Beep—beep—
"Hey Ash, is that you? Calling for a Pokémon swap? Just so you know, I still need a few more days to fully study that shiny Silcoon you caught," Professor Oak said, appearing on the screen.
"Yeah, Professor. Please send over Primeape, Pidgeot, and Bayleef. I'm returning Tyranitar, Taillow, and Phanpy for now," Ash replied. His Hoenn team was progressing well, so it was time for a major reshuffle—though of course, Pikachu stayed by his side, along with Eevee, who was on the verge of breaking through, and Treecko, who was chosen for the upcoming Gym Match.
The special request Ash had made earlier? That was to bring Primeape back from Shihou Town, where it had been training with Shihou the martial artist. After all, Primeape was still Ash's Pokémon—just temporarily entrusted to someone else.
"Oho? Bringing back Primeape, I see!" Professor Oak grinned. "Also, Tyranitar, huh? No problem at all. By the way, your other Pokémon are doing great! Totodile evolved into Croconaw, and with Pidgeot's help, Noctowl has broken through to Gym level!"
"Really? That's awesome!" Ash was thrilled to hear it.
This time, Ash didn't plan to use Primeape in the Gym Match just yet. He wanted to rebuild their bond first—after all, they hadn't spent much time together before Primeape went off for training.
He walked to a nearby clearing.
"Come on out—Primeape, Pidgeot, Bayleef!"
"Ha-cha!""Pi~!""Bay-leaf~!"
Bayleef wasted no time and tackled Ash with affection.
"Haha! It's been a while, Bayleef!" Ash laughed, hugging her. He turned to Primeape. "It's great to have you back, Primeape!"
"Ha-cha!" Primeape nodded energetically.
[Primeape]Type: FightingAbility: Defiant (Sharply raises Attack when stats are lowered)Level: Mid-GymMoves: Bulk Up, Close Combat, Taunt, Double Team, Seismic Toss, Mega Kick, Mega PunchTerastallization Type: Ghost
[Bayleef]Level: Elite Peak
— The Next Day —
Ash and his friends finally arrived at the Roxanne's gym!
As Ash took in the surroundings, he couldn't help but compare it to Pewter Gym. "So this is the Rock-type Gym in Hoenn… It really gives off the same stony vibe as Brock's back home," he thought. But more importantly—this was his first Gym battle since reincarnating!
Inside, several student assistants were cleaning the battlefield.
"Whoa! So cool!" May exclaimed, admiring the arena. (≧▽≦)
"So this is where Gym battles happen?" Max asked, eyes wide with excitement.
"This place really captures the essence of Rock Pokémon," Brock commented, speaking as a fellow Rock-type Gym Leader.
"Good morning! You must be Ash from Pallet Town. Gym Leader Roxanne is expecting you. Please come this way," a staff member greeted them.
"Right!"
"Teacher, the challenger has arrived," the assistant called out.
Roxanne appeared with a smile. "Ash! We're honored to be the starting point of your Hoenn League challenge."
"The honor is mine, Roxanne," Ash replied with confidence.
"Then shall we begin right away?" she asked.
"No problem. I've been ready for this!"
"Teacher, the arena is ready," another assistant informed her.
Brock looked curious. "Are they also students here?"
"Yes," Roxanne said. "They're students from the Pokémon Trainer Academy. They help out at the Gym to gain hands-on experience."
She then turned to Ash. "Would you mind if we recorded the battle for teaching purposes? Real Gym matches make the best study material."
"I don't mind at all."
Ash and Roxanne took their places, while Brock, May, and Max headed to the spectator seats.
"I can't wait to see how Ash battles! It's my first time watching a real Gym Match!" Max said excitedly. (✧∇✧)
"Huh? Haven't you watched your dad's matches at the Orange Gym?" Brock asked.
"Dad said we'd distract the challengers, so he never let us watch from the sidelines," Max replied with a sigh.
The referee stepped forward. "The Gym Match between Challenger Ash from Pallet Town and Gym Leader Roxanne will now begin! The format is 2-on-2, with only the challenger allowed to switch Pokémon!"
"Then let's go—Geodude, I choose you!" Roxanne threw her Poké Ball.
[Geodude]Ability: Sturdy (Survives one hit at full HP)Level: Elite Late
"You're up, Treecko!" Ash called."Cha-ma!"
"Battle begin!"
"Geodude, use Mega Punch!"
Geodude lunged forward with a glowing fist.
"Treecko, Quick Attack to dodge, then use Leaf Blade!"
Treecko zipped past and slashed with glowing leaves.
"Geodude, Harden, then Rock Throw!"
Treecko was hit!
"Now, Rollout!"
Geodude began spinning rapidly toward Treecko.
"Jump up and use Absorb!" Ash countered.
Treecko jumped and absorbed energy from Geodude, weakening it.
"Finish it! Quick Attack + Pound!"
Wham! Geodude was knocked out.
"Geodude is unable to battle—Treecko wins!"
"Great job, Treecko!" Ash cheered.
"Cha-ma~!"
Roxanne smiled. "Nice work, Geodude. Come back."
"Let's keep going, Treecko!" Ash said.
"Then I choose you—Nosepass!"
[Nosepass]Ability: SturdyLevel: Mid-Gym
"Battle start!"
"Nosepass, Rock Tomb!"
Large rocks erupted and surrounded Treecko.
"Quick Attack, get out of there!"
Treecko darted between the falling boulders.
"Counter with Leaf Blade!"
Treecko slashed—but Nosepass endured it.
"Nosepass, use Stone Edge!"
Boom! Treecko was knocked out by the super-effective move.
"Treecko is unable to battle—Nosepass wins!"
"You did great, Treecko. Come back." Ash recalled him. "Your turn, Pidgeot!"
"Pi~!"
"Nosepass, Zap Cannon!"
"Pidgeot, Double Team! Then Quick Attack + Steel Wing!"
Pidgeot multiplied and struck Nosepass at high speed, activating its Sturdy!
"Nosepass, use Rest!" Roxanne called.
Nosepass fell asleep instantly.
"Not so fast! Pidgeot, full-power Hyper Beam!"
A blinding white beam erupted from Pidgeot, hitting Nosepass point-blank!
Boom!!
"Nosepass!" Roxanne cried.
"Nosepass is unable to battle—Pidgeot wins! Ash is the winner!"
"Alright! We did it, Pidgeot!" Ash cheered. ٩(´◒`)۶"Pi~!"
"Nice job, Ash!" Max shouted.
"Well done, Nosepass. Come back and rest," Roxanne said gently, recalling her Pokémon.
Outside the Gym, Roxanne presented Ash with the Rock Badge.
"Ash, congratulations! This badge proves your victory at the Roxanne Gym. I believe you'll do great things in the Hoenn League."
"Thank you so much!" Ash held the badge high. "Alright! I got the Rock Badge!"
"Pika~!"
[Ding~ Achievement Unlocked: Rustboro Rock Badge Acquired! Reward: 1000 points]
Later, Max pestered Ash to see the badge—just like May did with his ribbon badge. Laughing and chatting, the group made their way to the Pokémon Center, discussing their next destination.
To be continued…