The next day, Andrew and Julia were ready to leave again, this time, to Petalburg City.  There was a gym there.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not battling you until you get four badges," the leader said.
"What!?" Andrew exclaimed.
"Look, when you get four badges, come back here and I'll fight you.  Until then, you must leave," he replied.
"No way," Andrew said.
"Andrew, let's do as he says and leave," Julia said to him, tugging at Andrew's arm.
"I'll take him on right here, right now."
"Then so be it, naďve trainer,' the gym leader, Norman, said solemnly.  "My first Pokémon is Slaking.  Choose yours wisely."
Andrew smirked.  "Poochyena, go!  Bite, now!" he said, tossing a Pokéball at the enemy Slaking.  His Dark Pokémon charged at Slaking, and attempted to Bite him, but failed; he simply bounced off Slaking's fat.  "What!?" Andrew exclaimed.
"Slaking, Body Slam," said Norman.  Slaking collapsed on top of Poochyena, knocking him out in one hit.
"Okay, that's fine," Andrew said, "because he's my weakest Pokémon.  Here's a new guy…my Torchic!  Come out and use Ember!"  Andrew's newly acquired Fire-type Pokémon barely singed Slaking's fur.
"Slaking, this is so simple I think I should let you pick what attack you use."
Andrew frowned.  He knew that Norman was just toying with him.  A perfect chance to catch him off guard, he thought.  "Torchic, Headbutt!"  Torchic rammed into Slaking's fur, but flew off.  Slaking used a simple Scratch to take him down.  "Down to my last Pokémon," Andrew muttered.  "My prized Pokémon, too…Treecko, come out!  Use Bullet Seed!"
Small seeds were reflected.  Slaking took no damage.  Before Andrew could call another attack, Slaking struck Treecko with Slam, knocking him out.  Andrew lost horribly.
"I told you that you should have waited," said Norman, "but you didn't listen to me."
"Yeah, well…"  Andrew trailed off.  "I'll be back.  And when I am, I promise you, I'll beat you."
"I'm sure."

* * *

Andrew and Julia left for the next town, but first, they had to get through Petalburg Forest.
"No problem," said Andrew.  "We can get through it."  Julia eyed him oddly.
As they were walking through, they witnessed something very odd.  A boy, no older than Andrew, was terrorizing a scientist.
"Give me the Devon Goods," said the boy, "or my Dustox will make you pay."
"Please, don't hurt me," the scientist cried.
"Hey!" Andrew shouted, running over to the fray.  "If you want to battle, then battle with me."
"All right," the boy replied.  "Dustox, attack!"
"Torchic, Ember!" Andrew shouted.  Torchic spat flames at Dustox, but he came back with Gust.  Andrew quickly realized that this trainer's Pokémon was a much higher level than Torchic.  He recalled his Torchic, and sent out Poochyena.
"Dustox, Tackle!"
"Bite!" Andrew commanded.  Dustox did mediocre damage to Poochyena, while the Dark attack was a little more successful.  Poochyena repeated the attack, making Dustox flinch.  "Finish it with Headbutt!"  Poochyena charged into Dustox, knocking him out.
"Very good," said the boy, "but not good enough.  Anorith, go!  Metal Claw!"  The small, steel scorpion slashed Poochyena, knocking him out.
"Then I guess you're forcing me to use Treecko!  Razor Leaf attack, now!"  Leaves sliced away at Anorith's armor, but it didn't do too much.  Anorith used Dig, but it, too, didn't do a lot.
"Enough fooling around, Anorith!" the boy yelled.  "Your Pin Missile!"  Small needles pierced Treecko, super-effective, and knocking him out.  Andrew was down to his last Pokémon-coincidentally, his weakest Pokémon, too.
"Torchic," he whispered to the Pokéball.  "I know you have very little experience, but please, just come through this time.  I know you can…"  He threw a Pokéball out.  "Torchic, use Mud-Slap!"  Torchic kicked mud into Anorith's face, brining him down to low health.
"Anorith, he's a Fire-type.  Rock Throw!"
Torchic fluttered away from a few rocks, but still took damage.  As a last-ditch attempt to win, Andrew told Torchic to use Ember.  Anorith was burned, and fainted from the burn damage.  The boy was out of Pokémon.
"It seems as though I have lost," he said.  "But you haven't seen the last of Luke!  I promise you that!"  He then disappeared into the forest.
"You all right, man?" Andrew asked the scientist while he recalled his Pokémon.
"Yes, I am," the scientist replied.  "That Team Magma guy was trying to steal these…"
"What are they?" Julia asked.
"I can't tell you…but I can tell you that it is research for a new Pokéball.  But that's it."
"Well, we have to be on our way," Andrew said.  The Devon scientist thanked them again as they departed.
Andrew and Julia continued traveling, and reached Rustboro.
"There's a Rock Gym here," Julia remarked.
"It'll be good for both of us, since you have a Water Pokémon, and I have a Grass-type Pokémon," Andrew responded.
Julia agreed, and they proceeded into the Gym.
"We're here to challenge you!" Andrew shouted, and readied his Pokémon for his first Gym Battle.