As the first rays of sun started to creep over the horizon, Kiawe stood admiring his work. Surely Ash would appreciate this simple yet timesaving improvement to the reserve. Standing behind him were his and Ash's Charizard. Both of them were ready to make this test run a success. The two beasts had many large bags of Pokémon food piled next to them and they eyed each other with measured consideration.
Within a few minutes, Ash's many Pokémon started drifting in from all over the reserve, ready for breakfast. Since it was the first day of the week, normally there would be food set out for them, however, this was not the case today. Instead, the creatures were greeted by the sight of a large stack of empty bowls and a strange looking device Kiawe had constructed.
Kiawe grinned as the Pokémon looked around, searching for their meal. He stepped forward and spoke in a loud, authoritative voice.
"Okay, everyone! Today we're gonna be doing things a little differently."
The Pokémon looked at the man from Alola with puzzlement and skepticism. A few grunts and groans sounded as they began to wonder if they were going to get their meal.
Kiawe smiled and picked up one of the empty bowls. "I know usually we just set a bunch of food out for you, but I decided to take a little inspiration from how things go on my family's farm."
A couple of the flying types glided in and landed at the edge of the crowd. More than a few of the Pokémon were murmuring about this odd change of schedule.
Kiawe walked up to the device he'd built and gave it a pat with his right hand.
"On the farm, we have a lot of Pokémon, and in order to keep them all fed, we've taught them to use feeders like this one."
Kiawe positioned the bowl he was holding under a small metal spout. He then gripped a small pull cord in his free hand.
"You see, when you want to eat, you just get a bowl and pull this thing here‑"
Kiawe pulled the cord and a small pile of Pokémon food was dispensed into the dish. A few of the Pokémon sounded impressed however most appeared indifferent.
"And you've got a meal," Kiawe continued. He held the half-full bowl out to Oshawott who immediately looked unhappy at the small portion.
Kiawe looked out at the gathered Pokémon and smiled. "This way, Ash and I don't have to spend a lot of time getting all your food set up and you don't have to worry about us not being here."
The Pokémon all silently stared back, not quite seeing the point of all this. Oshawott abruptly spoke up in a crabby voice, very dissatisfied at its amount of food.
Kiawe glanced down at the water type and laughed. "Don't worry, this way you can choose how much food you get. If you want more, you just pull the cord again‑"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of many of the Pokémon lit up and happy cries sounded. The entire group pushed forward, suddenly eager to get their fill. Oshawott placed its bowl under the spout and immediately jumped up to pull down the cord. Food poured into its bowl and the feisty water type grinned excitedly. For good measure, it pulled the cord again, piling its bowl high with tasty food.
Kiawe looked a little tense but he kept a smile on his face. "Yep, you've got the idea," he said. "Okay, who's next?"
Oshawott slowly walked away, struggling to carry its maxed-out bowl. Infernape was next. It quickly gave itself a more than generous portion and walked away, chuckling. More Pokémon began to press in around the food dispenser and soon the breakfast meal was flowing freely.
The Pokémon food for the dispenser was held in a large metal trough at the top of the device. As it began to empty, Ash and Kiawe's Charizard swung into action. Ash's Charizard was the first to act. It easily grabbed a heavy bag of Pokémon food and quickly slit the top of it open with one of its sharp claws. It then smoothly poured the contents of the bag into the hopper, smiling smugly at Kiawe's creature as it did so.
Pignite walked up to the dispenser and grabbed a pair of bowls, one for each hand. A few of the Pokémon shouted in protest as the gluttonous fire type loaded up on more than its fair share. Kiawe looked a little perturbed.
"Hey, you should only get what you need. Don't be selfish."
Kiawe's plea fell on deaf ears. Dragonite was up next and the large Pokémon also grabbed a pair of bowls. With a happy howl, the dragon walked off with two piled high mounds of food.
Kaiwe's Charizard moved quickly to refill the rapidly emptying dispenser. It grabbed a heavy bag of Pokémon food and simply ripped off the top of the bag with its strong, clawed hand. It promptly dumped the bag into the hopper, sending Ash's creature a confident smirk at the same time.
Dracovish stepped up to the dispenser and eyed it for a moment. With an excited growl, it positioned its large mouth beneath the spout and yanked on the cord. Food began to pour into the hungry dragon type's mouth.
Kiawe looked distressed. "Hey, don't do that!" he shouted. He tried to push forward toward Dracovish but instead nearly tripped over Totodile. The tiny gator croaked in offense, whirled around and fired a Water Gun blast up into Kiawe's face. The man from Alola sputtered and staggered sideways.
As Dracovish continued to consume its fill, Krookodile and Donphan pushed forward and started trying to elbow the ravenous dragon-fish away from the spout.
Ash's Charizard saw the hopper was quickly emptying, picked up a bag and ripped it neatly in two with a flex of its muscles. As the food from the two halves dumped into the dispenser, the fire typed grinned confidently, pleased at the display of strength.
A dripping wet Kiawe tried to restore order. He shouted and grabbed at the mob of hungry Pokémon but nothing could stop the feeding frenzy. A low rumble abruptly rang out and all of the Pokémon suddenly froze in place. The ground shook and heads turned toward a massive shape shambling towards them. Snorlax had woken up late, like usual and now it was looking for breakfast. The huge Pokémon stepped forward and regarded the odd situation in its typical, ponderous fashion.
Snorlax sniffed the air and its eyes fixed on the hopper of food and the other nearby bags. The creature growled happily and took a step forward, pleased to see so much to eat.
The other Pokémon normally would have scattered before the insatiable giant, however, many of them had not yet had breakfast and they were not about to let Snorlax eat their share. The Pokémon growled menacingly, and Snorlax stopped in its tracks. The two parties eyed each other for several tense seconds, each group intent on securing the supply of food.
Kiawe quickly seized the moment and interposed himself between the two groups. "OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" he shouted in a loud, commanding voice.
A hungry Corphish promptly blasted Kiawe in the face with a Bubble Beam. Another second passed and then everyone lunged for the hopper!
Lucario's ears perked up the moment it came within sight of the main building. Its morning patrol had gone well up until this point but, judging by the ruckus, it seemed like the new human had caused something to go awry yet again. The aura Pokémon let out a sigh and walked briskly in the direction of the noise.
A few moments later, Lucario rounded the corner of the building and took in the sight of the wild melee over the food dispenser. The stoic Pokémon simply stared dumbfounded, wondering what in the world had happened. Sceptile was standing nearby, leaning against the side of the building in a relaxed fashion. The savvy grass type knew better than to wade into the chaotic fight for food.
Lucario looked over at Sceptile and growled a question, asking what had provoked the scuffle. Sceptile rolled its eyes and then described the human's ill-fated plan and how things had quickly unraveled. Lucario looked back at the brawl and sighed heavily. The fighting type then fixed a determined expression on its face and started trekking toward the whirling battle over breakfast. Someone on the reserve had to be responsible.
After a few days journey, our heroes have returned to Paul's gym. Things are tense as Terence, Cyril and Gwyn wonder what will happen when Ash meets Paul and discovers what is going on at the gym. Will things be resolved peacefully or will there be a battle? Additionally, will we finally discover how Ash and Paul know each other and what sort of history they have?
Ash came to a stop outside the open entranceway and looked inward toward the courtyard. He could see a few trainers milling about inside and some activity. It was a far cry from the din of evil Terence, Cyril and especially Gwyn had warned him about. He glanced down at Pikachu and then over at the kids. He sent the trio a warm smile and then gestured for them to follow him.
"Okay, let's go," he said, simply.
Terence fixed a determined expression on his face and shrugged his shoulders, hefting his backpack. Cyril looked tense. He swallowed and bravely prepared to follow. Gwyn, meanwhile, took a couple of quick steps forward and grabbed hold of the fringe of Ash's blue shirt.
"Be careful!" she hissed in a low voice. "They might swarm and attack you!" She then raised her hands up so they were to either side of her head. She curled her fingers into claw-like shapes and made a menacing face. "You know, like in those zombie movies!" she added. Turtee, riding atop Gwyn's backpack nodded in agreement.
Terence frowned, Cyril raised an eyebrow and Ash suppressed a chuckle. The world's greatest Pokémon trainer gently placed a reassuring hand on Gwyn's head and spoke in a kind voice.
"I don't think that's gonna happen," he said. "You all just stay close and don't worry."
Gwyn still looked apprehensive but she steeled herself and nodded. Ash turned and started walking toward the entrance. The kids followed a few paces behind him. As they passed through the open gate, the kids all moved closer together, worried that they might be ruthlessly attacked like the last time.
Ash walked down the central path which led to the dojo-like building. He glanced to the left and right, looking for any signs of what the kids had warned him about. It was late in the day and it seemed most of the activity had come to a close. There were maybe two dozen trainers standing around and about the same number of Pokémon. He could see a few of the Pokémon were sporting scrapes, bruises or other minor injuries. Some of them were bandaged. Nothing looked all that out of place for a gym where hard training took place.
As Ash kept walking, the kids noticed the other trainers slowly stopped talking amongst themselves. Some looked at the new arrival with shock and wide eyes. Some of them elbowed inattentive friends and pointed at the man walking along the path. Whispers and hushed exchanges took place and soon the entire place was dead-silent as all eyes were fixed on the one they recognized as, the legend, Ash Ketchum.
As they approached the central building, one of the trainers next to the structure turned and quickly walked inside. Ash came to a halt just in front of the wooden steps leading up to the raised porch. Gwyn and Cyril stopped a few paces behind him. Terence started to walk toward Ash's side but Gwyn quickly reached out and grabbed him. The two of them exchanged some harsh whispers and Gwyn told him that they needed to let Ash handle things.
As Ash waited, he looked around and saw all eyes were on him. He felt a little uncomfortable but he'd dealt with this sort of thing before. A few moments passed and then a purple haired man walked out along the porch which ran along the side of the building. Paul was older, his hair was shorter and his outfit was a bit different, but there was no mistaking his old rival.
Ash smiled, feeling a strange mix of emotions at seeing the one who'd haunted his journey in Sinnoh. He'd been a bitter opponent of the other man for a time. Paul's view of Pokémon and how to train them was so radically different from his that, for a time, he'd nearly despised the man. Eventually, he'd defeated Paul in the Sinnoh League and showed him a different way of treating Pokémon. Now Paul was a gym leader and he was running a Pokémon reserve. Times had changed a lot.
Paul came to a stop a few paces from Ash and they stared in silence for a heartbeat. The gym leader then spoke up in his typical, monotone voice.
"It's been a while, Ash," he said.
Ash nodded. "Yeah, it has," he replied in a friendly tone. "It's quite the place you've got here."
Paul glanced around at the walls surrounding the facility. He nodded subtly and looked back at Ash.
"Yes. It's taken a lot of work but things are finally coming together."
The two trainers shared a tense stare and then Paul continued. "So, what brings you here?" he asked plainly.
Ash pursed his lips, hoping that the kids hadn't terribly exaggerated everything and that he wasn't about to make a fool of himself. "Well, I'm here cause these three said they tried to challenge your gym a few weeks ago and their Pokémon got really beaten up as a result." Ash gestured over his shoulder at the trio of kids as he spoke.
Paul looked past Ash at the kids and then returned his gaze to the world's greatest Pokémon trainer. "I remember them," he said. "They didn't have any idea how to battle or control their Pokémon."
Terence's flinched and took a step forward before opening his mouth to shout. "HEY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN‑‑‑‑‑ Mmmpphhh!"
His comment was abruptly cut off as a distressed Gwyn wrapped her hands around his mouth and pulled him back to the group.
Ash looked tense and cast a stern glance back at the kids. He then returned his focus to Paul and continued his conversation.
"So, the kids told me that even when their Pokémon were beaten, your students kept attacking," Ash posed.
Paul's face was unreadable. A few seconds passed and then he replied.
"I think my students attacked a few more times than what was necessary," he said. "But, given the situation, I think it was warranted."
Ash bit his lip. This conversation wasn't going the way he'd hoped.
"You think it was warranted?" Ash repeated.
Paul nodded. "As I said, they didn't have any respect for battling. They needed to be taught a lesson in how serious it is."
Ash frowned. "So, you just let your students beat up on them?"
Paul shrugged. "One can learn far more from a harsh defeat than an easy victory," he said.
Many of the students listening to the exchange nodded their heads in agreement.
Ash struggled to keep from clinching a fist. The old anger he'd once felt for his rival was threatening to resurface.
"Paul, are you teaching your students to release Pokémon if they aren't strong enough?"
Paul's eyes narrowed and he looked at Ash for several long seconds. "I teach them to not train Pokémon who aren't cut out for battling," he said in a low voice.
Disappointment and anger rose up inside Ash. "What‑" he stammered. "I thought you'd gotten past that?!"
"Gotten past what?" Paul deadpanned.
"Not caring about Pokémon who aren't the strongest!"
Paul's eyes narrowed some more. "Battling requires strength. It's foolish and cruel to train a Pokémon whose heart isn't committed to battling."
"So, what, you just tell your students to cast them aside?!"
Paul was silent for a moment. "It depends," he finally answered.
Ash worked his mouth for a moment and then finally decided to speak his mind. "Paul did you teach a trainer named Vernon?"
Paul blinked and then looked to his right. "Vernon!" he called out.
A few seconds later, the boy who'd visited the reserve to challenge Ash strode over and stood near the steps leading up to the porch.
"Master Paul!" Vernon said respectfully.
Ash eyed the boy and then looked toward Paul. "He came to challenge me about a month ago," he began. "He battled with a Machoke and a Dreepy. Dreepy didn't battle well enough for him, and after the battle, he berated it and released it."
Paul looked introspective for a moment and then turned to Vernon. "Explain!" he said directly.
Vernon was quiet for a second and then spoke in an unwavering voice. "I tried to train Dreepy for almost two months. It just wouldn't listen or learn properly. It didn't push itself hard enough and it kept losing. It kept getting afraid when it was in a battle and so I let it go."
Paul looked at Vernon, nodded subtly and then turned to Ash. "There's your answer," he said.
Ash's mouth partially fell open in dismay. "What!" he replied sharply. "You're okay with that?!"
Paul was unflappable. "If Dreepy wasn't cut out for battling than it had no business being trained to do so."
Ash clinched his right fist and took a moment to form his response. "How can you just treat Pokémon like that?!" he glowered in a low voice. "Every one is important!"
Paul raised an eyebrow. "You still jump to conclusions," he commented. He then glanced at Vernon and spoke in a stern voice. "What did I tell you after you returned without Dreepy?!"
Vernon looked a little ashamed. "You told me that I should have found a proper trainer for Dreepy," he said in a meekly.
Paul nodded. "And what did you do with Beedrill?" he asked.
Vernon glanced across the grounds and caught the eye of a young boy. "I gave Beedrill to Liam over there. He's learning to be a beekeeper when he isn't training. Since Beedrill wasn't any good at battling, I figured that'd be a good place for it."
Ash ground his teeth. "Wasn't any good at battling," he muttered.
Vernon met Ash's gaze but didn't say anything.
Paul returned his gaze to Ash. "So, you see, we take care of Pokémon. We don't cast them aside," he said.
Ash frowned and slowly shook his head. "That's not the way I see it!" he replied in a tense voice.
Paul simply waited.
Ash adjusted his stance and looked at Paul. "You may have changed a little, but it's still all the same!" he said harshly.
Paul was unfazed. "Oh?" he replied.
Behind Ash, Terence looked excited, Cyril appeared nervous and Gwyn was gleeful. All three awaited Ash's response.
Ash continued in an accusatory tone. "You say you take care of Pokémon, but you still only value them if they're strong!"
Paul said nothing.
"You say you're teaching your students to respect battling but it sounds like all they know is to be bullies."
Paul still said nothing.
"Attacking defenseless Pokémon, ruthless battling, it's all really reckless and irresponsible!" Ash said.
Paul finally opened his mouth. "You think so?" he posed.
Ash hesitated a moment. "Yeah!" he replied.
Paul was introspective for a moment. When he replied, it was in a very measured tone.
"What would you say about your own battling style, then?" he asked.
Ash looked perplexed. "Huh?"
Paul waited the briefest of moments and then continued. "I've studied every one of your major tournaments. You repeatedly push your Pokémon to the absolute limit. Many would argue beyond what is safe."
Ash flinched as did Pikachu. "What?!" he stammered.
Paul nodded. "In your battle against Leon, at the end, Pikachu was clearly out of the fight, yet you somehow pushed him to rally and keep battling. Isn't that extremely reckless?"
Ash and Pikachu exchanged dumbstruck looks. "NO!" Ash replied sharply. Pikachu barked his opposition to the statement as well.
"And why not?" Paul continued.
Ash clinched a fist and spoke passionately. "Because Pikachu and I are a team. We give one hundred percent and we never give up."
Paul nodded. "Exactly," he said plainly. "That's what I teach my students as well."
Ash looked stupefied and mildly disgusted.
Paul continued. "You see, Ash, you and I aren't so different. We both teach battling with intensity and taking care of Pokémon. We just do so in slightly different ways."
Ash spoke through clinched teeth. "We are not the same, Paul!" he growled. "I would never give up on one of my Pokémon!"
Paul looked at Ash with a cynical expression. "Really, you've taught every one of your Pokémon to be elite battlers?"
Ash's mind immediately flashed back to Dawn, Buizel and Aipom. He remembered Aipom fondly but the mischievous monkey hadn't really been cut out for battles. She had taken a liking to Dawn's contest training and ultimately Ash had traded her to Dawn in exchange for the more battle oriented Buizel. It had been an excellent trade, one which made everyone happy.
Ash shook his head. Even though Paul was partially right, it didn't make what he was teaching right or good.
"Okay, I can see we're not gonna work this out," Ash said in a low voice. He lifted his head and stared into Paul's eyes. "Let's see who's really got the better ideas!"
Paul frowned and his eyes narrowed.
Ash grinned and raised a clinched fist. "Let's have a battle!" he said.
Pikachu leapt forward and let out an eager battle cry.
Many of the students around the grounds murmured and whispered to each other. Almost all of them looked awestruck at the thought of seeing Ash Ketchum battle.
The trio of kids all giggled and chuckled while eagerly whispering to each other. They grinned from ear to ear, especially Gwyn, who glanced balefully at the purple haired girl, hoping that sweet revenge was just around the corner.
An intense silence hung over everyone. All eyes turned to Paul and waited as he stared, expressionless, at the challenger standing before him.
Without moving a muscle, Paul spoke his simple reply in a firm voice. "No!"
It took a second for the word to sink in. People flinched in surprise. More whispers sounded. The kids looked dismayed and Ash looked shocked.
"NO!" Ash repeated back.
Paul nodded. "A battle between us would serve no purpose," he said plainly.
Ash looked flabbergasted. "What do you mean, wouldn't serve a purpose?!" he protested. "If you think you're a better trainer than me, prove it! Beat me in a battle!"
The faintest of amused smiles pulled at Paul's lips. "Oh, if we were to battle I have no doubt you would win!"
At this, everyone, including Ash, looked dumbstruck. Silence reigned until Ash spoke up.
"So, you're saying I'm the better trainer?!" he said in a perplexed voice. "What's your point, then?"
Paul folded his arms and spoke confidently. "You've devoted your life to training Pokémon and mastering battling. I have little doubt that you're the best trainer in the world."
Ash continued to look on in puzzlement.
"What's at issue here isn't who's the better trainer, but who's the better teacher."
"Huh?" Ash responded.
Paul gestured to his students. "I've trained many students and quite a few of them are excellent battlers," he said. "How many students have you trained?"
Ash suddenly understood what Paul was saying. Truth be told, Serena was the closest thing he had to an actual student and he didn't exactly train her in battling. Most of the time, he learned as much from her as she did from him.
Ash thought for a moment and then casually glanced over his shoulder at the trio of kids. Abruptly, someone laughed at the idea of them being Ash's students. Paul glared and the laugh stopped as soon as it had begun.
After a moment, Paul raised an eyebrow. "Are those three students of yours?" he asked.
Ash hesitated. He had taught the kids a few things, but he hadn't really spent all that much time with them. Terence, however, took Paul's words as a cue to act. The young boy stepped forward and spoke in a bold voice.
"That's right! Ash taught us lots! He's a great teacher!"
Cyril looked mortified and Gwyn's teeth were clinched so tight her face twisted into a grimace. Around the grounds, there were a few chuckles and muted laughs. Paul did not silence them this time.
Ash looked at the kids and then looked back at Paul. "Yeah, I guess you could say they're my students," he said.
Paul was silent for a moment and then spoke in a serious tone. "You wanted to challenge me, Ash, to see who's the better trainer. Here's my challenge to see who's the better teacher. Both of our students will compete in the Indigo League. Whoever's students get further in the tournament will be the winner. That way, we'll find out whose teachings are the best."
Ash glanced at the trio and then back at Paul. Uncertainty gnawed at him. He'd never done anything like this. He was used to being the one doing the battling. Teaching others to battle… that would be a new one. He didn't like the idea. Paul seemed to have quite a head start with all of his students. However, he couldn't back down.
Ash smiled slyly and nodded. "Deal!" he said firmly.
For a moment, Paul actually smiled. Then Terence stepped up to Ash's side and spoke in a loud voice.
"All right! And I've already got three badges. I'll be in the Indigo League before you know it!"
More than a few sniggers sounded from around the grounds. Paul and Ash frowned. Paul was the first to speak.
"The Indigo League concludes in less than a month," he said flatly. "I'm afraid we'll have to wait until next season to officially start our challenge."
Terence looked confused. All this was new information to him. "Uh, Ash?" he said uncertainly.
Ash smiled sheepishly and scratched at the back of his head. "Yeah, the league is going to be wrapping up soon and they'll have the big tournament. Don't worry, though, you can just start again next year."
Terence immediately looked reenergized. "Okay, and I'll only have to get five gym badges." He looked at Cyril and Gwyn. "That means I'll be way ahead of you!"
Cyril looked tense and Gwyn looked annoyed. Cyril was about to speak but Ash beat him to it.
"Actually…" Ash began in an apologetic tone. "All the badges reset every season. You'll have to earn all eight again."
Terence suddenly looked dismayed and deflated while Gwyn looked pleased. "All eight!" Terence moaned.
Cyril nodded. "Yep, and we'll all have to earn them," he said.
Gwyn glanced at both boys. "That's gonna be a lot of gym battles. We're gonna need a plan!"
Ash smiled as the trio of kids started talking amongst themselves. He turned back to Paul and spoke in a casual voice.
"So, how many students are you gonna be sending to the League?"
Paul looked thoughtful for a moment and then smirked slightly. "I think I'll have three enter just like you are. Fair is fair, after all."
Paul straightened up and looked out at his students. "Faye! Erik!" he called out.
The three kids instantly stopped talking. They watched as the trio of older trainers who had terrorized them assembled in front of Paul. Gwyn swallowed and struggled to keep from trembling.
"Oh, no!" she moaned as she watched the purple haired girl stand next to Erik and Vernon.
Paul looked confident. "Vernon, Erik and Faye are all talented trainers," he said. "They should be a good match for your students. Plus, they even know each other," he added in a chiding tone.
Ash glanced at Paul's students and then at the kids. He suddenly realized that he had his work cut out for him.
"Okay, Paul," Ash said. "When the next League season starts, we'll be in it!"
Paul nodded. "Train hard. We certainly will," he said in a low voice.
Erik, Faye and Vernon all smirked and confidently glared at the kids. Ash eyed them for a moment and then turned back to his brand new students.
"Okay, let's go," he said, shepherding them towards the entrance way.
Normally, Terence would have had a parting remark, however the weight of their new goal kept him in check. They quietly walked along with Ash as Paul's many students watched.
Once Ash's group was out of earshot, Erik snorted and chuckled harshly. "HA! Do you think they'll even make it into the top 64?!"
Faye sniggered. "They'll be lucky to even get enough badges," she sneered.
"STUDENTS!" Paul shouted harshly.
All three of them tensed up at the rebuke. Several quiet seconds ticked by before Paul said his next words.
"What is overconfidence?" he asked in a demanding voice.
Erik winced at the jab and opened his mouth to speak. "Overconfidence leads to laziness and complacency. It's the surest way to defeat," he said in a boisterous voice.
Paul nodded slowly. "I can guarantee you that neither Ash nor those kids will be overconfident," he said in a low voice. "You on the other hand…"
Erik, Faye and Vernon all glanced at each other. It seemed they had quite a bit of work cut out for themselves as well.
Kiawe fixed a determined expression on his face and stared at the large mound of rocky dirt. He'd been working the last few days on clearing the landslide but he was determined that today was the day he was finally going to get it done. He looked to his right at his and Ash's Charizard and then to his left at a couple of Sandslash, a Graveler and a Marshtomp.
"Okay, I know there's still a lot of dirt to move, but we're gonna get it all done!" he said energetically.
The two Charizard let out deep, guttural growls while eyeing the mound of dirt. The ground types, meanwhile, appeared disinterested.
Kiawe grabbed a shovel and strode forward to the pile of dirt. "Bring those wheelbarrows over here. Let's get this moving!"
Ash's Charizard quickly moved forward, getting ahead of Kiawe's. Both creatures were pushing wheelbarrows and would be responsible for hauling away the dirt. The two large beasts exchanged intense looks and glowered at each other.
The other Pokémon slowly trundled forward and began digging into the large pile. None of them were all that eager to be there.
After a short while, Kiawe finished filling the first wheelbarrow and Ash's Charizard quickly began hauling it away. "Phew," he breathed out. "At this rate, we should have this done before nightfall," he said.
A couple of the ground types groaned and they began to grumble to each other. News of the 'feeder incident' had spread quickly across the reserve and the man from Alola was finding himself on the receiving end of many a joke.
Just as Kiawe finished filling up his Charizard's wheelbarrow, Ash's returned with an empty one. Kiawe was a little surprised the fire type had made the trip so rapidly.
"Boy, you sure moved quick," Kiawe said, sounding little winded.
Ash's Charizard smirked while Kiawe's creature picked up its pace, refusing to be outdone.
With a grunt, the man from Alola kept digging. There was still plenty to do.
Ash and the kids left the gym and walked in silence for a short time. All of them were still processing the magnitude of the task they'd just taken on. Finally, Cyril was the first one to speak up.
"So, Mr. Ketchum, are we really gonna compete in the Indigo League, next year?"
An excited smiled pulled at the edges of Ash's mouth. The thought of being involved in another big tournament, even though he wouldn't be battling, filled him with energy.
"Well, you're gonna have to earn eight badges first," he said. "And you're all gonna have to do a lot of training."
Gwyn frowned. "Mr. Ketchum," she began.
Ash chuckled. "Hey, call me Ash," he said.
Gwyn looked a little uncertain but she continued. "Uh, Ash, I've only got Turtee. Am I gonna have to catch more Pokémon?"
The Squirtle atop Gwyn's back grunted and looked curious as well.
Ash glanced over at Gwyn and her beloved Pokémon. "Yeah, you're gonna need more Pokémon," he said. "Probably three at least, but it'd be best if you could have six."
Gwyn looked tense. "Wow, five more," she breathed. She looked up at Turtee. "I'm busy enough just taking care of you."
Turtee nodded and looked a little downcast.
Ash grinned. "Eh, don't worry about it," he said in an upbeat tone. "Training Pokémon is tons of fun. The more the merrier!"
Terence moved up beside Ash and spoke in an eager voice. "Yeah, and I've already got three!" he said.
Cyril moved up next. "Yeah, and I've got four!" he said.
Ash couldn't help grinning. He looked at the kids and kept striding ahead at a brisk pace. Pikachu was trotting along with him. He suddenly felt like he was back on one of his old journeys again.
Terence grinned and spoke up. "So, what are we gonna do for training?!"
Ash pursed his lips. A bunch of idea went through his mind, but he thought they could wait for later. Right now, the kids just needed to get an idea of what they needed to do.
"I think a little running is in order!" Ash said eagerly.
All three kids looked perplexed. "Running!?" they said at the same time.
Ash came to a stop and turned to face them. "Yeah, running with your Pokémon is a great way to get in sync with them. It gets the blood pumping and strengthens your bond!"
Pikachu jumped forward and let out an eager cry.
Terence, Cyril and Gwyn all exchanged looks. Gwyn then shrugged her shoulders, sending Turtee forward while the boys retrieved their starter Pokémon. A moment later, Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle were all arrayed in front of the kids.
Ash grinned yet again and turned toward the forest running along the road. "Okay, let's go!"
Ash dashed forward, Pikachu at his heels. The kids looked a little uncertain but they quickly ran in pursuit. It took a moment for them to find their stride, but soon they were racing through the forest, along with their Pokémon, chasing after the world's greatest Pokémon trainer.
Gwyn and Turtee were soon panting for breath. "I guess we really do need more training," she gasped.
Turtee wheezed an agreement and kept running.
Terence glanced over his shoulder at Gwyn. "HA! I guess always sitting around yelling at me and Cyril wasn't such a great idea!" he needled.
Gwyn's eyes widened. "TERENCE!" she shouted.
Terence turned his head forward, just in time to slam face-first into a tree. The young boy collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"I'm okay….." he groaned in a shaky voice.
And so, our heroes now find themselves in the middle of a feud between Ash and Paul. Who is the better teacher?! Will Ash be able to train Terence, Cyril and Gwyn so they can compete in the Indigo League?! Will they be able to earn enough badges to even enter the League?! What sort of exciting adventures await them on the road ahead?! We'll find out, when the journey continues.
Kiawe gritted his teeth and whined in effort as he set the final railroad tie down on the pile. He took a shaky step back and nearly doubled over as he gasped for breath. He rested his palms on his knees and wheezed a few times as his heart pounded from the effort. The job was done, as was he.
The man from Alola wiped at his brow with his right forearm and looked at his and Ash's Charizard. They'd just finished carrying the rest of the railroad ties and they were currently eyeing each other while puffing out their stomachs.
"Okay, I think that's enough for today," Kiawe said in a tired voice. "I'm gonna head in."
Kiawe took an unsteady step and then started walking the moderate trek to the main building. As he passed by the Charizard, they eyed the remaining large rocks and his gave one of the boulders a kick.
Kiawe weakly waved at the winged beasts. "Don't worry about that until tomorrow," he said. "We'll break those up and haul them away."
Kiawe groaned, not wanting to think about any more work given the day he'd just had. He staggered ahead, looking forward to a hot shower and a warm meal.
As Kiawe traipsed away, his and Ash's Charizard turned to face each other. They exchanged intense glares and then looked to the side at the huge boulders which were too large to move. The human may have quit, but they had no intention of doing so! Definitely not while the other fire type was still standing! With grunts and flexes of their mighty muscles, the two unyielding fire types fixed determined expressions on their faces and plodded toward their next task.
Kiawe leaned against the kitchen counter and waited for his leftovers to heat up in the microwave. He'd finished his shower and had been too tired to fix something new for dinner. The device beeped and the exhausted man from Alola pulled out his steaming plate of food.
He shuffled over to the table and sat down. He drained half of a glass of water and then took a bite of food. While he chewed, he set his phone up on a stand atop the table. With a few taps, the device started to call. Kiawe took another bite and then the face of his younger sister, Mimo appeared on the screen.
The teenage girl was lying on her side in her bed. Her phone was turned sideways, just as she was, causing the peculiar appearance that she was upright while her entire room was on its side. The lights were on and she was in her pajamas. Her blue eyes stared into the phone with a sarcastic glint and her mouth was twisted into an ironic smile.
"Well, I see you finally remembered we exist!" she said in a mildly mocking tone.
Kiawe swallowed his food and managed a weak smile. "Hey, Mimo. Sorry I didn't call earlier. I've been really busy."
Mimo's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I've been really busy too. I have to take care of all your chores now. You know how much work that is?!"
Kiawe mused a bit and then slowly shook his head. "I've missed you too, sis."
Mimo grinned cynically. "You miss me enough to quit that vacation and come back here?"
Kiawe raised an eyebrow in disapproval. "This isn't a vacation Mimo! I told you, I'm here to learn about Pokémon."
Mimo giggled and then spoke in a sarcastic tone. "Yeah, yeah, the whole 'I'm gonna be a Kahuna' thing," she said, playfully mimicking Kiawe's voice as she made fun of his goal. "I know why you're really there," she continued. "To hang out with your friend, Ash!"
Kiawe huffed and then spoke in a more animated fashion. "This is a big deal Mimo. Becoming a Kahuna is a lot of work." He waved his right arm for emphasis. "Besides, I can't just leave. Ash is away right now, taking care of something important."
Mimo's eyebrows went up. "Oooohhh, so Ash is gone," she said in a teasing tone. "That means you're there all by yourself." She feigned making a sad face. "I hope you're not in over-your-head, big brother," she said in a fake, concerned tone.
Kiawe glared at his sister. "NO! I'm fine!" he said sharply.
Mimi sniggered. "You don't look fine. You look like a stampede of Tauros just ran over you."
Kiawe sighed. "As I said, I've been really busy. I'm just a little tired after today."
A devilish grin spread across Mimo's face. "Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm," she hummed. "I'll bet you're just sad that the love of your life isn't there with you!" she said in sweet yet needling voice.
Kiawe's eyes bugged out. He leaned close to the phone and spoke in an animated but hushed tone.
"MIMO!" he hissed. "I told you! Don't talk about that!"
Sceptile crouched on a banister, high above the kitchen below. Totodile, Buizel and a few of the other small Pokémon were standing on the second story balcony nearby. All of them were watching with rapt attention as Gengar slowly pulled length after length of fishing line off of a spool it held in its left hand. The Ghost had a maniacal grin on its face and was struggling to keep from chortling uncontrollably.
With careful precision, the shadow Pokémon began running the nearly invisible line between two of the devices it had constructed earlier. The smaller Pokémon made soft, awestruck noises as they looked on in wonder and fascination. Sceptile merely raised an eyebrow and spoke in a critical tone.
With a grunt, the sarcastic grass type asked Gengar exactly why it was expending so much effort on what would be such a simple prank.
Gengar finished tying off the fishing line and then replied, saying that the more work which went into a prank, the more satisfaction one got out of it.
Sceptile glanced around at the surrounding devices and then looked down at the one the Pokémon had taken to calling 'Ka-we-we.' If anyone deserved to be pranked, it was certainly this fellow from Alola. However, even at that, Gengar's efforts seemed excessive.
As Gengar floated across carrying a handful of marbles, Sceptile murmured in a teasing tone that if Lucario saw what it was planning, during its nightly patrol, the extremely orderly fighting type would surely punch the ghost into another dimension.
Upon hearing this, Gengar raised both its hands to its mouth to control its laughter. After a few seconds, the ghost slapped its knee in glee and muttered something about them not needing to worry about Lucario interrupting their fun.
The sun had fully dipped below the horizon and the redness of the sky was quickly diminishing. Soon it would be dark and the reserve would be asleep. Lucario looked out across the grassy fields and watched as the various Pokémon slowly started making their way back to their homes. It was the end of another satisfying day!
The stoic Pokémon nodded and grunted in satisfaction. It turned and started trekking back toward the main building. There were still a few stops left on its nightly patrol before it could lay down to rest. With Ash gone, it had taken on the responsibility of making sure the reserve was safeguarded. This Kiawe visitor meant well, but he just didn't quite understand how things worked here. The earlier debacle with the food dispenser was proof enough.
As Lucario passed by the rock Pokémon area, it casually cast a glance to the side at its meditation circle. The small spot of flat dirt was surrounded by a perfectly round circle of three hundred fifty eight meticulously-placed, fist-sized stones. It was there that the aura Pokémon centered itself and found inner peace.
A subtle, satisfied smile pulled at Lucario's lips and it turned its gaze forward to its next destination, the main building. Three paces later, the fighting type stopped in its tracks. Its fur stood on end and its eyes widened. It turned its head back toward the meditation circle and focused its gaze. Something was very wrong!
Quick as a flash, Lucario dashed to the edge of the circle and began inspecting everything. All of the stones appeared to be in their proper places. The Aura Pokémon looked this way and that and then suddenly realized what was wrong. It leaned down, close to one of the stones and saw that it was ever-so-slightly in the wrong orientation. It had been turned and nudged just a little.
Lucario grunted in dismay and looked at the neighboring stones. Another, louder, grunt of dismay sounded as the stoic Pokémon saw that they too were out-of-position. Lucario scanned the entirety of the meditation circle and cried out in alarm as it realized that all of the stones were positioned incorrectly. It was WRONG! ALL OF IT WAS WRONG!
Lucario stood up straight, clinched its paws into fists and unleashed a furious howl. Surely it was those cursed Cinccino yet again! Those meddlesome neat freaks had done their tidying and ruined the perfect symmetry of his mental retreat!
Breathing rapidly through clinched teeth, Lucario quickly set about putting right the latest calamity on the reserve. It moved from stone to stone, carefully adjusting each one so it they were all as they were supposed to be.
Kiawe had forgotten about his dinner. Mimo had taken over the entirety of his attention. His hands were clinched into fists as he struggled to keep from shouting at his extremely obstinate, teenage, little sister.
"I told you Mimo, just let me take care of things in my own time!" he said in an animated fashion.
Mimo sat up in bed and used her left hand to brush her brown hair with bright yellow highlights behind her head. Kiawe still couldn't believe she'd colored her hair that way. He hoped it was just a phase.
"Ha!" the young girl retorted. "At your rate, you'll be old and grey before you finally get some play."
Kiawe gritted his teeth. Mimo had been so much more personable when she was younger and still innocent.
"You shouldn't just talk about stuff like that!" he huffed. "You're too young!"
Mimo made a face and partially stuck out her tongue while she mouthed Kiawe's words back at him. She then grinned and continued in a confident voice.
"Sorry big brother, but ol' mother nature says I am old enough!"
Kiawe glowered at his sibling but said nothing.
Mimo sniggered for a few seconds and then cocked her head to the side in a whimsical display. "Hey, did I tell you about Manu?" she said in a playful tone.
"Who's Manu?" Kiawe growled.
Mimo grinned broadly and then continued. "He's this boy at my school. He's on the swim team and he's really hot!"
Kiawe's fists clinched a bit tighter. "Mimo, you know mom and dad's rules about dating," he said through clinched teeth.
Mimo laughed again. "Who's talking about dating?! I just like looking at him!" she said energetically.
Kiawe relaxed a bit. Truth-be-told, he was terrified by his little sister's raging hormones. It was good to hear she was being somewhat responsible.
Mimo got a far-off look in her eyes. "I sit and watch all the boys on the swim team," she said. With a glint in her eye, she turned her gaze back toward Kiawe. "And then I use my imagination!" she added in a low, teasing voice.
Kiawe tensed back up.
Mimo sniggered for a few seconds and then continued. "You know, just like you like imagining yourself with‑"
"MIMO!" Kiawe shrieked, cutting her off.
Gengar finished setting up the last of the dominos and floated to the first in its series of elaborate contraptions. Sceptile looked on with skepticism while the smaller Pokémon all watched with awestruck expressions. The grass type asked in an offhand manner if the machinery would work as planned. Gengar excitedly rubbed its hands together and assured everyone that they were in for a treat.
With some over exaggerated movements, Gengar sauntered up to the first device and slowly dropped a single ball bearing into a funnel. The metallic sphere fell out of the funnel and plopped onto a spiraling ramp. As the sphere rolled downhill, it picked up speed until it finally launched off a ramp at the bottom.
The bearing flew through the air and smacked into an upright domino. The domino toppled and set off a series of similarly stacked dominos. Once two dozen of the wooden pieces fell, the last one smacked a small, spring-loaded lever which popped up, releasing a weight on fishing line.
All the Pokémon watched in awe as the weight fell and a bucket rose. As the bucket reached the top of the pulley, it hit a metal bar, causing the bucket to tip and a small toy car to start rolling down a ramp. The bucket completely flipped over, emptying its contents of pink glitter down onto the unsuspecting human below.
Some of the Pokémon watched the billowing cloud as it descended while other kept watching the toy car as it reached the end of the ramp and hit a large, red button, putting the next machine in motion.
Mino shifted on her bed yet again, grinning from ear-to-ear. She loved sticking it to her overly controlling big brother every time she got the chance.
"You know, I'm thinking of dying my hair all black," she posed in a playful tone.
Kiawe's eyes bugged out. "Don't you dare!" he shirked. "It's already bad enough what you did!"
Mimo sniggered. "Yeah, I know," she said in a dismissive voice. "I was hoping this yellow would get Manu's attention, but, no luck!"
Kiawe gritted his teeth and struggled to keep his emotions in-check. "Your hair was beautiful just the way it was," he said. "You don't need to keep changing it."
Mimo rolled her eyes. "Uh huh, sure," she said sarcastically. She narrowed her eyes and smirked naughtily. "Unlike you, big brother, I actually want to do something with my crush. Not just long for them endlessly with‑"
"MIMO!" Kiawe shouted. Any further reply was suddenly cut off as a huge shimmering, pink cloud descended on him from above. Mimo's eyebrows went up as she watched chaos unfold. She heard her brother shout in surprise and cough.
"Uh, big brother?" Mimo asked in puzzled uncertainty.
More shouting ensued and Mimo found it hard to see what was going on. She could make out the figure of her brother in the cloud, thrashing about. A few seconds later, what seemed to be small nets made out of String Shot fell from above. A couple of them wrapped around Kiawe, eliciting more shouts and thrashing.
Mimo shifted so she was lying on her stomach. She held her phone in her left hand and propped her chin up on her right. She looked on with a cynical expression.
"You've sure got things under control there, don't you?!" she said sarcastically.
Shouts and cries were the only response to Mimo's comments. The pink cloud started to dissipate, giving the girl in Alola a clear view when a Victreebel fell onto Kiawe's head and chomped down with a loud, wailing cry.
"AUGHHH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" the man from Alola shouted.
Mimo scrunched up her lips and sighed. She ended the call and tossed her phone aside. A second later, she grinned and grabbed her phone back. She tapped a few commands and a call was placed. Mimo shifted on the bed and lay down on her back, her head resting on a pillow. The phone connected and Mimo spoke in a supremely amused voice.
"Hey, Lana, you've never gonna guess what just happened!" she said with a grin.
Kiawe hadn't yet thought of a plan for how to remove the large boulders from the landslide area. After some grunting, pushing and struggling. Ash and Kiawe's Charizard had finally settled on an appropriate method of dealing with the overly, large rocks.
Bayleef and Unfezant sat on a ridge overlooking the site. The sun had set and the only light for the area was provided by a pile of huge logs the two fire types had stacked nearby and ignited. The two female Pokémon had a pile of Oran Berries between them and were slowly munching on them as they watched the two Charizard 'work.'
With a loud roar, Ash's Charizard reared back and then slammed its head into the top of a boulder. An incredible *CRACK!* sounded out from the impact and the rock partially broke apart. Ash's creature swayed on its feet for a second and then looked at Kiawe's beast. The second Charizard didn't hesitate and promptly performed its own head-slam into a different boulder.
Unfezant chomped down on an Oran berry and then asked Bayleef if the two fire types were using Iron Head to break the boulders.
Bayleef ate a berry and then shook her head. She replied that Charizard couldn't learn that move and that they were simply using their own strength.
Another couple of cracks rang out and another pair of berries were eaten. After a short while, Bayleef commented that she'd noticed the same sort of behavior among human men.
Unfezant nodded in agreement. She said how she thought it was silly that many guys thought they had to prove themselves in contests of strength against other men.
Bayleef agreed. Some more cracks rang out and then the grass type spoke up again. She said that she'd sometimes noticed the same behavior in women when it came to winning a mate.
At this, Unfezant was a little surprised. She asked Bayleef for an example.
Bayleef ate a berry and then told about how Serena was always dressing up nice and putting on a show for Ash. She explained that whenever any girl crossed her path, she subtly would do something to try and draw Ash's attention to herself.
Unfezant cocked her head to the side and looked dubious. She replied that she hadn't noticed that behavior in Serena.
Bayleef nodded and looked very confident. She insisted that Serena worked very hard to make sure that she was the only female in Ash's life. The grass type blushed slightly and then went on to say that Serena was sure to insist on mating with Ash the second she returned from Kalos as the newly crowned queen.
Unfezant rolled her eyes and shook her head. She told Bayleef that she was just letting her fantasies run wild now.
Bayleef shrugged indifferently and ate another berry. A couple more cracks rang out and the two females sat in silence for a short time.
Bayleef finally spoke up and said that she hoped Ash and Serena would get together sooner rather than later. She really wanted both of them to be happy. She also mentioned that this trip to Kalos by Serena was making her nervous.
Unfezant nodded in agreement but didn't say anything.
Another couple of cracks rang out and the two Charizard exchanged intense glares as they stood on unsteady legs. A few seconds later, their eyes rolled back in their heads and they collapsed flat on their backs.
Bayleef sighed and stood up. She said offhandedly that she'd been wondering when that would happen. She used her vines to gather in the remaining Oran berries and then invited Unfezant to join her in administrating a little first aid.
Lucario let out a deep sigh and fully relaxed. The night was finally quiet; the strange cracking sound had stopped; Ka-we-we was nowhere to be found and all three hundred fifty eight stones of the meditation circle were exactly where they needed to be.
It had been a crazy day, but all was now as it should be. The aura Pokémon sat cross-legged in the center of the circle and enjoyed the lovely sensation of inner peace.