Chapter 39: Ride the Waves, Dude! The Dewford Gym!
"Great, we're all set now. Hey Pikachu, are you ready to challenge the Dewford Gym?" Ash asked his Electric Type partner, who let out a cry of determination, showing that he was ready to battle.
It was a nice morning in Dewford Town as the group had spent the night in the town's Pokémon Center to prepare for Minato and Ash's second Hoenn Gym Battle so that they could get their second Gym Badge.
For the Kanto Trainer, he wanted to get one quick so that he would be another step closer to attending the Hoenn League so that he could be a step closer into becoming a Pokémon Master.
As for the former lonely boy, he wanted to take part in the Gym Battle so he could get another piece to his puzzle, similar as to what he had seen after earning his first Contest Ribbon and Gym Badge.
By getting the second Badge, he could perhaps see another vision regarding of Latios and Latias, as they seem to know who he was, judging by how Latias called him by a nickname...
But while Ash was determined, he was rather calm about it.
"Talk about a determined Trainer..." Minato commented with Torchic giving a chirp of agreement while on his shoulder, as the Fire Type yawned.
And he wasn't the only one tired as the others came out of the Pokémon Center, looking rather fatigued themselves.
"I'm surprised you're not tired..." Korra yawned as she came out with Max and Brock.
"Guess he wouldn't be. Those two are raring to go, so why wouldn't he?" Max grunted as Brock gave a sheepish smile.
"Just because I'm not tired does not mean I'm 'raring to go'. I just want to get this over with so I could see that vision again." Minato explained.
"You mean the visions where you become dazed for a while?" Max asked.
"Well... yeah..."
"I see. As for Ash, I'm sure he wants to hurry and go for his second Badge while he's still hot on his victory at the Rustboro Gym." Brock smiled.
That was when the Petalburg girl came out, yawning while carrying something in her arms.
"A Gym Battle this early in the morning should be illegal." She groaned as Max widened his eyes at what his sister was carrying before he pointed it out.
"Uh... May? What is that you're carrying?"
"Huh?" May blinked before looking down as she gasped in embarrassment, before she blushed.
"Funny... I almost took the pillow from the Pokémon Center." May laughed sheepishly as Minato rose a brow.
"Funny. You were the first one to sleep so why are you still tired?" He asked.
"Excuse me. A lady needs her beauty sleep, unlike some boys." May huffed, causing the former lonely boy to raise a brow.
"Whatever... Anyways... he's going to get to the Gym and battle way before we could even get there if we don't hurry." Minato sighed as the others nodded before they began to follow after the Kanto Trainer with May leaving the pillow behind.
[Opening] Pokémon AG: Advance Adventure Opening (English Subbed)
(Minato, Ash and Pikachu all watch the sunrise together, as the two boys smiled)
Full of courage, full of energy
(Ash summons Treecko, Minato summons Mudkip)
So interesting, so triumphant
(The two boys with their two Pokémon were ready to fight, facing Vigoroth and Pelliper)
With the PokéNav, we're ready to go!
(The four Pokémon charges at each other, Treecko defeats Vigoroth, Mudkip defeats Pelliper)
Sure of win if I go first, unpreparedness is one's worst enemy
(Ash and Minato sends Pikachu and Torchic out, facing Mightyena and Houndoom)
(Pikachu and Torchic were bashed away by the two, before they used Thunderbolt and Flamethrower to defeat them)
Willingness, mutual understanding
(An explosion occurs as both Mightyena and Houndoom were defeated)
Far away, beyond the sea
(May smiles as she turns; Torchic and Beautifly runs along)
(Brock tastes his stew; Mudkip and Lotad splashes out of the lake)
(Korra grooms Poochyena, with Houndour at her side)
The setting sun in Lilycove City
(Max holds the PokéNav, as he, Ash, Minato, Korra, May, and Brock see Lilycove City in the sunset)
A Double Battle burns tomorrow
(The group runs from the collapsing bridge as lava flows into the ocean)
Advancing faster with Mach Bike!
(Shadows of Team Magma and Groudon appears)
(Shadows of Team Aqua and Kyogre appears)
I want to be excited
(Minato opens his eyes to see his five friends smiling at him above as he smiles back)
(The group rides on the raft, seeing Water Type Pokémon; The group witnesses forest Pokémon)
Our dreams won't sleep
(The group were walking in a dark cave)
In a new town, flourishing friends
We'll search for them
(In a battlefield, Ash faces Minato as the two sees Latios and Latias flying above them)
(An Absol leaps into the air, unleashing double Razor Wind attacks)
Full of courage, full of energy
So interesting, so triumphant!
(Ash, Minato, Korra, May, Brock, and Max stand together with Ash's Pikachu and Treecko, Minato's Torchic, May's Torchic, and Brock's Mudkip)
(The Japanese opening title shows)
[Opening ends]
It wasn't long before the group altogether reached to where there was a building that seemed to be where the Dewford Gym is.
"Hey look. Dewford Town!" Ash smiled
"We know. And there's the Gym over there." Minato pointed out as they noticed the sign above, with May reading it.
"'Fight the big wave'?" She read as Max hummed.
"If they have that written on the Gym, they must be pretty confident in their fighting, huh?" Max commented as Korra turned with a smile.
"So we know that it's a Fighting Type Gym then." She smiled.
"You're right. It's another one of those muscle-bound Trainers. Remember Chuck from the Cianwood Gym? Ooh, yeesh!" Brock shuddered, thinking back to one of the Johto Gym Leaders.
"You're referring to one of the Johto Gym Leaders, right?" Korra asked, earning a nod from the Kanto Breeder.
"Who cares? Don't forget, we've had some pretty awesome wins ourselves. Right, Pikachu?" Ash turned to his Mouse Pokémon, who gave a cry of agreement.
"Overconfidence may be your downfall, you know... Anyways-"
As Minato walked up to the front door, the Gym doors flew open, causing Minato to yelp before girls with surfboards flooded out and trampled over both him and Torchic!
"OOF! Ugh..."
"Tor..."
"Ooh... that's gotta hurt." Max winced to see the pain that the former lonely boy got himself into as Korra came over.
"Are you two alright?" She asked as Minato shook his head in annoyance.
"No, but I will be once I find a way to relieve all this anger during the battle..." Minato growled as he dusted himself off, only for someone to come up to him with a chuckle.
"Hey, dude. Probably not the best place for you to be taking a nap, you know?" The man asked as Minato rose a brow at the new person.
"...I wasn't taking a nap, per se. Some girls ran over me." Minato scoffed, causing the man to chuckle.
"Sorry, sorry. Don't have to be so sarcastic about it, dude." The man chuckled as the former lonely boy rose a brow before Brock noticed some of the girls behind the man, causing him to be lovestruck once more.
"So many beautiful surfer girls! Hello, ladies. My name is Brock. What say we catch a wave on the surfboard of love?" Brock asked in a loving tone, startling one of them.
Max twitched in annoyance and was about to pull the ear, but this time, Korra was the one that did the honor.
"You're scaring them with your sudden advance..." Korra grunted as she pulled the Kanto Breeder away by the ear, much to his displeasure.
"No! Not the ear!"
You could hear him yelling as he was dragged away by Korra, as Ash gave a sheepish smile before the man looked at him and the former lonely boy.
"Can I help you two with something, bros?" The man asked.
"Uh-huh. We're looking for the Gym Leader." Ash explained, causing a grin to come up on the man's face.
"No way! I'm him!" He declared, surprising the boys and the others.
"You?" Minato spoke in disbelief.
"Right! Brawly, the Gym Leader of the Dewford Gym. Are you here to challenge me, little men?" Brawly questioned after introducing himself.
"That's right..." Minato spoke with a raised brow before noticing the surfboard he had with him.
"What he said! I'm Ash, from Pallet Town." Ash explained, only for Brawly to give a sheepish smile at the two.
"Sorry, dude. No can do. You see, right up until yesterday, the onshore scene was totally gnarly with some really wicked wave-age, but today, there's a radical face showing just offshore, so come on back tomorrow." Brawly explained.
The way he spoke bewildered the boys and the others as he turned to the girls that also had surfboards.
"Hey! Surf's up!"
And with that, he ran ahead with the surfer girls following after him.
"Shoot the curl!"
"You are so cool!"
As they left, confusion was all over on their faces as Ash struggled to repeat of what the Fighting Type Gym Leader said just now.
"Totally gnarly with some really wicked wave-age?" He repeated.
"Anyone here speak that language?" Max asked.
"Not me." Brock frowned, as he had recovered from the ear pull.
"I think this is something what the people of Dewford Town would say. After all... this is an island around the sea, after all..." Korra hummed.
"I guess... but still! The nerve of that guy! And after I got myself all psyched up for this battle! What kind of a Gym Leader is he!?" Ash snapped as Minato shrugged while narrowing his eyes.
"The kind of Gym Leader that surfs. Didn't you see his surfboard?" Minato reminded him.
"Well yeah, but..." Ash started, only for May to intervene.
"Ash, it is possible to be a Gym Leader and also enjoy life a little bit, you know? Come on, I think we should all check out that radical face, too." May suggested as she ran to follow after Brawly and the girls.
"Riding the waves with all those gorgeous surfer girls sounds good to me!" Brock grinned as he ran to join up with May as well.
"You're only going to freak them out! Not so fast, Brock!" Korra groaned as she made a dash after the two.
"Wait!" Ash called out, only for the three to not hear him as Minato rose a brow.
"...So are we here for a Gym Battle? Or are we here to see some... radical face?" Minato sweat dropped before Max looked up to him.
"Well, you two can't really have a battle without a Gym Leader." Max reminded them.
"...You're right. Guess there's no choice." Ash sighed before they ran up to join up with their companions.
Later...
"So this is a beach..." Minato hummed as the group arrived to where there were many people enjoying the beach. Kids were playing around the sand and in the water.
Some of the grownups were tanning while some were enjoying surfing in the waves with their surfboards.
"I've heard about it before, but I never thought I'd go to one." Korra agreed, expressing the same awe that the former lonely boy had on his face.
"You two never have been to the beach? Not once?" Max asked.
"I lost my parents around 5, remember?" Minato reminded him.
"And I stayed at the reserve with Katrina to help out all the injured Pokémon." Korra added, causing the Petalburg boy to realize how true it was.
"Oh... R-Right..."
The looks that the two gave him made him feel guilty, especially with Minato since it brought back terrible memories of his family's death.
That was when May changed the subject as she grew excited on having to spend time at the beach.
"The ocean! Let's go swimming!" May smiled as she began to strip off her outfit, much to Max's bewilderment as he widened his eyes in shock.
"Hold on, May! Not here! You can't change your clothes on the beach!" Max exclaimed, only for her to be in a swimsuit, surprising and bewildering him.
"Don't worry. Good grief, my bathing suit's on under my clothes. Not bad. Another great suit, huh?" May giggled, causing Ash and Max to sweat drop.
"Oh boy..." The two said in unison.
"Don't tell me you wore that last night, thinking that we'd come to this place?" Minato asked with a raised brow.
"Well, this is an island... an island with a beach, so why not?" May smiled, only for the former lonely boy to roll his eyes.
"Whatever..."
As for the Kanto Breeder, he was looking around to find the surfer girls that had left with Brawly. But as he was doing so, he found them in his sight, allowing him to revert back to his lovestruck state.
"Oh wow! Check it out! Look at all those girls hang ten and ride those waves!" Brock exclaimed happily, seeing how well they were surfing.
"Maybe when you're finished surfing, you can come ride the waves of love with me!" Brock called to them, only to get his ear pulled by Korra.
"The only thing you're surfing for is a complete wipeout by the big waves, you lover boy." Korra spoke, causing Brock to wince by the big pull on the ear.
"Owowowowow!"
"Look, there's the Gym Leader over there!" May called out, causing the others to turn and see that it was true.
The Fighting Type Gym Leader was in his swimsuit with his surfboard ready. But he seemed to be readying to take out a friend for the ride as he had a Pokéball ready.
"Okay, let's hit it! Makuhita, you're up!" Brawly called out, sending out a Pokémon that seemed like a fighter, or perhaps a young sumo wrestler.
"Makuhita!" The Pokémon cried out.
"Hey, what's that Pokémon?" Ash asked with an interested tone.
"A Makuhita!" Max answered, causing the Kanto Trainer to take out his Pokédex to have a little scan to learn more.
"Let's look it up..."
"Makuhita, the Guts Pokémon. Makuhita never gives up, always getting back on its feet no matter how many times it's knocked over. Each time rising to its feet builds up energy in its body." Ash's Pokédex explained.
"So it's like a Pokémon that never gives up no matter how difficult a battle may be..." Minato hummed, sounding interested.
"Yeah- Hey, hold it! This guy turned down my challenge just go do some surfing!? Well, not for long, 'cause I'm gonna get him to battle me right now!" Ash snapped angrily.
"...You can't just force someone to a battle just because you want him to..." Minato said to himself with an unimpressed look before the group watched Brawly and Makuhita get ready to ride the waves.
"Whoa, check out that awesome wave! This is the one we've been waiting for, Makuhita, so let's go do it!" Brawly called out to his partner.
"Maku!"
And with that, the two began to stand on their boards to ride the waves. Brawly was already getting the hang of it, and so was the Guts Pokémon!
"Classic form, dude! You are the king. I mean, number one!" Brawly commented with a smile.
"Makuhita!" The Pokémon cried out proudly.
But just as they were getting the hang of the balance, they heard a familiar voice as they turned to see Ash calling to them impatiently.
"Hey! Since you have time to play around, don't you have time to face me in a battle?" Ash called out, causing the Gym Leader to raise a brow.
"I told you, little dude. I'm not doing any battling today. Don't you get it?" Brawly called out, until he noticed his partner struggling to keep balance.
"Concentrate! Don't get distracted! You're losing your balance, Makuhita!" Brawly called to him, causing Makuhita to struggle a little before the Guts Pokémon regained his balance.
But Ash wasn't done with the persuasion as he rushed into the water despite having all of his clothes on!
"Come on, please!?" Ash called as he dove into the water, much to the Gym Leader and his Pokémon's bewilderment.
"I gotta say, that is one determined dude." Brawly commented before Ash suddenly surfaced between the two!
"My battle?" Ash gasped, only for a giant wave to splash onto them, creating a triple wipeout!
The others that were watching by a café were surprised while Max groaned, covering his eyes to see the wipeout happening.
"That's an epic fail there..." Minato commented bluntly.
"But still, you know...? They're not bad." May hummed, only for Brock and Korra to stand up as they knew what the wipeout was.
"May, I don't think that would be considered surfing!" Brock called out.
"They could drown if something worse happens!" Korra agreed as they all headed over to the scene where Brawly quickly recovered and was performing CPR on the groaning Fighting Type.
"Come on, Makuhita! Come on!" Brawly called as the Guts Pokémon groaned from the saltwater that he accidentally swallowed from the wipeout.
"You okay?" Brock asked him, causing Brawly to look up with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, we're fine, hangin' in there." Brawly assured, before helping the Guts Pokémon up, allowing him to sit up.
"Okay Makuhita, we don't want to miss the big kahuna." Brawly spoke, until a familiar voice caught their attention.
"Please!" A muffled voice grunted as the group turned to see something moving under the sand before out came the Kanto Trainer, who was still persistent on having his battle.
"Won't you just battle with me?" Ash asked, sounding desperate.
"...How desperate are you to have a battle?" Minato sweat dropped while Korra gave a sheepish smile.
"Desperate enough to survive a complete wipeout." Korra commented before a net suddenly flew over and snagged Pikachu, alarming everyone!
"Hey! Pikachu!" Ash gasped, as everyone turned to see where it had happened.
Brawly and Makuhita watched in surprise as up ahead in the waters was a boat where there were the familiar evil trio that the group was all too familiar of.
"A piece of cake." Jessie smirked.
"But not a low-fat carb version." James added.
"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet popped up, agreeing with what James said.
But the Mouse Pokémon wasn't too happy to see his old enemies as he tried to give them a big shock, only to end up hurting himself from his Thunderbolt attack!
"I love these anti-electrical net!" Meowth laughed.
"And the boss is going to love us!" Jessie smiled.
"The all-new, shining-star, top-of-the-heap heads of the Hoenn region's Team Rocket!" James said excitedly, thinking of their future accomplishments already.
"If nothing else, it's a great title!" Meowth snickered.
"Wobbu! Wobbuffet!" The Patient Pokémon agreed once again.
"Hey! Who are you crazy dudes, anyway!?" Brawly demanded as he already didn't like the way they were, as they had stolen a future challenger's Pokémon!
That was when it began...
"Prepare for trouble, all you dudes and dudettes."
"Make it double, you-"
"Enough! We already got that part out! And speaking of got, let's get before we don't got Pikachu no more!" Meowth interrupted the motto as Korra blinked.
"They said their motto already? When?" She wondered.
"Now's not the time. The morons are about to make their escape...!" Minato growled, as he readied a Pokéball to get ready for a fight.
But before he could send out a Pokémon, the evil trio began to make their escape on their boat!
"And we've got to go!" The evil trio called out in unison.
"Come back, Team Rocket!" Ash snapped, as he wanted to get his Electric Type partner back from the enemies.
"Whoa, you can't steal Pokémon like that! Makuhita, help Pikachu now!" Brawly called, causing the Guts Pokémon to nod and paddle fast with his surfboard.
"Torchic, you lend a hand, too." Minato called out.
The Fire Type nodded and jumped forward, landing on Makuhita's back as the two charged forward to rescue the Mouse Pokémon. By the time the evil trio turned, Makuhita bashed into their boat!
The evil trio screamed as they ended up losing Pikachu, who fell into the water!
"Awesome, Makuhita! That's the way to show those bad guys some power!" Brawly encouraged his Fighting Type partner.
"Makuhita!" Makuhita nodded as Minato stepped up.
"Now it's our turn... Let it rip, Torchic! Fire Spin!" Minato yelled as Torchic shot up into the air before blasting the flames onto the panicking evil trio!
The already damaged boat exploded, causing the evil trio to scream as they were all sent flying up into the air.
"Well, I guess this means my surfing days are over...!" James yelped.
"Not necessarily. Haven't you ever heard of windsurfing?" Jessie shrieked.
"Hang ten!" Meowth yelled as they were sent flying into the blue sky with Wobbuffet.
"WE'RE BLASTING OFF!"
And with that said, the evil trio was no longer in the group's sight as a twinkle appeared to show that they were far from where the Trainers and Max were.
As for Ash, he was able to get Pikachu free from the net and helping him out of the water. For Minato, he was met with praise by the Dewford Gym Leader, who looked rather impressed by him.
"That Torchic of yours is amazing, little dude. Like, I've never seen a Fire Spin with so much oomph." Brawly complimented him, causing him to blink before he glanced away with a blush.
"It was nothing... it was just something Torchic could do, after all." Minato mumbled.
He then cleared his throat before getting to the point.
"Anyways... like what my friend was saying multiple times... will you battle with us?" Minato asked, causing Ash to smile at the request while Brawly hummed a little.
"You know, I guess there are just some things meant to happen, huh? You've got it! I accept your battle challenges along with your friend's, my little man." Brawly nodded, causing a small smile to appear on Minato's face.
"Thank you." He said softly.
"Torchic Tor!" Torchic chirped happily, seeing that they were able to have a battle now.
At the Dewford Gym...
Ash, Korra, May, Max, and Brock watched on the sidelines as they watched Minato's battle against Brawly first, as Minato was the one who had requested to battle, which Ash accepted.
"The match between Dewford Gym Leader, Brawly, and the challenger, Minato Yukimura, from Littleroot Town, will now begin. Each Trainer will use two Pokémon-"
"Excuse me. Mind if I say something?" Minato intervened, causing all eyes to turn to him.
"What's up, little dude?" Brawly asked.
"...Just that I'd ask for some changes into the rules to make things more interesting. The battle is supposed to be two-on-two, right? So why don't we settle this in a Double Battle?" Minato suggested.
That suggestion brought surprises to everyone, including Brawly.
"A Double Battle?" May asked.
"It means using two Pokémon at once, with the winner decided when the two Pokémon are unable to continue! But why would he suggest that?" Max asked.
"It must be because he liked the experience." Korra hummed.
"Liked the experience?" May questioned in confusion.
"Remember the Double Battle that Ash and Minato had before? We met Franklin, who told us about the Hoenn League hosting Double Battles too." Korra reminded the group.
"Oh yeah... I remember..." Ash nodded.
"When he battled against you, maybe he was excited with how intense the battle was. I remember seeing the smile on his face as he battled with you on your first Double Battle together." Korra explained.
"That could be it. And since this is actually his second Double Battle, Minato probably wants to relive that excitement by having the chance to do so during a Gym Battle." Brock hummed.
Brawly blinked as he thought about it for a minute before an amused smile came to his face.
"A Double Battle, huh... It's been a while since I participated in one, but sure... Why not?" Brawly agreed before turning to the referee, who nodded in understanding.
"Each Trainer will use two Pokémon for the Double Battle. No substitutions are allowed." The referee concluded before Minato turned to Torchic while taking out another Pokéball.
"Here are my Pokémon battle partners. Torchic... Treecko... you two are up!"
Upon being called out, the Fire Type jumped into the field as Treecko appeared right besides the Chick Pokémon, as they both expressed determination.
"Torchic and Treecko... a Fire and a Grass Type. Interesting combination... Let's see if you can dig this! Machop and Makuhita, I choose you!" Brawly called out.
Once again, the Guts Pokémon was sent out. And this time, he had a fighting partner besides him, which was revealed to be a Machop!
"Whoa, Machop!" May breathed out as she scanned the Superpower Pokémon with her Pokédex.
"Machop, the Superpower Pokémon. Machop have muscles that never tire, no matter how much they exercise. Machop have enough strength to throw 100 average-sized adults." May's Pokédex explained.
"100? That sounds strong..." May frowned.
"Let the battle begin!" The referee called out.
Brawly: Machop/Makuhita VS Minato: Torchic/Treecko
"Let's make this quick. And be cautious at the same time! Torchic, charge forward and use Peck!" Minato called as Torchic charged before making a hit onto Machop, who yelped before skidding back.
"Not bad... Machop, get up!" Brawly called as the Fighting Type quickly recovered from the small Flying Type attack!
"Got back up... Guess the Pokédex wasn't kidding when it said that Machop never tires even with how much exercise they have... Treecko, use Quick Attack! Torchic, you too!" Minato called out.
The two starters sped forward before aiming towards Machop as Brawly smirked.
"Now, Makuhita! Counter with Arm Thrust!" Brawly called out as Makuhita got in front of his teammate and blocked both speed attacks from Treecko and Torchic! The two yelped in surprise before they got hit with the double Arm Thrust attacks!
"He got them both!" May gasped.
"Torchic, stand and use Fire Spin! Treecko, use Dig!" Minato called as the Chick Pokémon blew flames to surround both Machop and Makuhita. Treecko dug underground to land a surprise attack while the two Fighting Types looked around.
"This is quite the pickle we're in. Stay sharp, you two! Machop, prepare a Cross Chop attack!" Brawly called as Machop nodded and readied his powerful strike. But that was when Treecko appeared from underground and hit Machop hard!
The Superpower Pokémon yelled in pain as he was sent flying, but...
"Now's your chance, Machop! Dive down with a Cross Chop attack!" Brawly shouted out, as Machop recovered in midair before diving down, landing a direct hit! Treecko yelled before he was thrown out, landing next to Torchic, who blinked in surprise.
"Treecko!" Minato widened his eyes as the Wood Gecko Pokémon growled before getting up.
"Torchic, use Focus Energy! And Treecko, keep your guard up and get around with Quick Attack!" Minato called as Torchic hummed, focusing his energy into landing more direct attacks. As for Treecko, he sped around both Makuhita and Machop, landing little to little hits!
The continuous little hits startled the two as it went on and on. And yet...
"They're startled, but... they don't seem to be quite too fazed from the Quick Attacks that they're getting..." Korra pointed out.
"You're right..." Brock agreed.
"But why is that?" May asked.
"It must be because of their endurance." Brock guessed.
"Their endurance?" Ash questioned, causing the Kanto Breeder to explain.
"Both Machop and Makuhita have been able to absorb the little blows from Torchic and Treecko's physical attacks... so it's because the hits were so little that they didn't even notice it!" Brock explained.
"But that's sounding like... all of their moves have been useless...!" May exclaimed in disbelief.
"Not quite. They were affected by when Torchic used his Fire Spin attack. So it might be just the physical attacks that they're hardly affected by." Brock explained.
"Now, Makuhita! Arm Thrust again!" Brawly called out.
The Guts Pokémon dashed forward to deliver another consecutive attacks towards the two starters. But this time, the former lonely boy was prepared to counter as he called to his two Pokémon to prepare themselves.
"Incoming, you two... Torchic, Fire Spin! And Treecko, Absorb!"
The two got ready as Torchic blew more flames onto Makuhita, stunning him. And while the Fighting Type was stunned, Treecko began to steal some energy from the Guts Pokémon. But that was when the counter to the counterattack began.
"Gotcha now, little dude! Machop, use Karate Chop!" Brawly called out as Treecko widened his eyes before a Karate Chop was aimed straight for him!
"No you don't! Torchic, counter that move with Peck!" Minato yelled as Torchic shot forward and intercepted the move by pecking Machop right on the chest, causing Machop to wince in pain as he tumbled back.
"No way!" Brawly widened his eyes.
"And it was just in time, too!" May pointed out.
"Whoa..." Ash breathed out, impressed with how well the former lonely boy was battling, especially since this was a Double Battle, a battle setup that Brawly might be even more experienced at.
"Keep up the Absorb, Treecko! And then use Quick Attack!" Minato called as Treecko finished absorbing the energy that he needed from Makuhita before he bashed into the Guts Pokémon, causing him to yell in pain before tumbling back next to Machop.
The two Fighting Types glared before they managed to get back up, still having the stamina to keep up the good fight.
"Guess Fighting Types aren't to be messed with if they're still able to stand even after all that..." Minato hummed.
"I'm impressed with how you're able to clash against my two Fighting Pokémon like this... especially in a Double Battle. This was a pretty sweet choice to make, little dude. Because with this, I can see how good you are when it comes to making difficult battle strategies!" Brawly smiled.
"Well then... don't let this surprise you. Torchic, charge with Quick Attack and use Peck multiple times! Treecko, you do the same with your Quick Attack!" Minato called as the two starters shot forward with their speed attacks.
"They're gonna attack head-on? But they're just going to absorb those attacks and brush it off!" Max widened his eyes.
And Max was right as despite the consecutive attacks the two kept taking, the two Fighting Types stayed strong thanks to their strong endurance until Brawly called for a double counterattack.
"Time to turn things around, you two! Makuhita, Seismic Toss! Machop, Cross Chop!"
Before Torchic could react, he found himself grabbed onto by Makuhita, much to his shock as the Guts Pokémon launched himself high up into the air before rolling and slamming Torchic down!
The Fire Type chirped in pain, alarming Treecko, who took a direct hit of the Cross Chop attack!
"No!" Minato gasped as he watched his two Pokémon tumble back from the direct hits they've taken from the two Fighting Type attacks.
"That was two direct hits!" May widened her eyes.
"That must've really hurt..." Max groaned as he covered his eyes.
Treecko and Torchic slowly started to get up as they glared at their Fighting Type opponents. They knew how strong they were and they blamed themselves for getting careless in their attacks even when they thought that it would work.
The former lonely boy clenched his teeth inside, as his plan to wear down the two Fighting Types have failed. Despite the damages that they've taken so far, they didn't show any signs of fatigue.
Rather, they looked rather strong even with the scratches that they had so far in the battle. Brawly looked calm as well, as if he knew that Minato would try the quick and physical approach with his attacks.
"This is even tougher from when I battled against Roxanne... It's like... I'm dealing with two hard walls that won't be crashed down easily by hitting it multiple times..." Minato thought before he bit his lips.
He watched as his two Pokémon managed to get back up, and yet they were struggling. It's as if a couple more hits will put them out of commission. Or maybe even just a few... or even just one hit for each of them.
"If I lose, then I won't be able to see this vision to get closer into answering the questions that I have in mind. If I lose, then it'll prove that I won't be ready to try and take Team Aqua down... And if I lose... what can I say...?"
The thoughts of the chance of losing began to plague his mind... until...
"TORCHIC!"
"TREECKO!"
The two cries of his Pokémon startled the former lonely boy as they both had determined looks on their faces before they both began to glow.
"Torchic...? Treecko...?" Minato widened his eyes. Brawly and his Fighting Types were bewildered by the sight, while the group was in awe from what was going on.
"What's that?" May asked as Korra smiled.
"Treecko and Torchic... They're evolving!" Korra exclaimed as the changes began to go on. Both of the starters began to grow in height. Treecko began to grow taller as a leaf formed around his head and around his arms.
Torchic began to develop arms with claws and his legs looked to be more powerful... And as the glow died down, he looked more like a stern and swift fighter, rather than a tough looking Chick Pokémon now.
"So cool! A Grovyle... and a Combusken! A double evolution!" Max exclaimed with little sparkles on his eyes as Minato took out his Hoenn Pokédex to scan them.
"Combusken, the Young Fowl Pokémon. Combusken is the evolved form of Torchic. As a Fighting Pokémon, it has the ability to breath raging fire from its beak and to unleash high-powered kicks."
"Grovyle, the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Grovyle is well known for its dexterity in treetops, as it is often seen jumping from branch to branch. Even the fastest of Pokémon cannot catch a Grovyle in wooded areas."
"Whoa..." Ash breathed out, as Pikachu expressed his awe to see two of his friends evolved at the same time, and in the middle of a Gym Battle, too!
"Whoa... now that's what I call some radical faces, dude. But a battle is a battle, and battle you we will! Makuhita, use Seismic Toss and Machop, use Cross Chop!" Brawly shouted out as the two Fighting Types charged forward.
But unlike earlier, the former lonely boy was ready to counter as he looked to his two Pokémon, as they nodded to him. Nodding back to them, he began the next moves that would help him win this Gym Battle.
"Combusken, use Focus Energy! And then, Double Kick! Grovyle, counter Machop with Leaf Blade!" Minato yelled.
The two drove forward before Combusken blocked the Seismic Toss with the Double Kick attack's first strike, before he used his other leg to kick Makuhita hard to make the second strike!
Grovyle, on the other hand, clashed with the Cross Chop with his newly learned Leaf Blade attack as they struggled to overpower, until the Wood Gecko Pokémon overpowered the Superpower Pokémon, causing him to crash to the ground.
"Oh no!" Brawly gasped as Minato smiled.
"Oh yes. Combusken, Fire Spin, full power!" Minato called as Combusken jumped into the air before blasting the flames onto the two opponents, as they both watched in shock to see the flames approaching them before the power hit them hard!
"Makuhita! Machop!" Brawly called out as the smoke cleared to show two unconscious figures, allowing the referee to make the call.
"Both Makuhita and Machop are unable to battle! Combusken and Grovyle wins, which means the winner of this battle goes to Minato Yukimura of Littleroot Town!" The referee declared, gesturing to his side.
Winner: Minato
Victory was all that he could think about as his two Pokémon rushed over to him to embrace him for their second Gym Battle victory. He looked down to see the smiles on their faces as the smile came to his face as well before he embraced them back.
"You guys... Thank you... We won because of your determination to win!" Minato smiled softly. His two Pokémon let out their victorious cries as the group all got up, ecstatic with the victory that their friend was able to pull off.
"That was amazing, Minato!" Korra exclaimed.
"And not to mention, both Torchic and Treecko evolved into Combusken and Grovyle!" Max added.
The former lonely boy smiled softly, as he didn't believe it either until it had happened... It's as if a miracle was blessed onto him and his team so that they would evolve into something better... so that victory could be attained.
And he's attained it. And with this, the third piece of the puzzle was about to be set.
Later...
"I really didn't expect a double evolution in the middle of the battle. But little dude, I think you gave me a big blast out there." Brawly said as he met with Minato at the center of the battlefield.
"So with that being said, I believe this belongs to you. The Knuckle Badge." Brawly said, presenting a fist-like Badge as he handed it to the former lonely boy.
"Thank you... both for the battle and for the Badge." Minato smiled before he looked at the new Badge presented to him. And just as he expected it, he started to feel another dizzy feeling... just as he have before.
Vision
But this time, there was nothing to see... It was all black... so he could only hear of what was going on in the vision.
"Does it have to be this way?"
That voice... that sounded like the Latios in the past visions...
"There's not much choice here. If they come here, then it'll present chaos. There's no doubt that they are after him."
Another voice seemed to be deeper. It's as if the Latios was speaking to someone that was elderly than he was...
"But why!? What does he have that makes them want to invade our home!?"
"I am not sure. All we know is that he won't be safe here as long as he stays here..."
"So what do suggest that we should do...? Banish him?"
"I'm not heartless to go that far. We find someplace to hide him until the time has come for him to return here. Until then, he needs to act as one of them and live as one of them..."
"...Who are you suggesting?"
"I know a few humans that I've inspected as I traveled around the Hoenn region. I'm sure that the humans I'm talking about will be able to give him the protection that he needs... as long as they don't stray..."
"And if they do?"
"Then I'll take him back myself. All I want is for you to trust me on this one... for him."
"...I understand... but... that doesn't mean I have to like it... Father."
Vision End
"...Father...?" Minato breathed out silently, enough to prevent anyone else from hearing as Brawly stared at him with both confusion and concern.
"Yo, little dude... You okay?" Brawly asked, causing Minato to blink and shake his head.
"I'm... I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy, that's all..." Minato said, as the Gym Leader rose a brow. The others grew a little puzzled as they had expected Minato to have another headache from whatever he had seen just now.
"So... what did you see or hear this time?" May asked.
"...I'll explain later. For now... I think this time I need to see a battle. Your battle, I mean..." Minato said, before he turned to the Kanto Trainer, who nodded with a confident look on his face.
"Yeah! Don't worry! I'll win just like you did!" Ash assured, causing the former lonely boy to nod. But for some reason, there was this tight feeling on his chest that made him feel rather uncomfortable.
"He's smiling for now... and is confident for his victory, but... the battle I had with Brawly was close... One misstep would've ended in my loss. I just hope he doesn't make the mistakes that I've nearly done..." Minato thought as he and Ash switched places.
A few minutes later...
Minato's POV
Unlike with my battle, Ash's battle with Brawly was a single style two-on-two battle. The battle started off with Ash sending out Taillow while Brawly had Machop come out as his first Pokémon.
For Ash, it was a good choice since a Flying Type has a type advantage against Machop, but... there was a little problem. While Taillow made Machop fatigued, he didn't go down or look as if he had taken any damage.
And I'm sure you guys know why, too. It was the endurance that made Machop keep standing even with the big hits that he's taken. And that costed Taillow the battle as Machop knocked him out with a single Cross Chop attack.
That defeat left Ash with only one Pokémon left. At first, I thought he was going to send Pikachu out this time as Pikachu was his partner for this journey. But I was wrong when he had chosen to use Treecko for the battle instead.
At first, I wasn't sure on what he was thinking as Treecko only knew how to use speed and physical attacks, like with Taillow. But that started to change a little when I witnessed Machop being defeated by Treecko during the second part of the battle.
From that moment, it was a two-sided battle... with Ash having the chance to win as well. But there was a catch. Brawly had sent out Makuhita, who was in full health while Treecko on the other hand, was rather fatigued from all the attacking he did against Machop.
And during the third battle, things got even worse.
I was in horror as despite all the attacks that Treecko kept taking from Makuhita's powerful attacks, Ash didn't give in and chose to keep fighting despite the limit Treecko was pushed into. And the horror grew when Makuhita evolved into Hariyama... a much more powerful opponent for Ash to fight against.
And yet...
I was clenching my fists as I watched Hariyama land the final Knock Off attack to Treecko, causing him to take the big hit and lose the match... with the match going to Brawly and giving Ash the loss.
But I wasn't upset with Ash losing... I was upset with what he did during the battle...
"Nurse Joy, is Treecko okay?" Ash asked as we were at the Pokémon Center with Nurse Joy checking up on Ash's defeated team.
"Physically, Treecko's okay, but forcing a Pokémon to battle this hard, I don't like it all." Nurse Joy said sternly, causing him to look down as I narrowed my eyes.
"Treecko needs some rest. Please..." She said before she took her leave, leaving us in the room with Ash's resting Pokémon. While the others wanted to comfort him, I was more annoyed with him.
I decided to be blunt about it and stepped up.
"Why did you do that?" I demanded.
"Do what?"
"What you did during the battle!? Why didn't you just quit for Treecko's sake!? You should've known it was impossible to win with the condition that he was in! And not to mention that it got worse when Makuhita evolved!" I snapped.
"We could've won even with Makuhita evolving! We were so close, so close! But we had to lose to some Gym Leader who'd rather be surfing than training!" Ash snapped back.
"You don't understand of what you're saying, you idiot! His "surfing" was his way of training!" I snapped.
"Yeah, what do you know!? You won the battle, and I lost! You even had two of your Pokémon to evolve and win the battle for you! If they didn't, then I'm sure you would've lost, too!"
"So you wanted me to lose? Is that what you're saying? And this isn't about me. It's about you being selfish and reckless, you complete idiot!"
"Stop calling me idiot! At least I'm not the cold-hearted one that became a jerk just because of his parents passing away!"
...That hit a nerve... badly...
The others gasped in shock from what he had said as I widened my eyes at him before... things went dark as I growled and gritted my teeth. What happened next... he was to blame for it.
WHAM!
"AUGH!" Ash yelled as I punched him on the cheek, causing him to crash to the wall as he coughed, holding onto his cheek before I stomped over and grabbed him by the sweater and forced him up, feeling so much anger rising up.
"You... piece of...! You really want to go there!? Do you!? You have no right to say that! Especially since you know how sensitive that subject is to me!" I snapped angrily, before shoving him to the wall again as he yelped in pain.
He slumped back down as he coughed before it looked as if he realized the errors of his ways. But at that time, it was already too late.
"I thought you were one of the people that I could trust... I thought you were one of the ones that I could actually call a friend...! But I guess this is the real you, huh... You're nothing different from the jerks that terrorized my parents and their Pokémon friends! No, you're probably even worse than they are!" I snapped furiously.
That brought horror to his face as I didn't wait for anyone to say another word as I stormed out, wanting nothing to do with them anymore.
Dammit...! Dammit...! DAMMIT!
The stomping turned into running, as I rushed past the Trainers in the lobby before running out of the Pokémon Center, ignoring the voices that called for me... whether they were pleading me to come back or whether they called me by my name.
But at this time, I didn't care. I want nothing to do with them anymore! Especially with that idiot!
I thought I found companions I could trust... friends I could spend time with... I mean... I just...! ARGH!
Forget it, forget it! That idiot just proved today that there's no one that I could trust anymore, other than myself! If I have to be alone forever again, then so be it! It's a lot better than traveling with someone like him!
To be continued...
Minato's Team:
Combusken: (M): (Fire Spin, Peck, Focus Energy, Double Kick)
Poochyena: (M): (Bite, Tackle, Howl, Dig)
Zigzagoon: (M): (Iron Tail, Hidden Power, Sand-Attack, Headbutt)
Grovyle: (M): (Dig, Quick Attack, Absorb, Leaf Blade)
Swablu: (F): (Peck, Sing, Safeguard, Fury Attack)
Next Chapters:
Chapter 40: A Meeting Between Two New Friends
Chapter 41: The Hole Trouble in Granite Cave!
Chapter 42: Steven Stone Appears in the Cave!
Chapter 43: The Unknown Figure Strikes Us Hard!
Chapter 44: Wild Rogue! Hey, Hey! It's Corphish!
Next chapter preview:
Minato: That idiot... I can't believe he prioritized over getting a Gym Badge instead of checking on his Pokémon's condition...!
?: Hey, um... you okay? You seem like you're in a bit of an angry mood?
Minato: What's it to you? Just scram already. I don't want to deal with another bothersome person like you.
?: Hey, I take offense to that! I'm just wondering because I'm concerned of what you're going through!
Minato: So you're spying on me? Are you a therapist? A nurse? Then, no. I don't want your help... and I don't need any.
?: Geez, you're such an emo... I'm Jacob. Jacob Momota... But you can call me Jake!
Events that occurred:
- The group meets Brawly, the Dewford Gym Leader
- Minato challenges Brawly to a Gym Battle and wins, earning the Knuckle Badge
- Minato's Torchic and Treecko evolves into Combusken and Grovyle
- Combusken learns Double Kick
- Grovyle learns Leaf Blade
- Ash challenges Brawly to a battle, but loses
- Minato parts from the group after a bitter argument with Ash