The group made their way along a winding mountain path toward the city.
The moment they stepped into town, a dry, rugged energy hit them head-on. Stone slabs were stacked everywhere along the streets, and even the planters by the roadside had been chiseled out of rock, giving the whole place a cold, industrial edge.
As they walked, a street vendor caught their attention. The man wore a battered straw hat and a completely blank expression. His stall was covered in all manner of oddly shaped stones.
Spotting them, the man waved them over with sudden enthusiasm. "Well, hello there! Looking to buy some rocks? These are genuine Pewter City specialty stones, the finest ones around! The name's Flint. I do stonework here locally."
Ash leaned in for a curious look, then shook his head. "No thanks, we're heading to the Pokemon Center."
Flint's eyes lit up, and his grin widened. "What a coincidence, I know that place well. I'm heading that way myself. Let me show you." Ash took him at his word and nodded. "That's great, thanks a lot, mister!"
The group followed Flint through several streets until they arrived at a building with a red roof: the Pokemon Center.
In the live chat, viewers were already weighing in, and the comments were flooding in fast.
[New NPC just showed up. He's giving off total shady merchant vibes. Feels like he's about to scam someone.]
[Something off about this guy. That look in his eyes says he's not just a random passerby.]
[Is rock really Pewter City's specialty? Even the locals are selling stones. How broke is this place?]
[Flint? That name... why does it sound so familiar? I feel like I've heard it somewhere.]
[Ash is way too trusting. Just letting a stranger lead him around. Someone's been reading too many fairy tales.]
[No spoilers! No spoilers! Let's all guess who this guy really is. He's definitely important.]
Inside the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy greeted them with a warm smile. Ash handed over his Poke Balls for recovery, but his gaze was immediately pulled to a large poster on the lobby wall.
The poster displayed eight badges of different shapes, with a bold line of text beneath them: "Collect all 8 Gym Badges to qualify for the Pokemon League!" Ash's eyes instantly turned to stars. He pointed at the poster and shouted, "Misty, look! If we collect all eight of these badges, we can enter the Pokemon League!"
Misty was busy giving Staryu a massage. She rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows that. It's basic stuff for any Trainer. Though collecting all eight is no small thing."
Ash clenched his fist, his eyes burning with resolve. "No matter how hard it is, I'm getting them all! So where's the Pewter City Gym?" Misty let out a weary sigh. "Slow down. Let your Pokemon rest first. You're such a hothead. How are you supposed to battle if you're not recovered?" The chat lit up again at the exchange.
[So that's what Gym Badges are for. Goals are clear now! The Badge collecting journey officially begins! This is where the real adventure starts!]
[Eight badges, long road ahead. Keep it up, Ash. Just don't get lost again.]
[The main character can't hold himself back. He'd sprint over there right now if he could. Classic hotheaded lead.]
[Nice detail on that poster. The production team really put in the work. You can really feel yourself inside the world.]
[Misty's full-on mom mode is completely locked in at this point. No way this journey survives without her.]
After a short rest, Pikachu was back on its feet, full of energy. Ash bolted out of the Pokemon Center and made straight for the Pewter City Gym, perched at the highest point in the city. It was an imposing structure built from massive stone blocks, flanked at the entrance by two thick stone pillars that radiated a sense of authority. Ash pushed the doors open and stepped inside.
The interior was dim, with an air that smelled of dust and stone. Rocks of all sizes were scattered across the floor, making it feel like a natural cave. At the far end, a figure sat elevated on a raised platform.
He wore a green vest, his gray hair pulled back into a spiky ponytail. His eyes were shut, his arms folded across his chest, still as a mountain.
At the sound of footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes. They were sharp and composed.
Brock's voice was low and firm. "I am the Pewter City Gym Leader, Rock-type specialist. The name's Brock."
Ash met his gaze without flinching. "I'm Ash, from Pallet Town! I'm here to challenge you for a Badge!"
Brock gave a slight nod, still unmoving where he sat. "The rules are simple. One-on-one. The side whose Pokemon can no longer battle loses. Are you ready?"
The comment section exploded.
[The Gym Leader has arrived! Squinty eyes and all. He looks seriously cool. That design actually slaps.]
[I looked it up. Rock-type is super effective against Electric, Bug, Flying... Pikachu is in serious trouble. The type matchup absolutely destroys it.]
[Ash is already off to a rough start. Total type disadvantage. How is he supposed to fight through this?]
[Brock looks so serious here. Completely different energy from how he turns out later. The guy has presence.]
[Ash: I'm ready! Pikachu: I'm finished. This is literally hell difficulty.]
Brock rose to his feet and swept his arm out wide. "Go, Onix!"
Boom.
A massive Poke Ball hit the ground. Red light flared, and the floor shook violently.
A tremendous rumble rolled through the room.
A colossal rock snake burst up from below. Its body was the size of a freight train, formed from an endless chain of enormous boulders. Its eyes blazed red as it looked down from on high at the tiny Pikachu beneath it. The sheer pressure it gave off was overwhelming.
Viewers gasped. The comments started flying.
[It's THAT big?! The size difference is insane! How is anyone supposed to fight that?]
[They're not even in the same league.]
[Seriously, just looking at the size gap, there's no chance.]
Ash was startled by the sheer scale of it, but he steadied himself quickly.
"Pikachu, don't be scared! Go! Use Thundershock!"
Pikachu was visibly rattled, but it summoned its courage and leapt onto a nearby rock. "Pika, CHUUU!"
The electric pouches on its cheeks crackled to life, and two bolts of lightning shot straight at Onix.
Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzle.
The electricity struck Onix's rough, stony hide, produced a faint crackling sound, and then vanished.
Onix didn't even blink. It looked as though it had barely felt a mosquito bite.
The audience was stunned.
[It just... did nothing? That defense is completely broken.]
[Isn't Electric useless against Ground-types?]
[That dealt zero damage. Absolutely zero. Onix probably thought it was a light tickle.]
[Ash must have had a gym teacher teaching him type matchups. Ground conducts electricity. Makes total sense, right?]
Brock's expression didn't change. He gave the command in a flat, cold voice. "Onix, use Bind."
"Roar!"
Onix let out a deep bellow. Its massive tail whipped around in an instant, coiling tightly around Pikachu and pinning it in place.
"Pika! Pika!"
Pikachu cried out in pain, the coils tightening with every passing second. It was on the verge of losing consciousness. Ash panicked. "Pikachu! Use Thundershock again! Shock it loose!"
"Pi... ka..."
Pikachu strained with everything it had and released another burst of electricity, but again it vanished without effect. Ash tried to recall Pikachu, but the distance was too great, and the red beam from the Poke Ball couldn't reach Pikachu locked inside those crushing coils.
Watching Pikachu fade, Ash felt like something was being torn out of him. It felt like watching a piece of himself get crushed inside those coils. He bit down hard, eyes filling with tears, and shouted, "I give up!"
At those words, Onix slowly loosened its grip and dropped Pikachu to the ground. Ash rushed forward and scooped it up. Pikachu was covered in wounds, barely clinging on.
The comments poured in again.
[They just got completely steamrolled. No chance to fight back. The gap is way too big.]
[The main character loses his very first gym battle at lightning speed. That's brutal. This one's gonna sting.]
[Pikachu looks absolutely wrung out. Ash, get to the Pokemon Center fast.]
[So that's the real level of a Gym Leader. This isn't something you win on pure guts.]
Ash carried Pikachu out of the gym, head hanging low.
The setting sun stretched his shadow long and thin behind him, making the whole scene feel quietly heartbreaking.
Just outside the doors, the stone vendor, Flint, was leaning against the wall, waiting.
Flint looked at Ash's hollow expression and let out a slow breath. "Lost, didn't you? I figured you would. Come with me."
Viewers watching this exchange started speculating all at once.
[He was waiting this whole time. This guy is definitely not just some random vendor. Something's going on.]
[Is he about to hand over a cheat code? Is this the start of the special training arc?]
[Classic 'lose the fight, meet your mentor' setup. I know exactly where this is going. Training montage incoming.]
[Who is this guy, really? Why does he care so much about Ash? Is he some kind of hidden master?]
Flint brought Ash to a small, run-down wooden cabin.
It was modest, but clean and neatly kept. Ash set Pikachu down on the couch and tended to it carefully.
Just beyond the window stood a larger house. Through the glass, the yard was full of children running around and playing, some mucking about in the dirt, others chasing each other.
And there, under the covered walkway of the house, a familiar figure was hard at work.
It was Brock, the Gym Leader they had just faced. He had shed his formal Gym attire and was now wearing an apron, spatula in hand, stirring something in a large pot over the stove. A cluster of small children hovered nearby, drooling with anticipation. Brock cooked with one hand while using the other to steady a little one who had nearly tumbled over.
His movements were practiced and gentle. The look in his eyes was full of patience and warmth, nothing like the cold, composed Gym Leader he had been just a short while ago.
Ash stared, thrown. "That's... Brock?"
Flint handed Ash a cup of water and spoke quietly. "Truth is, Brock's parents walked out on the family a long time ago. Left him alone to raise ten younger siblings. He runs the Gym on top of all that. Everything, the food, the bills, all of it, falls on him."
Ash watched the figure moving busily in the window, and something complicated stirred inside him.
"...I had no idea," Ash murmured.
Flint nodded slowly and continued. "He used to want to travel, just like you. He wanted to be a Pokemon Breeder. But he couldn't leave. What would happen to all of them if he did?"
The comment section filled up with sympathy and quiet reflection.
[So Brock's situation is really that tough. Parents gone, not dead, just walked out. That's honestly worse in a way. How irresponsible.]
[He's playing both mom and dad at the same time. Spare a thought for Brock. That guy carries too much.]
[No wonder he seems so much older than his age. Life made him grow up fast. Turned a kid into a caretaker overnight.]
[Ten siblings, and he's running a Gym on top of it all. The guy is basically a superhero.]
[How does this vendor know all of this so well? Is he family or something?]
Flint looked at Ash and asked suddenly, "You want to beat Onix?"
Ash snapped his head up, eyes burning. "Of course I do!"
Flint said, "Rock-type is weak to Water. That's common knowledge. But you don't have a Water-type Pokemon right now. And even if you did, it wouldn't matter if it wasn't strong enough. First things first: you need to make Pikachu stronger. I'll take you somewhere to charge it up with some serious training."
From the side, Misty offered an idea. "Ash, why not borrow my Poliwag? Water-type has the advantage over Rock-type. You'd have a much better shot."
Ash shook his head and looked down at Pikachu, who was slowly recovering in his arms. "No. I want to win with my own Pikachu. This battle belongs to the two of us."
The comment section responded with an outpouring of support.
[The main character's backbone is showing! No shortcuts, just real strength! That's exactly the kind of lead we need!]
[I'm with Ash on this one. A borrowed victory means nothing. Even if you win, it doesn't feel like yours.]
[Charge training? That actually sounds legit. Pikachu is Electric-type, so a supercharged session is basically leveling it up directly.]
[Misty meant well, but Ash is right. Your own Pokemon is always your most reliable partner.]
[That training method sounds intense. Is Flint going to hook Pikachu up to a generator? Is this kid trying to turn it into a power plant?]
Night settled over the city. Flint led Ash to an abandoned watermill power station. The sound hit them before they even stepped inside — a deep, grinding groan of wood and rushing water. Inside, a massive wheel churned against the current, its cables running to a generator that looked like it had seen better days.
Flint slapped the side of the generator and raised his voice over the noise. "Ready? We're going to use this machine to push Pikachu through an extreme charge session! This is my secret method, and it's one of a kind!"
Ash looked uncertain. "Is this... safe? Won't it be too much for Pikachu?"
Flint grinned. "You want to get stronger, you've got to take risks! Come on, Pikachu, get up on the waterwheel!"
Pikachu was nervous, but it trusted Ash and leapt up onto the spinning wheel.
"Switch it on!"
Flint threw the lever.
BOOM!
A massive surge of electricity roared through the wheel. Pikachu erupted in a blinding blaze of electric light.
"PIKA, CHUUUUU!"
Pikachu let out a long, piercing cry. Its fur stood on end as arcs of lightning raced wildly across its body as if they were living things. The whole shack shook. The lightbulbs flickered madly, then burst with a sharp pop. The place very nearly came apart at the seams from the sheer force of it. Viewers watching were transfixed, and the comments went absolutely wild.
[This charging session is INSANE! Are they trying to blow up Pikachu?! This is way too extreme!]
[Pikachu is overloading! It's going to short-circuit! This feels like it's about to self-destruct!]
[The shack: What did I ever do to deserve this? Why am I the one getting destroyed? I'm suffering.]
[This is hardcore training. Only Pikachu could take this. Anyone else would've been fried by now.]
[It looks painful just watching it. Is this actually training or just straight-up abuse? Flint is wild for this.]
By the time the night was over, Pikachu lay exhausted on the floor, completely spent. But the electric energy radiating off it was unmistakably stronger than before, as if something vast and powerful had taken root deep inside it.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones