Author Notes: I figured I'd skip all the boring shit at the beginning of the Kanto games and jump straight into Pewter City. This fic takes the power of each Pokémon rather more seriously than most other Pokémon media. Pokémon can die, easily. Trainers usually fight each other as well. And I'm going to take the Pokédex descriptions from the games as true, as often as I can.
Chapter 3: A Game of Stones
Gravel crunched beneath Jonno's steel-toed boots as he stepped into the beam of the spotlight dangling from the ceiling. Two Poké Balls made deft circles through and around his fingers as he sized up the man who ran Pewter City, eyes scanning the leader up and down, up and down again. And just as Brock's reputation suggested, the man was six feet of solid, rock-hard muscle.
"You must be Stoneking," Jonno hissed. The gym leader made no motions. He stood firm, like a boulder.
"Brock Stoneking. That's right. And you're a Rocket."
"I am."
Brock crossed his arms across his chest. "If you've come for dinner, I'm afraid you're a bit early. Rations aren't handed out until dark."
Jonno shook his head.
"I thought not," Brock sighed. "You're here for my Pokémon."
This time, Jonno nodded. A devilish grin played across his face. "Your time is up, Stoneking. Pewter City has spoken. The people don't want rations, they want food. Shelter, not dirt tunnels. Dare I say, the standard of living in this city harkens back to the Stone Age."
Brock's eyebrow twitched.
"Without your Pokémon, your reign is over. I'm here to return Pewter City to the people."
It was Brock's turn to smile. He'd smashed a dozen Rockets this week alone.
"Well then, boy. Have at me!"
Jonno launched forward into a run, with Brock mirroring his moves. The two unclipped their Poké Balls from their belts and chucked them into the rapidly closing space between them. From Brock's emerged a dense, irregular boulder which unfolded its arms and glared at the rushing Rocket. From Jonno's erupted an ape-like swine outfitted with boxing gear.
The ape-pig launched immediately toward Brock, pulling its arm back before throwing a swift hook at the leader. Brock leapt backward as his companion protected him from the monkey's savage blow; a deep crack formed in the face of the living boulder.
As the two Pokémon engaged one another, Jonno dove into Brock's torso, taking them both to the ground. The leader's fist glanced off of Jonno's face as the two fought for control of their situation.
Jonno saw red as Brock's fists came down on his face - he felt his eyebrow split open, and the warmth of blood begin to flow. Brock had multiplied in his vision - the man's muscles clearly weren't just for show.
As Brock reared back for another punch, Jonno's Pokémon interrupted him, delivering a massive hit to the leader's spine, sending him to the floor, the wind knocked out of his heaving lungs.
"Geodude..." Brock moaned, "Rock Throw!"
Jonno stood up and shook the hand of the ape-pig in appreciation for the rescue. Geodude lay split in half on the gym floor, unresponsive to Brock's demands. As the gym leader tried to regain his composure, Jonno and his Primeape approached the two halves of the kickball-sized creature.
"Bullet Punch, Primeape."
Brock watched in abject terror as the Geodude was reduced to gravel beneath the impossibly fast fists of the Rocket's ape-pig. The leader attempted to pull the creature out of the fray with the recovery function of his Poké Ball, but it was too late.
Geodude was dead.
"No! You bastard!"
Jonno and Primeape turned to face the dethroned leader. In a flash, Jonno had grabbed Brock by the neck and pinned him against the nearest wall; he drew his handgun and placed the cold metal to Brock's dark-skinned temple. At first, neither spoke. Primeape hopped back and forth on each of his legs, his adrenaline rising. He punched lightly in Brock's direction, showing immense restraint. Like a wolf with a steak dangling just out of reach, savory juices dripping into Primeape's mouth. He wanted to kill again. He'd been promised blood.
Jonno spoke first.
"You listen to me. You have exactly one hour to grab your shit and leave. One hour. If I come back - and you're still here -"
"If you're going to kill me," Brock spat, "then kill me now."
Primeape chattered giddily. He knew the word "kill." He liked that word. But Jonno hadn't said yes yet.
"One hour," Jonno oozed, "or I take this gun, and I shove it so far up your ass you'll smell gunpowder."
Jonno let go of Brock's neck, which had already started bruising. The gym leader dropped to his knees, gasping for air, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. He watched Jonno stride, confident as hell, toward the door.
Brock's sobs turned to chuckles. As his laughter grew, the building began to sway. Jonno bent his knees to absorb the sudden shock of the earth moving beneath his feet.
"Hey Rocket!" the leader called after Jonno, "Looks like you better start blasting off!"
The building's foundation split perfectly along the middle as the quake intensified; both Primeape and Jonno dropped to the ground, unable to keep their balance. Pieces of the ceiling, unhinged by the building's movement, began crashing down around the two. Brock returned to the center of the room, and faced Jonno once more.
The tremors subsided in favor of a heavy thumping beneath the floor, a thumping which soon turned into a pounding; the floor cracked in a circular pattern. Something was coming. Something huge.
"Onix!" Brock shouted over the shattering of the lights in the ceiling, "Earthquake!"
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