After an exciting battle with Gym Leader Sud of Viridian City, Ash earned his second Earth badge! Upon a battle with Team Rocket, Ash was reunited with Pidgeot, the second Pokemon he ever caught caught wild, and the first Pokemon he ever caught after a battle. Now, with the future looking bright, Ash and Gary are traveling through Viridian Forest to get to Pewter City home of the Boulder badge.
"Let's do it Growlithe!"
"Growwwlithe." Growlithe agreed.
"Use flamethrower!"
"Growwwwwwwwwl." The fire expelled burned Beedrill's wings, making it unable to fly.
"Tackle attack!" Ash called.
Growlithe ran and collided with the wild Beedrill.
"Bzzz..." The wild Beedrill was just about out of the battle.
"Let's finish it off with fire spin!"
"Growlithe." The fire pup barked, sending a raging fire spin to surround Beedrill.
Beedrill waved its wings something fierce, creating such a gust that the embers burned Growlithe's pas making him unable to stand.
"Growlithe come back. Pikachu let's go!"
But the Beedrill was already gone.
"Crap." Ash muttered. He'd been hoping to have a fourth Pokemon to choose form in his battle with the Pewter City gym leader, whom he assumed would be Brock's father, Flint. Unfortunately, this was the third wild Pokemon to sneak away from him in the past couple hours.
Ash made it back to camp where Gary was cooking dinner.
He saw his old rivals expression and knew that Ash had failed to catch anything.
"Nothing Ashy boy?" Gary asked, handing him a bowl of stew.
"Not even one. I saw a Beedrill, a Spearow, and a wild Butterfree. But they all got away, before I could throw the Pokeball."
"You need to be faster, make your moves before your opponent has a chance to react. That's the only way you're going to beat Flint. My grandpa says that Pewter City is one of the most difficult places to earn a badge these days since Flint took over for Brock."
"We'll be fine." Ash said confidently.
"Just warning you." Gary said, eating his stew.
"Thanks Gary. But I've got a plan."
The next day they reached Pewter City.
They stopped by the local Pokemon Center for quick healings while Ash worked up a couple of back up strategies.
When he first went to Pewter, he had three Pokemon at his fingertips. They were each strong in their own right, but Pikachu was the strongest. Brock only let him use two Pokemon. Ash had three usable once again, flying Pokemon were weak against rock types. And fire wasn't much better. His only hope was Seel going past Flint in both battles.
Ash decided to go fishing while his Pokemon healed.
"Another water type would help me out." Ash muttered, wondering if he could catch another water type in the stream. He looked at a tree and was reminded of the time Brock had sprinted to catch up to him. Brock admitted defeat in the battle, even though Ash had forfeited not wanting to win because of the sprinkler making Pikachu stronger and Onix weaker. But Brock was determined to pass along the Boulder Badge, he doubted that Flint would be that nice.
The hook caught on something and Ash reeled it in with speed. It didn't seem heavy, so it might not have been like... a Gyarados(which would be helpful) but a Staryu would work for him.
What popped out was a small ovular egg, hooked onto the egg.
Ash threw off his jacket, dived into the stream, and grabbed the egg before it could sink. He handled it carefully with experience and got it out of the river, hoping the Pokemon inside wasn't hurt.
He wiped it off as best he could with the discarded jacket and ran it to the Pokemon center.
"Nurse Joy!" Ash yelled, before even Pikachu noticed his best friend's return.
"Oh my gosh what is it?" The nurse asked, rushing out from her office.
"I found this Pokemon egg in the river over there, I'm worried its hurt."
"I'll look at it immediately."
She took the egg, leaving Ash to wait in agony.
She finally opened the door and Ash was even more worried when he noticed that the egg wasn't with her.
"How is it?" Ash asked, getting up and moving towards her.
"It's going to be fine." Nurse Joy promised. "It's a little water logged, but the Pokemon inside is safe and healthy. Unfortunately, my technology can't identify what type of Pokemon it is or I'd be able to help more. You said you found it in the river?"
"That's right. At first I thought it might have been a wild egg, but I heard the water swishing around and freaked out."
"It's good that you brought it to me, this egg was in a critical state. If it had stayed underwater much longer, it might not have made it."
"Thank you Nurse Joy." Ash sighed.
"Anytime, that's what I'm here for. In other news, your Pokemon are in perfect health and are ready to go with you."
"Great thanks!" Ash collected his Pokeballs and let Pikachu hop on his shoulder. "You coming?" He asked to Gary.
"Yeah, I'm curious how the gym might have changed since I was there."
They knocked on the door and saw that another trainer was having a battle with Flint.
"Onix use bind!" Flint commanded.
Onix roared, binding the small Seadra too tight to escape.
"Seadra is unable to battle, the victory goes to the gym leader Flint!" Brock exclaimed, playing referee since the Pewter City gym didn't normally have a referee.
"Seadra return!" Sky demanded, looking angrily at the Pokeball in her hand.
"I'll be back tomorrow."
"Be better prepared, use water attacks before Onix gets close or you'll have already lost." Flint advised, sitting down.
Sky stormed out, not even realizing that her rival Ash had just watched the battle.
Ash and Gary walked over to Brock and Flint.
"There's a familiar face." Flint said, nodding to Ash.
"Ash!" Brock exclaimed, running to his old friend. "How are you?"
"I'm doing great Brock-o. I'm gonna compete in the Indigo league again."
"That's great. How are you Gary?" Brock put his hand on Pikachu's head and started to pet the electric Pokemon.
"Doing great Brock."
The three caught up a bit until Flint reappeared and cleared his throat.
"I assume you're here for this." Flint stated, holding out the Boulder Badge. "You'll have to beat me to get it."
"Fine by me, I challenge you!"
"Agreed, Brock will referee and make sure my children do not interfere again."
Ash mentally face palmed, remembering Brock's siblings stopping Ash from finishing Onix and winning the badge fair and square.
"The battle for the boulder badge is about to begin!" Brock announced, "Each trainer will use all available Pokemon in their party, no time limit. Only the challenger, Ash of Pallet Town, can substitute Pokemon without dismissing them from further battle."
"I only have three eligibles." Ash told Flint from across the rock field.
"I have five. So a three on five it will be."
Ash had never battled at a disadvantage like that. But he knew he'd have too. Seel was going to earn its kip tonight that was for sure.
"Golem, let's go!"
"Pidgeot, come on out!" Ash yelled, certain that he should save Seel for Onix.
"A flying type..." Flint clicked his tongue. "Tackle attack."
"Fly!"
Golem couldn't hit what he couldn't reach.
That's when Golem rolled up the rock and knocked Pidgeot out of the air.
"Use whirlwind Pidgeot!"
"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot cawed, getting up quickly and sending Golem rolling in another direct.
"Steelwing while you've got a chance!"
"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot sped in a beeline and struck Golem who had retreated out of its rock shell to stop the dizziness.
"Golem is unable to battle, Pidgeot wins!" Brock announced, impressed that Ash had caught a Pidgeot... that is, unless it was the same Pidgeotto that evolved several years back. But that seemed unlikely, what were the chances?
"Golem return, you did well my friend." Flint looked up and withdrew another Pokeball. "You're an interesting trainer, Ash. But this is not a time to be creative, it's a time for battle. Go, Rhyhorn!"
"Rhy!" Rhyhorn roared.
"Pidgeot, how you feeling?"
"Pidgeot!"
"All right let's go." Ash muttered, knowing that Pidgeot could fly at speeds Rhyhorn could never hope to run at. The question was... would it be enough to land a victory?
"Begin!"
"Steel wing!"
"Tackle!"
Neither seemed able to land attacks, but both were too stubborn to admit defeat.
"Pidgeot get in the air, and use Hurricane!"
"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot yelled, beginning the move.
"Hyper beam, Rhyhorn!"
Before Pidgeot could complete its move, it fell to the hard ground below.
"Return!" Ash yelled, not wanting Pidgeot to land on a rock.
"Pidgeot was unable to battle, victory goes to Rhyhorn."
"Seel, let's go."
"Seel, Seel, Seel."
"Rhyhorn watch yourself."
"Water gun!"
The stream of water struck Rhyhorn with such force that sent him flying at a rock and knocked him out.
"Rhyhorn is out, Seel wins!"
"Return, go Omastar!"
"Omastar?" Ash asked, recognizing the name but not sure he placed it right. The extinct Pokemon? Ash pulled out the Pokedex and ran a quick check,
"Omastar the evolved form of Omanyte. This extinct Pokémon is believed to have used its sharp fangs to break through the shells of its prey in order to feed. This Pokemon is a water and a rock type."
"Well that sucks." Ash muttered. "Seel, return."
"Seel?"
Seel was return to the outstretched Pokeball, replaced by Growlithe.
" All right, Growlithe. Let's do this." Ash said, having anxiety about battling on a disadvantage. His theory was that Growlithe was stronger in general. If he could beat Omastar, then Seel should be able to finish the rest of the battle.
"Omastar, water gun!" Omastar spewed water, getting Growlithe wet.
Growlithe shook it off like a dog and barked, not happy about its bath.
"Fire spin!"
Soon Omastar was trapped in a flaming vortex.
"Tackle attack, then use flamethrower up close!"
Growlithe was fast and collided with Omastar before the fire spin had done its work.
"Growwwwl." Growlithe huffed, blowing a flamethrower at such a close ranger Omastar should be out for the count.
"Oma... Star." Omastar grumbled, not done with the fight.
"Omastar, return. You've done your part." Flint ordered, returning the extinct Pokemon to its ball.
"Larvitar, come join us."
A Larvitar appeared from a pokeball sent out by Flint.
"Be careful Growlithe, I'm counting on you."
"Growlithe." Growlithe barked.
"Larvitar, tackle attack.
"Use flamethrower on the ground!"
Growlithe did as it was told, lifting into the air from the force of the fire.
"Lar...?"
Growlithe landed behind him and smirked.
"Growlithe!" Growlithe bit on to Larvitar and started shaking it into submission.
"Looks like I've got this one." Ash said confidently.
"Not yet, Ash. Look!" Gary yelled, pointing at the glowing Pokemon.
"It evolved into Pupitar?" Ash asked.
"Use dark pulse!"
"Growll..." Growlithe whimpered, getting blasted into a rock just like Rhyhorn. "Growl... Growlithe." Growlithe grumbled, shaking off its aches.
"Growlithe are you okay?" Ash called, remembering that Pupitar was resistant to fire attacks. But not so much on water ones...
"Growl." Growlithe barked, growling at Pupitar.
"Return, I'm gonna let Seel finish this one bud."
Growlithe ran to Ash's side and sat by the leg opposite to Pikachu.
"Seel, come on out."
"Seel, Seel."
"Ice shard."
"Hyper beam!"
The two moves collided in a boom, blowing the ceiling off the Pokemon gym.
"Seel!"
"Ice beam, freeze Pupitar where he floats!"
"Seeeeel!" Seel agreed, sending a flurry at the rock Pokemon.
Pupitar was frozen solid, unable to move.
"Ice shard!"
The resulting ice shard cracked the ice, but it didn't matter. Pupitar's eyes had already faded out, not able to battle.
"Return Pupitar, you did well. I'm proud of you. Onix, it's up to you to defend the gym."
Onix roared.
"Dig!"
"Ice beam on the ground!"
The ice made it hard to dig, but not impossible for this Onix.
"Be ready Seel..." Seel was clapping around, sliding around the ice was very entertaining.
That's when Onix exploded.
Seel went flying into open air, not sure what to do until Ash called,
"Use Ice beam on the ground one more time!"
This time the ice slowed the fall (as well as dropping the temperature to a near zero) and allowed Seel to land safely.
"Ice shard!"
"Seel!" Seel called, sending shards of ice at the waning onix.
"Rooooooar!" Onix grumbled, starting to glow.
"Not again." Ash muttered, watching Onix grow into Steelix.
"Water gun!"
But Steelix had already swung its tale around, knocking Seel into the rock with a force that couldn't be overcome.
"Seel return. Great job bud, it's Growlithe's turn."
"Growlithe." Growlithe huffed, walking carefully onto the ice.
"Flamethrower at twelve o'clock!"
Exactly as predicted, the fire melted the ice and warmed up the terrain.
"Steel..." Steelix complained, water getting all over it.
"Hold on Steelix, use dig but don't strike."
Steelix used dig in several locations, creating holes for the water to seep through.
"Fire spin!"
Steelix was caught in the vortex.
"Dig!"
"Tackle flamethrower!"
Growlithe ran close to Steelix, taking its advantage to the fullest by unleashing a conflagration that even Ash hadn't expected.
Ash checked the Pokedex and confirmed that this was one of the most powerful fire type moves: Fire blast.
Steelix tumbled, unable to continue from a point blank Fire blast.
"As proof of your victory against Steelix and the Pewter City gym, I present to you this boulder badge." Flint said, pressing it into Ash's hand. "You've done a great job so far, raising your three Pokemon, I can't wait to see what the Pokemon league has in store for you."
"Me too, thanks Flint."
Ash, Brock, and Gary had dinner with Brock's family.
"So how goes your dream?" Ash asked, taking a delicious bite out of the roast.
"I start medical school soon. But I'm already certified as a nurse by Nurse Joy." Brock explained. "It took some work, but I'll be able to finish medical school in a couple of years."
"That's great, so what's the story with why you didn't use Pikachu?" Brock wondered, taking a sip of his coffee.
Ash and Flint took turns explaining the various rules of returning trainers.
"So wouldn't that make Pidgeot unavailable to be used?" Brock wondered. "Wasn't that the same Pidgeotto you used to have?"
"Yeah, but Sud said since I released it it didn't count."
"Sud the leader of the Viridian City gym?"
"Yeah Flint, why?"
"Well he, like me, likes to take it easy on trainers that are trying to make it into the Pokemon league. I rarely battle my hardest, because of how tough some badges are to get, like the Thunder or Marsh badge. I keep it challenging, with enough slack to not let it be impossible to win. That's why i recalled Omastar."
"So you could let me win?" Ash asked, a little depressed by the thought.
"Oh lord no. I just simply knew that you could beat Omastar. The bonly benefit of watching them finish the fight would be to weaken your Pokemon by pure endurance. It wouldn't show me if you were a worthy trainer or not."
Flint had a unique way of looking at things, but he had a point.
The phone rang and after a quick garbled chat with Nurse Joy, Brock hung up the phone.
"I have to leave. There's trouble at the Pokemon Center."
"What, what kind of trouble?" Ash asked, getting up from his seat.
"There's been a power outage, and there are sick Pokemon there on life support."
"I'll go too, maybe Pikachu can help out."
"Right." Brock agreed, letting Ash follow him to the Pokemon Center.
Gary followed quickly but was deterred when he noticed a certain strange character to the side of the building.
"We need power to these conduits." Nurse Joy pointed out to Pikachu.
"Thunder."
"Pikachu!"
Power arrived with the thunder bolt, awakening the damaged power lines enough to keep the endangered Pokemon going.
"This Charmeleon needs to heat up, Growlithe, I choose you!" Ash said, releasing his Pokemon from its Pokeball.
Growlithe started a small fire to warm up the half frozen Charmeleon.
"Fear! Ow!" Fearow complained, not cooperating in the slightest.
"Umbreon, let's go!" Gary stated, "Put Fearow to sleep with Hypnosis."
"Umbreon!"
"Fear...ow." Fearow fell asleep.
"Hey Ash, I think I found out what was going on." Gary said, once the injured Pokemon were stabilized.
"What do you mean Gary?" Ash asked, examining the egg he'd found earlier.
"I think it was sabotage, what happened to the Pokemon Center." Gary explained. "I found a strange man and woman out there tinkering with the cables."
"Who were they?"
"Not Jesse and James." Gary confirmed. "I didn't know who they were."
"We'll let Officer Jenny know right away." Ash decided, putting the Pokemon egg in his jacket and holding it carefully. "Let's go."
With a new danger, and a new badge, Ash and Gary sprint to the Police Station, hoping to warn Officer Jenny. But of what... they do not know.
