The dust completely settled.
Brock stood at the other end of the field, quietly watching his fallen Onix, silent for several seconds.
Then, he let out a long, slow breath.
The expression on his face gradually transformed from shock and bewilderment to a sense of… relief and acceptance.
"Sigh..."
It was his characteristic sigh again.
He shook his head, walked forward, and recalled Onix into its poké ball.
"You worked hard, Onix. Get some good rest."
Turning around, he looked at Roy. His squinted eyes had returned to their usual appearance, but deep within them was a hint of emotion and admiration.
"I lost."
"I lost fair and square."
"Whether it's that incredible Pikachu, or this... overpowered Pidgeotto, and you."
As he spoke, he took out an exquisite small box from his Huai, and opened it.
Inside lay an octagonal grey badge, with rock-like patterns on its edges and a steady deep grey in the center.
"This is the grey badge of the Pewter Gym."
Brock solemnly took out the Badge and handed it to Roy.
"You earned it with true strength. Not just strength, but also that keen insight into weaknesses, and the decisiveness to execute tactics without hesitation. You are a truly remarkable Trainer."
Roy reached out and took it.
The Badge felt cool to the touch, with the unique texture of rock.
"Congratulations! Roy!"
Misty immediately skipped over, her face beaming with undisguised happiness.
She reached out and patted Roy's shoulder, not lightly.
"First Badge, get! Although it was a rookie playstyle, it was still pretty good."
She lifted her chin, her tone taking on that familiar tsundere flair again.
"But~ there's still a long way to go! The Indigo League requires eight Badges to enter, you know!"
"You're only one-eighth of the way there. Remember your little goal"
She deliberately drew out her words, her beautiful eyes sparkling with mischief.
"You're still far from your grand ideal of 'becoming Champion'!"
Delia also walked over gently at this moment.
She looked at the grey badge in Roy's palm, her eyes filled with relief and joy.
Hearing Misty's words, she naturally interjected, her voice soft but firm:
"It's alright. No matter how long the road, I'll walk it with Roy."
Her gaze fell on Roy's profile, the tenderness and trust in her eyes almost overflowing.
Misty immediately turned her head and made a face at Delia.
"Sister Delia! You spoil him too much!"
"If you keep indulging him like this, he'll become lazy, complacent, and unmotivated!"
"Trainers can't always stay in a comfort zone!"
As she spoke, she even deliberately puffed out her budding chest, striking a pose like a senior who was 'doing this for your own good'.
Delia tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion and bewilderment on her face.
"Ah? Is that so? I just... spoke my heart."
She looked at Roy, her eyes clear.
"Oh dear~ you just can't spoil him too much..."
Misty started chattering again about the Trainer path she had figured out.
Brock watched the natural interaction between the three of them from the side, especially Delia's wholehearted trust and companionship towards Roy, and a deep envy involuntarily showed in his eyes.
He shook his head with a bitter smile.
"What an enviable team atmosphere... and a clear goal to pursue."
He sighed, looking towards the faint sounds of his younger siblings playing from the back of the Gym.
"Me... I can barely find enough time to deeply study the preparation of Pokémon feed in my spare time."
"The Gym needs to be managed, my younger siblings need to be taken care of, three meals a day, daily routines... Sigh."
His tone carried a hint of imperceptible fatigue and longing.
Just then.
Roy suddenly raised his voice, as if asking casually, but his gaze flickered towards the entrance of the Gym.
"Oh? Don't your parents help out at home? It must be tough to carry the burden of so many children all by yourself."
Brock paused slightly at his words, and subconsciously began to speak:
"My father..."
Before he could finish.
"Brock!!!"
A loud shout, full of vigor yet clearly trembling with emotion, exploded from the Gym entrance.
Everyone looked towards the sound.
Flint, who had been silent, finally couldn't hold back.
He took off the old hat he always wore, and tidied his hair, trying to make Brock recognize him.
Brock froze.
His squinted eyes stared intently at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure at the entrance.
Flint strode in, his gaze sweeping over the messy battleground, finally Lock-On on his eldest son, Brock.
He took a deep breath, walked up to Brock, and his voice was heavy and clear:
"Brock... it's me."
"I'm back."
"I'm sorry... for all these years, I left the Gym, my younger siblings, and all the heavy burdens to you alone."
Flint's voice was choked with emotion, and he rubbed his face hard.
"I... I wasn't a good father, nor a good Gym Leader."
"But starting today, I swear, I will stay! I will shoulder the responsibilities I should bear! I'll help you manage the Gym, and I'll learn to take good care of our younger siblings!"
"Give me... give me a chance to make amends, son!"
He reached out, seemingly wanting to pat Brock's shoulder, but then stopped timidly in mid-air.
The Gym was silent.
His younger siblings in the stands also leaned over the railing, watching the scene with curiosity and bewilderment.
The anticipated dramatic scene of father and son embracing, shedding tears, and shouting reconciliation did not occur.
Brock just quietly looked at Flint for a full ten seconds.
Then.
He took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
The expression on his face rapidly transformed from initial shock to a sense of... relieved calm, and even more pronounced fatigue.
He raised a hand and rubbed his brow.
"Alright, Dad, welcome back."
Then, under Flint's somewhat helpless gaze, Brock turned around and began to speak in a steady and fast tone, pointing towards the stands.
"Taking care of the younger siblings isn't simple, you know."
"First, that's Jiro, he's eight years old this year. He needs to be called at least three times to wake up in the morning, but he can dress himself. He likes sweets, but you can't give him too much, especially at night, or he'll cry about a toothache."
"To the left of Saburo is Mimi. She's been a bit picky lately; she'll only eat carrots if they're finely chopped and mixed into mashed potatoes."
"To the right is..."
"The bedroom assignments on the second floor are..."
"For the daily maintenance of the Gym, you need to check the stability of the rock walls every Monday and Thursday, ground cracks must be filled promptly, and skill marks need to be cleaned with a special..."
"League paperwork reports are due by the fifth of each month, the format is in the second drawer on the left..."
"The family's ore business requires..."
"The school parent-teacher conference schedule for the younger siblings is posted on the refrigerator..."
"…"
Brock spoke in a steady, clear, and meticulous manner, like a precise instrument outputting data.
Flint initially tried hard to listen, but soon became flustered, frantically searching for paper and a pen.
"Wait, wait a minute! Brock! Speak slower! I... I'll write it down! Pen! Paper!"
He almost tripped over himself, clumsily fumbling in his pockets, finally pulling out a crumpled small notebook and a half-pencil, and began to record, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Jiro... call three times... sweets... toothache... Mimi... carrots... mashed potatoes..."
He wrote quickly, his handwriting messy, and kept murmuring repetitions.
His flustered yet earnest desire to remember everything diluted the heavy atmosphere, lending it a touch of humor instead.
Misty couldn't help but let out a giggle, quickly covering her mouth.
Delia also covered her lips with a gentle smile, her eyes tender.
Roy watched this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips.
At the same time.
[Ding! The task to awaken Flint has been completed!]
[Task Reward: Everstone, has been placed in the System Backpack.]
[Ding! Pewter Gym Challenge (Type-Advantage Version) has been completed!]
[Task Reward: Exquisite metal coat, has been placed in the System Backpack.]
Two consecutive system prompts sounded in his mind.
Roy's heart settled.
Both tasks were successfully completed.
Especially the arrival of the "Exquisite metal coat" brought him considerable joy.
This item was a genuine hard currency in this world, with extremely high economic value, typically selling for over a million alliance coins on the market.
For ordinary Trainers, this was practically becoming rich overnight.
However, Roy wasn't particularly short on money at the moment.
More importantly, in this world where Pokémon power determined everything, as long as a Pokémon's combat strength increased, money, resources, and status would naturally converge.
Therefore, what Roy valued was the combat power represented by this "Exquisite metal coat"!
Whether it was used for existing Steel-type Pokémon to greatly enhance their physical strength and the power of Steel-type moves;
Or for the evolution of specific Pokémon.
For example, evolving Scyther into the more agile and powerful Scizor;
Or evolving Onix into Steelix, which possesses both rock and steel bodies and terrifying physical defense!
The latter, in particular, made Roy's heart pound.
And in his mind, he already had two excellent "candidates":
One is the rumored leader of the "Giant Onix" in Mt. Moon, whose size far surpasses its peers! Its innate foundation and potential are bound to be astonishing!
The second is the unique "Crystal Onix" from the Orange Islands, whose body is made of crystal! Its type might be special, and its form is definitely rare; evolving it could very likely lead to unexpected mutations!
Both of these are targets he must capture in his future plans!
The Exquisite metal coat is one of the keys prepared for them!
Just as Roy was secretly calculating the best use for the metal coat.
[Ding! Series Achievement Quest - Type-Advantage Master, has been activated!]
A new system prompt sounded without warning!
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully defeating Pewter Gym Leader Brock in a Type-Advantage manner, activating the hidden series achievement "Type-Advantage Master"!]
[Task Requirement: During the process of acquiring the eight Gym Badges required to participate in the Indigo League, at least three Badges must be obtained through a "Type-Advantage Challenge."]
[Task Reward: Supreme Mega Evolution Key Stone ×1.]
[Reward Description: This Key Stone is of extremely high quality, with stable and abundant energy. It can simultaneously activate the Mega Evolution form for up to three Pokémon that have been bound to their corresponding Mega Stones!]
[Special Warning: The more Mega Evolution forms activated, the greater the mental burden on the Trainer. Please proceed according to your own capabilities, as overuse may lead to mental shock.]
Roy's heart stirred.
Oh-ho?
He originally just wanted a higher quality metal coat, but unexpectedly triggered a series achievement quest?
System, are you forcing me down this "evil path" of a "Type-Advantage Master" to the very end?
But... this quest reward!
A Supreme Mega Evolution Key Stone!
And a top-tier item that can simultaneously support three Pokémon in Mega Evolution!
Roy immediately thought of his task regarding the "Charizard Mega Stone."
He had originally thought that even if he obtained the Mega Stone, he would have to wait until later, when he traveled to the Kalos region or had a stroke of luck, to access the power of Mega Evolution.
Now, the Key Stone has arrived early!
Is this telling me to show off Mega Evolution at the Indigo League Conference?
Using power from a future version to "dimensionally attack" the current Indigo League?
Three-Body Problem people beating primitives?
Just imagine the shocked expressions of those opponents when Charizard or other Pokémon suddenly change form and their power skyrockets during a battle... hmm... it seems... quite exciting!
Alright!
Let's do it!
Since the system has paved the way, I won't be polite!
From now on, I will walk this broad road of a "Type-Advantage Master" all the way to the end!
With a slight shift in his thoughts, he decisively accepted this series quest.
After accepting the quest, Roy no longer disturbed Flint and Brock, who had entered a state of "work handover."
Brock was still talking incessantly, and Flint had already filled several pages, sweating profusely, but listening incredibly intently.
Roy nodded at Brock, as a farewell.
Brock also temporarily stopped his narration, returning a look of gratitude and blessing.
Roy turned around, and with Delia and Misty, quietly left the Pewter Gym, which had just experienced a special challenge.
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