Chapter 3: To Smash a Rock

Bright light stung Dawn's eyes as she stepped out of the cave, her hand automatically rising to shield her eyes from the sunlight. After a few minutes peeking through the gaps in her fingers Dawn allowed her hand to drop, looking at the city sprawling throughout the valley beneath her feet.

Oreburgh City was bigger than she'd expected, brick, stone and steel buildings stretching out as far as the eye could see. The industrial bent of the city was clear; construction equipment and huge factories were visible all over the city. Dawn could even see the giant conveyor belts, thick steel beams and dark hole where the famous Oreburgh Mine sat at the other end of the city. The air was surprisingly clean; in her daydreams before she started her journey, she always imagined huge clouds of black smoke trailing from the factories and clogging the air. Well, if that was true the flying-types would have attacked the city in rage and the League would have come down on the city for violating environmental law, so she supposed it couldn't fit all the stereotypes.

Crest still had his eyes hidden behind his wings, standing a little behind Dawn in order to block the rays of the sun. After walking through the lamplit caves of the Oreburgh Gate for two days the sun was blinding to his sensitive eyes, through when she glanced back at him, he turned up his beak and looked away, dropping his wings as if ashamed to show weakness.

They had arrived at the Oreburgh Gate after six full days of walking from Jubilife, with another two days spent walking along the lamplit path inside the Gate itself. Ion had proved especially helpful in the caves, his ability to use a weak, natural version of the Flash technique for short amounts of time allowing them to navigate the darker parts of the path and find good places to sleep. It also came in handy whenever they had to scare off a curious resident of the caves; most of the Pokémon in there were not used to the bright light Ion could produce. Their training had continued whenever they decided to stop but since the cave was narrow they had little room for move training, instead focusing mostly on sprints and exercises that didn't require more space.

The dark, enclosed environment had affected them all differently. Zephyr had hated the experience, asking to be returned only an hour into the expedition and only coming out at mealtimes. Dawn had no idea what she was going to do with him when she had to make the much longer trip through Mt. Coronet to travel to the eastern side of Sinnoh. Neither Crest nor Ion enjoyed the constant darkness and dampness, but they didn't mind nearly as much as poor Zephyr. Dawn's heart nearly broke watching the little bird be so sullen and downtrodden when he normally never let anything get him down.

Thus. the first thing she did after letting her hand drop was release Zephyr right into the sky. He fell for a second, startled at the sudden release after a full day in his Pokéball. A moment later he was screaming his way higher into the sky, wings glowing white with Quick Attack as he rushed to the open sky.

Ion watched Zephyr fly higher from his place at her right side, the glow beginning to fade from his blue coat. He hadn't gotten to meet Zephyr for more than the initial day outside the Gate and the single hour inside, so he wasn't prepared for his boisterous teammate yet. That would change soon. Especially if Zephyr stayed this energetic for long.

Ion had stuck close to Dawn during their jaunt through the caves, eyes darting around nervously and occasionally glowing for a few seconds. The electric type appeared timid, but whenever they had to fight off a random Zubat or the occasional Geodude Ion became much more serious, facing down their opponent without flinching. It was an odd reaction to danger, but Dawn assumed it came from having to be on guard all the time while traveling on his own after being kicked out of his original pack. Hopefully he would calm down a little now that they were in full sunlight.

Crest had a more worrying reaction to the cave; he was even quieter than usual and unwilling to interact with Ion or Zephyr much when they stopped. He was more resistant to training, especially when Dawn tried to have him pair up to do team exercises. He wandered off on his own more, staying just close enough to be visible without being near Dawn and Ion as they walked. Even worse, this wasn't new behavior. He'd been less responsive to her and the team ever since leaving Jubilife City. He'd gotten a little better after Ion joined the team but when they entered the Gate his behavior had taken a sharp nosedive. If she didn't figure out a way to help him mesh with the team soon, she didn't know what might happen.

Dawn and her partners began to pick their way down the rocky path that led into the city. It was well maintained but in Dawn's (somewhat recent) experience, any path near the mountains was bound to pick up a healthy coating of loose rocks meant to trip innocent trainers. Most city dwellers and travelers who weren't traveling trainers would have taken the train into the city so there was no need for the workers to clear this path too often.

Before the modern age all the cities set in Sinnoh's central Coronet range had been forced to be self-sufficient or export a valuable good as it took weeks to ascend into and return from the cities set in such harsh terrain. With the invention of trains, all cities in Sinnoh now had access to quick transportation across the region, even if most of the train lines were underground in an effort to avoid disturbing the natural landscape and Pokémon. Unless you were a traveling trainer or had plenty of time to spare to enjoy the aboveground scenery, it made far more sense to take the train between cities instead of the riskier and longer roads.

Oreburgh didn't have the giant crowds of Jubilife but it was a busy city, people rushing to and fro in the streets with their Pokémon partners at their sides. Dawn saw a disproportionate amount of rock, steel and fighting types on the street. Most of the people passing by were big and burly, clearly used to working with their bodies. The streets were generally clean and well organized but there was a fine layer of dirt ground into every available surface. This was a city of hard workers, physical laborers and miners working to supply the rest of Sinnoh with the minerals and materials they needed to thrive.

The importance of the Oreburgh Mine could be seen everywhere. Huge vents set into the sides of many buildings and sometimes the ground itself exchanged the stale air in the mines for fresh air. It also allowed for steam to escape and hopefully cleaned the mines of any poisonous gasses. The vents also explained why the air was so clean; the city needed to keep it pristine for the miners to have fresh air. Pollution would be a big problem, more so than in most other cities.

Many of the buildings were made of different types of stone; a stately hotel made of granite, a huge bank of white marble, a warehouse in wood and slate. Huge conveyor belts wove between many of the warehouses and other buildings, all converging at one end of the city, near the giant hole that was the Oreburgh Mine. Even the Pokémon Center reflected the mining bent of the town; the iconic red roof was made of a shiny red stone that Dawn couldn't identify. It was much smaller than the giant version they had seen in Jubilife, but it gave Dawn the same sense of relief to walk through the automatic double doors into the lobby. After over a week of traveling and two days with without seeing the sky, they were due for a little relaxation.

#

A light tap touched Dawn's nose, rousing her from a sound sleep. A lazy hand came up to try to bat it away but found nothing there. The moment her hand moved away, the light tap returned, a little more forceful this time. Dawn's hand moved faster in order to catch the offender but all she succeeded in doing was smacking herself in the face.

Dawn shot up, tossing a little blue body to the floor with a high-pitched mewl of confusion. Still rubbing her nose Dawn looked down to see Ion on the floor, big yellow eyes trained on her in confusion.

"Sorry buddy, you surprised me. What's up?" Dawn looked over to the nightstand and got her answer immediately. Light streamed in between the slats of the window shades and the alarm clock on the nightstand read 10:07 am. She normally got up at 8 at the latest and fed her Pokémon immediately.

"Sorry buddy, I didn't know how late I slept," Dawn reassured the confused kit, hauling herself out of bed with effort and hunting in her bag for fresh clothes. It took a couple rounds of the smell test before she found something that would work. Looking over at her bed she found Crest and Zephyr still fast asleep. Crest had made himself a nest of pillows and blankets taken from the bed and was curled up unmoving in the corner of the room while Zephyr snored on from his perch on the headboard. There were perches made for flying types near the window, but Zephyr had chosen to sleep with the rest of the team.

"Well they're not getting up anytime soon," Dawn told her fellow (somewhat) early riser. "Let's go find some food and some sunshine." Dawn scooped up Ion and walked downstairs to find some breakfast, the electric type held securely in her arms. Every once in a while she could feel a light static charge run across her skin from Ion's paws but it was small enough to ignore.

Dawn decided to forego the Pokémon Center's breakfast buffet, choosing to explore the city a bit instead. It was a beautiful day outside, sunny with a cold breeze that took the edge off the sun's heat. Only two blocks down the road Dawn found a small market set up, people wandering between stalls of food and handmade goods while the sellers expounded on the quality of their wares.

Dawn and Ion wandered from stall to stall. Only Dawn's meager trainer account stopped her from buying many of the delicious looking pastries and fruits. Ion tried to give her Baby-Doll Eyes look when they passed a stall selling treats made for electric-types, but she was somewhat able to resist the begging. "Sorry buddy, I don't have the funds to treat us right now. I promise I'll buy us a great reward after we get the winnings from the gym battle." Ion perked up at that, looking up at his trainer with curiosity clear in his eyes.

"I haven't told you much about that yet, have I? Well Oreburgh City's Gym Leader uses Rock type Pokémon. I know that Roark does three-on-three battles, so you'll get to fight. That's why we've been working on Bite these past few days. It won't be easy, but I know we can win!" We have to win. This is our first big test, the battle that will prove we can do this, together. If we can win a battle in which two of our fighters are at a major disadvantage, we can take on anything. We can do this!

Ion seemed to sense her inner thoughts, wriggling in her arms and mewling loudly, licking her with his tiny tongue. He looked up at her with those huge yellow eyes and mewled again, his tail thumping against her chest and electric sparks making all the hair on her arms stand up straight beneath her sleeves. He believed, that was clear. How could she not do the same?

"Well before we drive Roark into the ground, let's find some foo-" Dawn hadn't even finished speaking when Ion wriggled again, this time thrashing so frantically that she had to bend down and set him on the ground, trying to avoid the stomping feet of all the people moving around the market. The second his paws touched the ground Ion took off for a nearby stall, leaping onto the table and scaring the poor proprietor half to death. By the time Dawn ran over Ion had his paws wrapped around a small jar and was enthusiastically trying to tear the lid off.

"…Peanut butter? Really?"

When Dawn and Ion returned to the Pokémon Center half an hour later Ion was still in the process of licking his paws clean and Dawn was two jars of peanut butter poorer. While Ion was attacking his… odd choice of breakfast Dawn had managed to pick up some berries for Crest and Zephyr. Zephyr could peck through an entire bush of Leppa berries in minutes, so she had a bundle for him and some Lum berries for Crest. Looking down at Ion falling flat on his face in an attempt to lick his paws and walk at the same time, Dawn could only hope that Ion's preference for peanut butter instead of the more nutritious berries would somehow help him become a triumphant warrior. It was a somewhat thin hope.

Gathering the silly electric type up in her arms again, Dawn walked into a room behind the main counter marked Video Phones. Sitting down at one of the monitors, she plugged in her mother's number and waited, Ion curling up in her lap with a contented purr. While she waited for her mother to pick up Dawn read the messages posted on a nearby notice board.

She was just reading a warning about increased Pokémon theft and something about stolen research from a nearby lab when Johanna picked up. Dawn could only appreciate now how nice it was to see her clearly instead of through the tiny screen of her Pokétch.

"Dawn! Oh, honey thank you for calling! How are you doing? How are your Pokémon? Are you eating enough? Where are you, did you reach Oreburgh City yet? How's-"

"Mom! I'm fine, my Pokémon are doing well too. Yes, I'm in Oreburgh City, I'm planning on challenging the Gym Leader tomorrow after we've recovered a little from the journey. Anyway, I called you two days ago, what's with the outburst?"

"I just get worried about you honey, as you know very well. It's lonelier here without you, without… anyone around… " Silence reigned for long enough to cause Ion to look up in concern. His questioning mewl made Dawn snap out of her thoughts and turn back to her mother.

"Oh come on mom that's not true, Kanghaskhan and Gliscor are still around!"

Johanna laughed, patting her Pokéball belt with fondness. "Of course, they're trying so hard to keep me busy that they're exhausting themselves! Additionally, I've been called into Sandgem Town to help the professor out more than usual these past weeks. I think we're on the edge of a breakthrough and he needs extra people to help sift through findings."

"Wow sounds interesting! If you get any big updates call me alright? I want to be the first to know!" Dawns mind was already racing with possibilities. Could they be on the brink of a new evolution item or closer to finding out what force made Pokémon evolve in the first place? Lucas had been talking about a possible link between the Legends and evolution recently…

"You know I won't be able to resist talking about it but I promise you'll be the first one to hear," her mother laughed. "Good luck against Roark! I know that you and Crest, Zephyr and Ion can beat him. I'm so proud of you Dawn. I know this is what your father would have wanted for you, and I know that he would be proud too." Dawn's smile became a little harder, her eyes sharper. One fist in her lap clenched, causing Ion to look up at her in concern again. This time he got up and went to lick her, causing her mother to squeal and move closer to the camera.

"Ooh is that Ion? He's so cute! Oh look at that little tail, and those huge ears and-"

"Okay mom gotta go bye!" Dawn hit the end call button fast before sitting back and fending off Ion's attempt to lick every part of her face with his happy (and slightly zappy) tongue. Johanna was a great mother, but she didn't want to sit through ten minutes of her fawning over Ion on camera. Hauling herself up and settling Ion in her arms again she went to wake up the rest of the team. It was time to for a little exploration, then time to plan their strategy for smashing some rocks.

#

Oreburgh Mine was much bigger than it had looked from the Oreburgh Gate. Even then it had appeared as a massive hole in the side of the mountain. Standing in front of it Dawn felt like she was about to be eaten by the Guzzlord the myths of Alola spoke of, a huge monster that ate everything in its path.

She could see the trembles Crest was doing his best to hide as they stared down the dark mine entrance and the drop they could just barely see on the other side. He considered himself the leader of this team, so he thought he couldn't show weakness, couldn't show fear, especially with his partners and trainer looking on. His pride would not allow it. Hidden trembles or not, when Dawn stepped forward to descend the stairs into the mine Crest ran out ahead of her.

Ion trailed close behind his senior teammate, eyes darting around and fur glowing ever so slightly. Zephyr was likewise trying to be brave, sitting on Dawn's shoulder and pretending he didn't have a care in the world. It didn't stop Dawn from feeling his talons digging into her jacket with more force than normal.

Thankfully the mine entrance was only dark for the first hundred steps. After a few minutes the glowing strip on the staircase guiding their way was joined by a string of lanterns set into the wall. As they descended more and more of the lights were replaced by some sort of glowing mineral that illuminated the dark tunnel with ghostly blue light.

The light wasn't necessary for guidance by the time Dawn and her team reached the bottom of the stairs. When Dawn stepped off the last stair onto level ground her ears were throbbing from the sounds of rock breaking, the pounding of jackhammers and the shouts echoing from deeper in the cave. All three of her Pokémon had their wings or paws over their ears in an attempt to block out the noise. Thankfully there was a box containing muffling headsets in a box next to the staircase, along with a box of helmets. They wouldn't fit the heads of Ion or Zephyr so Dawn recalled them, fitting a headset on herself and Crest and choosing helmets that would fit them both.

Lights and signs illuminated the areas that were open to the public, allowing Dawn and Crest to wander deeper into the mine without getting lost. The air this far below the surface felt odd, as though there was a static charge present at all times. Dawn could only assume it was the effect of all the minerals on the electromagnetic field in the area. She had heard that there was a similar effect in certain parts of Mt. Coronet that could cause… strange phenomena. There was a reason that not many people tried to explore off the beaten path in the caverns of Mt. Coronet; most of the people who tried never came back or returned driven completely insane with stories to match.

Burly men and women streaked with dirt and coal dust walked by, often accompanied by Pokémon partners wearing specially made headsets. Machop and Machoke were the most common partners, probably because their incredible strength and deft hands could make the construction work a lot easier. Members of the Geodude line were also popular, and Dawn even saw a Rhydon and Hippowdon when she and Crest arrived in a huge cavern that served as an intersection point between countless tunnels. Glowing mineral deposits lit up the ceiling like stars and lines of glowing ore ran along the lengths of the walls to provide plenty of light. Huge steel drums and smaller crates lined the walls at irregular intervals. Some of the tunnels branching off from the main cavern were lit by strings of lightbulbs and wire while others were lit by glowing pieces of ore like the main tunnel.

Dawn could only guess what they were mining in the tunnels with the glowing stuff but from the dark streaks and black ore she could see in the tunnels lit by lightbulbs Dawn guessed that those were the tunnels leading to the coal veins. This town was famous for their huge coal veins and processing of coal after all. While humanity hadn't relied on coal for power for decades it still had many industrial uses that made it valuable. Pokémon carried the coal in large baskets to dump them into a series of carts being pulled along by a conveyor belt, which would eventually take the coal and other minerals to the surface. The huge cavern was oddly reminiscent of a Combee hive; thousands of workers, people and Pokémon alike, moving around in what looked like a chaotic dance but was actually highly organized.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice asked to her right.

Dawn nearly leapt out of her skin turning to face whoever had spoken. Somehow, she could hear the man clearly even through the thick headphones.

A young man faced her, watching the workers move about the floor with a fond smile. His reddish-brown hair was covered by a bright red miner's helmet and his clothes were so coated in rock and coal dust that Dawn could only just make out the original gray cloth beneath. Even in the dim lighting she recognized him. Roark the Rock, the Oreburgh City Gym Leader.

"H-hello sir! Yes, it is. What material are the glowing lines made out of?"

His eyes lit up and a wide smile formed on his face. Dawn knew that expression all too well. It was the expression that screamed "I'm so glad you asked!"

Roark walked up to stand beside her, hands in his pockets and eyes still fixed on the mass of workers. "Great question! Fire would be dangerous down here and we tried electric lighting, but it kept breaking and sparking so we changed to this method. Those are lines of phosphorite. Phosphorous glows when exposed to oxygen but the ore itself won't glow. We had psychics fix an illusion of glowing to the lines of phosphorite; it was easier to fix it to the lines for some reason, something about calling forth a future state? I don't know about psychics; I know about rocks. Limestones and mudstones most commonly carry phosphorite… "

He kept on going, lost in detail about the various minerals and their properties. Dawn didn't understand most of it, there were too many terms she was unfamiliar with, but Roark clearly knew a lot about the mines and was thrilled to have someone to talk to. She could understand that; she was the same way about Pokémon.

A minute or two into his long-winded explanation Dawn heard a word that made sense, but she didn't understand.

"The Underground? What's that? Aren't we already underground?"

"Oh, you haven't heard the stories?" Roark gestured to the huge cavern they stood in and the dozens of tunnels leading out of it at every angle. "Legend says that there is an endless maze of tunnels under Sinnoh. You can enter from anywhere if you dig deep enough because they run everywhere; from Canalave City all the way to Sunyshore. There are supposedly thousands of rare gems, ores and evolutionary stones, fossils from ancient Pokémon we have yet to discover, all sorts of treasures!"

Roark balled up one fist and raised it over his head, eyes shining with an almost religious fervor in the dim light. "I've always wanted to discover it for myself. I could build a secret base, train my Pokémon and explore forever! You could do anything there. No one's found it yet, so I want to be the first! " Roark let his fist fall and looked back at Dawn. "If you're interested in learning more about it, the Mining Museum has a section dedicated to talking about the legends."

"I'll take a look," Dawn promised. This sounded interesting; finding a fossil could get her a great rock-type Pokémon, evolutionary stones were expensive to buy but always useful and she had always been interested in the legends of Sinnoh. It was certainly worth a look.

"Oh I'm sorry, I got off track! What's your name and what brings you to Oreburgh City? Your Piplup looks impressive!" Crest swelled with pride at the compliment, squeaking an affirmative.

"I'm Dawn from Twinleaf Town. I'm here to challenge you for the Coal Badge, so Crest here might become your worst nightmare."

Roark laughed, saying, "We'll see about that! I'm taking the morning shift and the rest of the afternoon shift down here in the mines, but how does a noon match work? The benefit of coming by this early in the season is you don't have to wait long for a match!" He smiled at Dawn and Piplup, patting the Pokéballs at his belt. Unlike the rest of his clothes they were pristine, clean of dust and ready to be used.

"A noon match sounds perfect. I'll see you at the gym tomorrow. Thank you!"

"You'd better be ready, I won't pull my punches. I'll show you what it means when they say me and my team are tough as rocks! Tomorrow is your chance to show the world what you can do; I'm expecting a great match!" Roark walked away, whistling a catchy tune as he joined a group of miners loitering by the entrance to a far tunnel. Picking up a pickaxe that was leaning on the wall nearby Roark and his group disappeared into the tunnel, their laughter and jokes already echoing off the walls.

Dawn signaled to Crest and they turned around, heading back for the tunnel entrance. She had a museum to explore and plans to make. There was so much left to do before tomorrow.

#

The map of the Underground looked a lot like someone had thrown a pile of spaghetti on a map, picked it up, then drawn tunnels where the noodles had been. The tunnels ran from north of Snowpoint City to the furthest southern point of the Coronet Range. On the walls next to the map there were plaques and inscriptions describing the legends of the Underground. All Dawn could think as she looked at the map was how easy it would be to get from place to place using the Underground, but also how awful it would be to do so. She was already dreading the trip through the caves of Mt. Coronet; who would want to spend weeks on end in pitch-black tunnels when there was light and trees and Pokémon aboveground?

Aside from the Underground exhibit there were plenty of other interesting things in the museum. One wall had an exhibit on the formation and uses of coal, Oreburgh City's biggest export. She'd been able to learn more about phosphorite from displays about the history of the mine nearby, this time without Roark's confusing terminology. Other materials displayed ranged from huge geodes to a rare Dusk Stone that appeared to cast everything within a few feet of it in dusky purple-blue light.

Another wall was dedicated entirely to fossils and depictions of Fossil Pokémon. A huge Tyrantrum skeleton dominated the majority of the exhibit but the Aerodactyl skeleton hanging from the ceiling and the paintings of Aurorus walking across great ice floes were just as impressive in Dawn's opinion. However, most of Dawn's attention was fixed on the display of Fossil Pokémon from the Sinnoh Region: Cranidos, Rampardos, Shieldon and Bastiodon.

Dawn already knew Roark's team: Geodude, Onix and Cranidos. After gaining more than one badge the teams a Gym Leader used to face their challengers varied, but each Gym Leader was required to publish their beginner's team. Dawn knew just from looking at the skeleton in front of her that she was in for a hard fight; the entire skull of the Cranidos was lined with vicious spikes and the huge head-dome was perfectly intact, time unable to damage the main weapon and defense of the ancient Pokémon.

Reading the information about the rock type didn't gain her any extra insights either; knowing how potent a weapon the head-dome was wouldn't help her defeat Cranidos. The exhibit on Shieldon gave her more to work with; apparently that particular species was vulnerable if attacked from behind. That could help when Dawn had to face Byron and his legendary Bastiodon in a couple of months' time.

One exhibit near the exit caught Dawn's eye as she wandered towards the museum exit. A plaque explaining the common biological features of rock type Pokémon. Reading it through, she couldn't stop the smile growing on her face. It was time for a trip to the PokéMart; if she was right, she'd just found a way to turn her electric type into a warrior that could take down Roark…

#

Dawn twisted her hair between her fingers, her grip so tight some of the strands came loose at regular intervals. Her other hand tapped the Pokéballs sitting on her belt, exploring their shapes and scratches, the empty spaces waiting for new team members to fill them. Waiting was nerve-wracking, sitting outside the entrance to the battlefield while the final preparations were made for the gym battle. She understood the necessity, but that didn't mean she had to like it or didn't yearn for the doors to open.

Dawn had to win this battle. She knew it with all the iron certainty of her heart telling her that one day she would be a Pokémon Master. She had to win to prove to herself that she was right to follow this path, right to follow the calling in her heart and blood, right to battle and gather her team until they stood at the peak of the Pokémon world. But even more than that, she had to win for Crest.

Crest drifting further away from Dawn and the team. She couldn't believe it had taken her so long to see the problem: their defeat in Jubilife City. Their loss to Lucas must have affected Crest's confidence in her ability to train him, leading him to distance himself from her and the team. He'd gotten better when they caught Ion, the successful battle lifting his spirits and his opinion of Dawn, but their time in the caves had been so dismal it must have made him focus on the negatives again.

Dawn had one chance left: this gym battle. If they could pull off a win, especially with two members of the team at a serious disadvantage, she could prove to Crest that she was a worthy partner, that they would become a great team one day. She had to win. Crest couldn't take another blow to his pride at this point or he might abandon Dawn and the team. This wasn't a fun battle with Barry or Lucas or the trainers on the road, where the only thing on the line was a little money and her pride. She had to win this battle.

They had to win.

"You're up."

The double doors leading to the battlefield opened even as the voice crackled over the speaker. . It was time. Dawn stood up from the bench, her left hand falling away from her hair and right hand resting on her Pokéballs, which shivered slightly at her touch.

For Crest and the future we will make together.

Dawn strode out onto the field to the cheers of the watching crowd. Gym battles were open to the public, but only early or famous challengers really got audiences. At this point in the season there weren't many other battles happening so a crowd of about twenty people watched from the stands. Once more people started going after badges and the Lily of the Valley Conference grew closer challengers would start coming more frequently and people would either come all day or come only to watch famous or interesting challengers. Most of her audience looked to be mine workers; she recognized a couple she'd seen down in the mine the day before. Probably friends of Roark.

The Gym Leader waited for her on the other side of the field, a wide smile on his face and Pokéball already in his hand. The field was smooth dirt with a few jagged stones erupting from random spots to form natural barriers.

Dawn took her place in the challenger's box and the referee lifted his flag. "This is a battle for the Coal Badge between Dawn of Twinleaf Town and Gym Leader Roark! This will be a three-on-three battle with no substitutions! Battle start!" He waved his flag down, the audience roared and the battle began.

"Let's rock Geodude!" Roark called, summoning a familiar floating rock with arms. Geodude uncurled and raised its fists, ready for battle.

"Show them what you can do Zephyr!" Dawn yelled as the Starly appeared. He zoomed upward shrieking his heart out as the audience cheered. Dawn could see more than one miner shaking their heads at her choice of Pokémon. Dawn didn't mind; she had a plan.

"Zephyr, Double Team!" Zephyr's body blurred, splitting into ten identical copies of himself. Each new Starly soared at a different angle over the battlefield, weaving between one another in an attempt to be as confusing as possible for the land-locked Geodude. Every once in a while a Zephyr would dive down with glowing wings, attempting to land a solid hit while Geodude was distracted.

Roark wasn't fazed by the tactic. "Give it a widespread Rock Throw Geodude." Geodude began grabbing clumps of dirt from the battlefield, hardening them into rocks in its hands before throwing. At first the rocks were slow with large gaps between throws, allowing each Zephyr to dodge them with ease, but they started to come with increasing frequency and velocity until one Zephyr clone after another was disappearing with bursts of white light. She'd need to strike back before they were all gone and Zephyr was hit.

"Whirlwind," Dawn ordered. The four remaining Zephyrs began to fly in a circle, conjuring a Whirlwind between them. It sucked up all the rocks that Geodude tried to throw at Zephyr, soon forming a small rocky tornado

Roark wasn't willing to let Dawn suck up all their ammo. "Sand attack!"

Geodude grabbed handfuls of sand and threw them without transmuting them to rocks. The Whirlwind became a sand tornado, making it hard to see and the roar of moving stone and dirt made it impossible to hear anything quieter than the roar of the audience. Dawn could only barely hear Zephyr cry out somewhere in the haze.

"Zephyr, stop the Whirlwind!" Dawn's heart was in her throat as the Whirlwind died, shooting rocks and sand everywhere. The nearly invisible psychic barriers that all official battlefields were required to have stopped the debris from reaching the trainers or the audience, but it meant Dawn couldn't see Zephyr.

The dust cleared and Dawn internally cursed.

Zephyr hung above the battlefield, a few feathers out of place and covered with sand but unwilling to give up. Below him Geodude had more rocks in its hand, ready to begin the barrage again. That wasn't what made Dawn want to despair. There were at least ten huge pointed stones hovering around the edges of the field. Stealth Rock.

She couldn't keep playing defense. It was time for some offense.

"Quick Attack!" Zephyr became a streak of white light, appearing right in front of Geodude, wings raised for a blow.

"Rollout!" Zephyr's wings did next to nothing against Geodude's rocky hide. Geodude took the blow without blinking before rocketing forward, slamming Zephyr into the ground with a harsh tackle enhanced by its hard rock body.

"Zephyr!" Dawn cried, heart beating too fast and fists shaking slightly as Geodude rolled closer and closer to Zephyr's prone form. "Come on, you've got to do it now!"

With only a few feet between them Zephyr struggled to his feet and flapped his wings, summoning a Whirlwind seconds before Geodude hit. Geodude lost momentum centimeter by centimeter, inching forward until the wind stopped all forward movement and dragged the rock type into the air.

"That's it Zephyr! Send it for a spin!" Dawn cried, a wide smile breaking out on her face as Geodude was whirled around faster and faster by the tornado. Zephyr was still on the ground, unable to take to the wing due to his injuries but focusing all his might on making the Whirlwind move faster.

Roark was starting to look a little worried. "Geodude, Rock Throw!"

Geodude uncurled from its ball form, revealing it was still holding on to a handful of rocks. It threw them straight at Zephyr, who could barely stand let alone dodge.

Dawn's heart went from her throat all the way to the soles of her feet in an instant. One last chance: "Zephyr, throw it!"

With one last proud cry Zephyr spun the Whirlwind as fast as possible then let go, sending Geodude on a crash course for the floor at a tremendous speed. The Rock Throw and Geodude hit at the same time. Zephyr shrieked with pain and collapsed even as Geodude slammed into the ground hard enough to make the battlefield shake.

Dawn didn't listen to the referee declare Zephyr unable to battle, recalling him immediately. Holding the ball up to her mouth she whispered congratulations to her brave flying type over the cheering of the audience. The ball shook slightly then went still, Zephyr sleeping off his pain.

Dawn looked up to find Roark recalling Geodude, grinning at her even as the red light faded. "That was pretty good! It's been a long time since a Starly managed to hurt Geodude," Roark told her before hefting another Pokémon. "But Geodude is nothing compared to my friend here!"

A huge Onix materialized on the field, shaking the building when the huge body hit the floor. Dawn eyed it critically, trying not to let its size scare her. She focused on the spots where each enormous boulder connected to the next, the exposed eyes. Onix might appear invincible but it had weak spots. She had to exploit those weak spots.

Ion appeared in the flash of red light, spreading his legs out into a four-point stance and sparking with blue-tinted electricity. There was no sign of the kit who huddled behind Dawn's legs or pounced on any available peanut butter. His hard-eyed glare, pricked ears and slowly waving tail presented the image of a predator on the hunt. He might have appeared tiny next to Onix's bulk but he was ready to fight.

He wasn't prepared for the barrage of rocks that soared towards him the second he was released. He let out a high-pitched squeak of pain as Stealth Rocks dug into his side, opening light gashes and bruising his sides. Before he could last out and try to knock the rocks away, they were gone, back to hovering at the edges of the battlefield as they had been before. A true master of Stealth Rock could make them attack at any point during a battle, but the damage this version has done was more than enough. Not a minute into the battle Ion was already struggling with pain and injuries.

Dawn could hear the audience murmuring again, quieter as they waited for someone to make a move. She'd proved she could take down Roark's Pokémon even with a disadvantage in the last match, but it was hard to believe the injured electric type could even scratch the behemoth before him.

Let's show them how it's done. "Ion, approach for a Bite then stun it!" Laughter floated down from the stands at the words, mocking her attempt to fight even as Ion ran forward, tail up and shadowy particles gathering around his teeth.

Roark was a Gym Leader and knew better than to discount Ion as a threat. "Onix, Rock Tomb! Trap it then Bind!"

Onix was much faster than Dawn could have believed, eyes glowing as it pulled more rocks up from below the battlefield to block Ion even as it rushed forward, a landslide on the move. Evasion training with Crest and Zephyr paid off as Ion dodged each Rock Tomb that appeared, rushing to Onix's side before the rock type could bring its tail around to Bind him.

As Onix's head swung around to face its small opponent Dawn yelled "Ion, now!" and raised her hand to block her eyes.

The world exploded into white light, barely stopped by the thin barrier of Dawn's hand and closed eyes. When she opened her eyes she had to blink a few times to get rid of the spots. Most of the audience and those on the battlefield were having much more trouble.

Ion's electric attacks might not hurt Onix, but yesterday's museum visit told Dawn that there was a target she could go after with electricity: the weak, dark-tuned eyes of underground species. Ion could naturally create small flashes of light, but after she'd gotten him the Flash TM last night, he could so much more.

Onix was roaring in pain, head shaking back and forth frantically as it tried to process the blast of light and the small form currently biting at the soft tissue hidden where Onix's boulders connected to one another.

Roark still had his hand in front of his eyes and was blinking as fast as he could to clear his sight, but he didn't need his eyes to hear Onix's roars of pain as Ion bit into its soft spots. "Onix, Dig! Throw it off you!"

Onix dove into the ground, forcing Ion to leap to the ground before he was sucked into the hole. All the electric type could do was run around the field, trying to figure out where Onix would emerge.

"Ion, use Charge then Flash in the hole!"

Ion jumped in the hole left behind, charging the electricity on his coat. Once it was visibly sparking over his little form Ion once again burst into bright light, even brighter than before thanks to the extra power from Charge. Thankfully for the spectators and trainers Ion's position a few feet under the ground made the light more bearable.

Bearable to those aboveground, not below ground. Onix burst from the ground again, roaring and thrashing as its sensitive eyes were overloaded with light for a second time. Ion wasn't as lucky with his positioning this time; Onix's huge head slammed into him as it thrashed and wailed. Both Roark and Dawn cried out in sync for their Pokémon as they struggled to recover.

Onix once again dove underground as Ion pushed himself to his feet, wobbling a little from his wounds from Stealth Rock and Onix's impromptu Tackle. Ion made to find one of the holes again but Onix was not nearly as patient this time, exploding from the ground and smashing into Ion before he could take more than three steps towards the nearest hole. Ion didn't make a sound as he collapsed.

Dawn recalled Ion as cheers swelled from the stands, Onix roaring its victory even as it blinked and swayed, clear wounds visible on its body. Dawn smiled softly as she saw the fruit of Ion's labors. They still had a chance to win this. They would win this. She would make sure of it.

"Good effort, but did you have to use Flash so much?" Roark grumbled, still rubbing at his eyes.

"I make use of what I've got. Now it's all up to you Crest!" Dawn released her last hope and first friend onto the battlefield scarred with holes, rocks and craters from the extended battle. Crest puffed up his chest and trilled as he appeared, proud to announce his debut on the battlefield.

The trill turned into a squawk a second later when the forgotten Stealth Rocks rushed at him and Dawn called, "Look out!"

Crest was quicker on the uptake than Ion, leaping back and using Bubble to destroy the rocks as they rushed at him. He wasn't fast enough to evade them all, earning scrapes across his wings and back, but he managed to avoid the level of catastrophic damage that Ion had taken. Surrounded by rock shards and breathing heavily, Crest stared down his opponent.

"Onix, Dig!" Roark took the first move this time, directing Onix back into the ground to use the same strategy that had been so effective against Ion. Unlike Ion, Crest had a way to fight back.

"Cover the field with Bubble, then Bubble into the holes!" Crest spat Bubbles everywhere he could reach as he ran to the hole, filling the battlefield until there was nowhere Onix could emerge without taking damage. Crest spat a stream of unending Bubbles into the depths of Onix's hole for good measure, ensuring the rock-type wouldn't remain below ground where Crest couldn't chase him. Moments later Onix howled and emerged a few feet away from Crest only to be hit by Crest's Bubble trap. Onix fell to the floor with a mighty crash, the stinging touch of water too much for it in its weakened state.

Crest squawked proudly and Dawn shouted congratulations to him from her end of the field before settling her gaze on Roark. The Gym Leader hefted his last Pokéball, a wide grin on his face. "I knew that Piplup would be a tough opponent. Most rookies don't get past Onix. But are you ready for the real challenge?"

"Bring it on!" Dawn challenged. Crest screamed his assent in sync with his trainer. After weeks of being at odds, they were finally on the same page. Win or lose this battle, they were in it together.

"Then let's rock Cranidos!" A Pokémon familiar to Dawn from the museum yesterday appeared on the field, the huge dome of its skull even more impressive now that there was a thick layer of rock-like blue skin covering the iron-hard bone. Cranidos bellowed a challenge.

Crest stood still, waiting for an order. Dawn steadied herself. Let's do this.

"Crest, Bubble!" The stream of Bubbles shot forward, faster and more powerful than Crest's trap Bubbles, ready to do damage and put Cranidos off-balance.

Roark grinned and crossed his arms. "Cranidos, charge!" Cranidos ran forward, thick skull down in front of it like a battering ram. It ran straight through the Bubbles, not slowing in the slightest as Bubbles popped and exploded around it, taking the impact on its huge skull. It didn't appear to even notice the attack.

Crest was so surprised at Cranidos' ability to ignore his Bubbles that he didn't dodge the Headbutt in time. Crest took the charge right in the chest, hit so hard that he didn't make a sound other than a slight wheeze as he shot towards Dawn's side of the field, hitting the ground with enough force to form a small crater upon landing. Even worse, Cranidos didn't stop charging.

"Get out of the way!" Dawn screamed, fear clawing at her throat like a thousand sharp-nailed hands.

Crest tried his best to scramble for the side. It didn't matter. Cranidos adjusted the trajectory of its charge with a single push from its left leg, the energy gathered on its wide blue skull changing from flickering white to deepest black in an instant. Crest was only clipped by Cranidos' skull this time but he was thrown backwards with just as much energy, thrown near the middle of the battlefield. He struggled stand, crying out from pain and exhaustion clear in his eyes.

Dawn had never been one of those people who knew the right move in an instant, who could know what to do from sheer battle instinct. What she could do was take everything she saw into account, take all her knowledge of Crest and the opponent and combine it to find a solution. Fear and panic wouldn't help her help Crest, so she cast them aside in favor of creating a strategy.

Dawn observed the battlefield, noting Crest's multitude of injuries first. She looked at Cranidos, who was making a sharp arc to face Crest again, slipping for the barest moment on a damp patch of the battlefield left over from Crest's Bubble trap. That's it!

"Crest, Water Sport all around you! Douse the field!" Crest didn't question the order, spouting large amounts of water from his beak and spraying it in a wide arc around the battlefield, creating a dry island for himself in the middle of a rocky, muddy ocean. Cranidos slowed as it hit the mud, struggling to move and stumbling more than once.

Crest kept pumping out water, making Cranidos all but swim in mud and rock. Cranidos was whining and thrashing in the mud, its rock-like body sensitive to the water and unhappy with its inability to charge. Crest pulled himself all the way to his feet, spitting out a stream of Bubbles once again. This time Cranidos could only block a few of them by lowering its head and was knocked back by the exploding spheres.

"Cranidos, Thunderbolt!" Roark cried, worry clear in his voice and on his face as Cranidos was knocked down into the mud, the damage from Bubble clear on its body even as it got itself more thoroughly stuck. Before evolution it didn't have much defense anywhere but its armored head.

Cranidos' spikes began to spark as it charged electricity. Crest couldn't take another hit and didn't have a defensive move. What could she do?

Dawn fixed her eyes on the mud at Crest's feet. Could Crest overcome his pride and trust her? Time to find out.

"Crest, block with the mud!"

Crest looked down at the mud at his feet. Dawn could almost see the thoughts running through his head. How bedraggled this would make him look, how it might not work anyway. How he could try to dodge and beat Cranidos back himself, how he didn't have to listen to the human.

But he dug his clean feathers into the mud anyway, trust and hope winning the battle over pride. Crest chose to trust his trainer, tossing as much mud as he could dig up in the air, ducking in case it wasn't enough.

Cranidos' Thunderbolt hit the impromptu shield and exploded, not powerful enough to blast through as it would if Cranidos were an electric type. It fizzled out and Crest capitalized, blasting a Bubble straight into Cranidos' exposed chest, kicking it back into the psychic barrier with a tremendous bang.

Everyone was silent for a moment as Cranidos slid to the ground, as Crest wobbled and swayed but climbed to his feet one last time, as the referee counted down the seconds.

"Cranidos is unable to battle! Victory to the challenger, Dawn of Twinleaf Town!"

Dawn ran forward as the crowd roared their approval, laughing her heart out as she sprinted towards the battered, exhausted and mud-covered form of her friend, her arms wide open. She was still a foot away when Crest leapt into her arms of his own accord, hugging her with his little wings even as her arms closed around him.

In that moment, Dawn and Crest both knew that they'd just earned the best friend they would ever have.

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One Gym Battle down, hopefully you enjoyed it! Sorry this chapter is so late, I always work a chapter ahead and the next chapter has been a bear to write. College sure doesn't help my writing schedule but I'll try to do better moving forward. Thanks for reading, see you next time!