With their special training concluded, the two of them entered Pewter City.
On their way to the Pokémon Center, a stall caught Ash's attention. It was filled with stones of various colors and shapes. Behind it stood a middle-aged man wearing a wide-brimmed hat, his face covered in the dust of travel and his eyes reflecting a deep, world-weary sorrow.
"Come take a look! Rare stones from every region! You might just find the key stone to trigger your Pokémon's evolution!"
Misty cast a cursory glance and showed little interest. "Another stone vendor? Pewter City is full of stalls like this."
Ash, however, came to a halt.
He sensed a temperament in this stall owner that was entirely different from a common merchant—a steady, grounded aura associated with the earth and rock. Though masked by his down-and-out appearance, his essence was extraordinary.
Coupled with his knowledge of the original story, Ash recognized this man: Flint, the father of Brock and Forrest.
In the original series, when Ash first challenged the gym, Flint had been kind enough to help Ash's Pikachu undergo special training to master Thunderbolt. He had left quite a favorable impression.
But this time, with Ash's own guidance, Pikachu had not only mastered Thunderbolt and Thunder ahead of schedule, but his practice with Iron Tail and Electro Ball was also becoming increasingly proficient.
Ash walked up to the stall, his gaze sweeping over the stones before he picked up an Everstone that looked plain but contained a faint, hidden energy. He turned to Flint and said, "Boss, this stone is very interesting. It looks ordinary, but it possesses the power to prevent internal energy from leaking, maintaining its essence without change.
Sometimes, by being too obsessed with external transformations, one might ignore internal tempering and accumulation. Much like those who seem to have left home perhaps their hearts never truly strayed, and they have been silently protecting what matters most in their own way."
Flint's originally listless eyes suddenly snapped into focus upon hearing Ash's words. He scrutinized the youth before him; the boy's words seemed to carry a double meaning that struck a chord deep within his soul.
Ash didn't say more. He paid for the Everstone and smiled at Flint. "Thank you for the stone. Perhaps one day, it will remind me of certain important truths." With that, he and Misty departed.
Flint gripped the Everstone, watching Ash's retreating figure in silence for a long time, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
After resting for a night at the Pewter City Pokémon Center and adjusting their condition to the peak, Ash and Misty arrived before a building constructed like an altar of grey rock the Pewter Gym.
As they pushed open the heavy doors, they found the gym dimly lit, with only a single beam of light striking the center of the battlefield. A dark-skinned youth with his arms crossed and a serious expression was already waiting there. It was the Gym Leader, Brock.
"I am Brock of the Pewter Gym," the youth's voice was steady. "Challenger, the rules are two-on-two. Only the challenger is permitted to swap Pokémon. Do you understand?"
"Understood!" Ash stepped forward, his eyes sharp. "I'm Ash from Pallet Town. Let's have a good match!"
Misty moved to the spectator stands, watching nervously.
"Then, let the match begin!" Forrest, acting as the referee, waved his flags.
"Go, Geodude!" Brock was the first to send out his Pokémon.
A round, stony body with two powerful fists it was the classic Rock-type opening.
Ash had already formulated his strategy. "For the first battle, I choose you, Butterfree!"
A flash of light appeared, and the beautiful Butterfree fluttered gracefully into the arena.
"Butterfree? A Bug and Flying-type is double-weak to Rock," Brock frowned slightly. "Ash, are you looking down on me?"
"On the contrary," Ash smiled confidently, "I believe in Butterfree's abilities! Butterfree, take to the sky and use Sleep Powder!"
Butterfree ascended elegantly, its wings flapping to release a shimmering mist of Sleep Powder that drifted down toward Geodude.
"Geodude, use Harden, then get out of range with Rollout!" Brock commanded calmly. Geodude's body flashed with a metallic sheen as its defense rose, and it quickly curled into a ball, attempting to roll out of the powder's reach.
But under Ash's special training, Butterfree's control over its powder had become pinpoint accurate! The range of the Sleep Powder was perfectly calculated. Though Geodude rolled fast, it was still caught by the edge of the mist. Its movements immediately slowed as it became drowsy.
"Now's our chance! Confusion, pin it down!" Ash seized the timing.
Butterfree's eyes glowed with a blue light. A powerful surge of Confusion instantly enveloped the drowsy Geodude, yanking it forcefully out of its rolling state and suspending it in mid-air!
"What?!" Brock was shocked. He hadn't expected this Butterfree's Confusion to be so potent!
"That's it! Slam it into the rocks at the edge of the field!" Ash ordered. Following the command, Butterfree used its mental grip to hurl Geodude violently against a stone pillar on the sidelines!
Boom! Rocks shattered and flew! It was super effective!
"Geodude!" Brock shouted.
Geodude crashed to the ground, struggling to move, clearly heavily damaged.
"Finish it with Gust!" Ash didn't give his opponent a moment to breathe. This was his combat style once a flaw was exposed, he would strike relentlessly.
Butterfree whipped up a powerful wind, blowing the unsteady Geodude off its feet once more.
Geodude hit the ground, its eyes spinning in circles, completely incapacitated.
"Geodude is unable to battle! Butterfree wins!" Forrest announced.
Misty pumped her fist excitedly from the sidelines. "Incredible! He used Sleep Powder and Confusion to overcome the type disadvantage!"
Brock recalled Geodude, his expression becoming even more solemn. "It seems I truly cannot afford to be careless. You commanded brilliantly, Ash. However, the next one won't be so simple! Go, Onix!"
A massive shadow appeared accompanied by a heavy thud. It was the titan of the Rock-type Onix!
Its body, composed of giant boulders, exerted immense pressure just by standing there.
Ash's expression turned serious. This was Brock's ace, the Pokémon that could one day undergo Mega Evolution as a Steelix!
"Come back, Butterfree." Ash recalled the somewhat exhausted Butterfree. He knew that Butterfree could not go head-to-head with Onix's defense and raw power.
"Next, I choose you, Scyther!"
A green figure flashed into the arena, its razor-sharp scythes glinting coldly in the dim light.
"Scyther? Bug-type moves are not very effective against Rock-types, but its speed and attack power are indeed a threat," Brock analyzed. "Onix, use Rock Throw!"
Onix roared, swinging its tail to send countless boulders raining down from above, covering a large portion of the field.
"Scyther, use your speed to dodge! Get close and use Fury Cutter!" Ash commanded.
Scyther transformed into a streak of green lightning, weaving effortlessly through the dense rain of boulders and rapidly approaching Onix!
"Not that easy! Onix, use Tackle!"
Onix's massive frame lunged forward! But Scyther was incredibly agile, dodging the impact with a sharp side-slide. Simultaneously, the blades on its arms glowed with white light, and its Fury Cutter struck Onix's body like a torrential rain!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
However, Onix's stone hide possessed immense defense. Although the Fury Cutter landed, the damage was limited.
"Roar!" Onix cried out in pain, becoming even more enraged.
"Onix, Bind it!" Brock sought to restrict Scyther's speed.
Onix twisted its long body, attempting to coil its massive frame around Scyther.
"Jump, Scyther! Aim for its head with X-Scissor!" Ash saw the opening.
Scyther leaped high, evading the coiling body. Hovering above, it crossed its arms into an 'X' shape, glowing with brilliant white light as it hacked down toward Onix's head! This was its most powerful Bug-type move!
"Don't you dare! Onix, use Harden!" Brock shouted hastily.
A metallic sheen flashed over Onix's head as its defense surged! The X-Scissor slammed into it with a dull thud. Although it caused damage, it wasn't a one-hit knockout.
"Crap!" Ash thought.
Upon landing, Scyther suffered a brief moment of stiffness.
"Now! Onix, use Bind!" Brock capitalized on the opening.
Onix spun around rapidly, its long tail sweeping across and tightly coiling around the stiffened Scyther!
"Scyther!" Ash cried out. Restrained by Onix's power, the situation was dire!
"It's over! Onix, throw it out!" Brock ordered.
"Not yet!" Ash thought quickly and shouted, "Scyther, use Slash against the ground and Onix's body! Use the recoil to break free!"
The tightly bound Scyther heard the command, a green light flashing in its eyes as it drove its scythes downward with all its might! The Slash didn't just cut into Onix; the resulting counter-force gave it just enough leverage!
"Now! Break free with everything you've got!"
Using the moment Onix's grip loosened from the pain, Scyther erupted with its full strength and tore itself away from the Bind! However, its stamina was heavily drained, and it sank to one knee, panting.
"Remarkable adaptability," Brock praised sincerely, though the battle wasn't over. "Onix, finish this with Tackle!"
Onix charged once more!
Ash watched the exhausted Scyther and the incoming Onix, his mind racing. Brute force wouldn't work; he had to use his wits! His eyes swept the field and suddenly landed on the shattered stone fragments left behind when Geodude was slammed by Confusion earlier!
That was it!
"Scyther, don't take it head-on! Roll to the front left to dodge, then aim for the largest piece of rubble to your right and use Slash!"
Though Scyther was confused, it executed the command without hesitation. It rolled nimbly to avoid the charge and slammed its scythe into the large stone fragment!
Bang! The rubble shattered into dozens of smaller pieces, spraying in all directions!
"Now! With your maximum speed, use those flying stones as bullets! Use Fury Cutter to strike them all toward Onix's eyes and joints!" Ash barked an incredibly precise command!
Scyther instantly understood Ash's intent! Its scythes became a blur of afterimages. The Fury Cutter was no longer aimed at the enemy's body, but precisely struck the flying stone fragments! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Countless stones shot toward Onix like bullets! Most hit the rocky hide to no effect, but several struck Onix's relatively fragile eyes and the connective joints between its boulders with perfect accuracy!
"ROAR!!!" Onix let out a howl of agony. Its vision obscured and its movements distorted by the strikes to its joints, its momentum died instantly as it shook its head in pain.
"The match is decided! Scyther, give it the final X-Scissor!" Ash seized this decisive opportunity!
Scyther shot forward like an arrow, condensing its final reserves of strength into an X-Scissor that struck Onix's lowered head with pinpoint precision!
Boom! Onix's massive body crashed heavily to the ground, completely unable to battle.
The gym fell into a heavy silence before Forrest's voice rang out: "O-Onix is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is the challenger, Ash!"
"We did it! We won!" Ash rushed into the arena, high-fiving the exhausted but jubilant Scyther.
Misty ran over as well, her face beaming with joy. "That was spectacular! Using the rubble at the end was so smart!"
Brock recalled Onix and walked over to Ash. A smile replaced his previously stern expression. "That was a magnificent battle, Ash. You didn't just utilize your Pokémon's traits to the fullest; you demonstrated superior tactical intelligence and a deep bond with your Pokémon. This Boulder Badge is yours. You've earned it."
He handed a rock-like badge to Ash.
"Thank you, Brock!" Ash took his first badge, his heart racing with excitement.
[Ding! Host has obtained the Pewter Gym Boulder Badge, completing an important milestone. Reward: 500 Realm Origin points.]
[Ding! Host has won a Gym Battle with exquisite tactics and earned the high recognition of Pewter Gym Leader Brock. Reward: 200 Realm Origin points.]
[Current Realm Origin: 2200 points.]
The system's rewards followed immediately.
With his first victory secured and a wealth of Realm Origin in hand, Ash's journey had taken its first solid step forward.
"Thank you, Brock!" Ash held his first badge, deeply moved.
In the next chapter, Brock joins the team.
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