Hey, it's Sentai Red!
Sorry for taking ages to upload this chapter. I've actually been in a slump with writing as you can blame Mt. Moon for that! I thought I was happy with it, but now I've rewritten it all and that chapter is coming up soon, so I'm kind of nervous to get it finished! However, with what's being written in that chapter, I think I'm becoming much happier with that than previous attempts.
... I hope.
Anyway! Enjoy the newest chapter and I hope the battle with Brock was decent! I'm still learning how to write battle scenes!
Episode 9: Versus Brock! Flint's Redemption!
Ash stares down the gray stone building in front of him, fists clenched with excitement. He glares at it, ready to battle Brock, the Gym Leader of Pewter City. He glances down to see Pikachu wagging his tail around, imagining himself using Iron Tail to defeat Brock's Pokémon. Froakie is shaking with adrenaline, ready to battle and prove his worth.
Misty and Serena look at Ash as his hands shake, the two glancing at one another. One was more concerned than the other, but the other was confident in their friend's ability. The two have watched Ash train far longer than anticipated, with Flint even praising the boy for having stronger than expected Pokémon.
"Ash, you're shaking like a leaf," Serena comments, her hand on her chest in worry, "are you sure you want to go through with this?" As much as she believes in him, she was worried that he may still need to train more. She was worried he may lose, after all the training he has done. She didn't want him to end up disappointed.
Misty was the more confident one between the two as she smacks Ash's back with a hearty laugh, "Go on, champ! You got this! You trained hard, so let's see you pull this through!" Despite her confidence, she still worried about his first ever battle. He technically never battled anyone aside from Team Rocket and some wild Pokémon in the forest. Human versus human battles are completely different than wild battles.
The faster they forget about Samurai, the better.
Ash stumbles from the back slaps but smiles and turns to Misty with a thumbs up, "Thanks, Mist!" she winks at him, making Serena frown at the interaction. She didn't even get acknowledged by Ash. Luckily, he then turns to her and gives her a small smile, "No need to worry, 'Rena. I got this! My Pokémon and I are going to win this!"
"Pika!" Pikachu pumps his fist up excitedly.
"Kie!" Froakie nods with enthusiasm.
She sighs but nods at him. "Right. Just do your best, Ash." Her tone still carried uncertainty, but she smiled back encouragingly.
He then turns away to open the door, calling out, "My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I'm here for my gym battle!" He looks around while walking in with his friends behind him. No lights, no stadium, nothing. He frowns in confusion as he looks to the equally confused girls, "I guess he's not here?"
The two shrug. What catches them off guard is when a ceiling light lights up and shows Brock hiding in the shadows on top of a pedestal, "Wrong! I, Brock of Pewter City, am here! Tell me, challenger, is that your Pikachu?" He points to Pikachu, who nods happily at the recognition. Froakie narrows his eyes at Brock, wondering why he's singling out Pikachu.
"Of course, he and Froakie are my best buds!" Ash proudly exclaims.
"And I can see these two 'buddies' of yours are in their cutest stages," Brock mocks, making Ash glare at the teenager.
"And what does that mean?" he growls out, fists clenched in anger.
"That means you won't win!" Brock boasts, jumping from the pedestal to the floor. He snaps his fingers, causing all the lights to turn on as the trio realize they're standing on top of the arena. Ash motions the girls to get away as he walks to his corner, ready to prove Brock wrong.
"And I'm here to assume this will be your first ever gym battle, rookie?" Brock asks condescendingly, arms crossed against his chest as Ash's eye twitches in annoyance. This gym leader is pretty arrogant.
Misty puts her hand on Ash's shoulder, "Don't let him get to you, Ash. Prove him wrong." She cheers him on seriously and he nods, appreciating the support. Serena holds back a lump in her throat as she stares at Misty, jealous of how Misty is just getting close to Ash like that. And what's worse is that Ash is accepting it all!
She shakes her head, not wanting to appear upset over something like this, and hugs Ash's right arm, much to his surprise, "You can do this, Ash! We believe in you," she says sweetly, making Ash flush from the contact. Misty smirks, grabbing Serena by the wrist.
"Let's go, lover girl," she whispers, making Serena jump at the nickname and blushes brightly. She stammers for Misty to let her go, but Misty ignores her as the two walk upstairs to watch Ash's battle. Ash just stares at the two in confusion but shrugs it all off. Brock just stares in silent envy as the boy who just started his journey already has two girls pining for him.
"Since this will be your first ever gym battle, I'll be giving you the advantage of letting you use all your Pokémon against my three. As a Gym Leader, I will not make any substitutions, whereas you can. If you can defeat my three Pokémon, you will be given the Boulder Badge. Do you agree to these terms?" Brock states, with Ash grinning at the prospect of using his team to defeat Brock.
Pikachu and Froakie look ready to battle, with Ash nodding, "I accept your terms, Brock! And I'm going to win!"
With an approving nod, Brock pulls out a Pokéball from his belt, "Alright then. Go! Geodude!" He throws out his first Pokémon and Ash licks his lips, excitement boiling within his veins. He then looks over his Pokémon and they both nod, giving him the chance to use his new Pokémon first.
He then throws out his first choice, "Let's go! Butterfree!"
"Freee!" Butterfree cries out, ready for battle. He looks over to Ash, who nods at him with a smile, and the two then glance back at Brock, who just shakes his head at the fact the trainer in front of him was using a buy-type of all things.
"You're really a novice if you think a Butterfree will stand a chance against my Geodude!" Brock taunts, but Ash smirks, not taking the bait.
"Yeah, well, we got something in our sleeves, ready to make you eat those words!" Ash retorts, a fire burning in his eyes as Brock makes the first move.
"Geodude! Use Rock Throw!"
The rock-type smashes into the ground, creating pebbles and small rocks, throwing them to Butterfree. Butterfree panics at the rocks, but Ash was able to calm him down, "Don't worry, Butterfree! Fly out of the way!" The bug immediately flies around, avoiding the rocks.
"Now use Tackle, Geodude!"
Geodude charges towards Butterfree, landing a hit, making the butterfly wince from the impact. Ash frowns, "Just hold on, Butterfree! Use Sleep Powder!"
"Not so fast, Ash! Geodude! Use Defense Curl and use Rollout!" Geodude obeyed, using Defense Curl to strengthen his defenses, then started to power up his attack. The Sleep Powder went over the rock type, but due to the increased power from using Defense Curl, it wasn't effective at all.
Ash growls, 'Smart…'
Using Rollout, Geodude charged into Butterfree, making Ash snap out of his thoughts as he yells out, "Butterfree! Use Confusion to slow it down!"
A purplish hue envelops over Geodude as it tries to spin further to get out of the Confusion, making Butterfree sweat from the force. Ash smirks, "Now fly up and let it go!" Butterfree obliges, flying up and releasing his hold, causing Geodude to spin out of control and hit a stalagmite in the arena.
It shakes its head, slightly dazed, with Brock smirking, "Impressive, Ash. Who'd have thought your Butterfree was this impressive? But we're not going down that easily! Use Rock Throw again! Followed by a Take Down!"
Geodude repeats the motions for Rock Throw, throwing them fast towards the bug, before using an even stronger charging attack at Butterfree. Ash frowns, "Butterfree! Use Confusion again!"
Unfortunately, Butterfree couldn't concentrate fast enough, being pelted by rocks, and then being hit dead center by a Take Down. He falls down to the ground, weakly trying to get up. Brock doesn't let up, "Rock Tomb! Let's go!"
"What?!"
Ash watched in horror as several slabs of rock formed around Butterfree and started to crush his Pokémon. Butterfree struggles to get out, but the rocks explode, making everyone aside from Brock to cover their eyes. Once Ash was able to see through the smoke, he sighs as Butterfree has been knocked out.
He recalls his Pokémon with a smile, "Take a good, long rest, buddy. You did great."
"Chu…" Pikachu's ears droop down, sad to see their friend go down. Froakie pats his back, but you can see that Froakie was also just as sympathetic.
"It's fine, guys," Ash cheers them up, "we're still in this. We can finish up Geodude – For Butterfree!"
He the calls out Pidgeotto, making Brock laugh, "Wow! Here I thought you'd use your water type! But, really? A flying-type? I don't know what to expect from you!"
Ash smirks, "Yeah, well, I'm just full of surprises!"
Serena watches over the balcony with a worried expression, "Poor Butterfree, he was doing so well, too. I guess Gym Leaders are really above the average trainer level." She holds her hands together. She's still sure Ash can win this, considering now that Geodude is looking pretty tired. However, even with using Pidgeotto, it can probably still be a hard challenge for Ash to overcome.
Misty nods, "Yeah, but Ash was smart to use Butterfree as much as he can, because now Geodude is tiring. Pidgeotto can fly over Rollout and is faster than Butterfree, so she can definitely fair a little better. Plus, Brock isn't aware of the training Ash went through with his Pokémon, so he still has that trick up his sleeve."
Serena looks down, "Right… but what if it isn't enough? I just don't want Ash being upset because of it all."
Misty sighs, "Well, then he'll have to deal with it and train again. From what I'm seeing is that even if he loses, he'll bounce back. How is it that you, a girl he's known for far longer, can't see that? Come on, Serena, give him some support here."
Offended, Serena turns to Misty, a glare hitting the redhead, "I do support him! I just don't want to see him upset! I'm sorry for caring about my best friend!" She didn't know why Misty was even insinuating that she wasn't supporting Ash! Misty doesn't seem all that threatened as she crosses her arms, staring at Serena.
"Well, clearly you think the worst outcome first and then worry about that than think about the better alternatives. It's fine to be cautious, but you're letting your own fears get in the way of supporting him. The last thing he wants to see is you worry about his loss. But either way, the match is about to start. We'll discuss this later." Misty just turns back to the match that's starting between Geodude and Pidgeotto.
Serena narrows her eyes, "Fine."
Ash luckily didn't hear them argue as he commands Pidgeotto, "Fly high in the air, Pidgeotto! He can't hit you if you're in the sky!"
Pidgeotto flies up, flapping her wings and glides around the arena, waiting for Geodude.
Brock yells out, "If you won't come down, I'll make you come down! Geodude! Use Rock Throw!" Geodude then throws rocks at Pidgeotto, who just calmly flies pass them. She flaps her wings to smack one away, giving the rock type a smug look on her face as if saying it'll have to do better than that.
Geodude wasn't having it and kept throwing more rocks, despite Brock telling it to calm down.
It seems Pidgeotto knew Taunt without even realizing it.
Smirking at the opportunity, Ash calls out, "Swoop down and use Steel Wing!"
Brock looks in shock as the bird flies down, hitting Geodude harshly with Steel Wing, knocking it out immediately. "Unbelievable… to think you taught it Steel Wing. Hm… I'm impressed, Ash." He recalls his Geodude, giving it a small smile, "You did great."
Ash cheers, jumping high, "Let's go, Pidgeotto! Good job!" Pidgeotto just pecks his forehead happily, making Brock smile at the scene, guess the kid wasn't such a novice.
So now it's 1-1, meaning Brock has 2 Pokémon left. He didn't expect a Butterfree and Pidgeotto both to take down his Geodude. In all honesty, he was thinking the kid wasn't all that bright, but here he is proving him wrong! Pidgeotto knowing Steel Wing? Butterfree using Confusion? Hell, even using a Butterfree at all is quite the shocker.
However, this time, he's ready. He cries out, throwing another Pokéball, "I choose you – Sandshrew!" The mole Pokémon pops out, ready to attack. Unlike most of its kin where they prefer to run and hide, this one is more aggressive, retracting its claws and popping them out menacingly.
"Shrew!" it cries out, slashing the air menacingly, making Pidgeotto narrow her eyes at it. Oh, it wants a challenge, huh? She'll show that little ground ball what she can do. Ash looks over to Pidgeotto flying back in with a raised brow. She turns back and nods, wanting to continue.
After a couple of seconds, Ash decides to grant her that option and he smiles, "Alright! Let's go, Pidgeotto! Fly up in the air again!"
She ascends once again, but Brock smirks as he snaps his fingers.
Sandshrew curls up in a ball and begins bouncing around the arena. It then gains height and shocking Ah and Pidgeotto, it was able to reach the bird just by bouncing around! Brock laughs, "You honestly thought I wouldn't find a way to overcome that? Ash, I'm a Gym Leader for a reason!"
Once more, it bounces right next to Pidgeotto, but it uncurls itself, with Brock calling out, "Slash!" It then begins using its claws, slashing at Pidgeotto, who recoils from the attack. Ash watches in horror at how fast the mole is!
"Pidgeotto! Swat it away with Gust!"
She obliges, using Gust to have it fly away from her after it does another bounce towards her. Brock smirks, "Bounce under it!"
It bounces under Pidgeotto once it lands on the floor, and when Pidgeotto tries to use Gust again, as per Ash's request, Brock immediately calls out, "Use Rollout on her!" It curls up in a ball, spinning in the air and lands a powerful hit against Pidgeotto!
"No! Pidgeotto!"
Luckily for Ash, his Pokémon recovers from the attack, but she pants heavily, all bruised. He frowns, this is going to be a tricky situation. 'Great, so Sandshrew can bounce around like some ball… Wait… I think I can work with this!' He then looks around the stalagmites all around the arena and smirks… perfect.
"Pidgeotto, ascend again, but fly behind the stalagmites!"
'What is he planning to do?' Brock wonders with a frown.
Pidgeotto begins to fly behind the stalagmites, with Ash looking around each and every single one of them, trying to find the perfect spot. Brock doesn't give him the chance as Sandshrew bounces high in 0the air with Rollout, spinning even faster.
"Dodge it with Quick Attack!"
The flying type zooms around with extra speed, narrowly avoiding the Rollout. But it keeps bouncing around, spinning and spinning with very tight control. Pidgeotto keeps dodging the attempted attacks, but it keeps getting closer!
"Stop there, Pidgeotto!" Pidgeotto stops running, trusting her trainer, staying in a spot surrounded by stalagmites.
Sandshrew bounces high in the air, Brock smirking, "Giving up?"
Ash gives him a confident smirk, "Fly out of the way and let Sandshrew get stuck!"
Brock shouts, "Wait what?!" Pidgeotto uses Quick Attack to once again narrowly escape the attack, although the spin does graze her wings. Luckily for her, Sandshrew gets stuck between stalagmites! It tries to move around, uncurling itself, but because it's a little thicker than expected in a tight space, it can't move!
"You see, Brock, I looked around and saw that with Sandshrew dropping down like a rock, it won't be able to move until it can land on the ground! By getting stuck against some stalagmites, I got it right where I wanted!" Ash then calls out to Pidgeotto, this time on the offense. "Attack it with Peck, Pidgeotto!"
"Use Slash, try to break free, Sandshrew!"
Pidgeotto keeps pecking Sandshrew, making it hiss in pain from the attacks. It lands an accidental Slash at Pidgeotto, but the damage is all set. Sandshrew causes the stalagmites to break, having all the rocks tumble on both Pidgeotto and Sandshrew.
After the rocks settle, both Pokémon are knocked out, much to everyone's shock.
Ash recalls Pidgeotto with a bright smile, "Thank you so much, Pidgeotto… You brought down two tough Pokémon all by yourself. You deserve some rest." He sighs, his heart pounding – he's just one Pokémon away from winning the gym badge!
Brock is speechless by Ash's ingenuity, using the arena to his advantage is something no beginning trainer ever does! He can already tell this kid is going places. Maybe he can help Brock out… No. Brock shakes his head, he can't think such things right now… Not in the middle of a Pokémon battle.
"I'm actually impressed, Ash," this is the first time he's called out the younger trainer's name during the entire battle, "But I fear all things must end! Come on out, Onix! Show them your power!" As he calls out his Pokémon from its ball, it roars loudly, shaking the entire building. Ash and his two Pokémon stare in fear at its power.
Prior to leaving his journey, and waking up late, Ash was watching a battle between Bruno and Agatha, two members of the Kanto Elite 4. When Bruno sent out Onix, the camera had to zoom out, but Ash never realized how huge the thing was in real life! He takes an involuntary step back, eyes wide. "I…" he stammers, "I won't lose…" he mutters, shaking his head furiously.
"What's wrong? Afraid? You should be! Onix has always been my strongest Pokémon, he is the reason why I've stayed as Gym Leader! Now, come on! Send out a Pokémon and we'll continue!"
Froakie steps up for Ash, surprising both Pikachu and his trainer. "Froakie… are you up for this?" Ash asks, hesitant on sending out either Pokémon out. Onix can crush them just by weight alone! Froakie nods, fist pumping determined.
"Froakie! Fro!" Froakie wants to battle, even if he loses, Pikachu can pick up the slack! Pikachu stares nervously, but nods.
"I… Alright… We, we can do this!" Ash slaps his cheeks, snapping him out of his fear. He needs to do this! He's not going to give up!
"Alright, Froakie! I choose you!" He points towards Onix, with Froakie jumping into the arena. He wants to show he's strong! Onix stares at the smaller Pokémon, ready to demolish the blue frog.
Brock nods, "Alright, let the final battle begin! Onix! Use Rock Polish!"
Onix begins to shift around the ground, polishing itself, causing it to speed itself up. It slithers around like a snake, but the quakes make it hard for really anything to focus. Froakie attempts to ground himself, but the constant quakes make him fall on his back.
"Now use Dragon Breath!"
Onix inhales, then exhales a purple smoke like beam towards Froakie, but Ash was able to react, "Froakie! Use Water Pulse against Dragon Breath!"
Froakie charges two Water Pulses, throwing them both at the beam heading towards him, making a small explosion occur. "Get out of there, Froakie!" Froakie jumps away from where Onix is currently slithering around, landing against a stalagmite.
"Not bad," Brock compliments, "but not good enough! Use Bind!"
With increased speeds, Onix is able to slither towards Froakie quickly.
"No! Bubble! Now!"
Froakie shoots out Bubble against Onix, narrowly dodging the attempted Bind attack, making Onix roar in pain from the attack. Bubble hits Onix square in the face, but Onix tries to continue with Bind, slamming its tail on the ground to launch Froakie in the air and then grab him.
Froakie just keeps jumping and lands on Onix, making Ash smile, "Good job, buddy! Keep using Water Pulse!"
"Use Screech!"
Onix screeches loudly, making Froakie lose concentration and doesn't form the attacks in his hands. Still holding on to his head, Onix quickly wraps his tail around Froakie, squeezing him harshly in his Bind.
Growling, Ash tries to use his Froakie's Pokéball to recall him, but the beams don't hit Froakie. Brock smirks, "Bind prevents you from using your Pokéball until either Froakie escapes or is already knocked out! Keep on squeezing him!"
Froakie screams, trying to wiggle himself out of the harsh grip, making Ash breathe heavily. This is not what he wanted to see! "Froakie!" he calls out in desperation, "Try Bubble again! Hurry!" Froakie weakly attacks Onix with Bubble, but because of how tight he's wrapped and how weak the attack is, Onix just winces from the bubbles hitting it, but doesn't relent.
"Slam Froakie into the ground and finish it!"
Onix lifts Froakie up with his tail still wrapped against Froakie and quickly slams him down to the arena. Smoke appears, from the impact, making Ash scream, "Froakie!"
The smoke dissipates and Froakie is on the floor unable to move, making Ash hitch his breath. He tears up seeing his first Pokémon down like that, he runs straight to his partner, ignoring the Onix, "Froakie!" He slides down to pick up his Pokémon. Froakie is knocked out, but not in terrible shape.
Froakie stirs in his trainer's arms, smiling weakly, "Kiee…"
Ash hugs him, tears streaming down his face, "Buddy, you did amazing… don't worry… Just… Just take it easy, please." Froakie nods, before turning to look at a nervous Pikachu and gives him a thumbs up. It's up to his fellow starter to finish the fight.
Brock watches Ash walk back to his corner, head slumped down, and he sighs at the scene. He doesn't like being rough, but it's inevitable. Luckily, Onix knows his own strength against Pokémon smaller than him, so he didn't slam him down too hard. At most, Froakie will be sore, but fine.
"Oh no, poor Froakie…" Serena wipes her tears, sad to see the state Froakie is in. Even Misty frowns in sympathy for the Ash.
"Yeah… Brock isn't letting up. And what's worse is Pikachu is afraid to battle Onix. Ash needs to pull a miracle right about now." Misty mutters, her hopes in Ash dwindling, but not out. Ash can make a comeback, but this isn't the best position to be in.
Serena nods, for once agreeing with Misty, but she clasps her hands together over her chest, silently praying for Ash to win. 'Please, Ash… I'm sorry for doubting you, but please win…'
Ash puts his backpack down, giving Froakie a place to rest his body against, as he whispers, "We'll win this for you, buddy. We're going to win this for you, for Butterfree, and for Pidgeotto." He glances to Pikachu who is shaking, "Pikachu… let's win this… for them. Please."
Pikachu hesitates, staring at Onix, but then he stares at Froakie, his brother-in-arms. The trio have always been together since Ash first caught Pikachu. The two Pokémon have it where they are considered equal to each other for Ash's attention and as fellow leaders for his future team. Wherever he goes, they go, and whatever Pokémon he catches, the two will be there for the new catches.
Seeing his best Pokémon friend down begins to infuriate him. He stares at Onix and his cheeks begin to spark, wanting to avenge his fellow starter. "Pika!" He runs into the arena, with Ash staring with an approving smile.
"Right! Let's do this, together!"
'To think, his Pokémon work with each other, to prove themselves, and trust him with their lives… He's going to go far, I can feel it.' Brock muses, his respect for Ash growing. He's decided then, whether Ash wins or loses, he will receive this badge. To a gym leader, winning against them is the most important thing, but it's not always the case. You can even receive one by showing the bonds between you and your Pokémon. And Ash has an incredible bond with all his Pokémon.
"Okay, let's finish this once and for all! Onix! Rock Polish!"
Onix begins to slither around, but Pikachu holds steadfast, watching Onix circle around him. The quakes, while annoying, don't bother Pikachu in the slightest as he uses his tail to anchor himself. Ash then calls out, "Try to escape with Quick Attack!"
Pikachu runs around, gaining speed to and Onix tries to use Bind, as per Brock's orders, Pikachu escapes without any problems!
"Great! Now use Iron Tail!"
"Iron – What?!" Brock didn't believe the fact that the Pikachu knew Iron Tail! This kid was just full of surprises! In his shock, he couldn't order Onix to defend himself, thus Onix roars sliding away after being hit square in the head with Iron Tail.
Onix shakes its head, trying to regain its senses from the attack, but Pikachu is on its head, holding himself against Onix's spike. Ash orders once again, "Use Iron Tail!"
"No! Try to fling him off, Onix!"
Onix tries in vain to throw Pikachu off of it, but with Pikachu holding to the spike on its head, the rodent just refuses to get out! Onix, in frustration, slams his own tail against its head! However, Pikachu dodges and the tail just smacks Onix instead, making it collapse to the ground.
"Right! Attack with Iron Tail, Pikachu!"
"Onix, no!"
Iron Tail lands square in the face of Onix, sending it sliding from the impact. It weakly gets up, panting heavily. Brock knows it can't deal with another attack from the electric type, so he just tries to play it safe. "Use Screech! Then Bind!"
Onix shrieks loudly, making Pikachu cover his ears. It was then where Onix grabs Pikachu, squeezing him hard, and Ash's heart sinks. Not again!
'No! I can't lose this! Froakie gave it his all! There's something that I can do!' Ash thinks in desperation, eyes zooming around the arena and to where Onix is located at.
He then notices that there's water dripping from Onix's head, where Froakie uses Bubble! The water on his head may be something he can use! "Pikachu! This is a long shot, but use Thunderbolt! Aim it at Onix's head!"
Brock almost guffaws, "What?! That's not going to wor –"
Famous last words as Onix roars in agony, the water on his head conducting enough electricity to actually deal damage to the rock snake! Onix inadvertently let's go of Pikachu, giving Ash another moment to take advantage of! "Use Iron Tail! For Froakie!"
"Pikaaaa-CHU!"
Pikachu decks Onix with an Iron Tail, making Onix collapse! Onix is then knocked out.
"No way…" Brock mutters, surprised at Onix's defeat. Pikachu slumps down, exhausted, but gives Ash and Froakie a thumbs up.
Ash stares, unable to comprehend it all. He then grunts as someone wraps their arms around him, he turns to see a brightly smiling Serena, her eyes shimmering with happiness as she hugs him tightly. "You did it, Ash!" She congratulates him. "You beat Brock!"
Misty gives him a thumbs up, to which he stares at her blankly, but then he stares at his team and friends, before hugging Serena tightly. "We did it!" he cheers happily, picking Serena up in his arms, making her squeak and laugh.
He twirls her around happily.
Brock does a fake cough to get Ash's attention, to which he and Serena both stop what they were doing to stare at Brock with blushes on their faces. Brock pulls out from his pocket a badge to hand over to Ash, "Here, Ash… You did amazing. To think, as a beginner, you were able to think on the fly and show us what you can do as a trainer. Take this badge as a sign that you beat me fair and square! You've won the Boulder Badge!"
He hands Ash the badge, to which Ash stares at it, shaking. He then grips the badge, before posing happily, "We got the Boulder Badge!" Pikachu, Froakie, and then popping out of their balls, Pidgeotto and Butterfree, all cheer and pose with their trainer! They all cry their names in happiness for helping their trainer win a gym battle!
Serena watches with happiness, but then she stares at Misty, who just nods at her. She then realizes what she needs to do. She looks over at Ash and whispers, "Hey, Ash?"
Her whisper catches his attention, making him turn to her, "'Rena! What's up?" She blushes slightly, twirling her fingers, but looks down in guilt. Ash frowns in concern over his best friend, but before he can ask her what was wrong, she just looks up at him with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry…" she apologizes, much to his wonder. "I'm sorry for ever thinking you'd lose, for worrying you'd get upset… for not realizing that you're the trainer battling, not me. I'm sorry…" She looks down, but Ash makes her look at him. She thought he was going to be upset, but instead he just grins his toothy grin at her. The very same grin that gives her a fluttery heart.
"Hey, don't worry! You had every right to worry! But I'm happy you were able to believe in me after all! It just means you care about me, too. But, yeah, even if I were to fail, no matter what, I won't give up until it's over! I won't let a loss bring me down!"
Serena blushes at his declaration, inspired by it. She then nods happily, "Mm!" She grunts out, hugging him tightly. "Thank you…" He just hugs her back, appreciating her thoughtfulness.
The two separate from the hug as Brock yells, "You!"
He points angrily at a figure that opened the door to the gym, walking towards them. "Hey, Brock…" it was Flint! Ash and the girls stare in shock as Flint tears off the fake beard and removes the beanie off his head. "Dad's home…" He looks just like an older Brock, much to his sons' chagrin.
"Wait! You said you were a 'good for nothing' father, but you didn't say it was about Brock!" Ash exclaims, surprised at the twist. Brock stares at his father with contempt, one that makes Flint look away in shame. "So why did you help me, Flint? Why train me to battle your own son?!"
"Because I knew if I had you battle, it would give me the courage to face my own demons, kid." Flint looks at his eldest son with a smile, "You've grown so much… I missed you and all the others."
Brock doesn't want any of it, "Like I care. You've left us! Mom couldn't deal with it and ran off! Do you know how hard it is to raise my 9 siblings?! I've had to raise them for years while you went off galivanting away towards some dream! And for what?! What did that accomplish?!"
Flint sighs, shaking his head, "You're right… I can't imagine the pain you went through and how fast you grew up because of my own childish actions… When I left all those years ago, I did it to prove to everyone that I could be a great trainer – to inspire you, Forrest, Salvadore, and everyone. However," he clenches his fist, "I couldn't… In my own depression, I couldn't dare show myself to you all!"
He prostrates in front of his son, crying, "I'm sorry, Brock! I know! I know I won't be able to take the pain away! I know I'm an awful father! But please, let me make amends! To you, to Lola, and to all my beautiful children… Let me have this chance… I know you've always wanted to be a Pokémon Breeder and it was my own hubris that made you become a Gym Leader! Please, Brock… let me take the burden off you…"
Brock watches his father cry his heart out, but he doesn't want to be hurt again… he can't trust him for what he's done… He attempts to look away, but Ash puts his hand on the teen's shoulder, "I think you should give him one more chance, Brock." Ash softly says, making Brock look at him incredulously.
Ash continues on, not giving Brock a chance to respond, "My own father once left my mom and I, never to show his face as he went on his own journey… And according to my mom, my grandpa did the same. I've never really had much of a father or father figure all my life. I know it'll be hard, and sometimes I wonder if I should even give them a chance, but… if they ever beg like this, crying their heart out? Maybe… just maybe I'd give them one final chance."
Pondering over it, Brock walks over to his prostrating father. "Hey…" He makes his father look up at him, and thinking Brock was going to hit him, he clenches his eyes, waiting for the impact. However, Brock just lifts him up, and gives him a notepad and pen. Everyone stares in amusement as Brock begins to tell Flint all the little intricacies of raising his siblings, making Flint write down everything frantically.
"Slow down, I can't write that fast!" Flint cries out, scribbling everything Brock was telling him, making the others laugh.
It would soon hit dusk as Brock invites everyone to his house to stay the night and eat. Luckily for Ash and the group, Brock has more than enough space to house guests, despite the large family. The trio weren't able to comprehend how Brock was able to keep the family afloat all by himself, watching as the kids played with one another, or even some crying to Brock over something.
Brock, as resilient as he shows himself to be, was able to make sure everyone's needs were tended to, giving Ash more reasons to respect the teenager in front of him.
As they all turn to sleep, Brock stops Ash from entering the guest room. Ash looks at Brock with a curious look, "Huh? Is there something you need, Brock?"
Brock nods, "I was wondering if I can join you on your travels."
