Aura Heart Journey Chapter 36 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Aura Heart Journey! Time for a Gym Battle! How will Ash overcome Lt. Surge? Is the Lieutenant’s recent increase in Badge requirement because he’s an arrogant ass? Or is the man just looking for a challenge? Being a strong Trainer can lead to a lack of worthwhile opponents, after all.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 36 – Lt. Surge of Vermillion Gym

“Alright, I’m ready.” Ash declared as he stood outside of Finn’s cottage.

“Pika!” Pikachu cried out, sparking his cheeks a bit. He’d been called back to Ash’s side from his last few days of rest at Professor Oak’s. He was ready to show the hard work he’d put in throughout their journey together against other Electric Types!

“You’ll win this Ash; I know you will.” Misty kissed his cheek for luck.

“The Lieutenant is a powerful Trainer, lad.” Finn cautioned Ash with his hands behind his back. “But you’ve got strong Pokémon of your own and a real bond with them. Believe in it and in them and you’ll pull through.” The retired Gym Leader smiled at his granddaughter’s boyfriend.

“Yes sir.” Ash grinned as he and Misty started walking down the path that would lead them back to Vermillion City proper.

Walking through the city towards the Gym, Ash took in the sights of the city some more. The sea breeze was nice and the Wingull overhead cried out occasionally. With Pikachu on his shoulder, he was further reassured in their upcoming victory. It was a warm day today with only a few small clouds in the sky. It was a good day to win his fifth badge, in his opinion. Misty smiled at seeing Ash relaxed before his Gym Battle. Walking through the large port city hand-on-hand was nice too. She loved the sea and was planning to visit the large beach before they left. In a short time, the couple stood before the Gym.

The Vermillion City Gym, as one of the top Gyms in Kanto, was state of the art. It was a large building with a yellow, slanted roof. Two stories tall with tons of windows, it had a set of stairs leading up to the glass doors in front. As the two walked up the path, Ash noticed a secondary building attached to the Gym and wondered if that was where Lt. Surge lived. The Gym was surrounded by a large amount of land covered in grass with trees lining the perimeter. What was the most notable though were the military-based training equipment, the large running track, and what Ash was pretty sure was an obstacle course in the back.

“Welcome,” The man behind the desk greeted the duo as soon as they stepped through the automatic glass doors. He was dressed in a proper uniform and looked over both of them. “Are you both here to challenge the Gym?”

“No, sir, just me.” Ash answered and the man nodded before typing on his computer for a moment.

“Lt. Surge will be available momentarily. Today we’re accepting new Gym Trainer recruits, so once the Lieutenant is done with his customary greeting you can have your Gym Battle.” The man motioned for the two to follow him and led them into the central part of the Gym. When a set of automatic metal doors opened for them, they were greeted to a scene that reminded Ash of a military movie he’d seen a long time ago.

“Cadets, I can tell at a glance that at least fifty percent of you are failures, and the other fifty percent are failures that’ve never been told to believe in themselves.” A large blonde man stated loudly in front of four rows of ten Trainers. He was tall to say the least, at least a full two meters in height. He was broad shouldered and clearly packing some muscle. Dressed in combat fatigues, with the silver bar of a First Lieutenant showing proudly, he was clearly an experienced soldier. For just a moment, Ash channeled his Aura to his eyes and just as quickly had to shut them. Lt. Surge’s Aura was heavily aligned to the Electric Type, just looking at it was like staring at a flood light!

“He’ll just be a moment longer.” The uniformed man told Ash and Misty calmly as he watched on.

“If you don’t give your all to this training, I promise you here and now that I’ll personally put my boot to your ass and punt you out of here!” Lt. Surge barked at the Trainers before him. “You are all masterpieces of failure! But I will reorganize the failure that is all your lives! You will become Trainer’s worthy of serving under the Vermillion City Gym or you’ll be tossed out on your ass! Do I make myself clear, Cadets?!”

“Sir, yes sir!” All of the Trainers called back with salutes.

“At ease!” Lt. Surge called out and the Trainers dropped their salutes. “Seeing as I have a challenger, you’re dismissed until 0800 tomorrow morning! If you’re late, I swear I will put you through PT until you fucking collapse, understood?!”

“Sir, yes sir!” The Trainers all called back in unison. With a wave of the Lieutenant’s hand the Trainers began to leave the massive room, revealing that they’d been standing on the regulation League Battlefield the whole time.

“Lt. Surge, this young man has come to challenge you, sir.” The uniformed man snapped off a salute.

“What’s your name, kid?” Lt. Surge asked as he walked up to the three of them.

“Ash Ketchum, sir.” Ash greeted with a polite half-bow.

“What’s your Trainer Level and how many Badges do you have?” Lt. Surge questioned Ash after looking him over for a moment. “I’ve recently upped the Badge requirement to three Badges, some haven’t heard yet, so I’ve been turning away a few of my challengers recently.”

“I’m an Adept Level with four Badges, sir.” Ash pulled out his Badge Case and showed the large man his Badges from Pewter City, Copper Town, Cerulean City, and Azure Town.”

“Boulder, Metal, Cascade, and Breeze…you’ve been all over northern Kanto, haven’t you, kid?” Lt. Surge nodded and Ash put his Badge Case away. “That’s a nice-looking Pikachu you’ve got there.” He held his hand out to Pikachu with a grin. A small spark of the Gym Leader’s Aura touched Pikachu’s red cheek pouch and the Electric Type perked up. “Looks pretty big for what I’d guess is a Pikachu with only about two or so months of training.”

“Thank you, sir.” Ash was happy that Pikachu’s hard work was getting praised.

“Pika!” Pikachu sparked back against Lt. Surge’s outstretched hand in a friendly gesture.

“Hmm, surprised that you haven’t bought a Thunderstone for him yet. He’d pack even more power as a Raichu.” Lt. Surge mentioned as he patted Pikachu’s head gently.

“We’ve been working on his speed and learning moves, on top of slowly building up his electric capacity.” Ash informed the Gym Leader while Pikachu enjoyed the head pats.

“Well, I do things a bit differently here at the Vermillion Gym.” Lt. Surge pulled his hand back from Pikachu and took two steps backwards. He walked over to a computer terminal on the wall and started typing on it for a moment. A Pokéball Transporter flared to life and in a flash of white light a Pokéball was on the machine. Lt. Surge picked it up and a moment later another flash of white light brought a second Pokéball out. The Gym Leader took it in his free hand and walked back towards Ash and Misty. “I’ll only use two Pokémon, no substitutions on my end. You’re allowed three Pokémon and can substitute as you like. I’ll also reveal both of my Pokémon now.” He pressed the button on each Pokéball and in twin white lights, two Pokémon were revealed.

“Buzz!” An Electabuzz cried out as its entire body sparked with electricity.

“Rai!” A large Raichu shook itself out, sending off sparks from its cheeks and its thunderbolt-shaped tail.

“That’s three handicaps…” Misty gasped as she instantly knew what Lt. Surge was doing. “Ash, those two Pokémon are much stronger than Adept Level. With three handicaps, he can use Pokémon normally reserved for Advanced Level Trainers without violating the League’s Level Challenge System.”

“I see,” Ash nodded as he looked between the two Electric Types. “Still, this will be a good challenge to see how much of our training has paid off.” He looked up slightly and met Lt. Surge’s eyes. “I accept the rules.”

“Alright then, let’s get this match underway.” Lt. Surge chuckled as he and his Pokémon walked over to their side of the field. “Get the cameras working and tell Tanya to head to the battlefield!” The Gym Leader ordered loudly and both Ash and Misty noticed several older Trainers in combat fatigues snap off quick salutes before following orders.

Dozens of cameras around the room came to life and started recording the battlefield. A few seconds later and a young woman in the standard Pokémon League referee uniform walked through another set of automatic metal doors. She quickly took her position at the side of the field and looked between Lt. Surge and Ash. With a nod that everything was ready, she began to speak.

“This is an official Pokémon League Gym Battle. The Challenger is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. This will be a Two-on-Three battle, the first Trainer to have all of their Pokémon rendered unable to battle loses. Additionally, only the Challenger may substitute Pokémon. Are you ready to begin?” Tanya went through the standard League pre-battle announcement before turning and asking Ash if she was ready.

“I’m ready!” Ash nodded as he took a Pokéball from his belt.

“Gym Leader, reveal your first Pokémon!” Tanya pointed at Surge.

“Electabuzz, you’re up first.” Lt. Surge motioned to the battlefield.

“Electabuzz!” Electabuzz called out as it walked onto the field and flexed, electricity sparking from the antennae on either side of its head.

“Gogoat, let’s go!” Ash called out his Grass Type and in a flash of light the Goat Pokémon was on the field.

“Goat!” Gogoat bleated and pawed at the ground.

“Playing to resistance, I see.” Lt. Surge chuckled at Ash’s choice.

“Begin the battle!” Tanya declared.

Ash quickly flowed his Aura throughout his body. He knew he’d need to be at his best to battle Pokémon of such caliber. He wouldn’t take any chances with a Gym Leader that was so confident as to put three handicaps on himself. “Double Team, Growth, Razor Leaf!” He instructed as his opening salvo. Boosting Gogoat’s evasion for defense, upping both Attack and Special Attack for offense, and then attacking with a widespread attack to try and ensure a powered-up hit.

“Not a bad opener, kid.” Lt. Surge whistled as he saw the large Grass Type split into almost a dozen copies before all of them were enveloped in a red glow. “But I’ve seen better. Charge, Protect, Charge Beam!”

“Buzz!” Electabuzz covered its entire body in electricity, making its fur stand on end. The familiar green dome appeared over it and the empowered Razor Leaf slammed against it harmlessly. The instant the attack passed, the dome vanished and Electabuzz focused its electricity between its palms and fired off the Charge Beam. The beam was empowered by Charge, making it even more powerful than normal.

“Goat!” Gogoat cried out as he was struck with the Electric Type attack.

“Gogoat, are you alright?!” Ash called out to his Ride Pokémon.

“Go!” Gogoat didn’t even loose his feet before stomping on the ground to reaffirm his stance.

“That’s the way!” Ash smiled widely. It was odd that Electabuzz had been able to strike Gogoat with Double Team active, but perhaps the difference in their experience was to blame? “Well…he got the boost.” He grimaced as he saw the red glow around Electabuzz, signaling that the Pokémon had received a boost to its Special Attack from Charge Beam’s secondary effect.

“Let’s slow them down, Thunder Wave!” Lt. Surge smirked and Electabuzz unleashed a wave of blue electricity towards Gogoat.

“Double Team and Growth!” Ash instructed and Gogoat blurred as he made multiple copies of himself. All of the copies once again gained a red glow, further boosting their Attack and Special Attack. The Thunder Wave missed and struck only a copy.

“Think you can hide?” Lt. Surge scoffed at the tactic. “Swift!”

“Elec!” Electabuzz blasted a spray of star-shaped rays from its antennae that quickly locked on to Gogoat. The previous boost of its Special Attack was empowering this move too.

“Razor Leaf to block and then Bulldoze!” Ash countered as Gogoat blasted out a storm of leaves to counter each and every star. Its own boosts to Attack allowing the leaves to match the star-shaped rays. The two moves stalemated and Gogoat slammed his hooves into the ground sending a tremor through the battlefield.

“Protect!” Lt. Surge blocked it easily as the green dome appeared around Electabuzz and nullified the Ground Type move.

“Leech Seed!” Ash grinned at his plan working. Protect couldn’t be used consecutively! Gogoat fired off the parasitic seed like a bullet. Just as the Protect faded, the seed struck Electabuzz in the chest. Vines burst from the seed and wrapped around the Electric Type tightly. A green glow gathered and a bit of Electabuzz’s health was stolen away and sent towards Gogoat.

“Clever, punk.” Lt. Surge grinned and decided to finish the round now that he had a clock on Electabuzz. “Looks like it’s time to kick this up a bit higher.”

“Bulldoze!” Ash wanted to keep the momentum up. If he could continuously wear down Electabuzz’s health, then the Electric Type’s greater power wouldn’t be as much of a threat.

“Quick Attack, Screech, Ice Punch!” Lt. Surge belted out the combo with the tone of a Drill Instructor.

Electabuzz blitzed forward with a white aura streaming off its black and yellow body. It was definitely showing off the impressive speed its species were known to possess. Right as the Electric Type got close to Gogoat, it opened its mouth to emit an ear-splitting screech that made everyone in the huge room clap their hands over their ears. Gogoat was covered in a blue glow as his Defense dropped two stages. The Grass Type was already rearing back to slam his front hooves into the ground though. Ice Type Aura gathered around Electabuzz’s fist and a punch was driven into Gogoat’s side.

“Goat!” Gogoat cried out as part of its side was covered in ice.

“Gogoat!” Ash could see the pain his Pokémon was in from the super-effective move. It was made even worse by having its Defense lowered significantly on top of Electabuzz being stronger.

“GO!!!” Gogoat was stubborn and slammed his hooves into the ground. The area shook as Bulldoze hit and Electabuzz was tossed aside by the its own weakness to Ground Type moves.

“Buzz!” Electabuzz cried out as its Defense wasn’t much to speak of normally. With Gogoat having much higher Attack and having already raised that Attack two stages with Growth, Electabuzz was suddenly in the red, so to speak.

“Quick Attack and Ice Punch!” Lt. Surge ordered and Electabuzz blitzed forward in a streak of white light to slam into Gogoat’s side. This staggered the already injured Grass Type. The frost-covered fist of Electabuzz slamming into the Goat Pokémon’s head ended the round.

“Gogoat is unable to battle!” Tanya declared after seeing the swirled-out eyes of Ash’s Pokémon. “Electabuzz wins!”

“Gogoat, you did great! Return!” Ash held out his Pokéball and recalled Gogoat with the red beam of light. ‘Electabuzz took a lot of damage. Its clearly on its last legs. Leech Seed will finish it off if I can stall for a bit of time.’ He chose his next Pokéball with that thought in mind. “Phanpy, you’re up!” He tossed the Pokéball forward and in the flash of white light the blue and orange elephant appeared.

“Phan!” Phanpy trumpeted out as he stood ready for battle.

“Kid…are you sure?” Lt. Surge looked at the Ground Type. It was clearly trained, almost half the size of the average Donphan, meaning it was definitely close to evolution. But the species wasn’t fast. Even low on health as his Electabuzz was, a single Ice Punch would knock out the Ground Type. That would be easy considering the vast difference in speed.

“Phanpy will win this round for us! Right buddy?” Ash had every faith in his Pokémon.

“Phanpy!” Phanpy trumpeted even louder.

“Second round, Electabuzz vs Phanpy! Begin!” Tanya started the match.

“Quick Attack into Ice Punch!” Lt. Surge wasted no time.

“Buzz!” Electabuzz blitzed forward and cocked back its fist.

“Protect!” Ash had a wider grin as the green dome appeared around Phanpy.

“Elec!” Electabuzz’s Ice Punch bounced off the dome without doing anything.

“Bulldoze!” Ash countered just as the Protect faded.

“PY!!!” Phanpy slammed his front legs into the ground sending the area around him shaking.

“Elec!” Electabuzz cried out as it was once more thrown off its feet from a super-effective attack. The Electric Type struggled to retake its feet, but the vines wrapped around it from Leech Seed glowed green and stole the last of its health away. The green Aura was sent to Phanpy and the little elephant swayed its trunk side-to-side happily as it received the energy. “Buzz…” Electabuzz collapsed with swirled-out eyes, ending the match.

“Electabuzz is unable to battle! Phanpy wins!” Tanya declared and Misty cheered for Ash from the bench at the edge of the room.

“Phanpy!” Phanpy trumpeted loudly as a white glow enveloped his body.

“Yes!” Ash cheered as his idea had worked. Phanpy really had just needed a good battle to evolve!

“I should’ve guessed.” Lt. Surge shook his head as he recalled his Electabuzz. “Good work, soldier. Get some rest.”

Phanpy’s glowing body bulked up considerably, doubling his height and probably tripling his weight. Tusks could be seen forming amid the glow as the trunk extended. When the glow dispersed the gray body was revealed. A thick band of black hide ran from the tip of the trunk all the way to the back of the Pokémon’s body. It vaguely resembled a tractor tire with large treads. On each of its short, tree trunk-like, legs were black bands and each foot had three stubby toes.

“Donphan!” The newly evolved Donphan trumpeted louder than Phanpy ever could.

“You’re amazing, Donphan!” Ash praised his Ground Type.

“Phan!” Donphan gave its form of a smile at the praise.

“We’ll continue the match!” Tanya declared after a moment. “Gym Leader, send out your final Pokémon!”

“Raichu, you know what to do.” Lt. Surge shared a grin with his Pokémon.

“Rai, rai!” Raichu ran out onto the field on all fours before retaking a bipedal stance.

“Pika!” Pikachu leapt forward from beside Ash, his red cheeks sparking in challenge.

“Pikachu, are you sure, buddy?” Ash questioned his Starter.

“Chu!” Pikachu gave him a sharp nod before eyeing up the Raichu on the field.

“Alright then,” Ash nodded back. “Donphan, return!” He held up Donphan’s Pokéball and recalled the Armor Pokémon with the red beam. “You can do this, Pikachu!”

“Match three! Raichu vs Pikachu! Begin!” Tanya announced and neither Trainer waited for the other to make a move.

“Reflect, Light Screen, Double Team!” Ash quickly gave Pikachu their go to starting combo.

“Pika!” Pikachu was surrounded by a white field, then an off-white field, before then splitting into a dozen copies.

“Nasty Plot, Charge, Thunderbolt!” Lt. Surge went with an empowered attack right off the bat.

“Rai!” Raichu got a dark look on its face as it was surrounded by a fierce red glow. Its Special Attack had just gone up two stages. An aura of electricity surrounded the evolved Electric Type as Charge took effect. “Chu!” A powerful Thunderbolt was fired towards the copies and wiped out four of them from the sheer size of the electrical attack.

“Quick Attack, Iron Tail!” Ash knew that the Raichu line were all frail by Health and Defense standards. The term ‘glass cannon’ had been applied to them in the past for a reason.

“Ka!” Pikachu bolted forward with the trail of white light following him. His tail took on a metallic sheen as he closed in on Raichu.

“You think you can out muscle Raichu?” Lt. Surge looked at Ash like he was crazy. “Iron Tail, knock it back!”

“Rai!” Raichu’s tail also took on a metallic shine as Pikachu charged forward.

The two Iron Tail attacks et and created a miniature shockwave from the force. Both of the Electric Types struggled against each other for a moment, but in the face of his evolved forms higher Attack, Pikachu was fighting a losing struggle. Pikachu was quickly pushed back, but Ash grinned as he called out for Pikachu’s surprise move.

“Flash!” Ash instructed and Pikachu’s whole body glowed before a blinding light filled the room.

“Rai!” Raichu covered its eyes with a cry of pain as a blue glow surrounded him, showing a loss in accuracy.

“Gonna need my shades for this.” Lt. Surge pulled a pair of sunglasses from a case attached to his belt and slid them on. “Trying to lower a stat that I can’t recover, huh?” He had to admit, it wasn’t the worst strategy he’d fought against.

“Quick Attack into Iron Tail!” Ash had Pikachu rush into Raichu from the side, hoping to score a blow.

“Iron Tail, left!” Lt. Surge called out and Raichu’s glowing metallic-like tail slammed into Pikachu’s once more. “Thunderbolt!” While the two Pokémon were physically connected, Thunderbolt wouldn’t miss!

“Flash then Double Team!” Ash knew a powered-up Thunderbolt wouldn’t be good for Pikachu, even with Light Screen up.

“Chu!” Pikachu went off light a flash bomb again and Raichu cried out in pain as the blue glow surrounded it again. It launched the Thunderbolt even as Pikachu dispersed into another dozen copies. The bolt scorched the part of the battlefield it struck, but missed Pikachu.

“Lowering our accuracy while increasing your evasiveness, not a bad idea.” Lt. Surge commented before a smirk crossed his face. “Too bad we have sure-hit moves, huh?! Shockwave!”

“Raichu!” Raichu bellowed as blue bolts of electricity leapt from its body in all directions.

“Pika!” Pikachu was struck and staggered for a second. Light Screen had lessened the damage, as had Pikachu’s resistance, but the sheer difference in strength between the two Pokémon was noticeable. It didn’t help that Raichu’s Special Attack was still boosted two stages from the earlier Nasty Plot.

“Reflect, Light Screen, Double Team!” Ash replaced the faded screens and had Pikachu disperse into copies again. It wouldn’t stop Shockwave from hitting, but it would lesson the damage and prevent any other move from landing, hopefully.

“Shockwave!” Lt. Surge was going to let Pikachu get close without taking some damage. Raichu belted out the blue electricity again and Pikachu tanked the bolts as all of his copies disappeared.

“Quick Attack!” Ash needed to get in close again. If they could land even a couple of attacks, Pikachu could win!

“Double Team!” Lt. Surge grinned as Raichu split into twenty copies. Pikachu phased through the one left behind with a look of annoyance. “You’re not the only one that can play that game. Quick Attack into Iron Tail!” He was going to wrap this match up now.

“Flash!” Ash countered just as the blur of Raichu appeared in front of Pikachu. The blinding light startled Raichu for just a second and slowed its Iron Tail just enough for Pikachu to dodge. The glowing tail shattered the floor where it hit.

“Shockwave!” Lt. Surge would go for the sure-hit and then finished off his opponent when they were staggered.

“Chu!” Raichu’s body was covered in the blue electricity again.

“Dig!” Ash called and Lt. Surge’s eye widened behind his sunglasses as Pikachu quickly tore through the floor and disappeared underground. The Shockwave passed over the ground and through the air without hitting anything. Pikachu erupted from beneath his evolved form’s feet and struck with Ground Type Aura for a super-effective hit.

“Rai!” Raichu fell to it back with a cry of pain.

“Iron Tail!” Ash wanted to ensure that Raichu didn’t have time to recover.

“Iron Tail, front!” Lt. Surge’s simple command was obviously a well-trained response in his Pokémon as Raichu’s own glowing tail blocked Pikachu’s.

“Flash, Double Team, Dig!” Ash threw together a counterplay he felt would work. Pikachu went off like a flash bomb again as Raichu tried to shield its eyes. Pikachu split into copies and all of them appeared to dive into the ground.

“Jump soldier!” Lt. Surge called hastily and Raichu leapt straight up as soon as it got its feet underneath it. Pikachu emerged from the ground a split-second later.

“Quick Attack!” Ash knew Raichu couldn’t dodge in midair and went for a priority move to take advantage.

“Pika!” Pikachu rocketed straight into Raichu’s torso in a streak of white light.

“Iron Tail!” Ash knew he needed to finish this before Raichu could retaliate.

“Thunderbolt!” Lt. Surge wasn’t going to let the attack go through if he could help it.

“Raichu!” Raichu unleashed the electricity just as Pikachu’s metallic tail smashed into its face.

“Pika!” Pikachu was sent hurtling into the ground in a blast of electricity and kicked up a cloud of dust.

“Chu!” Raichu cried out as its larger body literally spun in the air from the force of the Iron Tail. It hit the ground a couple meters away, kicking up its own cloud of dust.

“Critical Hit!” Tanya called while pointing towards Raichu to denote which Pokémon had taken the blow. A few seconds passed before the dust cleared, but both Lt. Surge and Ash already knew the outcome thanks to their Aura Sight. “Raichu is unable to battle!” The referee declared seeing the unconscious Pokémon. “Pikachu is the winner!” She pointed at the shakily standing Electric Type. Even though Pikachu was wobbling unsteadily on his feet, he was still standing and still conscious! “The winner of the battle is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!”

“We did it!” Ash cheered as he quickly ran out onto the field and gently scooped Pikachu into his arms. “You were incredible, buddy!”

“Pi…ka…” Pikachu was too tired and injured to really celebrate his win. But he was pleased that he’d managed to take down his own evolved form.

“Raichu, come on back.” Lt. Surge recalled his beaten Pokémon with an accepting smile. “This loss was my fault. I put off teaching you Magnet Rise in favor of Nasty Plot. We’ll work on it together and you won’t lose next time.” He whispered to Raichu’s Pokéball.

“You did it, Ash!” Misty cheered as she hugged him gently, making sure to not jostle Pikachu. After that battle, Pikachu was definitely going to need a day or two to recover fully.

“That was a hell of a match, kid.” Lt. Surge walked forward as he pulled a small case out of his pocket. “Never thought I’d see the day a Pikachu was able to outmaneuver one of my Raichu. You’ve got some talent.” He opened the case to show off an orange and yellow Badge that was vaguely reminiscent of the sun. “This is the Thunder Badge, proof of your victory here at Vermillion Gym.”

“Thank you, sir.” Ash nodded as he gently passed Pikachu into Misty’s arms before taking the new Badge. He smiled at his fifth Badge before pulling out his Badge Case and placing it next to the Breeze Badge.

“You also get a TM Voucher, as you already know.” Lt. Surge chuckled as he pulled out the said voucher from his breast pocket and handed it to the teen. “Good for one Electric Type move of your choice at any Training Facility. I’d could list off most of them, but I have a feeling you’ll make a good decision without my input.” He grinned as Ash took the voucher and placed it in the top of his Badge Case with the others he’d earned.

“It was a great match, sir, thank you.” Ash gave a short-bow to the Lieutenant before accepting Pikachu back from Misty.

“You battled well, Ketchum, go get some treatment and R&R, you’ve earned it.” Lt. Surge nodded to the teen respectfully.

Ash and Misty headed out of the Gym after that and Lt. Surge looked at the clock on the wall. Tanya, the referee approached him with a raised eyebrow. The blonde man looked at her for a second and she looked at him. When it was clear that Surge wasn’t going to say anything, Tanya rolled her eyes.

“You don’t seem surprised that the entire battle only took five minutes and twenty-three seconds.” Tanya spoke her thoughts.

“Of course not,” Lt. Surge shook his head. “That’d be slow for an Adept Level battle.”

“But you weren’t battling at the Adept Level.” Tanya mentioned, clearly aware of his strengths.

“No…I wasn’t, was I?” Lt. Surge chuckled as he began to walk towards the showers.

“You were using Advanced Level Pokémon and tactics…how was that kid keeping up with you?” Tanya questioned as she followed after him. She’d been a Pokémon League referee for years. One didn’t battle a Gym Leader above their Trainer Level and win in less than six minutes, normally.

“What can you expect from an Aura User?” Lt. Surge smirked and Tanya cocked an eyebrow. “Kid has talent and drive on top of that. Indigo League might actually be worth watching this year.”

“Maybe it will be…” Tanya shrugged as she thought about the teen that had just won.

“You joining me?” Lt. Surge motioned towards the Men’s showers.

“You wish.” Tanya waved him off and headed for the Women’s showers.

“Tonight then…” Lt. Surge chuckled only to move his head to the side without looking when a shoe flew at it. The footwear bounced off the wall and fell to the floor. “You dropped your shoe.” Surge chuckled as he entered the Men’s showers.

“Dick!” Tanya called out before the door closed behind the man. She collected her shoe with a grimace and headed into the Women’s showers. “Sleep with a man a couple of times and he starts to expect it.” She huffed even as she considered the offer of ‘tonight’ from the Gym Leader.

-Pokémon Center-

“Oh my…another defeat?” Nurse Joy fretted over Pikachu’s condition.

“Actually, Pikachu won.” Ash corrected and Nurse Joy looked between the beaten Electric Type and Ash a few times.

“This was a victory?” Nurse Joy looked like she didn’t believe it.

“You should see the Raichu he fought.” Ash grinned and Pikachu gave off his version of a chuckle.

“We’ll have all of your Pokémon treated shortly, but this little guy will need to refrain from all battling for the next two or three days.” Nurse Joy gently took the Electric Type into her arms along with the tray containing Gogoat’s Pokéball and Donphan’s Pokéball. Gogoat needed treatment and Donphan was newly evolved, so a check-up would be good for him.

“Since we’ve got some time…why don’t we find a nice place to celebrate your win, Ash?” Misty suggested with a teasing lilt in her voice.

“Lead the way.” Ash was all for that! Any time, any place!

Misty only laughed as she took her boyfriend’s hand in hers and led him out of the Pokémon Center.

-End Chapter-

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Boom! Fifth Badge, Get!

Ash has earned the Thunder Badge and Phanpy has evolved!

Pikachu has proven that he can beat his evolved form too! Does this mean that he’s in the top percentage of Pikachu?!

Some rest and recovery in Vermillion City and then it’ll be on the way towards Cyanteal Town! Ash has a Dragon type Gym to challenge and a test to see if he’s worthy of a Dragon Type of his own! Which one will he be gifted if he proves himself?

What comes next for our Trainer couple?

Keep reading to find out!

Ash's Current Pokémon

Pikachu – Static – Iron Tail, Discharge, Flash, Quick Attack, Dig, Thunder Wave, Volt Tackle, Double Team, Light Screen, Reflect

Lucario – Inner Focus – Metal Sound, Quick Attack, Blaze Kick, Bulk Up, Copycat, Force Palm, Screech, Detect, Double Team, Aura Sphere

Poliwhirl – Water Absorb – Watersport, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Double Slap, Body Slam, Rain Dance, Bubblebeam, Scald

Butterfree – Compound Eyes – String Shot, Bug Bite, Confusion, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Whirlwind, Psybeam, Air Slash, Substitute, Safeguard

Pidgeotto – Keen Eye – Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Twister, Heat Wave, Agility

Gogoat – Sap Sipper – Growth, Vine Whip, Double Team, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Take Down, Bulldoze, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball

Teddiursa – Pick Up – Covet, Lick, Fury Swipes, Feint Attack, Sweet Scent, Bulk Up, Slash

Donphan – Sturdy – Tackle, Defense Curl, Rollout, Endure, Bulldoze

Eevee* – Adaptability – Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, Sand Attack

Bulbasaur – Overgrow – Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Growth, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder

Krabby – Shell Armor – Vice Grip, Leer, Harden, Bubblebeam

Misty's Current Pokémon

Staryu – Natural Cure – Harden, Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Recover, Psywave, Swift, Bubblebeam, Camouflage, Signal Beam

Starmie – Natural Cure - Rapid Spin, Signal Beam, Recover, Psychic, Swift, Bubblebeam, Psych Up, Protect, Brine, Thunderbolt

Seaking – Lightning Rod – Peck, Tail Whip, Watersport, Supersonic, Horn Attack, Flail, Water Pulse, Aqua Ring, Fury Attack, Waterfall

Poliwhirl – Water Absorb – Watersport, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Double Slap, Icy Wind, Body Slam, Mud Shot, Toxic

Gogoat – Sap Sipper – Growth, Vine Whip, Tail Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Take Down, Bulldoze, Seed Bomb

Quagsire – Water Absorb – Water Gun, Tail Whip, Mud Shot, Slam, Mud Bomb, Protect, Water Pulse, Yawn, Toxic

Bibarel – Unaware – Water Gun, Aqua Jet, Headbutt, Hyper Fang, Crunch

Spheal – Thick Fat – Defense Curl, Powder Snow, Growl, Water Gun

Eevee – Run Away – Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, Sand Attack

Ash will challenge four Gyms besides the eight canon Gyms with Steel Type, Ghost Type, Flying Type and Dragon Type being the four. All four now have OCs planned out thanks to some awesome patrons!

Until I get your reviews, later!