The streets of downtown Cyllage City were more crowded than they had been in years. Travelers lined the roads and sidewalks, filling the shops and restaurants with conversation and excitement. Most everyone was crowded around any television screen they could find, be it a smaller one at a diner or one of the large ones fixed to the sides of several buildings downtown. All of the travelers wanted to watch the event that was happening at the newly renovated Cyllage City Gym.
The stands at the gym were packed as full as they could be, with hundreds of fans cheering excitedly at the performance happening on the ground below. Serena and Madison were dancing with Pancham and Roselia, in their competition outfits, along with a familiar pigtailed brunette girl and her Flabébé. Serena had made a call to Shauna several days ago, asking her to join them in Cyllage City, and Shauna had been more than happy to assist. The three girls and their Pokémon were now putting on an energetic routine, which they had quickly crafted and rehearsed over the past two days.
As the music wound down, Madison took one last leap into the air, doing a front flip and landing with one foot in each of Serena and Shauna's hands. As they raised her up into the air, surrounded by their Pokémon, the crowd burst into raucous applause. Serena grinned from ear to ear, waving to the crowd as Madison jumped down to the ground next to her. She was still amazed and impressed at how the young girl managed to jump so high and move with such precision as she danced; "four years of ballet" had been Madison's answer.
As the applause continued, Ash, Iris and Brock stepped out onto the battlefield and walked toward the performers. Ash handed a microphone to Serena before standing off to her side, while Brock gave one over to Shauna. Iris stood with Brock, holding a pair of referee flags in one of her hands, as Serena began to speak to the crowd.
"Thank you so much, everyone!" she exclaimed, nervously excited, never having done anything like this before. "Now are you all ready for the main event?" The audience cheered once again, and she gestured toward the boy standing to her side.
"Our gym challenger is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town in the Kanto region!" she announced, as he started to wave to the crowd. "Ash is a three-time Pokémon League champion, with two wins in the Alola League and one in the Hoenn League! He's on a brand new journey here in Kalos, raising new Pokémon, and is looking to get his fourth badge!" Pikachu, standing on Ash's shoulder, started waving energetically as well.
"The question is, who will he be battling?" Shauna followed up, speaking into her own microphone. "After some searching, we've found a brand new Gym Leader to battle in this new gym, but not even I know who it is!" She turned to face the man standing at his side. "Brock, are you ready to introduce the new Gym Leader to everyone?"
"I sure am," Brock replied, leaning into the microphone as Shauna held it up to his face. He turned his gaze toward Ash. "The Gym Leader you'll be battling today…" He gave a devious smirk. "…Is me."
"Huh?" Ash need a moment to process this, before his face broke into a wide smile. "Brock, I'm going to be battling you?!"
"That's right," Brock answered. "A Rock-type expert named Stanley will be taking on the gym full-time, but he wasn't able to make it for the festivities. So, for the next three days, I am the leader of the Cyllage City Gym."
"That's amazing!" Ash clenched his fists, amped, not having an opportunity to battle against Brock in years. "This is going to be a great battle!"
"Well, there you have it!" Shauna declared, bringing her microphone back to herself. "Our two battlers for today are going to be Ash and Brock! How exciting!"
"Brock is the former leader of the Pewter City Gym in Kanto, a gym that specializes in Rock-type Pokémon," Serena elaborated, trying to keep the crowd energized. "And our referee today will be Iris, the Dragon-type leader of the Opelucid City Gym in Unova!" She watched Iris give a courtesy wave to the crowd before walking to the side of the ring, taking one flag in each hand.
"And Serena and I will be your lovely commentators for this match, bringing you the play-by-play from up in the stands!" Shauna finished up. "So everyone, let's get ready to battle!" The audience cheered once again, ready for action, as Ash and Brock took their places on either side of the battlefield. Serena and Shauna made their way up into the stands, taking two reserved seats in the center of the front row, while Madison found a seat next to Shannon from which to watch the battle.
"You had better give this all you've got, Ash!" Brock called out over the sounds of the crowd. "If you lose, I'm never going to let you live it down!"
"Don't worry about me, Brock!" Ash retorted. "And don't you hold back! I'll know if you do!"
Brock smirked, turning around and giving a nod to a gym assistant standing in the corner of the room; the assistant nodded back, reaching out and pressing a button on the wall. Seconds later, the ground rumbled beneath everyone's feet, and the audience gasped as the battlefield began to rise into the air, powered by several strong hydraulic lifts. As the arena ascended and got closer to the crowd in the stands, everyone could see small, colorful rocks screwed into the sides of the appearing rock, forming climbing walls on every side. The battlefield eventually stopped rising, reaching the height that it had been at years ago, before the Vein Collapse had brought it all crashing down.
"This will be a three-on-three match!" Iris declared to the amazed crowd, raising both flags and speaking into the microphone attached to the collar of her shirt. "The battle will be over when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle! Only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions!" She pointed one of her flags in Brock's direction, enjoying the opportunity to officiate a match for once. "Gym Leader Brock, please bring out your first Pokémon!"
"With pleasure!" Brock grabbed one of his Poké Balls and threw it onto the field. As it opened up, the energy inside quickly took the shape of the boulder-like Geodude.
Ash nodded as he saw the Pokémon raise its arms into the air, eager to throw something. "No surprise there…" Pikachu watched from near Ash's feet as he grabbed a Poké Ball of his own, tossing it into the arena and releasing his Sigilyph. The two Pokémon fixed their gazes on each other, ready for battle.
"And we're starting off with Sigilyph vs. Geodude!" Shauna announced. "It looks like the type advantage is tilted in the Gym Leader's favor. Will Ash be able to overcome it with strategy? We'll soon find out!"
"Both trainers are ready!" Iris announced. "The battle will begin… now!"
Ash wasted no time calling out his first move, stepping forward. "Sigilyph, use Cosmic Power!" His Pokémon cawed lowly in response, her body suddenly surrounded by a sparkling aura. Brock nodded, unsurprised but pleased; Cosmic Power would raise Sigilyph's defense, which would be useful in light of the type disadvantage.
"Rock Throw, Geodude! Knock that Pokémon out of the air!"
Geodude reared his arm back and slammed his fist into the ground, causing a number of rocks to dislodge themselves and fly in his opponent's direction. Sigilyph barely managed to dodge them by flying higher, by her trainer's command.
"Quickly, use Confusion!" Ash called out.
"No way!" Brock retorted, before directing his gaze at his Pokémon. "Go underground with Dig!"
Sigilyph's three eyes quickly glowed red, as she tried to use her psychic powers to grab hold of her foe. Geodude was too quick, however, and he managed to dig his way under the battlefield before the Confusion attack could connect.
"And Geodude has gone underground!" Serena announced to the crowd, her voice echoing through the cavernous gym, as well as through the streets of Cyllage City. "When and where will he resurface?"
Ash and Sigilyph were wondering the same thing, as their eyes scanned the ground, looking for some indication of where their opponent might be. Several long seconds later, the ground directly underneath Sigilyph gave way, and Geodude emerged underneath her; his fist glowed white as he swung it upward, his Mega Punch hitting her hard in the torso, sending her skyward.
"No!" Ash watched as his Pokémon tried to straighten herself out in the air, reeling. "Get your balance back and use Psybeam!"
Sigilyph took a second to right herself, her eyes fixing on the Pokémon below her. The one eye on her head took on a magenta glow before a similarly-colored particle beam shot out of it, landing a direct hit on Geodude and knocking him down to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt.
"Great job!" Ash grinned, feeling better now that he had managed to land an attack. "Now let's take control of this battle with Psychic!"
Brock looked upward, watching as Sigilyph started to glow a light blue color. He glanced back toward his Geodude, who was somewhat hard to see through the dust cloud. His eyebrows raised as he got an idea. "Geodude, use Sandstorm, now!"
His Pokémon cried out and lifted his arms, and as he did so a tornado of sand started to kick up around him, surrounding him as the sand dispersed and covered the battlefield. Up above, the glow started to fade from a disappointed Sigilyph's body, as she scanned the field for some trace of her opponent.
"Now that's a clever strategy!" Shauna declared. "You can't control what you can't see!"
"You can't defend against it very easily, either," Serena mused, looking toward Ash and seeing the concern on his face. She knew the battle had just started, but all the same she didn't like seeing him on the back foot.
"Come in closer and clear away that sand with Gust!" Ash commanded. His Pokémon flew closer to the giant sand cloud, flapping her wings to kick up several large gusts of wind. As the sand started to blow away and visibility began to return, Brock called out as well.
"Now, Geodude! Use Mega Punch again!" Everyone watched as Geodude dashed out of the ebbing sandstorm, rushing toward his opponent, fist reared back and glowing.
"There he is! Use Air Slash!" Ash ordered. Sigilyph's wings started to glow blue as she swung them out in front of her, shooting several blades of charged air at her foe. Geodude powered right through the attack, his Mega Punch slamming once again into Sigilyph, who cried out in pain as she started to descend, flapping her wings in a panic.
Brock smirked, starting to get caught up in the excitement of battle. "Sorry, Ash, but not good enough! Now, Geodude, use Stone Edge!"
Geodude nodded, focusing hard as he squinted his eyes, and several rings of light began to form around him. These rings soon turned into sharp, jagged rocks, which turned and shot directly at Sigilyph, impacting her painfully with one powerful hit after another. The flapping of her wings grew even weaker as she started to plummet to the ground.
"Finish it off, Geodude!" Brock shouted. "Seismic Toss!"
Ash gritted his teeth, watching helplessly as Geodude rushed upward to grab the mostly incapacitated Sigilyph in his arms. He flew upward, toward the ceiling of the cavern, before turning and plummeting back downward, spinning as he fell. At the last second, right before hitting the ground, he let go of his opponent and pulled away, curving upward to safety; Sigilyph crashed heavily and helplessly into the ground, with an impact that could be felt all the way up in the stands. Before the dust had even cleared, it was obvious to everyone what the outcome was, but the eventual reappearance of the crumpled and defeated bird Pokémon cleared up all doubts.
"Sigilyph is unable to battle!" Iris declared, raising a flag in Brock's direction. "Geodude is the winner!"
"Oh boy… that's a rough break for Ash, who's now down one Pokémon," Serena commented from the stands, as the crowd cheered around her. "But we knew going into this battle that Ash's Pokémon were mostly disadvantaged against Rock-types."
"This is going to be an uphill climb, but if anyone can do it, it's a three-time League champion!" Shauna followed up, trying to work the crowd up some more. "Who here is still rooting for our challenger?" The resulting roar from the audience helped to bolster Ash's spirits, as he grabbed Sigilyph's Poké Ball and returned the Pokémon to it, speaking to it briefly.
"You did well, Sigilyph. Get some rest." Everyone watched as Ash reattached the Poké Ball to his belt, before grabbing another and whipping it onto the field. "It's all you, Snivy! Show that Geodude who's boss!" The crowd murmured curiously as the snake-like Pokémon appeared on the field, quickly sizing up her foe.
"Now that's an interesting choice," Serena spoke into her microphone. "With her type advantage, I thought Snivy was going to be his ace in the hole… what's he planning?" She could see a confident grin on his face, which helped put her at ease somewhat, as she placed her faith in his skills as a Pokémon Trainer.
Iris held up both flags. "Both Pokémon are ready! The battle will resume… now!"
Brock was the first to call out an attack this time, stepping forward. "Rock Throw, Geodude!" His Pokémon quickly complied, slamming the ground once more to send a number of rocks careening toward Snivy.
"Dodge them and use Leaf Storm!" Ash responded. Snivy deftly leaped out of the way, twirling about in the air as if she were on a performance stage, nimbly avoiding every single rock. As she landed, she raised her arms and summoned a small whirlwind of leaves around her body; seconds later, she threw her arms out in front of her, and the mass of leaves flew off in Geodude's direction. He tried to dodge, but still took the brunt of the attack head-on, and the numerous impacts knocked him backwards. Brock frowned as he watched Geodude try to shake it off, clearly damaged by the super-effective attack.
"Snivy's too dangerous at a distance!" he declared. "Let's get up close! Tackle her!"
Geodude growled and rushed in, trying to slam into Snivy with his shoulder. She used her vines to leap away effortlessly, landing behind him as he tried to come to a quick stop.
"Vine Whip, Snivy!" Ash called out. His Pokémon eagerly obliged, extending her vines from her collar and sending them out in Geodude's direction, using them to slap her opponent silly. Geodude was effortlessly knocked around by the powerful vines, taking more and more damage as he tried and failed to get away.
"Geodude, use Defense Curl!" Brock yelled, low on options.
"Oh, no you don't!" Ash retorted. "Snivy, finish him off with Piledriver!"
"Huh?" Brock's eyebrows raised again, not familiar with this attack. "What's Piledriver?" The crowd murmured once again, sounding equally confused.
Geodude didn't pay the attack name any mind, trying to curl up into a ball in order to raise his defense. His efforts were thwarted, however, as one of Snivy's vines grabbed him by the wrist. She began to spin him around in a wide circle over her head, faster and faster, as he became steadily more dizzy and confused. After five full revolutions, Snivy leaped into the air and did a front flip, pulling Geodude along for the ride, before finally letting go of him and sending him rocketing into the ground with incredible force, just as she had done against Ramos's Quilladin.
The crowd gasped in amazement as Geodude crashed painfully into the battlefield, barely making a sound as they watched to see if he would get back up. After a few seconds, he groaned and started to push himself up with his arms, but he eventually crumpled and collapsed, down for the count.
"Geodude is no longer able to battle!" Iris declared, offering her flag to Ash this time. "Snivy wins the bout!"
"Wow! So that's a Piledriver!" Shauna exclaimed, impressed. "Is that a whole new move? Did Ash invent a new battle move?"
"I don't know! I've never seen that from any other Pokémon," Serena replied, unsure, sharing her musings with the audience. "It reminds me a lot of a Seismic Toss."
"Well, whatever it is, it sure worked out well for our challenger! Now each trainer has two Pokémon left, and that Snivy is looking fresh as a daisy!" Snivy was buoyed by Shauna's words, her already sky-high confidence being boosted even more.
Brock smiled, calling Geodude back to his Poké Ball. "Pretty good, Ash, but we're just getting started!" He reached for another, tossing it out into the arena. "Sudowoodo, I choose you!"
Ash nodded, grinning as he saw the tree-like Pokémon make its appearance on the battlefield. He had expected Sudowoodo to make an appearance, and was already forming a battle strategy in his mind. As Iris called for the battle to resume, Brock didn't waste a minute going on the offensive.
"Do some damage with Stone Edge!" he called out. Sudowoodo focused itself, summoning jagged stones just as Geodude had, sending them zooming toward his foe. Once again, Snivy deftly dodged, much too agile to be hit by such a highly telegraphed attack.
"Leaf Storm!" Ash called out, causing Snivy to summon even more leaves.
Brock smirked at this turn of events, clearly unsurprised. "Sudowoodo, use Mimic! Counter her Leaf Storm!" Everyone watched as Sudowoodo summoned his own Leaf Storm, shooting it toward Snivy, who responded in kind. The two attacks met in the middle, canceling each other out as the leaves destroyed each other.
"And our two combatants are already going at it!" Shauna announced, as the battle began in earnest. "Sudowoodo goes in for a Low Kick… but Snivy manages to keep away… and she uses Mega Drain! That's going to hurt!"
"That's the first big hit so far, and…" Serena paused, leaning in closer. "Wait… is Sudowoodo… crying?"
Everyone watched as Sudowoodo began to bawl in the center of the battlefield, the result of Brock calling out for Fake Tears. Snivy watched as tears flowed from her opponent's eyes, the Pokémon looking more pitiable and pathetic by the second.
"Don't fall for it!" Ash advised. "Use Vine Whip!" Snivy snorted, insulted at the idea that she would fall for such a cheap trick, before reaching out with her vines and slapping Sudowoodo across the battlefield.
"Ooh!" Shauna winced. "Snivy isn't fazed even a tiny bit by Fake Tears! That Pokémon is cold as ice, ladies and gentlemen!"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Ash pumped his fist excitedly. "Now let's go in for the finisher! Use Leaf Blade!"
Snivy nodded and started running forward, as Sudowoodo got to his feet. She leaped into the air to get up to the level of his head, the leaf on her tail starting to glow.
Brock's eyes lit up, as he saw the opening he had been waiting for. "Quickly, Sudowoodo! Use Head Smash!"
Sudowoodo eagerly did as he was told, rearing his head back before thrusting it powerfully forward. Snivy's eyes widened and she tried to twist away, but it was to no avail; Sudowoodo's rock-hard skull collided directly with hers, and she was knocked back across the battlefield, heavily dazed.
"Oh no!" Ash exclaimed, stepping up to the edge of the trainer's box. "Quick, Snivy, get up!"
"She's not going anywhere!" Brock declared, more than ready to turn the tide of battle. "Sudowoodo, use Rock Tomb!"
Sudowoodo nodded, lowering his arms then quickly raising them up again, as if he was lifting something heavy. As Snivy got unsteadily to her feet, she gasped as a circle of rocks protruded out from the ground all around her, trapping her in a cone of solid rock that closed around her chest, making it nearly impossible for her to move.
"No! Snivy, use your vines to break free!" Ash advised, caught off guard by this sequence of events. His Pokémon tried whipping at the rocks with her vines, still a bit dazed, but to no avail. Her prison didn't crack or budge an inch. As she struggled, she looked up to see a number of large rocks flying toward her; her eyes widened, and she quickly tried to deflect them with her vines, but it had no effect.
"Oh goodness!" Serena exclaimed as Snivy was mercilessly battered, the concern evident in her voice. "That Rock Slide looked really painful! Brock has Snivy right where he wants her! This could be really bad!" The crowd watched anxiously as Ash's Pokémon was pounded with a second Rock Slide, leaving her dazed, sore and trying to catch her breath.
"Let's put an end to this, Sudowoodo!" Brock ordered. "Finish her off with Wood Hammer!"
Sudowoodo smirked deviously, walking forward with his right arm extended and glowing green; the green aura soon took the form of a stump, as he started to pick up speed. As Ash watched the Pokémon advance, ready to deal the final blow, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind. He leaned in a bit, keeping his voice low so Brock couldn't hear.
"Snivy, wait for my command, and get ready to use Grass Knot…" Both he and Snivy watched Sudowoodo carefully, waiting for the right moment, as the advancing Pokémon raised his Wood Hammer above his head. Seconds later, Ash clenched his fist, sensing the time had come. "Now! Do it!"
Just as her trainer gave the command, Snivy's eyes flashed green, as a tangle of vines appeared around Sudowoodo's foot; he yelped in panic, tripping and falling forward onto his face. The Wood Hammer on his arm crashed down along with him, smashing into the rocks that encased Snivy.
"What the…?!" Brock exclaimed, stunned into inaction for a moment, as the audience gasped. Ash grinned wide, watching as Snivy managed to free herself from her prison.
"That's more like it!" he called out. "Now, knock him away with Leaf Blade!" She nodded, the leaf on her tail glowing once again, as Sudowoodo got up onto his knees. He looked up toward his opponent just in time to get a Leaf Blade right to the face, knocking him backwards and separating the two Pokémon.
"Sudowoodo, get up! Hurry!" Brock knew that he had to do something quickly, knowing better than to give his opponent an opening. Unfortunately for him, Ash already knew how this round was going to end.
"Finish it up, Snivy! Use Slam!"
As Sudowoodo finally got to his feet, he felt Snivy's vines snag him by his shoulders. He looked up to see Snivy zooming toward him, using her vines to pull herself in as fast as possible. At the last second, she turned to her side, slamming her shoulder into his head at full force, knocking him back to the ground. She landed heavily in the center of the battlefield, more than a little worse for wear, breathing hard and still a bit dizzy. She looked over her opponent, smirking once it was clear that he wasn't getting back up.
"Sudowoodo is unable to battle!" Iris raised her flag toward Ash for the second time in a row, as the crowd cheered all around her. "Snivy wins the round!"
"What a turnaround!" Shauna exclaimed, amazed. "Brock thought that Wood Hammer would seal the deal, but it sealed his fate instead!"
"That was a brilliant move by Ash! Just what you'd expect from a League champion!" Serena added, happy for the brief opportunity to not be impartial. "If he wins the next battle, then the match is his!"
Ash breathed in deeply for a moment before exhaling a sigh of relief, bringing his focus back to his Pokémon. "How are you feeling, Snivy?" She looked back at him, trying to look as strong as she could, but it was clear she was hurting. He frowned, thinking that he might need to call her back and give her what rest he could before she would have to come back out again. It all depended on what Pokémon Brock was saving for last.
"That was a good move, Ash." Brock recalled Sudowoodo back to his Poké Ball. "But my last Pokémon isn't going to go down so easily. You ready?"
"You bet!" Ash's adrenaline was sky-high as he watched his opponent take out his final Poké Ball. "Let's see it!"
Brock smirked, tossing the ball onto the battlefield. "Come on out!" Everyone in the gym watched as the Poké Ball opened up, a massive amount of red energy spilling out and taking the shape of an enormous orange-and-black Pokémon, looking partially carved out of stone, a giant drill taking the place of its nose. As soon as Ash saw who it was, the color began to drain from his face.
"Brock's final Pokémon is out, and it's a Rhyperior!" Shauna announced, confirming the species on her Pokédex. "How is Ash going to tackle this foe?" Ash was wondering the same question, as he reached for his own Pokédex. He aimed it in Rhyperior's direction, needing to confirm something very important.
"Rhyperior, the Drill Pokémon," the machine recited. "Rhyperior launches rocks or Geodude from holes in its palms. Its shell-like covering can withstand a volcano's eruptions."
Ash carefully looked over the data on the screen, his stomach sinking when he finally found what he was looking for. Rhyperior was a Ground-type Pokémon in addition to being a Rock-type, and it was a powerful one at that. Brock had somehow managed to dig up the one Pokémon that could completely scuttle Ash's battle strategy.
"When did you get a Rhyperior?!" Ash exclaimed incredulously, as he lowered the hand holding his Pokédex.
Brock chuckled. "It's on loan from the Pewter City Gym. I had my brother Forrest send it over two days ago."
"Great…" Ash grumbled, as he pocketed his device. "How nice of him." He looked back at Snivy, who was glancing toward him, wondering if she was about to be returned. After thinking over the matter carefully, he turned his head and gave a nod to Iris, indicating that he wouldn't be switching Snivy out. He would need her for just a bit longer, and hoped she would last that long.
"Both trainers have their Pokémon ready!" Iris declared. "Let the battle resume… now!"
"Snivy, start off by using Attract!" Ash commanded. Snivy smirked a bit, placing one hand on her hip and giving a wink to her opponent; one of her vines extended from her collar, beckoning her opponent closer with a "come hither" motion.
Brock smirked as well. "Show her what you think of that! Use Bulldoze!" His Pokémon roared, raising one of its feet and slamming it into the ground, creating a shockwave that rippled across the arena, knocking Snivy off balance.
"What? No effect?" Ash's stomach sank even further. "Does that mean what I think it means…?"
"It sure does!" Brock confirmed. "Rhyperior's a feisty one, isn't she?" Ash groaned and slumped forward, deflated; Iris slumped as well, sighing and rolling her eyes.
"Alright, we'll just have to battle you the normal way!" Ash looked down at Snivy as she got back to her feet. "Use Leaf Storm, quick!"
"Rhyperior, counter that Leaf Storm with Rock Blast!" Brock responded. Rhyperior growled and focused, her horn glowing white as a large rock formed on the end of it. Once the rock was large enough, it rocketed off toward Snivy, who was firing a barrage of leaves back. She barely leaped out of the way of the incoming rock, still sore from her last battle; she watched as her Leaf Storm landed a direct hit, dealing Rhyperior a bit of damage.
"Good! Let's keep going from a distance!" Ash declared. "Vine Whip!" Snivy nodded as she landed, her vines extending once again and reaching out toward her opponent, starting to slap her around a bit.
Brock appeared unconcerned by the assault. "Grab that vine and pull her in, then use Smack Down!"
Rhyperior grunted as she was slapped once again, raising her right hand and snatching one of the vines between her large fingers. She proceeded to yank backwards as hard as she could, lifting a panicked Snivy off the ground as she flew in Rhyperior's direction. Brock's Pokémon opened her mouth, forming an orange energy orb inside of it, and quickly shot it out at the incoming Pokémon; the orb exploded upon contact, sending Snivy rocketing immediately to the ground.
Snivy groaned as she tried to push herself up, exhausted and sore all over. As she managed to get one foot underneath, she looked back toward her opponent, her eyes widening as she saw Rhyperior charging her with Drill Run. She had no time to get out of the way before the spinning drill on Rhyperior's face impacted her, sending her flying across the arena. The entire audience gasped as one, wincing as Snivy landed heavily at Ash's feet, clearly incapacitated.
"Snivy is unable to battle!" Iris raised one of her flags in Brock's direction. "Rhyperior wins! Both trainers are now down to their final Pokémon!"
"Poor Snivy…" Serena lamented into her microphone. "With as much damage as she had taken, it's no wonder the battle ended so fast."
"How is our challenger going to topple that Rhyperior?" Shauna wondered aloud, keeping her voice energetic. "Does he have a giant Pokémon of his own, ready to go head-to-head?"
"I can tell you right now, he doesn't." Serena responded, trying not to sound too downcast. "He's got two Pokémon left to choose from. Which one will he go with?" The sound of chatter could be heard throughout the gym, as audience members talked among themselves, while Ash summoned Snivy back to her Poké Ball.
"You did a great job, Snivy. Have a nice long rest." He put the Poké Ball away, thinking to himself for a long while, as Pikachu looked up at him curiously. He had planned to use Pikachu to finish off the final battle with a bit of style, but Rhyperior's Ground-type status made her completely immune to electric attacks, which would take away Pikachu's major strength. On the other hand, Skorupi was weaker and slower than Pikachu was, and Rhyperior was still resistant to poison, if not completely immune. Everyone's eyes slowly moved toward Ash as he stood still, thinking as hard as he could.
"Ash, you have to choose your last Pokémon," Iris eventually warned, concerned. "You only have fifteen more seconds before I have to disqualify you."
He nodded wordlessly, holding off for another few seconds, still torn. He eventually grabbed one last Poké Ball from his belt, much to Pikachu's surprise, and threw it onto the field. "Skorupi, I choose you!" The audience began murmuring again as the relatively small scorpion-like Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, immediately recoiling a bit at the size of his opponent.
"Ash… has chosen Skorupi?" Serena sounded confused as she assessed the situation. "That's not the choice I was expecting… what's his plan?"
"Well, this is interesting!" Shauna was much more upbeat than Serena was, being less emotionally attached to the battle. "I wonder what our challenger has in mind? Let's see!"
Brock was surprised as well, looking across the field to see the expression on his opponent's face. He had traveled with Ash enough to know what he was thinking most of the time, and he could tell from the look on Ash's face that he was taking a massive gamble. If this backfired, Ash was going to crash and burn.
"Both challengers have their final Pokémon ready!" Iris raised her flags for the final time. "The battle will resume… now!"
Once again, Ash was the one who took the initiative. "Skorupi, attack with Pin Missile!" Skorupi raised his claws, which began to glow white, and soon a number of glowing white needles shot out of them and toward Rhyperior. She didn't bother to dodge, letting the attack connect; despite the direct hit, it didn't seem to do much damage at all.
"Show them a real attack, Rhyperior!" Brock called out. "Megahorn!" Rhyperior started to slowly advance, as her horn began to glow white. Ash knew what was coming, and wanted no part of it.
"Avoid it by using Dig!" Skorupi nodded and quickly dug his way underground, just as Rhyperior's horn extended across the battlefield, striking the spot where her opponent had been moments ago. As her horn retracted, she began to look around, wondering where Skorupi might resurface. Brock, however, had other plans.
"Dig that Pokémon up!" he commanded. "Use Earthquake!"
Rhyperior nodded, bending down and leaping as high into the air as she could manage. As she came back down, she stomped the ground with full force, causing the battlefield to shake violently, along with the entire cavern. Skorupi quickly found himself ejected from the earth, flung outward and back onto the battlefield, a bit disoriented. The shaking quickly stopped, as Iris and the others gave a quiet sigh of relief for the reinforced ceiling.
"Don't let up, Rhyperior!" Brock ordered. "Follow it up with Stone Edge!"
"Skorupi, dodge and use Venoshock!" Ash responded. His Pokémon quickly righted himself, watching as a number of jagged stones flew toward him. He leaped out of the way, getting closer and opening his mouth, spitting out a large glob of purple liquid. The attack hit Rhyperior right on her face, but Skorupi was quickly knocked away by another round of Stone Edge.
"Keep it up! Use Toxic!" Ash called out, worried by every bit of damage Skorupi took.
Once again, Skorupi stood back up as quickly as it could, needing a couple of seconds to locate his opponent. As soon as he saw the orange-and-black mass in his field of vision, he opened his mouth again, ready to spray a stream of toxic liquid. As Rhyperior became clearer, however, he was able to see the enormous boulder she had formed above her head, as part of her signature Rock Wrecker move. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, which Brock quickly capitalized on.
"Now! Let it fly!" Brock commanded. Rhyperior roared and hurled the boulder toward her opponent with all her strength. Skorupi tried to scuttle out of the way, but to no avail; the giant rock crashed right on top of him before rolling away, smashing him into the dirt.
Ash's heart sank as he saw Skorupi lying nearly motionless on the ground, one claw weakly twitching. His gambit had failed completely, and he had made himself look like a fool in front of all of Cyllage City. He could hear the audience murmuring once again, certain that they were talking about how unimpressed they were. Serena and Shauna had gone silent, almost in mourning.
Iris frowned, the disappointed chatter of the audience coming from all around, as she raised her flag toward Brock. "Skorupi is unable to… huh?" She stopped herself as she watched Ash's Pokémon start to move, forcing itself up on trembling legs, refusing to give up just yet. Seconds later, she gasped as Skorupi began to glow a bright white, lighting up the cavernous gym.
"Oh my gosh, look!" Serena exclaimed excitedly. "Skorupi is evolving!" The audience was transfixed as Skorupi's form started to change, growing massively, his neck elongating, the claws attached to his head extending into long arms. Soon the light faded, and the Pokémon that once was Skorupi let out a roar of his own.
Ash grinned from ear to ear, thrilled and relieved. This was the longshot strategy that he had been banking on. "You did it! You evolved into Drapion!" He quickly grabbed his Pokédex and pointed it at his newly evolved Pokémon, needing to learn as much as he could.
"Drapion, the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon," the device spoke in a mechanical voice. "Its claws give off a deadly poison, and they are powerful enough to turn an automobile into scrap iron." Ash quickly looked over Drapion's move set, finding several new ones that were sure to turn this battle around. He smirked at Brock as he pocketed the device once again.
"That was a good move, Brock, but my last Pokémon isn't going to go down so easily!" he declared, mimicking the words that Brock had thrown at him minutes ago. He could feel adrenaline pumping through him once again, as he pointed forward toward Rhyperior. "Move in closer, Drapion! We need to do some damage!"
Brock watched as Drapion started running forward, still a bit flustered at the sudden turn of events. "Don't let it get close! Use Rock Blast!" Rhyperior grunted and formed another rock at the end of her horn, shooting it out toward her advancing opponent.
"Deflect the attack with Night Slash!" Ash responded. Drapion's left claw started to glow and emit a purple light, and he swung it at the advancing rock in the nick of time, knocking it harmlessly away. Both Brock and Rhyperior were shocked at this display of strength, though Ash couldn't have been happier about it.
"Use Hammer Arm!" Brock ordered. "Flatten it!" Rhyperior extended her left arm, which began to glow red, as Drapion got closer and closer.
"Dodge it and use Ice Fang!" Ash shot back. As Rhyperior brought her arm down toward her opponent, Drapion quickly leaped to the right, and the attack slammed powerfully into the ground. Ash's Pokémon immediately moved in once again, his fangs glowing light blue, and he sank them deep into Rhyperior's arm. As his opponent roared in pain, ice started to spread along her arm, and eventually to the ground, freezing her in place.
"Look at that!" Serena watched with amazement as Brock's Pokémon struggled against her new constraint. "Drapion has frozen Rhyperior to the ground! How is she going to get out of this?"
Ash grinned wide, unable to help letting out a laugh. "Perfect! Now use Toxic once again!" As Rhyperior struggled to free herself, Drapion opened his mouth once again, spewing out a stream of poisonous purple liquid. The attack hit Rhyperior right in the face at full force, with the poison stinging her eyes, burning her nose, and making its way down her throat.
"You have to get away, Rhyperior!" Brock exclaimed, now very worried about the direction this battle had taken. "Break the ice with Bulldoze!"
Rhyperior roared in anger and frustration, stomping one of her feet into the ground repeatedly, causing the ground to shake once again. The resulting shockwaves managed to knock Drapion back a little ways, and they eventually shattered the ice that was fixing Rhyperior to the ground. She reared back into a standing position, coughing and starting to feel sick. As resistant as she was to poison attacks, the force of the last one was starting to do some serious damage.
"We've got to finish this in one blow!" Brock called out. "Use Take Down!" Rhyperior growled, putting her head down and charging toward Drapion as quickly as she could. Ash's Pokémon stood its ground, waiting for a command; Ash watched as Rhyperior ran forward, her strength sapped and her movements more laborious. Rather than have Drapion dodge, he had a different idea.
"Stop her in her tracks with X-Scissor, Drapion!" he commanded. His Pokémon cried out and raised his arms above his head, his claws glowing a bright white, and he brought them down diagonally, in the shape of an X, just in time to block Rhyperior's charge. The two struggled for a moment, engaging in a contest of strength; Drapion eventually won out, forcing Rhyperior backward, where she struggled to get back on her feet.
"Keep going!" Ash commanded. "Use Night Slash, as many times as you can!" Drapion's right claw glowed purple, and he swung it directly into Rhyperior's face, knocking it to the left; it then came back from the other direction, connecting once again for more damage. He kept up the assault as long as he could, repeatedly smacking Rhyperior with his claw as she stumbled backwards slowly, unable to regain her bearings. Brock called out to her, trying to get her to use Stone Edge, but she was much too dazed to hear the command.
Rhyperior eventually felt the onslaught stop, and she tried her best to right herself, her head spinning and her ears ringing. As she caught her increasingly labored breath, she looked back toward her opponent to see him leaping toward her, charging her with one more X-Scissor attack. Drapion's powerful claws slammed into her hard, knocking her off her feet for a moment before she crashed back into the ground on her side, facing Iris. The poison and the continuous assault had done more than enough damage, and Iris had seen all she needed to see.
"Rhyperior is unable to battle!" she announced, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice as she raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Drapion is the winner, which means that Ash has won the match!"
"He did it!" Serena exclaimed, nearly squealing into her microphone, as the audience erupted into thunderous applause all around her. "Ash won! He won his Gym Battle!"
"And what an amazing battle it was!" Shauna continued, as Serena switched her microphone off for a moment so she could celebrate. "Skorupi evolved into Drapion to give Ash an incredible come-from-behind victory! What a spectacular way to inaugurate the brand new Cyllage City Gym!"
Ash ran out onto the battlefield, throwing his arms carefully around Drapion and hugging him tightly. "You did an amazing job, Drapion! I can't believe how strong you are now!" His Pokémon carefully wrapped an arm back around him, as Pikachu cheered happily from the ground.
Brock was all smiles as he returned Rhyperior to her Poké Ball, having absolutely nothing to complain about. He had put up a challenge worthy of a Gym Leader, and Ash had managed to overcome it in dramatic fashion, just as Brock had hoped he would. He started walking toward Ash, as the younger trainer stood up once again.
"That was a great battle, Ash," he spoke, as the two met in the center of the battlefield. "You showed great strength, skill, cunning… and a bit of your trademark luck, if I do say so myself."
Ash grinned. "All the best battles have a bit of luck involved, if you ask me."
Brock chuckled, reaching into his pocket. "With you, they certainly do." He pulled his hand back out, as he clasped a badge made out of three brown rectangles, resembling an abstract climbing wall. "But there's no denying that you've earned this Cliff Badge. Congratulations!"
Ash beamed as Brock dropped the badge into his hand, his eyes taking it in; it looked exactly the same as the badge that he had won several years back. He turned to face the crowd, holding up his badge for all to see, basking in the adoration from the crowd. As he watched everyone cheer him on for his amazing victory, especially Serena, he felt as if he was on top of the world, and part of him hoped this moment would never end.
