Chapter 44
It had been a month since Ash and Brock had left Grampa Canyon, and even longer since Ash had been to the Fuchsia Gym and won the Soul Badge from Koga. And the wait was completely his fault for losing track of time on his journey. However, this city was their last stop before a ferry that would take them straight to Cinnabar Island, but they wouldn't make it until after the ferry left, so they decided to stay in the city for the time being. Thankfully, the large city seemed to have plenty to do despite not having a Pokémon Center, so for now, the pair waited in the town square underneath the shade of a tree while they decided on what to do next.
A loud broadcasting TV on a skyscraper nearby was their only source of entertainment, though they listened to it mindlessly while they gathered their bearings. The pair finally started to pay attention when the weather came on. "Now, a Pokémon Weather Update! Our area will remain clear and sunny today with highs in the upper 70's!"
"Sounds like good weather!" Ash commented with a smile as he glanced up at the large screen. The weather girl dipped her head in thanks, and the screen flashed over to a commercial that immediately caught his attention.
"Pokemon love power!" The image of a young woman with bright orange hair that came down in two pigtails behind her head and past her coat appeared on the screen. "Find it at our Five-Star Breeding Center! Where every Pokémon is treated like a loved one!" She gestured behind her and an image of a Charmander appeared beside her. "This guest evolved into a Charmeleon-" The Charmander glowed white and then changed into a darker red Pokémon with a single spike on its head, "and then into a Charizard in just a few short days!" As it had before, the new Pokémon flashed white and turned into an orange Pokémon with great wings. "At the Five-Star Breeding Center, a little pampering goes a long way. Let our experts provide your Pokémon with our love and care. So why go through all the fuss when you can bring your Pokémon to us?" The girl closed in on the camera and winked as the commercial ended.
"What's that?" Ash asked.
"Looks like somebody just opened up a new breeding center," Brock answered as he stood.
"Breeding center?"
"They're a place that raise Pokémon for those who can't raise them themselves," the Pokémon Breeder elaborated. "I've heard that even some breeding centers can help your Pokémon evolve."
"Wow! Let's check it out!" Ash suggested, and since they had nothing else going on, Brock didn't disagree.
While the city was large, it was easy to find the Five-Star Breeding Center because of all the people that had gathered in front of it. Each one of them were young kids that were Ash's age and younger that each held a Pokémon in their arms and eager looks on their faces. Standing on an elevated platform just in front of the storefront was the orange haired woman who had been on the TV commercial promoting her business, and she smiled happily down at the young children.
"There's no need to push! We have plenty of room left in our luxuries suite! We guarantee your Pokémon will soon be like new, and some might even evolve!" As they approached and got a closer look, Brock stomped ahead and puffed out his nose as his eyes fell upon her. She had yet to notice them, and only looked at the small boy in front of her, holding out his Sandshrew. She was bent over and smiling a lipstick-painted smile warmly onto the pair. "Do you know why we're so popular?" she asked the boy, and scooped up his Sandshrew into her arms. "It's because we believe in love! We feel every Pokémon is lovable! We believe in Pokémon love power!"
"Love powah!" her assistant beside her added. He had short turquoise hair and a matching uniform as her, and both of them raised a fist in the air, which resulted in a small cheer from their audience.
"Love... power..." Brock moaned shakily.
"What are you thinking, Brock?" Ash asked him, but his traveling companion just stared at the beautiful woman in a daze.
"I'm thinking... I want her to show me her love power..."
"No, Brock, I mean, are you gonna give them one of your Pokémon?" Ash elaborated. Brock didn't respond, and as the woman and her assistant opened the doors behind them and let the young Pokémon Trainers go inside, Brock seemed to snap out of his stupor and cleared his throat.
"No, I'm not. I'm a Pokémon Breeder, and I wouldn't be a very good one if I let someone else raise one of my Pokémon," he returned.
"Not even your Psyduck? That thing is a headache and a half."
"Nah, I caught Psyduck and I plan on working with it myself," Brock said with a smile, and turned away. "C'mon, let's go find something to eat; I'm starving." At this suggestion, Ash grinned.
"Now you're speaking my language!"
o 0 o
They didn't have to travel very far before they found a restaurant, but it was mostly the poster that was on the door that caught their eye. It was a poster that featured an omelet and above it read 'ALL U CAN EAT FREE!'. Ash looked closely at it to see if there were any catches. "It can't really be free, can it?" he questioned. Suddenly, he jumped back in surprise and cried out when the door suddenly opened, and a burly-looking chef with a mustache appeared on the other side and gave them a big grin.
"Yup! The whole meal's free on one condition!"
"What's the condition?" Ash and Brock asked this at the same time.
"Well, just show me my favorite Pokémon, and I'll treat you to all the food you can eat! Plus all the desserts you can eat, too!"
"Yeah!" Ash replied excitedly, and both of their smiles lit up. Between the two of them, there had to be a Pokémon the chef really liked. He was thinking with his empty stomach at this point, and threw out all of his Poké Balls. "Okay! Come out, everybody!" There were six flashes of light in front of him, and they all formed into each of Ash's Pokémon, and they all appeared one after the other.
"Wartortle!"
"Bulba!"
"Pigeeoooo!"
"Moooo!"
"Chaarr!"
"Mankee-ee!"
The chef's eyes looked at each one of Ash's Pokémon, and they all looked on in anticipation. But the man put his nose in the air and shook his head. "None of these."
"Maybe your favorite's Onix! Or Geodude! Or Zubat! Or maybe... it's Vulpix!" There was a single flash of light behind Ash, and when the boy turned around, Brock was holding his prized Pokémon in his arms, but the chef shook his head without even looking at Brock's Vulpix.
"Well, the only other Pokémon that he hasn't seen is Psyduck, but I doubt it's that du-" Ash began, but was soon cut off by the older man.
"You folks have a Psyduck?!" he asked excitedly. "Psyduck is my favorite Pokémon!" Ash and Brock stumbled to the ground at the declaration, but quickly got back up. "I think Psyduck is the greatest thing since the invention of the microwave oven! I'm such a big fan that whenever a customer brings in a Psyduck, I let them eat for free!"
"Well, lucky for you..." Brock stated, pulling out Psyduck's Poké Ball. "I just so happen to have a Psyduck!" He threw the Poké Ball, and the ball opened and released the light inside that eventually formed into the yellow Duck Pokémon.
"Psy?" the Water-type stated. It wasn't used to being called upon voluntarily. Upon seeing the yellow Pokémon, the chef grinned from ear to ear and scooped up Brock's Pokémon in his arms.
"Yes! This is it! My favorite Pokémon! If you bring this cute little Psyduck to visit my restaurant, then you can eat all you want on me!" Ash and Brock exchanged greedy, hungry grins, and their bellies seemed to flip in their bodies for joy. It was about time Psyduck pulled its weight!
o 0 o
Finally, the day had come. The salt-filled wind caressed his hair as they traveled over the ocean on the ferry that would take them to Cinnabar Island. The sea spray glossed his face, but he hardly paid any attention to it as he felt the excitement burning in his chest. His next Gym battle was within reach. "Cinnabar Island has an awesome volcano," Brock told him as they looked out into the blue ocean. "Best of all, its Pokémon Research Laboratory is one of the best in the world! Trainers come from all over to learn the latest Pokémon techniques."
"I'm heading straight to the Cinnabar Gym," Ash stated with a smirk on his face. "And my next Badge..." His glossy, reminiscing eyes soon became focused once again when he heard a familiar voice coming from the main part of the deck of the ship.
"Don't worry, girls! You'll all get a chance to take a picture with me." Ash turned his head just in time to see a boy around his age surrounded by a bunch of girls in bathing suits. The boy wore a large straw sunhat and most of his face was covered by black sunglasses, but as the crowd walked by with the boy in the pink aloha shirt in the lead, but he stopped when he saw Ash and smirked. "Hey, look." He took off his glasses, and instantly, Ash recognized him as his rival from Pallet Town. "Who let this loser on the boat?"
"Gary?" Ash asked as he blinked in confusion. Gary only smirked and replaced his sunglasses back on his face.
"Not that my life is any of your business, but yes," the auburn-haired boy replied. "C'mon girls, let's get out of here before I catch some of that loser-itis." The cheerleaders all stuck their nose up at Ash and continued following him toward the main deck area. Was Gary looking to compete for the Volcano Badge as well?
Curious to find out, Ash and Brock followed the prodigy Trainer there, and it was then that they realized how many people were actually on board. The cruise liner itself was fancy, and tickets weren't exactly cheap, but it seemed to have been the only way that they could get to Cinnabar Island. But now that they were on the deck, they could see why. There was a huge swimming pool on one side complete with a diving board, and on the other, there were games and tables and lots of areas where you could get your photo taken for a price. The sheer crowd itself was enough to intimidate Ash, and he began to feel nerves prickle at his chest.
"Gee, there sure are a lot of people on this boat..." he moaned, watching as a group got their photos taken together with big, exaggerated smiles. "And I bet all of them are Pokémon Trainers!"
"Trainers? You don't have a clue; as usual," Gary's snarky voice interrupted his thoughts, and he turned around to see his rival lounging on a chair beside his cheerleaders. "Pokémon Trainers haven't gone to Cinnabar Island since my grandfather's days as a Trainer. These people are all tourists! Cinnabar Island's a resort."
Ash's shoulders dropped at the news, to the point that he almost fell over. "I-it's a resort?!" But he had spent so much time traveling to get here!
"I've earned so many Badges already, I'm taking a break to work on my tan," Gary gloated through half-closed eyes.
"He's so coool!" his cheerleaders added with folded hands laying on their cheek.
"A real Trainer never takes a break!" Ash shot back. "So while you're tanning, I'll be at the Gym winning a Badge." Gary didn't seem too upset though, and simply smiled back at the black-haired boy.
"Cinnabar Island doesn't even have a Pokémon Gym!"
"Gary knows it all!" his cheerleaders sang while wagging their hand in front of their face. Ignoring them, Ash reeled back at Gary's words instead.
"What d'ya mean?! It's gotta have a Gym..."
"Well, you can believe what you want to," his rival responded with a cocked eyebrow. "But you'll see for yourself. You're wasting your time."
Ash tried not to look too into Gary's words – he could have just been trying to deter Ash from getting his hopes up. Either way, Ash pouted and glared at him through the corner of one of his eyes. "We'll see who's wasting time..."
o 0 o
Much later in the day, Cinnabar Island was within sight. The huge volcano seemed to stick out like a sore thumb amongst the blue that surrounded it, and amongst the other islands around the area as well. And, thanks to Gary, all the excitement that had been pushing Ash forward had been crushed and now nerves gripped his heart. What if he had traveled all this way for nothing, and his dry streak would continue? He was already far behind Gary – he couldn't afford to be behind any more.
These thoughts plagued him and kept him quiet for the rest of the trip. Brock seemed to notice this as well, and knew how much seeing Gary affected Ash to begin with, so he kept his distance and only offered words of encouragement. When the boat ported and everyone disembarked, the anxieties in his body didn't quell, and as they looked around just from the pier, they weren't going away any time soon. "Maybe Gary was right..." Ash said with a frown. There were shops and booths everywhere that sold Cinnabar Island gifts and all sorts of nick-knacks that could be found in any gift shop on display. On top of the many people here in smart but casual clothes, this area just screamed tourist trap.
"Might as well look around," Brock suggested. Since they were already here, they should at least take a look. Determined to find the Gym, the two boys ventured into the city. They passed by food shops, open shops with large displays, and so many picture spots that it would make anyone's head spin. But that seemed to be about it down every road they headed down. "No sign of a Pokémon Gym, but there sure are a lot of tourists around here. There's so many nice islands; I wonder why this one became so popular?"
A man with a bright red shirt stood in front of them looking out at the tourists, and when Brock spoke, the man looked in his direction and answered his query – though it was mostly rhetorical. "The answer is a riddle: what do tourists think is hot, and cool?" The pair were thrown off by the hippie's input, and Ash blinked for a moment before smiling and raising a finger knowingly.
"I know the answer to that one! If you lie down in front of an open refrigerator, and you wrap yourself in an electric blanket, you'll be hot and cool at the same time! Right?"
"Totally... wrong," the hippie man replied, though his expression could hardly be seen behind his circular sunglasses and his thick brown mustache that matched his long brown hair.
"Hmm, I don't know the answer to that one..." Brock murmured, rubbing his chin with his thumb, and the man chuckled back.
"Well, since it's your first riddle, I'll give you the answer to just this one. The answer is hot springs." Ash wasn't quite sure, but then Brock pieced it together with a smile.
"Oh! Hot springs are hot, and tourists think they're cool!"
"That's right," he nodded. "You see kids, because of the volcano, there are lots of hot springs here on Cinnabar Island. And every year, more and more tourists come to visit." Strangely enough, the man frowned. "Now they've even taken over Cinnabar Island; Trainers don't come anymore." The man fell to his knees dramatically and raised a hand high into the air as if calling out to some higher being. "TOURISTS! They've ruined the island!" Ash ignored the man's qualms and instead asked a question of his own.
"Is the Pokémon Gym still here? I have to earn that Volcano Badge." At the mention, the man's head turned and he looked at Ash through the corners of his eyes.
"Blaine's Gym is right where you put your glasses," he stated. The wheels in Ash's head turned, and he pressed a finger to his temple as he thought about the answer.
"Uhh... glasses..."
"That's a tricky one..." Brock murmured as he crossed his arms. "On your nose... In front of your face..."
"That's the correct answer!" the man exclaimed, pointing at Brock, who seemed thrown off that he accidentally stumbled across the answer. "Or, more closely, right in front of your eyes!" They followed as his finger moved from Brock to a spot at the end of the road where they had been walking before stopped by the man. Ash's mouth dropped at the sight. There was a building that stood out among the rest – it was falling apart and leaning on its supports. The fence that lined its property was falling apart, and it looked borderline dangerous. It was clear the building was abandoned from both that and the lack of attention it seemed it had received.
"That's it?" the Pokémon Breeder questioned with his eyebrow cocked.
"Blaine got tired of battling tourists who cared more about postcards and t-shirts than about Pokémon. That's when he abandoned the Gym."
"But I'm not some stupid tourist! I'm a real Trainer!" Ash spat angrily. "I came all the way out to this island just so I could battle for my Volcano Badge!"
"I'm afraid you came to the wrong place, my friend," the hippie replied casually, and reached into his pocket. "Here's my card. If you need anything." Ash took the business card from the man, and Brock peered over his traveling companion's shoulder as the younger boy read the card aloud.
"'The Big Riddle Inn'," he read, and when they looked up, Brock gasped.
"He's gone!" The man had completely disappeared from sight, just leaving them standing there at the abandoned Gym. "I wonder how he disappeared like that."
"He sure was weird," Ash commented. Pocketing the business card, they looked up and saw that the sun was starting to go down. It had practically taken them all day to ride the ferry here, and they continued walking down the road. "Well, even if it's full of tourists, we oughta check out that lab."
"It can't be that bad," Brock agreed, and they headed out towards the other side of the island where the lab was located according to Brock's guidebook. The Pokémon Breeder was soon eating his words when they finally came across the lab, and they both froze in mid-step. The whole lane leading up the lab had booths on either side selling various merchandise, and patrons were coming in and out with packages and shopping bags in their hands and under their arms.
"Ugh! It's just a bunch of souvenir stands!" the black-haired Trainer groaned in exasperation. Brock agreed by running a hand through his brown spikes in annoyance as well.
"Looks like the Pokémon Lab's just another tourist attraction." Before anything else could be said, a loud grumble that could be heard even through the commotion of the tourists around them sounded, and Ash's face blushed red and he wrapped his arms around his torso with a bashful grin.
"Whoops! Guess all this disappointment's making me hungry..."
"Then let's call it a day. Let's check out the Pokémon Center," Brock suggested, and his friend nodded.
"Let's go!"
o 0 o
They finally arrived at the Pokémon Center when the sun had gone down, and they were immediately struck by all the people that were crowded inside. Even though it was a big center, it seemed packed to the brim. Pulling their eyes away from the crowds of people that littered the area, they approached the front counter and rang the bell for assistance. After some time, Nurse Joy appeared.
"Hi! We'd like to rent a room for the night, please," Ash said to her, but the normally-friendly nurse frowned and leaned against the counter.
"I'm sorry, but we've got so many visitors, they're even sleeping in the lobby," she replied. Now that she said that, when Ash turned and looked at the people once again, he noticed that they were all wrapped in blankets. Most of them were sleeping sitting up or the lucky ones were lying on a couch, while others sat on the floor. "It's the busy season. We simply don't have any room!" As seeming to keep with the theme of their trip so far, Ash and Brock left with disappointment heavy on their shoulders.
"I think we were the only ones in that center who actually have Pokémon.," Brock complained with his arms crossed across his chest. Ash stayed quiet with his hands in the pocket of his jeans as they walked away from the center, but smiled when he saw a hotel up ahead.
"Hey, look! I bet we can get a room there!"
But, when they entered the front lobby and asked for a room, the woman in a kimono frowned and shook her head. "You've got to be joking! We haven't had a room in weeks!"
And with as many hotels as there were on the island that they tried, the answer always seemed to be the same.
"No rooms in this hotel! We're booked up for a year!"
"Try coming back late next summer."
"Or maybe in the fall."
"Uh, sorry; nothing here..."
"Have you tried the hotel across the street?"
"Sorry, no vacancies."
Their heads hung in rejection as they traveled around from the last hotel they checked. The stars were twinkling at this point, and though they were exhausted from running around the island, Ash was mostly thinking with his stomach. "Oh, I'm so hungry I could eat a Horsea..."
They could hear the soft noise of a string instrument humming a tune from inside the hotel, but what really grabbed Ash's attention was the smell of food that was so powerful it seemed to grab him by the nostrils. "I've had it. Let's just find a spot to camp out," Brock stated, not yet realizing that Ash was walking away from him and straying from the path.
"Hey, that smells good..." Ash moaned like a zombie and it was then that Brock noticed his friend walking onto the hotel grounds and through the grass.
"H-hey Ash, where're you going?!" Brock protested, but Ash ignored him and continued to walk toward what looked like an entertainment room, and as he did, he could see shadows through the paper screens from the lights inside, and the sound of music got louder. "Ash! Forget it!"
"It's not fair. They're having a banquet in there!" Ash's stomach growled once again, even louder than he spoke, and suddenly, one of the figures in the room stood up and grew larger as it walked closer to the door. The screen slid open, and on the other side, Gary was there wearing a fancy gray kimono. "Gary?!"
"I thought I heard something out here..." Gary murmured, and his eyes blinked as he adjusted to the darkness, but when his vision fell upon Ash and Brock, his trademark smirk danced across his face once again. "Hey, look! It's the sucker squad! So, what hotel are 'ya staying at?"
"Uh... we're camping out!" Ash said with a false confidence, but Gary wasn't shaken and stuck his nose in the air.
"Too bad you don't have a place like this. Take a look." He stepped to the side and gestured behind him. The cheerleaders that normally accompanied Gary throughout his journey were also dressed in matching kimonos, and beside them sat an Electabuzz and a Hitmonlee. Each of them wore a kimono as well, and wore black wigs as they held sanshin instruments and they plucked the strings in rhythm. But what really drew the pair's attention was the food that was spread out on the table. Just the mere sight of it was enough to make both of their mouths water. "See all the food they give 'ya?" Gary asked when he saw their eyes pull toward it. "And that's just the appetizers!"
Ash and Brock swallowed the drool that was collecting in their mouth at the same time, but they didn't budge an inch, and Gary continued his teasing. "Say, I've got an idea. I'll give you my leftovers in a doggie bag if you spin around three times and say 'Gary's great'!"
"Not on your life! I'd die of hunger first!" Ash shouted angrily, but his stomach grumbled once again, killing his proclamation.
Hearing this, Gary laughed out loud. "You should let your stomach do the talking!"
"Let's go, Ash," Brock interrupted, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. He could feel his friend's anger rising, and didn't want him to stoop to Gary's level. The words seemed to help bring Ash back to reality, and the pair shot Gary a dirty look before they turned around and left the area.
o 0 o
They finally came to a stop at a park that overlooked the city. Even the beautiful lights of the main area down below wasn't enough to lift their spirits. It seemed that they were completely out of options. Ash had pretty much gotten used to the idea of going to bed in his sleeping bag and without supper before Brock spoke up once again.
"Ash, what about that card that old guy gave you?"
"Uh..." Ash fished out the business card and upon closer examination, he could see writing printed in the lower corner of the card. "Must be directions to his hotel..."
Brock peered over his shoulder and cocked his head. "Huh, that's strange... 'If you look near the swing, you'll see my hands. Or at least my face.'"
"Oh! Not another riddle!" Ash threw his head back and yelled in frustration. Brock turned his head back and looked at the swing-set that was nearby.
"There's a swing over there, but I don't see anybody's hands or face..."
"Me neither..." Disappointment ran through them once again. Neither of them were good at riddles, and if the riddle was the direction to his hotel, they were never going to find it. Lucky for them, their eyes had to trail upward higher up on the side of the volcano that was in the distance, they saw something sticking out amongst the trees. It looked to be a light shining from a building. It wasn't massive like any of the other hotels that they had been to, but what mostly caught their attention was the large clock tower that was attached to the roof.
"Hey, you don't think... It's a clock?" Brock wondered aloud. Ash looked up at the building that Brock was looking at and shrugged.
"It's the only lead we've got... Let's go check it out," Ash muttered in response, collecting his backpack.
After trekking up the side of the mountain, it seemed like their streak of bad luck was finally coming to an end. When they finally reached the building and walked inside the front lobby, the same old hippie from that afternoon was there, and he smiled behind his mustache as he approached them. "Well, looks like you two figured out my riddle, after all! And here I didn't think y'all were going to!"
"We actually didn't..." Ash admitted with a chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "We just happened to see the building from the park down there." The old hippie fell to the ground but quickly picked himself back up.
"Well, either way, let's get y'all checked in," he said, and began the paperwork at the front counter.
"Y-you mean you actually have vacancy?!" Brock exclaimed, blinking as if it were too good to be true. "Everywhere else is completely booked up!"
"All the fliers that I hand out have directions to my inn like the card I gave you, but they're in riddles that hardly anyone can figure out," the inn keeper elaborated. "Not only that, but I'm too far away from the town and too far up the volcano for anyone to find me by chance."
Ash let out a wholehearted chuckle. Their luck was finally turning around. "Your dumb riddles are so good that no one else can find it!"
"I... guess I'll take that as a compliment, Ash," the man muttered with an eyebrow cocked underneath his glasses.
"Don't forget that we just happened to stumble upon here by chance..." Brock whispered, and Ash chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, but before anything else could be said, a loud growl from Ash's stomach cut through the silence. The inn keeper and Ash simply stared at each other for a while as the growl continued longer than necessary, and once it finally stopped, the older gentleman spoke up.
"Well... Guess you want dinner, too..."
"Right."
o 0 o
Once the pair were all checked in, the inn keeper sat them down at a table in the lobby and went off to prepare some food for them. Though it wasn't a luxurious meal, they were still thankful for the hot meal never the less, and scarfed down the food.
"So, Ash, you mentioned this afternoon that you were a Pokémon Trainer looking to take on the Gym Leader Blaine," the inn keeper spoke up, sitting down at the head of the table with a cup of tea.
"Yeah, I'm from Pallet Town, and I've traveled all over the world for Badges to get into the Pokémon League," the black-haired boy responded, not even bothering to look up from his bowl of rice.
"How many Badges do you have?" Ash put his food down and actually took time to swallow before answering.
"Six," he answered, and opened his jacket to reveal his Badges to the old man. Though he looked at the Badges, his expression couldn't be seen behind the tinted lenses and his mustache.
"The Soul and the Mind Badge; those aren't easy Badges to acquire, my dude."
"Aw, they were pieces of cake for a great Pokémon Trainer like me!" Ash replied confidently with his nose in the air, but Brock quickly jabbed him in the arm with one of his chopsticks.
"You seem to be forgetting you lost to Sabrina the first two times you battled her..." he grumbled. "I could never forget..."
"Well, what matters is that I have the Badge in the end, don't I?" Ash chuckled nervously, then donned a curious look and turned back to the hippie. "But, how do you know that?"
"Their reputation precedes them, even out here in the middle of the ocean," he answered coolly, and his shades seemed to flash in the light above them. "Since you two paid for your stay, and you seem to be an actual Pokémon Trainer, Ash, I'll let you in on a little secret: Blaine built a Gym that tourists never see."
Both Ash and Brock immediately stopped eating, and though flakes of rice still speckled their face, a big grin spread across both of their mouths, but Ash's was bigger. "He did?!"
The man nodded and put his finger in the air. "It's in the place... where firefighters could never win." Suddenly, Ash fell off his chair with a loud crash and groaned unseen.
"Another riddle?"
o 0 o
After their meal, Ash and Brock were so exhausted from their day spent of running around that they just wanted to go to bed, but the inn keeper was insistent that they try out the hot springs behind the Big Riddle Inn itself. He mentioned that it was probably the quietest hot springs on the whole island since not many tourists knew about them. The pair agreed, with Brock suggesting a good, hot soak would probably ease their tensions and lead to a better night's sleep.
Just up a forest path behind the inn, a small bathhouse had been built right before the springs where they could take off their clothes. The hot springs themselves were fenced off, but outside, and separated into two sections by another fence. Ash and Brock quickly submerged themselves, and the pores in their bodies screamed as all their hardships seemed to disappear.
Though they were there to relax, the only thing on their mind now was the riddle the inn keeper had given them. Since neither of them were good with riddles, it seemed almost impossible that they would be able to find Blaine's Gym anywhere on the island, even with the hint. "Aw, I can't figure it out..." Ash groaned, taking in a deep breath of heated air. It seemed to warm him from the inside as well, but his mind wouldn't stop spinning. If they weren't in hot water, he'd probably have a headache.
"It's where a firefighter could never win..." Brock repeated thoughtfully, looking up to the starry night sky. "Where could that be?" They both sat in silence for a while, and the only sound in the area, aside from the water running into the spring on the other side, was Mankey's splashing. Ash had brought out the Fighting Pokémon at Brock's suggestion, saying that the hot springs helps with relaxation – something which Mankey was lacking in. And the Pig Monkey Pokémon seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the water. Though it had no other Pokémon to keep it company, that seemed to be just fine with it. It backstroked and chuckled happily to itself, and finally jumped out of the water and shook its fur away from its body before giving a chuckle and looking around to explore more.
"Mankey? H-hey, Mankey! Come back!" Ash cried, quickly standing up to stop his Pokémon. "Mankey! That side is for girls!" Even though the area was empty except for them, it was still separated by gender and Ash intended to keep it that way, and, completely nude, Ash climbed out of the hot springs and hurried over to the other side while covering himself in case anyone else happened to show up. The way their luck was going, it would happen.
When Ash hurried over, he found Mankey climbing up the rock where a ceramic water spout shaped like a Gyarados was spewing the hot water into the springs. The steam rising from the water showed that the water was boiling, and Ash held out his hand in protest. "Mankey! Stop! Get down from there!"
Mankey chuckled to itself, thinking it to be a game of chase now, and swung athletically and curling its tail around the Gyarados to jump on top of it. The Fighting-type hopped up and down on the Gyarados sculpture and taunted its Trainer playfully, but then the whole structure moved downward. But it wasn't just the whole structure, but the rock it was attached to as well. Both Mankey and Ash gave noises of confusion as a large boulder in between the two sections began to move to the side. The fence separating the two sections of the hot spring collapsed as the boulder pushed through it, and Brock's confused face met with Ash's as they exchanged a look before turning back to the now-open area. It looked as though the boulder had been blocking a cave of some kind.
"What do you think it is?" Brock asked, walking closer to inspect it.
"I'm not sure, but we should check it out," Ash suggested. Recalling Mankey back into its Poké Ball, the two quickly dressed in the bath house and headed into the mouth of the cave. The cave itself didn't go too far in before they stumbled across a stairwell that led downward. There was no railing to hold onto, so they had to be cautious, but strangely enough, the cave was lit with candles that were sitting in carved indents in the wall. As they progressed further down the stairs, they noticed the temperature was drastically going up, so much to the point that Ash was starting to sweat underneath his hat.
They were pretty deep in the mountain when the stairway stopped, and Ash blinked in the candle light, as if he didn't believe what he was seeing. "It's a door!" he exclaimed. It was a large, metal door, sealing off the next part of the cave. Instinctively, Ash reached for the handle, but as soon as his gloved hand wrapped around it, his skin screamed out in pain. He quickly recoiled his arm and screamed aloud as he flapped his arm up and down to cool it down. "It's burning hot!"
But that was enough for the door to give way, and with a loud creak from its hinges, the doors began to open on their own, revealing the secret behind them. The reason the doors were so hot was because this room was directly inside the volcano. The huge area had rock all around it, but in the center of it was hot, boiling lava that was distorting the air around it. But Ash and Brock's eyes focused on the platform that was suspended above the lava itself. Hanging by its corners by tough, thick chains was a Pokémon battle arena.
Ash's mouth hung open slightly as he cradled his aching hand, the sight mostly making him forget about the pain, and it hit him all at once. "Blaine's Gym!"
"No firefighter could win in this place," Brock realized. Just then, lights flickered on from the top of the area, and they all looked across the arena to see the inn keeper of the Big Riddle Inn standing with his arms crossed.
"I guess you solved my riddle." His calm voice echoed through the empty cavern, and Ash blinked, even more confused at the events.
"Hey, what are you doing here?!"
"It's not a hat, but it keeps your head dry. If you wear it, it's only because you've already lost it," he simply answered with a riddle.
"Er... an umbrella?"
"An umbrella keeps your head dry, but you don't wear it because you lost it," Brock pointed out with his hands on his hips, and Ash chuckled back bashfully.
"Yeah, I guess not." When neither of them replied with a fast enough answer for the inn keeper, he spoke up.
"I guess I'll have to give you this answer, too," he replied, and then reached up, and with one hand, removed the hair on top of his head, and with the other, peeled off the mustache and shades covering his face. "The correct answer is a wig!"
"It's a wig!" Ash and Brock exclaimed at the same time. The man's actual appearance was a clean-shaven man with dark eyes, and he had gray hair, though none of it was on his scalp. Even his voice was different than the hippie's.
"You get it?! I wear a wig because I'm really Blaine, the Gym Master!" he stated matter-of-factually.
"O-oh, yeah! Why didn't we think of that..." Brock muttered shamefully.
"You sure fooled me..." Ash murmured at the same time, chuckling at their own incompetence.
"Now, who wants to battle me, three-on-three?" Blaine asked. The prospect of a challenge gave Ash his confidence back, and he stepped forward.
"I will!"
"Careful," Brock warned quietly. "He must raise some awesome Fire Pokémon in this volcano."
"I know that," Ash spat back over his shoulder. He knew that Brock was hinting to use his Water Pokémon, but he didn't want to use Wartortle just yet. He needed to see what Blaine had first.
"Ready to begin?" Blaine queried with a playful smirk, and Ash flashed one back.
"Ready when you are!" His response prompted Blaine to fish a Poké Ball from his pocket and held it up.
"Fine! I've already selected my first Pokémon!" he called, and tossed the Poké Ball onto the arena. "Ninetales, go!" The ball burst open in midair, and as it sailed back to the owner, a Pokémon with beautiful milky-colored fur and nine beautiful tails like glistening waterfalls trailing out behind it appeared.
"Nine!" the Fire-type cried as it emerged from Blaine's Poké Ball, and Ash quickly pulled out his Pokédex to analyze it.
"Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon. Is the evolved form of the Fire Pokémon, Vulpix."
"I knew he'd choose a Fire-type," Ash smirked, and took out a Poké Ball of his own – the cap green instead of red – before throwing it outward. "Go, Tauros!" The Pokémon mooed as it formed from the light inside the ball, and rattled the chains that suspended the arena as it landed with a thud.
"A Normal-type; how interesting," Blaine commented with a cocked eyebrow, but the smile on his face showed that he enjoyed the decision, and pointed forward. "Go, Ninetales! Fire Spin, now!"
"Fire Spin is Ninetales' most powerful attack!" Brock exclaimed behind Ash. Quickly, Ash retaliated.
"Tauros, Fissure now!" Ash countered. A low-pitch noise was let out from Tauros and it slammed its hoof into the stadium floor. The whole volcano seemed to shake, but it didn't disturb Ninetales and the Fire Pokémon fired forth a spinning stream of orange flames from its mouth out at Tauros. At the same time, Tauros reared up on its hind legs and came down on the ground hard. A white beam of energy shot out from Tauros's hooves and seemed to travel underground towards Ninetales. The Fire Spin, of course, traveled over the Fissure attack, and while Ninetales was struck with the beam of energy and knocked it back, the flames enveloped Tauros and curled around it before creating a fiery tornado around the Wild Bull Pokémon. When the flames disappeared, the ground where Tauros stood was charred, and so was the Normal-type.
"Tauros!" Ash gasped, and hopped from the carved platforms jutting out of the lava to get onto the stadium and help his Pokémon just as it fell over. "Please, Tauros! You can't give up yet!" But it was clear that Tauros was knocked out. But it wasn't all in vain, however, as across the stadium, Blaine was frowning in annoyance down at his knocked-out Ninetales.
"Watch what attacks you're using, kid," Blaine spat. "If that Fissure had been just a bit more powerful, it would have split the stadium and both of our Pokémon would have been well-done. It takes wisdom to win a Gym Battle, but common sense to stay alive."
"Right, sorry," Ash replied quickly, and recalled Tauros back into its Safari Ball, and he brought out another Poké Ball and tossed it upward into the air. "Mankey, I choose you!" The ball lifted into the air and burst open just as Ash hurried back to the rocky ground and away from the stadium. When he caught the ball, Mankey appeared with a chitter.
"So you've chosen a Mankey," Blaine observed, and finally pointed his Poké Ball at his fainted Ninetales and recalled it. "Return Ninetales." Replacing it with another ball, he smirked. "Now I'll teach that kid a lesson; go Rhydon!" The ball bounced off the floor like a tennis ball and split in the center. The light that was released spilled out and formed into a large gray Pokémon with a horn on its nose, and it let out a confident roar with its hands held up.
Once again, Ash brought his Pokédex out to scan the Pokémon. "Rhydon, the evolved form of Rhyhorn. It is known as the Drill Pokémon. Its large horn gives it formidable attack power." As he put the Pokédex back in his jacket pocket, he could see Rhydon scraping its feet against the floor, raring to go. Blaine sensed this in his Pokémon as well, and smirked with his arms crossed.
"This poor kid is in way over his head," he muttered confidently, and pointed at Mankey. "Rhydon, Horn Drill!" Rhydon ran forward slowly and the horn on its snout began to spin, making the same sound a drill would make.
"Mankey, Thrash attack, now!" Ash ordered. Instantly, Mankey's eyes shot open and it let out a huff of anger before it barreled toward the charging Rhydon. Before they could make contact, Mankey launched itself at Rhydon with a heinous screech. It clung to Rhydon's face and began to unleash all sorts of scratches, kicks and punches on it. Rhydon tried to jab at the Fighting-type Pokémon with its horn, but it just couldn't reach, and so it stumbled around the arena. It was blind with Mankey covering its eyes with its body and attacking the top of its head, so it was almost comical in a way.
"Rhydon, throw it off now!" Blaine called. With its Trainer's order, Rhydon seemed to pull itself together and lowered its head before bucking its head upward. Mankey was thrown high into the air, but it too pulled itself together and glared down at Rhydon.
"Mankey, Mega Kick, now!" the Pokémon Trainer commanded once Mankey began its descent.
"Mankee!" the Pig Monkey squealed, and as it fell, it used the momentum of its fall to boost the power of its kick, and it flipped and stuck out its leg before landing a powerful blow to Rhydon's chest plate. The kick didn't seem to do much, however, and Rhydon skidded back just a bit as Mankey pushed off it and flipped backward before landing firmly back on the ground.
"It's gonna take more than that to defeat my Rhydon, boy!" Blaine told him. "Rhydon, Fury Attack!" The Drill Pokémon once again grunted and rushed forward. It didn't have to run quite as far this time, and it bent its head down and jabbed its horn at Mankey. Skillfully, the Fighting Pokémon jumped back and forth each time Rhydon tried to stab it with its horn. Despite failing his attack, the corners of Blaine's mouth perked upward. "Hey, pretty impressive."
"Mankey, we've got to use its size to our advantage!" Ash stated, an idea forming in his mind. "Use Seismic Toss!"
Mankey chirped and flipped backward before dashing forward just as Rhydon had given up hitting it with Fury Attack. Mankey managed to wedge itself underneath Rhydon's body and lifted with its knees. Though it took considerable effort, Mankey managed to lift Rhydon off the arena, and both Pokémon's and Trainer's eyes widened at the feat. "Man... Mankeeey!" his Pokémon cried, and it jumped into the air while carrying Rhydon before throwing the Ground and Rock Pokémon over its shoulder. Blaine's massive Pokémon crashed to the ground with a force so powerful it shook the arena on its chains, but everything settled after a few moments, and as Mankey landed on the ground, breathing heavily, Rhydon didn't stand.
"Smart move! The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Brock said with a smile.
"Rhydon, return," Blaine said, and a few moments later, Rhydon was recalled back into its Poké Ball. But despite being down to only one Pokémon left, Blaine smirked and pocketed Rhydon's Poké Ball, but strangely enough didn't replace it with another one. Instead, he looked out at Mankey and Ash. "I'll have to choose a different Pokémon."
"Mankey can handle anything!" Ash called.
"This Pokémon is too hot to handle." A strange look crossed over Blaine's face as he stepped closer so he was almost directly at the edge of the stone overlooking the lava. "And it has a power that should interest you, because it turns all its opponents into ash."
"No fair! It's too hot to solve riddles!" Ash complained, raking his fingers over the top of his head. Blaine ignored him, and like a witch over a cauldron, he raised his arms into the air and stared down at the lava bubbling below him.
"I choose... Magmar!" After his words, a huge wave of lava raised high into the air, covering over Blaine's side of the arena completely.
"Magmar...?!" Ash repeated shakily, and all eyes were drawn to the sky as a shadow appeared in the lava itself. Finally, when the wave settled, a Pokémon stayed in the air. It was red and yellow and essentially looked like a solid flame that came to life. It looked down at Mankey through beady eyes, and it breathed out of a duck-like bill.
"Mag-mar..." it moaned, and it descended onto the battlefield.
"What is that?!" Ash exclaimed, quickly taking out his Pokédex. When its three-toed feet touched the arena, the ground hissed where it made contact.
"Magmar, the Spitfire Pokémon. Its body is like a furnace, making Magmar a living inferno. It has been discovered only near active volcanoes."
"Magmar, Mag... Mar..." Blaine's final Pokémon looked down at Mankey, who stepped back nervously but didn't back down.
"Magmar, Fire Punch now!" he commanded. Magmar's fingers curled into fists, and orange flames burned around the appendages. It punched at Mankey, who dodged back and forth as it had with Rhydon's Fury Attack. But Magmar was more quick than Rhydon, and one of the punches landed on Mankey's body. Charred where it made contact and steam rose from the charred fur, Mankey squealed in pain as it recoiled and fell onto its back.
"Mankey!" Ash cried in horror, and his Pokémon slowly got back up. "You can do it, Mankey! Scratch attack!" Mankey screeched inaudibly and ran at Magmar, but the Pokémon only stared blankly with its guard down as it approached. Even Blaine didn't issue an order, and only smirked. Reaching Magmar, Mankey swiped one of its paws at the Fire-type, but once it made contact, it instantly recoiled as Ash had done earlier that day with the Gym's door. It was simply too hot to make contact with. "Oh, no!"
"Magmar, Flamethrower!" Blaine ordered. Magmar drew in a deep breath as its eyes began to glow orange, and let out a stream of orange-yellow fire from its bill. Mankey was so close, it was impossible for it to dodge, and it was hit by the attack full-on, sending it backwards and onto its back. When Magmar cut the attack, Mankey was knocked out and its fur was covered in soot.
"Mankey!" Ash's lips peeled back and he growled as he recalled his Pokémon back into its Poké Ball. Now it was a one-on-one battle. He had to win this. And now it would be up to his partner. Taking out his final Poké Ball, Ash pressed the button on the center and threw it out onto the arena. "Wartortle, I choose you!" In a flash of light, Ash's Wartortle appeared on the stadium, and looked at Magmar with a smirk.
"Wartor!" it cried.
"A Water-type; how predictable," Blaine sneered. "It takes more than type to win a Gym Battle. Let's show them, Magmar!"
"Mag!"
"Wartortle, I know you can do this!" Ash encouraged his Pokémon. "Use BubbleBeam!" Wartortle drew in a deep breath, and expelled it as a stream of bubbles from its mouth. Blaine smirked once again, and without an order, Magmar raised its arms and it formed a fiery aura around its fists as though it were using Fire Punch, but instead of punching, it used it for defending. The bubbles popped as they reached the hot temperature, and steam rose from the contact up into the air.
"Magmar's using an air lens!" Brock exclaimed.
"What's an air lens?"
"Well, Magmar heats the air around it to a super-high temperature," the Pokémon Breeder elaborated. "So it's managing to stop BubbleBeam before it can even hit it."
"Oh, no!" Ash yelped, turning back just as Magmar was taking advantage of the fact that it had flames around its fists, and brought forth a flurry of Fire Punches aimed at Wartortle. The Water-type weaved back and forth, still shaken at the fact that its BubbleBeam attack was just blocked by the Spitfire Pokémon, and stepped backward as Magmar pressed on. Before Ash and Wartortle knew it, the Fire Pokémon had cornered Ash's starter to the edge of the arena. Wartortle looked at the lava bubbling over its shoulder just as Magmar took a few steps backward.
"Wartor..."
"Wartortle!" Brock moaned in fear.
"Magmar, Fire Blast," Blaine said as his eyes fell upon his Pokémon. Magmar raised its arms, and Brock's head whipped at Ash.
"You better give up, Ash, or Wartortle's toast!" he warned.
"No... we can't give up now!" Ash said stubbornly, but he was completely out of options. "Gotta think of something..."
"Magmar, go!" Blaine declared, and with its preparation complete, Magmar drew in a deep breath so its chest puffed out, and released a blast of orange flames. The flames formed into a star-shaped blast, and Ash could only watch in horror as the attack shot at Wartortle.
"Wartortttllleee!" Ash screamed, and panic crossed Wartortle's face. The strange shape of the Fire attack made it so Wartortle couldn't dodge to the left or right, so it had nowhere to go. "Wartortle, duck for cover!" Wartortle fell to the ground and held its hands over its head, but when the Fire Blast swept by it, in a blink of an eye, Wartortle was gone. "Wartortle!"
"Wartortle!" Brock yelled.
But then, a shimmering white light began to glow from the side of the stadium. The light was so bright that it even lit up the area brighter with the natural light from the bubbling lava below. Ash and Brock, and even Blaine, all furrowed their brows together from the strange light. "What's going on?!" Ash questioned.
"I think Wartortle managed to grab the side of the arena before it plummeted over but..." Brock trailed off, and within a few moments, the light faded and a large, dark shadow jumped up from the side of the arena and landed in front of Ash with a crash. Much to his surprise, instead of Wartortle, it was a completely new Pokémon. Like Wartortle and Squirtle, this Pokémon had a large shell that was dark brown, and its skin was blue. Its tail and ears had lost its fur, and it turned back and looked at Ash with dark brown eyes that matched its shell.
"I don't... believe it..." Ash said dumbstruck, and he took out his Pokédex to scan the new Pokémon.
"Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokémon. The evolved form of Wartortle. Blastoise strength lies in its power, rather than its speed. Its shell is like armor and attacks from the hydro cannons on its back are virtually unstoppable."
"Wartortle evolved into Blastoise!" Brock explained, grinning from ear to ear.
"You mean... you're..." Ash asked, and Blastoise nodded and smirked before turning back to Blaine and his Magmar. While Magmar didn't look worried, a curious look appeared in its eyes. However, its Trainer certainly looked nervous to say the least, but he quickly masked it now that all eyes were on him.
"Okay Magmar! That Wartortle may have evolved, but it can't compete with your skills! Fire Blast it, now!"
"Mag... mar!" As it did before, Magmar once again took in a deep breath and let out a star-shaped blast of fire from its mouth. However, this time, Blastoise didn't look worried, and it simply stood its ground, planted its feet into the arena and held out its arms. The Shellfish Pokémon caught the attack, and though the flames burned brightly and powerfully – even pushing the Water Pokémon back a few inches – Blastoise managed to stop it in its tracks before raising its arms and sending the Fire-type attack into the ceiling where it disappeared upon impact.
"It's strong!" Blaine gasped, his eyebrows raising to his forehead, but quickly gathered himself. "Magmar, Flamethrower, now!"
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump attack!" Ash countered. As Magmar drew in a breath of sulfuric air, Blastoise lowered its head and over its shoulders, the shell opened up and silver cannons extended out from underneath its shell and fired a powerful blast of water from each of them. Magmar fired its Flamethrower, and the two attacks collided in midair. A sharp hiss was formed from the two attacks coming together, but it didn't take long for Hydro Pump to overtake Flamethrower, and Magmar had to jump out of the way to avoid the attack. "Use Hydro Pump again!" The blasts of water had just stopped dripping and Blastoise gave an utter before it blasted out another stream of water from its hydro cannons. Magmar raised its arms and attempted the air lens as before to block the attack, but the Hydro Pump was too powerful and it completely overtook Magmar, knocking it onto its back.
"Your Fire attacks aren't going to work anymore, Magmar," Blaine told his Pokémon. "If we can't win that way, we'll go another direction. Magmar, Skull Bash attack!" Moving quickly for the first time in the battle, Magmar dipped its head low and ran at Blastoise. Blastoise stood in place and once again planted its feet firmly in the ground to prepare itself just as Magmar leapt at the Shellfish Pokémon. Driving its shoulder into Blastoise, the Water starter only moved a few inches backwards before it grabbed hold of Magmar and tossed it away like a rag doll. Blaine's Pokémon rolled on the ground, but slowly stood up, panting.
"Blastoise, let's show it what a real Skull Bash looks like!" Ash ordered with a confident smirk spread across his face. A silver aura swept over Blastoise's body momentarily, and it lowered its head before shooting like a rocket at Magmar with its head lowered. The attack was so fast that Magmar had no time to dodge, and before it knew it, it was taken off its feet. Blaine could only gasp as his Pokémon soared past him and landed with a crash into the rock behind him.
"Blaaaassstt!" Blastoise bellowed out, flexing its arms in its victory, and Ash pumped his fist high into the air.
"Way to gooo!" he cheered. Across the cavern, Blaine said nothing and recalled his Magmar into its Poké Ball, but when he turned back to Ash, he had a smile on his face.
"My congratulations, Ash," he said, and lowered his head so his bald head shone in the light. "A job well-done."
"Yes!" Ash cheered once again, and jumped from platform to platform before leaping up and wrapping his arms around his newly-evolved Blastoise's neck. "I'm so proud of you, Blastoise! You did amazing! Thank you so much!"
o 0 o
After a much-needed rest back at the inn, Ash, Brock and Blaine stood in front of the Big Riddle Inn early the next morning, their backpacks on their backs and smiles across their faces. Blaine donned the sunglasses on his face and the wig on his head, but the glasses were lowered to reveal his eyes since they now knew his identity. "And now, I have one last riddle for you, Ash," Blaine said, standing with his hands behind his back.
Ash cocked an eyebrow, and the Fire-type Gym Leader continued. "What is it, that is always read, but has no words? The answer is a Volcano Badge!" He held his hand forward, and in between his index finger and thumb, a badge that was shaped like a flame was sitting between them. Ash and Brock tried their best to hold back a groan, and Blaine walked forward and closed the distance between him and his challenger. "And you have earned this one," he said, placing it down into Ash's waiting hands.
"Thanks a lot, Blaine!" Ash thanked, and smiled down at the newly-received badge.
Leaving the Big Riddle Inn behind, they headed through the forest and back toward the main part of the city, Ash couldn't seem to take his eyes off his new prize.
"I couldn't have done it without Blastoise," he said happily, and closed his fingers around the Badge before turning back to Brock. "But now I need to know where to get my next Badge!"
Brock looked toward the sky in thought before responding. "Well, we could always go to the Gym back in Viridian City." The name of the familiar city made the smile drop from Ash's face.
"I never knew about that..." Ash stated, but then remembered back to when he first began his journey. Viridian City was the first place he visited after leaving Pallet Town, but quickly rushed out after heeding Officer Jenny's warning of Pokémon thieves in the area. This was, of course, back before he met Brock in Pewter City.
"That's where Trainers go to try and earn their Earth Badges," Brock explained, and the Pokémon Trainer grinned and raised a finger into the air.
"Then let's hit the road to Viridian City!"
-end-
Ash:
Party:
Blastoise (Poké Ball)
Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Hydro Pump, BubbleBeam
Pidgeotto (Poké Ball)
Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Wing Attack
Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)
Moves: SolarBeam, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed
Charmander (Poké Ball)
Moves: Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Skull Bash, Ember
Tauros (Safari Ball)
Moves: Fissure
Mankey (Poké Ball)
Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch, Seismic Toss
At Professor Oak's Lab:
Muk (Poké Ball)
Moves:
Tauros (Safari Ball)
Moves:
Krabby (Poké Ball)
Moves: ViceGrip
Badges:
Boulder Badge
Cascade Badge
Thunder Badge
Marsh Badge
Rainbow Badge
Soul Badge
Volcano Badge
Brock:
Party:
Onix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig
Geodude (Poké Ball)
Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle
Zubat (Poké Ball)
Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic
Psyduck (Poké Ball)
Moves: Tail Whip, Water Gun, Disable, Confusion
Vulpix (Poké Ball)
Moves: Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Agility