Chapter 12:

Game of Throh

Location: Nacrene City

If you think I was up all-night sobbing about my loss, I wasn't. Reminder, I was having my rematch today. I found this odd, because usually the Gym Leader would give a day or two of waiting to take on another challenger for the day. This time though, Lenora was taking on two. Me in the evening and this morning, Bianca would have her time to shine.

"Ready to go?" Cheren asked.

"Yep!" I said, getting my jacket on and running out the Pokémon Center. "Okay, to Pinwheel Forest!"


Location: Pinwheel Forest Marshlands

Overlooking the two of us was a large marsh, with many people trying to catch and train their Pokémon.

"This is where I caught Timburr" Cheren said. "We have a bit more training to do together. We need to at least learn Rock Throw, so I'm gonna go off and do my own thing okay?"

As we entered, we were greeted by a Nurse. She was wearing all pink with a black bag.

"If you beat me in a battle" she said. "I can heal your Pokémon for the remainder of your time here so you don't have to keep running back to the Pokémon Center."

Well, we couldn't turn down that offer. "I'll go first Cheren" I said, which he was fine with. I was taking on Lenora again first after all.


Hilbert Vs. Nurse Sheri

"Audino, go!" I said.

"I choose Munna!" Sheri said back. "Okay Munna, use Psybeam!" Munna shot a multicoloured beam at Audino. Audino had high HP, so it took it.

"Nice one Audino!" I said, just as Audino shot a heart at Munna. It didn't seem to be affected. "Audino, what was that?"

"Attract!" Cheren said. "It infatuates Pokémon of the different gender! Of course, both Pokémon are female so it didn't work."

"Munna, another Psybeam!" Munna shot another beam at Audino. Audino came back with DoubleSlap, but it didn't do that much.

Deciding that was enough, I swapped out Audino for Dewott, who took another Psybeam. "Use Razor Shell!" Dewott sliced Munna with its scalchops, knocking it out.

"And as I promised" Sheri said. She got out healing equipment and healed my Pokémon. "Feel free to come back to me as much as you want!"


"Thanks!" I said. "Okay Cheren, your turn. I'm going to do my own stuff."

I walked down the marshlands, my trainers squelching through the shallow water. I also walked onto a piece of what looked like an abandoned train track. There was originally a train that went from Nacrene City to Driftveil City to transport stuff between warehouses, but plans fell through and construction was permanently halted after a Cold Storage was built in Driftveil, taking away any necessary use for a train.

"Hey!" A Preschooler shouted at me in eye distance. "It's you, the one who came to Daycare! Let's have a battle!"


Hilbert Vs. Preschooler Homer

"Drilbur, go!" I shouted.

"I choose Roggenrola!" Homer replied, sending out the chunky Rock Type.

"Drilbur, start with Metal Claw!" Drilbur slashed Roggenrola. Super Effective or not, Roggenrola's Defense was out of this world.

"Rock Blast!" Roggenrola started firing rocks at Drilbur. Drilbur took all three of them.

"Another Metal Claw!" This Metal Claw was a Critical Hit and almost finished Roggenrola.

"Rock Blast again!" Drilbur took the two hits.

"One more Metal Claw!" One more slash and Roggenrola fainted.

"Doh! I lost! Thank you Mr. Hilbert!" Homer said, running off to the Nurse to heal his Pokémon.


"Nice one Drilbur!" I said.

"Nice one indeed."

From on top of the cliff, I saw a man in a karate uniform. The top was white and the bottoms were orange. He also had a Black Belt around his waist. Now I'm no karate expert, but I do know that Black Belt is the highest rank of the sport. The Black Belt also powers up Fighting Type attacks, so that's why many Fighting Type Trainers, Gym Leaders and Elite Four Members train in martial arts; to get the item to power up their Pokémon.

The man jumped down and landed on two feet. The cliff was about the size of one of Striaton City's apartments, but he remained unphased.

"Oh, hello" I said.

"Pleasure young man. My name is Marshall, a Fighting Type specialist. I saw your battle down there, and I'm impressed. Training for the Nacrene Gym?"

"Rematch" I said, a bit embarrassed.

"Do you have any Fighting Types on you, or at the very least any moves?"

I shook my head.

"Then, I will be happy to train you. Follow me."

Marshall brought me out of the Marshlands and back to the road that leads into the Pinwheel Forest undergrowth.

"Your Drilbur is impressive, but I'd like to give you a hand. We are going to teach it, Rock Smash."

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a TM. TM94, Rock Smash specifically.

"Great Drilbur!" I said. I taught it to Drilbur, forgetting Mud Slap. Whilst it is a Ground Type move, it only has a measly power of 20 and is a Special move, whilst Drilbur is more Attack focused. Hopefully it would learn Dig soon.

"Now. We are going to try out the move. I'd like to give you a Double Battle, just two Pokémon. Is that alright?"

I decided on my Pokémon. As well as Drilbur, I would also use Pidove. "Done deal! Let's try out Rock Smash!"


Hilbert Vs. Black Belt Marshall

"Drilbur, let's do this! Come out Pidove!"

"Throh, Sawk! Enter the ring!" Marshall sent out two Pokémon. Both were Lv 50, so I knew I wasn;t going to win. One was beefy and red with what looked like white martial arts gear on.


Throh (ナゲキ)

044

Fighting Type

Judo Pokémon

4'03" (1.3 m)

122.4 lbs (55.5 kg)

When they encounter foes bigger than themselves, they try to throw them. They always travel in packs of five.

Throh has no known evolutions.


The other was blue and slimmer.


Sawk (ダゲキ)

045

Fighting Type

Karate Pokémon

4'07" (1.4 m)

112.4 lbs (51 kg)

The sound of Sawk punching boulders and trees can be heard all the way from the mountains where they train.

Sawk has no known evolutions.


"Pidove, Quick Attack!" Pidove charged into Throh at breaking speed. "Now Drilbur, Rock Smash!" Drilbur punched Throh and its Defense fell. "Now your turn!" I told Marshall.

"No, be my guest. Have another one" Marshall replied.

I was confused but shrugged it off. Pidove used another Quick Attack, and it did more this time! Drilbur used another Rock Smash.

"See? Rock Smash can very useful at this leg in the journey. Okay, let's finish this. Throh, Storm Throw!" Throw grabbed Drilbur by the neck, then threw it into the fence, knocking it out instantly with a Critical hit. "Sawk, Close Combat!" Sawk started punching Pidove rapidly, which also knocked it out.

"You're strong!" I said.

Marshall smiled, then bowed. "Thank you for being my student for today. Good luck with Lenora."

Just then, my Xtransciever went off. It was Bianca. "Hilbert, I've finished! Meet me back at the Pokémon Center, I'd like to show you something!"

She signed off, as I thanked Marshall once again.


Location: Nacrene City Pokémon Center

"Tada!" Bianca said, holding up a rectangle Badge with purple in the middle. "I present, the Basic Badge! It's mine!"

"Well done!" I said. It was weird to think that the Rival who almost didn't go on this journey was now ahead of me. "So, do you think I'll win this time?"

"I should hope so!" Bianca replied. "You got stronger didn't you? Well, if you want to be stronger, have Dewott hold this." She held out a necklace with a water droplet stone on it.

"A Mystic Water?" I said. This is a rare item that powers up Water Type moves. Dewott would love to hold it!

Hawes appeared once again. "Hilbert, Lenora is ready to see you. Have you finished studying?"

You bet.


Location: Nacrene City Gym

I didn't need to do the puzzle this time, so I pressed the button in the bookshelf and it slid back revealing the staircase which I went down.

Lenora was waiting for me once again, this time not with a book. She had come prepared for me once again.

"So, come back from your studies?" she asked. She put a Pokéball in her hand. "Battles are like a book. If you don't read them properly, you'll skip over something vital, so sometimes it's good to come back and look again!"


Hilbert Vs. Gym Leader Lenora

"I choose Audino!" I shouted.

"Go Herdier!" Lenora replied. "Use Take Down!" Herdier charged into Audino at full pelt, doing recoil damage in the process.

"Now Audino, DoubleSlap!" Audino slapped Herdier five times. That took it down to almost half health.

"Another Take Down!" Herdier charged into Audino once again. It was hanging by a thread.

"Use DoubleSlap!" Audino slapped Herdier once again. One was a Critical Hit, meaning that one more would bring down Herdier.

"Bite!" Herdier bit Audino's ear, fainting it.

I withdrew Audino for Pidove. "Use Quick Attack!" Pidove dashed into Herdier at high speed, fainting it.

"Well, this has taken an interesting turn. Go Watchog!" Lenora shouted, as my new arch nemesis entered the field.

"Pidove, Leer!" Pidove stared down Watchog.

"Retaliate!" Watchog punched Pidove, knocking it out in one.

I congratulated it as I sent out Pansear. "Okay, use Incinerate!" Pansear shot a flame at Watchog, roasting the Sitrus Berry it was holding.

"Crunch it!" Watchog bit down on Pansear. It was a Critical Hit and Pansear went down in one.

"Okay Drilbur, ready?" Drilbur entered the field, my main strategy. "Use Rock Smash!" Drilbur punched Watchog for Super Effective damage, lowering Defense in the process. "Great! More like that Drilbur!"

"I don't think so!" Lenora said. "Watchog, Hypnosis!" Watchog's eyes started changing colour rapidly. Drilbur, who couldn't help but stare at them, fell asleep.

"No!" I shouted.

"Yes!" Lenora replied. "Crunch Watchog!" Watchog crunched down on Drilbur's body. "And again!" Another Crunch and Drilbur was finished.

It didn't matter too much, because I had my Mystic Water holding Dewott to take it down. "Go Dewott!" I shouted. "Razor Shell go!" Dewott's scalchops started to glow. Then, with one swipe, Dewott slashed Watchog with them. Watchog was down.

"Alright!" I shouted. Dewott jumped up to me as I swung it round in happiness.


"I'm impressed" Lenora said. "See? Sometimes it takes more than one try to get something right." In her pocket, she pulled out the Basic Badge. "You are more than deserving of this Hilbert."

I took it and put it in my Badge Case. "Two down, six to go!" I said.

Lenora also handed me a TM. This was TM67, Retaliate. The move that doubles in power when a Pokémon has fainted the previous turn. "On top of this, Pokémon up to Lv 30 traded to you can listen! You've got a journey of discovery and wonder ahead of you my friend!"


Location: Nacrene City

"So shiny!" Bianca said, forgetting that she had the Badge as well. The three of us were once again at the Café, discussing the next leg of our journey.

"Hold up" I said, getting out my Town Map and opening it on the table. "Castelia City is our next stop. It's through Pinwheel Forest and across Skyarrow Bridge. According to the Map, there is a Gym there to."

"Did somebody say Castelia City?" Hawes asked, having heard our conversation. "Well, that's great because tomorrow, the Castelia City Gym Leader is coming to Nacrene City for a visit! He's a good friend to me and my wife. Maybe stay one more day so that you can meet him."

I decided that there was no need to rush about. "Castelia City isn't going anywhere!" I said. "Plus, the Gym Leader won't be in. I say we stay for one more day! You still need to take on Lenora Cheren, so we can wait!"

Cheren adjusted his glasses. "She's in for the match of a lifetime."


And thus, Badge #2 is mine. Why did Lenora want a rematch so quickly and give me that book? I don't know. I'll ask her tomorrow. But I also have multiple questions for Castelia's Gym Leader. More will be answered soon.