Okay, it's been a while, but I promised sporadic updates, so here is one of them.
Just to say where we last left: Marc has finished the Gym challenger's course to qualify for his Gym battle against Roxanne and took the final exam. This chapter will be about what happens at the actual Gym.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
With the final exam out of the way, Saturday, the day of the real, actual Gym challenge, arrives. Out of all the Gym challengers, only about a dozen have made it this far… which is actually kind of sad, at least in Marc's opinion.
Sure, a lot of them were beginners, and it showed, but still… The exam wasn't that hard. Anyone who paid attention during classes would've been able to pass rather easily.
The interesting part was that there were also questions that couldn't be answered with the knowledge from the official lectures alone. There were only a few questions of that caliber, and the students could still get 90 out of 100 points without answering them correctly, but it still surprised Marc.
He figured out that only students who spent additional time learning at the library could answer these questions. Well, or students with the necessary field experience. It seemed that these questions were meant to reward the more studious challengers.
In the end, Marc has passed with 94 points and proceeded to the final challenge at the Rustboro City Gym.
The Gym challengers have gathered in the entrance area of the Gym. Roxanne would wait for them at the far end of the large hall. Between them lies a huge labyrinth.
The challengers have to take position at several small entrances to the labyrinth. Once everyone is in place, one of their instructors from the trainer school steps up to greet them.
Instructor [slightly solemnly]: Welcome, challengers! In the name of Miss Roxanne, I congratulate you on passing your academic challenge. Let me assure you that, just by attending your classes, you should have greatly improved your skills, so all of you did well! However, only one of you will earn the right to face Gym Leader Roxanne today!
The instructor turns to the labyrinth.
Instructor [calmly]: You will have to fight for that! Miss Roxanne awaits you at the end of the labyrinth. The rule is simple: Whoever reaches her first will battle her for the Stone Badge. Prepare the pokémon you have registered for the Gym challenge! When you meet another challenger in the labyrinth, you can challenge him to a battle. This challenge must not be refused, so keep that in mind! You'll battle each other inside the labyrinth, and only the winner may proceed. However, you're not allowed to impede bypassing challengers during that battle!
Marc has informed himself of these rules beforehand, and he already knows how he can use them to his advantage. He takes a look at the other challengers. They seem to itch for a battle and don't appear to have any plan other than defeating everyone they'll meet inside the labyrinth. This race should be relatively easy.
Marc waits for the start signal eagerly.
Instructor [determinedly]: Now, challengers, on to your final obstacle! Start!
Most challengers run into the labyrinth excitedly without a moment's thought. Marc, on the other hand, proceeds more cautiously. His strategy depends on not getting spotted.
Sure, battling the challengers inside the labyrinth would be good training, too. He also isn't too concerned that he might lose, although the battles might tire his pokémon out too much.
The real problem is that the battles would take time, time that another challenger could use to overtake him. If he spends too much time battling inside the labyrinth, the risk of someone else winning the race simply by outrunning him would be too high.
Marc is after the big prize, the battle against Roxanne, so he has to focus on the actual competition: the race. For this purpose, he uses the possibility to challenge any competitor to a battle in his own way.
Navigating through the labyrinth isn't easy. Every challenger ends up in a corridor that leads to a dead end at some point, some people pretty much don't to anything else in there. Whenever Marc sees someone entering such a corridor, he cautiously looks for the nearest challenger that is eager for battle, attracts their attention around the corner of a wall, for example by shouting, and leads them straight back to the other "victim" when that challenger returns from the dead end.
The tactic is risky… but also quite successful. Several of Marc's competitors end up battling each other rather than Marc, who, according to the rules, can just pass by the battle enthusiasts. They even have to wait until he has walked through the battlefield. If Marc was a haughty or gloating person, he would have the fun of a lifetime in here.
Most challengers take each other out without even thinking about how effective this strategy is. This gives Marc well-needed time to make his way through the labyrinth.
Finding the correct path isn't easy for him either. It would be something else if he could calmly analyse the labyrinth, but he doesn't have time for that. He has to take the "trial and error" approach, and sometimes he ends up twice at the same dead end.
Not to mention that he has to find a way around some lost competitors to avoid battles, although he can occupy some of them by using his "matchmaker" tactic, as he has dubbed it in his mind.
The effort pays off, though, when he spots an opening in the wall that apparently leads to an open space. He has lost track of his relative position within the hall a while ago, and the walls of the labyrinth are too high to see much of the outer walls of the Gym, so Marc doesn't know if this is the finish line.
It's his best shot, though, so he goes through that exit and finds himself in front of a… rather unique arena. There's a large circle of boulders, about twenty metres in diameter. Each boulder is about half as big as an average grown man. Well, maybe a little bit bigger than that. The boulders have been placed pretty much at an equal distance, which makes this place look strangely neat.
There is a stone platform on the other side of that circle. A large replica of the Stone Badge is embedded in the wall above that platform. On the platform stands a healing machine, a large computer console, which is partially embedded in the wall, and a woman, Roxanne.
Roxanne waits patiently until Marc had a chance to take in his surroundings. When he turns to her, she greets him with a small smile.
Roxanne: Welcome, challenger! I congratulate you on making it here first!
After Marc's arrival, an announcement comes through the speakers and echoes through the hall.
Announcer: To all challengers: Someone has made it to the end of the labyrinth. We're sorry, but this concludes the Gym challenge for everyone else this time. We congratulate you on your achievements so far once more, and welcome you back another time.
Marc could swear that he hears groans and deep sighs coming from the labyrinth.
Roxanne picks up a clipboard from the console behind her. It's a list of all challengers that have qualified for the final stage of her Gym challenge. She glances back and forth between Marc and the list for a moment.
Roxanne [slightly quizzically]: You are Marc Skitren, is that correct?
Marc just replies with a firm nod. Roxanne takes note of it, confirming that she has identified her challenger correctly, and takes another look at the clipboard.
For starters, she is curious how Marc scored on the written exam.
Roxanne [thinks, slightly impressed]: Oh, ninety-four points, that is far above average! [smiles] Good, very good.
She always appreciates it if it's high-scoring challengers who make it to her. Good students make the worthiest opponents in her eyes, and if it's one of her own students, it even fills her with a certain pride.
Roxanne [mutters, calmly]: Now for the badges… Hm, no badges so far. Interesting, but very well. [starts typing on the console] I have to use my first team then.
Each Gym leader has multiple teams. Apart from their main team, which they use to protect the denizens of their area of jurisdiction, they need seven more teams.
Which team a challenger has to face depends on the number of badges the challenger already has. The more badges, the more difficult the battle. Challengers with seven badges have to face the leader's main team as a final test to qualify for the central Pokémon League challenge against the Elite Four.
Roxanne enters the code for her first and weakest team. Once she did that, a drawer inside the console opens. Two pokéballs lie inside the drawer.
After taking the pokéballs, Roxanne lays the clipboard on top of the console and takes a large book instead. She turns around again and walks down the small staircase at her platform to face Marc.
Roxanne: Before we start with anything else, I would like to commend you for your approach to the labyrinth challenge. It is quite rare that someone tries to play the other challengers off against each other like you did, let alone successfully. Most people just try to battle their way through the crowd, so I always like to see someone use wits instead of battle prowess.
Marc has to think about how Roxanne could know what he did, but he remembers seeing a surveillance camera one time when he looked at the ceiling in an attempt to take his mind off the labyrinth for a second and to gather his thoughts.
There are probably several cameras everywhere, and Roxanne watched the challengers on the computer.
In the end, Marc is more surprised that Roxanne's remark sounds as if she has intended her challengers to take on this final test the way he did. Alas, even that doesn't matter now.
Roxanne: Finally, I will go over the rules for this battle once more. You are allowed to use two pokémon, so will I. You are allowed to use any items, since I am acknowledging good planing and preparation, but overusing items is unworthy of a capable trainer, so keep in mind that you may use any particular item only twice! Also, since this might be your first battle against a Gym leader, I remind you that you are only allowed to use the moves you have registered.
When Marc entered the Gym, he had to register his pokémon and chose four moves for each of them.
These are the general rules of the Pokémon League. During Gym battles, trainers are only allowed to use a fraction of their pokémon's movesets. This rule was established to create a strategic challenge for trainers.
This way, they have to plan ahead since they can't just use any move their pokémon know as they please. Pokémon can learn so many moves that adaptability isn't really a problem in a normal battle, so this rule is quite important to test the Gym challengers' strategising abilities.
Roxanne: Do you understand?
Marc just nods in response again.
Roxanne [thinks]: A silent one, huh? Well, it is not an issue. [say aloud] Very well, [determinedly] let us begin!
She sends out her first pokémon, a geodude.
Marc grabs his first pokéball for this battle to send out the first pokémon he has chosen, his carvanha, Bartholomew.
Roxanne's eyes widen slightly in surprise. This pokémon doesn't look very familiar to her, although she clearly remembers seeing it before. She concludes that it's a rather rare pokémon for relatively new trainers, who are usually the ones to challenge her, to have, but it's still native to Hoenn.
Roxanne: Geodude, for now, dodge! Use Tackle when you see fit, but be careful!
Marc: Aqua Jet!
Bartholomew charged at Roxanne's geodude, but it does a remarkably good job at avoiding the attacks, even when Bartholomew attacks repeatedly. Sure, he isn't very agile on land, but still…
Meanwhile, Roxanne opens the book she has taken from the console. It is similar to Marc's battle handbook, an encyclopedia about various pokémon.
Judging from Bartholomew's appearance, Roxanne figures that he's a water type pokémon, so she checks the chapter about them. She flips through the pages at remarkable speed and efficiency until she finds the right entry.
She skims the section about carvanhas at equally astonishing speed and turns her attention to the battle afterwards.
Her geodude has just dodged another Aqua Jet. This time, it sees an opening and counterattacks with Tackle.
Marc mentally commends Roxanne for training her geodude quite well. He doesn't remember seeing another pokémon that had such calm judgment in a battle. Most pokémon need their trainers for that, and without them, they just attack rashly. This geodude, however, knows when to attack and when to defend. It could have a rather calm, contemplative nature, but Roxanne still had to train it well for it to act like this.
Roxanne's geodude hits Bartholomew easily and pushes him away, but it also suffers some minor scratches from the contact and flinches a little.
Roxanne takes another look at the book. Carvanhas are known for their rough skin, she makes sure to remember that, but she knows that the sturdy rock armour of her pokémon provides good protection, so she's not really worried.
The fact that Bartholomew regains his composure immediately, on the other hand, is a bit worrying, especially when he counterattacks with Aqua Jet again. He's all fired up to win this battle for his new trainer.
This time, the geodude's reaction comes too late, and Bartholomew hits one of its arms.
Roxanne [mutters]: Hm, acceptable technique, and the use of a water type shows that he has the basics down. [says aloud] Geodude, kick it up a notch! Rollout, standby pattern!
Marc [hastily]: Water Gun!
Bartholomew tries to hit Roxanne's geodude before it gets away, but he's not fast enough.
Marc expects the first attack from Rollout immediately and decides to use it for a counterattack. When Roxanne's geodude comes closer to charge at Bartholomew and attack, it won't be able to dodge, so Bartholomew should use that moment for the next attack.
Marc: Prepare another Water Gun! [waits a moment] Now!
Bartholomew attacks again, and Marc anticipates that Roxanne's geodude would change the direction of its rolling movement just in time for the attack to hit. However, the geodude just keeps going normally and the attack misses by a landslide.
Roxanne's geodude keeps moving around Bartholomew in wide circles while picking up speed. Marc needs a moment to grasp the situation and to think about what this could mean. This really isn't the normal usage of Rollout.
Then it hit him: Roxanne intends to focus on one single powerful strike. Her geodude will continue dodging and building up power until Rollout is as strong as possible. The usually final strike should be strong enough to take Bartholomew out.
At first, Marc thinks about telling Bartholomew how to aim at the moving target. It is relatively hard, but overall possible, and for a moment, Marc has the feeling that this would be his best shot. However, he figures that the geodude is already moving too fast for Bartholomew to keep up, at least on land.
In the end, Marc decides to stick to his initial plan: attacking Roxanne's geodude when it goes on the offensive.
Roxanne: Okay, Geodude, that is enough! Attack!
Now, Roxanne's geodude charges at Bartholomew from behind. This seems to be the optimal path to take since Bartholomew can't counterattack, at least not without turning around, which appears to be too hard for the fish pokémon to pull off in the little time he has.
Or so Roxanne and her geodude think.
Marc: Bartholomew, backflip and Water Gun!
Following Marc's command, Bartholomew leaps into the air as far as possible (which doesn't mean that much) and performs a half backflip. While turning around, he starts an attack with Water Gun.
Unfortunately, he can't aim very well during that manoeuvre, so the gush of water mostly hits the ground.
Roxanne: Geodude, ju… [confused] Wait, did you just say "Bartholomew"?
Bartholomew manages to steady his aim and concentrates his attack on the path Roxanne's geodude takes. When it reaches the steady, strong jet of water, its force is so strong that Roxanne's geodude loses traction.
Unable to stop, Roxanne's geodude soars through the air. Due to the changes in its trajectory, it merely grazes Bartholomew, although the sheer force of the attack is still enough to push him to the side. He gets slammed into the ground rather violently.
As for the geodude, it eventually crashes into one of the boulders that surround the arena. The impact smashes the boulder into pieces. Thankfully, this geodude isn't that strong. The impact would've damaged the floor severely if it had been.
The whole scene is so intense that Marc and even Roxanne, who has seen her fair share of visually impressive battles so far, are startled and take a step back.
Once the dust settles, Roxanne cautiously takes a look at her geodude. It has fainted.
Roxanne [mutters]: What an interesting turn, I did not see that coming. I guess I should not have let myself get distracted, but it was still a commendable tactic.
She returns her geodude into its pokéball and takes a look at Bartholomew to see how her opponent is doing. He has a few bruises, but he can keep going. He may seem a bit exhausted, but he also looks quite proud.
Roxanne: That was good! Now let us see what you can do against my second pokémon!
She sends out a nosepass, and before Marc can decide whether to go for Water Gun or Aqua Jet, she takes action.
Roxanne: Nosepass, Shock Wave!
Marc needs a second to process this turn of events. Shock Wave? Does her pokémon really know such a move? That wouldn't be good.
He has to face reality, though, when Roxanne's nosepass charges up and prepares for the attack.
By the time he has come to the conclusion that his best option would be to attack once more to deal at least some damage, it is already too late. A wall of electrical discharges surges towards Bartholomew, who has waited eagerly for his trainer to figure out the right tactic.
With Bartholomew's weak defense and type disadvantage, the move makes short work of Bartholomew. All that Marc can do is to return the fainted carvanha into his pokéball afterwards.
Roxanne [slightly sternly]: You seem to be a bit too surprised by this. A decent trainer knows how to use type advantages, such as the advantage of the water type over the rock type, but you should know that a good trainer also knows how to counter it – and not to rely on it!
Marc has to admit that Roxanne is right about at least one thing: He shouldn't be dumbstruck just because she has taken countermeasures against water type pokémon. In order to win this battle, he has to focus.
However, before he sends out his second pokémon, he holds Bartholomew's pokéball in front of his face and whispers something to his carvanha. This makes Roxanne curious.
Roxanne: Pardon me, but what are you doing?
Marc: Bartholomew fought well, and I want him to know that. I've apologised for my failure. After all, I couldn't lead him to victory.
In his opinion, it is the least he can do. He's still not sure if Bartholomew is worried that Marc would blame him for defeat, so he wants to make sure that his pokémon isn't anxious about that.
Roxanne [hesitantly]: I see… [mutters] He seems to be one of those trainers…
Marc puts Bartholomew's pokéball away and takes his second one. It's time for the "MVP". He sends out Phire.
Now Roxanne is really surprised. She can't remember when was the last time she saw that pokémon. She is sure that she saw it somewhere, but she has a hunch that it was in a book.
She skims the book in her hand hastily, and fortunately, she finds the right entry quickly.
Roxanne [thinks]: A bagon… I do not think I have ever had a challenger with that pokémon. Intriguing… How comes a beginner as a trainer has such rare pokémon? [sternly] No, I should not be fascinated, I have to focus!
Roxanne tries to think of a strategy. Just as Marc, she is limited to four moves per pokémon. Her nosepass can use Shock Wave thanks to a TM, a gift from a fellow Gym leader, Fire Punch thanks to special training, Rock Tomb and Rock Throw.
Marc has an easier time figuring out what to do.
Marc: Phire, Dragon Breath!
Roxanne: Rock Tomb in front of you!
For a moment, Marc wonders what Roxanne means by "in front of you". Well, Phire is in front of her nosepass, so yeah, it has to aim in front of itself. Why would she say that? The last time she added something to a command, this addition had a specific meaning…
It becomes clear when Phire's fiery breath is about to reach Roxanne's nosepass, but a few boulders, which the nosepass has summoned, crash down right in front of it to block the attack like a shield.
Marc doesn't even know what to think. Rock Tomb is an attack as far as he knows, so he hasn't expected it to be used like that. How is he supposed to counter such a defense if he didn't even know it could be a defense until a moment ago?
Roxanne: Nosepass, now Shock Wave!
While the boulders are still shielding Roxanne's nosepass, it uses Shock Wave again to send a wave of electricity past them.
Sure, Phire is a dragon type pokémon, so the attack doesn't do much damage, but it's still a chance to attack without leaving an opening for a counterattack. Attacking from inside this "fortress" was certainly the right call.
Marc [mutters, worriedly]: No time to lose, I just have to… do what I can here. [yells] Phire, circle around, and Dragon Breath again!
Phire runs to the left to flank Roxanne's nosepass. Once he is in position to hit it again, he uses Dragon Breath.
Roxanne: Use three-four and Rock Tomb again right next to you!
Once again, Marc is dumbfounded. What does "three-four" mean? His question is answered when Roxanne's nosepass uses one of the surrounding boulders for its move rather than summoning one like before.
This also explains why these boulders are here. They aren't just for show, Roxanne intends to use them.
The boulder blocks the attack again.
Roxanne: Good, now use it for Rock Throw!
Roxanne's nosepass quickly breaks the boulder and flings the pieces at Phire.
Marc: Defend with Headbutt!
Phire uses Headbutt to deflect one of the boulder pieces while dodging the others. The impact pushes him slightly back, but thanks to his armoured head, he takes hardly any damage.
Roxanne notices this and takes another look at her book. She figures the trick behind this out easily. However, she isn't even concerned. In fact, she smiles confidently.
Roxanne: Use Rock Throw again! Then, use two-eight for Rock Tomb, attack!
Marc decides to repeat the tactic from before. He also tells Phire to use Dragon Breath right after defending against his opponent's Rock Throw, hoping that the attack comes faster than the defense Marc is expecting at this point.
The first part of that plan works as intended, but after that, Marc and Phire are caught off-guard again.
Phire had to lean forward to point his trusty "helmet" towards Roxanne's nosepass to fend off the rocks it threw at him, but this left his back wide open. This time, Rock Tomb isn't used as a defense, it is aimed at Phire's unprotected back.
When the boulder lands on him, Phire is so shocked that he completely forgets to use Dragon Breath. On top of that, the boulder pins him to the ground, so he is unable to move for now.
Roxanne: Now, Rock Throw at its neck and arms!
Aiming for Phire's vulnerable areas, Roxanne's nosepass keeps throwing rocks at Phire and deals considerable damage until Phire manages to struggle free.
Marc: Quickly, Dragon Breath!
Roxanne: Defend with Rock Tomb!
Once again, Roxanne's nosepass easily defends itself with a rock barrier, using the boulders next to it this time.
Roxanne: Shock Wave!
The electric type attack doesn't do much damage this time either, but Phire is already considerably weakened. He is staggering at this point, but he absolutely refuses to let himself be beaten here. In order to fulfill his dream, he has to win here and become even stronger.
Roxanne: Rock Throw, finish this!
Roxanne's nosepass flings the boulders it has used as shields so far at Phire, not holding back at all now. Marc tells Phire to jump out of the way, but he is in no condition to dodge all the boulders by now.
One boulder lands a direct hit and knocks Phire down. He tries to stand up again, but it's no use. In the end, he passes out.
The battle is over.
So... That's all for today.
This battle really didn't go as Marc has planned. The next chapter will be about the aftermath. No "little preview" this time since I'm not sure myself what the next chapter will include (or when I'll write it, by the way). That will depend on how long it will be.
There's actually plenty I could explain about this chapter, like the multiple teams of Gym leaders, my version of the "four moves" rule or the different mechanic behind the ability Rough Skin. I'll just leave it at this: If you have any questions, just ask, and I'll answer gladly.
So... until next time!