Disclaimer- I don't own Pokemon. Nintendo does. Go fish...

Chapter Four- Cranidos Pain Rampardos Gain

Oreburgh City, a mining centre buried in the foot of Mt Coronet- also a fully fledged trainers' paradise. A Pokemon Centre; a gym; a pokemart...There were also always cool rock types to catch in Oreburgh Gate or the mines.

The trio emerged out of the cave after a day of walking east from Jubilife. Diamond looked around.

'Oreburgh, finally,' he murmured. Pearl flexed his arms.

'Yeah, time for our first badges!' he exclaimed, 'Let's find the Pokemon centre, eat and then FIGHT!'

'Stop being so hasty with everything you do, Pearl,' Platina chided him softly. Yet they went anyway.

At the Pokemon centre, the trio were eating and discussing the upcoming battle.

'So I hear that the gym leader uses Rock types,' said Pearl, in between bites of a club sandwich, 'and that he's the son of another gym leader too.'

'Yeah, I think he's called Roark,' replied Diamond, who was in the middle of some sushi, 'He works the mines here.'

'Did I hear you say Roark?' an old man asked, coming over to the trio, 'The Gym Leader?'

'Yeah, why?' replied Platina.

'If you want to challenge him, you'll have to find him in the mines. He doesn't haunt his gym often. Too much work to be done.'

'Thanks for the info sir, but if you don't mind me asking, how do you know so much about Roark?' Diamond asked curiously.

'Aha! He's my nephew!' the old man replied cheerily, 'Old Man Mine, at your service. Roark's father and gym leader of Canalave City, Byron, is my younger brother.'

'Cool!' said Pearl.

'It is- I have to go now, but good luck in your gym challenges.'

'Thanks!'

Platina had decided to stay at the pokemon centre for the afternoon, while Diamond and Pearl went off into the mines to find Roark. A friendly miner had told them where Roark was working that day.

'Right at the bottom,' Pearl frowned, looking at the sketch map he had, 'But we can take that mine cart there to get there quicker.' A mine cart with two miners in thundered down some tracks.

'Oh no,' said Diamond, 'I'm not going in one of those. Crazy things like that only happen in movies, video games and fan fiction- not real life.'

But Pearl wasn't listening and had already hopped in a mine cart. He released the break and...WHOOSH!

Aww shit.

Diamond jumped headfirst into the next cart and released the brake on his.

WHOOSH!

Twist! Turn! Left! Right! Jump! AAAAARGH! Oh yeah! Phew, we're alive!

'Pearl, I'm going to kill you,' Diamond muttered, catching up with his friend.

'Never mind that! Look, it's Roark!' Pearl pointed cheerfully. This caught Roark's attention, who spun round and waved at the two boys.

'Hullo there! What can I do for you?' he said.

'Hi, I'm Pearl and this is Diamond, we'd like to challenge you in your gym,' Pearl replied.

'Well, you're very brave to come get me from all the way down here- most people usually wait,' Roark commented. Diamond simply sighed.

'-but OK! Tomorrow at 9 sound good for the first of you? Then the other can fight me the day after.'

'Yeah, definitely. Diamond, can I fight first? Please?' Pearl begged his friend.

'...OK...'

'ALL RIGHT!'

After trudging out of the mines and eating, the boys flopped into bed to find Platina asleep.

'She's pretty good looking in lingerie,' Pearl whistled softly.

'Pearl!' Diamond slapped his head. But he was thinking the same thing.

He's right. She is quite pretty.

9 am. Pearl was standing in Roark's gym, looking at all the rocks dotted around the battlefield. Roark stated the rules.

'The challenger and the gym leader may battle with up to 2 pokemon each, in a singles battle. Both may switch pokemon when they want.'

'Right,' Pearl threw a pokeball. Out emerged a monkey with fire coming from its behind.

'Let's go, Sol!' Pearl cheered as his Chimchar leapt into battle. Roark looked bemused.

'A Fire type pokemon? Bad choice, my friend! Cranidos, come on out!' he said, throwing a pokeball. Out emerged a bipedal dinosaur with a huge head. It roared at Sol, who simply scratched his head.

'Let's begin!' Roark exclaimed, 'Cranidos, headbutt!' The dinosaur began charging straight at

'Sol, get it with Ember!' The monkey spat out a jet of flame hitting Cranidos' head straight on, but the dinosaur didn't seem to be affected. It kept charging and smashed into Sol. The Chimchar yelped in pain as it was sent flying. It crashed into the ground on the other side of the stadium and groaned.

'Sol, get up! You can do it!' encouraged Pearl. Sol struggled to its feet, but then it was ready to go.

'OK, Sol, different strategy! Go, get it with Flame Wheel!' Pearl commanded. Sol ran forward this time, engulfed in fire. It jumped, like a flaming buzz saw, and drove straight into Cranidos, tackling it backwards. This time it looked like the attack had caused some damage.

'All right! Sol, follow it up with Fury Swipes!' Sol leapt in the air, claw flashing, and brought down the swipe...only to be caught by Cranidos's short arm.

'WHAT?' exclaimed Pearl. Roark grinned.

'Cranidos, throw it, then double headbutt!'

'Oh shi-' Cranidos span round and flung Sol off towards the wall. It then ran quickly after the Chimchar and smashed into it with it's head, knocking the Chimchar into the air, before leaping and headbutting it into the wall. There was a loud 'CHAR!' as Sol, bruised and slightly bloodied, slid down the wall.

'Oh no! Sol, are you all right?'

Sol gave a weak 'Chim!' and got back up again. Platina gasped.

'Sol's so tough!' Diamond nodded.

I wonder how hard my battle will be, he thought.

'Sol, his Cranidos is weakening! Let's get it with a Flame Wheel now and win! GO!'

'Cranidos, match him! Headbutt!'

The two pokemon sped towards each other and collided hard in the centre of the battlefield. There was a loud crash and dust flew up, hiding the outcome of the collision. Soon it subsided however and both pokemon were panting heavily.

'Sol, come back for now!' Pearl called, and fired the red beam.

'Cranidos, you as well,' Roark said, returning his pokemon, 'Now, go! Sudowoodo!'

Out popped a treelike pokemon, made out of rock. It flexed its arms and assumed a battle stance.

'Su-DO-Woo-DO!'

Pearl grinned. He threw a pokeball in the air and his Gible burst out with a mighty roar.

'Hey, Vis, you psyched?' he asked.

'Gib, gib!' Vis nodded and made its move.

'OK, Vis, use Tackle!' Vis charged at Sudowoodo, who without thinking dodged to the side.

'Heh,' Pearl smirked, 'Vis, we got him where we want him- use Dragon Rage!'

Vis roared as shockwaves span out and smashed into Sudowoodo, driving it away. It fell, and caught itself with its hand.

'Hmph! Sudowoodo, use Rock Throw!' Roark shouted. Sudowoodo picked up a few large rocks and chucked them at the Gible.

'Vis, dodge them and attack with Take Down!' Pearl shouted. Vis escaped two, but the third and fourth rocks hit it and hurt it. It looked slightly dazed, but shook it off.

'Looks like we can't go in from the front! Vis, use Dig!' Vis nodded and quickly burrowed into the ground, then powered towards Sudowoodo- yet it didn't strike.

'Sudowoodo's on its toes now,' Roark explained, 'It'll dodge your strike. Sudowoodo, stand your ground.'

'Bad mistake,' Pearl grinned, 'Vis, now!'

A dragonbreath erupted from the ground and hit Sudowoodo in the face- it looked slightly confused. Vis quickly burrowed round to behind it and fired another. Sudowoodo tried to dodge it when it heard the sound but it still got him, although not as badly. Then Vis shot out of the earth, in a Take Down. Smashing into Sudowoodo, it knocked it clean out.

'Yeah, Vis! You did it!' Pearl cheered. Diamond and Platina were impressed.

'He's really strong!' Platina exclaimed.

I wonder if I will be strong in my battle, Diamond wondered anxiously.

'Not bad, kid!' Roark was also impressed, 'But it'll take more than that to beat my Cranidos! Go!'

'Crani-DOS!' it roared as it emerged. Then it began a headbutt charge.

'Vis, dig!' Vis dived into the earth just in time. It had been wounded by the rock throws and one good hit would take it out.

'Right, now circle round and take out Cranidos! It's weak!' Vis looped around and rushed at Cranidos who apparently couldn't see where its prey had gone. But as Vis jumped, it knew.

'Vis missed!?' Yes, Vis had. Cranidos stepped aside, and as the Gible soared harmlessly threw the air-

'Cranidos, double headbutt!' BAM, the first headbutt, then BAM again! Vis didn't stand a chance.

'OK Vis, you did really well,' Pearl said recalling it, 'Now go! Sol!'

Sol popped out, raring for a fight. It hissed at Cranidos.

'Sol, get it with Flame Wheel!' Sol enflamed, leapt at Cranidos, but the dinosaur didn't seemed fazed by the attack this time.

'Cranidos, headbutt!' The two collided again, but this time Sol flew backwards. It was hurt badly.

'Oh no! Sol!' However surprisingly the Chimchar got up. Then it burst into flames.

'Chim-CHAR!!' it roared loudly.

'Blaze...' Pearl muttered, 'But my pokedex is showing it's far too powerful! What's this?'

The flames had gotten white now, Sol had disappeared in them. Suddenly Cranidos too roared as white light engulfed it, rocks being sucked off the floor due to the force.

There was a final flash and instead of Cranidos and Chimchar stood two different pokemon, both resembling the previous fighters, but more powerful and taller.

'Sol evolved into Monferno!' Platina gasped.

'And Cranidos evolved into...' Diamond was cut off by a roar.

'Ram-par-DOS!!'

Sol the Monferno simply smirked. Pearl's pokedex flashed.

'Oh yeah! Sol, with your evolution you learned a new attack! Let's go!' Pearl shouted.

'MACH PUNCH!'

'Headbutt!'

The two pokemon rushed at each other- despite their evolutions, they were still incredibly tired. It was the make or break attack. But Sol was faster.

'Mach Punch striked first- I win, Roark!' Pearl exclaimed. And it did, Sol punching out into Rampardos' face, knocking it out.

'Well done, Rampardos! You battled well,' Roark said to his new pokemon, returning it. Then he walked over to face Pearl.

'Well done, Pearl. You battled very well, and as a representative of the Elite 4 and the Champion, I am proud to award you this badge- the Coal Badge, it's yours.'

'Thanks very much, Roark! I'll see you tomorrow when Diamond has his match. Now, to the pokemon centre! I need to get these guys healed up, and I need to eat! You guys coming?' Pearl asked. They nodded as Roark waved them off.

One thought was on Diamond's mind.

Shit. I have to face Rampardos tomorrow!

The next day, the sky was blue, the grass was green and Atlas was in heated battle against Roark's Graveller.

'Atlas, dodge the Rollout, then use Razor Leaf!' Diamond commanded. The Turtwig dodged the rock and sent in some sharp leaves, the grass energies severely hurting the Graveller, which unfolded.

'Atlas, finish it off! Bite!'

'Turt!' With a leap and a latch, Atlas chomped down on Graveller's arm- the continued beatings taking its toll, Graveller passed out.

'Yeah!' Diamond cheered. Then he remembered what came next.

Shit. Rampar-

'-DOS!' as the dinosaur flashed into reality. It began a charge towards the Turtwig, which dodged.

'Atlas, Razor Leaf!' A few connected, but they had little effect. Rampardos span and charged again.

'Headbutt!' Roark shouted. It connected- Atlas was sent flying, a collision with the wall followed and the turtle dropped. However the return beam of the pokeball caught it mid fall.

'Good job, Atlas, but now it's Forte's turn!' Diamond threw his second pokeball.

'Rio-LU!' Forte burst out and assumed a combat stance.

Rampardos saw its new prey and attacked. But Forte had heard battle stories all night and was ready.

'Forte, quick attack!' It sped like a blur into Rampardos, stunning it, but not causing much damage. That however wasn't the point.

'Forte, Force Palm now!' A powerful thrust into Rampardos's face caused obvious pain to the giant dinosaur. Roark gasped.

'Rampardos, shake it off! Rock Throw!' Rampardos roared and picked up a giant rock which it threw into Forte. The Riolu was tossed in the air, in pain but in charge.

'Forte, now's your chance! Finish this battle with Force Palm again!'

Forte nodded and smashed its glowing palm directly into Rampardos head again, defeating it.

'The bigger the come, the harder they fall,' Pearl whistled.

'Yeah, go Diamond!' Platina cheered.

'Well done Forte!' Diamond said returning his pokemon.

'Unlucky, Rampardos,' Roark returned his defeated dinosaur again. He went to shake hands with Diamond.

'Like I said with Pearl, you're extremely talented. I'm proud to give you this Coal Badge,' he smiled.

'Thanks,' said Diamond. He tossed the badge, before putting it in his case.

'Take care then! Goodbye!' Roark waved the trio out.

'Bye!'

'Well, the best way towards Eterna City is via Cycling Road, but we can't go that way. I guess we should go through Floaroama Town and Eterna Forest,' said Platina, holding a map.

'Yeah, I agree,' said Diamond.

'Uh guys,' Pearl said, raising a hand, 'I'm going to split for a while. Mt Coronet has some cool pokemon to see, and I can always go up Cycling Road to get to Eter a. Don't worry, I can go against the flow.'

'Well then, take care of yourself buddy,' said Diamond, putting out a hand.

'You too,' Pearl shook, before heading off north.

Be careful, thought Platina, as she headed west with Diamond.

Authors Note- Yeah, hoped you liked the double chapter. Expect a break now however- I'm going away on half-term. Please read and review!