The Vermillion Gym looked as it always did—a jarring mix of intimidating and cartoonish. The lightning bolts decorating the entrance couldn't really capture the intensity of the electric types contained inside, but they were a good preview.

It put a pep in Ash's step. He walked toe-to-ball-to-toe-to-ball; his heels didn't even touch the floor and he craned his neck to each side before he flung the doors of the gym open a little too hard. They knocked against the sides with a loud rattle.

Dawn and Prinplup scampered in after, barely avoiding the way the doors slammed shut after.

"Jeez! Either those doors are weird or you've gotten stronger!" the blunette quipped.

"Sorry!" Ash sing-songed, turning to give his companion a million watt smile. "I'm just… excited!"

Pikachu chirped from his shoulder. "Pi-ka! Pikachu!"

~Yeah! It's battle time!~ Rosa yipped from Ash's opposite shoulder.

"Prinplup…" The water type looked around. This place wasn't nearly as nice as Misty's gym. It felt utilitarian, somehow. The scorch marks along the walls hinted at less than careful upkeep, too. A judgmental tone entered Prinplup's voice. "Prin-pri."

"Aw, Ash seems like he's ready for this one, so let's not bad mouth it, huh?" Dawn encouraged with a head pat.

"I don't take too kindly t'bad mouthin', no ways," came a deep baritone. The man of the hour strode out, then. He was massively tall, clocking in well past six feet and probably knocking closer to eight. His features were rough and weathered, but his smile was jovial in a chaotic, lively sort of way. If anyone should be Lt. Surge, it was certainly this mountain of a man.

"Lt. Surge!" Ash greeted, voice rough with enthusiasm. He raised both fists, brimming with fighting energy. "It's been a while! You know why I'm here, don'tcha?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know… But, I'd a'figured you'd outgrown needin' your hand held. Or, is this the new Baby?" The blonde gestured a big hand towards Dawn, brow raised.

"Oh, I wouldn't call her—" Ash warned.

Pikachu merely drooped his ears and tail, knowing how this would go.

"Who are you callin' a baby?!" Dawn demanded with a stomp of her foot.

Prinplup mimicked her, flipper raised threateningly at the gym leader.

Surge perked up, clearly amused by Dawn and her starter's vigor. "Oh-ho-ho! So, not a baby, not a baby! I gotcha! What's your name, anyways, pipsqueak?"

Narrowing her eyes, the coordinator gestured to herself and her starter. "I'm Dawn from Twinleaf Town and this is Prinplup."

"Prin-plup!" the water type greeted, arms crossed and chin raised.

Lt. Surge chuckled, elbowing Ash gently enough to only throw him slightly off balance and force Pikachu to abandon his perch. Rosa, however, stubbornly held on. "And I see y'got another lil' buddy with ya's. I ain't gonna make the mistake of calling you 'Baby!'" He eyed Rosa, grinning.

The Pokémon frowned, only feeling patronized by this. Something about the man's loud, aggressive energy made her aura bundles stand on end. ~I'm too old to be called a Baby!~

Surge blinked, briefly caught off-guard. "Alright, alright!" He laughed. "I see y'surrounded yourself with other lil' tough guys!"

After righting himself and calming a bristling Rosa, Ash puffed his chest out. "You know it! Me and my friends are all super tough!"

Ignoring the grammatically incorrect sentence as his linguistic choices were no better, Surge nodded in understanding. "Yeah… I hear ya. Actually, I took on someone new myself and she's—"

"RAICHU, NOT YET!"

"Rai-rai!"

That was all the warning the group got before an orange form burst into the main portion of the gym. It hurriedly approached Pikachu, stopping just before impact. Now still, the form obviously belonged to Surge's Raichu. It was still as large as ever, rippling with fat and muscle. A grin matching its trainer's was settled onto its face and it regarded Pikachu with something like friendly rivalry… Just very, very intense.

"Haha, c'mon, buddy, you're gonna give Visquez a hard time! I told ya t'wait in the back!" Lt. Surge said with a barking laugh. "He's been chompin' at the bits ever since we got the heads up on what ya were up to! He wants that rematch real bad!"

"Was the battle that good?" Dawn asked aloud.

Before Ash could clarify, a gym trainer with two long, white ponytails jogged into the room. She bent over, panting. Judging by the dirt on her, she'd likely been doing some grooming or such back further in the gym. Had Raichu escaped from pampering to meet his rival?

"Sorry, Lt. Surge," the girl whined. She looked to be just a few years older than Ash. "I tried holding him back so… He wouldn't… scare the… newbie…"

There was a brief moment of silence.

Then, Visquez pointed at Ash and yelled. "IT'S YOU!" She rushed to Surge's side, tugging on his shirt. "Lt. Surge, it's him! It's the guy who gave you the legendary battle…! Your first good loss in, like, forever!" Visquez grinned widely. "Oh, man, if I had known it was you coming in, I wouldn't have made him stay back! This is so cool!" She held both hands together, pleading. "Can I stay and watch?! I'll take care of my duties after!"

"Huh? What kinda question is that?!" Surge demanded. "Visquez, you're the most reliable gym trainer I've got here… You can do whatever, I know you'll take care of the gym even if I don't." The man waved his hand.

Dawn looked over to Ash, who looked as if the stars had been captured in his eyes. "I think you mentioned going up against a Raichu a few times," Dawn said, "but, how intense was this battle…?"

"Super intense," Ash clarified. "Looking back, it was pretty simple, overall. But it pushed me more than most Gym Battles! We were all bruised up, by the end of it."

~SUPER intense!?~ Rosa parroted. Grinning, she quickly reclaimed her enthusiasm.

"Whoa!" Dawn gasped, somehow instantly understanding what Ash meant. "If you're putting it above most Gym Battles…!"

"Hey, you, c'mere!" Visquez said, waving her arm. "You and your Pokémon! This part of the gym's for observing! There's a lightning shield. We can comfortably watch here."

"Huh? Oh, okay! Rosa, you come, too!" Dawn invited.

~Coming!~

With Dawn, Prinplup, and Rosa off on the sides, all that was left was the gym leader and the challenger, as well as each of their aces. Raichu grinned down at Pikachu, excited static already rippling over his fur. Pikachu's golden coat, likewise, twinkled with unspent electricity.

Raichu had been waiting for a rematch. Pikachu was ready to give it to him.

"Alright, Baby. I hear you've gotten around, when it comes to leagues. So, I wanna see a real assessment of your skills. We'll make it a three on three!" Surge decided, and unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt to casually toss into the fray. "Electivire! At attention!"

"Elec-vire!" On Surge's side, the hulking, walking generator of a Pokémon appeared, bashing its fists together with the species' trademark, unmoving grin.

"Dis guy's been raring for a real challenge around here, almost as much as Raichu!" Surge explained. "It's not often I get a challenger wit' enough badges to handle 'im. So, I'm counting on the lot of you to step up!"

"If that's what you want, that's what you'll get!" Ash replied with gusto, and reached for his belt. "Alright, I'll start with-"

"Pika!" Pikachu interrupted, dashing in front of Ash to stand on all fours. His tail flicked with something between impatience and excitement.

"Wait, Pikachu?" Ash hesitated. "Are you sure, buddy…? You know your electric attacks won't do a thing against this guy."

"Chu!" Pikachu argued back, turning back to flash Ash a peace sign.

"...I get it. You must be feeling antsy, after losing to those other Electivire, huh? You wanna show you're beyond that." Ash smiled to himself, sure he understood his partner when Pikachu nodded back to him. "Alright. If that's how you want it, I'm putting my faith in you!"

"Now, ain't that sweet." Surge sing-songed. Ash wasn't sure whether he was genuinely moved, or mocking them. "But, we don't pull punches just 'cause you're feelin' sentimental. Earthquake!"

Electivire made his opening impact on the battle a sight to remember. A brutish and unrestrained stomp into the ground sent disruptive quakes towards Pikachu.

"Agility!" Ash urged.

There was really no need to specifically alert Pikachu to avoid the quake - by the time Agility's last syllable passed Ash's lips, a yellow blur stretched to the limits of the human eye, darting well out of Earthquake's radius. The ground shook and gave without Pikachu's company.

Lieutenant Surge grunted. "Another Earthquake!"

Electivire lugged his weight around, bashing his fists into the ground in Pikachu's direction. Solid earth split and rattled, threatening the mouse with super-effective damage, once more.

"Agility, again!"

Pikachu vanished, even faster than the first time. This time around, the Gym Leader was confronted with the tiny yellow mouse standing right in front of him; back to him, of course, to keep an eye on Electivire. Up close, he looked tiny enough to fit in the palm of Surge's hand. For a moment, the man stared at Pikachu, pursing his lips. Then, he laughed.

"Hah! A wise guy, eh?" Grinning, he gestured an open palm towards Ash. "You were tryin' to goad me into using up a powerful move like Earthquake against ya!"

To the accusation, Ash only brushed his index finger over his nose, smiling. "You caught me. I've got a pretty good memory of wearing out Raichu's electricity, last time around!"

By Surge's side, Raichu frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Rai…"

"Astute observation," Surge granted, his voice falling to a low, sinister gravel. "But, I never fall for the same trick a second time."

"Hmph!" Ash smirked, and let the exchange end there. "Quick Attack!"

"Pika-cha!" Pikachu bolted towards Electivire, throwing all of his weight and momentum forward.

"Meet 'em head-on, Electivire!" Surge shouted. "Wild Charge!"

Electivire lumbered forward into an offensive, full-body charge, as violent lightning crackled around its body. Throwing itself forward, it bashed its shoulder into Pikachu.

A brief stalemate occurred, in a clash between blinding speed and raw power. The two broke off from one another, the smaller somersaulting back into place, and the larger sliding across the terrain. They'd been more-or-less even.

Watching the exchange, Surge thoughtfully cupped his square jaw with his thumb. "Look at ya! Goin' head-to-head with a powerhouse Pokémon… You're already makin' mistakes. Why not hit us from a distance with all your fancy bolts?"

Ash laughed. "What, and give your Electivire a super-charge? I'm a little insulted you'd think I'm that naive."

"They're doing an awful lot of talking." Visquez frowned, leaning her elbows against her knees, with one hand supporting her chin. "For all the talk of that legendary battle, I'd expect something a lot more fast-paced and explosive from both of them."

"...Ash is battling a lot more cautiously than usual," Dawn replied. "I think he and Surge are sizing each other up, right now. It means they respect each other's skills."

"...Huh. That does make sense!" The older girl looked back to Dawn. "You sure know a lot about battling. You takin' on the leagues, yourself?"

"Huh? No way!" Dawn laughed, waving a hand. "I'm a Coordinator. But, I have seen my share of tense battles. And, I haven't seen one like this in a while."

"If you're not gonna make the next move, I will!" Surge barked. "Electivire, Ice Punch!"

"Lec-lec-lec!" Electivire charged, wielding an icy-blue, frost covered fist.

"Charge in, Pikachu!" Ash commanded with glee. He watched his partner close the gap between himself and his larger foe, faster than the latter could even process the change. That was his cue as he shouted, "Sweep 'em, with Iron Tail!"

The following moments would have to be played in slow motion, to capture what transpired in the blink of an eye. Electivire's fist passed over Pikachu's head, the tangents of frost only tickling the broad end of his tail. There was no time for the biped to correct himself; Pikachu's iron-clad tail swept and bashed harshly into its shin. Pikachu slid under the toppling Electivire, landing soundly.

Back in the scope of reality, Electivire was suddenly sent flying through the air, head-first.

"Electivire!" Surge called out. This seemed to be enough for Electivire to orient itself, shooting one of his cable-like tails into the earth below him. The act slowed and centered his momentum, allowing the Pokémon to land upright.

"Vire…!" It winced, shifting unsurely on its struck knee.

Ash was already presenting a problem for the elder man; his Pikachu was terribly fast. Comparing him to his performance years ago, the latter moved like a Slugma in winter. It was time to nip this problem in the bud. "Electivire! Cross Chop!"

"Here it comes, Pikachu!" Ash warned. He was expecting a brute force charge, with knived hands at the ready. What came instead took him off-guard entirely; Electivire leaned forward, and lashed out at Pikachu with a cross-formation strike of his two tails.

"Ka!" Pikachu swiftly leaned his head to one side to clear the first cable, and then hopped inches over the next, avoiding the strike.

But the mouse's troubles didn't end there. Cross Chop went on to carve a cross in the ground below Pikachu, cleaving through to leave a crater below him. With no solid ground to land on, Pikachu fell.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out. What was Surge up to, this time!?

"End of da line, baby!" Surge boasted. Apparently, Ash was about to get his answer. "Ya got nowhere to run, and only one place to fall! Electivire, Earthquake!"

With only his tails occupied, Electivire grinned, smashing his fists into the field. "Vire!"

"Shoot!" Ash hissed. "Use Iron Tail on the ground!"

With very little time to act, Pikachu flipped forward, bashing a swiftly hardening tail into the pit of the gap he'd dropped into. "Chua… Pi-ka!"

A second tremor ripped through the depression under Pikachu, making the ground falter and break like a scattered jigsaw puzzle. Two disruptions of the earth met at an epicenter, sending a wider disturbance in all directions.

Pikachu, luckily, was resourceful enough to board one of the dislodged pieces of earth he'd shaken loose, hopping between several to gain altitude.

"Agh! What the…!?" Surge took a step back, regaining his footing from the quake. "You tricky little…!"

Electivire wasn't so fortunate. The remainder of the quake rattled through him; particularly his weaker leg. The large Pokémon growled in pain.

Surge was starting to sweat. He was losing control of this battle quickly, and he knew it. "Electivire! Put 'im down, with Ice Punch!"

"Lec-lec-lec!" Electivire charged in again, despite his injuries. An icy fist was brought down towards the tiny mouse.

"Iron Tail!" Ash shouted, waving a hand.

Pikachu sprung forward in sync with his trainer's movements, smashing his tail into the coming punch. He hissed, feeling a harsh cold travel up his tail. Were this to go on much longer, he might go numb… luckily, Electivire was already buckling to him. The large Electric-type was down on one knee, allowing Pikachu to disarm him with a swat of his tail. With another swing, he bashed Electivire across the face. "Chuuu… Pi-ka!"

Electivire tumbled back, forced to catch himself on all fours. Dust kicked up, dirtying his dense, coarse fur. "Electivire…!"

"Agh…! He's got a bad knee," Surge muttered. Electivire no longer had the constitution to lean weight into his punches; even Earthquake might do more harm than good, at this rate. They had no choice. "Let's mow 'em down, Electivire! Wild Charge!"

"Vire!" The ape-like Pokémon snarled, sprinting into a life-risking tackle, despite his injury. Violent electricity kicked up around him.

'Here it comes!' There was a glint in Ash's watchful eye. "Circle Electivire, Pikachu!"

"Pi!" Having been on his hind legs, Pikachu leaned into a sprint, and seemingly vanished. The target Electivire had been lunging for was no longer present. In fact, he'd moved directly behind the lug.

"There!" Ash called. "Use Quick Attack!"

"Pi-pi-pi…!" Swiveling around on his feet, Pikachu lunged, bashing himself into Electivire's back.

"Iron Tail!"

Still hovering over his toppling foe, Pikachu somersaulted forward, and brought down an iron hammer into Electivire's back. The weight of Pikachu and itself combined caused it to collapse and be buried further into the ground.

"Pi!" Pikachu exited with an acrobatic leap, exhaling.

Surge watched his own Pokémon, who was buried face-first in rubble, unmoving. It didn't take a genius to figure that result out. A red flash recalled the giant. "Well, whaddya know. Y'got past Electivire without a single electric attack!"

"This isn't the first time we've battled an Electivire," Ash explained. Luckily for them, Pikachu was the stronger and faster of the two, this time. But, then, they'd trained for it; that couldn't really be called luck. "Using our electric attacks was always a no-go, so I had to use my head for this one. And, from what I remember, you lost your cool, last time, once Pikachu took the advantage in speed. I knew that you'd slip up, sooner or later, if we kept you on your toes!"

"...Heh. Old habits die hard, eh?" Surge thoughtfully rubbed his chin, cracking a smirk. "That's a pretty solid read, baby. But, I hope y'aint getting ahead of yourself, for your sake. You've still got two more Pokémon, blocking your path! At attention, Rotom!" Then, he tossed a Poké Ball into the fray.

Surge's next choice was a rather unexpected choice, at least for a Gym Leader from Kanto. Hovering over the field was a large, orange washing machine with a spike on its head and a hose that behaved much like a tail. Most notable were its wide eyes and mischievous grin.

"A Rotom!?" Ash exclaimed. "And, it's already possessing something."

"Surprised?" The titan of a man laughed. "Rotom ain't a Kanto staple, but dat's what you get from a proper Gym Leader. Always evolvin' to keep up with the times."

"That figures." Ash smirked, then turned to his partner. "Pikachu, you wanna switch out for a little while?"

"Pi?" Pikachu's ear perked up when his name was called. He turned back to Ash, and flexed his stubby biceps. "Pika-Pika!" Electricity coasted off of his cheeks. He didn't have a single scratch on him! And, clearly, his fighting spirit was already ignited.

"You're good to go?" Ash raised a brow. "Are you saying that you wanna make it all the way to your battle with Raichu?"

Pikachu nodded, his tail swishing excitedly behind him. "Pikachu!"

"...Well… alright!" Ash smiled, pumping a fist. "If that's the case, let's take them all on in one go! But, you're sitting out the next Gym Battle to make it up to the team, alright?" He chided.

Pikachu nodded, and returned to facing Rotom on all fours.

"Hah! Guy's a little pisser, ain't he? Y'really think you can take us all on, yaself?" Surge grinned, tilting his head in a show to goad Pikachu on.

"Pi!" Pikachu barked back.

"Let's see," Ash muttered to himself, assessing their second opponent. "Rotom never hang close to the ground… at least not in that form. So, bashing the ground in won't work, this time."

"Hah! Dat's the power of Levitate," Surge boasted. "No ground-type attacks are rattling this soldier. "Y'didn't actually think my entire team would have the same weakness, didja? A Ground-type ain't enough to rattle my team. We even got offense covered with them… Rotom, Hydro Pump!"

Rotom's door swung open, targeting Pikachu with a torrential stream.

"Dodge that!" Ash commanded, and his partner swiftly sprung to Hydro Pump's side. With that success, he waved a hand and continued. "If you're playing hardball, we will, too! Volt Tackle!"

"Pi… Pi… Pi… Pi… Pi-ka!" Pikachu dashed past Hydro Pump, quickly striking up a crackling aura about his body. The gold surrounding him was highlighted in the passing waters beside him, before he leapt, and crashed into Rotom.

"Nice!" Ash praised. "Great shot, buddy."

Pikachu was still airborne after the impact. As apt an opportunity as this was for a follow-up attack, the recoil of Volt Tackle surged, making Pikachu wince and recoil in mid-air. "Piii…!"

"Gotcha." Surge displayed a devilish grin, as he declared his triumph. "Use Will-o-Wisp!"

"Pika!?" Pikachu gasped, hearing the man's command. Alas, it was far too late for him to change course, as much as he may have wanted to. He'd lost his built-up momentum, and an ambush of eerie blue flames consumed him. He shrieked.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, bundling one of his hands into a fist. His partner fell to land on all fours, perhaps a bit winded by the flames. What came next, though, worried Ash all the more; a blaze hissed and consumed Pikachu before quickly disappearing. "He's burned…!" The trainer grimaced. And as the gears turned in Ash's head, the situation quickly went from bad to worse.

'Pikachu's attack power is cut in half, now… So Quick Attack and Iron Tail aren't gonna be worth much.' Recounting the moves in his head, Ash began to count on his fingers. "Agility, Quick Attack, Iron Tail… oh no!" He worked up a cold sweat when he realized his folly; he'd already picked four moves, the most recent one being Volt Tackle. 'We only have physical moves for the rest of the match!'

"Pika?" Pikachu must have sensed Ash's anxiety; a talent he'd honed a long time ago, and Ash teetered between deeply appreciating and dreading; as he'd turned back towards his trainer, pointing towards his belt. It was a gesture they'd worked out, quite a while ago; Pikachu was asking if perhaps he should switch out. "Pikapi chu?"

"...Shoot, was I really that obvious?" Ash winced.

Pikachu nodded twice.

"Crap," Ash cursed. This was one of those times where Ash wasn't thrilled about his partner's intuition; he didn't particularly like being so obviously doubtful of his best friend's chances. "Mmm…" What should he do? It'd be wise to use Gengar in this situation, but they'd already started building momentum.

"What's the matter, baby?!" Surge barked, snapping Ash out of his trepidation. "Don't tell me I gave you two shell shock wit' one measly status condition?"

"Not a chance!" Ash bit back, feeling a fire in his belly, once more. Maybe it was the regrettable burn of the Gym Leader undercutting his ego, but Ash preferred to think it was a roaring furnace of determination. "Forget it, Pikachu. Even if you come back into the battle, you'll still have that weakness. And it won't do you any good to deal with your burns on the sidelines, either."

Pikachu smiled, seemingly satisfied with this reasoning. That smile quirked up into a smirk, and he pumped a closed paw into the air. "Pikachu!" The decision was unanimous.

"Great, great. I was gettin' sick of the dawdlin'." Surve provoked.

"Oh, you're gonna wish we stayed slow," Ash barked back, pointing forward forcefully. "Pikachu! Rapid fire Quick Attack!"

A silver light burst around Pikachu, and he smashed into Rotom's bulky, rectangular body. Rather than disengage and end his momentum, though, he sprung off Rotom and veered to the right. Just as his forelegs touched the ground, he swerved around on his paw. A great deal of dust was kicked up about him, as his hind legs propelled him right back at his opponent.

A second crash, and Pikachu somersaulted forward before repeating the process.

Rosa was hopping up and down on the bleachers, throwing punches at the air. ~Yeah! Get 'em!~

"Look at Pikachu go!" Dawn gushed, bundling her fists over her chest, as she looked on in awe. "He's not giving Rotom any room to breathe."

"Now, there's the legendary Pikachu I've heard so much about!" Visquez cackled, punching her fist into her open palm. "That speed is second to none! Wow!"

"Yeah," Dawn agreed. Despite this, she frowned. "Then, why…"

'Why isn't Surge saying anything!?' Ash furrowed his brow. Although the battle seemed to be going incredibly well, as the large inhabited washing machine was beginning to behave more like a pinball, the trainer couldn't shake an eerie feeling that sent sweat trickling down his cheek.

Lt. Surge was just… standing there, with a hand comfortably on his hip, and a perfect poker face. It was like the big guy was just letting Ash beat up his Pokémon.

Ash snorted. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

The streak of silver and yellow stopped, tumbling down over Rotom. "Chu… Pika!"

The smackdown sent Rotom plummeting, crashing into the field in a cloud of dirt and dust. Pikachu landed, recoiling from another fiery reminder of his burn condition.

A tense couple of moments passed, before the debris dispersed. Rotom yanked itself out of the square crater it'd just created, floating back into the air. Its metallic body had suffered multiple dents and scratches from Pikachu's battering, but otherwise was none the worse for wear.

Ash grimaced. "Rotom's still at it!?"

Pikachu growled, leaking excess static from his cheek pouches.

"Surprised?" Surge asked. "Dere are ups and downs to each form o' Rotom. Rotom Wash has got some serious bulk, to go with that big, square body of theirs! Y'ever try punching a washing machine?" He laughed. "I wouldn't recommend it. Unless you're me, of course-"

"What's the big idea?" Ash goaded, squinting at the man. "You're not gonna hit us back?"

The muscle bound man blinked, eyes widening. He scanned the Gym from one end to the next with deliberate turns of his head. "Hey, did I hire a tutor t'tell me how to run my Gym? 'Cause I could've sworn some pint-sized challenger was just barking orders."

'Is he… making fun of us!?' If the Lightning Unovan was trying to get under Ash's skin, it was working. He made a wide gesture with his open palm, stomping the field. "Let's show 'em what they're messing with, Pikachu - Volt Tackle!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, building into a reckless sprint. "Pikapikapikapikapikapikapika…!"

When Pikachu took the leap, Surge spoke. "Now, Rotom. Use Pain Split!"

Volt Tackle collided with Rotom, sending lightning every which way. Even with Pikachu's attack split, his signature move sent surges of pain through the machine's occupant. Rotom endured the worst, and two, projectile hands formed of red light reached out, and grasped Pikachu.

Pikachu gasped. His valiant attack suddenly started to lose its fervor; his stamina felt like it was slipping right through his paws. The minor pain dealt out by his burn and Volt Tackle's recoil faded away, and he suddenly felt like he'd been battered around by consecutive strikes.

It was enough to slow and end Volt Tackle. When the lightning faded away, Rotom took to the air with stamina to spare.

Ash turned his gaze to Pikachu, to Rotom, and back to Pikachu again. "What… what just happened!?"

"Y'aint ever heard of Pain Split?" Surge laughed. "It's in the name, baby. Any damage between the user and the victim is evened out. So, all those beatings y'gave Rotom? Half o' that is Pikachu's now. And better yet…!"

"Pika…!" An overflow of electricity shot through Pikachu; the recoil from Volt Tackle. He rode it out, shaking his head. It was unsavory, but nothing he hadn't endured before. Unfortunately, a blaze quickly scorched him and left, pushing the winded mouse on to all fours.

"Oh, no! Pikachu!" Ash called out, reaching a hand out to his partner in worry.

"Volt Switch, Rotom!"

"Ekekeke…!" Rotom chuckled, erratically zig-zagging through the air towards Pikachu; now, with a bright yellow charge surrounding it. It bashed into Pikachu, before quickly retreating.

One thing Ash hadn't accounted for was Rotom returning to its Poké Ball on Surge's belt.

"What the…!?" Once again, Ash trailed off dumbly. He felt like he was losing his grip on just what was happening here. "You didn't call Rotom back… Was that-"

"Volt Switch," Surge affirmed. "If I have to take ya to school today, so be it. It's a new fancy Electric-type move, honed by da talented Electric Gym Leader off in my home region. Strikes like lightning, and zips on out of the battle. A hit-and-run strategy. Pretty deadly, ain't it."

Ash's eyes flicked to Pikachu. While not down for the count, the yellow starter was definitely due for a rest. He could see a slight tremble in the burned electric type's limbs. "You were goading us," Ash spat, brows furrowing.

"Yeah," Surge agreed. "Ain't I a stinker? Why don'tcha go ahead and swap out? Raichu'll be sour for a week if he gets to face Pikachu at less than his best, y'know."

Even if his legs were trembling, Pikachu's determination did not waver. "Pika!" The smaller electric type turned his gaze on his evolved peer. "Chu… Pikachu!" Raichu could consider this an advantage in the orange mouse's corner, Pikachu decided with a curl of his weary little lips.

Feeling a second wind of confidence lift his sails at his partner Pokémon's retort, Ash threw a fist in the air. "You heard 'im! We aren't gonna turn tail now!" He looked at the little mouse. "Buddy, if you wanna go all out, I'll go for broke with you!"

"Pika!"

"Das just great," Surge enthusiastically replied. He smiled, then, genuine and terrifying. He was ecstatic. Sure, it had taken a little round of mind games to get that reckless and nigh desperate level of pride to eek out of the younger duo, but it had been what Surge and Raichu wanted to face. Just like Ash, the Lightning Unovan wasn't one to deny his partner what he wanted. "Raichu! S'all you!"

"Rai-rai!" Raichu's lightning-tipped tail twirled behind him as he bound onto the field. "Raichu…" he warned. Pikachu would have to come at him with everything he had, because Raichu wasn't going to go easy on the other. He'd been waiting on this rematch for a good, long while.

"Then, let's do this!" Ash grinned, and punched the air. "Quick Attack!"

"Pi!" Pikachu started a sprint towards Raichu.

"Fake-out!"

Surge's words registered peripherally to Pikachu's keen hearing, but that was a footnote, compared to the huge, orange rodent that had just put him in its shadow. Raichu stood blocking Pikachu's path, catching him off-guard; enough to bring him to a skidding halt.

A reflexive decision he quickly felt stupid for, when Raichu rudely backhanded him with his lightning bolt tail. The smack quickly and forcefully acquainted Pikachu with the ground, face-first. Pikachu indignantly spat out a clod of dirt, pushing himself onto all fours. An effort that was wasted, as heat surged through him again. The burn dropped him a second time.

"Tch…!" Ash grimaced at the upset. Flinching, on top of status afflictions? That sounded like the sort of brutal tactic that Surge would deploy. "But, Fake-out is a one trick Ponyta. It won't work again; Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"Pi...ka…!" Pikachu growled, pushing himself back on his feet. Raichu was still close; well within Iron Tail range. A somersault forward brought his tail down upon his foe.

"Hah! Grab 'im, Raichu!" Surge responded. Consequently, Raichu's tail whipped around into a tight bind with surprising dexterity. Pikachu's tail was yanked into a tight bind.

"Pika!?" Pikachu exclaimed. He'd been caught!

"Rai…" The orange rodent sneered at him. A bit of insult added to injury. And then, injury again; he whipped poor Pikachu into the floor once again.

Pikachu squeaked, as the breath was knocked right out of him.

"Hang in there, Pikachu!" Ash coached. "Give Raichu a taste of his own medicine!"

"Pi!" Planting his paws into the dirt, Pikachu chanted an affirmative to Ash, and yanked the weight anchoring him forward. "Chu…..!" He yanked Raichu into the air, and the larger mouse holding him down did so no longer; Pikachu was forced to take several steps forward in a handstand, before throwing himself into a forward somersault. "Pi-ka-chu!"

Raichu was subjected to a vicious reversal, smashing into the ground face-first.

"Tenacious! I like it!" Surge smiled widely. "Raichu. Get a hold o' Pikachu, would ya?"

"Rai… chu!" Raichu stood upright, and retracted his tail, yanking up Pikachu and holding him upside-down by his tail. The smaller mouse bore his fangs. What else could he do in such a compromising state?

"Now, give 'im a Focus Punch!" Surge roared.

"Raiii…!" Raichu reared back his fist, and coated it in the bright light of intense concentration. Pikachu was wielded like a punching bag, and received much the same treatment - being socked in the stomach, he was sent tumbling back across the Gym floor.

"Pikachu…!" Ash reached out, coming just short of leaving the trainer's box. His face creased in worry, as he assessed his partner to be in pretty bad condition. His fur was dirtied and frazzled, browned in several places from burn marks, and Ash was fairly sure even from a distance that he had a black eye. "You're looking pretty rough out there, Buddy… Are you sure you're good to keep battling?"

Pikachu was showing significant difficulty in standing; a trembling in his short, ever-reliable limbs. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, blotting the dirt below him before fading. Despite his condition, Pikachu bore his fangs defiantly. "Pika…!"

"Shoot! That's a stubborn Pikachu, if I've ever seen one." Visquez whistled. "Little man just won't go down."

"Yeah. Even then, it looks like he's at his limit." Dawn frowned, tucking in her fist over her chest. "He must really want to win."

Rosa frowned, subconsciously linking her arm around Dawn's.

Prinplup kicked his feet, forcing himself to hang over the railing to wave his wing. "Priiinplup! Prinplup!" He fully understood the struggle of fighting your evolved self. Pikachu couldn't lose, here!

Quietly, Ash felt some misgivings about continuing the fight, as it were. But if his partner wanted to fight, he decided, they'd see it to the end. "I hear you loud and clear. Use Agility, and then Quick Attack!"

"Pi!" Pikachu lunged, then vanished. Faint, light footsteps characteristic to Pikachu could be heard from multiple different points across the arena; it practically sounded like they were touching down, all at once.

Suddenly, Raichu staggered back, holding the side of his head. He growled, whipping his tail around in a threatening manner before doubling over.

"Gah… slippery rat." Surge grimaced. "Still, he's bound to slip up, sometime." Surge didn't have to wait long; a red flame seared out of the blue, and Pikachu came skidding to a halt in front of Raichu. "Bingo! Focus Punch!"

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted out.

Pikachu staggered clumsily out of the way, just barely avoiding the concussive force of a Focus Punch. Even in his heart, he knew that taking that would've meant a sure knockout.

"Tch… What do you say, Buddy?" Ash asked, as he adjusted his cap. "All-or-nothing?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, leaning onto all fours.

"Right. Volt Tackle!"

"Pikapikapikapikapika…!" Pikachu shone gold, and charged forth.

"Raichu! Let's show 'em a real Volt Tackle!"

Raichu did the same, putting all of his weight behind a larger, more volatile Volt Tackle. "Rairairairairairairai…!"

With a deafening crash that rattled the eardrums of all present, the two Pokémon collided. At first, seemingly with equal power.

But, as Pikachu pushed his weight into Raichu, he felt lightheaded. From the recurring burn, he was somewhat light on his feet, and failed to put more pressure on than was necessary to avoid agitating his skin. The lightning leaking off Raichu's Volt Tackle snapped at his fur. Tried as he may, he pushed back, but he buckled. His body more-or-less went numb, as he was sent flying back.

As Pikachu's vision started to fade, he could only see the morning sun shining in through the windows lining the Gym. Afterwards, it faded to black.

"Pikachu… Pikachu!" Ash ran onto the field, and stopped to scoop his partner into his arms. He exhaled. His shoulders drooped a little. "...Thanks, Buddy. You did your best." Despite his disappointment, Ash managed a smile.

The battered mouse started to stir, weakly blinking his beady eyes. The light seemed to be overwhelming for him, and he shut them tight. "Pi… Pikapi-"

"Don't sweat it." Ash shook his head. "This battle isn't over, yet."

"I sure hope not!" Surge belted, stealing back Ash's attention. Something about the way the leader shook his head with a smug roll of his shoulders irked him. "I gotta say, though. I'm a lil' disappointed. Raichu was waiting for ya's to put 'im through the wringer!"

"Rai, raiiii." Raichu frowned, stationing his paws on his hips in offense. His tail even flicked about in a show of irritation. Had they really underperformed, in the big event…?

"Raichu's got nothing to worry about," Ash snapped back. He grabbed a Poké Ball, and chucked it forward. "Gengar, I choose you!"

"Gennnngar!" Gengar appeared, floating opposite of Raichu with his signature cheshire grin.

"Shadow Ball!" Ash called with a gesture of his hand. Gengar conjured a crackling orb of shadows at once, tossing it overhead towards Raichu.

"Raichu!" Surge barked. His partner understood without question, and jabbed his pointed tail into the ground. A slab of land was unearthed and jutted in front of him, taking the brunt of Shadow Ball.

Another swish of Raichu's tail dispersed the debris. He stood tall, smirking.

"Use Volt Tackle!" Surge ordered.

Raichu charged Gengar, building a violent coat of lightening around his stampede.

"Dodge that!" Ash shouted. A swift enough warning that Gengar made an erratic loop around Raichu, safely avoiding the straightforward charge.

'We gave him the slip, but if Raichu catches up to us, we're in trouble.' Ash mused, tightening one of his hands into a fist. They needed to snag Raichu, and keep that from happening. "Use Lick!"

The floating ghoul snapped his tongue out as Raichu came to a halt, snagging his pink tongue tightly around the rodent like a lasso. "Ghehehe~!"

Ash grinned. "Got you!"

Raichu looked to be in a compromising decision, but the sneer on Surge's lips didn't inspire confidence. Just the opposite, even. "If you wanna play with electricity, it's fine with me. Just don't complain when you get sizzled! Raichu, Volt Tackle!"

Ash felt his heart drop into his stomach as soon as he realized his mistake. Raichu couldn't sprint in this position, but there was nothing stopping him from igniting the veil of Volt Tackle. The lightshow playing out before him was more than enough to send a shock through Gengar.

The ghost shrieked, retracting his tongue as soon as possible. His ghostly body trembled with jagged ends before evening out; that'd been a lot more than he'd bargained for.

Worse yet, Raichu was throwing all of his weight at him!

"Psychic, Gengar!" Ash swiftly commanded. He would have been embarrassed by the crack in his voice, were he not focused on the situation at hand.

"Geh-gah!" Gengar's tongue was still hanging out; he had no time to retract it, as he exerted a powerful pulse of telekinetic force to block Raichu's path. Barely visible purple pulses forced Raichu back in his tracks. But it wasn't enough, as Raichu simply worked his paws and legs harder to force himself through.

"It didn't work!?" Ash exclaimed. He hadn't even thought to order a dodge from Gengar; luckily, the floating Pokémon worked on self-preservation alone, and took to the air.

Gengar had yelped, tending to a burn mark on his rear, courtesy of the outer vestiges of Volt Tackle. He'd only avoided the attack by a hair.

"He's a slippery t'ing, ain't he?" Surge let out a low, grim chuckle. "Focus Punch, Raichu!"

Ash found himself speechless. Surge's command made absolutely no sense; why would you use a Fighting-type move on a ghost!? It wasn't as if he'd had a Pokémon use Foresight, or anything. Did Raichu have some ability he was unaware of…!?

Ash's expectations weren't subverted, though. Raichu confidently swung at Gengar, and passed right through him, with the latter taking no damage whatsoever. He actually looked confused.

"But, why…!?"

On his way through, Raichu gave Ash his answer. His tail coiled and wrapped tightly around Gengar, making the ghost's malleable body bounce and wobble. Looking back, Raichu grinned. "Raichu!"

Ash frowned, watching this unfold. "So, that punch was just a ploy to get a hold of Gengar… but, I think you're forgetting something, Surge! Gengar can just slip right out!" Ash laughed. The pressure must've started weighing on his opponent, too!

"Mm, yeah. He can, can't he!" Surge's brows raised in mock surprise. "Raichu, let's fix dat! Thunder Wave!"

Gengar's body was becoming transparent and immaterial, slipping through the cord that held him in place. A sudden, numbing shock shot through his body, making him yelp and lurch on his way out, landing face first in the dirt.

"Shoot, he's paralyzed," Ash hissed. "You alright, Gengar?"

"Gen…" The ghost groaned, hovering uneasily. His movements were visibly sluggish, now. A sitting duck, for Raichu and Surge. And they wouldn't miss that opportunity.

"Finish 'im," Surge barked. "Volt Tackle!"

Raichu charged at his weary opponent with an aura of lightning about him, and mercilessly delivered the blow.

Golden static danced over the falling Gengar, who sank halfway into the floor with swirls in his eyes. He'd been knocked out cold.

Ash stood in the trainer's box, nary a word leaving his lips. Sweat trickled down his forehead all the way to his chin, and trickled onto the dirt field. He wanted to voice his disbelief, or offer his condolences to Gengar. But, it all just felt redundant. He felt… well, stupefied.

Maybe stupid was the better word, here.

"Wassa matter, Baby?" Surge prodded, stirring Ash from his silence. Unlike earlier, he didn't hear a hint of humor in his voice. The man's voice was stern and cold. "Crumbling on me, just 'cause your lil' Pika-plan didn't work out?"

Ash opened his mouth to speak, but he found his throat dry. He didn't have an excuse to give, anyway, did he?

"HEY!"

"Huh!?" Ash flinched, turning his gaze up to the Vermilion Gym Leader. "Yeah, what?"

"I asked you a question. But, I guess y'already gave me my answer." The man grumbled something or another, sounding disappointed. "I was counting on you to give me a run for my money. But, you two had your crosshairs set on Raichu, and nuthin' else."

"Well… Yeah!" Ash lamely excused. "You said that Raichu was chomping at the bits to-"

"And what if I did?" Surge interrupted. "A battle is like a war. Every team member matters. If y'can't see the forest through the trees, you've already lost."

"Every team member… of course they do!" Ash defended. What was he thinking? It wasn't as if he was out of Pokémon, here. "Gengar, return!" Hastily recalling the ghost, he looked down on the red and grey capsule in his palm. "You did your best, alright? Leave the rest to Tyranitar." With that said, he exchanged Gengar for his last, and flung the Poké Ball backhanded.

"It's all you, Tyranitar! Let's go!"

Towering over Raichu - hell, everyone but Surge - was a pale green, roaring behemoth. With an authoritative stomp, Tyranitar flooded the field with clouds of sand from the gaps in his armor. Sand Stream activated upon entry, battering Raichu with abrasive sand and dust.,

"There we go," Ash muttered. With a dusty field meant for rock types, Tyranitar should have a major advantage in navigating the battlefield. "Tyranitar! Earthquake!"

"Thundah Wave!"

Tyranitar's tail, comparable in mass and width to a tree trunk, swung down towards the ground with the intent to start a fissure. Before he could make contact, though, a numbing shock shot up Tyranitar's spine. He groaned in irritation and confusion, stumbling to keep his balance. "Bahhh!?"

"Tyranitar!" Ash gasped. "Thunder Wave paralyzed him… But, how!?"

"Your naiveté is showing, Baby!" Surge's voice boomed over the storm. "Me 'n Raichu have been in the thick of theaters o' war. Y'really think a lil' dust storm would dull our senses!?"

Ash growled through his teeth. Another slip-up!

"Focus Punch!" Surge ordered. Raichu endured an abrasive gust, and readied his fist. Gathering the proper concentration was easy, with his opponent lamely stumbling about. "Raiii…!" The mouse sprinted, and bashed his fist into Tyranitar's abdomen.

Ash heard the breaking of earth, and a cry from Tyranitar. Squinting into the storm, he saw his precious partner doubled over. "Tyranitar…!" That hit had to be deadly, to the Rock/Dark type. "Let's finish this! Earthquake!"

Finally, Tyranitar retaliated, breaking the earth with a swing of his tail.

Surge needn't ask for his partner's condition, as Raichu was recalled to his Poké Ball. "Y'really did a number on 'em. Take it easy, soldier."

From the other end of the storm, Ash exhaled a sigh of relief. "Okay… just one Pokémon left. We've got this." Hardening his gaze, he adjusted his cap atop his head.

"Rotom! It's your turn, again!" Surge barked, calling the orange spirit into the fray. Before Ash could call a command, the man shouted. "Use Pain Split!"

"Oh, no!" Ash exclaimed.

Red, ethereal hands reached out and gripped Tyranitar. The strength was sapped right out of the mighty biped, giving Rotom some more steadiness in its flight - something it could be grateful for, when Sandstorm battered it.

On the outside, Ash grit his teeth. 'They got us with that, again… we have to finish this, here and now! And without Earthquake…' Ash waved a hand. "Stone Edge!"

With a very sluggish start, Tyranitar slammed his claws into the ground. Spires of stone shot up in a column, heading for Rotom.

"Heh. Volt Switch!"

With no fourth team member to swap with Rotom's path was guided by self-preservation, and nothing else. A golden lightning bolt carried him on an erratic, seemingly senseless zig-zag path that worked its way around Stone Edge. With no more opposition, it crashed into Tyranitar.

Tyranitar grunted in irritation, shoving the possessed appliance away.

But, Surge's offensive didn't stop there. "Now, use Hydro Pump!"

Rotom's door blasted open, and the torrent blasted a snarling Tyranitar.

"Hang in there, Tyranitar!" Ash pleaded. 'With Sandstorm goin', special moves get their damage cut, with Pokémon like Tyranitar… we can still win this!' Ash grit his teeth, and punched forward. "Dragon Claw!"

Tyranitar was just as stubborn. Emerald claws raked across Rotom's body, sending them flying back towards Surge. The latter let out a few distorted beeps and sounds, barely hovering above ground level.

"We've almost got 'em," Ash smiled.

"Pain Split!"

Ash watched a faint splash of red in the storm, and his bundled fists fell limp at his side. One step forward, and two steps back… "Not again…! Tyranitar! Stone Edge!"

Tyranitar staggered forward, and bundled a fist. Tragically, sparks danced over his body, numbing him.

"Heh." Surge cracked a smirk, and cut a hand through the air. "Hydro Pump!"

Ash overheard the sound of water blasting against his companion, and winced. "Tyranitar… Hang in there! We're almost there!"

Then, the Sandstorm died out, dashing Ash's hopes. Tyranitar laid on his back, unconscious.

Ash's shoulders sank. "Tyranitar…"

Finally stirring from his unconscious state, Pikachu sat up beside Ash. Taking in the scene, his ears fell. "Piiika…"

"So, that's it…" Drawn absently ran a hand through her blue bangs, crestfallen. All of the excitement had drained out of the room as if Surge had poked a hole in it. "Lt. Surge really got the better of them."

~...Papa lost.~ Rosa whimpered. This was a first; one she certainly didn't like.

"That's the follow-up to a legendary battle?" Visquez folded her arms behind her head, wearing something of a scowl. Rather than sharing Dawn and Prinplup's lost enthusiasm, Visquez's posture showed something resembling boredom. "Guess it can't be helped. He did put up a fight, and all. But a show like that ain't beating the lieutenant at his best."

"Feh!"

Even a scoff from Surge boomed off the Gym's acoustic walls. What could have been a snarling grimace contained itself in a stone-faced frown, and a locked jaw. The relative silence was actually frightening, compared to his usual rowdy and noisy act. Ash may have caught on and known fear, were he not crouching down to soothe and recall his Tyranitar. He only acknowledged the lieutenant when he spat at the ground by his feet.

"On your feet!" He barked with authority. Ash didn't rise with the same stiffness and obedience that a foot soldier was expected to, but then, that wasn't expected from him in the first place. He rose quickly enough, and met the man's gaze. Respectable enough.

But, that didn't erase the clouded, defeated look in Ash's eyes.

"D'you know why I'm addressing you, Baby?" He asked. A test.

Ash blinked thoughtfully, and nodded his head. "I get it. Even if we lost, we still should keep our heads held high. There's nothing stopping us from coming back here and trying harder, next ti-"

"Wrong!" He shouted over the oh-so-predictable speech, which made the boy flinch. Ash was just the type to gather his guts and bang his head against the wall again. "Lemme guess. By 'us,' y'mean you and Pikachu, don'tcha?"

"Uh…" Ash's mouth hung open dumbly, as if he'd been told the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, yeah. Of course! Me and my other Pokémon-"

"No," Surge interrupted again. "Y'meant you and Pikachu."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" The remark was enough to make Ash snarl and ball his fist. If he were a touch dumber, he probably would've jumped the man who could fold him like a paper airplane. "My other Pokémon were here fighting with us!"

"Piiiika-chu!" Pikachu barked in defense of his trainer, despite a wavering gaze that gave the impression that he was barely keeping himself conscious.

"'Course dey were. But who was callin' da shots?"

"I was!" Ash defended. "I mean… the both of us were!" His words dragged out into a stammer, as if he was losing confidence in his answers. "Me and Pikachu worked as a team."

Licking the wounds on his paw, Pikachu nodded.

"Look, Baby. Th'bond between you and Pikachu is a powerful thing. You laid our asses out flat, last time, and I don't doubt you coulda done it, again. But, that ain't gonna happen when you're looking in the same damn direction!"

"The same… direction?" Ash parroted.

"Y'should've been watching each other's backs. Or, are you gonna let Pikachu wander outta the trenches again with a limp?"

For once in their lives, Ash and Pikachu were silent. The two exchanged a look, and the shame of the moment started to sink in.

"And, Pikachu?" Surge addressed. The mouse looked up to him. "You just gonna let Ash ignore the cannon fire ahead of ya? You barely ev'n registered your opponents!"

Pikachu winced, and it certainly wasn't from his injuries.

Surge firmly crossed his arms over his chest. "Listen. Whet'er in battle, or in war, you gotta keep each other's spirits in check. That's real brotherhood."

"...Yes, sir." Ash bowed his head, before standing up straight, with the greatest show of backbone he'd had since the match. "I understand. And I promise I'll be back for a rematch! You won't see a screw-up like that from us, again!"

Surge grunted and nodded, satisfied. "Y'damn well better. Now, get to da Pokémon Center. Your team needs it."

"Here, Ash. Your Pokémon are fighting fit!"

The oft-reassuring catch phrase was Ash's call to approach the counter, where Nurse Joy slid him his trays of Poké Balls with a smile. And with them, Pikachu, who sprung off the plastic tray to vault himself onto his trainer's arm. He circled his shoulder before brushing cheeks with Ash, making the trainer laugh.

"Glad you're better, Buddy." Ash cracked a grin, leaning into the comfort of his partner's short fur. Afterwards, he bowed his head. "Thanks so much, Nurse Joy."

"He's really an energetic one," Joy added. "He was in a bad way when you brought him in, but he recovered rather quickly."

"That's Pikachu for you," Ash agreed. "And the others…?"

"Just as fine!" She chimed, to Ash's relief. "In fact, Pikachu might have had it the worst…" The Nurse plastered on a saccharine smile, encouraging good spirits as always. But, Ash could see the subtle signs of pity in her expression; one upturned lip, and a slightly furrowed brow. "...I wouldn't take it too hard. The Gym Leader has a bad habit of roughing up opponents. I've given him my two Poké about it before, frankly." She huffed.

The image of a pastel-clad, five foot two Nurse Joy chewing out Lt. Surge amused Ash for a moment. He shook his head, though, refusing her pity. "No, it's fine, really. I've got no one to blame for that loss, but myself."

"Piiika." Pikachu patted his paw against his chest, accepting the blame equally. "Pika-chu!" Perhaps his puffed out cheeks detracted from the dignity of his statement, but nonetheless.

To this, Nurse Joy giggled. "Well, that's a very mature response. You two take care, won't you?"

"We will," Ash smiled, nodding in gratitude to her. "Thank you, Nurse Joy!" With that, he turned to walk away from the counter, and the glow in their eyes faded away, along with the pep in their step. Ash may as well have been dragging his heels across the floor at a lazy Slugma's pace.

"So… not our best outing, huh, Pikachu?"

"Pi." Pikachu frowned, averting his eyes from his trainer. "Pika chuuuu. Pipi. Pika." In the same way he read Ash's feelings, Ash could do the same. Pikachu vouched that it was his fault for trying to rush through the battle in the first place. At least, Ash was pretty sure that's what he'd said.

"I haven't seen you get that cocky in a while," Ash laughed half-heartedly. "You got a beef with Raichu's, or something?"

"Piiika!" Pikachu took offense, tapping his tail against Ash's cheek to give him a light shock.

"Ow! Kidding, kidding…!"

Sliding glass doors allowed the duo to leave the light and warmth of the Pokémon center. The vivid pinks and oranges of a coming sunset were a comfort in their own right, though. Ash and Pikachu took a deep breath, savoring the near-spring breeze.

"I wonder why Dawn told us to wait for her out here, anyway…?" Ash asked. The timing probably couldn't have been better - or worse - as he felt two light taps on his shoulder. Startled, he shouted, pivoting on his feet.

"Ah!?" The culprit had been Dawn, who'd been carrying several bento boxes under one arm. But, Ash's startling backfired, scaring her into losing her balance. She fell back, and the packages went flying.

In a serious case of déjà vu, Dawn found herself not hitting the ground, instead suspended by Ash's arm snugly around her waist. With some very quick reflexes, he'd caught both Dawn, and one of the boxes on his upturned palm.

Meanwhile, Rosa did an expert job of leaping to catch the remaining bento, balancing them between both of her paws and one on the back of her heel; Pikachu picked up the latter before it fell to the ground.

"...Sorry. Did I do that?" Realizing his folly, Ash gave a wide, apologetic grin that Dawn found it hard to stay mad at.

In fact, she was a little more upset that it was making her heart pitter. Or, was that the basically-zero distance between them, right now? Scrunching her nose, she made a face. "Kind of," she replied, exhaling through her nose. "But, forget that. Do you want your croquettes? Or are we just going to stand here, like this?"

Dawn desperately hoped she didn't notice how widely her lips stretched across her cheeks. Truthfully, she liked what was happening here. But it'd be way too embarrassing to say something, right now!

"Did you say croquettes!?" Ash released Dawn immediately, setting the box he'd caught down on the nearest picnic table. His one-track mind was quickly set - both to Dawn's exasperation and relief - and his eyes were positively glowing. "Yeah, yeah, totally! That's awesome, Dawn!"

"I thought that'd get you guys smiling again," Dawn boasted coyly, quickly regaining her confidence. "I wanted to cheer you and Pikachu up. So, the three of us," she gestured to herself, Prinplup, and Rosa, "got you guys something you'd love! I know you've said croquettes are your favorite. And Pikachu, if they got your order right, they should have extra ketchup." She winked.

"Prinplup!" Prinplup boasted.

"Yes, Prinplup, you remembered that detail!"

The gesture of kindness was well received. Ash and Pikachu had unboxed their meals, and their eyes shone like the strongest, brightest Thunderbolt. (Were they drooling…? Gross.)

"You're so awesome, Dawn - no, all of you! Thanks so much!" Ash exclaimed.

"Piiiikachuuuu!"

"Well, we know that!" Dawn smugly flicked her bangs. Her show of confidence was mimicked by both Prinplup and Rosa, even if they lacked the hair to do it with. "But hey, as long as we're eating, let's call out all our Pokémon!"

"Right!" Ash agreed.

A brief assembly of dinner for the group later, Ash and Dawn gathered their Poké Balls, and called on the team. They saw nothing amiss about tonight, and voluntarily gathered in their own groups. Of course, there were two that didn't look to be in such good spirits…

And, Ash was a step ahead of it. "Gengar. Tyranitar. Can you guys come here for a sec?"

The ghoul and the mountain dweller walked over. Or, perhaps more accurately, they slinked over. The former floating so close to the ground that he might as well sink into it, and the latter dragging himself with every step. Their sullen faces made Ash want to kick himself for his foolishness, earlier. But they reported to him, nonetheless.

"You guys… Pikachu and I have something to say to you." Ash anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. Pikachu scaled his trainer's shoulder, echoing him with a syllable of his own name.

Tyranitar and Gengar tilted their heads.

"About earlier today… We wanted to say we're really sorry. The two of us were totally pig headed during that battle, and it was kind of a middle finger to you guys."

"Piiika! Pikachu." Pikachu frowned, bowing his head down in apology.

"Like he said," Ash nodded to Pikachu. "We hope you can forgive us for acting like jerks."

Ash and Pikachu weren't sure what to expect next, exactly. But neither was prepared for Gengar and Tyranitar to tackle them to the ground.

"Ahhh! Hey!" Ash laughed, finding himself being nuzzled by the two Pokémon. "Tyranitar, cut it out! That tickles, ahahaha!" It was a miracle he wasn't crushed under the giant's weight, but the big softie had definitely kept that in mind, only rubbing his face against Ash's cheek. A little abrasive, but not deadly!

"Piiikahaha! Pikachuuuah!" Pikachu giggled uncontrollably, as Gengar licked his cheek affectionately. It was certainly a miracle that Electric-types couldn't be paralyzed!

...Perhaps Gengar wasn't quite so lucky, though; licking Pikachu's red cheek had sent a jolt through him, leaving him lying flat with sparks dancing over him. "Gen… gha…! Keh!"

"Pikachu…" Pikachu frowned, holding his paw to his lips.

The message was clear, though. They could never stay mad at Ash and Pikachu!

"Ah…!" After wriggling himself free, Ash stood back up. "You guys are the best! And we appreciate it… but, listen." His voice was stern, commanding an air of seriousness from his three teammates. "Since the match, I've been thinking… and I realized that we didn't just fail to win, today. We failed to respect Surge's other Pokémon in our battle. And that's one of the biggest things that led to our defeat today."

Gengar and Tyranitar nodded twice, giving Ash their full attention.

"So, I promise to take everything into consideration," Ash said, balling up a fist. "...and to lead you all in a proper battle, next time!"

With a fist pumped in the air, Ash led his three Pokémon in a victorious cheer!

"And in the meantime," Dawn cut in, "I've got my next Pokémon Contest, tomorrow!"

"Right!" Ash nodded in her direction. His eyes pooled with radiance, excitement reflected in their chocolate hues. With that decided, he sat down to immediately shovel a croquette into his mouth. "Anth whfhl bthrunh af'rdnr!"

"Ew! Ash!" Dawn complained, reaching over to push his jaw closed for him. "Try again, without your mouth full!"

Ash pounded his fist against his chest with a cough, immediately making Dawn worry and regret her intervention. "Sorry," Ash excused, fortunately swallowing whatever he'd eaten, much to her relief. "As I was saying… we'll both train for it after dinner!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Dawn chimed, before politely chowing down. "If your loss won't slow you down, I certainly can't let my last contest keep me from moving forward, either. No need to worry!"