Next chapter coming up. Things start to further diverge as the changes this new world has come to light, and encounters that didn't happen in the original come into being.

XXXX

Ash, Misty, and Pikachu made their way down the rocky path, following the path that Samurai had pointed them towards. Even with the path it took them a few more days, but eventually they'd reached the edge of the path...and saw Pewter City coming up over the hill.

"Alright, we've made it to Pewter City!" Misty cheered, to which Ash sat down with a sigh.

"Glad we made it. I think I've had enough of forests for a while," Ash sighed, Pikachu sighing with him.

"Pewter City is Gray, the color of stone. This town has always been famous for stone," a voice suddenly said, to which Ash and Misty looked around...and noticed that just past the small drop in the earth, a Rhypherior Morph sat. He was probably in his 40s or so, and was built like a tank despite his rather leaner frame by his species' standards, as evident by the strong muscles they could see through his clothes, which consisted of a yellow t-shirt with rolled up sleeves (which allowed the protrusions on his elbows to stick out), a black belt with a silver buckle, dark teal cargo pants which had a hole in them for his tail to stick out, and black shoes, as well as a red beanie that shadowed his eyes (though it had a hole in it for the horn sticking out of his forehead) and a pair of gloves.

"Uh...pardon?" Ash blinked.

"The name's Flint, and you're sitting on my merchandise," Flint said, to which Ash noticed the rock he was sitting on actually had a price tag attached to it.

"Oh, sorry!" Ash gasped, before he quickly got off of the rock, while Pikachu just sighed tiredly as he remained on the rock, clearly needing a rest, to which Ash moved him to his shoulder.

"It's fine, though your Pikachu looks pretty worn out," Flint said, getting up and looking at them. "From the looks of it you're a Trainer-Fighter, aren't you? I'd say you're aiming to challenge the Pewter Gym then."

Ash blinked, but nodded. "Yeah, I'm aiming to challenge the Gym and earn the Badge here."

"Well then, you'll want to go to the Pokemon Center first. No way you're winning any Gym Battles with worn out Pokemon," Flint said. "Follow me, I'll show you where it is," he said before walking away.

"You sure we should follow him?" Misty asked a little cautiously.

"Well...what do we have to lose? Plus he seems pretty nice," Ash said, right as Flint came back and added, "Oh, and that'll be 2 Pokedollars for using my merchandise as a rest bench," he said, causing both of them to facefault.

XXXX

Later, at the Pokemon Center Ash had loaded his Pokeballs as well as Pikachu on to a tray, which he placed on the counter. "Please revitalize my Pokemon," he said, before looking up and blinking when he saw what appeared to be Nurse Joy, the very same nurse that had been helping him in Viridian City. "Nurse Joy?"

"Yes, I'm Nurse Joy," she said with a smile.

"But, this isn't Viridian City, this is Pewter City," Ash blinked, wondering how she got here so fast.

"The Joy in Viridian City is my little sister. She told me a lot of nice things about you after you helped her send the Pokemon over," Nurse Joy said with a smile.

"Uh...thank you," Ash said, scratching his cheek a little bashfully.

"I'll get your Pokemon back to full health shortly. Please feel free to make use of the facilities in the Pokemon Center in the meantime," Nurse Joy said, taking Pikachu and Ash's Pokeballs away for healing.

Once she was gone, Ash turned around and saw a poster for the Indigo League. "The Kanto League," Ash said, his fists clenching in determination at the reminder of his goals.

"Don't think it's going to be that easy," came Misty's voice as she walked up to him. "As I'm sure you know, you need to gather 8 Gym Badges if you want to enter, and trust me when I say we're not going to make this easy for you."

"I know that," Ash said. "But I have to do it if I want to enter the League, so I'm gonna fight one way or another."

"Do you really think you can do that?" came Flint's voice as he walked in and towards them. "Do you really think you can defeat Brock?" the tone in his voice was somewhat amused, though it did have interest.

Ash frowned at the tone. "I'll just have to find out. Once Pikachu and the others recover we'll start preparing to challenge the Gym," he said.

"Heh, at least you're not rushing in like an idiot, I'll give you that much," Flint chuckled, before walking away, much to Ash's annoyance.

XXXX

"What was with Flint earlier?" Ash said in annoyance as he and Misty were eating at a nearby diner. "I know Gym Leaders are supposed to be tough, but they're not unbeatable."

"We ARE different from the usual trainer," Misty said as she took a piece of her food and ate it. "Not to mention you know you've got a disadvantage, right?"

"Well yeah," Ash sighed. "This is Pewter City, as in Rock Pokemon. I don't actually have anyone with an advantage to that. If anything, we're at a disadvantage, but I don't know where we can find any Grass or Water Pokemon near here, and I don't think Fighting or Steel types live nearby either."

"At least you know that much," Misty nodded. "Tell ya what, if you ask nicely I'll help you out," she offered.

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Ash said. "I've got an idea that might work."

"Is that so?" Misty mused, admittedly rather interest in seeing what Ash had in mind.

XXXX

An hour or so later had Ash and his Pokemon in a small field just outside of Pewter City, while Misty watched from the side. "Okay everyone, we're in Pewter City and our next goal is to defeat the Gym and earn the Badge," Ash said, to which his Pokemon all nodded in understanding. "Now, there's only one problem. This city's Gym specializes in Rock Pokemon, and I don't think I need to explain why that's not good for us," he sighed, to which the Pokemon let out nervous chuckles of agreement. They all knew Rock wasn't a good match up for them in general. "But that's why we're going to try and learn a few things that might just give us the upper hand we need," Ash said, before he soon outlined his plan.

It wasn't long before the group began their training, Pikachu striking at a log with his tail, while Pidgeotto did the same with her wings, the goal of their exercise was to try and train them to learn Iron Tail and Steel Wing respectively. Being the only Steel-type moves they could learn and thus their best bet. At the same time, Butterfree was doing some training of his own. Like the rest, he was at a disadvantage, but there was another way he could contribute. That was why he was practicing using Sleep Powder and Stun Spore, with the goal being to land the spores onto targets on the ground in a way that took the wind and the like into consideration. He was still a bit off, but he was slowly but surely getting closer. As for Kakuna...Ash gave him the option to sit this one out for now. As it was, aside from the fact that it would be...difficult...for him to fight at all effectively even if he could move. So for now, Ash was perfectly okay with letting him sit this out till he evolved.

While his Pokemon practiced, Ash wasn't sitting idly either. He was practicing several moves on a log he'd set up as a makeshift training dummy, while also going through regular endurance training with his Pokemon, such as running, climbing, and of course weight lifting using some rocks they found (they made sure to check the rocks thoroughly for any price tags). The training plan took a few extra days, with the group waking up at dawn (and even camping at the spot they were training), and making good use of the time, till the final day came, and Pikachu and Pidgeotto were destroying rocks with the new Moves they learned, while Butterfree's accuracy had greatly increased and could take into account the wind and movement. In fact, currently he was sparring with a newly evolved Beedrill who'd evolved the day before, and while the two knew they likely wouldn't be sent out in this battle, it was still good to prepare.

"Alright everyone, good work," Ash said with a satisfied expression as his Pokemon were gathered. "We've done about everything we can do for now, so now let's see if it was enough," he said. "But don't worry, I believe we can win. We just have to do our best, and no regrets after that," he said, to which the Pokemon let out various sounds of agreement and approval.

XXXX

Not long after, Ash and Pikachu were standing before the Pewter City Gym. It was a large building that had a notable rock theme to it, and seemed to be quite large. Entering, the first thing they found was what appeared to be an actual gym, as the Gyms were intended to function as both a place to challenge the Gym Leader...and for a Pokemorph to be able to train themselves, sometimes even in the style that the Gym Leader uses. Speaking of which, aside from the normal looking workout Gym, he also noticed that to the side they had rooms with rock obstacle courses, rock climbing, and a few other things to train someone in a rock type's way.

Nearby there was a receptionist desk, to which he walked over to them. "May I help you?" the receptionist asked, to which Ash placed his Pokedex on the counter.

"I'm here to challenge the Pewter City Gym Leader," Ash said.

The receptionist looked over his ID. "Very well. Gym Leader Brock is currently away, but in the meantime you may undertake the Challenge Test. I will contact him while you are in the challenge," the receptionist said with a nod, before gesturing to the entrance to the back. "The challenge area is that way, though I recommend stopping by the locker room to store your items till you clear the challenge. The changing room is also next to it if you'd like to slip into something more intended for these situations."

"Right, thanks," Ash nodded, going into the locker room. Using his Pokedex as a 'keycard' he was able to get a locker, and with that, he started sorting through his things. The obvious things he'd be carrying were his Pokeballs and his Pokedex, with everything else being optional especially for the duration of this challenge. At the same time he idly looked at his clothes. They were sturdy yeah...but like many Fighters, he also had a set of clothes made specifically for situations and challenges like this. With that in mind, he took out said clothes and went to the changing room, Pikachu staying guard over his bag and some of the stuff he left out. When he exited the changing room, he was dressed in a sleeveless black turtleneck shirt, with a pair of white pants, all of which were made of relatively thin but extra sturdy materials, meaning he could go all out in a fight without fear of excessive damage to it. With that, he was back in the locker room, and after strapping on his Pokeballs and Pokedex to his belt, soon stored the rest of his things in the locker, Pikachu climbing onto his shoulder before they went into the challenge area. The area revealed to be an obstacle course of some kind, though he couldn't see the full details as the first thing before him was well...a large rock climbing wall. To the side he also noticed a passage way that seemed to lead right through the area...but it was also locked up, no doubt only applicable for those who'd passed the challenge but failed to defeat Brock on their first try.

Getting closer, he noticed the rock climbing wall was made such that it mimicked a bit closer to real rocks, so getting a proper grip and foothold wouldn't be easy. Idly testing the ground, he noted the floor was padded in a way that falling from this wouldn't cause any serious damage...though most will probably still be in pain or knocked out...to which no doubt there would be medics ready. Cracking his knuckles a bit, he started climbing, careful to make sure he had a proper grip on the rocks as he ascended, while also taking the time to make sure his footing was secure...most of the time...seeing as a few times during the ascent, his footing slipped, but he managed to maintain a strong hold. As he approached the top, he had to deal with a shift in the rock surface, making it more slanted, and thus harder to maintain a grip on. Pikachu shifted to his back and held on tight, making sure not to get in the way of his movements, while Ash took a deep breath and slowly started navigating his way up further, the strain on his arms increasing but he pushed through, gradually making his way up. Eventually he reached the top, and managed to pull them up to the platform present at the top.

"Dad was right, they don't play around with these Gym challenges," Ash huffed, looking a little tired, but more than ready to keep going. As he and Pikachu went to the edge, they saw that it seemed to be a somewhat steep slope down, and a stand that had some instructions. "Don't let the rock break?" he blinked, noticing what appeared to be a metal stand with a shape that could easily break a rock if it hit fast or hard enough…followed by a loud thud as behind them a rock was dropped. It was a sizable boulder, big enough that he wouldn't be able to lift, but not to the point where he wouldn't be able to push it or… "Wait...are they?" he gulped, as true enough, the spot they were on soon inclined and the boulder started rolling. Pikachu went wide eyed and quickly got on to his head and tried to position himself in a way that wouldn't get in the way. As much as he wanted to try out Iron Tail...the instructions were clear that they couldn't break the boulder. Ash quickly braced, and did his best to slow if not stop the boulder as it rolled down the hill, pushing him along with it. Seeing him struggle Pikachu got off and tried to brace the boulder too...with however little that helped. Ash dug his feet firmer into the ground while Pikachu used Iron Tail to try and further anchor them in, but the boulder continued pushing albeit slower than before. Eventually they reached the end of the slope, and got out of the way before the rock breaker hit them, to which the boulder hit the breaker and stopped completely, still intact.

"We...we did it…" Ash sighed. "What next?" he mused. Right after he said that, the breaker was retracted, allowing the boulder to roll to the bottom of the slope...and the beginning of another slope, followed by a new sign with instructions.

"...push the boulder up the slope?" Ash read and then groaned. "Gimme a break…" he groaned. Gym Challenge or not that felt like a bit of a low blow, something Pikachu seemed to agree with. Sighing in resignation, the two began slowly pushing the boulder up the slope, this one thankfully not as steep as the last one so they could slowly make progress. The process was slow and physically taxing. Heck, there were a few parts where they nearly lost their footing and would have had to restart if they didn't quickly regain it, showing that the previous two parts had done well in physically exhausting them, but they pushed through, not willing to give up until they reached the goal, and eventually managed to reach the top, the boulder soon going down a chute that was prepared to store it back with the other boulders that were used for the challenge.

With that done the last leg of the journey was another rock climbing wall (this one thankfully flat and straight) that required them to climb down. At first it seemed like it would be easy...but after a few times nearly losing his footing, it was clear that this was also part of the challenge, a challenge to NOT get complacent, and to test their endurance one final time. "They're REALLY not pulling their punches," Ash sighed, wiping the sweat off his brow as he descended, and eventually reached the bottom, a door waiting for him as well as a panel that had a place to place his Pokedex on. Doing so, data was transferred into his Pokedex, proof that he had cleared the Challenge and was thus eligible to face Brock, while the door soon opened, allowing him in.

The next room they entered was...a waiting room, though this one was attached to a room containing a steam shower and what appeared to be a healing pod, no doubt intended to allow those who succeeded to recover their energy before challenging the Gym Leader. "Guess we could use a quick freshening up," Ash mused, before he and Pikachu got into the steam shower, and one press of the button later, the hot steam cleaned up their clothes and fur, and the warm heat definitely did wonders in soothing their muscles. What followed was them sitting in the healing pod (this one had a seat as it was intended to be used while the occupant was conscious), the gentle energy helping them regain the strength they'd used up in the challenge. Once that was done, they stepped towards the door that lead to the Gym Leader Room. "Here we are. You ready?" he asked Pikachu, who gave him a determined look, sparks flying from his cheeks as the door opened.

The next room was a large room with a battle arena in the center. However, unlike standard arenas, this one was made to simulate a rocky field. With various rock formations dotted through the arena, with the most notable being a set of four stone pillars of sorts which came together to form a 'ring' around the arena, no doubt aimed to be used during battle.

"Welcome to the Pewter City Gym. You've done well to make it this far," a new voice said, male and probably several years older than him. The lights on the other end came on, revealing who Ash assumed was Brock, what with him sitting at the spot that should only be for the Gym Leader. He was a Rhydon that appeared to be in his late teens with a strong and muscular build, though at the same time his frame was somewhat smaller than the average Rhydon (something that made him think of Flint). He was dressed in a brown shirt and cargo pants (a hole in them for his tail) with a green sleeveless coat over the shirt, his hair brown and spiky… and his eyes seemingly perpetually squinting.

"It wasn't easy, but I'm here now," Ash said. "I'm assuming you're Brock?"

"That's me yes," Brock nodded. "And since you've made it this far I can only assume you wish to battle me immediately," he said.

"That's right," Ash nodded.

"Very well then, we shall have a 2 Pokemon Dual Battle. I trust you know the rules?"

"Of course. Trainer Fighters fight alongside their Pokemon. The match ends when either side surrenders, both Pokemon are unable to battle, or the Trainer is knocked out," Ash nodded, earning a nod of approval from Brock who got up, and with a leap that was very impressive for a Rhydon, landed on his side of the Arena, while Ash went to his.

"Select your first Pokemon!" Brock instructed.

"I'll be starting with Pikachu then!" Ash said as he and Pikachu stepped forward.

"Interesting choice. In that case...go, Onix!" Brock called out, grabbing a pokeball and releasing an Onix.

"That's a big one…" Ash blinked, while Pikachu seemed understandably unnerved, but stood his ground, to which Ash pulled out his Pokedex and scanned Onix.

"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokemon. Onix is a Rock/Ground type Pokemon native to Kanto. Onix live deep underground and consume large amounts of soil and stone, creating tunnels as they go. Many ancient underground tunnels are believed to have been created by travelling Onix."

"Well, we came this far, we're not stopping now!" Ash said.

"Good determination. Let's begin! Onix, Tackle!" Brock ordered, pulling off his shirt right as he said that, leaving him in his pants and showing off his well developed torso that while lean was built with solid muscle as he also charged forward.

Pikachu quickly dodged the Tackle, while Ash managed to raise his arms to block Brock's punch, but was pushed back considerably by the impact. "Okay, he's definitely strong," Ash frowned, wincing a bit at the sheer force he felt, his arms buckling a bit from them. "Then we can't mess around! Pikachu, Iron Tail!" he commanded.

"Pika!" Pikachu called out as his tail glowed and hardened, before smashing it into the side of Onix's face, knocking him back. At the same time, Ash countered with a Force Palm, which Brock also managed to block, pushing him back.

"Not bad, so you've prepared for my Gym, which is more than I can say for a lot of my challengers," Brock smirked. That attack may not have been the worst he'd taken, but it was strong, and something about it made it clear he shouldn't underestimate this one. "Guess we can take you seriously. Onix, Rock Throw!"

Onix obeyed and several rocks emerged from him before he launched them forward.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack to avoid the rocks!" Ash barked, but out of habit shifted his head, giving Brock the opening to surge forward and deliver a swipe from his tail which smashed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him as he was pushed back to the edge of the arena, leaving Ash a little unsteady as he held where the attack hit, wheezing a little from the sudden impact.

"Keep your eyes on your opponent. You're going to need to stay focused if you want to win," Brock said, before charging forward and lashing out with a Hammer Arm, forcing Ash to block, but the momentum pushed him upwards as Brock had swung the attack upward, leaving him vulnerable to a follow up Smack Down, knocking him back into the ground, to which he groaned as he got back up.

Pikachu let out a shout of concern at what he saw...and left himself open to getting knocked aside by Onix's tail, soon joining his trainer in the ground, to which he quickly got back up, a little beat up but still ready to fight. "Okay, not the best start, but we can still catch up," Ash winced. "Use Quick Attack and Iron Tail, knock that Onix around!" he ordered, Pikachu obeying, using the speed to get around Onix, before jumping up and lashing out with strikes aimed for Onix's head, and the joints where his segments connected too, the Steel-type move proving to be effective as Onix growled angrily, but continued to try to endure the attacks while trying to catch the fast mouse.

At the same time, Ash ran towards Brock...revealing a glowing arm, as Brock tried to stop him with a heavy blow, but Ash weaved around the punch...and slammed the glowing fist right into Brock's gut, causing him to gasp as he was thrown back thanks to the Counter move. Ash didn't let up, continuing his assault, with a combo of Power-Up Punches aimed for his torso and head, forcing Brock to block and pushing him back, the Rhydon doing his best to minimize the damage, but some were definitely getting through, before Ash ended the combo with a flip kick that caught Brock at the chin, nearly knocking him over, but Onix, without taking his eyes off of Pikachu, used his tail to stop his Trainer from falling over.

"Thanks for the assist, Onix!" Brock smirked, before Onix pushed him forward, giving him some momentum which he comboed into a Horn Drill, which Ash barely managed to evade, though the move did graze his side, tearing through the side of his shirt, sending him skidding to the side, and before he could move to make any counters... "Now, Bind!"

Hearing that, Onix tanked another hit from Pikachu, but with Pikachu's slowed momentum from landing the hit, Onix lashed out and managed to wrap himself around Pikachu, stopping his movements.

"Uh oh! Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash ordered seeing Pikachu's position, to which Pikachu TRIED to use the move...but without any real leverage he was unable to land any real impact onto Onix, and as it was, there was no way Pikachu would be able to get out of there. "Hang on buddy!" Ash shouted, moving to help his Pokemon, but Brock got in his way and jammed a Horn Drill at him, hitting him right in the gut. Ash gasped in pain as he felt the attack hit him head on, sending him flying back and into one of the rocks. He groaned as he got up, a hand on the spot that he'd been hit, feeling some of his battle outfit torn open from the hit, with the spot being quite painful now. Despite that, he pushed through the pain and saw that Brock was blocking his way, clearly not intending to let him help Pikachu. "In that case...Return!" Ash pulled out Pikachu's Pokeball and tried to recall Pikachu, but the beam wasn't hitting what with the position Pikachu was in.

"You've got 2 Options," Brock said. "Either forfeit the match, or defeat me first."

"Guess we'll just have to find out!" Ash growled, before charging forward, to which Brock tried to hit him, but Ash used his better speed to avoid the punch and land a solid kick to his back.

Brock stumbled a bit, but quickly regained his balance despite the force of the kick and tried to counter with his tail, but Ash managed to block that too, even if he could feel the arms blocking his tail buckle a little under the pressure.

Ash growled, pushing through the soreness his arms were feeling from having to block the heavy tail again, and prepared to use the momentum to try and get at Pikachu again...but Onix sent a Rock Throw at him, distracting him enough for Brock to get close, and knock him aside with his tail. "Alright then...if that's what you want!" Ash roared, charging forward, his hands glowing before he delivered several Power-Up punches again, while using the additional effect to deliver a combo of strong kicks which pushed Brock back a little but he managed to stand his ground, arms crossed in defense. Ash however didn't let up, as after one round house kick, he followed up with a chop powered by Brick Break, causing Brock to grunt as his legs buckled, but again he stood his ground, right as Ash finished off with a double Force Palm, which actually sent Brock skidding back till he impacted one of the rocks in the arena, falling to a knee after the impact. "Had enough?" Ash growled, stance ready to react to anything Brock threw at him.

"I think that's enough," Brock smirked, keeping up a strong front even if inwardly he knew he was going to be sore later. Ash may have been a new Trainer-Fighter, but there was no denying the skill he had. Brock knew he'd have to keep up his own training and more for when Ash came back cause next time, this trick might not work on him anymore. "You're a strong fighter, and your care for your Pokemon is commendable. But I'm afraid letting it control you led you right into my trap!" the moment he said that, his body began glowing with energy, before he surged forward, suddenly being right in front of Ash, arms still crossed, before he pulled them back for a split second and Ash could barely bring up his defense before he was suddenly met with a barrage of punches.

Ash gasped as he felt the blows rain down on him, each one a major impact that made him feel like his arms and legs were starting to buckle from the impact, but he grit his teeth and tried to block the attack as best as he could even as he felt his limbs feeling more and more like lead. Eventually though, one punch from Brock broke his guard, forcing his arms apart, and that was when the blows came back, hitting him from nearly every angle Brock could manage, his entire body feeling the impacts, especially around his torso and a few on his face, before with one final punch landed.

The hit was squarely on his chest, causing him to gasp in pain as he felt the winds knocked out of his lungs, and he was sure that might have cracked a rib, before he was sent flying back, right out of the arena and into one of the walls, leaving him embedded in a small indent shaped like him before he fell out and on the ground, his entire body feeling like lead as the now battered and bruised Riolu tried to get up. "Do you surrender?" Brock asked.

Ash tried to get up, but he'd taken too much damage and Pikachu didn't look like he could take much more so with a sigh, Ash nodded in defeat. "I surrender…"

With that, Onix let Pikachu go, the mouse dazed and gasping for air a bit, but he'd be fine. Ash remained on the ground for a bit longer, waiting for the burning to subside a bit before he painfully got to his feet and collected his Pokemon. "Thank you for the match," he said with a small sigh. He was disappointed at the loss, but it was what it was, so the least he could do was accept it gracefully.

"You're off to a good start. Teaching your Pikachu Iron Tail was a good choice, but you're going to need more than just a move that can work on Rock Pokemon," Brock said. "That and you need to stop getting distracted in the middle of a Fight."

"I noticed," Ash nodded. "I'll take that to heart for next time," he said.

"I look forward to your next challenge," Brock smirked a little as Ash walked out of the room and on his way out of the Gym.

Unnoticed by them, Misty was watching from the upper platforms for spectators, a slight frown on her face.

XXXX

Ash sighed as he walked out of the gym, still dressed in his battle outfit, while he held Pikachu was taking a much needed rest after their match, even if he winced a bit whenever Pikachu brushed against his still very much bruised chest, to which he figured a trip to the Pokemon Center was in order. Frowning, he was mentally replaying the battle, and with it what they did right and what they did wrong. They were on the right track to prepare, but it seemed it would take more than what they did to beat Brock. His musing was cut short when he noticed Flint standing in the path.

"Come with me," Flint said simply as he turned around. Ash blinked, but ultimately decided to follow him. He led them to his home on a nearby hillside, which was also a rock shop.

"Everyone loses sometimes. You can't let that get you down," Flint said as he poured himself some tea. Pikachu was given a small futon to sleep on and recover, while behind the house was a small hot spring which he'd allowed Ash to use, the Riolu groaning as he lowered himself into the water, his aches and bruises from the fight flaring up, but soon receded after a few moments...even if there were still some clear spots from where he'd taken the more...painful hits.

Ash winced a little as he felt the bruises sting a bit here and there. "I know that," Ash sighed. "Still isn't a pleasant feeling."

"Well that's something everyone has to learn," Flint chuckled lightly in a tone that made clear he was speaking from experience.

"Doesn't change how it feels. Not to mention Brock completely lured me into that last attack…" Ash frowned. "What WAS that attack even?"

"That would be Bide," Flint said. "It's not a Move many use due to its high risk, but if done right, it'll return twice the damage the user was dealt right back to the opponent," he explained.

"No wonder that hit was so strong…" Ash frowned. "I bet mastering a Move like that needs a lot of training and timing."

"And being able to make sure your opponent will attack you," Flint added.

At that Ash blinked, putting two and two together...and soon sank into the water letting out an annoyed groan. "He had me completely outplayed didn't he?"

Flint chuckled at that. "Well Brock HAS been at this longer than you, and not only that, he's quite talented. Talented enough that he could be much more than just the local Gym Leader."

"I can believe that," Ash frowned. "But that does make me wonder why he doesn't."

"He has his reasons," Flint said, before explaining.

As it turned out, the biggest reason Brock stayed in Pewter, never leaving, was because he was responsible for his family, namely his 9 siblings of various ages. As it turned out, both of Brock's parents were out of town, having both left to make names for themselves, leaving Brock to take care of the household and essentially raise his siblings ("Well that's really irresponsible of them," Ash snorted. "I know my dad travels a lot but he always makes sure to come back as often as he can."). In the end, Ash couldn't help but feel sympathetic of Brock, but he couldn't let that get in the way of him planning for his next match.

"If we have to fight that Onix again, we're gonna need a way to make Iron Tail more effective…" Ash frowned, by now back in the house again and Pikachu was awake.

"Well...you could work on how much energy Pikachu has," Flint suggested.

"You mean like training his stamina?" Ash blinked.

"Something like that," Flint chuckled. "Did you know that Electric Pokemon can get powered up if they absorb a lot of electricity?"

"Well...yeah, but those are just temporary boosts," Ash frowned, not really seeing the point, especially since it's not like they'd be useful in his match.

"Ah, but did you know that if you gradually expose an Electric Pokemon to high voltage, their electric sacks will grow stronger?" Flint asked, a smirk forming.

"...no I didn't," Ash blinked, while Pikachu tilted his head in confusion. Clearly they didn't understand where this was going.

"Heh. Well then I think I might have a little surprise for you," Flint chuckled.

XXXX

The place Flint brought them to was an old shack with what appeared to be a water wheel hooked up to a generator of sorts inside. "An Electric Pokemon's stamina and with it their strength is closely tied to their internal electric stores. Normally that amount is more or less fixed, but there are ways for them to increase that," Flint said again.

"I get it, so if we expose Pikachu to more energy gradually rather than just a temporary super charge, we might be able to increase his internal storage," Ash said, before looking at Pikachu. "What do you think, buddy? Want to try it?" he asked.

Pikachu thought about it for a moment, before his eyes narrowed in determination and he nodded. If this raised their chances of winning next time then he was willing to do it. "Alright then, let's get to it," Flint said. "Of course the water level is low at the moment, so the wheel won't turn by itself. Fortunately I imagine it won't be a problem," he added with a smirk.

It wasn't long before Flint had Pikachu hooked up to the generator, while outside Ash was in position to start turning the water wheel by himself. "You'll want to keep the flow steady, but be ready to slow down or speed up on my command. If you just mindlessly generate power all you're going to do is give Pikachu a temporary boost. We're all set here, so start anytime."

"Got it," Ash nodded before he started pushing the water wheel with his legs and started slowly moving the water wheel, gradually picking up speed.

"Easy there, no need to go too fast from the start," Flint said, earning a nod from Ash who slowed down. Inside, Pikachu gasped and shuddered as he felt the electricity enter his cheeks. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but the steady and controlled pace made it bearable. "I can imagine this is anything but comfortable. But if you want to increase your own stores you'll need to let your body get used to stronger voltage slowly," Flint said, keeping a close eye on Pikachu while giving instructions based on what he saw.

Outside Ash continued to turn the wheel, careful to do so properly lest this training become moot in the long run. As he did, he never noticed Misty who had been watching sometime during this walk closer. "You're really going all out for this," she couldn't help but say. "If you want, my offer to help is still open."

"Thanks but no thanks," Ash said. "If I can't even win my first Gym Battle by myself, then earning that badge won't mean anything," he said. "Besides, I've still got a few ideas on what we can do. I want to try those first."

"Well, suit yourself," Misty nodded. "A little tip though, the Pewter Gym's style is mainly defensive. If you can throw Brock off balance, his style should lose its power."

"I'll keep that in mind thanks," Ash nodded as he continued to turn the wheel, adjusting his pace again to Flint's command.

A few hours passed as the exercise was done, Pikachu not exactly enjoying the whole process but he could feel his body getting accustomed to the voltage. As it was Ash was now turning the wheel at a sizable pace. "Pikachu seems to be getting used to the voltage. You can speed up a bit more. Careful though, you're nearly at the maximum output and I don't know how much more this old generator can take," Flint cautioned.

"Got it," Ash nodded. "Should we stop here?"

It wasn't Flint that answered, but Pikachu who let out a determined 'Pikachu!' making it clear he was saying he could still keep going.

"Alright then, let's keep going," Ash nodded, slowly increasing the power, but slowing a little periodically to let Pikachu get used to it, but eventually…

"Pi!" Pikachu called out his body glowing brightly, before releasing a powerful burst of electricity when it was done…

"I...think you managed to power up Pikachu…" Misty blinked, seeing the now destroyed shack, Ash having fallen into the shallow water after the water wheel fell off. The only one not affected was Flint who simply sat there like nothing happened. The wonders of being part Ground.

"I think you might be a step closer to winning a rematch," Flint said with a light chuckle.

XXXX

The next day saw Ash and his team south of Pewter (after a stop at the Pokemon Center to make sure they were all in full health). As much as Ash and Pikachu wanted to have their rematch, they both agreed that they should AT LEAST give Pikachu time to get used to the results of the training.

As it was, Pikachu was currently facing a large tree that stood more or less by itself. Focusing, Pikachu squeezed his own cheeks...and let out a strong burst of electricity that hit the tree dead on, causing major damage as it soon fell over and onto the ground.

"I'd say that definitely worked," Ash blinked, while Pikachu seemed quite impressed at what he just did. "Now, let's try something else. Quick Attack, go from tree to tree as fast as you can!" Ash ordered, to which Pikachu obeyed...and was promptly zipping from tree to tree at a speed much faster than he could before, to the point Ash almost had a hard time keeping up. "Okay, Iron Tail on that boulder!" Ash continued, to which Pikachu leaped into the air, tail glowing, and slamming into a sizable boulder...breaking it in half.

The rest of the team let out impressed sounds at how much stronger Pikachu was compared to before. Pikachu himself seemed quite impressed by what he'd managed to do. "...think we can use this against Brock?" Ash asked flatly, to which everyone else just nodded almost dumbly. It was official, Pikachu was their Ace in the Hole right now.

With that tested out, the group decided to take a break (Ash having made one of the few thing he knew how to prepare well, namely sandwiches), and since it was such a nice day, they made a sorta picnic for the moment, with Ash cutting and dividing the sandwiches equally so everyone got a fair share. The break was enjoyable at first...until Pidgeotto let out a surprised cry, to which the rest looked towards her and saw that for some reason her beak was touching the ground. "Is something wrong Pidgeotto?" Ash blinked.

Pidgeotto let out several angry squawks, pointing at where he'd laid out her share, and then she pointed at the others who all still had some sandwich left. "I'm going to guess you didn't rush through eating your sandwich, did you?" Ash said, earning a nod, so the answer was obvious. "I trust nobody went and stole her share, so looks like we got a sandwich thief," he frowned. At that Pikachu went to where her sandwiches had been and started sniffing, finding a scent...and soon found a small trail of crumbs.

Following them, the group went through a few bushes and found what appeared to be a male Nidoran happily munching away at the sandwich, much to Pidgeotto's indignant squawks.

"Oh, so you're the little thief." Ash sighed a bit, holding Pidgeotto back "You'll get poisoned girl." he told her, before looking at Beedrill "He's all yours." he said, Beedrill nodding as he flew forward while Ash pulled out his Pokedex for a quick scan.

"Nidoran, Male, the Poison Pin Pokemon. Nidoran is a Poison Type Pokemon native to the Kanto Region. Its large ears are always ready and alert to hear danger, and it will use the poisonous spikes on its body to harm attackers. The longer the spikes, the more potent the venom."

"Right… spikes are pretty short, so I guess he's young." Ash muttered, closing up the Pokedex. "Let's start out strong! Pin Missile!"

Beedrill's needles glowed, before a small barrage of smaller needles was fired, the Nidoran having noticed him come close and thus barely dodged. Landing on his feet, the Nidoran tensed, before countering with a Poison Sting, but Beedrill flew out of the way, making the Nidoran hit air. However, the Nidoran didn't let up, and as soon as he landed on the ground, he rebounded...and landed a kick on Beedrill, pushing him back, but not doing much damage, as the Double Kick wasn't too effective.

"Counter it with Twineedle!" Ash ordered, to which Beedrill obeyed, and struck the Nidoran a few times, knocking him back. The Nidoran countered with Peck, causing some damage, but Beedrill countered with Pin Missile again, with Ash ordering him to follow up with Pursuit, which sent the Nidoran flying back, and soon landed on the ground, his eyes swirly.

"Alright! Pokeball, go!" Ash called out, throwing the Pokeball. The ball flew through the air, and impacted the downed Pokemon, which was soon sucked in. The ball shook a few times, before a 'ding' was heard, signalling a successful capture.

"Alright! We caught Nidoran!" Ash grinned, picking up the Pokeball. "Good job, Beedrill," he said, to which Beedrill looked quite proud of himself. Pidgeotto still seemed a little miffed that she couldn't fight, but she accepted her Trainer's decision.

XXXX

After bringing everyone to the Pokemon Center, Ash didn't waste time in introducing Nidoran to the team. Pidgeotto was still a little miffed, but quickly made peace with Nidoran since her issue WAS fairly small, nothing worth dragging the team down over. As for Nidoran himself, while he was a little miffed that he got caught over food, seemed quite happy to be a Trained Pokemon now, and showed a decent drive to want to get stronger when Ash started training him. The fact he knew Double Kick was something that would help greatly in the match against Brock. However, sending a freshly caught Pokemon against a Gym Leader was just asking for trouble, so as such, he decided it would be best to take a few more days to get him used to being part of the team. Besides, the extra time would be great for Pikachu and the rest of his team to practice a bit more. Always good to be prepared for a Gym Match.

Nidoran took to the training fairly well, quickly adapting to it and improving his skills, which helped greatly. As such it wasn't long before Ash felt he and his team were ready for the rematch against Brock.

XXXX

Ash and Pikachu stepped through the gates to the Gym Leader room (as they'd cleared the trial the last time they were allowed to skip straight to the Gym Leader room), determined looks on their faces. "We've come for our rematch!" Ash declared.

"I was wondering when you'd return," Brock smirked. "Was starting to wonder if you'd given up."

"I'll be back a hundred times before I give up," Ash smirked in response, to which Brock nodded.

"Good words," Brock nodded, standing up and pulling his shirt off again. "Let's begin then. The rules are the same as last time!"

"Fine by us! Get ready Brock, we're gonna win this time!" Ash said with a determined expression, something Pikachu mirrored as his cheeks sparked.

XXXX

A change to the Gym system, as well as Ash actually preparing ahead of time. Not to mention a new Pokemon and how things are handled. Hope you all enjoyed. See you next chapter. Also if anyone is wondering, Ash's Fighter Outfit is based off of Lee Syaoran from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles.

For now, here is the second Retold File.

File No. 2: Culture

Culture in the world varies from region to region, but generally speaking the average culture is fairly similar to the world of humans. Generally speaking the culture is affected by a number of things, among them the type of settlements that are present. In large cities and towns, Pokemorphs live more or less the same way as the humans of Canon Pokemon Earth, living alongside the various Pokemon that live in the city as well. In contrast, in more rural areas, it can vary depending on the area. In some situations, there have even been cases of Pokemorphs choosing to live in the wild, living either solitary or tribal lives.

The various ways of life affect a variety of things from culinary to clothing. Places that follow a more modern style of culture tend to have more up to date fashion and technology, while often sporting a variety of dishes both local and international. In contrast, a more traditional and/or tribal culture would generally have more local and traditional flavors of cuisine, with fashion that shows strong and pure signs of local culture and heritage. In some cases there are even places where clothing is very much optional depending on the culture and practices.

One thing that is constant through the regions though is the culture of battle. One thing that Pokemorphs in general never lost was their nature to want to prove themselves and grow stronger. As such, the Pokemon League is a near global sensation with Pokemorphs from all over the world aiming to test their skills be it as a Trainer or a Fighter or even both.