Chapter 35

It was a good thing that Leaf hadn't planned on using Venusaur or Ninetales today because neither were anywhere near healthy enough to battle, especially Venusaur. Leaf had spent the majority of the night in the Pokemon Center, across the room where they were being treated. As she watched the nurses tending to her Pokemon through a glass screen, she realized they weren't just out for the next battle. She might not be able to use them for the rest of the Elite Four challenge. Lorelei was supposed to be the weakest of the four. What did it mean that she was able to incapacitate her Pokemon like this? At one point, Leaf's arm felt strangely wet, so she looked down and saw a crimson trail of blood. While bouncing the question around in her head, she'd been unconsciously picking at a scab.

Now, there was a bandaid on her arm and all Leaf could think was that Bruno Harding, the Iron Fist, did not look human. He was freakishly tall and muscular; Leaf didn't think it was possible for someone to be built that way. Bruno wasn't modest about it, either. He wore no shirt or even shoes, just a pair of light gray joggers that were so badly ripped at the hems, they had to be held up by a black sash. Around his wrists and ankles were black studded bands. His long, thick black hair was tied and his caterpillar brows naturally pointed downward, making him appear perpetually furious.

Bruno was proof that cavemen once existed. And Leaf wouldn't be surprised if Bigfoot and other similar beasts were really just his ancestors.

"For Bruno, training with his fighting Pokemon is the same as breathing."

Just this morning, Leaf was so nervous that she could barely move. Here she was, facing the very thing that had caused her such distress. And she felt nothing at all. It was strange how the brain worked.

"With their superior power, they grind down anyone who dares to challenge them!"

Red had defeated Bruno using only Charizard. Leaf couldn't imagine humiliating a man like Bruno so much.

"Trainers may send out their Pokemon now. May the best one win!"

Like Lorelei, Bruno was swift as lightning. The PokeBall's light grew and grew, stretching towards the sky. When it faded, Leaf's arm froze mid-throw.

She'd seen this Pokemon TV, knew that it was over thirty feet tall and a thousand pounds. But nothing could've prepared her for the experience of seeing a Steelix, the evolution of Onix, in real life. The word Pokemon came from pocket monster. Pokemon weren't normal animals. They were monsters that, through PokeBalls, could fit in a pocket.

The Steelix was the first Pokemon that truly made Leaf feel she was looking at a monster. And she couldn't wrap her head around how this goliath could fit in anyone's pocket.

It resembled its pre-evolution, Onix, with its serpentine body composed of rock-like sections, except it was made of steel instead of stone. Its head was broader, it had teeth, and red deep-set eyes. There were three sets of spikes along its body. The tip of its tail was like a spear.

And it was massive, so unbelievably massive. There was no word that could properly describe just how overwhelmingly huge it was. It paralyzed Leaf. After a moment, she realized she'd stopped breathing as well. The Steelix's size had crushed the air out of her.

No wonder they couldn't stand on the dirt battlefield. They were in booths at opposite sides of the stadium. Otherwise, they would certainly end up as collateral damage.

"You may send out your Pokemon now," the referee said.

Leaf was shaking as she tossed the PokeBall. When Golduck materialized, he leaned his head further and further back to see the face of his opponent. His neck stretched as far as it possibly could.

"Rock Tomb." Bruno's voice was gruff. The opposite of Lorelei's.

The Steelix let out a deafening roar. Leaf tightly pressed her hands against her ears and that did nothing. The Steelix slammed its tail down, making the ground tremble and break. It flung the pieces at Golduck, who managed to avoid them, but now his side of the battlefield was a wreck. The next time the Steelix attacked, he wouldn't have anywhere to go but forward. And Golduck wasn't a close-range attacker.

"Hydro Pump!"

Water blasted out of Golduck's mouth, as if he was spitting out a waterfall. The Steelix swerved to the side and rammed face-first into the ground. There was a rumble as the steel snake began to burrow itself. Its speed astonished Leaf.

The Steelix's size was both a blessing and a curse. Before it completely disappeared underground, Golduck redirected his Hydro Pump––head jerking from the sheer force of it––and hit the Steelix at its core. Leaf smiled when the Hydro Pump grazed the burrowing Steelix's bottom-half. Steelix was a steel and ground-type. The part of him that was ground had to have been hurt.

The battlefield shook as the Steelix moved underneath it. It was hard to tell exactly where it was, but she didn't need to. The Steelix had left behind a gaping hole.

"Flood the tunnel!"

Golduck rushed over to the hole and opened his mouth.

"Come out now!"

It was something straight out of a movie. The Steelix burst out of the ground beneath Golduck, throwing him high up into the air. If Golduck made any sound, it was drowned by the battlefield ripping open.

"Iron Tail."

"Psychic!"

The Steelix's tail, which had just emerged from the ground, glowed. It swung at Golduck, who was falling fast. For a second, the Steelix faltered, and Leaf was going to tell Golduck to aim a Hydro Pump down and soften his landing.

Then, the Steelix's tail swung again, striking Golduck like a baseball bat. Golduck crashed into the barrier that protected the reporters and began to fall. Leaf flinched, her back feeling strangely sore.

"Earthquake."

The Steelix slammed his tail down. There was a rumble as the entire stadium seemed to shake. Leaf instinctively shifted her legs to maintain balance. The rumble then turned into booms as the battlefield ripped apart, bursting into large pieces, just in time to greet Golduck.

Leaf blurted out the first move that popped in her head. "Surf!"

The breaking ground was tossing Golduck around. She couldn't tell if he was conscious.

"Surf!" She cried at the top of her lungs.

Leaf saw blue. Water, lots of it, exploded out of the ground beneath Golduck. It formed into a tsunami of a wave and crashed into the Steelix. Leaf had to cover her ears when the Steelix roared.

As quickly as it happened, it was over. The wave sank into the ground, leaving behind puddles. Golduck now stood right in front of the Steelix, leaning heavily on his left.

"Whirlpool!"

The Steelix roared again, the sound somewhat muffled by the vortex spinning around its entire body.

"Iron Tail!" Bruno's roar matched his Pokemon's.

"Hydro Pump!"

The steel snake's tail lit up. It lashed out of the whirlpool, at Golduck, making contact with a blast of water. The Steelix groaned as it pushed its tail against the Hydro Pump and the rest of its body took the pummels of the whirlpool. Leaf bit her lip. The tail was moving closer and closer to Golduck.

"Surf!"

The Steelix's tail lurched forward when the Hydro Pump ended. If it reached Golduck, Leaf couldn't tell. Water burst out of the ground, consuming the steel behemoth. It thrashed about, its white tail gleaming under the sun. Water splashed onto the barrier in front of Leaf and began to trickle down.

The water sank back into the ground. The Steelix was still standing, towering over Golduck like a skyscraper, panting heavily. Its eyes began to roll back.

"Watch out!" Leaf screamed.

Golduck threw himself to the side as the Steelix toppled forward. The ground seemed to shake as it hit it. With its body laid down mostly straight, Leaf could see it was almost the length of the battlefield.

The referee raised a flag. "Steelix is unable to battle!"

There was some relief in seeing the Steelix disappear from the battlefield. The area felt significantly more spacious. But the feeling was fleeting. The battlefield resembled a war zone with all the rubble. It was hard to imagine anyone being able to move around in it. And Golduck, a small speck among the chaos, was shaking as he got on his feet. He glanced up at Leaf, and gave her what was probably meant to be a smile, but looked more like a grimace. One of his eyes was closed.

Bruno sent out a tan humanoid Pokemon with five blunt protrusions on its head. It had shoulder pad-like structures and wore a light purple tunic and shoes. There was a black belt around its waist. Where its hands would've gone, there were red boxing gloves. It raised them in the way a boxer would, glaring at Golduck with turquoise eyes.

Hitmonchan. It was a true fighting-type Pokemon. Bruno had a Steelix because it would cover his other Pokemon's weaknesses: flying and…shit, I forgot steel resisted psychic. No wonder Golduck couldn't use Psychic against it.

Well, Golduck could very much use Psychic against Hitmonchan. Assuming he had the strength for it.

"Agility."

The Hitmonchan somehow darted around the battlefield, around the rubble, so swiftly that it seemed to be teleporting.

"Thunder Punch."

"Psychic!"

The Hitmonchan was right in front of Golduck, gloves flashing with lightning. It stopped abruptly. Golduck telepathically lifted the Hitmonchan in the air, twisting its limbs into unnatural positions. The Hitmonchan's face was strained, but it didn't cry like Golduck did when Sabrina's Alakazam did the same to him. If Bruno was surprised that Golduck could still fight, he didn't show it.

"Detect."

The Hitmonchan's eyes glinted and suddenly, the Punching Pokemon dropped, landing on its feet. Its lightning fist was an inch away from Golduck's face when it was lifted off the ground again. Leaf wanted to cry tears of joy over Golduck's instant response.

"Throw the Hitmonchan away from you!"

Golduck threw the Pokemon to the otherside of the battlefield. It skidded, but managed to roll back onto its feet.

This wasn't good. Though the Hitmonchan was definitely hurt, despite its impressive attempt at hiding it, Golduck would have difficulty finishing it off. It had a way to counter his Psychic and because of its Thunder Punch, Leaf was wary about using water attacks.

"Agility."

The Hitmonchan began to teleport again.

Leaf thought about how Lorelei's Dewgong attacked Venusaur with brief blasts of Ice Beam. Golduck didn't seem to have any choice but to do the same. "Psychic!"

"Mach Punch."

There was a brown movement in front of Golduck and suddenly, he was knocked back. The Hitmonchan stood still now, fist held out. The punch had been so fast that Leaf didn't even see it.

"Thunder Punch."

Golduck was lying on the ground, hyperventilating. The Hitmonchan loomed over him, lightning crackling from its red gloves. Then, it did something Leaf didn't think boxers did. It raised both arms up and brought them down hard like a gorilla.

There was a flash. Of white, yellow, pink, mint, ice blue. Leaf instinctively shut her eyes, turned her head away, and it was still so bright. There was a boom. It sounded like thunder.

Leaf knew Golduck had fainted before even seeing his motionless body. What shocked her was the Hitmonchan, lying on its back yards away.

The referee raised a flag. "Both Golduck and Hitmonchan are unable to battle!"

Leaf's gaze darted towards Bruno. The Iron Fist's scowl was deeper than before. He hadn't expected Golduck to defeat his Hitmonchan. He might not even know what happened at the end. Leaf knew. The last time she'd seen something like that was when Psyduck saved her from a stampede of Tauros. But it was hard to savor the victory when Golduck was going to be stuck in the Pokemon Center for the next few days and Bruno had two more Pokemon.

Leaf returned Golduck, whispered that she was proud of him, and sent out Fearow. Bruno sent out his third.

Fearow was already in the air, circling her opponent: a brown humanoid Pokemon with an ovoid body. It didn't really have a head and neck, nor a nose and mouth. Its eyes, which had white eyeballs and black scleras, sat on its upper torso. It had cream-colored segmented arms and legs. Its clawed feet, which had yellow pads, were flat and wide. Hitmonlee, the Kicking Pokemon. Its powerful legs would allow it to jump high, but it wouldn't be enough to reach Fearow. It was lucky that all of Fearow's attacks were close-range.

"Drill Peck!"

"Mind Reader."

Fearow lunged at the Hitmonlee. It leaped away, eyes glinting. Fearow chased the jumping Hitmonlee.

"Hi Jump Kick."

The Hitmonlee whirled around and jumped at Fearow, left leg bent close and right outstretched. Fearow veered to the left, but the Hitmonlee, as if it had anticipated that, swung its body around, bringing its foot down on Fearow's neck. Fearow made a choking sound and hit the ground.

"Rock Slide."

"Fly!"

The Hitmonlee kicked the ground and the rubble around it was thrown up and over Fearow. Before they could land on the vulture, she darted forward and flew up high, positioning herself under the sun.

"Mind Reader."

The Hitmonlee's eyes glinted. Fearow began to dive down.

"Rock Slide."

The Hitmonlee kicked the ground, sending rubble up. Fearow turned. Almost instantaneously, the Hitmonlee turned as well and kicked the ground again. Fearow screeched as rubble collapsed on top of her.

It's predicting Fearow's next move. The realization hit Leaf like the Rock Slide. How could she counter that? It was difficult to think when Fearow was struggling to free herself from the pile of rubble.

"Mega Kick."

The Hitmonlee walked towards Fearow and raised a leg.

"Mirror Move!" Leaf blurted out.

The rubble behind the Hitmonlee flew up and over it. It swung its leg up to kick the rubble, but there were too many. Soon enough, the Hitmonlee was trapped like Fearow was. Leaf watched the two Pokemon fight their way out. The Hitmonlee was pushing the rubble aside with its hands. Leaf hoped that meant it couldn't use its legs. Fearow was forcefully twisting her body around. She had a head start, but the Hitmonlee was more physically capable. Leaf couldn't predict who would escape first.

It was the Hitmonlee.

To Leaf's dismay, it stood and shook out its legs. It approached Fearow, struggling with one particularly large piece that was on her left wing. The Hitmonlee raised a leg.

There was only one thing Fearow could do. "Aerial Ace!"

The Hitmonlee brought its foot down and Fearow slashed at it with her beak. The Hitmonlee let out a deep moan––Leaf didn't know how since it didn't have a mouth––and hobbled backwards, clutching its foot.

At last, Fearow freed herself. She shook the wing and glared at the Hitmonlee.

"Mind Reader."

"Drill Peck!"

The Hitmonlee's eyes glinted as it leaped to the side. Leaf was certain it would dodge Fearow's redirection next. But when its feet hit the ground, it stumbled. Fearow turned and, twisting rapidly, rammed into the Hitmonlee. It bellowed as Fearow pinned it to the ground.

"Rock Slide!"

But with its dominant foot injured and Fearow drilling into its torso, the Hitmonlee couldn't kick down with enough force. So instead, it grabbed Fearow by the neck. The Hitmonlee truly was more powerful in the legs than arms. Fearow slowed, but she continued to spin. Bruno barked out a few commands, but the Hitmonlee couldn't execute them. Its legs kicked nothing but air. It must've loosened its grip because Fearow began to spin more rapidly. Then, the Hitmonlee's arms slumped to the ground.

The referee raised a flag. "Hitmonlee is unable to battle!"

Fearow was still drilling into the Hitmonlee. "You can stop now," Leaf called out.

But Fearow continued to spin.

"Stop!"

The Hitmonlee vanished beneath Fearow. Bruno had returned it. Fearow banged into the ground. She stopped spinning, drew back in surprise.

Leaf's cheeks burned. She knew Fearow had just been in the zone, but attacking an unconscious Pokemon was wrong no matter what. The reporters were definitely going to mention this. She didn't dare look at Bruno.

Bruno's fourth and final Pokemon appeared: a gray muscular humanoid one. It had red eyes, pale yellow lips, and three brown ridges above its eyes. It wore black briefs and a gold championship belt. Machamp, the final evolution of Machop and Bruno's strongest. It flexed its four arms.

Fearow circled the Machamp. There was a wild look in Fearow's eyes, almost like…bloodlust.

"Rock Slide."

The Machamp clenched its fists and brought them down. Rubble flew up and over Fearow.

"Aerial Ace!"

Fearow dodged the Rock Slide and dived towards the Machamp.

"Scary Face."

Just as Fearow raised her beak, the Machamp scowled. Despite its limited facial features, the harshness of its scowl rivaled its trainer's. Fearow hesitated for a second too long. She shrieked when the Machamp clamped two hands around her neck. She flailed her wings.

"Vital Throw."

The Machamp threw Fearow on the ground hard. The way her body arched reminded Leaf of a whip. Fearow gasped sharply and Leaf knew immediately the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Rock Slide."

"Fly!"

Rubble began to rain down on Fearow. The vulture pushed herself to the side, barely avoiding it. She lifted off the ground, swaying as she did so, as if trying to find her balance. She collapsed, her breaths short and quick.

The Machamp continued to send rubble her way. Fearow was shakily able to avoid getting crushed, but she couldn't get more than a few feet off the ground.

Fearow screeched. A hefty piece had fallen on her right wing, pinning her down. She tugged, crying in pain. The Machamp walked towards her.

"Cross Chop."

The Machamp held two hands out, both flattened and angled into a karate chop.

Leaf was not going to let Fearow just take the attack. "Aerial Ace!"

The Machamp brought its hands down, arms crossing into an X. Fearow slashed at them with her beak. The bang Leaf heard when they collided made her wince. The Machamp drew back, keeping its hands close. Fearow was shaking her head. The fact that neither of them made a sound amazed Leaf greatly.

Fearow finally ripped her wing free. A few feathers drifted away. Still shaking her head, Fearow took off. Her right wing wasn't beating as strongly as her left.

"Grab Fearow."

The Machamp squatted and jumped. Leaf's first instinct was that there was no way the Machamp could reach Fearow. The vulture wasn't in the sky, but she was higher than what anyone could possibly jump.

Maybe the laws of physics didn't quite apply to the Elite Four.

One of the Machamp's upper hands wrapped around Fearow's foot. Fearow squawked in surprise when she lurched down.

"Brick Break."

The Machamp released Fearow and simultaneously, with its other upper hand, karate chopped her in the stomach. Fearow was knocked a few feet away before plummeting; Leaf's heart seemed to be moving in the same trajectory. When Fearow hit the ground, she was once again gasping for air.

The Machamp stood over Fearow now. It grabbed her neck and began to lift her up. Fearow tried to slash at the Machamp's arm, but could only scratch it. The Machamp's hand was too high up her neck, its grip too tight.

"Cross Chop."

The two hands Fearow had struck before rose and flattened.

If Fearow couldn't use her beak… "Wing Attack!"

Before the Machamp could bring its hands down, Fearow swung her wings at its exposed torso. Leaf wasn't sure how hard Fearow could hit with an injured wing, but it was enough. The Machamp flinched, lowered its hands over its torso, and released Fearow. But Fearow didn't fly away. She continued to swing at the Machamp fervently, dark eyes burning, a sharp caw escaping from her beak. The Machamp covered its head with its upper hands and turned to flee, but Fearow struck its legs and it fell over. Fearow hovered over the Machamp and resumed her assault.

"Rock Slide!"

The Machamp truly was Bruno's strongest. Even though Fearow was giving it the beatdown of a lifetime, it managed to slam its fists into the ground. Rubble flew up and over them.

"Fearow––"

Fearow noticed too late. The Rock Slide buried her and the Machamp.

Silence. Leaf was frozen, could barely breathe. She was afraid to make even the tiniest sound. She stared at the pile, searching for movement. It was the longest minute of her life.

Finally, a clatter. The pieces were shifting. Someone was trying to escape.

The Machamp burst free, fists raised. It dragged itself out of the pile. Leaf felt a lump in her throat.

Then, another clatter. More pieces shifted. Leaf leaned forward.

She heard the vulture before she saw her. Fearow emerged, screeching. She pulled her wings out with so much force, she lost her balance and rolled onto the ground. She lifted her head, leering at the Machamp, but didn't stand.

The Machamp, Leaf noticed, wasn't standing either. It was on its knees, hands pressed to the ground, breathing hard.

Leaf glanced back at Fearow and her jaws went slack. Fearow was dragging herself over to the Machamp, her gaze never leaving it. When she was close enough, she slashed at the Machamp's head with her beak. The Machamp fell onto its side.

The referee raised a flag. "Machamp is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Leaf Green of Pallet Town!"

Leaf was stunned. Not because she won necessarily. A question hung over her. Why didn't Bruno do anything at the end? Fearow wasn't moving fast. He could've ordered his Machamp to dodge or defend itself. Why didn't he?

Bruno returned his Pokemon. "My job is done." Leaf was startled to hear Bruno speaking to her directly. "Go face your next challenge."

Leaf didn't have a response. She looked at Fearow. The vulture's condition was, to put it gently, not great. She was covered in dust and noticeably missing feathers in a couple places. The tip of her beak was purple. But her eyes were glowing and she raised her head high.

Leaf smiled and returned Fearow. She would tell her later how well she battled.

On to the next.


Honestly, I always thought Bruno was the easiest of the Elite Four. I never got why he came after Lorelei.

Thanks for reading and appreciate all feedback!