I'm back with another update! I'd like to say that I am sorry for keeping you all waiting for this new chapter. Like every other time I'm late to update, it's because my internet began to act wonky. And not only that, whenever I tried to work, I was hit by writer's block and didn't feel the inspiration to keep going. But luckily I got over it and my wifi got back to normal. Not only that, I'd like to congratulate my body for healing itself up after that nasty incident a while back! Now the wounds on my arms just look like black tattoos XD!
And just so I don't keep you guys waiting for this new chapter, what happened last time!?
1.) Alex had a trip down memory when Nicholas made it to the Pokémon Center!
2.) After being smothered awake Nicholas joined Alex at the meeting with Officer Jenny and Stephen Richards!
3.) Both told their sides of the story after they split up!
4.) Thinking it was his fault everyone got hurt, Nicholas apologized to Charmander!
5.) Nicholas regained his confidence and began planning for his match with Brock!
All caught up? Good!
Now READ!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon!
Chapter 14: Getting Back on Track!
It's only natural that a person has their own opinion on life.
For example; if someone were to tell you their beliefs for living, you wouldn't hesitate to share your thoughts, right? Because each person has some sort of 'drive' that keeps them going, be it their own beliefs or actual facts to support their reasons.
That's called a goal.
And goals build up character.
People have their own goals to look forward to. Teachers for instance, only want to see their students make their own paths in life. And the only way to do that was to learn, to give a 100 percent effort. Another example are artists, people who express themselves or others in the form of paintings or even music. Creativity is what drives them to become better at what they do.
Even daredevils have their own goals. Which is to live their life to the fullest, to find excitement in different ways. Instead of sitting around and wait for things to come to them.
Each and every person has something to live for. Be it teachers to artists to daredevils. But there is a prime example that expresses goals to its fullest extent.
Pokémon Trainers.
To others, they are just a couple of people wanting to catch Pokémon and battle just for the sake of it.
But to trainers themselves, there are only two types of people in the world.
People who are Winners.
And people who are Losers.
'Winners' are the type who get strong by battling will strength, skill, and train their partners to their very limits! They believe that only with strong Pokémon can your ideals become a reality, even if it means battling to the last breath.
However the 'Losers' are the type who only wish to make strong connections, bonds if you call it, with their partners. 'Losers', many of them don't wish to battle and only wish to be friends with their Pokémon. They don't believe battling is the best way to become the strongest partners, only showing kindness and love to their Pokémon.
But when these two types of Trainers make contact, it isn't the normal meeting between people.
Instead it's a contest of who's ideals are the most efficient in raising Pokémon.
A contest between the 'strongest and weakest'.
Like most places in the region, Pewter City has a 'winner' as well. And the winner is their strongest trainer, the Rock Type Gym Leader known as Brock.
Brock, a world known Gym Leader, has Pokémon trained to their limits like all 'winners'. Battle to battle, his Pokémon return stronger and more experienced so that the next battle is more likely to end in their favor of winning.
But that doesn't mean Brock only cares about winning, no, he is also labeled a 'loser' by certain standards.
Standards like he still cares about his Pokémon as if they were his own family. He raises them like children and knows their limits, how far they can go at a time.
As a Trainer, he believes that care is the best way to help a Pokémon grow. When he battles, he watches his Pokémon as well as the enemy's. He can tell if they were too tired to continue battling as well as seeing if they match up with their enemies so the battle won't end in drastic injuries. Even if Brock believes that his Pokémon are able to fight, he won't hesitate to call off a match if he deems they can't handle it.
That's what makes him different than most of the 'winners' in the world.
Nicholas isn't that far from the tree.
Most would label him as a 'loser' in the Trainer community because of his deep feelings for his Pokémon.
However he wasn't afraid to admit that he loves his Pokémon more than his own dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. Sometimes he doesn't even want to battle, only spend time with his friends.
But that doesn't mean he isn't a bad battler. No, for what Nicholas lacks in the strength department, he makes up for his sheer determination in his Pokémon. His ability to think of plans in the midst of battle is something that makes up a 'winner' from a 'loser'. And it's the same way for his Pokémon. They don't rely on sheer power, but on teamwork between Pokémon and Trainer.
They know their limits and won't hesitate to speak their mind without worry of negative whiplash.
Nicholas is a caring trainer. He gives his Pokémon unconditional love, in or out of a Pokémon battle. He treats them as if they were his family. But in battle, he takes charge if he needs to. Nicholas wouldn't hesitate to be rough if he was a 100 percent sure that it would push his Pokémon in the right direction.
However, that also meant that he isn't invulnerable to his Pokémon being rough as well.
Like when a situation ends in a failure, as their leader, Nicholas finds it to be his fault for their failure.
But that doesn't mean he's weaker than most trainers, only stronger.
The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the tunnel and the soft orange light radiated against the rock walls.
If one could witness the light grow brighter, they'd see a certain African-American teen and his Charmander walk around the corner.
It's been a week of recovering since Nicholas had last been in the Diglett Caves ever since the entire fiasco with Jack Daniels and the newly identified organization, Team Rocket. However, instead of it being something to keep him from his Gym Battle, Nicholas used it as a good chance to train. It was only that incident that allowed him to not only learn the extent of Brock's strength, but to learn the extent of his team's skills.
A time training to each of their specified abilities.
And that also meant bonding with the ones he didn't get a chance to.
When Nicholas learned that Spearow was finally able to be released from the Pokémon Center, he didn't waste any time in apologizing to her like he did to both Charmander and Fang. At first Spearow didn't show any reaction to her trainer's apologies, but looked like she had her mind somewhere else. Of course being the one talking to her directly, Nicholas wasn't oblivious to his Pokémon's lack of speech.
After having Charmander join in the conversation and translating, Nicholas soon learnt that Spearow had witnessed Brock's fighting style as well. And because of that, Spearow had finally admitted that it was Brock's strength that got her too wrapped up to pay attention to anything else.
But it was only hearing that Nicholas was determined to train his Pokémon for his Gym Battle, Spearow didn't hesitate to accept Nicholas' offer to train as hard as Charmander and Fang. As well as accept his constant apologies for 'giving her away' to Alex.
But it wasn't just Spearow that was determined in Nicholas' team, no, it was also Charmander and Fang that showed obvious signs of forced progression, each with their own motives of getting stronger.
Charmander's motive was simple; to prove she was the strongest. She wanted to show to everybody that she was capable of getting stronger. And what better way was to battle a Gym Leader, an officially labeled trainer of strength?
It wasn't hard to figure out Fang's reason for getting stronger. His reason wasn't for the simple dream of becoming the strongest Ekans there was, but instead becoming strong enough to take back his sister. After losing yet another chance to rescue Viper, it took that much for Fang to finally learn that he won't make any progress if he stays the same.
It actually caught Nicholas, as well as Charmander, off guard when they witnessed how hard Fang had been training. And that was before Nicholas made up a decent training regimen. They had caught him outside of the Pokémon Center in the middle of the night, passed out with tons of trees surrounding him. Trees with holes, both big and small.
That was enough of an explanation for why Fang hadn't been present for the first 2 nights.
And Spearow, it was just like Charmander's motives except with a little twist. It was her pride. Unlike Charmander who only wishes to label herself as strongest on a whim, Spearow wants to become stronger due to a certain loss in her first battle. The embarrassing, utter defeat from Diane in the caves left her bitter since that day. Especially when she remembers how badly beaten up she was from one Pokémon. And not only that, but had to be saved by an opponent whom she was supposed to face for a battle.
It was Spearow's pride that kept her going. To prove that she wasn't just another Pokémon in need, but something capable of fighting for not only her own protection, but for others.
For Nicholas, he valued his team's determination more than anything else. Sure sometimes he worried about Charmander, Fang, and Spearow pushing themselves too hard, but on the inside he knew that if they didn't push themselves to their very limits, they wouldn't be able to grow.
And because of that, he could see his team becoming the best he could ever have.
Just like the light at the end of the tunnel, that was slowly coming closer the farther they walked.
"Charmander," Nicholas began, breaking the silence. He looked down just as Charmander looked up. "You ready?" Without a word, Charmander nodded in response.
Trainer and Pokémon, both were ready. And Nicholas was the only person to witness himself what his partners were capable of, being their trainer after all.
And just like that, the light at the end of the cave engulfed them as they exited.
Nicholas' P.O.V.
"You're right on time." Both Charmander and I heard the voice just as we walked outside of the cave.
I pulled my hood down and felt the light morning breeze brush passed my ears. I looked around the small grass plain for the voice, already figuring out the voice's owner. It could only be the person that told me to meet him here, behind Diglett Cave at 10 in the morning.
"Where are you Brock?" I called out while Charmander continued to look around.
"Look up." I didn't hesitate. Turning around, I looked above to the top of the cave entrance where the top of the caves were formed. Sitting on a large portion of rock was Brock, legs criss-crossed as well as his arms crossed over his chest.
I leveled a stare at the Gym Leader in front of me, not at all surprised of his sudden appearance. "So I finally get to meet you..." I whispered, watching Brock give a small nod in return. Brock pushed himself to his feet before jumping off, landing in front of Charmander and I. "I could say the same to you." Brock said. "After all, I've heard about your actions during the Fossil Heist."
"I'm flattered." I couldn't help, but grin at the comment. It was like an impulse to crack a small joke to lighten the level of seriousness once in a while. However Charmander wasn't in the same boat when I felt the heat of her tail raise for a moment. "And I've heard that you were involved as well? In rescuing my friend from Team Rocket. Alex wanted me to say thanks."
Brock rose a brow and looked around as if something, or someone was missing. "Speaking of your friend, I'd believe she'd be here with you to spectate our match."
"Alex said she wanted to watch our match, but the museum owner said he needed her for something." I shrugged with a flat face. Although on the inside, I was a bit annoyed that she had to do something else. I mean it wasn't like this match wasn't one of the most important things of my life.
"I see," Brock said slowly before looking back at me. "Well, if that is all I don't believe there is anything else to put off our match."
This time it was my turn to arch a brow. "Wow, don't you sound eager."
And it was Brock's turn to give me a grin. "After hearing about your battle against Jack Daniels, I'd been wanting to battle you for some time. It's not every day someone can hold their own against a criminal such as him." I felt a sudden rush a pride in my chest, but I quickly put it back down. No need to get hyped over a single compliment. Even if it came from a Gym Leader himself...
"Shall we?" I asked, earning another nod in return. "Oh and before we start our little match, I just need to do a little thing first."
Alex's P.O.V.
Knock, knock!
I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently, giving the door a small glare.
This was seriously getting annoying. First Nurse Joy woke me up because Stephen and Jenny wanted to have a small meeting. 'More like an interrogation.' I huffed at the thought. And now she woke me up to tell me that Stephen called for me, but this time he didn't even saw why I was supposed to be here. Like are you kidding me!? This better be fast, because I'm probably missing the most important battle of Nicholas' Trainer career!
I was counting off the seconds in my head and eventually my mouth curled into an angry frown.
It's been 10 minutes since I've been waiting out here! When is he gonna open the freakin do-
I heard a click from the doorknob and stopped tapping my foot. When the door was pulled open, the first thing I saw was Stephen scratching his head and a sheepish grin plastered over his face. "Oh sorry," He began, making me arch a brow. "I must not have heard the door. I was upstairs getting dressed. Please, please come in." Stephen gestured inside his house as he took a few steps back.
I huffed and blew a strand of hair from my eyes.
Walking inside, the first thing that hit me was the smell of blueberries. I paused and unconsciously took another whiff.
I saw Stephen stop to look back at me. When he saw my face, it must've amused him because he smiled back at me. "You like blueberries?" He asked. Since the smell was still crawling up my nose, all I could do was give a numb nod. Was I that obvious? "Well you're in luck. Right now, my wife is making blueberry pancakes for breakfast. C'mon, we'll get you a plate."
I quickly closed the door and followed Stephen into the kitchen. I took another whiff and felt the scent get thicker.
It brought me to my senses that I didn't even get much breakfast this morning. And now that I realize it, Stephen was the reason because he said it was urgent.
I shook my head in annoyance and I was about to say something about wasting my time, that was until I saw an elderly lady placing a large stack of pancakes down on a polka dot sheet table. I felt my stomach growl and I blushed when Stephen chuckled. I saw him pull out a chair and gesture a hand for me to sit down.
"Oh!" The woman perked up with a smile. "You must be that Alex girl Stephen was talking about." After I sat down, I gave her a nervous smile and a small nod. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the steam flowing from the pancakes... The woman clapped her hands together, snapping me out of my daze. I jerked my eyes away from the plate and coughed in my hand, acting as if I wasn't ogling the food. "Pardon my manners, but my name is Lori Richards."
"A-Alex Rose."
"Lori, do you mind getting Alex here a plate?" Stephen asked, sitting down in another chair.
"Oh of course! There's plenty to go around!" I watched Lori reach into a cabinet. I could practically feel my mouth watering when I saw her plop the pancakes down on the green plate. "How many do you want dear?" Lori asked and I almost didn't notice the smirk on Stephen's face.
"Just get her 3, honey. I'm pretty sure she'll eat all of it."
"Y-Yes please." I muttered, eyeing Lori as she put the plate down in front of me.
"And don't worry about them being buttered. I already did that." Lori reminded, picking off a few pancakes and dropping them onto another green plate.
I didn't waste any time in grabbing the syrup and pouring its contents over the pancakes. After putting the cap back on, I grabbed my fork and knife, cutting out a large piece. I gave a hum of delight when the blueberry pancake touched my taste buds. "These are so good..." I whispered, making sure that not a single piece flies from my mouth. It was too tasty to let that happen...
"Why thank you, I work hard on those pancakes." Lori giggled, sitting down with her own plate of pancakes. "Please pass the syrup?"
I gave her a thankful nod and leaned a bit over the table to give her the bottle.
Stephen gave a hearty laugh. "To me, Lori's pancakes are the best pancakes in the world! Nothing could ever be better than her famous blueberry pancakes!" He declared, taking up another chunk of his food with a fork and sticking it in his mouth. He gave an enthusiastic 'hm, hm, HM!' and licked his lips.
Lori blushed and waved at her husband. "Oh stop, I'm not that good."
I beg to differ. She makes better pancakes than Nicholas-
My eyes snapped open and I stopped chewing. "Mr. Rich-Uh, I mean Stephen?" The elderly man looked up from his plate and arched a brow. "Wasn't there something you were supposed to tell me? Like why I'm here instead of cheering on Nicholas on his first Gym Battle?" By the time I reached Nicholas' name, I was already frowning in frustration. Pancakes or not, I was on a schedule and I intend to keep it that way.
Stephen swallowed and dabbed his lips with a napkin. "Oh yes, that." Stephen stood up, gently pushing his chair back with his legs.
I watched the man walk out of the kitchen and by the sounds of the floor creaking, I think he went upstairs. Waiting patiently, I took the liberty of eating more of my food and giving more compliments to Lori. Compliments like how the syrup brought out the sweetness of the blueberries. I was sure we'd get into a conversation about how she cooked so perfectly, but Stephen just so happened to walk back in the room.
With a brown box in his hands.
"You see Alex, the reason I called you over was because of this here package." Stephen explained, sitting back down at the table and pushing the box over to me. "This was supposed to be given to Brock yesterday, but I accidentally forgot due to the process of opening the museum back up. It is important that this is delivered today." My chewing slowed and I eyed the box with an arched brow.
"Wait just a minute," I said, my mouth still full with pancakes. I quickly swallowed before Lori had the chance to scold me for bad manners. "You mean to tell me that you called me over this early in the morning for this?" My finger pointed down to the box. Stephen gave me a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head. "Why couldn't this wait until later? I could be watching my friend's Gym Battle right now."
"I apologize, but with how my schedule is I wouldn't be able to deliver it myself. And seeing that you were on your way to Brock anyway, I thought it'd be harmless to just ask for this tiny favor."
"Please forgive my husband for taking up your time, he's a bit forgetful." Lori rolled her eyes with an amused huff. Her husband couldn't help, but chuckle at her little joke. If he was laughing, it must've been true.
I sighed. "Nah, it's okay. I guess that makes sense..." I looked down to my plate and saw the last two pieces of blueberry pancakes. I grinned and picked them up with my fork. "If he didn't call me, I wouldn't have had the chance to try your delicious cooking." Eating the last of my pancakes with a hum, I gave Lori a thumbs up and the old lady returned it with a giggle.
"Thank you dear. It's nice to hear how nice my cooking from other people besides my husband."
"Hey it's true!" Stephen laughed.
I chuckled as well before I stood up. Swallowing my food and grabbing the box, I gave both of them a nod. "Well I best be off. Hopefully I can make it to Nick's match before it ends." And that was a big IF. I still remember what Nicholas told me about his match. How Brock told him to meet up behind Diglett caves for their fight. I sighed. Great. "Thanks for the food." I said, earning a nod from Lori before I walked out of the kitchen.
Just as I reached the door, I heard Stephen call out my name. I looked back and saw him leaning out of the kitchen doorway. "Wait Alex, what are you planning to do after Nicholas' Gym Battle?"
"It's not up to me, but I'm pretty sure that if Nick wins, we'll be heading out for the next town by tonight."
"I see," Stephen said before giving me a kind smile. "Well I bid you farewell and good luck to your friend. Brock is stronger than you think."
"Thanks, we appreciate it."
"And before I forget, please tell Brock to give me a little call as soon as he's done with his match."
"Will do." And with that, I gave Stephen a small wave and walked out of the door. I didn't waste any time and started jogging towards Diglett Caves.
Nicholas' P.O.V.
"Come on out, Geodude!" Brock exclaimed, tossing the Pokeball in the air. In a flash of red, a small rock like Pokemon with arms landed in front of Brock. Geodude flexed its arms as a show for being ready to battle before giving a confident smirk.
I had a feeling Brock would start out with Geodude. It's only normal for a Gym Leader to start out with his weakest Pokemon first, as it would give their opponent a fair chance. Not only would it enable the trainer to evaluate his/her own Pokemon match-up against Brock's, it gives them an opportunity to hold back on their hidden battle techniques for the right moments.
And it's also helpful that for a Gym Leader to make the battle fair for the opponent, it is mandatory that only the challenger is able to switch Pokemon during the battle.
For me, I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would Brock.
I could tell that his Geodude was strong enough to handle anything. Even if it meant battling continuously until it faints.
"Which Pokemon are you going to choose, Nicholas?" Brock questioned, arms crossed in wait on the other side of the battlefield.
I already know who I'm gonna choose. The entire week of training wouldn't mean much if I didn't come up with a decent way of battling a Rock Type trainer. As I reached for my belt, I looked back. Charmander sat a few feet behind me with her arms crossed, a calm expression on her face.
She had been the first to hear about my battle plan and surprisingly, Charmander was with it a full 100%. Normally she'd point out everything that could go wrong, but she must've guessed I already knew. But nonetheless, she was thoroughly impressed and backed up my plan. Even Fang and Spearow agreed after they recovered enough for me to explain.
And because they agree on it, they each know their roles in this match...
Picking out a Pokeball from my belt, I didn't hesitate to toss it in the air. Brock watched the ball fly with slight interest before it released its standard red flash. Geodude lost his smirk and actually looked confused while Brock only raised a brow. His eyes were locked onto my first Pokemon, Spearow to be exact. Who in turn flew in a small circle and gave a battle ready caw.
"Tell me Nicholas," Brock began slowly. "Surely you know that Flying Types such as Spearow is at a disadvantage against Rock Types?"
I caught the falling Pokeball and couldn't help the smirk growing on my face. It was always amusing to see the other's reaction whenever I do something unexpected. And in this case, throwing off Brock seemed like a good idea. It kept him guessing on what I'd do next instead of thinking ahead on what he already knows.
And that's good, because we have the element of surprise. Not only does he not know how I battle, we've developed some new tricks.
"Of course I know that," I scoffed, waving a hand nonchalantly. "It's one of the basic things a trainer should learn."
"And you still plan on battling nonetheless?"
"Yup!" I crossed my arms and smirked smugly. "So I thought, why not try my luck and make this interesting. Though I'm pretty sure winning won't be from luck."
Brock couldn't help the chuckles that escaped his mouth. "You must be pretty confident then. Hope you can back up those words..." I nodded and saw Brock hold out his hand. "Geodude use Tackle!" Hearing his trainer's command, Geodude let out a small battle cry before launching himself forward.
"You know what to do." Was all I said. Spearow nodded back at me before flying forward. I watched as Spearow ducked right under Geodude's Tackle attack and pull up behind him. Pulling off a quick loop as if to gain momentum, Spearow's wings glowed white before she quickly flapped each of them. Without warning, several blasts of wind shot from Spearow's wings and each slammed into the back of an unsuspecting Geodude.
Watching Geodude crash into the ground, I put my hands in my hoodie and nodded slowly. So that's how strong Spearow's Razor Wind is? I chuckled under my breath. Nice.
Brock saw Geodude pick himself up with a small grunt and easily understood how much force Spearow put into her attack. His eyes stared into the small marks on Geodude's back. 'Even though Flying is weak against Rock, Spearow's attack still managed to injure Geodude...? Interesting.' Brock thought to himself before a small smile graced his lips.
Was he enjoying this fight?
"Geodude," Said Pokemon stood back up and shook the surprise from his face. He looked at Brock, awaiting for the next command. "Tackle again!"
Again? "Spearow, do it again! Razor Wind!" Spearow heard my call and repeated her actions; perfect a loop to gain momentum and sending another barrage of cross winds at Geodude.
Except Spearow was faster than her opponent. Before Geodude was able to get off of the ground, he took notice of Spearow's attack and crossed his arms in reflex. Brock wasn't far behind. "Defense Curl!" A light green glow covered Geodude's body as he flexed his crossed arms.
Razor Wind seemed to bounce off of Geodude's body, but that didn't mean it didn't have any effect. Geodude grunted in slight pain as he skid back a few inches. "Quick before he can do anything else, Aerial Ace!" I called out. Spearow cawed in response before shooting herself downwards, her beak glowing as she picked up speed.
"Rock Throw!"
Geodude wasted no time in digging his hands into the dirt. With a grunt of effort, a large boulder was plucked out of the ground and held over Geodude's head. Geodude waited a moment as Spearow soared at him. Without hesitating, Geodude tossed the boulder in the air when he deemed Spearow was too close to dodge in time. I saw the Rock Type give a smug grin as the boulder flew.
I shook my head. "That wasn't going to stop her."
Neither Geodude nor Brock expected to see Spearow pierce her way straight through boulder. It was like I said, something like a boulder wasn't going to stop Spearow's Aerial Ace.
However Brock had managed to get over his surprise quickly and called out for Geodude to dodge. Hearing Brock's voice, Geodude's reflexes allowed him to push himself away in time by slamming his hands against the ground. As Geodude flew back, his shocked face only grew when Spearow pulled up at the last second. This time Geodude didn't have enough time to either block or dodge as Spearow's beak made direct contact.
"What!?" Brock exclaimed as he watched Geodude helplessly rolled against the field.
"What, didn't see that coming?" I joked, looking at Geodude after he rolled into a tree. "I told you I'd make this interesting."
Truth be told, I had been holding my breath when I saw that boulder. I only half expected Spearow's Aerial Ace to break through. Even with all the training we pulled off in the last few days, I could notice her struggling with her attack. She was literally an inch away from crashing into the ground and if it weren't for the small morning breeze catching her mid-flight, Geodude wouldn't have been the one sustaining damage. Though Spearow would've had it worse from flying face first after going full speed.
I finally let out a breath of relief when I saw Spearow slow down and land. Though when I got a close look at her, I saw her beak had curled up in a grin of her own. While it was good for her to be cocky, things tend to bite the smug one in the ass when they weren't looking. I'll have to talk to her about that later.
"Geodude are you okay?" Brock asked, a worried frown plastered on his face. The Rock Type groaned as he leaned against the tree bark. He tried to open his eyes, but they came out rolling from the unexpected dizziness. There was a small blunt dent in Geodude's forehead, but nothing too much. That made Brock a bit relieved before he turned to me.
Brock clapped his hands slowly, amusement gracing his features. "I gotta hand it to you Nick. I didn't see you being this strong."
I shrugged like it was no big deal. "Eh, what can I say? I'm an interesting guy. Ready to call it quits?"
"Heh, don't get too cocky." Brock said, raising his hand. I saw Brock snap his fingers and out of the corner of my right eye, I saw Geodude pick himself up and look perfectly normal. "Because the battle is just getting started. Geodude use Rollout!" I saw Geodude bounce into a ball before spinning in place, kicking up dirt into the tree. At first I'd like to say I had enough experience against Rollout, but that was only with Graveler, who was BIG and SLOW. Geodude however, was SMALL and freaking FAST!
I saw Geodude zoom his way back onto the battlefield, aiming straight for Spearow.
"Fly up!" Spearow took off into the air, letting Geodude pass harmlessly underneath while trying to get leverage in the skies. However neither of us expected Geodude to suddenly roll to the side and bounce into the air, crashing against Spearow from behind. I saw a few feathers fall off as Spearow plummeted to the ground.
Geodude landed at the same time Spearow did, but he didn't stop his assault. While Spearow was groaning and trying to pick herself off the grass, Geodude did another sharp turn. I tried to yell out to Spearow in warning, but this time Geodude beat me to it by crashing into her again. But that's not possible, he shouldn't be fast enough to-My eyes widened and I slapped my forehead in realization.
Rollout always gets stronger and faster the longer the user is still rolling!
"Spearow!" I called out, just as I saw Geodude make another turn around while Spearow struggled to pick herself back up. Spearow cracked open a single eye and spotted Geodude as he was turning. I bit my lip as I watched Geodude charge again, faster than the last one. 'Being hit by Rollout twice was clearly too much for Spearow to handle,' I thought nervously. 'And if the third hit made contact, there was no doubt she'd be out of the battle...'
I can't risk that, not when she still has a role to fill.
"Spearow," I pulled out her Pokeball and aimed it toward her. "Return!" I saw the red flash escape the Pokemon and I let out a breath of relief when Spearow was caught in it just in time. Not even half a second later, I saw Geodude rip through the grass where Spearow was laying.
I looked down at her Pokeball. "Take a good rest. You'll be needed soon."
Realizing that Spearow wasn't on the field anymore, Geodude stopped his Rollout in front of Brock, arms crossed with a victorious grin. "I see you're smart enough to call back your Spearow." Brock said smoothly with a hint of smug lacing his words. I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes. It doesn't take a genius to know when to call it quits. "What's your next Pokemon gonna be? Will it be your Charmander?"
I shook my head and reached for another Pokeball. "You'll see." Once the Pokeball grew in my hands, I tossed it into the air and let the red flash land in front of me.
Fang materialized in front of me, coiled up like a spring. He raised his head from his coils and stared at Geodude with narrowed eyes, tongue slipping through his lips. At first I thought Fang was ready to fight, but for some reason he looked a bit angry instead. After staring at Fang for a few seconds, I shook my head to rid such thoughts. I'll deal with that later, but for now...
"Rollout!"
I held out my hand just as Geodude curled up into a ball. "Dig!" Fang let out a loud hiss at the charging Geodude before he sprung from his coils, diving head first into the ground.
I noticed that Geodude was slower than before, which was probably the reason Fang was able to burrow into the ground so quickly. Guess the power and speed boost of Rollout wears off once the user stops rolling huh? And speaking of stopping, I saw Geodude pause in his tracks the second he passed over the newly made hole. He looked down the hole with blinking eyes.
And while Geodude was occupied staring into the hole, a few cracks appeared a few feet behind him until Fang's head popped up. "Poison Sting!" Mouth glowing purple, Fang shot out a barrage of glowing needles straight as Geodude's back.
"Defense Curl!" Brock immediately shouted.
Without thinking, Geodude bounced back from the hole and crossed his arms over his face, familiar green glow appearing around him. I guess Geodude was expecting Fang to attack him from the front. I felt a bit bad when felt several spots on his back get pierced. Geodude gasped in surprise and turned around, only to see smoke where Fang was last located.
I blinked before a thought came to mind. 'Wait, he just used Defense Curl just now. Weren't those supposed to bounce off?' Huh, I guess Defense Curl only works in the front. I chuckled deviously and rubbed my hands together. Interesting...
"Geodude, be careful!" Brock warned, looking around the field warily. "He could pop up anywhere."
"Like right now?" I pointed out just as Fang sprung from the ground, this time his entire body flying out right in front of Geodude. "Poison Sting again!" Using the time Geodude spent caught off guard, Fang shot another set of poison needles just as he flew overhead. He didn't even have time to think of a way to protect himself. I saw Geodude wince in pain when more needles made contact with the top of his head and back.
"Tackle!" Geodude spun around to charge Fang again, only to see the tip of his purple tail disappear into a new hole. Geodude sucked his teeth in annoyance before shaking the needles from his body.
"What's the matter, can't find a target?" I joked again, but instead of earning a smile in return, Brock scowled in frustration. Brock didn't say anything back and continued to stare at the field. Only when he noticed a small crack appear behind Geodude did he shout out again. "Rollout at 4 o'clock!" Geodude bounced into a ball again and turned to his right.
Just like Brock said, Fang resurfaced from the ground with another Poison Sting attack ready.
Geodude launched himself forward just as Fang let loose another barrage of needles. From the increasing momentum Geodude was giving off during Rollout, his spinning hide allowed the Poison Sting to bounce off harmlessly. Luckily with Fang's natural mobility he was able to spring from the hole and maneuvered his way over Geodude's Rollout. "Quick before he has the chance to use Dig!" Geodude did another sharp turn and zoomed back, this time with an increase in speed.
It was still a good thing Fang was just a bit faster in using Dig.
Even if Fang dug back into the ground, Geodude continued to use Rollout all over the field. It didn't take long for Fang to resurface, but it also didn't take long for Geodude to make his way towards him.
It was actually kinda funny. Whenever Fang popped up from the ground, Geodude zooms toward him like a bullet and misses at the last second. It was like a Pokemon Battle version of Whack-a-Mole!
However I decided to cut my fun short. "Fang, come on out!" I called. "It's time to finish this!"
As Geodude continued to roll around the field, now as a grey blur from his speed maxing out, a crack showed up directly in Rollout's path. And just as Geodude was close enough, the ground erupted. Geodude's Rollout was canceled out as he flew into the air due to a headbutt, courtesy of Fang.
Brock watched in worry as Geodude groaned with spinning eyes, preferably due to the constant use of Rollout. "Geodude!" The Rock Type blinked and saw Fang fly towards him with open jaws. Thinking another Poison Sting attack was going to be launched, Geodude crossed his arms in Defense Curl. However Fang had different plans, just like I had. "Wrap!" Quickly taking the chance, Fang bit onto one of Geodude's arms and curled his entire body around him, leaving no inch uncovered except the top of Geodude's head.
A grunt escaped from the Rock Type as Fang's body coiled up tighter, causing cracks to appear all around Geodude's body.
As the duo crashed back into the ground, Fang rolled Geodude over until he was on top. Geodude cracked open an eye to look at Fang, only for it to widen when it saw Fang's gaping mouth hovering above his face. Or more precisely, the glowing sharp tooth. "Crunch!" I called out and Fang didn't hesitate to drive that single tooth into Geodude's head. Geodude called out in pain as Fang bit harder, causing a crack to appear.
Brock could do nothing, but watch as Fang slithered off of Geodude with a smirk, who was laying on the grass with swirly eyes. Clearly down for the count!
"Yes! So far so good!" I cheered to myself, turning around to Charmander and giving her a double thumbs up. She rolled her eyes with an amused smile, but still said nothing.
"Geodude return." Brock said as he held out a Pokeball. After another flash of red light, Geodude's Pokeball was held in front of Brock's face, who smiled at it sadly. "You did a great job. You deserve a good rest." Brock looked up at me and hooked the Pokeball back onto his belt. "Well Nick, it seems I've gotten it all wrong."
I stopped cheering and looked at Brock with a raised brow. "Say what now?"
"I knew you were strong, but to beat Geodude with a Flying and Poison Type Pokemon really says something." Suddenly Brock's smile vanished and his face turned serious as his hand inched back toward his belt. "Too bad this is where your luck runs out."
"I can handle anything you throw at me!"
"Oh really?" Brock said before throwing another Pokeball. "Come on out!"
I covered my eye from the bright light. Hearing a loud growl, I opened an eye through my fingers. Hovering above all of us was a large rock snake-like Pokemon with a rocky spine on it's head. This was Brock's trump card, his strongest player.
Onix.
I blinked before pulling my hand away from my face, a confident expression taking over my face. "Okay, so you got a big Pokemon big deal. Doesn't mean anything!" I took a defiant step forward and looked down at Fang. "We can handle him!" Fang looked back up at me with a deadpanned face before sighing and slithering forward. I felt a bit bad that he has to go through with this, but it was all part of the plan.
But that didn't mean, I wasn't sweating bullets too.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! I can't believe it took me so long to write this out! Wow, writer's block is a bitch I tell you that. Anyway, how did you guys like it? Again, I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I hope this was enough to satisfy all of my loyal readers! I promise to update as soon as I can, but if it seems like I take too long please don't be afraid to PM me! Just so people don't start thinking I gave up, too lazy to write, or I'm dead. It bugs me to remind myself that people are waiting on me and I feel more comfortable if people ask me if I'm still working.
Anyway, thank you for reading! I'll re-post as soon as I can, even though I'm working on other things too. Please understand that!
Next time on If I Was In Pokemon!
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