The Stone Hearts of Pewter

**"The Stone Hearts of Pewter"** is the fifth chapter of *Pokémon Reset Bloodlines.* Arriving in Pewter City for his first Gym Badge, Ash continues to learn more and more what things have changed in the new timeline, for better and for worse.

## **Plot**

In the entrance to Pewter City, Ash and Misty talk about the former's plan to challenge gyms to enter the Indigo League. Misty says that she plans on checking out some things while they're in town, while Ash finds the absence of Flint (Brock's father) rather strange, wondering if perhaps he already sold his rocks to Gary.

Upon arriving to the city, Ash learns of the existence of a Battle Club run by Don George, like he recalled them in Unova. They're invited inside for a lecture for beginners with about a dozen or so other trainers around the same age as Ash. Don George begins by asking how many come from places beyond the Pallet Town, Viridian City or Pewter areas, and then how many come from East of Mt. Moon. Don George proceeds to explain that, since the nearby areas have little-to-no Pokémon with a type advantage against Rock types, illustrating how many trainers challenge the gym and fail due to using ill-matched Pokémon, or even well-matched ones without proper training, adding as well how it's equally acceptable to use the same team or form new ones in a new region, or a mixture of both, and also how it's in bad taste to catch a Pokémon to use in a specific battle and never use it again.

The lecture continues with Don George explaining how Gym Leaders have specific teams for challengers depending on the number of badges, and that Brock, as a Pokémon breeder, has a more flexible control over the Pokémon he fields unlike others who need to catch new ones for beginner challengers. Ash and Pikachu ponder about how it makes sense to do that while recalling that perhaps things weren't quite that way back in the Old Timeline. Don George concludes the lecture by stating that the only requirement to challenge the Pewter Gym is to ensure the challengers are prepared and know what they're doing, in addition to being properly registered for the Pokémon League.

During the registration process, Don George notices Ash's Pokédex, giving him direct access to the club's facilities skipping the usual progress. He leaves Butterfree to train in a wind tunnel and Pidgeotto in a flying obstacle course, while he and Pikachu head for the treadmills to get Pikachu to relearn Quick Attack. Misty comes back, surprised to see him already training, and when Ash mentions it was seemingly because he had a Pokédex, she explains that Pokédexes are usually given to exceptional trainers, with notable examples like Eagun, Cynthia or Alder, cluing Ash about their value in this timeline. Then, Don George comes asking for an extra person to set up a impromptu tournament, as they need an even number of participants, so Misty agrees to take part to fill it up.

Don George explains that the tournament will be the final test to see who is ready and who is not to challenge Brock, mentioning that last week only five trainers passed the test, three of which already defeated Brock while the remaining two are training for their rematches, with Pikachu suspecting Gary is one of them. Ash however suspects that Gary was among the winners, while also feeling curious about who might the other two be.

Ash fights with Pidgeotto against a trainer with his Rattata. Pidgeotto, who has learned Steel Wing during training, manages to win, but gets a wing dislodged. The other trainer is disqualified when he forces his Rattata to keep fighting despite injury, letting Ash advance to the following round. Misty, for her part, wins using Wingull against a trainer with a Paras.

On the next round, Ash battles with Butterfree against a trainer with a Beedrill, who put up a better fight but know when to call it quits and backs off before serious injury, prompting Ash to shake hands with him. Meanwhile, Misty's opponent is less polite about it when Staryu blasts his Pidgey away with Water Gun. Before the next round begins, Ash and Misty decide to chat for a bit, with the topic of laws in regards to Pokémon abuse in different regions cropping up. This makes Ash recall his encounters with several villainous teams like Magma, Aqua, Galactic and Plasma, and how they varied in their treatment of their Pokémon.

Ash and Pikachu battle a trainer with a Spearow, whom they take down in a single hit, while Misty's Psyduck defeats a Zubat after getting a headache from a Supersonic attack. The final match is skipped since Misty doesn't plan on challenging Brock so Don George declares the end of the tournament and that four trainers (Ash included) are ready to take on the Pewter Gym, and prepares to appoint schedules for their respective challenges while telling the rest to keep on training.

Ash takes Pidgeotto for treatment in the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy informs him that she'll recover soon, but she'll have to sit out of their challenge to the Pewter Gym tomorrow. While they eat near a water tank for Misty's Pokémon (with Ash noticing that Misty also has Horsea with her), they discuss Ash's upcoming challenge and the stuff she wanted to check upon their arrival: namely, that they can go to the nation of Rota north of Pewter to learn more about Bloodliners and their abilities, while also taking a detour from Cerulean City. Ash, who notices that Misty seems uncomfortable about her hometown, tries asking if there's a Gym in Cerulean with Water-types, but Misty insists that if he wants her help, they won't set foot on Cerulean at all, so he reluctantly accepts.

Taking a stroll at night with Pikachu and Butterfree, Ash wonders if the aura has something to do with the strange powers he and Misty have, but agrees that the answer might be in Rota. Suddenly, the fog rolls in and they get lost. Ash orders Butterfree to use Gust to clear it off, and they come across a pair of gravestones. Much to his shock, the names of Brock's parents are written on them, causing Ash to run off, not realizing that he just used a Quick Attack. The trainer begins to cry, blaming himself for killing Brock's parents until Pikachu and Butterfree snap him out of it as they walk back to the Pokémon Center. After running into Don George, he informs him that his match is scheduled for 2:00 pm the following day, while also dropping that Brock has a girlfriend, leaving them all shocked and wondering if they actually misheard it.

The following morning, after Ash wakes up he discusses what happened last night with his Pokémon. Ash wonders if he can or even should get Brock as a traveling companion once more, while his Pokémon think that it might be best if Brock doesn't remember anything, especially considering that Ash did not fully restore Misty's memories. Ash finally accepts it, even if he's saddened about it.

At the scheduled hour, Ash shows up at the Pewter Gym for his challenge. While he shakes hands with Brock, he notices that unlike with Misty, he shows no reaction, and the battle gets underway, with Brock's brother Forrest as the referee. Brock begins with Geodude while Ash starts with Butterfree. Both of them use different tactics to get the upper hand, until Butterfree finally wins using Confusion. Brock then brings out his Onix, who sends out a deafening Screech attack that leaves Butterfree stunned, also repelling his spore attacks, before using a Tackle and then another Screech that creates a sonic blast that knocks Butterfree out, prompting Ash to catch him. With Butterfree out, Ash sends out Pikachu. Between Onix's endurance and Pikachu's speedy offensive, the match comes down to Onix absorbing several Iron Tails in rapid succession to charge up a Bide, with Pikachu countering with a Thundershock and causing a power struggle. Pikachu finally pushes the attack back and defeats Onix, winning the match for them.

After congratulating him for his victory, Brock gives Ash an additional prize along with the Boulder Badge, a TM, a device that can store tutorials for teaching different moves to Pokémon, and can be updated regularly. Ash accepts both of them, and mentally bids farewell to Brock while Team Rocket watches on.

Meanwhile, at Mt. Moon, another boy with a different Pikachu saves a little blond girl wearing a straw hat from a swarm of Zubat.

## Continuity

* First appearances of Brock, Don George, Red and Yellow, although the latter two are not identified by name yet.
* Brock's girlfriend is first mentioned, although not identified by name, She would be revealed as Pike Queen Lucy in the *Holiday Special 2016*.

## Characters

### Humans

* Misty Waterflower
* Ash Ketchum
* Don George
* Brock Harrison
* Trainer with Rattata
* Trainer with Paras
* Trainer with Beedrill
* Trainer with Pidgey
* Trainer with Spearow
* Trainer with Zubat
* Nurse Joy
* Forrest Harrison
* Jessie
* James
* Red Tajiri
* Yellow

### Pokémon

* Pikachu (Ash's)
* Onix (Brock's; video)
* Pidgey (Random Trainer's; video)
* Caterpie (Random Trainer's; video)
* Weedle (Random Trainer's; video)
* Rattata (Random Trainer's; video)
* Spearow (Random Trainer's; video)
* Ekans (Random Trainer's; video)
* Jigglypuff (Random Trainer's; video)
* Metapod (Random Trainer's; video)
* Beedrill (Random Trainer's; video)
* Paras (Random Trainer's; video)
* Mankey (Random Trainer's; video)
* Sandshrew (Random Trainer's; video)
* Geodude (Brock's)
* Graveler (Brock's; picture)
* Rhyhorn (Brock's; picture)
* Golem (Brock's; picture)
* Rhydon (Brock's; picture)
* Omanyte (Brock's; picture)
* Omastar (Brock's; picture)
* Kabuto (Brock's; picture)
* Kabutops (Brock's; picture)
* Aerodactyl (Brock's; picture)
* Sudowoodo (Brock's; picture)
* Shuckle (Brock's; picture)
* Larvitar (Brock's; picture)
* Rhyperior (Brock's; picture)
* Butterfree (Ash's)
* Pidgeotto (Ash's)
* Rattata (Random trainer's)
* Wingull (Misty's)
* Paras (Random Trainer's)
* Beedrill (Random Trainer's)
* Pidgey (Random Trainer's)
* Staryu (Misty's)
* Spearow (Random Trainer's)
* Psyduck (Misty's)
* Zubat (Random Trainer's)
* Goldeen (Misty's)
* Horsea (Misty's)
* Zubat (Wild)
* Pikachu (Red's)