Grunu - Kommo-o

Surya - Charizard

Girac - Aggron

Astarot - Garchomp

Drakon - Dragonite

Grimm - Dragapult (Name Changed due to outside issues)

Kezite - Nidoran

Stromm - Pichu

Rane - Horsea

P.S. All credit to respective owners.

Y.A.R.N

Stromm was equipped with a variety of new options as he was given Iron Tail, Reflect, Protect, Light Screen, Rock Smash, and Strength.

Kezite got Body Slam, Cut, Rock Smash, and Strength. He would be getting a bit more later, but that could wait until Nidoking was in the picture.

Rane got Hyrdo Pump and Rain Dance.

And a few special ones from a certain move creator in Umbal.

Noah would've given them more, but despite using his gym's funds to get the standard HMs and all of the TRs and TMs — making sure to pay the extra charge to convert them into reusable versions — Umbal City's Mall and the Opulence Record Shop didn't have some of the more versatile moves he wanted to teach his pokemon. He would've visited a move tutor many times but — while very knowledgable on many moves — Noah had no idea where to find one as most of his research on Kanto was the gym leaders and theorizing methods to fight them when he came across them. He had been okay before because — while somewhat annoying to figure out at times — it forced his team to work around their problems without a single move being the answer.

In all honesty, Noah wasn't expecting mastery over the moves in the remaining days before his battle with Brock, but he did want them to get a good sense for using them.

Iron Tail and Rock Smash was a priority for Pikachu in the coming fight as his electric moves wouldn't be effective against the Rock-types that Brock would bring to bear against him. With Stromm already being put through his paces in mastering those moves, the only other training left was for Pikachu to get used to his body post-evolution and once again work on his already formidable speed. His electricity was already growing in leaps and bounds from his relatively slow growth as a Pichu and he was already giving Grimm a bit of a effort in regards to them playing the electric version 'catch'. He hoped to find a better way to improve Stromm's output soon because — while very talented — Grimm wasn't a electric type by any means and that mean it was up to Noah to figure something out.

Kezite already had a good grasp on his double kick and drop kick, so he was a already in decent shape for the fight. His speed was also much better after playing tag with Stromm in his new body and he was getting much better at dealing with faster opponents. Either way his Nidoran would have to work on Rock Smash as another move in his arsenal while developing a combination move he called Focus Kick. It was meant to combine the power of Focus Energy with the power of Double Kick, releasing it on contact to explode with concussive force. The only problem with the move was that Kezite was having trouble moulding the power of Focus Energy into his one or two parts of his body rather than all of his body at the same time, not that deterred the pokemon in any way. Once he was a Nidoking it could be very useful in a punch form and so he would master it or die trying — despite Noah telling him it was okay to forget it if it didn't work out — if Kezite had any say in the matter. Girac and Grunu were more than happy to let him practice on them and Girac eagerly awaited the day he could teach a young Nidoking the ropes of fighting once he evolved.

Rane's only real problem would be the field itself, so Rain Dance would hopefully energize the water-type and help him control the terrain a bit better. He wasn't like Poliwag who was almost as comfortable in the mud as he was in the water as Rane was literally from the ocean and the occasional lake rather than streams. He took a page out of Ash's book and had Rane fire Water Guns to propel himself in the air and use Aurora Beam on the ground to help him slide against any ground-type moves used against him. Hydro Pump was a bit too energy intensive for Rane, but it was really more of an ace-in-the-hole last resort at the moment. His problem was basically what Stromm's problem used to be and that was the fact that he simply didn't have the energy to sustain such a powerful attack; his evolution into Seadra would definitely help him but that was a ways off. Drakon and Astaroth were both trying to help where they could, but Astaroth was really just weathering the blows to tell Rane if he improved more than anything else. Drakon was just hoping to influence and teach Rane once he became a Kingdra and tap into the draconic power he would no doubt master.

Surya preferred to sit with Noah as they all worked themselves hard enough that Nurse Joy was worried when the rest of his family staggered in after a hard day's work. He had to quickly assure the skeptical nurse that he wasn't forcing them to work so hard and frankly he was letting them work at their own pace.

They were pushing themselves harder than he ever would ask them to.

He wished he had more than a couple of days, but he was going to fight Brock, and wouldn't let his pokemon be at anything but their most prepared.

Ash sat surrounded by his team at the mouth of Mt. Moon, his last day camping out before going through. He had been using the time to get some extra training in with his team and fighting a few trainers so they all could get that little bit more over his regular training. The path to champion being anything but easy, he had no doubt that once he reached the next gym things would ramp up in terms of difficulty and he wasn't going to go in half-cocked. If Noah would've been there, he would've agreed as Ash knew the older trainer would do his absolute best to prep his team for any upcoming fight he knew would happen. Unfortunately though the former Gym Leader had his match with Brock in a couple of hours and Ash really couldn't help but want to get moving through his gym circuit. He knew that Noah could definitely help him grow faster, but he couldn't rely on the former Gym Leader forever. He had to figure out how to stand on his own two feet and mould his team to be the best no matter what happened from here on in. Getting the eight badges was his immediate goal, and then maybe run up another circuit against the true teams of the Gym. The Conference was a ways off and while Noah seemed interested in the conference, he didn't seem all that interested in competing in said conference.

But Ash ached to be there and win it.

He could do it, there wasn't anything holding him back from doing so.

But he had to take it one step at a time.

So he would focus on his current goals, which meant Mt. Moon and The Water-type gym in Cerulean.

In going through the mountain he needed to make sure he could handle the hordes of Zubat, Paras, and Geodude that would undoubtedly be interested in the arrival of another human in their cave. Then there were the trainers who often ventured into the cave to get some conditioning done before attempting the whole trek. The League had pokemon and a few league rangers that would do scheduled patrols to inform of any disturbances as it was almost impossible to get a signal out from there. They also had the duty to do maintenance checks on markers that gave a path through the cave so people wouldn't get lost. They didn't want to disturb the local pokemon in the cave with bright lights, so they let low-level glow stick as common intervals, the green sticks were ones that indicated that you were on the right path, red meant dead ends or turn arounds.

But that didn't solve the issue with battling the local wildlife back from swarming him and tiring him out. He could use a repel, but the aroma it has was a bit strong and it wasn't it was going to stave off all pokemon, it just generally helped keep most away.

Then again, he wouldn't turn away a relatively strong opponent for his pokemon to gain experience from.

So Pikachu, Poliwag, and Pidgey would definitely be getting some combat experience in caves, and he would keep Abra out to warn him of any impending threats. He hoped that using this day for rest after all his training would maximize their ability to traverse the cave in one go. Ash had plenty of time before the conference started to really figure out what direction his family would want to go. Pikachu — much less threatening than Oak's volatile one — had a fire in his belly to get stronger and enjoyed Ash's companionship as he saw the genuine love Ash had for his pokemon. Pidgey enjoyed traveling and was happy to explore the world, climbing the skies to see the places while having a family with him. Poliwag was playful and strong, but Ash could see the loyalty he decided on once Ash and Abra proved their mettle against it.

As for Abra?

He was kind and caring, wanting to help Ash with literally no idea as to why Pikachu attacked him back in the lab. He simply saw someone in trouble and moved to protect Ash with no thought or care as to what the situation was. He also decided to make sure all of his new family members were actually okay with traveling with his trainer and Ash instructed him to let him know if any of them were dissatisfied with something.

Ash loved fiercely and freely, and would make sure his family knew it.

Noah strode into the door of the gym, talking with the attendant manning the front as he scanned his name on the list of challengers for the day. Anticipation thrummed through his veins as his hands brushed against the pokeballs containing his family, all of them eager to rumble with the Gym Leader. His dragons in particular were desperate to fight a real challenge as they were far stronger than Victory Road's inhabitants. When he finally strode into the arena of the Gym, he flinched slightly as bright lights all switched on to illuminate the area.

Brock was standing in the Gym Leader's box, arms crossed but with a smile on his face as he saw Noah, "Good to see you again Noah, are you ready?"

Noah smirked, "I wouldn't have come if I didn't think so. I have a question if that's okay?"

Brock nodded, "Of course."

"Are substitutions considered as pokemon being unable to battle?" Noah inquired.

Brock shook his head, "Not at all."

"Are we allowed to use our whole team regardless of how many Pokémon you intend to use?" Noah queries.

"Sure." Brock gives a uncaring shrug, "I'm fine with it."

"This will then be a three on two match. Both trainers ready your pokemon!" The referee calls.

"Let's do this!" Noah said excitedly.

They both threw their pokeballs as Brock shouted, "Geodude, let's go!"

Noah smirked, "Stromm, it's time!"

As the two pokemon materialized, Noah stifled a smirk at the grimace on Geodude's face seeing another Pikachu.

Still sore from losing to Ash's pokemon then.

Brock smirked, "Following your friend's strategy?"

Noah smiled, "In a manner of speaking."

The gym trainer slashed his hand down, "Begin!"

Noah's practice paid off as Stromm was went toe-to-bottom-part-of-rock as the electric-type was cleaving through Rock Throws and Mud Slap with enviable ease given Rock Smash and Iron Tail. Bolt also allowed Stomm to hammer Geodude despite Brock's rapid Defense Curl bolstering its resistance without fear of reprisal as he could flicker out of the way even in the air with his utilization of Quick Attack's speed. Noah and his team had hammered out several stratagems in case Brock pulled out anything unexpected, Brock my have been using the league team, but was a rock master nonetheless. Everyone knew that even in his rental team, Geodude was no slouch but he was the warm up as Brock's league-issued Onix was the one to beat. Stromm and Rane would definitely be the first out and Kezite would be the one to take on Onix if they came up short. He hoped it wouldn't come to that as the biggest problem with Rane was mainly his mobility being so heavily compromised out of water. Noah had Rane train to use Water Gun to propel him and even managed to get him to tap into Agility to help his mobility so if he had to move he could at least shift out of way or roll with the hits. Brock no doubt had gotten time to help Onix figure out something to counter that sort of movement so he had no guarantee Onix would fall for that a second time. Horsea was still in his infancy much like Stromm had been as a Pichu, and he was not built to weather the sort of damage Onix could deliver if he got the chance.

However none of that mattered as Geodude was already beginning to fall under Stromm's attacks.

"Self-destruct!" Brock shouted.

"Bolt and Protect!" Noah yelled.

Geodude's drooping eye-lids snapped open wide as his body glowed orange and Stromm leapt away from the pokemon, a swirl of green forming in the air in front of him. With a shout, Geodude exploded and the shockwave shattered Stromm's hastily constructed protect before he could completely clear the area and sent him tumbling with a cry of pain. Noah let out a sigh of relief when Stromm scrambled back to his feet, cheeks sparking as he stared at the defeated rock-type. Despite the scuffs and definite bruising from being sent ass over teakettle from the force of the explosion, Stromm let out a proud spark of electricity into the air as he announced his victory in battle to the world.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" The referee called.

"You taught it self-destruct?" Noah called, "That's not the best move to teach a grumpy Geodude…"

Brock grins ruefully, "He hates losing and demanded that he learn it after realizing he was considered an apparently a weak rock-type. You would not believe how much he pestered Golem about it until Golem just taught him to shut him up."

Noah chuckled, hard-headed rock type?

Who would've guessed?

Noah rapidly thought about what he should do, Stromm could probably take on Onix and wear it down, but he wanted to let both Kezite and Rane a crack at Brock. He had no doubts he could win this fight but decided to toss out Rane as a substitution, wanting his water-type to fight a Gym Leader this time. Rane was still his type-advantage and while he worked hard with the water-type, he wanted to see if his training with the pokemon was enough to get Rane strong enough. Rane wasn't a pushover and had a chance to beat Onix, but Noah wanted to make sure that he sealed the gap. Kezite might be a bit peeved, but he understood the importance of making sure his family was assured that Noah wouldn't just leave them in his back pocket after one fight. Besides, Rane needed to see just how big the world they were about to enter was.

"You're up Rane. First Gym battle." Noah called he recalled Stromm.

Brock raised an eyebrow and tossed out his Onix and Rane did whatever the pokemon equivalent of paling was at the sight of the giant rock serpent.

The referee slashed his hand down, "Begin!"

"Tackle!" Brock ordered.

Onix bore down on Rane but Noah drilled his water-type hard on dealing with rush down attacks as it was probably one of Horsea's biggest weakness. Until he evolved and had more speed and power to activate some of his set-up moves to bolster his abilities, he'd have to learn how to learn on evasion. As a Seadra, he'd bulk up and learn how to stand his ground and force his opponents back with powerful moves.

But for now?

Evasion.

"Tundra!" Noah commanded.

Horsea used a water gun to propel himself upwards and sprayed the ground with Aurora Beam, creating a layer of ice on the floor. While it wasn't an actual move, it did help Rane's current mobility issue and serve as a slight warning sign. It was inspired by Ash's idea to speed up Poliwag though it would be used a proof of concept of a different sort for Rane. Rane was never going to be a speedy fighter above water — despite the ability to use the move of Agility — but that didn't mean it would be helpless. Much like how the Turtwig line was agile in the beginning and once they evolved they would slow considerably in exchange for durability and the ability to take hits. Rane was relatively small and light, and as soon as he gained the bulk of Seadra, those sort of tactics would have to be adjusted or thrown out. Either way, the ice would blunt ground moves and allow Rane to use precise bursts of water to shift just enough out of the way while sliding on the ice. Also — if Onix retreated underground — the displacement of the ground from a move like dig would give Rane a chance to evade.

Which did Onix no favors as his rocky body didn't gain much traction and was sent sliding under Rane as he skidded on the ice. But Onix had learned from his bout with Poliwag

"Rock Tomb!" Brock shouted, "Stop yourself and Rock Blast!"

Rock dropped around Onix and brought to a stop with a deafening crack as the Onix hit the rocks, but Onix wasn't even fazed and began to fire rocks at Rane.

Noah inwardly frowned, "Water Gun! Knock them off track!"

Rane nodded and began firing gouts of water at the oncoming rocks, hitting them just hard enough to keep them from nailing Rane and hurting him. Noah frowned at the situation and had a feeling Rane wouldn't be able to keep this up. Tundra terrain helped him move, but Brock had definitely made sure Onix had a few strategies to work around that. He had to hit Onix and while eventually Rane would be able to stand his ground without an issue, this wasn't going to be easy.

Fine then.

A reversal it was.

"Aurora Beam!" Noah called, "Lock it in place!"

Rane dutifully responded and shot out a multicolored beam of energy that hit Onix's body where he touched the ice. Immediately ice began crawling up Onix's body and locked it in place. Ice wasn't super effective against rock, but Noah didn't need it to be in this situation, he just needed it to hold.

"Break it off!" Brock called.

"Water Gun while it's writhing!" Noah shouted.

Rane switched his Aurora Beam for Water Gun and hit Onix with several bursts of water before Onix shattered the ice locking it in.

"Dig!" Brock commanded, "Rock Polish!"

"Rain Dance!" I called, "Agility! Then reinforce the ice!"

As Onix began to burrow under the earth, Rane reared his head back before firing a glowing gout of water in the sky. Dark clouds began to form and a faint drizzle coated the field, the drops of water helping Rane feel a bit more hydrated. I knew that Rain Dance itself was a bit underdeveloped, but it would help Rane feel energized and stronger. The water-type was already beginning to look worn out after and the rain made it perk up and straighten. Set up was always something you needed to consider as status moves and field prep could be just as effective to victory as any move. Rane closed it's eyes and a slight shimmer of energy ran across his body as he increased his speed while Onix no doubt did the same. As the glow faded, Rane dutifully blasted the ground with Aurora Beam as the ice spread faster and the rain began to fall in full.

There was a titanic crash as Onix tried to breach the surface, his attempted hampered by the layer of ice that covered the field. Rane saw the crack and shot away from where it was with Water Gun propelling him away from the area. Each time Rane managed to get to a new location, another crack appeared in the ice where Onix would attempt to breach the ground. I noticed that the field of ice Rane had created was seriously damaged and one more attempt from Onix would probably shatter the whole thing.

"Hold!" I shouted.

Rane stopped and looked nervously at the crackling ice.

"Now!" Brock shouted, "Hit em!"

"Jump and aim Hydro Pump straight down!" I reacted instantly.

Just as Onix finally shattered through the weakened ice to attack Rane, the water-type launched itself high with the strongest water move in its arsenal. Despite the fact that Rane couldn't manage a fully mastered move like that, Onix roared in pain as the water-type let out a impressive volume of water given its size, Onix writhed and managed to flick Rane out of the air with his tail. Rane hit the ground and Rane bounces across the field coming to a stop and panting like he swam across the region.

Noah holds out his poke ball,ready to return the water-type, "Fantastic Rane. You've been incredible."

"Challenger Noah, are you retiring your pokemon?" The referee calls.

Noah nodded, "He's done great work, but he needs to rest."

Rane looks at Noah with incredulous disbelief as if to question how it could be incredible after losing, but Noah just shakes his head with a fond smile, "Kezite can tell you later."