Chapter 2: Get the Boulder Badge (English Terminology)

[2bamaster]

The archaeological science museum was on the outskirts of Pewter City.
Despite being a Saturday, there were few visitors giving it a deserted feeling.
It wasn't in any way impressive, but there were fossilised remains of various creatures on display.
And as typical of a small town museum, to make up for the lack of any real exhibits they had pretty much anything dug up from the ground on display from crystals to lumps of coal.
But despite this, it was all new to Ash.
But even so, Ash had no interest in fossils for now.
“Wow, it's so pretty.”
Misty stopped to look at a piece of amber.
Amber is pine tree resin that has hardened underground, in the old days it was considered a gemstone.
Now as opposed to being considered a gemstone, it's best known for the preservation of ancient insects unable to escape the sticky resin many millions of years ago.
That said, Ash really couldn't care less about amber right now if he tried.
It didn't even draw his gaze.
Ash simply kept walking as he left Misty behind.
Ash was simply muttering to himself.
No! No way! No way in hell! ... No matter what Misty says, I'm not giving up on Pewter Gym... The other three from Pallet Town all got a badge. Even if I get eight badges from other towns, all three of them got theirs from the Pewter Gym. Seems like he didn't use Onix during their matches. But hiding behind that is just making an excuse... More importantly, I can't just give up after losing my first ever gym battle... No way! I won't stand for it!
Ash's frustration grew to the point where he was suddenly sprinting.
His footsteps echoed through the museum.
And then wham... “Ow... That hurt!”
Not looking where he was going, Ash had run right into someone.
They were a frail figure. They attempted to grab onto Ash as they fell on their rear.
“It hurt for me too... Didn't anyone ever tell you not to go running in a museum?”
“Ah, sorry.”
Ash leapt back flustered.
“Hm? You're that boy with the Pikachu.”
It was the old man who had been sitting in the corner of the Pokémon Center.
“You know about me?”
The old man got to his feet unsteadily.
“Make a big fuss around the counter at the Pokémon Center like that and you're sure to draw attention. You were going on and on about the Pewter Gym.”
Ash bit his lip. ... He really didn't want to discuss this even with an old man he'd never spoken with.
“It's because I lost.”
Ash ignored the old man as he began to walk away.
“Hold it. I've challenged the Pewter Gym many times. I've never once won there.”
“Eh?”
Ash turned back.
“... Come with me.”
The old man went over to a display case in the corner of the room.
There was a stone inside the glass case.
A sign read “Thunder Stone”.
It didn't shine like lighting or anything, it resembled an ordinary stone.
“This may look like a regular stone, but this stone came from a place struck by lightning, it's not just another ordinary stone like others you may find in the world.”
... So what's the big deal about this stone? And what does it have to do with me?
Ash was clueless.
The old man continued speaking regardless.
“It's likely that the electrical power of the lightning somehow changed the stone's composition. That said, it's not like it's a rare stone. Lightning strikes all over the place, particularly during the summer. There's plenty of these stones out there, so it's hardly rare enough to warrant being on display here.”
... If it's not particularly rare, why should I care about it...
“Well, I'll be leaving now.”
“Now hold on a moment. I haven't had many people to talk to lately. Just hear me out... regarding this stone. Despite being called a Thunder Stone, it doesn't seem to be particularly electric... It appears to be an ordinary useless stone.”
Ash was getting irritated.
However what the old man said next changed how Ash felt.
“... This stone has the power to induce evolution in certain Pokémon species.”
“Evolution?”



Ash asked back instinctively.
Evolution... it's a word with many meanings, but when speaking of a Pokémon's evolution, you are describing a phase in which the Pokémon becomes stronger and turns into another Pokémon.
For example, the Worm Pokémon Caterpie turns into the Cocoon Pokémon Metapod, before eventually becoming a Butterfree... In the few days since he began his journey, Ash had already seen it happen right before his eyes.
And now, which Pokémon Ash wanted to strengthen up the most... was quite clear.
“So when you say this stone can evolve certain species of Pokémon, you wouldn't by any chance mean...”
The old man nodded. “This stone can evolve your Pikachu.”
“Pikachu can evolve... Pikachu can evolve... Pikachu will evolve... When Pikachu evolves, if Pikachu evolves... Pikachu should evolve...”
Ash muttered as if chanting a spell.
... I might be able to beat the Pewter Gym's Onix. If only I had that stone...
Ash's eyes shone.
But he soon let out a sigh. ... It's not like I can just smash the case and steal the stone...
Taking note of Ash's reaction, the old man spoke.
“Thunder Stones aren't hard to find... They even sell them at the museum gift shop. Key rings, pendants.. They even significantly outnumber the amber related souvenirs.”
“Thanks, mister.”
Ash immediately head off towards the gift shop.
“Hold it.”
The old man stopped him with a relaxed call.
“No need to buy one at the gift shop. I'll give this to you.”
He pulled out a pebble from his pocket and showed it to Ash.
“If you were to go searching, it's indistinguishable from any other rock.”
“I can really have it?”
“I was never able to catch a Pikachu. I've no use for the stone.”
“How much should I pay for it?”
“Nothing. It's free.”
His mother Delia had a phrase she liked to say. ... There's nothing more expensive than what comes for free... There's always a catch... (If someone else buys you a meal, they're probably buttering you up for something... It'll cost you something one way or another.)
So he decided to ask.
“Mister, why would you give a complete stranger like myself...”
“I've challenged the Pewter Gym three times. I came here planning to try a fourth time, but it seems I'll have to give up on that. My problems may be of no concern to you, boy. But if you can earn the Pewter Gym's badge in my place, I'll be happy.”
Ash gripped the pebble the old man gave him tightly as he spoke.
“Mister, my name is Ash from Pallet Town... I'll make sure to fight for your sake too.”
The old man quirked his eyebrows when he heard the name Pallet Town.
“Pallet Town... So I'm guessing this town is your first Gym challenge then...”
“What makes you say that?”
“Prospective trainers from Pallet Town usually come to this place first. Same goes for me too.”
“Are you from Pallet Town too, mister?”
“Hm? No, I just passed through once a long time ago. It was a small town with only one restaurant.”
The old man's gaze grew distant, as if gazing into the distant past.
“It still only has one restaurant.” Ash replied.
“The proprietress who ran the place was a real beauty.”
“The proprietress?”
“The lady who ran the place.”
... So he's talking about my mom... I guess this old guy knows my mom then.
“I'm not sure I'd call her beautiful, but she's doing well.”
“I see. Good to hear. And how about her kid?”
“Eh? Her kid, you mean me? The restaurant in Pallet Town is my house.”
“Eh? Eh? Eh?”
The old man let out three exclamations somewhere between a sigh and disbelief.
“Preposterous... I'm sure I heard the child there was a cute little girl...”
“Do I look like a girl to you?”
“I may be getting a little old, but if you think I'd mistake you for a girl, then I'd probably have one foot in the grave already... Speaking of graves, this city is known for its headstones...” The old man said dejected.
“Don't go talking like that. I'm mom's only child, I don't have any brothers or sisters.”
The old man stared intently at Ash as he spoke again.
“My boy, how old are you?”
“Ten years old...” Ash answered.
“Ten years old...” The old man repeated Ash's age back at him... “I see, I get it now. ... It was over sixty years ago that I went to Pallet Town... Fuohoho...”
The old man laughed. It was a sad laugh though.
“A woman I met sixty years ago wouldn't have a ten year old son... You may be her grandchild, great grandchild or possibly even another generation beyond. It wouldn't be odd for a son to appear a few generations down.”
“Huh, that means... You knew my grandma, great grandma or greater grandma then, mister?” Ash asked.
“Great great grandma, not greater grandma. Either way though, I suppose that means you're her descendant, boy. In which case... Phew.”
The old man let out a sigh.
“In which case, what?”
“Maybe you should try actually using the grey matter inside your head a little, boy...”
“... Lay off me. I'm leaving. I'm going to go evolve my Pikachu into a Raichu now.”
“Just a moment...” The old man stopped Ash once more.
“What now?”
“If you're a child from that restaurant, then you and I have a connection of sorts beyond just being two strangers. So I'll give you another bit of advice. The Thunder Stone probably isn't going to help you.”
“Eh? Are you saying this is a fake?” Ash closely examined his pebble.
“It's no fake. But even if you evolve your Pikachu into Raichu, your chances of victory at the Pewter Gym are slim to none.”
“But why? Raichu is stronger than Pikachu, right?”
“Stronger or not, Pikachu and Raichu are both electric types. Electric types are weak against rock types. And it goes without saying that here in the city of stone, the Pewter Gym is filled with rock type Pokémon.”
“So Pikachu can't win even if he becomes stronger.”
“His loss isn't set in stone. But neither is his victory. Do you have any water type Pokémon, boy?”
“Water type?” Ash asked back.
“A drop of water may not seem like much, but after many years of erosion it'll open a hole in rock and crack it to pieces. A Magikarp's tears of love will tear through stone after a hundred years... as the old saying goes.” The old man spouted an ancient proverb.
“Wait, what?” Ash asked in reply.
“Magikarp is a fish Pokémon that is so weak that the vast majority would consider it useless. A girl wouldn't give anyone like that the time of day. But even the most down and out loser can find a way into a girl's cold stone heart if he persists in loving her for a hundred years. And this is why water is strong against rock.”
The more this guy said, the less sense it made.
“I've no idea what you're trying to say, mister... but basically, I can win against the rock type Pokémon if I have a water type Pokémon?”
“... Perhaps. The outcome of battle is never predetermined. But you'll have a far better chance than if you use an electric type Pokémon.”
“A water type Pokémon, huh...”
It goes without saying that Ash's only Pokémon other than Pikachu were Butterfree and Pidgeotto. Despite the great differences between a butterfly and a bird, they were both flying type Pokémon. ... A match simply wouldn't work out between land and sky. Besides, even in the one in a million chance they could pin down the heavy rock Pokémon, they wouldn't be able to fly with it. It was at this point a girl's face came to Ash's mind.
“... Oh yeah, her.”
It was Misty.
Ash recalled that Misty liked fishing and had the Goldfish Pokémon Goldeen, which was a water type.
It's possible she might have a strong water type Pokémon.
At the very least, she would know something useful about water type Pokémon.
But Ash shook his head and threw the image of Misty from his mind. ... As if I can rely on her. She'll just hold it over me like the bike. If I ask her for a favour, it'll become some kind of lifelong debt...
“Oh, here you are.”
Misty finally caught up after looking at the amber.
Ash ignored Misty and spoke to the old man.
“The outcome of battle is never predetermined... In that case, I'll take my chances with an electric type. See ya.”
Ash ran off.
“What's his problem?” Misty shrugged.
“What's your relationship with that boy?” The old man asked.
“Huh?” Misty asked in return.
“Are you his girlfriend or are you betrothed to him or something?”
“Betrothed?” Misty was unfamiliar with the word.
“It means you're making plans for marriage...”
“Marriage...!? I'm only ten years old.”
“You're like two peas in a pod. Like a Nidorina and Nidorino.”
“Huh?” She had no idea what he was on about.
Nidorina and Nidorino are the names of a male and female pair of Poison Pin Pokémon known for getting along well.
“I'm saying that you're well matched with that boy, little missy.”
Misty's face went bright red. But not due to being bashful. It was pure rage.
“Y-y-y-yo... You've got to be kidding. Who would believe such a scandal... Ah, that jerk. That's what he told you, huh?” Misty bit the old man's head off.
“No, I just got that kind of vibe from the pair of you...”
“Preposterous. That's what marrying him would be. Even if my parents approve of him, I never will... Preposterous. Ash! Wait up!”
Misty chased after Ash.
The old man murmured to himself as he was left behind.
“That boy, Ash... That's a real cute girl he's got chasing after him. But no matter where you run, someone will always be chasing after you. But beauty withers over time, and you find yourself too ashamed to go back home. And you find yourself wandering aimlessly chained down by the past.”
This old man may well have been connected to Ash's mother's restaurant, Pallet Town Delia. ... He may have even been Ash's great great grandfather, but Ash and the old man were destined to never meet again.
In this country, even if you're parent and child, once the child leaves home they are to lead completely separate lives.
The most important bond in this country is that of a married couple. It's considered a far more precious bond than either parent and child or siblings.
Therefore when a marriage ends with either a divorce or a spouse running away from home, it destroys the most precious human relationship there is.
Anyone willing to pay the price of breaking such a bond has clearly already cut the ties of parent and child or siblings.
Ash's dad and grandpa, chasing the dream of being a Pokémon Trainer, had left home and never come back.
Becoming a Pokémon Trainer was such an alluring prospect that they were willing to throw away the most precious bond of man and wife.
It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that Ash's great grandfather had acted in the same manner, and at that point it's practically a given that his great great grandfather would have left Pallet Town under similar circumstances as well.
That great great grandfather would likely have no idea Delia even existed. But even if he were aware ... There's no real connection between us... I'll leave handling the household troubles to a woman... he'd probably shrug it off with something along these lines.
In this world, whether it be husband, wife or child, the moment you leave home they have no right to criticise you.
In exchange, when your hopes and dreams are in tatters, you may find yourself with nowhere to return.
The moment you stand on your own, you have to take responsibility for yourself from that point on.
It's an unwritten law of this world. (Unwritten laws are common rules that aren't included in written law... For example, don't stab people with a knife. Don't bully people at school... the latter may not be written in any legal document, but it is considered a common sense rule for people to live by.)
Which means that beginners like Ash who leave home proclaiming they'll become Pokémon Trainers may find it difficult to return if they are unable to achieve their goals.
Especially if they were a prospective trainer who left their wife and family.
Once they leave their house and hometown, most will never return.
Therefore, even in the case that the old man were Ash's great great grandfather, he wouldn't feel any positive connection to him, in fact knowing that he had gotten to such an old age and was still struggling uselessly so close to Pallet Town would likely fill him with shame and anger.
The old man sighed.
“No point in hanging around this city any longer. All I can do is get my headstone made... and I've no plans to be buried here.”
The old man slowly walked towards the museum exit.

***

Talking seriously now... whether or not the old man was related to Ash may forever remain an unanswered question.
But the old man did not return to the Pokémon Center that night.
Even if he did return, he wouldn't have been able to battle at the Pewter Gym.
After turning 75, the elderly are not permitted to challenge a Gym if their physical examination isn't favourable.
Yet another unwritten law.
For a trainer instructing their Pokémon, do things like their age or health really matter? ... Politicians over the age of 75 have argued against this policy, leading to discord in the National Diet.
It led to a public referendum where the policy was ultimately upheld.
When in poor health, an elder's vitality drops, leading to impaired judgement, resulting in an increase of haphazard battles where both their own Pokémon and that of their opponent are more heavily injured than is necessary.
It's the same as how old people start having trouble driving cars or playing games on a small screen.
But in that case, why are reckless young people barely over ten with no sense of judgement allowed to drive cars and possess knives? This has also been a point of controversy... But that's a story for another time.

***

“Pika...”
It was the following morning.
Pikachu slowly opened his eyes in his cot.
His body felt light. The electrical pouches in his cheeks had absorbed natural electricity ions from the atmosphere and he was fully recovered.
But as he stretched slightly, Pikachu felt a paralysing sensation from his cheeks electrical pouches.
It was on an invisible wavelength. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling though. It felt as if it were lulling him to sleep. ... A pleasant feeling he could lose himself in.
But that's also what made it feel like a dangerous sensation.
Where is this wavelength emanating from...?
Looking over at the counter of the Pokémon Center, he saw Ash and Joy speaking.
“If this stone is the real deal, then I'd like to evolve my Pikachu into a Raichu.”
Ash showed the Thunder Stone to Joy.
The wavelength was unmistakably emanating from that stone.
Joy placed the Thunder Stone under a small electron microscope on the counter and examined the monitor.
“It's a genuine Thunder Stone. If it makes direct contact with Pikachu's cheek pouches for ten seconds, he'll evolve into Raichu.”
“So it'll really work?” Ash asked with glittering eyes.
“It will.” Joy wasn't smiling.
“But how long have you had your Pikachu...? A month? Six months? A year?”
“Eh? Uh...”
Ash opted to round up a little. “About a week, maybe?”
Joy saw through his lie, but ignored it anyway as she spoke further.
“I wouldn't recommend using it.”
She continued speaking quickly so that Ash couldn't get a word in.
“Evolution is simple when you use this stone... But even if he becomes a Raichu with a new shape and greater electrical power, making use of that power would put strain on his body. To use a Raichu's power, he should gain some experience and growth as a Pikachu first. For example, a Raichu's electrical discharge can exceed 10,000 volts. But if he were to suddenly discharge over 10,000 volts, he could risk rendering himself unconscious. In a worst case scenario, he could give himself cardiac arrest.”
“You mean his heart would stop beating...?”
Ash spoke these words heavily.
“That’s right, a lot of Thunder Stones originate in this area. So it’s pretty easy to get your hands on one. This Pokémon Center has seen a lot of Raichu who have just evolved from Pikachu and gone into cardiac arrest. The only treatment is to jump start their heart with another electric shock. Their heart was stopped by their own electricity and the Center’s starts it back up again. It’s kind of... y’know. It puts an incredible strain on the body. Even if they’re lucky enough to survive, a lot of Raichu become afraid of electricity and are unable to use their power ever again.”
“A Raichu unable to use electricity...”
“It’s not quite as bad as a doctor who can’t perform surgery... After all, a botched surgery can result in fatality. Even so, for a Raichu who needs an electrical current in their body to be unable to use electricity is quite a pitiful state. They’ll stop intaking new energy and eventually become unable to replenish their reserves. It’s called Electrical Rejection Syndrome. Their once healthy body will gradually become emaciated. Why indeed. Your Raichu will end up looking more like an oversized Pikachu. Are you sure you want to reduce your Pikachu to looking like a deflated balloon?”
Ash looked at Pikachu.
He didn’t want to see his Pikachu reduced to skin and bone.
“Do you still want to evolve him into Raichu?”
It was the moment of truth.
“Yeah, I understand now. I won’t do it.”
Misty suddenly butted in from behind Ash.
“You’re nuts for even thinking to challenge rock type Pokémon with an electric type Pokémon to begin with. Ms. Joy. Has anyone ever won at Pewter Gym with an electric Pokémon?”
“Very few have.”
“See? If there were, then the Pokémon Center would be filled with Pikachu and Raichu who lost at Pewter Gym.”
“Not necessarily.” Joy answered.
“Very few people would even challenge Pewter Gym with an electric Pokémon in the first place.”
Misty nodded several times as she replied.
“I see. If nobody challenges the Gym with electric Pokémon, then they don’t bring any injured electric Pokémon here. It’s common sense.”
“I get it already. I’m not evolving Pikachu into Raichu!”
Ash broke his silence as he shouted.
Ash came over next to Pikachu’s cot and stroked his head.
“Don’t worry. Pikachu. You don’t have to push yourself... You’re my very first Pokémon. I’m going to raise you the right way.”
Pikachu didn’t quite understand the meaning behind Ash’s words.
But he could tell that he wasn’t going to use that mysterious stone with the alluring yet dangerous aura.
He could also tell he had given up on the battle he’d lost yesterday.
But that didn’t sit well with Pikachu.
It’s true that he wanted to turn tail and run when he saw that giant Onix.
But despite not having fought that many battles, no matter the peril, his electricity had never let him down in a fight before.
Even against Onix, he had passed out before he could be sure his electricity wouldn’t work. After losing to an opponent, many wild Pokémon will never have the confidence to take that same opponent on again.
But, this Pikachu hadn’t grown up in the wild.
Up until four days ago, he had never known a world outside of the lab in Pallet Town.
Plus, he was an oddball who hated being confined to a Poké Ball.
He hated being ordered around by humans, but also hated losing.
The battles he had fought over the past few days made him painfully aware of just how weak he really was.
He was unwilling to let the outcome of yesterday’s battle slide.
If Pokémon can be considered to have something akin to pride, then Pikachu had clearly not given up on his pride as an electric mouse.
Misty walked over to Pikachu’s cot.
She was more interested in Pikachu’s condition than Ash’s issues. ... That boy isn’t just a poor marksman, but he’s shooting blanks... I wouldn’t be surprised if he pits Pikachu against that Onix again... These may have been the thoughts going through her mind.
“Hey, Ash. Instead of using Pikachu, I can lend you my water type Pokémon instead.”
“I’m not borrowing anything!” Ash shouted.
“You all think of me as a complete idiot... I can handle this my own way.”
That said, he had no way of handling it.
He muttered to himself.
“Haaah, if only Pikachu had the power of a water type…”
And once again. Pikachu didn’t quite understand the meaning behind Ash’s words. But Pikachu was quite capable of sensing the despair in his words.
Pikachu’s cheeks sparked slightly. He was mad. ... I see, you think that this Pikachu is unreliable, huh? Then I’ll show you just what I’m capable of...
“Pika!”
Pikachu let out a sharp cry, leapt out of his cot and dashed out of the Pokémon Center.
“Ah... Pikachu. Where’s he going?”
Ash followed after him.
And then Misty followed after him.
“Hold up. You running away?”
Those words had practically become Misty’s catch phrase when she chased after Ash as of late.
Pikachu was thinking to himself as he ran down the main street of Pewter City.
It goes without saying, he was thinking of how he could beat Onix.
Pikachu thought back over all his battles until now.
The time he took down the flock of Spearow in the torrential rain of that storm... The time at the Viridian City Pokémon Center where he blew Team Rocket away, along with the Center itself... Every time, Pikachu’s electricity had pulled him through. But the truth is, a Pikachu’s electricity simply isn’t that powerful.
Something had always acted upon Pikachu’s power.
Pikachu had had his electricity boosted during those incidents...
Pikachu turned off the main street and found himself at the Pewter Gym.
The same as yesterday, Brock was outside the gate sweeping in his apron.
As he saw Pikachu, Brock’s stern expression melted into a friendly smile as he spoke.
“Oh, it’s you, the Pikachu from yesterday. Judging by your current condition, the damage wasn’t too bad. I’m relieved.”
Despite Brock’s kind words, Pikachu simply glared at him.
Brock suddenly let out a sigh.
“You haven’t given up yet?”
“Huh? Actually, I...”
Ash had already given up. He had only ended up here by chasing after Pikachu.
“It seems like your Pikachu hasn’t given up though.”
“How can you tell?” Misty asked.
“He came all the way to the Gym. I’m far more interested in the motivation of a Pokémon than its trainer. Pikachu has a real fire today that he didn’t have yesterday. I’m betting he’s in peak condition.”
Brock then spoke to Ash and Misty.
“By the way, have you eaten?”
“Eh?”
“You skipped breakfast to come here yesterday. And the lady had ｓｃｒａｍｂｌｅｄ　ｅｇｇｓ.　Ａｎｄ　ｃａｆｅ　ａｕ　ｌａｉｔ...　Ｓｕｇａｒｌｅｓｓ, if I recall.”
A delicious scent wafted from somewhere.
Ash’s stomach growled in response.
Misty spoke, resisting the temptation of the scent.
“No, I haven’t eaten today... I had to go chasing after a certain bicycle thief...”
Ash shouted at her.
“I wasn’t running away! I had to go after Pikachu.”
“Now, now. I don’t know about your circumstances, but perhaps you could try not getting into an argument so early in the morning? I had a feeling you might be back today... So instead of miso soup, I’ve got some delicious coffee prepared. For bread, we have freshly baked croissants with plenty of butter... Plain omelettes for eggs. Plenty of salad. A breakfast perfectly suited for the lady’s tastes. Shall you dine with me?”
“You’re willing to feed your enemy?” Ash asked.
“We’re not enemies before the match starts. Besides, you’ll get grumpy on an empty stomach.”
Brock pointed inside the gate with his thumb in a gesture to invite them in.
“I wasn’t expecting this.” Ash cocked his head as he and Misty were invited into the Pewter Gym with the smell of coffee.
Only Pikachu maintained a determined expression as he pondered his victory.

***

“So this is the kitchen...”
Ash and Misty looked around.
The spacious room which Brock had indicated as the kitchen had a kitchen set in the corner and looked like the grand banquet hall of a hotel.
Several long tables were lined up, you could probably seat about 100 people in there.
“Long ago, this town was known as the city of stone and was prosperous.” He said guiding them to a table.
“This Pokémon Gym was a natural gathering place for people. In my great grandfather’s time, we had hundreds of disciples. As proof of the Gym’s prosperity, despite this being the city of stone, the whole place is made of wood. Timber was a luxury material in these parts.”
And indeed, the walls, columns and ceiling, despite being covered in dust, were all made of finely carved wood.
“And you’re the leader of the Gym. Wow, that’s impressive.” Ash said with his eyes wide.
“Maybe in my great grandfather’s era. As the world moved on and people stopped using stone, this place fell into decline. There’s nobody left. Nowadays we only get one or two trainer wannabes like yourself passing through for a challenge... All that remains is a battered wooden structure ready to collapse at the slightest provocation and an indoor battle ground.”
Lined along the ceiling were a series of metal pipes spread out like a net, looking at odds with the wooden architecture.
“Is that some kind of decoration?” Misty asked looking at the ceiling.
“That’s the emergency sprinkler system, in case of fire. There was apparently a huge fire in Pewter City about a hundred years ago, the majority of wooden structures burned to the ground. ... Wood burns easy after all. Ever since then, all wooden buildings in the city have had compulsory sprinkler systems installed, it’s not pretty, but we’re protected from fires. Just gotta live with it. Besides, that’s not all they’re good for.”
Brock walked to the center of the hall and pressed against one of the pillars with his finger.
Gweeen...
An ominous sound echoed as the walls and ceiling trembled.
The sprinkler pipes attached to the ceiling wrenched.
Shyeew...
A fine mist of water sprayed from where the pipes connected.
And as the ceiling returned to normal, the pipe connections stopped spraying.
“You can do that on a hot day to cool things off in here. We don’t need to buy a humidifier.”
“Wow... That was, this place really is falling apart.” Misty shuddered in fear.
“It’s fine. Since it rocks so much, minor tremors are absorbed easily, and in the case of a major earthquake, it’s not like the stone buildings won’t collapse too. Still, I’ve no idea how long this place will last.”
Brock shrugged his shoulders and called out to the other end of the hall.
“Hey everyone, our guests for breakfast are here.”
With Brock’s voice acting as a signal, a stream of children came in and sat at the table. There was twenty one of them.
“Now remember, anyone under nine is too young for coffee. You can have milk or strawberry juice instead.”
“We accept this meal.”
The children began eating.
“Make sure you have some salad. You need to have good nutrition.” Brock told the kids.
“Um, since you have no disciples, did you decide to start a daycare service instead?” Misty asked.
“They’re all my younger siblings. Fifteen is the oldest and three is the youngest, twenty in total.”
“I’m not sure these numbers quite add up.” Misty said as she tried counting them on her fingers.
“There’s eight sets of twins... And there’s nine different fathers.”
“How did this happen?” The numbers seemed ridiculous to Ash.
“My mother was the heir to this Gym. To ensure the Gym’s future, she married men with the qualifications to be a Gym Leader and they ended up running out on her... nine in total. Why did they all leave? There’s a lot of us... But we’re all good kids... I don’t get it, but once I got the qualifications to become Gym Leader myself, the next thing I knew our mother had run off leaving behind only a note.”
“Geez…” Misty let slip instinctively.
“This is what her note said. I’ve left behind plenty of heirs. With my role fulfilled, I’m going to live my own life to the fullest. But still.”
“Sounds rough.” Ash and Misty said in unison.
“Yes. It was quite rough for my mother.” Brock nodded.
“Not for your mother, for you...” Ash and Misty said in harmony.
“It’s no problem for me at all. I like raising kids. Though to be honest, instead of raising human children who have had various studies on how to raise them, I’d rather be exploring the unknown of raising Pokémon. It’s a slight regret of mine.”
Breakfast was odd. As an only child Ash found that the family breakfast was fun in a way different to school lunch.
Laughing voices went back and forth between the children.
But Pikachu was still pondering in silence in this situation.
How could he possibly beat Onix.
The time of Ash and Pikachu’s second attempt at challenging the Pewter Gym approached.

***

“Thank you for joining my family for breakfast. But a Gym battle is something else entirely. I’ve no intention of going easy on you, so take this seriously...”
The smile had vanished from Brock’s face.
“I’d expect no less!” Ash yelled in reply.
But his true thoughts were less confident. ... I don’t really want to fight a battle I know I can’t win. But Pikachu is so fired up... I’ve got no choice.
Misty also knew it was a foregone conclusion.
She’d like to cheer for Pikachu. But after having breakfast with Brock and the kids, she wanted to support Brock too.
And so, if there was a God of Pokémon, she prayed to it from the bottom of her heart. ... Even if Pikachu can’t win, please don’t let him get hurt the way he did yesterday...
“Go! Pikachu!” Ash’s voice echoed through the wooden ceiling of the indoor ground.
Pikachu charged out towards Brock.
“Take the field! Onix!”
Brock threw a Poké Ball.
Onix burst forth.
The kids in the spectator seating began to sing.
“Pikachu, electric attack!” Ash shouted.
He hardly had to say it. After sleeping all day yesterday, Pikachu’s body was filled with stored electricity which he discharged.
But no matter where on its giant body was struck with electricity, Onix didn’t flinch.
It moved to strike Pikachu with its tail, like a rosary of boulders.
Pikachu was able to dodge with some light footwork, but with his electricity clearly ineffective, it was only a matter of time until his stamina was exhausted.
But by bathing Onix in electricity, Pikachu had confirmed something.
... As I thought, electricity doesn’t work against Onix. ... Which means...
Pikachu stopped moving.
Onix’s tail closed in from above.
“Pikachu, what are you doing!? Get out of there!” Ash shouted.
But Pikachu didn’t move. He flared the electrical pouches in his cheeks to their maximum.
An electric shock was discharged.
But the attack wasn’t aimed at Onix.
The target of his attack were the lamps on the ceiling behind Onix,
If he couldn’t hit the lamps, then any other electrical equipment would be fine.
As long as there’s a current.
The moment Onix’s tail slammed down from above Pikachu’s head, he leapt out of the way.
He didn’t stop his discharge.
The ceiling, the walls, Pikachu’s electricity went everywhere.
The electricity barely missed the top of Ash and Misty’s heads.
“Wah! Pikachu, watch where you’re aiming! Don’t waste your electricity.”
“This is getting dangerous. I had some really nice croissants earlier, but I’m not hoping to become toast.”
Misty muttered as she crouched down covering her head.
“I wouldn’t say no to a toasted hottie on my menu...” said Brock.
The electricity rained down on Brock and the children in the spectator seating.
Brock became flustered.
“Stop. Ash. Stop Pikachu’s electricity.”
It didn’t need to be stated. Pikachu’s opponent was Onix.
“Pikachu! Calm down! Listen to me! Stop! Look at your opponent!”
Pikachu’s discharge didn’t stop.
“Can’t you hear me!? Pikachu! Cut it out!”
Pikachu could hear Ash’s voice just fine.
But he wasn’t going to cut it out.
A sense of self preservation and a desire to defeat his opponent made Brock decide to put an end to it himself.
... There’s no other way...
Brock shook his head and spoke to Ash.
“If the Pokémon refuses to listen to its trainer... Sorry, Ash. I need to protect myself.”
“Eh?”
“Onix, go all out. No holding back.”
“Hold it! Are you saying you’ve just been toying with me until now!?” Ash shouted.
“I only use as much power as necessary against any given Gym challenger. This is to provide minimum injuries to the challenger’s Pokémon. But I wouldn’t call your Pikachu a challenger. It won’t listen to its trainer and is on a rampage. A Pokémon on a dangerous rampage must be stopped by any means necessary.”
“My Pikachu is a rampaging Pokémon...?” Ash froze.
He had no counterargument.
Thinking about it, Pikachu had never obediently followed his orders up until now.
He and Pikachu had gotten out of some pretty tough spots with a positive outcome, but he refused to go into his Poké Ball and refused to listen to his orders, fairly conclusive proof.
On the same token, there’s the fact that Ash and Misty are travelling together despite not liking each other. ... But still... My Pikachu is my Pokémon...
“Pikachu! Stop it! Quit behaving like this!” All Ash could do was shout.
“Onix! Put an end to that rampage!”
Onix raised the head of its rosary beaded snakelike body and opened its mouth.
The posture a snake takes before killing its prey.
It’d be quite the picture if it was a battle between a mongoose and cobra, but with the over eight metre Onix facing the forty centimetre tall Pikachu, the composition of the image was a little off. Onix’s giant mouth looked big enough to fit five Pikachu.
“Pikachu, run!” Ash had nothing else to say at this point.
But Pikachu continued his discharge. And his target still wasn’t Onix.
One by one the lamps on the ceiling began to burst in a spray of sparks.
The ground’s switchboard blew out.
The battleground lay in darkness.
A blackout...?
A slight light spot appeared.
It was the ground’s switchboard.
It had continued sparking and broken into flames.
“What?” Brock muttered with a groan.
Pikachu focused his electricity on the fire.
At the Viridian City Pokémon Center, what had caused the Poison Gas Pokémon Koffing to explode was a combination of sparks and fire. Electricity causes sparks, sparks cause fire.
Pikachu hadn’t forgotten the lessons experience taught him.
The cord of the switchboard caught fire.
An alarm went off.
It was the fire alarm.
The next moment, the sprinkler system in the ceiling began spouting water.
Not just in one spot either. Each of the sprinklers began to activate spraying water everywhere.
In the blink of an eye, Ash, Pikachu, Onix, Brock and the whole ground were soaked.
With its gaping mouth that could still swallow Pikachu whole, Onix froze in place.
The water stung Onix’s body.
Water was getting into both the joints between the beads of its body and into its huge open mouth.
“Damn it! Onix is weak against water.”
Brock’s voice was slightly flustered. ... That’s not enough to take Onix down on its own though. It’ll restrict its abilities... but...
Brock looked a Pikachu.
Pikachu glared at Onix.
And the electrical pouches on his cheeks swelled. ... In that downpour... When he took down that flock of Spearow, his electric shock may have been charged with the lightning, but the electricity also flowed well through the rainwater. ... He didn’t understand the logic. But Pikachu knew enough to realise that water conducts electricity.
Pikachu was a Pokémon who never forgot what he had learned through experience. Especially when it was something he learned during a crisis.
It’s entirely possible that forgetting things is a uniquely human trait.
Pikachu put every little bit of his power into discharging an electric shock directly into Onix’s mouth.
A pale whitish-blue light engulfed Onix from head to tail. It was like looking at a snake’s X-ray as Onix’s innards lit up the darkness.
There were no bones to be seen, but something resembling thin muscle fibres were visibly lit up in white.
The rocks contain materials that allow electricity to pass through as well as insulated materials it won’t pass through.
The glowing bits were the conductive parts. Onix’s soaked body allowed power to run through the insulated parts too. Onix’s whole body was a path for electricity from head to tail.
Pikachu’s electric shock ran through this path in the blink of an eye.
The beads of Onix’s body seemed to come apart momentarily like a necklace with its string cut, but its body came back together as it collapsed.
Onix didn’t have the strength to get back up.
Brock stood there dumbfounded... Ash, Misty and the children in the audience did the same.
They might have been affected by the electricity that seemed to leak out of the fallen Onix.
Their hair stood on end.
The flames were extinguished and the water from the sprinklers had stopped.
“Onix!”
Without even stopping to try and dry the water from his hair, Brock ran over to Onix.
He pulled stethoscope from his pocket and held it to the fifth boulder in the chain making up Onix’s body.
He then let out a sigh of relief.
“Good. Onix’s life isn’t in danger.”
“Is it okay?” Ash asked.
“It’s just numb. Hang it out to dry and it’ll be fine by tomorrow morning.”
“Sorry. We even set the place on fire...”
“I lost, that was a fine strategy...” Brock said.
“Strategy?” Ash asked back.
“You made it look like Pikachu was on a rampage and triggered the water, a rock Pokémon’s weakness. You took the disadvantage of using an electric Pokémon and turned it into an overwhelming asset.”
“That was just an accident.” Ash tilted his head.



“Don’t be so modest. You took one look at the battleground and learned how to use it. You figured it out. I never realised until now that the sprinklers used to protect the wooden building could be used as a rock Pokémon’s weakness.”
Brock pulled a grey coloured badge from his pocket.
“Take this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a badge to prove you defeated a Gym Leader.” ... The badge he desired more than anything.
But Ash was too proud to accept it.
This victory, if you could call it victory, belonged solely to Pikachu, Ash hadn’t given any instructions at all and couldn’t feel any joy of achievement.
“It really was entirely by accident. I didn’t win. Next time I’ll win fair and square.”
... Don’t act so principled... You’re never going to get another badge in your life...
Misty held her tongue from saying that out loud.
Raining on his parade would just be petty after being rained on by the sprinklers.
“Was it really just an accident?” Brock asked.
“Yeah, I had no idea that was going to happen.”
“This is a problem.”
A boy’s voice spoke out from behind Brock. He was a little different to Brock.
“Big bro. You lost. Four consecutive losses to kids from the same town. You’re not qualified to be a Gym Leader... You can’t be trusted to run the gym.”
“Forrest, you... really think that of me?”
The boy named Forrest nodded.
“We can’t follow in the footsteps of such a weak older brother. Can we?”
Forrest asked the children.
“Yeah. He’s right. He’s right.”
The children spoke as if reciting lines from a play.
“I’ll be the new Gym Leader here. You can go ahead and vanish somewhere, big bro.” Forrest said. He let out a slight sniffle.
“You’re driving me out then?” Brock asked.
“That’s right. You can redo your training or study your favourite Pokémon. We’ll handle the gym from now on... So for our sake too.”
Forrest took the Boulder Badge from Brock’s hand and thrust it at Ash.
“You should take the badge.”
“Eh...”
“Take it... Take it... Please take it.”
The children implored him.
“You’re telling me to take it, but I haven’t defeated Brock.” Ash shook his head.
Forrest spoke to Brock.
“Big bro, you admitted defeat to him. You’ve taken care of us long enough. We’ll be fine now. We want you to live your own life doing something you love, big bro.”
“All of you... Thanks.” Brock’s narrow eyes narrowed further. They began to well with tears.
“But, Forrest, are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“If I can’t handle it, then Salvadore will. Right, Salvadore?”
“Leave it to me, big bro.”
The boy named Salvadore nodded.
“If Salvadore can’t handle it, I’ll step in.”
The eldest daughter Brooke spoke up.
“There’s twenty of us. We’ll get by somehow.” Forrest said.
“And if we get to the end and none of us are up to the task...” Salvadore began.
A girl roughly three years old toddled over and spoke.
“I’ll get a stwong husband. We’ll be fine.”
“I get it. You all...”
Brock sniffled. Then he turned back to Ash.
“Ash, I admit defeat. Accept this badge.”
“But, I didn’t win...” Ash waved his arms in refusal.
The children had a troubled expression.
“Ash...” Misty spoke from behind.
“Hm?” As he turned an open palm slapped his cheek.
“Pull yourself together!”
“What was that for?”
“Get over here!”
Misty dragged Ash off to the corner of the ground.
“Those kids want to free Brock from the tough life he’s had here. Don’t you get it?”
“Is that what’s happening?”
“You want to be a Pokémon Trainer, right? If you can’t understand their feelings, then you’ll never understand a Pokémon’s feelings. You’ll never become the world’s greatest Pokémon Trainer at this rate.”
“I don’t need a lecture from you of all people.”
“I’m not lecturing you, fine, I’ll make it a request. Ash, take the badge... It’s what everyone wants.”
“Really? If it’ll make everyone satisfied, then I don’t have any other choice.” ...And I really do want that badge...
Ash spoke to Brock.
“I shall graciously accept... the Boulder Badge. Really, thank you!”
“Yaaay!” The children cheered.
Having your opponent’s family celebrate your victory, if you can even call this a victory... is an odd feeling.
He then glanced over at Pikachu.
Pikachu couldn’t care less about the affairs of the humans, he was shivering as he attempted to dry his wet body.
He then met Ash’s gaze and turned around to say “Pikachu!”
It was almost as if he was saying ...I got it... to him.
It was a much more straightforward statement than Ash’s ...I shall graciously accept... line.
Ash wondered.
Was the sprinklers going off really just an accident?
Had Pikachu planned it out from the beginning?
Pikachu lacked the human speech to answer that question though.
Besides, whether it was planned by or simply an accident doesn’t really matter to Pikachu at this point.
He had defeated Onix. It was enough to leave him satisfied with joy and elation.

***

Afterwards, Ash and Misty stayed the night at the Pewter City Pokémon Center, and the following morning had breakfast there... Misty had a cafe au lait and toast with plenty of butter... Ash had a set meal of nattou with nori seaweed and eggs... they both ate their fill.
Pikachu had gotten plenty of sleep and was full of electricity.
Ash and Misty said their goodbyes to Joy.
“No need to thank me. This is simply the duty of everyone in my family. When you meet the Joy in the next city you visit, give her my regards. None of the other Joys are quite as beautiful as me, but there’s a fair amount of cuteness in our family, so I’m sure you’ll recognise her.”
While they’re all related, it seemed as though the members of the Joy family were much of the same mindset.
Before leaving, Ash noticed a public phone next to the door and decided to call his mother Delia.
He got the answering machine.
She must have been in the restaurant kitchen making preparations for today’s lunch specials.
Delia would never answer the phone while working or cooking.
“Oh well...”
The answering machine should be proof enough that Delia was getting along fine.
Ash put the receiver down with a sense of relief.
Misty watched Ash from a distance.
“Calling his mother...? Hmph. He’s practically still in diapers, how disgusting...”
Misty had a certain loneliness in her eyes as she muttered that.

***

Having reached a point where she was done preparing the lunch special, Delia pressed the button on the answering machine.
“Mom... It’s kinda a long story, but I got the badge from Pewter Gym. I’ll talk later, bye.”
Ash’s embarrassed voice on the other end of the phone hung up.
It was the same tone he had when caught causing mischief.
“It’s a long story, he says…”
Delia smiled.
Once at school he had come first in a race, he apparently ran 50 meters in something between 10 and 20 seconds, he’d been so excited that he spoke about it well into the night.
If getting the badge had gone smoothly, then he would have been saying “I did it, I did it!” and causing a big fuss.
It was obvious from Ash’s voice on the phone that he had a difficult time.
“Well, either way it’s great that he’s got a badge. As long as he didn’t steal it... I hope this isn’t the last I hear from him...”
There were records of both Ash’s father and grandfather having stayed at Pewter City Pokémon Center. However after that the trail went cold. It was unknown as to whether they had even obtained the badge from Pewter Gym.
“You’re already well ahead of your dad and grandpa. Hang in there, Ash.”
Delia returned to the kitchen to make preparations for the dinner menu.
And Delia remained completely unaware of the man who may have been Ash’s great great grandfather... her great grandfather.
The only failed Pokémon Trainer hopefuls she had any concern for were her husband and the father who had left nothing behind while her mother was still pregnant, that was enough.

***

“So, mind if I come with you?”
Brock’s voice called to Ash on the outskirts of Pewter City.
“I’d like to study how Pokémon are raised. I’d like to meet as many Pokémon as possible, which as a prospective Trainer is also your goal. I’d like to observe the behavior of Pokémon that are hurt during capture, or those who evade capture. As well as the psychology of a Pokémon who refuses to enter a Poké Ball.”
He was of course, referring to Pikachu.
“Are you being sarcastic?” Ash said grouchily.
“No, I honestly want to research. Besides, things like soup and miso soup are better when you’re cooking for three people instead of one.”
“Three people?”
“Isn’t that girl with you?”
He looked back and saw Misty there.
“She’s not with me.”
“I am with you. At least until you pay me for my bike.”
“You’re so persistent.”
“I have to be persistent. There’s no way I’m letting an untrustworthy brat like you out of my sight.”
“What was that!?”
“Stop!” Brock forced himself between them.
“I don’t know what’s happened between you, but we have a long journey ahead. Meaningless arguments are only going to tire you out. Clearly you need a responsible adult like myself to mediate between you.”
Ash agreed with that. Besides, Brock’s miso soup was incredible. It may have even been better than his mother’s.
“Do as you please.” Ash said.
“I agree.” Misty nodded.
“I do tire of arguing with this brat.”
Besides, Brock’s coffee and croissants were delicious. The usual convenience store pastries she got couldn’t even compare.
“I have no objection to Brock joining us.”
“Then it’s settled. Now then...”
Brock shouldered his backpack and began to walk.
“Big bro, good luck out there!”
A small girl called from behind.
They turned to see Brock’s youngest sister on the other side of the road.
“Do your best, big bro!”
Twenty children waved their goodbyes.
“Yeah, I’ll do my best.”
Brock gave a single wave before he began to walk away briskly.
He didn’t turn around a second time.
He didn’t want his little brothers and sisters to see his tears as he left.
“Hey, wait up.”
Ash, Misty and Pikachu swiftly followed after Brock as they left Pewter City.

(To be continued in chapter 3)

Chapter 2 Appendix

(... If you're in a hurry, feel free to skip ahead to chapter 3. ... However, there may be some important information written here that nobody has ever seen before.)

Reference Data
The Past and Present of Pokémon Gyms (An excerpt from a Ministry of Education, Science and Culture paper on Pokémon Gyms)

Long ago, retired Pokémon Trainers would open something resembling a dojo to pass on the skills they had honed over the years, in fact they were actually called dojos back in the day.
They were founded by various masters with different specialties, like the two schools of the Double Sided Grass Star Style for grass type Pokémon, or the two schools of the Double Sided Water Rapids Style for water type Pokémon, the electric type Plus, Minus, Ampere Style, the rock type Double Sided Rugged Style, there are many gyms still held in high regard even now.

Take note... The founder of the Pewter Gym was an assistant instructor of the Double Sided Rugged Style.
The gyms with their styles and reputation were eventually handed down the family line from parent to child, this becoming a standard practice.
But when the Pokémon Trainer boom occurred, gyms and dojos sprung up everywhere... including many whose specialties were dubious.
At that point the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture began to officially license gyms and dojos allowing only one per area with a population of 10,000 children.
Cities and school districts with more than 10,000 children, as well as large metropolises may have multiple gyms.
But with declining birth rates, there’s a noticeable gap appearing in highly populated areas, thus depending on the region you may now find gyms in areas with less than 10,000 children.
With a lack of disciples, the tuition fees used as funding also dried up. Running a gym isn’t an easy job.
For these gyms that remained in these areas, their expenses were covered by government funding. Thus the Gym Leader became a civil servant.
Though it can’t be denied that with the changing times, Gym Leaders employed by the government may slack off on their training since they have a steady income.
Besides, the government income isn’t that much.
Many inheritors of gyms opt not to follow in their parents footsteps as Gym Leaders and instead decide to try and become big shot Pokémon Trainers and earn the income of a star.
As for the students, studying at a gym may make them a master of water Pokémon, but unable to handle any other type, thus resulting in Pokémon Trainers with obvious glaring weaknesses.
The ideal Pokémon Trainer is a Pokémon Master capable of connecting their heart with any kind of Pokémon.
In countries throughout the world, the goal is to raise as many Pokémon Masters as possible.
The reason why raising Pokémon Masters is so important to a country is so important is a national secret.
Even in our own country, raising exceptional Pokémon Trainers into Pokémon Masters is a utmost important priority for the state.
And so, to protect gyms as an educational institution in our country, while also raising well rounded trainers, the badge system was introduced.
Basically, those aiming to become trainers travel to challenge gyms within their local district, they are awarded with a badge if they defeat the gym and must gather eight badges to complete in the district’s league.
This also results in gyms with few or no students to be challenged by traveling Trainers making sure the leaders don’t earn their government wages without working.
By gathering eight badges, potential trainers must face various kinds of Pokémon, becoming Pokémon Trainers who are solid all rounders with no specific weaknesses.
And so, if a Gym Leader loses four badges in a row, they must be taken over by their successor.
As such, even Gym Trainers in regions with few challengers can’t afford to slack off on their daily training.
As a result of this, the Gym Badge system which was introduced over fifty years ago has its issues.
In order to protect a gym over generations, the children of the gym must use the Pokémon customary of their lineage.
But the child of a gym may not want to be just a Gym Leader, but a capable Pokémon Trainer in their own right.
And there’s also boys and girls who wish to follow an entirely different path unrelated to Pokémon.
Overall, running a gym isn’t an easy business, and children who want to pursue an alternative path may not have the option available to them.
In the rare situation where a Gym Leader loses four times in a row, they’re unable to search for a successor and have no family to fill the role, a long standing gym may be left in the hands of a total stranger.
To prevent this from happening, they resort to preparing many successors.
As a result of this, in this era of declining childbirth, Pokémon Gyms are often home to large families who live increasingly difficult lives.
In some regions, there are many Gym Leaders who run a gym in name only and run some kind of other business on the side.
In these cases, they skirt the four consecutive loss rule by losing three times and bribing the fourth Pokémon Trainer to deliberately throw the match.
It’s a complete act of misconduct, but it’s hard to complain when the state of many gyms is downright terrible.
Pokémon Gyms... Particularly Pokémon Gyms in areas with few visitors, require not only a child allowance, but strong government support.

Note... In the case of Pewter Gym... Brock leaving would decrease their living expenses. However, it’s difficult to clearly establish his brothers and sisters opinion on that.
When asked to choose between the delicious food Brock makes and cheaper living expenses, the answer is clear.
They wanted to free him from the life of a Gym Leader. That’s the honest opinion of his brothers and sisters.

Reference Material: My Dream

My home is a water type Pokémon Gym.
We usually get two or three challengers a month.
The Gym Leader, my dad, often either wins or loses.
When he wins, we have meaty sukiyaki, when he loses we have a gruel made with Magikarp scales.
I don’t hate Magikarp, but I don’t like Magikarp gruel.
On days when he loses, dad puts Magikarp fins in his sake and drinks it and ends up rampaging like the atrocious Pokémon Gyarados.
The next day at school, rumours about his loss are going around.
They bully me saying “Your gym is a Magikarp... A useless Magikarp.”
On other days, when I come home, I’m not bullied but dad puts me through intensive training.
I’ve been training to become a Gym Leader since I was three.
I have to try and hold my breath underwater for three minutes.
If I become a Gym Leader, I’d like to eat meaty sukiyaki two or three times a month.

Excerpt from the writings of a boy (age 8) who lives in the household of a Pokémon Gym

Translation Notes:
• The reference to "greater grandma" instead of "great great grandma" was "hihi baasan" (ひひばあさん) as opposed to "hiihii baasan" (ひいひいばあさん) in Japanese.
• Magikarp and love are connected by the fact that Magikarp's Japanese name is Koiking and "koi" can mean both carp or love.
• Despite Nidorina being female and Nidorino being male, the species names and genders are listed in that order in the original text.
• Delia's restaurant being referred to as "Pallet Town Delia" (マサラタウンハナコ) as opposed to "Pallet House: Delia" (マサラハウス• ハナコ) is probably a typo on the part of the original author.
• Brock's sister Brooke is named Takeko (タケコ) in the Japanese version of the book, there is no sister named Takeko in the TV series and his oldest sister is instead named Yomoko (ヨモコ), who was named Yolanda in the dub.