Episode 34: Body of steel

Niko woke up the next morning with Lauren at his side, sleeping soundly. Not wanting to wake her up, he gently removed the blankets and inched his way off of the bed. However, this woke his girlfriend up anyways. He turned and stared at her, and she him, before he sat back down on the bed and began to stroke her hair.

"Feeling better?" She asked.

Niko simply nodded. It was true—he was feeling better. It was a new day, and he would be challenging Byron for his sixth Sinnoh gym badge. Although, he couldn't help but feel that there was something still bothering him. He felt better, but not completely better.

He sat with Lauren for some time before Brittany and JJ also got up, and the four returned their pokémon to their pokéballs after JJ fed them and, after getting ready for the day, the four of them went to grab breakfast by the port, watching the boats go off on their morning trips to destinations unknown. Afterwards, they proceeded to the gym, which was just south of the port on the west end of town.

The Canalave Gym was a tall metal structure with curving steel planks on each side. It looked very much like the Oreburgh Gym, but instead of having an earthy appearance, it looked more refined and almost had a steam punk look to it.

Upon entering the gym, Niko and his friends saw only a battlefield with rocks of varying sizes scattered around it, similar to the Oreburgh Gym. On the other end of the field sat a tall man with a five o'clock shadow on his face, spiky gray hair, a tank top and baggy pants, a cape, and a shovel in his hands.

"Welcome to the Canalave Gym, kids!" He bellowed out cheerfully. "I'm Byron! Tell me, do you all plan on challenging me? I've got a busy day ahead of me."

Niko shook his head. "No sir, just Lauren and I. I'm Niko from Pallet Town."

"Ah, Pallet Town, eh? Kanto boy. Should be an interesting battle, for sure. And you, miss?"

Lauren stepped forward. "I'm from here, actually."

"Oh? Wait a moment…" He said, eying Lauren. "I know your father. Yeah, we briefly worked together on Iron Island. How's he doing?"

"I don't know, haven't visited him yet."

"I see, I see. Understandable, kids need space from their parents. My boy certainly did a lot growing up. You've probably battled him already. Roark?"

Niko and Lauren stepped back for a moment. "Roark's your son?"

Byron nodded cheerfully. "Indeed he is, and a fine gym leader at that. In fact, I used to run the Oreburgh Gym, but left for better opportunities here. Roark wasn't pleased, but I left the gym in his hands and could not be prouder of the work he has done. Anyways, so two battles? Niko, and Lauren…who wants to go first?"

Lauren stepped forward after a quick smile in Niko's direction. "I'll go first!"

Byron laughed loudly. "Excellent! Three-on-three battle, then?" Lauren nodded. They had to wait a few minutes for the referee to get to the battlefield before they began. Once he did and explained the rules of the match, Lauren and Byron both pulled out pokéballs and began.

"Bronzor, I choose you!"

"Haunter, you're up!" Lauren shouted.

"Hypnosis!" They both commanded. Red rings appeared from both sets of eyes as haunter and bronzor put each other to sleep, leading to a stalemate.

"Fine then. Haunter, return," Lauren said. "Monferno, let's go!" She commanded, summoning her fire monkey. "Use flame wheel!"

"Bronzor, wake up!" Byron called out as monferno jumped into a wheel of fire and rushed towards the sleeping bronzor, eventually colliding with it. The bronze pokémon was knocked back, hitting a rock with the full weight of its body. This was enough to wake it up. Byron let out a sigh of relief. "I'm certainly not used to my pokémon being put to sleep, Lauren. Good work. Bronzor, use extrasensory!"

"Monferno, mach punch!" Lauren shouted. The playful pokémon rushed forward to slam her fist into the bronze mirror, but suddenly got caught up in odd sensation, causing her to stop in her tracks. Bronzor then rushed forward and slammed into monferno with its full weight behind it, knocking the fire monkey backwards. "Fire swipes!"

"Huh?"

Monferno's hands lit up in flames as she slashed at bronzor, catching it off guard and knocking it backwards. "Now, flame wheel!" Monferno jumped into her wheel of fire and slammed into bronzor, dragging it across the field and into a nearby pointed rock, defeating the mirror-like pokémon.

"Bronzor is unable to battle, monferno is the winner!" The referee declared.

"Monferno, return."

"Bronzor, return," Byron said, exchanging one pokéball for another. "Steelix, you're up!"

"Haunter, let's go!" Lauren shouted, hoping to have a better chance this time, only to find the gas pokémon asleep. "Oh dear…"

"Steelix, iron tail!" Byron shouted. The iron snake pokémon lashed its tail out, hitting haunter and ramming it to the left side of the stadium, away from the spectators and the referee. Crashing into the wall seemed to wake haunter up, as the gas pokémon frantically looked around in a panic, eventually finding Lauren, who smiled weakly.

"Haunter, let's go. Use hypnosis!" She shouted, thrusting a finger forward. Haunter nodded, his eyes glowing bright red before emitting increasing red rings that put the iron snake to sleep. Steelix fell forward, its massive head crashing into the ground with a loud "thud." Now with their opponent asleep and remembering Niko's training, Lauren commanded haunter to use dream eater.

Haunter closed his eyes, feeling around for steelix's mind. Once he found it, he quickly and easily invaded, corrupting the iron snake's dreams. Steelix began to thrash around wildly as if it were having an all-too violent nightmare.

"Now haunter, use shadow punch!" Lauren commanded. Haunter nodded, thrusting his fist forwards at steelix, knocking it across the face. Realizing how ineffective this might have been, Lauren called for haunter to use dream eater again, but steelix woke back up, this time in a rage.

"Great job, steelix. Let's win this! Use gyro ball!" Byron commanded. The iron snake opened its mouth, conjuring a fast-spinning ball of steel and launching it at haunter. The gas pokémon took the hit and slammed backwards into the ground, unsure what exactly hit him. "Now, dragonbreath!"

Steelix opened its maw once more and unleashed a torrent of purple and orange fire down on haunter, who found it difficult to protect himself. Lauren tried directing him to use night shade, which momentarily halted the onslaught of dragon fire, but the attack nevertheless proved itself to be painful for the ghost type.

"Steelix, finish haunter off with iron tail!" Byron shouted, thrusting his shovel outwards. Steelix roared wildly as it lifted its tail up and slammed it down on haunter, who was too slow to react.

"Haunter is unable to battle, steelix wins! Lauren will send out her second pokémon!" The referee declared.

"Lopunny, you're up!" Lauren shouted as she threw out the pokéball containing the long-eared rabbit. "Use agility and quick attack!"

Lopunny burst off of the ground, charging across the field towards the iron snake. Byron commanded steelix to use dragonbreath, which lopunny evaded, and gyro ball, which lopunny also evaded, before slamming its tail in front of the bunny.

"Jump on the tail!" Lauren shouted. Lopunny obliged, running up steelix's tail.

"Shake it off, steelix!" Byron shouted. Steelix attempted to, but lopunny was far too fast. On Lauren's call, she leapt off the side of steelix, foot extended out, and used jump kick against the snake's massive jaw, knocking the entire pokémon to the side before landing on the ground gracefully. "Use gyro ball!"

Steelix opened its mouth once more and, at an unexpected speed, conjured the gyro ball, which moved too fast for lopunny to react to. The rabbit pokémon was shot back across the field where she hit her back hard on a rock, whiplashing her forward.

"Lopunny, we can do this, alright?" Lauren said with a hint of determination in her voice. "You and me, we can beat this thing. Use agility and jump kick!"

Lopunny quickly got up, fire in her eyes as she bounded back across the field at steelix, dodging more dragonbreaths and gyro balls before launching into the air, spinning horizontally, and slamming her foot across steelix's jaw from the opposite end, knocking steelix to the ground in an archlike motion.

"Finish it off with another jump kick!" Lauren shouted. As lopunny descended to the ground, she aimed her foot at steelix's head, landing successfully with enough force behind her to defeat the iron snake.

"Steelix is unable to battle, lopunny wins! Byron will now send out his final pokémon!" The referee declared.

"Steelix, return. You did great. Bastiodon, I choose you!"

"Bastiodon?" Niko asked, pulling out his pokédex:

"Bastiodon, the shield pokémon. Rock and steel type. When they lined up side by side, no fore could break through. They shielded their young in that way."

"Lopunny, agility again!" Lauren shouted, wanting lopunny to be as fast as she possibly could be. "Now jump kick!"

"Bastiodon, iron defense," Byron said calmly. Once lopunny was close enough, he shouted "Flash cannon!"

"Run through the flash cannon!" Lauren called out. Lopunny nodded, but failed, as the flash cannon—a light gray beam of light—hit lopunny directly in the face, knocking her backwards on the field. Lopunny tried getting back up by feeling around her. Lauren paused in shock. No…that's not right…

"If you're worried about lopunny being blind, don't worry," Byron shouted out reassuringly. "In all my years using that move with bastiodon, no pokémon has come out of battle permanently blinded. It's only a temporary condition. Either way, your lopunny is not able to battle."

Why is that move legal…? Lauren asked. Frowning, she recalled lopunny in exchange for monferno, her only available pokémon left. "Monferno, mach punch!"

"Bastiodon, iron defense!" Byron shouted. The shield pokémon began glowing a shiny gray color, indicating that it was attempting to strengthen its defenses. Monferno slammed her fist on bastiodon's front shield, but cried out as the move seemed to hurt her as much as it hurt the former fossil pokémon. "Ancientpower!"

"Monferno, use mach punch on the rocks!" Lauren shouted. Monferno, using her other hand, stepped back and slammed her fist into each rock that came at her. "Now, flame wheel! And don't stop!"

Monferno nodded, jumping into a wheel of fire and launching towards bastiodon without stopping. She then found herself running up her opponent's shield and into the air.

"Now, mach punch straight down!" Lauren shouted. Monferno's other hand began to glow a bright white color as she slammed onto bastiodon's back. The shield pokémon roared out before monferno leapt behind it and used flame wheel from the back, once more hitting bastiodon.

"Iron defense!" Byron commanded. "Ancientpower everywhere around you!"

The second attack seemed to work out just well. Monferno got hit from every direction, knocking her to the ground and giving time for bastiodon to rotate its massive body to face its opponent.

"Now, flash cannon!"

"Roll to the side…now!" Lauren directed. Monferno ducked and rolled to her right before bounding off the ground to use mach punch on bastiodon's side and, on Lauren's command, another mach punch from the other side. Bastiodon's legs gave out from under it, causing it to fall from the force of the mach punches. Before it fainted, it released a series of ancient rocks hurdling at monferno. Panicking, the playful pokémon started launching punch after punch at each once before succumbing to the last few.

"Bastiodon is unable to battle, monferno wins! The victory goes to Lauren from Canalave City!" The referee shouted.

Lauren reached her arms out as monferno rushed towards her, leaping into her embrace.

"We did it buddy, we did it…I'm so proud of you," She said, pressing monferno against her. "But…we need to head to the Pokémon Center immediately. Lopunny was hurt in her battle against bastiodon," She looked up at Niko who was approaching her. They briefly hugged, but Lauren had to leave. "Sorry, I need to make sure lopunny is okay."

Niko nodded urgently, motioning her off, monferno quickly hurrying after. Brittany decided to accompany her as well, wishing Niko good luck before she exited the gym.

Niko turned to face Byron who had returned from healing his pokémon. After the rules were explained again, both pulled out pokéballs to begin the battle.

"Bronzor, you're up!" Byron commanded.

"Grotle, I choose you!" Niko shouted. "Use razor leaf!"

"Retaliate with extrasensory!" Byron commanded. Even though grotle was successful in hitting bronzor with his torrent of sharp leaves, he felt an odd psychic sensation course through his body that made him wince in pain. "Now, hypnosis!"

"Close your eyes grotle!" Niko said in a desperate attempt to evade the move. Fortunately for him, it worked. With a smile, Niko continued. "Energy ball!"

Grotle opened his eyes and mouth, conjuring a bright green and white ball of energy that launched at bronzor, once more hitting the bronze pokémon successfully. Bronzor reeled back for a moment before using flash cannon on Byron's orders.

"Grotle, energy ball!" Niko shouted. The grove pokémon summoned his energy ball once more, halting the flash cannon in its tracks. "Now, razor leaf!"

"Grooo!" Grotle shouted, a flurry of leaves flying from the bushes on his back. In response, bronzor use hypnosis, which put grotle to sleep quickly.

Unsure of how to get around this, Niko began shouting at grotle in an effort to wake him up. Nevertheless, grotle stayed asleep as bronzor unleashed another few rounds of flash cannon. Weakened, grotle eventually woke up and stood back up.

"Grotle, use razor leaf!" Niko shouted.

"Bronzor, flash cannon!" Byron commanded. Both attacks launched out, hitting the other. Bronzor spun out of control backwards, hitting the same rock as it did during its battle with Lauren. Grotle collapsed where it stood.

"Bronzor and grotle are both unable to battle. Leader Byron and Challenger Niko may both send out their second pokémon!" The referee declared.

"Steelix, I choose you!"

"Prinplup, you're up!" Niko shouted, knowing fully well that he could beat the steelix. "Use water pulse!"

"Gyro ball!" Byron commanded. Both sides created balls of water and steel and launched them at once another, forcing them to explode in midair. Prinplup then rushed forward to get closer to steelix, but the iron snake whacked him to the left of the field with a smooth iron tail. "Dragonbreath!"

"Bubblebeam!" Niko commanded. Prinplup released a stream of bubbles that somehow counteracted the dragon fire jetting from steelix's maw. "Now, water pulse!" Prinplup launched a second water pulse at steelix, this time hitting under the snake's jaw. Steelix retaliated angrily with another gyro ball, which hit prinplup square in the chest, launching it backwards.

Steelix then, on Byron's command, unleashed another jet of purple and orange fire against prinplup, who tried blocking it with water pulse, but it failed. The penguin then lifted up its long flippers, which briefly starting glowing bright gray before disappearing.

"Prinplup! You can do this buddy! Water pulse!"

Prinplup winced through the fire, getting up and conjuring a water pulse, which broke through the dragonbreath and hit steelix square in the face.

"Nice job! Now, bubblebeam!"

Prinplup launched another stream of bubbles at steelix's face, hitting it and knocking it over. Niko then commanded the penguin to use water pulse once more to finish off the iron snake.

"Steelix is unable to battle, prinplup wins! Byron will now send out his third and final pokémon!" The referee declared.

We might be able to do this…Niko smiled, having seen how well bastiodon fights. Byron unaspiringly summoned the massive shield-like pokémon. "Prinplup, water pulse!"

"Flash cannon!" Byron commanded, holding out his shovel in a gesture. Bastiodon unleashed the blinding flash of light towards prinplup, who closed his eyes and blindingly launched a water pulse, which burst instantly upon contact with the flash cannon, and hit the penguin square in the chest, knocking him over. "Now, ancientpower!"

"Prinplup, get up! Use metal claw!" Niko shouted, having only recently learned the move prinplup learned upon evolution. Prinplup's flippers began to glow a bright gray color as he attempted to slash at the ancient rocks hurdling towards him. However, the flippers once again stopped glowing, and prinplup felt the barrage of rocks hit him one by one. Prinplup collapsed onto one knee before taking a final flash cannon, defeating him.

"Prinplup is unable to battle, bastiodon wins! Niko will send out his final pokémon!" The referee declared.

Biting his finger, Niko pulled out his third pokéball. "Luxio, you're up! Use spark!"

"Bastiodon, flash cannon!" Byron commanded. The blinding light burst forth from the shield pokémon's body, passing by the flurry of sparks and hitting luxio in the face, knocking it backwards. "Iron defense!"

"Thunderfang!" Niko shouted, thrusting his fist forward. Luxio nodded, rushing at the former fossil and lunging forward to bite down on it. Unfortunately, due to the iron defense, bastiodon was far harder now, and luxio instantly felt a surge of pain erupt through his teeth and into his body. The spark pokémon collapsed to the ground. "Get up, luxio! We have to win this!"

"Bastiodon, ancientpower!" Byron commanded. Just as luxio was getting back up, more ancient rocks swarmed around him, hitting him from all sides. Bastiodon then unleashed another flash cannon, launching luxio across the field and into a rock next to Niko. Luxio collapsed onto the floor of the battlefield like a ragdoll.

"Luxio is unable to battle, Bastiodon wins! The victory goes to Leader Byron of Canalave City!" The referee declared.

Niko went over to pick luxio up, holding the feline pokémon in his hands.

"You wanted to battle. Are you happy with yourself now? You just proved to not only your friends and to your pokémon, but also to yourself how genuinely weak you are. You don't deserve to take on the gym challenge. Quit now while you still can, Niko, if you have any sense of pride left."

He sighed, returning luxio and standing up to face Byron, who was looking at him firmly. JJ then appeared to Niko's right, holding togepi in his arms.

"Niko, you battled well, but not well enough to earn the Mine Badge. I suggest you continue training until you feel ready to have a rematch. It is clear you don't understand how to fight the steel type pokémon, and if you need help better understanding this, I recommend you go to Iron Island, and look for a man named Riley. He is an old friend of mine, and someone I see as a second son to me."

Niko nodded. "Thanks for the battle. I'll look into your advice."

Before Niko and JJ turned to leave, Byron pulled out a small badge from his pocket. "You're friends with Lauren, right? Give this to her. She's earned it."

Niko took the badge and nodded, turning to exit the gym with JJ at his side.

"So…when are we going to go to Iron Island?" JJ eventually asked as they approached the Pokémon Center.

"'We?' No, JJ, I'm going to go alone."

JJ nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea, actually," They both then stopped at the entrance to the center. JJ then placed a hand on Niko's shoulder. "I know you're letting this loss get to you, but don't. This isn't Johto anymore, or the Indigo League. A loss isn't devastating enough to force you to quit. At least not a gym battle. So cheer up. We're still in your corner."

Niko smiled. "Thanks, man."

The two then went into the Pokémon Center to tell Brittany and Lauren the news. Both were understandably upset, but largely repeated JJ's advice to not let Hunter's words get to Niko.

"How's lopunny doing?" Niko asked, turning to face his girlfriend.

"Fine. Like Byron said, she'll need a couple days to fully heal up. Brittany told me about the time you dealt with something similar, and how you overcame it. It made me feel better," She said, moving over to Niko and cuddling up next to him. "I believe in you, Niko."

"Thanks," Niko said simply, lost in his own thoughts. The following day, he decided, he would journey to Iron Island to train.