I Wanna Be The Very Best

Chapter 73: Showdown in Pewter City

It's about mid afternoon in the Kanto region as Ash and Serena continue to fly towards Pewter city on Pidgeot's back.

It's been a few hours since they left the woods on this flight, and they are only a few minutes outside of Pewter city.

Serena sits behind her boyfriend, hugging him from behind while resting her head on his shoulder, letting the fresh air at such an altitude wash over her as a small satisfied smile sits on her face.

Ash looks over at his girlfriend and notices her satisfied look as he questions "You comfy there beautiful?"

Serena keeps her eyes closed as she hums peacefully "Hm hm, Pidgeot is such a smooth flyer that it's so easy to just rest my head here and relax. It's kind of peaceful being up this high. While I loved flying on Charizard too, this is a little more relaxing."

Pidgeot smiles at the compliment on his flying ability as he lets off a happy cry.

Ash smiles at his girlfriend's satisfied tone and replies in a similar manner "Yeah it is, it's like a whole other world up here. The views also pretty great too."

Serena smiles at Ash's positivity as she continues to relax her body while cuddling into him gently. She takes a small satisfied sigh before she questions "So Pewter city, have you got any special strategies to take on Brock with?"

Ash places a small smirk on his face before he jokes "Well for starters, I hope they've fixed the sprinkler system. It's definitely not apart of my strategy to set them off again."

Serena giggles a little, having already been informed of the story behind Ash's first gym battle against Brock. The way Ash told it, she could tell he regretted the way he acted before the battle. He disrespected how powerful a gym leader is, and he certainly paid the price for it.

However, at least he learnt from it and he found a friend in Brock to help mentor him moving forward. While his first gym badge was nothing to write home about, it was probably one of Ash's most important.

Ash let's his girlfriend capture her need to giggle at his jokes before he exclaims "But being serious, I don't know what to expect from Brock. He's got a lot of Pokémon he can use and I'm excited to see what he comes up with. I know 2 of my 3 I'm going to use but I'll keep that to myself for now. I know you hate it when I spoil the surprise."

Serena mentally nods in agreement with her boyfriend, not really wanting to know exactly what Pokémon he's going to use. After all, one of things that makes Ash's battles so fun is his unpredictability.

The pair fly through the air for a few more minutes until they fly straight over the city of hard rocks. Ash smiles a little as points down towards the ground and exclaims "Pidgeot, set us down."

Pidgeot nods as he swoops towards the ground before landing with grace in the middle of the city, completely smooth for his passengers aboard.

Ash disembarks from Pidgeot first, before helping Serena down as Pikachu situates himself down on his shoulder. The Alola champion soon removes their bags as they both place them on their respective backs.

With everything unloaded, Ash smiles towards his first ever flying type Pokémon as he holds out a pokeball and remarks "Thanks for the help Pidgeot. Now, you deserve a good rest."

He returns Pidgeot to his pokeball before clipping it onto his belt. He turns back towards his girlfriend with a small smile as he questions "How's your ankle feel now?"

Serena takes a few baby steps to test her ankle before she stops with a small frown on her face. She shakes her head a little as she replies in a down tone "It's a little sorer now than this morning. I think it needs re strapping. The bandages are a little loose and I can feel my ankle giving way as I walk."

Ash takes in his girlfriend's statement, feeling a small twang of pain in his heart that she's still enduring such pain. He decides to try to stay positive as he exclaims "Don't worry, the pokemon centre isn't too far away. It's probably only a 5 minute walk. I'll cary you so you don't roll it again."

Ash nonchalantly steps forward to scoop Serena up into his arms effortlessly, like he does so often when they are all alone. However to his surprise, Serena stops him as she holds her hands out in front of her and backs away a little.

The Alola champion frowns a little as he questions in a concerned tone "What's the matter Serena? Did I do something wrong? You usually don't mind it when I pick you up."

Serena feels her heart sadden at Ash's little innocent concerned look. His first thought in these situations is always to think that he's done something wrong, afraid of making her feel uncomfortable.

Well the truth is, Serena loves it when Ash picks her up like she's a feather. The way he scoops her up and cradles her in his arms is dreamy in a way. It makes her feel so safe, so secure and so special.

However in this case, there is a reason why he can't just lift her up like his bride on a wedding day. She explains that to her boyfriend as she smiles and sweetly responds "Don't worry Ash, you've done nothing wrong. I love it when you pick me up and carry me, but you shouldn't do it here in public. We're in the middle of a big city and it's a little more embarrassing. Plus, someone around here will take a picture and post it somewhere. Before you know it, the news will be talking about it and then people will know where we are. We don't want that do we?"

Ash takes in his girlfriend's point and realises his mistake. He scratches the back of his head as he exclaims nervously "I guess that makes sense. I sometimes forget that we are pretty famous. How about a piggy back?"

Serena smiles at her boyfriend's understanding as she replies in a sweet tone "A piggy back sounds fine. That's a bit more under the radar."

Ash nods and he lowers himself down, allowing Serena to carefully climb onto his back. Once she's situated and comfortable, the raven haired trainer stands up as he begins the trek towards the Pewter city pokemon centre.
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Intro

Within a few minutes, Ash and Serena find themselves at the front door to the Pewter city pokemon centre. Ash sets Serena back down on the ground before they walk into the centre hand in hand.

The two of them walk towards the counter as Ash smiles and greets "Hey nurse joy."

The Pewter city nurse Joy smiles at the young man as she replies "Oh hi Ash, it's been a long time. What a nice surprise."

Ash smiles back as he exclaims "Yeah it has been a while. Me and my girlfriend have been travelling the Kanto region and we came by to see Brock. Is he in today?"

Nurse Joy nods and explains "Yes he's in his office with his final scheduled patient before closing time. You should go back and surprise him. I know he'd be happy to see you."

Ash and Serena nod in agreement as the Pallet town native responds "Thank nurse joy."

The amour couple take their leave as they head towards the back of the pokemon centre. They both stride down the halls until they find themselves stood right outside the door to Brock's office.

Inside the office, Brock holds a pokeball out towards a young 10 year old trainer and exclaims "Here, your Paras is as good as new. I'd recommend holding off on battling with him for a few days though. Going too hard too soon will increase the risk of aggravating the injury."

The child nods and smiles a little as he replies in a grateful tone "Thanks doctor Brock, Your the best."

Brock smiles warmly towards the child and remarks with clear happiness in his tone "Anytime kid."

The kid strides out of Brock's office and takes off down the corridor, leaving the office free for the amour couple to visit.

As the child runs out, Serena turns towards her boyfriend with a small smile and comments "Brock really seemed happy giving that kid back his healthy pokemon."

Ash nods and smiles brightly as he explains with admiration in his tone "Yeah, that pretty much sums Brock up. While he's always been a strong Pokémon trainer with great natural skill, his real passion has always been the Pokémon themselves. He gets more joy out of taking care of Pokémon and raising them than he does actually battling them."

Serena takes in Ash's words and can sort of relate to Brock's way of thinking. She's always enjoyed talking care of Pokémon whether that be her or Ash's. But, she doesn't love to battle them like her boyfriend does. While she knows pokemon love to battle it out and compete, she doesn't love the fact that they do get hurt during battles. Maybe she's a little soft but it's just her preference. Performing and showing off a Pokémon's strength in a different way will always be her go to.

She shakes off that thought as she smiles and replies "That sounds like the opinion of a good pokemon doctor. So, should we go say hello?"

Ash nods in agreement with his girlfriend and replies with a small excited fist pump "Yeah, let's go."

Meanwhile in Brock's office, the man himself sits down at his computer as he ticks off his final appointment of the day. He takes a small sigh and wipes a beed of sweat off his forehead as he thinks to himself "Just a few days until Ash gets here and I tell him the big news. He'll be happy when he hears what it is. But first, time to go home and help mom and dad with the kids."

Suddenly, Brock is snapped out of his thoughts as he hears a knock on his door and a familiar voice ring out "Excuse me doctor Brock, but you've got one more patient to deal with before you go home tonight."

Brock hears the familiar voice and gasps in shock as he turns around on his chair. His eyes widen a little at the sight in front of him, before he smiles brightly and shouts "Ash! It's good to see you!"

Ash smiles at his first traveling companion as he walks up to him. The two of them naturally fall into a signature practiced handshake, as Ash replies with clear happiness in his tone "It's good to see you too Brock."

Pikachu let's off a happy cry as he leaps from Ash's shoulder and onto the good Pokémon doctor's. Brock smiles a little as he scratches behind the electric mouse's ears and greets "Of course it's good to see you as well Pikachu."

Serena smiles as she approaches carefully. She stands next to her boyfriend and bows a little as she remarks in a polite tone "Hi Brock. It's really nice to see you again. I hope you've been well."

Brock looks at the Kalosian girl in front of him and feels his eyes widen in shock again. He still can't really process the fact that Ash Ketchum is dating the diamond stood in front of him. It still doesn't sit right with him that Ash Ketchum, the densest human being alive, managed to get a girlfriend before him.

The rock type gym leader shakes off that thought as he smiles back and replies "I've been well thanks Serena. Good to see you guys are still going strong. Congratulations on becoming Kalos queen and the world's best performer. I watched the showcase and thought you were the best by far."

Serena smiles back at the rock type trainer, enthralled with the congratulations as she exclaims "Thank you Brock! Me and my Pokémon put in a lot of hard work and we managed to pull it off in the end."

Brock nods in understanding, completely aware that the achievements anyone of them can boast are a large part down to the hard work and team work between them and their pokemon.

The Pewter city gym leader stands up from his chair and questions with a raised eyebrow "Well, this is quite unexpected. I thought you were going to get here a few days later than this. I'm not complaining but, how come you got here so quickly?"

Ash scratches his head a little as he explains "Well, we were travelling through the woods when Serena had a little accident. Her foot slipped and she rolled her ankle pretty bad. I've done my best to make it better but it's not 100% yet. So, we decided it would be better to fly the rest of the way to Pewter city so that she didn't have to walk on it anymore than she needed to. I was actually hoping that you could maybe give her ankle a check up? You have better medical knowledge than me after all."

Brock takes in the information and gets the picture as to what happened. He smiles invitingly and replies in a warm tone you'd expect from a doctor "Well I'm a Pokémon doctor, but a lot of injuries like this have a lot of cross over between humans and Pokemon. Hop on the examination table when your ready Serena and I'll take a look."

Serena smiles at Brock's kind nature and politely replies "Thanks doctor Brock."

The honey blonde performer soon hops onto the examination table. As she does, Ash comes over and removes her boot boot and right black stocking so her ankle is in full view.

Brock soon comes over and takes Serena's ankle into his hand as he becomes to examine it. He puts a concentrated look on his face as he explains "You've still got mostly free movement in it so you've definitely not snapped anything. The bruising has already come up and there is still swelling present. I'd say you've probably sprained it."

Ash nods in agreement with the doctors analysis and adds "Yeah I thought as much when she first did it. I iced it and strapped it up and that seemed to make things better."

Serena places a concerned look on her face as she questions "Is there anything I need to do to speed up the healing process? Also, do I need to take a break and stop doing any form of performance training?"

Brock shakes his head a little as he explains with a reassuring smile on his face "The injury is already starting to heal, and if your already able to bare weight on it comfortably then there's no need to stop that. I'd recommend easing off on the intensity of training, but not fully stopping if you feel up to it. As for recovery, rest and ice are always good tools to help this sort of injury. But, I also have a gel cream here that is good for treating this sort of injury. Massaging your foot and ankle in that gel every morning while help sooth any pain and take the swelling down. Overall, I'd say you'll be back to 100% in about a weeks time."

Serena takes in Brock's advice and is instantly cheered up as a smile coats her face. The news she just got is pretty much the best she could have hoped for. No major injuries, she can still perform and only one week until she's back to full fitness. That really couldn't have gone any better.

She gets that point across to the doctor as she exclaims "That's such a relief, thank you so much Brock."

Brock shakes his head and replies "No problem Serena, I'm just doing my job."

Ash watches Brock perform his duties as a doctor and can't help but smile a little at how great he is at it. Brock is now considered world wide as one of the best Pokémon doctors in the world, and it's not hard to see why.

The Alola champion smiles a little as he exclaims in a grateful tone "That's the best news we could have hoped for. Thanks for checking up on Serena Brock. I really appreciate it. Looks like I'm going to need to learn how to perform an ankle massage though."

Brock smiles at Ash's words and his clear care towards his girlfriend as he replies in a dismissive tone "It's not a problem Ash. I'm just happy that the injury isn't too severe and that you guys got here safely.

Serena giggles a little at her boyfriend's last comment about giving her a foot/ankle massage to help her injury. As much as she could just do it herself, she knows that Ash's hands would feel way better than her own and would probably help ease the pain more too.

She smiles at her boyfriend and exclaims in a happy tone "Well, I'm sure you'll be a great masseuse Ash."

Ash snickers a little before he replies "Thanks babe, I'll certainly try my best."

Brock watches the couple interact and feels a little awkward. It's just, kind of odd seeing this side of Ash. It's not a bad thing by any means and he is certainly happy for him. But this new side of him is going to take a while to get used to.

The Pewter city gym leader shakes it off as he places his hands on his hips and exclaims "Well anyway, my shift is all done for the day. I promised my mom and dad I would look after the kids after work. I would love to hang out with you guys a little longer but unfortunately, I already promised them. But, I can give you that gym battle tomorrow morning if you want Ash."

Ash takes in Brock's situation and feels as though he has a solution. He smiles a little as he replies with a hint of enthusiasm in his tone "Tomorrow morning is fine by me. Me and my Pokémon are itching to battle you again. But, we don't have to go our separate ways now. Me and Serena wouldn't mind helping you out with your brothers and sisters."

Brock raises an eyebrow and questions "Are you sure Ash? They can be hard work as you know?"

Ash nods and replies in a positive tone "I'm sure, we have no other plans so why not help you out?"

Serena smiles, feeling a little bubbly about the opportunity of getting to look after some younger children with Ash. She backs up her boyfriend's point as she adds "That's right, we really don't mind helping out. I really don't mind small kids so it should be fun."

Brock takes a second to think about it before he decides on his answer. He smiles brightly at the couple and exclaims "Well in that case, I'd really appreciate the help. Let's get moving shall we?"

The amour couple nod in agreement as they pack up their things before the trio make their way over to the Pewter city gym to look after Brock's siblings.
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A few minutes later, the trio find themselves right at the doorstep of the Pewter city gym. They soon all step inside with Brock in the lead. They make their way through the battlefield and into the accommodation portion of the typical gym house.

As they enter the house, Brock smiles and announces "Hey everyone, I'm home. I've bought some guests with me too."

The house stays silent for a few seconds, until suddenly a rampage of footsteps sounds throughout the entire house. As if they just magically appeared, 8 kids stand in front of Brock before surrounding the trio with excited looks on their faces.

One of the younger boys smiles and shouts in an excited tone "Hey look it's Ash!"

All 8 of the kids instantly rush towards the raven haired trainer, surrounding him in a circle. Ash smiles at the kids and replies in a happy tone "Wow, you've all grown since I last saw you guys. Soon you'll all be big enough to the point where Brock won't need to take care of you all."

Serena watches the 8 kids surrounding Ash with complete astonishment on her face. Ash did mention that Brock had a large family, but not like this. This is beyond the usual large family.

Suddenly, the honey blonde girl is snapped out of her thoughts as she hears a deep voice exclaim "Well, well, if it's isn't Ash Ketchum. How you been young man?"

Ash looks up in front of him to spot another 3 familiar faces. He smiles as he greets in a polite tone "I've been well thanks Flint. It's great to see you as well. Same with Lola and Forrest too."

Brock's mom Lola smiles at the young champion and remarks "Well it's certainly a surprise to see you here, but your always welcome around here as you know."

Forrest nods and adds with a hint of competitiveness in his voice "I heard you became champion of Alola, congratulations on your success. That must mean you've gotten even stronger as a trainer."

Ash smirks a little as he replies in a similar tone "Thanks both, I'd say I'm a better trainer than when you last saw me in action. But I suppose I'll let you judge that when I battle Brock tomorrow."

Forrest feels excitement course through his veins at the upcoming gym battle as he exclaims "I'm looking forward to that one."

Flint nods in agreement with his son, clearly feeling as though such a battle will be one to behold. He soon turns his attention towards the other guest in his house as he questions "So, are you going to introduce us to your friend."

Ash smiles a guilty smile as he scratches the back of his head and explains "Oh I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce you all. This here is my girlfriend Serena. She's a Pokémon performer and the current Kalos queen. Serena, this is Brock's mom and dad, Flint and Lola. That there is the oldest of Brock's younger siblings Forrest. The younger ones are the rest of his brothers and sisters."

Serena takes in the introductions and finds herself in complete disbelief. Lola and Flint have 10 kids!

She can't even comprehend how it's possible to look after that many kids. Being an only child, she knows how hard it is to deal with just one kid so 10 is just insane to her.

The massive number just makes the honey blonde girl wonder, how many kids will she have?

She's never really given it too much thought. After all, life is so precious that she feels wrong to put a number on it. If she ends up with only one kid, she'd be happy with just that little blessing and treasure them every day.

While she would definitely want more than one, ten is absolutely absurd. In an ideal world, Serena would probably want around 3-4 little darlings of her own. 3 or 4 of her and Ash's own special babies to raise together.

But no matter what, she'll be okay as long as she's with Ash. Even if a number like that wasn't possible, she'd make peace with it if she's blessed with only one.

The Kalos queen continues to daydream about her future amour babies, until she hears Flint remark "It's nice to meet you Serena. I hope you aren't too overwhelmed by the welcome."

Serena snaps out of her thoughts as she smiles and politely replies "It's nice to meet you too, and thank you for allowing me into your home. While the welcome is a little shocking, it's nice to see such a happy family."

Forest takes in the news that Ash has a girlfriend as a teasing smirk comes onto his face. He looks his older brother dead in the eye and jokes "Even Ash got a girlfriend before you bro."

Brock feels a small tear come to his eye as he shakes his head and replies in a tone full of dismay "Please don't remind me."

Lola shakes her head at his son's obsession with women as she exclaims "Well, as nice as it would be to stay and catch up, me and Flint need to get going. Brock is taking care of his brothers and sisters so I guess we'll see you both back at the gym tomorrow?"

Ash shakes his head a little as he explains "Well actually, me and Serena came to help Brock out with babysitting. That is, if Serena still wants to because I sort of forgot to mention that you guys have 10 kids."

Serena giggles a little at Ash's carefree nature, used to him leaving out details like that which would be important to others. She smiles and replies with clear clarity in her voice "Of course I still want to. We promised we would help and the number of children doesn't change that."

Flint places his hands on his hips and exclaims "Well, I certainly don't have a problem with that. The 8 of them are usually pretty difficult to handle for one person so any help is appreciated."

Brock nods in agreement and adds "It certainly does. Ash and Serena are going to be a huge help for me."

Lola smiles a little as she backtracks and exclaims "Well in that case, you guys are welcome to stay the night here too. We've not got any spare beds but we have got a mattress we can put out on the floor. Or you could share the couch."

Ash smiles and replies "That sounds good to me. What about you Serena?"

The Kalos queen nods in agreement and adds in a carefree tone "Yeah that sounds good to me. Thank you both so much."

Flint shakes his head at this Kalos girl's politeness and exclaims "We should be thanking you. But seriously, we do really need to get going."

Everybody wishes Brock's mom and dad a good night out as they exit the house, leaving the trio to take care of the kids.

As they leave, Serena feels a small tug on the bottom of her skirt. She feels the tug and looks down towards the source, spotting the youngest of Brock's sisters as the culprit. She looks up at the Kalos queen and questions with an innocent look "Excuse me, are you an angel?"

Serena giggles a little at such a question as she smiles down at young girl. Her natural maternal instincts take over as she picks the girl up into her arms, as if it was her own child that she'd done this to thousands of times.

The young girl sits on Serena's hip as the Kalos queen replies in a gentle tone "No I'm not an angel sweetie, well my boyfriend says I am but I'm not. I'm just a human girl like you."

The child smiles at Serena's actions, mindlessly pointing a finger towards her face as she comments "Your pretty, like a princess."

Serena giggles at the young girl's analysis of her looks and replies "Thank you. So, do you like princesses?"

The little girl nods and exclaims with clear excitement in her voice "Yes! I love princesses! Their so pretty and so cool!"

Serena can't help but relate to the young girl, being a lover of princesses herself when she was a child. Little did she know that one day she'd be anointed the Kalos princess, then later the official Kalos queen.

The Kalos queen continues the conversation along as she questions "Who is your favourite princess?"

The young girl's face lights up as she answer in a joyful tone "My favourite is Rapunzel, I like her hair! Who's your favourite?"

Serena smiles, feeling nostalgic about her childhood as she exclaims "I always used to love Cinderella. Her story about finding her prince always seemed to relate to me."

The young girl raises an eyebrow and replies "I've never seen that one."

Serena has a lightbulb moment as she exclaims with excitement in her tone "Why don't we watch it together? You can even ask your sisters if they want to join too. I tell you what, why don't we make our own princess outfits with my little design kit? Then we can watch the movie after we eat dinner. But, only if you eat all your dinner and if it's okay with Brock."

The young girl nods frantically at the idea as she shouts "That sounds fun! I promise I'll eat all my dinner!"

That promise seems to be enough for Brock as he remarks "If anything can get you to eat all your dinner then it's a good thing. I'll get going with dinner while you girls have your fun."

Serena nods and replies "Thank you Brock. So, shall we go and get started?"

Brock's youngest sister nods frantically, clearly buzzing with excitement to play with her new found friend. Serena carries the child off as she heads towards her bedroom to begin their little princess themed night.

Ash watches his girlfriend walk away with his jaw practically on the floor. The way Serena naturally just dealt with Brock's sister like that is pretty surreal. For a girl who's an only child, she is so natural at dealing with young children that you'd think she'd have younger siblings that she's had to babysit from time to time.

She makes it look so easy, just as easy as she does when she performs. If she wasn't a Pokémon performer and she needed a job, then she'd make a great babysitter.

Brock only reaffirms that point as he shakes his head and exclaims "She's even good with kids too. You really lucked out with her you know. I know I've only spoke to her a few times, but she's clearly very kind and a really good person."

Ash's cheeks light up a subtle shade of red thanks to Brock's words as he nonchalantly replies "Yeah Serena's awesome in every way. You don't need to remind me how lucky I've got Brock."

Brock smiles warmly, despite his jealousy towards Ash having found love before him. At the end of the day, Ash is like having a 6th little brother. Even if he is jealous, he's still proud and happy for the kid he saw walk into his gym as a naive 10 year old 8 years ago.

The Pewter city gym leader shakes off his thoughts as he exclaims "Well, we should really get started on dinner. Can you give me a hand setting up Forrest? Ash, can you go and entertain the younger ones?"

Forrest nods and instantly replies "Sure thing big bro."

Ash looks a little tentative about his baby sitting skills, certainly not as confident as Serena. Nevertheless, he nods and responds with apprehension in his voice "Um, sure. I'll see what I can do."

With that, the three of them go their separate ways as they all head off to do their respective tasks.
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A few hours later after dinner, Serena finds herself sat on the sofa with Brock's sisters surrounding her as they watch Cinderella. They are also joined by Sylveon and baby Pikachu, after the baby burst out of her pokeball upon seeing such an exciting activity and wanted to join in.

Each of them are all dressed up in their own princess costumes that Serena helped them all create, using her skills in design that she's picked up from her online course.

The Kalos queen finds herself dressed up in a Cinderella themed costume, wearing a long baby blue dress,white arm sleeves and a small tiara on her head.

They all continue to watch the movie as Brock's youngest sister sits while slightly cuddling into baby Pikachu. She turns her head towards Serena and whispers "This is so much fun. Your the best babysitter ever!"

Serena feels her heart warm at such a kind comment as she smiles and whispers back "Thank you."

Brock stands in the kitchen, washing up the dishes with the help of Forrest after dinner.

Meanwhile, Ash's little babysitting session isn't quite as calm as Serena's as he exclaims with a competitive smirk on his face "So, you all think you can take down the mighty Ash Ketchum in a wrestling match?"

Brock's brothers all nod as they shout with clear fire in their voice "Of course we can!"

Ash smirks as he exclaims with clear childish excitement running through his veins "Well then, you 4 vs me and Pikachu in a no holds barred match! First team to pin the other for a count of 3 wins!"

Brock's brothers all place the same competitive smirk on their faces as they all rush towards Ash to wrestle him down to the ground.

Ash drops down to his knees and begins to fake wrestle Brock's younger brothers, picking them up before dumping them gently onto the soft pillows as the siblings take turns using him as a climbing frame as they try to take take him down. Screams of laughter and enjoyment soon fill the house as the chaos of Ash Ketchum's babysitting session continues.

Serena hears the screams and turns her head towards the chaos to see what the hell Ash is up to. However upon seeing the way he's playing with the kids, a smile instantly rises up onto her face.

While they are being a bit loud for her liking, kids are loud so that's nothing to be concerned about. What makes her smile is the joy on the kids and Ash's face as they play together. Ash's inner child is clearly on display as he grins wider than any region he's crossed.

But it's not just the grin that makes her happy, it's how gentle he is while playing with them. Yes they are wrestling, but every time Ash counters to pick one up, he does it in a way that makes sure their safe and there is no threat of them getting hurt.

Seeing him like this just reaffirms to her what she already knows. He's going to be the perfect dad to her future kids.

While he may not be the most natural, she knows he'll grow into it and be the best dad in the world. He'll be caring, give great advice and be the fun dad all at the same time. She knows he'll be there for her and her future babies, and he's the perfect man she'd want to raise a family with.

Her smile only grows brighter as Ash lets off a fake groan of pain before falling to the ground. Brock's youngest brother swoops in and pins Ash while Pikachu counts the 3.

Cheers from Brock's brothers fill the room as they celebrate their victory over the mighty Ash Ketchum.

At that moment, the front door opens up as Brock's parents come home from their evening out together. Upon seeing their parents enter the house, Brock's brothers rush up to them and practically scream "Dad, we just beat Ash in a wrestling match! Soon we'll be strong enough to take you down too!"

Flint chuckles at the young boys enthusiasm as he ruffles their respective hair and replies "That's my boys! Your all from Pewter, that means you'll grow up to be as tough as rocks like your old man."

The boy's all seem to be happy with that statement as they embrace their dad. Flint smiles at his 4 youngest boys before he looks up at Ash and mouths "Thanks."

Ash smiles back and shakes his head as he mouths "No problem."

Lola smiles at her sons before she turns her head towards the Kalos queen. Her eyes soon widen in shock as she remarks in an astonished tone, "Oh my Arceus. You actually got her to sleep!?"

Serena raises an eyebrow in confusion as she looks down at Brock's youngest sister. She soon notices her cuddling into her slightly while snoring gently as the youngest sleeps soundly on her hip.

The Kalos queen looks up at Brock's mom with a sheepish smile on her face as she admits "I didn't even realise she dozed off. She must have been tired from all the fun we've had. You see, we made our own princess outfits and watched Cinderella. She told me that she loved princesses so I thought it would be fun to do. I feel a little embarrassed wearing this sort of cosplay, but it's worth embarrassing myself to make a child happy. She ate all her dinner too as well. She's been a little star."

Lola places a stunned look on her face as she shakes her head and exclaims "Well, I've never seen her so comfortable around someone. What time are you available next week?"

Serena smiles at the compliment and replies "Thank you for your kind words. If I could babysit her every week I would. She's been as good as gold."

Ash smiles at his girlfriend's clear enjoyment that she gets from taking care of children. He stands up and walks towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he exclaims "They've all been well behaved. I think we've all had fun. Although, I don't quite agree with what you said about dressing up being embarrassing Serena. I think it looks pretty good on you."

Serena feels her cheeks heat up bright red upon receiving such a compliment from her boyfriend. She smiles a little as she nervously replies "Thanks Ash."

Flint puts his hands on his hips, internally chuckling at the young couple in front of him. He shakes his head a little as he announces "Well, as comfy as she looks it's time to put everyone to bed now."

Serena smiles and exclaims in a polite tone "I'll go tuck her into bed if you want. Only if it's okay with you of course."

Flint nods in appreciation and replies "Of course you can, that saves me a job to do. Thanks Serena."

The Kalos queen smiles as she stands up from the sofa, scooping up the youngest gently as she does. She smiles at the sleeping child warmly as she takes her leave, walking towards the bedroom to tuck her new friend into bed.

Soon, all the rest of the kids follow on as they make their way to their bedrooms. They soon all are ready for bed with the help of their parents, Brock and Ash.

Soon after, everyone gets themselves ready for bed with Ash and Serena feeling the fatigue of babysitting. They soon find themselves cuddled up on the sofa in the living room, not taking long for them to drift off into a deep sleep. As they fall asleep, they find themselves having the same dream. What would parenting their own child really be like?
__________________________________

The next day, it's around midday as everyone gathers around for the long awaited battle between Ash and Brock.

Serena sits in the stands with Sylveon and baby Pikachu by her side, both wanting to watch the battle as much as their trainer. Serena is joined by Brock's mom as well as his many siblings as they pack out the stands.

Down on the battlefield, Flint stands in the referee's box as the official ref of this match up.

Ash stands on one side of the battlefield with Pikachu by his side, both doing some stretches as they limber up for battle.

Brock stands on the other side, looking completely composed as he looks at his opponent. His flash between two views, the 18 year old champion in front of him right now and the inexperienced 10 year old who walked in here for his first gym battle.

The Pewter city gym leader smirks a little as he exclaims "I've been looking forward to this one for a while Ash. Ever since you made the challenge to me back in Alola, I've been training hard to make sure this battle is as exciting as it can be for both of us. I don't want you to hold back, I want to see just how strong of a trainer you have become."

Ash matches Brock's smirk, feeling more excited for this one than he usually does. He punches a fist in the air and shouts "I don't intend to disappoint Brock! Me and my Pokémon have been training hard too, determined to become the very best! We're going to show you just how strong we are! I'm going to show you the very best of me!"

In the stands, one of Brock's siblings comments "Big brother seems more fired up than usual."

Forrest nods as he explains with a small grin on his face "That's because he's battling Ash. He's like a brother to Brock and he's someone he's helped mould into the trainer he is. Any battle Ash is involved in is usually exciting, I don't expect this to be any different."

Serena smiles as she comments in a happy tone "I think Ash feels the same way. He's really been talking about this one since we left Alola. I'm just as excited to watch the action."

Down on the battlefield, Flint decides that it's time to get going as he announces "This will be a 3 on 3 battle between the Pewter city gym leader Brock, and the Alola champion Ash Ketchum from Pallet town! The winner will be declared when either sides pokemon are unable to battle. Trainer's, please send out your first Pokémon!"

Brock takes a pokeball out of his pocket and smirks a little. He takes the pokeball and throws it forward as he yells "Golem go!"

The pokeball hits the ground as a large rock like pokemon lands on the battlefield, causing the whole gym to shake a little under the weight of the massive rock type.

Ash sees the powerful rock type Pokémon and has two thoughts come to his mind. First off, it looks like Brock is sticking to his rock type routes for now. During their travels, he has caught a variety of different Pokémon and he wouldn't be too against him using them if he wanted. While most gym leaders use one, maybe two types, Ash wouldn't hold it against Brock if he used whichever type of Pokémon he wanted. After all, that would just make this battle even more unpredictable.

That being said, his second thought over powers the first quickly. That Golem looks extremely familiar, giving Ash the powerful feeling of nostalgia.

He confirms those suspicions as he exclaims "So, your Geodude evolved all the way into a Golem. That's pretty awesome."

Brock nods as he confirms "He did indeed. Geodude wanted to get stronger so we went down the path of evolution. With work I'm not always around the gym to help, but between me and Forrest we managed to get him to where he wants to be."

Ash smirks a little as he takes in Brock's story. Brock's always been one of the best when it comes to raising pokemon, which just means Golem is going to be tough opponent.

With that in mind, Ash begins to think about his choice of pokemon. His mind soon sets on a specific one, despite him not having a very good type matchup. Although, that matters very little to Ash.

The raven haired champion makes his choice as he takes a pokeball off his belt and cryptically remarks "Well then, I guess it's time for a little rematch."

Ash holds the pokeball out in front of him before he throws it forward as he yells "Pidgeot I choose you!"

The pokeball bursts open as Ash's majestic Pidgeot appears in the air. The Kantonian bird lets off a graceful cry, before spotting a familiar face in front of him.

Upon seeing Brock Pidgeot darts towards him, before stopping right in front of him with a bright smile on his face as he reunites with an old friend.

Brock's face lights up with a smile upon seeing Ash's first ever flying type Pokémon. He runs a hand across Pidgeot's feathers as he exclaims "It's good to see you too Pidgeot, it's been so long. Your really looking well."

Pidgeot let's off a happy cry upon receiving praise on his appearance, putting a lot of his healthy growth down to the nutritious food Brock used to feed him as a Pidgeotto.

Brock continues to smile as he looks past Pidgeot and happily remarks "So you finally got Pidgeot back."

Ash nods and smiles himself at the reunion as he explains "Yeah, long story short he had to move his flock so they were safe from Fearow. He found us in the woods when Serena was down injured. His flock is completely safe now and he's back with us permanently."

Brock feels his heart warm at the story, genuinely moved to see Ash back with his loyal flying type. He looks Pidgeot in the eyes as he exclaims "Well Pidgeot, I can't wait to see you in action. Don't hold anything back okay?"

Pidgeot places a determined look on his face as he nods to his friend. He soon flaps his wings and flies back, taking a position in front of his trainer.

Flint sees that everyone is now in position to battle as he raises a hand in the air and questions "Are both trainers ready?"

Ash and Brock nod in agreement with determination brewing in their eyes.

Flint sees the confirmation and lowers his hand towards the ground as he shouts "Let the battle begin!"

Brock makes the first move of the battle as he extends his hand forward and shouts "Golem use rock blast!" Golem nods as he forms three large boulders in front of him before firing them off towards his flying type foe.

Ash sees the attack coming and reacts quickly as he commands "Dodge it!" Pidgeot hears his long time trainer's call and responds accordingly. He flaps his giant wings, taking off into the sky with speed. He shows off his impressive flying skills, dipping in and out of the rocks before continuing on his path towards his opponent.

With Pidgeot already in full flight, Ash punches his fist forward and decides to strike as he orders "Now use double edge." Pidgeot puts full faith in his trainer as he charges forward towards Golem while glowing in a thick clear white aura.

Brock smirks a little at the incoming attack, expecting no less from Ash then to want to start on the front foot. He extends his hand forward as he counters "Golem, show them your fire punch!" Golem clocks back a fist that glows with flames before slamming it straight towards Pidgeot. The two attacks collide and push against each other for a second, before pushing both Pokémon back towards their respective trainers,

Ash is the first one to react to the separation as he yells "Quick Pidgeot, flap your wings and use heat wave!" Pidgeot lets off a determined cry as he shakes off any damage from the previous fire punch. He flies up into the air while flapping his wings furiously, sending waves of strong fiery winds towards his opponent. The strong hot winds travel quickly towards the rock type Pokémon, connecting as Golem skids back a little while crying out in pain despite his resistance to fire type moves.

With Brock on the back foot, Ash looks to take advantage as he commands "Now use sky attack!" Pidgeot nods as he cries out while coating himself in a majestic looking bright blue aura. He swoops down through the air as he heads towards his target at great speeds.

However, Brock sees the attack coming and is more than prepared to deal with such a head on assault. He shakes his head as he confidently commands "Use rock blast again." Golem shakes off the heat wave and refocuses as he forms two rocks in front of him before launching them straight towards Pidgeot. The flying type bird flies straight in recklessly, giving him no time to dodge. The rocks slam into Pidgeot's outstretched wings, causing him to cry out in pain as he falls backwards towards his trainer.

Ash gasps in worry as he watches Pidgeot fall backwards towards him. Thankfully, Pidgeot manages to shake off the pain and gets his balance back before hitting the ground hard. Ash knows deep down, he's lucky Pidgeot has such strung wings or those rocks could have effected his flying capabilities.

Brock uses the opportunity of Pidgeot's recovery to play the long game, knowing a battle against Ash is like a marathon and not a sprint. He smirks a little as he commands "Golem, set us up for later with stealth rocks." Golem lets off a loud cry as he summons a few small sharp rocks that float in the air. Suddenly, those rocks fall down into the battlefield and lay in wait for later.

In the stands, Serena places a concerned look on her face as she remarks "Brock is playing the long game by settling up stealth rocks. Any Pokémon Ash sends in will take damage as they enter the battlefield."

Forrest smirks a little as he exclaims "That's right, it's a huge part of Brock's strategy. He loves to use Golem first to get stealth rocks up before using the chip damage later on to his advantage."

Back down on the battlefield, Ash actually finds himself smiling as he sees the stealth rocks go up. He knew Brock would have something up his sleeve, and stealth rocks makes perfect sense.

After all, one of his most powerful pokemon in Charizard has a 4x weakness, not to mention the plethora of other flying and fire types Ash has that are weak to the move. While Brock doesn't know if Ash has any of those Pokémon at his disposal today, it's a good idea to plan ahead just in case.

The Alola champion smirks a little and gets that point across as he casually remarks "Nice strategy Brock, but it's not going to be enough to throw me off my game."

Brock smirks back at the raven haired trainer and casually replies "I wouldn't expect anything less from a champion."

Ash decides to get this show back on the road as he commands "Pidgeot, use double edge again!" Pidgeot nods as he takes off into the air before descending towards Golem while coated in a thick white aura.

Brock sees the attack coming and punches a fist forward as he yells "Golem, use your gyro ball attack!" Golem nods as he curls himself into a ball before spinning towards his opponent while coated in a thick layer of steel. The two attacks soon collide and push against each other, sending both Pokémon skidding back towards their respective trainers.

Ash once again reacts first as he sets a plan to turn the tide of this battle into motion. He punches a fist in the air and shouts "Pidgeot, use sky attack full power!" Pidgeot doesn't hesitate to follow his trainer'a command again as he flaps his wings and flies forward towards his opponent while coated in a thick bright blue aura.

Brock sees the attack coming and finds himself a little confused by Ash trying the same thing twice. He knows this must be one of Ash's bold manoeuvres, but predicting such a move certainly isn't the easiest.

He decides to trust his gut as he extends his hand forward and commands "Use rock blast again!" Golem nods as he forms 4 rocks the size of literal boulders in front of him before throwing them towards his opponent.

Ash sees the rocks coming as a small smirk rises up onto his face. While he may have been caught out by the rocks last time, he isn't going to let lighting strike twice. He smirks a little more as he extends his hand forward and orders "Fly as low as possible Pidgeot and aim for the legs."

Pidgeot nods, putting full faith in his trainer, as he descends towards the ground. He pulls up right before hitting the ground, flying mere millimetres away from it as the rocks sail above his head. The flying type Pokémon continues on his path before he smacks straight into Golem's right leg, causing the rock type to cry out in pain and lose balance as he falls to the ground.

Brock gasps in shock at such a daring move and such brilliant flight skills. Ash doesn't give Brock a second to react as he commands "Now use hurricane!" Pidgeot obeys as he pulls up before flapping his wings furiously. Suddenly, a massive hurricane begins to form in the air before slamming straight into Golem. The rock type cries out in pain as he's carried away by the hurricane. After a few seconds, the hurricane subsides as Golem slams straight into the ground with marks and bruises covering his giant rock like body.

The Pewter city gym leader places a concerned look on his face as he questions "Golem!? Are you okay?"

Golem struggles back to his feet, looking completely worn down by the back to back strong flying type moves.

Ash decides it's time to end this as he commands "Let's wrap this up Pidgeot, use sky attack!" Pidgeot nods as he descends down towards Golem at high speeds while coated in a thick bright blue aura.

Brock sees the speed Pidgeot is travelling at and tries to use it against him as he counters "Use gyro ball quick!" Golem musters up whatever strength he has left as he curls himself into a metal coated ball before rolling towards Pidgeot. The two attacks collide as both Pokémon push against each other with neither side giving an inch. Eventually the collision becomes too much for both parties, causing a massive explosion.

The battlefield fills with smoke as both trainers look on with interest as to who will come out on top from the collision. The whole gym practically falls into silence until the smoke clears.

Both Pokémon become visible as on one side, Pidgeot stands with marks and bruises all over his body, but very much still in the battle. Meanwhile, Golem lays completely flat out in a massive carter with swirls in his eyes.

Flint takes a second to judge the situation before he announces "Golem is unable to battle, Pidgeot is the winner!"

Ash pumps a fist in the air and shouts "Yes! Great job Pidgeot!"

Pidgeot let's off a happy cry upon receiving such praise from his trainer before flying over to him to celebrate together.

Up in the stands, Serena stands up with a bright smile on her face and shouts "Yes! Great job Ash! You and Pidgeot were amazing!"

The Kalos queen's two Pokémon cry out in agreement, as always being there to support Ash's Pokemon like the big team that they are.

Serena smiles even more as she looks down to the battlefield, watching Ash celebrate with his Pidgeot. Seeing them two happy together again brightens up her day as she thinks to herself "Ash and Pidgeot are already back in sync on the battlefield, seeing Ash so happy just makes me happy too. I really do love him don't I?"

Meanwhile, one of Brock's siblings frowns as he comments "I've never seen a flying type take down Brock's Golem before."

Forrest nods and explains with clear excitement for what's to come in his voice "That's why Ash is a champion. He can overcome type match ups and find a way to win against the odds. Brock looked like he had control, but Ash just found away. It's what separates him from Brock's regular challengers."

Back down on the battlefield, Brock takes a pokeball out of his pocket and holds it out in front of him as he exclaims "Thanks for your help Golem, now return."

Brock returns Golem back to his pokeball before placing it back in his pocket. He looks across at his opponent with a small smile as he remarks "That was pretty impressive Ash, flying low and striking Golem in the legs like that."

Ash smiles at Brock's praise and replies in a grateful tone "Thanks Brock. Golem may have high defence with that giant boulder, but striking him low is where he's at his weakest. But if it wasn't for Pidgeot's flying ability, we never could have pulled it off."

Brock smiles even more at Ash's maturity, really impressed by how grown up he is now, happy he remembered to mention his pokemon at the end. The rock type gym leader looks in the direction of the bird pokemon and exclaims "You are right, Pidgeot's flying ability is really impressive. He's come along way during his time with the flock."

Pidgeot let's off another happy cry, joyed by the praise Brock's giving him on his aerial capabilities.

Ash nods in agreement and remarks "He certainly has, but I want to see how far you've come too. Let's get onto the next battle shall we?"

Brock chuckles slightly at Ash's eagerness and replies simply "I couldn't agree more."

The pokemon doctor reaches down into his pocket before taking out another pokeball. He holds the Pokémon out in front of him before he throws it forward and shouts "Sudowoodo your up!"

The pokeball hits the ground as Brock's trusty Sudowoodo emerges onto the battlefield. He looks over at Ash with a small smile, happy to see his trainers former traveling companion, before placing a competitive look on his face and getting himself in the mind set to battle.

Ash takes a second to think as he takes in Brock's choice. He's still sticking to his rock type theme which isn't too much of a surprise. Sudowoodo is a Pokémon that Brock's raised since he was just a Bonsly. There's no doubt he'll give his all in battle for his trainer, and he looks a lot stronger than what Ash can remember. Training at the gym
With Brock and Forrest has only increased his battling acumen.

The debate swirls around whether or not to make a change in Ash's head. Pidgeot does look pretty tired and is not really in any condition to take on another Pokémon he's at a type disadvantage against. However, if Ash needs him later then he'll have to take super effective stealth rock damage when he next switches in.

In the end, Ash decides to do the sensible thing as he takes a pokeball off his belt and exclaims "Pidgeot, return for now."

He returns Pidgeot back to his pokeball before taking another one off his belt. He takes said pokeball and throws it forward as he shouts "Bayleef I choose you!"

The pokeball hits the ground as Ash's Bayleef emerges from her pokeball. Upon hitting the battlefield, sharp stones sprout up from the ground and strike the grass type pokemon, causing her to let off a cry of pain.

Brock sees Ash's choice and places a small smile on his face as he comments "Bayleef huh? She looks really healthy. You've done a good job raising her."

Ash hears the praise and smiles a little as he replies with a hint of sarcasm in his voice "Thanks Brock, she'd look healthier if it wasn't for stealth rocks. Maybe if you want to judge a Pokémon's health you shouldn't be chipping them down upon switch in."

Brock chuckles slightly at Ash's point, missing his sense of humour. He shakes his head a little as he admits "I suppose you have a point."

Ash nods as he decides that he wants to start of this portion of the battle. He extends his hand forward and gets things underway as he commands "Bayleef use razor leaf!" Bayleef nods as she flicks her head back before throwing it forwards, sending a barrage of strong pointed leaves towards Sudowoodo.

Brock sees the attack coming and swiftly counters "Use power gem!" Sudowoodo nods as he extends out his branches before firing off a barrage of small gem like rocks towards Bayleef. The two attacks clash together and push back against one and other, causing a small explosion.

Brock is the first to react to the collision as he shouts "Now use head smash!" Sudowoodo hears his trainer's call and doesn't hesitate to act as he charges through the smoke with his head lowered. He slams his head straight into an unsuspecting Bayleef with a solid connection. Bayleef cries out in pain upon taking such a powerful rock type move as she skids back towards her trainer before slumping to the ground right in front of him.

Ash places a concerned look on his face as he questions "Are you okay Bayleef?"

Bayleef hears her trainer's concern and feels the need to try and help him feel reassured as she stand back up to her feet. The grass type Pokémon stands with a huge bruise from the previous attack, as she nods to let her trainer to let him know she's okay.

Brock sees the state of Bayleef and decides it's time to go on the offensive as he commands "Sudowoodo, use wood hammer!" Sudowoodo nods as he turns on his arm into a massive bright green hammer. The rock type Pokémon cries out as he charges forward, ready to hit Bayleef with a big strike.

Ash sees the attack coming and instantly shouts "Dodge it, and then counter with body slam!" Bayleef nods as she takes in her trainer's call. She watches Sudowoodo charge towards her before moving to her left, dodging the attack in the process. She then leaps up into the air before slamming all her body weight down onto Sudowoodo, trapping the rock type Pokémon underneath her.

Sudowoodo struggles but is completely helpless to escape from Bayleef's grasp. Ash looks to take advantage as he shouts "Now use razor leaf!" Bayleef grins a little as she throws her head back before sending a barrage of sharp leaves towards the ground. The leaves smack straight into the back of Sudowoodo, causing the rock type Pokémon to cry out in pain from the super effective damage.

Brock sees his Pokémon trapped underneath Bayleef and finds himself becoming a little desperate. In his desperation, he decides to do something very Ash like as he commands "Sudowoodo, use power gem on the ground."

Sudowoodo puts his full faith in his trainer as he opens his mouth, firing a barrage of small gem like rocks onto the ground. The rocks slam straight back into his body, causing a bit of chip damage but also lifting him up off the ground a little. The power of the rocks underneath him gives Sudowoodo just the boost he needs to throw Bayleef off him and free himself from the body slam.

With Sudowoodo free, Brock decides to go on the offensive as he shouts "Now use fire punch!" Sudowoodo's will to win takes over as he instantly takes off towards Bayleef while clocking back a fist that coats itself in flames. He slams that fist straight into Bayleef's jaw, causing the grass type Pokémon to cry out in pain from the super effective damage and skid back towards her trainer.

Ash gasps in shock at Brock playing him at his own game as he calls out "Are you okay Bayleef?"

Bayleef doesn't even get a chance to answer Ash's question as Brock calls out "Sudowoodo, finish this with fire punch!" Sudowoodo nods as he springs back towards Bayleef with his fist stil coated in flames.

Ash thinks quickly as he calls out more in hope than expectation "Bayleef, use vine to catch it quick!"

Bayleef feels pain shooting through her body from the previous fire punch, but refuses to give in and let down her trainer. She extends a set of green vines from her neck that travel towards Sudowoodo. The vines wrap straight around Sudowoodo's fist of fire, locking him in perfect place for Ash to turn this battle on its head.

The Alola champion places a proud smirk on his face as he commands "Great job Bayleef, now wrap this up with leaf storm!" Bayleef places a happy smile on her face upon receiving praise from her trainer. She uses that happiness to spur her on into her attack as she flings her head back before firing off a storm of leaves towards her opponent. Sudowoodo's eyes widen as the powerful grass type move slams towards him with no where to go. The inevitable happens as the attack slams straight into him at point blank range, causing a huge explosion.

Everybody waits with intense looks on their faces as they wait for the smoke to clear. Eventually, it does as both Pokémon become visible to everyone in the gym. Bayleef stands in front of Ash on shaky legs, while just about staying in the battle. Meanwhile, Sudowoodo lays passed out in the gym wall with swirls in his eyes.

Flint takes a close look at Brock's rock type Pokémon before he announces "Sudowoodo is unable to battle, Bayleef is the winner."

Ash punches a fist into the air and shouts in an enthusiastic tone "Great job Bayleef!"

The grass type starter lets off a happy cry upon receiving praise for her efforts. She quickly shakes off her damage, fuelled by Ash's praise as she dashes towards her trainer before knocking him to the ground in an attempt at an embrace. She lets off a happy smile as she begins to show her trainer affection, rubbing her head against his cheek.

Up in the stands, Serena lets off and excited squeal of delight as she shouts "That was amazing Ash! Just one more to go now!"

The Kalos queen focuses in even more on her boyfriend as she watches him deal with Bayleef's affectionate celebration. She lets off a small giggle before she thinks to herself "Bayleef really does like Ash. She responds to his praise probably better than any pokemon. During the battle when he looked concerned, she fought even harder to make him proud. While she may be a little too affectionate sometimes, she definitely cares and wants to do her best for Ash. I guess we kind of share that same trait. She's a valuable team member for sure."

Next to Serena, one of Brock's siblings frowns as he moans "Sudowoodo down as well, Brock's going to lose at this rate."

Forrest focuses on the battlefield and shakes his head a little as he explains "There's still a long way left to go in this one. Ash may have won both battles but his two Pokémon are exhausted. Plus, Brock still has his best to come."

Back down on the battlefield, Brock takes a small sigh as he reaches down into his pocket. He takes out a pokeball and holds it out in front of him as he exclaims "You gave it your best shot Sudowoodo, now return."

He returns Sudowoodo to his pokeball before he places it back into his pocket. He looks up at Ash with a small smile as he comments "You know, I really thought I had you there."

Ash scratches the back of his head nervously, standing back up to his feet after Bayleef finally let him go, and humbly admits "I thought you had us there too when you broke free from body slam. It was a desperate call from me and I was just really lucky Bayleef responded to me in time. She did awesome."

Bayleef let's off another joyous cry, really soaking up every little compliment she can get.

Brock nods in agreement with Ash's analysis as he remarks "It's true, Bayleef did do an amazing job and came through for you when you needed her. But, the reason she responded so well is because you've raised your Pokémon with love and care. With the support you show them, they show you the same support back in battle by pushing themselves to make you feel proud. It's a skill that not many trainers have with so many Pokémon, but you do. It's one of the things that helps make you champion level."

Ash hears Brock's appraisal and feels a little weird about it. It's just odd that when he first started his journey, he was the one that looked up to Brock. But now, Brock is talking to him with almost admiration in his voice.

The raven haired trainer soon shakes off that thought as he looks across at his opponent and exclaims "Thanks for the praise Brock, it means a lot coming from someone I look up to. But we've still got a lot of battling to do and I've still got a lot left to learn. Starting right now."

Brock understands Ash's cryptic hint that he wants to continue on with the battle, feeling a similar way. He smirks a little as he simply remarks "Let's not wait any longer then."

The rock type gym leader reaches into his pocket and takes out a pokeball. He smiles at said pokeball before he throws it forward and yells "Your up, Steelix!"

The pokeball hits the ground as a massive steel coated snake pokemon pops out. He slams straight into the battlefield with a mighty thud, shaking the whole gym to its core.

Steelix's steel coat shines stainlessly as he looks across at his opponent with what can only be described as a cheeky grin.

Up in the stands, Serena recognises the Steelix as the one Brock used during the battle for Alola. On that day, he was a huge asset who was at the forefront of their defence against team rainbow rocket. Today, he's a massive wall that Ash needs to somehow find a way around.

The Kalos queen places a concerned look on her face as she claps her hands against her blue ribbon and whispers to herself "Be careful Ash."

Back down on the battlefield, Ash stares at Steelix as his eyes flash between the Onix he faced in his first gym battle, and the iron snake that's before him now.

Back when he was 10, he actually found himself afraid of Onix, even if he would never show it. A Pokémon that size being the first test new trainer's would face is still kind of cruel, but it's also a test to see which new trainer's have the bravery to take on the gym challenge. After all, the Kanto gym challenge got even scarier after Brock.

However these days, Ash finds himself becoming excited to test himself against the evolved version of Onix. A small smirk coats his face as he casually remarks "It just had to be Steelix."

Brock nods and replies "I have many loyal pokemon, but Steelix is my strongest and first. He's been waiting for a proper match against you for as long as I have, and I know he's going to provide you with quite the challenge."

Ash smirks a little more and remarks with confidence oozing off his face "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Flint steps in at this point as he questions "Ash, would you like to make a substitution?"

Ash thinks for a second before he shakes his head and replies "No thanks, I'm going to be sticking with Bayleef."

Bayleef let's off a happy cry, still willing to battle on for her trainer as she rushes back onto the battlefield and faces off with her much larger opponent.

Flint nods in acknowledgement of Ash's choice as he announces "Well in that case, let the battle resume!"

Ash wastes no time getting the battle back underway as he shouts "Bayleef use razor leaf!" Bayleef nods as she flings her head back before sending a barrage of sharp leaves towards Steelix. The leaves slam straight into the steel type snake, practically bouncing off him as Steelix stands with no visible marks from the attack.

Brock shakes his head a little and casually remarks "You need to do better than that."

Ash smirks a little, already knowing that's it's going to take multiple attacks to take down Brock's Steelix with his high defence. He decides to stay on the offensive as he exclaims "You haven't seen anything yet! Bayleef use leaf storm!" Bayleef takes aim as she throws her head forward, sending a storm of green leaves slamming straight towards Steelix.

Brock sees the attack coming and ultimately decides that it's his turn to take control of this battle. He extends his hand forward as he orders "Steelix use dig." Steelix grins as he shows surprisingly quick speed for a pokemon his size as he borrows under the battlefield, allowing the leaves to pass right over him.

Bayleef looks around with a confused look on her face as she tries to find her opponent. Suddenly, the ground beneath her starts to break before Steelix practically bursts through it. He slams straight into the grass type starter with his massive steel frame, causing her to cry out in pain as she flies through the air.

Ash sees his Pokémon take a big hit and grits his teeth as she flies back through the air. He decides to try and take advantage of the height as he commands "Use vine whip." Bayleef manages to regain control in mid air as she extends a set of green vines from her neck. Those vines smack straight into Steelix's head a few times, causing him to let off a small cry of pain but ultimately not doing too much damage.

The Alola champion sees that same situation and decides to try something different as he commands "Bayleef, wrap your vines around Steelix's neck, then swing towards him with body slam." Bayleef does as she's asked as she repositions her vines, wrapping them around Steelix's giant neck. She uses her vines as leverage as swings towards the giant metal snake, preparing to hit him with a body slam.

Brock watches Ash's innovative manoeuvre as a small smile comes onto his face. While Ash's idea would usually be a good one, he has a very easy and simple counter. He shows off that very counter as he casually remarks "Steelix use hyper beam!"

Ash's eyes widen as he realises he's made a mistake. Steelix opens up his massive jaw as Bayleef swings straight towards his face. Without warning, he roars and fires off a colossal beam of orange energy. The powerful normal type beam smacks straight through the air before slamming into a wide eyed Bayleef, unable to defend herself, causing a huge explosion upon making impact with the grass type Pokémon.

The explosion hangs in the air for a second as Ash grits his teeth, worried about Bayleef's condition. The smoke soon clears to show the inevitable as Bayleef lays into a smacked into gym wall with swirls clearly present in her eyes.

Flint doesn't hesitate to call the battle as he announces "Bayleef is unable to battle, Steelix is the winner!"

Ash instantly gasps with worry as he runs off to make sure Bayleef is okay after taking such a nasty hit.

Meanwhile on the other side, Brock smiles at his first Pokémon and praises "Great work Steelix, just two more to go."

Steelix let's off a happy cry, showing a softer side to himself despite being such a colossally large pokemon.

In the stands, Serena puffs out her bottom lip and mutters in a sad tone "Poor Bayleef. She tried her best out there and she did well. She didn't deserve such a brutal end."

Sylveon nods in agreement, which holding her baby comfortably in her ribbon feelers as they continue to watch the battle play out.

Serena takes a small breath as she clutches her lucky ribbon tightly and whispers "Come on Ash, you can still win this."

Watching as well in the stands, Lola notices Serena's mannerisms and questions "Are you nervous Serena?"

Serena snaps out her thoughts as she looks up at Brock's mother. A small sheepish smile coats her face as she admits "I'm always nervous watching Ash battle, no matter what the stakes. But that doesn't mean I don't believe in him. He's still going to win this battle, just watch."

One of Brock's younger sisters frowns and replies back with a little fire in her tone "No way, my big brother won't lose. Ash is going down!"

Forrest shows a level of maturity as she steps in and exclaims "Now that's no way to speak to a guest. This battle is unpredictable and could still go either way. All we can do is wait to find out."

Back down on the battlefield, Ash pets his unconscious grass type starter on the head as he reaches a hand towards his belt. He takes a pokeball off his belt and holds it towards her as he exclaims "You were awesome out there Bayleef. Now take a good rest."

He returns Bayleef to her pokeball before he makes his way back over to the trainer's box. He looks across at his opponent with a small smile as he compliments "You know Brock, I'm pretty impressed by just how well you've raised Steelix. I didn't get to see it in Alola with all that went on, but he's certainly gotten a lot stronger."

Brock smiles at Ash's praise and replies in a respectful tone "Thanks Ash, it's been a while though since we've both been this animated for a battle. I think you'll bring the best out of us."

Ash nods and replies with a hint of competitiveness sneaking into his tone "I sure hope I can."

The Alola champion take a second to think about whether to send in his last Pokemon, or to go back to using Pidgeot. In the end, Ash makes the surprising decision as he takes a pokeball off his belt and throws it forward as he shouts "Pidgeot I choose you!"

Pidgeot emerges from his pokeball, looking decently refreshed despite the tough battle earlier. However, that soon changes as stealth rock takes effect. Small rocks sprout up from the ground and smack into Pidgeot's wings, causing him to cry out in pain as he takes super effective damage.

Ash grits his teeth as he watches Pidgeot stabilise in the air. He places a serious look on his face as he explains "I know that stealth rock damage hurts Pidgeot, but I know you can stay strong. I need you to help wear down Steelix and test his stamina."

Pidgeot nods in agreement, never being one to back down from a fight despite the odds being against him.

Ash smiles and pumps a fist in the air as he shouts "That's the spirit Pidgeot, now use sky attack!" Pidgeot cries out as he flaps his wings to get into the air. He descends down as he flies towards Steelix at speed, while coated in a bright blue aura.

Brock sees the attack coming and decides to go head to head with Pidgeot as he counters "Steelix use iron tail." Steelix nods as he swings massive tail of pure steel towards his opponent. The two attacks clash against each other and find themselves evenly matched, pushing both pokemon back towards their trainers.

Ash is the first to react to the separation as he yells "Now use Hurricane!" Pidgeot nods as he flies up higher into the air. He flaps his wings rapidly as he creates a giant hurricane that springs towards Steelix.

Brock sees the attack coming and reacts quickly as he exclaims "Quick Steelix, get underground with dig." Steelix quickly burrows his way into the ground, getting himself clear of the hurricane. The strong flying type move passes over the battlefield before petering out into complete nothing.

Ash sees the dig and gets an idea of how he wants to counter it. He places a serious look on his face as he commands "Pidgeot, fly up high and wait for them to make a move." Pidgeot nods in understanding with his trainer as he flaps his giant wings. He flies up as high as he can, waiting for his opponent to make his move.

Silence fills the gym, with the tension between the two trainer's visible. Eventually, it's Brock who breaks it as he screams "Steelix now!"

The battlefield itself shakes as Steelix digs back above ground. As he does, he opens his jaw wide as he readies another hyper beam. The large steel type Pokémon roars loudly as he fires off the colossal beam of orange energy towards Pidgeot.

Ash sees the attack coming and smirks a little as he yells "Dodge it Pidgeot!" Pidgeot watches the attack all the way before dipping down towards the ground. He shows an incredible bit of flying ability as he moves out of the way of the attack, leaving Steelix needing to recharge after using hyper beam.

Ash takes full advantage of the recharge time as he commands "Pidgeot, use heat wave full power!" Pidgeot nods as he flaps wings his frantically. He kicks up a fiery red wind that slams straight towards the steel type Pokémon. The attack lands flush on an immobile Steelix, causing him great pain as he skids back towards his trainer.

Up in the stands, Serena places a bright smile on her face as she shouts "Yes, a direct super effective hit! On Steelix's weaker special defence too."

Back on the battlefield, Ash decides now is the time to strike as he commands "Pidgeot use double edge." Pidgeot coats himself in a thick white aura as he swoops down towards Steelix at speed.

Brock watches the fast flying bird coming towards him and reacts quickly as he shouts "Steelix use iron tail!" Steelix shakes off his previous damage as he swings around his massive steel tail. The two attacks clash head on and push against each other with neither side willing to give an inch.

As the two Pokémon push against each other, Ash smirks a little as his plan to test Steelix's stamina continues to work to good effect. However, that smirk soon turns into a confused frown as he spots a victorious smile on Brock's face.

The Pewter city gym leader punches a hand forward and passionately shouts "Steelix, use stone edge!"

Ash's eyes widen as he sees what's about to happen but is completely powerless to stop it. Steelix lets off a loud roar as he slams his body into the ground. Suddenly, sharp pointed rocks sprout up from the ground and slam straight towards Pidgeot. The rocks smack the bird pokemon at point blank range, causing him to cry out in pain from the super effective attack. The rocks continue to slam into Pidgeot, causing a small explosion that kicks up dust all over the battlefield.

The whole battlefield fills with smoke before it finally clears after a long few seconds. After it does, Pidgeot becomes visible as he lays on the ground with swirls in his eyes. Steelix still stands, despite looking a little worn out from those last two battles. Pidgeot may have lost, but he did so some damage to Steelix. Damage that could go a long way.

Flint takes a closer look before he raises his hand in the air and announces "Pidgeot is unable to battle, Steelix is the winner."

Brock places a bright smile on his face as he compliments "Great job Steelix, just one more to go."

Steelix let's off another happy cry, ready to keep battling despite the injuries sustained so far throughout the long battle.

Up in the stands, Serena places a worried look on her face as she clenches her blue ribbon and comments "Even Pidgeot couldn't do it, Steelix is certainly no joke."

Forrest smirks a little and proudly exclaims "That's right, between me and my big brother we've raised him well. He doesn't go down easy."

Serena hears Forrest's comment about Steelix and feels even more concerned that Ash might lose this battle. She soon shakes off that feeling of concern and turns it into belief as she shouts "Come on Ash! You can still win this! I believe in you! Don't give up until the very end!"

Down on the battlefield, The Alola champion hears the Kalos queen's shout and feels his desire to win this battle increase even more. Having her as his personal cheerleader is always his secret weapon. With her support, he'll always be stronger for it. Whenever he's going through a tough time in a battle, her encouragement is all he needs to get back in the fight. Looking up at her in the stands, is like looking up at a beacon of hope.

With Ash feeling completely sure of himself, he takes a pokeball out of his pocket and exclaims in a satisfied tone "You did such a great job Pidgeot, in just your first battle back too. You deserve a nice long rest."

Ash returns his fainted Pidgeot before he clips the pokeball back onto his belt. He places his hands on his hips and looks across at his opponent with a small smile, as he remarks with respect in his tone "You've become such an awesome gym leader Brock, one of the toughest I've ever faced. Every single move you make is done with precision and perfect timing. You've come along way since our last battle 8 years ago."

Brock is slightly taken aback by the maturity Ash has to admit something like that. A bright smile coats the rock type trainer's face as he exclaims in  a tone full of admiration "If you'd have told me that the over confident 10 year old kid that walked in her 8 years ago would be a champion, then I'd have laughed in your face. But you did it, no matter how many times you were shown that you weren't good enough you came back even stronger. You've grown as a trainer, but also as a person. A person who I'm proud to call my friend."

Ash feels his whole body warm form Brock's praise, the older brother who he has so much respect for. In a way, this battle is kind of like what happens when the student meets the teacher. Although now, it's more like the doctor meeting the master.

The Alola champion places a smirk on his face as he cryptically replies "We've both come along way that's for sure. It's been a long road to get to where we are now, and it's time to finish this the way we started."

Ash smirks a little more as he gets ready to announce his final Pokémon. He extends his hand forward and points straight towards the battlefield as he shouts "Pikachu I choose you!"

Pikachu runs up Ash's arm before leaping down onto the battlefield. As he does, stealth rock takes effect as Pikachu takes chip damage, but refuses to acknowledge such pain. The electric mouse stares down Steelix with a smirk on his face as he sparks his cheeks with electricity.

Brock let's off a small chuckle on the other side of the battlefield as he thinks to himself "It could only have been Pikachu. I've waited a long time for this."

Up in the stands, Serena places a bright smile on her face upon seeing Pikachu enter the battlefield. She pumps a fist in the air in support shouts out in encouragement "Give it everything you've got Pikachu! You and Ash have got this!"

Sylveon and the baby have similar reactions as they stand on the railing and shout out their respective cries in an encouraging manner.

Lola raises an eyebrow as she questions "Pikachu? But he's weak to ground types like Steelix."

Forrest smiles a little as he explains "That's true, but Ash and Pikachu are a duo who don't seem to care about type matchups. Also, Ash used Pikachu in his original battle against Brock's Onix 8 years ago. This is a poetic ending, and the one they'd both want."

The two trainer's face off for a second before Brock makes his move as he yells "Steelix use stone edge!" Steelix grins as he smashes his massive tail into the ground. Suddenly, pointed sharp rocks sprout up from the ground and head straight towards the electric mouse.

Ash sees the attack coming and swiftly counters "Pikachu use thunderbolt!" Pikachu nods as he leaps into the air while sparking his cheeks with electricity. "PIKAAACHUUUU!!!" The electric mouse screams as he fires off a powerful thunderbolt towards his opponent. The two attacks clash together and cancel each other out, causing a small explosion that kicks up a few rocks into the air from the previous stone edge.

The Alola champion instantly looks to take advantage of the rocks as he shouts "Pikachu, use quick attack to jump onto the rocks!" Pikachu nods as he kicks off while surrounding himself in a faint white glow. He uses his speed to jump from rock to rock, slowly gaining altitude as he finds himself climbing higher into the air.

In the stands , Serena beams a nostalgic smile and shouts "That's just like rock tomb climb!"

Pikachu continues to leap from rock to rock until he leaps off the last one, reaching the same height as Steelix. As he does, Ash punches a fist forward and shouts "Now use your own iron tail!" Pikachu nods as he turns his tail into pure metal. He swings said tail forward, striking Steelix straight in the face and forcing the steel type Pokémon to let off a cry of pain as he stumbles back towards his trainer.

Pikachu lands back on the ground, infront of his trainer, on all 4s as Ash yells "Great job Pikachu!"

Pikachu smiles at his trainer's praise before refocusing on the battle in front of him as he sees Steelix shake off the initial pain from iron tail.

Brock stands with an impressed look on his face as he comments "Nice move Ash."

Ash smiles and replies in a competitive tone "Thanks Brock, but you haven't seen anything yet."

Brock smirks a little as he decides it's time to really push the excitement of this battle. He looks towards Steelix, sharing a nod before he cryptically exclaims "And neither have you."

Suddenly, the Pewter city gym leader takes off his shirt and throws it away in one motion, revealing a keystone attached to a necklace underneath. He crosses his arms over and smirks as he shouts "Stronger than the rocks of Pewter city! Steelix, go beyond your final form. Mega evolve!"!

Brock places two fingers against his keystone as a bright light shines out from it. That light travels through the air before connecting with the mega stone on Steelix's tail. Suddenly, the bright light shines onto Steelix as his body begins to grow and change. The steel type Pokémon cries out as the light surrounding him only glows brighter. Suddenly, the light dims and completely vanishes. A mega evolution sign flashes up as Steelix completes his transformation into mega Steelix.

Up in the stands, one of Brock's siblings shouts with clear excitement "Alright! Big brother's mega Steelix is so cool!"

Forrest chuckles a little as he comments "He certainly is, and he's pretty strong too."

Serena sees the monstrous mega Pokémon in front of her and takes a small nervous breath as she whispers "Be careful Ash."

Sylveon and baby Pikachu seem to be having similar thoughts as nervous looks coat their faces. While they know Pikachu is strong, their pretty concerned about him having to face a pokemon so powerful, that he is at a complete disadvantage against type wise as well.

Back on the battlefield, neither Ash or Pikachu look nearly as concerned as they face down the steel type beast. The raven haired champion finds himself smirking as he casually comments "It's about time you mega evolved. No more holding back."

Brock smirks back at his opponent and simply replies "Agreed. Let's make this a good one.

Both trainer's continue to stare off as they take their time over picking an attack with both of them worried about making a crucial mistake. In the end, they both decide at the same time to make a move as they both punch a fist in the air and yell "Use iron tail!"

Pikachu nods as he leaps up into to the air while coating his tail in pure metal. Meanwhile, mega Steelix roars as he swings his giant metal tail around. They both slash their respective tails towards each at the exact same time, causing them both to clash together. Both tails push against one and other for a few seconds before the impact sends both Pokémon crashing back towards their trainer's.

Ash is the first to react to react to the separation as he commands "Use quick attack!"  Pikachu nods as he kick off towards his much larger opponent with a faint white glow surrounding his body.

Brock sees the charging electric mouse and decides to stop him in his tracks as he commands "Slam your tail into the ground." Steelix puts his faith in his trainer's plan as he slams his giant metal tail into the ground. The tail sends a massive shock wave across the battlefield, causing Pikachu to lose balance and trip as he skids back along the ground.

Brock looks to take further advantage as he shouts "Now use hyper beam." Steelix roars as he fires off a colossal sized powerful clear orange beam towards his electric type foe.

Ash sees the beam coming and yells in desperation "Dodge it!" Pikachu gets himself back to his feet as he sees the beam steam towards him. He rolls straight to his left in an attempt to dodge the attack. However, he can only really partially dodge the attack as the hyper beam clips his side. Pikachu let's off a cry of pain as he skids back towards his trainer with a few marks and bruises coating his body.

Ash places a determined look on his face as he shouts with a hint of authority in his tone "I know you can get up from that buddy."

Pikachu knows that too and also knows why he needs to get up quick. He scratches the ground twice before he pops back up to his feet, glaring at the recharging Steelix as he does. While that hyper beam definitely did some damage, it's left Steelix needing to recharge.

Ash looks to take advantage of that fact as he shouts "Pikachu, swing for the fences with iron tail!" Pikachu gathers his strength before he charges in towards Steelix while coating his tail with pure metal. He reaches his target as he slashes his target straight in the face, causing him to let off a cry of pain.

Pikachu keeps up the assault as he smacks Steelix with iron tail repeatedly. He hits all over his body, leaving scuff marks behind as he constantly chips down the giant Pokémon's pool of health.

Brock grits his teeth as he watches Steelix take repeated damage without the chance to do anything to retaliate. Eventually Steelix's recharge time completes, as he desperately shouts "Steelix, slap Pikachu away with your own iron tail." Steelix lets off a cry of pain as he's smacked by Pikachu again. He soon recovers as he swings his massive metal tail around, looking to smack the electric mouse away from him.

Ash sees the tail coming and hatches a plan as he yells "Dodge it with quick attack, then run up Steelix!" Pikachu sees the attack coming as he glows with a faint white aura. He quickly moves to his left, dodging the iron tail in the process. Pikachu uses his speed to take off as he dashes along Steelix's long body before perching himself a top the metal snake's head.

Brock sees Pikachu perched, waiting to strike, and knows Ash must be planning something. He acts quickly as he commands "Steelix, use dig and take Pikachu underground!" Steelix grins as he begins to burrow towards the ground.

Ash shakes his head and shouts with determination in his eyes "Hang on tight Pikachu!" Pikachu puts his faith in his trainer as he clings onto Steelix as the metal snake continues to use dig. The two Pokémon end up underground, out of sight of everyone in the gym.

The two Pokémon continue to borrow through the ground as Pikachu lets off a cry of pain, heard all around the gym faintly.

Ash grits his teeth as he hears Pikachu take a super effective attack. He knew he'd have to when he ordered such a reckless move, but he did so because he has a plan to inflict just as much damage to Steelix.

He shows that plan off as he shouts with a serious look on his face "Pikachu, give it your best thunderbolt!" Pikachu puts his faith in his trainer as he continues to cling onto Steelix while sparking his cheeks with electricity. "PIKKKKKAAACHUUUUUU!!!!!" The electric mouse screams as he releases a powerful bolt of lightning at point blank range.

In the stands, Forrest places a confused look on his face as he comments "I don't get it, why would Ash call for thunderbolt when he knows it'll have no effect?"

Serena smiles and explains in an excited tone "Not directly, but electricity can also produce heat. The much fired off in a tight space, the heat must be unbearable down there. Ash is using Steelix as a conductor for the electricity to heat him up!"

Serena's theory is only confirmed as Steelix lets off a cry of pain as his body practically steams with heat. Brock hears the screams of pain and instantly shouts with worry on his face  "Steelix get out of there!"

Steelix does as he's asked as he digs back up to the battlefield and resurfaces. As he does, Pikachu leaps off of the giant mega pokemon and stands in front of his trainer. The two Pokémon begin to pant extremely heavily, with marks and bruises covering their bodies from such a long winded intense battle.

As both Pokémon pant, both trainer's realise that they only need one more big strike to end this battle in their favour.

Ash responds accordingly as he raises his black Z ring in the air and yells "It's been a while, but it's time to use our Z power!"

Pikachu nods as he gets ready to strike while glaring at his opponent.

The raven haired trainer flashes his steelium Z as he begins to move in sync with Pikachu. Z energy begins to shine from Ash's Z ring and surrounds Pikachu as they continue to move.

As the energy builds up, Ash shouts "This is the power of Alola!"

Pikachu let's off a determined "Pika!" As the energy continues to build up.

Once the Z energy finishes charging up and completely surrounds Pikachu, Ash punches a fist forward and yells "This is everything we've got! Pikachu use corkscrew crash!!" Pikachu cries out as Z energy completely surrounds him. He takes the Z energy and uses it to surround himself in a coat of metal before spinning like a corkscrew towards his opponent.

Brock sees the Z move coming and shouts at the top of his lungs "Steelix, hyper beam full power!" Steelix roars as he takes a deep breath before firing off a colossal orange beam straight towards his opponent. The two attacks clash together and push against one and other with both pokemon not willing to give an inch. They both scream as loud as they can as they push against one and other even harder. Eventually, they push as hard as they can as both attacks give way, causing a huge explosion.

Smoke fills the battlefield as both trainer's look on with intense stares on their faces.

Brock's siblings all fixate on the battlefield as they pray that Steelix can come through.

Serena clutches her lucky blue ribbon tightly as she whispers "Please," over and over again under her breath.

Sylveon clutches her child even tighter as they both look on with concern plastered all over their faces.

Eventually, the smoke clears as the sight in front of everyone causes them to gasp in shock. Both Pokémon stand upright as they continue to stare down with marks and bruises coating their bodies.

They keep their eyes locked on each other until suddenly, Pikachu feels his legs wobble. The electric mouse stumbles and nearly falls, before managing to catch himself. As he does, he looks up at his opponent with a knowing smirk.

Steelix smiles back before his face contorts in pain. Suddenly, he stumbles before the massive steel snake face plants the floor, causing the whole gym to shake. He reverts back into his regular form as swirls appear clearly in his eyes.

Flint doesn't hesitate to make the call as he raises a hand in the air and announces "Steelix is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner! That means the match goes to the Alola champion, Ash Ketchum from Pallet town!"

Upon being announced as the winner, Ash instantly lets off a childish laugh before he takes off towards Pikachu. He picks his starter pokemon up into his arms and shouts "You were amazing buddy!"

Pikachu let's off a happy cry, feeling exhausted from the battle but also so energised after such a pulsating victory.

Up in the stands, Serena lets off a squeal of delight before she shouts with clear excitement in her voice "They did it! Ash and Pikachu beat Brock!"

Sylveon and the baby let off similar happy cries, ecstatic at Pikachu's win and super proud of him too.

One of Brock's youngest siblings puts a frown on her face as she mutters "Brock lost."

Lola smiles a motherly smile as she places a hand on the young girl's shoulder and replies "Now now, there is no need to be so down about a loss like that."

Forrest nods in agreement with his mother and exclaims "That's right, Brock pushed Ash to his limit and very nearly beat him. We should be proud of him for showing a champion that he's no push over."

Back down on the battlefield, Ash continues to interact with Pikachu as he smiles and remarks "That's 7 badges we've properly earned now buddy. Just one more to go."

Pikachu smiles as he gives his trainer a determined look. However, he soon gasps as he feels a familiar pair of ribbons wrap around his waist.

Sylveon pulls her ribbons back and practically rips Pikachu out his trainer's grasp. She holds him in her own tight embrace as she shouts "You were amazing!"

Pikachu smiles nervously at his partner and replies "Thanks Sylveon. It's helps with you cheering."

The fairy type Pokémon places a bright smile on her face as she pulls her mate in closer. She pulls him as tight as possible before she moves her lips, showering him in victory kisses.

Baby Pikachu watches her mother hog her dad and feels jealousy rise up that she's keeping him all to herself. She pouts as she pushes her way in between the two of them, putting her adopted father in her own embrace.

Ash watches the ketchup family interact and chuckles a little at their antics. Deep down, he's really happy that Pikachu is back on good terms with Sylveon and that they all are getting along.

However, he's soon snapped out of his thoughts as he hears a pattering of footsteps to his left. He turns to see his girlfriend approaching him with her usual bubbly smile on her face.

The two of them just kind of fall into each other's embrace, smiling brightly as Serena praises "That was amazing Ash! You finally beat Brock!"

Ash feels his body warm from Serena's support as he humbly replies "Thanks beautiful, but I couldn't have done it without your cheerleading skills. You just know the right times to shout encouragement and the right words to say.

Serena giggles a little at Ash's praise of her support. She rises up to her tippy and leans forward, planting a sweet congratulations kiss on his lips.

Ash smiles into the kiss as they let their lips grace each other for a few seconds, they soon pull back as Ash gives his girlfriend and appreciative smile.

With the two of them having shown each other the affection they both crave, Ash frees himself from his girlfriend's embrace as he makes his way over to meet Brock in the centre of the battlefield.

Ash instantly holds his hand out towards the Pewter city gym leader as he exclaims "That was an awesome battle Brock. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to battle you once again."

Brock smiles at Ash's words and shakes his head a little as he replies humbly "I should be thanking you Ash. Thank you for giving me such an amazing experience. I hope your as proud of yourself as I am of you."

Ash feels that big brotherly love shoot straight to his heart as he remarks with a smile on his face "Thanks Brock."

The two of them shake hands, both giving each other a look of pure respect as they do. Respect for each other's battling abilities but also there shared respect for each other as human beings.

They soon break the handshake apart as they are quickly joined by their two respective families. As they do, Brock takes a small sigh as he cryptically remarks "Well, I'd say now is as good a time as any to say that I've got an announcement."

Flint raises an eyebrow as he questions "What is it son?"

Forrest smirks a little as he teases "It's definitely not that you've finally found a girlfriend."

Brock slightly scowls at his younger brother before he regains his composure. He takes a deep breath before he announces "As of today, I am going to be taking a break from being a gym leader and a Pokémon doctor."

Everyone in the room gasps in shock as Lola questions "Why do you want to to take a break?"

Brock smiles a bright smile as he explains in a passionate tone "It's not a permanent break, and I do love what I do. But lately, I've found myself becoming tired of treating the same pokemon with the same type of injuries. To improve my craft, I need to go back on the road, as a roaming doctor for a while. I want to help out at every pokemon centre I come across and treat many different kinds of pokemon. I want to treat trainer's and wild Pokémon on the road. To be the best pokemon doctor in the world, this is what I need to do. I've already decided, I'm volunteering to be a pokemon doctor at this years Indigo league."

Flint takes in his son's words and feels inspired for him to continue to chase his dream. He smiles at the young man as he exclaims "This sounds like something your really passionate about, good for you! Me and Forrest have got the gym under control, and the kids will be okay. Go and explore, become the best Pokémon doctor in the world."

Brock smiles at his Dad's words and replies in a heartfelt tone "Thanks dad, I really appreciate it."

Flint nods as Brock turns his attention to the amour couple. He smiles at the both of them as he exclaims "So, now that I'm back travelling again. I was wondering if I could tag along with you guys. If you don't want me to be the third wheel then I'd understand. But, we're heading in the same direction so I thought it would be worth asking."

Ash smiles at his first Pokémon mentor and replies "Of course you can tag along with us Brock. While travelling alone together has been a blast. We also love travelling with our friends too. Plus, we'll always find a way to get alone time when we need it. Isn't that right Serena?"

Serena nods in agreement with her boyfriend and adds "That's right Ash, we'd love you to come along with us. It'll be a great help having a doctor around too. As much as I love playing nurse, having you around to help nurse injuries properly will be a big help."

Brock smiles in appreciation of the two friends in front of him as he exclaims "Thank you both. Looks like that sorts that. So, we're are heading first?"

Serena smiles as she takes out her pink Rotom phone. She quickly scans her busy schedule before she replies "Our next stop is Cerulean city. Ash has one more gym battle to go against Misty!"

Brock puts an excited look on his face as he takes in the prospect of Ash battling Misty again. That excitement flows into his voice as he exclaims "That sounds great! Maybe I can help you with strategy again Ash, for old times sake."

Ash nods in agreement with the good doctor as he replies "You sure can."

The 3 of them smile at each other as they prepare to begin their travels through the Kanto region as a trio. They say their final goodbyes to Brock's family before they pack up their stuff for the journey ahead.

The new trio soon exit the gym and find themselves quickly back on the road. As they walk, Pikachu sits on Brock's shoulders while Ash and Serena hold hands.

The four of them continue on their journey as they make their way towards Cerulean city, now with an old friend back with them.

What will the future hold for the group now that Brock's back in the fold?

What adventures await them on the way to Cerulean city?

How will Ash fair against Misty?

Find out next time as the journey continues!
_________________________________

And cut!

Word count 18578

Well that's it for Brock's return chapter.

So, what did you guys think?

Brock as a character has always been one the best so I've tried to do him justice with this chapter.

The stuff with his family of course took centre stage at first, which gave you guys some little amour baby sitting moments : )

The battle between them was one of my favourites I've wrote in a while, and it was cool to go full circle with the final match up.

Now Brock will be travelling with the group for the the feasible.

The will of course be a little less privacy for Ash and Serena but should provide some interest dynamics.

As worth mentioning, this story is now 3 day's long at this point!

Don't even know how far along we are at this point but I'm just enjoying the ride :)

Anyway in the next chapter, the new trio begin their journey towards Cerulean city as they find themselves back on the road.

They soon find themselves in a bug type infested route which soon starts to cause them some trouble.

How will the trio find a way to overcome these problems?

Well I guess you'll just have to find out in the next one.

So on that note, vote if enjoy these chapters and please comment your thoughts as always.

Have a nice day and I'll speak to you all soon :)