Chapter 35: Ash VS Roark! The Rematch!
Last time on "Pokémon Sinnoh Journey", the rampage of Aerodactyl for Oreburgh City had continued with Aerodactyl forcing Armaldo and Kabutops to escape the fossil center, and with police force, with Roark, Ash, and Brock's aid, trying to stop the destruction. Just as things could get worse, Team Rocket appears, threatening to steal all the fossil Pokémon! But, because of Aerodactyl's Attack, Armaldo and Kabutops were back to where they were.
However, Aerodactyl was still a problem, that is, until Dawn, Piplup, and Buneary had come, defeating Aerodactyl with the same spin dodge technique that Hikaru had used before! Aerodactyl was captured, but the problem with Team Rocket wasn't over yet. Thanks to Rampardos, which Cranidos evolved into, the peace for the city came at last, and with Ash's rematch for the Gym battle has now started to begin... today!
Ash walked to the challenger box in the Orebirgh Gym battlefield, where he aas going to face Roark! "Well well! By the look in your eyes, I can say that you're feeling pretty confident right now! Especially when you trained hard yesterday for this! Good for you!" Roark complimented. "Thanks! And today, I'm leaving with that Gym Badge for sure!" Ash assured, grinning. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, determined to win!
"The Oreburgh Gym battle between Ash, the challenger, and Roark, the Gym Leader will now begin! Each side will use three Pokémon! And the battle will be over when one side's three Pokémon are unable to battle! Further, only the challenger can make the substitutions!" Ian announced. Brock, Hikaru, and Dawn were watching from the stands. Sudowoodo, Croagunk, Piplup, Monferno, Eevee, Luxio, and Buneary watched alongside, too!
Dawn was dressed like a cheerleader with Piplup, Buneary, and Eevee! Brock had some thoughts to this. "Excuse me, Dawn. I hope you don't mind if I ask this, but... Why are you dressed like that?" Brock asked. Both Hikaru and Dawn sighed. "Well, ever since Hikaru and Ash trained yesterday, I just had to wear this to cheer Ash on!" Dawn answered. Dawn made the signal to Piplup and Buneary making the cheering role!
"Thanks, Dawn! After all of that, how could I not win this battle?" Ash chuckled, grinning. Roark took out his first Pokéball, and prepared to battle! "Onix! Let's go!" Roark called. The Rock Snake Pokémon appeared from its Pokéball, roaring at Ash an Pikachu! "Onix's first, huh? Okay, Pikachu! You're up first!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded and faced Onix in the battlefield! "So then, let the battle begin!" Ian called.
Roark: Onix + 2 VS Ash: Pikachu + 2
"Okay, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack, go!" Ash called. Pikachu used the quick move, charging towards Onix! "Come on! You know that Normal Type moves are useless against a Rock Type like Onix! Let's show them Onix! Use Slam!" Roark called. Onix began to slam its tail onto Pikachu! "I'm not using it to cause damage!" Ash laughed. "What!?" Roark gasped. "Pikachu, dodge then climb onto Onix!" Ash called. Pikachu dodged the physical Attack and began to climb onto Onix!
"Excellent! He used Quick Attack to build up speed, and to distract Onix! Onix, use Screech!" Roark ordered. Onix toard at Pikachu, sending loud waves toward the Electric Type! Pikachu gritted its teeth and held on, grabbing onto Onix's fin on the head! "Hold on tight, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Onix, shake Pikachu off!" Roark called. Onix began to move fast, almost causing Pikachu to fall off! "Pikachu won't be able to hold on for long!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Lux!" Luxio cried, glaring at Onix.
"Pikachu! Hang in there! Use Iron Tail, and give it your best shot!" Ash called. Pikachu made the right moment, slamming Onix with his glowing tail! Onix roared in pain, trying to shake it off! "Right on target!" Dawn squealed with delight. "On the right timing!" Hikaru complimented. "And a direct hit, too!" Brock stated. As Pikachu landed, Ash gave compliments to his starter Pokémon! Roark was impressed by the improvement, too!
"Pikachu's speed see,s sharper than last time! I'm impressed!" Roark smirked. "See how you like this! Onix, use Double Edge!" Roark called. Onix glowed with light, using the powerful Attack! "That's powerful!" Dawn gasped. "Okay! Go, Pikachu!" Ash called. Pikachu leapt in the air and charged towards Onix! Brock and Dawn gasped of what Ash is planning to do! Hikaru smirked, knowing of what's going to happen. "Now spin, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.
At the right timing, Pikachu spun out of Onix's Double Edge Attack! Both Roark and Onix gasped in surprise that their Attack was dodged easily! "Nothing like a new move that is made!" Dawn exclaimed. "I see... Pikachu's spin is most clever. Using the wind to put pressure on Onix, and to make them go faster! The powerful it is, the more speed that the spin gets!" Roark smirked, amazed with the new dodging technique!
"Now, let's wrap this up with an Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash called. Pikachu finished spinning, and prepared to finish Onix off with another Iron Tail! "Dodge it, Onix!" Roark called. Onix rapidly got out of Pikachu's way, startling Ash! "Now! Give them a good Slam Attack!" Roark called. Onix once again attack with Slam, succeeding this time! Pikachu was smashed to the rock and was buried, just like with Hikaru's Monferno the other two days!
"Pikachu, no!" Ash gasped. There was no answer for the buried Electric Type. "But, how did Onix dodge so fast!?" Dawn gasped. "I don't know, but Onix was faster than the last time he was before!" Brock exclaimed, currently in a surprise. "Even if Pikachu is buried like that, he won't lose! Not in a rematch like this!" Hikaru growled. All of Hikaru's Pokémon agreed with their calls!
"Ash, in between battles, I don't read comic books! It was a surprise that your Pikachu dodged Double Edge, but there's more to where that came from!" Roark explained. Ash gritted his teeth with irritation! "Stealth Rock, Onix! Go!" Roark called. Onix created spear-like rocks again! "Whys he using Stealth Rock now?" Dawn asked. "Remember, Stealth Rock is a move that deals damage to the other Pokémon that are sent out! Roark is trying to put some more pressure to Ash for his substitutions!" Brock explained.
"No, at this case, Ash will already be in trouble then!" Hikaru gasped. As Stealth Rock was closing in, Ash made another order! "Quick, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt, now!" Ash called. Pikachu caused a major blow, destroying Stealth Rock and shocking Onix! "Oh no!" Roark gasped. Onix was being shocked by the Electric Type move! "Now, Pikachu! Let's wrap this up with Iron Tail!" Ash yelled. Pikachu weakly charged towards Onix, preparing to make a finishing blow!
"Now, Onix! Use Screech!" Roark called. Before Onix had a chance for a counterattack, Pikachu smashed Onix with an Iron Tail! Onix fainted by the huge blow! "Ah!" Onix!" Roark gasped. Pikachu panted as Onix fainted, with swirls on its eyes! "Onix can no longer battle! So, the winner is Pikachu!" Ian announced.
Roark: 2 Pokémon
"Ash did it! He defeated Onix!" Hikaru called, making a fist of triumph! "Monferno!" Monferno screeched with happiness. Dawn cheered Ash with her Pokémon with Buneary growing more affectionate towards Pikachu. Roark returned Onix back to its Pokéball, thanking it for its hard work in the battle. "Ash, I gotta say, that was a pretty impressive work you used to defeat Onix! It takes a lot of work to pulverize a big Pokémon like Onix, you know!" Roark complimented.
"Thanks for the nice words!" Ash exclaimed. Roark took out another Pokéball, saying that the battle was far from over. "Geodude, let's go!" Roark called. Geodude prepared for battle! "That Geodude sure looks something. Pikachu, you take a break!" Ash called. Pikachu felt relieved to take a rest from battle as he ran over to Ash! "Huh? Why stop now when the two of them were having a momentum?" Dawn asked. "That should be a simple answer. Pikachu had used up a lot of energy by facing Onix. Pikachu definitely needs a break after that!" Hikaru explained.
"Ash made a wise choice there!" Brock stated. "I get it!" Dawn exclaimed. Ash took out a Pokèball and threw it toward the air! "Okay, Aipom! I choose you!" Ash called, releasing the Normal Type. Aipom landed on the ground, glaring at Geodude for a chance to win! "Alright, gang! Let's do our Aipom cheer!" Dawn called. No one noticed that Croagunk has left the stands, since they were too busy watching the battle! "Aipom, use Swift, let's go!" Ash called.
Aipom unleashed the Swift Attack towards Geodude! Roark ordered a Rollout, which resulted Geodude dodging Swift and began rolling to Aipom for an attack! "Quick! Use Double Team!" Ash yelled. Aipom made clones of itself, confusing Geodude, and causing the Attack to miss! "Now, use Focus Punch!" Ash shouted. "Block it!" Roark called. The Focus Punch was blocked by the Rock Type, startling both Ash and Aipom!
"What!? That Geodude actually blocked it!" Hikaru gasped. "Seismic Toss, Geodude!" Roark ordered. Geodude grabbed Aipom and went flying toward the air,many dropped down, smashing Aipom to the ground! "Aipom, no!" Ash called. "Again, use Rollout!" Roark called. Geodude quickly made another attempt to hit Aipom with a Rollout Attack! "Dodge it, quick!" Ash called,
Aipom used his tail to dodge, and to make a spin dodge technique, like with Pikachu! "Argh! Aipom too!?" Roark snapped. Geodude grew startled that his Attack missed again! "Wow! Aipom used the same spin like with Pikachu!" Dawn exclaimed. "Excellent! Now they have a chance for a counterattack!" Brock exclaimed. "Now, Aipom! Focus Punch!" Ash called. Aipom struck Geodude hard with the one hit Focus Punch! Geodude fainted with the impact!
"What happened!?" Roark gasped in shock. "Geodude cannot battle! Aipom is the winner!" Ian announced.
Roark: 1 Pokémon
"Alright, Aipom! Wait to go!" Ash complimented. Aipom landed on the ground, panting with the exhaustion! "That's two wins in a row! Ash is on fire now!" Dawn squealed with delight. "Ash is doing great right now with his Pokémon... But, there's a problem with this right now. Both Pikachu and Aipom looks really tired right now after the intense battle they had with Onix and Geodude. Ash does have two to zero. But, don't forget about Roark's last Pokémon." Brock explained.
"I know what you mean. The final part is going to be a bit difficult for Ash." Hikaru replied, sweating with tense. "Ash, the way you battle in a disadvantage and the way you turn it around, it's just amazing! I'm impressed! But, don't think you've won yet until you defeated my last Pokémon!" Roark smirked. "Yeah, I know! And I'm looking forward to battle it!" Ash exclaimed. "Well then, you can say for sure that your waiting is over! Let's go, Rampardos!" Roark called, sending out his final evolved Pokémon!
"Rampard!" Rampardos roared. "Here we go. Time to get busy!" Ash replied, glaring at Roark's final Pokémon, which was Rampardos.
So, Ash has a little advantage with the Gym battle right now, by defeating Onix and Geodude. But now, he'll have to face Rampardos now in battle! Will Ash be able to defeat Rampardos for his first Sinnoh Gym Badge? Find out in the next chapter!
To be continued...