Chapter 54

As opposed to sleeping in, Ash was up with the sun and had forced Brock up to suffer along with him. But the two were in good spirits as they stretched on the front porch of the Ketchum residence. The sky was soft, pastel colors from the rising of the sun in the mountains nearby, and all was quiet in the small town of Pallet. Most of the residents hadn't risen from their night time slumber as of yet, but here, everyone was. Even Delia Ketchum was awake, and with her gardening clothes on, she was knelt at her garden to their left while Mimey swept the yard free of litter with a broom.

"I'm really breaking a sweat today," Brock commented as he stretched his arm over his head. "It feels great to work out!"

"You know me," Ash panted, "nothing I love more than getting a nice hard workout!" Granted, this was the first time that they had actually worked out since their visit to Seafoam Island some time ago. But that would be all in the past now! Now that there was a month until the start of the big competition, nothing was going to stop Ash from his training now.

A ringing of a bicycle's bell grabbed everyone's attention, and a postman came rolling down the dirt road and slowed to a stop in front of Mr. Mime. "Morning. Special delivery," he greeted, and after handing the Psychic Pokémon the letter, he pedaled away onto the next house with his duty complete. Delia stood up and curiously walked over to her Mr. Mime, the water from the watering pail in her hand sloshing around inside the blue plastic container. The Barrier Pokémon handed her the letter and she let her eyes look across the front.

"Ash, it looks like it's for you," she told him. The four all headed inside now that curiosity was sparking their interest, and she opened the flap. Inside, there was a postcard that featured a Psyduck holding a Wigglytuff in its arms. "It's an invitation! 'You and your guests are cordially invited to attend the world premiere screening of the exciting new motion picture event Pokémon in Love in Hollywood'!"

Instantly, a toothy grin flashed across Brock's mouth, and he looked into the air though his vision was a million miles away. "I'm gonna be seeing the star-lettes!" Instantly, both him and Mrs. Ketchum locked eyes, and their mouths stretched into a grin that threatened to split their face in half.

"We're going... to Hollywood!" they both said at the same time.

Across from them, Ash collapsed dramatically over the couch's arm. "Oh, you all go have fun... I'll stay here and train for the Pokémon League!" he called with his head back sadly.

"Oh! That's right! That's too bad!" his mother and Brock said again simultaneously, though the smile never faltering from their face showed that they really didn't care one way or another. But, instead of letting it discourage him, Ash jumped to his feet and let his own grin curl his lips.

"You convinced me! I'll go, too!"

o 0 o

"We made it!" Ash declared excitedly.

"We're here!" Brock announced.

"Oh, I'm getting swept up in all the excitement, aren't you?" Mrs. Ketchum added with a swoon. It had taken them a few hours to travel south from Pallet Town to Hollywood by bus, and it was everything they ever dreamed of. Donned in blue tuxedos while his mother wore a beautiful pearl-colored dress, they were surrounded by bright lights and shining stars as far as the eye could see.

But, again, this was everything they dreamed of. What actually awaited them was a dump, and the garbage and litter-filled streets lined with closed-down and boarded up shops and restaurants. Neither Brock nor Ash were dressed as smartly as they wanted, and Mrs. Ketchum wore her normal ensemble of a pink blouse and lilac skirt. There wasn't a single soul here other than them – not even a stray Meowth – let alone stars. And as they walked down the road, Ash's mother kept repeatedly checking the postcard sent to them to make sure they had the correct address.

"They usually go to one of those big, beautiful theaters downtown for the premieres of all the new blockbusters," Brock commented, and pulled out a guidebook to use as a map. "Now, let's see... According to this map, the theater should be right around here." They turned the corner and passed a construction site that looked like it hadn't seen a worker in months, and their eyes were drawn to the only new-looking sign on the whole block: the same movie cover that was on the front of the postcard sent to them.

"This must be the place," Ash deduced, his eyes falling on the artist's rendition of his friend's Psyduck.

Just then, the door clicked open, and a familiar-looking man popped out and raised his hands high into the air. "That's right, film fans! This is the place where motion-picture history is about to be made!" It was the director of the film that they had met some time before: Cleavon Schpielbunk. "Get ready for the gala premiere of Cleavon Schpielbunk's Pokémon in Love!"

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Schpielbunk!" Brock greeted as soon as the man stopped spinning.

"Yeah! I can't believe the movie was finished that fast!" Ash stated. It felt like it had only been a couple weeks since they had finished filming.

"Nonsense! It's been a whole month!" the eccentric director replied, and then poked his fingers together. "Though I did really rush the editing team..."

"Are we the first ones here?" Ash's mother asked, looking around as if expecting a herd of people to start piling around the corners.

"Yes! And you're just in time! C'mon, follow me!" he offered, gesturing his hand and beckoning them into the theater.

Or, at least, it was a theater. The lobby that was usually filled with the smell of popcorn and candy was abandoned, and there were stains on the rug and the wallpaper was torn in places from age and water damage. There wasn't a single bit of food at the concession stand – not even a popcorn kernel. Ash frowned at this, but Cleavon ignored or pretended they didn't exist and ushered them into a dark screen room. Much to Ash's surprise, they really were the first ones there. They had the run of the theater.

"Wow, he wasn't kidding..." Brock murmured amongst the group. "We really were the first ones here..."

"Hey, do you think Katrina is gonna show up? She was in the movie, too!" Ash perked up with a smile, and looked in the direction of the door as if the green-haired girl would pop right through that second.

"Alas, the young girl with the Raichu could not make it, as she said she was too busy training for the Pokémon League or something," Mr. Schpielbunk answered, his back to them.

"Which is what you should be doing Ash," Brock spat quietly, and the black-haired boy gave a loud, nervous chuckle and dipped his head as the three all chose their seats toward the front of the theater.

"Welcome, one and all, to the premiere of my newest blockbuster hit Pokémon in Love!" the movie director announced through his megaphone as he appeared up on the stage.

"Do you think he realizes we're the only ones here right now...?" Ash murmured quietly, but the director shushed him and continued.

"Before we begin, I would like to start by thanking... myself for choosing such a wonderful all-star cast. My only hope is that it will rocket me to stardom once again." Ash, Brock, and Mrs. Ketchum all exchanged a nervous glance as the curtains began to open behind him. "And now, let the movie... BEGIN!" And, as soon as he disappeared into the back, the lights faded, the projector in the back turned on and... the movie began.

It was an odd experience having seen the behind-the-scenes making of the movie and then seeing the actual film. They had wrapped up filming with their Pokémon in a day, and as such, most of the film involved Wigglytuff, the diva-like actress Pokémon that had taken a strange liking to Brock's Psyduck. Second, they had been cast as extras to walk in the backgrounds, but all shots featuring them were cut, much to their surprise. Not only that, but most of the shots featuring their Pokémon were cut as well. The Blastoise in the movie wasn't Ash's, and Brock's Vulpix and Ash's Tauros were mostly taken out as well, save for the end scene.

Granted, the movie did play out mostly as Cleavon Schpielbunk had shown them with the artist's renditions of the storyboards. The story started with Wigglytuff and Psyduck, though it was Wigglytuff singing to Psyduck while the Water-type Pokémon stared into the distance with its hands on its head, but it took one who knew Psyduck to know that it was just sleeping with its eyes open.

Then Wigglytuff and Psyduck's 'families' found out about their romance, and tried to put an end to it. They refused, and in their own Pokémon language, told their families that they loved each other dearly. But that didn't sit right with Blastoise and Chansey, the heads of each family, and the rougher of the two – Blastoise – hired a pair of thugs to rough up Wigglytuff to scare it away. Meanwhile, Chansey learned of the plan, and gathered up its comrades to confront Blastoise and its gang of Water Pokémon. But in their hatred for each other, they forgot the main event: the hit out on Wigglytuff. As the Primeape and Geodude aimed for Wigglytuff with their attacks, Psyduck stepped in and its own life ended up being taken. The movie ended with Psyduck letting out its last quack in Wigglytuff's arms, surrounded by the saddened Pokémon.

As the lights slowly turned back on to full capacity and the three clapped politely, they realized they were the only ones in the theater clapping, and Ash glanced back to see that they had still been the only one in the audience for the whole movie. Before he could mention this aloud, Mr. Schpielbunk rushed up onto the stage after closing the red curtains and looked out ecstatically at his audience of three. "Well, what do you think? I've done it again, haven't I – I've given birth to a new cinematic masterpiece!"

"I don't know if it's a masterpiece, but I didn't see us anywhere in that whole movie!" Ash replied with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yeah, where were we?" Brock added.

"I'm pretty sure I saw a shot of Blastoise from behind... but only for a second," Ash's mother stated, looking at the ceiling as she thought back.

"We all must sacrifice for art!" Mr. Schpielbunk answered with a finger in the air. "My film is about Pokémon, so I left you all on the cutting room floor! It hurt me so to do it!" As he said the last part, he put his sunglass-covered eyes against the crook of his arm as if he were crying.

"It hurt us even more..." Ash murmured to Brock.

"If we aren't even in the movie, why did you invite us to see the premiere?" the Pokémon Breeder asked, and the director quickly quelled his crocodile tears and pressed his pointer fingers together shamefully.

"Well, I couldn't get any movie stars to come..." But as quickly as his frown appeared, a smile replaced itself on his face and he held his arms wide open. "So I decided to invite all the little people!"

The pair of traveling Trainers both looked at him with lowered eyebrows of annoyance. "I guess our movie career is over," Brock murmured, and both of them sighed at the same time, hanging their head while Delia looked at the pair with a pitying look.

Another day of training... wasted.

o 0 o

It was Ash's truest intention to start training early that morning. As he had the day before, he had risen from bed with the sun. Brock was up at this time normally, and he made it his mission to encourage Ash to push further. They both started well and with good intentions.

That was, until they saw when flipping through the TV stations that the Champion's Cup from last year's Pokémon League was playing in preparation for this year's.

The winner of the Indigo League was battling against Bruno of the Elite Four, and now there was no way they couldn't stop watching. Ash and Brock were at the edge of their seats. Sure, Ash had seen it before, but he had a different point of view now that he was actually a Pokémon Trainer.

The smile just didn't seem to ever fade from his face, and his nails dug into the palm of his hands excitedly as the girl's Blastoise managed to knock out Bruno's Onix. The Elite Four member recalled his Pokémon into its green Poké Ball, but didn't replace it with anything else. Instead, he closed his eyes and raised two tanned fingers in front of his face. Even the audience in the stadium on the other side of the screen was silent as they all anticipated Bruno's next choice.

At last, Bruno's eyes flashed open, and he retrieved a Poké Ball from his belt and pulled it back. "I choose you, Hitmonchan!" The camera panned back as the ball opened and the Fighting-type Pokémon appeared from the bright light.

"Chaaan!" it cried as it appeared, its boxing gloves raised in front of its face as it prepared to face its opponent. In the Ketchum residence's living room, Ash and Brock both gasped excitedly.

"There's Bruno's Hitmonchan!" Brock grinned.

"Bruno's a hardcore Fighting-type Trainer!" Ash stated. It almost inspired him to train his own Fighting-type Pokémon, Primeape. But first, the battle in front of them.

As Hitmonchan began to punch the air in preparation, Bruno pointed a strong finger forward. "Hitmonchan, ThunderPunch attack!" But before even the faintest hint of a spark could appear over the red gloves of the Punching Pokémon's fists, the television suddenly shut off. The boys blinked in realization, and then both of them looked to their right to see Mrs. Ketchum holding the TV remote, a frown etched upon her face.

"Mom, why'd you go and turn it off for?" Ash whined, standing up from the couch. "We were just getting to the good part!"

"Ash Ketchum, you shouldn't be watching TV; you should be training for the Pokémon League," she scolded.

"But Mom, that's just what I was doing!" he retorted, and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. But it was Brock who elaborated.

"That was a video of Bruno, who happens to be one of the Elite Four Pokémon Trainers," he told her. "And the reason we were watching him was so we could try to learn the real secrets of Pokémon!"

"Mhmm!" Ash agreed, nodding knowingly. "We were learning the secrets!" But then he turned back to his traveling companion and whispered quietly, "What were those secrets again, Brock?" Though the black-haired boy was trying to be discreet, Brock's head falling backward was not.

Quickly recovering with a clearing of his throat, the Pokémon Breeder raised a knowing finger. "The Elite Four must have discovered some secret of Pokémon, and that's what makes them such powerful Trainers."

"And that's why I want Bruno to teach me the secrets so I can become a great Trainer like him!" Though Ash wore a grin, Brock's smile faltered and he put his hands on his hips.

"Bruno's a superstar," he reminded. "He wouldn't waste his time on us."

"If we knew how to find him, I bet he'd train me," Ash responded like a child with his cheeks puffed and arms crossed, but his mother perked up and grinned from ear to ear.

"Mommy knows how!" she spoke up, grabbing both of their attentions. "There's a rumor going around that Bruno's secret training spot is someplace on Mt. Hideaway." Like the sun outside, Ash's face lit up immediately.

"Mom! Don't make dinner, cause we're going to Mt. Hideaway!"

o 0 o

A long, reclusive mountain range that ran for miles at the leftmost edge of Route 1, Ash had never been to Mt. Hideaway before today. There were no areas of interest for the Pokémon Trainer before he got his first Pokémon, and it was known overall for its rough terrain that only the bravest could make. It would definitely make sense that Bruno used this as his secret training area.

With their eyes to the tallest mountain in the center, Ash and Brock braved the hills and rocky, winding roads thus far, but their legs and lungs were burning. They were so high up that if they looked down, they could see Pallet Town at a bird's eye view, but instead, both boys were collapsed onto their backsides, and even their eyelids were too exhausted to stay up.

"Maybe... you're tired..." Ash panted, not wanting to admit that he was beyond his limit. "We can take a break if you want."

Brock was a bit more mature than his younger traveling companion, and raised a hand in surrender. "I wouldn't mind... that..."

After resting their weary legs for a few moments, they continued down the pathway laid out before them to get to a more flat area. Luckily, just beyond the forest that continued upward at a sharp incline, they discovered a small wooden shack with an old woman all by her lonesome. She was standing outside the doorless entryway and sweeping the front of it despite it being a dirt yard. Seeing people in this part of the woods must have been scarce, and she perked up immediately after they dragged their aching bodies from the path and into the sunlight.

"Hello there, young men!" she greeted with a thick accent. "Not many folks 'round here make it to the halfway point of Mt. Hideaway."

"H-halfway?!" Ash sputtered.

"But we've been walking for hours!" Brock droned. The reaction seemed to be expected by the old woman and she smiled, further creasing the wrinkles on her face.

"I'm sure y'all are tired from your trip. Why don't you sit down and take a rest; I'll even whip you up something to eat." The mention of food made both of their stomachs gurgle. They had gotten up so early that they hadn't even ate breakfast yet. The woman chuckled to herself and threw the broom over her shoulder, using it to tap and massage her shoulder blade. "That's nothing my meatball kebabs won't fix right up." And without another word, she was swallowed by the yawning gap of her shack, leaving Ash and Brock to collapse on the wooden bench she had pointed to earlier, and instantly felt all their remaining energy dissipate.

"I'm tired... and hungry..." Ash moaned, his back leaning against the wooden panels of the outside of the shack.

"I'm exhausted and starving..." Brock agreed. And soon, their prayers were answered when the old woman came out, an apron tied around her kimono and a tray with tea and food in hand.

"Well, here we are," she said. The Pokémon Trainer and Breeder smiled and graciously accepted the tray.

"Ma'am, have you heard anything about a Pokémon Trainer named Bruno training somewhere on this mountain?" Ash asked her with a meatball kebab in hand.

"Trainer?" she drawled, and her eyebrows furrowed as she thought. "Could be... You don't necessarily have 'ta come this way 'ta make it up the mountain; this is just the easiest route. Sufficed to say, all I've seen is you folks for quite some time."

Ash and Brock exchanged a frown, but this was instantly wiped clear when they took a bite of the food made for them. "Mmm! This is pretty tasty!"

"Just the right amount of meat to ball ratio!"

The old woman chuckled at the compliment of her food. "I reckon you youngins' are headin' up the mountain, are 'ya?"

"Yes!" Ash replied after swallowing the first meatball on his skewer.

"Then I reckon you'll run into some of the giant Onix round yonder."

"Giant Onix?"

"Yeup! Grounds are good for growing 'round these parts. Onix jump up like fiddleheads. Yup, we're famous here for our overgrown Onix."

"Huh... fertile soil makes 'em grow larger..." Brock murmured in thought.

"Don't worry none, fellas. Those Onix may be overgrown, but they're a gentle as can be."

Devouring the last of the meatball kebabs and drinking down the tea gave them a charge of energy and refilled their gas tanks, and now they were ready to head up the rest of the way. They thanked the lady profusely for her generosity and continued up the winding, rocky path.

o 0 o

Bellies full and energy revitalized, they continued their winding, mountainous hike up Mt. Hideaway. Knowing that they were only halfway to the top was a little disheartening, but they weren't even sure that the Pokémon Trainer they were looking for was even there. Not to mention that the rough rocks both big and small that made up the path combined with the fact that they hadn't really traveled in a few months was bringing up new aches in their muscles from them not being used. The sun was right in the sky to beat down on them, and the pair were panting and sweating through their clothes.

"We've walked for hours and we haven't seen one sight of Bruno or one giant Onix," Brock stated between breaths.

Ash's eyes wandered away from the trail – tired of looking up – and something to the left caught his eye. "Hey, look."

"What is it?"

"See down there?" Ash asked, pointing downward. "It looks like there's some kind of road." Down a small slope, Ash's finger pointed to a path carved out in the soil below. To get a better look, they climbed down inside it, and it easily fit the pair of them when they stood side-by-side. It was large enough for an eighteen-wheeler to drive through with absolutely no worry.

"This is no road..." Brock murmured hesitantly. "I'd say this is some kind of track left by something really big." Suddenly, the ground underneath them began to rumble. The powerful feeling felt as though the whole mountain was quivering, and a loud noise that sounded similar to a construction truck echoed throughout the land.

Pulling his head up, Ash's brown eyes fell on movement in the far distance on the trail, and it looked as though dust was being kicked up from... something. "Something's coming!" he warned Brock. No sooner did he say that, the dark figure came into view, but it was made apparent by the loud roar that followed.

"Irrrrrooooooooohhhhh!" The roar was familiar, though much deeper sounding and seemed to shake Ash's bones to the marrow. It was an Onix barreling toward them. It had scars along its face, and was towering even from the distance it was at – but it was coming at them with incredible speed.

"Well, there's your giant Onix!" Ash exclaimed, having to yell over the grumbling of the ground underneath Onix.

"Run for it before we get crushed!" Brock yelled, and they both turned tail and ignored the exhaustion in their legs as they ran for dear life. The Onix gave another roar, and it sounded closer; it was gaining on them. "I'd love to study... what makes the Onix so big up here!"

"Now's really not the time, Brock!" Ash screamed, holding onto his hat to keep the cap on his head. "It's gaining on us!" But before it was too late, another voice called out.

"Over here!" The pair of Pokémon Trainers turned their heads and, for a brief moment, saw a dark figure dip beneath a large boulder, but they knew right away that he was who had yelled to them. Since the only other option was get crushed by the Rock Snake Pokémon behind them, they swiftly cut to the left and dipped behind the rock. Seconds later, the Onix barreled past them, sounding like a train along the tracks. It gave one last roar as it disappeared under the curve of the mountain.

"Wow! That was close!" Ash said with relief, watching the spot where Onix disappeared from so he was sure it wasn't going to come back.

"Are you all okay?" their savior asked them, and both Ash and Brock wore wide grins as they turned around.

"Mhmm!" the Pallet Town native confirmed.

"Yes, thanks to you." But then, suddenly, they both looked upon the man and sucked in a lungful of air. "It's really him!" It was Bruno, the Fighting-type master of the Elite Four. He was just as tan and muscular as Ash had seen him on TV, but his height was something that didn't occur to him. Like Lt. Surge, the Vermilion City Gym Leader, Bruno towered over both of them, and was equally, if not more intimidating than the Electric-type specialist.

"Good, I'm glad," the Elite Four member nodded his head. "You two are lucky I was passing by." But the pair couldn't utter a word, and simply stared star-struck at Bruno. After a few moments of them opening and closing their mouths like a Goldeen blowing bubbles, the muscular man gave them another nod and started to turn away. "Be careful on this mountain. Those Onix are so big they can't see anything small like us. Proceed with caution." And with the warning, he continued on his way.

As if their feet were buried in the soil, Ash and Brock both looked at each other, and then at the man they had been looking for. They both felt as though their legs were made of stone, but mustering up all of their strength, they slowly followed after him.

Keeping a considerable distance of twenty feet behind the Elite Four member constantly, they followed him for some time. Whether he knew they were behind him was unknown to them, as he never turned back to look at them once. Not that they were trying to make it known, however; they tried to be as quiet as possible, almost as if it were a stealth mission of hiding in plain sight.

They walked for some time behind him until they reached a path they hadn't seen before that seemed to be outlined by large rocks on either side. It slithered like a snake up a small incline before being swallowed by a dark cave. And it was when this cave was in view that Bruno finally turned around and looked at them with an unreadable face. Both Ash and Brock froze in place like his stare had petrified them into statues. "Is there a reason you're following me?" he questioned.

"Uh, well, y'see... Ahh..." Ash stumbled over words now that he was staring at the man who he considered one of his idols. Not only was he starstruck, but the massive size of his height and muscles were intimidating as well.

Beside him, Brock crumbled to his hands and knees. "Please help him! You see, my friend's training for the Pokémon League competition! He does things without thinking and sometimes he's not too smart, but he's serious about Pokémon, and he could really use your help, sir." Shooting a sideways glance at his traveling companion, Brock hissed in a whisper, "Ash, ask him for his help, will 'ya?" The Pallet Town boy lowered onto his own knees and looked up with a pleading look.

"Please help me." Brock let out a cry of offense and grabbed the boy's head and forced it to the ground to the point where Ash could feel his ribs threatening to crack.

"Do it right!"

"Please! I really need your help!"

"Please, Master Bruno, please help Ash!"

"I'll do anything!"

Bruno's face was one carved out of marble as he stared at the pair, and then he finally stepped forward. "Are you willing to do everything I tell you to do?" His words made them raise their heads from the dirt, and they exchanged smiles.

"Are we?" Brock asked, which was followed by a nod from Ash.

"Uhuh!"

Both facing forward, their smiles bloomed. "Yes, sir!"

"Everything!" Ash added enthusiastically.

Bruno stared at them for a few moments longer, studying and reading their faces. After a lifetime or two, he finally blinked and nodded. "Very well. Your first task is this: go to the woods halfway down the mountain. You'll find a river, and along the riverbank there are pails. I want you to fill those pails with water, and carry them up the mountain and back here. Is that clear?"

"Yes!"

o 0 o

The path down the mountain was a lot more difficult than going up, but Ash and Brock now had motivation and a fire underneath them driving them. It was easier finding the river than expected, and they only had to follow it downward for a bit before finding the metal pails that Master Bruno had told them about. They were dry as a bone, and could only be assumed that he left them here the last time he had visited the mountain.

The water buckets weren't very big, but they certainly got heavy when filled with water, and it didn't take long for the rushing water to fill the empty space in them. "Carrying water buckets is an ingenious way of training!" Brock said, hoisting a bucket in each hand up with quivering arms and a grunt. "Carrying these buckets of water is a perfect way to build our physical strength up!"

"And Bruno says it's also great for developing equal balance and outer equilibrium!" Ash added, slowly moving away from the riverbank to conserve his strength for the hike up the mountain. He barely made it to the grass before his shoe caught on a rock, and he let out a cry as he fell forward. His hands involuntarily reached out to catch himself from falling face-first, and with it, the water buckets went flying. One bucket splashed over Brock, soaking his traveling companion to the bone. The other one flew high into the air and crashed down on Ash's head, also drenching the boy's upper body.

His groan was echoed from the now-empty bucket, and he moved it off his head to see Brock glaring at him with a twitching eyebrow, and he rubbed the top of his hat, which gave a squishing noise. "Guess I need to work on... equal-whatchamacalit..."

o 0 o

The trip up the mountain carrying the water buckets was difficult, and they both were actually thankful for Ash's clumsiness, since the water masked the sweat that was pouring from their bodies. By the time they made it back to Bruno's cave, their fingers, arms, and biceps were screaming in agony, and Ash could feel callouses already starting to form underneath his gloves.

Bruno barely gave the pair a glance as they placed the buckets down beside him, but it looked like he hadn't exactly sat around while they were gone for the last hour and a half. He had collected wood, cut into round logs of roughly the same length. In his firm grip, he held an ax that was just a few centimeters shy of being just as tall as Ash.

Exhaustion and overexerted, Ash and Brock tried their best not to show their weakness to their new teacher, and now looked at him for their next task. "Next we'll split some wood," Bruno told them, folding his hands along the butt of the ax.

"What is the meaning of splitting wood?" Ash asked, slouching slightly from the aches in his joints.

"Splitting wood builds a firm grip, and that is a firm foundation for any Trainer," the Elite Four member answered with a finger in the air matter-of-factually.

Ash agreed with the statement, but when Bruno handed him the ax, the Pallet Town native couldn't help but be slightly intimidated. Sure, it was an ordinary ax for the giant Elite Four member, but how on the planet was Ash going to lift something that was his size?

He didn't want to show weakness in front of the pair of watching eyes, and taking the hilt with both hands, and held it high above his head. The head of the ax was a lot more heavier, so it almost threw Ash on his back. Not wanting to fall backward, he glued his eyes on the log standing upright in front of him and steadied his posture. "Be one with the wood," Bruno instructed calmly as the Pokémon Trainer hoisted it over his head and brought it down on the log, using the weight of the head and gravity to his advantage. The log split cleanly in the middle, but the pieces went flying, missing Brock by inches.

But, other than that mishap, this task turned out to be a lot easier than expected. Certainly easier than walking up the mountain with water buckets, Ash and Brock took turns chopping wood, and within the half an hour of starting, they had completed the second task.

Now they were really starting to feel a burn in their arms, but Bruno wasn't done with them yet. Leading them down to the end of the path where he had first noticed them, he gestured to a pile of large rocks. "Next, you must carry these stones up this hill."

"Okay!"

"What lesson will this each us, Master Bruno?" Brock asked excitedly.

"If you can control physical nature, you can control your own inner nature as well." And with that, he left to go wait for them at the top of the hill near his cave. This task was easier without his watchful eye, but as Ash and Brock hoisted the stones up, they found they couldn't lift them higher than their knees. The workouts of the day were taking their toll on their underutilized muscles.

Especially on Ash.

As the Pokémon Breeder walked off to head up the hill, Ash groaned as he strained to lift his up. "I... think I... got it..." he moaned. Suddenly, he lost his balance, and hopped on one leg as he attempted not to fall as he had by the riverside. This only resulted in the boy hopping down the hill instead of up it before the inevitable happened and he fell flat on his face. Now he would have to do double the work.

o 0 o

While the two students completed the strange tasks, teacher was busy as well. He had produced a large wok and had managed to mix the water they provided with another ingredient of some kind to form a thick broth. From the logs that were freshly cut, he stacked in a circle and had lit a campfire underneath it. And with each stone that Ash and Brock brought up the hill, he created a sort of stove to both support the wok and keep the fire going underneath it. Each time Ash and Brock dropped a stone, they stole a glance, but didn't question their teacher's methods aloud; simply continuing until the last heavy rock was brought to the cave-side.

"We're done, Master," Ash reported. Bruno nodded and stood, towering over Ash and looking down at him with the same stone-cold mask he always seemed to wear before handing the Pallet Town boy a small forked stick.

"Peel the bark off this twig," he instructed.

"Okay!" the black-haired boy obeyed, and turned to Brock before silently whispering, "What's this for?" But Brock was at a loss, this time.

"Hmm, something important," the former Gym Leader muttered thoughtfully as a finger curled around his chin. "Must be some kind of lesson."

Borrowing a knife from Brock, Ash began the daunting mission, and being careful so as to not cut his finger, he slowly hacked away at the dark brown outer layer of the stick. He had his back to the Elite Four member, so he could only hear as the thick substance in the pot began to simmer and soon boil, and also the faint sound of other ingredients being added as well.

At last the last of the bark was peeled off the stick, and brushing the shavings off his jeans, Ash stood up and smiled as he approached the Elite Four member. "It's as clean as a whistle, Master Bruno!" he said, holding it up as proof. "What lesson does it teach us?"

"It teaches an important lesson you must always remember..." Bruno began, not looking up as he fanned at the fire. And then, in a strange turn of events, he looked at the pair and gave them a goofy grin that they had never seen. "If you're ever going to go camping, bring a fork!" The two younger boys all let out moans, and they stood there with their mouths hanging open as Bruno grabbed the peeled twig from Ash and pulled it at the point where it separated into two, forming it into a pair of chopsticks.

Retrieving a bowl from beside the stove, he filled it with the substance inside the wok and, crossing his legs on the ground, began to eat the stew loudly. "Thanks a lot, kid! Bruno Stew tastes better with chopsticks!"

"That doesn't seem like such an important lesson..." Ash murmured, his eyebrows knotting together, creasing his brow.

"I can't believe you're doubting how great Master Bruno is!" Brock interjected, and as silently as he could, he knelt down and picked up a log that had survived being cut. "He's so perfectly trained, that he'll sense my attack and react like lightning!" The Elite Four member continued to eat with his muscular back toward them, so it took hardly any effort for Brock to approach silently without being noticed. Once the Pokémon Breeder got close enough, he jumped into the air and raised the log over his head like a Kendo sword. "Master! Show us your lightning speed!"

The loud crack of contact filled the mountain air, but the log wasn't blocked by Bruno's forearm or hand, but it had been brought down right on the top of his skull. Ash and Brock let out a cry of horror as Bruno dropped the chopsticks and the bowl on the ground and he slumped back. "Hey... that hurt..."

"Master?!" Horrified at what he had done to the Fighting-type Trainer, Brock dropped the log and rushed to the taller man's rescue. "Master Bruno, I'm so sorry! I thought that you would have seen my attack and blocked it!"

"W-why?" Bruno sputtered, rubbing the large lump on his head that had peeked through his spiky black hair as Brock helped him back up onto his backside.

"We came here to find you for training. To learn the secrets about Pokémon!" Ash explained.

Bruno winced at the residual pain, and then donned a serious look on his face and crossed his arms across his chest. "You want to learn the secret of Pokémon?"

"Yes, sir!" they both replied enthusiastically.

"More than anything in the world!" Ash added.

Retrieving a washcloth from one of the pails, he soaked it in the hot water and placed it atop his head. "There is no secret." The pair both gave him questioning looks.

"You mean you didn't come to Mt. Hideaway so you could keep the Pokémon secret... secret?"

"The only reason I came up to this mountain was to try and catch the biggest and baddest of all the giant Onix that live up here," he answered calmly, and then an ear-to-ear grin stretched across his face and he raised his finger matter-of-factually again. "It's no secret that you've got to capture strong Pokémon to become a strong Pokémon Trainer like me!"

Ash and Brock stared blankly at him, wondering if he was serious. They were frozen in thought, and the seconds seemed to pass like days before they realized he wasn't joking, and they both let out groans of shock. But none was more horrified than Brock.

"Ah! My image of Master Bruno has just been shattered!" he exclaimed, clamping his hands to the side of his head like his Psyduck. Now it wasn't just Bruno and Psyduck that had a headache.

o 0 o

Though the sun was shining above as they descended down the mountain, a cloud of disappointment hung over the pair's heads. The 'tasks' that their so-called teacher had thrust upon them weren't to teach them any secrets of Pokémon at all, but to help Bruno make his lunch. And with the Pokémon League now only a month away, it was clear that Ash had wasted yet another day when he could have been training.

"Oh well. I guess Bruno really didn't have any big 'secret of Pokémon' after all," Ash said, a frown coloring his face as he kept his eyes to the ground.

"Maybe that's just what he tells all the Trainers who want to find out what the secret is," Brock reasoned, and the Pallet Town native wasn't sure if Brock was trying to convince Ash, or himself. They didn't have any time to debate it, however, when suddenly, a huge explosion seemed to rock the very earth they stood upon, and with an ear-splitting crack, the ground began to quiver in a very familiar way.

"Sounds like trouble!" Ash cried. Twisting their necks to the point of almost giving them whiplash, they opened their mouths in silent horror. The same giant Onix with the scars on its face that they had encountered earlier had come up from underground, and was now speeding toward them at breakneck speed. Immediately, they both let out a yell.

"Let's go!" Brock yelled, and they both took off running ahead, not even bothering to follow the path any longer. Their only goal was to lose the Onix.

If the Onix had not seen them last time, it definitely did this time, and it looked its beady, angry eyes straight down at them as it gave a bone-chilling roar. Since their 'training' with Bruno left them physically exhausted, the speedy Rock-type was quickly catching up. Ash began to pant with exertion, but is mind was not on his working muscles. Instead, they were looking this way and that for a way to lose the Rock Snake Pokémon as they did before.

A blessing was bestowed upon them in the form of a large canyon that opened up before them and fell quite a few stories to another level. Skidding to a stop to avoid getting swallowed by the cliff, Ash and Brock quickly scurried to opposite sides. "Hurry, Ash!" Brock yelled, knowing that they were both on the same wavelength. Seconds later, the Onix who was just feet behind them now, didn't see the cliffside until it was too late, and it sailed over the edge and fell to the lower level. All was silent for just a few seconds, and Ash and Brock threw themselves to the ground as they braced for Onix's impact. It came in a matter of moments, and even the leaves of the trees around them screamed in terror.

Once everything had settled, Ash and Brock lifted their heads and coughed from the excess dust that had rose from the ground. A wide path now separated the pair, and their eyes followed it behind them where Onix had left destruction in its wake. Trees had been knocked over and uprooted left and right, and some were even broken from Onix's massive size. "That sure was a close one," Ash breathed in relief.

"A few seconds later and we would have looked like one of those trees," Brock agreed, and his head turned to where the Onix had landed in the canyon. "What do you think got Onix so upset?"

"I don't know," Ash answered quietly as he frowned down at the poor Pokémon. But though the fall of the canyon was over the Rock Snake Pokémon's giant head, it was still now high enough to cause damage to it, and with an ear-shattering roar, it raised its head and turned back at the pair, now able to look up at them instead of down. They didn't have any reason to fear, however; Onix couldn't climb up the cliff.

But that wasn't its intention.

Quickly closing the distance between it and them, Onix lunged forward and with a powerful Tackle attack, slammed its body into the cliffside. The impact made another earthquake happen, and the loose earth that was already hanging crumbled, and threatened to take Ash and Brock down with it. The two boys cried out and scrambled backwards to avoid falling.

"Ash! I think the only way to stop it is to battle it!" Brock declared, pulling out a Poké Ball. Ash agreed, seeing no other option, and retrieved a Poké Ball of his own as his traveling companion threw his Poké Ball out. "It's Onix versus Onix!" A flash of light spilled down the cliff and eventually formed into Brock's Onix. Though the Rock and Ground Pokémon was normally intimidating upon appearance, the scarred Onix easily was double Brock's Pokémon's size.

"Rock Pokémon are weak against Water Pokémon!" Ash announced, reeling his arm back and throwing out his own Poké Ball. "Blastoise, I choose you!" Blastoise appeared beside Brock's Onix, and together, they both approached their opponent. Onix looked down at them as Ash's starter Pokémon prepared by drawing out its water spouts.

"Onix, Tackle attack!" Brock commanded. His ace Pokémon let out a roar and lunged at the opposing Onix, but the giant Pokémon barely flinched as it made impact and instead ricocheted off it and buried its face in the dirt. "It's no use! That Onix is way too big!"

"Okay Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Ash ordered. Pulling in a breath through its nostrils, Blastoise leaned forward and let out a cry before blasting a pair of water jets from its cannons straight at Onix. Unlike Onix's Tackle, this attack blew straight into Onix's face and actually seemed to damage it as it knocked it back. "I think it's working!" the black-haired boy said with a smile. Blastoise stopped its attack, and its opponent writhed around in pain with its eyes closed tightly shut.

But it seemed that he had celebrated too early. Blinking away the excess water, it looked angrily down at the pair of Pokémon that had confronted it and swung its tail. It swung in one direction and used a powerful Slam to strike Blastoise off its feet, and then it swung it in the other direction and discarded Brock's Onix in the same manner. The two Pokémon landed with a crash, and both were down just from the one blow each. Throwing its head back, Onix let out a cry of victory. "I've seen a lot of Onix before, but I've never seen one nearly as big and powerful as this one," Brock stated, his lips peeled back from his teeth from nerves.

With its opponents defeated, Onix turned its attention back to Ash and Brock, and their breaths hitched in their throats. They had just enough time to let out a scared cry before Onix threw itself forward into the cliffside once again. The ground shook beneath them, and Ash waved his arms around as he struggled to catch his balance, but it was too late, and he fell forward and tumbled over the edge. "Ash!" Brock cried as the boy threw out his legs and caught himself from tumbling, but couldn't do anything against falling so he continued to slide down on the rock. The great height wasn't comfortable to land on his feet, and they fell out from beneath him and landed hard on his backside once he was on solid ground, and with so much force that he bounced off his butt and landed on his stomach.

Ash flinched and quivered in pain, but didn't have time to dwell on it before a loud roar from above grabbed his attention. Looking up, he saw the scarred Rock Snake Pokémon peering down at him, blocking out the sun behind it. Ash let out a yell and scrambled backwards so his back was against the cliff, but it was drowned out by another roar.

"Irrrrooooooohhhhh!"

"Blast!" Something brown darted in front of Ash, and the Pokémon Trainer looked up to see his Blastoise, bruised and battered, standing between them with its arms out protectively.

"Blastoise, it's no use!" he tried to warn, but his stubborn starter ignored him and let out another Hydro Pump at Onix. The attack made contact once again and forced Onix's head back as it had before, but as soon as the Water attack stopped, Onix shook away the water and glared down at them. "Blastoise, that Onix is just too strong!"

"Blastoise!" the Shellfish Pokémon declared, once again ignoring Ash as it prepared to fire another Hydro Pump. But Onix recovered its bearings and lunged forward to Tackle them both.

"Blastoise, watch out!" Ash screamed, and stood and pushed on Blastoise's shell to move his Pokémon out of the way.

But before Onix could make it to them, Ash felt powerful arms wrap around his body, scoop him off his feet, and almost as if defying gravity itself, felt two mighty leaps before finally landing atop the cliff where Brock was. Ash let out a breath he had no idea he was holding, and looked up at his savior to see the tanned member of the Elite Four. "Are you okay?" the Fighting-type specialist asked gently with a smile. Beside him, a flurry of gray movement caught Ash's eye, and he turned to see a Machamp holding his Blastoise high above its head in its four arms. Blastoise looked to be shocked at the strength of the Superpower Pokémon. "Good work, Machamp." When Bruno said this, Ash's mouth pulled up into a smile and he looked up admirably at the older man.

"You saved us!"

"Blast!"

"Master Bruno!" Brock exclaimed happily, running to join them as Bruno and his Pokémon both placed them down on their feet.

"Recall your Pokémon," Bruno instructed. "I'll handle this one myself."

"Whatever you say!" Ash replied joyfully now that the image of Bruno had been restored in his mind, and retrieved Blastoise's Poké Ball from his belt. "Blastoise, return!"

"Onix, return!" Both exhausted Pokémon were pulled safely into their Poké Balls through red beams of light, and they turned back to see Bruno studying the giant Onix carefully as it writhed about, apparently from the after-effects of Blastoise's Hydro Pump. "Master, are you gonna use one of your Fighting Pokémon now?"

"And what kind of attack are you gonna use?" Ash added hurriedly. "Are you gonna show us your secret?" Bruno's earth dark eyes pulled up from Onix and landed on his Machamp.

"I will use... no Pokémon," he responded, pulling out Machamp's Poké Ball and wordlessly recalling it inside. The action made Ash and Brock gasp in shock.

As they had seen Bruno do in the video they had watched at the start of the day, the Fighting-type Trainer raised two of his fingers and made the sign of the rat whilst closing his eyes and humming quietly to himself. The tension was heavy in the air like moisture as the two Trainers stared at Bruno to figure out his next move, and the only sound was coming from the writhing Onix down below. Finally, with a mighty yell, Bruno leapt from the cliff and with a breathtaking pose, landed firmly on his feet.

"Onix!" Hearing its name being called, Onix looked down at the puny man below it. "Why are you acting this way?!" Onix didn't respond peacefully, and lunged forward with another Tackle attack.

"LOOK OUT!" Ash and Brock screamed, and as Onix got closer, Bruno leapt with an incredible height behind and landed on a boulder to the right, and Onix's face dug into the ground uselessly.

"Why are you attacking me?" Onix responded with a frustrated growl, and threw a Slam attack at Bruno using its tail, though this was dodged by the Elite Four member as well. Bruno landed behind Onix with a grunt, and Onix glared and grumbled before whipping around and sending out another Slam attack. Ash was amazed at Bruno's stamina as he jumped out of the way of this attack as well, the ground crumbling where his feet had been moments before. Despite it not working the previous times, as Bruno landed, Onix whipped around and struck out with its tail again.

"This looks bad," Ash commented as Bruno dodged yet another attack from the relentless Onix.

"I don't know why he's not using his Pokémon!" Brock said as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face.

Changing up its tactics, Onix lunged at Bruno with a Tackle attack, and as it got closer to the ground, Bruno jumped straight up into the air instead. As Onix collided and slid in the dirt, Bruno descended and landed on the Rock Snake Pokémon's head, and steadied himself as it noticed him within seconds and rose up to its full height. Ash and Brock let out worried gasps as Onix blinked and tried to shake him off its head. When that didn't work, it raised its tail and struck with a Slam attack, but at the last second, Bruno jumped off its head, and with a mighty crash, Onix's tail finally made contact with something, but it was its own head. Bruno had succeeded in making it hit itself with its own attack.

Onix let out a grumble and swayed as it attempted to recover from its own strike, but as Bruno landed and looked up at it, he calmly walked towards it. "Watch out, Master Bruno!" Brock warned with his hands out.

"Please be careful!"

But... much to their surprise, Onix simply looked down and watched calmly as Bruno approached it. Craning his neck up to look at it, he didn't have a single bead of sweat on his body despite all the moving around. "Onix. There's no reason to fear me." The scarred Onix grumbled quietly, but didn't show any signs of aggression. "Now, please. Let me know what you are feeling." Intertwining his fingers and raising his index fingers, Bruno closed his eyes as he had done before and concentrated. Both he and Onix were deathly silent, and after a few long, painstaking moments, Bruno finally opened his eyes and smiled.

Closing the distance between him and Onix, he placed his hands upon one of the massive boulders that made up Onix's body and guided his hands along them as if feeling for something. The Onix let him, and almost donned a saddened look on its face as it let him. The pair up on the cliff watched and dared not say anything, though their furrowed brows showed their confusion. Following the length of Onix's body, Bruno moved downward in the direction of its tail, feeling each segment of it like a Mr. Mime building a barrier. After passing two boulders, Bruno suddenly stopped and peered in between where the boulders stuck together.

"What's this?" they heard him say, and reached an arm inside. Immediately, Onix reacted in pain, and threw its head back as it let out a roar. "Onix, this will only hurt for a moment!" The Rock Snake Pokémon closed its eyes and grimaced through the pain as Bruno dove back in with both arms, and grunted as he prepared to pull something out. Using all of his strength, he gave a great heave, and in a cloud of dust, pulled something golden yellow from it. For the umpteenth time that day, Ash and Brock gasped as Bruno held up a dirtied Pokémon with long claws and quills down its back.

"Slash! Slash!" it stated.

"So you're what was troubling Onix all this time," he said to it with a smile on his face.

"Oh!" Ash exclaimed, retrieving his Pokédex and scanning it. "What is that?"

"Sandslash, the Mouse Pokémon. The evolved form of Sandshrew. It attacks opponents with the quills on its back,"Dexter recited as Bruno let the Ground Pokémon down, and it scurried away with another high-pitched cry.

"Slash! Slash!"

The two at the bottom of the canyon watched as the Sandslash disappeared from view, and Bruno looked up at the giant Pokémon. "You should be fine now, Onix."

"Urraahh!" the Rock Pokémon answered with a nod of its head, and Bruno let out a guffaw.

"What do 'ya think, Onix; you want to come along with me?" the Fighting Master asked it. The Pokémon's face lightened at the question, and it almost seemed to smile when it responded with a growl and a nod. Bruno replied with one of his own, and then retrieved an empty red and white Poké Ball from his belt. "Poké Ball, go!" The sphere spun through the air and tapped against its body, looking comically tiny compared to it. The ball opened and converted Onix into red energy, and miraculously, it drew the entirety of the giant Pokémon inside it before descending back into Bruno's waiting palm. "You're mine, Onix."

This time on purpose, Ash and Brock slid down the side of the canyon to hurry up to the Elite Four member. "Master Bruno! Somehow you could feel that that Sandslash was hurting Onix!" Brock said as they hurried up to him. "Please, tell us what your Pokémon secret is!"

"I already told you, Brock: there are no secrets." Brock's face fell, and as did his shoulders, but Ash didn't accept that.

"Please tell us, Master Bruno! We can keep a secret!"

"I'll only tell you the secret if you don't keep it," he offered, and only looked into the sky when Ash's eyebrows came together. "If there really is a secret to Pokémon, it's only this: humans and Pokémon must live, and work, and share this world together. And they must care for each other, just like you and Blastoise." Ash's eyebrows raised that Bruno had noticed the bond between him and his starter, and soon he smiled and chuckled bashfully. The older man nodded and turned to walk away, but then stopped and looked back at Ash. "I look forward to the day when we face each other in battle, Ash."

"So do I!"

"Be well!" And with that, Bruno bounded from foot to foot up footholds in the side of the canyon, making it look like child's play as he disappeared over the side.

"He knew the secret all along!" Brock said, wearing a smile of his own. It seemed that, even though there was only a month until the Pokémon League competition, they hadn't wasted the day after all.

-end-

Ash:

Party:

Blastoise (Poké Ball)

Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Hydro Pump, BubbleBeam

Pidgeotto (Poké Ball)

Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Double-Edge

Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)

Moves: SolarBeam, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed

Charmeleon (Poké Ball)

Moves: Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Skull Bash, Slash

Tauros (Safari Ball)

Moves: Fissure, Horn Attack, Take Down

Primeape (Poké Ball)

Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch, Seismic Toss

At Professor Oak's Lab:

Muk (Poké Ball)

Moves:

Tauros (Safari Ball)

Moves:

Krabby (Poké Ball)

Moves: ViceGrip

Badges:

Boulder Badge

Cascade Badge

Thunder Badge

Marsh Badge

Rainbow Badge

Soul Badge

Volcano Badge

Earth Badge

Brock:

Party:

Onix (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig

Geodude (Poké Ball)

Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle

Zubat (Poké Ball)

Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic

Psyduck (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tail Whip, Water Gun, Disable, Confusion

Vulpix (Poké Ball)

Moves: Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Agility