Balance Badge

It wasn't long before the gang arrived at May and Max's house. Caroline and Norman welcomed May and Max back home immediately as well as Ash, Tomo, Brock, Wally and Brendan.

"Well Ash, I take it you're ready to battle me right?" Norman asked.

"You bet I am." Ash answered. "And I'm going to earn this gym's badge."

May felt excited about this because she had never watched her dad's gym battles before, but she felt nervous for Ash because she knew that her dad was strong.

"I can't wait to see how this battle will turn out." She said.

"I know how it will turn out; dad will win, of course." Max replied.

He wasn't convinced Ash had the skill to defeat his dad; he also knew his dad was a very strong gym leader.

Ash and Norman took their places on the battlefield and Brock, Tomo, May, Max, Brendan and Wally sat down on the gym's seats. Caroline joined them too because she wanted to watch the match between Ash and Norman. Norman's gym assistant, Kenny, became the referee and he declared the match to be a three on three Pokemon battle and then it declared it to start.

Norman sent out a Slakoth to battle first. Slakoth was the pre-evolved form of Vigoroth. Ash sent Combusken out to battle. As Slakoth was a normal type, Combusken was a good choice because it was a fire/fighting type.

"Okay Combusken let's start off with Peck." Ash said.

Combusken ran towards Slakoth to peck it, but Slakoth dodged it. Combusken tried again, but Slakoth dodged the Peck attack again.

"I can't believe that Slakoth is able to dodge like that." May said.

Norman ordered his Slakoth to use Shadow Ball which hit Combusken.

"Okay Slakoth use Blizzard." Norman said.

Slakoth blew a strong blizzard at Combusken.

"That Slakoth knows some pretty good moves." Brock said.

Ash ordered Combusken to fight back with Flamethrower.

Flamethrower overpowered Blizzard and struck Slakoth.

"Now Combusken use Sky Uppercut." Ash said.

Combusken struck Slakoth with Sky Uppercut and then it fainted, earning Ash the win.

"No way dad's Slakoth lost." Max said in disbelief.

"It's all right Max, the battle is just getting started." Caroline said.

"That's right." Brendan said. "The battle will start to get harder now."

Norman returned Slakoth and sent Vigoroth out.

"We better watch out Combusken." Ash said. "Vigoroth can be really strong."

Combusken understood.

"Start it off with Scratch Vigoroth." Norman said.

"Counter that with Crush Claw Combusken." Ash said.

Vigoroth and Combusken were going at each other with their claws.

"What a fight." A impressed Wally said. "Ash is quite a battler."

"I agree Wally." Brendan said. "I have never seen a Pokemon trainer like Ash."

"Let me tell you something." Brock smiled. "Ash isn't the type of trainer you should underestimate."

Combusken and Vigoroth kept going at each other with their claws, but then Vigoroth managed to strike Combusken with Scratch.

"Now use Crush Claw Vigoroth." Norman said.

Vigoroth struck Combusken hard with Crush Claw and it fainted. It was clear to Ash that Norman's Vigoroth was really strong. Max was excited that Vigoroth won.

Ash recalled Combusken and sent Dustox out next.

"Uh will Dustox be alright against Vigoroth?" May asked. She thought using Dustox was unusual.

"Well it's true that bug type Pokemon don't have a type advantage over normal type Pokemon." Brendan said. "But I'm pretty sure Ash knows what he's doing."

"Yeah he'll surprise us." Brock added.

Ash ordered Dustox to start off with Psybeam.

"Quick dodge that Vigoroth." Norman said.

Dustox continued to fire Psybeam and Vigoroth kept dodging the attacks.

"Okay Vigoroth, use Flamethrower." Norman said.

Vigoroth released Flamethrower and Dustox quickly dodged it. Ash was surprised that Vigoroth knew Flamethrower.

"Okay use Sludge Bomb Dustox." Ash said.

Dustox fired multiple small brown blobs from her mouth which struck Vigoroth.

"Fight back with Flamethrower." Norman said.

Vigoroth released another Flamethrower and this time it hit Dustox.

"Oh no. Quick use Moonlight Dustox." Ash said.

Dustox glowed white and she healed herself a bit.

"Okay, let's fight back with Toxic." Ash said.

Dustox released a stream of purple liquid from her mouth and Vigoroth was hit and poisoned.

"Ash is showing off his Dustox's poison type moves well." Wally noted.

"Yeah especially since Dustox is a bug/poison type." Brendan said.

Vigoroth was feeling the poison afflict it by the second, so Norman decided to bring this to a end.

"Use Flamethrower Vigoroth." He said.

Vigoroth released another Flamethrower, and this time it hit Dustox directly causing it to faint. Vigoroth followed suit; the poison was too much for it to handle. So Ash and Norman were now down to their last Pokemon.

Ash returned Dustox and sent out his last Pokemon.

"Hey Norman, I've followed through on the promise." He said.

He sent out Latias.

"I have been waiting for the moment to battle your Latias Ash." Norman smiled.

Brock, Tomo, Max, May, Brendan and Wally couldn't wait to see this battle, especially since Ash was using Latias. Caroline couldn't wait to see this battle either. Norman's last Pokemon was a Pokemon that resembled a gorilla.

"That's dad's Slaking!" Max exclaimed excitedly.

Tomo looked Slaking up on the Pokedex.

"Slaking, the Lazy Pokemon and the evolved form of Vigoroth. Slaking spends all day lying down and lolling about. It eats grass growing within it's reach. If it eats all the grass it can reach, this Pokemon reluctantly moves to another spot."

"That Slaking doesn't look lazy to me." Tomo said.

He was right. Norman's Slaking was pounding his chest a lot, eager for a fight.

"It must be all fired up then." Brock said.

Ash commanded Latias to start off with Mist Ball and Slaking was hit by it.

"Okay Slaking use Focus Punch." Norman said.

Slaking punched Latias really hard.

"You okay Latias?" Ash asked.

Latias was not beaten yet.

"Okay Latias use Steel Wing." Latias' wings glowed white and then she struck Slaking multiple times.

"Slaking fight back with Scratch." Norman said.

Slaking fought back with Scratch while Latias was still using Steel Wing.

"Man this is a good battle." Brendan said. "And Norman's Slaking is doing well against a legendary Pokemon."

"Yeah and Latias is putting up a good fight too." Wally added.

Ash told Latias to use Psychic and Slaking was lifted into the air.

"Now use Giga Impact." Ash said.

While Slaking was still being held in the air, Latias' body was surrounded by orange and purple streaks and then she slammed into Slaking. Slaking took a lot of damage and fainted. So Ash was the winner of this gym battle.

Ash hugged and stroked Latias happily for winning the battle and returned her for rest. Norman thanked his Slaking for a great battle. Then Norman thanked Ash for a great battle and handed him the Balance Badge. The Balance Badge was black and white and in the shape of a well-balanced barbell.

Brendan and Wally both agreed that this was a good battle, and so did Brock and Tomo.

"Latias did well in her first gym battle." Brock said.

May was amazed that Ash defeated her dad and Caroline thought it was a great battle too. The only one not happy about this battle was Max; he couldn't believe his dad lost. It seemed Max believed that his dad was supposed to be unbeatable.

"I won't accept this battle!" Max shouted. He ran off in tears.

"What on earth is wrong with Max?" May asked, speechless at his outburst.

"He's upset because Norman lost the gym battle." Brock explained. "My siblings and I acted the same way when our dad lost his first gym battle. Our dad had to tell us that it doesn't matter if a gym leader wins or loses and other things like that."

"So what should we do about Max?" A worried May asked.

"I'll talk to him." Norman said.

He told everyone to wait in the house; he wished to talk to Max alone.

Max was sulking in a big greenhouse that belonged to Norman.

"I can't believe it." He said tearfully. "Dad is supposed to be unbeatable. Ash only won because he used Latias. It wasn't a fair fight."

"Yes it was Max." Norman said.

He had entered the greenhouse to talk to Max.

"Max, losing is just as important as winning." Norman said, a bit sternly. "Losing a battle teaches a gym leader just like it teaches Pokemon trainers, as well as helping them become stronger. It wasn't only Latias that helped Ash win his gym battle, his Combusken and Dustox helped out too and Ash and his Pokemon gave me the best battle that I ever had. And I could also tell that Ash is a strong trainer with or without legendary Pokemon. Listen Max I don't care if we win or lose, I just enjoy being a gym leader." Max listened to Norman carefully and knew that his dad was right. He wiped away his tears and apologized to his dad. Norman was happy and relieved that Max now understood what he was saying and they went back into the house where everyone was waiting for them.

After everything was settled, Norman and Caroline suggested that the gang stay the night. They agreed, especially May and Max because they wanted to talk about what happened on their journey. Norman and Caroline also asked Brendan and Wally if they wanted to stay, but they turned the offer down. Brendan explained that he and Wally were heading to Littleroot Town.

"If I don't go home soon, I think my mom would burst from waiting for me to arrive home." He chuckled.

Everyone else understood his point so they said goodbye to Brendan and Wally.

"I hope we meet again soon Brendan." Ash said.

"Same here Ash." Brendan smiled.

So he and Wally set off for Littleroot Town while the gang spent the night in May and Max's house.