"Who are you going to use for the Flying type gym, Ash?" Brock asked.

Misty looked at their surrounds, which mostly consisted of a blizzard.

"Isn't this a bad time to ask that?" she said.

"I'm trying to take my mind off the weather," Brock replied. "Silver might be keeping the worst of it away but it's still very cold."

Glad to help! Silver said. Though it doesn't feel that cold. Is it?

"I think you're used to living at the bottom of the ocean," Ash told him, laughing. "For us this is cold enough!"

Ohh, right, Silver realized. Oh! I could hold some hot air near you, that might help, but you'd need to give me the hot air first.

"We'd end up needing to replace it with fresh air anyway," Brock replied. "Unless Shaymintwo knows Synthesis."

"I can't decide if I want to be a Leafeon to help with that, or a Glaceon so I wouldn't feel so cold, or a Flareon with warm fluffy fur," Eevee announced, though she was warm enough in Brock's coat with only her ears sticking out. "Should I compromise on Vaporeon?"

Pikachu raised a paw, thought about that, and lowered it again.

"I'm not sure, Brock," Ash added, thinking. "It depends if he's got some kind of challenge, but… some of my Pokémon wouldn't do great against a Flying gym. Clefairy can hover but that's not really enough, and only Raikou's got great attacks against a Flying type."

"And then there's Heracross, who's really weak to them," Pikachu added. "I have to admit that that electro superpunch he used yesterday was pretty strong though… and he can fly a bit, but is that enough to handle a proper Flying type?"

"Right," Ash agreed. "But apart from them, it could be just about anyone… oh, I suppose not Snorlax either."

He winced. "If the battle's in the open air, then that would just mean Snorlax would land somewhere in or near Violet City…"

Then a Chikorita came out from behind a nearby rock.

"Fight me!" she demanded.

"All right," Suicune said, two days later, after listening to the arguments from both sides. "Here is my decision."

She pointed first to Mew. "You will have to remember that Dragonair is right. Chikorita is the first one of Ash's Pokémon who has the aptitude or enthusiasm for large scale use of special hugging techniques."

Mew pouted. But!

Suicune then turned her attention to Dragonair. "At the same time. It is important for Chikorita's growth as an all round battler that she has other options, just like you also have other options."

She smiled slightly. "Yes, this means I'm telling you both to cooperate. And let Chikorita make her own decisions. Work out a schedule if you have to."

...so I do get to teach her more moves after she finishes with Solarbeam? Mew checked. Great! I know just the move to help with Ice types!

In camp one night, Bulbasaur knotted up one of his vines behind his back.

"Okay, on three," Geodude said. "One, two, three."

He put out a fist.

Bulbasaur put out a sheet.

"Dang, you win that time," Geodude admitted. "That makes it five-three."

Onix shifted closer. "So when is it my turn?"

"When you can do something that isn't rock, my man," Geodude told him. "Otherwise this plantster here will have you for breakfast."

Vulpix yawned, nearby, then sat up as Misty's Poliwag bounced over.

"Um, hi?" he said. "I was wondering if I could get some help on something?"

"Of course," Bulbasaur agreed. "What do you need help with? If it's Pokémon moves then that might be more the department of Ash's Pokémon, though."

"Well, it's actually to do with your trainer," Poliwag replied. "You see…"

He fidgeted slightly. "Obviously I know Misty, fairly well now, and I know her team. And Ash, though it's kind of intimidating… but I don't really know what Brock is like much. So I was wondering what you thought of Brock?"

"Easily coaxed," Vulpix declared. "That's something most Pokémon don't get… you train the trainer as much as the trainer trains you. You need to let them know what you're willing to do, and what you'll need rewards for… and what is an absolute no. And what your needs are too."

She flicked her tails over at the trainer in question, who was currently giving Eevee a comb. "For example, Eevee likes having baths. I tolerate having baths, and only if I'm actually dirty or if there's some kind of event… I won't put up with being bathed just so I've been bathed. And Brock knows that, and it's easy to teach him."

Poliwag blinked. "But why wouldn't anyone like baths?"

That prompted a few laughs.

"Water types," Geodude chuckled. "But seriously, little dude, Brock is a bro."

He winked, forming both hands into fists and pointing to the side. "I sometimes call him the Honey Badger."

"...the what?" Vulpix asked, giving her teammate a puzzled look. "What's a honey badger?"

"It's because he likes the honeys," Geodude said, winking again and doing the same pointing-fists thing. "And because Brock is another word for badger."

"And he does kind of annoy girls a lot," Zubat piped up.

"That's because he's a bro-rock," Geodude insisted.

Poliwag shook himself. "I'm more confused than when we started."

"Really, the thing with Brock is that he's kind of thoughtful," Zubat said, then paused. "Well… he's usually thoughtful. Ninety five percent of the time. He's the sort of person who really thinks a lot about his friends and his Pokémon, and what they need… it's a bit like what Vulpix said, but I kind of think a different bit is important."

He sighed. "And then there's a pretty girl nearby, and… it's like his brain gets disengaged."

"Is that why whenever there's a girl around I can't see his eyes?" Poliwag said.

"His what?" Zubat said. "I don't think Brock has those."

"No, Zubat-man, he's got them," Geodude told him. "You just can't tell because you use echoes. And no, little dude, his eyes are always like that."

"He's the best trainer," Onix said, quietly but fervently. "The best one I've ever known."

Vulpix snorted. "Dear, you haven't had another trainer."

"I've still known them," Onix insisted.

"And… if you want my opinion," Bulbasaur said. "He's a really good medic, you must have seen that with the Stantler. But apart from that… yeah, I agree with Zubat."

He licked his lips. "He's an amazing cook, though. I'm taking lessons."

"Oh, and, little dude?" Geodude added. "Stay frosty."

"...Water type, Geodude," Vulpix sighed, rolling her eyes. "Not Ice type."

Some distance away, twenty-five Dratini and four Dragonair were arrayed around a stone.

Coloured dice clattered across it, pushed by five of the Dratini, and four of them hissed while one thumped the stone in triumph.

"It is decided," said one of the Dratini. "We now know who will be the next one called on if our trainer wishes to use a Dratini."

"Congratulations," said the newest Dragonair in the group, and the Dratini who'd just won the dice-off nodded with as much modesty as he could manage.

The officiating Dratini checked his notes. "We will be taking bets on whether he comes back a Dragonair shortly. In the meantime… does anyone have any other motions they wish to make, or moves they wish to share?"

A tail went up.

"Mew taught me Bullet Punch," that Dratini said. "Then got bored and left."

"That's a good one to spread around," another Dratini agreed out loud.

"In that case we'll do it tomorrow," the officiator said. "Any Other Business?"

Draconic heads shook.

"Then those who want to use the stone for tonight's board game should stay," Dratini told them. "Everyone else should probably head off to bed."

"Have you ever had the problem where you gather some research, but nobody will believe you?" Tracey asked, browsing online for more board games.

"Strangely enough, yes," Professor Oak confirmed."Mostly in the last year, though."

Eventually, the friends reached Violet City, the home of the first gym they'd yet reached in Johto.

And that meant their first destination was obvious.

Which was why Ash wasn't quite sure how he'd ended up doing a presentation to a room full of schoolkids instead.

Still, he didn't really mind.

"The way I kind of think of it is that… the most important thing isn't having strong Pokémon, not at the start," he said. "If your Pokémon are strong – that's great! But there isn't a Pokémon in the world that doesn't have the potential to become as strong as you need, if you train them right."

Someone put up a hand.

"Aren't you the one who went to the Pokémon League with a Zapdos and, um, was it a Suicune or an Entei?" he asked.

Pikachu huffed.

"Pikachu's got a point," Ash said. "Yeah, I do have some really powerful Pokémon, but that's actually a thing I was going to talk about. Most of my Pokémon I got by making friends with them, first, or if I battled them it was when I'd let them go again if they wanted it. Because that's just… polite, really."

He reached up to the Electric-type on his shoulder. "Pikachu is my starter Pokémon. Those are… it might not always work out, but usually your starter Pokémon is one of the best friends you'll ever have. Get to know them well, and keep an eye on their moods – 'cause a Pokémon can be upset or happy just like you can – and it'll go great!"

Ash then reached for a Pokéball. "Then… well, it can also be really useful to pick up a good Flying type. I befriended mine over sweets first, and when I became a trainer she decided to come with me."

"Phew," Pikachu said, hours later. "That was… awkward."

"What that was was confusing and vaguely insulting," Zapdos replied. "Can you believe the cheek of that boy?"

She ruffled her feathers. "Tsk."

"Yeah, it was kind of weird after that talk Ash gave that he just decided he could befriend Pikachu!" Zorua nodded. "By the way, how's my Bellsprout?"

Pikachu considered it.

"Too tall."

"But I thought there was supposed to be some as tall as that tower in the past," Zorua protested. "How is this too tall? It's only eight feet."

"Look at it this way," Pikachu said. "Most Bellsprout are smaller, so people will know something is off and look more closely."

"I still think that if he was going to get jealous about a Pokémon he'd start with one of the three Legendary Pokémon in the room," Zapdos sniffed. "It was three, right?"

"Unless Mew was back in his backpack without my noticing," Pikachu agreed.

"Welcome, challenger, to Violet oh no it's you," Falkner said. "I didn't know you were in Johto."

"I'm doing the Johto gym challenge!" Ash replied. "You're my first!"

He frowned. "But before that, uh… do you have any tips for how a Psychic Flying-type can switch between flying with wings and levitating? Silver and Articuno are trying to work out a good way of doing it, and it seems like there's something there, but they're each approaching it kind of a different way."

Falkner considered that for several seconds.

"I have no idea," he admitted. "Xatu doesn't fly that way."

"Okay," Ash nodded. "I thought I'd ask… are there any special rules your gym uses?"

The Gym Leader thought seriously about making a new one up.

"You're not allowed to switch mid-battle," he said eventually, reverting to his usual. "I'll be using three Pokémon, and you can use up to three, but you can only change a Pokémon when one is unable to battle."

Ash thought about that, as Falkner led him to the battlefield on the roof.

"That's fine," he decided. "Hey, Pikachu, want to take part in this gym battle?"

Pikachu shook his head. "Pi," the Electric-type said.

"Right, I know who I'm using first then!" Ash declared. "Charizard!"

Falkner contemplated the big Fire-type.

"Well, he doesn't have type advantage," he admitted, then noticed something. "...he does appear to be wearing jewellery though."

Ash reached into his bag, where a little pink paw handed him a bracelet, and the trainer put it on his wrist. "Okay, Charizard, let's see if this works!"

There was a brilliant flare of golden light, and when it faded a black-and-blue Mega Charizard was hovering over his gym instead.

Falkner took out a Pokéball.

"I feel like apologizing," he said, and sent out Pidgeot.

Several crowded minutes later, Falkner returned Pidgeot.

"I'm impressed," he admitted. "Most people tend to think of one Flying type as a lot like another, and don't realize how important manoeuverability is, but you saw it in time to turn the battle around."

"It's because Pidgeot doesn't have any big powerful ranged attacks," Ash replied. "He had to get in close."

Ash did still feel proud of that victory, though. Falkner's Pidgeot had been a strong, fast Pokémon, much faster than Charizard, and even though the Fire-type had clearly taken that as a lesson to learn from the battle could have gone a lot differently if Ash hadn't realized the trick – Pidgeot had attacked Charizard from behind because that way Charizard didn't have time to react.

But Ash did, and they'd quickly worked out a system where Ash could give a signal to let Charizard know the danger.

Then Charizard had taken Pidgeot on a tour of the local underground, which the Normal-type had not enjoyed as much as Charizard had.

"What do you think, Charizard?" Ash added.

"I think you're right, I need Agility," Mega Charizard said. "Or maybe Lava Plume. Or both. But this is awesome!"

"Archeops," Falkner added, sending the Rock-type Pokémon out. "Whirlwind. Anything is going to be better than that Chariazard."

"Pardon?" Mega Charizard asked, then vanished in a swirl of wind and red light.

And, with a flash of white light, his replacement took the field.

"...at least it's not Zapdos?" Falkner asked.

"Zapdos was an option?" Archeops demanded, as Raikou picked herself up and yawned.

"Morning," she told Ash, then turned her attention to Archeops.

The Flying-type turned to look at his trainer. "I'm not paid enough for this."

"...oh, go on then," Falkner admitted, holding out the Pokéball, and Archeops returned himself. "Dodrio, see what you can do – Bounce! Then, use Tri Attack!"

"Extremespeed dodge!" Ash called.

Raikou jumped out of the way, paws thumping on the roof, then slewed around to face Dodrio as the Flying-type landed.

"Thunder!" Ash said.

"Roost," Falkner countered.

The blast of electrical energy still nearly blew Dodrio off the roof, but a surge of energy kept them in the fight.

"Now, Hyper Beam!" the Gym Leader ordered.

"Raikou!" Ash called. "Thunder curtain!"

Raikou slammed both paws down hard, roaring, and thunder blazed up from her mane and down from the sky. Both sets of electrical energy combined into a series of strikes hammering into the roof between her and her opponent, and the Hyper Beam crashed into them with an impact that shook the roof.

Eventually, the attacks faded, and both Pokémon were still there.

Then the roof gave way.

Raikou jumped clear instantly, but Dodrio had three simultaneous resigned expressions before falling all the way to the inner floor of the Violet Gym.

Falkner winced.

"Archeops," he said, then. "Whirlwind again. Let's try and get some dignity back."

Archeops raised his wings, swept them down, and promptly Returned himself.

"Defeatist," Falkner muttered.

AN:

Johto is already turning out longer than Kanto.