Pewter City- Gym Battle 1/2

There are things Caden is mentally prepared for and things he is never prepared to. One such thing was waking up as Ash Ketchum, forcibly having to start said ten-year-old's journey and realizing he had met Pikachu somehow in his own world. Oh, and the constant uncontrollable changes during the travel.

One as such in the form of Flint Slate standing on where Brock was supposed to be.

Caden was at a loss of this for a few seconds, staring at the man with wide eyes.

Flint gave a cocky smirk at him, "What's the matter, young man? Have you finally realized you-"

"Either you've been purposefully leaving your profile picture out of date for decades to catch a pretty girl to be in bed with-" Caden resisted breaking out of his tone and expression when he saw the old man choked in his own saliva, "-or you are not Brock Slate,"

Flint was not the only one reacting greatly at this. Beside the boy, Misty stared at the boy speechlessly with big round eyes and the conflicting urge to either bashing her mallet on him, strangling him, screeching at him, or all three. On Caden's shoulder, Pikachu was struggling hard on trying not to laugh or whack his trainer with an Iron Tail.

All the while somewhere unknown, a certain Dark Type hackles loudly until he couldn't breathe.

"Oh, no no no, he's not me," A voice behind the boy spoke, making them turn to see a male teen that had an uncanny resemblance to the adult: dark tanned skin, black spiked hair, and squinted eyes.

"Oh," Caden then turned towards the old man, "So he's your grampa?"

Flint, and Misty to the extent, tripped over until both their feet were up the air. Brock stared with a sweat-drop.

Pikachu decided to just laugh out loud here and there, falling out of the shoulder and having caught by his trainer.

Indignantly, getting back to his feet, Flint pointed angrily at Caden while stomping his foot, "Listen here! I am not his grampa! What in the name of sense made you think I am that old?!"

Caden inwardly grinned while to everyone he raises a finger confusedly at the adult.

"It's the wrinkles on your face. I mean, Professor Oak has wrinkles since he's really old, but my Mom doesn't have any. And most old people that I call granny and grampa has wrinkles on their faces, so that must mean you're as old as them,"

Caden is inwardly impressed and amused of both how well he is keeping up his poker face and how large of a jaw-drop the old man has and the look of despair slowly creeping up. Pikachu was laughing very hard in his arms and was tapping his trainer's chest desperately.

"O-oh Arceus, Caden, please! I can't breathe," Pikachu manages to say.

Seeing this, and being too gentle of a heart, Cade readjusted his hold on the rodent and rubs circles with his finger on the Pokémon's back. Pikachu was beginning to ease down a bit from his hysterics.

"Okay okay, I'm stopping," Cade said, continuing to help the Electric Type calm down.

And then instinctually ducked under a mallet attack coming from behind him.

"Darn it, Ash! Get back here so I can pummel you to mush!" Misty shouted with her mallet ready for a second swing.

Brock watches this with confusion, concern, and a bit of amusement. He then saw the boy about to say something, but looks down at his Pokémon while evading another swing and shook his head, seemingly deciding not to say what was in his mind.

Flint decided to cough loudly to get everyone's attention and spoke, "Now I may need to remind everyone that we are in session of a gym battle, so please go to the bleachers for those who are not the challenger,"

Misty let out a huff, made an "I'm watching you" gesture before marching towards the bleachers. Caden stuck a tongue out to her in return as Pikachu climbed back to the boy's shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Your name is Ash, right?" Caden made no showing of discomfort (outwardly at least) at being called by his idol's and turned his attention to the teen Slate who had walked over, "I want to say goodluck on your battle against my dad,"

That instant, a switch was flicked. Brock didn't know this as the teenager went to act as a referee, but Pikachu does.

On the bleachers, Misty was less angry of "Ash's" antic but still annoyed. That stunt was just so out of nowehere that she was having second thoughts of even joining the boy! Although...a small part of her found Flint's reaction funny.

She sighs and shook her head, a small quirked smile formed on her lips, then she looked up towards Ash...and was immediately reminded of the time she emotionally hurt Caterpie.

Facing Flint at the opposite side of the field, the boy stood there, hand balled to a fist, a calm but almost unnaturally disapproving, disappointed and angered look showing in his face.

Misty stared at the boy with nervousness, and was both a bit relieved that it was not her this time and scarily curious to who "Ash" was directly radiating this. She follwed his gaze and it landed to....Flint Slate? But why?

She wasn't the only one.

"Hm?" Flint noticed a different look in the boy's eyes, confused but dismisses it for a moment as he held his Pokéball.

"This will be an official 2v2 match between Gym Leader Flint Slate of Pewter City versus Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town! Only the challenger is allowed to switch Pokémon during battle," Brock's words rang out as he held his arm up, then swipes it down with the call, "Battle... begin!"

"Come out, Geodude!" Flint shout with conviction as he threw the ball to the air. The red and white sphere popped open as a flash of blue and white came out and takes form in the field.

Caden steeled his glare, reaching for his first pick. He had some idea onto how to counter a Geodude. With the current team, he had some choices. Of course, Pikachu will be participating, but only against Onyx (if the others can defeat Geodude on their own) which leaves behind the rest. Rattata with her nimble speed as well as her Iron Tail and Bite; or Metapod with his String Shot and Harden. He could use Spearow since his casted wing was officially discharged and announce to be fully recovered, but Caden had yet to work with him. Pidgeotto...she's a pain, to say the least. Other than that, he was as closely prepared as he is. He unclips a Pokéball from the belt and was ready to throw. 

"Alright! I choose yoooou have got to be joking right now,"

On one hand, Caden was surprise he had thought all those indepth thinking in a span of milliseconds before the Geodude fully revealed itself...said Geodude on the other hand was a silver-gray floating rock with muscular arms, big eyebrows, and strands of black hair-like protrusions.

To say the least, Caden wanted to sock the jaw of whomever was doing this and is laughing at his inconvenience. Following that thought, Pikachu (equally as mind-numbed) wanted to give the same being the most deadliest Thunderbolt he can manage. Zekrom be damn, he will find a way to defy all laws of logic and bring down the Gods of All Electricity.

Wondering how a certain scrap metal would respond to this, Cade reclips the ball in his hand, replaced and pulled out Dexter, and lets it scan the variant Geodude.

[Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. No data available on this Pokémon-wait a minute....]

Flint laughs at this and boastfully spoke, "Surprised, sonny? Let me tell you-"

[ What in the name of blasphemy is this?! My databank could not have some kind of fault in what a Geodude is! What kind of-]

"Err," those who didn't knew of Dexter's...systematic vocalisation were left dumbfounded. Those who knew were losing their temper as it continues to rant.

"Excuse me," Caden spoke before tossing the device up.

Followed by Pikachu sending a Thunderbolt on it before it fell back to the boy's hands, smoking but still in perfect shape.

[...ow,]

"Pikachu, take the field," Caden simply said and pockets the device as the mouse leaps onto the battleground.

The Geodude crossed his arms and looks at the rodent up and down, "So, you're a Kantonian Pikachu,"

"And you're an Alolan Geodude," Pikachu remarked, crouching to all fours as he readies himself, "Rock and Electric, which will be kinda annoying,"

Said Geodude was slightly surprised, but went to a serious composure, fists ready as both were waiting for their trainers' call.

Flint made the first move.

"Magnet Rise!"

Both boy and mouse tensed as the Geodude starts levitating above the ground, electricity shotting here and there. Magnet Rise is considerably a good evasive move against Ground Type moves, but can only be used for five turns and has no physical damage. Only in games.

This surely ain't a game, Caden knew for a fact. And he doubt game logic even fits here!

Without a command, the Geodude dug its fingers in the ground and slingshot itself towards Pikachu with bursting speed.

"Spring over!" Caden shouted.

Pikachu reacted accordingly to this and flashed his Iron Tail up before twisting with a hop, curling to a ball, then using his tail to fling him over the bulleting Geodude, barely by a hairline as the opponent shot under him. Upon landing, Pikachu took a second glance at his opponent (who dug their fingers on the ground yet again and swiftly curved around), then uses Quick Attack as soon as possible to evade another direct charge.

"Hmp, using a move like Iron Tail to evade my Geodude's attack is an impressive call, I admit," Flint grunted, "Normally, trainers your age would just go right ahead and use them as they were, just attacks,"

"Blame the video games for that," Caden couldn't help but retort, then followed it with a question, "Anyways, where and how did you get that Geodude?"

"Oh, err..." Flint turned his head away, a nervous smile on his now sweating face "I'll tell you the tale later,"

As the man spoke with suspicion, Pikachu was dodging yet another ram attack from the variant Rock Pokémon and watching it break a random boulder into crumbling chunks. Pikachu almost forgot there were oversized rocks and stalagmites on the field, which could be a problem with how that Geodude was gonna-

"Shuppets!" Pikachu would mentally apologize for doing such a thing to said Pokémon's name later as he got down flat to the ground to avoid a Rock Tomb as a boulder the size of Ash flew over him and crashes with a crater.

'Okay, that was admittingly close,' Pikachu thought as he stands on his two feet, then yelping as he dodges another, 'I really need to pay close attention to my opponents!' 

Like Pikachu, Caden was having trouble comprehending the battle. Why does the animated show make it look moderately simple when it was actually this stressful?! If he can call Game Freak right now, he would like to add some complains.

Okay, he might be overexaggerating but-

Cade noticed with wide eyes when he saw Pikachu pincered from all sides by boulders too high for the Pokémon to jump out. 

"I believe we have playing the same dance long enough," Flint spoke, smirking with victory and points a finger, "Geodude, Take Down!"

Energy flows through the Geodude as it slams its hands down to the floor with great force, then bullets off towards Pikachu with greater speed, intending for a shoulder bash. Flint and his Pokémon thought it was an instant win.

Until the Caden shouted.

"Now! Tactic Two-B!"

Pikachu immediately pulled up four Light Screens layered behind the other in front of Geodude. Not enough to stop it as they all break in a matter of seconds, but it was enough for Pikachu to remake the Iron Tail Leap, springing up and overhead, then doing another by using the Geodude's forehead (with greater impact force) as leverage. This both hurt the Alolan variant (Doubled by going face first to one of the rocks with Take Down still active), and hoisted Pikachu higher.

It was here Pikachu looked back at being woke up at three in the morning.

________________________________________

<<<Hours ago in the early morning<<< p>

"Okay, we both know you have Thunderbolt, Volt Tackle, Dynamic Punch, Quick Attack, and Iron Tail," Cade counted as he and Pikachu took a path to an open field with the directions pointed by Nurse Joy. The rest of the team were in their Pokéball still asleep. 

[Does not compute. Pokémon aren't supposed to have more than four moves in their moveset. Not to mention, there were no previous indication that Pikachu's Dynamic Punch was a cause of transfer,]

"What doesn't compute is that PokéDexes aren't supposed to have a conscience and have emotions," Caden spoke back at the metal device in his hand.

[...I am hurt,]

"Anyways, I think we need to get creative with what we have in your arsenal," Cade said as they reached their destination which conveniently had a large boulder to practice on.

"Alright, sensei," Pikachu joked, which made the boy give a flat glance, "What wise lesson from the world beyond will you teach me today?"

If the look in Caden's face couldn't get any flatter, it did.

"...Did I go too far?"

"Kinda stung like a needle, but I know you meant well," Caden smiled wistfully, reaching up to Pikachu on his shoulder and rubbing the mouse's head reassuringly. He then faces the rock with the gears in his head spinning, "If we want to defeat Rock Types, we need to be more versatile with what we have. Having the needed move is not enough, and we need to strengthen that,"

"So, double training?" Pikachu asked.

Caden nodded and smirked with his arms crossed, "This is why I liked the Pokémon in shows than in games. When it comes to moves,

"You can get creative,"

_______________________________________

>>Present>>

Training that morning was not easy going, but definitely worth every aching fiber of his being.

Pikachu doesn't know if it will be effective enough without proper testing, but he and Cade will surely leave the audience gawking.

"Like we practice!" Cade smirked almost manically.

Pikachu mimicked it and summoned a Light Screen angled slantly beneath him where he lands on it. Then another appeared some distance from him, and he dashes to the makeshift platform with a small burst of Quick Attack. Another platform and Pikachu dashed to it. Another platform, another dash. Light Screen, then Quick Attack. On every change of platforms, the ones before vanishes. Every bound from and summoning of one Light Screen to another continues as Pikachu maintains his increasing speed and momentum.

Flint squinted his eyes at the odd spectacle, having lost count in confusion, "What is he doing?"

Below this, Geodude watches with the same confusion as it scratches its head. All it was looking at now was a blur of silver-white and flickers of yellow here and there. Not to mention, the Pikachu was going higher up to the ceiling.

Both of them could feel that something was coming, but the confusion of the spectacle overlayers their instinct.

"Hey, Flint!"

The man looked to "Ash" with the same confused look, "What is it?"

The boy grins wider, "What is worse than a brick falling on top of your head?"

Flint really wasn't sure how to respond to that, "What are you blabbering-"

Flint pauses for a moment, before realization hits him.

"Use-"

It was too late. In an instant, a blur of yellow with stripes of white struck true down on its target.

The last thing the Geodude saw was a demonic grin coming from an electric pipsqueak before a yellow fist made contact with its left temple.

*THOOOM!*

________________________________________

 If Misty can describe one word about Ash, it would be madman. The smile on his face sells it.

This only caved in more with how Pikachu was mimicking it. And it went deeper down the pit as Pikachu straight up struck down literally on the Geodude faster than a bullet train. The collision causes a rumble throughout the battlefield and a big cloud of dust covered the area.

The dust cleared moments later. And from it, a four-foot crater was dented on the ground, less than half of the Geodude buried into the terrain with only one arm poking out of the surface and one eye visibly showing consciousness, as well as the dent of a damage on its head. Its eye soon morphed into terror when a foot was placed on what was visible of his head as the eye looked up to face a visibly injured but widely grinning Pikachu.

"Pi pika pi chu-pi,"

Pikachu, as far as Misty knew, are unable to learn Scary Face. But that expression on the electric mouse's face is really close. And whatever the rodent said seems to paralyze the opponent in fear. That smile remained as Pikachu deliberately sunk the poor Geodude deeper in the crate with a Dynamic Punch.

The Geodude's forearm remained stiff, then went limp.

"Erm...Geodude has been defeat in battle!" Brock, as stunned as she was, spoke with as much mustered composure as he could, "Therefore, Challenger Ash Ketchum wins the round,"

The field was filled with the shout of "I can't believe that worked!" followed by soul-shivering, mad cackling that made her jump from her seat and turned towards Ash who was laughing at the heavens like some crazy scientist who had achieved the impossible.

...Misty was definitely having some regrets on joining the boy.