended to him. She doesn't have much teaching experience, so he will be supervising her lessons for some time."

"I see," Charles noted as he scratched his chin. "Did you happen to get her name?"

"I believe it was…" Samuel looked up briefly. "Giselle?"

Charles smiled fondly as he heard the name. "I had a feeling it might have been her."

"Oh, are you familiar with her?"

"You could say that," Charles replied. "She was a trainer with promise…but she's missing that secret ingredient to fulfill her potential."

"And you sent her to Alola to help her figure it out?" Samuel concluded.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I only set aside thirty minutes for this meeting, so I would prefer if we remained on topic," Rowan interjected. "So, Samuel, could you kindly tell us what we are prioritizing for the Pokedex this week."

"Right, right," Samuel muttered. He took another sip of his iced tea before he began.

Brock sat in his seat and listened to the interchange of information. He knew that he was in the company of a group of people who dedicated their lives to studying Pokemon. The subject Samuel presented was simply put: 'Bellsprout.' They discussed everything, from the obvious question of how Bellsprout's absurdly thin body supported his rather large head. To the minute details, such as Bellsprout's interactions with other Pokemon in their natural environment.

They prattled on and on, and one by one, each of them left since they had other duties to attend to. As they departed, they assured Samuel that they would do some thorough research of Bellsprout to present at their next meeting. Finally, it was just Brock, Charles, and Samuel Oak remaining in their video conference.

"Samuel," Charles began and his associate perked up. "Do you remember the conversation we had last week?"

Samuel scratched at his head, but his eyes were still locked on the papers he held in his other hand. "Uh…no, sorry. Care to fill me in?"

"We spoke, and you mentioned that you needed someone to work on a project for you," Charles explained. "I found someone for you."

Samuel looked up at the camera, his brow raised.

"I have someone that has been studying Pokemon under me for a little while, and I think this would be an excellent way for him to continue his studies," Charles continued.

Samuel tilted his head as he raised a hand to his chin. "When can I meet them?"

"He's right here," Charles replied as he passed his tablet to Brock. "His name is Brock, you'll see him in one moment."

Charles motioned for him to turn on the camera on the tablet. Brock followed his instruction and Samuel smiled warmly at the sight of him.

"Well, hello, it's nice to meet you, Brock," Samuel greeted him.

"It's nice to meet you too," Brock replied. "I've read some of your research papers on the PokeHub. I never imagined that I would get to meet you one day."

Samuel waved off his comment with a chuckle. "No need to flatter me, especially if we're going to be working together."

"Oh, sorry," Brock apologized. "Can I ask what I will be helping with?"

"Of course…I imagine Charles had you listening in on our meeting, correct?" Samuel asked and Brock gave a nod. "The reason we hold these meetings is that we've been working on what you could call, a living encyclopedia of Pokemon. We've dubbed it, the Pokedex."

"Encyclopedia? Why would make one if you have all of that research available on the PokeHub?" Brock asked in return.

"The PokeHub is a valuable tool, but we've begun to treat it as more of an archive than anything else," Samuel replied. "There's information from centuries ago about all sorts of topics. If you dig deep enough into the PokeHub, you'll find poetry and other literary pieces about Pokemon in there," Samuel remarked as he laughed. "What we want to do is create something where all of the relevant information regarding every Pokemon is available. Things like their migration patterns, diets, physical traits, abilities…you get the idea."

"Wow, that's incredible!"

"However, we need a starting point for the Pokedex," Samuel went on. "While in theory, it might seem nice to hand a trainer a blank slate and let them fill the Pokedex, this device also has to function as a guide for them on a Pokemon journey which means there has to be information available for a novice. That's where we come in. We're gathering information to create a database to make sure new trainers can make informed decisions as they go. It's an extremely time-consuming project and it's a lot of information,"

"I want to help, professor!" Brock interrupted him.

Samuel stared at him for a moment, checking Brock's expression as best as he could through his computer screen.

"I have a friend who is doing everything he can to become something called the Pokemon Master. I still don't really understand what he means when he says that, but I kind of understand that he's trying to leave his mark on the world," Brock explained. "I may not be as ambitious as him, but I want to find a way to help him. And I think the Pokedex sounds amazing, the perfect way to help people get to understand Pokemon more."

"I'm glad to hear that Brock," Samuel beamed at him. "I would be happy to bring you on board! Let's discuss some of the details now…"

It was late in the evening and Brock laid on the bed of his small room, staring up the ceiling with a grin that he couldn't get rid of. Even if he bit down on his lips to fight it, there was no hiding his happiness.

He was officially one of Professor Oak's research fellows. Since Samuel was based in Pallet Town, they decided that Brock would work remotely from the Hidden Cove. He would be paid for his work, though it wouldn't be much. But Brock didn't care about his wages. He was just offered the opportunity of a lifetime!

He would be working alongside researchers and professors all over the world to unveil the secrets of Pokemon!

Brock sat upright, his heart racing. He couldn't keep this to himself. He had to tell someone!

He grabbed his phone and called his parents. His father answered his phone, put Brock on speaker, and gathered the entirety of his family.

"Big news!" Brock announced proudly. "A researcher named Professor Oak just hired me as one of his research fellows!"

"A research fellow?" Yolanda repeated.

"What's that?" Suzie asked.

"Basically, I'm his assistant. He's been researching Pokemon for over twenty years, and he's been working on a database that will help people to understand Pokemon," Brock explained proudly. "I'll be helping him with his research, so I'll get to meet tons of Pokemon to study them closely."

"Wow!" Billy and Tilly exclaimed together.

"Make sure you send us pictures, I wanna see everything!" Salvadore added.

"So, mister research fellow," His father interjected. "Care to tell us about something you've learned so far?"

"Uh…let's see," Brock muttered before a thought crossed his mind. "Ah, I know. I listened in on Professor Oak's meeting together and he brought up a Pokemon called Bellsprout," Brock searched for an image of Bellsprout on his phone and sent for his family to view. "Do you guys see the picture?"

He could hear giggles from Billy and Tilly.

"It looks so funny!"

"What the heck is that?" Forrest asked.

"That's a Bellsprout," Brock stated. "I know they look funny, but Bellsprout is actually super important for certain environments. They typically live where it's hot and humid because they specialize in transferring moisture to where it is needed. You see the roots that look like feet?"

There were some laughs on the other end.

"Well, Bellsprout can absorb moisture from the ground with his feet and redistribute it to make sure the plants in an area are properly watered and taken care of," Brock explained for them. "Professor Elm from Johto shared this at the meeting today and I thought it was really interesting."

"Wow, you're such a nerd now, Brock," Yolanda commented with a snicker.

"If only he studied this hard in school, he would've had straight A's," His father remarked and that earned a laugh from his siblings.

Despite their comments, Brock went on, sharing some of the other details he heard about Bellsprout during the meeting. He didn't even realize that he dominated the conversation for almost two hours before he heard his mother announce that it was almost time for bed. There were groans from his siblings as they dispersed, saying a farewell to Brock which left him with his parents on the phone.

"So, how are you guys doing?" Brock asked his parents.

"We're fine. It's a little bit quieter without you here," Flint replied.

"And we all miss you," Lola added.

"Well, uh…I can try to come back and visit soon. I'm sure Mr. Goodshow and the professor won't mind," Brock suggested.

"There's no need, Brock," Flint interjected. "You keep doing what you're doing. We can look after ourselves. You're happy there, aren't you?"

Brock hesitated before he gave his answer. "Yeah, I really am."

"And we'll be happy as long as you are," Flint stated.

"But make sure you stay safe; I'm watching the news!" Lola called out. "I don't want to hear about you getting into any trouble!"

"There's nothing to worry about mom," Brock assured her.

Their call ended and Brock flopped back onto his bed to stare at the ceiling some more.

"I'd like to hire you as my research fellow…" Samuel offered.

He grinned reached toward the ceiling with one hand.

"Alright, I'll do my best!"

A/N

Hello again, back with another one for you guys. I remember I had a discussion about Brock with a reader during Caged Wings. Basically, they pointed out that Brock was out of character and that was a fair assessment at the time. Some of these characters, like Ash and Brock, are on their way to becoming like their anime counterparts. I think after this chapter, I can safely say that Brock will begin to resemble himself beyond some of his obvious quirks. I'm not sure if he's going to become a Pokemon doctor yet since he only just began to study Pokemon seriously. He could become a researcher since he's working for Professor Oak...or maybe a big shot trainer since he is also getting lessons from Charles Goodshow. I don't know, we'll see where Brock goes.

Another thing I've been working on was a better set of rules for Pokemon battles which Brock and Charles were discussing in the first scene of this chapter. And by rules, I'm talking about universal rules to make the battles balanced and more robust as opposed to both sides just spamming attacks. Compared to the level system, stats, and movesets that you see in Pokemon games, the anime doesn't really follow any set rules. Pokemon can just do any and everything, so of course, that creates total freedom which is awesome for fanfiction. But I've noticed that as my battles start to have stronger Pokemon with more complex attacks and moves, that freedom is both a blessing and a curse. So in this chapter, I started to revamp how things work. It might be a lot to take in at first, especially since there was no demonstration of these rules, so maybe I'll put the details I have so far on my profile for more people to see and they can offer some input if they have any.

As always, thanks for reading, and reviews are appreciated. The next update won't be for at least three weeks. I'm shifting my attention back to the Alolan Sabbatical, and I also started working on another Caged Wings continuation story. Don't worry, this new one won't delay My Wings. I'll make a little bio for this one on my profile, though I'm still fleshing out the main parts of it so there isn't a lot to say just yet. Anyway, I'm done rambling now. See you all at the next update!