"You're sure this is what you want, Tympole?"

Tympole shivered under the gaze of what felt like everyone he knew. Cyrus and Ash were standing off to either side, their Pokemon either in their Pokeballs or at their feet, while Clay stood before him, Sandile and Drilbur on either side. There was no hostility in any of their gazes, but Tympole still felt fear coursing through him. What will they say if I say yes? Will they yell at me? Curse my name? Call me a coward for running from my problems?

Yet Tympole swallowed his fear, for even in spite of that, he'd already made his choice. "Yes," he said, surprised at how strong his voice came out.

Clay glanced down at Drilbur, who looked up towards him and gave a short nod. Clay sighed as he turned back to Tympole. "All right," he said. "If that's your decision, I ain't gonna stand in your way."

Tympole watched as Clay unclipped his Pokeball from his belt and handed it to Ash. "Now you'd better take good care of Tympole," the Ground-type Gym Leader said.

"Of course," Ash replied.

Drilbur spoke up. "We'll still be seeing you, right, Tympole?"

"Um…yeah," Tympole responded, glancing over to the Ground-type. "We'll still be traveling together, right?"

"Right," said Drilbur. "All the same…we'll miss you."

Tympole nodded mutely and turned back towards Ash, who was now holding his Pokeball and looking towards him. Slowly, Tympole turned away from Clay, Sandile, and Drilbur and waddled over to Ash, eyes staring upwards at his new Trainer, his new home.

He didn't look back.

"-and once again, I be over the moon that ye be finally getting yourself a Water-type! Ye be no filthy landlubber, Ash - ye be a proper protege! I be looking forward to when ye and Miette meet up once again - it will be a privilege to get to see the two of ye battle!"

"Thanks, Professor Archie," said Ash. "Now…my Aegislash?"

"Oh, right," said Professor Archie. "Yes…ye be tradin' in yer Kricketune and Scizor, right?"

"That's correct." Ash had thought long and hard about which six Pokemon he wanted to have on him - it had ultimately come down to Litleo and Scizor, and while Ash really wanted to keep the Bug/Steel-type by his side, Litleo needed training more and Genesect had that typing too.

"Then…" Professor Archie pressed a button, and Scizor and Kricketune's Pokeballs vanished, replaced in an instant by Aegislash's and Tympole's.

"Thank you, Professor Archie!" Ash cried, and promptly ended the call.

That done, he sent out all six of the Pokemon he currently had on him. Hisuian Growlithe was already out, as always; now he was joined by Kubfu, Litleo, Genesect, Aegislash, and Tympole.

Any and all greetings were instantly cut off by the chilly wind that suddenly seemed to fill the air. As one, everyone turned to look at Aegislash. The Steel/Ghost-type was glaring at Ash with its singular eye. "Thou art unworthy," it rasped.

"What?" Hisuian Growlithe asked.

Aegislash glanced towards the Fire/Rock-type. "I was not talking to thee. I was addressing thy Trainer." He turned back to Ash. "Thou, who doth captureth me in thine sphere and expecteth me to battle for thee. But thou art unworthy of my blade, for thee and thy Pokemon have proven unable to defeat me in a proper battle. Nay, thee and thy Pokemon were losing until thou cheateth and captureth me in thine sphere whilst I was off-balance." Aegislash paused for a few moments, clearly awaiting a response, and then said, "Thou cannot understandeth me, can thou?"

"No, he can't," said Hisuian Growlithe, immediately taking charge. "And look - that's how battles with wild Pokemon work. You weaken them, then capture them in a Pokeball. Like it or not-"

"Wild Pokemon?" Aegislash interrupted. "I am no mere Wild Pokemon. I am Sir Leopold VI of the House of Olivine, holder of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers and former wielder of the great blade Ghostbane. Even though I hath become one with my blade, that doth not mean thou mayest address me as some common Wild Pokemon."

"My apologies, Knight Leopold VI of…um…whatever," said Hisuian Growlithe.

Litleo leaned over to Kubfu. "Are they seriously saying 'VI' out loud?"

"Yes," Kubfu whispered. "Yes, they are."

"Man, I wish Scizor was here right now," Ash murmured. "I know how good of a negotiator he is."

"You all right, Scizor?" Kricketune asked.

"Yeah," said Scizor. "Just a sneeze, that's all. Must be allergies or something."

"Hey, I haven't really been on the team for long," said Kricketune. "And, not gonna lie, it kinda feels like Ash doesn't like me all that much."

"How so?" Scizor asked.

"Well," said Kricketune, "once he started getting derided as a 'Bug Catcher', he promptly ran off to capture an Aegislash, and now he and Tympole are getting all sorts of attention, and it kinda feels like I'm being left behind. I hate to say it…but I'm regretting my choice to leave the Squad a little. I know they all wanted me to go with Ash, get out of my rut and go on a journey with an actually good Trainer…"

"Is Ash a bad Trainer?" Scizor asked.

"No!" Kricketune retorted. "It's just…if he's not gonna use me, then…well, I didn't leave my squad just to sit on a ranch and do nothing."

Scizor sighed. "Look, Kricketune. It's not forever. Ash wants to make sure his newest captures know the lay of the land, that's all. I'm sure that, at some point in the near future, he'll bring us both back on. Maybe together, maybe separately, but it's going to happen. You're his Pokemon, same as me, and I've been around him long enough to know he's not just going to abandon us."

Kricketune nodded slowly. "All right. I'll…give it some time."

Scizor smirked. "How about a battle? We haven't really fought yet - I'd like to see how you stack up when you're not fighting alongside a gang."

"Sure," said Kricketune, readying his sword-claws. "I think you'll find I've still got some tricks up my sleeve."

"In order to wield me," Aegislash - or rather Sir Leopold VI of the House of Olivine - stated, "one of thee must face and defeat me in single combat. Thou hath not done so, and therefore, I doth not recognize thy Trainer as my own."

Hisuian Growlithe sighed frustratedly. "This is getting nowhere."

"E-NOUGH - OF - THIS." Genesect's robotic voice broke into the conversation as the artificial Legendary stepped forwards. "IF - YOU - RE-QUI-RE - A - WOR-THY - CHAL-LENGE - THEN - I - WILL - PRO-VIDE - ONE."

"As if I would allow an abomination such as thee to wield me," Sir Leopold snarled.

"A-BOM-I-NA-TION?" Genesect's voice rose multiple octaves as his cannon began to light up with energy. "YOU - WILL - BE - EX-TER-MIN-A-TED - FOR - THAT!"

"Genesect, Aegislash, that's enough!" Ash cried, stepping between them. "Look, it's obvious this isn't working out, so…look, Clay and Cyrus have told me we're close to the next Gym. So let's beat that, and then deal with Aegislash, okay?"

Sir Leopold scoffed. "Thou sayest 'deal with me' as if I am a mere obstacle. Thou art grossly mistaken."

Before he could say anything more, Ash recalled Sir Leopold into his Pokeball, then turned to the rest of the team. "Right. Let's head into Vermillion and see what the next Gym is."

Saying goodbye to Bill (who was too distracted with his research to manage anything more than a wave in response), Ash, Clay, and Cyrus set off. It wasn't that far from the lighthouse to Vermillion City, and so in only a couple hours the three Trainers reached the city and began heading towards the Gym.

Well, first they headed to lunch, but then they headed to the Gym.

Over their lunch of berries, Litleo glanced over at Tympole. "So, what do you think the next Gym is?"

"You're asking the wrong Pokemon," Tympole replied. "See…Clay's a Gym Leader, or at least a former one - I'm not entirely sure anymore, to be honest - but the point is, being a former Gym Leader's Pokemon, I know all the Gyms in Kanto."

"Ooh." Litleo sidled closer. "Do tell."

Tympole shook his head. "I can't. Clay and Cyrus are being tight-lipped about it, and so am I."

"Aw, come on!" Litleo whined.

"Sorry," said Tympole. "All I'll say is that I probably won't be participating."

"Ooh, is it an Electric-type Gym?" Litleo asked.

Tympole shook his head, biting down on another berry.

"Well, then it's gotta be a Grass-type Gym!"

Tympole spat out his berry. "How did you-"

"Well, Water-types only have two weaknesses," Litleo pointed out.

"…fair," Tympole admitted. "Guess that was too big of a clue. Well, now you know it's a Grass-type Gym."

Litleo grinned. "I can't wait! I've been looking forward to proving myself to Ash ever since he caught me, and a Grass-type Gym will be the perfect place for that!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Tympole. "Ugh…I can't believe I let that slip."

"Hey, guys!" Ash's voice broke in as he stepped over to his still-eating Pokemon. "Guess what! Some old couple back at that table over there told me that the upcoming Gym is a Grass-type Gym!"

Tympole blinked. "Okay, glad I'm not the only one."

"So, Tympole," said Ash, kneeling down. "Look - I know you joined me because you didn't feel like you were being used enough, or at least that was part of it. I'd love to use you, but-"

"I understand," said Tympole. "Listen - the fact that I wasn't being used was only half of it. I mostly left because I felt out of place on Clay's team. And I don't feel out of place here. So don't feel guilty for not using a Water-type in a Grass-type Gym. Sure, I want to be used, but at the same time I'm not an idiot."

Ash glanced over to Genesect, who translated swiftly. "HE - UN-DER-STANDS."

"That's good," said Ash. "Thank you, Tympole. I hope you don't mind if I transfer you and Aegislash back to Professor Archie's ranch. "

Tympole shook his head. "Not at all. Just as long as you let me finish my lunch first."

Having finished his lunch and transferred his Pokemon, Ash walked up to the Vermillion Gym, Cyrus and Clay at his heels and Hisuian Growlithe by his side. The Gym itself took the form of a strangely shaped building with a large, sloped roof, short on the right side and tall on the left. It was fairly overgrown, with vines snaking up the walls and many trees and flowers planted out in front. A few Oddish, Bellsprout, and even Bulbasaur could be seen amongst the plants, wandering through the shrubbery and tending to the flowers.

Even without the old couple's information, Ash would probably have been able to guess what type this Gym was.

The door slid open and Ash stepped through, revealing a room that was, if possible, even more plant-filled than the outside. Trees grew from circular sections of well-tended dirt, the smell of flowers filled the air, and vines hung from the rafters, from which a few Pokemon - Aipom, Mankey, Pansage - were hanging or swinging.

"Whoa," Ash gasped. "It's like an indoor jungle!"

"I still think it's overdecorated," Cyrus muttered.

"Spenser always did prefer an outdoor Gym," Clay pointed out. "With the League mandating indoor Gyms, it's no surprise he's trying to recreate the feeling of the outdoors."

"Spenser?" Ash asked.

"That'd be me!" From behind a tree trunk strode an older man with a long, flowing white beard, wearing a similarly long yellow robe and blue sandals and carrying a blue staff in one hand. "Spenser's the name - and you must be my newest challenger! Gwahahahah! You look pretty wimpy! You sure you're up for facing down my brethren?"

A bespectacled assistant stepped out from behind the tree after him. "Sir, I must implore you to maintain some level of decorum…anyway, Gym Challenger, please state your name."

"I'm Ash Ketchum!" said Ash defiantly. "And I'm not wimpy!"

"Gwahahahah!" Spenser laughed. "That little Growlithe beside you says different. What, you're one of those wimps who think just type advantage will give you a win? Please. If you're gonna rely on that, you might as well turn around and walk right out!"

Ash saw Cyrus and Clay exchange a glance, and glared at Spenser with clenched fists. "Not a chance! I came here to win your Gym Badge, and I'm not leaving until I do!"

Spenser grinned. "Then let's see how well you stack up!" Turning, he strode away; his assistant spared Ash an apologetic glance before following Spenser. Ash moved after the pair, keenly aware of Clay and Cyrus stepping away, likely heading towards the viewing balcony that all Gyms seemed to have.

In no time at all, the path created by the rows of trees and flowers opened up, revealing an earthen-floored battle arena in the center of the Gym. Staring around, Ash could see similar plant life dotted all around; combined with the Pokemon who were gathering at the edges of the arena to watch the upcoming battle, and it almost seemed as if the Gym was filled by a natural jungle. Ash tore his gaze away from the beautiful plants and focused on Spenser, who had reached the other end of the arena and turned to face Ash.

As Ash stepped into the arena himself, the assistant cleared his throat. "This will be a two-on-two battle between Gym Leader Spenser and Challenger Ash! Switches are allowed for the challenger, but the Gym Leader is not allowed to switch his Pokemon unless it is through forceful switches such as Whirlwind and Roar! The battle will end when one Trainer has lost two of their Pokemon! As per Pokemon League rules, the Gym Leader releases first!"

Ash fingered one of his Pokeballs. He could see Spenser doing the same, eyeing Ash with a smirk and a cocky expression that Ash was looking forward to wiping off his face. He also saw Clay and Cyrus watching from above, their Pokemon out.

Spenser made his decision. "Ivysaur, get out there!" From his first Pokeball emerged a Pokemon Ash instantly recognized as the evolved form of Bulbasaur, the Grass-type Starter and his least favorite of the three. An evolved Pokemon as his first?

Ash steeled himself. I can't be nervous. And besides, my Pokemon should be able to deal with this. I've got faith in them.

Ash raised his own Pokeball. "Go, Genesect!"

Spenser raised an eyebrow. So, too, did Clay and Cyrus from where they were watching. Spenser's newly-released Ivysaur, on the other hand, suddenly looked a lot more nervous then it had before.

"Saur?" Ivysaur murmured, glancing back at Spenser.

Spenser nodded. "It may be powerful, but let us see how strong his bond with it is!"

"Saur." Ivysaur nodded.

Spenser's assistant raised a hand. "Battlers, begin!"

"Leech Seed!" Spenser called. "Then Growth!"

"Genesect, use Techno Blast!" Ash shouted, pointing a finger dramatically.

Ivysaur sprang forwards with a cry of "Ivy!" A barrage of green glowing pellets flew out from the Grass/Poison-type's body, streaking towards Genesect. But the Steel/Bug-type Legendary was quick to dodge with a Quick Attack, his cannon already glowing. "To the side!" Spenser cried, but Ivysaur wasn't quite fast enough to avoid Genesect's attack.

Genesect planted its feet. "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

The Techno Blast flew out, slamming into Ivysaur, who was propelled back across the arena by the beam with a yell of "SAUR!" The Techno Blast sent Ivysaur flying into the opposite wall and pinned him there for a good five seconds before Genesect finally ceased the technique; as the smoke from the impact point cleared, Ash and Spenser saw Ivysaur drop to the floor, clearly out cold.

"Ah," Spenser murmured. "Now this is something else." He recalled Ivysaur. "Very well, then! Shiftry, come on out!"

Ash blinked as the Grass/Dark-type hit the floor. Another evolved Pokemon? That's pretty powerful for the third Gym…but then again, I've got Genesect. He clenched his fist tighter as Shiftry adopted a battle stance. Spenser's assistant spoke up again. "Battlers, begin!"

"Air Cutter!" Spenser ordered. "Hit him hard and fast, and be ready to dodge!"

"Dodge and intercept with Quick Attack!" Ash cried.

Genesect and Shiftry lunged for one another. Shiftry fired off a barrage of energy-formed aerial blades at Genesect, but as he had with Ivysaur's Leech Seed, Genesect blurred out of the way with Quick Attack. This time, instead of just firing off a Techno Blast, Genesect leaped forwards, completing the second part of Ash's commands. The Quick Attack propelled the artificial Legendary straight into Shiftry, the top of Genesect's lowered head meeting Shiftry's jaw.

"Shiftry!" Spenser cried out as the Grass/Dark-type stumbled backwards, clamping a hand around its own jaw in pain.

"Finish with Techno Blast!" Ash called.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" Once more, Genesect unleashed a vicious Techno Blast from its cannon; once more, its opponent couldn't dodge in time. Shiftry was thrown backwards, making a crater in the wall right next to Ivysaur's.

As the light faded, it was clear that Shiftry, too, was unconscious. Spenser recalled his second Pokemon as his assistant spoke haltingly, clearly not having expected such a quick battle. "Um…with both of Gym Leader Spenser's Pokemon defeated…and since the challenger has two Pokemon remaining…the winner is Challenger Ash!"

"Yes!" Ash cried, leaping into the arena. "Great job, Genesect!"

"I - BE-LIEVE - MY - PER-FOR-MANCE - WAS - AC-CEP-TA-BLE," Genesect concluded as Ash squeezed him in a hug.

A clip-clop of sandals on the floor made Ash look up to see Spenser approaching. "Guess you aren't as wimpy as I thought you were," the Grass-type Gym Leader admitted, his bombast diminished somewhat. He had a rather sour expression on his face - understandable, considering the rapidity of his defeat - but Ash was too excited to feel bad.

Spenser turned to his assistant. "Hand me the Gym Badge."

His assistant stepped over, handing over a small green badge, which Spenser took and handed to Ash. "This is the Spirits Badge," he said - Ash had to wonder how spirits applied to a Grass-type Trainer, but he pushed that thought aside as Spenser continued. "Good fight. Now get outta here."

Ash recalled Genesect and turned to walk out of the Grass Gym, missing Clay and Cyrus sharing another glance up on the viewing balcony.

Since Genesect hadn't taken any damage during the fight, Ash saw no reason to visit the Pokemon Center. Instead, he made a beeline for the nearest empty field, where he quickly released his on-hand team onto the grass.

"All right!" he said. "Great job, everyone! We got the Spirits Badge! Still have no idea how spirits apply to a Grass-type Gym, but…whatever! Genesect, you did a fantastic job!"

The team raised their voices in happiness, though there was a surprisingly muted undertone to the cheers.

"And, Genesect, I hope you don't mind if I call on you for the next Gym, too," said Ash. "And maybe even the next few after that! I mean, with your power, I don't know if any Gyms in this region can stand against you!"

He turned to the rest of his team. "Now, there will probably come a point where Genesect isn't enough by himself," he admitted, "so obviously the rest of you have to train for that point. I don't want any of you falling behind. So let's split up and start practicing - I think we can spend the night in Vermillion and move on in the morning. Wonder what the next Gym is? I'll have to ask Clay when he gets here."

"You can ask right now."

"Oh, Clay!" Ash cried, whirling. "I didn't see you there."

Clay smiled. "Cyrus headed off - said he wanted to buy some stuff at the Pokemart. Anyway, since it seems that Gym anonymity doesn't matter much anymore now that random civilians are dropping information right and left, I'll tell you for free that the next Gym is a Psychic-type Gym."

Ash grinned. "Awesome! Genesect will obliterate that!"

Clay's smile dropped. "Ash, can we talk for a moment under that tree over there?"

"Sure thing, Clay," said Ash. He glanced at his Pokemon - "Keep practicing!" - and turned to follow Clay as the Ground-type Gym Leader began to move towards the tree in question.

Clay turned again as he reached the tree, leaning against the trunk and fixing Ash with a surprisingly severe expression. "Look," he said. "Give it to me straight - are you plannin' on using Genesect to sweep every remaining Gym in the League?"

Ash nodded. "Of course, as long as he can."

"Why is that?" Clay asked.

"Because he's easily the strongest Pokemon I've got," Ash replied. "I mean…Aegislash is pretty strong too, but he's not listening to me. So…" He looked up at Clay, confused. "Why shouldn't I use my strongest Pokemon any chance I get? What happens if I lose a battle because I didn't use Genesect, knowing I could've won if I had used Genesect?"

Clay sighed. "I get that you haven't had to face this before, you only having three Pokemon for most of your journey and all. But now you've got eight. Litleo, Kricketune…Tympole…all those Pokemon joined you, Ash, because they wanted to fight for you. To prove their strength to you. But how are they going to prove anything if you just use Genesect all the time?"

Ash's eyes widened. "I…well…I mean, like I said back there, there's gonna come a time where Genesect won't be able to win by himself, and-"

"And until then you'll use him and leave the rest of your Pokemon out," Clay finished. "Is that what you want? For the rest of your team to become Genesect's glorified cheering section until such time as they're actually needed?"

"That…" Ash trailed off. "That's not what I'm trying to…"

"Listen, Ash," said Clay. "I heard what you said to your team. That they need to practice so that they don't fall behind. But what you're missing is that you're gonna start falling behind, too. The Gym Challenge requires tactical knowledge and skill as well as power, and you ain't gonna get any of that if you just have Genesect throwing Techno Blasts at everyone you fight. When you do lose Genesect, suddenly you'll have nothing more than a group of sloppy, untrained Pokemon working for a sloppy, untrained Trainer. And when you're at the level where Genesect won't be enough, you won't be able to win battles by being sloppy."

Ash bowed his head. "I…didn't know…"

Clay knelt down so that he was at eye level with Ash. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you shouldn't use Genesect. Especially against people like Team Rocket - when facing them, feel free to use Genesect all day. But he shouldn't be your only Pokemon. You should use him more as an ace in the hole, a last-ditch gambit for when you're behind and at the end of your rope. That way, you can give the rest of your team time to shine and have the Legendary for when things get real tough."

Ash looked up, giving Clay a slight smile. "I never really thought of it that way."

Clay smiled back. "You know I'm just lookin' out for you, right? Trainin' bad habits out of you so you don't fall behind. I'm awful sorry if it seems like I was beatin' you down."

"Not at all, Clay," said Ash. "You're…you're absolutely right. My Pokemon, Spenser, all of them seemed so muted after the battle, and now I get why. Because…" He pulled out his newly-gained Spirits Badge. "Because I didn't really earn this badge. I just lucked into an overpowered Pokemon who got it for me."

Clay saw where this was going immediately. "Ash, I'm not telling you to give back the badge. According to League rules, you won it fair and square. Spenser wouldn't have given it to you if you'd done otherwise. Keep the badge, take this as a learning experience, and move on."

"No." Clay was surprised by the firmness in Ash's voice. "Like I just said, Genesect got the badge, not me. No tactical knowledge or skill involved." He looked into Clay's eyes. "If I move on here, knowing that Genesect basically got this badge for me, I know I'm gonna feel guilty. Like I cheated. I want the Spirits Badge, of course, but I want to get it the right way."

Clay nodded slowly. "I'll call Cyrus. I'm sure he'll want to watch."

"I'm sure he will," said Ash. "And I'll get my team together."

For the second time that day, Ash, Clay, and Cyrus stepped through the doors to the Vermillion City Gym. This time, Spenser was standing right in plain view, tending to a few flowers. He looked up as Ash approached. "Well, well. You got your badge. What do you want?"

"To win it properly." Ash tossed the badge over to Spenser. "I may have shown that I had a strong Pokemon, but I didn't show that I was a strong Trainer. And I want to prove that to you in a real Gym Battle. If you're ready, that is."

Spenser stared at Ash. He glanced down at the badge in his hands, then looked back up at Ash. And then the Grass-type Gym Leader's mouth split open in a wide grin.

"GWAHAHAHAH!" He let out a full-throated laugh. "I'd be glad to give you that proper battle! Come along, Ash, and let's head back to the arena! Assistant!"

"Yes, Spenser?" The bespectacled assistant came running up from behind another nearby tree.

"Get your…thing…ready!" Spenser cried. "We've got another battle to do, and I've got no intention of delaying it!"

And Ash learns a valuable lesson about not abusing Legendaries to sweep through entire regions, an idea that Pokemon certainly has never explored in any meaningful way!

*cough* Tobias *cough*

In all seriousness, I figured early Kanto Ash, no matter how many lessons Clay gave him, would instantly abuse the power of a Legendary as much as he could. So I needed him to learn a lesson about that, and I figured this was the best way to do it. I hope Clay's speech didn't come off as too preachy.

Next time, we're gonna get the actual Vermillion Gym battle! Looking forward to that!