Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Pokémon or any of its parent companies. I am merely a humble storyteller. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this journey with me.
Note: I am English, so some of the wording, spellings, and expressions will be those commonly used in England.
Chapter Thirteen: Red's Rambunctious Rematch Part II
Charmander's flame burned intensely as he stared down the giant rock snake. That was a good sign. His shaking legs were not as encouraging, however.
It would be fine. Pikachu had already proven they could overcome the type disadvantage. Their training with Mint was halfway paying off. Red could afford himself a somewhat confident grin.
Brock's own lips were the farthest thing from a smile they could possibly be. "The same guys as last time, huh? With their type disadvantages and everything? Listen, I'm so happy for you that you were able to beat my Geodude with your Pikachu – teaching a coverage move is always useful – but I thought you'd have someone else in your back pocket, someone new. Charmander's not even a neutral Pokémon to take on Rock-types with. You're not going to be able to knock out my Onix."
Charmander's slumped at Brock's words, and he peered back at Red, as though silently saying 'maybe Kakuna would like a shot at this instead'.
"We'll see about that!" Red declared. "Don't count us out just yet."
"The battle will recommence," Amara called out, "NOW!"
"Charmander, start off with Ember!" Red shouted.
Fiery sparks flew towards Onix, striking it in the face. Onix did not even flinch.
"Use Body Slam!" Brock ordered.
Onix roared in response and fell towards Charmander, collapsing like a multi-storey building.
"Get out the way!" Red screamed.
At the last possible second, Charmander rolled out the way of the heavy creature, avoiding most of the impact but being flung away by the power of the crash. He got to its feet straight away, looking no worse for wear apart from its dilated pupils, and Red breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay. Use Metal Claw!" he said, his heart beating ferociously.
Before Onix could pick itself off the gym floor, Charmander rushed forward and raked his metallic claws across Onix's face. The rock snake bucked upwards and shrieked; its eyes were shut in pain.
"Onix!" Brock yelled. "Onix, are you okay?"
Onix opened one eye, and Brock took that as an A-OK.
"That's good to hear," he said. Louder, he said to Red, "I wasn't expecting Metal Claw. You don't tend to see many of the Charmander line with that technique anymore."
Red grinned. "You going to stop judging my team choices, then?"
"No, I still stand by what I said."
"Fine. Charmander, use Metal Claw again."
The little lizard sped across the field, his claws shining in the artificial light provided by the beams that hung from the ceiling.
Brock smirked. "Onix, use Bide."
Onix's body stiffened (as much as a creature made from rock can stiffen), and Charmander slashed at the lower half of its body with his Metal Claw. Onix winced but did nothing more.
"Huh?" Red said. "What gives, Brock?
Brock's smirk did not waver from his face.
"Use Metal Claw again," Red said uncertainly.
Charmander struck Onix once more, but still the Rock-type did nothing.
"I don't get it," Red said. "You know what? If you're not going to attack, then we'll just keep going. Metal Claw!"
Confidence rising, Charmander flew at Onix, claw outstretched, ready to add to the damage Onix had already taken.
It was not to be.
"Unleash the energy!" Brock howled, pumping his fist into the air.
Far faster than anything the size of Onix should be able to be, it lowered its head and rammed Charmander with such strength, such bone-breaking force, that even Amara turned away from the battle for a moment. Charmander hit the ground and curled into a ball, squealing.
"Bide is an attack where the Pokémon who uses it takes a couple of hits and deals double the damage taken in response," Brock explained.
Red heard. Red did not care. "Charmander!" he screamed. Forget the battle, forget the badge, forget everything. There was no way Charmander was okay after that. Who would after getting pulverised by hundreds of kilograms of pure rock? He pulled out Charmander's Poké Ball. "It's time to return, buddy. You did well."
Brock looked on, caught between feelings of disappointment and pride for the young Trainer's decision.
Red pressed the button on the Poké Ball, waiting for Charmander to disintegrate into energy and be safe within it. But he did not return. He was still on the field.
"Charmander," Red said. "What's going on? I said return."
Slowly, shakily, Charmander stood back up. He turned to Red, his eyes now red, his flame twice as large upon his tail, his body giving off waves of heat.
"Blaze?" Red whispered to himself.
Charmander grinned at him and turned back to face his opponent.
"You still want to battle?" Red asked. "But can you? I don't want you getting seriously injured, buddy."
Charmander shook his head, as though saying 'I'm fine. I'm a Pokémon. We can take a heck of a lot more than this. This is what we're made for'.
Red mimicked Charmander's grin. Fine. If that was what Charmander wanted, then that was what they were going to do. Blaze was temporary, but it sure as heck inspired an inferno within his Starter. Literally and figuratively.
"Okay!" Red shouted. "We're coming at you again, Brock!"
"Good," Brock shouted back.
"Ember!" Red ordered.
Fiery sparks poured from Charmander's mouth, hotter than before, more numerous than before. Onix hissed as they flared in its face.
"Awesome!" Red said, cheering. "Ember again."
Once more, Charmander burned Onix with its intense Ember, this time connecting with a couple of the boulders that made up some of its body.
"Hit back with Dragon Tail!" Brock yelled.
"Counter it with Metal Claw!" Red… countered.
Onix's tail took on that almost imaginary purplish hue as it met Charmander's Metal Claw. The two competing Pokemon roared as their attacks connected, but Charmander was overwhelmed and pushed back, rolling over and over until he came to a stop.
"Rock Tomb!" came Brock's next attack.
Like against Pikachu, dust formed into rocks, large and menacing as they circulated around Onix, like it was a planet and they were its satellites.
Red gritted his teeth so hard he half-expected them to chip. Pikachu could not avoid them last time, but maybe, just maybe, they could…
No time to consider his options. He had none. "Use repeated Metal Claws and destroy those rocks!" Red screamed, almost desperately as the rocks hurtled towards Charmander.
For a single second, Red thought of many things, but one of those was whether Charmander could counter Rock Tomb with Metal Claw.
The first rock reached Charmander. The first rock became the first pile of rubble as Charmander's metallic claws crushed it. The second rock arrived half a second later. It too followed in the path of its predecessor.
Charmander slashed his claws at the rocks, both shining constantly, destroying each boulder until the Fire-type was surrounded by dust and rubble.
"Whoa," Brock breathed, lost for words. Well, at first, he was lost for words until his battler instinct kicked in. The dust was hiding Charmander. An attack was imminent. But not if he could help it.
"Onix, use Bide," Brock said, keeping his eyes peeled for the orange lizard.
And that was just what Red was hoping for. "Okay, Charmander. Use Leer!"
Charmander burst from the dust cloud, narrowed his eyes and beheld Onix with a dark look. Onix shivered, as much as something made from rocks can shiver.
"Leer again!" Red called.
The same thing happened, and Onix suddenly seemed less sturdy than before. The same would happen to any Pokémon if their defences were sharply lowered.
Brock could afford a wry smile; Onix's Bide was now useless. Kudos to Red, but shame on himself on revealing so much about it during the battle. Time to change things up: "Dragon Tail!"
"Run into it!" Red said, not sure if it was strategy or craziness that was guiding him. Maybe both. Maybe neither. Maybe the battle high was messing with him. Either way, he and Charmander had made their move. The end was nigh.
Onix swung its tail, but now it was slow. Far. Too. Slow. "Jump on its tail, Charmander!"
Charmander did as his Trainer asked, leaping onto Onix's stone tail, digging his claws into the crevices so he would not be flung off immediately.
"Sneaky, but strategic," Brock said, his praise sincere. "But can you avoid this? Onix, smash your tail into the ground with Dragon Tail."
Onix raised its tail, Charmander hanging on for dear life, the faint, purplish glow enveloping him as well.
But before Onix could acquaint Charmander with the ground, Red shouted, "Let go, Charmander! Do it now!"
And Charmander did, releasing his hold on Onix and dropping neatly on its body. The very next second after, stones and dust shrouded the area, and a new crater was born in Pewter Gym that day. Too bad for Brock and Onix Charmander could not be there to honour the occasion. "No," Brock muttered.
"This battle's ours, Charmander!" Red roared. "End it with Metal Claw!"
With a yell, Charmander hacked away at Onix with Metal Claw, and with another yell, Onix collapsed to the gym floor with a thunderous boom.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, the seconds went by. Then, when it became clear Onix was not getting back up, Amara said: "Onix is unable to battle, Charmander wins. The victory goes to Red from Pallet Town."
Was that it? Was it really done? Amara seemed to think so. And she was the ref. You could trust referees, right? And Brock had returned Onix. That meant something, right?
It started off at a Slugma's pace, before gathering more and more speed until it was as quick as a Ninjask. And what was it? Realisation. The realisation that Red had indeed won his first Gym Badge with his team. His friends. His family.
He ran across the field, to where Charmander was sat amongst the ruined battle arena, breathing heavily, no longer burning, his pupils watery and blue once more.
"You did it, Charmander!" Red said, giving his Pokémon a massive hug, the throbbing in his arm barely noticeable. "You and Pikachu did it! Speaking of which: come on over, Pikachu. I see you're conscious again."
Pikachu was indeed bright-eyed and lightening-tailed, and he bounded over. He stopped short of Red, slapping his hand away when he tried to hug him too. Red did not mind.
"We did it, guys," Red said. "We actually did it."
Brock marched over, one hand in his pocket. "You did well, Red. You and your Pokémon really surprised me. I took you for granted. As proof of your victory, here's the Boulder Badge."
From out of Brock's pocket came his hand, and in his hand was a shiny, grey, octagonal badge. Red lightly took it from, careful not to drop it, as though it was worth millions, as though being careless would take it from him forever. This was it. The Boulder Badge.
"Guys," he whispered. "This is for all of us."
o~o~o~o~o
How long has it been? It must be years that have gone by. But when I wake up tormented by my nightmares, it feels that it might've been days only.
Why can't I forget? Why can't I live my life? Or is my life not my own? Must I suffer until the day I shuffle off this mortal coil, whether by my own hand or… others? Is that fair? Maybe it is. I didn't ask to be born, and yet here I am.
I can't fit in anywhere. I'm an anomaly, a sin against nature. The stares of those Pokémon still burn into me, the way they flee when they see me sends a shard of ice through my heart. But am I truly a sin against nature if I feel? Sadness, fear, disgust… anger. Would someone who shouldn't exist experience these emotions? Am I such an abomination that none of that counts?
I want to live. I don't want to live. I don't know my own thoughts.
All I can do is hide away. Just hide.
But I don't want to.
But I must.
I'm so confused. I have a name, but who am I? Why am I here? What does my future hold?
So many questions. So few answers.
