So, here is chapter 9.
Thank you to everyone who favorite or added this story to their alerts. And a special thanks to starlight luna, theepicuserofemoticons, Fawx999, Cinnamy, random bug, dmc fanboy, KaliAnn, and thor94 for your reviews.
So, in this chapter, Ash meets Brock. Their first battle is here. But it's not for the reasons you think. But yes, there will be battles.
And yes, I changed Brock's story slightly to match the original anime, not the English dub.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. *rocks back in forth in a corner*
They caught sight of Pewter City the next day, and Ash sat down on a large boulder with Pikachu. While he enjoyed his stay in the forest, he knew that his Pokémon friends were worn out, and he wanted to get them to the Pewter City Pokémon Center as soon as possible.
"We're here." Ash sighed.
"You got that right!" Pikachu agreed, looking close to passing out.
"Yeah, Pewter City is great." A voice broke into Ash's musings. It then went on to wax poetry about rocks. Ash got off of the boulder, picking up Pikachu and carrying him down the wooden steps.
"Do you want to buy a rock?" the man –Flint –asked them.
Ash shook his head. "No thank you. But I do need to find the Pokémon Center, so if you could point me there?"
"Sure, but that is two dollars for resting on my rocks." Flint informed him. Ash just shrugged and paid the man.
When they got to the Pokémon Center, Ash put his Pokéballs onto a tray, along with Pikachu, and handed them over to the Nurse Joy of Pewter City. He didn't bother to comment on her resemblance to her sister in Viridian City. He'd been to enough towns to know that they were all related.
"Hey Ash, look." Misty pointed at a sign on the wall.
Ash joined her. "What's that for?" He read it. "Pokémon League Regional Championships. Are you planning on entering?"
Misty frowned at him. "You have to beat gym leaders from different towns. Then they give you their badge as proof. I'm not entering, but maybe you should." She knew that he took his Pokémon out to train during their nights in the forest, but she hadn't seen what he was doing to train them. She wanted to see what his methods were. They were probably very different, knowing Ash.
"Are you planning on challenging Brock, the Pewter City Gym leader?" Flint broke into the conversation before Ash could reply.
Ash glanced back at him. "There's a gym here?" Ash really wanted to talk to the gym leader about Pokémon. "I wonder what Pokémon he has."
Flint walked away, laughing. "As if you could win against him in a Pokémon match."
Ash turned to Misty. "Who said anything about a Pokémon match? I'd like to talk to him about Pokémon."
Misty sighed. She should have guessed. Ash didn't ever act like a normal trainer in her experience with him.
"I'll head right over to the gym." He looked at her. "Wait, but I need to wait for my Pokémon. Do you want to get something to eat while I wait?"
Misty agreed, and they went to a small restaurant and ordered.
"So what are you going to ask Brock about Pokémon?" Misty wanted to know as she used her chopsticks to spoon some food into her mouth.
Ash smiled brightly. "I want to see what Pokémon he has, and how he trains them. I have to help my Pokémon get big and strong you know, and he might have a few tips."
"He might not want to share them, Ash. Some gym leaders are very secretive, unless you win in a battle." Misty warned.
"Well, we'll see." Ash turned his attention on her. "Hey, I don't know what Pokémon you have, either. What do you do to train them?"
"They're water Pokémon. I haven't been really focused on training them recently, just letting them rest, but I'm getting ready to start it up again." Misty admitted. Ash nodded and ate some rice, surprising her by not judging her methods.
They paid together and left. Ash went to the Pokémon Center to collect his Pokémon while Misty went to a clothes store to pick up something.
With Pikachu on his shoulder and his other Pokémon tucked securely in their Pokéballs at his waist, Ash shoved the door open to Pewter Gym.
"Hello?" he called out, walking inside.
The whole room was filled with rocks. Ash found himself staring around the gym as he went further inside.
"Who goes there?" a male voice asked.
He turned to see a boy, older than him, sitting on a flat rock on a platform. "So, you're Brock?" Ash smiled. "I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and I wanted to—"
"Is this your first gym match?" Brock asked, his voice condescending.
Misty was right, Ash though. He would have to battle Brock before the other male would talk to him.
"There are special rules here." Brock continued. "This is an official match. Two Pokémon each, you understand?"
An official match just to discuss Pokémon rearing? Ash shrugged. "I understand." He lied. He understood the rules, but not the reason behind the match. Brock must be really competitive.
"How long have you been with that Pokémon?" Brock wanted to know, standing up.
Pikachu and Ash looked at each other. "Uh, about two weeks." Ash answered for them both.
"I can tell. Your Pikachu is in it's cutest stage." Pikachu preened under this compliment. "It can't win." The Pokémon bristled in anger now.
"Don't you call Pikachu weak!" Ash yelled. "You just worry about your own Pokémon and let me worry about mine."
"Suit yourself." Brock snapped his fingers, and a rock battlefield came sliding out of the walls. Ash and Pikachu ran for it and just made it to the end before getting crushed.
Brock jumped off of his platform. "Then let the match begin!"
Ash looked down at Pikachu. "Well, it's you he insulted. Do you want to battle him?"
"Just wait until I get out there!" Pikachu snarled, determined to prove Brock wrong.
"Okay, Pikachu, I choose you buddy." Pikachu ran out onto the field.
"Onix, go!" Brock threw a Pokeball. It released a snake-like rock Pokémon.
Pikachu saw Onix and stopped in his tracks, eyes going wide. "Uh-oh." He breathed out.
Pikachu raced back to Ash. He jumped to his waist and patted a Pokéball.
"No Pikachu, you wanted to battle. Leave Pidgeotto out of it." Ash gently placed the electric mouse back onto the field.
"But…"
Ash gave Pikachu an encouraging smile and motioned him forward. Pikachu grumbled but obeyed. "Fine."
"Onix, Tackle attack!" Brock shouted. Pikachu jumped out of the way and Onix hit the ground.
His tail wrapped around Pikachu and lifted the Pokémon into the air.
"Bind it!" Brock ordered. Onix tightened his grip and Pikachu groaned in pain.
"Pikachu, thundershock!" Ash yelled. Pikachu electrocuted Onix, but it didn't affect the rock-type.
"You haven't raised it very well. Such a weak attack can't hurt Onix." Brock sounded like he was gloating.
"Help!" Pikachu cried out. Ash pulled out his Pokéball before remembering his promise to the mouse Pokémon. He put it back reluctantly.
"Cut it out!" he cried to both Onix and Brock. He stayed out of the Pokémon language because he knew that Onix would listen to Brock.
"Do you surrender?"
Ash glanced at Pikachu, who had lost consciousness in Onix's grip. "I-I do." He answered. Onix dropped Pikachu to the floor, and Ash raced over to pick Pikachu up and gently cradle him in his arms. He glared fiercely at Brock and Onix, and left the gym as fast as he could.
"Pi pikachu? Are you okay?" Ash whispered to his friend.
Flint stepped up to Ash, eyeing him. "Come with me." He finally said.
Ash followed him to a small wooden cabin. The man pointed out a small little bedroll and blanket. Ash lay Pikachu carefully onto the bedroll, tucking the little Pokémon in.
"Everyone loses sometimes. You can't let that get you down." Flint tried to cheer Ash up.
Ash shook his head. He placed his hat and backpack on the floor. "I know that. But I didn't mean for Pikachu to get so badly hurt."
"Brock is very good." Flint sipped his tea. "His talents could take him much further than being a simple gym leader."
"Then why doesn't he compete?" Ash asked. He knew that people who acted like Brock did, and who were talented enough, usually left to compete.
"He has his reasons." Flint stood up. "Come with me."
Ash just watched Pikachu sadly. "It doesn't matter. Only Pikachu matters."
"Come. You need to see this." Ash reluctantly stood up and followed Flint out of the small cabin.
They went to a different house with an open window. There were ten children, and a person in an apron stood at the sink washing dishes.
A little girl ran up and tugged on the apron. "I tore my skirt."
The figure turned, and Ash was surprised to see that it was Brock. "All right, all right. I'll sew it up for you."
Brock was soon busily sewing the rip in the dress. The little girl, in her slip, kept tugging on his sleeve. "Is it done yet?" she demanded.
Brock smiled indulgently. "Just a minute."
Ash felt bad for watching, and turned around and left. Flint hurried after him.
"Brock has ten little brothers and sister to take care of. That's why he can't go to any regional matches."
"Where are his Mama and Father?" Ash, who had never had a father that could remember, had never learned to call a father 'dad'.
"His good-for-nothing father left them to become a Pokémon trainer. His mother left soon after that." Flint either didn't notice or decided not to comment on Ash's odd wording.
Ash was horrified. "Who would do that to their children?"
Flint was quiet when he replied. "A couple of people who should never have had children." He said bitterly. They were quiet the rest of the way to Flint's cabin. Inside, Pikachu was awake.
Ash pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Pikachu."
"That trainer is going to pay!" Pikachu declared.
"You want to battle him again?" Ash said, surprised.
Flint chose that moment to cut in. "If you're going to try again, I may know a way for you to super-charge your Pikachu."
Ash looked down into Pikachu's hard brown-black eyes. "Do you want Flint to help us, or do you just want us to go and train hard?"
"You and I, training hard." Pikachu said, nodding his head at Ash. "We don't need anybody else's help, except our other Pokémon friends."
Ash smiled apologetically at Flint. "Thanks for the offer, Mr. Flint, but as you can see Pikachu would rather we just go somewhere to train really hard." He set Pikachu on his shoulder, Pikachu grabbing Ash's head to stay steady. Ash nodded once more to Flint and left the cabin.
Outside, Misty caught up with him. "Ash, where have you been? What happened?"
Ash shook his head. "That Brock wouldn't talk to me. He wanted a Pokémon battle first. And I lost. So now, Pikachu wants to prove that he isn't weak like Brock said, and we're going to train. Then, we'll battle him again tomorrow."
Misty blinked. "He just assumed you wanted a battle? Did he let you tell him why you were there?"
"No." Ash sighed. "See you later, Misty."
Misty let him walk off, her mind whirring furiously. How dare Brock just assume like that?
She made her way over to the gym and bashed her way inside. Brock was cleaning up after what looked like another battle.
Misty walked right up to him and slapped him. He stared at her, one hand coming up to cup his cheek.
"How dare you!" she snarled before he could get a word in. "What were you thinking?"
Brock frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about what you did to Ash and Pikachu." Misty was fuming.
"Ash? That kid who challenged me? Are you his friend?" Brock gave her an appraising look. "Look, I don't know what he told you, but this was an official match, and—"
"But Ash didn't come here to battle you." She rolled her eyes at his idiocy. "And did you really call Pikachu weak in front of Ash?"
"Well, yeah, because it is." Brock said slowly, lowing his hand. "And he should have trained it better."
Misty shook her head. "Ash isn't like any other trainer you've ever met. Believe me, I know."
"Of course he is." Brock disagreed. "You're deluded. Every Pokémon trainer is the same."
Misty was shaking in anger. He just wasn't listening to her. She finally decided that it wasn't worth it and stalked out.
Meanwhile, Ash was in the Viridian Forest. He let out all of his Pokémon. Weedle, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, and Pikachu looked up at him expectantly.
"Well guys. We need to get Pikachu trained up by tomorrow. I think we can do it. Will you help?"
The Pokémon looked at each other and then back to Ash, nodding.
"Okay. I want to try and teach Pikachu Quick Attack and maybe a stronger ThunderShock." Ash told them.
Between the five of them, they devised a brutal plan to train Pikachu up. Ash was hesitant to allow Pikachu to go through with it at first, but Pikachu talked him down.
So, I hope you liked it, and I'm sorry it took so long to get this out.
And next, the next battle against Brock continues. But will they win?
Reviews, even one word, are appreciated. Constructive criticism is welcome. Flames will be used to blow up a stunt car. Whoot! Special effects.