Naturally, as soon as Ash reached Olivine, he headed for the gym.

"So, uh, what are the rules for your challenge?" he asked. "Or are there none beyond the usual limit of number of Pokémon? I tried to think what would work for the Steel type but I couldn't come up with anything offhand."

"The gym challenge will be three on three," Jasmine answered. "The Steel type isn't about tricks, it's about fighting hard."

She sent out her first Pokémon, an Onix, and Brock made an interested noise.

"That Onix has a very shiny surface," he said. "I don't think I've seen that before, and it's not a Crystal Onix."

"A what?" Jasmine said.

"We met one in the Orange Islands," Misty supplied. "I think Professor Oak is still studying her."

"In that case…" Ash thought. "Okay, I know Zacian doesn't want to do this one, so… I guess it's going to be Silver or Dragonair, plus Zapdos and Pikachu. Zapdos, you first?"

He held up the Pokéball, and Zapdos erupted out with a flash of white light.

"...a what?" Jasmine blinked, then groaned. "Oh, I just recognized you… but still, Zapdos isn't the best choice against Onix! Rock Throw!"

Zapdos flew back away from the rock, and lightning scattered across her feathers.

"Let's see how this works," she said. "You watching, Pikachu?"

"Absolutely!" Pikachu replied.

"Special move!" Zapdos declared, wings wide, and all the lightning crawling over them began to focus into a single point.

"Thunder!" Ash called.

"What?" Jasmine said. "How did you-"

"Thunder That Breaks The Earth!" Zapdos announced, and there was an almighty bang that sent Onix flying into the far wall.

Jasmine stared at her unconscious Onix, and then at the Zapdos hovering overhead – looking quite tired, but triumphant.

"...that… there must have been something about the wax," she said.

"Wax?" Brock repeated. "What do you mean, wax?"

"It means my assistant has been misbehaving," said a woman, entering the main battle area. "Janina, you were supposed to identify yourself as a substitute before battling, and you were supposed to use the gym Pokémon… and you were certainly not supposed to cover your Onix in protective wax before a battle."

She folded her arms. "And, as you can see, it led to an unexpected defeat. I'm going to have to deal with you later."

"Actually, uh… if it helps, I don't think the wax led to the defeat," Ash said. "Zapdos has actually been training from Pikachu to do that since, uh… I think it's more than a year ago now. It took her ages to get it right."

The real Jasmine looked at Zapdos, then at Pikachu.

"...I don't even know what to say to that," she admitted.

"Well, uh, why isn't there the normal battles going on?" Ash asked. "Hey, Zapdos, I guess we're not doing a gym battle, but it's great you got that working anyway! I'm going to get a special treat to celebrate later!"

"I should think so," Zapdos agreed, letting Ash recall her.

"I can't really fulfil my duties at the moment," Jasmine admitted. "One of my Pokémon is Sparkle, the Ampharos who runs the lighthouse here in Olivine, but he's quite sick. I need to have someone go to Cianwood and pick up the medicine for him, but I can't go myself because Amphy needs to be taken care of and I need to at least have a presence at the gym… and, as you've seen, my apprentice clearly still needs work."

Ooh! Mew said, pulling himself up so his paws were on the lip of Ash's backpack. I've got an idea! In fact, I've got two ideas at least! And they're sort of the same idea, or almost but not quite but they mix together into a single brilliant idea!

He did a loop-the-loop and looked at both Jasmine and Ash. So, what do you think?

"...I think you need to tell us the ideas first," Ash said.

Oh, yeah, that bit, Mew realized. Soooo…

A few hours later, Jasmine was on a boat heading out of Olivine as the sun set.

"That is extremely weird," she said, watching as the beam of light swept out from the Glitter Lighthouse towards the sea. "Don't you think so?"

Her Magnemite buzzed.

"It's just… fundamentally confusing," the Gym Leader said. "That's a lighthouse beam created by an illusory Ampharos, who's really a Zorua. But the light works?"

"Neeeee-mite," Magnemite hummed.

At about the same time, a trainer called Darren entered Olivine Gym.

"I'm here to challenge for the Mineral Badge!" he said.

"Oh, hi!" Ash replied. "So, uh… Jasmine asked me to take over temporarily, because she's going to be busy for the next few days, but when she gets back she's going to look at the battle today and decide if you get the Mineral Badge! So you can fight now or wait until she gets back."

He glanced at Janina. "That's right, right?"

"That's what I should have said," Janina confirmed.

At about the same time, Zacian walked out from the back room.

"How come you're in your powered up form?" Ash asked her, curious.

"Well, it is the done thing to do, isn't it?" the Crowned Sword asked, sheathing her sword in her mane so she could talk. "If one makes a special trip to Galar for the purposes of being Steel-type in the Steel-type gym, it's only reasonable to actually do so."

"Uh…" Darren began. "...do I have to beat a Legendary Pokémon to get the badge? Because I'm pretty sure that's a Legendary Pokémon."

Ash frowned. "I… yeah, I'm pretty sure that I can say you won't have to beat a Legendary Pokémon to get the badge, but it kind of depends what Jasmine thinks."

Darren looked like he was seriously considering coming back in a week, just to be safe, then shook his head. "Okay, I guess I'll see what happens?"

"Great!" Ash said. "Okay, it's going to be two Pokémon a side, and if I call one back I can't use it again. And first I'm using…"

He held up a Pokéball, paused, then nodded. "Yeah! Alolan Sandslash!"

What came out of the Pokéball was indeed, an Alolan Sandslash, and had been for at least two seconds.

"Donphan, you first!" Darren called.

Zacian loped up to the observation gallery.

"This should be interesting," she said. "Did you know that Mew is under strict orders to stick only to moves that Alolan Sandslash should normally know?"

"By normal definition or Mew definition?" Zygarde asked. "I have observed that they are different."

"Normal definition, theoretically," she said. "You know, quite a lot of us in our little group are right at the end of the alphabet… just an idle curiosity. I believe Brock had a Zubat at one point?"

"Correct," Zygarde confirmed.

He tilted his head. "Do Alolan Sandslash normally learn Aqua Tail?"

Zacian chuffed. "I think that one is valid…"

Jasmine spent four days in Cianwood, which gave enough time for Sparkle to get to the point he could travel home safely, then returned to Olivine and thanked Ash for his help.

"Though I'm afraid I don't think I can give you a gym battle just now," she added, going over the footage from the challenges Ash had taken over. "You've more than earned the Mineral Badge yourself, though."

"I'd rather win it in a battle," Ash declared. "If you can't give me one now, I'll just come back later!"

Jasmine chuckled. "That's the kind of determination I like to see," she told him. "Seriously, though, Ash, I'm very grateful for the help."

Brock already had a Johto map open.

"We could go through the Whirl Islands," he suggested. "Cianwood first, then through here… that should give us a few weeks before we're back at Olivine."

"Cianwood's got a gym, so I'm all for that plan!" Ash agreed. "It does kind of depend on his challenge rules what I use for that one… actually, what rules does your gym challenge have? I never actually heard one so I sort of didn't set any."

Jasmine smiled. "That's fine. I don't have a very strict one, anyway – the Pokémon you use have to have an immunity."

"Huh, immune to something," Ash repeated. "So… I guess Zapdos is immune to ground moves, or… wait, hold on."

He glanced up, thinking. "Do you mean a type, or a condition, or just a move?"

"Well done," Jasmine told him. "It's any of those, and if you've got something else it could be then that counts too. Your Pokémon just has to be immune to something, but if you're clever about it that's quite a wide list."

"What about if the Pokémon is immune because of something they're carrying?" Ash asked. "Like, uh, a balloon?"

"And what about if the Pokemon's supposed to be immune, but it's a Ground type?" Pikachu added. "Because I think we've fairly conclusively demonstrated that that's no defence any more."

Ash reached up to scratch the nape of Pikachu's neck. "Yeah, we're all proud of you, Pika-teacher. So does the Ground-type still count?"

"...because of abilities like Scrappy, the immunity would have to be based on the attacks of a normal Pokémon," Jasmine said. "And based on these videos, no Pokémon associated with you is anything like normal."

"Fair point, objections withdrawn," Pikachu declared.

The journey to Cianwood was quick and easy.

"...do you ever look at your life, and ask how it got that way?" Misty said. "Because I just had one of those moments."

She looked across from Silver's back to where Brock was riding on Articuno, and then across to where Ash was riding on Zacian.

"Because I'm fairly sure that a few years ago this would have been weirder."

"Ah, Ash Ketchum!" Chuck declared. "I've heard of you!"

"People keep saying things like that, but they usually don't sound so happy when they say it," Ash said. "It's nice to be appreciated!"

For some reason Misty started coughing.

"Are you here to challenge the Cianwood Gym?" the Gym Leader asked. "Or is there some other reason you're here?"

"It's for the gym," Ash confirmed.

"Right!" Chuck declared. "Then you will need to pick two Pokémon – no more, no less – and they must be Pokémon who have evolved at some point! It is my belief that a Pokémon evolving means they have progressed, and improved, and so I want to see that progress!"

Pikachu tapped Ash on the shoulder.

"Just a reminder," he said. "I started out as a Pichu."

"Pikachu's got a good point," Ash said. "I'm using him, because he hasn't had a gym battle in months! And apart from him, I guess… yeah, I know who I'm using. I'll just need to sort that out with Professor Oak…"

Team Rocket attacked, but they were – unaccountably – unready for a flying invisible Legendary Pokémon who knew Moonblast.

Really, it was sort of negligent in a way.

"So!" Chuck said, as Ash re-entered Cianwood Gym with the right Pokémon for the battle. "What would you say is your speciality as a trainer?"

"Uh…" Ash began, thinking. "I guess it depends how you define speciality. There's a few things… I guess maybe Legendary Pokémon? But even then, they're less than a quarter of my team."

He paused. "Even if you count all the Dratini and Dragonair as the same Pokémon, they're still less than half."

"Ash, I'm a Rock type trainer and less than half my team is Rock types," Brock said. "...actually, that just makes me wonder if I am a Rock type trainer in the first place."

"I could count as a Dragon specialist," Ash mused. "Or a specialist in Pokémon who can fly?"

He shook his head. "Anyway! I guess your thing is Fighting types, right?"

"It sort of has to be!" Chuck agreed. "The Elite Four denied my request to start a gym where the Pokémon had to beat me, but using Fighting types is an acceptable substitute. Now!"

He pointed to the arena. "Send out your first Pokémon!"

"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash ordered, and Pikachu jumped out onto the field.

In reply, Chuck sent out his Poliwrath.

"He's probably got something to deal with this, but try it out anyway!" Ash called. "Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu used Thunderbolt, and Poliwrath used Thunderbolt as well.

"Good!" Chuck said. "Destroy your weaknesses by taking ownership of them! Dynamic Punch!"

Pikachu didn't need to be warned to get away from that, and jumped to the side before being launched further into the air by the explosive punch impact. He hurled a second bolt of lightning at Poliwrath, just in case, but the Mimiced Thunderbolt just blocked the attack and Pikachu dodged away.

"Keep up that speed, Pikachu!" Ash instructed. "Don't let him land a hit on you – you're faster, and he can't use Water moves or you could shock him past the Thunderbolt!"

He frowned. "Wait – that's right, he's having to aim the Thunderbolt to block yours! Pikachu, Thunder Curtain!"

"You got it!" Pikachu agreed, zipping to the left and then right, switching from evading Poliwrath to getting closer.

"Thunder Curtain?" Chuck repeated. "What might that be?"

Pikachu answered by demonstration, and the air began to feel greasy. He jumped into the air, tail switching to Iron Tail, and did a forward flip which ended with sweeping his tail across the floor of the gym.

Then his cheeks blazed up as he sent forth half a dozen simultaneous Electrical attacks, forming a continuous barrier between him and Poliwrath along the line he'd scored with his tail, and after a moment Pikachu pushed towards Poliwrath with a shout. "Yah!"

Pikachu's Thunder Curtain swept out towards Poliwrath along with the gesture, and the Fighting-type blocked with a two-handed Dynamic Punch. That only lessened the impact rather than eliminating it, though, and Poliwrath was knocked staggering.

"Aha!" Chuck said. "He's tired himself out with that! Poliwrath, focus your energy and take him down!"

"Get in an attack before he can!" Ash called. "Agility!"

Pikachu darted in close in a blur of yellow, using the moment as his enemy focused to do just as Ash asked, then slid underneath Poliwrath's guard. "Sky Uppercut!"

Poliwrath used Fly.

But it failed.

Ash recalled Pikachu for a rest, assuring him that if there was trouble he'd be right back out there, then – as Chuck switched out for a Machoke – Ash sent out his second Pokémon.

"Ah, a Dragonair!" Chuck said. "I'm surprised. Usually from what I've heard you send out Dratini… I know you couldn't use them because of my challenge, but have you run out?

"No, I've still got about two dozen, but I kind of feel like this Dragonair in particular would do well at a Fighting type gym," Ash explained. "Ready?"

"Of course I'm ready," Dragonair announced, tail coiling around. "No teammate this time?"

"No, it's a one on one battle," Ash confirmed.

"Fine by me!" Dragonair said.

"Now, begin!" Chuck declared. "Machoke, use Submission!"

Machoke took two steps forwards and jumped into the air, grabbing Dragonair by the tail, and did a flip to hurl Dragonair back to the ground.

This, it turned out, was harder than he expected.

"Hello!" Dragonair said brightly, holding Machoke in the air by dint of being able to fly better than Machoke was able to weigh. "It's nice to meet another affectionate Pokémon!"

"Wrap!" Ash called. "Make sure he can't throw you at the ground – but don't let him get a grip on you with his legs!"

"Karate Chop, Machoke!" Chuck called. "Make use of how close you are!"

Machoke got off a Karate Chop, but then Dragonair had Machoke's arms tied up by his side and the Superpower Pokemon's struggles weren't able to get out of Dragonair's Wrap.

"Now, use Twister!" Ash called. "Spin him up!"

Dragonair used Twister, Dragon-typed energy whirling around him as he spun Machoke like a top. That hid the Pokémon, and the moment it did Chuck raised his hands.

"Use Bulk Up!" he ordered. "Expand your muscles with hard work!"

"Watch out, Dragonair, he's planning something!" Ash called.

"That's a shame," Dragonair said. "This is a lot of fun so far! I'm feeling a bit dizzy but mostly great!"

"Ice Punch!" Chuck called.

"Let go now!" Ash said as quickly as he could.

Machoke immediately came flying out of the Twister, hitting the floor feet-first with a slam that broke some of the boards.

"Seismic Toss!" Chuck bellowed.

Undeterred – and glowing with red light – Machoke jumped right back into the still-running Twister, grabbed Dragonair by the tail, and threw him at the floor so hard that Dragonair hit the broken boards in a cloud of dust and Machoke hit the roof.

"Grab on!" Chuck said. "Be ready for a final Superpower!"

He turned to Ash. "Are you withdrawing your Pokémon?"

"Are you still okay?" Ash called, into the dust cloud.

"I'm better than okay!" came the reply, and a sweep of wind blew the dust away.

Ash's Dragonite hovered just off the ground, wings occasionally twitching in completely inadequate support, and he spread his arms wide. "I have arms! They're the best thing ever invented!"

"Ice Punch!" Chuck ordered.

"Fire Punch!" Ash replied.

"Huzzah!" Dragonite called, darting up with his fist glowing orange. He hit Machoke's Ice Punch with a crash, almost completely negating the attack, then took Machoke in both arms and flipped over towards the floor. "A friend showed me this once!"

He slammed Machoke into the floor, though fortunately it was in the same spot as all the previous impacts so there wasn't much more damage.

"Congratulations, Ash," Chuck said. "It's a wonderful thing when a trainer's Pokémon evolves to help them win a battle… as I'm sure you know."

"It kind of happens a lot, yeah," Ash agreed, hugging Dragonite back. "I guess we've got another option for flying long distance now, huh?"

"Absolutely!" Dragonite said.

He let go. "I'd like to go home and say hello to the others now, though. I'll say hello from you!"

"That'd be great," Ash told him.

An hour or so later, at the Oak Ranch, twenty-four Dratini and four Dragonair conferred among themselves.

"Very well," the chairdragon said. "Referendum on establishing a ceremonial monarchy. All in favour?"

AN:

I'm working on the assumption that they need a Pokémon in the lighthouse and that's why Jasmine didn't just take her Ampharos to Cianwood personally.

Fortunately, with Zorua around, the only downside is you're confused about illusory lights.