@Scytherwolf; @Soups;

Episode 14a: The Shapes of Things to Come! (part 1)

"I'm glad that the Nuzleaf made it back to the Millennium Tree in one piece." Dawn smiled as the group made their way down the mountain road. It had been a few days since the group had undertaken a daring rescue mission to save a lost Nuzleaf. Along the way, Brock had managed to escape Team Galactic.

"I will say that using your gifts of music and storytelling to escape was very clever." Ash smiled. "Just like in the tales you tell."

"I was just doing what I had to do to survive." Brock smiled. "I hope those Galactic admins understand not to approach in a balloon."

He decided to change the subject. "We should be approaching Oreburgh City at any time now..."

Dawn gasped as the rooftops of buildings appeared inside the canyon in the distance."There it is!"

"Last one there's a rotten Exeggcute!" Ash called as he raced down the road into the city.

---------

Later, the group approached a large building made out of stone that stood on the north end of town. "This must be the Gym..." Ash mused before looking over the entry sign. "'Call me Roark the Rock!' Must be pretty confident in himself..."

The door opening snapped Ash to attention. He growled when he saw Paul with a young man in hiking gear. Him again...

"Calm down, Ash." Brock cautioned. "As much as you don't like Paul, it's still a good idea to be cordial around him."

"I'm gonna try..." Ash replied before taking a deep breath to dispel the anger and nervousness welling up in his chest.

He strolled over to Paul as he and the hiker rounded the corner. "Hey...have you challenged the Gym Leader yet?"

Paul sighed. "Why do you wanna know, Wonder Boy? The Gym Leader isn't even there."

"Yes--Roark is away at the moment." the young man agreed. "If you plan to challenge Roark, the Gym features the Rock type."

"Really?" Ash gasped. First Brock...then Roxanne...and now this guy!

He noticed Paul walking down the hill towards the city Pokemon Center. "Good luck in your match!" he called, unsure if Paul even heard him.

---------

"Which color do you want?" the young man asked, offering Ash three different badge cases in different colors.

"The red one!" Ash replied before taking the red badge case on the left. "Thanks, mister..." He realized he had not asked the young man his name.

"Cole, please." the young man smiled. "That case will keep any badges you earn safe."

"Do you know where Roark is at the moment?" Ash asked.

"He said something about going to the mine at the east end of town." Cole replied. "So your best bet would be to look there."

"Does the mine offer gem mining to the public?" Dawn asked as the group departed the Gym.

"Keep in mind that the Oreburgh Mine's primary purpose is coal and metal. So I doubt they'd open it to the public often, if at all." Brock reminded Dawn as the group made their way towards a large cave complex near the east end of town.

---------

"Hard hats and gloves are required in the mine, okay?" the mine foreman smiled. He gave the group three human sized hard hats and mining gloves, plus a Pikachu sized hard hat and gloves for Tintri.

"Got it." Ash replied as he stashed his cap in his bag and put on the hard hat. "Nice, it even has a light..."

"How do you even turn on the light?" Dawn asked as she traded her own hat for the hard hat.

A click got her attention. "All you have to do is press the palm of the left glove." Brock explained, gesturing to the glowing light on his hard hat.

"All ready?" the foreman asked as he came to check on the group.

"Yeah!" Ash replied.

"Anywhere with workers and tracks is safe for visitors." the foreman went on. "I've made sure to mark dangerous areas."

"We'll be careful, sir." Dawn assured the foreman as she turned on the light in her hard hat. Once sure the boys were ready, she led the way into the mine.

---------

"Some job this is..." Jupiter wheezed as she and Mars, in disguise as mine workers, chipped away at a large rock with blue crystals inside. "It takes forever to get to the jewels!"

"I know, but this will be worth it for our mission." Mars assured Jupiter between strokes. "Lord Cyrus believes jewels my have some sort of connection towards the creation of a new world."

"True, but jewels have long been revered as having magical abilities." Jupiter mused as she watched a team of Machokes carry out a large ruby for the foreman to examine. "So who am I to think that same energy could benefit our mission?"

"You have a point there..." Mars smiled before retrieving her pick. "So we can start with these sapphires!"

About then, the group approached the admins. "Forgive me for interrupting your conversation, but have you two seen Roark anywhere?" Ash asked.

"Roark, huh?" Jupiter thought for a moment, then lied to Ash "He's deep within the mine, hoping to find a vein of jewels."

Thankfully, Ash bought Jupiter's lie. "Okay--we'll keep looking until we find him."

"Nice distraction." Mars grinned as she worked.

Dawn, meanwhile, pointed out some workers leading a minecart out to the mine entrance. "Look!" she called, pointing out a dull red haired man in mining clothes following the cart. 'That's Roark!"

"Wait, guys..." Roark told the workers. Once the cart had stopped, he rubbed a design in the ore that somewhat resembled a face and smiled.

He noticed the group watching him. "Oh, hello! How may I be of service?"

"Are you the Gym Leader? Ash asked. "I've come to challenge you for a Gym Badge."

Roark chuckled a little, as if he was almost embarrassed to admit he was the Gym Leader. "Yes, I am the Gym Leader, which means I must be available to take Gym challenges. However, I was so excited about my latest discovery that I just forgot..."

"What was it?" Dawn asked, curious.

"The ore we took out could actually have contained a real Pokémon that had been fossilized a long time ago." Roark explained. "Which one, I don't know for sure."

---------

Back at the Gym, the group watched as Roark told Cole about the ore and the possible Pokemon inside it. "Got a minute?" Brock asked, snapping Ash to attention.

"Sure--what is it?" Ash asked.

Brock showed Ash a Budew. "I found this little lady following us around town when we got back from the mine. After asking around and confirming she had no owner, I decided to offer her to you."

"I'll take her." Ash replied. He took the Budew in his arms. "I think I'll call her...Gaia."

"That's a pretty name!" Dawn smiled.

About then, Paul arrived in the room. "I'm here for my challenge, Sir Roark, as we agreed."

Dawn watched in awe as the floor opened up to reveal a large rocky field. "Wow...it's like the Bailatron in the Contest Hall..."

"As a former Gym Leader myself, I can tell you that Gym Leaders often have fields that suit their Pokémon of choice." Brock explained. "Roark is no exception."

"This will be a three on three match, okay?" Cole asked both Roark and Paul. "Are both sides ready?"

"Let's do this!" Roark smiled.

"Bring it on!" Paul countered.

"Diana, here we go!" Roark summoned a Geodude onto the Pearl side of the Poke Ball.

Ash nudged Brock. "Reminds me of Raquel..."

"Well, Raquel is at home, Poke-sitting Tarina." Brock replied as Paul summoned an Azumarill. "And Paul's choice brings back fond memories of River..."

"That's a Water-type, which makes it the perfect counter to a Rock Pokémon." Ash remembered.

He was snapped from his memories of River by Paul calling "Nerida, use Hydro Pump!"

He gasped as Diana deflected the huge spray of water with a flurry of leaves. 'What in the..." he gasped as his Azumarill went flying into the Diamond safety barrier.

"Diana, use Rollout!" Roark called.

Ash winced as he watched Roark's Geodude smash right into Paul's Azumarill. "Bad memories of Johto..." he stammered as the Azumarill went flying into the safety barrier again.

"Nerida is unable to battle--this match goes to Roark and Diana." Cole reported.

"What?" Dawn gasped at what she had seen. "How could a Water type lose to a Rock type? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Maybe Roark was prepared for people to try to beat him with a Water type." Brock explained. "So he probably trained his Pokémon to throw Water-type users off."

"If that's true, then who am I to think he did the same for the other types Rock is weak to?" Ash worried, looking down at his new Budew. "What if Gaia gets hammered like that?"

To Be Continued...