Arden arrived in Vermillion city tired and dirty from the long walk. Still unable to get into Saffron, he'd had to head through the mountains and pass through the dark Rock Tunnel. The fresh breeze from off the ocean revitalized the boy's spirits however. "Okay," he said. "Let's head to the gym. And you're not going to let me down, right Bruno?"

"Sand," said Bruno.

"I'll assume that's a 'no, I will not'," said Arden, marching toward the Vermillion city gym, with Quenelle trotting after him, Bruno positioned on his head. The trio barged through the gym doors.

"Auros?" said Quenelle, looking around.

Arden slumped. "Ah, man," he said. "That stupid fence is back on! I hate that thing!" He looked at the gentleman who was standing next to the electric gate. "Hey, can you let me back there to go see Surge?"

"Oh, I don't think so," the gentleman replied. "Surge said that only those smart enough to disable it on their own are allowed back to challenge him."

"That's discrimination," said Arden. "Besides, I already beat this stupid gate once. Why do I have to do it again?"

The gentleman threw up his hands. "It's the lieutenant's rules," he said. "I'm sorry."

Arden groaned. "Fine," he said, turning to his borrowed pokemon. "Quen, Bruno—help me look in these trash cans for switches, alright?"

"Aur-aur-auros," said Quenelle, nodding. Bruno leapt down from the tauros' back, and the three of them split up to take a look. It wasn't very long before Quenelle was stamping and shouting, "Aur-aur-aur-aur!"

"Found it already?" said Arden, rushing over. His face fell. "Quen, that's a half eaten candy bar."

"Taaauros!" said Quenelle happily, bending down so he could get at it. Arden sighed and shook his head as the pokemon chewed on the candy bar, wrapper and all.

"Sandshrew!" said Bruno, looking in a trash can. He shot one of his stout arms into the air and waved it about. "Shrew!"

"I swear, if this is a false alarm and you just found a lollipop, I'm just going to throw you through the fence," said Arden, going to the sandshrew's side. He glanced down into the can. "Ah! That's it! That's the switch!"

He pressed it and looked around for the second one. Spotting that, as well, he pressed it and the electric gate died with a crackle. "Success!" shouted Arden, pumping one fist in the air. He marched toward the platform where Surge was lounging, Quenelle and Bruno trailing behind him. Surge looked up as he entered.

"Well, howdy," said the gym leader, getting slowly to his feet. "I remember you. I thought for sure you'd come back, just after our match. But then you didn't, and I started wondering."

"I'm going to win this time," said Arden, trying to make himself believe it.

"Is that a fact?" asked Surge. His eyes fell on Bruno. "Weeell, it looks like you brought the right artillery this time 'round. I'm looking forward to it." He held up his pokeball. "Go, Raichu!"

"Bruno, go!" said Arden. As Surge's raichu appeared, Bruno rushed forward to meet it.

"Raaai!" shouted Lieutenant Surge's raichu, arching his back.

"It's a good strategy, there," said Surge. "If you use a ground pokemon, it prevents Raichu from being able to use electric attacks, which are his strongest sort. However, they're not his only sort. Raichu, slam!"

"Dig, Bruno!"

Bruno lunged forward, and the raichu did as well. Before he could dig down, the raichu smack him with his long, whip-like tail, knocking the little sandshrew sideways and sending him skidding across the ground. The hit pokemon dug one of his paws into the ground to stop his skid and—with incredible speed—began pulling at the earth. In moments, he disappeared, into a hole under the ground. Raichu looked around, nervously, his ears flattened, as he waited for the sandshrew to strike. After a moment, Bruno erupted from underneath the ground below the enemy pokemon, striking him hard in the stomach. With a yelp of pain, the raichu staggered back.

"Raichu—mega punch!"

The raichu recovered and threw a sound punch, which caught Bruno straight in the collarbone. "Shrew!" yelped the pokemon as he tumbled back, head over heels.

"Okay, Bruno—slash!"

Rolling back onto his feet, Bruno leapt at Raichu, raking his face with his sharp claws.

"Rai!" objected the raichu, drawing back and holding his face with his stubby arms. "Rai-i-raaaai!"

"Hang in there, buddy!" shouted Surge. "Quick attack!"

The raichu rushed forward, hitting Bruno and knocking him across the floor again.

"Damn it, Bruno—get up!" shouted Arden, tears coming to his eyes. "I'm not going to lose here. Not this time; not again."

Quenelle watched Arden solemnly. He stepped forward, nudging Arden's back. "Tauros."

"Huh?" Arden turned around. "Quen…?"

"Tauros," said Quenelle, nodding his head toward the battlefield. "Taur-auros."

"I don't understand," said Arden.

Quenelle trotted in front of him, and stamped his hooves. "Tauros!"

"Y-you want to fight?" asked Arden breathlessly. "You'll—you'll fight for me?"

"Taaauros!"

Arden began to cry. "R-really? Well, alright! Ah—Bruno, return!" The sandshrew hesitated briefly, and then scampered to Arden's side.

"Heh, switch out, eh? Fine by us," said Surge. "That lets us do our strongest move, eh, Rai?"

"Raaaaichu!"

"Raichu—THUNDER!"

The electric pokemon's cheeks began to crackle and it hunched over, grinning wickedly. "Quen—look out!" shouted Arden.

"Raaaai!"

A thick and powerful bolt of lightning shot forth at Quenelle. He braced himself and took the hit. With not even a yelp, nor any other indication of pain, Quenelle stood his ground. Stunned, Raichu and Surge simultaneously staggered back a few steps. "God damn," mumbled the gym leader. "He barely felt it at all…!"

Quenelle cracked his tails like whips and reared up. "Aur… Aur… AUROS!" With all the force of a cannon, he came down, smashing his hooves into the ground and causing it to fracture. The earth split, shaking the very foundations of the building and sending both trainers staggering sideways. Shards of stones flew up, hitting the raichu's face as he was tossed to-and-fro by the quaking ground.

"E-earthquake," Arden mumbled as the shaking died down.

Surge's raichu fell, eyes closed to the ground. Slowly, the Lightning American held up his pokeball, and returned his pokemon to it. "I am defeated," he said.

Arden's lip quivered. His knees felt weak, and not just from the earthquake. He staggered forward and hugged Quenelle around the neck. "We—we did it! You and me and Bruno! We won!" He let go of the tauros and lifted up Bruno over his head. "We won! Won! Won!"

"Saaand," said Bruno, beginning to glow.

"Eh?!"

Arden dropped Bruno to the ground as, still glowing, he began to change. When the light faded, he had become a sandslash. "Sand."

Lieutenant Surge approached him, his hands balled up into fists at his sides. "I have to tell you, kid, I didn't go into this line of work to lose," he said. "I don't like to be beaten. I don't like to see Raichu beaten, or see him in pain."

He raised one of his hands and opened it, revealing the Thunder Badge. "However, on this occasion, I'm happy," he said. "I'm happy to see you come back, and challenge me again after being defeated. I'm happy to see a young trainer not give up, and I'm happy to see his pokemon willing to pull for him—to take hits for their friendship. This is yours."

Arden took it. "We won!" he cheered again, as Quenelle sloppily licked the side of his face, messing up his hair.