Knuckle Badge

Today the gang finally arrived at the Dewford Gym. The gym resembled a big house.

"Are your Taillow and Ralts ready for this?" May asked.

"Yes they are thanks to some training and practicing." Ash replied.

Taillow and Ralts weren't ready for the gym yet when the gang first got to Dewford Town, but now they were.

Ash was about to knock on the gym's door, but then a man with light blue hair holding a surf board approached them.

"Hello there." The man said. "Here for a gym battle?"

"Yes we are." Ash answered. "Are you the gym leader?"

"That's correct, my name is Brawly." The man said.

"Well Brawly, my name is Ash and I wish to challenge you." Ash said. "But what's the surfboard for?"

Brawly explained that he loved surfing and surfing was his way of training himself and his Pokemon, especially when his Pokemon were dodging attacks.

"That way of training reminds me of the time I faced the Cianwood Gym leader Chuck." Ash said. "Especially when he trained by fighting his own fighting type Pokemon."

"Wait, you know and challenged Chuck?" Brawly asked.

"Yes and I won a badge." Ash answered.

Brawly explained that he used to be a student of Chuck's and that it was Chuck who inspired him to become a gym leader of fighting type Pokemon.

"Well I certainly can't wait to battle you Brawly." Ash said.

"Well then Ash, let's do it." Brawly smiled.

Ash and Brawly took their places in the gym's battlefield and Brock, Tomo, May and Max sat down on a bench to watch the match. The gym referee explained that this was a two on two Pokemon battle. Brawly sent out a Machop and Ash sent out Taillow.

"Taillow would have the advantage of beating Machop since flying type Pokemon were super-effective against fighting type Pokemon." Max said.

"Yes, but let's see how Brawly battles." Brock noted.

The match now began. Ash ordered Taillow to attack Machop with Wing Attack and Brawly ordered Machop to counter with Karate Chop.

"Peck it Taillow." Ash said.

While Machop was distracted by Taillow's wings, Taillow managed to peck at Machop.

"All right then Machop use Cross Chop." Brawly said.

Machop's arms glowed white and it formed a cross with the arms.

"Quick use Double Team." Ash said.

Taillow managed to multiply himself before Machop could strike him with Cross Chop.

"You sure know how to put up a good fight dude." Brawly said.

"I've taken on fighting type Pokemon before and know they aren't pushovers." Ash replied.

"Is that true?" May asked.

"It is." Brock answered. "Fighting types show no mercy when in a serious battle."

"Gosh I hope Ash's Taillow and Ralts can handle it." May said.

"Okay Taillow let's use Aerial Ace." Ash said.

Taillow charged into Machop with Aerial Ace and Machop felt the pain from the attack.

"That Taillow of yours is good." Brawly said. "Okay Machop use Karate Chop again."

"Quick Attack Taillow." Ash said.

Taillow tackled Machop with Quick Attack just before Machop could karate chop him and then Machop fainted. The first match went to Ash.

"Taillow did it!" Max cheered.

"That training Ash did with Taillow paid off." May said. "And he has one more Pokemon to beat."

"Yeah but we don't know what the next Pokemon is nor do we know what it's like." Brock said.

Brawly returned Machop and sent out his last Pokemon. This Pokemon was a light yellow color with black markings and two red circles on the cheeks and it looked like a sumo wrestler.

Ash looked it up on the Pokedex.

"Makuhita, the Guts Pokemon. Makuhita is tenacious - it will keep getting up and attacking it's foe however many times it is knocked down. Every time it gets back up, this Pokemon stores more energy in it's body for evolving."

Ash ordered Taillow to attack Makuhita with Aerial Ace, which Makuhita easily dodged by rolling it's body. Taillow tried again, but Makuhita dodged it again.

"I take it that's what the training with surfing is for right?" Ash asked. "It's to help your fighting type Pokemon learn how to dodge a Pokemon's attack like how surfers dodge waves so they don't get hit by them, right?"

"You are one smart dude." Brawly said. "But this ends now."

He ordered Makuhita to use Arm Thrust and Taillow was hit multiple times before fainting. So Brawly won this round.

"Wow that Makuhita is good, considering it doesn't move that well." Max said.

"Brawly trains his fighting type Pokemon well." Brock noted. "Even if the training is with surfing."

At that moment Makuhita began to glow and then it grew into a bigger version of itself. It was now a big hulking Pokemon with two big three fingered hands, dark blue markings on the head and between the eyes, dark blue legs and a yellow skirt around the waist.

"Makuhita evolved into a Hariyama." Max said.

Tomo looked it up on the Pokedex.

"Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokemon and the evolved form of Makuhita. Hariyama practices it's straight arm slaps in any number of locations. One hit of this Pokemon's powerful openhanded, straight arm punches could snap a telephone pole in two."

"I think Ash should use a different Pokemon." May said. "I don't think Ralts can handle that, even if it is a psychic type."

"Yeah but knowing Ash, he probably won't change his mind." Brock pointed out.

Brock was right; Ash did call Ralts out to battle next.

"You ready to battle Ralts." Ash said.

Ralts could sense he was all charged up and she was too.

The match began. Brawly ordered Hariyama to use Arm Thrust but Ash ordered Ralts to use Teleport to dodge the attack and Hariyama missed Ralts. Ralts kept on using Teleport over and over again to confuse Hariyama.

"I've had Ralts practice Teleport lots of times to perfect it." Ash said.

Brawly thought that was a clever move.

"Okay Ralts let's use Magical Leaf." Ash said.

Ralts released multiple glowing green leaves from her arms and the leaves hit Hariyama.

"Hariyama use Knock Off." Brawly said.

Hariyama slapped Ralts hard with one of it's hands. This was bad; Knock Off was a dark type move.

"Don't give up Ralts." Ash called out. Ralts wasn't beaten yet.

Suddenly Ralts began to glow and then she grew into a bigger version of herself with a white tutu, green hair with two long horn-like hair pins and long green legs.

Ash looked her up on the Pokedex.

"Kirlia, the Emotion Pokemon and the evolved form of Ralts. It is said that a Kirlia that is exposed to the positive emotions of it's trainer grows beautiful. This Pokemon controls psychokinetic powers with it's highly developed brain."

"Okay Kirlia let's use Confuse Ray." Ash said.

Kirlia's eyes glowed purple and then Hariyama became confused and started hitting the ground.

"Why's Hariyama hitting the floor?" May asked.

"Confuse Ray." Brock answered. "It's a ghost type move that confuses the opponent. And since Hariyama is confused, it doesn't know it's hitting the floor."

"Okay now's our chance. Kirlia use Psychic." Ash said.

Kirlia's eyes glowed blue and then she released a light blue energy wave from her arms at Hariyama. Hariyama got a direct hit and fainted. So Ash was the winner of the gym battle.

Ash was happy and hugged Kirlia, which made Kirlia happy. Brawly returned Hariyama and walked up to Ash.

"I have to say dude, you are one strong Pokemon trainer." He said. "Which is why I present you with the Knuckle Badge."

The Knuckle Badge looked like a boxing glove and it was blue with a orange spot. Ash accepted the badge and thanked Brawly.

Now that Ash had the Dewford Gym badge, it was time for the gang to leave Dewford Town. Ash presented a piece of paper to the gang.

"This is a list of where the Pokemon contests here in Hoenn are being held." He said. "And the closest one is in Slateport City."

"Really?" May asked. "We should go there then. I'm going to enter this one."

So Slateport City was their next destination for the next Pokemon contest.