Author's Note: All of the attacks that Norman's Pokemon use in this chapter are real attacks that they used in the battle against Ash in the anime, even though some aren't Normal type attacks.

Megan's POV

It was the day after my first contest. Adam, Jason, April, and myself were on our way to the Petalburg City gym, since Adam would be challenging my Grandpa Norman for his first Hoenn badge today.

Adam struck up conversation with my sister and I, asking about our day yesterday, since we had all hung out together with Amber, Ashlyn, and Skye. We had gotten to know one another better and hear about their past journeys.

"So what did you think about my past adventures?" Adam asked me.

"Well, it's pretty scary how you've encountered Team Rocket so many times on your journeys and faced near-death experiences on multiple occasions. Do you ever worry? I mean, it could be possible that Team Rocket is still active and out in the world somewhere right now and might come for you one day. I mean, that would keep me up at night."

"I'll admit, I'm a little worried. But I'm sure that I can get through it, no matter what. Because whenever I'm in trouble, I've always had my friends and/or family to help me and I'll always have faith in them. I know that I can trust them with my life and they know that they can trust me with their lives, too." Adam replied.

"I mean, sometimes even some of my past enemies have ended up helping us in our journeys. Like my uncle and Amber's dad and his former Team Rocket members. So sometimes I can get help from the most unexpected places and sources."

"I still can't believe that a nice girl like Amber is Giovanni's granddaughter! She's nothing like him!" I said, still shocked from that revelation from yesterday.

"My dad believes in giving everyone a chance to change their ways. It rarely happens, but my uncle and Amber's dad are proof that it CAN happen. Some evil people have a little bit of good left in their hearts."

A small pause followed.

"What did you think of Michelle?" he asked.

"From the way you described her, I think that I would like her if we ever met. It's also sad that her father is helping Team Rocket. But at least Misty reconnected with a better man and things are looking up for Michelle and her family." I replied.

"And I'm still shocked that she didn't return your feelings after you revealed them to her. From what you told us, it seemed like she did like you. I can't even imagine how bad you felt. It must have been devastating."

"Yes, I was devastated and hurt. But her letter to me was what got me out of my funk and back on track. It inspired me to not dwell on the past and to keep moving forward on my journey."

I hope that I become as close to Adam as Michelle was. I want us to be able to fully trust one another, no matter what trials comes our way on our journey. I thought.

"And don't forget what Amber said yesterday: 'You're an amazing guy and Michelle was foolish to turn you down.' In other words, there's plenty of Magikarps in the sea and you'll find another girl whom you feel just as strongly about." April said. "And who knows? Maybe you already have..." she added slyly.

Did April like Adam? Or maybe she was referring to Amber or Ashlyn with that remark about Adam having already met the right girl.

Eventually, we arrived at the Petalburg gym, which was a building that was neutral in colors and two stories tall. Wooden doors with glass windows in rows greeted trainers as they entered and the inside was a battlefield, which my grandpa stood at the far side of.

He was now in his mid-fifties with his black hair graying slightly, his face had some wrinkles, and he had dark eyes. He wore a brown zip-up jacket with a white shirt underneath, black pants, and black shoes.

"Hello. I was told to expect a challenger today." Grandpa greeted.

"That's right. I'm here to challenge you and earn my first badge in Hoenn." Adam stated.

"You're very brave to challenge me when you're only just beginning your Hoenn journey. Even your father traveled for a while and trained his Pokemon before he challenged me to a battle."

"I'm confident in my Pokemon and my skills."

Jason, April, and I headed to the bench off to the side to watch the battle. Adam followed us and released his Mudkip. He picked him up and held him out to me.

"Mudkip still isn't strong enough to be in a gym battle, so he can watch firsthand and see what it's like. It'll be a good learning experience for him. Megan, can you watch him?" Adam told me.

"I'll hold onto Mudkip for you. He's in good hands." I said as I took Mudkip. This was my first step in gaining Adam's trust in me and I wasn't going to let him down.

Adam's POV

I walked away from my friends and took my place, opposite Norman on the battlefield, and waited.

"The gym battle between the challenger, Adam, and gym leader, Norman, will now begin. Each trainer will use three Pokemon with substitutions allowed. The battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to battle. Begin!" the ref cried.

"Pikachu, let's show 'em!" I cried. Pikachu ran out onto the battlefield.

"Slakoth, go!" Norman cried, tossing his Pokeball.

"Use Agility, Pikachu!" I commanded. I wanted Pikachu to have more of an advantage with his speed increased.

"Now use Quick Attack!" But Slakoth remained motionless. Norman didn't command his Pokemon, even as Pikachu shot forward at a quick speed.

"Scratch!" Norman commanded. The two moves met one another and canceled each other out.

It seems like close range might not be the best approach for Pikachu. Dad tried it with his Pikachu when he battled Slakoth and it didn't work. I'll wait for Slakoth to attack first before Pikachu makes his move. I thought.

Pikachu leaped back to my side of the field and waited.

"Use Shadow Ball, Slakoth!"

"Counter it with Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

The Shadow Ball headed towards Pikachu, who charged up Iron Tail and cut through the Shadow Ball with it.

"Slakoth, use Blizzard!" Norman yelled.

I knew that I had to act fast. Pikachu would be immobilized from the cold if that attack hit!

"Use Agility to jump and dodge it!" I cried. Pikachu used his heightened speed to jump right up into the air, shooting out of the path of the Blizzard.

"Now use Thunderbolt!" Since Slakoth was still busy blasting the Ice attack, it couldn't dodge at the same time and took a direct hit from Pikachu's attack. Slakoth was also knocked off-balance and I didn't want to give it any time to recover.

"Quick Attack!"

"Hidden Power!"

I had fallen into Norman's trap and Pikachu was hit before I could command him to stop or even dodge.

"Shadow Ball, Slakoth!" Pikachu took another direct hit.

"Pikachu, let's turn this around! Use multiple Thunderbolts!" I ordered, not deterred at all. I knew that Slakoth could dodge one Thunderbolt, so I had Pikachu launch several at once in a wide arc. As the Thunderbolts ended, I noticed that sparks were still lingering on Slakoth's body and it seemed to be moving slower than normal. It was paralyzed!

"Now use Volt Tackle!" I cried. Slakoth couldn't move as Pikachu charged forward like a bolt of lightning and struck the final blow. As Pikachu flipped back towards me, Slakoth fainted.

"Slakoth is unable to battle. Pikachu wins!" the ref announced.

"Pikachu, come back." I said, and he complied. He'd been through enough for now.

"Vigoroth, go!" Norman cried, tossing his Pokeball.

"Pidgeot, let's show 'em!" I cried, tossing my Pokeball.

"Use Uproar, Vigoroth!"

"Fly up high, Pidgeot!"

If Pidgeot flew high enough, the attack wouldn't be able to reach him and cause any damage.

"Flamethrower!" Once again, I had fallen into a trap. Norman had anticipated Pidgeot dodging the Uproar and lined him up for a perfect hit! Pidgeot tried to dodge the Flamethrower, but one of his wings got nicked by the flames. I would have to watch out.

"Use Slash, Vigoroth!"

"Dodge it and use Quick Attack, Pidgeot!"

... ...

Pidgeot's battle with Vigoroth would turn out to be a duel of speed and power. They traded blow for blow and both Pokemon were now reaching their limits. Both of them were covered in scratches and were breathing heavily. Pidgeot was growing weaker with each thrust of his wings to keep him airborne. I needed to end this quickly!

"Vigoroth, use Flamethrower!" Norman shouted.

"Dodge it with Agility and use Wing Attack!" I shouted.

With his speed increased, Pidgeot was able to fly and dodge Vigoroth's Flamethrower and land a direct hit! Vigoroth collapsed to the floor.

"Vigoroth is unable to battle. Pidgeot wins!" the ref announced.

"Pidgeot, return. Ready, Pikachu?"

"Pi!" Pikachu cried, and ran out onto the field.

"I'm impressed, Adam. You're doing even better than your father did. But get ready for my strongest Pokemon! Slaking, go!" Norman yelled.

"Use Agility, Pikachu! Then use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu increased his speed before running towards Slaking, his body engulfed in electricity. I knew how high Slaking's defense was, so I'd have to use my Pokemon's strongest attacks to damage it!

"Focus Punch!" Pikachu wasn't able to stop running and Slaking's attack slammed directly into him, sending him flying towards my side of the battlefield. But Pikachu refused to let that be the end of him as he struggled to get up.

"Thunderbolt!" Slaking took the hit, but was barely affected by the attack.

"Focus Punch! Again!"

"Dodge it, Pikachu!"

But Pikachu was too weak and he couldn't dodge.

"Pika...Pi..." he said as he remained standing for a moment and then collapsed.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Slaking wins!"

I picked up Pikachu and praised his hard work before I set him down by my feet.

"It's time to match power with power! Rhydon, let's show 'em!" I cried, tossing my Pokeball. I had been saving Rhydon for the end. He was my trump card, since Normal attacks wouldn't do much damage to a Rock Pokemon.

"Use Horn Attack!"

"Block it, Slaking!"

Slaking used its big hands to grab Rhydon's head. Both Pokemon pushed forwards, trying to overpower each other. In the end, they both ended up stumbling backwards, away from each other. They were equally matched in terms of physical strength!

"Rock Blast, Rhydon!" I screamed. Rhydon launched boulders towards Slaking.

"Smash them with Focus Punch!" Norman screamed. Slaking punched through several boulders, but several others did hit their mark.

"Slaking, use Hyper Beam!"

"You can take this, Rhydon!"

I knew that Normal attacks wouldn't hurt Rhydon very much, even though Hyper Beam was still very powerful.

"We can win this, Rhydon! Use Take Down!" Rhydon charged forward and drove his full weight into Slaking, who couldn't dodge because it was still recovering from using Hyper Beam. From what I could see, it didn't matter how physically tough Slaking was, a Take Down like that from my Rhydon hurt Slaking a lot!

"Slaking, use Earthquake!" Norman called out.

... ...

Both Pokemon had been doing a fair amount of damage to one another, but Rhydon was in better condition than Slaking, since Normal attacks weren't very powerful against Rhydon.

"Hyper Beam!" Norman commanded.

"Dodge it, Rhydon!"

Rhydon barely managed to avoid the Hyper Beam.

"Use Fury Attack!" I commanded. Slaking tried to dodge, but since Fury Attack was a repeating move, Rhydon landed hit after hit very quickly. They were the final blows needed to knock out Slaking.

"Slaking is unable to battle. Rhydon wins! Therefore, the winner is Adam!"

"Great job, Rhydon!" I cried as I returned my Pokemon. I had won my first badge in Hoenn!

My friends ran over to me, but to my surprise, I was also greeted by my parents. Pikachu and Piplup were on their respective shoulders.

I saw April and Megan look shocked and amazed to be in the presence of the Pokemon Master and a Top Coordinator.

"Great job, Adam!" Jason said.

"That was amazing!" Megan cried.

"Yeah, it was very impressive." April added.

"Great job, Adam. I'm impressed that you were able to defeat Norman a lot sooner than I did on my Hoenn journey." my dad said to me.

"When did you two get here?" I asked.

"We just arrived in the city a few minutes ago and went to see May. She told us that you were going to be here, so we came to see your first gym battle. But we only got to see the final blows that Rhydon struck." my mom said.

My mom then turned to the girls and said, "You two must be April and Megan. Your mom told us about you."

"And we understand that Megan is traveling with Adam and Jason." my dad added.

"It's an honor to meet you, Master Ketchum and Mrs. Ketchum," the two girls said, still in awe.

"What are you guys doing here in Hoenn, anyway?" I asked my parents.

"I'm going to be staying with May for a bit to help her out around the house and give her some peace of mind, since she's pregnant and going through some marital issues." my mom said. "We also dropped Brittany off at your grandma's house in Twinleaf Town before coming here."

"And I'm here because I have a series of battles with the Hoenn Elite Four soon. As the Pokemon Master, I have to train with the strongest trainers in the world to keep my Pokemon in top shape." my dad said.

Norman then walked over and gave me the Balance Badge and said hello to my parents. As they briefly spoke to one another, I put the badge in my badge case.

Megan's POV

We were now all outside of my house, ready to continue with our journey.

"We'll be back in Petalburg City eventually, since my Pokemon need more training before I challenge Norman for my gym badge." Jason said.

"And hopefully, we'll be able to make it back here in time for the birth of my new sibling." I said.

"I hope so. If not, just be sure to visit as soon as you can. I want you and April to see your new brother or sister." my mom said.

"You're still not going to tell us if it's a boy or girl, Mom?"

"I want it to be a surprise for you and April."

"Well, I'm staying home for one more day before I leave to continue on my journey." said April.

My sister then stepped towards me and whispered into my ear, "You're lucky to be traveling with a cute boy like Adam. Now that Michelle is out of the picture, the door is wide open for you to swoop in and make your move!"

I felt my face heat up. "I have to become his friend first, April." I whispered back.

"Just remember that if you don't make your move, another girl will! Maybe Amber? Or even I could do it if you're too chicken! Come on, don't you think he's cute, Megan?"

"Stop teasing me, April! I'm not a chicken. Don't call me that! We'll see what happens."

For all I knew, I could end up being like my mom with how she felt towards Master Ketchum during their journey. She only saw him as a brother.

We then all said goodbye and I was off with Adam and Jason to continue exploring Hoenn.

Normal POV

High above the clouds, a Pokemon hunter's ship belonging to Team Rocket sped over the ocean towards Hoenn. Sitting in the main chair on the bridge was the Pokemon Hunter.

He had nearly died in hand-to-hand combat against Ash in Johto and had to have some of his body parts amputated because they were so damaged. Both of his arms and hands were now robotic prosthetics made of metal plating and his right eye was now a red robotic eye.

He thought to himself, You should've killed me when you had the chance, Ash. If we ever meet again, I won't make the same mistake as you!

Author's Note: Adam wins his first Hoenn badge by defeating Norman and Adam's parents were there to witness it, too!

They'll be back in Petalburg City later in the story for Jason's gym battle. But for now, it's time for Adam and his friends to get back out on the road and continue their journey. (What do you all think of what April said to Megan about Adam?)

However, evil is approaching as Team Rocket begins to emerge once again!

Stay tuned to discover what will happen to the group in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!