Chapter Nine: The Brawler's Way
Tyson wolfed down the meal that lay in front of him as his Pokemon tucked into their own breakfasts. As usual, his dreams hadn't gotten any less disturbing and slightly more violent. However, he didn't want to alarm Grovyle, whom he knew would be concerned for his master, or Aron and Makuhita, who would probably think of him as an escaped mental patient if they knew about his troubled nights. Nevertheless, despite his increasing worries, he put on a brave face for his Pokemon. The past few days were comprised of training in Granite Cave, as well as persuading a few of the various fishermen to agree to a battle. Their teams consisted mainly of a weak, orange fish Pokemon named Magikarp, which wasn't even a problem for Aron, who was extremely timid.
Today was the day of Tyson's Gym challenge and his confidence was clearly rubbing off on his team, especially Makuhita, who was strong-willed and cocky at times, as well as being child-like. Grovyle had began to calm down after the new additions proved to be childish in nature. Tyson finished his food with one final gulp, before turning to his team with a smile. "Well, guys, today's the day we've been training for! Are we all ready?" he inquired, to which Makuhita responded with grin as he punched the air. Grovyle nodded curtly, as if he didn't want to seem to immature in front of the two new Pokemon. Aron simply squeaked in agreement, his eyes displaying his nerves. The Iron Armor Pokemon had decided to stay with Tyson, after seeing him protect him. He had attached himself to Grovyle and followed the Grass-type wherever he went, much to Grovyle's displeasure. "Right, guys! Let's go," Tyson declared, returning his Pokemon to their Pokeballs. He headed out of the door, unsure of how the battle would pan out.
Dewford Gym was situated at the southern-most point of the island, a half hour's walk from the Pokemon Centre. The Gym was an exact replica of its Rustboro counterpart, although the building materials differed – instead of the brown rock used at Rustboro, the Dewford Gym used simple stainless steel, the same materials used for most Pokemon Centres. Tyson approached confidently, ready for the invariably difficult task ahead of him. He knew from experience that Gym Leaders were tougher than they looked and were well-deserving of their title.
The Gym's interior consisted of the usual seating arrangement, with many stands allowing for large audiences. The battlefield glinted under the large spotlights, seemingly constructed from laminated wood. Tyson noticed a topless young man wearing orange swimming shorts and holding a large green surfboard. Surrounding him was a large group of teenagers, males and females, also holding surfboards and dripping wet. "Alright, guys! That was an excellent session! Holly, you and Chops showed great balance today, well done. Dion, you need to be braver when facing the wave, it can't hurt you, remember that. That's all for today, guys! See you tomorrow!" the man declared and the teens dispersed. The man gave each of them a compliment and a pat on the back as they headed off in different directions.
"Excuse me! I'm here to battle the Gym Leader," Tyson said loudly after clearing his throat, unsure whether or not he was in the correct building. The young surfers froze and turned to see the challenger, before looking at their mentor, who had also turned around and was sporting a confident smile. His body was made up of rippling muscles and his spiky turquoise hair looked wild and unkempt, not unlike Uri's.
"I see. What's your name then, challenger?" he inquired, grinning as he spoke.
"Ty...Tyson," Tyson replied, his newfound nerves caused by the watching crowd.
"So then, Tyson! I assume you know the rules?" the man questioned, and Tyson nodded softly. "Good! Then I, Brawly, the Dewford Town Gym Leader, accept your challenge!" A middle-aged man, dressed in the official referee uniform, stepped onto the battlefield.
"As per Pokemon League rules, only the challenger may switch Pokemon during the battle! Also, the challenger may use up to six Pokemon, whereas the Gym Leader must stick with the three Pokemon on hand. Audience, take your places! Battle...commence!" the referee bellowed.
"Grovyle, go!" Tyson shouted, hurling the Grass-type's Pokeball into the air and ejecting Grovyle, who looked as ready as ever.
"Meditite! Let's do this!" Brawly yelled. Out of the thrown Pokeball came a small blue and white Pokemon, sat in a meditating position. It's large eyes focused intently on Grovyle. From its blue torso sprouted gangly arms and legs, which were also blue. The Pokemon seemed to be wearing a white diaper, giving it a child-like appearance. Its head was shaped like an onion, with large ears high up its skull. "Ready to battle, Meditite?" Brawly inquired and Meditite nodded, standing up in its battle stance.
"Grovyle, let's get this started with Pound!" Tyson ordered and Grovyle ran towards Meditite, swinging the lengthy leaf on the back of his head.
"Detect!" Brawly urged and Meditite's large eyes began to glow green. The small Pokemon then proceeded to dodge Grovyle's lashing appendage with ease, sidestepping and ducking every swing from the Wood Gecko Pokemon. "Force Palm, Meditite!" Brawly demanded, a glint of confidence visible in his eyes. Meditite leapt over Grovyle, who had become slightly exhausted from trying to hit his evasive opponent. The Fighting-type's open palm glowed white and he slammed it into Grovlye's spine, causing him to recoil in pain.
"Come on, buddy! You can do this! Leer, then Leaf Blade!" Tyson commanded. Grovyle dashed towards his foe at an amazing speed. His eyes flashed a piercing blue, visibly unnerving Meditite, and his wrist-leaves began to illuminate white, converging into one, sinister-looking blade.
"Detect, quickly, Meditite!" Brawly erupted urgently, but it was too late. Before Meditite's eyes could signal the following invulnerable state, Grovyle had begun slashing away at the undefended adversary. "Confusion, quickly!" Brawly shouted, noticing the weakening state of his Pokemon. The Meditating Pokemon's eyes became a glowing purple and Tyson watched in dismay as Grovyle was bathed in an indigo glow. Grovyle's eyes became empty and blank. He then proceeded to wander aimlessly, a childish smile forming.
"Snap out of it, Grovyle!" Tyson urged, to no avail. Grovlye continued pattering around the battlefield like a toddler taking his first steps.
"Alright, Meditite! We got him right where we want him! Force Palm!" Brawly hollered. Meditite sprinted towards the disadvantaged Grass-type, sharing his master's eagerness to finish him off. His palm flashed white and slammed into Grovyle's cheek, causing him to stumble for a few steps. Grovyle began wailing in anger and, while still confused, he thrashed around violently. Unfortunately for Meditite, he was in the firing line and took the brunt of Grovyle's rage. The small Fighting-type yelped in pain as he received numerous attacks, including Leaf Blades and Pounds, and crawled away, slumping into an unconscious state.
"Grovyle, calm down! Get your head together!" Tyson instructed desperately, but Grovyle kept attacking thin air in his fit of rage and confusion.
"There's only so far brute strength can get you and that's as far as it will take you in thiis battle!" Brawly taunted. "Go, Machoke!" he continued, signalling the arrival of a muscular, purple Pokemon with a humanoid posture. Its face, however, was more reptilian than human-like and several, beige ridges ran along the top of its skull. Red marks on its biceps looked like tears in the skin where the muscles had grown too large for the skin to cover, which was hardly surprising, judging by their huge size. It seemed to be wearing wrestling tights and a large, golden belt. On the buckle was a small, red 'P' that, based on the Pokemon's appearance, Tyson presumed it to stand for 'Power,' which only served to further the intimidation factor. "Finish this with Fire Punch, Machoke!" Brawly ordered and the monstrosity launched itself at Grovyle, who carried on thrashing around. It's fist became surrounded by an aura of fire and, with a crunch, Grovyle was sent flying through the air, scorched and bruised. After an attempt to get up, the super-effectiveness of the attack proved too much for Grovyle to handle, who crashed to the ground with a groan.
"Great job, Grovyle. You did amazing, enough to be deserving of a nice rest," Tyson said reassuringly, returning Grovyle to his Pokeball. "Come out, Aron!" Tyson cried, ejecting the small Steel-type from his Pokeball. In a jagged beam of red energy, Aron materialised, a confused look in his eyes. Upon seeing Machoke, he let out a small squeak and began shaking in fear.
"Wow, the little guy is shaking more than a hyperactive ten-year old after raiding a Skittle's factory," Brawly joked, and the audience laughed.
"Sure," Tyson muttered sarcastically. "You can do it, Aron! Size isn't everything! Just keep avoiding him and you'll be fine! Keep on your toes!" he instructed and Aron gave a weak nod.
"You can't run forever! Karate Chop!" Brawly said mockingly. Machoke grinned and moved rapidly towards the cowering Aron, who flinched prematurely as his foe approached.
"Keep moving, Aron! You have speed on your side!" Tyson urged, and Aron responded by sprinting away from the powerful Fighting-type. Machoke roared in anger as his target evaded him, and turned to follow Aron.
"That's right, Aron! You're doing amazing!" Tyson encouraged, causing Aron to gain a spring in his step, spurred on by his master.
"That puny thing can run, but it can't hide. Fighting-types make short work of Steel-types. Once my Machoke gets his hands on your little runt, he'll be nothing but a walking scrap-heap!" Brawly roared, annoyed by Aron's superior speed and elusiveness. A few of his students made their support known, bringing a cocky smile to Brawly's face.
"We'll see about that, won't we Aron! Show us that speed, pal!" Tyson shouted. Aron dashed around, showing no signs of slowing. Machoke, on the other hand, looked exhausted and his movement seemed slower and more forced. "He's tired, Aron, hit him with a Headbutt!" demanded Tyson. Aron ran around the lumbering Machoke and, with a squeak, smashed his iron skull into his opponent's spine. The Superpower Pokemon roared, eyes widened from the excruciating pain he was experiencing. He turned to face his attacker. "Headbutt to the face, Aron!" declared Tyson. Aron launched upwards to repeat his previous attack.
"Machoke, use Revenge!" Brawly erupted, and Machoke punched Aron with a left hook to the torso, sending the Iron Armor Pokemon crashing to the floor with such force that it created a large crack in the reinforced wooden floor. Aron struggled to his feet, his eyes showing his pain.
"I'm sorry I didn't see that coming, Aron," Tyson apologised, and Aron squeaked in response.
"Finish this with Cross Chop! This has gone on far too long!" Brawly shouted. Machoke's forearms began gloowing white and he approached Aron, ready to deal the final blow.
"Aron, Protect!" Tyson roared urgently. Aron tucked his head between his legs and became enveloped in a turquoise force field. Machoke grunted as his crossed forearms connected with the protective barrier. "Now, Headbutt to the face!" Tyson bellowed. Before Brawly could order a counter-attack, Aron's steel helmet crashed into Machoke's face, knocking him over.
"Get up, Machoke!" Brawly demanded, and Machoke pulled himself up to his feet, a menacing glint in his eye.
"Damn, I thought we had him then! Never mind, Harden!" Tyson ordered. Aron tensed up and it's body gleamed white. "Now, Growl!" Tyson continued. Aron growled at Machoke, expecting to waver the Fighting-type's confidence. Machoke, however, seemed unfazed and his rippling muscles contracted and relaxed rhythmically as he breathed in and out, awaiting the next order.
"Right, Machoke! Seismic Toss! That should do the trick!" Brawly yelled, a hint of exasperation in his tone. The battle had obviously gone on longer than he had expected it to. Machoke heaved it's body mass towards Aron, exhausted. His muscular build was made for quick, powerful bursts, not for prolonged amounts of time. Luckily for Machoke, Aron was also feeling the effects of tiredness and his reactions were clearly affected. Before he could move, Machoke grasped hold of Aron's neck. The Superpower Pokemon leapt high up into the air. Instead of falling back down to the ground, the pair spun in a circle, gaining speed the longer they span. Eventually, with a hoarse grunt, Machoke hurled Aron back to the ground at an amazing speed.
"Aron, use Protect before you hit the ground!" Tyson cried urgently, and Aron hastily tucked his head in. A turquoise glow washed over him just before he hit the floor and experienced an incredible amount of damage and pain. Machoke landed on thhe balls of his feet with a soft thud, glaring vengefully at Aron.
"Cross Chop again, Machoke!" Brawly instructed, clearly eager to finish the battle.
"Protect!" Tyson demanded. The usual turquoise force field flashed into existence, before blinkering and flickering away. "Oh, no! Harden, quick!" he cried. Aron's shell glowed white and he tensed up, and in the nick of time. Machoke's Cross Chop attack knocked Aron away, but caused a fraction of the damage it normally would have done.
"Oh, when will this end!" Brawly screamed in exasperation.
"Right about now! Headbutt!" Tyson declared. Aron hurtled towards Machoke, who was dealing with an overbearing amount of fatigue. His iron-clad skull crunched into the Fighting-type's ribs, knocking whatever air remained in his lungs. Clutching his abdomen, Machoke dropped to his knee. "Tackle again!" Tyson roared victoriously and punched the air as Aron bashed shoulder-first into the reeling opponent's reptilian face. Machoke groaned breathlessly before keeling over, unconscious.
"You got lucky, you know?" Brawly said grimacing.
"There was nothing lucky about it. I won fair and square," Tyson replied with a cheeky grin.
"Hmm, we'll see how you deal with my next Pokemon! Go, Hariyama!" Brawly shouted, sending the Pokeball in his hand hurtling towards the centre of the battlefield. From the Pokeball emerged a hulking, grey Pokemon that resembled a sumo wrestler in body shape. Its most prominent feature was its large, three-fingered hands that were orange in colouration. A beige-coloured crest on its head split its navy hair into a V-shape that ended with a long, blue ponytail. Many yellow extensions sprouted from its wide torso, giving the impression that it was wearing a skirt. Huge, thick, blue legs culminated in orange, two-toed feet. A small, orange pattern, resmbling a rising sun, could be seen on its abdomen. It clapped its large hands together, creating a loud, slapping sound that echoed throughout the Gym.
"Aron, stay on your toes. This guy looks like he packs a punch," Tyson warned, and Aron nodded slowly.
"Too right he does. Hariyama is my oldest friend, and my strongest one, too!" Brawly explained, and Hariyama grinned.
"Aron! Use Harden!" Tyson ordered, and Aron tensed up, his armor strengthening in a flash of white light.
"You honestly think that will stop Hariyama? Prove him wrong with your Arm Thrust!" Brawly commanded, and Hariyama leapt towards the Steel-type, its palms glowing white. Aron merely looked up as the Fighting-type slammed his open palms into the fatigued Iron Armor Pokemon, one after the other. After several blows, Aron dropped to the ground, fighting to keep his eyes open.
"I'm sorry, Aron. I shouldn't have let you carry on. Return," Tyson remarked, as Aron disappeared in a beam of white light back into his Pokeball for a much needed rest. "Go, Makuhita!" he yelled, hurling Makuhita's Pokeball onto the battlefield. Makuhita emerged, a confused look on his face as he realised who his opponent was.
"So you have a Makuhita? This should be interesting! Show no mercy, Hariyama!" Brawly cried. Makuhita puffed himself up in an attempt to make himself seem more intimidating to his evolved form. Hariyama sniggered mockingly at Makuhita, who opened his mouth, offended.
"Alright, Makuhita, let's even things out! Belly Drum!" Tyson ordered. Makuhita began slapping his stomach rhythmically and firmly, wincing slightly at the pain. However, a vivid red glow outlined Makuhita's body.
"Hmm, clever. But it won't be enough to beat me!" Brawly mocked, and Hariyama shifted into a battle stance, ready to finish the battle once his orders were issued.
"Watch out, Makuhita! Stay alert!" Tyson yelled, wary of Hariyama's strength.
"Arm Thrust, Hariyama! Belly Drum has weakened it, so we should be seeing a one-hit knockout!" the Gym Leader urged.
"Wait for it, Makuhita, wait for it..." Tyson muttered, and Makuhita stood his ground as Hariyama approached, palms illuminated. Just before the blow could connect, Tyson cried, "Fake Out!"
"Wha...?" Brawly mumbled. Makuhita slapped his small hands together, creating a blast of air that knocked the approaching Arm Thrust Pokemon back, making it flinch momentarily.
"Focus Energy, followed by an Arm Thrust of your own!" Tyson bellowed, and Makuhita was bathed in a white, glowing outline. Hariyama looked back urgently at his trainer, as if begging for a command.
"Do...dodge it, Hariyama," Brawly stuttered. Hariyama jumped backwards in order to avoid the incoming Arm Thrust, but shifting his bulk in time showed to be too great a task. Makuhita smashed his fists repeatedly into Hariyama's face, causing the larger Pokemon to recoil in pain. Hariyama struggled to get up, before eventually climbing to his feet.
"I told you he was tough! We aren't going to give up so easily!" Brawly yelled.
"Neither are we, are we, Makuhita?" Tyson replied, much to Makuhita's pleasure, who grinned inanely.
"Hariyama, Seismic Toss!" Brawly commanded, and Hariyama grabbed hold of Makuhita around the waist. After spinning around in the air to gain momentum, Hariyama proceeded to hurl his pre-evolution to the ground. Makuhita landed with a crunch onto the solid floor. Dazed and injured, he pulled himself back up to his feet, ready to carry on battling, but it was clear the attack had done a significant amount of damage. "And another one, Hariyama!" Brawly repeated. Hariyama grabbed hold of Makuhita again in what would probably be the last attack of the battle. Tyson, however, had been hoping for this.
"Get your arms free and use Arm Thrust!" Tyson ordered. Makuhita wriggled free, much to Hariyama's surprise, and smashed his fists into his evolution's face repeatedly and, due to the increased power from Focus Energy and Belly Drum, knocked the larger Pokemon off his feet. Instead of letting him get up, Makuhita continued obliterating Hariyama with his powerful attacks.
"Stop! He's down! He can't fight back!" Brawly screamed urgently.
"Makuhita, that's enough! Well done, buddy," Tyson congratulated as Makuhita returned to his Pokeball.
"Hariyama is unable to battle! Brawly is out of usable Pokeball! The challenger wins!" cried the referee, to a mild burst of applause from the audience. Brawly approached Tyson, a sour grimace to his facial expression. In his hand, he held a small badge that was shaped like a boxing glove. It was coloured blue, with the thumb being orange.
"Here," he said, handing Tyson the badge. Without any further comment, he turned away.
"Hey!" Tyson cried after him.
"What?" Brawly replied, turning his head to the side.
"Thanks for the battle. You were great," Tyson said graciously.
"Hmm," Brawly smiled. "You too." And with that, he turned and walked away to tend to Hariyama. Tyson headed out of the door, stroking the badge tenderly.
Later that night, Tyson found himself tossing and turning again. The dreams were becoming more and more vivid, serving only to further unnerve Tyson. Waking up, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was in his room in Dewford's Pokemon Centre, with Grovyle lying on his lap, asleep. Tyson smiled at the snoozing Grass-type. The past few weeks with Grovyle had been some of the best times of his life. His first real friend. His best friend. His only friend.
