"So Zacian is a Fairy type, which means she can ignore Dragon type attacks…" May said, slowly, as they walked through Petalburg towards the Gym. "But it means she's weak to Steel and Poison attacks. And that's the kind of thing you have to think about?"

"Yeah, though it's more of a guideline than a rule, generally," Ash replied. "There's ways for a Ghost to get hit by Fighting and Normal attacks, and for a Ground type to get hit by Electric attacks… I wouldn't be surprised if there was a way for a Fairy type to get hit by Dragon attacks out there somewhere, I've just not seen it yet."

He shrugged. "I don't think any Pokémon trainer could ever see everything that's out there… but when your Pokémon are battling you need to keep their Type in mind mostly because it kind of defines what's going to hurt them."

"Indeed," Zacian confirmed. "It's why Zygarde here feels the cold."

"So what else do you need to think about?" Max asked, clearly torn between exasperation and interest. "If the type is only really important defensively."

"Well…" Ash counted off. "What moves the Pokémon knows, and what other skills they have, and you kind of put that all together into what works best for them as a style. So, say, Zacian can fly."

Between one footstep and the next, Zacian gently pushed off the ground. A swirl of sparkles surrounded her paws, and she floated along for several metres before landing back down again.

"And that means she's much more mobile," Ash went on. "But on the other hand some of her good moves need a sword, so we got her a little one she can use if she needs it… actually, where is that?"

"Alas, it got left at Pallet," Zacian said.

"That's okay, I guess Ibid can go and get it later," Ash decided. "If we need it."

"What about Torchic?" May asked, reaching down to her Pokéballs. "And Azurill."

Ash frowned. "So, for Torchic… it's a bit early to work out, I think, but I guess it might help out if he can fly, too."

"Torchic can't learn Fly," Max told them.

"I should think that they wouldn't with that attitude," Zacian sniffed.

"Yeah, I've never understood why people say Pokémon can't learn moves," Ash said. "It makes way more sense to say usually don't, because you just need to show one who can and it disproves it. But Torchic's got wings, right, so he should be able to fly…"

Gym Leader Norman met them just outside the Petalburg Gym, and looked Ash up and down for a moment before offering his hand.

"I suppose you need no introduction," he said, as Ash shook it. "Welcome to Hoenn. Should I be worried?"

"I don't think so," Ash replied, giving the question serious thought. "We talked about it after the thing in Altomare, and I think it's that usually when Pokémon are in trouble I'm nearby rather than my being nearby causing Pokémon to be in trouble."

He grinned. "Anyway, I'm here to challenge you to a gym battle!"

"Well, the first thing I'd normally ask is whether you have three Pokémon with you," Norman said. "But… I can see you do."

"Technically I am not registered," Zygarde voiced.

"Yeah, Zygarde isn't actually mine," Ash agreed. "But I've got a team with me, though… I'm kind of planning on picking who I use based on what your gym challenge is?"

Norman considered. "That's a good approach," he decided. "At the Petalburg Gym, I give out the Balance Badge – what I like to see is that a trainer's Pokémon are well balanced and strong, rather than relying on a single Pokémon and neglecting the rest of the team. Accordingly, in your case it will be a double battle with three Pokémon involved."

"Three Pokémon…" Ash repeated, thinking. "Okay, I think I know who to use… I guess you're not supposed to have a clue ahead of time, though, so I'll sort that out in a second."

While Ash was working that out, Max approached his father.

"I really want to go on the same journey as May, if she's following Ash around Hoenn," he said. "Is that something that's even possible? I know I don't have any Pokémon, but-"

Norman held up his hand.

"If that's what you want, Max, I don't think there's a reason to say no," he replied. "But remember, on a journey you might run into Pokémon who you really want to join you, and that won't be possible yet. Are you ready for that?"

Max looked down, thinking.

"I think I am?" he said. "But if I didn't go on a journey yet I'd never meet them anyway, right, so… it's not actually anything I'm losing."

He frowned. "And… if the Pokémon really wants to join me, too, couldn't May catch them?"

"Only if you're really nice to me," May teased.

"Hey!" Max protested. "I'll… do my best?"

"You'd better," May told him. "And I'm making no promises about teaching them to do Contest things."

Norman looked interested. "Contests, then?"

"Ash mentioned them, and… I'm not sure yet, but it sounds interesting," May replied. "I'll see what happens, I guess?"

Ash came back in, then. "Okay, I'm ready for this!"

"Two Pokémon at a time," Norman reiterated. "You can't switch out, but once the first Pokémon is defeated you can switch your third one in. Are you ready?"

"You bet!" Ash agreed.

"In that case…" Norman paused for a moment. "Begin!"

The first Pokémon he sent out was a Slaking, a massive simian Pokémon which yawned before sitting down. In comparison, the second – a Diggersby – was almost lost next to it.

Shaymintwo and Cyndaquil emerged on Ash's side of the field, and Shaymintwo gave his teammate a glance.

"Heh," he said. "Think you can keep up?"

"Let's find out!" Cyndaquil declared.

"Diggersby, Gastro Acid!" Norman began. "Slaking, Mega Punch!"

"Agility!" Ash told both Pokémon. "Dodge!"

Both Shaymintwo and Cyndaquil balled up immediately, and just in time – as Ash had realized, Diggersby's Gastro Acid wasn't meant for either of them.

It was for Slaking.

Slaking completely shook off the habitual lethargy of his species and lashed out with a Mega Punch, barely missing Cyndaquil as the Fire-type zipped out of the way, then Shaymintwo pinged around to hit Slaking with a Flame Charge from one side as Cyndaquil did it from the other side.

"Don't neglect Diggersby!" Ash called. "Shaymintwo, Poisonpowder!"

"Both of you go for the cloud!" Norman instructed.

"He's trying something – absorb it quick!" Ash called. "Cyndaquil, Lava Plume!"

Cyndaquil detonated with a whoom, but all three other Pokémon – not just Shaymintwo – got to the poison cloud at once.

"Protect!" Ash called.

Zygarde tapped on one of Ash's Pokéballs.

"Shield please," he requested, as Silver formed, and the little Lugia took in the situation for just a moment before throwing up a Safeguard around all of them.

Then Slaking and Diggersby – who was, of course, a Huge Power Diggersby – began using Facade, just as Shaymintwo switched to teleporting around to try and line up a Seed Flare and Cyndaquil began bouncing off the walls.

Protect might prevent him from taking any of the actual impact from Facade, but it didn't do much about momentum.

"Isn't this kind of bad for the building?" Max asked, then winced as Cyndaquil hit the wall with a crash. "I mean, I know Dad battles in here a lot, but this seems… intense."

"Hammer Arm!" Norman ordered.

"Rock Smash!" Ash retaliated. "Shaymintwo, Bullet Seed!"

Shaymintwo skidded along the ground and sprayed a barrage of projectiles at Diggersby. They hit home, knocking the Pokémon off course slightly, and Shaymintwo snorted something.

Then he used Teleport to appear just above Diggersby, a greenish light glowing between his paws, and fired a spear of green light down that hammered into Diggersby and knocked him right through the floorboards.

Then Slaking swiped at Shaymintwo with an Ice Punch, but Cyndaquil blurred in the way with a flash of flame so that the punch hit him instead of his teammate.

"I think Diggersby's out," Norman decided, and recalled the lapine Pokémon. "Which means I'm going to switch in my Linoone."

"We can handle a Linoone," Shaymintwo said, in the brief lull as Slaking stopped attacking.

The Linoone waved, then pulled a purplish orb out of her fur and broke it over her head.

"Uh…" Cyndaquil began, raising his paw. "Is she… starting to vibrate?"

"Extreme Speed!" Norman ordered.

Fortunately for the building, only Linoone knew Extreme Speed, but the blow still came in an almost invisibly fast blur and knocked Shaymintwo into the wall with a crash. Linoone kicked off from there and hit Cyndaquil instead, then back at Shaymintwo, and by then Slaking was back to attacking and Cyndaquil got sandwiched between Linoone and Slaking's fist.

There was a tremendous bang, and when it faded Cyndaquil had turned into a Quilava.

He was, nevertheless, out cold.

"I guess that makes my third choice a good one!" Ash decided, recalling Quilava. "If you're still ready for this, Larvitar?"

Larvitar emerged from his Pokéball, and gave a nod. "I'm ready."

"Then Sandstorm!" Ash called.

"Extreme Speed!" Norman ordered. "Slaking, Hammer Arm!"

"Keep Larvitar covered, Shaymintwo!" Ash said, though by then Larvitar had already used Sandstorm and raised his sand shield. It made a soft shuff noise as Linoone bounced off it, and then when Slaking hit the shield it went wham but Larvitar simply had too much mass to be moved around as easily as the other two.

Shaymintwo blurred in while the two Normal-types were focused on his teammate, and pulled a large tube out of nowhere anyone could readily discern. He shrugged it around so it was resting on his back, and took aim so that it pointed towards the melee.

"You're going down! Zap Cannon!" he announced, and fired an orb of fizzing energy that knocked both Linoone and Slaking backwards.

"Thanks," Larvitar said, folding his arms, and sand hissed around him with a surrush before rising up at his gesture. "Scorching Sands."

"Slaking, support," Norman ordered. "Linoone – Belly Drum!"

Eventually, the noise seemed to have died down.

There were several holes all over the Petalburg Gym's walls, floor and ceiling – mostly Linoone-shaped, though there were a couple that were Shaymin-shaped and one particularly large one was obviously made by Slaking.

Some of it was on fire, largely from Shaymintwo's last few Flame Charges, and Silver examined the smouldering sections before turning to Ash.

"You remember that fire training thing?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure if this is one of those situations they talked about where the weight of the water might make a building collapse."

"It's probably okay so long as you just use a bit," Ash said. "I'm not an architect though… is it likely this place is going to fall over?"

"Not really," Norman waved off. "Usually when it gets damaged I just borrow Brawly's Timburr clan. They do good work, I'll have to call him later."

Larvitar's sand moved aside slightly. "The battle is over, right, Ash?"

"That's right, Larvitar," Ash agreed. "Well done – you're the last Pokémon standing, actually."

"Oh, good," Larvitar said, and stepped down off the sand platform he'd been using to avoid being hit by a Bulldoze.

The floorboards creaked ominously, and he stepped back onto the sand platform more quickly than he'd left it.

"Definitely need to call Brawly," Norman mused, then turned his attention to Ash. "Well done, Ash – you've clearly got a balanced team."

"I'm not sure that that word has the same meaning that I'm used to from video games!" Silver said. "But you're the expert, it is the name of your badge."

Norman rummaged in his pocket, and got out a case. "Here – in case you didn't already have one, I've got a Hoenn badge case to give you if you want it."

"They do those?" Ash asked, surprised. "I just pin mine to the inside of my jacket."

"Well, allow me to introduce you to them," Norman said. "This one's already got the Basic Badge inside it."

He shook Ash's hand. "Don't forget to beat the other gyms in Hoenn as well. And Max, May?"

Norman's two children looked attentive, and tried to ignore the distinctly unstable state of the gym they happened to be standing in.

"Good luck," he told them. "Have a good time on your journey with Ash, and don't forget to call home occasionally."

"I know so far the only type I've met two Gym Leaders of is Normal," Ash said, that evening. "But so far they've both been really nice. And I've learned a lot from both of them."

"Who was the other one?" May asked, watching as Ash's Cranidos talked with her Torchic. "You went to… Johto first, right?"

"Kanto first, then the Orange Islands, then Johto," Ash corrected. "I'm not sure how the Orange Islands count, though, they didn't really have type Gyms."

He took out Ibid. "What's the next Gym if we keep going this way?"

Ibid turned into a small scale map of Hoenn. "Next gym is Rustboro Gym, which is Rock type."

"Huh, so that's like Brock, then," Ash decided. "Actually, I should see if Brock's planning on joining us…"

"What's going on over there?" Max interrupted.

Ash looked up, and saw that Cranidos was making a flapping motion with her arms.

Torchic copied, and slowly rose into the air.

"Looks like Torchic's getting the hang of Fly," Ash said. "Still kind of slow, but that's what practice helps with I guess."

"But…" Max began, then shook his head. "Okay. Okay, I just need to recognize that it's happened, so clearly it can happen."

May smiled. "I think it's kind of cute," she said, holding out her arm, and Torchic puffed up slightly before increasing the speed of his flapping and slowly moving over to perch on May's arm. "That's going to help in a Contest, right?"

"Yeah, though… actually, I know who might have a couple of suggestions," Ash added. "Ibid, can you grab Ho-Oh if he's around? I want to know if those flames are part of Recover or something that can be learned separately…"

AN:

Naturally, as the one who gives out the Balance Badge, Norman's team is incredibly unbalanced.