After running into a couple of familiar faces - some welcome, others not so much - Ash, Dawn, Pikachu, and Piplup left Viridian Forest behind them. Ever-expanding green was replaced by the grey stone architecture of Pewter City. After a long venture by foot, naturally, the group's first stop was the local Pokémon Center.

The glass double doors slid open with an automated chime, allowing Ash and Dawn inside. "Alright! We made it. What do you say we get you to Nurse Joy, Buddy?" Ash suggested, scratching under Pikachu's chin, who trilled in agreement.

"You too, Piplup! Samurai treated you well, but I'd say you could use some real care." Dawn winked at her partner.

"Pip-Piplup!" Piplup chirped, tilting his beak high.

The group approached the counter, where Nurse Joy was speaking with a tall man sporting spiky brown hair, who was balancing a tray stacked with files and folders in his arms.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash greeted. "Can you please take care of my Pokémon?"

"And mine, too!" Dawn added.

Joy didn't seem to notice them at first, preoccupied, but she snapped to attention. "Oh, of course! Just hand over your Pokémon and I'll have them fighting fit, soon." Putting on a jovial smile fitting of her name, she whispered to her colleague. "Sorry, just give me a minute. Place those files in the back, won't you?"

"Sure, no problem," the man in a white doctor's coat replied, though he was having quite a bit of trouble balancing his workload. Looking around the files, he gawked at the two trainers up front, nearly dropping the tray and scrambled to balance it. "Ash!? Dawn!?"

Hearing their names, the duo turned to the assistant. "Brock!?"

"Pika-chu!?"

Standing a whole head over even Ash was none other than their former companion, shifting his weight to maintain the paperwork. With olive-colored baggy pants and spiky, dark hair, Brock was unmistakable. Despite his troubles, he maintained a toothy grin. "Well, well. What a surprise! Can't say I expected you guys to drop in, today!"

Ash and Dawn handed their Poké Balls over to Joy, and Pikachu and Piplup hopped off to join them.

"Didn't expect to find you in the Pokémon Center, either!" Ash replied.

"Not that I'm complaining! What're you doing here, though, anyway?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, I'm in Medical School, right now, to pursue my dream of being a Pokémon Doctor," Brock explained. "Don't tell me you forgot, already."

"Of course not!" Ash answered, before he sunk into a slump. "School sounds like a real drag, though…"

"Tell me about it," the man grumbled. "If I never see another textbook again, it'll be too soon… But, anyway, I'm interning here, at the Center. It turns out, Joy could use a hand here, with all the excitable trainers coming through!"

"You have been a tremendous help," Joy giggled. "I see you've run into some friends. I'm going to take care of their Pokémon, so you just put those away when you get the chance, alright?"

"Of course." Brock nodded to the professional, turning back to his friends. He frowned, seemingly unnerved when he saw Ash and Dawn staring him down. "Hey, what's with that look, you two…?

"Something's not right, here." Ash squinted.

"You and Joy!" Dawn exclaimed, pointing at Brock. "You didn't act funny around her, at all!"

Ash and Dawn could swear an aura of gloom and doom overwhelmed Brock, who practically shrank into his paperwork. "No need to rub it in…!" Setting the tray atop the counter, he leaned in to whisper to Dawn. "I tried my luck when I started here. But Nurse Joy shot me down. There's no point in hammering away at a heart that's closed to you. A man who does that has no dignity…!"

"Uh-huh…" Dawn deadpanned, the intricacies of Brock's heart far over her head. "But, wow, that's pretty mature of you! You've grown since I last saw you."

"It is pretty weird, though," Ash remarked. "Talk about a change of pace." As soon as Ash opened his mouth, though, Ash felt the uncomfortable weight of two sets of eyes staring him down.

"What do you know about that sort of thing?" Dawn queried, poking his chest.

"Yeah, color me intrigued, too." Brock smiled, raising a brow.

Ash frowned, pushing Dawn's hand away to slink away from his two friends. "What's with you guys? It's just weird, alright!? You know how Brock is." He huffed, anxiously adjusting his cap. Time for a change in subject. "Anyway, Brock, did you hear if Forrest got my letter?"

Brock snorted in amusement, shrugging the topic off. "He did say something about that! I've got these files to put away, but how about we head back to the house after your Pokémon are healed, and we can head over?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Dawn chimed, dropping the subject as well.

"Works for me!" Ash quickly added. "Just lemme stop by the PC, for a sec. I've got a call to make to Professor Oak."

"It's really a shame you guys didn't visit during Christmas." Brock remarked, as the group walked through town. "Solidad came in, for a few days!"

"You know Solidad!?" Dawn gushed. "I would've loved to meet her… but, Mom and I were busy with Winter Solstice," she shrugged.

"I wish I could've stopped in, too." Ash agreed. "But Mom made me stay the holidays after getting me to haul my ass back from Mt. Silver."

Brock frowned. "I can tell you've had no supervision."

Ash laughed. "No one can check your language, when you're off training!"

"Ka-pi," Pikachu interjected.

"Yeah, except with Riley… He chewed me out when I talked like that."

"Riley?" Brock asked. "From Iron Island, you mean?"

"Uh-huh! He put me through a whole boot camp… oh, that reminds me!" Ash smiled, reaching for his belt for a Poké Ball. He tapped the center button, which materialized a flash of light atop his shoulder. A Riolu quickly took shape.

"Rio?" The red-eyed pup scanned her surroundings, fixating on the young man accompanying.

"Oh, a Riolu! That's new." Brock smiled, leaning in to greet the pup. "Nice to meet you."

Rosa clung to Ash's shoulder, staring intensely back at the man. Feeling the grip on his shoulder, Ash pat Rosa's head. "Hey, it's okay, Rosa. This is just Brock! We go way back."

~I know!~ A scratchy, telepathic voice suddenly exclaimed, and she smiled. ~You're a friend of Papa's!~

"Err…?" Brock trailed off, turning to Ash with a look of confusion.

"I can explain." Ash smiled apologetically. "We're linked pretty close, so she must've caught on to one of my memories. Aura stuff, y'know."

"You say that as if it's an everyday occurrence." Brock smiled, shaking his head. "You never cease to amaze. I guess it's good that we're on the same page, though, Rosa."

"Lucky you, being part of the in-crowd! She can be pretty shy, from what Ash tells me," Dawn explained.

~I am not!~

At about that time, the group slowed in their tracks. Out in front of the house, Brock's entire family was gathered, the children playing and running about - no doubt, getting in a few hours of fresh air before winter's bitter nights forced them inside. Even Forrest was entertaining them.

As soon as the children caught on and started rushing the trio, Rosa hopped off Ash's shoulder and clung to his leg, tapping her Poké Ball to return to it.

"You weren't kidding about her being shy," Brock muttered.

"She gets overwhelmed with crowds," Ash explained.

"Hey, Ash!" The second eldest of Brock's siblings approach the trainer with a smile and a wave.

"Forrest!" Ash greeted, holding out a closed fist.

The trainer in green hesitated before bumping his fist against Ash's. "Uh, good to see you! I was waiting on you, after getting that message of yours, the other day."

"Oh, yeah! About that…" Before Ash could say anything more, he was being swarmed by a small crowd of children clamoring and reaching for Pikachu. "Hey, hey! Easy, kids!" Ash chuckled, finding himself surrounded by the chattering siblings. Several reached for Pikachu, attempting to pinch his cheeks and pat his head. They were even growing tall enough to reach Ash's shoulder!

"Piiika…" Pikachu would smile, politely waving whilst attempting to pull away, static building in his cheeks.

Ash scooped up his partner, placing him comfortably atop his head. "Alright, alright. I know Pikachu's cute, but you wouldn't want to swarm him. He doesn't like it."

A few guilty faces and soft mutters told Ash of the somber mood he brought, and he nervously adjusted his cap, regaining his composure with a wink. "Besides, his Thunderbolt's a lot stronger now, and I know none of us wanna see that up-close! So, why don't we all take turns saying hi?"

"Uh, no thanks!"

"I'll pass on that!"

"Can do, Pikachu!"

Pikachu gave a grateful smile to Ash, before entertaining the audience on his own terms.

Lola found her way to Dawn, who was being bombarded with questions by Cindy. "What a cute water-type!" The mother clasped her hands, admiring Piplup with starry-eyed enthusiasm. "One of the Sinnoh starters, right?"

"Erm… yeah! Yeah, he sure is!" Finding herself cornered, Dawn handed a proud and boastful Piplup over to Lola. "Why don't you two get to know each other?" Forcing an exasperated smile as Lola doted on Piplup, she breathed a sigh of relief before returning her attention back to Cindy.

"You were in Poke Chic, weren't you!? Your Buneary just looked sooo cute! Brock told me all about your adventures - you must be an amazing coordinator! How do you do it!?"

Dawn hummed in thought, before raising a pointed finger. "It's all about hard work, and doing your best to make your team's charm shine!"

"You're so cool, Dawn! That answer sounds like something you'd here from Lilian!"

"Never a dull moment," Brock said, almost apologetically.

"That's for sure!" Ash turned to his friend, holding Pikachu in his arms while the kids pampered him. "They definitely look older than the last time I saw 'em. I guess that's what happens when you're away for a while, huh?"

"Well, that, and kids just grow up fast." Brock made a point to look at Ash and Dawn, and let out a sigh. "Heck, look at you two. Hasn't even been a full year… makes me feel old."

"Hey, it's gotten me out of being called a shrimp, personally, so I'll take it!"

"Still young at heart," Brock smiled. "That's reassuring."

"Alright, guys, breathing room," breathing room," Flint ordered.

With the words of their father grabbing the kids' attention, Brock took charge. "Tell you all what! Ash is going to have his Gym Battle, after dinner. If everyone can be good and stay in the stands like you're supposed to, you can watch."

With a round of happy cheers, the children all agreed.

"Daaawn, I wanna sit and cheer with you!" Cindy exclaimed.

"That's fine! As long as we… make it there!" The coordinator was swept up in the crowd of youngsters as they followed their parents into the house.

Fitting the entire family at one table was a struggle, let alone the guests. The Pokémon were having their own hectic feeding frenzy outside. Several tiers for the smallest Pokémon were set up out of reach of the largest - naturally, Mamoswine was (once again) kept from being a destructive glutton by Steelix. But the real excitement was inside the house.

Squished between Ash and Cindy, Dawn couldn't help but feel out of place. "Talk about a crowd." For someone who was an only child, the scene was just a bit suffocating.

"Always is!" Ash replied, anticipation on the rise as the last of the meal was set down on the table. "But hey, if Brock's cooking, you know it's gonna be worth it!"

When Lola sat down, she let out a delighted hum. "Aw, Flint. Seeing traveling trainers makes me want to pack up and hit the road again, too."

"Traveling really is the best situation for a young person," Flint agreed. "It's very enriching; culturally, mentally, and socially!" The former rogue grinned and took his wife's hand. "Doesn't hurt when you've got cute company, too."

Lola giggled in response, while the children, save for the three oldest, responded with a chorus of "not at the table," "gross," and "Mom. Dad. No."

"Don't even think about it," Brock grumbled over his meal.

Ash flashed Brock a sympathetic smile, recalling the family conflict over sticking around quite well, from the past.

Dawn perked up, entirely missing the background to what she was hearing. "Oh? You still travel?"

"Up until a few years ago, yes!" Lola happily chirped. "I think it was actually when Ash and Brock first met that Flint came home. I was soon to follow. Don't get me wrong, family life is nice, but enjoy roaming as much as you can!"

"Yup! There's lots of places left to see!" Turning to Ash, she grinned. "I've got a Top Coordinator cup to win, and I know this one's got a goal of his own."

"Yup, that's right!" Ash scooped a hearty spoonful of stew into his mouth, swallowing before continuing. "We're gonna tour the region, and I'm getting a fresh run of the Gyms to learn as much as I can, for the upcoming league!"

"That's a big change from the first time around." Brock smirked, playfully shaking his empty spoon at his friend.

"Huh? What does that mean?" Dawn chimed in. "What happened, the first time?"

"Er, nothing! It's nothing." Ash cut in, slamming his hand down a bit harder on the table than he meant to. The clacking of plates and bowls drew the family's attention to him. Flushing red, Ash shrunk back into his seat. "Brock's just ribbing, y'know? Friends do that! Good ol' friends."

Brock seemed to catch on when Ash gave him the stink eye, snorting in amusement in lieu of bringing up Ash's badge shenanigans any further. Mew forbid he get taunted for his less-than-graceful first collection of badges, again.

"I hate to interrupt," Forrest cut in, doing so anyway. "But remember that we're battling, today."

"Right, yeah." Ash smiled apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck. In his nostalgic excitement, he'd almost forgotten that Brock wouldn't be his default opponent. "Actually… about that. I really want to have a rematch with Brock. Our original battle never really got the conclusion it deserved."

Forrest frowned, idly stirring his stew. "Oh. I getcha."

"Sorry," Ash quickly excused, bowing his head. "I'd love a battle with you, some other time! I just… feel like it's something I need to do. Y'know?" Ash asked, though he wasn't sure whether he was trying to answer that for Forrest, or himself. He looked to Brock for a solid answer.

"If Forrest is alright with it." Brock smiled. "I'd like a proper battle, a lot! I try not to get too rusty, even in between hitting the books. It'd be great to see your progress, Ash!" He paused, looking to his brother. "...If that's okay."

"No, no." The Gym Leader shook his head. "I'd actually like to watch that. I still have some growing to do, as a Gym Leader."

"Now, don't beat yourself down too hard!" Flint reassured. "You should've seen this kid, a little while back. The Gym had a little slip-up with registering him as Gym Leader, so we got put under notice. If it weren't for Forrest, our goose would've been cooked!"

Ash and Dawn swore they heard Brock muttering something about it being Flint's fault, but the man didn't seem to pay it any mind. "That's wild! What'd Forrest do?" Dawn asked.

"They sent a league inspector," Forrest explained. "They said that if I couldn't prove myself, then the Pewter Gym would be shut down."

"I tried to help, but I lost to her," Brock explained. "She was unbelievably powerful."

"That strong!?" Ash exclaimed.

"When I battled her, she sent out a Latias," Forrest explained. "We gave our all to defend the pride of the Pewter Gym. We couldn't win… but Nurse Joy was impressed enough to pass us."

Ash thumped a hand against his chest, swallowing down a potato he'd almost choked on in his shock. "Who knew the Pokémon League just had a Latias, ready to go?"

"No one did," Brock answered. "Ever since then, he's been working really hard to put our rock types in the best shape possible."

"With your help," Forrest added. "One day, I'd like to be able to do it on my own."

"And I know you will!" Ash encouraged with a grin. "But for now, I wanna put Brock and the Pewter Gym to the test. This is gonna be a heck of a battle!"

After dinner, the gang filtered over to the Pewter City Gym, where Flint, Lola, and the younger children all took up the bleachers overlooking the rocky arena. Much like the last time Ash had visited, the field was a wider expansion of rocky territory, with the occasional large boulder and mountainous outcrop breaking up otherwise even ground.

Back up in the stands, Dawn was alone in a sea of many small and a few older faces crying out for Brock. "Strut your stuff, Ash!" She shouted over the ledge.

"Pip-Piplup!"

"And Brock!" Cindy puffed out her cheeks, squeezing Dawn's hand.

Dawn chuckled uneasily. "Right, right… Give it your all, both of you!"

"Alright. You ready, Brocko!?" Ash grinned, standing just outside the Gym's rocky slab of terrain. With Pikachu on his shoulder, he felt nostalgic as could be with this setting.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Ash!" On the other side of the fray, Brock stepped up. No longer sporting his lab coat, his outfit was a bit more distinct; he wore an orange, long-sleeved sweatshirt with a deep v-cut, and a black t-shirt underneath. A dark grey belt held his cargo pants secure. Smiling with gleeful anticipation, he held a Poké Ball at shoulder level.

Walking along the perimeter of the battlefield, Forrest stopped halfway between Brock and Ash. "This will be an official Gym Battle between the challenger, Ash, and the acting Gym Leader, Brock. Both trainers will use four Pokémon, and only the challenger may switch. There will be no time limit."

Both participants nodded to the rules, and Ash himself smiled at the partner on his shoulder. "Watch us, Pikachu. We're winning that badge for real, this time!"

"Pika!" Pikachu smirked, giving Ash a thumbs-up in return. Their first two tries had been quite a hectic and humiliating spectacle… Surely, they'd redeem themselves, this time!

That was the gist of what Pikachu said, anyway, Ash was sure.

Forrest then raised his hand. "Starting with the Gym Leader, you may send out your Pokémon!"

Complying, Brock threw down the gauntlet with his first choice. "Geodude, go!"

"Dude!" The small, floating stone with arms appeared before Brock, smashing his fists together in a rugged show of strength. "Geo-Dude!"

"Now, there's a familiar face." Ash hardened his gaze and threw his Poké Ball as well. "Wartortle! I choose you!"

Appearing on his hind legs, a blue tortoise appeared with style and poise, placing a pair of black shades over his eyes with a cocky grin. "War! Wartortle!"

"Wartortle!?" Brock exclaimed, clearly taken aback, judging by the look on his face. "Well, I'll be… Not only is Squirtle with you, but he's evolved, too?"

"Like we'd go on a big training mission and let the main man miss out?" Ash grinned, resting a hand proudly on his hip. "He's been on a training break, and the mountain toughened him up a lot! He wasn't going to let any of the locals show him up."

"Wartortle!" The tortoise boasted, removing his shades to place them back in his shell, lest they get broken.

"We'll show you what he's picked up, right now!" Ash pointed forward. "Use Water Gun!"

Wartortle took aim, spitting a pressurized water cannon at Geodude.

"A sharp shot, right from the start." Brock smiled. "Use Gyro Ball!"

"Dude!" Geodude's fists lit with a silver sheen that wrapped around him in a sudden, wild spin, battering away at Water Gun with a ring of pure pressure. Split right down the middle, Wartortle's attack shot off in all directions, several of them puncturing holes in solid rock.

"No way!" Ash exclaimed. "He didn't just…!?"

"He did!" Dawn finished.

"It's like an old challenger of mine told me," Brock smirked, puffing out his chest. "The best defense is a good offense, right? Altogether good advice, but we here at the Pewter Gym pride ourselves in our rock-hard defense. Isn't that right, Geodude?"

Geodude stopped spinning, agreeing with a gleeful flex of his rocky arms.

"But there's a lot more to say about the multi-faceted strength of rock types. Use Stealth Rock!" Just as Brock ordered, Geodude smacked his hands together, generating a shockwave that fired a many-pronged projectile of onyx energy, each of them taking root beneath the field.

"Stealth Rock!?" Ash frowned. "Like when Paul battled Roark…" Just as he reminisced, foreboding pillars of stone shot out of the earth, floating around his end of the field. "If damage is going to pile up on us as the battle goes on, let's shut them down before that can happen!" Ash decided, throwing a hand outward. "Wartortle, Hydro Pump!"

Wartortle retreated to his shell, blasting the battlefield with a quickly rotating water cannon, pulverizing Geodude. The rock groaned in pain, rolling back towards Brock in a washed-up heap. "Dude…!"

"Oh no, Geodude!" One of Brock's siblings exclaimed.

"That Hydro Pump was insane!"

"Geodude looks like it's about to go down," Dawn noted. "But he's still hanging in there."

"Remember what I said about a rock-hard defense?" Brock recalled. "That applies to a rock-type's ability, too."

Ash retrieved his Pokedex, pointing it at Geodude.

"Geodude's ability: Sturdy. It cannot be knocked out with one hit."

"Now, use Swagger!"

"Geo-dude!" Geodude floated back up, spinning around to shake the dripping water off his rocky form. Despite his critical condition, he maintained a strong bravado, body outlined in a menacing red aura as he taunted Wartortle, waving his hand in a cocky 'come-at-me' motion.

"War!?" Wartortle barked back, gritting his teeth indignation as he threw around hand gestures in a fit of what Ash could only assume to be insults. "Wartortle! Tort! Wartortle!"

"Huh? What's gotten into you, Wartortle?" Ash asked. "Don't let that attitude get to you; just wash it out with a Water Gun!" Ash ordered… and no vigilant response came. Wartortle stumbled about in a fit of rage. "Oh, don't tell me…"

"What's that move?" Dawn thought aloud.

"Swagger is a really nasty maneuver," Flint answered from beside the railing. "It provokes a Pokémon into a fit of rage, raising their attack power, but it confuses them, too. They may be stronger, but it makes them all the more likely to hurt themselves!"

"So, even if Geodude's only hanging on with Sturdy, that won't mean much if Wartortle can't hit him…"

"Pull yourself together, Wartortle!" Ash urged. Pikachu cried out similarly, in vain; rather than listen, Wartortle retreated into his shell, haphazardly spinning about the rocky field with no direction at all. His shell grinded and scraped along the rocky ground. Though, he was getting dangerously close to crossing paths with Geodude.

"Well, it's now or never," Brock decided. "Geodude, Explosion!"

"What!?"

Just as the errant turtle closed in, Geodude enveloped himself in a blinding light. With a grunt of effort, he detonated in a bright, earth-shaking explosion. Smoke and dust blasted away at the fray, forcing Ash to guard his eyes.

"Wartortle…!" Even through the debris, Ash could see his Pokémon's shell bouncing about, smashing into rock foundations like a ping-pong ball. Coming back around, he slid towards Ash and Pikachu on his back. "War…!" Wartortle flailed in a helpless, oblivious manner.

"Well, there's no way you're fighting like this." Ash sighed, recalling the water-type with a click of his Poké Ball. "Return for now, Wartortle." As the dust cleared, he could make out Brock recalling Geodude.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" Forrest declared.

"That was a pretty crazy move, you just pulled! Geodude went out with a real bang."

"Hm." Brock nodded, probably fully aware of his friend's aversion to self-sacrificial plays. "Geodude knows his role in a battle with tougher opponents. I'm sure you noticed the kind of moves he was running?"

"Kinds of moves…?" Ash hesitated, raising his eyebrows in thought for a brief moment. "Gyro Ball, Swagger, Explosion, Stealth Rock… And with Sturdy going on, not a whole lot of that sounds like it's meant for a straight-forward fight. You set that up, didn't you?"

"It's not an ideal we shoot for," Brock explained. "But when necessary, it can do a good job shaking up an opponent with momentum. You didn't think we'd just let you take a Pokémon down for free, did you?" Brock exchanged Geodude for another, tossing a Poké Ball into the sky. "You're up next, Aerodactyl!"

"Guess I should've known better." Ash smirked. A long moment passed before Brock's words hit him properly. "Did he say Aerodactyl!?"

An ear-splitting, predatory shriek was Ash's answer. Swooping and gliding around the Gym's upper heights, the fossil Pokémon eyed Ash with an intensity that gave him unwelcome nostalgia.

His hand reflexively hovered over Charizard's Poké Ball, but he hesitated.

"What's an Aerodactyl doing at the Pewter Gym!?" Dawn exclaimed, looking to the family for answers. "I've only seen one of those, and it had to be woken up with some fancy machine!"

"Forrest helps out at the local museum!" Cindy answered. "When he's not busy with the Gym, anyway. When there's a revived fossil Pokémon, sometimes they're left in his care! Since they're, like, always rock-types, right?"

"Maybe? I think? As far as I know," Dawn shrugged. "Wow… such a rare Pokémon. And it looks so powerful! Brock's really pulling out all the stops, for Ash."

"If that's our opponent…" Ash steadied his gaze and threw another Poké Ball with conviction. "You're up next, Gabite! Let's go!"

"Ga-gah…?" The second-stage shark materialized, oblivious to his surroundings. This lack of vigilance quickly punished him when he was rudely ambushed by Stealth Rock smashing into him. "Gab! Gabi!?"

"Sorry about that, Gabite!" Ash apologized, as the dragon shook the impact off. "Couldn't be helped."

The second stage pokemon emerged from Stealth Rock with a loud, feral growl. He bashed his claws together, egging on Aerodactyl.

"Well, would you look at that. Gible evolved!" Awe overtook Brock for a moment before he quirked a brow at Gabite. "He seems awfully rowdy, though. I remember him being a bit more…"

Air-headed was the most likely phrase Brock had landed on, but opted not to out of politeness.

"Yeah, it surprised me, too. Professor Oak said that he's been acting ornery, just recently." Ash looked perplexed for a moment, fiddling with his cap, but he discarded any second thoughts to beam at his pokemon, pumping a fist. "I bet you're real eager to show off your new power, aren't cha!"

"Gab! Gabite!" Gabite roared, leaning into an offensive stance.

"Maybe…" Brock muttered to no one in particular.

"What do you say we show off your speed, big guy?" Ash encouraged, chopping the air with his hand. "Use Dual Chop!"

Ash's command set the ordinarily spacey dragon on a vicious charge forward. Sprinting across solid rock, Gabite lunged at the airborne fossil, slashing at it with fins that had formed into emerald scythes.

"Dragon Tail!" Brock ordered.

Aerodactyl snaked around Gabite's ferocious slash, moving with free command of the air to avoid the typically speedy shark. He swung around with a shriek and retaliated with a whiplash of his glimmering tail that brutally bashed the dragon over the head.

"Even Gabite's going to have trouble, tangling with an Aerodactyl in the air. This could be trouble," Ash noted, watching his pokemon fall. "Flamethrower!"

The shark spat out a wave of flames mid-fall, which Aerodactyl swooped under with haste.

"Use Smack Down!"

Ducking under red and orange flames, Aerodactyl fell into a low glide over the gym's rocky floor. In return, a bright, orange orb was fired from Aerodactyl's jowls.

"Dodge that! And Flamethrower! Keep the pressure on 'em!" Ash urged.

Gabite had grounded himself in the midst of his last attack and was now faced with a counter move. The mysterious, glowing boulder was quickly approaching like a well-aimed fastball, and he took Ash's advice, quickly dashing his way up a tall rock formation to avoid its impact. In return, he spewed flames towards Aerodactyl, who was promptly on the run.

"There you go!" Ash coached. "Box him in, lower!"

A steady stream of flames roared in pursuit of Aerodactyl, blazing overhead every time the Pokémon tried to escape to the other side of the gym. Gabite followed Charizard's lessons of ferocity, leading his ancient opponent to a narrow gap between his fire and a nearby mountainous pile of rocks.

"That's what he's up to!" Brock grimaced. Forrest's Pokémon was looking about, anxiously flapping his wings. The Pokémon knew it'd been cornered. "Aerodactyl, be careful!"

"We've got 'em!" Ash grinned. "Dual Chop!"

"Gahhh!" Gabite sprinted down the rocky incline he stood atop and shot towards Aerodactyl. His flame only died out the second he lunged, leaving a confused fossil vulnerable to two vicious gleaming slashes of his claws.

Cut down by the consecutive slices, Aerodactyl plummeted and crashed into the rocky floor.

"Good job, Gabite!" Ash cheered, pumping a fist. "What's the matter, Brock? You guys've been working real hard to keep your distance from us." He cut a smirk at his best friend, his knowing gaze communicating something they both knew. For all of Brock's aerial advantages, he had to maintain them to avoid one fatal compromising position, against Gabite.

"I wonder about that." Brock smirked in return, brewing concern in Ash. "Use Double-Edge!"

Aerodactyl was quickly back on its feet. A swift, reckless charge was its next move against Gabite, smashing recklessly into him with a bright golden glow.

"Hang in there, Gabite!" Ash encouraged. "As soon as that recoil hits…"

On the contrary, Double-Edge's after effects never came. Aerodactyl continued driving Gabite across the field, smashing him through walls of solid rock without relief.

"There's no recoil!?" Ash's eyes grew wide. A realization came quickly, afterward. "Like Roark's Onix; it must have Rock Head as an ability!" With Gabite under attack, there was no time to dwell on this. He needed to bring Aerodactyl to a halt on his own, if Double-Edge wouldn't. Watching the dueling Pokémon drag across the rocky field, he had just the thing.

Brock seemed to notice, frowning at the characteristic smirk Ash adopted. "Oh?"

"Gabite! Use Dual Chop to dig your fins into the ground!"

Ash's order came just in time, too, as Gabite was nearing the stony edge of the field when he dug draconic claws into solid rock. Aerodactyl's momentum quickly dwindled, pressing head-on against a very stubborn dragon.

"Now, hook Aerodactyl in!"

"Oh, no." Brock grimaced. "Aerodactyl, pull back as quickly as possible!"

The fossil Pokémon lurched back but found itself hooked; Gabite's fins wrapped and locked around its neck to hold it in place. As much as it flailed and flapped its wings, there was no pulling away from the land shark's stubborn hold.

To which Ash punched a triumphant fist in the air. "Draco Meteor!"

A powerful energy rose from Gabite's core, and rose up into his jowls that opened up to expose Aerodactyl to the explosive inevitable. "Gah!" Gabite fired, blasting the fossil Pokémon towards the gym ceiling with the meteoric core blasting into its torso.

Once Draco Meteor hit peak altitude, it burst.

"Lup! Pip-Piplup!" Piplup squawked, suddenly flailing and struggling in Dawn's arms.

"Piplup!? What's gotten into you?" Dawn exclaimed, watching the penguin wiggle out of her arms and hide beneath the bleachers. She sighed. "You know he mastered that move, already."

"Piplup!"

Explosive meteors, fiery in appearance and devastating in power, rained down onto the field in a deafening barrage. Aerodactyl came down with them, pummeled and pulverized by at least a fraction of Gabite's ace-in-the-hole onslaught. Smoke and dust billowed across the fray, clearing for a battered, ashen, and halfway conscious Aerodactyl.

"Almost got him!" Ash thought aloud. 'If that'd been any more accurate, they'd be done for.'

"That attack's even more ferocious than before." Brock remarked with a twitch of his brow. "Use Roost!"

Aerodactyl settled atop a rock, folding in its wings. A soothing white light bathed over the prehistoric Pokémon.

"I've never seen that move, before," Ash said. One thing stood out to him in particular, though; Aerodactyl was currently grounded, and vulnerable. If they could just get it before it returned to the air… "Quick, Gabite, use Dig!"

Gabite quickly dove, burrowing underground with haste. Cracks began to show in the rock Aerodactyl roosted on, shortly after. The fossil Pokémon flapped its wings and fled just in time for Gabite to break through solid stone, aiming for Aerodactyl with a brutal headbutt.

"Darn! Just missed him!" Ash snapped his fingers in frustration.

"That was a good move," Brock praised. "Roost does leave the user grounded for a moment. But a move that needs preparation like Dig just didn't cut it."

"So, that's how it is," Ash acknowledged. His eyes turned back to Aerodactyl, who was hovering nearby Brock with his healthy disposition restored. "Aerodactyl looks ready to go again, too."

"Aerodactyl's an offensive Pokémon, but they're still rock types. So, they benefit from a sturdy resilience, no matter how they get it! Roost is a healing move that keeps them going strong."

Ash understood Brock's tactics, now; surely prepared for Forrest's command. Too little too late, though, he realized, watching Gabite. The land shark was huffing with some fatigue. Although he'd taken damage, Ash knew what the real issue was. 'Draco Meteor's already been used. So, using that or Flamethrower again will just get their power cut in half. Physical attacks aren't going to cut it against this guy, either! Guess I have no choice.'

"Return, Gabite!" Ash extended his Poké Ball, recalling Gabite with a red light. He smiled down upon the capsule. "Take a good rest, for now. I might need you later!" Exchanging one ball for the next, Ash flung his next choice with gusto. "Wartortle! I choose you!"

Wartortle appeared a second time, coherent and free of his previous status, pardoning a dusty shell. "War! Wartortle!" As soon as he appeared, however, Stealth Rock surrounded him. He looked about in confusion as they smashed into the turtle from all angles.

"There's that Stealth Rock, again," Ash grimaced.

Brock suddenly snapped his fingers. "Dragon Tail!"

Just as the rocks sandwiching Wartortle retreated to their original stations, the water-type was faced with a glimmering extremity smashing into his shell. Wartortle was launched back towards Ash, and strangely enough, immediately recalled to his Poké Ball.

"What the!?" Ash exclaimed, staring down at his belt.

"He just attacked the second Ash switched in!" Dawn exclaimed. "Is that even legal!?"

"Switching counts as an action in battles!" Forrest shouted from below. "Ash chose to use his time on the battlefield doing it. Brock retaliating is totally legit."

Dawn was greeted with the clamoring of agreements from the children, and even an accusation of bias or two. She puffed out her cheek, sitting back down. "Still, what was with that Dragon Tail…?"

As soon as Wartortle returned to his Poké Ball, another one on Ash's belt burst open on its own. Data encoded in light quickly sprung to life, calling on a roaring Charizard in Wartortle's place.

"Charizard!?" Ash did a double-take. "I didn't call on you!"

"Groarh?" Charizard looked back to Ash, scratching his head with his claw. He was then treated to a rude awakening, with Stealth Rocking flying in to bash and pummel the fire/flying type. Charizard roared in pain, battered about by the devious stones before they retreated. Unlike Gabite, who looked mildly peeved, or Wartortle, who took minor damage, Charizard looked hurt and weary in his posture, fresh out of the ball.

"Charizard… What's the matter!? And how'd you get out here, in the first place?"

"I can answer both of those for you," Brock replied. "You came here to learn, so I should help with that as the acting Gym Leader. For one, Dragon Tail has a secondary ability; when it lands a proper hit, it flings a Pokémon back to its trainer, and forces a switch."

"So, that's what that was about," Ash mused. "I've seen Charizard knock wild opponents away with it, but they had no trainers to return to. And it didn't happen all the time! What's the deal?"

"That secondary effect requires a precise strike," Brock explained. "A good dose of momentum that's dealt out by hitting with the end of the tail. A regular blunt strike won't cut it."

"So, that's why you snapped, that time. You wanted that switch out," Ash concluded.

"Right. As for Charizard… well, Stealth Rock's a funny move. It doesn't give status afflictions like Toxic Spikes, and it can't be layered on, like regular Spikes. But it's unique as the only field hazard that operates on type advantage. Gabite got off easy as a ground type, and Wartortle wouldn't know the difference. Charizard…"

"Charizard's fire and flying," Ash realized, eyes widening. "That means he took double on top of double from switching in!"

Charizard snorted flames, irritated and embarrassed.

"Well, if we're taking big damage, we'll give it right back! Dragon Pulse!"

Charizard retaliated with a speeding, multicolored projectile that quickly took the terrifying shape of a wyvern, eyes, jowls, and all. Before Aerodactyl could think to retaliate, it took the explosive force of the attack head-on.

"Aerodactyl…!" Brock growled through his teeth, digging his feet in to resist the winds blowing through his end of the battlefield. When the dust settled, a charred and bruised Aerodactyl sat in a heap, gasping for breath. "Just hanging in there… We don't have a choice. Use Roost, again!"

Aerodactyl composed itself, sitting comfortably as the gentle glow restored its health.

"You're not getting off for free, this time!" Ash shouted, pointing forward. "Use Steel Wing!"

Charizard charged forward into a sweeping clothesline, brutalizing Aerodactyl on one of his steel-reinforced wings.

"Use Smack Down!" Brock ordered.

Aerodactyl was forced to act under the pressure of being bashed in the throat by Charizard's wing. What better motive, though, than self-preservation? He conjured up a rocky projectile, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As soon as he was released, he spat the attack.

This was just in time for Charizard's wings to lose their steel reinforcement. Smack Down smashed into the teal webbing, contorting Charizard in a sharp, sudden pain. The Flame Pokémon dropped from the air, retracting his wings. "Groarh…!"

A hurting Aerodactyl retreated to the air in the meantime, claws hovering over his bruised neck.

"This is our chance!" Ash commanded. "Flamethrower!"

Charizard grunted in acknowledgement and sprinted, taking to the air to spit a scalding Flamethrower to end the match… or at least, that would be the case, were he not falling from the sky as soon as he started off. One wing flapped to maintain his weight, while the other recoiled in pain in every attempt to use it. Charizard's flight was lopsided, meaning the same for an extremely poorly-aimed Flamethrower.

"Charizard! What's the matter?" Ash frowned. Upon a closer look, he spotted a colorful bruise in the webbing of his partner's wing. "It was that Smack Down… your wing's injured!"

"Smack Down lives up to its name, doesn't it?" Brock interjected. "Aerodactyl, Double Edge!"

Surely emboldened by its grounded opponent, Aerodactyl dive bombed from above, smashing into Charizard with a golden residual glow. Like with Gabite before Charizard, Aerodactyl was persistent in bashing into its foe.

"Don't give in!" Ash encouraged. "Use your Seismic Toss!"

Sheer determination shone in Charizard's blue hues. He wrapped his arms securely around Aerodactyl's torso, using his tough talons to bring Double-Edge to an early end. A stampeding charge forward gave him his own momentum, and he leapt into the air for his signature move.

But there was just one problem; every flap of his wings was in vain. Rather than ascend for an aerial takedown, Charizard pitifully fell back to solid ground with every jump.

"Bad move, Ash," Brock warned. "Smack Down, now!"

Aerodactyl grinned in triumph, and pelted Charizard's healthy wing with another nasty projectile. The counter attack immediately freed it of the fire type's slacking grip, and it returned to the air.

"Roarhh…!" Charizard recoiled in discomfort, feebly flapping his wings out.

"Both of his wings are beat down… he can't even fly, right now." Ash grimaced. The power difference between the two was obvious, but Brock's clever tactics put even the mighty vanguard of Ash's roster on the ropes. "This is only gonna get worse if it continues, right now. Charizard, return!" Ash recalled the proud Pokémon, and quickly replaced him. "Go, Wartortle!"

Wartortle appeared for a third time, only to be battered by Stealth Rock again.

At which point, predictably, Brock snapped his fingers. Ash narrowed his eyes, having waited for just that.

"Dragon Tail!"

"Hydro Pump!"

It was a race against time as the boulders pulled away, and Aerodactyl swooped in to chase off its opponent and maintain its advantage over Ash. Dragon Tail cracked around with a whiplash.

Wartortle, on the other hand, was already in his shell when Stealth Rock retreated. Potent, pressurized water sent him flying in a controlled spin, sending him soaring safely above Dragon Tail. With his place in the battle secured, Wartortle looped back around, blasting Aerodactyl with one of the mightiest water type moves.

"Aerodactyl!" Brock called out. He watched the fossil Pokémon soar through the air, tumbling over at his feet. No doubt could be cast on the potency of Wartortle's infamous waters.

"Aerodactyl is unable to battle!"

"Return, Aerodactyl. Thank you." Brock pocketed the capsule. "That was some good, split-second thinking, Ash! I take it you figured out I was trying to box you in on your match-ups."

"What gave it away?" Ash smiled, playfully brushing his index finger over his nose. "You're showing me no mercy here, Brock-o. I knew it'd happen, the second I switched. You can't pull the same trick on me, twice!"

To Ash's chagrin and mild concern, his taunting made Brock laugh lightly. "Don't be so sure about that." Taking on a more stern, serious demeanor, the former Gym Leader threw a third Poké Ball into the fray with determination. "Rhyperior! Go!"

"Roaaaarh!" In the speedy Aerodactyl's place, a huge, sturdy behemoth of a Pokémon reigned. Towering over Wartortle was the armored final stage of Rhyhorn, sporting its signature drill, and the evolved form's arm cannon to boot.

"A Rhyperior," Ash acknowledged. "This guy's bound to be tough. Let's give 'em hell! Wartortle, Hydro Pump, now!"

"Wartortle!" Still fresh and confident off his last attack, the water type hopped up and retreated to his shell, blasting towards Rhyperior in a high-pressure, high-octane liquid blitz.

Rhyperior groaned as the high-pressure water battered away at his hide.

"It's working!" Ash celebrated.

"Periorrr!" Rhyperior swung the battering ball on his tail around, breaking up the last of Wartortle's Hydro Pump. Although soaked, he hardly looked worse for wear.

"It barely hurt him!?" Ash was taken aback. The gears started turning in his head, however, and a familiar scene of Grotle's Energy Ball being an ineffective assault flashed in his mind. "Hold on… this is just like Palmer's Rhyperior. Their ability cuts down super-effective damage!"

"Right! Solid Rock." Brock smiled knowingly. "Now, use Roar!"

Just as Wartortle emerged from his shell, Rhyperior retaliated with a deafening, earth-shaking roar. Pressure and sound waves swept up the turtle in their might, blasting him back towards Ash and into his Poké Ball by force.

The trainer, who was already covering his ears to endure the harsh sounds, watched the flash of red light settle into the capsule on his belt. "You're kidding! Again!?" Ash could only pray for the viability of the next Pokémon that would emerge. Either Gabite or Bulbasaur would be fine; with Wartortle recalled and Pikachu out of his ball as always, the odds were two-to-one in Ash's favor. With his many unorthodox strategies, Ash was naturally a gambling man. He watched his next Pokémon appeared in a flash.

"Huh!?" Ash blurted out, doing a double-take at his end of the field. This, he never saw coming.

Midway between the competitors, Forrest furrowed his brows.

At the other end, Brock raised one eyebrow quite high. "Well, that's interesting."

Standing in Wartortle's place wasn't the stubborn Charizard, the spacey Gabite, or the dependable Bulbasaur. Instead, it was a two-foot-four blue canine, standing on her hind legs.

"Rosa!?"