Two days after Serena's showcase in Lagoon Town, Ash and his friends were walking through downtown Shalour City in the middle of the afternoon. Iris and Brock looked around curiously, while Ash and Serena had confused looks on their faces as they inspected the city, and the people in it.
"Serena, was Shalour City this… blue the last time we were here?" Ash wondered aloud, eyes moving from one building to the next, the distinct ocean-like coloring appearing on decorations in all sorts of places. "It's like the whole city was redecorated."
"I don't know," Serena responded, equally confused as she took in the city around her. "I haven't been here in years, but I sure don't remember this."
"Is it not supposed to be like this?" Iris asked, glancing down toward the beach at the edge of the city. "I figured it was just a beach destination. There's enough people in swimsuits here." Her eyes moved from one person to the next, noticing the unusually high number of them dressed to swim.
"It is a beach city, but still, this is more than I remember," Serena answered. "And there sure weren't this many swimmers around."
"Maybe it's because of the Water Festival that's happening here," Brock chimed in, pointing to a banner hanging from a nearby streetlamp. Everyone turned to look at it, reading it quickly.
"'Celebrate the beauty and grace of Water-type Pokémon at the third annual Shalour City Water Festival,'" Ash recited, cocking his head. "I hadn't heard anything about a festival. How long has this been going on?" Serena shrugged, equally at a loss, as Iris took out her phone and started looking up information.
"Let's see… it says here that the Water Festival started a couple years ago, a few months after the Shalour City Gym changed hands."
"Changed hands?" Serena's eyebrows raised, as she turned back toward Iris. "You mean Korrina's gone?"
"Wait, seriously?" Ash exclaimed, his shock quickly giving way to disappointment. "We're not going to be able to see Korrina?"
"I guess not?" Iris responded, continuing to scroll. "It says she went on a 'personal journey of strength', whatever that means."
"Oh…" The energy fell away from Serena's voice. "I was really looking forward to catching up with her. It's been too long since we've seen each other."
"Yeah, me too," Ash agreed, feeling similarly dejected as a long-awaited reunion went up in smoke. "Plus, all the training I did on Route 12 was for a battle against Korrina." He glanced toward Pikachu, sitting on his shoulder, who gave him a concerned look in return. "Is it even a Fighting-type gym still?"
Iris looked over the information she was reading once again, scrolling through it with her thumb."Um… no, apparently not."
"Great…" Ash sighed, slumping forward a bit, feeling dejected. "All that time spent training, down the drain… I should have double-checked before we left. What a dumb mistake." Serena frowned, reaching out and rubbing his shoulder comfortingly, as Iris glanced back at her phone.
"A member of the Kalos Elite Four named Siebold stepped in to run the gym, it sounds like," she continued. "A few months later he held the first Water Festival. Ever since then, it's been a 'Water-type Pokémon paradise.'"
"So I'm guessing it's now a Water-type gym?" Brock wondered aloud. Iris nodded as she put her phone away.
"A Water-type gym?" Ash's eyes lit up with realization. "Wait, that's perfect!" He stood up fully, turning back toward his friends. "I've already got two strong Pokémon with type advantages against Water types. Getting that badge will be a walk in the park!"
"That's true, Ash," Brock responded cheerfully. "After a bit of training, you shouldn't have too much trouble."
"No way, I don't need to train for this," Ash replied, to Brock's surprise. "I was already going to have my Gym battle against Korrina today. I'll just have a battle with Siebold instead."
"Ash, are you serious?" Iris had concern written all over her face. "You're going to just waltz up and take out a member of the Elite Four without any practice?"
"I can do it!" he answered confidently. "Sure, it might not be a cakewalk, but Snivy and Pikachu are going to be more than a match for him." He glanced sideways toward Pikachu, who gave him a supportive nod, before he turned around. "Come on, guys! It's low tide, so the bridge to the gym will be exposed. Let's go!"
"Ash, hold on!" Serena reached out toward him to try and stop his charge, but he was already off and running. She sighed, lowering her arm. "Well, you can't fault his confidence."
"Oh, yes you can," Iris replied, unimpressed, starting to walk after him. "Come on, we better go make sure he doesn't embarrass himself." The three of them started following Ash to the gym, hoping that his confidence wasn't unfounded.
Several minutes later, the group had crossed the bridge separating the gym from the rest of Shalour City, and had made their way inside. Ash was standing in the challenger's position on the battlefield, Pikachu by his feet, standing in front of a large pool of water that had a number of ice floes floating on top of it. Serena, Brock and Iris made their way into the bleachers that were on either side of the battlefield.
All of them were looking toward the other side of the arena, where the new Gym Leader was standing in position. He was a tall and slender man with short blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a rather regal-looking white outfit. He quickly sized up his opponent, looking a bit skeptical for a moment.
"Hm. Ask Ketchum, yes?" the man spoke. "And this battle is for your third badge?"
Ash nodded. "That's right."
The Gym Leader smirked. "Well, let's see if you can provide me with a rich and satisfying battle." He reached down to his belt, taking a Poké Ball and holding it in his hand. "My name is Siebold, and I lead this gym with my powerful Water-type Pokémon. Beat me in a three-on-three battle, and the Torrent Badge is yours. Are you ready?"
"You bet!" Ash replied cheerfully, trying his best to exude confidence. Standing in front of Siebold now, he was starting to worry about the outcome of this battle; he tried his best to push it down, not wanting to look weak in front of everyone.
"Well then, let's see what you have to offer." Siebold threw his Poké Ball out onto the field, bringing out a ten-pointed, purple starfish Pokémon with a red jewel in the center, hovering in the air. "Starmie, let's get things started!"
Ash took a deep breath, reaching down for a Poké Ball of his own, tossing it onto the ice floe closest to him. "Snivy, I choose you!"
As Ash's Pokémon emerged from the ball, Siebold didn't make any attempt to hide his lack of amusement. Nearly every trainer that battled in his gym played to type advantages. Most of them left disappointed.
"Both trainers are ready!" announced the referee, standing on the side of the battlefield, flags raised. "Let the battle begin!"
Ash stepped up, wanting to launch the first attack. "Alright, Snivy! Leaf Storm! Aim for its jewel!"
Snivy acted quickly, forming a number of leaves around herself and flinging them toward her foe. Starmie turned and flew away from danger, spinning like a disc, curving around toward Ash's side of the battlefield. He grinned, having wanted Starmie to come a bit closer.
"Now! Grab it with Vine Whip!"
Snivy's vines extended from her collar, reaching out toward Starmie and wrapping around two of its appendages. Siebold watched with amusement, smirking as Snivy got a firm grip.
"Use Rapid Spin, Starmie!"
As Ash's Pokémon tried to pull her opponent in and throw it around, Starmie started to spin around quickly. Snivy was caught off guard, her feet having absolutely no grip on the icy platform, and soon she was lifted off her feet, being spun around in circles in the air. Ash watched her fly about, not sure what to do, wondering if things would be better or worse if Snivy let go. Starmie made the decision for him, pulling its appendages in slightly, sliding them out of Snivy's grip. The snake Pokémon flew across the battlefield, crashing heavily into the floe she had been standing on before.
Snivy groaned as she got to her feet, looking back toward her opponent, but the only thing in her field of vision was a wall of water. She had no time to get away before the giant wave slammed into her, sweeping her along; when the wave subsided, Snivy was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh no!" Serena gasped, eyes carefully scanning the water, as Iris and Brock did the same. A few seconds later, a pair of vines reached out of the water and grabbed the edge of the platform, and Snivy pulled herself out of the water and back onto dry land, coughing and spitting out water. All three of the spectators breathed a sigh of relief.
"Starmie's strong… really strong," Ash muttered, frowning. He had hoped he would get a chance to use Attract to stymie his opponent during this battle, but it wasn't going to work against a genderless Pokémon like Starmie. He'd have to just stay on the offensive. "Keep using Leaf Storm! Fill the air with leaves so it can't escape!"
Snivy replied with another cough, still choking on water, but she formed another barrage of leaves, then another, and another. She sent them toward Starmie one after the other, forcing Siebold's Pokémon to flee as best it could. Starmie flew through the air, spinning rapidly as it dodged as many leaves as possible, but several of them managed to get through and deal damage due to their sheer quantity. The strain of creating so many Leaf Storms was taking a toll on the waterlogged Snivy, but she refused to show weakness.
"Starmie, use Psychic on those leaves!" Siebold commanded confidently. Starmie stopped spinning and focused for a moment, its jewel glowing with a red light, and a moment later all of the leaves surrounding it froze in place. Starmie flexed one of its appendages, and the leaves all turned and shot back toward their owner.
"Stop them with Vine Whip!" Ash responded. Snivy swung her leaves about in front of herself, slicing up as many leaves as she could, but she still took a fair amount of damage from the attack, though not as much as Starmie had.
Ash bit his lip as he watched Snivy catch her breath, much more drained than she should have been. She was losing energy at a rapid pace, still having trouble breathing after choking on water from the pool. At this rate, she wasn't going to take down Starmie before being defeated herself, leaving Pikachu to battle his way through multiple Pokémon by himself.
As he looked back at his Pokémon, racking his brain, Snivy suddenly found herself enveloped in a red aura. She quickly glanced down at herself, not sure what was going on, yelping as she rose into the air.
Siebold grinned, watching as his Starmie used Psychic on his opponent, taking control of her body. "Now, finish it off!"
As his Starmie focused, Snivy began to zoom through the air around the arena, panicking and starting to get dizzy. Ash watched from below, clenching his fist, not knowing how she was going to get out of this; all of her attacks required her body moving about a fair bit to unleash, either her vines or her limbs. After several long seconds, Snivy suddenly stopped above the ice floe closest to Ash, before she started to rocket downward. She screamed as she plummeted until she hit the ice, flat on her stomach, landing almost hard enough to crack the ice.
"No!" Ash stepped forward, trying to get a closer look, wanting to see if Snivy could still fight. As he got a good look at her face, however, it became clear that she was down for the count.
"Snivy is unable to continue the battle!" the referee announced, raising a flag on Siebold's side of the arena. "Starmie wins the bout!"
Iris groaned, disappointed. "This is bad… Pikachu's really going to have to pick up the slack." Her companions nodded, looking toward Ash, wondering what he was going to do next.
Back on the battlefield, Ash's heart was pounding as he reached for his Poké Ball to bring Snivy back. He had already been at a bit of a disadvantage when they started, having expected two of his Pokémon to do the bulk of the work, but with Snivy out of the picture, he found himself in a deep hole that he wasn't sure how to get out of. Pikachu was going to have to work miracles if he was going to get that badge.
He glanced down toward the Pokémon at his feet. "Alright, Pikachu. It'll be tough, but you're the strongest Electric-type Pokémon I know. If anyone can do this, it's you."
Pikachu looked up, giving his trainer a determined and reassuring look, before running out onto the nearest floe. Siebold remained unimpressed, not expecting much of anything out of this trainer anymore.
"The challenger's Pokémon is ready!" the referee announced. "The battle shall resume now!"
Siebold paused, waiting for the challenger to inevitably make his move. Instead, Ash held fast, exercising some restraint and waiting. The Gym Leader raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was newfound wisdom or a panicked, on-the-fly change in strategy.
"Alright, if that's how you like it." Siebold turned toward his Pokémon. "Starmie, use Psychic again!"
Starmie focused, and a fraction of a second later a red aura enveloped Pikachu just as it had Snivy. He tried to flail about for a moment, but Ash was remaining calm.
"Respond with Thunder Bolt, Pikachu! You can do it!"
His Pokémon closed his eyes tight, focusing hard and fighting against the power of the Psychic attack. He was able to flex his muscles just enough to summon electricity, and everyone watched with surprise as the bolt shot forward, zapping the unsuspecting Starmie. Both Pokémon fell back to the ground, with Pikachu landing lightly on his feet, and Starmie landing painfully on its back.
"Well, how about that? You've got some fight in you after all." Siebold grinned. "This battle may be more fulfilling than I expected."
"You can count on that!" Ash responded, starting to feel a bit more confident. "Don't let up, Pikachu! Electroweb!"
He watched as his Pokémon threw out a web of electricity toward his opponent, hoping that it would move quick enough, but Starmie was able to quickly recover and dodge, flying up into the air.
"Electro Ball!" Ash shouted. "Keep flinging until you hit your mark!"
"Water Gun, Starmie!" Siebold responded.
Both Pokémon started moving about the arena, firing projectiles at each other; Pikachu leaped from floe to floe, firing balls of electricity, while Starmie flew through the air shooting jets of water downward. Ash's friends watched nervously as the competitors sparred, wondering who was going to land the first hit.
The first one to hit their mark was Starmie; it eventually held still to take better aim, managing to hit Pikachu right in the face, knocking him to the edge of the floe and partway into the water. That momentary pause, however, gave Pikachu an easier target, and one of his Electro Balls perfectly hit its mark. Starmie was briefly incapacitated by the attack, as Pikachu clambered back onto the ice, coughing and spitting up water.
"Now's your chance!" Ash called out, clenching his fists. "Knock it down with Iron Tail!"
His Pokémon took a second to catch his breath before leaping forward, his tail becoming hard as iron. He swung it overhead, knocking the stunned Starmie down onto the ice below, incapacitating it further.
"Volt Tackle, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, not wanting to take any chances with this opponent.
"Don't let him do it!" Siebold called out. "Stop it with Psychic!" His call fell on deaf ears, however, as Starmie was still too stunned to act. Pikachu plummeted down on it from above, electricity coursing through his body as he slammed into poor Starmie headfirst, delivering a powerful shock.
A second later, Pikachu jumped back, trying his best to catch his breath as he coughed up some more water. Ash watched nervously to see if Starmie would get up and continue to battle, but a few seconds later, it became clear that it would not, as the referee raised one of his flags.
"Starmie is unable to battle! Ash wins the round, and each trainer now has two Pokémon left!"
Up in the bleachers, Brock, Iris and Serena all sighed in relief together, glad to see that this wasn't going to be a complete rout. Ash was relieved as well, but still nervous, as he looked over Pikachu, who was still coughing in response to the Water Gun. Being unable to breathe properly, he had spent more energy than necessary with those last few attacks, just like Snivy had, and now he was in worse shape than Ash was hoping for.
"Not bad, but you'll have to do more than that to give me a satisfying battle." Siebold returned Starmie to its Poké Ball, then grabbed another from his belt, tossing it onto the battlefield. The Pokémon that emerged had the appearance of a blue shrimp, with one of his claws enormous in size, easily dwarfing the rest of the Pokémon. Brock took out his Pokédex curiously, not familiar with this species.
"Clawitzer, the Howitzer Pokémon and the evolved form of Clauncher," the machine recited. "Clawitzer can travel at nearly 70 miles an hour when it propels itself by shooting water from the back of its claw."
As soon as the referee signaled for the start of the match, Siebold went on the offensive. He stepped forward and called out his first attack, sensing weakness in Pikachu and wanting to wear him down.
"Dragon Pulse!" he called out. "Take down that Pikachu!"
Clawitzer responded immediately, forming a purple ball of energy in his overlarge claw before shooting it out toward his opponent. Pikachu yelped and leaped out of the way, trying to catch his breath, but Clawitzer quickly formed another Dragon Pulse and shot it out.
"Get closer, Pikachu!" Ash responded, needing to put a quick end to this assault. "Use Thunder Bolt when you get a chance!"
Pikachu quickly started moving, leaping from one ice floe to another, dodging a constant barrage of Dragon Pulses. Clawitzer could attack very rapidly, but Pikachu was faster even in his weakened state, and soon he was in position to attack. He charged up his body with electricity, crying out as he shot a bolt toward his opponent. Ash watched as the electricity arced toward Siebold's Pokémon, but right before the attack connected, Clawitzer suddenly rocketed away, powered by a strong jet of water from the back of its claw. The Thunder Bolt missed completely, hitting the ice and dissipating.
"Whoa, what?" Ash blinked at Clawitzer's sudden burst of speed, which shot it across the arena and into the water, where it disappeared underneath the surface. Pikachu quickly looked around, trying to find his foe under the surface, but Ash had other ideas, a smirk forming on his face.
"Thunder Bolt, Pikachu! Shock the entire pool!"
Pikachu nodded, smirking, charging up another attack, ready to put his foe out of commission. Before he could unleash the attack, however, Clawitzer quickly resurfaced in front of him, aiming his claw and firing a Water Pulse directly into Pikachu's face. He cried out as the attack connected head-on, knocking him into the water, where he sank downward.
"Oh no! Pikachu!" Ash quickly scanned the surface of the water, which was rocking all about, disturbed by the action that had just happened. Everyone watched and waited for Pikachu to reappear, slowly growing worried that he might not. After several long seconds, the Pokémon emerged with a splash and a gasp, grabbing onto an ice floe close to Ash and climbing on, sputtering and coughing up more water, trying to catch his breath.
After a second, he came to his senses and turned back toward Siebold, only to see Clawitzer rocketing toward him at an incredible speed. He had no time to react before his opponent swung a massive claw right into his body, knocking him far away.
Ash gasped as he saw Pikachu fly across the arena toward him, landing right at his feet. His Pokémon groaned in pain, water still leaking from his mouth, as Ash kneeled down to look into his eyes. His heart sank as he saw Pikachu's dazed and defeated expression, his body only moving to breathe and cough up more water. He didn't even notice the referee running over to get a better look, before raising one flag.
"Pikachu is no longer able to battle!" he declared. "Siebold wins the bout! Ash only has one Pokémon left!"
Up in the bleachers, his friends were practically twisted up into pretzels. Siebold had two powerful and fresh Pokémon ready to go, and Ash only had his Skorupi available to him. None of them had any idea how he was going to win now.
"Well, that's a disappointment. This battle hardly qualifies as an appetizer," Siebold remarked casually, looking back toward his challenger. "Well, Ash, who's your last Pokémon? Who's your ringer that's going to win the match?"
Ash didn't respond right away, feeling his heart sink into his stomach. He couldn't even think, stunned into silence by the beating that Snivy and Pikachu had just taken. A wave of embarrassment washed over him, as he started coming to terms with how badly he had miscalculated. After several seconds, he was finally able to think again, but he didn't have to think long about what to do. There was only one option available to him at this point.
"My ringer is nobody," he spoke quietly, defeated, as he reached out and cradled Pikachu in his arms. "I know I can't win the match like this. I forfeit."
Siebold smirked, ignoring the loud gasps that came from the bleachers. "That's the best decision you've made in this whole battle." Ash nodded quietly, standing, looking down at the Pokémon in his arms, who had finally coughed the water out of his lungs. He felt numb, unable to hear the sounds of the gym around him, or the chatter happening in the stands.
"Oh my gosh, poor Ash… that was terrible." Serena sighed, disappointed, shaking her head a bit. "I guess he'll just have to train and try again tomorrow." She glanced over at Iris and Brock, who were still tensed, watching the battlefield nervously.
"There might not be a tomorrow," Iris responded, hands clasped anxiously. "This might be it for him."
"What?! What do you mean?" Serena exclaimed, a bit panicked. Iris held her hand out in front of Serena to quiet her, as Siebold spoke up again.
"Alright, Ash, listen carefully," he called out to Ash, who looked up in response. "Since you had the common sense to throw in the towel, I'll give you another chance. Come back and battle me tomorrow, and we'll see how you do. If you disappoint me again, though, you'll just have to find some other way to get your Gym Badge."
"Thank you, sir," Ash answered quietly and contritely. "I'll do better next time, I promise."
Serena blinked, putting the pieces of the conversation together, as Iris sighed in relief next to her. "Wait… you mean Siebold could have not let Ash have a rematch?"
"That's right," Brock answered, a mix of relieved and disappointed himself. "Every Gym Leader has the right to refuse a rematch, if they feel the trainer is unprepared. Normally it's meant to keep out little kids who are in way over their heads, but in cases like this…"
"But…" Serena needed a second to grapple with this information. "If that happens, how does Ash get all the badges he needs?"
"He'll just have to find another gym." Brock sighed. "If he can't, his only hope would be to go get some more badges, then come back and try to convince Siebold to let him try again. If he still says no… I don't know what Ash does."
"That's… oh my gosh…" Serena looked back toward Ash, who was turning to leave, looking over Pikachu carefully. "Well, thank goodness he has another chance."
All three of them stood up, ready to follow Ash out of the gym. As Serena thought of what she was going to say to him, she was startled as she felt Iris pushing past her, storming to the end of the bleachers and marching down the steps toward Ash.
"What on Earth were you thinking?!" she shouted at him, furious, shocking everyone nearby. "Did you honestly think you could just waltz up and take out an Elite Four trainer?! What's wrong with you?!"
"Whoa, Iris!" Brock exclaimed, as he and Serena rushed over to them. Iris continued, undeterred, as Ash looked up at her with terror in his eyes.
"You could have blown it all right here! The entire Kalos League, gone! When are you going to stop acting like such a little kid?!"
"Iris, that's enough!" Serena reprimanded, coming to Ash's defense. "Can't you see he feels bad enough already?"
Iris huffed and continued on down the stairs and past him, still fuming as she stormed out of the gym, not wanting to be in his presence for another second. Everyone watched her go, taken aback by what they had just seen.
"What on Earth…" Serena turned back toward Ash. "I'm sorry, Ash, that was…"
"It's fine," Ash muttered, looking back down at Pikachu, who was only just coming around. "I deserved it."
Brock stepped forward. "Ash, are you alright?"
"No." Ash turned and slowly walked out the doors, gutted. Serena and Brock followed, worried, hoping this loss wouldn't affect him too badly.
An hour later, they had returned to the Pokémon Center, where Snivy and Pikachu were recovering under the care of Nurse Joy. All four trainers were in the cafeteria, eating one of the most quiet and awkward dinners they'd ever experienced. Ash ate slowly and kept his eyes down, deeply embarrassed, while Serena and Brock tried and failed to think of ways to break the ice. Iris, much like Ash, was looking very embarrassed at her own behavior. After ten painful minutes, Ash stood up, his plate of food not even half-finished.
"Ash, you barely ate," Serena spoke quietly, looking up at him.
"I'm not hungry." He turned and left the cafeteria, not bothering to pick up his plate and drop it off. Everyone watched as he walked out the doors of the Pokémon Center, stepping outside.
Serena sighed. "I should go and talk with him… try and cheer him up a bit."
"Maybe," Iris replied, standing up. "But I need to talk to him first." She took her finished plate and dropped it off, before following Ash out the main doors of the building.
"I hope she apologizes…" Serena muttered, partly to herself. She watched them go for a few seconds, before realizing that Brock was standing up as well; she glanced over to him, a little surprised. "Brock, are you going after him too?"
"Nah, I'll leave that to you two," he answered, grabbing his plate. "I have to go make a video call. I'll be back shortly." She watched him go, wondering what he was up to, before turning her attention back to her meal, finishing up quickly.
Outside, Ash had wandered a block or so away, absentmindedly, before coming to rest on a random bench. His head hung down, hands clasped in his lap, as he mulled over the severity of his failure. He had managed to barely avoid disaster, but his addled mind could barely conceive of how he was going to come back from this. As he stewed in his defeat, he failed to notice the footsteps quietly approaching him.
"Hey." He sat up a bit and turned toward the voice, seeing a humbled Iris walking in his direction.
He nodded back at her. "Hey."
"How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down next to him.
He looked back down at his lap. "Not great." She nodded in response, biting her lip.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Ash. You didn't deserve that."
"It's fine," he answered, not looking in her direction. "You weren't wrong."
"I was just… shocked, more than anything," she continued, wanting to explain herself. "This was so unlike you. You've been so prepared and cautious up until now. You trained hard before each of your last two Gym Battles, but this time you just charged in headfirst. It's like we were back in Unova on our first journey together. Why would you suddenly do that?"
Ash didn't say anything in response. Iris studied him carefully, seeing an embarrassed expression form on his face, even more so than before. She kept her eyes on him, trying to parse his expression, before something suddenly clicked in her mind.
"Oh no, Ash…" The disappointment was already evident in her voice. "Please tell me you weren't trying to impress Serena."
He turned a deep red, leaning forward more, wrapping his arms around his head as if he was trying to disappear. Iris sighed deeply.
"Well, did she look impressed to you?"
He groaned in response, as if he suddenly had a terrible stomachache. He could practically feel one developing, from the sheer force of humiliation he was experiencing right now. She sat back, filled with a mix of pity and disappointment.
"Why did you even think you needed to do that?" she asked, trying not to sound too judgmental. "It's obvious how much she likes you already."
"I don't know what I was thinking," he replied, still twisted up. "I'm an idiot. I'm a complete idiot."
"Well…" She tried to think of something to cheer him up, but everything she thought of sounded corny at best, or dishonest at worst. She decided to change tack. "The only thing you can do now is win tomorrow. Doesn't sound like you have a choice."
"No, I don't."
"I'm sorry again, Ash," she reiterated. "I'm willing to help you however I can."
"Thanks," he spoke quietly, finally sitting up a bit more, letting his hands rest back in his lap. "I might need it. It's going to be a long day of training tomorrow."
She nodded, standing up. "Are you going back inside? You need to finish eating. Starving yourself isn't going to help."
"I will in a minute," he answered. She nodded again, turning and walking back to the Pokémon Center. He continued to sit, still embarrassed, thinking about what a complete mess he had gotten himself into.
"…he just went in, guns blazing, against a member of the Elite Four. He thought he could get by just on type advantage and innate skill. You can imagine how well it went."
Back in the Pokémon Center, Brock was seated at one of the video phones, recounting the events of the day to someone on the other line. He wasn't making much of an effort to sugarcoat how things had gone.
"Ugh, Ash," a female voice responded from the video phone. "I wish I could say I was surprised, but he always liked rushing into trouble."
"Now he only has one day to train and have his rematch," he continued. "He needs some serious help. Do you think you could come down a day early, and, you know… give him a hand? Knock some sense into him, maybe?"
"Of course! Anything for Ash."
"Thanks a lot." Brock smiled warmly. "Sorry, I know this will kind of ruin the surprise."
"Oh, don't worry." The girl on the other end smirked evilly. "He'll definitely be surprised."
He grinned in response, and the two said their goodbyes before hanging up. He stood up and walked away, hoping that Ash was ready for what was about to come his way.