Well, we've made it to the twentieth chapter, and the first gym battle of the fic! We hope you enjoy the action, and as always, feedback is appreciated. Once again, on our tumblr blog, anotther-rxad, fanart will be posted to accompany this chapter. Hope you like it!
It was a pleasant afternoon in Pewter City. The Pokemon Center had taken a slow turn; most of their potential patients hadn't come in for the evening and those from the previous night were already out of town. With only a few locals whose chronic conditions needed their routine check-ups to attend to, Brock felt pretty secure.
Clinical work meant long hours, but the work was gratifying. It didn't hurt that his partner was cute as a button.
"Alright, Joy, looks like Raticate's condition is stable. Can you write up a new prescription for his trainer? It'll be easier to get refills that way."
"Of course!" Joy chirped, ever chipper. She quickly wrote out a form and scurried off to put it in the Raticate's file.
"And, you," Brock hummed, scratching the Raticate under the chin. "Mind your teeth, huh, buddy? And, eat your supplements!"
"Ratica…" The normal type would make no promises, but remained docile as Brock exited the room, all of today's checkups officially managed.
Joy almost ran into him as she returned. "Oh! Whoops. It's gotten so efficient since you got here, I thought you were taking a while… I'm so used to it taking forever to file things!" Though she was his age, she'd intentionally gone to school to be a nurse and therefore she had been here a while longer than he had.
Brock chuckled. "Well, I'm the oldest of a lot of kids. So, I know a thing or two about keeping everything straightened."
"Oh? So you're good with managing the little ones, I take it!"
"That's right, you're not from around here…" Brock recalled that this particular Joy was from southeast Kanto. She wouldn't know the whole affair were Brock was even the gym leader! "I actually used to tend to them and the gym before the current, er, previous two gym leaders returned." He always kept forgetting Forrest was in charge now.
"No way! So, you're strong, smart, and sweet!" Joy gasped, truly impressed.
Brock blushed, not entirely sure how to react. Unfortunately, old habits died hard, so he put his hand under his chin, trying to recover by striking a pose he hoped would be alluring enough. "I just do what can. So!"
Joy's brows quirked as Brock grabbed her hands. Where had that come from? She supposed a man his age - they were the same age, so she would know - would be flirty, but he'd seemed so sensible until now!
"If you ever need anything from me, my Euphoric Joy, just let me know!"
There was that nickname he picked out for her again. It caused her many a mixed emotion, but with how strong he was coming on right now, she was honestly a little frightened. "R-Right…"
"Toxicroak!"
Everyone froze; Joy, out of continued confusion for what Brock was doing; Brock, out of worry for what Toxicroak was about to do; Toxicroak, poised and ready to strike…
But, interrupted by the dinging of the front doors opening.
"Patients!" both Joy and Brock yelled, jumping to turn to greet them, each eager from an escape to their own situation. Toxicroak merely put his hand down, looking a little disappointed.
"Huh? It's Ash and Dawn!" Brock called, walking over to greet the two.
"Who?" Joy mumbled, following the doctor-in-training.
"Hey, guys, it's been so long since I've seen you! And you too, Pikachu," Brock added. He turned from his two young friends to Joy. "Guys, this is one of the Nurse Joys on staff. I like to call her Euphoria, though. Euphoria, this is Ash and Dawn!"
"Did she let you nickname her or did you just decide that on your own?" the bluenette piped up, earning a giggle from the pink haired nurse.
"Nice to meet you, Joy… er, Euphoria?" Ash was clearly a little lost. What was her real name?! "Woah, hold on! Croagunk evolved!?" Ash gawked at the larger frog. That was a surprise.
"It looks like everyone's growing up," Dawn remarked. "It's good to see you again, too!"
The Joy-in-training giggled at the interruption. An easily distracted bunch, it seemed. "It's nice to meet you, too," she greeted kindly. "Well, what can we do for you today?"
"Having a checkup for our pokemon would be nice," Dawn answered.
Ash added his own need: "I'm actually here to challenge Brock to a gym battle!"
The Joy tilted her head. "I thought Forrest was the gym leader now?"
The doctor nodded his head. "Yeah… Hey, that wasn't you that sent out that special letter, was it? Forrest said he was excited to be able to go all out on someone. Shouldn't you be asking him? You know I'm not a gym leader anymore."
"Yeah, but this is more for my own training," Ash explained. He smirked. "Plus… Our first battle could use a good rematch, huh? Settle the score properly."
"What are all of you standing around for?" barked a sharper voice.
Euphoria and Brock both ducked. Looking older than the first Joy by a fair bit, there stood the resident nurse. She'd been busy in the pharmacy section of the hospital, filling orders while the younger did the less technical work.
"Well?! Are you flapping your gums while these patients need attending to?!"
"Sorry!" Euphoria whimpered. She rushed behind the counter and returned shortly with two trays. "I'll take your pokemon, now!"
Dawn and Ash did so before encouraging their starters to follow the nurse so they could be tended to.
"... Anyway," Brock started off, feeling more confident now that the older Joy was gone. "I'd be happy to, but Forrest kind of won over most of the rock types I used to keep."
"Hm," Ash mused. "Well, can you at least use Steelix? The other pokemon you have will be fine, but I wanna properly battle him at least!"
Brock cracked a grin. While Steelix adored Forrest, the big steel type was undeniably loyal to Brock first and foremost. "I think I can arrange that, yeah."
"Alright, so let's go battle!"
"After my shift."
Dawn giggled as Ash moped, fire taken out of him just that quick. "Hey, you interrupted him and Euphoria. It's fair to wait a little."
"What do you know about being 'interrupted'?" Brock pried, catching onto a certain awareness and sensitivity to those types of situations that Dawn hadn't possessed before. Where had that come from? Then again, Dawn and Ash were traveling alone… He had to wonder, now.
Dawn paused, wondering where that had come from before dwelling on it too long and getting shy. "I just remembered I need to go call Mom!" With that, Dawn bailed.
"What was that all about?" Ash questioned.
"... Wow." The older teen stuck his hands in his pockets. Life was weird. Brock was almost grown and he was struggling to get a girl's attention while being perfectly aware of romance and the nature of it. Yet, here Ash was, into the age where he should also be as concerned as Brock and he already had a girl getting shy over him - had girls getting shy over him in the past, too - but he still remained oblivious.
The injustice of it all sickened him.
But, Brock Doc was on the case! "Follow me." It was getting towards the end of his shift, so he needed to check up on the files from the day to make sure any overnights were put in the next day's file folder rather than being treated as check out patients.
"Okay!" Ash replied, leaning on the counter as Brock went behind it.
"You really don't have any idea why Dawn got embarrassed when I asked her why she knew what it would feel like to be interrupted, do you?"
"Uh… maybe she got stumped by the question, too?" Ash knew he'd been confused by the whole exchange.
"She hasn't been especially weird lately, or anything?" Brock nudged, hoping Ash might put two and two together.
"Hey! Dawn's not weird. Actually, she's been particularly cool lately! You should have heard the speech she gave earlier today!" The boy paused, putting a hand to his chin. "Though, that one time, when things got really intense, she got really shaky… I was worried about her."
Intense?! What was Ash talking about? "W-What happened?!"
"Team Rocket! We stopped 'em though! They've gotten really dirty lately."
Oh. Brock calmed down. Still, what had Team Rocket done to scare Dawn? She wasn't exactly a shrieking violet. That aside, it didn't seem as if he was going to make it clear to Ash, and all he really had to go on were his own assumptions on what Dawn's behavior now meant, coupled with how well she and Ash had always gotten along. Maybe Lyra had been right, though. "Well, I'm glad you did."
"Back!" Dawn greeted as she walked over, calm once more. As the three of them got caught up and exchanged pleasant talk about Brock's time at school, Dawn's journey to Hoenn, and Ash's battle against Paul, the elder Nurse Joy eventually returned with the duo's pokeballs.
"Alright, my shift's over. I'll clock out and tell Euphoria I'm gone. Then we can head to my place for a snack?" Brock offered as he slipped out of his lab coat. Under was a pleasantly orange sweater with a dark undershirt. His belt must have been a tad too long, but somehow it worked with his olive-colored khakis.
"Yes!" Ash cheered, stomach growling in time with his enthusiastic cry.
Soon, the trio reached the Pewter City gym.
"It's really a shame you two didn't visit during Christmas. Solidad came back home for a few days," he explained.
"Huh. Yeah, it would have been nice to see her," Ash mused.
"And, to meet her!" Dawn nearly squealed, thoroughly impressed that Pewter City not only boasted her very talented friend but also was home to a Top Coordinator!
As they drew nearer to the house itself, the entire family was spotted outside, enjoying the time before the chilly night would force them all inside again. Even Forrest was playing along, no challengers currently here to occupy his attention. That said, all of their attentions turned to the approaching trio once they were seen. The children rushed over while Forrest, Salvadore, Yolanda, Flint, and Lola came over a slower pace.
"Ash! It's been a while!" Flint kindly greeted.
"Hey, Flint!" Ash greeted the older man. "Yeah, sure has. Good to see all of you again!" Ash chuckled as the children swarmed around him and the others, being sure to caution them about Pikachu. "I know you all wanna see 'im, but be careful! If he feels threatened, he'll let out a shock by accident!" The trainer crouched down, allowing each of them to get a look at the electric mouse. Pikachu greeted them all with care; any friend or family of Brock's was a friend of his!
Lola rushed over to greet Dawn, or, Piplup, rather. "What a cute water-type! One of the Sinnoh starters, right?"
Dawn, clearly a bit overwhelmed, ended up handing an indignant Piplup over to a pleading Lola in order to attend to Cindy, who insisted on asking Dawn about some of her previous contests as she recognized the girl both from Brock's stories and her a magazine from Hoenn. Cindy was quite the little coordinating and fashion fan.
"Never a dull moment," Brock said, almost apologetically.
"That's for sure!" Ash affirmed, allowing them all to get their greetings in. "They definitely look older than last time I saw 'em. I guess that's what happens when you're away for a while, huh?"
"Well, that, and kids just grow up fast." Brock made a point to look at Ash and then Dawn. It hadn't even been a full year since he'd seen them, and… with a sigh, he felt kind of old relatively close to their age. It was heartwarming yet bittersweet.
"Alright, guys, breathing room, breathing room," Flint ordered.
With the words of their father ringing out, Brock once again took charge. "Tell you all what! Ash wants to battle me after snack time! If everyone can be good and stay in the stands like you're supposed to, you guys can watch."
With a round of happy cheers, the children all agreed.
"Daaawn, I wanna sit 'nd cheer with you!" Cindy exclaimed.
"That's fine!" Taking Cindy's hand, the coordinator was swept up in the crowd of youngsters as they followed their parents into the house for a break.
Forrest lingered back with Brock and Ash. "What gives? You sent out that challenge letter, right? I'm the official gym leader now, you know!"
"You bet! Well, it's not an official challenge. I wanna make sure I'm ready for the next Indigo League, so I'm taking on all of Kanto's gyms again and asking them to go all-out against me. I already have the badges, so I'm just in it for the experience!"
That response alone would likely say it all on how much Ash had grown. Not just in height, but in maturity as well. "Sorry I didn't battle you instead, but I still feel like Brock and I need a rematch." He turned to his older friend with a smile. Now they'd finally get a gym match on even ground.
"Ain't that the way… But, alright Ketchum! I'm letting you know now! Next time I see you, it's a battle!" Forrest declared dramatically.
Brock shook his head. "He's eager to prove himself." He ruffled his brother's hair. "But, he's already made me really proud."
"Well, in that case, it's a deal," Ash agreed. "Watch me beat up your bro', okay?"
"Hey, watch it," Brock warned, not quite insulted but pride as a trainer tested.
Forrest chuckled as the three of them walked into the kitchen… only to find it empty except for Dawn, Cindy, and Piplup who seemed to be readying a basket of pokechow and cookies. "... Where is everyone?" he asked. He could have sworn they said it was snack time.
"Everyone else went to the gym already," Cindy explained. "Mom said if they got rowdy in her house everyone was getting in trouble."
"Right. I figured we'd just grab some snacks. Your mom said it was okay, Brock."
"Oh, yeah. There's plenty, take what you and your pokemon want to snack on," he agreed. "Though, I'm going to opt for a water over the juices, thank you."
"You just think you're grown," Forrest teased as he helped Dawn carry the food back outside so the four of them plus the pokemon could relax for a little bit.
After a bit of settling, all of both trainer's current teams were out. Cindy fawned over Dawn's pokemon, particularly Togekiss, Piplup, and Absol. Forrest was more interested in Ash's Charizard whilst Brock acquainted himself with everyone, very impressed with the team's growth.
"Now, who's this little one?" Brock asked, realizing that a Riolu had been hiding behind Ash's pants leg the whole time.
"This is Rosemary! She's a little shy." He grinned at Brock. "Give her time and she'll warm up."
She had a little. Brock seemed very paternal and, while she didn't know him well enough to try to approach, she decided she liked him. She just had to build up the nerve to talk to him.
"Dawn! Absol keeps shifting around! I wanna brush her!" Cindy complained. Piplup was already thoroughly preened, feathers shining. Togekiss looked much fluffier.
"Hm? She normally likes a good brushing." Dawn tried to approach the pokemon, but rather than responding, it just looked at her. "Absol?" The dark type then looked at the distance before huffing. "Hey, what's wrong?" Now, she was getting worried. The Absol was always a little stoic, but she was never avoidant. Turning to Brock, Dawn spoke up. "H-Hey! Ash, did you tell Brock about the thing in the forest?"
"With Team Rocket? Not in detail. Why?"
"I think Absol might be really hurt from it. She's acting weird."
Alerted as well, Brock began to walk over to the Hoenn pokemon.
Ash furrowed his brows. "Well… they can predict disasters, right? Maybe it messed with her, since it was using those weird powers."
Brock knelt down, touching Absol's horn without so much as a glance from the pokemon. He then touched her sides and felt her legs, finding no injuries. He checked her pupils, using his hands to shade and then expose them in the afternoon sunlight. "No, there's nothing wrong with her. Though… if they do that, maybe she knew what would happen in Viridian Forest would happen." Brock grew quiet. "She might feel like her purpose for being here was fulfilled."
Dawn likewise grew quiet, looking at Absol who would not turn back to look at her. It was like letting Ambipom go all over again, except she could still check on Ambipom. The pokemon's data was still registered to her; she could still be in contact. But, Absol had been caught in the wild. Where else would she go? Dawn would have to completely sever ties with her.
"Hey," Ash piped up, scooping up Rosa as he walked over. "I've had to let a few pokemon go when their paths and mine weren't the same anymore." He put his free hand on the girl's shoulder. "Heck, me an' Pikachu, almost, even… So, don't blame yourself. It's just the way it is sometimes."
That was of some relief. She hadn't done anything to upset Absol as far as she knew. So, it was just a difference of objectives. That didn't make the fact she's gotten attached to the quirky creature any better, though. "Right. She's still her own pokemon. I can't just keep her." Looking gratefully between Ash and Brock, she then stepped forward, alone, to approach Absol.
Dawn stood in front of the pokemon, who continued to look past her into the wilds of northern Pewter beyond Brock's family home. "Hey, Absol. Do you really want what they said? To leave?" She paused, waiting on a response, but got none.
Cindy started sniffling.
"'Cause, if you want to, I'll let you go." Dawn reached up, brushing the proud pokemon's mane with her fingers before realizing the Absol might not want that and stopping. "I won't make you stay."
There was a hush save Cindy quietly sobbing over a pokemon she didn't know leaving.
After a bit, Absol turned away from Dawn and stopped looking to the wilds, at first ignoring the fact the coordinator had gotten teary eyed over the possibility of having to say goodbye. After walking a few feet back towards everyone and not having Dawn follow, the Absol turned around. "Sol!" she barked as if demanding Dawn catch up.
Realizing she was asking for Dawn to walk with her, the coordinator stood, following. "You're gonna stay?! Oh, thank you, Absol! You'll be very happy! Thank you!" The coordinator kneeled down again, throwing her arms around the dark type. Cindy joined in, rushing over.
Absol tried to look displeased with this.
"Hehe, well, she's certainly protective of her emotions." Brock turned to Forrest. "Hey, looks like everyone's done with their snacks. Clean that up, will you? I'm gonna go set up the gym. Ash, why don't you - "
"Give 'em some privacy and head to the Pokemon Center to swap my team around and meet back you guys at the gym? Got it!"
With that, all three boys left the girls fawning over Absol, whose tail wagged once.
Ash returned, stepping into the gym just as Brock hooked a final pokeball to his belt. Forrest had passed it to him, so Ash supposed it was Steelix, the only pokemon Brock would need to get from Forrest. Regardless, as the challenger stepped forward, the stands came alive.
Dawn was alone in a sea of many small and a few older voices crying out for Brock's voice; she alone called out for good luck for Ash. Well, perhaps not truly alone. Piplup also cried out for his friends.
"Alright! You ready, Brocko!?" Ash grinned, standing just outside of the arena's artificial rocky field. Nostalgic as could be over the setting, Ash was already burning with the desire to prove himself. That he really deserved that Boulder Badge. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"
Ash's first sphere was cast, its leaking light taking the form of the Seed pokemon.
Brock didn't bother to stifle a chuckle at Ash's nickname, gripping a pokeball at his waist. As long as he'd been away from the gym leader life, there was something invigorating about standing in this spot again. "Ready as I'll ever be, Ash! Chansey, I choose you!"
The rotund egg-bearing pokemon appeared as well, cheerily waving its small arms in greeting.
"Chansey! Chansey!"
"It's good to see ya, Chansey! I hope you're ready!" With that, Ash threw a hand forward. "Bulbasaur, let's start this battle with Razor Leaf!"
Bulbasaur did just as told, throwing his body in a motion that flicked his bulb just enough to unleash his onslaught. A succession of sharp leaves whisked through the air, barraging Chansey.
The normal type winced a bit, but seemed to hold up well under the assault.
"Chansey, use Seismic Toss!" Brock ordered, loudly, to instill confidence in his pokemon.
"Chansey~!" The large, normally gentle pokemon charged through the remainder of the grass type attack, seizing Bulbasaur between its tiny hands. Lifting the pokemon with its trademark remarkable strength, the normal type rendered its target helpless before throwing it forward.
"Bulbasaur! Use your Power Whip to grab one of the rocks, and come right back!"
Instinct acted upon the trainer's familiar orders, two tendrils launching out of the pokemon's cored to grapple a nearby boulder. Centripetal force proved effective enough, launching him towards Chansey.
Brock had watched Ash battle for more than long enough to recognize that tactic. A creative and clever one, without a doubt, but he was familiar. "Chansey, Bulbasaur's coming your way! Use Egg Bomb to intercept it!"
Chansey did as told, reaching into its pouch to grab its precious egg. The orb was surrounded in a warm, comforting golden light, soon after tossed towards Bulbasaur.
The grass type had come far too close to change his path, letting out a cry as it hit. Widened eyes were justified; the collision caused a sizeable explosion, the egg quickly bouncing back to Chansey afterward.
"Are you alright, Bulbasaur?" Ash was quick to check, only to be answered by a hearty "Bulba." He grinned. "I knew I could count on you! Now, let's keep attacking! Use Power Whip!"
"Saur!" The grass type cried, launching its two glowing vines at terrifying speeds. The duo each slapped Chansey brutally across the face, returning for another painful whiplash.
"Chansey, use Secret Power!" Brock called, quick to take advantage of their surroundings.
Stubborn enough to continue, the Egg pokemon raised both of its hands towards the ceiling, forming a strange mass of light before taking the form of a large rock. Through some supernatural force, it created a projectile that was promptly tossed toward Bulbasaur.
The rock hit its mark, sending Bulbasaur reeling. A cry of pain noted the attack's success.
"Now, quick, use Seismic Toss again!" Brock ordered, and Chansey was quick to oblige.
"Quick, Bulbasaur, dodge it!" Ash found, though, that his call would go unanswered. Bulbasaur was still hurting from the stone thrown, seemingly unable to move in fear of another strike.
"Huh? Bulbasaur, what's wrong!?"
Ash would have to wait for his answer. The Seed pokemon had already been seized, and then chucked toward a nearby rock. This time, Bulbasaur hit it, hard. Slumping down, the pokemon began to rouse from the brutal combination, shaking his head.
"When Secret Power is used in a rocky area, it imitates Rock Throw, and is prone to making a pokemon flinch," Brock explained. "It's a great move overall to catch unwary trainers off-guard."
Though Brock hadn't meant that as an insult, Ash was quick to challenge the notion. "Well, we won't fall for it again! Let's finish this, Bulbasaur! Show them your Solarbeam attack!"
"Bulba, Bulba, Bulba…" Bulbasaur began to chant, gathering solar particles to his bulb.
"We won't let you charge up that Solarbeam! Chansey, Secret Power, again!"
However peaceful she usually was, Chansey felt the same foreboding sense of urgency as her parental figure, and trainer, did. Staring into the luminous cyclone of Bulbasaur's signature move, she raised her arms upward once more, conjuring yet another hunk of rock. Then, she tossed that forward with as much vigor as she could muster.
"Fire it now, Bulbasaur! Solarbeam!" Ash shouted out, punching forward.
You didn't have to tell Bulbasaur twice. He arched his back, aiming the large plant before unleashing its full power. A blinding beam of light, much larger than any Brock had seen previously, ripped across the field, completely consuming and destroying Chansey's attack. She was enveloped next, taking what was left over of the powerful attack.
Smoke clouded the battlefield, a booming explosion causing most of Brock's younger siblings to jump. Each of them fearing for their beloved brother's pokemon, they waited with little patience for the dust to clear.
Soon, it did. Chansey stood, but definitely worse for wear. Panting and covered with scratches.
"That was one amazing Solarbeam," Brock remarked. "I see Bulbasaur's working as hard as ever." Though, his praise didn't come without retaliation. "Now, use Softboiled!"
Once again, the egg in Chansey's pouch began to glow. This time, a brilliant orange as it floated above the battlefield. Rather than exploding, it emitted a warm, caring bath of energy that washed over Chansey, healing each of its wounds one after the next. Soon enough, it fell back into its pouch, leaving its user mostly healed.
"Ah…! That's not good! We worked hard to do some damage, but now we'll have to do it all over again!" Ash deflated, seeing the moment fit for a change in strategy. "You've been great, Bulbasaur! But, maybe it's time for a change, for now. Return!" Calling back the Seed pokemon, he looked back to his best friend and the familiar pokemon. "If I'm going to beat Chansey, I'll need a lot of brute force… I know!" Reaching for his belt, he grabbed another ball, tossing it.
"Snorlax, it's your turn now!"
This white flash of light took on a much larger form, revealing the sleepy pokemon that simply scratched its belly upon entering the arena. A loud, rumbling yawn followed.
"I know you like to sleep, Snorlax, but can't you just focus on the battle for now…?"
"Lax!" He got the message. Besides, effort usually resulted in lots of tasty snacks. Standing upright, the bulky pokemon took on a clear change in attitude. He was more than ready to battle.
"I don't think even Chansey can lift Snorlax…" Brock mused. Most opponents could fall victim to its titanic strength. Somehow, in this case, he just didn't see it happening. "Use Egg Bomb!"
The brilliant, golden egg was flung forward once more, striking Snorlax's bulky belly before exploding. It returned to its rightful pouch before the large pokemon could retaliate.
Nonetheless, Ash knew Snorlax's bulk well. "Follow that up with Ice Punch!"
Titanic as he was, Snorlax was notably fast for his kind. He lunged forward at once, only superficially damaged by Egg Bomb. "Lax!" He roared, slamming a freezing fist into Chansey.
Brock's pokemon was sent skidding, shaking her head to ward off the pain and cold.
Of course, Brock was attentive to this. "Quick, use Secret Power!"
Another use of the mysterious power was beckoned, conjuring a large stone that was thrown towards Snorlax. Ash, though, wouldn't allow that to go unpunished.
"Use Hyper Beam, now!"
The glutton's huge mouth parted, gathering brilliant orange particles of light that summed in a terrifying blast of energy, once more swallowing one of Chansey's attacks, and her in the process.
"Chansey…!" Brock called out in worry, guarding himself from the smoke. Soon enough, though, the black veil lifted. Chansey still stood, albeit injured; again. "Now, Softboiled!"
Brock was secure in this move. After unleashing a move like Hyper Beam, Snorlax would need a moment to rest. Free to pursue her rejuvenation, Chansey threw her own egg upward once more. Orange light smiled upon the pokemon, slowly restoring her health once again.
If Ash had learned anything in his last adventure, though, it was that getting too secure could easily leave you off-guard. "Now, Snorlax! Give it an Ice Punch, with everything you've got!"
Recovering and raring to win, the pokemon let out a mighty rumble, throwing a glowing cyan fist forward with such force that it caught the recovering Chansey entirely off-guard. It was sent ricocheting across the field, skidding to a halt just before Brock. Chansey had been knocked out.
Brock could only stare, admittedly awestruck by Ash's quick thinking. "...I guess I shouldn't be surprised. That was the very same tactic Paul used against you a number of times; attacking while an opponent felt safe to recover. A little harsh, but I'm happy you've learned from the experience." He smiled upon his old friend, holding out a pokeball. "Return, Chansey!" Staring down at the now-occupied sphere, pride filled him. "You put up a wonderful fight. Why don't you rest for a while?"
As soon as that tender moment had come though, it'd passed. This match wasn't over. "Toxicroak! I choose you!" He shouted, lobbing forward his second pokeball. The evolved poisonous frog made its appearance, wearing its usual creepy grin. Things would only get tougher, now.
"Oh, boy. Snorlax, let's use Ice Punch!" Ash ordered. Considering how much smaller Toxicroak was, there was a strong possibility of it being faster than Snorlax. They had to hit hard and end this quickly before Toxicroak could overwhelm Snorlax.
"Sucker Punch!" Brock countered, throwing his hand out.
The two pokemon lunged forward, Toxicroak moving much faster. At the last minute, the poison frog leaped up, using a nasty right hook to send Snorlax off its path. Snorlax's paw wavered, barely dragging across Toxicroak's ribs in a chilly punch. Toxicroak retreated, nursing the wound while Snorlax tried to figure out where its opponent had gone.
"Toxicroak, use Poison Sting!" Brock ordered.
Ash's eyes widened. They didn't need a risk of poisoning this early in the match. "Protect!"
The little purple needles fell uselessly against Snorlax's shield, fading and disappearing as they each landed on the floor. Toxicroak sneered, displeased with its failure but pleased that it managed to get Snorlax on the defensive rather than the offensive.
"Time to use Poison Jab!"
Toxicroak rushed forward on Brock's orders, breaking through the fading Protect to bury its long, hooking claw in Snorlax's fatty belly. The big normal type seized up, body fighting the toxins rushing over it. Thankfully, Snorlax won out this time, avoiding a nasty poisoning.
Ash knew it was definitely time for a break, though. "Snorlax, use Rest!"
"No breaks in a match, Ash!" Brock teased. "Toxicroak, use a few Brick Breaks to see if it wakes up!"
Though the frog had jumped back to avoid being squished when the goliath fell down into his slumber, the fighting type now flexed its might before leaping up and hurling down to inflict a mighty Brick Break on the blubbery beast.
Ash gritted his teeth as Snorlax didn't rouse.
Toxicroak slid off the big cat-like pokemon's back, expression betraying its confusion at how hardy Snorlax was. All the same, it used another Brick Break.
That seemed to wake Snorlax up. It roared in anger, sending Toxicroak back a few paces.
"Alright! Snorlax, let's use Hyper Beam!"
There was no way Brock could let Ash have that move go off with a hitch. "Sucker Punch!"
While Toxicroak did race forward to land a rather sturdy punch to Snorlax's face, the Hyper Beam was only delayed, not stopped. The force of the energy beam sent Toxicroak skidding back, skin smoking with the power of it. Somehow, Toxicroak had endured. But, for how much longer?
"Poison Jab! And, really pack it with the poison!" Brock ordered, growing nervous.
While Snorlax was resting, Toxicroak once again buried its hooked claw into Snorlax's blubbery fat. This time, the toxins found purchase, sending a sickly fever through the opposing pokemon.
"Crap," Ash muttered.
"Hey! No need to worry!" Dawn called out, realizing how close this particular round was getting.
Brock smiled. Though his entire family was going hard for him, it was sweet of Dawn to cry out for Ash's sake. "Toxicroak, use Poison Sting!"
"Snorlax, stop it with Protect!"
Once again, the needles fell uselessly down. But, with an eye for detail, Brock saw the pattern and pounced on it.
"Toxicroak, finish it with Brick Break!"
Running forward to break through the fading Protect once more, Toxicroak quickly closed the gap between himself and Snorlax.
"Snorlax, use Ice Punch!" Ash called.
It was no good. The two moves collided and Toxicroak's Brick Break overpowered Ice Punch, and then eventually, Snorlax himself. The titan fell, Toxicroak standing on his belly for a moment before leaping away, enigmatic to his views on his victory.
"Alright. Thank you, Snorlax. Donphan, I choose you!" Ash yelled, returning one pokemon before releasing another.
Where Snorlax had been a lumbering giant, Donphan was much more compact. The little pachyderm trumpeted, warning Toxicroak that it would not be as easy to defeat.
Brock recalled Johto and how the ground type had done then. "Hm, okay; I'll see how this plays out…"
"Rollout!" Ash ordered. "And, don't stop 'til you get stopped!"
Brock grunted. That was Ash's game, huh? "Fine. Toxicroak, let's use Poison Jab!"
While that move was clever enough, once the pachyderm got to rolling around, the initial Poison Jab was just clipped out of the way, tough hide taking the attack in stride before Donphan rolled around to deliver a swift impact to Toxicroak's back, running over the poison type.
"Sucker Punch!"
Dawn put a hand to her mouth. "It's a little like watching someone try to stop one of those kiddy cars," she confessed. "They're a little tougher than you'd think and getting run over by them is really embarrassing."
"I wouldn't be too embarrassed if the car could jump by itself," Salvadore interrupted. This was more like a runaway big-rig tire in his opinion.
By the time Toxicroak had been hit not once, but twice in the face - fell down from the first; barely got back up from it only to be hit again - the frog was starting to seem slightly agitated.
"Brick Break!" Brock called, hoping this might finally stop Donphan's momentum.
Carefully aiming as the ripping and running ground type circled, Toxicroak struck true as it neared. Hitting from the side rather than the top, he managed to knock Donphan off course and send it out of its momentum.
"That worked well while it lasted!" Ash enthused. He mostly needed Rollout to chip away at Toxicroak's energy, and judging by the way it was trembling, they were close. That Hyper Beam earlier had helped plenty, too. His confidence was back. "Okay, Donphan, use Fire Fang!"
"Oh, no. Toxicroak, dodge that!" Knowing how tender the entire Croagunk line was to extreme heat, Brock knew better than to risk engaging with that particular move.
Unfortunately, while Ash didn't get what he wanted, he immediately spotted a better option. "Donphan, use Earthquake!"
Stomping its foot, the ground trembled at once for Donphan. It continued to do so as Toxicroak touched down. The shifting earth and rocks were super effective, pummeling the fighting type's body. The super effective move ended shortly after, the lights of the gym flickering only for a second.
Toxicroak was knocked out.
"Good effort, Toxicroak. Return." He quickly shifted to another pokemon. "Sudowoodo, I choose you!"
Ash followed suit. "Good job, Donphan. Take a break for a second, huh? I'm gonna see if someone else is feeling up to the challenge." Returning the proud ground type, the trainer released his infamous dragon type. "Gabite, I choose you!"
The second stage pokemon appeared, surprisingly, looking as blank and unpredictable as ever. One who didn't know the dragon might even believe it was simply oddly docile. It seemed that evolution hadn't changed its odd state of mind.
"Well, would you look at that. Gible evolved!" Awe overtook Brock for a moment before he could only smile. "If it was powerful before, I could only imagine what it can do now."
"You're about to find out!" Ash grinned, brushing a finger over the bridge of his nose.
"Sudowoodo, use Hammer Arm!"
"Woodo!" The false tree sprinted towards the dragon, brandishing a glowing arm that was brutally swung towards its opponent. Though probably not quite as powerful as its opponent, Sudowoodo would do its best to take advantage of its powerful moves to win.
"Let's fight back, with Dual Chop!"
What seemed to be a blank slate quickly turned into a fierce, speedy attacker. Gabite quickly sprang into action, remarkable speed quickly closing the gap between the two. Both of its fins were surrounded in a vibrant, green glow, smashing against Hammer Arm.
The two appeared to be at a stalemate. "Now, keep using Dual Chop! Fight it out!"
"You too, Sudowoodo! Use Hammer Arm with both arms!"
Both pokemon began to strike with one limb after the next, seemingly matching one another blow for blow. The notable superiority in strength that Gabite held was balanced out by Hammer Arm's superior power to each individual chop. Vigor was clearly shown from both sides, each pushing the other back and forth. Of course, one of them had to falter soon.
And, Ash was ready to take advantage of that. "Now, bite on to Sudoowodo's arm!" Ash ordered.
Brock swallowed, knowing full well where Ash was going with this. "Look out, Sudowoodo!"
His warning was to no avail. Mighty jaws clamped down tightly unto the rock type's limb.
"Now, Draco Meteor!" Ash ordered, utilizing his signature combination.
"Use Flail, now!" Brock barked. If they didn't fight this off, they were through.
It didn't have to be told twice. The rock type struck wildly, wringing its body around in conjunction to smashing Gabite with its available arm. Soon enough, it'd worked itself free, knocking Gabite painfully in the jaw. The poorly charged Draco Meteor shot harmlessly into the air.
...Or, at least it appeared to be harmless. Defective from its circumstances, the single orange orb hovered high towards the ceiling… Only to begin to descend in a way that struck fear into a certain blue penguin's heart. It was, in fact, descending towards the stand and towards Piplup.
Brock's siblings had all dove for cover, distancing themselves from the shot. Piplup, as well, had no intentions of sitting still. Hopping out of Dawn's arms, ignoring her cry for her pokemon, he scrambled around the upper bleachers, making a futile attempt to avoid the explosion that followed.
"Ah, Piplup…!" Dawn's face fell as she scrambled to pick up her starter, who was afflicted with a small, comical-looking bruise atop his head. "Are you alright…? I guess any failed Draco Meteor takes an issue with you." She offered a sympathetic smile, lightly rubbing his head.
"Pip, Piplup…" The water type sulked. That was just his luck.
"Ah, sorry…!" Ash stammered from below, reaching to rub the back of his head awkwardly. "Are you guys alright up there?" Even in the midst of battle, he couldn't help but feel a little bad.
A jumbled chatter of affirmations from Brock's siblings answered. They were disgruntled, and a little frightened, but no one had gotten hurt… Well, almost no one.
"Piplup will be alright… No need to worry!" Dawn assured.
A bead of sweat slid down Brock's forehead. "That figures…" Satisfied with his siblings getting back into place, though, the older trainer continued. "Alright, Sudowoodo! Use Mimic!"
The Imitation pokemon made haste in holding his limbs forward, conjuring a surprising glowing orb before brandishing it above its head. Putting about as much effort as it did into any mimicked attack, the pokemon simply tossed the meteor upward. It hit its peak, just below the ceiling.
Piplup was already holding his flippers up in anticipation.
This time, though, the attack headed toward its intended target. A blinding explosion cast down a meteor shower of explosive energy shots, cornering Gabite. Try as it might to escape with its impressive agility, Gabite was pummeled down by one meteor and then the next, plowed into the ground.
"Gabite, use Dig to get away from them! Don't let anymore hit you!" Ash called out.
Although hurt, Gabite didn't think twice before diving beneath the surface.
"Clever," Brock remarked. "But it won't stop us. Sudowoodo, use Hammer Arm on the ground!"
The pokemon did just as told. Striking the rocky floor with a mighty swing, it sent tremors through the arena. The shockwave threw Gabite up out of the ground, clearly caught off-guard. It landed atop the rocky battlefield, still looking a little disoriented.
"No good… Sudowoodo can always just copy whatever move we use, and digging underground isn't gonna help." Ash frowned before holding the dragon's pokeball outward. "Gabite, return!" He recalled it in a flash of red light, placing it back upon his belt. "You've been great. Get some rest for now!" Upon lauding his praise, Ash tossed another familiar sphere forward. "Bulbasaur, it's your turn again!"
Having recovered somewhat from earlier, Bulbasaur was ready and eager to continue fighting.
"Sudowoodo, use Double Edge!" Brock ordered. He knew, by virtue of both type and their opponent, that this match would be a tough sell. With its Rock Head ability, though, the Imitation pokemon was prime to launch a powerful, reckless attack.
And, that it did. Quickly chasing Bulbasaur, it slammed its tough body into the Seed pokemon, sending it reeling.
With no recoil, Brock planned to take advantage of this moment. "Now, Hammer Arm!"
A shining limb was brandished once more, swinging down towards Ash's pokemon.
"Not so fast! Throw it with Power Whip, Bulbasaur!"
Purple-tinted vines launched at top speech quickly tangling themselves around Sudowoodo's arm. Showing no mercy, Bulbasaur flipped his body over, slamming Sudowoodo into the ground.
"Good, now use Razor Leaf!"
"Bulba!" The grass type flicked his bulb, unleashing a number of sharp leaves.
"Sudowoodo, use Mimic!"
Oddly enough, like a true grass type, Sudowoodo spun its body around, unleashing his own assault of leaves. Their attacks were soon to meet, crowding the field with projectiles.
Ash, meanwhile, took advantage of this moment. "Now, Solarbeam!"
Shrouded by the cutting leaves that sliced and intercepted one another, Bulbasaur once more gathered light atop its bulb, building up its power for yet another destructive attack.
Of course, Brock was privy to what Ash had planned. "Sudowoodo, look out!"
But, by time the death trap to rock types had faded away, there was little it could do. A loud cry of the grass type's name was all that could be heard over the luminous blast. Powerful as ever, it consumed Sudowoodo. When all was said and done, the Imitation pokemon lay unconscious.
"Good job, Sudowoodo. Take a rest." Brock supposed it was time to really go all out. "Steelix, your turn!"
The huge metal snake landed with a boom, clinks and clatters of its steel hide coiling and stretching making a melody as well. "Steel!" it called, voice low and rumbling.
"Okay, Bulbasaur, you can do this! Start off with Razor Leaf!"
Another flurry of leaves was summoned, arching up from the little grass type to surround and assault the titanic steel snake.
"Take 'em out with Dragon Breath!" Brock ordered.
Twisting and turning, soon the leaves were set ablaze with draconic fire. The hot, mystical breath swept over Bulbasaur, leaving the pokemon feeling less in control of itself.
Ash noticed this right away. They'd have to hope Bulbasaur could hold out. "Power Whip!"
Tendrils shot out, smacking Steelix and beginning to pull the massive pokemon down, but Brock had other plans.
"Iron Tail!"
The terrain, previously disrupted by the Earthquake from Donphan, was being quickly swept up in Steelix's attack.
"Bulbasaur, let go and try to use Solarbeam to power up your Power Whip to dodge!" Hopefully, with the extra power, Bulbasaur could cling to the ceiling. For a moment, this strategy worked. As the long, languid tail of the steel snake creeped closer, Bulbasaur's blossom glowed and its vines waited eagerly to shoot up to the ceiling once enough energy was gathered.
The moment never came. Suddenly, Bulbasaur's body refused to respond. As such, it was swept away with the debris by Steelix's Iron Tail. Toss and then buried with the rubble, Ash grew worried for the veteran until its Solar Beam finally went off, freeing it from the rubble but using up the last of Bulbasaur's energy. After that, the little grass type slipped into unconsciousness.
"Hey! That was a good go," Ash praised, returning Bulbasaur. "Okay, Donphan, let's go again!" When the little bruiser of a pokemon materialized, Ash already had plans for him. "Let's start off with Fire Fang!"
"Use Dig to dodge it!"
Steelix quickly slithered under the gym's floor, only its tail left to be scorched by Donphan's fangs and, even then, only in passing.
Ash frowned. "Donphan, use Earthquake!"
The little bull elephant stomped his foot down. A cry from Steelix told everyone exactly what was happening underground.
"Steelix, surface and use Slam!"
Though it had been injured by Earthquake, it was still able to use Dig. After surfacing under Donphan, the snake was upon the pachyderm again in seconds, slamming into it.
Donphan rolled before settling at Ash's feet, knocked out.
"Steelix is really high energy," Ash commented.
Brock nodded. "When a pokemon has two trainers with similar styles, it's easier for each trainer to see flaws they otherwise might not have noticed. So, he's got a little edge in having two sets of eyes to watch him." The oldest child looked over to Forrest who was positively beaming.
"Well, we'll see how he fares against Gabite!" Ash called after returning Donphan.
The dragon made its appearance once more, appearing vacant as ever.
"Attacking Steelix is gonna be a pain because of its size… Gabite, use Dig!"
With any luck, Ash could rely on its speed. Quickly moving to burrow, as if it were some hastily assigned task that it in a rush to complete, Gabite tunneled beneath the battle, ready to strike.
"You use Dig too, Steelix!"
With another rumble, it dove straight into the decimated field below; the gym would certainly need some repairs afterward; heading straight towards Gabite. Both pokemon swam beneath the surface, all too familiar with their element. Gabite was met with an unfortunate welcome, though, knocked sky high by Steelix's unwieldy mass. It let out a cry, thoroughly overpowered.
"Man, it's strong…!" Ash gawked. To be able to so cleanly overpower Gabite was a feat in itself. "But, we're not giving up! Gabite, go on ahead and get it back with a Flamethrower!"
Still airborne, it took on a more menacing gait, borrowing from its training sessions with Charizard. Utilizing brute force, more so than its speedy attacks learned through Sceptile, it opened its powerful jaws wide to belch out a brilliant red blanket of flames.
Steelix, while powerful and swift underground, was unable to avoid the stream of heat. It let out a pained cry, none too happy with being surprised by the powerful, super-effective attack.
"Stop that Flamethrower, Steelix! Use Iron Tail!"
Brandishing the lower half of its body that went unharmed, it swung the steely limb like a wrecking ball, sending Gabite plummeting painfully to the ground. Steelix shook its head, none too comfortable after the surprise assault.
"That had to hurt. Are you alright, Gabite!?"
The second stage pokemon grunted, shaking its head to ward off dizziness before standing up once more. "Gab! Gabite!" It barked, eager to continue. At this point, its pride was on the line.
"Great, then let's use Dual Chop!"
Each of the pokemon's fins shone brightly, brandish like dual swords that were swung towards Steelix as soon as it could muster. Of course, that involved leaping high enough to hit it.
"Iron Tail!" Brock called out.
"Uh, quick! Dodge that!" Ash warned. Gabite quickly hung back, using its aerodynamic body to just barely avoid the strike. It'd faced both members of the Onix line a number of times, up in the mountains. Powerful as they were, though, they hardly compared to the one dwarfing it now.
"Don't let up, Steelix! Keep attacking!" Brock knew well that the only way to defeat Ash was to not allow him a moment to think. Otherwise, you'd end up with a crazy, off-the-wall strategy on your hands.
"Keep dodging!"
Gabite leapt and jumped about, just barely avoiding one titanic Iron Tail after the next. It could only do so much leaping and dashing, though, before finding itself cornered at the edge of the arena.
"Gabite…!" Ash called out, just about ready to call another move. But, could any of its attacks really stop what was about to come its way! There just had to be something they could do…!
In his desperation, though, Ash only barely caught a vibrant glow out of the corner of his eye. Turning his attention on Gabite, he could only gawk, slack-jawed. Its entire body had been surrounded in a blue glow, its shape changing by the moment. Modest, sturdy fins turned to long, talented blades. The odd ears atop its head grew in volume, as did the rest of its form. "No way!"
Being backed into a corner had, for the umpteenth time, served its purpose. Gabite's determination had turned it into something else entirely. Standing in its place was, in all its glory, a full-fledged Garchomp. Stretching its newly enhanced limbs, it cried out. "Gah-Gahr!"
"Aw, no way! That's totally awesome! Gabite evolved into Garchomp!" Ash couldn't help but gush, as if reminding himself this wasn't a dream. Fists were held at shoulder height, the boy's eyes positively glowing with their occasional chocolate hue. "Congratulations, Garchomp…!" Ash commended, practically choking back tears of joy.
That pride was shared. Brock could only smile at the scene. As a gym leader, one's job wasn't simply to win, but to test a challenger's mettle, and even help them grow when the opportunity presented itself. This time, he had far more opportunity to offer that service than the last.
Meanwhile, all of Brock's family was going wild. Even Flint stood up, whooping and hollering. Being the first gym in the region, it was rare that they saw a final evolution like this unless it was a Butterfree or such. Likewise, Dawn was screaming, congratulating Ash and Garchomp alike. Piplup even let out a little spout of water in celebration.
"Alright, Garchomp, let's use…!"
Ash's command was interrupted, a rushing, furious blue aura surrounding Garchomp's body. Roaring loudly, it jumped into the air above the battlefield, quickly streamlining its form. Plummeting like a missile, it smashed into Steelix with amazing force, enough to send the giant pokemon reeling, even with the handicap of type.
"That was a Dragon Rush," Brock announced aloud. Even he was in awe. "One of a Dragon type pokemon's most fierce attacks. Garchomp must be real determined to win on your behalf, Ash."
Hearing his pokedex go off, Ash drew the small gadget, which displayed Garchomp's unusually long list of moves. Dig had been forgotten in favor of the new move. Not a limit worth worrying about, really. "You're really amazing…! Alright, let's use Dual Chop, again!"
Once more taking to the air, showing off its new aerial mobility, Garchomp struck at Steelix with dual glowing scythes, crossing its path with a clean, stealthy strike.
"Use Iron tail, again!" Brock called. It looked like this match would soon be coming to a close.
Steelix roared, swinging around its tail toward its adversary.
"Dodge it!" Ash shouted.
With remarkable speed and aerial prowess, the dragon swooped under one attack, and then the next, proving itself a great deal faster than its giant opponent.
"Alright, now use Draco Meteor!"
Two clawed fins raised above the pokemon's head, focusing the draconian energy within Garchomp's core. Mastery of the move achieved long ago pushed it past its throat, firing the orb high into the air. Teeming with life even above Steelix, it was bound to burst.
"Steelix, use Dig to get underground!"
The large Iron Snake did just that, tunneling just in time to avoid the fallout. Brutal meteoric shots pummeled the battlefield, creating even more rubble than its design had originally intended.
"Now, attack it!" Brock ordered. If there were any time to strike, it was now.
Steelix shot out of the ground, ready to deal a finishing blow.
Ash, however, had other plans. "Use Dual Chop, right now! Hit it right back!"
The Mach pokemon cried, slamming both of its fins into Steelix's forehead in a downward motion. Functioning much like an X-Scissor, it pressed down upon the foe with all of its might.
The clash resulted in a stalemate, allowing Garchomp to bound back, and Steelix to emerge.
Both pokemon were panting by now, clearly exhausted. Even the adrenaline rush of evolution had to run low for Garchomp sometime, and Steelix, hardy as he was, had already fought several battles already. Of course, that didn't extinguish their will to win.
Their trainers, likewise, were equally invested. Ash's fists had balled up painfully tight, a wide smirk spanning across his features. This was the kind of battle he'd been looking for; one that pushed both him and his opponent to their limits. On top of that, a friendly score that was long overdue for a conclusion. Truthfully, he almost felt like he was ten years old again, trying to win his first badge.
Brock, meanwhile, had abandoned his more characteristic, tender demeanor for the moment. The nostalgia flooded him, too; for days long gone, where they were all young and naive, to one extent or another. He'd been watching his life change rapidly, over recent months, and he was also watching one of his best friends grow up right before his eyes. This must have been a sort of initiation, in some weird way.
"Let's finish this, Garchomp! Use Dragon Rush!" Ash shouted, punching towards the ceiling.
The same angry veil surrounded the Mach pokemon once more, its powerful legs launching it towards Steelix.
"Dodge it, Steelix!" Brock knew that was its only hope.
It proved fruitless, however. The monumental speed brought on by evolution allowed Garchomp to crash into Steelix's jaw, quickly disorienting it after quite the uncomfortable collision.
Brock did his best to salvage the situation. "Use Dragonbreath!"
"Flamethrower!" Ash grinned as he called his last command.
Speed won out over sturdiness, and a multicolored stream of heat followed, pulverizing Steelix.
The fire soon faded, granting Steelix the mercy of falling to the ground with a booming thud.
With swirls in its eyes, the Iron Snake had fallen unconscious.
At once, the stadium exploded into noise. Lola had to yell to tell the younger children not to run down while Flint kept telling Forrest to go ahead and call the match. Salvadore tried to point out there was no way anyone would be able to hear over the younger kids while Dawn was hooping for Ash's sake.
Eventually, Forrest did manage to call the match. "Victory goes to Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" With that declared, the stands were emptied, everyone coming rushing down to greet the brawlers. Forrest took this time to sass a little. "And, Brock got his butt kicked."
"That was a close match, thank you very much," Brock retorted. Forrest was going through his rebellious phase. Dealings with his brother aside, Brock returned the pokemon before going over to shake Ash's hand. "You've really improved a lot. Congrats."
"Hey, it was really up in the air. If Garchomp hadn't evolved, I dunno if I woulda pulled through!" Ash admitted, walking up to pat the Mach Pokemon atop the head after shaking hands with his friend. "Thanks a lot. You were really awesome out there!" The Pokemon let out a happy cry… Before latching its mouth onto Ash's arm. The trainer let out a yelp, managing a smile through gritted teeth. Ignore the lone tear of pain in his eye. He was fine. He'd grown used enough to this from Gible… Though Garchomp's stronger jaws didn't help. "…Yup! Totally awesome!"
"Some things never change." Joining the crowd leaving the stands to go down and properly mingle with the brawlers, Dawn only chuckled. Cindy held one of her hands while she used the other to keep ahold of Piplup. As they arrived on the floor, Dawn greeted Ash with a friendly brush-bump of their shoulders. She would have pet Garchomp as well, but her hands were currently preoccupied.
He turned to smile up at Brock, nodding to the former Gym Leader. "Thanks, Brock! This one, I know I earned! You were pretty amazing yourself!" It really showed; Brock kept up with Ash, who'd been training constantly since they last parted. Even if he'd quit his job, he was certainly fit to test promising trainers if need be.
"Heh, thanks, man. You two are headed to Cerulean next, huh?" Brock double checked.
"After the local contest, yeah," Dawn agreed before thinking about it as she had caught the tail end of what Brock was saying. If she remembered right, it was Mt. Moon, then Cerulean, and… well, no, she had no idea about after that. She knew Celadon City was somewhere in Kanto, but she was pretty much lost other than that. "Right, Ash?"
"Yeah, that's right! We're heading for the contest near Tohjo Falls, where May competed that one time. After that, it's off to so I can go battle Misty!" Another challenge soon to come - and another reunion. Surely just as eventful as this one, Ash would bet.
"Oh, yeah! That's the place." Nodding, Brock took note of the time. "You two wanna stay for an early dinner? I can't promise it'll be quiet, but—"
The youngsters began yelling. "Please!" "Ash, you gotta stay! Brock can cook a lot, and I can help!" "Dawn, we just met you! Stick around!" "We're quesadillas, and, and, mac'n'cheese, and, and, Mom made brownies!" Clearly, they knew their targets. "Pleeaaaase!"
"Well, I've got to practice after…" Dawn explained, touched by how attached the kids were already. "I'm okay with it." It was a two person decision, though.
"Hey, sounds great to me! Been ages since I've had your cooking, too!" Ash chimed without a second thought. He hadn't expected it, but it was a treat he wouldn't even consider turning down! "Hah, alright, guys! We're staying! No need to worry!" Ash reassured the children crowding around. Such an energetic bunch. He turned to Dawn, not even catching that he'd used her catchphrase. "We could practice along the way! We've still got a few days, right?"
The bluenette smirked. "Yeah. We can."
"Sounds good to me!" Ash waved off his friend, turning to the remaining three. "By time we reach the hall, you'll be more than ready!" He assured Dawn. Though, she'd probably trained enough by now to be ready even without that practice.
"Yay!" With that, the majority of the kids began rushing towards the house.
Brock let out a happy sigh. "Thanks. I guess I'll head in to make sure everything's actually prepared and ready. Wait, hey, Salvadore, come here!"
"Hm?" the boy asked, coming back.
"Could you do me a favor and take my and Ash's pokeballs to the gym's healing machine?" Brock politely asked. After his little brother collected the pokemon who had been used in the match, Brock explained. "We're not normally supposed to let challengers use our personal, in-house medical equipment… But, you're a special exception. Plus, I'm just about certified as a doctor and this is faster than walking back to the center."
With that, Brock did walk towards the house, leaving just Forrest, Cindy, Dawn, and Ash in the gym.
"C'mon. I could actually go for a quesadilla," Dawn said to Cindy, taking the girl's hand. The young girl twirled their hands together, pleased her new idol was staying for an early evening meal.
As he headed in as well, Forrest looked back at Ash. The youth had been so busy, between being a gym leader and helping his siblings, that he had never had a chance to go out journeying. "You know, you… Aw, never mind, man. Let's eat." Admiration was clear on the second oldest son's face, but he wasn't quite ready to admit it so openly.
"I'm down for that!" Ash quickly agreed, about to head forward when Forrest called to him, stopping the trainer in his tracks. "Huh…? You sure? Well, alright." Ash tilted his head before following along. Clearly he had something to say to Ash and he did seem to look up to him… But, he could only guess it was up to the younger sibling whether he wanted to speak his mind or not.
Headed into the house, Forrest awkwardly walked beside Ash. How could he casually bring up the fact he think a dude is cool and that he kind of wanted be like him without coming off weird?
To Ash, it would just be flattering. But, he remained ignorant to the boy's thoughts and headed on with nothing but an empty stomach in mind. Oh, and his victory. He was still pretty proud of that.
Within the house, the entire family struggled to get settled down for a meal. The pokemon were having their own hectic feeding frenzy outside. Several tiers for the smallest pokemon were set up out of reach of the largest—naturally, Mamoswine was (once again) kept from being a destructive turd by Steelix, who had quickly recovered under Brock's knowledgeable hand. But, the real excitement was inside the house.
Squished between Ash and Cindy, Dawn couldn't help but feel out of place. "… It's lively." The chaos was simply too much for someone who was an only child. Once they were done with lunch, Dawn would be all too glad to leave.
"Always is!" Ash said, anticipation on the rise as the last of the meal was put down on the table. "But hey, you know it's gonna be worth it!" Needless to say, that was because of Brock's cooking.
When the matriarch of the family sat down, she let out a delighted hum. "Aw, Flint. Seeing traveling trainers makes me wanna pack up and hit the road again, too."
"Traveling really is the best situation for a young person," the patriarch agreed. "It's very enriching, culturally, mentally, and socially!" The former rogue grinned and took his wife's hand. "Doesn't hurt when you've got cute company, too."
Lola giggled in response, while the children save the three oldest responded with a chorus of "not at the table", "gross", and "Mom. Dad. No."
Several of the youngest children decided the parental PDA was a sign for them to scarf down their meals and ditch. This left the few oldest members of Brock's family at the table, along with their guests.
"Don't even think about it," Brock mumbled over his mac'n'cheese.
Ash flashed Brock a sympathetic smile, remembering the family conflict over sticking around quite well from the past. Hell, when he'd first met Flint he was a runaway from home. Come to think of it, had Ash ever told Brock about that experience?
Dawn perked up at the mention, though. "Oh? You still travel?"
"Up until a few years ago, yes!" Lola happily chirped. "I think it was actually when Ash and Brock first met that Flint came home. I came home after, a bit later." She chuckled and nodded. "Don't get me wrong, family life's nice, but enjoy roaming as much as you can!"
The coordinator chuckled before cutting a piece of her quesadilla and holding it up. "Yup! There's lots of places left to see!" Turning to Ash, she grinned. "I've got a top coordinator position to get, and I know this one's got a certain mastery to achieve."
He returned to stuffing his face regardless. "Yup, that's right!" Ash raised a fork's worth of macaroni in a similar fashion… Taking dramatic flair to a whole new weird level. "We're gonna travel the region and be the best there is!" After announcing his plans for victory, he scarfed down the fork-full in one big bite. "I really started to miss traveling, during my special training. Working hard on your own gets results, but it's pretty lonely." He had to admit that much. "So it's definitely good to be back!"
Now that he thought about it, giving it up sounded kind of frightening. Oh well. He and Dawn were both still young. There was still plenty to do! Chances were, whether he won the Indigo League or not, he could just head over to Unova like Professor Oak had originally suggested.
"It is pretty ideal, yeah." Finished with her meal, Dawn stood with her plate. "Thanks, Brock, Ms. Lola. I'll excuse myself, now."
"Glad to have you, dear," Lola answered.
Brock, realizing the only people who might have a clue as to what he was about to say implication wise probably only amounted to Forrest if the boy could stop trying to mimic Ash in the how-much-food-have-I-put-away-department, grinned and leaned over. "Lonely, huh?"
Confusion washed over Ash at first. "Well, you try training in a mountain on your own for a few months in a row!" Wait, mountain, on his own… Ash's eyes trailed after where Dawn had gone. He thought over it, recalling what Team Rocket had said. The confusion deepened and he suddenly realized he didn't want to wrestle with this right now. That was edging on thoughts he hadn't bothered with in a while, and somehow, the struggle of trying to figure out if he felt how Brock was implying…
It wasn't worth it right now. Maybe later. Still, having Dawn's company was definitely a pleasure; it was no secret that they just clicked and functioned well together, feeding off one another's positivity. He had a whole journey to figure out his feelings, though, if he even had any.
Realizing Ash had been embarrassed and had only been confused, Brock tried to move on. "Mm, no thanks. I've got my hands full enough with the 'horde' and school, plus work-study… ugh." Leaning back in his chair, Brock shook his head. "Let me tell you, Ash, you made the right choice; keep aiming for pokemon master, or at least something that won't take you back to school. I forgot how excited I was when I turned ten and got that license."
"It's really rough, huh?" Ash offered a sympathetic frown. The thought of studying seriously was unthinkable of him. "You can count on it. Remember how I was at the summer camp? At school, I'm ten times worse." Memories of falling asleep in class came to mind; his saving grace had been the events in the caverns. Without them, he probably wouldn't have done so well. "But hey, I know it'll pay off. Once you get your license and all that, maybe you'll have a lil' more freedom to do what you want! Plus, everyone knows you're gonna do great at it." Even as a breeder, he seemed very in-tune with a Pokemon's traits and needs. Obviously a necessary skill, but it was a very impressive one.
"That's true…" Once he was certified, it was smooth sailing—just a lot of Nurse Joys, some technical operations, and maybe an emergency call every now and then. He. Just. Had. To make it. "Thanks, buddy."
"Hey, don't sweat it! Just some more work and you'll be a doctor in no time!" He would have made a joking mention of the Nurse Joy's - were Brock's parents not at the table. Even Ash had more sense than that.
The light show was enough to bring Ash's attention to the window, where some commotion could be seen. Outside, a small show was being put on for the kids as a sort of training for Dawn's pokemon.
"Hold it, hold it…!" Dawn ordered.
Quilava's flames burned lower and brighter as she tensed, waiting for the signal to bolt. It was a new move she was working on, and if all went according to plan, it would end very well. Soon, black smoke began to pour for the low, almost invisible white flames along the ridge of Quilava's back.
"Now! Use Swift and Smokescreen!"
The Quilava burst forth, her flames leaping up as she ran. They faded from white to green to yellow to orange and finally red as the intense black cloud of smoke wafted up from behind the running beast. The starry Swift emitted from her maw trailed up behind her and danced among the smoke…
But, the fire type ended up panting at the end, clearly worn out. Also, everyone present was coughing a bit, waving away the gathered smoke from their breathing space.
Happy to be of assistance, Togekiss quickly began flapping to clear the air, along with several other of the winged pokemon.
"Sorry, guys," Dawn apologized. Well, the Star-Screen move definitely needed some work.
The teen rushed to check out what he'd seen, being greeted with Dawn's impressive early attempt at an appeal. The rest of the Pewter gym clan remained inside while Ash went to go investigate. Brock and Lola to clean; Flint and Forrest because they were helping whether they liked it or not.
"Hey, look at that!" Ash marveled, watching as the move sadly came to an end. "You've got some work to do, but that looked like a pretty cool appeal! Practicing early, huh?"
"Huh? You saw that?" With the smoke finally clearing, she could spot Ash exiting the house. "I'm probably going to have to use that in a double battle," she realized. That, or an extremely well ventilated area. "What do you think, Ash?" If there was a good sounding board for this sort of thing, it was him.
Cindy let out a squeal, figuring it was okay if she gushed to Ash about what literally everyone had just seen. "D'ja see the stars?!"
"Sure did!" Ash said to Cindy. Then, his attention turned to Dawn. "I think you just need more practice. Using two moves at once is really tiring - I learned that when I was making a few of my own during training! It takes some time for your Pokemon to get used to them, and even, then you have to watch your timing."
Thinking the appeal over just a tad more, he added on. "Also, it'd help if Quilava could control the smoke a little more. Maybe Togekiss could wind it around somehow? If she could control it, that'd look cool too!" It didn't know any moves like Gust, so that would be tricky, but it was a thought. "Still, the colored flames were the coolest! Maybe you could mix that into another attack somehow! That'd really blow people away!"
"I was actually thinking of that! But, yeah, Togekiss has to learn more moves, anyway, so I'll try and figure out something." As Quilava waddled back over to Dawn, the girl crouched to dote on the hard-working fire type. "It's actually something I picked up while I was in Hoenn! Apparently, different temperatures get a different color. It takes more energy for her to get a nice color going, but you saw how the visuals end up." Putting a hand under her chin, she mulled it over. "Maybe combining a Flamethrower and a Discharge would work? It would super-heat it…"
"Well what do ya know? I guess that explains Infernape's Flare Blitz, doesn't it?" Now that he thought about it - he wondered if any of the other fire starters could learn Flare Blitz. Maybe Charizard, or Typhlosion himself? Which would mean Quilava could, too. "Hey, that's a cool idea! It'd change colors and have electricity goin' for it! Quilava and Pachirisu… That's a new pair." Ash began to consider the duo himself, trying to put together some other way to combine them. After all, a one-trick Ponyta wouldn't win a contest. "…Hey, can't Pachirisu learn some kind of rolling move? It could team up with Quilava!" As well as just looking cool, it'd make for quite the battle combination, he would bet.
"You know, I'm not really sure. I guess I'll have to check into that!" Hm, she would have to go with something tried and true for this contest, polish it up, but that could come in handy, later on!
"That's just as awesome! But I was thinking of something like Quilava's Flame Wheel - if she could somehow pull off an electric type version, think how that'd look!"
These two were just an endless well full of ideas today.
Hoping in place excitedly, the girl chattered. "Ah, this'll be great~! Thanks, Ash!" Returning everyone save Piplup, she then picked him up. "I guess it's time to head out, huh?"
"Hey, no problem! Happy to help!" Ash followed her lead, returning all of his Pokemon, sans Pikachu and Rosa. The former climbed up on his shoulder and the latter jumped into his arms. "Yeah, guess so."
While the pokenerds, ahem, dedicated trainers discussed strategies, the children listened in closely. They were already leaving quite the impression.
"Are we gonna see you on TV in the contest?!" "What about you, Ash!? You're not challenging the gyms… but you're still doing the league tournament, right?" the children demanded.
He nodded, turning to the children with a wide smile. "Dawn's definitely gonna be on TV! And me? You bet! This year's Indigo League. Stay tuned and you'll see me win the whole thing!" The teen flashed a thumbs up, thoroughly confident in his chances at victory.
The children burst out into a round of cheers. "Oh, if I'm out of school, I'll come watch!" "We'll definitely watch on TV, Ash!" "You better sign something for me once you do!" "Heh, our friends are on TV~!"
"Aw! We'll definitely do our best to not let you guys down!" Dawn promised, a bit weak for the mass of Flint-lookalikes. However, it was now time go, so farewells had to be said. "Bye, guys~! Take care!" Dawn took her rightful place at Ash's side, Piplup waving a flipper at the children.
"Hah, we'll be sure to sign something for ya!" Ash assured them. "Yup! You heard it straight from Dawn. We'll definitely give you guys a good show!" He waved to the children, and Brock as well through the window, who had apparently looked out long enough to see them off. Pikachu waved as well, chirping happily to the group before they finally made their way west towards the next route.
Dawn looked up at her taller companion. "What was that about an electric style Flame Wheel you were saying, though?" The game face was back on.
"Well, I kind of had an idea when I was trying to think of how Quilava and Pachirisu could work together. Pachirisu looks like a pokemon who could roll… What if she learned Rollout? She could try and combine that with Spark to get something close to Flame Wheel!"
The two continued to chat as they left Pewter behind.
