The smoke and dust finally settled.
Brock stood at the opposite end of the battlefield, quietly staring at his fallen Onix. He remained silent for several long seconds.
Then, he let out a long, slow breath.
The expression on his face gradually shifted from shock and bewilderment to one of relief and quiet acceptance.
"Sigh…"
It was his signature sigh.
He shook his head, stepped forward, and recalled Onix into its Poké Ball.
"Good work, Onix. Get some rest."
Turning around, he looked at Yuuto. His squinty eyes returned to their usual narrow state, but a hint of genuine emotion and appreciation lingered deep within them.
"I lost."
"I am completely defeated."
"Whether it's that incredible Pikachu, that… extraordinary Pidgeotto, or you."
As he spoke, Brock took out a small, exquisite box from his pocket and opened it. Inside rested an octagonal gray badge. Its edges had a rocky texture, and its center was a steady dark gray.
"This is the Pewter Gym's Gray Badge."
Brock solemnly removed the badge and handed it to Yuuto.
"You earned it with true strength. Not just raw power, but also the keen insight to spot weaknesses and the decisiveness to execute tactics without hesitation. You are a truly remarkable Trainer."
Yuuto reached out and accepted the badge. It felt slightly cool in his palm, carrying the unique texture of stone.
"Congratulations, Yuuto!"
Misty immediately hopped over, her face beaming with undisguised joy. She gave his shoulder a firm pat.
"First badge secured! Even though you fought in such a reckless way, it was still pretty impressive."
She tilted her chin up, her tone slipping back into her familiar tsundere style.
"But~ the road ahead is still long! You need eight Gym Badges to enter the Indigo League Tournament!"
"You're only one-eighth of the way there. Remember your lit~tle~ goal~"
She deliberately stretched out her words, her beautiful eyes sparkling with mischief.
"You're still a long way from that grand dream of 'becoming the Champion'!"
Delia walked over gently as well. She gazed at the Gray Badge resting in Yuuto's palm, her eyes filled with warmth and joy.
Hearing Misty's words, she naturally chimed in, her voice soft but firm.
"It's alright. No matter how long the road is, I will accompany Yuuto every step of the way."
Her gaze rested on Yuuto's profile, overflowing with tenderness and trust.
Misty immediately turned and made a face at Delia.
"Sister Delia! You're spoiling him way too much!"
"If you keep pampering him like this, he'll become lazy and lose his drive!"
"A Trainer can't always stay in their comfort zone!"
As she spoke, Misty puffed out her developing chest, putting on the air of a senior giving wise advice.
Delia tilted her head slightly, looking a little confused.
"Ah? Is that so? I was just… speaking from my heart."
She looked at Yuuto with clear, honest eyes.
"Oh my~ You really can't spoil him too much…"
Misty began rambling again about the "proper path of a Trainer" she had figured out.
Brock watched the natural, lively interaction between the three of them from the side. Seeing Delia's wholehearted trust and companionship toward Yuuto, a deep sense of envy flickered in his eyes.
He shook his head with a bitter smile.
"What an enviable team atmosphere… and a clear goal to chase after."
He sighed, glancing toward the back of the Gym where the faint sounds of his younger siblings playing could be heard.
"As for me… even finding time to study Pokémon food preparation in depth is difficult."
"The Gym needs managing, the siblings need looking after, three meals a day, daily routines… sigh."
His tone carried a faint trace of fatigue and longing.
Just then, Yuuto suddenly spoke up, as if asking casually, though his gaze flicked toward the Gym entrance.
"Oh? Your parents aren't helping out? It must be really hard carrying all this alone with so many kids."
Brock was slightly caught off guard and answered subconsciously.
"My father…"
Before he could finish—
"Brock!!!"
A loud, vigorous shout—trembling with clear excitement—burst from the Gym entrance.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
Flint, who had remained silent until now, could no longer hold back. He yanked off the old hat he had worn for years and smoothed his messy hair, trying to make himself recognizable.
Brock froze completely.
His squinty eyes stared fixedly at the familiar yet strange figure standing at the door.
Flint strode forward. His gaze swept over the messy battlefield before locking firmly onto his eldest son.
He took a deep breath, walked up to Brock, and spoke in a heavy, clear voice:
"Brock… it's me."
"I'm back."
"I'm sorry… for all these years, leaving the Gym, your siblings, and all the heavy burdens to you alone."
Flint's voice cracked slightly. He rubbed his face hard.
"I… I haven't been a qualified father, much less a qualified Gym Leader."
"But from today onward, I swear I will stay! I will take on the responsibilities I should have shouldered! I'll help you manage the Gym and learn to take proper care of your siblings!"
"Give me… give me a chance to make it up to you, son!"
He reached out as if to pat Brock's shoulder, but stopped timidly in mid-air.
The Gym fell into complete silence.
The siblings in the stands leaned over the railing, watching the scene with curiosity and confusion.
The expected dramatic reunion—father and son embracing with tears in their eyes—did not happen.
Brock simply looked at Flint quietly for a full ten seconds.
Then, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
His expression shifted from initial shock to a calm sense of relief, mixed with even clearer fatigue.
He raised a hand and rubbed his brow.
"Alright, Dad. Welcome back."
Under Flint's somewhat bewildered gaze, Brock turned around and began speaking in a steady, rapid tone while pointing toward the stands.
"Taking care of the siblings isn't simple."
"First, that's Jiro. He's eight this year. You need to wake him up at least three times every morning, but he can dress himself. He likes sweets, but don't give him too many—especially at night, or he'll cry from toothaches."
"The one to the left of Saburo is Xiaomei. She's been picky lately. You have to chop carrots finely and mix them into mashed potatoes for her to eat them."
"The one on the right is…"
"Bedroom assignments on the second floor are…"
"Daily Gym maintenance: every Monday and Thursday, check the stability of the rock walls. Fill any cracks in the ground immediately. Cleaning skill marks requires a special…"
"League paperwork must be submitted before the fifth of every month. The format is in the second drawer on the left…"
"The family ore business needs…"
"The schedule for the siblings' parent-teacher meetings is on the fridge…"
"…"
Brock spoke at a steady pace, organized and detailed, like a precision machine outputting data.
Flint tried to keep up at first, but soon grew flustered. He frantically searched for a pen and paper.
"Wait, wait! Brock! Slow down! I… I'll take notes! Pen! Paper!"
He nearly tripped over himself while rummaging through his pockets. Finally pulling out a crumpled notebook and a half-used pencil, he began scribbling furiously, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"Jiro… wake up three times… sweets… toothache… Xiaomei… carrots… mashed potatoes…"
His messy handwriting and constant muttering added an unexpected touch of humor that lightened the heavy atmosphere.
Misty couldn't help letting out a soft "pfft," quickly covering her mouth.
Delia also chuckled behind her hand, her eyes gentle.
Yuuto watched the scene with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
At that moment, system prompts rang out in his mind.
[Ding! Task "Waking Flint Up" completed!]
[Task Reward: Everstone — placed in the system inventory.]
[Ding! Pewter Gym Challenge (Type Disadvantage Version) completed!]
[Task Reward: Premium Metal Coat — placed in the system inventory.]
Yuuto felt a wave of satisfaction.
Two tasks, both successfully completed.
Especially the arrival of the **Premium Metal Coat** pleased him greatly.
In this world, it was solid hard currency with an extremely high market value—easily over a million league coins. For an ordinary Trainer, it would be like getting rich overnight.
But Yuuto wasn't particularly short on money right now.
What he valued more was the combat potential the item represented.
The Premium Metal Coat could greatly enhance the physical strength and Steel-type move power of existing Steel-types, or trigger powerful evolutions—such as turning Scyther into the agile and deadly Scizor, or evolving Onix into the immensely durable Steelix.
The latter idea especially made Yuuto's heart race.
He already had two excellent candidates in mind:
One was the legendary "Giant Onix" leader on Mt. Moon, whose size far surpassed its peers. Its foundation and potential would be extraordinary.
The other was the unique "Crystal Onix" in the Orange Islands, whose crystalline body might produce unexpected and powerful mutations upon evolution.
Both were future capture targets, and the Premium Metal Coat was one of the key items needed for them.
Just as Yuuto was mentally calculating the best way to use the coat—
[Ding! Achievement Series Task — Type Advantage Master, unlocked!]
A new system prompt sounded without warning.
[Congratulations to the host for successfully defeating Pewter Gym Leader Brock using a type-disadvantage strategy, unlocking the hidden achievement series "Type Advantage Master"!]
[Task Requirement: While obtaining the eight Gym Badges required for the Indigo League Tournament, at least three badges must be earned through "Type Disadvantage Challenges."]
[Task Reward: Top-Quality Mega Evolution Key Stone ×1]
[Reward Description: This Key Stone is of extremely high quality, with stable and abundant energy. It can simultaneously activate Mega Evolution for up to three Pokémon bound to their corresponding Mega Stones!]
[Special Warning: The more Mega Evolutions activated simultaneously, the greater the mental load on the Trainer. Please act according to your own limits. Excessive use may cause mental shock.]
Yuuto's heart stirred with excitement.
*Oh?*
He had only expected a high-quality Metal Coat, but he had accidentally triggered an entire achievement series?
The reward was even better than he imagined—a top-tier Mega Evolution Key Stone capable of supporting three simultaneous Mega Evolutions!
He immediately thought of the Charizard Mega Stone he had already obtained. He had assumed he would need to wait until he reached the Kalos region to access Mega Evolution.
Now the Key Stone had arrived early.
*Is the system planning for me to debut Mega Evolution at the Indigo League?*
Using future-era power to "dimensionally strike" the current Indigo League… the thought of opponents' shocked faces when his Charizard (or another Pokémon) suddenly Mega Evolved and exploded with power was incredibly appealing.
*Fine!*
*Let's do it!*
Since the system had paved the way, he wouldn't hold back.
From now on, he would walk the "crooked path" of being a **Type Advantage Master** all the way to the end!
With a single thought, Yuuto decisively accepted the series task.
After accepting it, he no longer disturbed Flint and Brock, who had already entered a serious "handover" mode.
Brock continued speaking rapidly while Flint frantically scribbled notes, sweating profusely but listening with utmost seriousness.
Yuuto nodded to Brock in farewell. Brock paused his explanation just long enough to return a look filled with gratitude and well-wishes.
Yuuto turned around and quietly left the Pewter Gym with Delia and Misty, the Gym that had just witnessed a very special challenge.
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