I spent a few more hours in the Viridian Forest so as to train Sting (which is what I had decided to name the Weedle due to its rather large stinger).
I had learned earlier from one of the Bug Catchers I had encountered that Bug-type Pokémon tended to evolve rather quickly, but that was an understatement. Within the first two hours of his training sting had begun to wrap himself with a fine silk and, eventually, became a Kakuna. Shortly after that he had burst through his hardened shell as a Beedrill. To be honest, the difference in power and in presence was so prevalent that I would've thought that I had somehow gotten the wrong Kakuna to follow me around if it weren't for his stingers. Yes, his very namesake was still as disproportionate as ever, making him a powerful fighter, but very slow.
Once outside the forest, I bumped into someone I really didn't want to see.
"Well look what the cat dragged in!" Shi said mockingly as he saw me coming out of the forest. "A little lost lamb finding his way out of the dark scary woods!"
"Oh shut it you drunken hobo!" I said.
"What did you just call me?" He apparently didn't recall our last encounter.
"You honestly don't remember staggering around like an idiot after your own Pokémon attacked you?" I said, somewhat mockingly.
"Oh…" He seemed somewhat embarrassed now that he had recalled his drunken escapades. "Well at least I didn't get lost in the woods on my way here!"
"For your information, I was training, not lost!" I retorted rather matter-of-factly.
"Well so was I! And I bet my Pokémon is now WAY stronger than yours!" He emphasized the "way" as if to say he was equivalent to the champion when compared to me.
"Well I happen to have gotten a new Pokémon out of the forest that could totally kick your stupid Zubat's ass!" Our discussion was reaching its eminent finale.
"I bet the Pokémon I got out of the forest is better than yours!"
"Only one way to find out!" I said, reaching for my bag in which I carried the two pokèballs containing my meager team.
"I couldn't agree more!" He reached into the white backpack he was apparently using to carry his supplies.
"GO, STING!" I threw the pokéball into the space between us, the throw sending it into a high arch.
"GO, BUTTERFREE!" He tossed his pokéball somewhat low.
As the two Pokémon erupted from the pokéballs and we realized what we had done, we glared at each other saying: "I don't like you…"
Once again, I decide to take the initiative and attack first.
"Sting! Use Twineedle!" I shouted, and Sting obliged. He charged forwards jabbing with his abnormally large stingers.
Shi's Butterfree tried to avoid Sting's attack, but only managed to evade the first strike.
"Butterfree!" Shi shouted, trying to gain control over the situation "Counter attack with Confusion!"
The large, majestic insect replied by assaulting my Beedrill with psychic energy, causing him to fall.
"Use Poison Sting!" I yelled.
The shot hit the Butterfree right in the center of its purplish body.
"Now go for another Twineedle!" I shouted, as sting flew upwards some so as to have extra force from gravity.
"Butterfree! Use Sleep Powder!" Shi yelled.
As the butterfly-like creature scattered the thin dust with its wings, Sting was hit full force with the natural tranquilizer. Sting fell with all his weight on top of Shi's Butterfree, pinning it to the ground with his unconscious body.
We Glared at each other viciously as we withdrew our Pokémon.
"I don't like you…"
I shoved my pokéball back into my messenger bag and pulled out the only other pokéball I had: Tina's.
"You ready to settle this, Shi?" I said as I was about to throw my pokéball, but he put up his hand as a way of telling me to stop.
"I've got business to take care of, so we'll have to settle this another time." For once, he didn't sound like he despised me on the level of garbage.
"Really?" I said snidely "What could be so important that you'd run away from a battle? Surely you're not scared you'll lose?"
"No!" He snapped "I just don't want you to be at a disadvantage in the dark!"
So, keeping as much distance as was possible without either of us leaving the path, we headed for the Pewter City Pokémon Center.
Once there, we both walked up to the counter and said simultaneously: "I need a room for the night." Then glared viciously at each other.
"You must be Grimm and Shi, right?" The nurse Joy behind the counter asked.
"Yes." I replied "But how did you know that?"
"I heard that a couple of rowdy trainers with a knack for causing trouble would be headed this way from the nurse Joy in Viridian City" She giggled girlishly. It was an infectious and intoxicatingly lovely thing. "We Joys like to talk, you know?"
"You hear that Grimm? You're infamous for causing trouble!" Shi said snidely.
"She said a PAIR of trainers you idiot, that means that you're included in this as well."
Shi stopped talking when he realized I was right, and Nurse Joy simply giggled again as she handed us our keys and directed us to our rooms.
The next morning, as I stepped out of the Pokècenter and headed in the direction of the local gym, I noticed something was horrendously wrong: Shi was training again. I decided that I would head in the exact opposite direction so as to avoid another incident.
I decided that I could chance going back towards the gym after wandering around a bit and getting a small breakfast for Tina, Sting, and myself. When I reached the gym though…
"I've been waiting for you to show up, Grimm." Shi was wearing the biggest grin I'd ever seen, and something about that had me worried.
"Aww, you missed me that much?" I retorted sarcastically.
"Yeah," He said, playing along with my little joke "Not so much missed you as looked forward to shoving THIS in your face!" I could barely make out what he was holding from where I was at, so I warily stepped closer.
"Is that…?" I left the question unfinished, because I knew the answer already; but still he answered:
"Yep! My very own boulderbadge, courtesy of the Pewter City gym leader Brock!"
I grinned slightly, trying to put up a front against my own surprise and nervousness. "Well, if you got one then I won't even need to challenge Brock!" I was shaking in my shoes, and Shi knew it.
"Well, you can think that if you want, but in all honesty this puts me in a class far above the likes of you." His higher than though attitude was starting to piss me off, but I couldn't let his arrogant taunting get the better of me.
"I guess I'll just have to go get my own then!" I shouted at him.
"You can try, but even if you DO manage to beat him, I'll already have a head start to the next town. Who knows if you'll ever make up the ground you've lost?"
I headed inside, determined to beat the gym leader and knock Shi far off his high horse. What I hadn't realized was the fact that before one can battle the leader of a gym they've got to beat some of the apprentices who trained under the leader's tutelage. After about an hours' worth of battling I finally reached the leader.
He was a muscular man, broad in the shoulders with a toned definition that showed through his shirt. "I am Brock," he said "If you're here then that means you've beaten my apprentices. Are you ready to battle me?"
"Yes sir!" I replied, determined not to let his physique intimidate me.
"All right, but I should warn you: my Pokémon are all of the rock-type. With their help I've become tough as the stones I train alongside."
"Enough chit-chat, let's get this started!" I yelled as I threw Sting's pokéball into the designated battling area between us.
"I like your spunk!" Brock said in reply, tossing his own pokéball into the arena.
At the head of his team Brock used a pair of Geodudes that were nearly identical in power and in their intense levels of defense. In order to defeat them I had Sting retain a fair distance and whittle down their health using poison sting. Luckily enough, Sting still retained the ability to harden its body in case of danger from when it was a Kakuna; But still, the pair's powerful attacks took their toll, and Sting fell partway through our battle with Brock's second Geodude.
"Go, Tina!" I threw her pokéball into the arena, hoping that my partner could finish this battle without much trouble, and she did. After eliminating the small amount of health the Geodude still had using wrap however, Brock decided to bring out his own trump card...
"So, this Dratini is your partner?" Brock asked as he returned his felled Pokémon to its pokéball and handed it to one of his apprentices who healed it using a high class medical machine similar to the ones I saw in the Pokécenters.
"Yes." I answered "Although my journey has only just started, Tina here has been with me every step of the way."
"That's good." Brock said, reaching for the last pokéball he had resting on his beltline. "Every trainer will use different Pokémon along his or her journey. Some of them will be more powerful than others, some more permanent; but one thing's for certain: A trainer will never, EVER forget his first Pokémon. Would you like to meet mine? He's been with me for nearly my entire life, and he's helped me shape this gym into what it is today."
I smirked. I couldn't really explain it; even though he sounded intimidating, even though he seemed to be bringing something out that was even more powerful than the duo that had felled half my team. Despite all that, I felt like this was right. A battle shouldn't simply be a comparison of strength or a test for some badge. No, a battle should be a true connection; not just between trainer and Pokémon, but between the two trainers as well. A clashing of souls that would affect everyone involved, and forever change their lives. "To be completely honest with you sir, I'm terrified of whatever it is you're about to do."
"That's good," Brock returned my smirk, almost as if he felt the same way I did. "You're admitting that you're afraid, and that's the first step to conquering your fear."
"Well then, why don't you go ahead and let me finish!" I shouted.
"Onix! Let's show this trainer what we can do!" Brock shouted as he obligingly through his pokéball into the arena.
If I hadn't just gone through that whole conversation about needing to conquer my fear, then this would've been when I peed my pants and ran home crying. The animal that had emerged from his pocket-sized container could've only been described as a giant stone snake. It was easily twenty feet long, probably longer, and the large spine on its head seemed to somewhat resemble a sword.
"Tina, use slam!" I wasn't sure if taking the initiative would win the battle for me or not; hell, I wasn't sure if I COULD win this battle, but I had to try.
The attack seemed relatively useless, barely causing the Onix to twitch; and after being thrown all the way back to my feet by a seemingly nonchalant tail swing, Tina appeared even more comparatively pitiful.
"What should we do Tina?" I asked, my charisma quickly fading.
Tina looked up at me with tired eyes, but they showed determination as well; then, Tina nodded. It was a simple signal, one that could be interpreted in any number of ways, but in this case it could only have one.
"But Tina, you know we haven't gotten it right yet! The last time we even tried practicing you got hurt pretty bad!"
"Perhaps it isn't my place to say," Brock interrupted "But often times, you should follow your heart. If you truly believe in your Pokémon, and they believe in you, then everything will turn out just fine."
I waited for a moment. "Are you certain you want to do this?" I asked. Tina nodded again, her eyes showing such determination as I had never seen before. "All right then, let's do this!"
I stood up, looking towards Brock who was waiting patiently. "I appreciate the advice, sir." I said, Tina now rising from the floor ahead of me. "Now then: TINA, USE TWISTER!"
As I screamed the command, Tina's eyes began to glow as they had at the league stadium when I had my first battle against Shi. While the energy was gathering, and Tina began to have a whirlwind develop around her body, I smiled. I wasn't smirking this time, I wasn't attempting to show charisma or contempt; this time, I was smiling because I had faith.
As the dust settled, and Tina came to rest near my feet again, I froze in terror. Not only was Brock smiling, but his Onix also appeared unharmed. I nearly fell to the ground in tears. Despite all my faith, despite all our hard work, and despite all our determination and power, Brock wasn't defeated; but then:
"Congratulations on your victory!"
I looked up in astonishment. As Brock spoke the words in a loud, resonating voice, his Onix fell. The sound of the large beast crashing to the floor was deafening.
"Come here." Brock said, and I naturally obeyed. "Everyone has a dream that fills their heart, a journey they must take, a destiny to fulfill. As close as our imaginations exists a magical place where wondrous creatures with incredible powers help make dreams come true: It's the world of Pokémon." As he spoke, he reached for a small box that the apprentice from earlier handed him. "In this world are many people, each with their own wishes; along with many Pokémon that will help them. I believe you showed true courage today, and for that, I present you with this: the Boulderbadge." He handed me the box, which I opened as immediately and excitedly as a child on Christmas morning. "Along with that, I extend to you my best wishes. I hope you can find your own dream, and you can reach your own goals. Find your own path in life, and don't ever waver from it. Congratulations Grimmwauld, you've just earned your very first gym badge."