Chapter 58 - 17 - The Steel-type Gym

After some breakfast, Ash took Rico, Serena, Iris, Cilan, and his brothers to Martin's Steel-type gym to bring him breakfast, as if Martin didn't have any breakfast due to his cleaning and polishing duties, along with their Pokémon.

Upon arriving there, Rico, Serena, Iris, Cilan, and his brothers are amazed at the gym's modern and detail-interlaced building. The gym building is also mostly made of steel like titanium, iron, copper, etc. It had a big dome made of steel and glass that takes over the center. The walls had metal decorations that stick out of the wall. The building was two stories high and the interior was full of metal structures, shining through by the sunlight that hits through the glass dome. The flooring and the battle field are made of shining white and ceramic tiles and the battle field made of clean dirt.

And as they enter the gym through the big entrance, Martin, who was polishing a metal structure with a hand towel and a spray bottle, noticed them coming and greeted them in friendliness.

"Hi there, dad," Ash greeted him back, "Here's your breakfast;" he then handed him a paper bag of breakfast. Receiving it and open it to peek at its contents, Martin brightly responded, "Ah, thanks, Ash." He then put aside his cleaning equipment and sat down on the elevated steps to eat. The paper bag already had utensils provided so Martin wouldn't have to use his hands to eat. And as Martin eats, Ash sat next to him and asked him, "So, dad, how's the gym is going?"

"Well," Martin responded while chewing his food and thinking, "lots of trainers come here to challenge me for their final badges and often for training only." The Indigo League, Kanto's league, now requires trainers to battle the ninth gym to prove their extreme worth and bond with their Pokémon. Martin had opened this upon the request by the Indigo League.

"Wow, dad, that was awesome," Ash brightly replied while clenching his fist in enthusiasm. His Pikachu then responded in happiness. Rico, Serena, and Iris are walking around the gym in amazement of its high shining ŀuster and metallic shininess. Sparkles glitter almost everywhere.

"Woah, this is so beautiful and shiny," Rico commented in amazement.

"Lucario, car,(Yeah, right)" Lucario responded in amazement.

"So much beautiful!" Iris exclaimed in amazement. Her Axew and Excadrill then responded in happiness and excitement.

"It's so shiny and nice here," Serena softly commented in embracing this.

"Hmmm, this gym is very well-decorated and full of well-designed details," Cilan commented in evaluating, "these details are also precisely measured, carved, and carefully cut. This gym deserves elegance." Confused and puzzled by this saying, Rico retorted, "Say what?"

"Oh, Cilan loves to evaluate stuff, even battles," It's calmly and brightly explained about Cilan's doing, "commenting their characteristics and abilities, and also combining them with impressions of food and food-related people and places." Understanding what Iris was saying, Rico replied, "Oh, now I get it."

After some time, Martin had finished eating his breakfast and put back the plastic plate and metal utensils back to the paper bag. Serena then picked it up for him. Martin then stand up and dust his pants off for crumbs of pancakes. He then grabbed his cleaning equipment and put it away in a black leather shoulder bag.

"So, Ash," he asked Ash, "are you ready for your morning training?" Nodding with determination, Ash seriously responded, "Yes, I am ready, dad."

At the gym's battle field, Ash and Martin are having a battle, while Ash's friends are watching them from the audience seating section. They then called their Pokémon: Charizard and Melmetal, and they stepped into battle in fierce. Upon seeing a new Pokémon, Rico asked in stunning, "Who's that Pokémon?" He then pointed his Pokédex towards Charizard; his Pokédex then responded, "Charizard, the Flame Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Charmander. A Fire and Flying-type. It is said that Charizard's fire burns hotter if it has experienced harsh battles."

"That's was hot," Rico calmly commented upon hearing this, "and what about the other one?" He then turn the Pokédex's attention towards Melmetal; his Pokédex then responded, "Melmetal, the Hex Nut Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Meltan. A Steel-type. At the end of its life span, Melmetal will rust and fall apart. The small shards left behind will eventually be reborn as Meltan."

"Woah, that was so cool," Rico calmly commented upon hearing this information. He then put down his Pokédex and resumed watching the battle.

Then, the training began.

"Alright, Melmetal, use Flash Cannon!" Martin commanded Melmetal in coolness. His Melmetal then used Flash Cannon, gathering all its light energy and released it at once towards Charizard.

"Charizard, dodge it!" Ash seriously commanded Charizard. His Charizard then dodged the attack with flying, amazing the spectators.

"Woah, that Pokémon was fast," Rico commented in stunning.

"Yes, Charizard is one of Ash's strongest Pokémon in his team," Cilan responded in positivity while crossing his arms. Back at battle, Martin seriously commanded Melmetal, "Oh, yeah, use Double Iron Bash!" His Melmetal then used Double Iron Bash, rotating, centering the hex nut in its ċhėst, and then strikes with its arms twice in a row, striking Charizard with great power.

"Don't give up, Charizard!" Ash seriously commanded Charizard, "Use Flamethrower!" Snapping out from the attack, Charizard used Flamethrower, opening its mouth and scorched an intense blast of fire, striking Melmetal very effectively. Melmetal then collapsed to the ground in pain.

"Well, that was powerful, Ash," Martin commented in interesting. Then in coolness, "Oh, yeah, how about this? Melmetal use Hyper Beam!" Getting up in fierce, Melmetal used Hyper Beam, attack with a powerful beam.

"Quickly, again, use Flamethrower!" Ash quickly commanded Charizard in seriousness. Charizard then used Flamethrower, opening its mouth and scorched an intense blast of fire, intercepting the Hyper Beam attack. Both moves clashed to each other, and then, the Flamethrower got through the Hyper Beam directly in power and struck Melmetal, inflicting it so much pain it fainted in exhaustion, amazing the spectators once more.

"Melmetal is unable to battle," the gym's referee announced, "Charizard wins." After that, Martin softly called his defeated Melmetal back to its Poké Ball and commented to Ash, "Well, that was a good battle, Ash. You seemed to get stronger every day."

"Yup," Ash happily replied. His Pikachu and Charizard then responded with happiness. Rico, Serena, and Clan then come down from the audience seating section and congratulated Ash for winning the battle.

"Thanks, you guys," Ash happily replied. That was a great time for them as friends.