Here's chapter 7! I've also gone back and updated all six previous chapters with official titles.

Adrian stepped through the sliding doors into the Gym, his eyes immediately drawn to where the Gym Leader was standing at the back of the large room. "Ah, future champ! Here to challenge Brock, I presume?" the dark-haired older man by the door queried.

Adrian nodded to Jim. "Yes. Is he free?"

"Yes. He's been expecting you, so go right ahead".

Adrian's footsteps echoed on the rocky floor as he walked forward. As he walked, his eyes strayed to the bleachers on each side of the room, the same place he had been sitting only a few hours before. His eyes were drawn to the figure of a young red-haired woman sitting there, her eyes firmly fixed on the stadium of the Gym, and he couldn't help but find her familiar. "So. You've come to battle me for a Boulder Badge?" Brock queried.

Adrian's attention turned back to the Gym Leader. "Yes".

"Very well. I'm assuming this is your first official Pokemon League match?"

At Adrian's nod, Brock gave a slight smile, before turning to a rack behind him and pulling free two Pokeballs. "In that case, I'll use these two".

Turning back, he held one of the Pokeballs out in front of him. "I'm Brock, Pewter City's Gym Leader. You can see just by looking at my Pokémon how rock hard my willpower is. My Pokémon are all hard as rock and have true-grit determination! That's right! My Pokémon are all Rock types! Fwahaha! You're going to challenge me even knowing that you'll lose? That's what a Trainer's honour demands! So be it! Show me your best!"

Adrian's hand flashed to the Pokeballs at his belt. How do I want to play this? Geodude and Onix are both Rock/Ground types. From what I saw before, neither have any Ground moves, and Geodude doesn't have any Rock-type moves, but both are immune to Electric-type attacks thanks to that part-Ground typing of theirs. Therefore Kai's useless here since his only attacking move is Thunder Shock. Aeris and Jade are both part-Flying types, and could be useful against Geodude, but a strong hit from Onix's Rock Throw would take either down. Khonsu knows Poison Sting and Peck. Might be able to deal some light damage but ultimately I wouldn't count on it. Vee's my best choice since he's my strongest Pokemon, but Spring has Grass-type attacks. "Vee?"

Adrian glanced down at his partner's query, shaking his head as his fingers closed around Spring's Pokeball. "Not yet, buddy".

"Are you ready?" Brock queried from across the stadium, holding out his Geodude's Pokeball.

"Ready".

Both Trainers nodded and then threw their Pokeballs at the same time. Both balls burst open upon contact with the rocky ground of the battlefield, Adrian's Bulbasaur and Brock's Geodude emerging in flashes of light. "Geodude, Tackle!"

Adrian's eyes flicked quickly to the red-haired girl sitting in the stands, who was now leaning forward, intently watching the battle, before they returned to the battlefield. Multiple strategies flashed into his mind as he analysed the field in front of him. "Spring, use your Vine Whip to grab Geodude like you did that stick in Viridian Forest!"

Vines snaked from the bulb on Spring's back, lashing themselves around the Geodude's arms just seconds before it would have struck Spring. Adrian smirked. "Great! Now, slam it into those boulders!"

"Geodude, break free of those vines and Tackle it again!"

"Tighten your grip, Spring!"

The vines tightened around Geodude's arms. As the rocky Pokemon struggled to break free, Spring took aim, slamming it as hard as possible into one of the boulders that lined the battlefield before letting go. Geodude tumbled to the arena floor, where it lay unconscious for a few seconds before righting itself and glaring at Spring. "Geodude, Tackle again!"

"Vine Whip!"

Another vine from the bulb on Spring's back slammed into the Geodude, sending it to the ground, where it landed and lay still. Brock nodded and held out a Pokeball, recalling it. "Good job, Geodude. Return!"

"Brace yourself, Spring. This is going to be a tough one…" Adrian instructed as Brock's Geodude vanished into its Pokeball in a beam of red light.

""Bulba…"

Brock tucked his Geodude's Pokeball away, raising the one that, Adrian knew, contained his Onix. Brock's most powerful Pokemon. "Looks like you're up, Onix! Go!"

Adrian gulped quietly as the immense rock snake emerged from the Pokeball. Casting a quick glance at the stands again, he saw that the red-haired girl had shifted and was leaning forward, her eyes fixed intently on the battlefield. "Stay strong, Spring! We've got the type advantage here! Use Vine Whip to grab it and slam it against the ground!"

"Onix, use the momentum from Vine Whip to propel yourself underground, then come up from underneath Bulbasaur with Headbutt!" Brock commanded.

He's going for a similar strategy to the one he used against that Zubat from earlier, I'm guessing. "Spring! Wait until you feel the vibrations under you and then get out of the way!"

"Onix, now!"

The immense rock Pokemon burst from the ground, slamming into Spring and sending it sprawling. Adrian's mind raced, flicking over the moves that Spring knew. "Spring! Let's try and recover some health before this goes on for much longer! Leech Seed!"

"Onix! Trap it with Bind!"

A seed burst from the bulb on the Bulbasaur's back just seconds before the rock snake coiled around it. The seed slammed into Onix, but the Pokemon barely noticed as vines sprouted from it, twining themselves around the rocks that made up the rock snake's body before starting to glow a soft red color. Onix suddenly groaned in pain and its grip weakened on Bulbasaur, which seemed to grow slightly stronger. Adrian opened his mouth to yell an order, but hesitated. A good Trainer knows not just strategy, but also when it's ideal to switch a Pokemon out. That's what dad always says. Pulling a Pokeball from his belt, he held it out. "Spring! You've done well, now return!"

A red beam emerged from the button at the centre of the ball he was holding out and struck his Pokemon, causing it to vanish into the ball. Nodding in satisfaction, he let his eyes flick to the stands for the third time that fight. The red-haired girl was watching him thoughtfully, and a slight smile flicked across his face as he realized exactly where he'd seen her before. Bending down slightly, he scratched Vee behind the ears. "You think you're up for this, buddy?"

His partner nodded. "Vee!"

"Alright, partner. I trust you. You're up, Vee."

His partner jumped onto the field to stand in front of Adrian, staring up at Brock's Onix. Brock raised an eyebrow. "An Eevee, huh? I'm not sure you know what you're doing, but okay… Onix, Rock Throw!"

"Alright, Vee, this is what all of our training's led to! Dodge those rocks with Quick Attack!"

Vee nodded and charged towards the Onix at the same time as the rock snake slammed its tail into the stadium ground, sending rocks flying everywhere. Vee's body was a blur, a white line flashing from side to side as each rock fell harmlessly to the ground behind it, and Adrian clenched his fist. "Vee! Jump on the last one and use it to propel yourself into a Tackle!"

The small silver fox Pokemon did as commanded, the surprisingly-powerful Tackle sending Brock's Onix reeling. "Impressive. But we're not beaten yet. Onix! Bind it!"

Adrian caught a glimpse of the vines that were still wrapped around the Onix's coils as they glowed again, slowly draining more of the immense Pokemon's health and transferring it to his partner. That's it, Brock, keep attacking… Spring's Leech Seed is still slowly draining your Onix's health, it's only a matter of time now until you lose. He smirked. "Vee, let's make ourselves harder to hit! Kick up some dust with Sand Attack!"

Vee nodded, raising himself on his hind legs before slamming his front legs down on the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of loose dust and sand. Onix lunged at Vee but missed, crashing into the rocks, and Adrian smirked as the vines glowed again, transferring more of Onix's health to Vee. "It's got sand in its eyes, Vee! Let's use this chance to take it down! Tackle!"

"Onix!"

Vee slammed into the Onix once again before it could defend itself, sending it sprawling. The vines flared red one last time before disintegrating, and Adrian held his breath in anticipation. A few seconds later, Brock nodded. "Onix is unable to battle. Looks like I underestimated you, Trainer."

Adrian nodded to Vee, who came running over to him, panting lightly, as Brock held out Onix's Pokeball to recall it. Brock chuckled slightly as he tucked the Pokeball away. "You'd think I'd be used to this by now, being the first Kanto gym leader most new trainers face. Never gets any easier, that's for sure."

Adrian and Vee crossed the battlefield, approaching where Brock stood on the other side of the Gym. As they reached him, Brock held out his hand, shaking Adrian's hand in acceptance of his loss. He handed over a small wad of notes, which Adrian counted subconsciously before slipping into his pocket, joining the money that was already in there. "I'm honestly impressed. Most Trainers don't quite employ the same strategy of evasion that you and your Eevee seem to."

Crossing back to the rack he had initially taken Geodude and Onix's Pokeballs from, he replaced the two balls before turning to a small chest, opening it, and withdrawing a small object. He walked back to Adrian, smiling slightly as he held out his hand, in which he was holding a small gray badge. "Take this as proof of your victory. It's an official Pokemon League badge - a Boulder Badge! With this badge, Pokemon you receive in trades from other Trainers are more likely to obey you. Oh, and here, take this with you too!"

Brock pulled a small disc from his pocket and held it out to Adrian, who gratefully accepted both the offered items, tucking the disc away safely and slipping the badge into the pocket of his jacket. "That disk is a Technical Machine, or TM. If you use it, you can teach any Pokemon the move inside it. And TMs can be used as many times as you want, so feel free to use it on any Pokemon you like. That particular one contains the move Headbutt. It damages your opponent's Pokemon by ramming them with a head that's as hard as rock. There are all kinds of people in this huge world of ours. Some have their Pokémon battle—some just like to raise them... I'm hard at work here to learn how to become a Pokémon Breeder, who helps raise Pokémon. You're aiming to become a strong Trainer, right? Then you should challenge all the other Gyms!"

"I'm definitely planning to," Adrian grinned.

"I wish you and your partner the best of luck with your travels then."

Nodding his thanks to Brock, and noticing that the red-haired girl from earlier was no longer sitting in the stands, Adrian turned and headed for the exit, Vee right beside him. The two made their way through the streets back to the Pokemon Centre, and Adrian recalled Vee into his Pokeball before stepping through the sliding doors. "Adrian! Good to see you again!" Nurse Joy greeted him, waving cheerfully as she saw him.

He smiled, walking over to the counter. "Hi, Nurse Joy."

"So, how'd your first official Gym battle go?" the pink-haired nurse queried.

"I don't really want to brag, but… I think it went pretty well" Adrian replied, grinning softly as he pulled his new badge from his jacket pocket.

"Congratulations! Actually that reminds me, this package addressed to you arrived while you were at the Gym."

Nurse Joy reached under the counter and withdrew a thin package, which she handed over to Adrian. Adrian glanced down at it as he tucked it safely away, noticing that it was addressed to him from his parents. I'll open it later. "Thank you".

Nurse Joy beamed. "You're welcome! Would you like me to heal your Pokemon for you?"

"That would be lovely. Just Vee and Spring this time, please."

"Alright! Just give me their Pokeballs and I'll take care of them for you!"

Adrian nodded, unclipping the two Pokeballs from his belt and placing them in the offered tray. Nurse Joy beamed at him. "Alright, Adrian, I'll get your Pokemon all healed up for you. It should take about half an hour, so if you want to make yourself comfortable go ahead and I'll let you know when we're done."

She picked up the tray and left the counter, making her way into the main medical room of the Pokemon Center. Sighing, Adrian turned away from the counter, his eyes widening slightly in surprise as he spotted a very familiar red-haired girl sitting on one of the benches, reading. As if she felt his eyes on her, she looked up, giving a slight smile and waving him over. "You're the girl who gave me directions to the Gym just a few hours ago. And who was also in the stands during my battle against Brock."

She chuckled gently, shifting over slightly to make room for him on the bench next to her. "That's me. My name's Cassandra, but my friends call me Cassie. I'm from Cerulean City, but I've been here in Pewter for the last few days visiting my cousin. And you… you're Adrian, right?"

At Adrian's surprised expression, she laughed again. "I heard Nurse Joy mention your name when you came in. I'm guessing you're from Pallet Town?"

Adrian smiled back. "Yes. My team and I just arrived here earlier today after coming through Viridian Forest. As you probably figured, we're taking the Pokemon League challenge."

"I had figured that since you were battling Brock, yes. You've got an interesting strategy, Adrian. Although all things considered, I'm not really sure how much use that's going to be against the Cerulean City Gym…"

Adrian's fingers fiddled with his newly-won Boulder Badge as he reached into his bag with his other hand, pulling out his guidebook and turning to the page on the Gym Cassandra had just mentioned. "Cerulean City Gym. Leader: Misty, the tomboyish mermaid. Specialises in: Water-type Pokemon"

"Battles in her Gym are usually fought over the Gym's swimming pool/tank, with Trainers standing on either side, so if I'm being honest I'm not sure exactly how useful your Eevee will be in your battle against her" Cassandra said simply, nodding.

"Probably not very useful. But I do have other Pokemon which might be more effective against her. I'll definitely have to do some training though…" Adrian mused.

"Oh, definitely. But then again, even just travelling through Mount Moon is sure to get your Pokemon some well-earned experience."

"Of course. Probably still have to do some training on Route 24. Maybe add a few other Pokemon to my collection while I'm doing that."

Cassandra reached up, brushing a strand of red hair out of her eyes, before nodding. "You can find Abra there, usually. Oddish too. Easy to imagine both of those proving useful in your future Gym battles. Especially if you're planning to take on the Fighting Dojo in Saffron as well."

"That makes a lot of sense."

Adrian leaned back in the chair, thinking briefly, and then smiled. "Well then, Cassie. I have an idea. As we've discussed, I need to go to Cerulean for my next badge. And, as you said yourself, you're heading home to Cerulean after visiting your cousin. Why don't we travel together? It'd be nice to have another person to talk to. Vee's a good listener, but he's not much of a conversationalist, you know?"

Cassie gave him a warm smile in return. "I was just going to have my Staraptor fly me back there, but travelling together sounds like a really good idea. It would be nice to have company, plus I'd admittedly really like to see what other Pokemon you have in your party so far."

"It's a deal then."

"Adrian, your Pokemon are healed now"

Walking back up to the counter, Adrian smiled, gratefully taking Vee and Spring's Pokeballs from the tray the nurse was holding out to him and clipping them back onto his belt. "Thank you so much, Nurse Joy."

"You're welcome! Is there anything else you need?"

Adrian nodded. "I need to make a couple of phone calls. Are the phones in the room down the hall on the left?"

"Just like in the Viridian City Pokemon Centre, yes."

"Thank you."

He walked back over to where Cassie was sitting. "Hey, I have to make a couple of phone calls while we're here. You don't mind waiting, do you?"

Cassie shook her head and smiled lightly, holding up the book in her hands for him to see. "I'm good. You go make your phone calls, I'll be fine here."

Walking down the hall to the room Nurse Joy had mentioned, he quickly found a free phone and keyed in his home phone number when prompted. "Adrian!"

He smiled at the two adults on the other end. "Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. Is everything going okay at home?"

"Everything's fine here. We all miss you and Vee. Becca and I were talking earlier about how quiet it is around the house without you and Vee practising on those targets in the backyard" Adrian's mother said, giving her son a soft smile.

"We miss you all too. Where are Becca and Mary, by the way? I was hoping they'd be home when I called."

"Oh, they're staying at their friend Ellie's house tonight."

"Oh, right, because it's Ellie's birthday. I'd actually totally forgotten."

Adrian's father laughed. "So had your mother until Mary reminded her this morning."

Adrian's mother gave her husband a playful punch in the arm, and Adrian couldn't help laughing. "It still feels unreal to actually be travelling, if I'm being honest. I know this is something Vee and I have been training and looking forward to for the last two years, but it still feels so weird to be taking the Pokemon League challenge"

"Speaking of the Pokemon League challenge… How's that going for you so far?"

Adrian smiled and slipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket, his fingers curling around the badge he had only won from Brock a short time ago. He held it up towards the screen so that his parents could see. "I got the Boulder Badge."

"Congratulations, Adrian! So proud of you!"

"Great work!"

His parents' compliments made him blush. "I couldn't have done it without Vee. And the lessons you and Professor Oak gave us, Dad."

"Well, I'm glad those lessons helped you. Did you get the package we sent you?"

"I did! I haven't opened it yet, but I will soon!"

Adrian's father smiled. "I'm glad it reached you in time. It's something that came in handy for me when I was on my own journey. I never quite got good enough to beat the League, but I kept it as a memento of my travels and when you set out I decided the time was right to pass it on to you. I was going to give it to you yesterday when I got home from work, but you had already left by then so instead your mom suggested that we just send it to Pewter City instead."

Adrian laughed gently. "Yeah, I did think about staying until you got home before I left but in the end, Vee and I were just really eager to get on with our adventure."

"I figured you would have been. You know you can always come home if you get too lonely or homesick, right?"

Adrian smiled gently at his parents. "I know. I think I'll be okay though. I made a new friend here in Pewter. Her name's Cassandra, we decided to travel together since we're both heading towards Cerulean anyway."

"Is she nice?" his mother queried.

"She certainly seems that way so far. Although to be fair it's hard to tell since we've only just met."

"Fair enough."

There was a quiet whistling from the kitchen, and Adrian's mom sighed. "Alright, I guess that's our cue to go. Call when you get to Cerulean, okay?"

"Will do, Mom. Bye, Dad! Give my love to Becca and Mary when they get home!"

"Good luck! And don't worry, we will!"

There was a click as the line went dead, and Adrian smiled to himself before picking up the phone again, this time keying in Professor Oak's number. "Professor!"

The grey-haired Professor smiled as he saw Adrian. "Ah! How are you doing, Adrian?"

"I'm good thank you, Professor. I won the Boulder Badge!"

The Professor beamed. "That's great! I'm very proud of you, my boy! Ah, but you didn't call just to chat, did you? What can I do for you?"

Digging into his pocket, Adrian withdrew the sealed Pokeball that contained the Weedle he'd caught in Viridian Forest. "I have another Pokemon to send you."

Several minutes later, Adrian hung up the phone, whistling cheerfully as he walked back out to find Cassie waiting for him. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps, closing her book with a quiet thud as she got to her feet. "Ready to go?"

Adrian nodded, tapping a finger against Vee's Pokeball to release his partner, who looked up at him with shining eyes and gave a single nod as well. "Let's get going."

Adrian's current team and their levels:

Eevee (Vee) - Level 16. Knows Covet, Sand Attack, Tackle, and Quick Attack.

Pidgey (Aeris) - Level 7. Knows Tackle, Sand Attack, and Gust.

Nidoran (Khonsu) - Level 8. Knows Leer, Poison Sting, Peck.

Butterfree (Jade) - Level 10. Knows Tackle, String Shot, Harden and Gust.

Pikachu (Kai) - Level 7. Knows Growl, Tail Whip, and Thunder Shock.

Bulbasaur (Spring) - Level 10. Knows Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip and Leech Seed.

-Caught but not part of the team-

Nidoran (Amara) - Level 5. Knows Growl, Poison Sting, Scratch

Rattata (Nibbler) - Level 3. Knows Tackle and Tail Whip.

Weedle (Lancer) - Level 5. Knows Poison Sting and String Shot.