Ash didn't bother using the system to scan the Pokémon Egg—some things are better left a mystery. After all, that sense of anticipation was half the fun.
As they prepared to head for Dewford Island, things went slightly off track. Because May insisted on finding a famous noodle shop she read about in a magazine—and because the magazine got the address wrong—they missed the ferry.
Taking full responsibility, May set out to fix the mess and eventually found an old sailor named Captain Briney and his trusty Wingull, Peeko.
With their help, the group boarded Briney's boat and continued their journey to Dewford.
On the way, however, they were attacked by a group of wild Sharpedo, forcing them to land on an uncharted island. As fate would have it, Team Rocket was also there—claiming they came to "help," but only added to the chaos.
"Pikachu, send them flying with Thunderbolt!"
"Pika~CHU!"
"What a disgusting feeling!""Wobbuffet~ (˃ʍ˂)～"
Ash and the gang eventually made peace with the Sharpedo, thanks to Pikachu and some clever negotiation. Two days later, they finally arrived in Dewford Town on Dewford Island.
After saying their goodbyes to Captain Briney, who found a renewed love for the sea thanks to their adventure, Ash and the others checked into the local Pokémon Center for a night of rest.
The Next Day
"Alright! Pikachu, let's go win our next badge in one shot!" Ash cheered, hugging his Pokémon Egg as he sprinted toward the Dewford Gym.
"Wait up, Ash!" Brock, May, and Max ran after him.
Soon, they arrived at the Gym. The exterior was definitely unique—with a golden arch bearing the bold inscription: "Fighting Spirit – Ride the Wave!"
"The Gym's logo says 'Fighting' in huge letters. They must really be confident in their battle style," Max observed.
"Maybe the Gym Leader's a musclehead, like Chuck from Cianwood City," Brock added.
That was the image they all had in mind—until a lean, athletic young man with sky-blue hair stepped out of the Gym, carrying a surfboard under his arm.
"Hey there. You guys need something?" he asked casually.
"I'm Ash, from Pallet Town! I'm here to challenge the Gym," Ash said confidently, still clutching the Egg.
"Oh! Nice to meet you all. I'm Brawly, Leader of the Dewford Gym," the young man smiled, then glanced at the waves beyond the island. "I'm really sorry, though. Yesterday, the sea was wild—crashing and roaring. But today… it's calm, beautiful. Way too perfect to waste indoors. Let's battle tomorrow instead, alright?"
Without waiting for a reply, Brawly waved and jogged toward the beach, board in hand.
"Well, guess that's that," Ash sighed. "Since the match is postponed, let's hit the beach and enjoy the day!"
"Agreed!" ♡(´∀｀) Everyone cheered.
The beach was lively, filled with swimmers and surfers alike.
"It's the sea! Let's go swimming!" May said, immediately pulling off her outer clothes.
"No! May, you can't undress in public like this!" Max shouted, shielding his eyes.
"It's fine! I've got my swimsuit on underneath," May twirled, showing off her cute outfit.
(•́ω•̀ ٥) You totally planned this! Max thought.
Suddenly, Brock's eyes sparkled as he spotted a group of women surfing.
"They're beautiful… So graceful… Someone surf into my heart!" he cried, trying to dash toward them.
Ash, May, and Max silently took a few steps back."We don't know him," they muttered in sync.
"Hey! Look over there—it's the Gym Leader from earlier!" May pointed.
Sure enough, Brawly was surfing alongside his Hariyama.
[Hariyama]Ability: Thick Fat (Halves Fire and Ice damage)Strength: Late Gym-level
"That Pokémon must be Hariyama," Brock noted.
"But… do Hariyama even like to surf?" May asked, puzzled.
"This is probably part of his training," Ash replied. "He's working on balance and synchronization with his partner."
"Ohh, so it's a team-building exercise. Makes sense," Max nodded.
Ash smiled. "Alright! Let's all go have some fun!"
"Come on, Max, let's go swim!" May grabbed him and dashed off.
"Wait! I haven't even changed yet!"
Ash, Brock, and Max went back to the Pokémon Center to change into their swimsuits. Ash also handed the Pokémon Egg over to Nurse Joy for safekeeping.
Outside, Ash released his team for a beach day.
"Come on out, everyone! Let's enjoy the water!"
All his Pokémon burst out of their Poké Balls and joined in the fun—except Bayleef, who stayed close to Ash and refused to leave his side.
"It's alright, Bayleef. Pikachu and I are going surfing—it's not exactly your thing. Here, take this as a treat," Ash said, handing her a Primary Rare Candy.
Bayleef hesitated, but after a bit of coaxing, she accepted it and happily chomped it down.
A sudden glow surrounded her.
"Beili?"
Her power surged—and she broke through to Early Gym-level!
It wasn't easy to rise between major stages, and Bayleef had been stuck for a while. Even Pikachu hadn't broken through his bottleneck yet!
Ash rented a surfboard and a smaller one for Pikachu.
"Let's ride, Pikachu!""Pika~Pika!"
The two jumped onto their boards and hit the waves, surfing side-by-side. Along the way, they bumped into Brawly again, who greeted them with a wave. They agreed to battle tomorrow.
"How was it, Pikachu?" Ash asked as they returned to shore.
"Pika~!" Pikachu chirped excitedly.
Ash grinned. "System, redeem one Surf TM. Apply it to Pikachu."
[Ding~ Surf TM successfully used.]
Later, Ash rejoined the group for lunch. Then, he headed to the training field.
"Come out, Primeape!""Hacha~!"
"What's Ash doing now?" May asked.
"Looks like training," Brock answered, eyes fixed on the field.
"Pikachu—use Surf!"
"Wait—Pikachu can use Surf?!" Max gasped.
"Yeah, only the most exceptional Pikachu can learn it," Brock nodded. "Now he has a strong counter for Ground-types!"
"Pika~!" Pikachu sent a powerful wave crashing toward Primeape, who was swept off his feet.
"Awesome work, Pikachu! And thank you too, Primeape!"
"Hacha~!"
The rest of the day was filled with laughter and play. At one point, Eevee surprised everyone by breaking through to Elite Mid-tier.
Ash was speechless. "This little guy just skips bottlenecks like they don't even exist…"
The next day, they returned to the Dewford Gym.
"Ash, welcome! I'm looking forward to our battle. I'll be going all out," Brawly said, serious now.
To be continued…