After capturing the overconfident Heracross, Ash and his friends decided to find a spot for some serious training.
They soon reached a wide mountain valley, ringed by steep walls and dotted with boulders.
"Perfect. This is where we'll train," Ash said, scanning the open space. Plenty of room for his Pokémon to stretch out without holding back.
But as they stepped toward the entrance, the ground shuddered beneath their feet.
"What's that? An earthquake?" Misty grabbed Ash's arm on instinct.
"Not an earthquake—feels more like a Ground-type move. Let's check it out." Ash swept aura outward but picked up nothing unusual.
They didn't have to go far. At the edge of the path sat a single Sudowoodo, branches swaying lazily.
"That one's got a Trainer," Ash said.
Right on cue, a young woman appeared beside it—pretty, with a calm air that didn't quite hide her confidence.
"Beautiful miss, if you don't mind, may I have the pleasure of your name?" Brock materialized in front of her so fast Ash's aura barely caught the motion. He took her hand gently, voice low and earnest.
The woman blinked, caught off guard but polite. "Um… I'm Iki. This Sudowoodo is my Pokémon."
"I'm Brock," he continued smoothly. "That necklace looks stunning on you."
Ash noticed it then—a polished agate pendant hanging at her neck, catching the light.
"Is that a gemstone?" Misty asked, drawn in despite herself.
Brock nodded. "Agate. Back in the day, princesses and noble ladies wore it as jewelry."
"Iki," Ash stepped forward, "this must be Sudowoodo Valley, right? I heard on the way here that it's famous for agate deposits. The nearby village makes their living training Sudowoodo and mining, cutting, and crafting the stones."
She smiled faintly. "You know your stuff."
"I'd like to use the valley for some Pokémon training. Is that okay?"
It was her home ground; asking permission felt right. The space was ideal—no consumable resources for Snorlax to devour, just rocks and gems that wouldn't tempt its appetite.
"Of course," Iki said. "But the Sudowoodo here all belong to Trainers—watch yourselves."
She paused, then added, "And if you find any agate, bring it to the village. I'll process it for free."
She didn't expect them to find much, but the offer came easy. Ash struck her as polite, earnest.
"Thanks!"
After waving goodbye to Iki, they entered the valley proper. Ash unclipped Poké Balls from his belt.
"Come on out—Charizard, Snorlax, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Heracross!"
Snorlax hit the ground in a heap, already snoring. It had polished off a system feed that morning and wouldn't stir for hours.
"Sunbathing suits you," Ash muttered, leaving it be. It'd wake up hungry eventually.
"Special training from you? You really are changing," Misty said, settling into the shade of a boulder. Days of nonstop travel had worn her down.
Brock unpacked food supplies nearby. Training burned energy; they'd need it.
"Pikachu, this'll be tough," Ash warned. Iron Tail meant grueling tail strength work.
"Pika!" Pikachu's eyes gleamed, ready.
Ash tied a heavy stone to Pikachu's lightning-bolt tail.
"Pika?"
The weight yanked it straight down with a thud, smashing into the dirt.
"Keep at it, Pikachu. Bulbasaur, give it a hand with Vine Whip." Ash shook his head. Pikachu hadn't trained much lately—original Ash had waited until Hoenn to teach Iron Tail. But this Pikachu could do it.
Next up: Charizard.
"Raaar!"
Flames roared from Charizard's mouth the instant it spotted Ash—a little ritual of theirs.
Blue light flashed. The fire washed over an invisible barrier and fizzled out.
Ash grinned. "Fired up already? Good."
Charizard's regimen would push harder.
"Raaar?"
"Put this on." Ash tossed a hourglass-shaped device. It clamped around Charizard's limbs and torso, locking tight. Movement turned sluggish, every motion a fight against the weight.
"Power Bracer," Ash said. "You're my ace. Ready to earn it?"
Charizard tested the restraints, wings straining, arms heavy. It nodded once, eyes locked on Ash.
"Been wanting to do this for a while."
Ash's smile sharpened. Blue aura cloaked his fist. He lunged forward and drove it straight into Charizard's rounded belly.
The impact echoed like a drum. Aura hardened the blow, turning it into something that sank deep and stung. Charizard staggered back, slamming into the valley wall with a grunt.
"Ash!"
Brock and Misty jumped to their feet.
Ash's expression stayed cold. "Charizard, our power's still nowhere near enough. No slacking. Got it?"
"ROOOAR!"
Charizard exploded off the rock face. No Flamethrower, no flight—just a clenched fist swinging low toward Ash's head.
The Power Bracer slowed it to a crawl. Ash ducked easily and countered with a left hook glowing blue, smashing into Charizard's side under the arm.
Charizard spun back from the hit. But halfway through the turn, its flaming tail whipped around like a steel cable.
"Perfect!"
Ash met it head-on. His right fist, blazing with aura, cracked against the tail in a burst of sparks and force. Charizard's wingtips twitched; Ash's knuckles throbbed. Neither gave ground.
Charizard: 155 / 255
Charizard: 160 / 255
Charizard: 165 / 255