Team: Percy (Pikachu), Fleance (Nidoran), Desdemona (Butterfree)
Chapter Nine: vs. Brock
William stood tall and proud in front of the rocky battlefield in the Pewter City gym. The lights were dimmed down, and he could barely see his opponent across from him. The gym contained nothing else besides the field and the two Pokemon trainers.
William's hands were clenched into fists, and his eyes were serious and calm.
Across the battlefield covered in rocks that pointed up in odd placed at strange angles, Brock stood with his arms crossed over his chest, frowning as he studied his new challenger.
"I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving my life two days ago," William said. "Thank you."
The corners of Brock's mouth twitched and hinted at a smile.
"I was impressed. Few trainers survive Scyther attacks – let alone beat and kill them." William shrugged at the compliment, knowing his accomplishments of the past would mean nothing in this battle.
"Do you understand the rules of this battle?" Brock asked William. Before he could respond, Brock stated them: "You may use up to six pokemon – I will be restricted to two. You may switch out your Pokemon at any time you wish. I may not. If I call back a Pokemon, then I will not be able to use it again in the battle, and the round will be considered yours."
"I understand."
"This is a gym battle. Your Pokemon could die if you are not smart enough. Do you understand the possible consequences of challenging me?"
"I do."
Brock plucked off a ball from his belt, and twirled it in the air.
"Then let's begin." The lights suddenly increased in intensity, making spots dance in front of William's eyes for a second. He felt his stomach twist upside down, and small seeds of doubt in his head. No one was in the stands, but he knew this battle was being broadcasted to the entire town. William was beginning to feel a bit of stage fright.
Did he really understand what it would be like to lose a Pokemon? Who was he to send them out in battle like this? Were they ready? Was he?
"Pika-pika!" Percy snapped fiercely. He was on William's shoulder, and he seemed to sense William's doubt. William shook his head, and bit down on his lip. He had to have faith in his Pokemon – and he had to have faith in himself.
"Go – Geodude!" Brock yelled as he threw the Pokeball through the air. It bounced on the ground and let loose the rock-Pokemon, Geodude. It looked like a simple rock with a mouth and a pair of eyes, and two arms that grew out of its side.
"Geo-geodude!" The pokemon said, pumping it's arms in the air.
"Then I choose…Desdemona!"
William unclipped a ball from his belt and held it high in the air, unleashing a Butterfree. The Pokemon flew into the sky, showing off her beautiful white wings. Her red eyes scanned the area, and found her opponent, a Geodude who was jumping off o the ground trying to reach the flying bug-Pokemon. Her two antennas twitched slightly, and she fluttered this way and that.
"Geodude – be patient, wait for it to come down!" Brock said, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Desdemona, stay in the air out of Geodude's reach!" William ordered. Desdemona rose slightly in the air, humming softly as she did so. "Now – use Confusion attack!"
Humming softly, Desdemona's eyes glowed a soft purple, and she unleashed a confusion attack on the Geodude below her.
"Geo!" Geodude gasped out in pain as a purple glow surrounded him. He hit himself on the head, trying to rid himself of the headache Desdemona's confusion was doing to him.
"Geodude! Calm down!" Brock ordered. "Pick up a rock and fling it!" But the Geodude wasn't listening to Brock, it was still banging its fists on its head.
"Another Confusion attack Desdemona!" William called out. Once more, Desdemona unleashed her psychic attack on the rock Pokemon bellow her.
Geodude was now being driven into a frenzy, banging his head against rocks, breaking them and splitting them into pieces.
"Geodude – enough, return!" Brock said, holding up his Pokeball. The red beam called back the Geodude to its ball. Brock held up the ball to his face, and said gently,
"Nice first try Geodude – you'll do better next time, I promise."
Brock clipped the ball back on his belt and unclipped another one.
"Great job Desdemona!" William said, smiling at his Butterfree. She hummed happily back, twirling in the air.
"Pika!" Percy said, cheering happily.
"Don't get too excited William," Brock said. "My Geodude was fairly 's new to the team. The real battle begins…now! GO ONIX!"
The Pokeball from Brock's hand let loose a giant snake-shaped Pokemon. Gray boulders made up its body, and it had a large, menacing-looking horn was on top of its head.
The Onix roared upon being unleashed from its ball. The Pokemon was huge, it had to bend its head down to keep it from breaking through the ceiling.
"Pika…pika…" Percy whispered in an awed voice.
"Your Butterfree's wings can't let it escape from me this time, William." Brock warned. William grinded his teeth together, and he held up Desdemona's Pokeball.
"Desdemona – return!"
Desdemona returned to the ball, and William clipped it back onto his belt. He looked to Percy, and smiled.
"You ready for a show buddy?"
"Pika!"
"Alright then," William said, unclipping another ball off of his belt. "Go – Fleance!"
William's Nidoran jumped out of his ball and landed on the ground.
"Ni-ni!" The Pokemon screeched. Brock smiled.
"Let's hope your Pokemon is fast enough William, I'm not sure if it could take many attacks."
"Don't worry about Fleance, he's pretty fast enough! Now – go Fleance, use Double-kick!"
Fleance charged through the rocky terrain, bravely straight at the Pokemon that was several times its size.
"Screech." Brock ordered.
Huh? Willian thought, What is he up to?
Onix raised itself up and let out a horrid screeching noise that made William's ears ache.
Percy flinched slightly.
But for Fleance, it was much worse.
The Pokemon stopped dead in its tracks and squealed as it rolled around on the ground, clawing at its ears.
Brock stood perfectly calmed, with a look on his face that said he knew this was going to happen.
"Now Onix – tackle attack."
Onix stopped his horrid screeching and lunged across the field at Fleance. When the giant Pokemon made contact with the tiny Nidoran, Fleance was sent flying backwards, and landed many feet away on the edge of the battlefield.
"Fleance – get up and use another double-kick attack!"
Fleance sprung back up to its feet and sprinted across the battlefield.
"Screech attack." Brock ordered. Onix bellowed out another horrid sound.
William bit his lips at the noise. Percy winced.
And once again, Fleance fell to the ground in a fit of pain.
"Now Onix, tackle attack!"
The Onix stopped screeching, and it dove for the ground once more.
"Fleance – roll out of its way!"
Fleance rolled away just in time, barely dodging the attack from the Onix.
"I don't get it," William muttered to himself. "What is happening?"
And then it hit him. The memory of when he first caught the Fleance. The Pokedex entry.
Its large ears are kept upright. If it sense danger it will attack with a poisonous sting.
Its large ears are kept upright.
Its large ears…
Nidoran had abnormally larger, and more sensitive ears than most Pokemon. While the screech attacks coming from Onix would normally merely make a Pokemon flinch, like it had been doing to Percy, it truly did a number on Fleance, who was more sensitive to sounds.
Fleance was backing up from the Onix who was opening its mouth once more.
"Screech," Brock ordered.
Fleance fell to the ground again, squealing in pain while he clawed at his ears. This time, he drew blood.
Crap, oh crap, oh crap. Why didn't I think something like this could happen?
"Tackle attack!"
"Roll out of the way Fleance!" William screamed desperately.
This time though, Fleance was not quick enough, and he was sent flying backwards once more. He landed just a few feet in front of William
Fleance struggled to get up, moaning while he did so.
"Do you really think you are the first trainer to try to use the double-kicks of a Nidoran against me?" Brock asked. "I developed this strategy a long time ago William."
Fleance was back on his feet, but his breathing was harsh.
"Withdraw your Pokemon William, it can't fight for much longer," Brock said. "I don't want to kill it."
"Pika…" Percy groaned, watching Fleance struggle.
"Ni! Ni!" Fleance squeaked angrily. William knew all three of them were thinking the same thing. Fleance was his only hope at winning this battle. Percy couldn't do any real damage to the Onix, Desdemona was too fragile to take many hits from a Pokemon as large and as powerful as Onix, and Henry, his Rattata, was untrained, and currently sitting in the storage box.
Come on William…think…think…think…
And then, William got an idea.
"Fleance – do you understand that the only attack you have that can beat Onix is double-kick right?"
"Ni, ni!" Fleance confirmed.
"Alright then Fleance, use horn attack on the ground! Break the rocks into dust!"
Fleance, ever so loyal to his trainer, followed William's seemingly crazy orders. He pounded the rocks to dust, and the air around him simmered with the sand.
"Are you insane? Onix – use screech attack!"
"Quick Fleance – clog your ears with the dust and sand!" William ordered.
"What?!" Brock exclaimed. Onix opened his mouth and sucked in the air necessarily to let out a sharp screech attack.
Fleance ran through the dust in the air and rolled on the ground, trying to get as much sand and dust in his ears as quickly as possible…
And then Onix unleashed his screech attack.
William bit his lower lip. Percy flinched.
But Fleance was unaffected. Onix stopped screeching, and stared at the Nidoran in confusion.
"Well, well. Impressive William. But now your Pokemon can't even hear your orders. How is he going to fight? Onix – use tackle attack!"
William didn't say anything. He could only hope that Fleance knew what to do.
Fleance sprinted towards the Onix, who was raising his tail in the air and then smashing it on the ground. Fleance ran side-to-side, dodging the slams of the tail.
And then finally, Fleance reached the Onix, and he jumped in the air…
And landed two solid kicks on one of the boulder's of Onix's body.
Onix screamed in pain, letting out a horrid screech. Fleance bounced back off of Onix's body, and dodged another attack of Onix's tail.
"Onix use bind attack!"
Oh no… William thought. That attack could end Fleance if he doesn't end this battle quickly…
Onix began to glow a horrid red color as he stored power from Fleance's attacks.
Fleance doubled kicked Onix again, and the Pokemon let out a horrid screech. But, it stayed standing…
But then Fleance did something brilliant. Panting heavily, the Pokemon jumped on top of Onix's tail, and then climbed up the body of the Onix until he reached Onix's head.
"Fleance…" William said in wonder.
Fleance jumped in the air and then kicked down on Onix's head, causing it to scream in pain again. Fleance landed back on Onix's head, who was now shaking it's entire body trying to shake off Nidoran on top of his head.
William watched terrified, knowing Onix was seconds away from unleashing his bind attack.
Fleance jumped in the air and kicked down once more.
This time though, Onix did not remain standing when the kick made impact. The entire rock Pokemon groaned and went crashing to the ground, it's body still glowing red.
Fleance jumped off of Onix and backed away slowly.
"Look out Fleance, he's about to unleash bind!" William cried out, even though he knew Fleance could not hear him.
Onix raised itself slowly from the ground, its entire body shaking in pain.
It roared once, and drew back its head, readying to unleash all the stored power.
And…
"Return Onix!" Brock said, holding up the Pokeball. A red beam hit Onix, and the Pokemon was transported back inside to the safety of the ball.
William stood there, his entire body tense and shaking, not believing what he had just saw. He held up his own ball, and said in a tense whisper,
"Fleance…return!" The Nidoran retuned back to his ball when the red beam hit him. William held the ball close to his face, and whispered in an awe voice,
"We did it…"
Brock walked across the rocky terrain, his face solemn and serious. He reached William, who was still in shock, and held out his hand.
"Congratulations William – you've won the Boulder badge." William, his mouth gaping open, shook Brock's hand. "You and your Pokemon have battled bravely and strongly. You deserve it." They broke apart from each others hands, and Brock reached into his pocket and pulled out a gray badge.
"You've earned this." William accepted it with shaky hands and held it in his palm. He admired it, liking the way the light hit the badge.
William wasn't sure what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that came to him.
"Why did you recall Onix?"
Brock smiled kindly.
"You had won the battle William. Onix was in no shape to unleash a bind attack, I was in fact almost sure he was going to miss." William merely stared at Brock, shocked. "What happened to you William? You had a persona of such a confident young man, and now, after victory, you seem so unsure of yourself."
William shook his head sadly, and said:
"I think…I think I'm just now realizing what I'm getting myself into."
