Pokemon: Ash's Yellow Rodent 04

To answer SoulfulGinger17's questions... About the starters, well, it's another question where, if I say anything, I'd just spoil the story. As for Brockisms... I don't know what you mean by 'Brockisms'. You mean like his personality traits such as flirting with pretty girls? If that's what you mean, well... you'll see.

The following chapter is actually much longer than usual. In fact, I'd say it's twice as long as any previous chapter.

Chapter 4: Brock and Roll

During the following days, Ash traveled through Viridian Forest, on his way towards Pewter City. Along the way, he fought several trainers that were more or less like the Bug Catcher he fought on his first day in the forest. After several days of walking and fighting, the trainer noticed a sign in front of him. The boy ran towards the sign and read it. "Welcome to Pewter City" was written on that sign. Ash grinned as he looked behind the sign and noticed the aforementioned city.

"Yes! We did it, Pikachu! And we're getting closer to our first badge!" the trainer exclaimed in excitement.

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon nodded.

The trainer walked past the sign and headed towards the Pokémon Center. His Pokémon needed to get their health back after having several fights during all this time in the forest. Ash arrived next to the counter.

"Hello? Is there anyone?" the boy asked out loud, looking for whoever was working there.

"I'm coming." A female voice said. "I'm guessing you want your Pokémon to be in good health, right?"

"That's ri..."

Ash stopped talking when he turned to look at whoever just talked and his eyes widened in shock. In front of him was none other than Nurse Joy.

"Huh!? N-Nurse Joy?"

"Yes, that's me. Do I know you?" she asked.

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked, confused. "I thought you already worked at Viridian City."

"Oh!" she said before smiling as she realized what was going on. "The Nurse Joy you've seen in Viridian City is my sister."

"Oh." The trainer said, understanding the situation. "I see. So... She's your twin sister?"

"No, she's younger than me by two years. Speaking of, I have a family picture in my wallet."

Joy took her wallet from her pocket and showed a picture to Ash. The latter looked at it. His jaw then literally dropped on the floor as he realized the whole picture was filled with several Nurse Joys on it. The only thing that seemed different about any of them was the color of the cross on their hat.

"So... many... Nurse Joys..." the boy said, shocked to see how much identical to each other they all looked like.

"Some of them are my sisters, others are my cousins, while a few others are my aunts." Joy explained. She noticed Ash's reaction and giggled. "Many people have a similar reaction to yours when they see how much we all look the same."

"Hum... Not to be insulting or anything, but... you're sure you're not all just clones of one Nurse Joy?"

"No, far from it." she replied with a smile. "So, you're here for your Pokémon?"

"Huh? Oh! Right."

The boy put his three Poké Balls on the counter before grabbing Pikachu and putting him on the counter as well.

"Very well. This should only take a few minutes." Joy said before grabbing all three Poké Balls and Pikachu.

Ash stood there for a few seconds until he noticed a phone next to him.

"Hmm... I should call Professor Oak."

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Meanwhile, in Oak's laboratory, the old man was drinking some tea.

"Ah..." he said after drinking some of it. "There's nothing better than having some tea to relax."

Suddenly, his phone started ringing. Oak stood up, walked towards the phone and answered it. Ash then appeared on the screen.

"Hi, Professor!" the trainer said, waving at him.

"Ah! Hello, Ash!" Oak replied, pleased to talk with the boy. "How is your journey as a Pokémon Trainer so far?"

"Fine. The first day was rough, but the following days have been going well. I've managed to capture three Pokémon!"

"That's pretty good, my boy. Where are you now?"

"I'm at Pewter City. I hope I'll be able to get my first badge there." Ash replied.

"Pewter City... Ah, yes. Gary called me two days ago to say he won a badge there. He's already on his way to Cerulean City." Oak said.

Soon after, Ash looked down in pitifulness.

"He's already ahead of me..." the boy said in a sad tone.

"Don't be so sad like that. He's got a car. You walk on foot. He certainly has an advantage when it comes to traveling around, but that doesn't mean you've got anything less than him. If you had a car, who knows if you would have been able to win a badge there before him." The old man said, reassuring Ash.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The trainer said as he stopped looking down.

"Although, I do find it odd that you're hoping to get your first badge in Pewter City. Your mom told me you've been in Viridian City and they have a gym there."

"Yeah, but the Gym Leader was absent. Some old man told me he may not come back for days, weeks, or even months." Ash explained.

"Absent?" Oak asked, arching an eyebrow. "Huh. That's strange. Usually, when a Gym Leader is absent, he always gets someone else to replace him."

"Really?" Ash asked, puzzled. "That's weird."

"I'll probably investigate on this and see if there's any particular reason why the Gym Leader from Viridian City didn't get someone to replace him. Or her. Even I don't know if it's a man or a woman, as I've never met that Gym Leader."

"Thanks for looking into it. Oh! By the way, Professor, there's something I have to tell you." Ash said. "Several days ago, while I was in a Pokémon Center, I saw this strange Pokémon flying in the sky, covered in a golden aura. However, my Pokédex wasn't able to identify it. And then, it disappeared into who-knows-where."

"Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"

"I'm sure! Even Pikachu saw it!"

Oak stroked his chin as he pondered for a bit.

"Hmm... It's quite hard to believe this ever happened to you... but not THAT hard."

"What do you mean?" the trainer asked.

"Well, I have the feeling what you might have seen was a legendary Pokémon that hasn't been named yet. Some people claimed to have seen such Pokémon. For example, some have seen Articuno, others have seen Zapdos, while some others have seen Moltres. Most of the time, they said they met then when they weren't expecting it. It is rare for anyone to be able to see a legendary Pokémon, but it's not impossible." The old man explained.

"So... I was able to see what few people were only able to see?"

"Possibly."

"Woo-ooh!" Ash cheered. "It's so great to hear!" he then looked at his watch before realizing it must be time for him to get his Pokémon. "Oh! I have to go now, Professor. I'll talk to you at another time."

"Very well. Good luck on your journey!"

"Bye!" the boy said before hanging up the phone.

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A few minutes later, Ash exited the Pokémon Center, with Pikachu on his right shoulder. Suddenly, the boy heard his stomach growling.

"Oh..." he said, rubbing his stomach sheepishly. "I guess it's time to get some food."

"Pika."

It didn't take long before Ash found a nearby restaurant. This one was a fast-food one, with hamburgers, hot-dogs, etc. The trainer licked his mouth as he looked at the pictures of the various foods on the counter.

"What can I do for you?" the female cashier at the counter asked him.

"Well... I'm gonna take two hot-dogs please." Ash replied, rubbing his hands hungrily before taking his wallet from his pocket.

"Very well, sir."

Soon after, Ash was sitting at a table, looking eagerly at the plate of hot-dogs in front of him. Pikachu was sitting on the opposite of the table, waiting for his trainer to have eaten. The boy looked at the condiments (ketchup, mustard, and relish) on his left. Without hesitation, Ash grabbed the ketchup bottle and started putting it on his hot-dogs. After that, the trainer put the ketchup bottle on the table, while also accidentally causing some drops of ketchup to fall near his plate. Noticing the ketchup drops on the table, Pikachu looked at it curiously before climbing on the table. He sniffed the ketchup drops, getting their scent. The Pokémon then licked one drop. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at the ketchup.

"PIKA!"

The rodent grabbed the nearby ketchup bottle and started drinking it. Ash's eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey, Ms.! How much for the ketchup bottle?" the trainer asked the cashier.

"Huh? Wait... You wanna buy that bottle?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah, my Pikachu seems to like it very much. How much for the whole bottle?"

She arched an eyebrow at him as she seemed to hesitate.

"Hum... Give me one moment."

The cashier left and went to see the manager of the restaurant. She explained to him what was going on.

"Wait... He wants to buy one of the ketchup bottles we have on the table?" the manager asked, confused.

"Yes. He wants to buy it because his Pokémon likes it a lot." The cashier said.

The manager stared at her in disbelief.

"Well... Tell him it's worth 3 bucks." He said, shrugging.

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After a while, Ash finished eating his hot-dogs. He then put the ketchup bottle he bought from the restaurant in his backpack.

"Pikachu, I promise you to buy a few more ketchup bottles after my gym battle." The trainer said to his friend on his shoulder.

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon exclaimed, eagerly.

Suddenly, the trainer accidentally bumped into someone else.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

Ash looked at whoever he bumped into and realized it was some boy wearing a boy-scout outfit.

"Who do you think you are for bumping into me like that!?" the boy-scout exclaimed in annoyance.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Ash replied, apologizing. "I was just on my way to the gym."

"The gym? You mean you want to fight Brock?" the kid asked.

"Brock?"

"Yeah, he's the gym leader in town. And looking at you, I can tell there's no way you can beat him." The boy-scout said, in a pretentious tone.

"What!? Say that again." Ash said, frowning at him.

"You heard right. I doubt you'd be able to get his badge. Heck, I bet you can't even beat me at all!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, let's settle this right now!" the trainer exclaimed. "Let's do a Pokémon fight!"

"Alright, but I'm warming you that you can't defeat a Jr. Trainer such as myself." The boy-scout said.

"We'll see about that." The boy from Pallet Town said, with determination in his eyes.

A few minutes later, both trainers were on a deserted field, having enough space to fight without disturbing anyone else living in Pewter City.

"We're gonna use two Pokémon each. I'll start first. Go, Diglett!" the Jr. Trainer exclaimed as he threw a Poké Ball.

Some creature appeared in front of him. It looked like a brown-skinned worm, with a round pink nose and black beady eyes. Its head was the only thing coming out of the ground. Ash took his Pokédex to scan the Pokémon.

"Diglett. Ground-type Pokémon. With the exception of its head, its body is always underground."

"I see. Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!" the electric-type nodded before going in front of his trainer and getting ready to fight.

"Interesting choice." The Jr. Trainer said, smirking. "Diglett, use Scratch!"

"Diglett!"

The ground-type burrowed its way until it arrived next to Pikachu and scratched him with pointy rocks. The electric-type screamed in pain at that.

"Pikachu! Use Thundershock!" Ash ordered.

"Pika-CHUUUUUUU!"

Ash's Pokémon electrocuted the worm-looking Pokémon. However, the latter didn't seem to be hurt that much.

"Alright, Diglett. Use Scratch again!" the Jr. Trainer exclaimed.

"Diglett!"

The ground-type once again used that same attack on Pikachu. This time, however, it was too much for the rodent as Pikachu fell down, unable to continue the fight.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he ran towards his Pokémon, knelt down, and grabbed him in his arms. "Are you alright?"

"Pika..." he said in a weak tone.

"You've still got one more Pokémon to use. Choose wisely." The Jr. Trainer said, still smirking.

Ash walked backwards a few feet until he put Pikachu on the ground and grabbed a Poké Ball from his pocket.

"Go, Nidoran!"

The poison-type Pokémon appeared in front of Ash, getting ready to fight the Diglett.

"Nidoran, use Scratch!"

"Nia!"

Nidoran ran towards the Diglett used her claws to scratch it.

"Scratch her as well, Diglett!" Ash's opponent exclaimed.

"Diglett!"

The ground-type Pokémon used that same attack to hurt Nidoran.

"Use Scratch again, Nidoran!" the boy from Pallet Town exclaimed.

"Nia nia!" Nidoran exclaimed as she leapt at Diglett and scratched it again.

"Scratch one more time, Diglett!" the Jr. Trainer ordered.

With one more use of that attack, Diglett sent Nidoran falling on her back.

"Nidoran!" Ash exclaimed at that sight. Reluctantly, the boy from Pallet Town took his Poké Ball from his pocket. "Nidoran, come back."

In one instant, the poison-type Pokémon went back inside her Poké Ball.

"Diglett, come back." The Jr. Trainer said as his Pokémon came back inside its Poké ball as well. "Better luck next time, loser!" the Jr. Trainer exclaimed as he left.

Ash gritted his teeth as he watched his opponent leaving.

"This ain't over..." the boy from Pallet Town said to himself.

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After healing Pikachu and Nidoran, Ash went back inside the forest. The electric-type Pokémon, once again sitting on his trainer's shoulder, looked curiously at the boy, having no idea what they were gonna do.

"Pika-pi?"

"Here's what we're gonna do, Pikachu. We're gonna train in the forest until I feel like you and the others are ready to take on any opponent. Are you ready?" the trainer asked.

"Pikachu!" the electric-type nodded with determination.

"Good!"

Suddenly, a wild Pidgey appeared in front of them.

"That should be a good start." Ash said. "Pikachu, let's show that Pidgey you're the best."

"Pika!"

For an entire afternoon, Ash used his four Pokémon against wild ones in order to train them. Soon enough, it was getting late as the boy's stomach growled, making him realize it was time to eat.

"Okay, Pikachu. Let's go back to the city and find a restaurant." Ash said to his friend.

"Pika!" the Pokémon nodded enthusiastically, especially since he wanted to eat ketchup again.

Suddenly, Ash heard some noises as another Pokémon arrived next to them. It looked like a purple-furred rat with white fur on its stomach. It also had red eyes, large teeth and a tail that was curled at the end. The boy took his Pokédex to identify it.

"Rattata. Normal-type Pokémon. It bites anything with its fangs." The Pokédex said.

Ash looked at the Rattata and smirked.

"You know what? I may have time for one more fight." Ash turned his hat backwards before throwing a Poké Ball. "Nidoran, I choose you!"

"Nia!" Nidoran said as she appeared in front of the Rattata.

"Nidoran, use Double Kick!"

"Nia!"

"Rattata!" the purple-furred one exclaimed as Nidoran jumped in the air, turned around twice in a row, and hit it with both of her feet.

The Rattata was thrown away backwards, landing on its back. The wild Pokémon seemed too dazed to continue fighting. Immediately, Ash grabbed another Poké Ball and threw it at the Rattata. The latter turned into red light and disappeared inside the device. The Poké Ball shook around on the ground until its center stopped being red. The boy grabbed the Poké Ball and held it in the air.

"I captured a Rattata! Woo-ooh!" Ash cheered in victory.

"Pi-Pikachu!" the electric-type exclaimed.

The trainer then knelt down next to Nidoran and petted her on the head.

"You did a great job, Nidoran. I'm so proud of you." Ash said, smiling at her.

"Nia nia!" she said, smiling as well.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Nidoran was covered by a bright white light. At first shocked to see that, Ash looked in awe as his Pokémon seemed to change physically. Several seconds later, the light disappeared, revealing Nidoran's new form. She looked slightly larger. She lost the horn on her forehead, her front teeth and her whiskers. She looked more turquoise than before and she was even standing on her hinder legs. Ash smiled widely at that.

"You evolved!" he exclaimed before hugging her.

"Nidorina!" she said, hugging him back.

After they stopped hugging, Ash took his Pokédex once again.

"Nidorina. Poison-type Pokémon. Evolved form of the female Nidoran. She prefers to use attacks such as clawing or biting."

Ash then smirked as he realized he may have a chance to defeat that Jr. Trainer the next time he'll meet him.

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The following day, the Jr. Trainer was walking around Pewter City, whistling in joy.

"Hey, you!"

He turned around and recognized Ash, along with Pikachu.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. What do you want?" the Jr. Trainer asked.

"I want a rematch right now!" the boy from Pallet Town exclaimed.

"I should have seen that coming."

A few minutes later, they were on that same deserted field as before.

"Alright, then. Diglett, go!" the Jr. Trainer exclaimed.

The ground-type Pokémon appeared in front of him.

"Nidorina, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

"Nidorina!" she exclaimed as she appeared in front of the boy.

"Oh, I see you manage to make her evolve. Let's see if she's as strong as she looks. Diglett, use Scratch."

"Diglett!"

The ground-type used that same attack as before on Nidorina.

"Use Double Kick, Nidorina!" Ash ordered.

"Nidorina!" she exclaimed as she was doing the same thing she did to Rattata when she was a Nidoran.

"Diglett!" the ground-type Pokémon exclaimed as it looked too daze to continue.

"Uh-oh... Diglett, come back!" the Jr. Trainer exclaimed as Diglett went back inside its Poké Ball. "Sanshrew, it's your turn!" he exclaimed as he threw another Poké Ball.

Another Pokémon appeared in front of Nidorina. It looked like a sand and white-colored pangolin, with black eyes, and sharp claws on its hands and feet. Once again, Ash took his Pokédex to have more information on it.

"Sandshrew. Ground-type Pokémon. It is able to curl into a ball to protect itself." The Pokédex said.

"Sandshrew, use Scratch!"

Sandshrew charge towards the poison-type and used its claws to hurt her.

"Nidorina, use Tackle!" Ash exclaimed.

"Nidorina!" she exclaimed before tackling her opponent.

Sandshrew was thrown away by that attack. The ground-type stood back up, not giving up yet.

"Sandshrew, use Scratch again!" the Jr. Trainer ordered.

The ground-type nodded before scratching Nidorina again.

"Use Double Kick!" Ash ordered.

"Nidorina!"

She once again used that attack, this time on the Sandshrew. The latter yelled in pain as it received the attack. It fell on its back, unable to fight.

"Sandshrew!" the Jr. Trainer exclaimed in shock. Reluctantly, he grabbed his Poké Ball. "Come back now."

The ground-type disappeared inside its Poké Ball.

"We did it! We won!" Ash exclaimed as he hugged Nidorina.

"Nidorina!" she exclaimed, pleased of what happened.

"Alright, you won." The Jr. Trainer admitted. "But fighting Brock won't be an easy fight!"

"We'll see about that." Ash said, smirking with determination.

The Jr. Trainer soon left. The boy from Pallet Town then made sure his Pokémon were all in good health before heading towards the gym.

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A while later, Ash and Pikachu arrived in front of the Pewter Gym. The whole building looked like it was build inside a giant rock. The trainer was slightly nervous, thinking about his first gym battle.

"Alright... It's time to do this."

The boy and the rodent went through the door. All of sudden, they bumped onto someone else. That someone let a drawing pad and a few pencils falling on the ground.

"Oops! I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." Ash apologized as he took the drawing pad and the pencils from the ground.

As the trainer handed those things back to the person he just bumped into, he was able to take a good look at that person. It was a black-haired boy with black eyes, who seemed to be about two or three years older than Ash. The boy had a red headband on his forehead, a green t-shirt, red shorts, and blue and yellow sneakers. He also had an orange backpack.

"I'm sorry as well. I wasn't looking either." The black-haired boy apologized.

"Say, did you come to fight Brock as well?" Ash asked.

"Fight Brock? No, I'm not really a Pokémon Trainer. I have a few Pokémon of my own, but I'm actually a Pokémon Watcher."

"A Pokémon Watcher? I'm not really familiar with that term." The trainer said.

"Well, let me explain. A Pokémon Watcher observes Pokémon, whether it's in their natural environment, or when they're trained by Pokémon Trainers. It takes notes and it also makes drawings of those observed Pokémon. I came here to take a look at the various fights Brock had with the trainers that had come to challenge him. I saw enough fights, so I'll head to another gym." The black-haired boy explained.

"You saw Brock fighting? If you don't mind me asking, is there anything I should know about this guy?" Ash asked.

"Well, all I know is he uses rock-type Pokémon. If you know how to beat those Pokémon, then you should get a badge." The Pokémon Watcher replied.

"Got it. Hum... By the way, what's your name again?" the trainer asked.

"I'm Tracey Sketchit. I come from the Orange Islands. What's YOUR name?" the Pokémon Watcher asked.

"I'm Ash Ketchum and I aim to become the greatest Pokémon Master the world has ever known!" the boy from Pallet Town exclaimed in determination.

"Pi-Pikachu!" the rodent exclaimed in determination as well.

"Good luck with that." Tracey said. "I gotta go now. Bye, Ash!" he said with a smile as he left the gym and waved at the trainer.

"Bye, Tracey!" Ash waved back at the watcher. "Alright, Pikachu. It's time to fight."

"Pika!"

The trainer and his Pokémon made their way inside the gym. It was quite dark, giving them trouble to identify the place correctly.

"Hum... Is anyone there?"

Suddenly, someone appeared, under some spotlight. That someone looked a teenager, about 15 years old. He had tanned skin, brown spiky hair, and eyes that, oddly enough, looked like they were always shut. He was wearing an orange shirt with short sleeves, light brown pants, blue and white sneakers, and a green vest with four pockets. He also had a black belt and two brown belt pockets, one on each side of his belt.

"My name is Brock, and I'm guessing you've come to challenge me. Am I wrong?" the teenager asked.

"No, you're right. I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. I'm ready to defeat you and get your badge!" Ash replied, with determination.

"We'll see about that part." Brock said, smirking.

He then snapped his fingers, causing the whole room to be lighted. Ash noticed they were in an arena that was filled with lots of rock. It was quite a good place for a Pokémon fight.

"Here's how it goes. I'm allowing you the chance to choose either a one-on-one Pokémon fight, or a two-on-two Pokémon fight." Brock explained. "Which one do you choose?"

"Hum... I'll choose the one-on-one." the boy replied.

"Very well then." The teenager took a Poké Ball from his pocket and threw it away. "Onyx, go!"

Soon enough, a huge Pokémon appeared in the arena. He looked like he was made with several gray boulders stuck together. His head had a large mouth, two big eyes, and a spine on top of it. Ash was slack-jawed when he saw how big that Pokémon was.

"Whoa..." he said.

Without removing his eyes from the Pokémon, the boy grabbed his Pokédex and used it to scan the rock-type.

"Onyx. Rock-type Pokémon. It burrows at large distance in search for food."

"Okay..." Ash said before looking at Pikachu. "I don't know if you want to fight it or not, so..."

"Pika!" the rodent said as he jumped down his shoulder and got into a fighting stance.

Ash smirked at the sight of that.

"I'm ready, Brock!"

"If you say so. I'll give you the honor to start." Brock said.

"Hey, thanks. Pikachu, use Thundershock!"

"Pika-CHUUUUUUUU!"

The rodent electrocuted the rock-type for several seconds. However, Pikachu gasped in shock as Onyx didn't seem to be affected by it.

"Oh, man..." Ash said, worried about that.

"Onyx, use Bind!" Brock ordered.

Onyx roared as he caught Pikachu in a bind. The rodent was feeling pain by how much the rock-type was crushing him. His eyes widening in shock, Ash was getting more and more nervous as he didn't know what to do. Soon, however, he realized there was only one thing he had to do.

"Stop the fight!" he yelled as he ran towards Onyx.

"Onyx, give Pikachu back to his trainer." Brock ordered.

The rock-type slowly unbind the electric-type, lowering him down until he was in Ash's arms.

"Pikachu... Are you okay? Say something." the boy said, concerned about his Pokémon.

"Pika..." he said in a weak tone.

"Good work, Onyx. Come back." Brock said as the rock-type went back inside his Pokémon. "Just go to the nearest Pokémon Center and your Pikachu will be fine. Sorry you lose. Come back when you have a chance to defeat me."

Ash then looked at the teenager. The boy had determination filling his eyes.

"I promise it's gonna happen sooner than you think." The boy said before leaving with Pikachu.

Brock looked at Ash leaving for a moment. He then turned around, going towards some place where he had to go.

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A while later, Ash exited the Pokémon Center. Pikachu was on top of his head, feeling well.

"I'm sorry I had to put you through this, Pikachu. I should have known better you couldn't beat that Onyx." The trainer said, looking sadly as he walked away from the Pokémon Center.

"Pika..." the rodent said, looking sadly as well.

"That Brock guy..." Ash said, suddenly looking angry. "Who does he think he is for crushing you like that?"

All of sudden, the trainer noticed Brock coming one way. Ash immediately hidden himself behind some tree, making sure the Gym Leader didn't notice him. As Brock walked past the tree, Ash motioned Pikachu to not make any sound as he discreetly followed the Gym Leader.

Several minutes later, the teenager arrived at some nice-looking house and entered it through the door. Ash and Pikachu arrived next to some bush and looked at the house.

"Hmm... Maybe he's gonna do some practice with his Pokémon. That way, I could think of a good strategy to beat him." The trainer said to himself.

The boy and his Pokémon came near the nearest window. Ash took a look through it and noticed several young kids, boys and girls, all looking similar to Brock. The boy from Pallet Town assumed they were Brock's siblings. The teenager himself was in the kitchen, preparing some dinner for what seemed like the whole family.

"Brock, my shirt is dirty!" some girl said to him.

"Put it next to the laundry machine, Suzy, and I'll take care of it." Brock replied, smiling at her.

"Brock, when are mom and dad going to come back?" some boy asked him.

"I dunno, Tommy..." he said, looking down. The teenager then looked up and smiled, trying to make sure Tommy wouldn't be sad. "But hopefully, they're gonna be back as soon as possible."

Seeing all of that, Ash was quietly leaving before running away as far away from that house. The trainer then rested against a tree, with Pikachu catching up to him.

"Who am I to complain? He's got several siblings younger than him to take care of, with none of their parents around. Now... I feel like a jerk for spying on him and all of that." He said, looking down.

"Pika..." the Pokémon said, looking at his trainer.

"Pikachu... For the rest of the day, we're gonna train as hard as we can." Ash said, looking at the electric-type. "Tomorrow, we'll see if Brock is truly unbeatable."

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The next day, Ash and Pikachu went back at the Pewter Gym. The boy from Pallet Town trained his Pokémon as much as he could during the previous day. It was now time for rematch against the Gym Leader.

"You're back." Brock said as he noticed Ash. "Are you ready this time?"

"Two-on-two for this fight." The trainer said, determined.

"Okay then. Geodude, go!" the teenager exclaimed as he threw a Poké Ball.

In the following seconds, another Pokémon appeared. It looked like a floating gray boulder with two arms, a mouth and two brown eyes. As usual, Ash took his Pokédex to scan it.

"Geodude. Rock-type Pokémon. People often steps on them by accident, making these Pokémon angry for understandable reasons."

"This time, I choose Nidorina!" Ash exclaimed.

The poison-type Pokémon appeared in the arena, getting ready to fight Geodude.

"Nidorina, use Tackle!"

"Nidorina!"

The poison-type tackled the floating boulder.

"Geodude, use Tackle as well!" Brock ordered.

"Geodude!"

The rock-type tackled Ash's Pokémon.

"Nidorina, use Double Kick!" the trainer ordered.

"Nidorina!"

She leapt in the air, turned around twice and used both of her feet to hit Geodude. The latter fell down, knocked unconscious by the attack.

"Geodude, you did well." Brock said before having his Pokémon going back inside his Poké Ball. He grabbed another Poké Ball, getting ready to use another Pokémon. "Onyx, go!"

The huge rock-type Pokémon was back in the arena.

"Onyx, use Tackle!" the teenager ordered.

The rock-type roared as he tackled Nidorina with its head. The poison-type fell on her stomach. She then stood back up.

"Nidorina, time for the Double Kick!" Ash exclaimed.

"Nidorina!" she nodded.

The poison-type jumped in the air and used Double Kick on Onyx. The attack made some damage to Brock's Pokémon.

"Use Bind!" the teenager exclaimed.

Onyx caught Nidorina and crushed her until she was knocked unconscious. The rock-type then lowered her down on the ground.

"Come back, Nidorina!" Ash exclaimed as he grabbed his Poké Ball and made her disappear inside of it. He then looked at Pikachu, who was standing right next to him. "Are you ready, buddy?"

"Pika." The Pokémon nodded before going to face Onyx.

"You really think he has a chance to beat my Onyx? Even after what happened yesterday?" Brock asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't know for sure, but I can always try." Ash replied.

"It's your decision after all. Onyx, use Tackle!"

Onyx roared as he tackled Pikachu with his head. The electric-type screamed as he was launched in the air and fell down.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, worried about his Pokémon.

"Pi!" the electric-type exclaimed, immediately standing up and ready to continue the fight.

"Okay, Pikachu. Use Thundershock... This time at full power." The trainer said.

"Pi...ka...CHUUUUUUU!"

This time, Pikachu unleashed all the electricity he had in his body. However, he was unable to control it well, causing several parts of the gym to get hit. Those electric hits were so intense, it caused a fire to start.

"Uh-oh..." Ash said, worried about the fire.

Suddenly, sprinklers set next to the ceiling started sprinkling water, putting the fire to an end. However, the water also landed on Onyx, causing the latter to suffer through a lot of pain. Ash was puzzled as he saw that. He took his Pokédex and searched for one piece of information in particular.

"Water is a weakness that can be used against rock-type Pokémon." The Pokédex said.

Ash then smirked as he realized what this meant.

"Pikachu, I hope you've still got some energy left in you. If you can, use Thundershock again!" the trainer exclaimed.

"Pika!" the electric-type Pokémon nodded. "Pika-CHUUUUUUU!"

Onyx screamed in pain as he received the electricity from the rodent.

"Onyx! No!" Brock exclaimed in shock.

"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in joy. "Now, time to finish this fight! Use Thund..."

Suddenly, the trainer stopped what he was doing as he looked at Onyx. The rock-type Pokémon was feeling way too much pain at this moment. Ash could tell Onyx simply wanted this pain to end right away. At this moment, the trainer was feeling bad for what was happening to Brock's Pokémon.

"Pikachu... Let's go right now." Ash finally said, any joy he had now gone.

"Pika?" Pikachu said, confused as he looked at his trainer.

The latter motioned him to come back on his shoulder. Still confused, Pikachu simply shrugged before running back to said shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Brock asked Ash. "The fight's not over yet."

"I think it is. And I'm not the winner, once again." The trainer said before heading towards the door, leaving the gym.

Brock stood there, surprised to see this happening.

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Several minutes later, Ash and Pikachu were walking around Pewter City, heading towards the Pokémon Center.

"We were closer to victory this time, but it wasn't enough." The boy said to his Pokémon. "I hope we'll do better next time. If not, then maybe we should just capture another Pokémon that is good against rock-types. Nidorina was doing well. So, maybe another Pokémon that is similar to her..."

"Ash! Wait a minute!"

Ash and Pikachu stopped as they turned around. They noticed Brock running towards them. He stopped running as he arrived next to them.

"Brock?" Ash said, puzzled to see the Gym Leader coming to see them.

"Ash, why did you say the fight was over?" the teenager asked.

"Why? Well, I took advantage of the sprinklers and I don't think it was a fair move to do. I mean, I don't think it was part of the environment. Plus, your Onyx was feeling too much pain. I didn't want to bring him more misery than what he got. He doesn't deserve any misery at all." The trainer replied.

"Is that all?" Brock asked, with a stern look.

"Yeah. Those are the reasons why I said it was over. Because of that, I don't deserve the badge." Ash said, looking down.

Brock then searched in his pocket and grabbed something from it.

"Ash, let me give you this."

The boy looked up and noticed the teenager holding something in his right hand. It was a badge shaped like a gray boulder.

"Here's your Boulder Badge. You deserve it." Brock said, smiling.

"Huh?!" Ash said, confused. "But... Why?"

"Let me tell you why. You showed compassion towards my Onyx. A good trainer must know how to take care of Pokémon. Not just towards his own Pokémon, but also towards Pokémon any fellow trainer has." The Gym Leader replied.

"Hum... You're sure I deserve that badge because of that?"

"Yes. Frankly, I'd rather give a badge to someone who lost to me, and yet still showed compassion towards a Pokémon, than to some jerk who won against me, and yet doesn't give any kind of respect to any Pokémon. Also, let me ask you this. Between you and me, who's the Gym Leader?"

"Well, it's you." Ash replied.

"Exactly. So, you don't decide if you deserve it or not. I'm the only one who decides and I decided you earned it."

"Well... I have to confess something." The trainer said, nervous. "Yesterday, I was so frustrated by our fight that I spied on you just to see if you were practicing with your Pokémon outside of the gym. That way, I could be inspired to make some strategy. But then... I saw you taking care of your siblings and I felt bad for that. So... I dunno if I deserve it anyway." He said, rubbing the back of his head.

"You saw me taking care of my siblings? Oh... Well, it doesn't make you any less deserving. If you wanna know the truth, something bad happened to both my parents. My mom was on a cruise line that disappeared three months ago and she hasn't been seen since then. And then, my father got sick and has been in a hospital for a while now. I have to take care of my siblings because of that..."

"BROCK!"

Ash, Pikachu, and Brock turned around and noticed one of Brock's brothers running towards. The brother stopped near them, catching his breath.

"Forrest? What's going on?" Brock asked his sibling.

"It's the hospital. They called and they said that dad is fine now!" Forrest replied.

"Dad..." the teenager said.

Immediately, Brock and his brother ran towards the hospital. Ash smiled at them.

"Glad to see his father is no longer sick." The trainer then noticed something. He looked at his hands, then at his pockets. He gasped before running towards Brock. "Hey! You forgot to give me my badge!"

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon exclaimed as he followed his trainer.

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At the hospital, Brock and Forrest arrived in some room. There, a guy looking like an older version of Brock was sitting on the side of a bed. Tears of joy appeared from Brock's eyes.

"Dad!" Brock and Forrest exclaimed as they hugged their father.

"Boys!" their father exclaimed as he hugged them. "I'm glad to see you both. How are your siblings?"

"They're all fine, dad. They're all fine." Brock said, smiling at his father.

"The doctors said I was in great health now. I can take care of the gym, starting tomorrow." He said as they stopped hugging.

"That's great, dad." Forrest said.

"It also means something else. Brock, you can now leave and fulfill your dream of becoming a Pokémon Breeder." Their father said.

Shocked at the moment, Brock was speechless as he heard that. He literally had no idea what to say.

"What's going on, Brock?" his father asked.

"But... You need to take care of the others." The teenager said. "I mean, mom's no longer there..."

"Don't worry about that. Like you, I miss your mom more than anything, but I can take care of my children. If I ever need help, I'm convinced Forrest is old enough to help me with that. Isn't that right, Forrest?"

"Yeah, I think I can do that." Brock's brother replied.

"But, dad..." Brock said.

"Look, I know how much you want to be a Pokémon Breeder. I certainly don't want you to delay your dream even further, so don't bother changing my mind about it."

Staring at his father for a few seconds, the teenager then smiled as he hugged his father.

"Thanks, dad. I don't know how to repay you."

"Just make your old man proud by becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Breeder and we're even."

"Again, thanks a lot."

All of sudden, Ash and Pikachu arrived in the room, catching their breath.

"Ash?" Brock said, confused to see them.

"My... my... my... my badge..." the trainer finally said.

"Oh! Right. I'm sorry." The teenager said as he gave the Boulder Badge to Ash. "Ash, allow me to present you to my father, Flint. Dad, this is Ash Ketchum. He just won a fight against me."

"Nice to meet you, sir." Ash said as he shook Flint's hand.

"Nice to meet you too, kid." Brock's father replied.

"Well, I gotta leave. Sorry for leaving so soon, but I'm hungry." The trainer said.

"No need to apologize. Enjoy your meal." Flint said.

"Okay then. Bye everyone." Ash said as he waved at them before leaving with Pikachu.

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The next morning, Ash and Pikachu left the Pokémon Center, getting ready to leave for the next city. The trainer looked at his first badge while they were walking.

"I can't believe we finally got a badge! Only seven left to get!" Ash exclaimed with joy.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed with joy as well.

All of sudden, Ash noticed Brock walking on his way, carrying a blue backpack on him.

"Hey, Brock!"

The teenager noticed Ash and walked towards him.

"Oh! Hey, Ash."

"Where are you going with that?" the trainer asked.

"Well, my father is taking care of the gym and my siblings now. So... he allowed me to leave Pewter City so I can be a Pokémon Breeder. That's always been my dream and I'm excited to finally start my journey for that. I'm gonna explore the whole region of Kanto." Brock replied.

"Hey, that's great to hear! Good luck on your journey!" Ash said, smiling.

"Good luck on your journey as well." Brock said, smiling back before heading walking away.

Ash stood there, watching the teenager leaving. Soon enough, Ash thought about something. He gave it some more thought before looking back at the teenager.

"Hey, Brock! Wait a minute!" the boy from Pallet Town exclaimed.

Brock stopped walking and turned around.

"What is it, Ash?"

"Well... How about we travel together? You're gonna travel around Kanto. I'm gonna travel around Kanto as well. So, instead of traveling alone, we could travel together. What do you think?"

Brock thought about it and then smiled.

"Yeah. You seem like a nice guy, so... Sure, let's do this."

"Alright!" Ash cheered.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed in joy.

The teenager walked back towards the trainer. They then walked towards the edge of Pewter City, on their way to the next city...

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End of chapter.

Brock has joined Ash and Pikachu. In the next chapter, they'll take a trip through Mt. Moon.

I wanted to give something for Tracey to do, so I decided to use him as the guy who keeps saying "Yo! Champ in making!" at the beginning of each gym.

Honestly, I'm surprised "Brock and Roll" has never been used as a title for an actual episode, given the amount of puns they used for those titles.

Read and review!