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Author Notes at end of Chapter

Chapter 22: Vermilion City Gym

"Woah, would you look at that! Haven't seen one of those in a while." Lt. Surge exclaimed, his smirk a large contrast to Hitmonlee's serious expression. "Anyways, your move kid."

"Blaze Kick!" Ash shouted instantaneously.

Ash and Hitmonlee didn't waste a second, with the Pokemon lurching forward swiftly.

"Dodge."

Hitmonlee's flame covered leg swiped through the air where Voltorb previously stood. Voltorb grunted, now located a few feet away from Hitmonlee. Hitmonlee glared, placing its leg down as it returned to a normal color. Meanwhile, Lt. Surge laughed heartily, his deep laugh filling the air.

'I knew Voltorb was fast, so that's why Hitmonlee was perfect. Still, I didn't expect it to be quite this quick.'

"My turn, kid. Charge Beam!"

"Block it with your arms!" Ash countered instinctively, already knowing Hitmonlee was way too close to avoid the attack. Voltorb's body crackled with electricity, before a compact yellow beam erupted from its chest.

Hitmonlee raised both his arms, forming an X as the attack connected. The Fighting Type grunted loudly as he slid backwards slowly, no doubt hurting from the attack. After a second or two, Voltorb's attack dissipated.

"Letting your Pokemon take an attack head on? That other Pallet Town kid shows a lot more promise than you." Lt. Surge shrugged, mentioning Gary despite not even knowing it was a sore spot for the teen.

Ash's eyes flickered towards Lt. Surge's instinctively, glaring at the blonde haired Gym Leader. Lt. Surge easily realized he hit a soft spot, as his husky laughter sounded once more.

"Sucker Punch!"

"Dodge." Lt. Surge replied, giving a fake yawn as both Pokemon took action. Hitmonlee darted in all sorts of direction, giving pursuit to the round Electric Type. Although Ash's Pokemon got close in multiple instances, it was clear that Voltorb held the speed advantage.

Formulating a plan, Ash began thinking of different ways to utilize the terrain, Like Brock's Gym in Pewter City, there were large boulders to take cover and perhaps even use for offensive purposes.

"Double Kick against the boulder to your right!"

"The hell?"

Hitmonlee stepped aside, continuing to sprint as he jumped a few inches from the ground. It was his left leg that struck first, crushing through the human sized boulder and effectively destroying half of it. The debris flew towards Voltorb, who widened its eyes in surprise. Rolling to the side, Voltorb dodged the first wave of rocks.

"You think that's enough? Oh please, like if your Hitmonlee can hit a rock that precisely." Lt. Surge scoffed.

Hitmonlee's right leg connected to the remaining boulder, sending the last remains towards Voltorb once more. Similar to the previous wave, Voltorb just managed to avoid being struck.

"Not trying to. Sucker Punch." Ash stated nonchalantly. Voltorb turned around in surprise, clearly not expecting to be confronted face to face with Hitmonlee. Lt. Surge shouted helplessly as Hitmonlee's right hand struck Voltorb, sending the Pokemon reeling.

Voltorb was far too preoccupied with the boulder coming its way. Knowing the second kick from Hitmonlee was yet to come, it completely forgot about the opponent it was facing.

"Hmm, not bad…" Vermilion City's Gym Leader muttered.

"Blaze Kick!"

"Rollout!"

Both Pokemon met in the middle of the field, struggling to gain the advantage over one another. Hitmonlee was slowly getting pushed back, despite his leg being pressed against Voltorb's form. Eventually, Hitmonlee shouted in desperation as it extended its leg, separating both of them.

Hitmonlee and Voltorb panted, despite the battle's duration not being long thus far. It shouldn't have come as a shock, considering just how fast paced both of them were fighting.

"You want to play this game? Alright, Charge Beam into Rollout!"

"Quick, dive behind the boulder!" Ash screamed, pointing to the boulder a few feet from Hitmonlee.

The compact beam of electricity narrowly missed Hitmonlee, who dove clumsily behind the boulder. The large rock remained sturdy, crackling slightly due to the power of the move. After the attack was cut off, Voltorb wasted no time in using Rollout, tumbling towards the Fighting type Pokemon.

Ash clenched his jaw, forcing himself to remain patient as he waited for Voltorb to become close enough. Hitmonlee made eye contact with Ash, waiting for his command as he was completely blind to whatever was occurring. The rock separated Hitmonlee and Voltorb, effectively making both of them unaware of each other's presence.

"Now! Jump!"

In a last second effort, Hitmonlee sprung upwards, remaining in the air impressively. Meanwhile, Voltorb crashed through the boulder with ease, though looked around in confusion. as it wasn't met with its opponent.

"Crap! He's in the air!" Lt. Surge shouted, frustration seeping through his gruff voice.

"Too late. Double Kick!"

Voltorb looked up, only to be met with two powerful blows, separated by less than a second. The Electric type cried out, rolling backwards while still slightly confused from the impact of crashing into the rock. Even worse, Voltorb looked to be in bad shape, covered in various bruises and cuts.

"Finish it with Sucker Punch!" Ash screamed.

"Not a chance! Charge Beam and don't let up!"

Hitmonlee broke off into a sprint, though it didn't take long for the Pokemon to ditch its efforts as the beam of electricity came a second later.

"Dodge and keep moving, Hitmonlee!"

Hitmonlee obeyed his orders, running at a impressive speed and pace as the Charge Beam followed him closely. At various points, Ash's Pokemon was able to catch a breather with several boulders on the field. However, it only was able to serve just that, as the Charge Beam eventually broke through each one within seconds. With Voltorb only focused on firing ranged attacks, it could effectively use Charge Beam with much more power and accuracy compared to last time.

'This is bad. There's no chance that Voltorb could battle with Hitmonlee in a close up fight. But with that, Hitmonlee also has no ranged attacks to utilize when Lt. Surge utilizes this kind of approach. I can't keep letting Hitmonlee be picked apart like this.'

As Ash finished his thought, his eyes widened as Hitmonlee was finally grazed by the electric current. Hitmonlee dropped down to a knee momentarily, though hew as lucky enough to be situated close enough to find cover behind a nearby boulder.

"Rock Slide!" Lt. Surge commanded, after the boulder was broken down from Charge Beam. After that destruction, Hitmonlee's kneeled form was revealed, breathing heavily from fatigue. On a good note, Hitmonlee seemed much more fatigued than hurt.

"Blaze Kick!"

Ash grit his teeth as both Pokemon collided, with Voltorb taking the brunt of the attack due to the Fighting Type's extended leg. Hitmonlee was tired and it knew no ranged attacks, so it was in their best interest to meet Voltorb head on. If Lt. Surge wanted to play right into their game, Ash had no issue with it with Hitmonlee being considered a much stronger physical attacker.

"Overpower it!" Lt. Surge shouted forcefully.

With Hitmonlee tired from its efforts to dodge ranged attacks, Voltorb slowly made progress in pushing its opponent slowly. Hitmonlee slid backwards, still keeping his fire ridden leg separating the two. However, Hitmonlee's back eventually hit a large boulder at the back of the field.

"Hitmon!" Hitmonlee cried in pain, now pressed against both Voltorb's Rollout and the boulder.

"Use Sucker Punch and don't let up!" Ash advised.

Voltorb cried out in pain, reaching its limit as Hitmonlee shouted exasperatedly. Hitmonlee continued to throw skilled punches, with various hooks and uppercuts many skilled fighters would have issue replicating.

"Finish it, Hitmonlee!"

"Too late, kid!" Lt. Surge laughed, drawing a confused look from Ash. "Self-Destruct."

Ash's eyes widened, with his mouth barely opening to let off a screen. His efforts to warn Hitmonlee were futile, as the field was lit with a bright white light that blinded both trainers and spectators alike. Ash was forced to raise his arms, covering his eyes with his new fingerless black gloves from the strong wind and impact.

After a few seconds, the teen was finally able to lower his arms and open his eyes. As expected, Voltorb was on the floor, fainted from the last ditch attack that would always result in a user being rendered unable to continue. To Ash's surprise, however, Hitmonlee remained standing, with his back facing his respective trainer.

"Alright, Hitmonlee! Way to go!" Ash pumped his fist.

"You serious kid?" Lt. Surge raised both eyebrows, returning Voltorb and taking out his second Pokeball. Just before Ash could question the older man, Hitmonlee fell face first into the floor like a statue. "Your Hitmonlee just took a point blank Self-Destruct. Way to represent Pallet Town." The Gym Leader finished, crossing his arms as he attempted to get under Ash's skin.

'That was pretty naive of me. I played right into the guy's plan like an imbecile. He wasn't trying to beat me in a battle of physical attacks. It was their mission all along to pin Hitmonlee, where it would be impossible to avoid their last ditch attack. It makes all the sense in the world, with Voltorb being in much worse shape than Hitmonlee was.'

While Ash never took a liking to moves that rendered a Pokemon of his own being rendered unconscious in that manner, it was done expertly by the talented Gym Leader. Ash took out his second Pokeball, knowing it would be his last Pokemon like the other previous Gyms.

"I've never liked two on two battles, so it's a shame that's got to be the case with newbie trainers like you guys. Still, there's something exciting about it being a one on one battle. My last Pokemon versus yours. Who the hell is the stronger pair?" Lt. Surge shrugged, grinning maniacally as he released his last Pokeball.

"Rai!" A Raichu landed onto the field, pounding his small fists together. Leaf and Brock sat in the spectators' stands, immediately noticing the Pokemon's larger than average size for its species.

While an average Raichu stood at two feet tall, Lt. Surge's seemed double that, at roughly four feet. While not large by any means, it was slightly worrisome seeing a Pokemon stand at such a far contrast to others of its kind.

'Pikachu is out of the question. He's strong, but it's not a good idea putting him against a skilled evolution with the same typing. Nidorino is definitely an option, but I haven't taught him any Ground type moves.' Ash battled internally. It was the first time he partially regretted not having evolved Nidorino for the sake of Earthquake. Though, there was no point in rushing it, despite situations such as the one he currently found himself in.

Making his mind up, Ash threw his Pokeball into the air and out of it emerged his last Pokemon.

"Looks like he's going with Charmander." Brock stated seriously, his eyes in its usual slits as he watched the ongoing battle.

"You got this Charmander!" Leaf shouted passionately, cheering for the starter type. "How's Raichu?"

Brock shook his head at the mention of Lt. Surge's ace Pokemon. "A force to be reckoned with… I've never seen a Raichu like his in my life."

Leaf bit her lip nervously, though it didn't stop her from cheering loudly as both Pokemon prepared to continue the battle. As expected, Charmander appeared fairly nervous as Raichu grinned devilishly at his opponent. Although it was impossible to hear from the distance, it appeared Ash was consoling Charmander judging by his expression and eye contact.

"I believe in you Ash." Leaf muttered to herself, rubbing her hands nervously as she continued to watch the battle.

"Well, would you look at that cute little thing!" Surge exclaimed, crouching down as he grinned at the quivering Charmander. "Doesn't look like a normal charmander, but I guess it's because of how petrified the little guy is."

"Nothing to be worried about, Charmander. We've battled in scenarios like this plenty of times." Ash stated softly, attempting to comfort Charmander. The starter nodded uncertainty, still uneasy as he avoided making direct eye contact with Raichu.

"Alright, enough chit chat! Iron Tail!"

Raichu cried out loudly, breaking off into a sprint on all four legs with his tail taking a gray tone from the prepared attack. Meanwhile, Charmander stumbled back worryingly as Raichu quickly approached.

"Smoke Screen!"

Charmander opened its mouth, releasing the thick cloud as he became submerged in it. Wisely, Raichu slid as he attempted to stop his momentum, standing just outside the Smokescreen.

Lt. Surge remained silent, possibly waiting for Ash and Charmander to move first as they were in a predicament. Raichu kept his steel tail raised, scanning the cloud.

"Dragon Breath!"

Before Lt. Surge could speak, a thin purplish stream made contact with Raichu's chest. Raichu cried in anguish, his eyes growing enraged as he couldn't located the submerged opponent.

"Again! Keep hitting him with Dragon Breath!"

Dragon Breath continued to shoot out, as Raichu hopped from side to side in an effort to avoid the attacks. He was successful for the most part, although there were instances were the attack would graze his side or hit him with full impact.

'Dragon Breath is a strong move, especially for a Pokemon as young as Charmander. Still, it doesn't have as much force due to exactly that.'

Eventually, Raichu was struck with another Dragon Breath, this time being nailed directly on his forehead.

"Use Iron Tail to block!" Lt. Surge shouted forcefully.

"Keep firing!" Ash advised, though it proved to be a major mistake.

The Smoke Screen was dissipating fast, with the outlines of Charmander becoming slightly visible. Even worse, the Dragon Breath clearly lit areas of the smoke.

Raichu successfully blocked a couple, with the Smokescreen almost completely vanished.

"Now! Thunder Punch!"

"Dodge it, Charmander!" Ash countered, knowing it would be near impossible to meet Raichu head on.

Charmander barely made a step before Raichu connected with his hand, crackling with electricity as it sent the starter Pokemon through the dirt. Charmander wailed in pain, rolling for a few seconds before finally stopping. Ash's eyes widened, his mind already racing in an effort to analyze the battle.

'Raichu hits like a pickup truck! I've never seen anything like it.' Ash thought.

"You alright, Charmander?" Ash asked worryingly. Charmander got to his feet, trembling slightly as he shook his head, most likely dazed.

"Thunderbolt." Lt. Surge ordered calmly, with Raichu becoming enveloped in electricity.

"Get behind that boulder, Charmander!"

Like before, Charmander only made it so far, before being struck completely by the bolt of thunder. Ash grit his teeth tightly, unable to aid Charmander as he yelped in pain. Finally, the electricity seized, allowing the starter Pokemon some reprieve. If he wanted to win this battle, Ash had to change something fast.

"Finish this with Iron Tail." Lt. Surge ordered, confident the battle wouldn't continue much longer.

"Keep him away with Ember."

Charmander didn't take long in firing off specks of fire, hitting Raichu in various parts of his body. Raichu grunted, though it sounded as if it was more pain than annoyance. Raichu pushed through the Ember with little struggle, before leaping from the ground as his tail stood overhead, gleaming brightly.

"Counter it with Brick Break!"

Unfortunately, Charmander froze up as he had many times, cowering in fear rather than countering the attack. Raichu's tail swung vertically, crashing down onto Charmander's head and sending him face first into the ground.

Raichu stood over Charmander's form, grinning devilishly as the golden Pokemon was barely able to lift its head. Charmander whined audibly, panic evident in his eyes.

Without any command, Charmander used Smokescreen and hid in the black cloud once again. Ash tightened his lips at the sight, worried over Charmander's panic. If the Pokemon was already acting instinctively and without command, the battle could turn even uglier than it was currently.

"Thunderbolt, throughout the whole thing." Lt. Surge commanded.

"You have to get out of there, Charmander! He's going to pick you apart."

As Raichu turned inward of himself while unleashing the Thunderbolt, Charmander showed no signs of leaving. It was only seconds later that a cry burst across the field, leading to only one possibility.

The smoke vanished seconds later, making Charmander's form visible. The shiny starter barely stood, crouching down while barely holding his head up. Ash's heart dropped at the sight of his first Pokemon, who was completely banged up while struggling to breathe properly.

"Charmander, are you alright?" Ash shouted worryingly, receiving no verbal response from the Pokemon. Seeing this, his anxiousness only increased. For the second time in his Pokemon journey, the teen was considering forfeiting. "You don't have to continue, Charmander! You've fought so hard already!"

Flashbacks of the start of his journey played through his head, with his battle against Gary being on the forefront of his mind. The blame could only fall on him, as it was his responsibility to properly guide Charmander. If he couldn't reassure his Pokemon enough to where they felt confident battling, what kind of trainer was he?

Unconsciously, Ash took out Charmander's Pokeball and clenched it by his side. His hand shook considerably, struggling significantly with making the decision. It was the right thing to do, but would Charmander be okay with it? The Pokemon was scared shitless, so it had to be what Charmander wanted.

Raichu looked back at Lt. Surge, tilting his head skeptically as he awaited his command. A look of disappointment was plastered on the man's face as he sighed loudly, before flicking his hand to Charmander. Raichu bared his teeth excitedly at this, as it was certainly a "go ahead" to conclude his opponent.

As Raichu slowly stalked towards the injured Charmander, Lt. Surge spoke.

"Looks like the only special thing about this Charmander is his color. Guess you can't pick a Pokemon on just that, kid. You fought well, but clearly you made the wrong choice."

Charmander had turned to Ash before Lt. Surge had even started speaking, with a blank face as he watched his trainer. Hearing Lt. Surge, Ash emotions skyrocketed. What was once anxiety and tense nerves quickly dissipated, as Ash dropped the Pokeball to the floor.

"You're wrong! It wasn't Charmander who let me down! My Pokemon never could and that's the truth!" Ash declared passionately. "Picking Charmander was a decision I'll never regret. The only thing I'll ever regret is letting him down today."

Ash's words had an evident effect on Charmander, who appeared taken aback at what he heard. Charmander's eyes watered, with Ash only seeing them as they made eye contact with one another. It was only once Ash looked past Charmander at the approaching Raichu that his starter Pokemon also became aware of the gloom situation as well. Turning back to Ash one last time, Charmander gave a firm nod and cry.

Suddenly, Charmander became enveloped in a white glow just as Nidoran had. Everyone was taken aback by the situation, with even Lt. Surge giving a laugh of amusement. As the bright light finally settled, Charmeleon now stood proudly.

The Pokemon was slightly taller, with a very similar build and the same golden color. A stark contrast was the apparent attitude of Charmeleon. Charmeleon stared down the much larger Raichu with an enraged look, showing no signs of backing down. Ash couldn't help but feel surprised by the attitude change himself that was caused by the Pokemon's evolution.

"Char Charmeleon!" Charmeleon screamed with rage, eliciting a small reaction from Raichu as he took a step back. However, Raichu instantly corrected this behavior as he stood his ground.

"Charmeleon, you ready to finish this?" Ash asked the newly evolved Pokemon, who grunted in response. If Charmeleon was able to step up and fight, so was he.

"Dragon Breath!"

"Block it with Iron Tail!" Lt. Surge shouted with a wide grin, clearly excited from the battle developing.

Raichu barely held back the purple stream, baring its teeth in concentration. Eventually, the attack broke through the steel tail and connected against the Electric type's side.

"Now, Brick Break!"

"Thunderbolt!"

As Raichu attempted to recover from the attack while firing a Thunderbolt, he was too slow as Charmeleon burst through the scene. There was a considerable increase in the Pokemon's speed as he connected with his Brick Break, sending Raichu sliding backwards in pain. Raichu began panting heavily, with Charmeleon's more powerful attacks taking its toll.

"Hit him with Thunder Punch!"

"Counter it with your own Brick Break!"

The two Pokemon met in the middle of the battlefield. As Charmander swung his hand downwards, Raichu unexpectedly sidestepped the Pokemon. Charmander's Brick Break missed and crashed into the ground. Before the starter Pokemon could recover, Charmeleon was sent flying from Raichu's Thunder Punch.

"Thunder Bolt again!"

"Dragon Breath!"

Luckily for Ash, Charmeleon was able to recover just in time to fire off his attack at the same time as Raichu. Thunderbolt and Dragon Breath met head on, erupting in a small explosion.

"End this with Iron Tail." Lt. Surge ordered, with Raichu following up on his momentum, darting forward on all four limbs.

"Brick Break!"

Raichu swung his body to the side, meeting Charmeleon's Brick Break with his tail. Charmeleon grunted from the contact as both Pokemon struggled to win the stalemate. While the two Pokemon continued to battle, Ash's eyes met the opposing Gym Leaders.

Lt. Surge held a confident look, smirking cockily as he mad many times prior. Ash maintained a neutral expression as the intimidating man opened his mouth.

"Rookie move, kid. I think you forgot about something." Raichu hand began crackling with electricity, attempting to conceal the Thunder Punch he was preparing.

"You sure about that?" Push off Raichu, and finish this with Ember!" Surge cursed loudly at this, shouting loudly for Raichu to use the attack.

It was too late, as Charmeleon pushed off Raichu and created a few feet of space. Raichu chased his opponent as fast as he could, racing to beat the Ember prepared to release from Chameleon's mouth.

Ember was considered a fairly weak fire type move, but as those flames erupted from Chameleon's mouth, it looked much more dynamic than Charmander's previous flecks of fire.

Raichu was submerged in the flames, crying loudly before Charmeleon cut off the attack.

"Raichu, you alright?" Lt. Surge asked with his gruff voice, though he received no response. Before he was able to repeat his question, his expression dropped as the man watched Raichu fall backwards with drowsy eyes and an open mouth.

Charmeleon grunted, dropping down to one knee as he was completely exhausted and banged up. The referee raised his flag not long after, declaring the match over and Ash the winner.

Leaf and Brock cheered from the sidelines, always showing their constant support while leaving the stands. Ash didn't waste any time in meeting his starter on the field, catching him in his arms just as Chameleon's legs gave out.

"Charmeleon, you didn't have to continue just for me. I know you're strong, but you don't have anything to prove. Especially to me, buddy." Ash reassured honestly. Charmeleon simply nodded, opting to keep his eyes closed as he drifted off to sleep. Seeing this, Ash couldn't help but smile as he returned the Pokemon.

"It didn't seem like he thought that way. I think Lt. Surge's words had an impact on forcing Charmeleon to evolve. You push him in a good way Ash, so it could be possible he just didn't want to let you down." Ash rotated his head to peer behind him after hearing Brock's words.

The Pallet Town native couldn't help but believe Brock's words, finding some validity in the older teens' beliefs. Still, he couldn't help but remember Chameleon's past, specifically the constant abuse the Pokemon faced in the wild. There always had to be feelings of worthlessness, to some degree for Charmeleon. Even though it was far from the truth, Ash supposed it was hard not to feel that way if you were consistently alienated from your peers throughout your life.

As hurtful as Lt. Surge's words were to his Pokemon, it possibly helped correct some negative behavior in Chameleon's hesitance. It would have to be something Ash kept an eye on now, noting it could have just been a one time thing with Raichu.

"Congratulations, kid. You and your Charmeleon gave us quite an ass whooping at the end there. I'm seriously impressed." Lt. Surge's compliment broke Ash out of his thoughts, as he now realized the man was now in front of his kneeled form. As Ash got up on his feet, he couldn't help but feel some resentment towards the man.

This feeling only lasted for a second as Ash had a realization. It was a douchebag move on Lt. Surge's end, but he had heard rumors of the man being a hardass. The guy had seen more than 99% of the world, serving in the military in his younger years. Besides, there was no way the Lieutenant was aware of his Pokemon's unfortunate past. Deciding to let the past be just that, Ash nodded appreciatively with a smile and thanked the Gym Leader.

"Thank you, sir." Ash stated, smiling wider as Leaf came beside him. He gave her a small side hug, lasting briefly before Brock spoke.

"Your Raichu hasn't lost his touch."

"You can bet your ass, kid. He's a tough Pokemon, that's for sure." Lt. Surge grunted proudly, eliciting agreement from the whole trio. "Anyways, it's my privilege to award you the Thunder Badge."

The older man held out the badge, which was mostly resemblant to a sun with bright yellow and orange colors. Ash thanked Lt. Surge gratefully once more, admiring the badge for a moment before placing it into his Gym case.

"So what's next for you guys? I'm assuming you're aiming to compete in the Indigo League?" Lt. Surge asked Ash.

"That's right, and I'm going to win it all! At least, that's the goal." Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, realizing he was getting ahead of himself.

"Well, you're going to have to get through me! But we're getting ahead of ourselves! You still have to battle me, Lt. Surge." Leaf whined. Lt. Surge rolled his eyes, clearly not entertained by the young girl's complaining.

"Give me a day, little girl." Leaf huffed loudly, crossing her arms as she stared up at the much larger man. "Your friend didn't do you much favors in that, making my Pokemon need some time to recover." Lt. Surge joked.

Three badges down and with a newly evolved starter, Ash couldn't help but feel amped up for the future. Just as the group were prepared to leave, Ash stopped completely in his tracks as he remembered a small detail.

"Wait! Lt. Surge!" Ash called, leaving Leaf and Brock at the door as he ran back to the battlefield. The Gym Leader raised his eyebrow skeptically, standing much taller than the teen.

"Argh! What do you want, kid?" Surge asked impatiently.

"You mentioned fighting another Pallet Town, kid. His name is Gary." The man nodded at the mention of Ash's peer, appearing like he recognized the name.

"Uh huh. I battled him yesterday. I actually heard word he's making quite the impression at King of the Battle today."

"King of the Battle?" Ash asked curiously.

"It's a battle tournament where trainers show up on a whim and compete here in the city. Pretty popular for inexperienced trainers, as it's free to play as long as you have a trainer ID. One on one battles, where the winner stays on the battlefield."

"Today?!" Lt. Surge pulled his face back at Ash's questioning, before nodding in response.

Finally caught up to Gary, this was his chance to avenge his loss. Feeling on top of the world, Ash unintelligibly thanked the Gym Leader before sprinting to Leaf and Brock. Not bothering to explain his conversation, Ash pulled Brock and Leaf to their discontent as he headed blindly across Vermilion City in search of the tournament.

"Ow! Why are you pulling me?" Leaf complained, attempting to free her arm from Ash's grip. Ash laughed ecstatically, opting to give a vague answer with a determined attitude.

"I've got some unfinished business."

"Corny..." Brock joked, whispering it although it was easily heard by the other two. Leaf giggled as her and Brock continued to be pulled across the street.

"No it wasn't!"

Hope you all enjoyed! In this chapter, we see a major progression regarding Charmeleon and his nature. Let me know what you all thought! I know I made Lt. Surge a bit of a douchebag, but I hope no one got the impression that it's completely his personality. Due to his background, he's a lot more rough and ill mannered than most people. In the next chapter, we'll possibly see Gary make an appearance since the start of their journey, as well as any Pokemon he's caught. REVIEW as it motivates me to update quicker!