A/N: So, I usually save these for after the chapter, but, well... I kind of need to talk.

Apologies in advance if this sounds a bit rant-y.

So, this chapter took a long time to write. Even by my standards. And most of that is on me. I do apologize for taking so long.

To be honest, I feel like I've lost my spark. I really don't want to abandon my fanfics. It feels wrong to leave then unfinished. But I just don't feel the motivation to write anymore. I've always loved writing my stories, but recently, it just feels... impossible.

And it didn't help that the previous chapter didn't receive a single comment. Not ONE. F#%&ING. COMMENT. Either here or on AO3. Admittedly, it was a rather uneventful chapter. Mostly just getting ready to fight Surge. And it doesn't help that, in contrast to The Brock and Captain Misty, there isn't much I can really change up about Surge, so there wasn't any teasing of any funny moments with him. I thought that at least the teasing of a big reveal concerning Ash's buddy would get some people interested, but even that wasn't enough to get anyone to comment.

Honestly, I kind of lost faith in myself after that. Was I doing something wrong? Were people just not interested anymore? Should I just give up and stop writing?

It took a long while to get enough motivation to write again.

But I don't want to leave my story unfinished. I know there are some people out there who still care. Even if they don't always show it.

Anyway, I managed to get this story going again, or at least one chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to get more chapters for this story done soon. And hopefully some of my other stories too.

Before we get to the chapter, I have one more thing: I want to ask you guys for your feedback. What do you guys want to see? Do you want me to continue? Or do you not care anymore? Do you have any ideas for me to stay motivated? Do you know any ways to increase audience engagement? Are there any other suggestions you have?

Anyway, if you read this whole rant of mine, thank you. It means a lot to me. I know it took a long time, but I hope that you truly enjoy reading this silly little story about a boy and his talking cat.

On with the show!

Ash and his friends stared at the Gym. Ash and Meowth were excited, though the rest of the gang seemed apprehensive.

"Are you sure about this?" said Maria. "Those Pokémon at the gym seemed like they got beaten up really bad."

"Rat-Rattata?"

"Don't worry," said Ash. "We trained up a lot for this, and we'll totally win!"

"Yeah!" said Meowth. "We got this!"

"Do you?" said Sam. "I mean, I know you've gotten pretty lucky with the first two gyms, but it sounds like Lt. Surge is a lot stronger than The Brock or Misty."

"Pika-pika."

"Yeah, he's going to be way harder than those two," said Mikaela. "Are you sure you're ready for him?"

Ash and Meowth looked at each other for a moment, then shrugged.

"Well, I know he's strong," said Ash. "Maybe too strong. But there's going to be a lot more crazy strong trainers I'll have to face on my journey, so I can't back down now. If I do, I could do it again next time, and again after that."

"Yeah, we can't give up," said Meowth. "We gotta fight on!"

The rest of the gang stared at them.

"I… guess that makes sense," said Sam. "It still seems like it could go pretty badly, though."

"Yeah, but we all know you're not going to back away," said Maria. "So just do your best."

"You can do it, Ash!" said Mikaela.

"Veevee!"

Ash grinned, then walked into the gym.

As the gang walked in, they were met by the sight of several people in tank tops and shorts running around the battlefield along with several electric-type Pokémon. However, what immediately drew their attention was the towering man in the center: he was tall enough to tower over a Machamp, and his muscles were big enough that he could probably beat it in a fight too.

"Move faster, Poozers!" the man barked. "Vermilion Gym has no space for slackers!"

"Yes, Lieutenant!"

Ash could feel a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead. Nevertheless, he walked forwards towards the massive Gym Leader.

"Are you the Gym Leader?"

The gigantic man turned around and looked down at the gang.

"Ah, fresh meat. Which of you Poozers are gonna challenge me today?"

Ash was definitely feeling intimidated. Nevertheless, he persisted.

"I am," he said. "My name's Ash Ketchum, and I'm here to get my third badge!"

"Third badge, huh?" Surge said with a grin. "Well, you sure are brave. You sure you've got what it takes to beat me, Poozer?"

"'Poozer?'" muttered Maria. "The heck does that mean?"

"Of course he is!" said Mikaela. "He's going to beat you so bad that those guys over there will be following him instead!"

"Vee!"

The rest of the gang, as well as Surge, stared at her.

"...Sorry about her," said Sam. "She's a bit… like that."

Surge stared at them, then shrugged.

"Whatever. Just don't cry when you lose."

He then turned towards his gym trainers.

"Alright, Poozers! Break time! Clear the area! Visquez, it's your turn to be the referee!"

The rest of the trainers breathed a sigh of relief as they walked off the battlefield. The exception was a dark skinned woman with spiky gray hair, who sighed and walked over to the battlefield.

"Okay then," she said as she held up a banner. "This will be a battle between the Leader, Lieutenant Surge, and the challenger, Ash Ketchum. Both sides will use three Pokémon, and only the challenger may switch Pokémon. The battle ends when one trainer has no more Pokémon to battle with."

Once Visquez had finished speaking, Ash and Meowth walked towards one end of the field, while Surge stood at the other.

"Alright, 'Ash Ketchum.'" Surge said as he grabbed a Pokeball. "Welcome to Gym Battling 101. Or as I like to call it, the worst day of your worthless life!"

"Well that's not worrying at all," Sam muttered.

"Pika."

Surge then tossed out a Pokeball, which opened to reveal a Magnemite. As the electric type Pokémon floated in the air, Ash grabbed his Pokedex to scan it.

"Magnemite, the Magnet Pokémon. Magnemite floats in the air by emitting electromagnetic waves from the units at its sides. These waves block gravity. This Pokémon becomes incapable of flight if its internal electrical supply is depleted."

Ash put away his Pokedex and grinned as he grabbed a Pokeball.

"Okay! Charmander! I choose you!"

He tossed out his Pokeball, letting his newest Pokémon come out. The little fire type cried out as he landed on the floor, ready to do his best in his first gym battle.

"Battle begin!" Visquez declared.

"Charmander! Use Ember!"

Counter with Thunder Shock!"

Both Pokémon launched their attacks, which collided and exploded.

"Shock that Poozer!"

"Dodge it and use Flamethrower!"

Charmander jumped out of the way just before the electric attack could connect. He then breathed out a huge stream of fire; the magnet Pokémon floated out of the way, but one of its magnets got caught in the blast, and it let out a cry of pain.

"Stop that lizard with Thunder Wave!"

"Block it with Flamethrower!"

The fire type breathed out another blast of flames, while his opponent sent out a wave of electricity. The two moves collided, but this time, instead of canceling each other out, they twisted around each other, and both Pokemon were hit. Magnemite cried out as it was engulfed in flames, and Charmander winced as his body began to seize up and spark with electricity.

"Charmander!" Ash cried. "Are you okay?"

"Chaar!" Charmander cried out, still determined despite being paralyzed.

"Good!" said Ash. "Now use Ember!"

"Move out of the way and use Sonic Boom!"

Charmander attacked again, although this time Ash noticed that his movements seemed somewhat slower; the resulting Ember attack took a bit longer than usual to fire, and Magnemite was able to dodge it easily. It then attacked with a burst of sound, causing Ash's eyes to widen.

"Dodge it, Charmander!"

Charmander tried to move, but his muscles seized up at that moment, and he could only cringe as he was hit by the sound waves.

"Now Thundershock again!"

"Dodge it and use Flamethrower!"

The flame Pokemon tried to move, but he was still immobilized. He cried out as he was hit by the electric attack.

"Ha! You sure you don't wanna give up, Poozer?" Surge said mockingly. "Your little fire type isn't gonna last much longer at this point!"

Ash grit his teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Surge was right. Charmander didn't have much strength left, and he would have to return him soon.

But he wasn't going to let him go down without taking out at least one opponent.

"Charmander!" he called out. "I know you're hurt, but you can still win! You're a lot stronger than Surge thinks, and you can still beat Magnemite! I know you can!"

"Come on, Charmander!" Meowth yelled. "Show that bucket of bolts what you're made of."

This caused Surge to do a double take.

"Did that Meowth just talk?"

Before anyone could answer, Charmander managed to move just enough to fire another Ember attack, hitting Magnemite dead on. The steel type cried out as it was electrocuted, but it managed to stay airborne, albeit just barely.

"Don't you give in now, Magnemite!" Surge yelled. "Shock that Poozer with Thunder Shock!"

"Hang on, Charmander!" Ash shouted. "Use Flamethrower and take it down!"

Determined to win, Magnemite blasted out as much electricity as it could muster. Charmander grimaced as he struggled to move his body, but then his body began to glow red. With newfound power, the flame Pokemon managed to open up his mouth to fire off his Flamethrower attack; this time, the blast was so powerful that it completely overpowered his opponent's move, and the magnet Pokemon screamed as it was surrounded by fire. As the attack dissipated, it fell to the floor, defeated.

"Magnemite is unable to battle," Visquez declared. "The winner is Charmander."

"That was awesome!" said Mikaela. "Charmander was great out there!"

"Eevee!"

"Rattata!"

"Chu."

"Yeah he was," said Sam. "Still, he had a type advantage due to Magnemite's steel typing, so it's kind of worrying that he just barely came out on top."

"Yeah, it was," said Maria. "If that last Flamethrower had failed, Charmander probably would have lost."

"That was really cool, though," Said Mikaela. "DId you see how Charmander was glowing there at the end?"

"That was probably his Blaze ability," Sam explained. "When Charmander is badly injured, his fire type attacks get a big power boost."

"That was lucky for Ash," said Maria. "He probably would have lost without it."

"Ratta, Rat."

"Chu."

Back on the battlefield, Ash was congratulating the flame Pokemon.

"Yeah!" Ash cheered. "You did great, Charmander!"

"Yeah, you were awesome!" said Meowth. "You showed that hunk of metal how strong you are!"

"Chaaar," Charmander said, exhausted but happy. Even though he had been victorious, the battle had clearly taken out all the energy he had, and Ash knew he wouldn't be able to continue any longer.

"Hey, you did great, buddy," said Ash. "Why don't you take a break now? Riolu and Meowth can handle the rest."

"Chaaarmanderrr…" Charmander replied, clearly happy to have a chance to take a break.

"Okay," Ash said as he recalled the flame Pokemon. "You were amazing out there. Now you rest up. You deserve it."

He then looked up at Visquez.

"Charmander's too tired to battle anymore," he said. "I don't want him to get hurt anymore, so I won't be using him again."

The dark skinned woman nodded.

"The challenger has withdrawn Charmander from the battle," she said. "Both trainers must choose their next Pokemon."

"Fine by me," Surge said as he grabbed another Pokeball. "Let's see how you handle this one, Poozer!"

He tossed out another Pokeball, which opened to reveal a small yellow Pokemon with black stripes and a pair of horns that almost resembled a pair of electrical plugs.

"Whoa," said Ash. "It's an Elekid!"

He grabbed his Pokedex and scanned the Pokemon.

"Elekid, the Electric Pokémon. Elekid generates electricity by whirling its arms. However, it's not good at storing electricity yet. This Pokémon sneaks into people's homes, looking for electrical outlets to eat electricity from. can't store the energy it makes."

"That Pokemon evolves into Electabuzz," said Ash.

"Cody's favorite Pokemon?" said Meowth.

"Yup," said Ash. "He's gonna freak out when he hears this."

He then grabbed a Pokeball.

"Riolu, I choose you!"

He tossed out the Pokeball, and the emanation Pokemon emerged, ready for battle. Visquez nodded and waved her banner.

"Battle begin!"

"Let's Shock that Poozer!" said Surge. "Use Thunder Punch!"

"Counter with your own Thunder Punch!"

Riolu barked as her fist was charged with electricity. Elekid's fist was electrified as well, and it jumped forwards and launched forwards to punch Riolu. The blue fighting type caught the fist with her own, and for a moment the two were caught in a stalemate.

"Knock it away with Force Palm!"

"Rio!" Riolu said as her other arm glowed with aura, and slammed it into Elekid. The electric type cried out as it was launched backwards by the fighting type move.

"Now use Quick Attack!"

Riolu quickly shot forwards and hit Elekid before it could react.

"Don't let that Poozer win!" Surge yelled. "Zap it with Shock Wave!"

"Dodge it!"

Elekid shot out a blast of electricity at Riolu. The fighting type jumped out of the way of the attack, but as she tried to dodge, the electric move changed direction and collided with her.

"Rioooo!"

"Riolu!" said Ash. "Are you okay?!"

Riolu landed on her feet, though she was now wincing in pain.

"Ha! Shock Wave can't be dodged, Poozer!" said Surge. "Show him, Elekid!"

Elekid laughed as it launched another blast of electricity. But this time, Ash was ready.

"Catch it with Thunder Punch!"

Riolu barked, and her paw lit up with electricity. Just as the Shock Wave reached her, she launched her fist forwards and caught the attack. The electric energy was caught in the fighting type's electrified fist, and then dissipated.

"What?!"

"Now use Quick Attack!"

Surge and Elekid were too shocked to react immediately, so Riolu was able to hit Elekid before it could react.

"Now Force Palm!"

Riolu's paw glowed, and she slammed it into her opponent. Elekid was sent flying, and landed not too far away. It grit its teeth as it tried to get back up.

"Huh, not bad,Poozer," said Surge. "Elekid! No more messing around! Full power Thunder Punch!"

"Counter with Force Palm!"

Both Pokemon cried out and rushed at each other with their respective attacks. They then collided and slammed their fists into each other.

For a moment, the two Pokemon pushed against each other, each one growling as they tried to overwhelm the other.

It wasn't long before one had to yield.

"Elekid!" the electric Pokemon cried out as it stumbled. Riolu wasted no time in charging her paw up again, and slammed another Force Palm attack into Elekid. It was sent backwards onto the ground, where it struggled to get back up; after a moment, it fell back down, defeated.

"Elekid is unable to battle," Visquez declared. "Riolu wins!"

"Yeah!" Ash said. "You were awesome, Riolu!"

Riolu cheered for a moment. But then, she cried out as her body began to seize up.

"Riolu?!" Ash said. "What's wrong?"

"Riii…" the emanation Pokemon groaned as electric sparks danced around her.

"What happened?" said Mikaela.

"She's paralyzed," said Sam "Elekid has the Static ability, so it can sometimes paralyze an opponent if they make contact."

Ash grit his teeth. This was going to complicate things.

"Not bad, Poozer," Surge said as he returned Elekid to its Pokeball. "Now let's see how you handle my ace!"

He then sent out his final Pokeball, which burst open to reveal a vicious-looking orange Pokemon with a long thunderbolt-shaped tail.

"Raichu!"

"Whoa," said Sam. "That's Pikachu's evolved form!"

"Chuuu," PIkachu muttered.

"Really?" said Mikaela. "Why did all the yellow go to his cheeks?"

"Veevee!"

Back on the field, Ash grabbed his Pokedex and scanned Surge's final Pokemon.

"Raichu, the Mouse Pokemon, and the evolved form of Pikachu. Raichu turns aggressive if it has too much electricity in its body. It can discharge bursts of electricity through its tail of up to 100,000-volts, which are powerful enough to incapacitate Pokemon as large as Copperajah."

"Whoa, that's powerful," Meowth said nervously.

"What's a Copperajah?" said Ash. "It sounds pretty strong."

"Uh, yeah," said Meowth. "Whatever it is, it sounds like Raichu can take it out."

Ash gulped. That didn't sound good.

"Well… we'll just have to be stronger than a Copperajah!"

"Yeah, we can do that!" said Meowth.

Surge smirked as Raichu got ready to fight.

"Alright, Poozer!" he said. "See how you handle this! Thunderbolt!"

"Block it!"

Raichu laughed as it let loose a big blast of electricity. Riolu barely had time to electrify her fists before she was struck, but she managed to dissipate the attack before it hit her.

"Not bad, Poozer," said Surge. "Now take this! Wild Charge!"

"Raii!" Raichu cried as its body began to spark with electric energy. It then rushed towards Riolu at high speed.

"Force Palm!"

"Rio!" Riolu said as her paw glowed. The emanation Pokemon thrust her paw forwards just as Raichu reached her, and slammed her opponent, sending it staggering backwards.

"Huh, you're pretty strong," said Surge. "Try another Thunderbolt!"

"Raichu!" the mouse Pokemon shouted as it unleashed a huge bolt of electricity.

"Dodge it!"

Riolu grunted as she began to move. But before she could get out of the way, her body seized up and began to spark.

"Luuu!" RIolu cried as the paralysis took hold.

"No, Riolu!"

The emanation Pokemon screamed as she was hit by Raichu's attack. She was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer power of the move, and as it dissipated, she fell to her knees.

"Riolu!" Ash yelled. "Are you okay?!"

"Riii…" Riolu groaned. She was barely conscious, but she winced and forced herself back to her feet, seemingly determined to go on.

"Huh, not bad," said Surge. "You're a lot tougher that I thought you'd be. But you won't get any further than this! Wild Charge!"

"Rai!" Raichu shouted as it electrified itself. Ash grit his teeth as he watched the mouse Pokemon burst forwards, trying to figure out what he could do.

He then looked down at Riolu, and his eyes widened as her body glowed. His shock only grew as she stood her ground as Raichu slammed into her.

"RIOLU!" the emanation Pokemon cried as she punched back at Raichu, sending it flying backwards. The large electric type yelped as it landed next to Surge.

"Raichu!" Surge said in shock. "Are you okay?!"

Raichu grit its teeth as it slowly got back to its feet. Riolu smirked for a moment, then fell to her knees.

"Riii…" she groaned as she struggled not to collapse.

"What just happened?" Ash said in awe.

"Looks like Riolu just used that move that uses the other guy's power against them," said Meowth. "I think it's called Counter or something."

"Counter," Ash repeated. "Riolu, that was awesome!"

He then frowned as he saw Riolu on the ground; it was clear that her new move had taken all the strength she had left, and she was now down for the count.

"You did great, Riolu" he said as he recalled the little canine back into her Pokeball. "You deserve a good rest."

"Riolu is unable to battle," Visquez declared as she watched Ash recall his Pokemon. "Raichu wins!"

He then turned to Meowth.

"It's all up to you, buddy," he said. "Are you ready?"

"You bet!" said Meowth. "Let's get that badge!"

With that, the normal type ran onto the battlefield. As he got closer, he took in his opponent's condition; while Riolu's last attack had clearly done severe damage, it was still not ready to quit.

"Raiii," Raichu growled. "Raichu, chu."

"Yeah," said Meowth, "we'll see about that."

Surge smirked. Even though Raichu had taken plenty of damage, he still had faith in his partner. He nodded at Visquez, who waved her banner.

"Battle begin!"

"Take that Poozer down!" Surge yelled. "Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge it!"

"Got it!" said Meowth. He bounced out of the way just as the electric attack hit. Raichu growled and shot out another blast of electricity, which Meowth dodged again.

"You can't dodge forever," said Surge. "Raichu! Use Wild Charge!"

"Block it with Iron Tail!"

"Rai!" Raichu yelled as its body was charged with electricity. It then charged at Meowth; the scratch cat Pokemon's tail glowed as it turned metallic, and he flung it forwards. The two attacks collided, and the two Pokemon staggered backwards. Meowth winced as he rubbed his tail, while Raichu groaned as it rubbed its head.

"Now use Fury Swipes!"

"Here we go!" said Meowth as he brought out his claws, then slashed at Raichu ferociously. The electric type cried out as it was slashed by Meowth.

"Don't let that furry Poozer beat you!" Surge yelled. "Take it down with Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge, Meowth! Then scratch him again!"

Meowth was just barely able to get out of the way before Raichu could shock him. He then ran around Raichu, slashing at the larger Pokemon with his Fury Swipes as much as he could. Raichu continued to attack him, but Meowth was too fast for Raichu to hit.

"Whoa," said Maria. "Meowth is too fast for Raichu to keep up!"

"Rattata!"

"Yeah, it's weird," said Sam. "Raichu is usually a pretty fast Pokemon, but this one seems to be a lot slower than usual."

"Maybe Surge forgot to train it for being fast and stuff?" said Mikaela.

"Vee!"

"It could be," said Sam. "Especially if he evolved Raichu before it had the chance to learn a lot of speed-related moves. If I had to guess, he trained it to have a lot of power, but not a lot of speed. Which would be great for facing off against strong opponents, but not so much for faster ones like Meowth."

"Chu."

On the battlefield, the mouse Pokemon was struggling to keep up with Meowth. While the smaller combatant wasn't nearly as powerful as it was, he was fast enough to dodge any attacks Raichu could send his way, and while each swipe did little damage, the sheer number was beginning to wear Raichu down.

"Yeah!" said Meowth. "Take this, you dumb-"

Then his body seized up.

"AGH!" he cried as electricity surged through his body.

"Meowth!" Ash yelled. "Are you okay?!"

Meowth tried to answer, but he could only grit his teeth. Surge smirked as he saw his chance.

"That was Raichu's static ability, Poozer!" he said. "Now you're in for a world of hurt! Thunderbolt, Raichu!"

Raichu grit its teeth, but still was able to unleash a blast of electricity at Meowth. The normal type screamed as he was hit, and nearly collapsed as the move dissipated.

"Meowth!" Ash yelled. "Hang on!"

"I'm… try…ing…" Meowth groaned as his body trembled.

"It's all over now, Poozer!" Surge yelled. "Now finish it with Hyper Beam!"

Raichu laughed as it opened its mouth, and a big ball of energy began to form. Ash's eyes went wide as he saw the attack forming.

"Meowth! Dodge it!"

"I… can't…" Meowth whimpered.

"Ha! There's nothing you can do, Poozer!" Surge laughed. "Show 'em what you can do, Raichu!"

Ash grit his teeth. If that attack connected, it would all be over. And now that he was paralyzed, Meowth was no longer fast enough to dodge the attack.

He tried desperately to think of something, anything, that he could do to avoid defeat.

It was at that moment that something unexpected happened.

For the briefest of moments, Meowth seemed to glow. And in that moment, Ash suddenly had an idea.

And somehow, inexplicably, Meowth seemed to know what it was.

"NOW, RAICHU! FIRE!"

Just before the mouse Pokemon could unleash the full might of its Hyper Beam, Meowth used Iron Tail. He then lifted his tail right as the beam reached him, using the metallic appendage to block the attack. He groaned as he struggled to keep his tail in place, but he managed to keep himself steady.

Then, just as the attack dissipated, Meowth jumped towards his opponent and swung his tail forwards; his tail still had a small amount of residual energy from the Hyper Beam, and the Iron Tail slammed into Raichu with much more force than usual.

"Raaiii!" Raichu yelped. But Meowth didn't stop; knowing he only had a small window of opportunity, he lunged forwards and slashed at Raichu repeatedly; with a fierce Fury Swipes attack, the scratch cat Pokemon yelled as he inflicted as much damage as he could.

Finally, Meowth stopped. He jumped back and glared at Raichu; the mouse Pokemon looked down at him and glared back. For a few moments, the two combatants simply stared at each other, as if daring each other to fall over first.

Then, finally, Raichu collapsed onto the floor.

For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone was too shocked to react; the battle had been intense, and for a moment it had seemed as if Meowth would be defeated.

But he had prevailed.

Finally reacting to what had happened, Visquez lifted up her flag.

"Raichu is unable to battle!" she declared. "Meowth wins! As the challenger has managed to take down all of Surge's Pokemon and still has one left over, the victory goes to Ash of Pallet Town!"

Ash stared blankly at the battlefield. Then, a huge grin formed on his face.

"We did it!" he cheered. "We did it Meowth!"

Excited, he ran onto the field and hugged Meowth. The normal type winced as his trainer hugged him, but he couldn't really complain. After all, he would be celebrating too if he was in any condition to do so.

"You guys were awesome!"

Ash and Meowth looked up and saw their friends approaching.

"That was incredible," said Maria. "I was really worried for a moment, but you actually did it!"

"Rattata!"

"You were so awesome!" Mikaela cheered. "I mean, you were all zoom! And boom! And bam!"

"...Yeah, what Mikaela said," said Sam. "You did great, Ash."

"Eevee! Eevee!"

"...Chu."

Ash smiled, then looked up as Lieutenant Surge approached the gang with Raichu in his arms.

"Not bad, Poozer," the imposing man said as walked up to them. "You need a bit of refining, but you sure earned a place on my squad!"

Ash blinked, then looked over at Surge's trainees.

"Uh, no thanks," he said with an awkward grin. "I just want a badge. I'm not really interested in your club or anything."

Surge chuckled at this.

"Whatever you say, Poozer," he said. "But the offer's always open."

He then turned to the gym trainers.

"Now get back to your laps, you lazy Poozers!"

The trainers groaned, but got back to running. Surge smirked, then turned back to Ash and handed him an object.

"Alright, Poozer. You beat me fair and square, so you earned the Thunder Badge."

Ash grinned as he took the badge. He then held it up for his friends to see.

"Yeah! I just got the Thunder Badge!"

"I knew we would!" said Meowth.

The rest of the gang cheered. The battle had been hard, and it had almost seemed like Ash would never be able to overcome the mighty lieutenant. But in the end, he and his team had emerged victorious.

And now they were one step closer to the Pokemon League.